Fulham captain Andy Melville fears a backlash from Everton following
this week's departure of manager Walter Smith when two sides desperately
in need of a Premiership victory meet at Goodison Park on Saturday.
He said: "It's natural for players to raise their game after something
like that. Whoever is in charge on Saturday, they'll take the view 'we're
going to do it for Walter'.
"The feeling will be that they've let themselves down a bit and
want to do something about it. When something like that happens it hits
home. They are fighting for their lives anyway so we will have to be ready
for it.
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Fulham Captain Andy Melville |
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Fulham are just one match away from the club's first FA Cup final since
they lost to West Ham in 1975 after beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in
last Sunday's quarter-final.
But Melville is conscious of the need for a Premiership victory after
four successive league defeats have threatened to plunge the newly-promoted
team into trouble.
He added: "This is a massive game for us. People think we are comfortable
in mid-table but that's not the case, we need to win.
"The following week's game against Tottenham is the same. We need
to get to the 42-point mark as soon as possible, preferably before the
Cup semi-final. It would help a lot to have it all taken care of by then."
The last match between the two clubs, at Craven Cottage in December,
resulted in a mass brawl between which resulted in Fulham being fined
£30,000 and Everton £25,000 by the FA.
But Melville said: "It won't be a problem. I think most of their lads
will have forgotten about it, like we have. It's been taken care of by the
FA. They have fined us, we have taken it on the chin and got on with it."