Sport
Andreas Pereira is proving his doubters wrong by flourishing at Fulham this season
Fulham were expected to struggle in the Premier League this season. Fans were concerned about a lack of investment before the start of the 2022/23 campaign with Marco Silva even voicing his disgruntlement at the apparent inactivity. The Cottagers, however, have exceeded all expectations, as has Andreas Pereira as one of the players who did sign in the summer.
Two straight victories following the 2022 World Cup break have lifted Fulham to eighth in the Premier League table with Pereira particularly impressive in the wins over Crystal Palace and Southampton. The 27-year-old has had more than his fair share of critics over the course of his career, but he is now proving them wrong.
“He has been outstanding this season,” Fulham manager Silva said earlier in the year. “I know a lot of people had doubts when I decided to sign him, but I knew his qualities and his character. Even last season we had a conversation about his future but it wasn’t the right moment for him to join us. He’s a key player on and off the ball and with set-pieces. A top professional who is enjoying himself at the moment in a white shirt.”
Pereira has been harnessed by the system put in place by Silva at Craven Cottage this season. The Fulham manager has demonstrated a firmer grasp of the 27-year-old’s qualities as a player than any of his previous managers with Pereira entrusted as the Cottagers’ creator-in-chief signing joining from Manchester United.
Only Kevin de Bruyne and Kieran Trippier have created more chances in the Premier League this season than Pereira has for Fulham. The Belgian-born Brazilian international has been deployed in behind Aleksandar Mitrovic as a central striker with Joao Palhinha and Harrison Reed providing protection as the midfield double pivot.
At Manchester United, there was gross misunderstanding over Pereira’s tactical profile. He was used in a deep-lying position and even on the wings, but rarely as a central attacking midfielder, which is where he has thrived since signing for Fulham in the summer transfer window. This is where his creativity is best utilised.
Of course, it helps that Pereira has one of the Premier League’s most in-form strikers ahead of him. Indeed, Mitrovic has made the most of his new teammate’s inherent invention with Pereira the perfect supply line for the Serbian centre forward. As long as the pair stay fit, Fulham have a chance of finishing in the top half.
Manchester United might finally be heading in the right direction under Erik ten Hag, but Pereira has still set a precedent for players who must escape Old Trafford to find a healthier environment for their own development. Craven Cottage has been better for the midfielder than Old Trafford ever was and there might be a lesson in there for other players.
It remains to be seen what Fulham can achieve in the Premier League this season with Silva’s side now facing a difficult run of fixtures that will see them face Leicester City, Chelsea (twice) and Tottenham Hotspur all within the next month. After that, the true scale of their success will become apparent.
Even if Fulham never get any higher in the table than eighth place, though, they have found a creator to build around for seasons to come in the form of Pereira who is finally showcasing his talent in the Premier League after becoming a figure of derision towards the end of his time at Manchester United. The talent was always there even if the opportunity to demonstrate it wasn’t.
