Fulham were outmuscled by a strong Preston side and that could prove to be their weakness this season

Fulham will be pleased that they managed to salvage a point from yesterday's game with Preston , but there are warning signs that must be heeded from that first half display.

Preston were physical, relentless and extremely fit and Fulham didn't know what to do to combat that in those first 45 minutes - there was no space in the midfield and anything that went near the away side's box was snuffed out by at least two players.

Let's be brutally honest - Slavisa Jokanovic's side were dreadful in the first 45.

There were mix-ups, players weren't on the same wavelength and Ben Pearson was causing havoc along with Daniel Johnson in the midfield.

It was the first time this season a team have come to the Cottage and not sat back - Alex Neil's side were in Fulham's faces from the start, right up until the 60th minute when he brought Pearson off and sat back.

If they had continued pressing high, I don't think Fulham would've come back like they did and that in itself is a warning that Jokanovic and his men must heed.

We all know Fulham aren't a physical side, you just need to look at them when they're shaking hands with the opposition before the game that they aren't the biggest of teams, they pride themselves on their style of football and rightly so.

However, when a strong side like Preston match you in the middle of the pitch, you need to stand up and be counted and Fulham didn't do that in the first 45.

Stefan Johansen was too easily snuffed out by Preston's midfield and Oliver Norwood found he had no space at all to turn and pick a pass and was dispossessed a number of times in dangerous areas.

The only one who could hold his head high after that was Kevin McDonald, who looked to get on the ball and did a good job harrying Preston's forward line.

Neil's side have figured out the way to stop Fulham, and although every team won't have the fitness or players capable of doing what they did, teams will know from watching the footage back that snuffing out Fulham's midfield with deep lying midfielders will cut supply lines and render them useless.

It was fortunate that Sean Maguire was forced off through injury too, he was causing all sorts of the problems down the left, assisting and scoring the second and I feel if he was on for the second half, he would've scored some of the chances Josh Harrop missed.

Ipswich were a side that attempted to be physical but they didn't have the players capable of harassing Fulham like Preston did and the Whites were able to pick off the space that the high press can sometimes allow.

Not every side will play like Preston, but I think yesterday showed that if Fulham one huge weakness in their side, coming up against a fit, physical side like Neil's is it.

It's a lesson learned, Fulham fought back as Preston sat off and they got a point from the game and they know going forward how to deal with such a ferocious press, but if they play like they did in that first 45 minutes they may not be so lucky next time.