If there’s one thing that Fulham can take away from their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United, it’s that João Palhinha has become one of their most important players. The Cottagers, humiliated at home by Eddie Howe’s side despite making a good start to the season, must not lose their focus en route to Premier League survival after Nathaniel Chalobah’s red card all but sealed their fate in west London. As emphatic as Newcastle were, Fulham failed to show their teeth at any point in the game, and it was clear Marco Silva missed the enforcer in front of their defence.
Palhinha arrived from Sporting Lisbon over the summer in a deal worth £20 million — a relative bargain in the context of the league’s heavy spenders. The 27-year-old added balance to a Fulham side known for their ability to score goals, but one that was perhaps a bit too leaky at the back even after securing the Championship title.
For a newly promoted side, one the football betting odds had tipped to finish bottom of the league, it was testament to Fulham’s recruitment that they got a player of Palhinha’s quality to trade the Portuguese capital for a relegation dogfight in London, and his absence only served to expose the fragility in Silva’s side while he spends time out with an ankle injury.
“It’s important for him to feel that support from us, but it’s also important that he’s settled really well into our team and at the club,” Silva said. “We knew when we were signing him that he would be a plus for us, for our squad; on the ball, off the ball, set pieces as well.
“It’s good to see the players take positives from something that we spent a long time on in the week.”
In Palinha, Fulham have potentially snapped up the bargain of the season. His physical presence — standing at six feet three inches tall — means his footwork is deceptively quick, able to play out of tight spaces and allow Fulham to move the ball into the final third for a grateful Aleksandar Mitrović, who himself has started the season in fine form.
Although he is hardly a direct replacement for Fábio Carvalho, another Portuguese international who left Fulham to join Liverpool at the end of last season, Palinha will do the dirty work for the side, allowing the likes of Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira to show their creativity. The drop-off in quality when Chalobah was introduced, demonstrated by his rash red card, showcases what an important player he will be if Fulham are to remain in the top flight, a league Palinha himself has taken an immediate fondness for, especially in terms of physicality.
“You can actually be tackled here, and I love it. That was one of the main things behind my decision to come here – the style of play,” he said. “In my head, I just want to play with intensity. That’s why I like the league. In every match, everyone wants to play, but with aggression and fairness.
“That’s one of the good things. In Portugal I felt I could not be tackled. Sometimes it was difficult. Every ‘touch’ was a yellow card. Here it is completely different.”
As for Fulham, this season represents their best chance of finally avoiding that yo-yo club status. While there are still a wide variety of personalities in the dressing room, this looks to be the most cohesive dressing room Craven Cottage has witnessed for some time, and if they can establish themselves as a regular Premier League stalwart then expect Silva and Palinha to be at the forefront of everything good. If they go down, we’re sure there’ll be no shortage of suitors interested in the Portuguese midfielder’s signature.