Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez insists his current team is far better than the one he inherited from Chris Coleman near the end of last season.

Sanchez performed major surgery over the summer, signing 12 players and letting 15 leave and admitted the table did not reflect his belief that progress was being made.

But he vowed to be out of the drop zone by the next international break, by which time Fulham will also have played Sunderland and Reading.

He said: "We have three games over the next three weeks where we are as good as, if not better than, the teams we are playing and then we play Liverpool away, which is obviously a step up.

"It is very much in our own hands what we get from those games and I wouldn't want to come out of this period in the bottom three. I know they could be famous last words and I'm sure they will be quoted back at me if it doesn't happen but that is what we should be looking to do.

"I have no doubts I can get this club to where I want to go. I certainly believe the current squad is a hell of a lot better than the one I inherited.

"It is younger and fitter and the application is better. Yes we have spent £12million but that is not a massive amount in Premier League terms."