Aaron Hughes has credited head coach Rene Meulensteen’s positive approach with transforming Fulham’s fortunes since he took over from Martin Jol at the beginning of the month.
A timely win over Norwich City on Boxing Day has left the Whites within touching distance of Premier League safety, although Fulham’s impressive performances over the last four weeks have certainly merited more than just the two wins the side have mustered. Hughes feels that the belief has always been there, but that Meulensteen’s positivity has helped deliver greater consistency from the players.
The confidence has been as good as it has been all season. Although the results haven’t been there we have been doing good stuff and taking the things we have been doing in training in to the games and, but for a little bit of luck, we might have got more.
He [Meulensteen] is a very positive character, if you make a mistake he will tell you but if you do something good he will make sure you know about it as well. He has been positive with the lads since he came in and has looked to play in a positive way and the lads have bought in to that and tried to do what we have been doing on the training pitch. He has really impressed that upon us so to get the result was fantastic for us.
The 34 year-old believes Fulham have turned the corner at just the right time and hopes a strong second half of the season can help lift the club away from a relegation dogfight.
We knew we were going in the right direction. It was important we were building on each game, which we have been doing, and at Norwich we finally got a reward. Hopefully we can take this now and keep moving on up the table.
We are very aware of the situation we are in and we don’t expect to get out of it in the next two weeks, it is a gradual thing. I think over the past few weeks our play has been positive, we have been playing well, so today to get the results is pleasing. We will try and keep looking up rather than behind us, it is important to keep the momentum, we won’t get carried away.
We will go [to Hull City] and try and play our football and make sure we don’t lose. You can’t go somewhere and expect to win no matter how well you play but a similar performance like on Boxing Day and I’m confident we will get something.
