Morgan Amalfitano wants West Ham United to banish all thoughts of Sunderland's managerial switch and focus their efforts on returning to winning ways
Birthday boy Morgan Amalfitano says West Ham United will be concentrating on their own performance on Saturday, rather than worrying about the impact of newly-appointed Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat’s arrival.
Though the Hammers are without a league victory since brushing Hull City aside in January, Amalfitano wants the Hammers to end the Barclays Premier League season in style and insists they are more than capable of doing just that.
Saturday, then, is the perfect time to start and the French midfielder, who turned 30 on Friday, expects the hosts to be on their mettle for the teatime kick-off.
“The last win to date was against Hull, we've got to get back to winning ways as in previous weeks,” he told West Ham TV. “The games now are important to finish the season properly, with a decent return, and it’s for us to rally the troops in what is a delicate period.
“I know that we're capable of doing exactly what we did in previous matches and particularly at the beginning of the season.”
The French midfielder admits the Black Cats are a dangerous animal at the best of times and even more so at the end of a turbulent week. But he is urging his colleagues to banish all thoughts of the visitors’ managerial switch and instead focus all their efforts on producing their very best on Saturday.
He continued: “We don't tend to pay too much attention to the others, we focus on ourselves. We know that we have to concentrate and build our confidence at the moment.
“They're a team who are not easy to play against, particularly when they change their manager and so perhaps there will be a reaction. But we have to worry about our own performance and not theirs.”
West Ham are set to be strengthened by the return of Carl Jenkinson, ineligible last weekend against his parent club Arsenal, and Carlton Cole, who came a cropper at White Hart Lane. It is a timely boost for the Hammers, who, as Amalfitano points out, could do with some better fortune.
“We need everyone, we're not a massive squad. We need everyone's quality. Hopefully we’ll have players back on Saturday and we can use their quality as well. We really need to concentrate ourselves and it’s for each player to try to produce their best.
“We've been missing a bit of luck in the games that we've played against Manchester United and Chelsea perhaps. But we've got to make our own luck, just as we did earlier in the season. If we're not quite getting that luck now, we've got to make it happen and I think it will turn out well.”
Though the Hammers are without a league victory since brushing Hull City aside in January, Amalfitano wants the Hammers to end the Barclays Premier League season in style and insists they are more than capable of doing just that.
Saturday, then, is the perfect time to start and the French midfielder, who turned 30 on Friday, expects the hosts to be on their mettle for the teatime kick-off.
“The last win to date was against Hull, we've got to get back to winning ways as in previous weeks,” he told West Ham TV. “The games now are important to finish the season properly, with a decent return, and it’s for us to rally the troops in what is a delicate period.
“I know that we're capable of doing exactly what we did in previous matches and particularly at the beginning of the season.”
The French midfielder admits the Black Cats are a dangerous animal at the best of times and even more so at the end of a turbulent week. But he is urging his colleagues to banish all thoughts of the visitors’ managerial switch and instead focus all their efforts on producing their very best on Saturday.
He continued: “We don't tend to pay too much attention to the others, we focus on ourselves. We know that we have to concentrate and build our confidence at the moment.
“They're a team who are not easy to play against, particularly when they change their manager and so perhaps there will be a reaction. But we have to worry about our own performance and not theirs.”
West Ham are set to be strengthened by the return of Carl Jenkinson, ineligible last weekend against his parent club Arsenal, and Carlton Cole, who came a cropper at White Hart Lane. It is a timely boost for the Hammers, who, as Amalfitano points out, could do with some better fortune.
“We need everyone, we're not a massive squad. We need everyone's quality. Hopefully we’ll have players back on Saturday and we can use their quality as well. We really need to concentrate ourselves and it’s for each player to try to produce their best.
“We've been missing a bit of luck in the games that we've played against Manchester United and Chelsea perhaps. But we've got to make our own luck, just as we did earlier in the season. If we're not quite getting that luck now, we've got to make it happen and I think it will turn out well.”