Carrick Vow

Michael Carrick has promised that the Hammers will come out "with all guns blazing" against Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.

Determined to halt the home form which has seen two defeats on the trot at Upton Park, he says: "We will be coming out all guns blazing on Wednesday; we need to bounce back and get back to winning ways very soon.

"Villa is a massive game now, and if we had got the points at Sunderland it wouldn't have been so big.

"But now we are desperate for the points, especially because after that we go to Old Trafford and then play Arsenal."

Michael returned to action at Sunderland after a hamstring injury forced him to miss the Tottenham defeat and he adds: "We did well in the second half, especially in the first 20 minutes, but we couldn't put our chances away.

"It was a bad goal to concede, especially so late in the game and it was a huge disappointment to come back home with no points.

"I thought it had 0-0 written all over it the way it was going; it is just one of those things.

"We conceded another bad goal and we seem to be suffering with that; we have got to cut those bad mistakes out but I don't know how we do it.

"We had a few opportunities and didn't take them and we have to cut the mistakes out and not let them get the chances.

"We played well in the second half after a bit of a grind in the first half. It is disappointing, when you have put all that effort in, to let in a goal like that."

Michael was denied his third goal of the season when his powerful shot was pushed onto the bar, and he says: "It was a good save from the keeper, to be fair, and he has pulled a couple off from Jermain as well."

He was quick to praise captain for the day Don Hutchison and adds: "I thought Hutch did quite well - even though it was hard for him coming back to his old club."

Michael remains in a positive frame of mind for the upcoming games and concludes: "We have to bounce back and it is up to ourselves to do that."