Manager David Moyes is hoping his West Ham United side can further their impressive start to 2021 - with three clean sheets and three wins in three games - when West Bromwich Albion visit London Stadium on Saturday.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Moyes discussed the Club's consistency so far this season, the return to action of Michail Antonio, his plans for the January transfer window and his opposite number in the West Brom dugout, former Hammers manager Sam Allardyce...
We’ve shown consistency this season
It has been tough to get consistency this season, but thankfully we’ve shown bits of it at different times.
We're in a decent run at this moment in time, but I don't take any of it for granted. We know we're going have to play really well and work very hard in every game we win.
It’s something I’ve been trying to bring. I want to have a level of consistency, whether that be just general fixtures or in our league position over many seasons – we’re trying to achieve a level of consistency. I have to say the players are performing really well.
We didn’t start the season particularly well in the first two games, but if you take those two out of it, you know we’ve been in really good form at this present moment in time.
We hope that continues. We don’t take it for granted. I understand the players are doing a great job and we’re encouraging them to continually improve.
We don’t want to be finishing where we are just now – we want to pick up a lot more points.
Michail Antonio is continuing to step up
It’s really difficult for us at the moment with three games in eight days.
Mich’s managed himself in the games quite well. I don’t think he’s at full tilt at the moment. He’s doing well, but I know there’s another couple of gears for him to go up to at the moment and I think he’s protecting himself slightly
He’s an important part of the team for us – you could see that with his goal on Saturday, it got us a result – so we’ve got to be careful with him.
But we also want to win games and keep moving forwards, so we’ll try and get Mich ready for the West Brom game. I think it’s a really quick set of games for lots of clubs and we’re no different to others.
We’re out there trying in the transfer window
The January window helped us greatly last year, but it’s never an easy window and we’ve not got much time to do it.
If we can find somebody we think we can add to the squad who can help us get better, we’re going to try and do that. We’ve had one or two offers for players either be rejected or they’re not available or it’s too much money in our eyes. It is a transfer window and we're out there trying.
We've got a really good squad at the moment with players who are really contributing. Whether it be in the starting eleven or coming off the bench, the boys have done really well.
We've just lost Robert Snodgrass and Seb Haller, so we’re aware that we're two senior players down from where we were a few weeks ago, but if we can get somebody in, great, but if we don't, we'll work with what we've got.
It’s great to see Big Sam back in football
I’m really glad to see Big Sam back in football again because he’s a great character. He’s been a terrific manager wherever he’s been, and he’s added so many things to the football in this country over the years.
I hope it's not a successful night when he comes back to London Stadium tomorrow!
Overall, I'm really pleased to have him back in football. Sam’s just got the ability. He knows ways to press the button on players and he’s always recruited well when the club he’s at has been under pressure, so from that point of view, if we can get what Sam's given to clubs before, West Brom'll be doing fine – but I hope that’s after tomorrow night!
I want to see more of the same
I want more of many things, but above all, I want more of the same attitude the players are showing.
Their commitment has been brilliant in all the games. Their attitude’s great. Round the training ground, round the Club, they've been really good, and it’s shown on the field.
You can see the togetherness. You can see how hard they’re working to get victories. Long may that continue.
