Sincs: I'm Bouncing Back

Two goal hero Trevor Sinclair admits he has been below par of late - and is determined to carry on making amends.

Trevor, restored to the side because of the absence of Joe Cole through suspension, grabbed a brace of goals at the Hawthorns and would have secured a first-ever Hammers hat trick had he converted what looked an easier chance than the goals he did manage with the game at 0-0.

"I have had a bit of a break because since the World Cup I had not missed any games," he says.

"But I have had two or three off recently so I just felt I was able to get into my training, and tweak a few bits and bobs.

"It is always a kick in the teeth when you get dropped off but the gaffer has seen how I have reacted; I have been coming in on my days off, doing my weights, getting my head down, and taking it as a warning sign.

"I was in a bit of a rut and couldn't get out of it, no matter what I did, and missing two or three games has done me a favour."

Although Sven-Goran Eriksson was at the game, Trevor insists: "It was all about West Ham; the lacklustre performances that I have had this season has reflected in me not being selected in the England squad.

"I am man enough to say I have not being playing well enough or up to the standards I was last year.

"But all I can do is get my head down, try to get back to where I was, and that is what I am in the process of doing.

"If I get back in the squad, so be it, and if I don't at least I will be doing as well as I can to keep West Ham in the Premiership."

As for the reasons for his dip in form, he says: "I could have a million and one excuses but I don't know why it was. I was going out there in the right frame of mind but I wasn't playing as well as I could.

"It just wasn't happening for me and I don't know if I was stale or I hadn't had a rest - but I knew I wasn't playing well enough and I couldn't put my finger on it.

"All I can say is that the rest has probably done me good."

Trevor says the players were motivated to prove the doubters wrong after an article claiming that a player had criticised certain aspects of the way the club was being run.

"I think it did for the players because the gaffer got us all in and was disgusted with it; there were so many lies in the article.

"There was truth in the argument between Gary and the boss - but that happens all over the place in football and most of it was bull.

"We all got together to say 'who said it?' and everyone said they hadn't.

"I have spoke to the gaffer since and he said to me that he found out who it was - and it is not a player.

"So that is good enough for me and it shows we can trust each other."

As for how it affects Glenn Roeder, Trevor says: "People are going to look on it in different ways, so whether it reflects on him to certain people and not to others I don't know.

"But basically he just thought it was someone trying to have a dig at us and stick the boot in - it is the usual scenario.

"Sometimes we have been a soft touch in the past and things have got out, but we have a tight ship here and it wasn't any of the players.

"The gaffer did bring it up and it did leave a sour taste in the mouth when you walked away from the training ground because everyone had said honestly to each other 'come on, who has said something?'

"But I believe it has come from a third party, from someone else that wasn't a player - we definitely know it wasn't one of us so we are just happy to get on with it and make sure we keep on fighting for each other."

As for the on field 'spat' between David James and Tomas Repka - soon resolved - Trevor adds:"I think Jamo has just shown the importance of the game and how much it means to the lads if you are going to have a full blown argument in front of thousands there and millions watching it on TV.

"They weren't holding back on anything, they were letting their feelings show and I don't think that is out of order."

Of the relegation battle overall, he adds:"We are in touch but we need to win another five or six - but it is still in our hands and we have all got our mind on the job at hand - and we are all up for it.

"If we can get a run now it would help us massively, because we have not done that this season - which is why we find ourselves in the position we do.

"A run of three or four games would be perfect now; we did it last season and we have to do it now.

"We are going to make sure we are the hungrier team on Saturday and let's hope that will reflect in the score line."

But Trevor is all to aware how narrow the win is, saying: "It was a massive result and it didn't all go our way; David James made a few excellent saves, one of which was caused by my bad judgment when I was thinking no one was there and he made a good save from Lee Hughes.

"He has made other good saves and done well just when we needed it."

And his miss?

"I was disappointed but I tried to do everything right, keep it down, and hit it to the side of the keeper.

"But because it was such a hard pitch it bounced over, but I wasn't too despondent by that, and straight away I thought 'all right, it is gone now' and I was determined to get on the score sheet after that because I was getting in the positions.

"I thought I didn't want it on my head because the fans have been on me a little bit recently anyway and I just wanted to show them that I have still got the stomach for it, that I am definitely up for the fight, and I want to be part of the team.

"I don't think of the win as a confidence booster for the team, but perhaps for me personally it was because when you get your opportunity again you can be a bit eager and not do so well.

"For the side, though, it was about necessity, and it was one of the most important games I have played in for West Ham in a few years, and you could see it in the fans' adulation after the game - and the players themselves were so delighted.

"It must have been a big relief for the gaffer as well that we got the three points and kept in touch with the team just above us."