Craven Cottage, Saturday 1500 GMTFULHAM:
Fulham are beginning to carve out a reputation for themselves at Craven Cottage, where their victory over Liverpool was followed by a comfortable three-point haul against Blackburn on Wednesday night.
The result moved Roy Hodgson's side up to 10th in the Premier League and they are on course for another top-half finish. No wonder then that the club's board of directors are so keen to offer him a new contract.
Hodgson says he expects to sign the deal before Christmas and the news comes as an early present to supporters who are delighted with the way he has turned round the club's fortunes.
Hodgson told a news conference: "I spoke to the chairman and it's not been a difficult discussion. It seems everyone is keen for me to stay and I've always made it perfectly clear I'm happy to stay here.
"I've never made any secret of the fact I'm enjoying my time here. It's just a question now of putting the contract discussions onto paper. The club's lawyers are looking at it and I'll get someone to look at it from my side."
Strategy: The win over Blackburn was a perfect example of Fulham's strength - soaking up the pressure and then hitting teams on the counter attack. Erik Nevland's goal in the 44th minute proved to be a sucker-punch for the visitors.
The Norwegian is likely to start again here and his intelligent forward play - along with the impressive Clint Dempsey - provides Fulham with the ability to unlock defences. Brede Hangeland and Aaron Hughes should be experienced enough to cope with Bolton's Kevin Davies, yet fellow defender Paul Konchesky will hope for a better performance this weekend.
Injury Update: Bobby Zamora limped off during Wednesday's win and is a doubt. Fellow striker Andy Johnson has recovered from a groin strain and could feature after playing for the reserves, although he is likely to be handed a place on the bench. Midfielder and captain Danny Murphy is also back in contention following his knee problem and could replace Jonathan Greening. America striker Dempsey is expected to keep his place in the starting line-up after his two goals in midweek.
BOLTON WANDERERS:
Gary Megson's side dropped into the relegation zone last weekend and the Bolton manager knows that an extension of the run that has seen them lose four straight games while conceding 15 goals could see them cut adrift even at this early stage.
After doing some solid transfer business in the summer, Megson was entitled to expect better than this and the recent slump has opened old wounds in his uneasy relationship with the supporters.
But the manager has reiterated that he is not worried about the taunts of his own supporters. "I've been dealing with this for two years," he said. "I've been getting sacked every morning, I haven't known what I was doing since I've been here. I've kept his club up twice and we're one of the lowest spenders in the division."
Strategy: Tightening up at the back is a must and, although a win would be ideal, a first Premier League clean sheet of the season would be a major boost for confidence. Megson will also want to see a little more graft from his team, who he claims have not matched their usual high energy levels in recent weeks. After starting with two strikers in the 2-0 defeat against Blackburn, Johan Elmander may have to make way for another midfielder, with Kevin Davies on his own up front.
Injury Update: Megson is hoping thatTamir Cohen and Ricardo Gardner overcome injuries to feature at Craven Cottage. Joey O'Brien is out long-term and Sean Davis looks likely to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
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