Green admits fans are 'key factor'

Robert Green is calling on Hammers fans to get behind the team again on Saturday in the crucial Premiership clash with Middlesbrough at Upton Park.

"The support against Blackburn was tremendous," said the 27-year-old keeper. "It's not often you're at one end of a ground and you can hear your own fans at the other end over the whole of the home support.

"The support in the last home game against Tottenham was also tremendous and we need that again against Middlesbrough. I don't think we're in a situation where it's going to do anybody any favours by getting on people's backs.

"As frustrating as football can be at times, I think the key factor now is that everyone's together and giving everything a go. Hopefully we should get something from the Middlesbrough game. That's what we'll be looking to do and the support is going to be another key factor towards getting a win."

Robert admits the players had been eager to play another Premiership game straight away after the win at Ewood Park, but had to be content with taking to the training pitches instead.

"We'd probably have been happy to play Monday or Tuesday, with the feeling we got from winning - and away from home as well," he said. "It was great to get the winning feeling and it's something you want to repeat.

"When you're in good form you want the games to come quickly and you want to keep the run going. Hopefully we'll get a run together come this Saturday and we need to, so it gives us a chance of survival."

After a weekend free from Premiership fixtures, Rob admitted the international break has been somewhat disruptive.

"It has put paid to preparations for the Middlesbrough game in some respects," he said. "But that happens in football. At the moment we're just training and working hard.

"It's a strange situation where we've still got 15 or 16 players here but we can't really do too much with Middlesbrough in mind without the others, so we're training to keep fit and to keep on top of things. I think we'd all much rather be playing games at the moment."