Scott Parker refusing to write Fulham off despite Chelsea loss deepening the drop gloom

BY KAI BENNETT

Scott Parker is adamant Fulham can still stay up despite losing 2-0 against Chelsea on Saturday. The result leaves the Whites 18th – nine points off safety with four games remaining.

Parker told Fulham’s club website: “We didn’t get a positive result, but we had desire, a good attitude and we performed well.

“We came here against a side, who played against Real Madrid in midweek, that’s what this team is capable of.

“I’m nothing but proud of my team. We came to Stamford Bridge and put our stamp on it. The last few weeks I’ve been disappointed with the way we’ve played, at times I felt we didn’t look a real threat but today we had every bit of that.

“It was a poor first goal [to concede] a long ball, 50-60 yards that did us with no real pressure. I decided to go at them today and put pressure on them. I didn’t want to come here, sit back and have a long afternoon suffering. But yes it’s fair to say the first goal was a poor one.

“In saying that, we did have good chances, one in the first half I remember their keeper pulled off a very good save. My team were on the front foot, they were aggressive, showed quality but just fell short.

“I didn’t want to change too much too quickly. The goals came at a really bad time for us, especially the second. I always felt we were in the game, we had energy, we had a real bravery about us in the way we played and as always people sitting from afar looking in, it’s very easy to look at it and think they could do this, they could do that.

“We need four wins, it can be done. Perform like that against a team who are a very good side. If we perform like we did today, I believe [we can stay up] we have to win four games, so can we go and win four games, we’ll soon find out.

“What I do know is, if we can keep the level of the performance like today, we have a chance of beating Burnley, we have a chance of beating Southampton, we have a chance of beating Man Utd and then Newcastle. That’s the task ahead, it’s a difficult one, of course it is, but it’s one if we go the right way about it, we can do it.

“This is the challenge of the Premier League for a team like us and I understand the numbers and I understand the way everyone may see it but anyone watching that game will see a team that was dynamic and will see a team that was trying to win the game.

“We need to try and control the game with the ball and we also need to understand it’s not just a possession game and we had that balance today.

“While everyone will be laughing at their screens listening to me talk and think that I’m in cuckoo land. Maybe I am, but until that curtain comes down, let’s see up until that point.”