Fulham Manager Martin Jol was quick to praise the impact of new signing Pavel Pogrebynak as the Russian striker scored on an impressive winning debut.
In fact, it was a positive showing all round as the Whites swept Stoke aside as a result of a stunning first-half performance. The visitors hit back in the second-half, but Fulham’s defence held on to help record a valuable three points.
“Pavel was fit, he had worked hard in training and was ready to go,” said Jol in his post match press conference. “As you know, we don’t have too many number nines at the Club and he was keen to start.
“That was a positive thing and it meant Clint could play in his usual position. He did well, you always have to wait and see how a new player will do when coming from abroad, but it was a good start for him. He managed to score too, so that will be a big boost.
“English football is different from what he is used to and today he saw two sides of the game here. At times he got clattered, but following some lovely football he scored a good goal. I think in the first 10 minutes he realised just how different the Premier League is.
“He wants to play for us and that’s what we want. He’s come in until the end of the season, so we’ll wait and see what happens. In many ways it was a brave move for him, so today, was good for us all.”
The win lifted Fulham to 12th and above opponents Stoke in the Barclays Premier League table, and with Jol’s side just three points behind 10th-placed Everton, a top 10 finish is certainly achievable.
“We must be happy with our position in the League,” added Jol. “In the first-half today we played with real style. We scored two very good goals as a result and we can take many positives. The second-half was a little different, but we coped well.
“This was a good win.”