David Moyes spoke to the media on Wednesday evening ahead of West Ham United's UEFA Europa League Group A tie at SC Freiburg.
The Hammers take on the German Bundesliga side on Thursday with a second win of the group stage in their sights.
Freiburg, like the Hammers, have started their campaign positively, with three wins from their opening six games leaving them eighth in the early table.
So Moyes is expecting a stern test from the Breisgau-Brasilianer at their Stadion am Wolfswinkel home.
A tough test awaits
We’re playing against a really good team who have had excellent success in the Bundesliga in the last couple of years and have also done really well in Europe too.
They have a manager who has been in place for a long time and that stability goes a long way. They’ve certainly shown that at this club, they may not be the biggest household name in Germany but they’ve certainly grown as a football club and got themselves in a really good position.
Missing our fans on Thursday
We’ve had brilliant support away from home in Europe so I’m disappointed we can’t get the supporters here.
We had a great journey getting to the final last year, and the semi-finals and all the other games before that as well.
Tomorrow night we know it will be difficult – there will be a big crowd and every time you come to Germany the atmospheres in the stadium [has been fantastic]. We found it in Frankfurt, we’ve found it in all the stadiums we’ve been in and we don’t expect any different here.
Loving another European journey
Maybe for a long, long time Europe has not been in the DNA of West Ham. We are now a European club, we’re in Europe for a third year in a row and I take pride in that.
We certainly don’t take it for granted, you’re privileged to be in a European competition and you go into every game feeling that you’re going to have to earn it.
All the games we’ve had in Europe have been tough and the outcomes might sometimes have looked a lot easier, but we’ve always found the games really difficult, especially away from home.
And I actually think football throughout Europe is improving greatly. The standard throughout all the countries is rising.
Aiming for continental competition post-Christmas
The first year we came in I said I hope we’re in European football after Christmas time, and I’m still saying the same.
We were European winners last year and if we can get ourselves into February, March, April next year in Europe, it will be a hell of an achievement.
This competition has improved greatly itself. I’m looking at the teams in this competition, I’m looking at the teams who might drop down from the Champions League, so I still feel the first thing I need to do is try to be in Europe after Christmas. I want to do that and it would be a big thing to do that.
Praise for Álvarez
Edson Álvarez has done incredibly well. He’s started fast in the games and has made a big difference to us.
He’s a really good man to have around as well – a good leader, a good professional, who has settled in really well.
I still believe he’s getting used to the rigours of the Premier League. He’s had a few bookings early on so he’ll need to find his way how not to have that so regularly.
Coming into the last ten to 15 minutes of the game he’s found it physically demanding in the Premier League and he would admit that as well.
But I have to say he’s doing a great job and we’re really pleased to have him. He gives us a lot of confidence and is making other players play better around him and that’s a sign of a good team player.
