David Moyes has insisted that West Ham are up for the fight for European football next season and has called on his players and staff to grab the chance with both hands.
David Moyes said: “I’ve just said to the staff this morning that you don’t get many opportunities to do this. We have to take every opportunity we can to get around the Champions League and be in it. If we can do it we will, but it is a long, long shot for us. I can’t see the bookies making us favourites to be in the top four. We’ve got a little bit closer to Leicester, but we know breathing down our necks are Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal. All teams that could catch us on the points front. We’re well aware of that but I don’t know what else we could do but turn up and play the next game, try and win it. We’ve got seven games to go. I’ve got my targets, the players know what they need to do. We’re not in any way stepping back from it, we’re going harder to make it happen. I’m not going to load the players with loads of pressure because there is a chance of being in the Champions League.”
Going into the season West Ham were expected to be involved in the bottom half of the table so a Champions League challenge has come as quite the surprise to Moyes. Having got his team into fourth spot with seven games remaining the manager did admit that were they to miss out on Champions League football there would be a sense of disappointment in the camp. However, he added that to readjust expectations on his players would be unfair considering the fine season his team have had.
David Moyes said: “Would I be disappointed? Of course I would be disappointed, we are going to try and make it but I don’t think we have ever tried to play anything down. We have tried to be realistic and say look at the quality of the teams around us, we are competing really well with them.”
David Moyes added: “So now to change and say we should be disappointed not to make the Champions League, I would say no we won’t be disappointed but I think deep down if I don’t keep pushing those teams hard I would be disappointed and that’s what I want to do. I want to take it as long as we can and right to the end and let’s see where we end up.”
