Steve Sidwell believes Fulham can pull off another great escape and secure Premier League safety after a stunning victory at Aston Villa.
Substitute Hugo Rodallega headed a late winner at Villa Park that saw Fulham climb off the bottom of the table and up to eighteenth place, with struggling Norwich – who sit just above the relegation zone – the next visitors to Craven Cottage. Sidwell, the only Fulham player to start every league game this season, is targeting an improvement in Fulham’s poor home form as the key to survival with five games to go.
There is [light at the end of the tunnel]. We said before the Aston Villa game, if we can get a win there and get the ball rolling then we’ve got a great chance [of staying up].
The fixtures that we’ve got to come, especially the home games for us against Norwich, Hull and Crystal Palace, mean we’ve got a chance to get points.
Sidwell, speaking to Talksport, was quick to praise the impact of new manager Felix Magath, who replaced Rene Meulensteen in February, and made light of the German’s reportedly brutal training sessions.
To describe him, he’s hard but fair. When you come into work he wants everything done with 110% [effort], whether it’s stretching, passing the ball or going into a game and doing tactics. In that respect a few of the boys who have had him before over in Germany have said this is nothing compared to what he can do.
He’s come in and he’s been quite open-minded as it’s the Premier League and it’s new to him. He’s asked a few of the senior players like me, Scott Parker and Brede Hangeland what the boys need. He’s not just come in and gone, ‘it’s my way or the highway.
