Welshman Gordon Davies believes Fulham can stay in the Premier League this season, while bottom three Cardiff City, Newcastle United and Huddersfield go down.
Former Fulham goalscorer Davies, who started his playing career with home town club Merthyr Tydfil, says: “We are effectively in a 12-team mini league and have to finish above the bottom three.
“Fulham must ensure there are three worse teams than us at the end of this season and the three down there are making a good case for returning to the Championship.
“If we finish fourth from bottom that will be a good season for us. Fulham are a Championship side now playing in one of the best leagues in the World.
“There are magical games for supporters to try and enjoy.”
Fulham have used 29 players in all competitions this season – compared to Cardiff’s 24 – and ‘Welsh Wizard’ Davies, the London club’s record goalscorer, says: “Maybe it would have been better to start this season with the 11 players who got us up to the Premier League and introduce new players slowly.
“Fulham named five or six new signings, picked up injuries and then a few more played. The back four has changed regularly and that hasn’t helped with the amount of changes forced on the manager.”
Former Wales international Davies, aged 63, is a regular at Fulham home matches because he is a hospitality ambassador at Craven Cottage. He scored 114 goals in 247 league appearances for the club before moving on to join Chelsea, Manchester City and Wrexham.
Before making the move to Wrexham, Davies went back to Fulham for a second spell and scored 45 goals in 147 matches.
His controversial move to Fulham’s bitter rivals was criticised by supporters, but he revealed the story behind that transfer.
“I was ready to sign a new Fulham contract and was in the offices with joint managers Ray Harford and Terry Mancini,” says Davies.
“The pen was in my hand and the contract in front of me. There was no appearance money on the contract and 70 per cent of the players were receiving that.
“When I queried it Ray left the room and dashed over to the financial director. He came back with the news that he wouldn’t pay it and I left the room.
“It would have been £35 a week. The matter went to a tribunal and I moved on to Chelsea.
“My wish was to stay with Fulham, but that didn’t work out.”
Davies did play for Fulham again – taking his goals tally for the Cottagers to 159 – and he’s watching closely as the London club and the Welsh Bluebirds battle for Premier survival.
Manager Neil Warnock and his Cardiff players have suffered six successive defeats in all competitions and know this clash with Fulham is crucial to their hopes of mounting a bid for survival.
Joe Ralls is ruled out by suspension with Aron Gunnarsson set to add his knowhow and experience to the midfield unit alongside Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa.
Arter, signed on loan from Bournemouth, is on four bookings, one away from a suspension and Warnock says: “You can’t stop Harry. He does what he wants.
“We are a bit short in midfield and looking to improve that area in January along with a striker and defender.
“You don’t get players like Harry on loan unless there is something in their make-up. To be fair to Eddie Howe, he did say that to me.
“He told me he’d get booked in training. You can’t change him and I don’t really want to change him. I’ve just got to make sure I’ve got back-up for when he gets suspended.
“Every day, every week, before every game, at half-time during a game, during the second half I tell him. I said it to him about 15 minutes before the end of the last game, ‘Harry, just be sensible’.
“Then he was booked in the 90th minute. I might just as well keep my mouth shut.
“Aron is a leader, a calming influence and somebody who is good to have around. I am going to leave it up to him as to whether he starts. I don’t want to put any pressure on him and that’s why I didn’t bring him off the bench in our last game. I didn’t want him to be chasing shadows with 10 men.
“He has got that aura about him which we’ve missed. I will definitely play him if he says he is alright. He has to be sensible. I don’t just want him to do it for me, but because he is fit.”
Gary Madine has had a virus and is doubtful, while Danny Ward and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are likely to be out injured.
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Three of Cardiff’s next four Premier fixtures are at home, against Fulham, Leicester (Saturday, November 3) and Brighton (Saturday, November 10).
They also travel to Liverpool next Saturday, but know those three matches at Cardiff City Stadium are crucial to hopes of survival.
Today’s visitors Fulham have the worst defence in Premier League and Warnock says: “Cardiff have three out of four home game this month and it is vital to get points in those games to get us up the table and back in the pack.
“There are quite a lot of teams struggling this season. We have had opportunities to get a lot more points than we’ve had. Now we have to grasp those opportunities because we can’t keep on telling the same story.
“Three out of four home games against sides not in the top six gives us an opportunity to get some points. But the teams we are playing against will be thinking exactly the same about us.
“I did think Fulham would be mid table with the amount of money they spent. It just shows you it isn’t always the money that talks.
“If we had signed Mitrovic we would have been in a better position than we are. We couldn’t afford him. If we could have done I would have loved someone like him. He epitomises English football. He can handle himself and know how to get the free kicks off the referees.
“He is a threat and he just wants to play. He is their main man, but they have top players from all over the world.”