There have been plenty of words eulogising Marco Silva this season as Fulham have stormed to the top of the Championship – and we’ve written many of them. The Craven Cottage faithful have even combined their displeasure with Scott Parker and their love of his successor into a song that ends acclaiming the Portuguese head coach as a genius. Silva’s success in transforming Fulham’s football is brilliant chronicled in a fabulous piece over at Total Football Analysis this morning.

It takes a look at how he has imbued the Whites with the principles from the Spanish ‘juego de posicion’ philosophy, most frequently in the 4-2-3-1 that has allowed Fabio Carvalho to roam behind Aleksandar Mitrovic, as well as adapting elements of Louis van Gaal’s Totaalvoetbal, where the legendary Dutch coach described his marauding full backs as a steering wheel. When Neco Williams goes forward, Antonee Robinson moves inside to form a back three that mirrors the 3-2-5 formation with the ball preferred by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Silva’s Portuguese grounding is shown in how the Whites press high but zonally from front to back, with their wide players dropping in form a flat back six when under prolonged pressure. Fulham’s front three don’t place the centre halves or full backs under particular heat but cover the centre of the field blocking off the most direct routes forward. It has worked – and is the perfect amalgamation of continental and British tactical approaches.

I can’t wait to see how Silva shapes up as he takes Fulham back into the top flight.