The penultimate weekend of Fulham’s pre-season may turn out to be pivotal. After a summer of discontent that could have plunged the most optimistic Craven Cottage lifer into the depths of despair, with regular rumours linking many of the club’s key players and the head coach with pastures new, there hasn’t been a great deal of optimism around SW6. But after two friendlies against Hoffenheim – one behind-closed-doors on Friday and yesterday’s public fixture – there are a few things to make those of a Fulham persusasion smile as we look ahead to the return of the Premier League at Goodison Park next weekend.

The most dispiriting silly season story saw Aleksandar Mitrovic, our Serbian goalscoring sensation, have his had turned by the Saudi Arabian cash that has been thrown at a whole host of European stars this summer. After telling us how happy he was to be playing for the Whites – and describing Marco Silva as one of the best managers he ever worke under – at the end of June, Mitrovic was soon agitating for a move to Al Hilal, who had designs on luring the Fulham boss to the Kingdom as well. Breathless reporting from Sky Sports News claimed that he had to be persuaded to join the pre-season season tour of America and that he would never play for Fulham again.

The second part of that statement was proven demosntrably false yesterday afternoon. There were only just over 7,000 fans at Fulham’s historic home to see it but Mitrovic’s return to action was an important moment. His first interaction with the Hammersmith End, where he became a cult hero within a few weeks of joining from Newcastle United on loan five years ago, was telling. He lingered on the touchline and waved to the most vocal element of Fulham’s support before he even reached the corner flag during his first warm-up as a substitute. There were a few boos, before the cry of ‘Mitro! Mitro! Mitro’ rung out and he paused to acknowledge those chants with a prolonged period of applause.

Mitrovic, who had already played an hour of the Friday friendly at Motspur Park, charged onto the pitch midway through the second half with a point to prove. His Fulham future was in the balance, especially as summer signing Raul Jimenez had scored his first goal for the club, a poacher’s finish from a fine ball in by Antonee Robinson and the team needed a lift, having conceded an equaliser to the Bundesliga outfit. Fulham’s talimsan quickly provided it. Arms outstretched, he demanded the ball, and dropped into deeper positions – just as Jimenez, a more natural link-up forward, had done. He won free-kicks and worked the centre halves as he always has.

Two different moments told you everything about Mitrovic’s motivation. First, he drifted out to the right flank as Fulham defended a Hoffenheim set piece. Harry Wilson and Bobby Decordova-Reid brought the ball out and it eventually found its way to the number nine on the half way line. He might have been excused for holding it up and looking to buy a foul or a throw in. But Mitrovic surged in the Hoffenheim half with a serious turn of pace, driving deep into opposition territory and then seeking to play in Andreas Pereira, another substitute. The pass had a little too much on it, but Mitrovic still sprinted 25 yards to get into prime position in the penalty and laid on a chance for Harry Wilson. From the ensuing corner, Fulham scored a second.

These days pre-season friendlies are glorified training matches designed to build fitness. Tackles are largely a thing of the past: there’s an unspoken agreement between professional sides that nobody’s plans need to be ruined by injury. Nobody told Mitrovic. He relished the battle with three Hoffenheim centre halves – and, in one incident that demonstrated his desire, won the ball back in the Fulham half with a perfectly timed sliding tackle. No wonder Silva said he was ‘ready to play’. On this evidence, the Portuguese head coach will have a difficult decision about which forward to select in his starting line-up at Goodison Park in six days time.

Mitrovic’s pleasing cameo wasn’t the only uplifting part of yesterday’s encouraging victory, either. Silva’s side included Willian, who – if you believe Fabrizio Romano – had told the club of his intention to join Al Shabab only 48 hours previously. But there he was on the teamsheet released at noon and the veteran winger, who had committed his future to the Whites only twelve days ago, was full of life on the left wing. He controlled crossfield balls with his usual poise, cut inside with that lovely switch of speed and balance we’ve come to marvel on, and delivered a constant supply of delivish crosses into the box. There appeared to be already be an understanding with Jimenez in the first half – and Silva told the press afrer the final whistle that he had ‘no worries at all’ about the wide man’s future.

Other aspects of this last outing before the start of Fulham’s second season in the top flight also gave grounds for optimism. Calvin Bassey looked every inch the commanding centre back Silva has sought all summer. He overpowered Andrej Kramaric so frequently that it felt a little like bullying. There were plenty of progressive passes out from the back, which showed how snugly the former Ajax defender fits into Silva’s philosophy, and when Tim Ream’s name rang around the ground as the American emerged to warm up, Bassey embarked on a mazy thirty yard dribble. He capped a fine home debut with the winning goal, a thumping header in front of the Hammersmith End, and appears nailed on to start against Everton.

Robinson’s own display, full of those rampaging runs down the left that have become a feature of his Fulham career, was also worthy of comment. The American full back was one of the Whites’ consistent performers during an outstanding first campaign back in the big time and, in a first half where Silva’s side took a while to get going, he was a bright spark. He carried the ball frequently deep into Hoffenheim territory and nearly found Jimenez with a low ball that telegraphed how the pair would combine to open the scoring later. Securing Robinson on a five-year contract in the midst of a summer disrupted by our Saudi Arabians friends was brilliant business.

On the other flank, Kenny Tete rampaged along the right wing like he’d never been away. The Frenchman sitting next to me marvelled at the transformation in a player who has gone up a level since his time at Olympique Lyonnais. Harrison Reed, wearing the captain’s armband, covered every blade of grass in central midfield, whilst Sasa Lukic knitted the play together pleasingly when he wasn’t winning a feisty battle with the Hoffenheim engine room. Tom Cairney and Joao Palhinha watched approvingly from the Cottage balcony. Being back by the banks of the Thames was very good for the soul. Suddenly, it felt like the sky wasn’t falling on Fulham’s prospects.

What’s the lesson to learn from all of this? Apart from reminding us that you can learn something from even the blandest looking pre-season friendly, it would be wise to treat the silly season with the contempt it deserves. Silva was insistent after the final whistle that he wouldn’t have selected Willian or Mitrovic if he wasn’t confident that they wanted to stay – and play – for Fulham. Hours after those strong statements, a social media video from some of our Saudi Arabian friends apparently showing Mitrovic boarding a flight to Riyadh. It omitted Lukic stood behind him, because the truth was much less newsworthy: the duo had been allowed to return to Serbia briefly for the remainder of the weekend. Mercifully, Elon Musk has made it easy to avoid Twitter – and Fulham fans might be best advised to give the conveyers of clickbait a wide berth.