Matthew Upson is focusing firmly on the positives as West Ham look to move on from a disappointing result at Aston Villa.
The 28-year-old is one of only three players, along with Robert Green and George McCartney, to have started all eight of the club's league games this season - a strong sign that the seven-times capped England defender appears to have put his injury troubles firmly behind him. On Saturday at Villa Park, only a deflected Craig Gardner free-kick separated the sides but rather than dwell on what might have been, Upson is already looking ahead to the visit of Sunderland on Sunday week.
"We lost our way a little bit for about ten minutes in the first half and probably weren't at the races as much as we should have been," he said. "There were a few minor errors that led to us being punished, which is what the Premier League is all about. We need to take that away and get better at that but there are a lot of plus points, it's not all negative stuff and we'll take that and move on to the next game."
Despite a third league reverse in a row, West Ham sit in eleventh place in the league table and Upson remained confident. He said: "It's followed a consistent pattern of us having opportunities and not getting anything out of the game, which is rather annoying, but that's football. You've got to think it's going to turn around if we keep believing in ourselves, passing the ball well and trying to play as we have done in the last three games then the results will come our way.
"I think we have a good blend of players and I think we passed the ball around quite well and created chances. We weren't quite clinical enough to take any but at least we created the opportunities and had the belief to pass the ball and want to play. We can't lose that, we'll keep working at that and we'll get better."
Upson could also take small satisfaction from wiping out the memory of his last trip to Villa Park in February when he picked up a serious calf injury on his West Ham debut. "It's nice to walk off the pitch to be honest. It's just one of those things. I enjoy playing every week, wherever it is doesn't really bother me, but hopefully the hoodoo is behind me."
The 28-year-old is one of only three players, along with Robert Green and George McCartney, to have started all eight of the club's league games this season - a strong sign that the seven-times capped England defender appears to have put his injury troubles firmly behind him. On Saturday at Villa Park, only a deflected Craig Gardner free-kick separated the sides but rather than dwell on what might have been, Upson is already looking ahead to the visit of Sunderland on Sunday week.
"We lost our way a little bit for about ten minutes in the first half and probably weren't at the races as much as we should have been," he said. "There were a few minor errors that led to us being punished, which is what the Premier League is all about. We need to take that away and get better at that but there are a lot of plus points, it's not all negative stuff and we'll take that and move on to the next game."
Despite a third league reverse in a row, West Ham sit in eleventh place in the league table and Upson remained confident. He said: "It's followed a consistent pattern of us having opportunities and not getting anything out of the game, which is rather annoying, but that's football. You've got to think it's going to turn around if we keep believing in ourselves, passing the ball well and trying to play as we have done in the last three games then the results will come our way.
"I think we have a good blend of players and I think we passed the ball around quite well and created chances. We weren't quite clinical enough to take any but at least we created the opportunities and had the belief to pass the ball and want to play. We can't lose that, we'll keep working at that and we'll get better."
Upson could also take small satisfaction from wiping out the memory of his last trip to Villa Park in February when he picked up a serious calf injury on his West Ham debut. "It's nice to walk off the pitch to be honest. It's just one of those things. I enjoy playing every week, wherever it is doesn't really bother me, but hopefully the hoodoo is behind me."