Rodak ‘has to be fully focused on this season’ – Silva

Fulham boss Marco Silva has urged goalkeeper Marek Rodak to remain fully focused on the rest of this season despite possible doubts over his position in the longer term. 

Sport.sk in Rodak’s native Slovakia quoted him as saying that he did not want to sit on the bench next season and hopes to continue as number one or would consider his future.

The last time Fulham were promoted to the Premier League, Rodak lost his starting place despite being first choice in the Championship during the Whites’ promotion-winning campaign.

But Silva called on Rodak to focus only on this season following a 1-0 home defeat by Nottingham Forest in which Fulham missed the opportunity to seal the Championship title.

“Marek has to be fully focused on this season, nothing more,” he said.

Forest’s win at Craven Cottage boosted their chances of pipping Bournemouth to second place and joining Fulham in the top flight.

Silva said: “They (Fulham’s players) wanted to win and get the job done last Saturday. They wanted to get the job done tonight.

“We didn’t perform at our best level at all. I don’t see reasons to be under pressure to be honest, I think it’s the best pressure you can have as a football player and as a manager – to play to get promotion and to play to get the title.

“To be champions of a competition is the best pressure you can have. If you can’t deal with this pressure then something is wrong. Of course we have to live, as a group, with this pressure and work on it.

“I will speak with the players again in the next training session because we have to learn from these type of moments because I don’t see reasons for us to be so unsure with the ball, rushing so many decisions.”