Scott Parker has told Fulham he wants the chance to reboot the Craven Cottage club’s DNA.
Caretaker manager Parker will delay talks on his long-term future until Fulham’s Premier League relegation battle is resolved, for good or bad.
The Cottagers could see their top-flight relegation confirmed even as early as Tuesday night, should they lose to Manchester City and Watford, and results elsewhere go against them.
Parker has lost all three matches of his temporary spell and must now lead Fulham in hosting Pep Guardiola’s rampant Manchester City on Saturday.
“I want to be in a position to do well for myself and the team but it is not something that is banging at the front of my mind,” said former Fulham, Chelsea and England midfielder Parker.
“Ultimately I want to stamp my mark on this team because I feel like I can; I want to bring an identity back to us.
“If the owners believe in that, then perfect. We will see what pans out.”
Parker took temporary control on February 28 after Fulham sacked Claudio Ranieri, becoming the third manager at Craven Cottage this term.
Slavisa Jokanovic paid the price for failing to bring Premier League stability despite the club spending more than £100million in the summer transfer market.
After Ranieri’s struggles, Parker is determined to set Fulham back on a positive track, but the Cottagers are already 13 points from safety with just seven games to play.
While Parker will postpone any firm talks in the short term, the 18-cap England star remains confident he will be a managerial success wherever he lands.
“Whether I am at Fulham or whether my next path is somewhere else, I believe the next part of my journey will be a successful one,” said Parker.
“If that is here, then brilliant because I have an affiliation here and I have been part of this.
“I just love coaching, I love being out with players, trying to improve them and giving over all my experiences that I have had.
“Whether that was the younger players at Spurs or the senior players here. That is what my passion is and what I enjoy doing, coaching and managing people.
“I am not saying I want to be a manager. In this present time I am a number one but I am still coaching every day.
“Is being a manager something I want to do? Of course it is. My main buzz and passion is on the training field.”
