Scott Parker has warned he will not tolerate a lack of passion after admitting Fulham have been “a really soft touch” at times this season.
Parker has stepped up to the role of caretaker manager with the relegation-threatened Cottagers 10 points adrift of Premier League safety and survival extremely unlikely.
The 38-year-old is fully aware of the problems at Craven Cottage this term having watched on from the dugout in his role as first-team coach under predecessors Slavisa Jokanovic and Claudio Ranieri.
His management career begins with Sunday’s west London derby against Chelsea and he has urged his players to take responsibility for the club’s perilous position.
“There’s a way to lose a football match. And this year at times we have lost games and people can point fingers,” he said.
“And that’s the message I’m trying to give. The message is we can lose a football match – for sure you can lose a football match, especially in this league – but I don’t want people pointing fingers.
“I want people to say ‘OK they lost, they lost because the other team were better’ or ‘they lost because of XY referee’s decision’.
“But I don’t want them to say they lost because they lacked a desire and a passion. That’s something that doesn’t sit well with me.
“I just feel at times we have been a really soft touch.”
Fulham’s flaws led to promotion-winning boss Jokanovic being shown the door in November and his successor Ranieri, who was sacked on Thursday, lasting just 106 days.
While former England international Parker refused to rule out an improbable great escape with 10 fixtures remaining, he feels the club needs to plan for the long-term future.
“I think so. Obviously I’m a caretaker but my affiliation with this club has been a long while now – four years (as a player) and now back as a coach,” he said.
“Of course there is a short term, in my position who is to know what happens in 10 games’ time.
“But I will be taking a long-term view in that whatever the outcome is personally, I leave this club in a better place.”
The Cottagers have the worst defensive record in the top-flight having conceded 63 goals in 28 games.
While Jokanovic was often criticised for leaving his team vulnerable defensively, Ranieri was regarded by some as being too cautious.
On his style of play, Parker added: “In a nutshell somewhere in between (Jokanovic and Ranieri).
“I’ve learnt from both, it’s been a vital experience for me – to see the pros and cons first-hand.
“I always knew I wanted to train and coach players to try and get the best out of people.
“I know – like anything in life – if you want to be good at anything, you have to put in the work and it takes time.
“There’s still loads of stuff I can learn, but I think I’m ready.”
