Mark Schwarzer claims Fulham can grab European place

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Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer believes a good run towards the end of the season could see his side clip into a European place.

The Cottagers are five points off Bolton in seventh, and after seeing his Australia side record an impressive friendly victory over Germany on Tuesday night, the big goalkeeper was in confident mood when he met Goal.com.

Goal.com: Is Australia’s win a boost ahead of the final phase of the Premier League?

Schwarzer: Of course. Positive experiences for the national team will always help at club level. Victories do one well. Sometimes they can give a personal boost of form. This is good for one’s self-confidence.

What is possible for Fulham this season?

Schwarzer: The league table is very tight. We are five points from last place and five adrift of seventh. The next two or three games are of great importance, as will be the last of the season. On Sunday we’ve got a big task against Blackpool. We must win this game. Only if we do that should we talk about what we can do this year.

You seem to be enjoying playing for Australia. Is that a secret for success?

Schwarzer: It’s great fun to be in this team, playing with the national side. We are a unit and I think it’s important that one does not show up with too much respect for the opposition. This is easier if the team has unity and trust. And of course if it is fun.

Was the win a fair result?

Schwarzer: We made some early mistakes and the game got a little out of hand. After the break we were strong – and not only on the counter-attack. It was a good experience for us, because Germany have a fantastic midfield. We put them under pressure, they had problems.

How seriously did both teams take this match?

Schwarzer: Although this was called a friendly match before, for Australians there are no friendlies. We take every match seriously. We play for pride and our country and I think today we can be proud. Germany are among the world leaders. They have a good team and, above all, consistency. They have shown their class many times. I think this game will only help us progress. We played against Germany, and whether or not they were third in the world rankings, we wanted to beat them.

Have Australia continued to develop after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

Schwarzer: The fact that we lost so badly in the World Cup has motivated us even more to improve. The failure in South Africa we have left behind.

Germany finished third last summer. Are you getting as good as them?

Schwarzer: Of course Germany have top players, but we have played together for a while now and are coming together. After the penalty, I saw many good signs. I will not single out individuals, but many have shown what can be expected from them in the future. The effort has proven that the structure of the collective whole is always best.

You have beaten the Netherlands and Germany, what next?

Schwarzer: That’s fantastic, of course. But in the future, we must do better at World Cups. Of course we take our friendlies seriously, we want to learn. We look forward to the next time we play in a big tournament, because we want to see if we can turn around our previous results. We can only work hard and keep developing. I think the Asian Cup has shown our development and that we can compete with strong teams. Also, it must be added that we have many young players who have potential.

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said before the game that a training match between his A and B teams would be more interesting than the Australia friendly. What do you reckon?

Schwarzer: I think that these words prove that Germany are often too confident. Looking at the result should quiet such people. Perhaps it is arrogance, which some call self-confidence, when they start assuming victory too often. They played at home, but we ensured that the crowd was pretty quiet in the stands. They are the ones who have to win against any team.