Seb: I Thought It Was A Nightmare

Sebastien Schemmel admits that Monday night became a nightmare from which he expected to wake up.

"I feel very disappointed because we played well with six or seven scoring chances against a goalkeeper that was terrific," he says, looking back on the Southampton defeat.

"It was a s*** goal to concede, unbelievable, and a nightmare for the team.

"I keep thinking I will wake up in five minutes, and for a moment when they scored I wanted to be small - but this is not my mentality.

"It is a nightmare for Glenn as well, especially with Fredi being injured at the last minute after we had worked with him in training.

"If he had come back I am sure we would have won the game - and then they go and score with the last shot of the match."

One observer likened the game to a Greek tragedy and, if that might be taking poetic licence too far, Seb at least agrees with the general sentiment.

Cursing the Hammers' luck, he says: "It is very difficult for me to explain something because I am very disappointed - but there were plenty of shots and crosses so it is unbelievable and strange...maybe not strange - cruel.

"The last 15 minutes were very long with us not scoring, and Southampton got some confidence from that.

"We worked very hard last week as we do every week, and the fans are very angry which I understand - but the team need to stick together to get to the middle of the table.

"Paolo is injured, Fredi is injured, and that makes it difficult, but the next game is about how we feel in our heads.

"It is just a question of scoring the first goal and if Jermain had scored on five minutes the game would have been finished and we might have won three, four, or five nil.

"I know my job, I know I have to work hard and I repeat, we just need a win to get back into things. This is not the right position for West Ham."

Seb feels sympathy for Glenn Roeder and adds: "It is not easy but I have supported Glenn for two years. He loves West Ham and he is a good manager.

"When you don't win there is pressure on the manager but I want him to stay, he is my friend, he saved me two years ago, and I was the player of the season last time - because he was the boss.

"But it is not my job to speak about things like that."

West Ham now face away trips to the Middlesbrough and Manchester United almost certainly without Paolo Di Canio and Fredi Kanoute, and Seb adds: "I don't know what is happening with Fredi and Paolo but if we keep the same mentality, and with just a little bit of luck, it is possible to win everywhere - even Manchester United.

"It is eleven against eleven and we will go to these two away games looking for wins.

"For me life is difficult because we are losing and all my family is back in France, but I have a strong mentality and I want to fight for West Ham, which is my team for the rest of my life. I don't want us to go to the first division and the thought is not even in my head.

"We will come back. We need eleven fighters and we will do it - nothing is finished and there are only three points between us and West Brom.

"The first objective is to not go into the first division and to get to 17th, then, after one or two wins, we will think about mid-table and beyond."