Fulham 2 Hull City 1: Slutsky admits to a loss of confidence

Five days after they were thrashed 5-0 by Derby County, Hull became Fulham’s first home victims of the Championship season as Stefan Johansen’s second-half goal helped them beat the East Yorkshiremen 2-1 at Craven Cottage.

The defeat was Hull’s fourth in their last five league games and leaves Leonid Slutsky’s side in 16th place and already falling behind the promotion pace.

Norwegian Johansen struck after Jarrod Bowen had cancelled out Floyd Ayite’s first-half effort.

Hull played five at the back in the wake of their 5-0 defeat at Derby and their Russian head coach Slutsky admits he is unsure of his side’s best formation.

“It’s the first time we played more defensively as it was a reaction from Friday,” he said. “We have lost confidence.

“We are very disappointed as I thought we deserved a minimum of a draw but we don’t have the time to be disappointed.

“It is a very difficult time. We will have a special tactical lesson speaking about a new formation.

“I find our best formation works with our attacking principle. We must decide problems together.

“We don’t have time to be frustrated. We must look forward very positively. I think my best team is a team who will play to the maximum level. We can play better. I hope in the next matches we will play better.

“It was a normal match, we had the chances. Each new defeat it is like going back 10 steps. We must move forward very quickly.

“It is a little bit of low confidence, that’s a normal reaction. My target is to change and get confidence.”

Hull struggled to get hold of the ball early on.

When they did find a foothold it was the impressive Bowen who came closest to a goal on the break when his curling effort just missed a post.

Fulham were to get the goal three minutes before the break, though, and it was their pace that created the chance.

Ojo’s run down the left and cross fell perfectly to Ayite who had the straightforward task of finishing from six yards out.

They missed a great chance for number two within moments of the restart as young left-back Ryan Sessegnon headed wide unmarked following Ayite’s cross from the right after a wonderful passing move.

And it was Hull who levelled on 53 minutes through Bowen, who nodded home at the second attempt for his fifth goal of the season after his initial header from Kamil Grosicki’s cross had been saved.

Fulham went on to regain the lead on 62 minutes and they could have won by more. Ayite failed with a bicycle kick from Fredericks’ cross but Johansen was on hand to fire home the loose ball via the crossbar.

Fulham: Button, Fredericks (Odoi 90), Kalas, Ream, Sessegnon, Norwood, McDonald, Johansen, Ojo (Kamara 90), Ayite, Kebano (Mollo 68). Unused substitutes: Graham, Bettinelli, Djalo, Cisse.

Hull: McGregor, Tomori, Dawson, Hector, Aina, Meyler (Toral 65), Larsson, Kingsley (Diomande 82), Bowen, Dicko (Campbell 68), Grosicki. Unused substitutes: Irvine, Marshall, Henriksen, Clark.

Referee: T Robinson (West Sussex).