The job Marco Silva is doing at Fulham is nothing short of remarkable.
After selling their best striker and midfielder and losing a top centre-back on a free in successive summers, he has improved them every season with limited resources.
They are now eighth in the Premier League after becoming only the second team this season to beat champions-elect Liverpool and are in contention for Europe – at a time when Newcastle, Aston Villa, Brighton, and even Bournemouth are all challenging the established top six.
Silva’s performance in charge of Fulham begs the question: how much more incremental improvement and how many more Premier League matches does Silva need to win before he is given the chance at a top job?
Premier League highlights of the match between Fulham and Liverpool
The 47-year-old was in the running at Manchester United last summer when they looked into a number of potential replacements for Erik ten Hag, only to decide to keep the Dutchman into this season.
When the inevitable change came later in 2024, United opted not to go back to any of those candidates and instead went in a new direction with Silva’s countryman Ruben Amorim.
Silva could rightly feel aggrieved that he was not the preferred Portuguese coach to turn United around. If what they were looking for was someone to organise the current squad and start winning Premier League matches, Silva has been doing that at Fulham.
If what they were looking for was someone to get promising talent performing above expectations, Silva has been doing that at Fulham. If what they were looking for was someone to develop their young talent, Silva has been doing that for Fulham as well.
Silva has his Fulham side gunning for European qualification
If what they were looking for was a manager, someone to instil the right culture through a club and handle the media well; Silva has been doing that at Fulham too. Where once he was seen as the burgeoning young coach, he is now the experienced and full package.
After being the fall guy during a chaotic period behind the scenes at Everton (one that even Carlo Ancelotti could not arrest), Silva had his chance at redemption.
He has put himself back on the map of Europe’s elite managers with a hard-fought Championship promotion and consistently better league finishes under his belt, all without the budget and tools at his disposal that many of the bigger yet underperforming clubs have had.
The recruitment at Fulham has mostly been led by Silva and almost all of it has been canny, especially when faced with replacing Alexsandar Mitrovic and his 111 goals, arguably the club’s best midfielder in a generation in Joao Palhinha and formidable centre-back Tosin who left on a free for Chelsea.
Fulham have not spent big. Silva signed Raul Jimenez for a few million to replace Mitrovic while developing Rodrigo Muniz, and Sander Berge from Burnley to replace Palhinha. Joachim Anderson returned to the club from Crystal Palace to replace Tosin, while only Emile Smith Rowe was the only other real purchase last year.
Speaking on an episode of ‘One on One’, Marco Silva says he is happy at Fulham but is also ambitious and wants to continue to help the club progress. Watch the extended interview on YouTube or as a podcast
Silva has instead improved the individuals he has, with Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi in particular enjoying especially outstanding seasons this term. They contribute hugely to what is a balanced, well-drilled but fluid outfit capable of adjusting to all manner of opponents at home and away.
As a result, Fulham are nine points and five places ahead of where they were after 31 games last term and on course to quietly secure a place in Europe next season.
The likes of West Ham, Benfica, as well as the Saudi Pro League, have all wanted Silva during his time at Craven Cottage, but he has remained loyal despite bigger offers, becoming the fourth-longest serving manager in the Premier League.
But it would not be surprising for even bigger clubs to come asking for him this summer and give him the next chance he richly deserves.
