Lucas Neill has issued a rallying call ahead of
Wednesday's home clash against Chelsea and believes that West
Ham United still have every chance of securing our Premiership
status before the end of the season.
The Australian defender was left disappointed by yesterday's 3-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Sheffield United but, with a mouth-watering London derby looming at Upton Park, insists that his team-mates are determined to bounce back immediately.
"Obviously we are very disappointed by the result," he says. "We had an opportunity to go above Sheffield United and make things a little more comfortable on the run-in, but as it stands, I believe we still need three wins, and we've got five games to do it.
"We have three home matches - all of which are winnable in my opinion, a very important away match at Wigan, and then a trip to Manchester United on the final day of the season.
"There is still so much to play for, and it is important that we don't lose heart. We have to bounce back immediately and react quickly, and it's great to have a home game on Wednesday against Chelsea because it is a chance to lift ourselves again.
"We have to realise that there are still 15 points to play for, and we have to fight for every single one of them. We can still end up smiling at the end of the season."
Reflecting on Saturday's defeat at Bramall Lane, Lucas admits that, while a 3-0 scoreline slightly flattered the hosts, Hammers paid the price for missing their chances at the other end. However, he won't be dwelling on the matter for long - and is now fully focused on the visit of Jose Mourinho's champions in midweek.
"There were some defining moments in the game," he says. "Whoever scored the first goal was obviously going to take a massive step towards victory but at the start of the second half we penned them in a bit and should have got back into it.
"I had a chance that was saved, Carlos had one that he would put away more often than not, but we got hit again from a set-piece and, after that, we opened up as more men were pushed forward.
"They were running on the adrenaline and giving everything they had, while we couldn't find that energy. It's very disappointing but the scoreline isn't really relevant - all that matters is we have to bounce back on Wednesday.
"Sheffield United have still got to play the teams around us and maybe we need them to kick on now, and get themselves clear of it by beating those sides. Charlton, Wigan and Fulham are still all very much in it. I don't see them picking up too many points from their last four or five games, and it's important that we make the most of our home games and believe we can do it.
"I hope the atmosphere will be bubbling against Chelsea on Wednesday. Naturally you raise your game against teams like that, and I expect that there will be lots of passion and commitment. As long as we control our aggression, we can get something from the game. We've beaten Arsenal away, who says we can't beat Chelsea at home?"
The Australian defender was left disappointed by yesterday's 3-0 defeat at the hands of relegation rivals Sheffield United but, with a mouth-watering London derby looming at Upton Park, insists that his team-mates are determined to bounce back immediately.
"Obviously we are very disappointed by the result," he says. "We had an opportunity to go above Sheffield United and make things a little more comfortable on the run-in, but as it stands, I believe we still need three wins, and we've got five games to do it.
"We have three home matches - all of which are winnable in my opinion, a very important away match at Wigan, and then a trip to Manchester United on the final day of the season.
"There is still so much to play for, and it is important that we don't lose heart. We have to bounce back immediately and react quickly, and it's great to have a home game on Wednesday against Chelsea because it is a chance to lift ourselves again.
"We have to realise that there are still 15 points to play for, and we have to fight for every single one of them. We can still end up smiling at the end of the season."
Reflecting on Saturday's defeat at Bramall Lane, Lucas admits that, while a 3-0 scoreline slightly flattered the hosts, Hammers paid the price for missing their chances at the other end. However, he won't be dwelling on the matter for long - and is now fully focused on the visit of Jose Mourinho's champions in midweek.
"There were some defining moments in the game," he says. "Whoever scored the first goal was obviously going to take a massive step towards victory but at the start of the second half we penned them in a bit and should have got back into it.
"I had a chance that was saved, Carlos had one that he would put away more often than not, but we got hit again from a set-piece and, after that, we opened up as more men were pushed forward.
"They were running on the adrenaline and giving everything they had, while we couldn't find that energy. It's very disappointing but the scoreline isn't really relevant - all that matters is we have to bounce back on Wednesday.
"Sheffield United have still got to play the teams around us and maybe we need them to kick on now, and get themselves clear of it by beating those sides. Charlton, Wigan and Fulham are still all very much in it. I don't see them picking up too many points from their last four or five games, and it's important that we make the most of our home games and believe we can do it.
"I hope the atmosphere will be bubbling against Chelsea on Wednesday. Naturally you raise your game against teams like that, and I expect that there will be lots of passion and commitment. As long as we control our aggression, we can get something from the game. We've beaten Arsenal away, who says we can't beat Chelsea at home?"