Fulham Coming To St James Park 'For A Win'!
Last updated : 20 March 2008 By Footy Mad - Editor
Roy Hodgson: "I have great respect for Newcastle.
"I know what a great club they are, but these days, apart from the very fortunate five or six at the top end who never flirt with relegation, there are not too many others who can say they will never find themselves in a difficult position.
"It seems to me the way Newcastle approach it that they are perfectly aware that there is no God-given right and they have to claw their way out of an unpleasant situation.
"I do feel the confidence in the team is good, but I hope they are aware that one victory doesn't solve any problems.
"If we start believing that because we have done quite well in the last couple of games our problems are virtually over, then we are unbelievably naive.
"Our problems are still great because we are in the relegation zone and adrift of a pack of teams just above the relegation zone.
"Everything depends on us making certain that the hunger, appetite, desire, enthusiasm and work rate is there in every game and then I would like to think if we have that, we might just have enough quality.
"There is a belief that if we can continue to keep this level of performance up and make certain we never drop below that in the last eight games, that even though we are carrying the burden of being behind the other teams, we can make that difference up.
"It has got to be done on the field of play. If a team is going to survive it is because the team is actually good enough to survive and the only way we can show that is by doing what we did on Sunday against a good team - producing a good performance and getting a victory.
"In the beginning it was a tough time but since I've become more comfortable with regard to the players and the way the team is playing, I don't think my confidence or belief in them has wavered.
"We haven't, as yet,been able to get ourselves totally back in the mix. We are four points behind and that is better than six, but it is still a lot of points behind."
