Tom Cairney spoke to the media after Fulham defeated Bristol City 2-0 in the second round of the Carabao Cup. It was a night to make the most of the depth in the squad, and despite some cases of exhaustion, the club captain was content with the way he and his teammates "managed the situation."
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‘It was an enjoyable night’
Cairney enjoyed the opportunity to build some more match sharpness as part of the first team depth.
“I think it is vital. It was good to get my first night of ninety minutes in the legs! And some of the players because we’re going to need that going forward. A clean sheet playing at home was nice.”
Sasa Lukic and Sander Berge have locked down midfield duties for the team in the last year. So, this was a rare chance to roll back the years with Harrison Reed as a pivot in the middle of the park.
“It’s nice. We play together a lot in training to be fair! It’s nice playing with Reedy. I think we understand each other’s games. I thoroughly enjoyed it to be honest. It was an enjoyable night.”
The midfielder mentioned how a lack of playing time contributed to fatigue in the second half.
“With the experience we had on the pitch, we managed the situation especially in the first half. It was a few players’ first ninety minutes. From 65, 70 minutes onwards, there were a few tired legs. I think we managed it well, the subs were at the right time, maybe could have scored a few more goals.”
Cairney conveyed his desire for another home draw in the cup, and he got his wish. Fulham will be back at Craven Cottage for the next round to face League Two opposition in Cambridge United.
“You want another home draw. You’d want to be here. Home advantage is key in cup competitions.”
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‘We can’t be too disappointed’
There is no time to rest. Fulham will travel to local rivals Chelsea for the first fixture of the Premier League weekend. After a 0-0 draw at home to Crystal Palace, the Blues battered West Ham 5-1 and will be keen to claim their first home triumph of the season as they seek to challenge at the top.
“It’s only 48 hours away, so a quick turnaround. Just rest the legs, recover, and we are playing a top, top team on Saturday. We’re in good form ourselves, still unbeaten, but we have to go and do a job.”
The Cottagers claimed two points from their first two outings, 1-1 draws away at Brighton and at home against Man United. Both showdowns saw the team bounce back from conceding the first goal of the game in the second half, and the start has set solid foundations for the side to move forward.
“I think Brighton, on the whole, happy with a draw. Man United arguably we could have nicked it. A few bad decisions maybe from the officials. I thought we were the stronger team second half. So, we could be on four points. But after playing Brighton and Man United, we can’t be too disappointed.”
