• New manager faces West Brom in first game on Saturday
• ‘We have a good atmosphere when we all work together’
• Five things he must do to beat the drop

The ew Fulham manager, Felix Magath, is sure the Cottagers will avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The German – a Bundesliga winner with Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg – replaced René Meulensteen last week with the remit of lifting Fulham out of the bottom three with only 12 league games remaining.

Fulham are four points shy of 17th place and safety as they prepare to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, but Magath is optimistic they can secure their top-flight future through hard work.

He told Sky Sports News: “In the next months we will have a lot of work to avoid relegation but in the first days here the work we’ve achieved has been very good.

“I’m sure we will avoid relegation with this team as the players are willing to avoid relegation.

“We have a good atmosphere at the club when we all work together. We are able to avoid relegation and that’s now the most important thing.

“Now we have to concentrate on the next 12 games, especially on the game on Saturday against West Brom.”

• Felix Magath
• Fulham

theguardian.com