Fulham caretaker manager Scott Parker appears to have put himself in contention for the job on a full-time basis after replacing Claudio Ranieri, insisting any decisions he makes are with the club's "long-term" future in mind.
Parker had his first taste of Premier League management on Sunday, as Fulham lost 2-1 at home to Chelsea.
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The former Chelsea midfielder took over from Ranieri on Thursday following the Italian's dismissal, and the Cottagers certainly put up a fight against their more illustrious visitors.
Although Maurizio Sarri's men had too much for them in the end, with Jorginho getting the winner in the 31st minute after Calum Chambers cancelled out Gonzalo Higuain's opener, Fulham showed greater resemblance to the team that earned promotion from the Championship last season. Parker is hoping to reclaim that identity and would much rather see the team suffer relegation in doing so than go down with a whimper.
"For me, that's totally it, 100 per cent," he said. "I wouldn't want to do it any other way. If someone told me something else from above, I'd tell them I'm not their guy and wouldn't carry on.
"I was a player here for four years, and came back as a coach, and ultimately there was a brand and identity to Fulham that everyone understood; passing team, lovely, family football club. Now, if you ask that question, are the same words coming to people's minds? I don't think they are. I wanted to bring the fans back, and I feel like I did that today. But it's a minor step. We have to keep it up.
"I'm caretaker. Have I got a long-term view for how this club should go? Of course. Clubs change when they get relegated.
"You go from the best league in the world to the Championship, so there will be some restructuring, but that's probably a conversation to have at the end of the season."
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