RELEGATION WOULD BE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - HODGSON
Roy Hodgson admits that if Fulham don’t escape the Premier League drop it will rank alongside losing the Uefa Cup Final on penalties in terms of disappointment – in a 32-year coaching career.
The Fulham manager took the reins of the west London club in late December, when the team were in eighteenth in the table having won only two games under Lawrie Sanchez.
He remains confident that his team can beat the drop despite being five points adrift of safety with only three games remaining – the first of which is at Manchester City’s Eastlands tomorrow afternoon.
The 60-year-old, who took Inter Milan to the Uefa Cup Final in 1997 only to lose 4-1 on penalties after extra time, said: “It would be a major disappointment if Fulham were relegated and I don't know if it will be the worst in a 32-year career.
“Losing the UEFA Cup final on penalties is going to take a little bit of beating. But I didn't come here to see the team go down, so it would be a major blow to me.
“I've had a short, intensive spell of four months here, but I don't think the team has done that badly.”
Though Hodgson has contemplated relegation, he is hoping that the fight in his players and some good fortune will steer them from danger.
He continued: “We've had bad luck at times but I think the club has great potential and if we survive in the Premier League we'll definitely be stronger next season.
“There's no simple answer to why the club is in the position it is. Sometimes things degenerate over a period of time and it's not easy to turn the tide around when it has turned against you.
“But I haven't concerned myself too much with the past – I've just put the blinkers on and tried to make us a better football team.
“The mood in training has been very good this week. The players have great belief and have been happy to work and get on with it.
“If the situation had been really getting them down then maybe we'd have tried some different to improve morale.”
And Hodgson stressed that star midfielder Jimmy Bullard, allegedly wanted by a number of Premier League clubs, is fully focused on Fulham’s cause.
“Jimmy is one of the more committed people in training,” the Fulham boss said. “At this time of year players will be linked to other clubs.
“But you don't have to worry about Jimmy getting his shirt sweaty and working his socks off to get results.
“If he does have other thoughts in his head then he's keeping them to himself and they're not affecting his performance.”
On tomorrow's game at eighth-place Manchester City, he added: “We will go out there and do our very best to get the three points that we need to keep us in the hunt to avoid relegation.
“I believe we can do it. If we get a bit of luck on our side in the last three games and we play well, why wouldn’t I believe we can escape relegation?”
Probable line-up: Keller; Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Davies, Bullard, Murphy, Dempsey; Healy, McBride
Roy Hodgson admits that if Fulham don’t escape the Premier League drop it will rank alongside losing the Uefa Cup Final on penalties in terms of disappointment – in a 32-year coaching career.
The Fulham manager took the reins of the west London club in late December, when the team were in eighteenth in the table having won only two games under Lawrie Sanchez.
He remains confident that his team can beat the drop despite being five points adrift of safety with only three games remaining – the first of which is at Manchester City’s Eastlands tomorrow afternoon.
The 60-year-old, who took Inter Milan to the Uefa Cup Final in 1997 only to lose 4-1 on penalties after extra time, said: “It would be a major disappointment if Fulham were relegated and I don't know if it will be the worst in a 32-year career.
“Losing the UEFA Cup final on penalties is going to take a little bit of beating. But I didn't come here to see the team go down, so it would be a major blow to me.
“I've had a short, intensive spell of four months here, but I don't think the team has done that badly.”
Though Hodgson has contemplated relegation, he is hoping that the fight in his players and some good fortune will steer them from danger.
He continued: “We've had bad luck at times but I think the club has great potential and if we survive in the Premier League we'll definitely be stronger next season.
“There's no simple answer to why the club is in the position it is. Sometimes things degenerate over a period of time and it's not easy to turn the tide around when it has turned against you.
“But I haven't concerned myself too much with the past – I've just put the blinkers on and tried to make us a better football team.
“The mood in training has been very good this week. The players have great belief and have been happy to work and get on with it.
“If the situation had been really getting them down then maybe we'd have tried some different to improve morale.”
And Hodgson stressed that star midfielder Jimmy Bullard, allegedly wanted by a number of Premier League clubs, is fully focused on Fulham’s cause.
“Jimmy is one of the more committed people in training,” the Fulham boss said. “At this time of year players will be linked to other clubs.
“But you don't have to worry about Jimmy getting his shirt sweaty and working his socks off to get results.
“If he does have other thoughts in his head then he's keeping them to himself and they're not affecting his performance.”
On tomorrow's game at eighth-place Manchester City, he added: “We will go out there and do our very best to get the three points that we need to keep us in the hunt to avoid relegation.
“I believe we can do it. If we get a bit of luck on our side in the last three games and we play well, why wouldn’t I believe we can escape relegation?”
Probable line-up: Keller; Stalteri, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Davies, Bullard, Murphy, Dempsey; Healy, McBride
Labels: Fulham, Jimmy Bullard, Premier League, Roy Hodgson
