Fayed: I was right to give Coleman his big chance

But, despite having just a season's coaching experience, the 33-year-old steered the team to safety as caretaker manager last term and has been impressive on the training ground and in the dugout this season.

Fayed went on: "Adding the football brain of assistant manager Steve Kean to Chris's drive and energy seems to be working well. They have clearly motivated the players to work hard for one another as a team and that is half the battle in football."

There has been no word from the chairman's office on the possibility of a new contract for Coleman, who is on a one-year rolling deal. But that will surely follow if Fulham can rediscover the form they showed in the first half of the season.

To do that they will have to improve on an indifferent recent spell in which they have become over-reliant on Saha's goals.

Coleman hopes to bring in another striker this month but it will not be Monaco's Dado Prso, who was a target in the summer, because he has become too expensive.

The manager said: "We're going through a sticky period. A few of our players have lost a bit of their confidence but once they get it back, they will be fine.

"We are not a one-man team but we have to improve the way we share the goals around. We are looking for more from Luis Boa Morte, Lee Clark, Steed Malbranque and our defenders.

"Four points from the next two games against Middlesbrough and Everton would be a good return for us the way things have been going."

Fulham will rest Alain Goma (hamstring) and must do without Jerome Bonnissel (ankle) and Mark Pembridge (calf). Moritz Volz also has been ruled out as he is negotiating terms for a permanent move from Arsenal but Clark (calf) and Boa Morte (suspension) are available.

Doubts hang over Middlesbrough's goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer (back) and Gaizka Mendieta (illness).