Bullard speaks about Fulham days and QPR woes

Jimmy Bullard does not feel that Queens Park Rangers have the same spirit as Fulham did in their successful attempt to beat relegation in 2008.

Fulham were in an almost identical position to where QPR are now - with 23 points from 31 games. However, galvanised by a calculated Roy Hodgson, the Whites escaped the drop with minutes to spare on the final day of the season.

The upturn in form for Fulham came after a miraculous 3-2 victory at Manchester City. At half time, 2-0 down, Fulham were mathematically relegated but with a slight tactical tweak, they turned the game on its head. And Bullard remembers it well.

"We were 2-0 down at half-time," he said, as reported by the London Evening Standard.

"We knew that if the score stayed the same then we were down. Roy told us to go out and win the second half.

"He brought on [Diomansy] Kamara at 2-1 and I think it's the best performance I've ever seen a striker play. He tore City apart on his own and that was the game we thought, ‘Hold up, we can do this'."

Yet, even though he's been there and done it himself, Bullard does not see QPR replicating his former side's feat.

Speaking fondly about the team spirit in the Cottagers camp at the time, the now retired 34 year-old simply does not believe the feeling around Loftus Road is geared towards survival.

"Do I think QPR will do it?

"I think it's too tough for them. We had a great team spirit at Fulham, even though we were in a dogfight we always had a good spirit. We had some good boys there and some good players, too.

"I just look at QPR and think, ‘Have they got it in them? Have they got enough doggedness in them to stay up?' I don't see it just yet."

In spite of his own poor fortune since leaving Fulham - his knee has caused such extensive problems that he was recently forced into retirement - Bullard clearly still retains his infamous sense of humour.

Asked furhter about the problems facing Fulham's local rivals, he responded: "I think QPR need to come and sign Jimmy Bullard!"

A lovely bit of third person tomfoolery. Sometimes, a small part of me misses Jimmy Bullard.