With West Ham not playing at the weekend, Alan was of course not able to influence the Hammers' position in the league while Reading, enjoying a good run under Steve Coppell, pushed West Ham into seventh place.
But Alan is not being deflected by that irony and he explains:
"It makes no odds what club goes above us and who is above us; the only thing that matters to us, and should matter to us, is where the top team are and that is what we have got to aim for.
"I think we are seven points adrift of that, and that is the ground we have to make up.
"If you start aiming any lower than the top you are going to finish lower.
"I have always aimed for the top place and you are as good as where you land.
"But you are never going to get to the top unless you aim for it."
Ian Pearce has suffered a slight knock but should be okay for Saturday while fellow centre half Matthew Kilgallon is set to be recalled by Leeds when his loan spell ends after the Watford game.
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