Chris Coleman has urged the Fulham hierarchy to give him the tools to take the club to the next level.
The Welsh boss, who has surpassed all expectations since stepping into the breach to rescue Fulham from the threat of Premier League relegation when Jean Tigana’s tenure in west London three years ago, believes the Whites need further investment to kick off after making sure of their top flight status with a narrow win over Wigan Athletic on Monday night.
Coleman hopes to conclude a deal to keep Wayne Bridge, who has been so impressive on loan from Chelsea, at Craven Cottage on a permanent basis.
“Wayne has been feeling his hamstring recently and he also took a knock on his ankle against Wigan. Maybe he hasn’t been playing that well, but it’s just a case of him getting back into the flow. He’s been playing through a bit of pain and it takes a while to get going again. He’s fitted in really well in our dressing-room and I’d love to get him for next season. But, I suppose, that’s a decision that will have to be made by Chelsea.”
Coleman feels that Bridge should be selected by Sven-Goran Eriksson for England’s squad for the forthcoming World Cup finals after his fine recent form.
“Wayne has the quality to get into the squad and he’s desperate to do that. I’m sure Sven knows that, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
The Fulham manager is determined to keep hold onto his key players, including wingers Luis Boa Morte and Steed Malbranque.
“I don’t want to sell Luis. I want to build the team around him. I really want to get Steed on a longer deal. hat’s something we’ll be talking about with him and his advisers as quickly as possible. We are not far short of being a decent side, but we have to have more strength in depth.”
