Why Marco Silva deserves praise for another fine Fulham job
Fulham, in the nicest possible way, are perhaps the least interesting team in the Premier League this season.
The Cottagers are at once too far adrift to challenge for European qualification and too far clear of the dropzone to be troubled by relegation. Unlike the teams around them in the table, such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth, they are not under new management this term. No wonder, then, that Fulham have flown under the radar for much of 2023/24.
Marco Silva will not mind that one bit. At the beginning of the campaign, many tipped Fulham to be involved in the demotion dogfight. They had just lost Aleksandar Mitrovic, their long-term talisman, to Saudi Arabia. That country’s Pro League also spent much of the summer sniffing around Silva, who was reportedly offered a huge £20m-a-year pay packet to jump ship.
The manager ultimately decided to stay in west London, but it was an unwelcome distraction on the eve of the new season. So too was Joao Palhinha’s proposed move to Bayern Munich, which fell apart at the last minute on transfer deadline day.
In those circumstances, plus the broader concern over second season syndrome, it would not have been a huge surprise had Fulham struggled. The fact they have steered clear of the bottom three all season long - the lowest they have been in the table is 15th, and that was for just two gameweeks in of November - is testament in large part to the acumen of Silva, who does not get enough credit for the job he has done at Craven Cottage.
A 3-1 victory over Bournemouth at the weekend means Fulham have lost just one of their last five league encounters. Rodrigo Muniz notched a brace with two poacher’s finishers that delighted his manager, who is still looking for a Mitrovic replacement amid injury struggles for Raul Jimenez. That man was expected to be January signing Armando Broja, but Muniz has stepped up since the Chelsea loanee came through the door.
Fulham were pleasingly efficient. Bournemouth took 25 shots to the home team’s seven, but six of Fulham’s efforts hit the target compared to four for their opponents.
Typically for the Cottagers, at least one of the two wide players - the evergreen Willian and Bobby Decordova-Reid - was involved in every goal. Fulham love to attack down the flanks: only 24% of their attacks come through the middle of the pitch.
Out of possession, Silva likes to see his team operate with aggression and purpose. Fulham are first in the division for interceptions per game with 11.8, with Antonee Robinson way out in front in the individual rankings with 63. Of Premier League midfielders, only Lewis Cook (39) has made more interceptions than Palhinha (35).
There are still areas in which Fulham can improve. They have only beaten two teams currently in the top half of the table. Only Sheffield United have a worse away record than Silva’s side, who have also lost 11 of the 13 matches in which they have conceded the opening goal.
Overall, though, the Portuguese is doing an excellent job again this season. With a 10-point buffer above the bottom three, Fulham have the ability to play without pressure in the coming weeks. A second consecutive top-half finish - a feat Fulham have not achieved in the top flight since 2011/12 - is a distinct possibility.
