Robbie Optimistic

Robbie Stockdale insists that West Ham have the quality to attain automatic promotion this season.

Robbie, who has extended his loan spell by another month as he looks to convince Alan Pardew that he is worthy of a permanent contract, and started at West Brom on Saturday, explains:

"I have only been in this division a little while but if they are favourites then there is not a lot to scare us because we have the quality and we will do our best.

"It was nice to get out there and play; I have only had a couple of days' training and playing wing back is not the easiest role but I felt I did okay on Saturday and I am looking forward to the games coming up.

"I am down here for Christmas and that will be different but I am here to play football and hopefully I will be doing that as much as I can."

Looking at Saturday's 1-1 draw, he adds:

"It is always a tough game going to West Brom but personally I am disappointed at not getting three points.

"There were certain times in the game where we were going to be put under pressure but I felt we dealt with it fairly well and caused them problems."

As for the wing back system employed by Alan Pardew at the weekend, he adds:

"I have played that system before with Bryan Robson playing it a lot and Steve McLaren at Middlesbrough as well.

"Obviously the manager used it on Saturday and it proved okay; we had worked hard on it during training and did drills and stuff like that.

"We didn't let them have any great chances and created a few ourselves.

"All credit to them, they started like a house on fire and put us under pressure, but when you have got that formation the three lads at the back were magnificent with me and Quinny trying to help out when we could.

"There are times when you are going to be under pressure and defend and we did that well.

"If we had just scored that goal after Deano did when Marlon shot just wide from 25 yards just after they kicked off then you'd like to hope we would have won.

"There are so many small things that win or ultimately draw football games and if that long shot from Marlon had sneaked in, a chance that he made himself, then we would have gone back on the bus with three points instead of one."

As for Hayden Mullins' own goal - the second that West Ham have conceded to West Brom this season - he adds:

"It was unlucky; Hayden is doing a job trying to defend and there was one of their lads right behind him who was going to knock the ball in anyway so Hayden had to try and get something on it.

"It has just gone in the corner, probably the only place in the goal where Jamo couldn't get to it.

"It is a tight knit squad, everyone mucks in and gets on with it with each other and the good thing is we have this game tonight so Hayden is not going to have time to dwell on it.

"It is weird enough that we are playing West Brom so soon after the game at Upton Park, let alone scoring own goals in both games, but I thought that for the majority of the two games we have been the better team - and to get just the one point in them has been disappointing.

"With the two own goals if the lads hadn't got in the way there were players behind them ready to pounce so it is neither here nor there.

"It doesn't matter how it happens and it is disappointing to have just got one point from them.

"I suppose if we win the next two games at home that point is going to look pretty good, though.

"Stoke will come and try to make it difficult for us and Sunderland are going fairly well.

"If we can get maximum points from these two games seven points in a week with an away game won't look too bad."