Marco Silva mentioned he ought to have managed his feelings higher throughout Fulham’s 3-1 FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Manchester United however criticised referee Chris Kavanagh for a string of selections in opposition to his facet.
Kavanagh confirmed two purple playing cards to Willian and Aleksandar Mitrovic within the second half after the previous handballed Jadon Sancho’s goal-bound shot on the road. That intervention resulted in a penalty being awarded following a VAR verify, whereas Mitrovic was then despatched off for shoving the referee as he protested the choice.
Silva was additionally despatched off earlier than Kavanagh reached the VAR monitor for his protests, and talking after the sport, the Fulham head coach accepted the purple card “if he had left his technical area”, but in addition questioned Kavanagh not just for two penalty claims that went in opposition to Fulham within the first half, but in addition for treating Fulham harshly previously.
Silva mentioned: “In all of the second of video games, we must always management our feelings. Of course we’re human beings, however we have now to grasp the enterprise and the sport we’re enjoying.
“If I’m out of my area, and there is a reason for him to give a red card, when he’s watching the screen. I have to accept it. If I should be in my area, I have to control that.”
On Kavanagh, he mentioned: “Our story with Chris Kavanagh has been actually robust for us as a soccer membership. Before the match, we didn’t point out something to the participant. It’s the quarter-final of the FA Cup, let’s do our greatest to play the semi-finals of the FA Cup. It was actually our aim. We confirmed that through the 75 minutes. But they know who’s the referee.
“They know the West Ham recreation away from dwelling. When we misplaced the sport with two handball targets. Clear handball targets. It was Chris Kavanagh in that second. This afternoon everybody noticed what occurred on this recreation. It’s troublesome for them to search for these sort of issues. We can not waste time in that scenario. I didn’t converse with him.
“I want them with full focus in the game. It was a tough moment. In that situation, I was the first one saying I should be there and not in the stand. To protect them and take decisions.”
Kavanagh’s earlier Fulham league fixture was their controversial 3-1 defeat by West Ham United in October, the place two West Ham targets weren’t chalked off regardless of handball offences within the build-up. The official’s earlier league recreation earlier than that was Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Preston North End within the Championship in 2021-2022, the place Preston scored an equaliser which was additionally allowed to face regardless of a handball within the build-up.
Silva felt Fulham had a robust case for a penalty within the first half at Old Trafford.
“It’s obvious. It’s clear,” mentioned Silva. “It’s a clear penalty on Mitrovic. Two players were isolated, there was no bunch of players (in the way). Luke Shaw pushed Mitrovic clearly. The referee is in a position to see it. The VAR in their office, for sure.”
The Fulham coach mentioned that Mitrovic would additionally want to regulate his feelings in matches, and mentioned he didn’t concern a protracted ban for his push on Kavanagh. “I hope that the people decide with the fairness that the moment deserves,” he added. “With a penalty and a red card, and the two moments in their box where Mitro was involved, and no one checked, no one cared that those situations.”
Silva additionally outlined that he advised the gamers at full time that he ought to have been on the touchline “to take decisions” after the incident. He praised their efficiency total.
“Up to 70 minutes we were brilliant, we dominated them, we were the best team on the pitch, coming here to play at Old Trafford,” mentioned Silva. “We matched them clearly till that second. They didn’t create something till that second. We have been the perfect crew.
“We matched them clearly till that second. They didn’t create something till that second. We have been the perfect crew. It’s troublesome for us to just accept these sort of selections. It’s an enormous membership, everybody is aware of that, large respect, however each groups must have the identical situations to remain within the competitors. They can not resolve in a technique typically, as a result of it’s Fulham or Man United, they determined fully totally different in some conditions.
“The referee feels the pressure sometimes, because he’s here, like I feel, like Ten Hag can feel, like the players can feel. The people in the office there (VAR), it’s really difficult to say so. The things that keep happening week by week.”
Fulham will face Bournemouth within the Premier League on April 1 after the worldwide break.
GO DEEPER
Fulham followers: Discuss the Man United FA Cup tie with Peter Rutzler
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