Marco Silva has distanced himself from comparisons with Jean Tigana as he insists that Fulham are far from assured of top flight football next season.

The Portuguese head coach has enjoyed a dream return to English football since being appointed Scott Parker’s successor in the summer. The Whites are eleven points ahead of Bournemouth following Wednesday night’s win at Middlesbrough, but Silva is refusing to get carried away.

He told his pre-match press conference before Sunday’s home game against Coventry City that the fevered speculation about whether he could equal the achievements of legendary former Fulham boss Tigana, who also won promotion in his season in charge at Craven Cottage, was irrelevant. He warned his players that is not interested in hypotheticals.

“I don’t want to talk about if, if, if. I prefer to keep working hard and to win football matches. And when the moment comes and I hope it will come, we will do our best to achieve it [then] I can talk about the situation.

Of course we know that the last two times that Fulham got promoted was in the play-offs. From the first day we agreed about our aim, our goal. The teams that get relegated must be the contenders to get promoted.

And of course the other clubs around like Boro or the clubs that got relegated two seasons before they have to take this responsibility as well. From the first day we are talking that we want to get promoted, we will for it and to be champion as well. I can’t talk about what Tigana did in 2001 because we didn’t achieve it. But this is not the moment for me to talk about it.”