Mark Noble insists he as Club captain, manager David Moyes and his coaching staff will not let West Ham United’s standards drop going into three vitally important Premier League fixtures.
A home win over Chelsea and creditable draw at Newcastle United saw the Hammers pull four points clear of the bottom three, with a superior goal difference to the clubs below them.
With games at home to Burnley and Watford sandwiching a trip to Norwich City, there is hope that the Irons can extend their advantage, but captain Noble says they can take absolutely nothing for granted in this unique, COVID-interrupted campaign.
We’ve put ourselves in a good position and we just need to keep on getting results and make the other teams feel under pressure
Mark Noble
“With Burnley, Norwich and Watford to come in our next three and I just think, with four points from the last two games, and a big goal difference advantage which is another point, really, we’ve put ourselves in a good position, so it’s down to ourselves now to pick up as many points as possible by the end of the season,” he told the Evening Standard.
“In the squad, we know we haven’t done the job yet and until you’re mathematically safe, you don’t know in football what can happen. I’ll make sure the players are on it and I’m sure the manager and the staff will be on it.
“We’ve put ourselves in a good position and we just need to keep on getting results and make the other teams feel under pressure.”
The next opportunity to pick up points comes at London Stadium on Wednesday evening, when tenth-place Burnley are the visitors.
The Clarets have kept 13 clean sheets this season and lost just one of their last eleven Premier League matches, though, and Noble knows nothing will come easily against Sean Dyche’s side.
“I expect the same from Burnley as I expect every time we play them,” the No16 confirmed. “It’s never a surprise with Burnley. You know what you’re going to get from Burnley and if you’re not ready for it, you’ll get beat, and that’s why they’re in the position they’re in.
“They know their jobs, they do their jobs extremely well and how many times have I said ‘hard work beats ability that doesn’t work hard’? It’s as simple as that and the way it works in football. You might have an off-day, but Sean Dyche has done a fantastic job there.
“We know what’s riding on it. They’re safe, but for us it’s so important.”
