Hodgson hopes to spend

Cottagers boss optimistic of receiving Al Fayed's support

Last updated: 8th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Hodgson hopes to spend

Hodgson: Hopes for money to spend

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Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is optimistic he will receive the required funds to improve the quality of his squad at the end of the season.

Hodgson has not been a major mover in the transfer market this term and has also seen injuries to key players hit his squad hard.

He is hoping the money to be received from the sale of Chris Smalling to Manchester United will boost his transfer kitty and he also expects to get the backing of owner Mohamed Al Fayed.

And, having taken Fulham from relegation strugglers to European contenders during his time in charge, Hodgson is keen to maintain that progress.

Quality additions

"The chairman has been very supportive throughout and I have no reason to think he won't be," said Hodgson, who has admitted an interest in signing on-loan full-back Nicky Shorey permanently.

"We made decisions in this transfer window which were for the good of the club, not just the short term, but the long-term good.

"We are fully aware that if we are to do as well as we have done in the last year and a half then we will need some help in the summer.

"That will probably mean we will be seeking some quality additions to the squad as we've run the squad right down.

"We have between now and the summer to identify targets and persuade the chairman that all the support he has given in the past isn't yet finished, and he has to keep going."

Hodgson added: "A lot of the money that I have spent in my couple of years has actually been recouped, in part by the sale of Smalling.

"Of course that doesn't help the chairman, because all the money he has put in in the past hasn't been.

"However, I am still asking him to put money onto money and I am aware of that."