Fulham defender Michael Madl has backed the Cottagers to beat the Championship drop despite defeat to high-flying Middlesbrough on Saturday.

The Whites are lingering in 20th, just seven points above the relegation zone, after strikes from Albert Adomah and Grant Leadbitter condemned them to their first defeat in three.

But Madl - who signed for Fulham on loan from Sturm Graz in January - knows his new side have enough about them to stay up.

He said: "For sure we want to stay up. We need to count as many points as we can and see where we are after the last game.

“We need more points and have the quality in this team to win more games. We know we can beat nearly every team in this league. I don't think we are looking over our shoulder.

"I think if we play like we did against Charlton and QPR then we are a really good Championship team. We need to show this every time for 90 minutes."

Madl has been a big success since joining the club, with the Whites winning twice and drawing once in his five appearances.

Albert Adomah’s third minute goal unsettled the Whites on the weekend, before Leadbitter’s penalty put the game to bed after just twenty minutes.

And the Austrian centre-back admits the Whites struggled to recover after a disastrous start.

The 27-year-old added: "It was a really bad start. To be losing 1-0 after a few minutes, especially against a team like Middlesbrough was very hard.

“We tried everything in the second half but it was not enough.

"They are well organised and play very good on the counter attack. Being 2-0 up after 20 minutes was perfect for them and difficult for us.”