Fulham manager Roy Hodgson admits his side need to beat Manchester United this weekend to stand any chance of avoiding the Premier League drop.Hodgson's side face United at Craven Cottage on Saturday and defeat will only heighten fears that the west London side are destined for the drop.

"We need to win," said Hodgson. "We need to win our home games and some away games as well.

"We will concentrate on preparing the team for the game and getting the maximum out of the 11 players and I hope the performances will give us the results we need.

"There is an element of luck and sometimes you can play well and lose, or play badly and win.

"I am very much aware that wins are the order of the day for us and if we don't get some soon then our predicament will worsen."

Fulham have 11 games to change their fortunes around but Hodgson is well aware that results of other teams will also play a part in their destiny.

He explained: "We are not alone in the position we find ourselves in.

"There are as many as six or seven clubs who are not 100% confident that they are not going to get drawn into a relegation battle and find themselves needing points in the last few games of the season.

"It depends not only upon us and the wins we're getting but it also depends on what's going on around us.

"If we work on the basis that 40 points is a minimum then it's pretty easy to work out how many wins we'll need - but I don't know how many points will be sufficient for safety this year.

"If the top teams keep disposing of the bottom teams then the points total will be lower. I don't like thinking of it in those terms.

"I like to concentrate on the game ahead and make certain that I as a coach, and the players as players, are ready for the game."

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