Scott Parker has implored his Fulham team-mates to wise up and stop being ‘naive'.
The Whites are winless in six, and face the prospect of being sucked ever closer to the relegation places they thought were behind them at Millwall on Saturday.
The Lions are deep in the mire, but a seventh disappointment on the trot, and Fulham are back in a dogfight they thought behind them just a month ago.
Parker and co were only latterly at the races as they lost 2-1 at home to Ipswich last Saturday, and the 34-year-old ex-England international believes a different strategy is called for.
“We were very naive at times,” he said. “We got the ball down and played very nicely at times, but we get a bit beat up.
“In the second half against Ipswich, we went a bit direct and maybe that’s the way need to go now.
“We have to play a bit ugly because that’s what you’ve got to do to win games in this league.”
For Parker, the New Den bodes a first visit in a career spanning more than 350 games.
Manager Kit Symons was there as a White in his playing days – now he has to fret and sweat on the touchline while keeping an eye on the table.
Fulham sit 19th – five points above Millwall in the drop zone. A win, and there’s a healthy buffer to the bottom; a defeat and the following week the Whites could return to the bottom three they vacated in October.
Symons said: “It’s a very tight league and it’s a big game for us at Millwall. It will be tough, and to stay away from it is linked into the next three or four results.
“We get a few positive results and we’re mid table. A couple of poor results and you’re right in it.”
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