Jack Kelly, Fulhamish podcast: How Marco Silva will set up his side for ‘must-win’ west London derby | OneFootball

Jack Kelly of the Fulhamish podcast has explained how Marco Silva is likely to set up his side for Sunday’s Premier League match against Brentford.

It’s a must-win game for the Whites at Gtech Community Stadium, with the eighth-placed Bees four points above their west London rivals in the battle for potential European qualification.

Fulham are 11th in the Premier League with two games left to play. What have you made of their season overall?

Taking a step back, it has been positive. It has been brilliant, to be fair.

Expectation levels raise due to your place in the table, results, and what you think of the manager and the players, and suddenly you go from being content to take another mid-table finish and trying to break into the top half to being in that cluster of teams with a chance of European football, which raises the hopes of all the fans.

So, ultimately, the major feeling from Saturday’s defeat to Everton was one of massive disappointment. But I think, once the dust settles on the 38 games, they are going to take a step back and say it has been another really, really positive season.

Three years consolidating in the Premier League, especially in this current climate of teams coming up and then going straight back down... you have got to be incredibly pleased with that.

You can look at Nottingham Forest, you can look at Bournemouth and the progression they have made, and I feel like Fulham are almost on par with those other teams. In a really competitive season, with quite a small squad, quite an ageing squad, they have done very, very well.

As you said, Fulham's chances of qualifying for Europe are a lot slimmer now. If they do not get there this season, would you say that it going to be the main aim for 2025/26?

It has got to be the focus. Marco Silva’s future is not quite set in stone yet, so we are not quite sure what is going to go on in the summer, but the worry is the teams who have underperformed this season - Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham, Everton and, to a certain extent Crystal Palace - are all going to get stronger, and Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are all also going to get stronger as well.

So, if anything, the Premier League is going to become more competitive, which means they cannot be complacent this summer and they have got to add.

I do not necessarily think this season was their last chance for Europe, in terms of being as competitive, because I think they can still do it next season.

But it is just a case of getting ahead for the summer, preparing well, having a proper pre-season, and then they have got every chance to compete again at this level.

There has been speculation about Silva’s future recently. Has that been disruptive in any way?

I do not think it has been disruptive, no. He has said he does not want to listen or talk about speculation as he does not want it to disrupt anything.

He was asked about it at his press conference last Friday and gave a pretty clear answer in that he is still contracted with the club for another year.

His future right now is at Fulham and I do not necessarily see it being a distraction, especially for these final two games.

When the dust settles and the season is over, then there will be some conversations, I am sure. I am sure the club are trying to get him to sign a new contract as well.

It feels like we are on the edge of a managerial merry-go-round, all starting with what happens at Tottenham, because I feel like there could be some moving parts within the Premier League, then maybe a little bit outside of the Premier League, too.

It is obviously a topic of conversation, but it is not something that is going to disrupt the players, the manager, and the whole club.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

Ryan Sessegnon is the one player right now who seems to know where the goal is and how to get in the right positions.

He is playing slightly further forward on the right side and he can play on the left side as well.

Sessegnon is the one who, in recent weeks, has come up with big moments and some assists and goals.

Alex Iwobi, who has been fantastic all season, has slightly tailed off and the no.10 position is not quite set in stone, with Andreas Pereira and Emile Smith Rowe still swapping and changing every week.

What should Thomas Frank’s side expect from Fulham in terms of shape and style?

It will be a 4-2-3-1, with one holding midfielder in Sander Berge, and one slightly more advanced. I'm guessing, Saša Lukić, then one no.10 in Smith Rowe or Pereira.

It is going to be a competitive game, quite nervy, and with it being a derby, no one is going to want to make a mistake.

I think Brentford will try and be quite aggressive at home and Fulham are going to have to bide their time and try and find chances on the counter attack.

They do like to keep the ball and create chances, it is just whether they can unlock a defence that sits back or whether the Brentford approach is to press them high. They are going to have to try and exploit every single gap they can find, really.

Harry Wilson’s late double secured a 2-1 win in the last west London derby back in November. What’s your score prediction for this one?

The perspective of the game has completely changed from Fulham's side. If they win, they go within a point of Brentford going into the final day.

It felt as if Saturday was the last chance saloon and they lost. There is obviously still a chance, but they have to win this game.

Brentford are completely on form and it does not look like they are going to be losing any game anytime soon.

My heart says a 2-1 Fulham win, but my head says Fulham could frustrate and get a 1-1 draw.