According to Fulham boss Roy Hodgson nothing is more important to a team's success than good hard work. Last term Hodgson brought European football back to Craven Cottage for the first time in seven years after guiding his side to an unlikely seventh-placed finish.

He admits Fulham are unlikely to match that feat this season, thanks mainly to the summer spending sprees undertaken at rival clubs Manchester City and Tottenham.

"There's no doubt that the Barclays Premier League is getting tougher and tougher to survive in," October's manager of the month told the club's official website.

"More and more money is being spent by the teams coming into the league and much more investment is being made than perhaps was done in the past.

"The statement that you need to invest more is probably a true one but it's nice to think that hard work and a good bunch of players who work hard for each other and the team are capable of surviving in the League."

Hodgson believes keeping hold of his current crop of players will be vital to his side's chances of success.

"We've got a good group of players here and it's important to keep them together," he added.

"I believe that if we can keep people fit the squad we have at the moment is capable of going through the season and doing what we would like to do with the season."