Cats goalkeeper Gordon so Ful of praise of in-form visitors

Feb 28 2010 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

SUNDERLAND should aim to follow in the footsteps of today’s opponents Fulham, according to Craig Gordon.

While the Black Cats are looking anxiously over their shoulders towards the bottom three, Roy Hodgson’s London outfit are in the top half of the table, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Europa League – not bad for a side which just avoided relegation on goal difference on the last day of the season two years ago!

Gordon said: “Fulham have really moved forward since narrowly avoiding relegation two years ago.

“They are very stable in that middle section of the league and they qualified for Europe last season, too.

“Roy Hodgson has made them into an established Premier League team, they are a very solid unit and they are difficult to beat at home or away.

“They have good, experienced players all over the pitch and it is always a difficult game against them.

“They do not give anybody an easy game and you have to work for any points you take off them.

“That is what the teams in the bottom half of the table like ourselves are trying to become.

“You have to make yourself hard to beat and anyone who keeps as many clean sheets as Fulham do wil not go too far wrong.”