Fulham boss Scott Parker: You can’t give up goals like we have and expect to win Premier League games

BY DANIEL MARSH

Scott Parker slammed Fulham’s defensive horror show after they fell to a 3-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa.

A trio of goals from Jack Grealish, Conor Hourihane and Tyrone Mings were enough to condemn the Whites to their third straight Premier League defeat this season.

Fulham’s defence has been under scrutiny since their top-flight return, with their defensive struggles during their last spell in the top flight well documented.

They have already conceded 10 goals in just three league games – with Parker’s backline failing to cover themselves in glory for the three Villa goals.

“In terms of defending we’ve not been good enough tonight,” said Parker in the aftermath.

“We’ve not been good enough for the first three games of the season, we need to address that. We all realise we need to address that.

|It was an area certainly brought up as an area that I think everyone at the football club hopefully can see as well. A lot of positives from tonight to be honest with you, we played very well and dominated large parts.

“But the first time they get in our box, they score a goal. The second time they score another goal. You just can’t give up goals like we give them up in this division and expect to win football matches. You see that at the other end for them, the two centre-halves and the back four, we had numerous crosses tonight and got up to their goal pretty well but they defended.

“I [still] take some real positives, I honestly do as frustrated as I am – and I’m really frustrated. Like I said, they get in our box a couple of times and they score two goals but for large parts of tonight’s game I thought we had a real quality about us.

“Everything we worked on, I thought we caused them some real problems in wide areas in a switch of play and crosses in the box. So there was a real positiveness about us and I like that.

“Over the course of the past three games – okay we’ve lost – but I see a group of players here with real endeavour and real cohesion, so there were some big positives.

“Of course, straight after the game for me to rationalise that is probably not as easy because you just see it for what it is, and it’s a defeat. But there were some positives, we need to build on those positives whilst also being angry and critical of the negatives.”