Marco Silva back on the touchline after FA appeal is rejected against the Fulham manager and star striker.
Fulham manager Marco Silva’s return to the touchline after serving a two-game ban had an immediate impact last weekend at Craven Cottage with a 2-1 win against Leeds giving them a chance to beat their 53-point highest finish in the Premier League.
Silva and his centre forward Mitrovic got sent off in a disastrous few minutes in the FA cup quarter final at Manchester United.
Mitrovic is halfway through an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh and the Fulham manger has apologised for using abusive words and insulting behaviour towards the official.
The FA decided to appeal against these punishments arguing that they were insufficient in severity. These appeals were dismissed by an independent board on the eve of the Leeds game, leaving Marco Silva free to go back to the touchline where he believes he belongs.
The broader question of how big an impact a coach has from the touchline is for the Fulham Manager obvious.
The Sports Gazette was at the press conference before the Leeds game where Silva said,
‘It’s my place, its where I should be, of course it is. It is really important for me and all the managers to be there. I was always with my players before the match, half time, after the match and the dressing room. But to share the feelings with them on the touchline is always important.’
In fact, the serving of two games in the stands gave him the opportunity to look at his team from a different perspective, even if it was an experience he does not want to repeat.
‘For us in a different place, vision is completely different that is clear. Of course, as you know if I was not there on top, we always have someone from our technical staff there. The connection and communication with our touchline are permanent throughout the game. To analyse and to see things that sometimes on the touchline is not easy to see was useful but the vision is completely different. It’s something I don’t like and want to experience again,’ Silva commented.
So, for the manager it is vital that he can be on the touchline to drive the team forward but what do the players themselves think of the return of their coach?
Speaking to the Sports Gazette after the Leeds game Fulham defender Antonee Robinson joked, ‘We can definitely hear him!’
He went on to say,
‘No obviously he is a very passionate and emotional manager, and it is nice to have him back to give us direction directly. He has very high standards for the boys. He is egging us on to do even more and impose ourselves in the game. It is good to have him back.’
On ending their 5-game losing run, Robinson was full of praise for his returned manager,
‘The gaffer is really big on to try and react and not let past games get to us, and now that he is back, he is trying to impart himself into the team and keep us motivated,’ he said.
The maturity that Fulham had shown this season was for Antonee in a large part down to Silva. Holding on to beat Leeds was for Robinson an example of this,
‘He has played a massive role: the coaching staff take a lot of credit. A lot of games this year we have had to hold out like that and previous years we would lose them or draw those games that we shouldn’t have and this year it is different. I think there is a real increase in maturity in the side.’
With his ban over and his team defying many pundits’ predictions of relegation, Silva is using his return to the touchline to try and beat Fulham’s record Premier League tally of 53 points. Sitting on 45 points the Fulham manager was in no doubt about his next aim.
‘It is our main target now. We got one of our main targets last week (42 points and Premier League status guaranteed) and now we have to go for the next one. The next one is to try and beat that number of points that will make us a new story at this football club. It is important to have that target ahead of us, and if we get it, and we would have to work really hard to do it, we will set another one,’ he explained.
With relegation uncertainty over Silva is already planning for the future and he has, he says, been preparing since the autumn,
‘We are preparing the next season always. It is not just now because we are in a good position, we started last November when we took a break. Even last January we signed two players. We are already preparing things behind the scenes with some meetings with me and the board.’
Mitrovic has got four more games left of his ban and the Fulham manager will be relieved to put the unsavoury and chaotic scenes seen at Old Trafford in the past.
With Silva back on the touchline and his star striker back for the last two games of the season the 53-point record may like their bans, be consigned to history.
