This club has failed Marco Silva at every turn
We could have had it all with one of the best managers we've ever had. But we've not just settled, we've sabotaged.
Two years ago I dubbed Marco Silva our second-greatest manager. Right now, he should be our undisputed best, but Fulham Football Club doesn’t want him to be.
You see, the club has continuously failed him since he joined. The only question is: did these failures occur through incompetence or were they made on purpose?
I ask that question as it is clear we are a football club that values pounds and pence over success. Because glory on the pitch costs money off it.
This stagnant summer proves it. Yes, we have a strong nucleus that will probably stay up, but we haven’t pushed on. And almost every other club in the league has. Treading water as the it rises doesn’t typically bode well.
The club has contradicted Marco through the press - and not for the first time. By briefing BBC Sport that we’re “calm” regarding our lack of activity, the powers-that-be are actively looking to discredit Silva and his annual tradition of voicing his frustration at our lateness - or downright lack of interest - in doing business.
Pounds and pence over success. The decision to sell Rodrigo Muniz on the eve of the new Premier League season further illustrates the club’s stance. The fact that we are even in this position is a joke. We’ve had 18 months to offer him a new contract. No one can say he hasn’t earned it. And now he wants to go because he’s not appreciated by the bean counters.
Muniz’s lack of contract offer and subsequent sale destroys the argument for a summer of consolidation and it continues our penchant for offloading our most valuable asset every close-season. It is the chief reason we will never become more successful than we are right now.
And it will be the chief reason that Marco Silva leaves Craven Cottage at the end of this season - if not before.
He is a famously ambitious manager. And he has already given us four years of his career, which is incredible considering what he’s been met with from above.
It started off well - of course it did. Silva inherited a squad more than capable of romping the Championship. He got Harry Wilson in to help with that and off we went.
We fortified the squad the following summer and defied expectations, finishing 10th. It was the perfect platform from which to push on.
But then the sabotage began.
Aleksander Mitrovic - a huge portion of our goals and the way we played - leaves. Not the board’s fault when his head was turned by cash. But was he replaced?
Two calendar years later and the answer is still no. Raul Jimenez was brought in to complement Mitro, not replace him. Muniz has flourished into a decent top-flight striker, but that is despite the bigwigs’ penny pinching. And now he’s off, too. Pounds and pence over success.
Fast-forward a year. Joao Palhinha, a central cog in our midfield, departs. But don’t worry, we reinvested… right?
Some £92m was pocketed from these sales, and neither were replaced. (And before anyone starts, Sasa Lukic was not brought in as the heir apparent and Sander Berge was not bought as the new Joao.)
As a result, we missed out on European football and a possible first major trophy in a season where both were eminently achievable. It’s a wonder Silva hasn’t gone silver. And it’s even more of a wonder he’s still here.
I hear some fans tweet “£40m is a good price for Muniz and we can reinvest” - but history tells us we do not. History tells us that we will lose Rodrigo and go into the season with Jimenez as our only recognised striker. Our coffers will be bolstered, but our squad will be threadbare.
Before I stop ranting, I’ll concede that the club has spent in excess of £200m since Marco Silva joined. But my counter is that figure is the very least they could expect to spend to stay in the top flight. The money from the lucrative TV deals means that the floor for club spending has been raised to such a level that, frankly, that is the minimum required if you want to reap the commercial benefits that being. top flight club brings.
Marco Silva is not a manager without flaws. But he has proven himself to be one of the best we’ve ever had. He deserves more. It might be too late to change that now - but, honestly, I’m not sure those in charge are bothered.
Pounds and pence over success.
It's a well written, but pretty provocative piece. I think the club deserve some credit for getting good money for Mitro and JP, and for locking down a number of contracts this summer.
But that said, you're entitled to your opinion Drew, so keep writing what you think. We don't all have to agree with you or try to persuade you otherwise!
Selling Muniz is giving me horrible 20-21 vibes, like we are going to end up with the equivalent of Cavaleiro and Maja as our only strikers.