Emmanuel Frimpong has steeled himself for a fiery Fulham debut against West Ham tonight by insisting he is ready to fight for the cause.
Manager Martin Jol has hailed Frimpong, on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season, as a “warrior” and is ready to plunge the 21-year-old midfielder straight into a crucial derby in which a win would see his side climb above West Ham.
Jol, who personally tracked Frimpong in Arsenal reserve games and during loan spells at Wolves and Charlton, said: “I feel that he can do a terrific job and what he has shown us in training is good.”
Frimpong is ready to repay that faith, saying: “I think my main attributes are tackling and getting in tight to midfielders and pushing the team on, trying to win us the game.
“I like to fight for the ball, I like to fight for my team and hopefully I can bring that game to Fulham.”
Fulham’s cushion over the bottom three is just five points but Frimpong said: “The lads are very calm. And when you are in the position Fulham are, you need the players not to panic.
“Every team goes through a patch where they are not getting results but as long as the team and the manager know they have the players that can perform, they will be fine.”
Kieran Richardson is expected to return after recovering from a calf strain.
