Angry Edwin launches attack on his defence

Edwin van der Sar says Fulham should be aiming for a top-half finish in the Premiership but that promises to be a forlorn quest unless they improve defensively.

The Dutch goalkeeper, who will play against England in Wednesday's friendly, was cruelly exposed as Fulham fell to a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool on Saturday, much to his frustration.

Van der Sar said: "I had one save to make in the first half and one in the second half, normally when you come to Liverpool you expect to be busier. But if you are not marking it's difficult to produce miracles."

Andy Cole scored his 10th League goal of the season to cancel out Fernando Morientes's opener.

But Sami Hyppia and Milan Baros were both afforded the freedom of Fulham's penalty area to inflict the visitors' first defeat in 2005.