Former Scotland international Ross McCormack believes that Marco Silva will be tough to replace at Fulham, however, he is hopeful that they can still bridge the gap between them and the European places.
In a statement released earlier this week, the West London club confirmed that Silva -- who has held his position at Fulham for five years -- will depart upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
The Portuguese boss has done a fantastic job at Craven Cottage, earning promotion back to the Premier League in his first season before re-establishing Fulham as a bona fide top-flight outfit.
Reports suggest that Silva will join Benfica as a replacement for Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho.
Ex-Cottager McCormack is unsure what lies ahead for the club until a decision is made in the dugout.
"It’s hard to tell until we see which manager comes through the door," said McCormack, who was speaking exclusively to bet365 at the talkSPORT Padel World Cup.
"Marco leaving is going to leave a big void to fill but there’s a personal pull there, going back to manage one of Portugal’s biggest clubs.
"It depends on who they appoint and whether Mr. Khan [Fulham’s owner] gives them the financial backing to really push on from where they were this season, because there isn’t much difference between them and the European spots."
Silva guided Fulham to an 11th place finish in the Premier League last season, just one point shy of a Conference League place, despite losing a number of key players to the Africa Cup of Nations halfway through the campaign.
Kieran McKenna is currently favourite to takeover as boss, however, McCormack is certain that there will be an array of top managers interested by the vacancy at Craven Cottage.
"It’s an attractive job for any manager. It’s a great club, the training ground and the stadium are great and the owner has a lot of money – if he chooses to spend it."
