Christian: Take It Easy

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Christian Dailly has called for a performance of unruffled serenity against Oldham - and knows that is easier said than done!

With the weight of the home record bearing down heavily on the players as they make attempt number seven to win in front of the Upton Park faithful, Christian admits: "It is essential we get our first home win on Wednesday - but we mustn't get too uptight.

"We have to just play our football, and if we do I'm sure it will come.

"Obviously we are disappointed not to have done it yet, and we want to do that for the fans tomorrow.

"It is annoying. We are absolutely desperate to win at Upton Park, but it is essential that we stay calm about it.

"If you don't stay relaxed it just makes things worse, but if we match Oldham for work rate we should win."

Personnel-wise, there will be some changes. Trevor Sinclair is out with a broken cheekbone and Christian says: "It is a nightmare that Trevor has broken his cheek because we need everyone fit just now, especially up front.

"So it is pretty disheartening - but we have to keep going."

"Trevor worked so hard, as did Jermain, on Saturday. It is just important we get the full squad available to us again because it isn't the biggest - as everyone knows."

Looking back on the defeat at Anfield - the first away loss since mid-September - Christian says: "I think we battled pretty hard again and nearly scored at 1-0; Steve got it caught under his feet a little bit.

"Then they ran down the other end of the park and scored which was a bit of a killer.

"But at least we never stopped battling the whole game, and we have to take some positives from it.

"We stayed solid even at 2-0 and I don't think Liverpool created too much against us.

"I think we could have done better at keeping the ball at times and showed a bit more penetration.

"But it is not going to be like that at Liverpool all the time. They are big and strong, and well organised.

"They close down well, make it difficult, and when you get a chance against them you have to take it.

"We just didn't quite get the luck on the day but you have to look at the positives.

"There have been times when those games have ended up three or four nil but there was never any danger of that.

"It was a little bit of a strange game because there were times when you felt we could have got something."

Christian had a bruising battle with Emile Heskey - his very own England v Scotland clash - and says: "It was good and I enjoyed it. One of the good things about playing right back is that you get to play against some of these people and I was really up for a good battle.

"You give it, you take it, and you get up and get on with it. That is what it is all about - hard but fair."