David Moyes believes his players have learned how to cope with the physical and mental challenges of playing regular UEFA Europa League and Premier League football.
The Hammers return to domestic action on Sunday when we make the relatively short trip to west London to take on newly-promoted Brentford, just 64 hours after stepping off the pitch at the end of Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg tie with Olympique Lyonnais.
The Irons played the second half against their French opponents with ten men following Aaron Cresswell's sending-off, having contested extra-time in their previous European tie at home to Sevilla ahead of a Sunday afternoon Premier League derby at Tottenham Hotspur before the March international break.
This will be the ninth time West Ham have played Thursday/Sunday this season, with the Hammers' record in their previous eight Premier League fixtures following a Europa League tie standing at three wins, one draw and four defeats, including a 2-1 home reverse at the hands of this weekend's opponents Brentford.
Those statistics do not tell the whole story, however, and Moyes is confident his squad will be ready to challenge the Bees on Sunday afternoon.
I think if you've played Thursday/Sunday football, it has always proved to be really difficult for everyone, whether it be us or any clubs in UEFA competitions, or certainly the Europa League competition, I should say.
I think it's a difficult one because of the quick turnaround between Thursday and Sunday, but I have to give great praise to the players for how they have coped with if in the majority of the season.
So, we're still in European football, we're in April now and it's great credit to the players and we want to stay there.
But to be in Europe, you have to do well in the Premier League, so we have to try and perform as best we can and our focus is solely on getting a result at Brentford now.
From our point of view, we were able to cope because we split the team quite often.
We tried to make sure that everybody played and I've got to say everybody stood up and got us results. Sometimes it can work for you, sometimes it can’t
So I think that helped us a little bit in the early months of the season with it, but I think now when you get into the into the knockout games, you're more liable to have to play all your all your main players to get the results and that's where I think it starts to take it’s toll a little bit in this part of the season.
But we’re still in their fighting and we're still enjoying it.
[Three weeks ago we went to extra-time against Sevilla on the Thursday before going to Tottenham Hotspur on the Sunday] but this is a completely different game.
We were 2-1 down in the game in the 90th minute against Tottenham, and were giving ourselves every chance to get something out of the game against a really in-form side at that time as well.
So, they’re the difficulties you get with being in the Europa League, because you have to get yourself ready again for the games and this will be the same.
We've got to get ourselves ready for the Brentford game. We'll have to be prepared and give ourselves every chance of getting the result.
But the resiliency the players have shown mainly over the season at those moments were very good, so long may that continue.
I think it's always difficult to break into the top four in the English Premier League because of the quality of the teams who are there.
I think, for us, if we could if we could try in around the European positions, I think it'd be great.
We had a really good season last year and we’re having our first real season of the European games and the Premier League games and we’re having a good first go at it.
Now we need to focus on the next Premier League game and we have to get prepared and ready for Brentford.
We’ve needed Jarrod Bowen.
We missed his goals when he’s not been here but, since he's come back, he's got a couple of really important goals.
I think he's played well for someone who's just back. The goals have really helped us, so we need that to continue. We went him to find good form so he can keep scoring goals.
With regard to team news ahead of Sunday’s game at Brentford, we're still hoping that Manuel Lanzini can improve and be better. He's still carrying the knock from the car crash, unfortunately.
He’s been training but he’s still a bit ginger in everything he’s doing, but we’re hoping that getting much closer to being able to play.
Brentford have been a good side [this season].
They were a good side last year, they came up and they look as though they are having a good first year consolidating in the Premier League, so they'll be really pleased with how they have done.
It was a great result they had at Chelsea last week, but all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and hopefully get ourselves ready for another big game.
I think Brentford have done a great job.
Overall, I think we've all been looking at Brentford, who maybe have just missed out on getting into the Premier League over a couple of seasons.
I think they've built up enough momentum. I think they know exactly how they play. They've changed a little bit I think in what they do. I think having a look at the Premier League has given them a chance to see what they need to do maybe to stay up and I think they’ve done that. I think it looks as if they’ll stay a Premier League club this year. I don't see any problem with that.
You have to say they’ve done a really good at Brentford. And they've got a good model. They’re a club who decided one way they wanted to go and they’ve worked on it for a few years now.
I think you need to give a lot of praise for what they've done. You’ve seen that staying in the Premier League is not easy when you look at the quality of the teams and the challenges you've got, so they’re doing a really good job at Brentford.
