Martin Jol is refusing to rule out the prospect of Fulham finishing inside the top six this season, but admits a top-half finish is a more realistic target.
Cottagers boss feels top six finish could be achieved
Martin Jol is refusing to rule out the prospect of Fulham finishing inside the top six this season, but admits a top-half finish is a more realistic target.
The Cottagers have quietly clambered into eighth spot in the Premier League table on the back of a three-match winning streak.
They are now just three points adrift of Liverpool, the side directly above them in the standings, and eight short of sixth-placed Newcastle.
Jol feels both of those sides can be caught, pushing Fulham into European contention, with the Cottagers prepared to set lofty goals after easing any lingering relegation fears.
"Our target is still 40 or 41 points and then we try to get as high as possible in the league," said the Dutchman.
"If you are very positive then there is Newcastle or Liverpool ahead of us.
Relief
"If you are realistic, there is still a lot of good teams around us so hopefully we could end up in the top 10.
"It depends on a lot of things. Clint Dempsey is important, Moussa Dembele, Pavel Pogrebnyak is important, Danny Murphy, Brede Hangeland, so if everyone stays fit we'll get better and better and hopefully we can do something which is nice.
"Maybe it is a bit different this year because last season it was very awkward as three of the four bottom clubs, even in the last month, escaped.
"Only West Ham were relegated from the group so that was an awful season for the likes of Birmingham, who won the Carling Cup and still got relegated.
"It is a bit different now because the gap is a lot bigger this year, which is good.
"At this stage last year the gap between Fulham and the bottom three was four points and now we're 13 or 14 points off, so that is the relief."
