Fulham - Nevland - Is This His Year?

With the players now back in pre-season training and getting used to stretching muscles that have tightened up whilst they`ve been lapping up the sun on some distant sunshine isle, the football season seems to be getting a lot closer.

Let`s all hope it gets here quick because I feel like someone dying of thirst and trapped in a desert.

Thankfully, returning to the subject in hand, one of Roy`s January signings, Erik Nevland has been speaking to the official site.

Nevland, who didn`t get that much of a chance to show us what he could do last season, is patently looking forward to the coming season.

In the interview he mentions that dreaded flirtation with relegation and seems determined that it won`t happen again by explaining,

"(Last season) is in the past now. We're just focusing on the season coming - it`s a big challenge and I hope we don`t make it so nerve-racking this time around."

Nevland, now settled into the squad, has acknowledged that Roy has a decent squad at his disposal and that we underachieved big time last season, commenting,

"I think we`ve got a good squad of players. I think we can do better."

The return to pre-season training can hit some players hard as they are confronted with all the excesses of the last few weeks, most of it needs to be run off before any all work is started, another fact Erik was keen to mention,

"Tuesday was the first session of ball playing. So it was fun, but the other days it's just fitness and just getting yourself ready to go, and that`s important as well."

As far as the new signings go, Nevland confessed to knowing some but some were unknown quantities, but having worked with Roy before, the Norwegian doesn`t intend to doubt Roy`s judgment, explaining,

"I`ve seen (Mark) Schwarzer and (Zoltan) Gera play but I don`t know too much about (David) Stockdale and Andranik, but obviously if Roy picks them to play for Fulham then they obviously have quality."

What odds on Nevland ending up our top scorer next season?

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.