Consistency is the key

Gianfranco Zola has called on his West Ham United players to find a greater level of consistency following Sunday's 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw with Fulham.

The Hammers took a first-half lead through Carlton Cole and created several more clear-cut chances before the break at the Boleyn Ground.

The 40th-minute sending-off of South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi appeared to hand the hosts the perfect platform to complete a convincing victory.

However, Danny Murphy's 47th-minute penalty was followed ten minutes later by a Zoltan Gera volley, meaning West Ham needed Junior Stanislas' deflected added-time strike to salvage a point from a game Zola felt they should have won.

"To be honest, I wasn't very happy, because after the first half I was expecting to be at least another goal up considering the chances that we created. I wondered that the game wasn't finished.

"I didn't like something in the game. I smelled something wrong because it looked too easy. We were passing the ball fantastically well and creating chances, but not scoring and that's not good.

"In the second half, it's not the first time we've started a little bit sloppy. They got back in the game, then scored a second goal and, after that, it's normal that it was difficult because Fulham are very, very good when they have to defend. It was very difficult for us to get the draw but, at the end of the day, it was a fair result."

While the home side held the upper hand for long periods of the opening 45 minutes, the second period proved hugely frustrating for Zola, who saw uncharacteristic mistakes hand Fulham an unexpected lifeline.

Giving a typically honest assessment, Zola said he had told his players that their concentration levels and attitude needed to improve if results were to do likewise.

"What was poor was that, when we conceded a goal, the whole team was like it lost faith and lost belief, and that's what I really hate. On Sunday, Arsenal were losing twice and in the end they beat Blackburn 6-2, so that's the sort of belief we have to keep.

"What happens is that you keep playing your own football and then, at the end of the game, we'll see what is going to happen. I don't like that kind of attitude. We have to react and we have to be stronger. We can't let this happen after one goal again. I made those points in the dressing room.

"I don't think this was our worst performance. The first half, quality-wise, was OK. It's just that we don't have that consistency throughout the game that will give us points instead of draws or defeats.

"The players are really trying very hard and I don't think it's a matter of commitment - the commitment if fantastic from everybody. We just need to improve our focus. At the end of the day, a game is made by details and if you don't pay attention to those details you will keep dropping points. It's as simple as that. We have to raise our attention and I will be working on that."