Fulham boss Scott Parker eyeing play-offs before automatics as Leeds United test looms

SCOTT PARKER says his initial aim with Fulham is to seal a place in the top six ahead of a crunch week that features Wednesday's trip to Leeds United.
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Parker's Cottagers are rated the prime threat to United's place in the Championship's automatic promotion spots with Fulham seven points behind the Whites in third and four points clear of fourth.

Brentford, who sit fourth, visit Craven Cottage on Friday evening before Fulham will be presented with a chance to cut the gap to Leeds in Wednesday's fixture at Elland Road.

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Parker says his side are in a "good place" with the former England midfielder expecting a strong performance in Friday's clash against the Bees and eyeing six points from Fulham's next two games.

ONE STEP AT A TIME: For Fulham boss Scott Parker. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.ONE STEP AT A TIME: For Fulham boss Scott Parker. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.
ONE STEP AT A TIME: For Fulham boss Scott Parker. Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images.

Parker, though, says the initial aim has to in sealing Fulham's play-offs place with the London outfit still only nine points clear of seventh-placed Bristol City.

"One game at a time I would say," said Parker, ahead of this week's two big tests.

"Six points there would be very good I think in many ways.

"It's no secret we would like to end up as high as possible in the league, but first and foremost it's about getting that top-six spot and see what happens after that."

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Sizing up Friday's clash against Brentford, Parker said: "I think all over the pitch they're a very good side.

"But as always we'll have prepared as well as we can.

"It's a massive game for us. A London derby against a team that's just behind us in the table, a team who when we played them earlier in the season put in a very good performance against us.

"They've done very well this year, so there's a big task ahead of us. There's always challenges ahead and Friday will be that certainly."

"We've come out of the back of some very good form of late and we're in a good place, so I suspect we'll go out there and put in a really good performance to try and take the points."

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Bees boss Frank must decide whether to recall captain Pontus Jansson, who has been sidelined since early January due to a hip problem.

"There's still a lot of games to go, so we need to take a good decision, but of course we would like to play him," said Frank.

"We have three very good centre-backs, but there is a reason why he is our captain."

Brentford will still be without injured midfield pair Mathias Jensen and Kamohelo Mokotjo, with neither expected to return until after the international break.

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