The coach of English Premier League (EPL) side Fulham FC, Marco Silva, has explained why Alex Iwobi and two other players were taken off early in the game against Nottingham Forest.
Recall that Silva opted to withdraw Alex Iwobi, Harry Wilson and Sasa Lukic in the 33rd minute, replacing them with Tom Cairney, Adama Traore and Willian after Fulham conceded two early goals in the tensely contested football match.
However, the substitutions made by Silva did not make any impact as his team eventually lost 1-3 to Nottingham Forest who were without a win in their last six games in all competitions.
While he was commenting on the substitutions which turned out to be the second-quickest in Premier League history, Silva said the changes he made in the game were tactical.
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He said, “It’s important to say, when I made the triple change, it wasn’t the fault of Harry Wilson, Sasa Lukic, or Alex Iwobi at all.
“In that moment, the team needed much more changes than just three. As a collective, we were not there. It was a tactical change. We needed Tom Cairney and Willian to at least have the ball.”
Speaking on the coach’s decision, former Arsenal great Martin Keown, who was on commentary duties for TNT Sports, described the Portuguese tactician’s choice as “a huge disappointment” as it will severely damage the players’ self-esteem.
“It is a public embarrassment. As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough to go off after the half-hour, you now have to sit there and think about your game,” the three-time English Premier League winner said.
