Marco Silva: Fulham boss on Andreas Pereira, Joao Palhinha, Bernd Leno and Manor Solomon | Reveals thoughts on Everton exit | Football News

Fulham host league leaders Arsenal on Sunday and enter the weekend seventh in the Premier League – five points clear of big-spenders Chelsea. “It’s been fantastic,” says Marco Silva.

The Cottagers have defined the term ‘yo-yo club’ in recent times, bouncing from the Premier League to the Championship for six years running, but the club is bucking that trend and pushing for European qualification instead of survival this term.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Silva emphasises how breaking that top-flight hoodoo was paramount: “This season is probably one of the most important seasons for us. It’s really important for us to remain in the Premier League and to start being consistent in this division.”

The Portuguese has also overseen an FA Cup run which has seen his side book a quarter-final spot against Manchester United next week. “Of course, we are really pleased with our season so far. We keep adapting every single week for the challenge. The league position and results are a consequence of that,” says Silva.

“The players have been brilliant. They are always open and ready to go again – even when, in some moments, we don’t have our best game – they are ready to listen and learn.

“The Premier League demands so much. You must be able to [deliver] every single week and we are not surprised [by our success] but we are not really focused on our league position right now – we believe in ourselves and still have much more room for improvement.

“I’m giving every credit to the players and all of us at this football club, we have to be proud – but we have 12 more games to play.”

Arguably, the biggest surprise is how new signings have bedded seamlessly into the side, allowing Silva to stick with his winning formula, making only 39 changes to his starting XI this term – the fourth lowest number of alterations in the division.

Impact signings

The Cottagers recorded a net spend of £70m on transfers this season, which is nearly eight times smaller than the mind-boggling £540m net spend shelled out by their west London neighbours. Indeed, half of Silva’s regular outfield players this term arrived this season.

Silva rightly acknowledges the success of his recruits: “First of all, we have chosen well, I have to say. If you look at the money we spent, we cannot compare with most of the clubs in this division.

“In terms of net spending, that is even lower, because we sold two important players. [The new signings] settled really well. Of course, it was a tough work from ourselves: me, our staff and the club, to choose them and make the right decisions in that moment. They adapted so quickly and everyone welcomed them.”

Perhaps the most lauded of his new recruits is Joao Palhinha, signed from Sporting for £20m in the summer. The midfielder has made more tackles and won more duels than any other player in the Premier League this season – but suspension saw the 27-year-old miss the 3-2 defeat to Brentford and he will also be unavailable this weekend.

Meanwhile, Andreas Pereira also made the move to Craven Cottage in the summer and has shone under Silva, after spending seven years on the fringes at Manchester United and completing several loan spells abroad.

“Pereira’s [form] is a surprise for many people because, in the Premier League, it is the first time he is going so wide on the pitch,” says Silva. “Normally, at Manchester United, he played as a second midfielder. When he was playing abroad, in Italy or in Spain, he played more out wide.

“He’s now playing more in the pockets, more between the lines – with the pressure coming from behind. So he took a bit time of time to adapt, because it’s completely different,

“He’s been a key player for us on the ball, off the ball, in all the moments of the game – and set-pieces as well – he’s been so, so important for us. I’m really pleased for him. With his quality and talent, I know there is room to improve and he’s going to improve.”

But the hot topic right now is Manor Solomon, who has hit a goal streak after missing all but 24 minutes of 2022 with a knee injury. The Israeli has scored in five successive games across all competitions – including carbon-copy beauties against Wolves and Leeds.

Fulham drafted the winger on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk under a new FIFA ruling, which allows foreign players to leave Ukraine after the Russian invasion until later this year – but Silva has tracked his talents for some time.

“He was one of our first transfer targets,” says Silva. “It was him, Andreas [Pereira], Bernd [Leno] and Joao [Palhinha]. Manor was one of the first players we talked to. We knew his quality and he was ready to come to the Premier League.

“I really wanted him to join us and he really wanted to be here and embrace the challenge as well. Of course, it’s important for him to now score goals. He had a tough 2022.”

