Fulham made a surprisingly good start on their return to the Premier League, drawing 2-2 with Liverpool. What did you make of their pre-season preparations and the start of the campaign proper?

In one respect, Fulham’s preparations did not go as they might have hoped after promotion, as Marco Silva wanted his squad to be in a better place and he wanted players in as early as possible.

That said, they went out to Portugal for about ten days, played well, had some good tests and then, on the first day of the season, looked very much ready for the challenge.

Silva said he was not sure if the squad were ready, but the team certainly looked it on the opening day; they gave a fantastic account of themselves.

There was an expectation that Fulham would play a similar style to the one they did last year and it seems they managed to do that on the first day and get a really confidence-boosting result, while also building the squad and adding some good quality players, too. Overall, it feels like the initial feeling of trepidation has disappeared and there is more optimism.

At the time of speaking, the Cottagers have made five major signings, including those of Bernd Leno from Arsenal and Joao Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon. What have you made of their business and do you think they will make any further additions?

I think the summer business has been slower than Silva and Fulham would have wanted, but the business they have done looks to be a step up in quality.

The standout signing has been Palhinha, actually. He has been brought in to play a holding midfield role and has been excellent. He looked good in the pre-season games, is a combative, aggressive midfielder and really stood out against Liverpool.

They will hope for good things from Leno, who is a German international, while Kevin Mbabu is another international and Andreas Pereira has played in the Champions League. They are clearly seeking a high calibre of player and I think the defensive additions will be the most important. Issa Diop looks to have cemented a centre-half position following his move from West Ham as they looked a bit more vulnerable there.

Fulham are building a good squad, but I think they could do with a few more incomings, particularly in wide areas and potentially in midfield as well. There is a strong base now and the business has been done earlier than it has been done in previous seasons, when they have struggled with late recruitment and slow starts.

You have undoubtedly spoken countless times about Aleksandar Mitrovic stepping up to the Premier League, but what does he need to be able to thrive in the top flight?

Mitrovic’s last two Premier League seasons with Fulham have been difficult, as well as the last full campaign he played a part in at Newcastle – they have all been relegation seasons.

With Fulham specifically, he still scored 11 goals in 2018/19, despite them changing manager twice and being part of a disjointed squad, and then he fell out of favour under Scott Parker; he did not make many starts and did not really suit the counter-attacking style that Parker deployed.

What he needs is the belief of his team-mates and his coach, and confidence, which he will have a bucketload of after scoring 43 goals last season. Having those elements mixed together and a team playing to his strengths will get the best out of him.

Right now, under Silva, it feels like they are doing that. He is in the prime of his career and Serbia’s all-time top goalscorer, so it is all there for him and now it is about delivering on the pitch. He had the perfect start against Liverpool and will want to build on that.

Which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

The obvious answer is Mitrovic, and trying to keep him quiet will be the main thing Brentford will have to do. But I think the one to watch is Palhinha. He is the type of player that can dominate midfield and make life difficult for opposition sides as they try to build attacks. His presence will definitely be felt. He has struck up a partnership with Harrison Reed in midfield and they seem to complement each other very well.

How is Marco Silva likely to set up his side?

So far, he has stuck with what he said he would do and that is to set up and play in the same way that Fulham did in the Championship last season. That produced a lot of goals and some fantastic results, but there were always questions as to whether they would get caught out or struggle in the Premier League doing the same.

The opening-day result against Liverpool will be a massive confidence boost. It showed that Fulham can take on some of the bigger teams, score against them and defend really well, too, which I suppose they were not really tested by last season.

Unless there is a major unexpected change, he will set up in a 4-3-3 in possession, looking to get the ball wide with a No.6, a box-to-box type player and a No.10 in Andreas Pereira, who will get close to Mitrovic. It is a very set style of play, a possession-based style; he will make tweaks from game to game, but the basic structure is there and that has not seemed to change.

Fulham have not won against Brentford on home soil since April 1990. What is your score prediction for this one?

I’m going to go for a 2-1 win for Fulham. Having that home support will be key throughout the season and, in a big game like this, against local rivals, it will lift the team again, as it did against Liverpool, so I can imagine them getting over the line.