Three games without a win. Eight left to play. Four points off a European place. Calvin Bassey says none of that has shaken what Fulham believe they can still do this season.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has pushed back on any notion that Fulham are wobbling at a critical point in their season, insisting that the competitive edge in the squad remains firmly intact despite a difficult run of results. Speaking to Premier League Productions ahead of Saturday’s home fixture against Burnley, the Nigerian international was measured but clear: the dressing room believes this can still be a historic season at Craven Cottage.
Fulham have not won in three league matches, a stretch that has allowed rivals to close the gap and apply pressure from below on the European places above. But Marco Silva‘s side are still very much in the race. With eight games remaining and 24 points still available, they sit just four points behind seventh place — and a Europa League or Conference League berth is absolutely within reach.
Bassey Points to Silva as the Driving Force
“The edge hasn’t been lost. I feel like the Manager would never let us lose it,” Bassey said. He went further, describing Silva’s intensity as the constant that keeps the group focused even when results have not gone their way. “When you see him, when he speaks, he’s so passionate every single time, every single session… he’s on us. And I think that helps us to stay motivated, as well as motivating ourselves.”
It is the kind of statement that is easy to dismiss as routine post-match diplomacy, but the context gives it weight. Fulham have had this feeling before. In each of the previous two seasons under Silva, they were in and around European contention only to drop off in the final stretch. Bassey knows that. The squad knows that. Which is precisely why the defender’s message now carries an edge of urgency beneath the composure. Super Eagles fans backing Bassey and Fulham to go all the way can take advantage of the Bet9ja welcome bonus before today’s kick-off.
The History That Haunts Them
“If you look at the last two/three seasons, we’ve been in and around it, and then the last four/five games it’s sort of got away from us,” Bassey acknowledged. That is a candid admission from a player who clearly understands the scale of what Fulham have repeatedly left on the table. The difference this time, he argues, is awareness. They know the pattern. They know where it went wrong before. And with eight games still to play rather than four, they have more runway to correct course.
“We’ve got eight games left and I feel like we can really push and achieve it,” he said. “We’re four points behind seventh, so it’s all very close, that’s why each game matters, and each point matters.” Nigerian fans who want to stake on Fulham’s European push can get started with claim the YOHAIG code for a boosted opening offer.
What Europe Would Mean for Bassey
For Bassey personally, European football with Fulham would represent the fulfilment of a project that began when he joined from Rangers in 2022. He has grown steadily at Craven Cottage, becoming one of the most reliable left-sided defenders in the Premier League and cementing his status as a first-choice Super Eagles starter in the process. A Europa League campaign next season would also keep him in the shop window ahead of a summer transfer window that is likely to attract renewed interest from bigger clubs.
Fulham’s home game against Burnley this afternoon is exactly the kind of fixture they cannot afford to drop if Europe is the target. Burnley are fighting their own battle at the wrong end of the table, which makes them dangerous but also gives Fulham the quality advantage on paper. A win would close the gap and send a signal to the chasing pack that the wobble is over.
The atmosphere at Craven Cottage should help. Bassey described the mood in the changing room as one of “excitement” rather than anxiety, a sign that the group has not allowed the poor run to fester into doubt. Fans wanting to back them to deliver this afternoon can find all the details on the Bet9ja bonus code page before the teams are announced.
📌 Did You Know?
- Calvin Bassey was born in Italy to Nigerian parents and holds dual Italian-Nigerian nationality, though he chose to represent the Super Eagles — a decision that proved pivotal when Nigeria called him up ahead of AFCON 2023.
- Bassey won the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers in 2021 before moving to Ajax and then Fulham, making him one of the few Nigerian players to have won a domestic league title in Scotland.
- Fulham’s record Premier League finish remains 7th place, achieved in the 2008/09 season under Roy Hodgson. That was also the only time the club qualified for European football from a Premier League campaign.
- Marco Silva has managed Fulham since 2021, making him one of the longest-serving managers in the Premier League during that period — a remarkable run of stability for a club that had previously cycled through managers at a rapid rate.
- Bassey’s transfer from Ajax to Fulham in 2023 cost the London club a reported £20 million, making him one of the most expensive Nigerian defenders ever purchased by an English top-flight club.
- Fulham have never played in the UEFA Europa Conference League, which was introduced in 2021. A top-seven finish this season would give them the chance to be one of the first Londoners to compete in the competition’s expanded format.
- Burnley, Fulham’s opponents today, were promoted from the Championship and are currently in a relegation battle, having survived in the Premier League last season on goal difference on the final day.
