Goalkeeper Robert Green got another 90 minutes under his
belt with the reserve team last night, in a narrow 2-1 defeat at
the hands of Arsenal at Upton Park.
The Gunners team was full of experience compared to a very youthful Hammers side, but our recent signing from Norwich City believes the home side were unlucky not to at least get a share of the spoils.
"I think I was the only player above the age of 19 who featured last night, but we still definitely held our own," says Robert. "They scored quite a disappointing goal which we could have defended better to begin with, then the second goal was a lucky strike which we couldn't do much about.
"Apart from that there was some good football played from our side and, considering how young the team was, it was a very positive display and a good game of football so I would say that, apart from the result, it was a good run-out for everyone."
Green produced another solid and positive display between the sticks but the England international believes he simply did the job that was expected of him.
"When you are playing with such a young team, you are going to be called upon to help out and lead them where possible so I think I did that job satisfactorily and to my best ability," he says.
"It was just good for me personally to get a game as I haven't played 90 minutes in a while and it is always nice to play with the younger lads as they are so full of enthusiasm and eager to learn."
Green has now come through three reserve matches unscathed and feels he is more than ready to step up to the demands of the first team if called upon.
"I feel absolutely fine now," he says. "I have got my full strength back and feel ready to be playing on a regular basis again, obviously all I can do is continue to work hard in training, play well in reserve matches and just wait for my chance.
"I would love to play for the first team, that is what I came here to do, but it is obviously the manager's decision as to who starts every match. Obviously the sooner I get a game the better but I have to be patient.
"The results may not be going the team's way at the moment but Roy isn't playing badly, it is more to do with us not scoring at the other end so I am not expecting to walk straight into the team for the next game or anything like that."
Green is not disheartened by the team's current dip in form as he believes that, once the team start taking their chances in front of goal, there will be a turnaround in fortunes.
"At the moment I think you have got to look at the chances we are missing, the opposition is sticking the ball in the net from 30 yards and we are missing from a lot closer. It's tough when it happens like that but it is when the chances are not even being created you need to really worry and that isn't the case with us.
"You look at the game on Sunday and if we had scored one then the floodgates would have opened. It was the same at Palermo on Thursday - if we had got one we would have had a totally different game on our hands, so it is hard to take but we have just got to keep our confidence."
England are in action in the Euro 2008 qualifiers over the next week, and Robert was not surprised to be omitted from Steve McClaren's squad for the two matches despite being back to full fitness.
"It has been four months since I got injured and was last involved with England and I have not had any first team games since then so I was not really expecting a call-up," he says.
"The way things are now, there are about five or six decent goalkeepers playing in the Premiership so even if I do get some first team games, that does not necessarily mean I will automatically get a call-up.
"I would expect to have to appear several times for the first team before I get the nod again so I can prove my fitness and prove my form, but to do that I need to fight my way into the team which is my priority at the moment."
By Miranda Nagalingam
The Gunners team was full of experience compared to a very youthful Hammers side, but our recent signing from Norwich City believes the home side were unlucky not to at least get a share of the spoils.
"I think I was the only player above the age of 19 who featured last night, but we still definitely held our own," says Robert. "They scored quite a disappointing goal which we could have defended better to begin with, then the second goal was a lucky strike which we couldn't do much about.
"Apart from that there was some good football played from our side and, considering how young the team was, it was a very positive display and a good game of football so I would say that, apart from the result, it was a good run-out for everyone."
Green produced another solid and positive display between the sticks but the England international believes he simply did the job that was expected of him.
"When you are playing with such a young team, you are going to be called upon to help out and lead them where possible so I think I did that job satisfactorily and to my best ability," he says.
"It was just good for me personally to get a game as I haven't played 90 minutes in a while and it is always nice to play with the younger lads as they are so full of enthusiasm and eager to learn."
Green has now come through three reserve matches unscathed and feels he is more than ready to step up to the demands of the first team if called upon.
"I feel absolutely fine now," he says. "I have got my full strength back and feel ready to be playing on a regular basis again, obviously all I can do is continue to work hard in training, play well in reserve matches and just wait for my chance.
"I would love to play for the first team, that is what I came here to do, but it is obviously the manager's decision as to who starts every match. Obviously the sooner I get a game the better but I have to be patient.
"The results may not be going the team's way at the moment but Roy isn't playing badly, it is more to do with us not scoring at the other end so I am not expecting to walk straight into the team for the next game or anything like that."
Green is not disheartened by the team's current dip in form as he believes that, once the team start taking their chances in front of goal, there will be a turnaround in fortunes.
"At the moment I think you have got to look at the chances we are missing, the opposition is sticking the ball in the net from 30 yards and we are missing from a lot closer. It's tough when it happens like that but it is when the chances are not even being created you need to really worry and that isn't the case with us.
"You look at the game on Sunday and if we had scored one then the floodgates would have opened. It was the same at Palermo on Thursday - if we had got one we would have had a totally different game on our hands, so it is hard to take but we have just got to keep our confidence."
England are in action in the Euro 2008 qualifiers over the next week, and Robert was not surprised to be omitted from Steve McClaren's squad for the two matches despite being back to full fitness.
"It has been four months since I got injured and was last involved with England and I have not had any first team games since then so I was not really expecting a call-up," he says.
"The way things are now, there are about five or six decent goalkeepers playing in the Premiership so even if I do get some first team games, that does not necessarily mean I will automatically get a call-up.
"I would expect to have to appear several times for the first team before I get the nod again so I can prove my fitness and prove my form, but to do that I need to fight my way into the team which is my priority at the moment."
By Miranda Nagalingam