Are Fulham finally strong enough to succeed?

Could the Whites finally reach Europe - or even bag silverware - under Marco Silva?

With the business end of the Premier League season fast-approaching, Fulham verge on that familiar mid-table territory; a space where fans’ opinion is often divided into whether we should simply be appreciating safety, or leaning into an ambitious European-bound finish. The latter, of course, is the ambition of Marco Silva and his players.

It’s a particularly delicate situation at the moment. Marco’s contract negotiations still lie in the balance - and at the forefront of the media. At the same time, Harry Wilson continues to play hard to get, if you believe the reports. I can’t help but feel the answer to both of these situations will be determined by where Fulham finish at the end of the season.

One one hand, Silva has guided the Fulham boat to Championship glory and four consistent mid-table campaigns. That achievement should not be understated, with a record-breaking points tally to boot. On the other hand, the story of our team in the top-flight has been a series of near-misses that ultimately have led to no European football, no Wembley trips and no silverware.

Every season, with 10 or so games to go, Fulham fans flock to renew their passports, only to put them back in the drawer. That, paired with the recent League Cup semi-final loss to Liverpool, and two FA Cup quarter-final heartbreaks in the last three seasons to the hands of Crystal Palace and Manchester United, is enough fluster any Fulham fan, leaving us pondering what on earth we need to do to taste the successes of similar sized teams such as Palace and Forest.

Historically, Fulham’s squad depth has been too shallow to cope with the demands of the Premier League when it matters most, with injuries and fatigue causing us to fall at the final hurdle after showing so much promise time and time again.

However this season, for me, feels a little different. While the investment of the Khans into the squad has been painfully slow at times (throwback to taking Willian out of the retirement home last January), it’s hard to deny that they have dug deep into their pockets to support Silva this season. While the club-record signing of Kevin is yet to bear the fruit many expected, there’s no denying the future-planning and potential talent in this purchase that will support the club’s success.

Factor in young Oscar Bobb from Manchester City in a rare mid-season splurge, and suddenly the excuse of not being backed by the owners seems to dissipate. Had we succeeded in securing the services of striker Ricardo Pepi, one can’t help but feel the platform would have been well and truly laid for success.

So, are we actually good enough to qualify for Europe? Will we finally get past the tricky FA Cup quarter-final stage? Time will tell, but my answer is: yes. While Everton at home was a second half of nightmares and the changes didn’t work out on the day, you can’t deny it was one of the strongest benches we’ve had for years. Kevin, Muniz, Tete, Bobb, Robinson, Bassey… you get the idea. It’s a depth we’ve been slowly building over Silva’s tenure, and this could be the key to Fulham finally making it further than we’ve ever been before.

Despite his slow start to the campaign, Raul is firing on all cylinders, fighting for the shirt, with one eye on a potential contract renewal, which could provide the fire we need up top to get us results, Sunderland last weekend being a perfect example. There are high-quality players fighting for starting positions across the entire pitch now, from Cuenca and Bassy to Chukwueze and Wilson. While we’re a little short in the centre of the park and up top, I firmly believe there is enough talent at Silva’s disposal to get the job done. Wouldn’t it be such a joy if after half a decade at the club, regardless of his future, we could crown this amazing period we’ve enjoyed under his leadership with something to really shout home about.

So, should we remain grateful for mid-table security, or get our hopes up and push to be as ambitious as possible? The answer, in my humble opinion, is both. Let’s celebrate our successes, while keeping a little hope in our hearts for something more along the way.