Neill – One year at West Ham

West Ham’s Captain Lucas Neill explains some of the differences at the club compared to one year ago, when he joined the Hammers in the throes of a relegation battle. He told whufc.com:

‘It has been a tremendous 12 months and also a very rewarding period. There is a totally different feel to the club now. The environment round the training ground is much more relaxed.’

Hardly surprising given our current ‘top half’ status. Neill elaborated: ‘The goals and targets we are setting are a lot different to what they were a year ago. We are making the headlines for the right reasons now and it appears the ongoing circus that surrounded the club is a distant memory.’

It does indeed. But with West Ham now out of both domestic Cup competitions, a European placing in the league provides the sole focus:

‘It is imperative that we do not lose this weekend in a match that we are all determined to be victorious in. A win will see us close the gap on fourth place and keep tabs on the group of teams just ahead of and of course keep us in the hunt for a European spot. We go into the game with a lot of confidence from the FA Cup performance and an attitude that seeks revenge.’ Neill also paid homage to travelling Hammers’ fans:

‘I’d like to thank the strong army of fans that were present on Wednesday night and thank you in advance for no doubt the same kind of following on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully you will have a lot more to smile about on the way back down the M6!’