Lewington keen on Fulham hot-seat

Lewington managed Fulham from 1986 to 1990 and has also had two previous spells as caretaker

Caretaker Fulham boss Ray Lewington admits he would like the job on a permanent basis even if he acknowledges the club are likely to look elsewhere.

Lewington took charge for Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wigan after Lawrie Sanchez was sacked on Friday.

"They know they have to get the next appointment right. If that is me, or includes me, I would be very happy," Lewington told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It is a nice job and a brilliant club with a lot of things going for it."

Lewington has already been told by Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed that he will retain a position on the coaching staff whoever succeeds Sanchez.

606: DEBATE There should be only one person for the job..RAY LEWINGTON!!!!...by the looks of our performance, he has the players' respect thistlecoach

John Collins, Glenn Hoddle and Martin Jol are some of the names being linked with the post but Lewington expects to be in charge for the Boxing Day trip to Tottenham.

"I will try to the best of my ability to get some decent results and if that is good enough to get me the job, fine," he added.

"But it is all about getting results and it is such an important second half of the season it is incredible. It is so important to stay in the Premier League and the pressure is on.

"I am realistic enough to know they will probably look outside, and I am OK with that. If that is the case I will just get on with my job."

Lewington believes that with the addition of one or two players in January - he identified a lack of ball-winners as one problem - Fulham have the makings of a "decent little side".

"The longer you are in the bottom three, the harder it gets," he added.

Ray and Billy McKinley give us more freedom to express ourselves Fulham striker Clint Dempsey

"It is a difficult task but I am absolutely confident we will survive. I have got no doubt about that, whoever the manager is."

Lewington's brief tenure has already won praise from striker Clint Dempsey, scorer of the equaliser against Wigan which lifted Fulham out of the bottom three on goal difference above Sunderland.

The American intimated the players were not comfortable with the direct style employed by Sanchez, which yielded only two league victories in 17 games.

"I am happy with the manager we have right now," Dempsey told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"I like Ray and Billy (McKinley, his assistant); they give us more freedom to express ourselves as players; I enjoy that.

"I think we showed a better style of play and I think you could hear the response from the fans, even if they were frustrated we didn't get the win, as the players were.

"I like the style of keeping possession more, not playing so direct, and trying to create chances instead of trying to jump the ball in.

"That is just what I think personally, I can't speak for the team, but I think the fans showed they agreed by the way they got behind us."

Meanwhile Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, who had also been linked with the job, has ruled himself out, telling the Sunday Mirror: "There is absolutely no chance of me taking another job before Euro 2008."