After seeing Fulham lose to near neighbours, Chelsea, in the New Years Day derby, our new manager Roy Hodgson remained decidedly upbeat at the post match press conference.
Speaking to the assembled media, Roy had this to say about how the team performed against a Chelsea side that had been weakened considerably due to injuries and suspension.
“It`s pretty obvious that the balance of the team at the moment isn`t quite right. We have a lot of similar type players. We`re quite a small team and Chelsea are quite a strong aerobic team.”
“It`d be a bit harsh to say it`s down to fitness. It`s more to do with the balance of the team. Our first half performance was really quite good and even when we went 2-1 down there was no lack of fight, spirit or determination to stick to the game plan. They`re the positives, but a defeat is a defeat. We need points. I can`t be happy having lost the game.”
Moving on to discuss lingering accusations that Fulham and Hodgson himself had been a little hasty in the appointment of him as manager, Hodgson remarked,
“I didn`t come into the job naively and I don`t think I was appointed naively.”
“Ideally I`d have had a bit more time to think about what I have to do – but I was only offered the job when Lawrie Sanchez was dismissed.”
“You only have the time you have and I knew what was in front of me.”
However, he remains keen to get stuck into the task that lies ahead explaining,
“The work starts on Thursday and then we`ve got eight or nine days before we play West Ham to make the improvements we need to make.”
Let`s just hope that it doesn`t get any worse when Bristol Rovers visit the Cottage this Sunday in an FA Cup tie.
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