Fulham must look beyond Premier League survival as bright new era beckons for Slavisa Jokanoic's men

After a four-year exile Fulham are back in the Premier League. What comes next should hold no fear for them.

Under Slavisa Jokanovic the Cottagers have been perhaps the best footballing side in the division at their peak, which they hit so often during the stunning 23-game unbeaten run that took them from mid-table to the cusp of the playoffs.

Had it not been for the hangover from last season’s defeat to Reading in the play-off semi-finals, which dogged Jokanovic’s men for most of the autumn months, they probably would not have needed to go about their promotion push the hard way.

This victory at least gave Fulham fans a day out at Wembley , something they had been waiting 45 years for. Some might be happy to wait another half-a-lifetime to avoid the nerves that came with Villa’s second half assault.

Defeat was a doomsday scenario for Fulham. Had Villa beaten them to promotion the Cottagers would have found themselves carrion for Premier League vultures.

Tom Cairney, courted by West Ham and Newcastle, had acknowledged as much in two separate interviews with Standard Sport during the season. Before the trip to Birmingham on the final day of the regular season, when Fulham blew their chance at automatic promotion, the captain said: “It is now or never because we’ve got some good players and a few teams might be after them in the summer.

“To keep this team together, we need to do it [get promoted] now. I just think we are attracting a lot of attention and so are our players.”

That much has been achieved, and it is highly likely that the core of this team will take the field in the Premier League in August. Ryan Fredericks will need to put pen to paper on an extension and the Cottagers will need to hold firm in the face of what could be silly money from European suitors for Ryan Sessegnon. But the club have always been confident that if they go up they will take this squad with them.

Similarly it seems likely that key loanees Matt Targett and Aleksandar Mitrovic, unwanted by Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez and available at £20million despite his exploits since January, will be retained.

The question then becomes how these players cope with the Premier League. For proof that Jokanovic’s men ought to have no difficulty with the step up to the top flight you need look no further than Cairney’s brilliant opener.

Fulham patiently moved the Villa defence to where they wanted them before the ball was flashed forward swiftly into Sessegnon’s feet. The moment the 18-year-old turned Cairney made his move, slipping behind Alan Hutton to collect a perfectly-placed through ball.

A composed finish from the Cottagers’ skipper put the finishing touch on a superb goal, but the sort of strike Fulham have scored on numerous occasions throughout the second half of this season. This was no moment of inspiration - just a side playing at their level.

That Hutton and John Terry, both of whom have more Premier League games to their name that the entirety of this Fulham team combined, should offer an indication as to the quality that cut through the Villa backline. It was the sort of move that would be too much for many a top flight side.

There is certainly room for improvement in this Fulham side. Jokanovic never quite found the third man to play alongside Sessegnon and Mitrovic: Aboubakar Kamara adds an element of chaos and his lung-busting run with 20 minutes to go nearly won a penalty but Fredericks came under a torrent of pressure without a right winger ahead of him who would offer him any protection.

Denis Odoi’s red card could have earned himself an infamous place in Fulham history had Villa taken their chances and it was not the first time in recent weeks that the 29-year-old, who in mitigation was pressed into an unfamiliar centre-back role midway through the campaign, has looked the player most likely to cost his side.

With at least £160million filling their coffers next season there should be. There is no need for an overhaul to make this side Premier League-worthy.

If Fulham want to look for a marker as to what they can achieve in the top flight they would do worse than to note what was achieved by Swansea on their arrival in the Premier League, or indeed what Bournemouth’s proactive brand of football has brought them in recent years.

Those sides firmly debunked the idea that keeping it tight at the back is the best way to survive after promotion and you cannot imagine a manager like Jokanovic abandoning his principles, not with a cadre of exceptional talent at his disposal.

They may not have got to display all that against Villa, who were admirable in defeat and have a Premier League talent of their own in Jack Grealish, but Saturday was about getting the job done. That they did, and they can look forward to a bright new era knowing they could make a real impression on English football in the coming months.