Fulham Boss Parker expecting a resilient Wigan
Fulham Head Coach Scott Parker knows Fulham’s record against Wigan Athletic means nothing going into Friday’s match.
The Whites are unbeaten in the last 17 meetings with our next opponents – a run which stretches back 13 years – but when asked if that gives his side an edge, our Head Coach was adamant in his response.
“No, it definitely doesn’t,” he said. “Wigan come here with a good manager, a manager with vast experience.
“There’s a lot of teams who see Fulham as a big scalp this year, and I get that. And with that, and coming to the Cottage as an underdog, brings a different energy about a team, a different resilience. We’ve seen that and it’s been difficult at times, so I don’t expect anything different.
“It’s down to us and the quality we have in the team, and down to me and the coaches to address those issues that keep arising for us as a team, and put them right. If that’s the way Wigan set up, we’ve got to break down that resilience and establish a lead.”
The Latics’ top scorer is defender Chey Dunkley – who netted two of his three goals this season in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Charlton Athletic – and so Parker knows his team will have to be resolute at corners and free-kicks.
“Set-pieces will be very big,” he explained. “They brought in Charlie Mulgrew from Blackburn who’s a set-piece specialist who puts in good deliveries. Last game the centre-half comes up and scores two goals from set-plays.
“In this league they’re key and always something which is a main focus, and certainly defending them well. Ultimately, a lot of games are going to be decided on that this year.”
Fulham were two minutes from what would have been an excellent win at Hillsborough last weekend, but a stoppage time header condemned us to a third consecutive 1-1 draw.
Parker insists the players have responded in the correct manner, though.
“They’ve reacted brightly,” he stated. “There’s a real eagerness to win football matches here, and that’s of course what I want but, at the same time, we’ve not won in five. But how different it is if we get a result on Friday; it means we’ve not lost in four.
“It’s close, but we need to turn those draws into wins, and these next three games before the international break are big games for us.
“It shows the level we are that inside we’re a little bit disappointed with three draws. Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday are tough places to go but, in the grand scheme of things, we are disappointed.”