Fresh from his sides victory over Burnley, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson admitted that the win had boosted more than just their Premier League survival chances.

 

Reaching the 30-plus point mark before the end of February has all but put paid to any fears at Craven Cottage that they may once again face the prospect of fighting for their Premier League lives right down to the wire. And with a comfortable gap between themselves and the relegation dogfight comes another plus - an ability to concentrate on their Europa League adventure.

Hodgson said "We thought it was fantastic to be part of this competition. It's a great adventure and is a feather in this club's cap. I'm pleased we're on 34 points and within touching distance of the safety zone because it means we're less anxious about the games that precede or follow European matches. It's a good marketing tool to get our name and what we're trying to do out to a much wider audience via a top-level competition.”

Hodgson has given the proposal of a play-off for the fourth Champions League place a lukewarm response. Despite the idea giving the teams placed 4-7^th a shot (Fulham finished 7^th last year) the former Blackburn Rovers manager was cautious in his response.

"A wise decision needs to be made after all the advantages and disadvantages have been analysed," said Hodgson. "At the moment you'll get people who have something to benefit from it say it's a good idea, while those who don't will say the opposite. These important matters shouldn't be decided by people like myself who might think that selfishly this is a good idea."