Joe's Admission

Joe Cole says that the Hammers rode their luck in Saturday's win over Leicester City.

He even honestly admits that he might have conceded a penalty when he caught Robbie Savage in the second half.

"It probably was a penalty," he confesses. "When you are at the bottom things don't go for you but they will get some decisions in the season which are right," he says.

"Those things even themselves out. We didn't play badly but worked hard, and West Ham can lose those games so it was a good result, even though it was not such a good performance.

"It was a difficult game but there have been games where we have played brilliantly and lost or drawn, not getting what we deserved.

"Last year we didn't get any breaks when we were at the bottom, but this this year we have got them in recent weeks."

Matt Elliott missed the game through the suspension he received after being sent off in the game between the two teams at Filbert Street - a match in which Joe was harshly accused of diving to win the penalty.

It is an accusation he strenuously denies - but there was little sign of ill feeling towards him during the game at Upton Park, and Robbie Savage shook his hand warmly when he left the stadium on Saturday.

"It was a fairly clean game and they have got some good players. They just need to get their act together and get points on the board," says Joe.

"They were a bit unlucky over the two games with us but they haven't got our quality and it showed in patches.

"You have to get those sort of games out of the way. It is not as good as when you are knocking the ball around but you get the points and you are sorted.

"Macclesfield was similar to the game on Saturday - all credit to them and Macclesfield.

"We thought the three points were well deserved, maybe not predominantly on the run of that game, but over other games we should have won and didn't."

Joe, of course, got his first goal of the season at Macclesfield recently, and he adds: "I have opened my account. I should have scored on Saturday and hopefully I can get more in the back of the net.

"But my only target is to win every game with West Ham, and whatever I get is just a bonus.

"I have been in our box more than the opposition box over the last few months, but I'm a box to box midfielder now and I can do both - it is good doing things at both ends of the pitch."

As for the Chelsea match this coming weekend, he concludes: "If we keep trying and put in the performances of recent weeks we will be fine.

"Everyone knows what Frankie can do but they have also got Hasselbaink and Gudjohnsen, who are quality. Hopefully we will play as well as we have been and give them a good game."