The Cottagers endured a frustrating night in last week's first leg as they struggled to a goalless draw in Croatia. After victories over Faroese minnows NSI Runavik and Northern Irish part-timers Crusaders, the west Londoners had been expected to secure another win at Dugopolje's Stadion Hrvatski Vitezovi but Split proved dogged opponents. Martin Jol admitted in last week's post-match press conference that he anticipates another difficult match in the second leg and Baird has echoed his manager's sentiments. "I can see that myself as well," he told Fulham's official website. "I think the draw was a good result for us because they weren't a bad side. "I'm not making excuses. The pitch was a big factor for us but they also made it a tough game. "Now we'll be on our own surface, with our own fans behind us and I would fully expect us to get the win." He added: "It's been great to be in the Europa League again. "Obviously the results show that we're taking it seriously. "We've had a few tough games but we've come through them. "The last game against RNK was a hard one but hopefully we're going to get the win we need back at the Cottage. "We'll be hoping to get into the group stages again. We're in the competition and we want to do well and get as far as we can. "It's going to be hard no matter what but, at the end of the day, it's just down to us. "If we can get into the group stages it will be magnificent for the club and great for the boys." Meanwhile, reports emanated on Tuesday linking Fulham with a move for ADO Den Haag duo Wesley Verhoek and Lex Immers. The Premier League club are reportedly leading the race to sign 24-year-old winger Verhoek despite competition from the likes of Rangers, Nottingham Forest and several leading Dutch clubs. Immers is also reported to be on Jol's radar, with the club looking for a loan with a view to a permanent deal for the 25-year-old. The Cottagers would not comment on the speculation.
