“I can only speak for Everton as an ex-manager. I can’t speak for Rafa. But Everton is a big club, with big traditions and they’ve challenged the top four, certainly in my time there. There was a constant challenge.  It was really difficult to break in, but we did it on one occasion. So I think Rafa might be thinking the exact same as I did at the time, he may be thinking even more. 

So I’ve thought that West ham are the team that does that. I’ve been pushing the players and the staff here to say: ‘No, we have to challenge the top four. That’s the job and we have to try and push them as hard as we can.’

Well, we finished three points I think behind Chelsea last year in the race for a Champions League spot. So we have to try and find that extra few points as the season goes on so that we can make it.”

Ambitious words from the West Ham manager, he doesn’t want to be tagged with the best of the rest because he feels he can break into the best category and spoil their party.