There aren’t too many things that could have gone better for Fulham in 2023 as Marco Silva guided the Whites to a top-ten finish on their return to the Premier League.
Although plenty of players have come and gone this year, the majority of the main core of the squad have stuck around and now the club have a historic Carabao Cup semi-final to look forward to.
Marco Silva has rightly praised his team’s recent performances and there’s a lot to look forward to in 2024.
Although it’s harsh on some players to only single out five of their teammates, there have been some standout performances this year.
Fulham have to use the upcoming transfer window to build on what they’ve created under Silva, rather than scrambling to replace any stars who inevitably move on.
Joao Palhinha – Midfielder – 42 appearances, 3 goals, 1 assist
One of the standout midfielders in the Premier League, Joao Palhinha’s first full year as a Fulham player has been nothing short of sensational.
He barely missed a game and even after nearing putting pen to paper on a contract in Munich, his ability to immediately refocus on life at Fulham is a huge credit to his character.
Fulham are undoubtedly a much weaker team without the 28-year-old and Marco Silva and the Khans have to do everything they can in January to prevent him leaving halfway through the season.
The Portuguese international deserves a move to a top club but if he can lead Fulham to another top-half finish and maybe even a Carabao Cup final, he will go with many fans’ blessings.
Bernd Leno – Goalkeeper – 41 appearances, 10 clean sheets
The £8m Fulham paid Arsenal for Bernd Leno last summer is looking more and more like an absolute steal with each passing game.
Fulham were synonymous with being leaky in defence every time they came back up to the Premier League.
Leno’s introduction has provided a stable platform for Fulham to build on for the first time in years and his 10 clean sheets in 2023 don’t quite sum up how good he’s been between the sticks.
Only Sheffield United’s Wes Foderingham has made more saves than Leno, but the fact Fulham are comfortably clear of the relegation zone is testament to how important those saves have been.
Antonee Robinson – Left-back – 44 appearances, 5 assists, 11 clean sheets
One of the highlights of the 2023/24 season so far has been the continued improvement of Antonee Robinson at left-back.
He’s now combining his incredible pace with an improved end product and his run of assists at the end of the year are well deserved.
Robinson has formed a fine partnership with Willian and their understanding has seen Silva direct his team to play more attacks down the left wing than the right.
The American international has also improved defensively and while Kenny Tete is still the superior one-on-one defender in the squad, it looks like the Dutchman’s influence is rubbing off on Robinson.
Robinson typifies the modern attacking full-back and while he’s unlikely to be inverting into midfield like Trent Alexander-Arnold any time soon, his ability to underlap and overlap has made him incredibly difficult to defend against.
Willian – Winger – 37 appearances, 8 goals, 5 assists
A superstar in his own right, Willian has oozed class time after time in a Fulham shirt during 2023.
Technically a new signing this season after his contract expired in the summer, plenty of Fulham fans will be delighted he chose to remain at the Cottage over a move to Nottingham Forest.
As mentioned above, his partnership with Robinson has been really important, but Willian is also capable of producing moments of individual magic.
His goal against Nottingham Forest at the start of the year stands out, but his ability to carve out chances and keep possession in the final third makes him an essential player in Silva’s system.
Andreas Pereira – Attacking midfielder – 42 appearances, 4 goals, 8 assists
The lull at the start of the season in Andreas Pereira’s form suggested several things.
Firstly, he had set some exceptionally high standards for what we expected from a player who had his sceptics when signed after a loan spell in Flamengo.
He was also coming back from a serious ankle injury picked up at the end of last season and the fact he was even available to play against Everton was remarkable.
Pereira was also adapting to life with Aleksandar Mitrovic whom he had formed such a potent partnership with during his first year at the club.
His hat-trick of assists against Nottingham Forest confirmed what many Fulham fans already knew, the Brazilian was a quality footballer who just needed some additional time to adapt to a slightly tinkered system.
Alongside new signing Alex Iwobi, Fulham appear to have two players who can unlock a defence from central areas in the final third.
Stats accurate as of 29 December