Avram on Friday

The manager was in good spirits on Friday afternoon as he looked forward to the first match in a double-header with Stoke City. The Barclays Premier League challenge this Saturday will be followed by an FA Cup date on Sunday week. Key to his hopes will be the fact that he has virtually everyone of his players back in training, and everyone on a high after the Liverpool win last time out.

Avram on having a fully-fit squad for the first time...

It's looking better. Thomas Hitzlsperger, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker are OK. It is more or less the same as last week. As a manager of course it's a relief [having them available], more competition. Players are coming back after a long time out, so it is much better.

Avram on Jack Collison's return after a year out with a knee injury...

He's not back with the team yet but he's very close. We need to see how he does in training. Jack is a good talent, unfortunately he had a bad injury, He will become more hungry to play, but we need to wait and see. He could play a part before the end of the season.

Avram on belief after Liverpool win...

First we needed the three points. Second, I'm very happy that we did it our way. We continued to play the football that we believe in. Sometimes I know people lose their belief when they are at the bottom, but we never did it. We were always seeking to do it our way. I'm very happy that we took the points but now we have a lot of games ahead of us that we want to continue with these performances and to keep winning.

I didn't feel pessimism before, in this training ground I have always felt optimism. We have always believed that we can do it, we saw what we can do and of course when you are winning it's easier.

Avram on getting at least four more wins...

We always need to win and we always want to win. Even if you calculate things, it doesn't change anything about the preparation for the next game. Every game we want to win and we know that every team in the bottom half has the chance to be relegated or not to be relegated.

I think now from game to game we will see less teams involved but it will be an unusual finish to the Premier League because many teams are involved, and not even one team is going to be adrift.

Of course we need to win those games against teams around us, but we will not give up in any game. We showed we are a class team against Liverpool, in the beginning of season against Tottenham and in the Carling Cup against Man United. If we are at our best, we are not an easy team to beat

Avram on Stoke's threat...

They are a strong team, they took a lot of points before, so I think they feel more or less safe. Everyone here knows Stoke, as they know us as well. There are no secrets in the Premier League, everybody knows everybody. It's not easy to play against the same team in two weeks [with the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday week]

Our main target is the league and then we are going to think about the quarter-final. They are well organised with a good manager who knows how to get the best out of his players.

Avram on former Stoke target Demba Ba...

He's a good player, I have followed him for a long time in the Bundesliga. He did well. He's a kind of player that I like, a player with movement, intelligence. He knows how to score goals as you saw in the last games and I can tell you that he's not yet at his best because he didn't train for a long time. Every game he's becoming better.

Avram on the Olympic Stadium plans being ratified by Government...

It is good news. It's a big opportunity for our club two make two steps ahead - off the pitch and on the pitc h. We will do everything to take this opportunity to take West Ham forward.

We need to be in the Premier League and I believe that we can be. Now that we have the squad which we didn't have before, I think it will be easier - even if the games ahead of us are not easy.

Avram on a tough schedule...

It will be the same for every team with matches against top clubs as well as their rivals. We have a good chance to stay up if we keep playing as we have been playing the last games and taking points. I don't think any team involved in the relegation battle is going to have any easy games.

Avram on a potential points tally for staying up....

I know that last year was 35 points, the year before was 38, but the last time West Ham were relegated it was with 42 points. It depends because this season there's not a weak team, every team is taking points. It will be difficult to predict how many points you need. We just need to do our job. I'm not looking about this because if we do what we need to do, we don't need to look at this.

Avram on the future at West Ham...

It's a big challenge to be in this club, I knew it before, I know it now. But, I believe in this club and I believe this club can be in a better place, not where it is now. We need to start from somewhere.