Confidence crucial for Cottagers

Fulham goalkeeper Mark Crossley believes that a lack of confidence is blighting the club's season, and preventing them from breaking into the Premiership top ten.

At the moment The Cottagers sit in 14th place just five points clear of the relegation zone.

However, the former Nottingham Forest man believes that it will only take a couple of positive results to turn their season around.

"If we start believing as a team there is no reason we can't push on," said the keeper.

"We all know there is the elite two or three at the top, but then the league is wide open. With the players we have there is no reason why we shouldn't be up in the top 10."

It is Fulham's away form that has been crippling them. The London side have failed to win away from Craven Cottage all season and Crossley knows they will have to turn this around if they are to pull away from the bottom three.

"The sooner we sort the consistency levels out the better. We have a bit of breathing space now and if we keep playing like we did against Bolton we won't have any problems.

"But we are too inconsistent and there is no doubt we are a different team away from home. I can't explain why, because we have nothing to fear and we have some great players."

Crossley came back into the Fulham team for the match against Bolton Wanderers, replacing Tony Warner.

"It was good to be back. I was only 85 percent fit but I came through fine.

"I think Tony has done well but we got a poor result at Middlesbrough and goalkeeper wasn't the only change that was made - a couple of other positions in the back four were changed.

"We scored two goals at Middlesbrough and came away with nothing. When you score two goals away from home and lose that can't be right," he told Fulham's official website.