Tantalising points combinations dependent upon results in the next 48 hours ensure this Premier League relegation battle will go to the penultimate weekend. Arsenal’s visit could herald a resurgence or a reality check: Come Tuesday West Ham could be back in 17th and two points ahead of Spurs or alternatively four points behind in deep, deep trouble in 18th with a mountain to climb.
Nuno’s previous assertion that it wall go down to the wire could yet hold true: As far as West Ham’s camp ahead of todays London Stadium clash, the players and management have not changed their belief ( ohh – that word again) that the Hammers will escape. If anything, they’re more entrenched.
Take Mateus Fernandes’ opinion from whufc.com
“It’s football. Everything can change very quickly.
“Last week, we were happier. This week, they won the game and everything changed, but we can change it. We need to be ourselves again.
We need to do the same things because in the last four games, we just lost one and it was this last one. We’re doing the right things.
Defiant despite task ahead – Fernandes and Pablo still ‘believing’.
“When we come to the training ground, the mood is very good. The guys believe we can do it.”
And new boy Pablo evidently shares the same conviction:
“We know we are in a difficult situation, but we are confident and positive that we will achieve our goal. We are all working together and focused. We have a great coach who helps us a lot. He always motivates us and reassures us about our situation. We have to work hard to get out of this situation.”
Fans will be tired of hearing the same management-speak messages of ‘Belief, working hard and sticking together’ which date back to Graham Potter’s era: Against Arsenal the team ethic will be sorely tested, as will Nuno’s super-optimism.
Belief is fine, but as millions of children have found out simply believing in Father Christmas doesn’t make the guy in the red coat any more real.
West Ham need goals against Arsenal. Time for Nuno to step up and bench his bearded Brazilian forward and stick Bowen in the middle with Traore as a winger from the start. Hammers fans will know there are Arsenal goals coming: Going down meekly 0-2 won’t cut it.
Well Santa decided to visit today and left a present then 5 minutes later took it back. But we can’t be bitter over a poor decision, we are where we are because of a season full of bad results.
But millions of children still get presents…
Doesn’t anyone know that Belief is a doubt. You shouldn’t beleive in anything you should know it
You have to seriously question their optimism ! They should have displayed this 6 months ago, & gotten some more points on the board. Now, they have left it too late; Arsenal are a far better side than us & I can’t see any other result but a win for the. I really hope otherwise, but it is asking too much of the team to win this one- or, is it ?
Father Christmas isn’t real?
Why has nobody else picked up on that! That’s ruined my day even before I’ve gone to the game 😂