Fulham lost 2-0 after second half goals from Oscar and Mikel.
Chelsea 2-0 Fulham
Martin Jol admitted Fulham must create more if they are to get results away from home this season. His side lost 2-0 to Chelsea yesterday after second-half goals from Oscar and Mikel.
The Dutchman was positive about Fulham’s first half display but conceded they need to improve to test the big names in the Premier League.
“I’m not happy after a defeat but, especially in the first 50 minutes, I think they were really worried,” he said. “They couldn’t find the space, they couldn’t find a solution and that is probably the moment where you have to punish them, and we couldn’t do that.
“At half-time we were really pleased and we tried to do the same but the second half they stepped it up a gear. They were more aggressive than us and that is what showed with the first goal. We gave away the ball and they broke us, and the second goal was a corner kick.”
It’s still early days for Fulham this season but Jol was obviously concerned by the position his team finds itself in.
“Hopefully we can build on the first half and do better. We need a win to get back in the top ten because I think now we are seventeenth or eighteenth and we have to get out of that.”
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho was keen to focus on the result rather than his team’s performance at the end of a difficult week.
“When we played a very good game against Everton and lost, the way we played was not important,” the Chelsea boss said. “What we produced was not important. The important thing was we lost the game and lost three points. If you want to be pragmatic, we analyse the same way and the most important thing is the result.”
With all his rivals dropping points so far this season Mourinho believes the league is more competitive than during his last spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
“If you lose a match, you don’t lose the Premier League,” he continued. “This is why people prefer to watch the Premier League, anything can happen.”
The Blues’ manager also confirmed Juan Mata would play in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night against Swindon.
When asked about the Spaniard’s position Mourinho suggested that, despite the speculation, there was still a future for him at the club.
“I hope he tells me on the pitch, ‘You are wrong, I am the best and I have to play every game’.
“I would love that. I’m waiting for a professional reaction. I want him to be fantastic. I hope he can.”
Photo courtesy of Fulham FC, with thanks.
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