Fulham fight to stay in the league

Last Modified: 11 May 2008
Source: ITN

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has told his chairman Mohamed Al Fayed that professional pride will drive the final push for survival.

Hodgson will reportedly pocket an extra £1million if he keeps the club in the Barclays Premier League by masterminding victory at Portsmouth.

Al Fayed has also promised the players a £5,000 Harrods hamper full of caviar, champagne and Viagra if they succeed in escaping relegation.

But Hodgson insists financial incentives would make no difference to him or his players as completing a stunning escape act would be the ultimate prize.

"The chairman's view of the subject is pretty much like my own - we are paid to do a job. And our job is to play football and win matches," he said.

"All of us want to ply our trade in the Premier League rather than the Championship - that is the biggest incentive we can get. Footballers at this club play for pride. They get good cash - and good luck to them."

"But in my experience of top-level football I've not come across a situation where I've had players who have only been motivated by money, with the thought of a bonus spurring them on.

"It has only been the thought of a victory that has spurred them on.

"In particular, the victory in this game could be so sweet and could give us such rewards that any financial extras would be superfluous."

Al Fayed has been a regular visitor to the training ground in recent weeks and delivered the team talk before last weekend's crucial 2-0 victory over Birmingham.

With relegation to the Championship thought to cost £35million, the colourful Egyptian has been pulling out all the stops to protect his investment in the club.

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