Fulham manager Marco Silva gave a frank reaction after receiving a gut punch from Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Quarter-Final.
Fulham had been dreaming of a visit to Wembley and showed intent early on at the Cottage, but goals from Eberechi Eze, Ismaïla Sarr and Eddie Nketiah saw them fall to a 3-0 scoreline.
“Of course, we are all down,” the gaffer said. “The fans, the players inside the dressing room, everybody that loves the football club.
“The season has been great before this game. It’s a big punch to our stomach definitely, but we have to react. We have nine games ahead of us and they are big games.
“If we have to cry and be sad this afternoon and tonight, from tomorrow we have to work as hard as we can, even harder than before.
“We can’t hide. It’s a moment for us to move forward because the last eight weeks of the season are going to be really important for us.”
It could have been so different for the Whites, with chances falling to Rodrigo Muniz and Andreas Pereira in the opening stages.
“Very good, the start from ourselves. Very, very good. Not perfect because we didn’t score in that 20 minutes, but we started really well.
“No-one expected what happened after, but the game isn’t just 20 minutes – it’s much more than that. We weren’t strong at either end.
“We believed, the team fought until the end. Second-half, it was more difficult for us to find the moments that we did in the first 20 minutes and we didn’t create enough.
“I think we all agree that the score doesn’t reflect the way both teams performed. But it’s not just about performance – we have to be strong at both ends because that’s what football’s about.”
Marco’s men were backed by an incredible atmosphere at the Cottage, and the boss showed his appreciation for the Fulham faithful.
“We have to thank the fans for their support. They played with us and they supported until the last minute of the game, even in the difficult moments we had.
“The fans were behind the team and they did their part.”