It’s been two days since another frustrating defeat at Stamford Bridge – something every Fulham fan has had to make their peace with over almost half a century – and I still can’t escape the feeling that this was a lost opportunity. Our near neighbours are no longer the force they once were, even if they replaced Roman Abrahamovic with Todd Boehly and Graham Potter with Mauricio Pochettino. In the modern vernacular, Chelsea are a side in transition – but Marco Silva’s side found themselves unable to take advantage.

The derby felt very tame to me, but there are mitigating circumstances. Silva may have made several changes from the start that couldn’t exploit the opportunities that came their way in their first ever League Cup semi-final yet it fault like there was still a Liverpool hangover. It might have been very different had Harry Wilson tucked away that chance at the far post from Fulham’s first flowing move of the match or if Anthony Taylor red carded Malo Gusto for his dangerous challenge on Willian. The game turned on Issa Diop’s dozy piece of defending – but Fulham looked leggy after their Merseyside exertions, even their best spell of the game looked laboured.

Silva’s done superbly since he arrived in SW6 and the way in which he has firmly established Fulham as a Premier League side is worthy of all the plaudits. But an ageing and limited squad – both in terms of the types of players he has at his disposal and the number of them – leaves an ambitious manager between a rock and a hard place. At Liverpool, Fulham followed up squandering several chances to take a two-goal lead by being unable to soak up the pressure and grind out a result. They’ve struggled away from home throughout this season, something Silva recognised in his comments after the defeat at Stamford Bridge, and lack the ability to manage situations that sets the successful sides apart from the also-rans.

The brutal reality is that making the leap from mid-table mediocrity, which shouldn’t be sniffed at considering Fulham’s often-cited recent history of hopping between the top two divisions, to becoming a force requires ambition, tactical acumen and cold hard cash. Silva, who was desperate to prove to English observers that he could make the grade in the Premier League, is a serial winner who has committed his future to club. But, as he has also outlined in recent weeks, he was disappointed by the uncertainty of the summer transfer window and knows that the club are unlikely to spend big in January.

That might be why Nemanja Matic, who was pictured watching Fulham’s dismal defeat by Burnley before Christmas, from the Craven Cottage balcony is looming into view as a short-term sticking plaster to provide cover for Joao Palhinha. The Serbian veteran has been there and done it in European football and, if the finances are tight, a deal that sees him arrive on a free transfer until the remainder of the season seems very attractive. But Silva has to be careful to avoid the fate that befall Martin Jol when Fulham lost the services of Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey in one summer. The Whites ended re-signing Giorgos Karagounis and Mahmadou Diarra – warriors whose best days were long behind them.

Relying on a Greek warhorse and a Malian magician whose knees had seen far better days was just one small aspect of a squad that was far too aged for the frenetic pace of the Premier League. Roy Hodgson’s success in re-energising experienced players who had lost their way elsewhere worked wonders in the short-term but Fulham paid the penalty for failing to refresh their squad, whether it was by trusting in some of the bright sparks from the academy or by adjusting the recruitment profile to target younger talent attracted by the prospect of proving themselves in the top flight.

Silva’s own squad has key players who are the wrong side of thirty. Although goalkeepers can go on into their forties these days, Bernd Leno is 31. Tim Ream is 36 and will be with the club for another year – at least. You wouldn’t expect the American to be a first-team regular beyond this season, but the Whites look a far better outfit with Tom Cairney (32), Willian (35) and Raul Jimenez (32) in the side. It is understandable if the power-brokers at Fulham believe that there will be better value come the summer than in January, but the achievements of a high-class head coach will soon need to be matched with the acquisition of talent that can cope with the physical demands of top flight football.

There is also an argument to be made that Fulham need to be better at fast-tracking some of their homegrown talent. Silva reaped the rewards of trusting Fabio Carvalho with the vital number ten role in the Championship – and you have to wonder how much he regrets joining Liverpool now that he finds himself on loan at Hull City for the remainder of the campaign. Carvalho’s talent was obvious to those of who watched the youth teams regularly, but it took Silva’s arrival on scene to given him a regular run in the first time.

Fulham’s under 18 and under 21 sides are having excellent seasons. Several of our young stars are excelling on loan elsewhere (a welcome change from when the club seemed to keep our most gifted youngsters under lock and key at Motspur Park), but the pathway into the senior side is the best way of attracting the brightest talent to our category one academy. Will the likes of Devan Tanton, Charlie Robinson, Josh King, Ollie O’Neill, Matt Dibley-Dias Callum Osmand, Lemar Gordon or Aaron Loupalo-Bi, to name just a few, get the opportunity to stake a claim? It might be the only way to ensure that a loss-making business becomes a bit more sustainable.

I get that there are risks with blooding young talent. You certainly don’t want to go full Felix Magath and ruin a bunch of bright talents by throwing them in wholesale and two early. But it feels as if Fulham will need to grasp the nettle sooner rather than later and back Silva’s ambition by becoming bolder. The alternative is treading water – and I think the future could be far more exciting than that.