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The ingredients seem right so can the team do a Watford and achieve back-to-back promotions? I don't see why not said

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The ingredients seem right, so can the team do a Watford and achieve back-to-back promotions? "I don't see why not," said Bracewell "We intend to reach the Premiership as quickly as possible We've got good players and a fantastic team spirit. On the bench alone were internationals Kit Symons and John Salako, as well as the former Derby County player Paul Trollope. Success breeds success."A glance at Wednesday's team sheet was evidence enough that Fulham have the personnel to secure a top-flight berth. Most of the players were with us last year when we won promotion - and Fulham's first trophy for 50 years - by lifting the Second Division title They want more. I am a very ambitious manager, and my staff and players are too. They've given me the chance to go out there and add the quality I'm looking for."Bracewell added: "We are still trying to fulfil our ambition of getting to the Premiership in five years." King Kev may have gone, but the framework of his masterplan is firmly in place "Yeah, definitely. "The signings [of Collymore and Arsenal's Stephen Hughes on loan, as well as Lee Clark from Sunderland for pounds 3m] prove the ambition of the chairman and the board.

But we're not about individuals, we have great strength in depth."Much of the present squad was assembled by his predecessor, but Bracewell has shown that he can survive without Kevin Keegan by attracting top-class players of his own. Whether the entente remains cordiale is debatable, but his manager, Paul Bracewell, appears to be getting the most out of his bold signing. Asked later how Collymore was settling in, Bracewell paused for a second before declaring: "Fine." Never one for long speeches, the Cottagers' latest guardian simply added: "Yeah, he scored a goal and worked very hard. Added to the exquisite dummy which led to Paul Peschisolido's 22nd-minute score, and his goal two minutes later courtesy of a thunderous right-foot shot from 25 yards, Collymore seemed at ease in his new surroundings. After being substituted in the 54th minute to a partisan mixture of applause and boos, he disappeared for a while before returning from the changing room to watch the end of the match from the dug-out. While the former Liverpool and England striker - who is on a three-month loan from Aston Villa - is naturally keen to impress his prospective employers, his performance off, as much as on, the pitch was encouraging.

Love him or probably not, it remains that much of the west Londoners' chances of success this season will hinge on his frame of mind The early signs are good. PERHAPS THE most significant cameo of Fulham's otherwise predictably dominant win over Plymouth Argyle in their friendly on Wednesday was the sight of Stan Collymore enjoying himself and, more importantly, the company of his new team-mates Stan was, for want of a better phrase, mucking in. She isn't shy about inserting fleas into ears but in the end she will discover, as Banks did, that while sports ministers may have a lot of shout, they have very little clout.. Indeed, she's just as likely as Banks to have a say about a lot of things. "The job is incredibly high on profile but light on executive power," he said yesterday.Whatever the future holds - and he confirmed to me yesterday that he is now giving serious thought to running for Mayor of London - I believe a big job awaits Banks in football, bigger even than being the Prime Minister's special envoy for the 2006 campaign.Should a mayoral bid not materialise, or fail, it is more than feasible that Blair will then ask him to become the country's first football tsar - a commissioner-style figure linking government and the sport No doubt Ms Hoey would have something to say about that.

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