Fulham’s longest-serving boss since 2007 can set sights high

Marco Silva’s Fulham are enjoying an impressive start to the season.

They have only lost once – a tightly contested 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on opening night – and sit in the top half of the Premier League after five games.

Now entering a fourth season under their Portuguese head coach, supporters hold genuine optimism that this may be the best yet.

After storming to the Championship title in his first campaign in charge, Fulham finished 10th with a points-per-match [PPM] of 1.37 in 2022-23 and then 13th with a PPM of 1.24 in 2023-24.

It is early days of course but their PPM so far in 2024-25 is 1.6, on course to be the highest since Roy Hodgson’s side of 2008-2009, which ended on 1.39.

That Hodgson side finished seventh – the Whites’ highest Premier League finish – and qualified for the 2009-10 season’s Europa League, where they reached the final.

Such a trajectory perhaps looked unlikely when key men Joao Palhinha and Tosin Adarabioyo departed for Bayern Munich and Chelsea respectively, but smart replacements Joachim Andersen from Crystal Palace and Sander Berge have made an assured start.

With funds spare, record signing Emile Smith Rowe has adjusted immediately, while Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez appear to be rekindling the productive double act they formed during their days at Wolves.

Silva is now the longest-serving Fulham boss since Chris Coleman between 2003 and 2007 and, after signing a new deal in 2023, is committed to Craven Cottage until the end of the 2025-26 season.

Having already secured one top-half top-flight finish, he will be hungry to achieve another before departing west London.

Perhaps though, Silva has his sights set even higher.