Sunday’s meeting with Newcastle United may not hold the gravitas that we hoped it might, but Marco Silva remains thoroughly motivated to end the season on a high.
One point from our previous three fixtures means European football will not be gracing SW6 next season, but victory against the Magpies could still bring with it a top-10 finish.
“It is very important,” Silva replied when asked about ending 2025/26 positively. “It’s always the reason why we work, it’s always the reason why we want to be there at the Cottage.
“We want to play in front of our fans, that is the reason always behind it, to win games and to make them proud.
“About the feelings or the mood, as you expected after the Bournemouth game that we lost, and the last game against Wolves where we drew the game, of course, the mood is being completely different.
“As an ambitious group of players and staff, myself always in front of them, the frustration is there, the disappointing moment was there from us, but we have to look for all the picture. I'm the first one to make them to understand all the picture as well.
“And about the last game, let's try to end on a high, let's try to end with a good performance, let's try to make our fans proud.
“Most of the times they should be proud of where the Club came from, and where we are right now, with this mix of feelings that we have after another positive season, and the mix of feelings that we have to not be playing European competitions next season.
“We are talking about probably the difference of two or three points, because with three more points right now, the next game is going to be a final for us at the Cottage, with all the emotions there.
“To talk about the difference of two or three points, it isn't fair to talk about a great, great season or a bad season. I don't go in that direction at all.
“Very positive again, where the Club came from until now, and I really prefer, definitely, to have this mix of feelings, and this frustration, or disappointment of not being in European competitions. It shows the ambition, shows we care where we came from.”
Victory over Newcastle on Sunday would guarantee we finish above them in the table, and would be necessary to give us any hope whatsoever of securing a top-half berth.
“We still have targets, and that was the way we started the week,” Silva explained. “Of course, we analysed the game against Wolves, we analysed the chance we lost, to make this game a final for us to be in the European places. But straightaway we move on for the next one, and we still have targets.
“Newcastle have the same points as us – they are above us because of the goal difference. First one is to try to finish above them. If we win the game, we are going to be above them.
“We don't control the other results, but it's a chance for us to finish in the top half of the table. It’s always a target for us, another motivation for us, and should be a motivation, because it's not something that the Club gets often. We did it in the first Premier League season, but it's not something that is usual and the Club gets often.
“Let's go to fight for it, and of course all the other things – another three points, many things are there, players to show pride, it’s the last game but we have to put our maximum there.
“If we can perform in the way most of the games we performed at home, even better, because the fans deserve it. Give something back to them.
“Many things still there, even if that cherry on the top of the cake about European competitions, they are not going to be there no more. Many things still there for us to fight for.”