Brede Hangeland underlined the importance of Sunday’s impressive victory over Blackpool in a win he believes will see Fulham finish the season in confident fashion.
The 29-year-old defender insisted that his interview with the Club’s official website would have read very differently too, had two goals from Bobby Zamora and one from Dickson Etuhu not seen off the travelling Seasiders.
“I think we all knew the importance of this game,” admitted Hangeland to fulhamfc.com. “That was something, we as a squad, talked about before kick-off and thankfully we did what we needed to do to secure what were a vital three points.
“Prior to the start, there was not much between us and Blackpool, and had they managed to come out on top, then let’s be honest, this conversation wouldn’t have been quite so positive. We needed to put a bit of ground between us and those in and around – fortunately that was the case.
“It was very tight and to be fair, it still is, but with two or three results elsewhere on the Saturday not going our way, the pressure was on a little bit. So of course, we were very pleased to come away from Craven Cottage with the three points.
“We all know how strong we can be at home and that was the fifth win from our last six games at the Cottage. We don’t have too many left to play now, but we want to keep that form going and see where that can take us.”
Hangeland also highlighted the impact of Bobby Zamora, who made his first start since early September, with the England striker netting his third in four appearances since his return from injury.
“The win itself was very pleasing, but so too was the contribution from Bobby,” added Hangeland. “It was his first start for a long while, but you wouldn’t have guessed – from the off he looked like he meant business.
“He’s scored a few since coming back into contention and that’s great news for everyone. Hopefully he can kick on and score a few more to finish the season strongly. He’s made the impact we all hoped he would and has shown exactly what we have missed while he has been on the sidelines.
“There’s no question that his goals and all-round play bring a lot to this team – he’s a fantastic player and it’s good to have him back.”
While those in front of Hangeland and his fellow defenders caught the eye with their movement off the ball and clinical conviction in front of goal, the back four also impressed with another clean sheet and resilient defensive display.
“The score line probably suggests the game was a bit easier than it actually was to be honest,” said Hangeland. “We did control the game and certainly deserved the win, but they [Blackpool] played some very good football at times.
“Very rarely do teams come to Craven Cottage and keep the ball like they did; they made life difficult at times. We knew that they liked to get forward at every opportunity and us defenders had to be alert to that.
“Chris Baird made an excellent intervention on the goal line, while there were three or four good blocks on the edge of the box. I think we did well to limit them and we defended well from front to back.
“There’s always room for improvement, but at the end of the day we are very happy to have kept a clean sheet. We have a decent goal difference now, especially in comparison to those teams that are around us. In many ways it is like having an extra point.
“So if the others can keep putting them away, we’ll do our best to keep them out and that’s something that could play its part at the end of the season.”