FULHAM 'TIGERS' TO PLAY EVERY GAME AS THOUGH A 'CUP FINAL'
Roy Hodgson has dismissed the notion that Fulham are too good to go down, and admits that his team must treat every game – starting with tomorrow’s match against West Ham United – like a cup final if they are to retain their Premier League status.
And he takes encouragement from Alan Curbishley’s achievements at Upton Park. The Hammers were second-bottom at this point last season - the position Hodgson finds his new team in now.
The 60-year-old, who has been at Craven Cottage for only a fortnight, said: “I think Fulham is an excellent club, but we have no God-given right to be in the Premier League – you have to play well enough to keep your place.
“Relegation can happen to us – it has happened to a number of quality, traditional clubs. We have got to be totally and utterly focus on working as hard as we possibly can on ensuring that it doesn’t happen.
“West Ham were in a similar position to ourselves last season and they found themselves in the relegation zone and for a long period of time they were concerned that they weren’t going to survive.
“They did, and since then they have pushed on and are now we know that if we are to get a good result we are going to have to be on the ball and at our best.”
The former Inter and Blackburn manager added: “Every game now needs to be seen as a cup final and the players need to prepare as though each game is a final. We need to be at our best and fighting like tigers in every game.”
Roy Hodgson has dismissed the notion that Fulham are too good to go down, and admits that his team must treat every game – starting with tomorrow’s match against West Ham United – like a cup final if they are to retain their Premier League status.
And he takes encouragement from Alan Curbishley’s achievements at Upton Park. The Hammers were second-bottom at this point last season - the position Hodgson finds his new team in now.
The 60-year-old, who has been at Craven Cottage for only a fortnight, said: “I think Fulham is an excellent club, but we have no God-given right to be in the Premier League – you have to play well enough to keep your place.
“Relegation can happen to us – it has happened to a number of quality, traditional clubs. We have got to be totally and utterly focus on working as hard as we possibly can on ensuring that it doesn’t happen.
“West Ham were in a similar position to ourselves last season and they found themselves in the relegation zone and for a long period of time they were concerned that they weren’t going to survive.
“They did, and since then they have pushed on and are now we know that if we are to get a good result we are going to have to be on the ball and at our best.”
The former Inter and Blackburn manager added: “Every game now needs to be seen as a cup final and the players need to prepare as though each game is a final. We need to be at our best and fighting like tigers in every game.”
Labels: Alan Cubishley, football, Fulham, Premier League, Roy Hodgson, West Ham United
