Marco Silva embracing challenge ahead as Fulham look to build on another solid season
Fulham manager Marco Silva conceded his side should have finished the season in a stronger fashion.
The Cottagers ended another solid campaign in 13th to confirm their third successive season of Premier League football but were unable to follow up on last year’s top-half finish.
A run of only two wins in nine games following the March international break saw the season peter out somewhat having previously looked on course to at least match last year’s finishing spot in tenth.
“We all know how it’s been tough for us, how it’s been challenging for us as well, but the way we have been getting this job done has been really enjoyable for all of us,” said Silva after Sunday’s 4-2 win over Luton.
“This season – I’ve been saying to you, but I will say it again – when we have been playing at our best level, we have been really strong, enjoyable to see, to watch, and achieving great results for the football club.
“I cannot hide to you, in one moment of the season, before the last international break, my ambition, my feeling, I expected us to fight for something more.
“You know myself, I’m always a really ambitious person, but not just because of ambition, because of what I see every single day in the training sessions. For many reasons [it didn’t happen], and that is for me to analyse why and to take the conclusions that I need.
Still, while Silva has lofty ambitions at the club, he did concede that losing star striker Aleksandr Mitrovic last summer did complicate matters.
“The margins are really small to win a game, or to draw or lose a game in the Premier League,” he added.
“The margins are really small, all the details play a big part in it, and in some games we were not at our best level.
“Because of that, we haven’t won some points that were really important for us. But definitely another successful season for us again.
“After the last summer and all the noise around our football club, and all that stuff, everybody started to talk about second season syndrome. A lot of noise because we lost our main goal scorer and a player that was so, so important for me.
“We were able to rebuild everything again, around different players in the attack line, and the reality is that we did that in a very good way. And the last five months, no-one spoke about the player that we lost, even if it was a fantastic striker.
“Looking forward for the next season, no-one can stand still in this football club. It’s going to be much more competitive, much, much more.”
