Can really set the tone with a win here. In a strange way I'd prefer a scrappy, hard-fought 1-0 than ant other type of win, just to see the fight and desire from the players.
I think Silva's doing fine, the problem is the players aren't doing it. They aren't mere puppets, they get told but they have to do it on the pitch. Remember SA telling the media 'I don't kick the ball' when the performances were bad...there IS something about the group dynamic which is off...maybe they as a group feel like they're God's gift and don't have to work all that hard. Have a think about how hard the City players worked as well as their talent.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. A new manager won't solve that any quicker than Silva; things will improve if Gbamin returns with Gomes, a 433 begins, a CB and a Cm arrive in Jan. But don't hold your breath before then