The Premier League is no longer the final destination for any club looking to establish themselves at the top of English football, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. The Cottagers are set to embark on their first ever season in England’s top tier and face tough competition from teams who have been around a lot longer than them. Can Fulham succeed under Marco Silva?
Fulham is a team that has been in the Premier League since its inception. They have never won a single game and they are currently in 17th place.
Will Marco Silva be able to succeed where others have failed and keep Fulham in the Premier League?
Will 2022-23 be the season when Fulham finally avoids relegation and achieves Premier League survival?
The Cottagers defeated Preston North End 3-0 at Craven Cottage on Tuesday to seal their return to England’s top division and complete one of the season’s most obvious conclusions.
They have, however, been here before. In the last five seasons, this has happened twice. Both occasions have been followed by rapid, humiliating relegations back to the Championship, only to be re-acquired at the first opportunity.
Marco Silva’s side has ripped through the league with merciless efficiency, driven by the irrepressible Aleksandar Mitrovic, who has a league-high 40 goals (and counting). This season, the Cottagers have swept practically everyone aside.
When confronted with the Premier League’s more clinical finishers, harder defenses, and overall increased intensity, Mitrovic and his teammates have struggled.
So, what makes Silva’s squad unique, and do they have what it takes to end the relegation curse?
‘Brighton would tear them apart,’ says the narrator.
If they are to escape relegation, Paul Parker, who played for the club from 1982 to 1987 before returning for a short stint ten years later, believes a lot of things will have to alter.
“Fulham need to change their style of play; they have a very sluggish pace,” he remarked.
“A club like Brighton would tear them apart; they press and transfer the ball fast through the middle – Fulham have a long way to go.”
“I’d guess they’ll need to have at least four guys in the starting lineup.”
With four games left and just Bournemouth able to catch them, the runaway league leaders have won 26 of their 42 games, making a Championship crown appear all but certain.
Serbia striker Mitrovic’s stunning comeback, which broke Ivan Toney’s record of 31 goals in a single Championship season, epitomised Silva’s team’s front-footed resolve.
Mitrovic’s 82 goals in 122 Championship games contrast sharply with his 24 Premier League goals in 104 outings for Newcastle and Fulham.
Mitrovic has found it difficult to reproduce his prolific scoring output in the Championship in the Premier League.
With forward Fabio Carvalho likely to depart the club in the summer and outstanding right-back Neco Williams’ loan from Liverpool ready to expire, Parker feels Silva will need to add true talent to his side to get the most out of his star striker.
“They need players who have played at a high level, either in the Premier League or in a top league overseas,” the former Manchester United right-back remarked.
“Mitrovic needs a higher-caliber player to surround him. When he’s played in the Premier League [for Fulham], he’s been a part of underwhelming squads.”
Parker feels Silva can learn from Bruno Lage and Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves, who have brought in players from Portugal such as Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, Rui Patricio, and Pedro Neto.
“It’s a hard league, and the players are used to dealing with physicality,” he continued.
‘They need assistance for Mitrovic.’
Fulham might make it “third time fortunate” and remain up if they acquire the appropriate reinforcements next season, according to Radio London’s Jamie Reid.
“They have to strive to strengthen in and around both penalty boxes,” added the Fulham analyst.
“They need Mitrovic’s help in the final third.” He’s had a fantastic season, and next year will be much tougher.
“They also need to replace Fabio Carvalho, who has had a fantastic season. It’s a pity he’ll be leaving the club, but Tony Khan and his recruiting staff have already begun looking for a successor.”
“Defensively, they need to improve. At right-back, Neco Williams has been outstanding.
“The goal would be to recruit Neco on a permanent basis, and I believe the squad would benefit from at least one additional central defender, since strong competition is essential in the Premier League.”
“A striker and a goalscoring midfielder are also required. They need to bring in more players to bolster what is already a skilled and committed bunch.”
Former Fulham manager Scott Parker claimed the club “has to attempt to get off this rollercoaster we’re on” before departing after the team was relegated at the conclusion of last season.
Here are some of the insane journey’s twists and turns.
Promotion through the play-offs in 2017-18
Fulham earned promotion to the Premier League after winning the 2017-18 play-off final.
Fulham overcame the disappointment of losing in the play-off semi-finals to eventual runners-up Reading in the 2016-17 season, and went all the way the following season.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s wide-ranging side finished third, two points behind second-placed Cardiff, with 79 goals, second only to league champions Wolves’ 82.
On the path to promotion, starlet Ryan Sessegnon, then 17 years old, scored 15 goals, with captain Tom Cairney also scoring, before the Cottagers had Denis Odoi sent off on their way to overcoming Dean Smith’s Aston Villa at Wembley.
Three managers and a relegation battle in 2018-19
Claudio Ranieri was Fulham’s manager for just 106 days until being replaced by Scott Parker.
Jokanovic’s tenure as Fulham manager came to an end in November 2018, with the club in the Premier League’s relegation zone after 12 games and nine games without a victory.
Claudio Ranieri, Leicester’s title-winning hero, was brought in to turn the club’s fortunes around, but he only lasted 106 days before being replaced by caretaker coach Parker.
With five games remaining, relegation was clinched in a 4-1 thrashing at Watford.
With victories in their last three games, they finished the season in 19th position with 26 points, behind only Huddersfield.
Parker bounces back in his first full season in 2019-20.
Fulham’s second promotion in three years was secured when Joe Bryan scored two goals in extra time.
Despite losing his first five games in temporary control, Parker was handed the permanent job and guided the team to fourth place in the Championship, securing a spot in the play-off semi-finals against Cardiff.
Despite losing 2-1 at home, the Cottagers proceeded by defeating the Bluebirds 2-0 in the second leg, with goals from Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano, to set up a Wembley final versus Brentford.
The final paired the Championship’s leading scorers against each other: Mitrovic and Ollie Watkins, who both scored 26 goals throughout the season.
After a suspenseful game ended goalless, Fulham won in extra time thanks to two goals from Joe Bryan.
Parker exits following another difficult top-tier season in 2020-21.
Fulham were demoted again after losing 2-0 to Burnley.
Five victories, 27 goals for, 53 goals against, and a total of 28 points – two more than their last top-flight season – made for depressing reading as the Cottagers were relegated with three games remaining.
Bobby Decordova-Reid led the team in goals with five, while Mitrovic only scored three in the league, with the Serbian declaring the club “did not deserve to remain up” in a harsh evaluation of the season.
Parker chose to depart the club for Championship rivals Bournemouth, with Silva taking over from former Watford and Everton boss Parker.
2021-22 – In a season that will go down in history, the team will blow away the opponents.
Fulham have became the first English club in 88 years to score six or more goals in three straight games.
So far, they’ve won 26 games and scored 98 goals in 42 games.
Fulham have blown away the opposition, storming to the top of the league and promotion with four games remaining.
Six times, the free-scoring squad has scored five or more goals, including 7-0 victories against Blackburn and Reading. With 6-2 victory against Bristol City and Birmingham after the 7-0 thrashing of the Royals, they became the first English club in 88 years to score six or more goals in three consecutive games, giving them a stunning 19-goal haul.
Silva will now have to do something that Jokanovic, Ranieri, and Parker were unable to do: keep the Premier League alive.
The “marco silva everton record” is the current manager of Premier League side Everton. He was previously in charge of Championship club Watford and has a great track record with his footballing experience.
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