Fulham celebrate
Can Marco Silva succeed where others have failed and keep Fulham up?

Will 2022-23 be the season when Cottagers finally avoid the drop and achieve survival in the premier league?

One of the most foregone conclusions of the campaign was that the Cottagers would return to the top flight.

They have been here before. Twice in the past five years. The first time was followed by a swift, chastening return to the Championship, and the second time was followed by a return to the Championship.

The team of Marco Silva has cut through the league with ruthless efficiency, led by the unstoppable Aleksandar Mitrovic with a record-breaking 40 league goals. The Cottagers have dominated the competition this season.

When faced with the more clinical, tougher defences and all-round higher intensity of the Premier League, the team-mates have struggled.

What is different about Silva's team and do they have what it takes to break the curse?

'Brighton would rip them apart'

If the club want to avoid the drop, plenty will have to change according to Paul Parker, who played for the club from 1982 to 1987 before returning for a brief spell 10 years later.

Fulton need to change how they play, they play with a very slow pace.

They would get ripped apart by a team likeBrighton, they press and move it very quickly through the middle of the field.

They will need to incorporate at least four players into the starting 11.

The runaway league leaders have won 26 of their 42 games, and with only Bournemouth able to catch them, the Championship title is now looking inevitable.

The front-footed intent of Silva's team has been typified by the jaw-dropping return of Serbia strikers, which smashed Ivan Toney's record of 31 goals in a single Championship season.

In 122 Championship matches, he has scored 82 goals, compared to 24 in 104 Premier League games.

Aleksandar Mitrovic
Mitrovic has struggled to replicate his free-scoring Championship form in the Premier League

Silva will need to add genuine quality to the side to get the best out of his star strikers, with Neco Williams set to end his loan at the end of the season, and forward Fabio Carvalho looking destined to leave the club in the summer.

The former Manchester United right-back said that they need players who have played in a top league abroad.

He needs a better caliber of player around him. He has been in poor teams when he has played in the premier league.

Bruno Lage and Nuno Espirito Santo were both recruited by Wolves, who have also brought in players from Portugal.

The league is a physical one and the players can deal with it.

'They need support for Mitrovic'

If they add the right reinforcements next season, Jamie believes they could stay up.

The commentator said that they have to strengthen the penalty boxes.

They need support for the last third. Next season is going to be harder because he has had a wonderful season.

Tony Khan and his recruitment team are already working on replacement options for the departing Fabio Carvalho.

They need to strengthen their defense. Neco Williams has excelled at right-back.

To sign Neco on a permanent basis would be the aim and I feel the team would benefit from at least one other central defender as you need strong competition in the premier league.

They also need a goal scorer. They need to bring in more players to strengthen the group.

When ScottParker left, he said the club needed to try to get off the roller coaster.

There are many twists and turns of that crazy journey.

2017-18 - Promotion via the play-offs

Fulham players celebrate with the trophy
Fulham won the 2017-18 play-off final to earn promotion to the Premier League

After losing in the play-off semi-finals to Reading, the Cottagers bounced back and went all the way the following year.

Slavisa Jokanovic's team scored 79 goals, which was bettered by Wolves who scored 82.

Ryan Sessegnon, who was 17 at the time, hit 15 goals on the way to promotion, with captain Tom Cairney scoring before the Cottagers had Denis Odoi sent off on the way to beating Dean Smith's Villa at Wembley.

2018-19 - Three managers and a relegation

Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri's time as Fulham boss lasted just 106 days before he was replaced by Scott Parker

After 12 games and without a win in nine, Jokanovic ended his time as manager of the Cottagers.

Ranieri lasted just 106 days in the job, before he was replaced by ScottParker.

There are five games left to play and the relegation was confirmed in a big way.

They ended the season in 19th place with 26 points, thanks to three victories in the last three games.

2019-20 - Bouncing back in Parker's first full season

Joe Bryan celebrates his second goal
Joe Bryan scored two goals in extra time to secure Fulham's second promotion in three years

Despite losing his first five games in charge, he was given the permanent role and steered the club to a fourth-place finish in the Championship.

Despite losing at home, the Cottagers beat the Bluebirds 2-0 in the second leg with goals from Josh Onomah and Neeskens Kebano, setting up an all-west London final against Brentford at Wembley.

The Championship's two top goal-scorers were put against each other in the final.

The game ended goalless before Joe Bryan scored two extra-time goals.

2020-21 - Parker leaves after another tough top-tier season

Antonee Robinson kneels down looking dejected after Fulham lose 2-0 against Burnley to be relegated from the Premier League
Fulham lost 2-0 to Burnley to be relegated again

The Cottagers had five wins, 27 goals for, 53 against and a total of 28 points this season, two more than in their previous top-flight season, but they were demoted with three games to spare.

Bobby Decordova-Reid was the club's top scorer with five goals and the Serbian claimed the club did not deserve to stay up.

Silva took over as the club's new manager, after former manager Parker left for Bournemouth.

2021-22 - Blowing away the opposition in record-breaking season

Fulham players celebrate
Fulham are the first English team to score six or more goals in three consecutive games for 88 years

They have recorded 26 wins and 98 goals in 42 games.

With four games to spare, they have blown away the competition as they are top of the league and in promotion contention.

The team has hit five or more goals on six occasions. They became the first English team in 88 years to score six or more goals in three games in a row, after scoring 19 goals in three games.

Silva will now be tasked with survival in the premier league.

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