Fulham will meet their
target of a finish in the top half of the premier league despite their disappointing
start to the season, Irish international defender Steve Finnan has said.
Fulham raced away with the first division title last season with an exciting
brand of passing football and expectations were high for their first season
in the top flight since the 1960s.
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Steve Finnan heads for the top
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But they have found premier league defences much harder to break down and
have won only two league games and claimed just two points away from home
so far this season.
Finnan, however, believes Fulham have matched every team they have met so
far, despite results like the 3-1 home defeat to Arsenal.
"I am sure we can still finish in the top half of the table. We have
been playing quite well -- we haven't been outplayed at all," said
the 25-year-old. "OK, Arsenal beat us but they are a very strong team,
but we have drawn too many games and not taken our chances.
"This is our first season in the premiership and we are still learning
and we have found out that if you give a team in this league one chance
then they'll take it."
Fulham ended a run of eight games without a league victory by beating strugglers
Southampton 2-1 at Craven Cottage last week and face a difficult trip across
London to face West Ham United on Saturday. West Ham have put together a
fine run of results since being thrashed 7-1 by Blackburn three weeks ago
with wins against Southampton, Chelsea and Ipswich Town.
Finnan believes their turnaround has been inspired by a desire to ease the
pressure on new manager Glenn Roeder after an indifferent start to the campaign.
"They are a quality team and those sort of results -- like the one
against Blackburn -- happen, but they are a one off. "They are frightened
for their manager and for themselves, but they have won three games on the
trot and they will be full of confidence now."
Finnan believes that the victory over Southampton could be the turning point
for Jean Tigana's side.
"We beat Southampton and a win changes a lot," he said. "The
manager is happy and the players are happy -- now we just need to concentrate
on making sure we get the right result at Upton Park."