WHEN Marco Silva first took over at Fulham, he had to bat away persistent questions over how much he had to prove in English football after his Everton demise.
More than three years later, the Portuguese has masterminded constant progress in West London, has restored his reputation and could make Premier League history this weekend.
If his team get a result at home to struggling Wolves on Saturday, Silva will have overseen the best-ever start to a Prem campaign for the Cottagers.
It would surpass the 18 points from 12 games managed by Chris Coleman in 2003-04.
And it would put him on course to beat the best-ever season haul of 53 points managed in 2008-09 by Roy Hodgson, whose team had only 17 points at that stage in the season.
Silva has quietly gone about his business and turned Fulham from perennial yo-yo club into a solid top-flight side with minimum fuss.
And while compatriot Ruben Amorim begins his Premier League journey this weekend with Manchester United, Silva’s reemergence as a top-job contender has been going under the radar.
Fulham were sure they had landed a gem when they convinced Silva to spearhead their bid to regain their Prem status in 2021, after relegation under Scott Parker.
But some supporters were not so sure given how it had gone pear-shaped for Silva in his previous job with Everton 18 months prior.
How wrong any were to doubt him, as the diligent former right-back romped to promotion via winning the Championship before managing 10th- and 13th-placed finishes in the top flight with no risk of danger.
FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS
He has lost some of his best players along the way too.
Whether it be talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic leaving for the Saudi riches, Tosin Adarabioyo’s freebie move to neighbours Chelsea or the exit of Joao Paulinha – the best Fulham player of the Premier League in some fans’ eyes – to Bayern Munich.
The way he has managed to mitigate those losses gets to the heart of his success.
Silva constantly stresses how it is all about the team, never about individuals, and that appears to have reduced the impact of any big-name sale.
His honesty with players on how he plans to use them has been effective – particularly with Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore, previously a dynamic duo of Saturday’s opponents Wolves.
Silva reinvigorated long-serving players like Tom Cairney and Tim Ream.
While transfer business on the likes of Bernd Leno, Calvin Bassey, Andreas Pereira and Emile Smith Rowe has been spot on – and speaks to the productive relationship he has with co-owner and Director of Football Tony Khan.
Heurelho Gomes, who played under Silva at Watford in 2017-18, is a huge fan of his old gaffer, praising him for his diligence, tactical acumen and approachability.
The Brazilian still remembers being wowed by Silva changing to a 3-4-2-1 formation minutes before kick-off against West Ham back in 2017, which led to a dominant 2-0 win.
While on another occasion the ex-Tottenham goalkeeper was in at 7am at the training ground for an MRI on his back – only to be surprised to discover Silva was in there at that time every day.
The Brazilian told SunSport in association with thepokies: “He is underrated.
“He can coach any club in the Premier League, especially because now he has more experience in the league.
“His first season with Watford, it was just a few games, but he did amazing with us. His first season with Everton was amazing. The second season was not as amazing but this depends on the players as well.
“He came back with Fulham and did an amazing job, taking Fulham to the Premier League again in first place, then to maintain the club as Fulham, fighting in the top eight is an amazing achievement.
“He is able to coach the best clubs in Europe.
“Fulham is an amazing club, Everton is an amazing club, Watford as well, but he deserves to be a manager of the top four, top five, top six clubs in England, for sure.”
