It was a job well done for Marco Silva on Monday evening, as Fulham secured the Sky Bet Championship title.
Our Head Coach had made no bones about his intentions for the Whites this season, and the objective was achieved in the most emphatic fashion as Luton Town were dispatched 7-0 at home.
“It’s a great achievement for all of us, for this football club,” Silva said. “From the start of the season, of course our aim was to get promoted, but to be Champions as well. In our changing room, that was always our goal, so achieving it is fantastic.
“The most important thing for me, and I think we proved it again this evening, was the way we did it.
“A decisive match, for us and for our opponent as well, it was a like a final. Our players, when they went for the warm-up, they saw the trophy, and that showed that they were playing a final.
“The way we did it, the goals we scored, the number of goals we scored again, some of the goals were amazing as well. Finishing this way is fantastic and reflects our season so far, reflects our philosophy, and the fantastic season that we did so far.
“I have to congratulate all of them, our full squad, my staff, all the staff who work behind the scenes as well, they have been doing a fantastic job.
“And for our fans, that was the best atmosphere at the Cottage this season, definitely. Thank you to them, fantastic. They showed that they can create a noise and atmosphere in our stadium that can really help us.
“This evening they did it, and it’s a huge challenge next season to repeat that every single night, every single afternoon, every single matchday, that atmosphere in our stadium. We need them at this [Premier League] level.
“Of course they need us at a high level to enjoy and to achieve good results. But I am 100 per cent sure, with them at this level, they will make us stronger when we’re playing at home.”
In what was a perfectly scripted 90 minutes, Aleksandar Mitrović also got the two goals he needed to eclipse Guy Whittingham’s second tier scoring record in the modern era.
“He's been brilliant,” Silva admitted of nis number nine. “Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
“The feeling at the Cottage tonight when he scored that second goal, we knew how important it was for him, and for us.
“He linked the game so, so well for us, but the last 15 minutes I told him to be as high as he can, to try to score his second goal, to break the record.
“It’s fantastic for him to break it, and I’m glad for him. Apart from the quality he has, and his amazing number of goals, he is a very good professional, a good guy, and he deserves the season that he’s doing so far.”
