Michael: Bumpy Ride Ahead

Michael Carrick predicts a bumpy roller coaster ride ahead as the battle to get out of the bottom three reaches a climax.

"To be honest, I think the next three or four weeks are going to be up and down, but hopefully if we can keep winning it is going to be up and up and up for us," he says.

"It probably will keep changing and work itself out in a few weeks time.

"There are 10 games left and we still have Birmingham, Sunderland, and Bolton left to play so the points are up for grabs and we are all up for it."

As for Saturday's London derby and the chance to avenge a 3-2 reverse from earlier in the season, he adds: "It is not about who we are playing against now, it is just about picking up points; we want to stay in the division and we all believe we are going to do that.

"Saturday is just another game; you have got to be up for every one and you can't take one game differently because every week is a big game."

Looking back on the win at the Hawthorns, he says: "Everyone was delighted to come away with three points in such a massive game.

"It was always going to be hard with everything to gain if you win and there was a bit of tension and nerves, and I thought the lads played really well.

"Trevor did well to score two after missing a great chance so you can't ask any more.

"Them equalising made it hard because they came at us and had a few chances, but I thought the lads showed great character to pick up three points.

"The whole game was about character because if we didn't have any bottle we would have gone under and we had said for the two weeks before the game how massive it was."

He admits the Hammers had one or two decisions go their way and adds: "There were a lot of bodies in the box and there is always jostling for position especially in the game like that, and there were decisions to be made - but thankfully the referee gave them our way.

"But you have to ride your luck in games like that and we did."