Fulham Captain Andy Melville would like nothing more than the Intertoto
Cup's unglamorous grind while his Premiership peers prepare for a summer
chasing World Cup glory or putting their feet up.
Three points against Blackburn on Saturday could push the Cottagers into
the top half of the Premiership table as well as landing them a place
in the much-maligned summer tournament, whose winners earn entry into
the UEFA Cup.
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Fulham
captain Andy Melville says the Intertoto Cup is criticised a lot but
with the UEFA Cup at the end of it, it is a very important competition
for us
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But while most minds will be on Tokyo and Seoul, it could be anywhere from
Tirana to Sofia on the agenda for Melville and his men - and the Welsh international
could not be more happy with that.
"The Intertoto Cup is criticised a lot but with the UEFA Cup at
the end of it, it is a very important competition for us," said Melville.
"We just need to put in one more good performance and we will end
the season in Europe and possibly in the top 10 in the Premiership, which
was what we have always been aiming for.
"Thankfully we don't have to rely on anybody else to achieve that,
so we can go to Ewood Park and be as positive as we possibly can."
Success will vindicate boss Jean Tigana's insistence on the fine football
which has occasionally caught Fulham out this season as they got to grips
with the higher standard of opponents.
While their side has been built on a resolute defence they have come
in for some criticism over their goalscoring record.
Melville admitted: "We haven't managed to get as many goals as we
would have liked but this season was all about learning as we went along
and we have come out of it much better prepared for next season.
"We've reached the FA Cup semi-finals and we've come out of a very
bad period and have a chance of making the top 10. We are aware our success
means there will be more pressure on us to perform next season, but we
are ready for that."
In common with most other Premiership sides, Fulham have had to cope
a two-week break so close to the finishing line.
But Melville insists his side's minds have not been straying to the summer
or the possible Intertoto campaign.
"It is a little strange having this break right at the end of the season
but it has enabled us to recharge our batteries. We've had a couple of days
off and then we've been back in training and are looking forward to the
last game."