Fulham boss Silva wants to clinch title at the Cottage

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Fulham boss Marco Silva hopes second-placed Bournemouth will make his side wait until Monday’s game against Luton Town to win the Championship title.

Anything other than a win for the Cherries away at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday will mean that they cannot catch the league leaders.

But Silva, whose side could have won the league on Tuesday if not for Bournemouth’s comeback to draw 3-3 at Swansea and their own 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, hopes Scott Parker’s side will allow Fulham the opportunity to win the title in front of their own fans.


Should Bournemouth win, Fulham would also need to secure victory on Monday to mathematically win the Championship, though a point would be enough given their vastly superior goal difference.

“Definitely on Monday. Believe me, I would really prefer to do it on Monday after that Tuesday night we had against Preston and the way we did it, the way we won, the way everyone celebrated in the stadium,” Silva said.

“We would like to repeat it again because it was a special night and we want to have a special evening again next Monday definitely.

“This season has to finish with Fulham Football Club as champions because we deserve it.

“A good number of players have achieved promotion with this football club, some of them for the third time.

“It’s a completely different thing in my opinion (winning the title). It’s a club that does not have a lot of titles. It has a great history but not very many titles so of course if you can do it, and we have to do it, it will be an important statement for us as a group of players, staff and as a club as well.”

Silva currently has no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of Monday’s game against Luton Town, while full-back Antonee Robinson could return to the side having been left out of the squad in midweek.

“It was a technical decision. As you know on the squad list there are the four full-backs,” Silva explained.

“Normally with me just one full-back will be on the bench and because of the good performance from Kenny Tete, and of course I decided to start with Neco (Williams) again.

“It’s not because he’s (Robinson) not doing something well because he’s a starting 11 player in our squad definitely. He’s had a very good season and has been really important for us.

“I’m not happy with the last results at all. Our players are not happy as well and we have to show a reaction.”