I’ve just about got over the Euros now so it’s nice to have some more football to look forward to so soon. I always look forward to the first game of the season. There’s so much excitement, so much expectation. Us fans can’t wait and the players will be the same. They’ve got a full pre-season under their belts now, so they’ll be absolutely raring to go.
Obviously we want a fast start, but you always need patience when a new manager comes in as it will naturally take time for players to get used to his methods and how he wants them to play. There will always be a bedding in period but I see no reason why our boys won’t quickly take on board what Marco Silva wants them to do, and hit the ground running.
I think Marco and Fulham is a very good match. I’m excited to see him lead us. He’s got good pedigree, he’s managed at the highest level, and he tries to play football the right way. And let’s not forget that he’s got Luis Boa Morte there with him as well. Boa knows the Championship, he’s played in it, he’s won it, and that experience is invaluable. He and Marco have known each other for a long time, and worked together at Everton, so they’ve got a good relationship. Boa knows the Club inside out, he knows what it means to wear the white shirt, and that can only help Marco.
I haven’t had a chance to catch up with Boa since he came back, what with Covid and pre-season, but I’m looking forward to seeing him at a game soon. I wish him every success, and he would deserve it. He’s a top guy and a very hard-working individual, so I’ve got a lot of time for Boa.
Boro up first means a tough game with Neil Warnock in charge, as his sides are always hard to beat. You know they’re going to fight tooth and nail to get a result, but I’m sure we’ll take the game to them. The first game of the season can be tricky, but our players need to concentrate on implementing what the manager wants. I’m sure everyone will know their own job and that we’ll be playing an attractive style of football. Hopefully that leads to a good performance and the right result.
It’s going to be fantastic to have fans back properly on Sunday. Fans are what make football. I’ve found watching games in empty stadiums quite difficult actually – they feel like training matches. Some teams excelled without their supporters there but I think we’ll be a side that gets a real boost from having a full Craven Cottage again.
The two new boys are excellent signings. Paulo Gazzaniga got some big match experience at Spurs and has played for Argentina, so that’s some real strong competition for Marek Rodák in the goalkeeping department now. And Harry Wilson is proven quality. His free-kicks are fantastic, and that could be huge for us because set-pieces are essential in the Championship. It’s a lovely left foot he’s got, he can feed a pass and he scores a lot of goals. That’s important, because we’ll need our midfielders and wingers to help the strikers out.
I think automatic promotion is definitely attainable this season. We’ve got a lot of players who are experienced in this league. It’s not like when we first got relegated in 2014 when we played Ipswich Town first game and only had two players who had featured in the Championship before. That experience, mixed with the young players we’re bringing through, along with the new signings, I think means we’re in a strong position to have a good campaign. Marco is a Premier League manager, and he’ll certainly be wanting to make sure he is one again by leading Fulham to promotion.
