I've come here with courage and confidence, says new Hull City boss Marco Silva

The 39-year-old Portuguese was yesterday confirmed as the club’s new head coach following the dismissal of Mike Phelan.

Silva, highly-rated on the continent after winning trophies with Sporting Lisbon and Olympiakos, has signed a contract until the end of the season.

His first two games will be in the cups, tomorrow’s FA Cup third-round clash with Swansea City being followed by a trip to Manchester United for a League Cup semi-final first leg tie that will pit Silva against fellow countryman Jose Mourinho.

But it is the fight for league survival that prompted Hull to turn to the former full-back after slipping to the foot of the table earlier this week.

“It is a big challenge,” admitted Silva ahead of his official unveiling this lunchtime at Hull’s Cottingham training ground.

“It is a difficult challenge, but I have come here, first of all, with courage.

“If I don’t have courage then I am not here. I also come with confidence because I believe it is possible.

“I don’t come only for the Premier League, I have come to help Hull City remain in the Premier League because I believe it is possible.”

Silva met the Tigers players for the first time yesterday and outlined what he believes is the best way forward for a side that has won just three league games this season.

Along with assessing his new charges, the Tigers chief, who has been joined at the KCOM by his own backroom staff, is keen to strengthen the squad as soon as possible.

“We are already working hard with Marco and his team to deliver some key additions to our squad during this transfer window,” said vice chairman Ehab Allam.

Silva’s name may have been pretty much unknown in the East Riding when suggestions first emerged on Tuesday night that the Portuguese was on Hull’s radar.

But on the continent it is a very different story. He has already built up an enviable CV that includes success in Greece and Portugal.

Perhaps inevitably considering his nationality, Silva has been compared to Mourinho from the moment he began transforming the fortunes of minnows Estoril to earn a move to Sporting Lisbon.

The comparisons, though, are more to do with nationality than style of play and in Portugal he is regarded more like Andre-Villas Boas than Mourinho.

Where Mourinho’s own arrival in English football came with a pragmatic approach that bordered on ‘protect what we have’ once Chelsea had gone ahead in games, Silva is renowned for an expansive style of play with the intention to hit the opposition at pace and on the break.

His teams, invariably set up 4-3-3, press the opposition high up the field and the full-backs are under orders to get forward as much as possible.

Silva is also a big advocate of sports science and the Hull players can expect intensive training sessions to become the norm.

“Marco is a young coach who has impressed us with his philosophy and football style,” added vice chairman Allam.

“He has a great track record and we feel this is a bold and exciting appointment in our aim to retain the club’s Premier League status.”

Silva was 34 when he moved into coaching after a playing career that included just two top-flight appearances.

He was, initially, appointed director of football at Estoril, but was soon put in charge of the team. His work on the Portuguese Riviera – the club won promotion and then enjoyed a record high fourth-place finish under Silva – soon drew the attention of bigger clubs and a move to Sporting followed in 2014.

A first trophy for the Portuguese club in six years was claimed via a shoot-out win over Braga in the Portuguese Cup final.

Silva, however, was sacked days later to allow Brune de Carvalho, Sporting’s impulsive president, to lure Benfica’s Jorge Jesus across Lisbon. The reasons given for Silva’s dismissal included, bizarrely, a failure to wear a club suit on official duty.

Benfica tried to tempt Silva, as did Porto, but he, instead, opted for Olympiakos.

His one year at the helm brought the Greek Superleague title, plus a famous Champions League victory over Arsenal.

A move to England was mooted last summer, but Wolverhampton Wanderers, after earlier showing interest, opted to appoint Walter Zenga. Nottingham Forest also considered Silva, but his bow in English football will now come with Hull.

Tomorrow, though, could be a low-key affair. A boycott by fans at how the Tigers are being run means the crowd could beat the lowest at the KCOM – set when just 4,826 watched the 2011 League Cup defeat to Macclesfield Town.