Peter: We Must Win

Peter Grant acknowledges that Coventry on Saturday is the first of four games that West Ham must win to stand a chance of making the playoffs.

"There are massive games coming up but, as I have said many times at this club, every game is massive.

"Even if there was nothing at stake it would be - but it is more so now that we are in a position where we are chasing, whereas we have always been hunted this season.

"It will take something special for us to get in the playoffs and get promoted, which we are desperate to do.

"We are looking for four wins and with that we could still miss out - that is how tight it is.

"But that would put us right amongst it with everyone playing each other and, as the cliche goes, we have to look after ourselves, which we haven't done over the last few weeks.

"We could have been home and dry with our own performances and we have not done that, so we find ourselves in the chasing pack.

"It can be a benefit, but I would rather be in the leading pack, there is no doubt about that.

"We have to perform better; on Monday we showed first class commitment but the final ball still didn't have the quality.

"If we can keep the same commitment we had on Monday and add the quality to it we will not be far away - but we have to prove that."

Peter knows that there will be massive disappointment if the playoffs are not reached, and adds:

"Some players can handle the expectations and some players can't.

"But the fans have been fantastic; if I went to the pictures and it wasn't very good I would be showing my displeasure as well.

"We are under pressure with a lot of new players here - and they have not had to deal with this before in their careers.

"Having 35,000 people here is fantastic if you are winning but can be nerve-racking if you are not playing particularly well.

"I would rather have this than 2,000 or 3,000 every week, that is for sure - and the big players grow into it and want to be involved in it.

"We have not given them great performances to shout about; we have given them endeavour at times and other times it has looked as if there has been no endeavour.

"Our away performances have been poor at Reading, Sunderland, and Millwall, but on Monday I thought we got a bit of pride back with our effort - but we still need to add a bit of quality as well."

Steve Lomas returns to action after missing the trip to Palace but Nigel Reo-Coker and Tomas Repka miss out and Peter adds:

"You want all your players available, because if you have got that it gives you something to choose from.

"We are missing two players through suspension, which is disappointing, because it cuts your squad and you need to change things; having said that, it gives other people an opportunity.

"Lomy played very well last week and gave us a bit of impetus, especially early in the game.

"If we had scored in that period I am sure we would have won comfortably.

"Then nerves kick in and the performance in the second half wasn't good enough."

David Connolly faces a one match ban after his sending off at Palace and Peter adds:

"I thought David was unfortunate on both occasions; it was a high pressure, high tempo game and I think he was a split second behind on both occasions.

"He is not a malicious player in any shape or form and people would say the first tackle was a typical striker's one.

"I have not seen the second one on video yet but it looked as if the player followed through and caught David.

"We were disappointed because it is hard enough winning a game with all the players on the pitch, let alone when you lose one.

"But you want to avoid silly bookings and Tomas is suspended for three games now - and I would say 90% of his bookings have been through his mouth and those are silly bookings."

Looking at Coventry, Peter says:

"They are doing very well and have bounced back with some wonderful results; they have done fantastically after being a bit up and down.

"I know the coach, Eric Black, very well, and he likes to have his teams play with high tempos.

"He will come to us expecting to take something away from the game - that is the way he approaches it - and they will come feeling they have got nothing to lose, that anything they get will be a bonus, and play without fear.

"But if we play as well as we can and get a little bit of luck that you always need it is an opportunity to get three points.

"This week has been interesting; if you look at the Crystal Palace game, which was a disappointing result, you would say there was a bit of a lift because the players applied themselves a lot more than they have done in the previous away games.

"We think if they had shown that endeavour in any of the other games we would have taken something away from those."