After leading Fulham to a comfortable three-nil win in the UEFA Europa League last week, Captain Danny Murphy spoke of the brand of football Fulham fans can expect to see at the Cottage next season following the recent appointment of Martin Jol as Manager.
“I know Martin from my time at Tottenham,” Murphy told fulhamfc.com. “I know his philosophies and he’s a football man who wants to play the right way, which is important at this Club with the type of players we’ve got.
“It was important that the person who came in [to Fulham] was a football man – somebody who wasn’t going to change the philosophies of the Club and the way we play. He certainly hasn’t done that and he likes attacking football.
“I think he’d like to get us scoring more goals but I think it’s that delicate balance between keeping us what we are, which is a nice solid well organised team, and adding that bit of flair to move us forward.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be careful not to change too much. Looking back over the last two or three years we’re not bad and I think he’s aware of that and he’s addressed the lads a few times and said that and he’s happy with the squad.
“Of course we need a few additions with the number of games we will be playing but he knows he’s got a good squad and wants us to carry on playing good football. There will be things he wants more of but it will be tweaks and not an overhaul.”
Murphy knows Jol well from his spell at White Hart Lane and when discussing his time at Spurs, Fulham’s captain spoke of the factors at play which impacted upon his form on the pitch.
“Me and Martin never fell out – far from it. There were a lot of different factors that I didn’t speak about at Tottenham. My Dad died when I was in my only full season at Tottenham and it wasn’t something I started talking about in the papers as I didn’t think it was relevant at the time.
“I was out of the scene for the best part of two months and obviously you lose some fitness and things didn’t quite go well. When I did get a chance there was quality around me. I can’t remember how many games I played in a run, probably eight or 10 in my best run, and I did okay but I didn’t play as well as I could have.
“Of course when you’re in the middle of it you’ll have a difference of opinion because you think you should be playing. You’ve got to remember there was a hell of a good squad at Tottenham at that time and international players and looking back it was a good learning curve for me because it gave me a kick up the backside to kick on and move on, do something different and become a better player.
“Whilst I was doing well at Fulham in my first year or two, Martin contacted me a couple of times to say ‘well done’. We had contact after I’d left Tottenham and we always got on. I knew that he’d want to play football and I knew he knew my qualities- after all he took me to Tottenham.
"He watches a lot of games and he knows what I’ve been doing and what I’ve achieved since I’ve been here so in that respect I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove. He knows my quality and I know the way he works.
“He’s been great since he got here. I’m still Captain and still playing and as long as I keep doing it on the pitch I’m sure that will remain the case.”