Just do your best, Parker urges struggling Fulham

Parker, though, wants to install a fresh mindset after the club failed to build on last season's promotion despite a heavy summer spending spree.

"At the moment I'm finding that really easy to change the focus," said Parker, whose side suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at home to west London rivals Chelsea last weekend.

"The majority this year is how bad we have done, the focus this year is we are going to get relegated.

"The focus has been that we have spent a lot of money and where have we spent it. That is not my focus.

"My focus to the players is just do your best, do as much as you can every single day, drive standards, have world-class standards. I know the football will come from that."

Parker added at a press conference: "There has been a bit of gloom around the place and that is players included.

"I have been in situations as a player where every comment you read and every bad pass you play feels like an absolute ton of bricks coming down on you.

"That is the cold reality and me trying to sieve away certain elements of that and trying to refocus and say 'let's forget about that, this is what we need to do'.

"I certainly feel like it has helped the players and I hope it helps everyone else."

Fulham head to Leicester on Saturday, where new boss Brendan Rodgers will be in the dugout for the first time at the King Power Stadium.

Unlike former Liverpool and Celtic boss Rodgers, Parker only has a short-term deal, for the moment anyway.

The 38-year-old, though, is very much looking to keep the Cottagers' future interests at heart.

"I have an affiliation with this club which is helpful and I will treat this job in the long term in the sense of every decision I make will be for the best of Fulham, whether I am here in 10 games time or not," Parker said.

"I will have an eye on things and try to leave the club with a stamp that will be an improvement."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '30455565-ea1e-41e9-be1d-f77cd3ed4b6f');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Just do your best, Parker urges struggling Fulham'});