Nigel Reo-Coker insists that the buzz generated around
Upton Park following the arrival of new owner Eggert Magnusson can
only be good for the team on the pitch.
The Hammers captain, who, along with his team-mates, met Mr
Magnusson for the first time on Thursday morning, admits it is a
relief that everything will now calm down and that talk will be
about what is happening on the pitch rather than off it.
"It's been going on for a while and we are all glad that
the take-over has finally been completed," he says.
"Obviously as players it is something out of our control that
we can't do anything about but, of course, you are reading
about it, seeing it in the media and people are always asking you
what is happening.
"For me personally, I haven't let it bother me. I'm
here to play football and do my job for West Ham, but everyone
reacts to things differently. Hopefully now we can just get on with
playing our game, which is the only thing we want to do."
Nigel also believes that the fresh sense of optimism around the
place this week will boost the players ahead of a tough game
against Sheffield United on Saturday.
"To a certain degree, it is a fresh chance to start building
on results again," he says. "It will help the players
leading up to the game, because it's another lift for us. There
is pressure to win, but that comes from ourselves, we need to get
three points and we want to get them.
"Sheffield United are a tough side, I remember them well from
playing against them in the Championship many times. They are
similar to us in that they like to play at a high tempo, but are
more physical than us. It will be tough, but we know what we are
capable of and just have to make sure that we can make it work for
us on Saturday."
The 22-year-old midfielder is also feeling good about his own game,
and insists that the target for the whole team is to now get the
results that will see them move up the Premiership table and follow
up the success they enjoyed last season.
"I have been satisfied with my own game so far," he says.
"There have been things out of my control, in that I
didn't have the pre-season I would've liked because of my
back injury, but with every game now I feel stronger.
"It's been an awkward season so far, in that things just
haven't really clicked into place for us and it hasn't been
free-flowing. But the spirit and everything that got us far last
year is still here, very much so, and I think people who have
watched us play recently will have seen that in our recent
performances."
By Laura Burkin
*Head to WHUTV now for exclusive coverage of Nigel Reo-Coker's press conference at Upton Park on Thursday