Fulham head coach Marco Silva has given a wide-ranging interview to O Jogo this morning.
Silva’s return to his homeland with the Whites for their annual pre-season training camp on the Algarve has seen the popular Portuguese manager appear on Canal 11 and answer questions for a number of sports journalists.
Responding to a question about how stable the average coach feels these days, Silva says:
In recent years, things have been crazy in Portugal; the reality is that it’s been out of the box. In England, it’s different, but honestly, it’s very different from when I arrived. Coaches used to be much more resilient to negative results. With foreign investors, that British culture is starting to disappear, and coaches are less resilient. It’s not that I worry; I think about what’s behind those decisions. When you manage a club and hire a coach you think is right for the project, I don’t think everything changes in two months. There’s an analytical aspect, and it’s understanding the effect of these psychological blows after a season rather than immediately.
He plays down the prospect of qualifying for the Champions’ League with the Cottagers.
“I’m ambitious, but I’m not unrealistic. This year, the spots opened up for five, and ambition doesn’t stop us, but we can’t be unrealistic. With the budget, with the capacity for eight or 10 clubs in the Premier League, there’s not much room for that. Nottingham [Forest] were knocking on the door of this goal for a long time last season, and Leicester [City] were champions a while ago, but right now, I don’t see a team like that winning the title any time soon, because the power of [the top] three or four clubs is enormous. The Champions League isn’t our objective; the ambition right now is to do better than last season, and if we do that, we’ll be in seventh or eighth place and fighting for other goals, but it’s about trying to beat our points record.”
Silva also rules out an immediately return to coaching in Portugal.
“I don’t make any major long-term plans in that regard. There’s been that possibility throughout my career, but the goal is the Premier League. I could have returned already, no point saying where, but those opportunities didn’t happen because it wasn’t possible, and other times it was a personal decision. But in the short term, I’m focused on Fulham and then we’ll see what happens next season. If the opportunity arose? We’ll see. My coaching career has been based on reaching the Premier League and cementing something in that competition. Maybe I’ll be the third or fourth longest-serving manager in the league, and the goal is to stay focused on my club. I don’t know when it will happen, but I think it will eventually happen because of my nationality and my love for my country, also realizing the lack of competitiveness and that we could have already made strides, but we continue to have great coaches and three or four clubs above the others. Portugal isn’t in the top five European leagues, but we have quality clubs. I don’t have a club preference; it’s not something that’s on my radar.”
Hopefully, he will sign a extension!! But seriously, l doubt it !! He is highly ambitious!!!
Silva has been nothing short of a revelation at Fulham, long may he lead us in cementing our place as a solid premier league side!
I hope he stays but my feeling is this is his last season, he’s been very good for us. But when is contract is up you can’t blame him if he leaves if a good offer comes in, but the uncertainty does not put us in a good position. Do Fulham spend big he still goes and a new manager wants different players. Not spend and the club blamed for him leaving by fans
I think he will wait until after Christmas before reaching any decision.He has already said his aim to beat last seasons points total and League Position If this is accomplished i have a feeling he will stay for another season. But we do need more signings ASAP
I think he’ll go, which is a shame but can’t really blame him, we are lucky to have him tbf, let’s back the man in the window ( what’s left of it ) ?
The transfer window shuts on 1st September, so plenty of time left to get 3/4 quality signings.
I hope he stays, but managers come and go and the club remains. FFC are light years away from where we once were and credit must go to the investors and managers, staff and players that have pushed the project forward. Having lost none of our big names I’m quietly confident for this season, if it’s a good one, who knows? It might persuade Marco to stay.
He will go because the Khans aren’t backing him. There was a very good article early which showed that we could buy 5 or 6 players for £25m each this year, we’ve spent £500,000 on a position that wasn’t t
Really needed and absolutely nothing on the five requirements Silva highlighted at the beginning of the window. We’ve apparently had £16m offers for a player rejected when another £4m would’ve have got him. We’ve apparently are supposedly looking to reduce the average of the squad (highest in the Prem) and yet we have been looking at a striker who’s 34 and Sterling who is 30+.
BACK HIM OR LOOSE HIM
Pity T.K’s ambitions don’t match those of Marco. We missed out on Europe and the F.A. cup because the squad was too thin and the team too old. Marco wanted this season to be when we took the next step but the usual dithering in the transfer market means it’s very unlikely that we will.
While we are all greatful for the investment the Khans have pumped into the club ensuring we stay at the Cottage and have financial stability there should be more done. Facilities in the Hammy End and Johnny Haynes stands remain in the Victorian age.
The season kicks off in just over 2 weeks and what has been done to take this next step?
The team is now 1 year older than last year and the squad just as thin. Okay we haven’t sold any of our best players and we’ve tied down Seth and Josh. We haven’t managed to get Marco or Muniz to sign extensions. This is not taking the next step, at best it’s stagnation.
T.K. get your finger out and prove me wrong!!!!
We will never get into the Europe places as long as TK is in charge of signing players, why are we always trying to sign old players and leaving it until the last day of the transfer window, the man is a complete joke and I can see Marco leaving as he must be fed up with all the false promises.
Echo most of the comments of the above This year was to be (that year) that Fulham go to another level but I can’t see that we were told that some loans were turned into shares so that money can buy players we have not got Europe to offer those (Marquee signings) so we have to settle for second best, We won’t get Douglas Luiz, Palinha,Pepi,etc they will go to greener grass which is a shame,
Marco will almost certainly go at the end of the season I think he’s had enough of false promises and Bullshit of Tony Khan we keep hearing they put a lot of money in etc but if you have not got the players to go to the next level and the Riverside stand is half empty that all goes out the window
I agree with nearly all the comments. Whilst we must be grateful for small mercies we really have got to change our transfer policy. As one comment said it time to back him or lose him TK…. put your money up or we go nowhere with a half empty stand and become a swankey restaurant and not a football club