An interview with a Fulham supporter

Yesterday, I had a chat with a Fulham fan called Eirik Bilet about the match tomorrow and here is the interview, in full.

Mic Symmonds: Hi Eirik, what is the general feeling amongst Fulham fans to the season so far?

Eirik Bilet: Hi, I think everybody is really disappointed about our away-form, on the other side we've been good at home. The win over Chelsea last week was extremely important. I really think that saved the season for many fans. Since we haven't beaten Chelsea since 1979, and back then George Best was our goal scorer, this really improved our confidence. I think a lot of fans hope that the win over Chelsea will make us get the hang of winning away again.

MS: So what are your feelings towards Saturdays game?

EB: I really believe in a win. The team seems to be in great shape. Malbranque, Boa Morte and Pembridge will be extremely important in the midfield. They need to do a lot of working and chasing. Hopefully we will get an early goal and this time we will be able to keep the lead to the very end. After all we've lost the lead in 11 matches so far this season. That's too much.

MS: What are your thoughts about the Villa team and who do you see as the danger man?

EB: Villa have lost three matches away before the Fulham match. Fulham also had three bad results away before they won 1-0 against Chelsea. The team, as well as the manger is surely eager to show the fans that they ain't that bad. Aston Villa have overall had a bad season. They really need to show something in the end to lift the motivation and please the fans. I just noticed that Olof and J'Lloyd will be missing against Fulham. Olof is overall a brilliant defender and I may think Villa will have problems closing down. Milan Baros is always a dangerous player, being one of the top-strikers in the league.

MS: What are your thoughts on the current situation at Villa regarding the chairman etc. and what are your thoughts on David O'Leary?

EB: I don't really know much about the situation regarding the chairman of Aston Villa. The press in Norway has not followed the situation. Around David I really believed in him when he got in the leading-seat. But it seems like he has missed on a lot of transfers. Too many average players who really don't lift the team have been brought in and it really seems like the fans think the same thing. Maybe the right thing to do, to turn things around, is to sack O'Leary?

MS: I think a lot of Villa fans feel the same. What are your feelings towards Chris Coleman as manager?

EB: I've believed in Chris Coleman from day one. After the brilliant start he had saving Fulham from relegation after a terrible season with Jean Tigana, the team and the staff around him saw a great talent. I believe everyone around Chris has had a rough season, and the rumours that surfaced before the Chelsea match made the players do the extra little thing. I really think that the players have got great confidence of Coleman's skills.

MS: Where do you see Fulham in 5 years time?

EB: When we won division 1, now called The Championship the "master-plan" of the staff and Mohammed Al-Fayed was to be in top 5 in England in five years. We are now in our fifth year as a Premier League team and we're 14th, so I guess the plan didn't really work out. But hopefully Al-Fayed still sees the opportunities and still want to offer money for the club. A club without any money doesn't have any chance to survive the Premiership in the long run. Hopefully we will bring in a lot of good youngsters from our own academy and still be able to buy top European players. Maybe we only need five more years to reach our goal about top-5 in the Premiership?

Many thanks to Eirik Bilet, who is the co-leader of the Fulham Scandinavian Supporter Club in Norway, www.fulhamsupporter.net.

Next week I'll be chatting to an Arsenal fan, with his thoughts on next weeks match.