Talk about the perfect pick-me-up after a miserable Monday. Fulham’s defeat at Tottenham was depressing. I didn’t think the Whites played particularly badly, especially given that Spurs are in scintillating form and riding high amidst Ange Postecoglou mania, but the manner of the goals that gave them victory proved particularly infuriating. Calvin Bassey will know he could have been smarter with the ball at his feet and the fact that Fulham still look feeble in the final third without our former number nine only compounded those defensive errors. Marco Silva looked miserable on the touchline – but he delivered the perfect response yesterday afternoon in finally putting pen to paper on the new deal that has been under discussion for many months.

Forget about the purchase of a new centre forward or the addition of the centre back we all think is desperately needed after another derby defeat, Silva’s signature is the most important signing that Fulham will make this season. His achievements since arriving in SW6 have been stupendous. Not since Jean Tigana have we seen a side sweep all before them with such style and, if anything, the Portuguese coach’s encore was even more impressive than the revered Frenchman. Breaking the miserable cycle of promotion followed by immediate relegation was all we craved, but reaching the top half of the top flight whilst having the courage of his convictions – and surprising English football’s established order – was sensational.

You only have to be in the company of a Fulham player for five minutes to understand how Silva has changed the mindset around the club. He has an insatiable appetite for improvement and is compulsive in his search fir victory – a quality that marks out the very best managers in our game going back decades – but he remains a first-class coach. Look at the new lease of life he gave Tim Ream, somebody who have been completely ostracised by Scott Parker. Consider how classy Tom Cairney has looked since his return from a career-threatening injury lay-off and the way in which Kenny Tete has hit a new level at right back.

Silva’s ambition is clearly infectious and has already served Fulham well in attracting top quality talent to Craven Cottage. Just signing a player of the pedigree of Joao Palhinha was audacious enough, but the Sporting Lisbon schemer – who had a close connection to the coach who bought him through the Portuguese giants’ youth academy – then produced one of the best debut campaigns the Premier League has ever seen. Even after the collapse of his move to Bayern Munich, Palhinha was willing to sign on the dotted line. Bernd Leno, another pivotal performer over the past year, has been effusive about Silva’s role in persuading him to move across London last summer and Alex Iwobi praised the head coach’s belief in him after arriving from Everton.

I’ll freely admit I felt that this would be Silva’s last season at the Cottage after Fulham failed to build on the success of last season. It seemed as if the loyalty he had showed to the club by rejecting remarkably offers from Saudi Arabia was not returned when the ownership allowed Aleksandar Mitrovic to leave and failed to adequately replace him. Silva has been left with a squad short on both bodies and quality in crucial areas of the field and is having to mix and match in the toughest division in world football. That makes a top half finish this term almost an impossibility – so it is a huge statement that a man who will be on the shortlist of any ambitious club with a managerial vacancy has put his faith in Fulham.

We’ll never know the details of the discussions Silva had with the Khans or Alistair Mackintosh and what has changed to see him sign the deal in October rather than during the summer. But the head coach’s commitment must now be backed by serious spending. The Khan family have deep enough pockets and their club have the nucleus of a competitive starting eleven. A combination of shrewd signings and the gradual introduction of terrific talent from the Motspur Park academy can establish Fulham in the top flight. If Silva’s loyalty is a shot in the arm to the fanbase, investment is imperative to make the most of his time in London’s oldest professional football club.

The statement announcing the news was well crafted. Shahid Khan spoke of this being ‘a wonderful day for Fulham Football Club’ and he wasn’t wrong. The words that leapt off my phone screen as I read them though were what followed from a chairman whom we haven’t heard enough of in his decade of ownership. Khan senior described Silva’s new contract as ‘a fantastic moment for Fulham supporters, who deserve our very best efforts to invest in the present and future of their Club, both within and around the game’. That’s a striking statement that must prove to be more than a superb soundbite.

January offers an opportunity for the Fulham hierarchy to match the warm words with action. The genius that is Marco Silva deserves it.