Exclusive interview with Paul Parker: Fulham's Cup focus, incredible performance from Smith Rowe, and Andersen's crucial decision.

Former England international and Fulham defender Paul Parker has expressed surprise and disappointment over manager Marco Silva's reaction to their recent match against Championship side Preston.

“He has to be, given how they were playing at the weekend. I was there at Craven Cottage, when they should have taken three points against West Ham. Given Fulham's history as a football club and what they've had to endure, I would always expect Fulham to go to the likes of Preston and win because you should never forget where you come from. 

“They've worked so hard to put themselves in such a position as a football club, off the pitch and then on it, so you would think that they would know better. I saw them 1-0 down and I took it for granted they were going to come back in. I think they should have done because it looked like Preston were defending for their lives. I was very surprised,”  Parker tells Tribalfootball in an exclusive conversation.

Before winning titles with Manchester United,   Parker came through the ranks at Fulham with 153 appearances to show for his efforts. He never saw any silverware during this period, but Marco Silva is allowed to dream big for “The Cottagers”, Parker believes.

“Looking at the stage Silva is at now with Fulham, he wants walk Fulham out at another final. What more do you want in life when you're playing football? Whether a player or a manager, you want to win a league, but you're at Fulham so you're realistic.

“You say; there are two finals I can maybe get to and I'm going to try and grab one of them. The League Cup perhaps gives you slightly better chance because you're not going to come up against many Premier League sides,” says Parker who questions the need to rest players these days.

“Everybody has got it into their heads now that for some reason players get tired more than players did 20, 30, 50 years ago. If you've got a decent car and you're leaving it in the garage for too long, when you bring it out again, it's going to take a while for it to get started and run properly again. Sometimes you can keep going, especially when you're in good form. You can't beat a bit of continuity. Fulham had a good flow in the weekend, so sometimes it isn't good to make changes.”

Joachim Andersen in the top 10

Fulham signed Emile Smith Rowe, Joachim Andersen and Reiss Nelson over the summer, but only the latter was in the starting line-up against Preston and duly supplied the equaliser. Rowe is the one that have initially caught Parker’s eye though.

“I saw more of Emile Smith Rowe against West Ham than I ever saw him at Arsenal. I thought he was absolutely amazing in the first half. I thought he was a good player, but I didn't realise how good a player he is. I know the injuries curtailed him a little bit at Arsenal and it then came down to the way Arsenal changed under Arteta, so he couldn't get the game time. But I think he's an absolutely wonderful player,” Parker states before going on to pour praise on the big Dane who Fulham brought back from Crystal Palace.

“I saw Joachim Andersen play for Fulham initially and then I saw him at Crystal Palace where he was absolutely immense with Guéhi. I was disappointed for Palace that they lost him because I thought him and Guéhi were absolutely brilliant together. And after losing Olise, Palace didn't really need him to go back.

“But for him to go back to Fulham tells you exactly what he thought about Fulham while he was there. He come in for his first start at the weekend, and I've never seen him have a bad game, to be perfectly honest. Given how he's been playing in the Premier League, if you judge his games and his levels, he's got to be in the top ten as far as centre-halves in this division go over his time in the UK. He's been absolutely amazing.”

So, with all due respect to Fulham, why didn’t a bigger club move for the Danish international during the transfer window? And why did Palace allow him to go?

“First of all, I think it was a matter of a small love affair between him and Fulham Football Club. Also, the money was right for Crystal Palace. They had a clutch of top players in Andersen, Guéhi, Olise, Eze and Mateta and maybe the manager had to release something, if the wanted to bring players in.

“They had set a figure for Guéhi which was never reached and they didn't want to lose Eze too quickly. Then someone came in for Andersen, something had to give and maybe Andersen showed that he really wanted to go back to Fulham so they took the money.”

Paul Parker was talking to Tribalfootball on behalf of William Hill Vegas