Connect with us

Sport

Marco Silva deserves more credit at Fulham

In defeat at St James’ Park, Fulham may have proven their credentials for an unlikely European odyssey next season.

Against a backdrop of late heartbreak, angst and controversy, following Alexander Isak’s winner for Newcastle United, Marco Silva’s side will know in themselves just what they can achieve. They took nothing from their Tyneside excursion, far less than they deserved, but it was their bravery that proves how their push for a top six finish, while unexpected, is in no way fortuitous.

In an interview with The Athletic, released on the morning of the game, Fulham’s top scorer and talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic spelled out the difference between this season, their third in six following promotion from the Championship, and the previous two, which ended in relegation. In short, it is Silva himself. Mentality, Mitrovic says, is what he brings.

But on the evidence of Sunday afternoon, and Thursday’s 2-1 win over Chelsea at Craven Cottage, that is not all Silva brings. The tactical intelligence in their play is clear; he has encouraged them to play the same way regardless of the opponent, pushing, pressing, trying, getting the best out of his tools. The best way to demonstrate his impact is with Mitrovic himself; ignored, isolated and on the verge of leaving two seasons ago, when Scott Parker was in charge, Silva’s arrival changed everything. Mitrovic went from on the periphery to the centrepiece of the team; last season, the manager set him a target of 20 goals. He scored 43, obliterating the existing Championship record.

So far, there are 11 Premier League goals this season, as many as his best previous top flight record. Fulham have more points after 20 games than they managed in their entire campaign in 2020/21. He caused more problems for Newcastle’s defence, which has 11 clean sheets and just 11 goals conceded all season, than most. It held strong as it so often does, but Mitrovic would have scored a penalty if he didn’t slip and kick the ball twice, forcing a free kick for Newcastle in one of the most bizarre moments of the season.

Newcastle dominated and missed chances before Isak made his moment count. But Fulham were a threat, because they had a plan. Sven Botman’s distribution is vital to Eddie Howe’s side’s attacking approach, and the visitors were proactive in recognising that and cutting that supply line, either by swarming Botman himself, or waiting for the pass and springing into a press. Newcastle were flat and uninspired for long periods, but the persistence they showed was typical of their own rise up the table.

The way Silva has made Fulham a genuine threat to the elite has been remarkable. From the outside, that turnaround has been extremely quick, but he has also mended his own reputation in English football too. Sacked by both Watford and Everton, Silva had been somewhat dismissed, but it is his attention to detail that has been behind both rehabilitations.

Mitrovic leads everything, aided in attack by Willian and Joao Palinha, who add so much creativity in the final third; the signings this summer were more considered than before. Perhaps, though, it is the improvement in the likes of Harrison Reed and others Silva inherited that have held the key.

Fulham play with the handbrake off in every game, and now they look completely safe from relegation. Not that they’ve been in the conversation at all since the start of the season.

From here on in, they can play without fear and continue to cause problems for their direct rivals in the top six. If they can avoid injuries and keep their nerve, there is no reason why they should be counted out of contention.

As Chelsea languish in midtable, in part thanks to that defeat at Craven Cottage last week, and Liverpool struggle to impose themselves as they can, there are openings for the bold and brave.

Silva deserves huge credit for their rise, and he must be in the conversation for Manager of the Year. But this has been a story of mutual benefit; Fulham chose him when he had everything to prove again, and he chose them when divisions looked impossible to heal. They’ve each found what they were looking for.

Is Europe really on the cards? Who knows. But the point is it shouldn’t ever have been possible this season. Everybody expected Fulham to cower and fold again, having made easy work of promotion twice before. But this year is different. Why? Because of Marco Silva and his willingness to be brave. Now it feels like the future can be bright as long as they keep him around.

Recent Posts