Scott Parker expects Fulham to become ‘more clinical’ in months ahead

Scott Parker admits he is still looking for his side to become a little more clinical, but reckons they are going to get stronger as winter advances.

The Fulham boss was delighted that his team bounced back from Saturday’s miserable defeat at lowly Stoke to beat Luton Town 3-2 at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.

But the margin of victory was a bit too close for comfort, considering the number of chances the Whites carved out in addition to the three Aleksandar Mitrovic put away.

“It probably could have been a bigger win,” Parker said. “Certainly first half, I felt we played some really good staff and cut them open at times and probably the downfall was that we weren’t clinical enough in the right areas. That was probably the only disappointing thing.

“We spoke prior to the game about a fast start. Our first 15 minutes is key for us. Can we really wake up, liven up our fans, get them behind us and get ourselves in the ascendancy? And after the [early] goal we had some glorious chances really and if there is any criticism is that we probably weren’t clinical enough.

“I sit here some weeks and we think ‘how have we drawn that game?’ or ‘how have we not gone on and won more convincingly? “But I sense as the season goes on and the more we get to grips with it, I can only see us becoming stronger and becoming more clinical.”

Parker added: “The key thing for me is that we see the result out. [The match at] Sheffield Wednesday comes to mind – where we really dominate the game, should be home and dry and they get a late equaliser. What pleased me the most tonight was that we see the game out.”

Parker has had plenty of opportunities to praise the goalscoring talents of Mitrovic and the Serb once again delivered a performance which invited more eulogies. But Fulham’s head coach was keen to share out the plaudits.

“I think we all realise the quality Mitro has,” he said. “Certainly in this division. He scores goals. But I think he’d be the first to say it’s about the supporting act around him as well.

“It’s how we play, build this team and the positional play that ultimately has Mitro at the end of it to finish it off. Nine times out of ten we know that if we get the ball in the right areas, that the ball goes in to back of the net.”