Hangeland happy with spirit
Fulham defender Brede Hangeland says he is happy with the spirit of the team under new manager Mark Hughes.
There are some fears among Fulham fans that the positive spirit of the team may be lost now that Roy Hodgson is no longer manager. However, a well-fought 2-2 draw against Manchester United seems to have given a lift to everyone at the club.
Hangeland is one of Fulham's most important players and as the main defender at the club it is down to him to wear his heart on his sleeve. He will play a huge role over the course of the season if Fulham want to maintain the team spirit they have now created.
A solid team spirit enables a side to do many things against better teams that they may not normally be capable of. However, it could be very difficult for the club to maintain this over a long season under Mark Hughes' management.
Solid team spirit
A solid team spirit will eradicate differences in quality between two teams. Fulham are a side that play for each other and they often fight against big opponents until the final whistle is blown.
This was very important during the 2-2 draw with Manchester United because when Hangeland scored an own goal to put the former Premier League champions 2-1 up, heads could well have dropped.
Fulham kept going and passed the ball around the pitch very well. The team spirit was emphasised beautifully when Hangeland scored the club's second goal of the game. The whole team immediately ran over to celebrate with the huge defender.
He said: "There is no reason why we should lose our team spirit because we changed manager. Towards the end against United our team spirit was every bit as good as it has been for the last couple of years. We came back again at Craven Cottage as we have done many times."
A long season
It is natural for the players of any club to raise their game when a new manager is brought in. This is because the players won't know the intentions of that manager and will want to do well in order to keep their place in the side.
Fulham have always had a good spirit among the players and coaches but Hodgson had the ability to stretch this out. This is something that Hughes may not be able to do. It was a first home game of the season and it's doubtful if the same energy and enthusiasm will appear ten home games on.
Hangeland added: "It was a great feeling to be part of that and I'm confident Mark Hughes can lead us in the right direction. The determination in the dressing room is the same every season. It's more for those people around the club to make up stories about what is going to happen when we change manager."
Betting advice
If you are going to base your season expectations on Fulham's first home game then you may as well back them to break the top four by the end of the season. More has to come from Fulham before they can confidently be considered as one of the best teams in the country.
Bobby Zamora looked very good during the game with Manchester United and could be a good candidate as an outside bet for top scorer at the club by the end of the season.
However, caution is best here. Take one match at a time and see if Fulham's spirit stays as strong as Hangeland expects it to. If it dips then be more reluctant to back them.
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