Fulham boss Chris Coleman has shrugged off predictions tipping him to be among the first managers to face the sack this season.
Coleman’s position has been the source of frequent speculation since he took over at Craven Cottage in April 2003, despite guiding the club to their highest ever top flight finish.
Fulham finished ninth in 2004 while last term they concluded their Barclays Premiership campaign in 13th place after fighting a lengthy battle against relegation.
Some critics have suggested chairman Mohamed Al Fayed will not tolerate another dogfight at the wrong end of the table and pick Coleman as one of the favourites to face the axe. But the Welshman said: “It’s been the same for the last three seasons. In my first year I was going to get the sack and get relegated.
“The second year we were going to get relegated and this time I’m among the favourites to get the sack again, so it’s all good!
“It doesn’t bother me and I know it’s part of the job. If you’re hurt easily then don’t become a football manager.
“I don’t take any notice when I’m getting pats on the back because I know what’s around the corner.
“And when things go wrong I try not to get too down about it because you feel on top of the world next time you win.
“You have to keep it on an even keel – the players don’t want to see me ranting and raving.”
Fulham were frustratingly inconsistent last season and drew criticism for some lacklustre performances, prompting Coleman to demand greater determination this time around.
“Last season our effort wasn’t good enough. Many people say finishing 13th was a good season for us. But if we’d worked a little bit harder we could have done better,” he said
