Fulham boss Scott Parker is demanding no doom-and-gloom after a slow start to the season.

Two defeats and seven goals conceded have left the newly promoted side's credentials being questioned, and has them earmarked as early relegation contenders.

But Parker said: “My main point is that we will lose games this year and we can't afford to take that into a negative spiral.

“I have been involved in relegations and what gets you relegated in the end is that spiral effect, a knock on effect where slowly the atmosphere, confidence, team spirit, cohesion saps you and buries you.

“From my time at West Ham, from my time here when we got relegated, the defeats are going to happen. But you can't afford to let the noise affect you.

“The noise was from the outside, the whole 'two on the bounce, three on the bounce', 'they've not done this, they've not done that'.

“The teams I was involved in were teams that didn't understand that.

“Two, three, four negative results, it was a massive crisis. A massive crisis. And before you know it confidence is low, the whole club has a negative feel. 'We're going to struggle'.

“For sure, for this club this year and my team, I won't let that happen. I don't want that to happen because I know how important it is going to be."