By Fulham FC

We’ve had over a week for relegation to sink in now, but in reality we’ve had longer than that haven’t we. I’m sure everyone at the top is working really hard to ensure we’re in a good position come the start of next season. Judging by the Owner’s statement that he put out after the Watford game, I think that’s definitely the case, that everyone is pulling together to get us ready for what we know is going to be a difficult challenge of getting us back to where, I feel, we belong.

Back in 2014, we took a bit of time getting used to the Championship after being in the Premier League for so long, so we will have learnt our lessons from that. With the Championship, it’s all about attitude. Undoubtedly we’ve got a good enough squad to make a push for promotion. The players who start the first game next season cannot have the attitude that they’re too good for that division. Stoke have made that mistake – they’ve probably got some of the biggest names in the Championship but have had a pretty poor season.

When we went down last time we lost the spine of our team. Good Fulham characters like David Stockdale, Brede Hangeland and Steve Sidwell all left, and they would have been great to have in the Championship. This time around we’ve got, to the best of my knowledge, almost all the lads tied down on lengthy contracts. That was good work by the Club last year, rewarding the likes of Marcus Bettinelli, Tom Cairney, Kevin McDonald and Tim Ream for getting us promoted. Who we keep and who we let go will be vital. A lot of the boys in the group have experience of the Championship and proved they’re up for it, up to the task of getting us out of the league. Now it’s about making sure we have others in the group who can match that.

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We host Everton on Saturday, and while they haven’t had the most consistent of seasons, they’re on a good run now and are firmly in the race to be best of the rest, that seventh spot. They’re one of my favourite teams in the Premier League, they always look after me really well when I go up there. One of their old players reports on local radio for them, an ex-Fulham boy called Ronny Goodlass, so I’d imagine he’ll be there on Saturday. It’s a good club, Everton, and I think it genuinely deserves its title of ‘The People’s Club.’

Hopefully the boys will go out there and play without pressure, not let their heads drop if a goal goes in. Against Watford, while we were in the game everyone was fine, but then it all caved in when we conceded again. There are still points up for grabs, and although they aren’t as important to us as they were, there’s respect to play for, too. The fans will want to see out the season with the feeling that the players are giving their all for the football club, so there’s still a lot of professional pride at stake. I’ve been in that position myself, playing when you’re already relegated, and you’ve still got to put in a performance you can be proud of. Scott Parker will ensure that happens. What’s good about Scott is that he’s a Fulham man, and regardless of whether he gets the job or not, you know that he is doing everything with the Club at heart.

The fact that the Everton game sold out at the start of the week is a credit to the fans. That’s brilliant support. I thought against Watford they top drawer as well, and you could see after the game that the players appreciated that. At the end of the day, they love their football club. Fulham is one of the best supported clubs in the land, no doubt about it, because the fans have gone through more than most. A lot of teams have hovered in and around the top flight for decades, but there’s a lot of hardcore Fulham fans who – believe you me – have experienced much worse times than being relegated out of the Premier League.