Declan Rice insists ‘the tables will turn’ and West Ham United will start winning Premier League football matches again in the near future.
The Irons have found positive results hard to come by this season after two campaigns in which they won 46% of their top-flight matches on the way to consecutive sixth and seventh-place finishes.
So far in 2022/23, 16 games have brought just four victories and 13 goals scored, leaving the Hammers 16th in the table and with ground to make up if they are to challenge for a top-half finish for a third straight year.
Talking of years, 2022 ends with the visit of Brentford to London Stadium on Friday evening. Captain Rice knows a derby victory over the Bees would not only send the squad into 2023 with renewed confidence, but also give the Claret and Blue Army a welcome New Year’s present.
“We know where we are in the league and that’s nearer to the bottom end at the minute, but I am sure the tables will turn, and we’ll push ourselves back up the table,” said the skipper. “It’s a bump in the road that we need to get over, and we’ve got to remain positive and we believe we can beat Brentford.
“Every team has a period where results don’t go your way, and it’s down to me as captain to keep everyone going and keep pushing everyone. I’ll personally always give 100 per cent out on the pitch to make things happen and get results, and so will the other lads as well.
“There is no way we’re down and out. There are so many games to go and we’re still positive and believe we have got a good team, and we have top players, but we need to stop talking about it and start showing it. With the players we’ve got and signings we’ve made, it’s down to us to show our quality at both ends of the pitch.”
While West Ham have remained sound defensively, conceding just 20 goals in 16 matches, goalscoring has proved more problematic, and Rice knows the final third is an area he and his teammates must improve in if they are to get back to winning ways on a consistent basis.
“There have been games in which we’ve played well and not got the results,” he observed. “We have created chances in games, but just not put the ball in the back of the net and in the Premier League, that’s the main thing.
“As we come to the end of the year, there is no time to look back. Instead, we have got to concentrate 100 per cent on the present, because we know we are in a position where we need to perform and pick up points in the Premier League, starting against Brentford on Friday night.”