Width, speed, set-pieces and aerial power

Advanced data reveals Fulham are punching among the elite for utilising the full width of the pitch and playing a direct, fast style of play – while also heading home a league-topping 12 goals. So is that style something Silva has enforced or harnessed from his crop of players?

“You have to take the best from your players,” Silva explains. “If you have a big, big amount of money to spend every single time and can sign players you want from around the world, then players can [adapt to you]. In some moments, you have to take the best from the players you have.

“For example, when you have a striker like Aleksandar Mitrovic in your squad, of course, we have to try and make him play in our model, in our idea, but to take the best from him and to play to his strengths as well. We score more headed goals because we have a reference in our attack that can do that.

“Of course, we are also strong from set-pieces. But we don’t just play wide, we like players to arrive in other areas [to pose danger for the] opposition. I’m here to bring the best out of our players and to play to their strengths as well.”

Underlying defensive issues?

Defence is often cited as the bedrock for success and Fulham have shipped only 34 goals this term, with Leno – a summer signing from upcoming visitors Arsenal – producing numerous stellar performances between the sticks.

However, expected goals data – which measures the number of goals a team would typically score or concede, based on the quality of chances – suggests that number should be far higher: 10 higher, to be precise – more than any other team in the league.

For context, at the other end of the scale, Bournemouth have shipped nearly eight goals more than expected. So, the Cottagers are certainly on the right side of that chart – but the question is whether it’s sustainable?

“No, it is something we are working on right now,” says Silva. “I don’t look at these types of stats every time, but we are in a better place than before because we are conceding [fewer] goals than at the beginning of the season.”

The graphic below clearly shows how Fulham’s midfield destroyers have kept things solid in the centre of the park, but the red bands of permeability in the defensive third provides potential warning signs.

“We didn’t have full focus and were conceding some sloppy chances,” adds Silva. “Of course, it’s something that we are working on with our players every single time because it’s really important for us to stop this situation. It’s not something I am really concerned about, but it’s something we must work much more on – to be better and improve.

Of course, former Arsenal stopper Leno has had a huge say in that. The 31-year-old has made 96 saves in the Premier League this term – only David Raya has made more. So what does Silva think of his stopper’s impact?

“Leno is a top goalkeeper. For me, it’s clear, I knew his quality before he joined us. We did our best to get him at this club and for me, there is no doubt, he is still one of the top three goalkeepers in the Premier League.”

Experience and hard-work ethic

It might surprise some, given how Fulham rank so highly for distance covered, sprinting and counter-attacks, that Silva’s side have fielded the oldest average XI this season at 28 years and 255 days. So was calling upon experience an intentional ploy to try and break the hoodoo of their yo-yo years?

“Age isn’t [necessarily] something we look for,” says Silva. “In the summer, when we were promoted, we were champions, I did my best to be sure about the players we signed. I did it, for sure, I did it. I wanted Premier League experience because we have some experienced players, but not with a lot of games in the Premier League – apart from Mitrovic.

“Premier League experience in our team last season was really short and it was one of the things I tried to get in. When you sign a player like Bernd Leno, apart from his top, top quality, you also sign players with knowledge of this league. Pereira as well. These players have the knowledge.”

So, have two seasons of monumental success with Fulham earned redemption after Everton sacked the Portuguese three years ago? “We can see that first season at Everton was very good. It’s clear to everyone,” Silva replies assuringly.

“It’s not a redemption because, to be honest, I don’t look at the manager’s life like that. I analyse what happened: the way we finished that season, the way we played good football and how we used new players. For me, it was a very good season with one of youngest squads [for some time] – you can see that now.

“I know what we did at Everton. Every time I’m at a club, I do my best to improve on the pitch, off the pitch and the players – and that’s what I’m doing here.”

Almost all of Fulham’s defeats in the Premier League this season have come against the powerhouse clubs, with the odd exception.

But the Cottagers must now host league-leaders Arsenal under the Sky cameras on Sunday, with the mission to make the Gunners their second ‘Big Six’ scalp of the campaign – after beating Chelsea at Craven Cottage in January.

Watch Fulham vs Arsenal live on Sky Sports Premier League from 1pm on Sunday; kick-off 2pm.