West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce faced the press ahead of Saturday's game with Stoke City.
In the press conference, the gaffer talked about bouncing back from the defeat by Leicester, Enner Valencia's return to the squad and plans for next season...
Good morning Sam, what’s the team news for Saturday?
SA: "We can welcome Enner Valencia back in the squad, he’s had a good few days of training which is always helpful for the strength and depth of the squad. We have to weigh up whether he can play from the start or the bench."
How key is Enner Valencia to the way you want to play?
SA: "I think he gives us more options to play different systems. With him back we have different selection options up front which is always important.
"Recently we’ve been limited with our options due to injuries, so having him back gives us more frontline options."
Seven games to go, what is the target now?
SA: "I think it will be hard to achieve our re-target that we set at the end of January. We have to make sure we finish higher than we’ve ever done in the league and get more than 46 points.
"Looking at the table, the maximum we can finish is eighth, unless we go on a brilliant winning streak – which I think we are capable of, it’s unlikely we can finish higher than that. Winning on Saturday becomes the all important thing."
David Sullivan said he is disappointed with the last 12 games, do you agree with that?
SA: "The reality is there is a difference between the performances and the results. Having said that the bottom line is winning and getting results and we haven’t done enough of that recently.
"We’re all disappointed in the last few results and I accept that. I have to emphasise results because we’ve come close to winning some major games of football. We have to look at the season as whole, not just a few games and I think overall it’s been terrific, it’s been very exciting."
David Sullivan also said he is still targeting Europe, is that a realistic target?
SA: "I think in order to do that we need to win five out of the last seven games at least, if not more. We do have another alternative by qualifying through the fair play league. The most important thing is Stoke on Saturday and trying to get three points."
With only seven games to go until the end of the season, are you able to plan ahead for next season when you don’t know if you’re going to be here or not?
SA: "We sat down yesterday and began to plan for next season, when we’re coming back for pre-season, where we’re going to go and who we’re going to play. It’s not fully evolved yet but the plans are in place."
People might be surprised to hear that because you don’t know if you’re going to be here, do you?
SA: "No I don’t. But when you’re contracted to a club you do the job that you’re paid to do, one of those roles is to plan for next season."
In the reverse tie earlier in the season at the Britannia your side refused to accept defeat, do you want to see the same attitude on Saturday?
SA: "No, I want to be leading. I don’t want to be in a position where we have to come from behind. I want to get our noses in front and try and build from that.
"Our creative ability has been endless all season, we’re creating the same amount of chances as we were when we were in the top four, we’re just not finishing as many. Against Leicester we created more than our usual average number of chances. So we need to convert more chances.
"At the other end we need to make sure we keep our concentration and not let the opposition sneak a goal. That as ultimately been our Achilles heel over the last few games."
When you look at some of the tweets from David Gold, do you feel like you have delivered? And are his ambitions a few seasons away?
SA: "I think we’re disappointed a little bit because we built up expectations by being in the top four and not managed to maintain that. Realistically it would have been hard to maintain that over a season even before we had injury problems.
"I expected not to lose away at Leicester and try and get a run of wins going, similarly I’m not expecting us to lose on Saturday."
Given the recent results, will you be going more defensive?
SA: "No, I don’t think we need to change the system. It’s too hard to change the system from week to week, its takes longer than that to implement. I think we’ve only gone defensive once or twice this season. Even against Manchester United and Chelsea we attacked them and should have got more than one point from them."
Is it hard to remind the players that the performances are good enough?
SA: "That’s something we work on every week. From an analysis point of view we examine all areas of the team and assess want went well and what didn’t."
Stoke have lost their last three games, how much do you focus on the opposition’s form going into a game?
SA: "It’s more the formation rather than the form that we look at. Then we look at ways to break their resilience down. I watched their game at Chelsea and it looked like they were going to get an impressive result until an error by one of the best goalkeepers in the league, it shows how costly one lapse of concentration can be at this level."
