Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Bilic Ful of anger after Albion loss
TYPICAL Fulham – as the rest of us go into lockdown they throw off the shackles and break free.
As the Cottagers’ first win of the season – and a first clean sheet – lifted them out of the drop zone and dumped woeful West Brom in the bottom three, Baggies boss Slaven Bilic accused his team of lacking commitment.
Bilic (right) excused old warhorse Branislav Ivanovic and Conor Gallagher from his stinging rebuke, but seven games without a win tells its own story.
He scowled: “Fulham were stronger than us, quicker than us, sharper, passed it better, and they were better in all the areas where it makes a difference.
“We didn’t deserve anything from the game. We were growing as a team, but not tonight – everything starts with work-rate.
“It kills you when you are OK for 25 minutes and all of sudden you are 2-0 down, but it’s not good when you can see two players doing more than others.”
With an all-new back five, and seven summer signings in the starting XI, Fulham chief Scott Parker has pinned his faith in wholesale upgrades. His rebuilt defence is a work in progress, but higher up the pitch they are no slouches – and two goals in four minutes rewarded their enterprise.
Bobby DecordovaReid’s close-range ge header to open the scoring after 26 6 minutes, when Aleksandar Mitrovic nodded Antonee Robinson’s cross s back across the e six-yard box, was nicely-worked. But Ola Aina’s left-foot rocket from 25 yards to make it 2-0 was exceptional.
Teed up by Mitrovic, the Nigeria wing-back on loan from Torino caught it right on the button.
Fulham were swaggering and at times scintillating.
Andre-frank Zambo Anguissa was £25million window dressing when they went down 18 months ago, but he was inspired here.
And where West Brom’s midfield circus was pure Fred Karno, home skipper Tom Cairney’s twinkling footwork was vintage
Fred Astaire.
Parker added: “Where we are in the table now is irrelevant – at the moment w what is relevant is a t team moving in the right d direction. Let’s see where we are at the end of the season.
“We are go going to have bump bumps in the road and we are going to make mistakes, but anyone watching us with an open mind can see us for what we are.”
West Brom were dreadful. The Baggies were bullied by Mitrovic, outgunned in midfield and gave the ball away like Green Shield stamps.
By the time Karlan Grant blazed wide from a yawning chance to reduce the deficit, Bilic had a face like thunder under his beanie hat – and Albion never looked like retrieving it.