FULHAM captain Andy Melville insists the players are fully behind the under-fire Jean Tigana as contract talks for the Cottagers manager near.

The Cottagers' miserable form through November and December has left them in 16th place in the Premiership and Tigana and chairman Mohamed Al Fayed are due to hold New Year contract talks about the possibility of the Frenchman taking up the two-year extension option on his three-year deal, which expires in the summer.

Al Fayed has already stated recent results will count for much when talks begin - so the current plummet down the down table has turned up the heat on the boss, with some reports claiming Al Fayed could halt Tigana's reign before the end of the season.

Fulham are in such trouble that they are just one place above fourth from bottom Bolton who, if they beat Tigana's men at the Reebok next Saturday, will haul the Londoners to within a point of them.

Fulham are in freefall and defeat next Saturday could be crucial for the future of the team and the boss.

But Wales international Melville, asked if he and his team-mates want Tigana to stay until and beyond the summer, said: "Yes, definitely so. There's no doubt about that.

"He's led us for the last three years and, speaking on behalf of the players, we hope he continues as we're going in the right direction.

"But at the end of the day, it's nothing to do with the players. We don't make the decisions."

Meanwhile Sylvain Legwinski has revealed his Fulham team-mates are worried about relegation after their slump which sees them just five points above the relegation zone.

The French midfielder said: "Of course we're worried about relegation as, bit by bit, we're going down the table.

"We absolutely need a win in the league and our concern at the moment is just to win games. We need to get our confidence back and have a row of wins."

Good news for Tigana is Louis Saha should be ready to return from injury while Rufus Brevett has now served suspensions.

Jon Harley has returned from his loan spell with Sheffield United but Pierre Wome is banned for the trip to the Reebok Stadium.

Which players are available is not the problem for Tigana, however, and he will be more concerned that those he picks can halt the slide which has raised questions about their ability to survive their second Premiership season.