West Ham United striker Chicharito says the Hammers’ training camp in Spain this week can only be beneficial for the team as they had into the final 12 games of the Premier League season.
Following 1-1 draws against Liverpool and Crystal Palace – and with a blank weekend ahead – Manuel Pellegrini will take his squad away for five days of warm-weather training in Malaga before they return to London Stadium to take on Fulham a week on Friday.
Chicharito, who has led the line in the Hammers last two outings, believes they will return with their batteries fully charged for the run-in.
We’ll go to Spain to train this week, to get the team better, to improve where we’re making mistakes, and then our aim is to get the three points against Fulham
Chicharito
“It will be a good camp for us," he said. "We’ll go to Spain to train this week, to get the team better, to improve where we’re making mistakes, and then our aim is to get the three points against Fulham.
“The goal is to finish as high up as we can and hopefully we can get that European position. There are still some games to go and we need to add those three points."
The No17 was in the starting XI at Selhurst Park on Saturday, where he enjoyed a physical battle with Palace centre-backs Mamadou Sakho and Martin Kelly and left-back Patrick van Aanholt.
“It was very tough against Palace," he confirmed. "In the first half we were much better than them. In the second half they had all the possession of the ball and for 45 minutes we couldn’t finalise the counter-attacks that we made.
“They were pushing us, pressing and getting the ball. They missed some opportunities and then got the goal from [Wilfried] Zaha with a deflection off Issa [Diop]. It’s one point, and I thought we could have done better, but it’s a fair point.”
Chicharito has relished being back in the side over the past week and he said he does not mind whether he is playing up front on his own, or as part of a combination of strikers – doing his bit for the team is all that matters.
He added: “I’m enjoying playing and I just want to play as well as I can and help the team. Sometimes I will score goals, sometimes assists, and sometimes I need to hold the ball, get fouls and be there to give a clear option for passes – to be a team player like all of us here.
“I started again for the second game in a row and hopefully against Fulham I can get another start and help the team. Hopefully the goals will come.
“It’s not an easy job to play up front on your own in any league, but [Mark] Noble and [Robert] Snodgrass, and the two players on the wing like [Michail] Antonio and Felipe Anderson give you a lot of chances, so you are not completely alone. If I’m on the pitch, I don’t care if I play with one, with two or with five. I just want to do my best to help the team.”