Jol denies poor morale ahead of Palace trip
FULHAM manager Martin Jol has assured the club’s fans that there is no problem with team spirit in the Cottagers’ camp, ahead of tonight’s clash with fellow strugglers Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
The west Londoners won their last game at home to Stoke to ease pressure on under-fire boss Jol, yet the team still lies fourth from bottom in the Premier League. Newly-promoted Palace are second from bottom.
“We have got a great team spirit. We’ve got new players in [and] I’ve got all these players – 80 per cent of the players are my players and the other players are here for at least two years, so there’s no problem,” Jol said.
“The only problem we have is we had an indifferent result against Cardiff, but Cardiff beat Manchester City as well. So they’re all strong, these teams.”
Jol added that he expects tonight’s game to prove tough for Fulham, despite Palace having lost six of the opening seven league games of the season.
Palace boss Ian Holloway is hoping that his team of new signings can click sooner rather than later.
“To be honest I think the group will respond to that because they are so newly-formed – it is no excuse but it is the fact, and we have to learn through adversity to get stronger,” Holloway said.
“We have got 31 [games] left and have got to try and get some points and stay with the pack.”
Holloway added his support for Jol, who has faced criticism from Fulham’s supporters following a poor end to last season and slow start this time around.
“They have had a mixed bag of results recently, but Martin is a very shrewd cookie and they have got all sorts of players there.”