In the press conference, the gaffer talked about bouncing back from the defeat by Leicester, Enner Valencia's return to the squad and plans for next season...
Good morning Sam, what’s the team news for Saturday?
SA: "We can welcome Enner Valencia back in the squad, he’s had a good few days of training which is always helpful for the strength and depth of the squad. We have to weigh up whether he can play from the start or the bench."
How key is Enner Valencia to the way you want to play?
SA: "I think he gives us more options to play different systems. With him back we have different selection options up front which is always important.
"Recently we’ve been limited with our options due to injuries, so having him back gives us more frontline options."
Seven games to go, what is the target now?
SA: "I think it will be hard to achieve our re-target that we set at the end of January. We have to make sure we finish higher than we’ve ever done in the league and get more than 46 points.
"Looking at the table, the maximum we can finish is eighth, unless we go on a brilliant winning streak – which I think we are capable of, it’s unlikely we can finish higher than that. Winning on Saturday becomes the all important thing."
David Sullivan said he is disappointed with the last 12 games, do you agree with that?
SA: "The reality is there is a difference between the performances and the results. Having said that the bottom line is winning and getting results and we haven’t done enough of that recently.
"We’re all disappointed in the last few results and I accept that. I have to emphasise results because we’ve come close to winning some major games of football. We have to look at the season as whole, not just a few games and I think overall it’s been terrific, it’s been very exciting."
David Sullivan also said he is still targeting Europe, is that a realistic target?
SA: "I think in order to do that we need to win five out of the last seven games at least, if not more. We do have another alternative by qualifying through the fair play league. The most important thing is Stoke on Saturday and trying to get three points."
With only seven games to go until the end of the season, are you able to plan ahead for next season when you don’t know if you’re going to be here or not?
SA: "We sat down yesterday and began to plan for next season, when we’re coming back for pre-season, where we’re going to go and who we’re going to play. It’s not fully evolved yet but the plans are in place."
People might be surprised to hear that because you don’t know if you’re going to be here, do you?
SA: "No I don’t. But when you’re contracted to a club you do the job that you’re paid to do, one of those roles is to plan for next season."
In the reverse tie earlier in the season at the Britannia your side refused to accept defeat, do you want to see the same attitude on Saturday?
SA: "No, I want to be leading. I don’t want to be in a position where we have to come from behind. I want to get our noses in front and try and build from that.
"Our creative ability has been endless all season, we’re creating the same amount of chances as we were when we were in the top four, we’re just not finishing as many. Against Leicester we created more than our usual average number of chances. So we need to convert more chances.
"At the other end we need to make sure we keep our concentration and not let the opposition sneak a goal. That as ultimately been our Achilles heel over the last few games."
When you look at some of the tweets from David Gold, do you feel like you have delivered? And are his ambitions a few seasons away?
SA: "I think we’re disappointed a little bit because we built up expectations by being in the top four and not managed to maintain that. Realistically it would have been hard to maintain that over a season even before we had injury problems.
"I expected not to lose away at Leicester and try and get a run of wins going, similarly I’m not expecting us to lose on Saturday."
Given the recent results, will you be going more defensive?
SA: "No, I don’t think we need to change the system. It’s too hard to change the system from week to week, its takes longer than that to implement. I think we’ve only gone defensive once or twice this season. Even against Manchester United and Chelsea we attacked them and should have got more than one point from them."
Is it hard to remind the players that the performances are good enough?
SA: "That’s something we work on every week. From an analysis point of view we examine all areas of the team and assess want went well and what didn’t."
Stoke have lost their last three games, how much do you focus on the opposition’s form going into a game?
SA: "It’s more the formation rather than the form that we look at. Then we look at ways to break their resilience down. I watched their game at Chelsea and it looked like they were going to get an impressive result until an error by one of the best goalkeepers in the league, it shows how costly one lapse of concentration can be at this level."