Consistent Warning

AFTER the perfect start to 2005, Hammers suffered a disappointing set-back against Sheffield United at Upton Park.

Manager Alan Pardew was left to admit his side fell well below the standards set at Portman Road and need to exorcise the inconsistent streak from their form in the weeks ahead.

"We weren't good enough against Sheffield United," confessed Pards. "They came to Upton Park with a game plan, stuck to it and we just couldn't find the answers.

"We lacked energy. At Ipswich our work rate and application was tremendous, but we didn't show the same emphasis in our performance.

"It was a very tough game that we desperately wanted to win to stay in touch with the automatic promotion places.

"But it was a poor result and everyone is extremely disappointed with the display.

"Consistency has been our major problem this season. Anyone who saw the Ipswich performance would have been scratching their heads at the way we played yesterday.

"We have it within us to beat the best teams in the league and showed that at Portman Road. But we need to show it game after game and we're not doing that.

"There is no way we can keep defending our inconsistency. We have to look within ourselves, both as individuals and as a team and start to put it right."

The Hammers will have the opportunity to put it right when they take on Norwich in the FA Cup Third Round at Upton Park this weekend. Pards will be looking for a positive response from his players.

"I'm confident the team can put this behind them and respond on Saturday," he said, "but we have put pressure on ourselves and it will be a very difficult game.

"We had a few players suffering from flu against Sheffield United, which certainly didn't help our cause, and we should have a larger squad to choose from at the weekend.

"I'll have the option to make changes and that is something I will look very carefully at. After yesterday's display there will certainly be one or two players sweating on their places."

Like so many Championship teams that have visited Upton Park, Neil Warnock's Blades bogged the play down in midfield and saturated their defence. But that did not make Pards any less disappointed about West Ham's failure to break the visitors down.

"Teams that come here make it very difficult for us," he said, "but the Club have known that since we came into this division. It is nothing new and we must learn how to deal with it.

"Sheffield United were determined in the way they set out to play. We needed a creative and zestful performance to break them down, but there was none of that in the way we played and it reflected in the few efforts we had on goal."

But despite being leapfrogged by Sheffield United in the table West Ham remain in the Play-off places, and Pards is staying positive about the Hammers promotion chances. And although the pressure is on, West Ham's boss believes his side are up to the challenge.

"This is a results business," he explained, "and when the results don't come you are going to find yourself under pressure.

"But I firmly believe that this team is capable of achieving the results and getting us into the automatic promotion places.

"We need to stay focused and keep working hard. The players are aware that our consistency has to be improved if we want to go up this season, and the only way we are going to put that right is to make sure that we learn from our mistakes.

"Sheffield United defended deep and put the emphasis on us to make something happen, which meant that we were a big ragged and lost our shape at times.

"There are a lot of lessons that need to be learned from yesterday's game, and believe me we will learn them.

"Everyone is very disappointed at the moment, but we are chasing a huge prize and there is no time to dwell on the negatives.

"Despite not reaching our best form we are still in touch with the promotion places, and if we can knit together a consistent run of performances then we'll put the pressure right back on the leaders."