Fulham captain Scott Parker must feel like it has been Groundhog Day at Fulham this season.
He has been saying the Cottagers can beat anyone on their day over and over again for the last year – but still nothing seems to change.
If anything, the situation has got worse, with the Londoners now just two points from the drop zone going into today’s crunch home clash with fellow relegation battlers Bristol City.
Parker admits it is high time the team lived up to their billing, particularly with the likes of Rotherham suddenly rising from the ashes.
The Fulham skipper, 35, said: “Neil Warnock comes in at Rotherham and they’ve picked up with some results. Momentum is probably with them a little bit.
“The one thing we know is that we have quality. But I feel like I said the same thing every week for the last year or so that, on our day, we can beat anyone.
“Whether it’s programme notes or chatting amongst ourselves, you feel like you’re repeating yourself. Ultimately, sooner or later, we need to show that consistency and grind out the results.
“This is a massive game for us – a classic six-pointer.”
Parker was relegated from the Premier League with West Ham in 2011, despite winning the Football Writers’ Player of the Year award that season.
And while he insists he does not see any similarities between that doomed campaign and this, he wants to use that experience to lead the team out of trouble.
The former England star added: “We’re trying to search for what the problem is. We’ve been inconsistent, we’ve shown that for the last couple of seasons. You need a confidence and a real understanding.
“I’m sure the owner Shahid Khan would be the first to admit he didn’t realise how difficult English football is. It’s been tough for him. He’s invested a lot of money and is trying his hardest.
“You need a siege mentality, stick together and grind out results. I was in a similar position at West Ham and, unfortunately, that year it went against us and we went down.
“But I took some vital learning experiences from that. The one thing is you have to be brave and you have to try to put yourself out there and make things happen. You can’t hide and pass the buck.”
Parker is out of contract at the end of the season and is keen to enter management when he retires, having done Uefa badge courses for the last six years.
But while he is excited about the future after his playing career, he has no intention of hanging up his boots any time soon having overcome the injury problems that blighted the first half of his season.
The ex-Spurs midfielder added: “Over the last eight weeks I feel my performances are getting where they need to be.
“I’m enjoying it a lot more than I was at the start of the season.
“I feel I can still do a job. I want to play as long as I can. Even though my contract is coming to an end, we’ll see where it lies at the end of the season.”
