It took time, quite a bit, but as the headlines in England announced last night;
"Manor Solomon has reached the Premier League".
This determination came after a dream week for Fulham's Israeli winger in which he scored two goals, both after coming on as a substitute and both in the 88th minute.
The first was last week against Nottingham Forest and secured a 0:2 victory, and the second on Saturday, which settled a valuable and significant 0:1 against Brighton.
"He is improving all the time and he deserves these exiles" said his coach Marco Silva;
"This is a very important moment for him because the year 2022 was very difficult for him from all aspects and personally."
Solomon.
Conqueror against Nottingham, photo: Getty
Solomon defined 2022 in several interviews as "the hardest year of my life".
At the beginning he was still a player for Shakhtar Donetsk, but the war that broke out in the country froze Ukrainian football and forced him to look for a new destination during the season.
The move to Fulham was a big step forward, but it came to England after over six months without an official league game.
He made his debut in the opening round against Liverpool when he came on in the 66th minute and left a good impression, but the next day he took part in the reserve team's game against Chelsea and injured his knee.
The injury was worse than first thought.
Solomon missed about five months, a very long period in which the team won, played well and progressed up the table.
Such a situation is not easy for a new player, injured, and competing for playing minutes with some of the best players on the team, but Solomon continued to work hard as he knows how and the hard work paid off.
"I'm coming back to myself," he said at the end of the victory over Brighton;
"Self-confidence is improving, and of course I hope to start in the team soon, but I will be happy with everything I get from the coach."
Silva.
Will we soon see Solomon in the lineup?, Photo: Reuters
Zoom fitness training
The two goals that Solomon scored highlight his great qualities.
In the first, a stop with the outside of the right foot and a sharp finish to the near corner and in the second, a quick takeover of a deep ball and a finish with the left foot to the far corner.
However, no less impressive than the performance of the 23-year-old Israeli is his behavior throughout the difficult period that he went through.
Eder Rosenberg, Solomon's personal analyst, was interviewed last week on the "Sick of Football" podcast and said that while he was injured Manor continued to work continuously.
He performed fitness training on Zoom, watched his moves to draw conclusions and learned everything there is to know about his teammates with whom he barely had time to play.
"His ability on a technical level is extraordinary," said Rosenberg;
"But also his ability to work very hard around the clock. He invests a lot in the process, not many talented players know how to persist in this and persist for a long time."
Solomon.
Hard worker, photo: Reuters
Solomon, as testified by everyone who worked with him and by his side, perseveres and works constantly.
With the help of the people who surround him, he tries to maximize his abilities in the best possible way and always tries to improve.
Rosenberg said that one of the goals of the Israeli this season is to find a way to sneak behind his keeper, to receive long balls from the defensive players and to take advantage of his speed and technique in the area of the box and the goal.
It comes down to resolutions of distance from the keeper in meters and running speed in km/h. Everything is measured and calculated, nothing is accidental.
These actions, and other actions that Solomon has also been working on in recent weeks, he started performing in the cup games against Sunderland where the rust that came with the long injury stood out, but also the potential inherent in the legs of the Israeli winger.
"He is not yet at his peak physically but you can see his qualities" admitted his coach Silva;
"He is unable to overcome players one on one and we need this type of player."
Against Nottingham Forest, Solomon became Fulham's 12th scorer this season, a statistic that highlights the depth and quality in the squad.
His competition for playing minutes is not easy, but the last week he has upgraded his status in terms of the coach, the fans and the media.
Fulham are ranked sixth, they are fighting for a place in Europe for the first time in a decade, and it gives the impression that Solomon is going to be a significant screw in their journey there.
He has already proven that he has patience, willpower, work ethic and above all a lot of talent that can help her reach her goal.
Solomon conquers against Brighton, photo: AP
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