Marco Silva exclusive: Fulham manager in search of stability at Craven Cottage

Marco Silva says it was always his plan to return to work in England and believes Fulham provides the perfect long-term project at a club in search of stability. 

The west London club were relegated last season after one season back in the Premier League, while Silva has been out of work since being sacked by Everton in December 2019.

After suffering relegation from the Premier League, Fulham's focus will be on securing a Championship victory over Middlesbrough this Sunday, live on Sky Sports - and Silva is up for the challenge.

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"To be honest, I was always close to coming back to England," he said. "As you know and expect, I had some offers and I spent last season analysing out of work in terms of what I wanted to do in my career.

"I wanted to take on a good challenge and a good project. If that came in England, it would be really good for me of course. I always had contact with some clubs, and in my mind and in the minds of my staff, the idea was always to come back to England if a good project appeared.

"We were really happy when the approach from Fulham came. I don't need to say anything about the club's history - it speaks for itself. I knew them well from my previous experience as a manager. Their approach was really good and they showed trust in us to build something important after a tough season.

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"We as a club want to get back to the Premier League as soon as possible but we know the Championship will be a really tough competition.

"I've had really good talks with Alistair Mackintosh the CEO and the owners. I believe in the squad and the base we've got here already. It's now up to us to sign some players to strengthen the squad as the competition will be long and tough."

Having agreed to a three-year deal at Craven Cottage, Silva is determined to leave his mark on the club in a way he failed to do so at his previous employees Hull City, Watford and Everton.

"At my three previous clubs, I was met by three very different situations," Silva added. "When I joined Hull, we were in the middle of a season. The aim of my team was to come to the Premier League at that moment and of course we took a risk given the club's position in the table.

"It was a really good moment for us as a group of technical staff even if at the end the taste of relegation was not nice. The way we were welcomed by the city was fantastic and it's something we'll never forget. It was part of our career development.

"We then had some offers from the Premier League and after that came Watford and Everton, but now at Fulham for sure we want to take on a long-term project. I want and Fulham needs some stability. As a group of staff, we need to build something that's longer than in the past.

"Fulham looks the right place to do it as they want to grow as a club and they are supporting us. The club are in need of some consistency and that is what we'll hopefully bring."

The Portuguese had options on the table from elsewhere but said he was left with an "easy" decision to make when the Cottagers made their interest known.

Silva has already made two signings since taking over, bringing in midfielder Harry Wilson from Liverpool and former Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, but the new manager said his dealings in the transfer window are not over.

So what kind of football can Fulham supporters expect under Silva?

"You can speak about many things around football, but the main thing is always the results. Our aim as a club is clear - we want to fight to be in the Premier League but many clubs want the same.

"Those that have just been relegated are always talked up as being in the mix to be promoted but there are many examples in the past where that hasn't happened. We have to be strong and in terms of our philosophy, we are learning something new every season.

"We have to try to be a consistent team and try to get the best out of our players. It's something we've managed to do at previous clubs. I like playing offensive football but we have to have a balance.

"We want to play attractive football but to win games in the Championship you need the desire and commitment. That's the main thing."

EFL fixtures live on Sky: Fulham vs Middlesbrough opener

Sky Sports will show live coverage of Fulham vs Middlesbrough on Sunday, August 8, as the 2021/22 Sky Bet EFL season gets under way.

Sheffield United will be back on TV the following weekend as they travel to beaten play-off finalists Swansea on the night of Saturday, August 14, with Wayne Rooney's Derby travelling to Peterborough United earlier in the day.

The first midweek fixtures take us to The Den for a London derby as Millwall host Fulham, as well as Huddersfield's match against Preston, both on Tuesday, August 17. A key clash between West Brom and Sheffield United follows on Wednesday, August 18.

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