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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Malik Ouzia

Pep Guardiola hails Fulham and Scott Parker for sticking to attacking principles in relegation battle

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has heaped praise on Scott Parker and his Fulham side for staying true to their footballing philosophy despite the threat of relegation. 

The Cottagers host City tomorrow evening in the Premier League, having beaten Liverpool at Anfield last weekend to fuel what looked an unlikely bid for safety only a month ago. 

Fulham were 10 points adrift of 17th place in mid-February but three wins and two draws in their last six games have seen their hopes of survival soar with Parker’s side now below 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion only on goal difference.

“Since day one, Fulham have played incredibly well,” Guardiola said before Sunday’s Premier League trip to Craven Cottage.

“In English football, there are incredibly good managers... Many of them have the courage to play. What I admire is that when it is not going well they continue to do it and at the end the results come.

“I have the feeling that all the new generation of managers have this quality. All the managers in Germany and Spain, play like they manage Bayern Munich.

“I think all the new generation of managers are saying ‘we’ll do our game rather than wait to see what the opponents do’.”

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