Marco Silva under early pressure at Benfica after Fulham exit

Marco Silva is already facing significant pressure at Benfica just months after leaving Fulham, with concerns inside the dressing room adding to wider sporting and financial problems at the Portuguese club.

Football Place sources understand that the initial enthusiasm among Benfica players following Silva's appointment faded during the latter stages of pre-season, with some distrust developing around his methods and approach.

There is no suggestion Silva has lost the dressing room, but the situation adds another complication to a demanding start in Lisbon.

Silva left the stability he had established at Fulham for a club where challenging for major trophies is an expectation.

Benfica finished third last season with 80 points, eight behind champions Porto and two behind Sporting, leaving them outside the Champions League places.

Their struggles have also increased scrutiny on recruitment and finances. Despite Benfica's significant revenues and history of lucrative player sales, Portuguese reports have highlighted their reliance on transfers and European income to balance financial commitments.

That has affected Silva's ability to strengthen the squad.

The manager reportedly identified several attainable targets who Benfica were unable to secure, leaving him dissatisfied with aspects of the club's transfer business.

Silva approved the departure of young captain António Silva to Bournemouth for €30m (£25.9m), despite the defender's popularity among supporters.

At the same time, he has blocked a potential sale of Andreas Schjelderup, whom he considers important to his plans.

That illustrates the difficult balance facing Benfica. The club need player sales to strengthen their financial position, while Silva needs to retain his best talent and add reinforcements capable of closing the gap on Porto and Sporting.

There have also been questions surrounding Silva's relationship with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, alongside the wider concerns emerging from within the squad.

Benfica's opening league result has done little to reduce the pressure.

Silva's side were held to a 2-2 home draw by newly-promoted Académico de Viseu, immediately putting greater attention on his tactics and the team's preparations.

One August result cannot define his Benfica tenure, and it remains far too early to conclude that leaving Fulham was a mistake.

What is already clear, however, is that Silva has exchanged the authority and stability he built in England for a considerably less forgiving environment.

Silva now needs results to prevent early concerns surrounding his methods and Benfica's squad planning from developing into greater pressure.

The remaining transfer window will also be important, with the manager needing reinforcements while Benfica balance their sporting ambitions against financial commitments and potential player sales.