Marco Silva exclusive: Fulham head coach says club...

Seven video games to set a club-record Premier League factors whole and earn a European spot. Are Fulham going to really feel the strain?

“We set the goal originally of the season for us to reach within the ultimate levels preventing for one thing necessary,” head coach Marco Silva tells Sky Sports activities.

“It’s not additional strain or extra strain for us. It’s a privilege to have such a factor. It’s what I need.

“It’s the strain that I placed on myself, my employees, my gamers and now if we have now the possibility to combat [for it], we have now to embrace it.”

Fulham are on a excessive once more after turning into solely the second aspect this season to topple Liverpool and the primary to do it on house turf. The victory got here on the finish of their hardest second of the season, an FA Cup quarter-final defeat at house to Crystal Palace after which a loss at Arsenal.

“What makes the distinction between the traditional sides and the nice sides is the way in which you’ll be able to bounce again and the way in which you’ll be able to present the character and the persona as a staff,” says Silva, whose staff want two extra wins to surpass the Premier League report Roy Hodgson’s staff set in 2009.

The outcome was a press release in how Silva has aimed to alter the membership’s mentality when taking part in towards the highest sides. They’ve overwhelmed Nottingham Forest and Newcastle twice this season, plus Chelsea.

“I bear in mind the primary season within the Premier League, towards groups that had been beneath us, more often than not we had been in a position to get the factors. Towards groups that had been above us, we weren’t in a position to,” says Silva. “It was one thing that I used to be questioning nearly each single week.

“It was one thing that we modified fully by way of our mindset. Slight issues within the method, however mindset rather more. Our bravery and our ambition for these video games and to not change something. To respect our identification and our philosophy as nicely.”

Between 2018 and 2022, Fulham had been both promoted or relegated every season however since returning to the Premier League underneath Silva, they’ve completed tenth and thirteenth with out the specter of relegation.

They’ve finished it after shedding their two greatest gamers within the final two summers, striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and midfielder Joao Palhinha. “Different groups once they promote their principal strikers, they go they usually spend all the pieces of their place. We’re not in a position to do it. We resolve it differently.”

Raul Jimenez and Rodrigo Muniz have each hit double figures in all competitions. Antonee Robinson’s 10 assists is probably the most of any defender within the Premier League. Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey have each improved to develop into key gamers.

In a season the place the three promoted golf equipment, Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich, are all prone to go straight again down, it’s a important achievement that Fulham have established themselves within the prime flight.

It’s why Silva has been linked with jobs at Manchester United and Tottenham. Fulham shall be determined to maintain him with a 12 months left on his contract. Does he deserve extra credit score?

“That’s not for me to speak about. My focus is basically on my job, what I can management,” he says.

“What I can management is the way in which my staff goes to play. It is the philosophy that I need within the staff. The identification that I at all times attempt for my gamers to have, to make them higher gamers individually and collectively. To make the membership higher each single week, each single month, each single season. That’s the principal factor for me.

“We’ve got been doing unbelievable issues on the pitch.”

Fulham have exceeded expectations underneath Silva and now he has the possibility to cement his legacy.

Watch Bournemouth vs Fulham from 6.30pm on Monday Night time Soccer, stay on Sky Sports activities; kick-off 8pm