Fulham Manager Chris Coleman was so infuriated by the Cottagers' capitulation against Blackburn last Saturday he avoided his players in the following days - for fear of losing his temper.

Rovers propped up the Barclays Premiership table when they travelled to London last weekend but left the capital with three points under their belt thanks to a 2-0 victory over a shambolic Fulham.

Coleman gave his players the hairdryer treatment in the dressing room following one of the worst displays of his reign and also laid into them with a few choice words at the post-match press conference.

It represented one of the darkest moments for the Welshman since he replaced Jean Tigana in April 2003 and he revealed he had to shun the team as they prepared to meet Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night.

"I had to get myself away from everybody during the gap between the Blackburn and Chelsea matches," said Coleman, the Premiership's youngest manager.

"I was an angry man and was up for a bit of confrontation but that wasn't the time to do it.

"We needed to get the players relaxed a little bit and think about what they had to do against Chelsea.

"They didn't need me walking around growling at people but that was the kind of mood I was in so I tried to separate myself from the players.

"It was hard to unwind but I tried to relax by walking the dog. If you're too angry you can't get your point across."

Fulham were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea but their battling display against Jose Mourinho's superstar line-up - which included plenty of invention and flair - earned them redemption in Coleman's eyes.

"I was delighted with the response against Chelsea. It made me feel a lot happier. We lost and nobody likes to lose but it felt we were winners when we left the pitch - we'd just played the best team in the league and pushed them all the way," he said.

"We asked the players to show enthusiasm and commitment and they did. We also played some really good football and created some great chances. I was delighted by the all-round response.

"But you can't just ignore the performance against Blackburn, which was so poor, and then raise it 50 per cent against Chelsea - you need to show more consistency than that. I've been saying that all season and I don't think it's too much to ask.

"The problem with this club is every time we play a big team we're up for it but when we play against sides who are like us we drop 25 per cent in performance. It's not the first time it's happened."

Coleman will be praying it does not happen on Saturday when Fulham, bolstered by the return of defender Zat Knight from suspension, travel to Carrow Road to meet fellow Premiership strugglers Norwich.

The Canaries are draw specialists - nine of their 15 matches have ended all-square - but should they manage to register a rare triumph, they will leapfrog Fulham in the table and plunge the Cottagers further into the relegation mire.

Coleman said: "We're in for a tough match against Norwich and we know we can't produce another performance like we did against Blackburn - it must not happen and it's as simple as that.

"Norwich haven't won many games but they don't lose a lot either so will be hard to beat. They will be thinking they can take three points from us but we believe the same thing."

Norwich Boss Nigel Worthington has set a target of 19 points by the end of the festive period.

The Canaries sit second bottom with 12 points so far but only six points separate the eight sides above them and victory against Fulham, currently in 15th, at Carrow Road on Saturday could put some distance between last season's First Division champions and the relegation zone.

Norwich finally chalked up their first win in the Premiership at the 14th attempt when beating fellow strugglers Southampton a fortnight ago, a success which was followed up with a hard-earned point at Birmingham.

Should Worthington's team pick up another victory on Saturday, and other sides above them slip up, their position could be looking much more healthy going into what is traditionally a crunch phase of the season.

The Norwich boss, though, maintains his men will be completely focused on the job at hand come 3pm on Saturday and not worrying about what may, or may not, be happening elsewhere.

"I think the biggest thing we can do is forget about what other teams are doing, whether it is good or bad, and just concentrate on what we want to do, what we need to do and try to do it - and if it takes us above teams then that's great," said Worthington.

"We shouldn't get too carried away about if we get a point here, three points there - just focus on winning games of football and hopefully through that approach, mentality, we will get the points we deserve."

Worthington, however, accepts the Canaries need to start getting more points on the board quicker than they have during the first part of the campaign if they are to extend their stay among the elite clubs of English football for more than just one season.

"It would be helpful if we could get to 19-20 points around the Christmas mark and then you are looking at 18-20 points for the second half of the season," reflected the Norwich manager.

"That is the ideal scenario, that's the goal we are aiming for and have to look for.

"Anything beyond that will be of great help, so we have a target."

Fulham's defeat to Blackburn last Saturday lifted Rovers off the bottom and dragged the Cottagers into what boss Chris Coleman declared a "relegation dogfight" .

The Welshman also declared their midweek Carling Cup clash with illustrious neighbours Chelsea would play second fiddle to the main event at Carrow Road.

It was, though, a spirited showing from Coleman's men in the 2-1 defeat to the Premiership leaders - and one which lifted hopes of an improvement in their league form, that has returned six defeats from eight games.

"I watched the game, it was a very good performance, more of the performance you expect from the good players they have got," reflected Worthington. "So we have got to be on our guard and be ready ourselves.

"Confidence is involved and if we can keep the run going that will be very helpful."

Worthington will have to re-think his central midfield combination, with both Damien Francis and Gary Holt now sidelined

Whoever Worthington picks, though, he will be expecting his side to come out firing all cylinders.

He added: "We have to be positive from minute one, be on the front foot and be raring to go, simple as that."