From a yo-yo club to European contenders: Marco Silva manages 150th game for Fulham
“He’s a genius” bellowed the Fulham faithful last Saturday, performing a rendition of one of the more popular chants from the terraces to eulogise their adored manager, Marco Silva.
Fulham’s 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa marked Silva’s 150th game in charge in SW6. Despite a disappointing result and currently sitting 10th in the table, there are genuine ambitions for a European push.
Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself, but the Portuguese has instilled the fans with optimism over his 150 matches at the helm. Supporters like me have fallen back in love with the club after almost a decade of turbulence and instability, as disillusionment frequently suffocated large sections of the fanbase.
Pep Guardiola described the 47-year-old as an “exceptional manager” after Fulham’s recent defeat to Manchester City. But the 3-2 scoreline didn’t paint the full picture. Silva tactically outclassed the greatest manager in the world; if Adama Traore had even an ounce of end product then the result could, and probably should, have been different.
Going to the Etihad and making the reigning champions sweat and resort to time-wasting is an embodiment of Silva’s exceptional work at the club. He maximises his players’ potential and has created a cohesive unit that fights for each other, fearing no opposition.
150 games earlier
When Fulham appointed Silva as head coach on July 1 2021, the club was preparing for another season in the Championship. They’d just endured a bitterly disappointing campaign that ended in the Whites whimpering straight back down, marking five consecutive seasons of either promotion or relegation.
The term “yo-yo club” was thrown liberally towards the Cottagers. Jokes were made that Fulham would never play Norwich again given the Canary’s similar trend of bouncing between the two divisions at the time.
Silva’s arrival came as somewhat of a surprise to me, given his reputation and CV in English football. After just four months and a relegation at Hull, he went to Watford and showed promising signs initially.
When Everton showed interest in the manager as a replacement for Ronald Koeman, Silva’s head allegedly turned, and Watford’s form suffered as a result. The Toffee’s ‘’unwarranted approach’’ acted as the ‘’catalyst’’ for sacking Silva after just eight months, and he eventually joined the Merseyside club.
Despite finishing 8th in his first season, the second got off to a rocky start, and Silva was relieved of his services.
However, Silva struck gold in his debut season at Fulham, totalling 90 points, scoring over 100 goals, and claiming the Championship title. His side won 7-0 on two occasions, trouncing Reading and Luton, while Alexander Mitrovic netted a record-shattering 43 league goals.
Silva has turned down multiple offers during his time at Fulham, including a multi-million pound contract from the Saudi Pro League, repeatedly expressing his passion for the project at the Cottage. Perceptions of a manager who jumps ship as soon as something better comes along have been dispelled.
Back in the Premier League
The mood was positive heading into the new campaign, as Fulham prepared for their third attempt on the bounce to stay in the Premier League without plunging straight back down.
When teams come up from the Championship by dominating possession and playing total football, their expansive styles rarely translate to the Premier League. Vincent Kompany and Russell Martin (so far) at Burnley and Southampton respectively come to mind.
But Silva adapted his approach, willing to concede possession and play more direct counter-attacking football when necessary.
This pragmatism, coupled with immense performances from new signings such as João Palhina and Bernd Leno earned Fulham an admirable 10th-place finish, followed by a solid 13th-place league position at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Boasting a plethora of talent, including new signing Emile Smith Rowe, guided by a superb coach, a top-half finish should be the minimum ambition this season. A European adventure next year feels well within reach.
When supporting a club like Fulham it’s a harsh reality that your most talented players will get lured away by bigger sides, and the manager is no exception. I’m under no illusion that if the right club comes calling Silva has every right to challenge himself at the upper echelons of European football.
What would Silva bring to his next job?
The Portuguese has a remarkable track record of reviving careers. Willian made his debut in 2022 off the back of a spell at Arsenal that the Brazilian recalls as ‘’the worst time that I lived as a professional,’’ followed by an equally wretched time at Corinthians.
But Silva gave the 34-year-old the freedom on the left to drift infield and managed to get the best out of him. Willian described Silva as ‘’one of the best managers I have worked with in my whole career.’’
Leno, Andreas Periera, Calvin Bassey, and Raúl Jiménez have experienced redemption arcs of their own under Silva’s tutorship. He instils belief in his players and adopts a system that suits each individual’s strengths.
The Fulham gaffer’s adaptability has also been integral to building his reputation as an elite coach. In the 2022/23 season, the team was built around Mitrovic, and Palhinha the next. When they departed, Silva had to rewrite the entire playbook.
He adjusted the team’s style to get Jiménez and Rodrigo Muniz firing in the Serb’s absence, and Saša Lukić, while a completely different player to Palhinha, has been a revelation this term in a midfield transformation.
Intelligent squad management skills, tactical pragmatism, and high demands from his players give me confidence that Silva would thrive at a Champions League club fighting for titles each year.
I’d love to say, “Here’s to the next 150 games,” but in reality, Silva’s days on the Thames might be numbered. Fans need to savour every match and make sure their passports are up to date – Europe could be calling.
