NEVLAND: NO FINANCIAL INCENTIVE FOR FULHAM
Fulham chairman Mohammed Al-Fayed will not be rewarding Erik Nevland and his teammates with Harrods hampers, or anything else, should they complete their Houdini act and escape relegation by defeating Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon.
The 79-year-old Egyptian owner, who bought the club from Jimmy Hill eleven years ago when they were competing in the then Third Division, will only be offering words of encouragement.
And striker Nevland, who entered last Saturday’s crucial game with fellow strugglers Birmingham with 23 minutes remaining and scored to secure three priceless points, believes that Al-Fayed’s presence is incentive enough.
“No, there will be no rewards,” the 30-year-old Norwegian smiled. “He has been an inspiration because he has been down a few times to talk to the players at the training ground and also before the games – as he did when we played Birmingham.
“He said that he wanted to stay in the league and he wanted us to win the game. It’s an inspiration to see his commitment to the club and it gives us a bit more of an incentive.”
The 2-0 victory against Birmingham gave Fulham their third win in four games and lifted them out of the bottom three for the first time since Boxing Day.
And Sunday’s Fratton Park clash with FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will be the most important in Nevland’s life.
He continued: “It has to be the biggest game of my career because of the consequences.
“I have played in the cup final in Norway and have vast experience but this is as big as they come.
“I have been in a relegation fight before, in Norway with Viking Stavanger, but then we pulled it off before the last game, and we could play with no pressure. Now it is down to the last game, the last minute, the last second – it is going to be really exciting.”
Manager Roy Hodgson, who took the reins from sacked Lawrie Sanchez in January, agrees that survival should be inspiration enough.
He said: “The victory in this game could be so sweet and could give us such rewards, that any financial rewards would be superfluous.
“Our job is to play football and win football matches. The chairman pays us well to do that. All of us want to ply are trade in the Premier League rather than the Championship – that is the biggest incentive we can get.”
Nevland, who was brought to the club by 60-year-old Hodgson, is quick to praise his manager, a “calm and quiet influence”. He added: “He has been in the game a long time and knows what is necessary.
“He says that we have a quality group of players and always had the belief that we can go on and do miracles like we have done in the last few weeks. The whole of the club have kept the faith.
“There is still a lot of work to do to fulfill the escape. But a few months ago, a few weeks ago it looked really bad. Despite that we never lost faith and we always thought that it would be possible.
“That is showing now – it is the last game and we are out of the bottom three. Who would have thought that a few weeks ago?
“I would much rather be in our position than Birmingham’s or Reading’s because we have it in your own hands. But it is going to be nerve-wracking.”
Fulham chairman Mohammed Al-Fayed will not be rewarding Erik Nevland and his teammates with Harrods hampers, or anything else, should they complete their Houdini act and escape relegation by defeating Portsmouth on Sunday afternoon.
The 79-year-old Egyptian owner, who bought the club from Jimmy Hill eleven years ago when they were competing in the then Third Division, will only be offering words of encouragement.
And striker Nevland, who entered last Saturday’s crucial game with fellow strugglers Birmingham with 23 minutes remaining and scored to secure three priceless points, believes that Al-Fayed’s presence is incentive enough.
“No, there will be no rewards,” the 30-year-old Norwegian smiled. “He has been an inspiration because he has been down a few times to talk to the players at the training ground and also before the games – as he did when we played Birmingham.
“He said that he wanted to stay in the league and he wanted us to win the game. It’s an inspiration to see his commitment to the club and it gives us a bit more of an incentive.”
The 2-0 victory against Birmingham gave Fulham their third win in four games and lifted them out of the bottom three for the first time since Boxing Day.
And Sunday’s Fratton Park clash with FA Cup finalists Portsmouth will be the most important in Nevland’s life.
He continued: “It has to be the biggest game of my career because of the consequences.
“I have played in the cup final in Norway and have vast experience but this is as big as they come.
“I have been in a relegation fight before, in Norway with Viking Stavanger, but then we pulled it off before the last game, and we could play with no pressure. Now it is down to the last game, the last minute, the last second – it is going to be really exciting.”
Manager Roy Hodgson, who took the reins from sacked Lawrie Sanchez in January, agrees that survival should be inspiration enough.
He said: “The victory in this game could be so sweet and could give us such rewards, that any financial rewards would be superfluous.
“Our job is to play football and win football matches. The chairman pays us well to do that. All of us want to ply are trade in the Premier League rather than the Championship – that is the biggest incentive we can get.”
Nevland, who was brought to the club by 60-year-old Hodgson, is quick to praise his manager, a “calm and quiet influence”. He added: “He has been in the game a long time and knows what is necessary.
“He says that we have a quality group of players and always had the belief that we can go on and do miracles like we have done in the last few weeks. The whole of the club have kept the faith.
“There is still a lot of work to do to fulfill the escape. But a few months ago, a few weeks ago it looked really bad. Despite that we never lost faith and we always thought that it would be possible.
“That is showing now – it is the last game and we are out of the bottom three. Who would have thought that a few weeks ago?
“I would much rather be in our position than Birmingham’s or Reading’s because we have it in your own hands. But it is going to be nerve-wracking.”
Labels: Erik Nevland, Fulham, Portsmouth, Premier League, Roy Hodgson
