“I’m very sad to lose him but I respect and understand why he has taken that decision. I understand why he wants to stay in the Premier League or go to a big European club with the prospect of European football. He’s done an exceptional job. He has done fantastic for us but I accept he is a better calibre manager than the Championship”.
The words of Ehab Allam; Hull City’s vice-chairman, upon accepting the resignation of Marco Silva back in May 2017.
Silva had arrived at the Tigers in January, with Hull rock-bottom of the Premier League table. He was given a task many considered to be a far forgone prospect: keeping Hull City in the top flight of English football. With Silva arrived his managerial team, comprising of assistant João Pedro Sousa, first-team coach Gonçalo Pedro and goalkeeping coach Hugo Oliveira, though also with Silva’s arrival came stark criticism of his appointment.
“He’s won the league at Olympiakos? I could’ve won the league at Olympiakos!” exclaimed esteemed Gillette Soccer Saturday pundit Paul Merson – a sarcastic emphasis on esteemed and rather more accurately described as a clueless buffoon, who has somehow retained his spot on Sky’s prime-time coverage of the 3pm kick-offs.
“I’m not having it” continued Merson. “You can give me stick on that. There’s enough British managers out there, come on… Off the top of my head, why not Thierry Henry? He’s done his badges, he’s a legend in the game, he’s ripped up the Premier League. If he walked into Hull City he’d give them a lift”. The conjunction of crying out for a British manager followed by the suggestion of Thierry Henry perhaps highlights Merson’s ineptitude, though ten months down the line, it would fair to say; and certainly for neither the first or last time, Paul Merson got this one very, very wrong.
Embed from Getty ImagesThere have been comparisons drawn in Silva’s native Portugal between him and another extremely successful Portuguese manager currently plying their trade in England, one who goes by the name of Mr Jose Mourinho. The ability Silva holds in the spectrums of motivation, man-management and attention to detail have shone through in his previous jobs. After taking Estoril in his first managerial post on a run of just three defeats in 24 league matches; and later being named ‘Manager of the Year’ for the Primeria Liga in 2011/12, there were early indicators to suggest that Silva had the potential to be special. Estoril midfielder Diogo Amado commented to Record magazine as Silva departed for Sporting Lisbon that:
“We knew exactly he wanted. It was never even necessary to explain the tactics because we knew. I always go back to the closeness he has with the players. He doesn’t put up barriers between the coach and the players, and we knew we could count on him”.
Diogo Amado, Estoril, 2012
Amado is not alone in his praise for Silva from a players perspective. In an interview with BBC Sport, Watford midfielder Tom Cleverley last week responded to being asked the question of “Where does Marco Silva compare to the previous managers you’ve played under?”:
“He’s right up there, I think you just get a feel for when you’ve got a really top manager. He’s got the perfect balance of being firm with all the players but at the same time he’s approachable”.
Tom Cleverley, Watford, 2017
Factor in Cleverley has played under the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Martinez, this is high praise indeed for Watford’s current main man. This recurring theme of praise centres itself around Silva’s traits of firmness, though underpinned by his likeable demeanour that allows him to build fruitful relationships with his players – fruitful relationships that allow Silva’s teams to excel, and this is certainly true of the current state of affairs at Watford.
Embed from Getty ImagesMarco Silva’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, with four wins and just one defeat in their eight league games to date. The top eight is occupied by the big-six, alongside Burnley; under the mercurial stewardship of Sean Dyche, and Silva’s Watford.
This is telling of what Silva is creating at Watford, and you could argue this is the first time in his managerial career he has received true financial backing from a clubs hierarchy. The result? Well the results are clear to see: Silva is an outstanding manager, and these managerial traits of his that contribute to his successes have now been extrapolated through the financial support he has received from Watford’s hierarchy.
Smart buys in the form of Will Hughes (£8m), Nathaniel Chalobah (£6m), Richarlison (£11m) and Andre Gray (£18m) have given Silva tools he has never worked with before in relation to the quality of the players, though in a transfer market that is bordering on lunacy, these are modest sums. Watford are thriving in the Premier League, and whilst the players are worthy of praise for their rise up the league table, credit is due in equal weighting to Silva.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe has crafted a squad epitomised by their three consecutive 90+ minute goals against Bournemouth, West Bromwich Albion and Arsenal – Silva’s players are playing for much more than their pay packet, their manager has instilled a sense of unwavering belief that this team can go beyond pre-season expectations, and that this team can well and truly thrive in the Premier League.
Silva put himself in the shop window last January upon taking the Hull City job – many; including Merson et al. doubted him, but he rose to the task, and whilst Hull City did indeed drop down to the Championship, Silva was not to blame. He demonstrated his managerial abilities on the pedestal of Premier League football, and Watford snapped him up in the process. The Pozzo family have held a reputation in recent years for only keeping their managers for a lone season; as is evidenced in Flores, Mazzarri and even Jokanovic when he took them to the Premier League, but one senses a shift is about to occur in this methodology.
Marco Silva is thriving on the biggest stage of them all, his players are playing with such guile, enthusiasm and hunger all rolled into one, but underpinned with one indisputable certainty. Watford’s players are playing for their manager – and one senses the Pozzo family shan’t be departing with his services at the end of 2017/18. Though if they were to?
Silva will be inundated with offers from around the world, because on his journey from Estoril to Humberside he has demonstrated what many consider to be glimpses of managerial greatness, and in the process of doing so and arriving in Hertfordshire with Watford, the footballing world has taken note. Marco Silva is a bloody good manager, and in no uncertain terms, this man is headed right for the very top.
Written by Tom Newman.
