Friday 31 March 2017 15:11, UK
West Ham United need to dispel any thoughts of Premier League relegation by reaching the 40-point mark as soon as possible, according to left-back Aaron Cresswell.
The Hammers are currently 12th in the table having picked up only 33 points, in stark contrast to this time last season when they were riding high in fifth with 16 more points to their name.
Slaven Bilic's side went on to finish the 2015/16 campaign in seventh, but while Cresswell feels the club overachieved last season, he still wants them to get as close to that figure as possible in their remaining nine games.
"We want to get to that 40-point mark sooner rather than later," Cresswell told Sky Sports. "But looking at last year, we finished seventh with 62 points and you could arguably say we overachieved last season.
"But we want to get close to that, or as close as we can to get close to that, and with nine games to go, let's see what happens.
We are fully behind him and supportive of him and hopefully we can turn it around and take that pressure off him.
"It is not going to be one of them where we give up, we are going to fight to the end and try and get as many points on the board as we can and push further up that table."
The Hammers still need another seven points to reach the magical mark of 40, starting with Saturday afternoon's tricky-looking trip to take on struggling Hull City at the KCOM Stadium.
Having lost 3-2 to Leicester at home in their last league fixture before the international break, Cresswell says he and his team-mates are desperate to now put that right this weekend.
"As a player, you want to play the next day now obviously after getting beat," he said. "But an international break comes and you obviously have to wait two weeks and you can't rectify it. So it is a little bit disappointing, but we have to go again now on Saturday.
"But you want the whole squad back as soon as you can to get together and rectify the defeat against Leicester as soon as you can and look forward and prepare for the Hull game now.
"As players, as long as we give all we've got and 110 per cent week in, week out, and be as professional as we can, that is all we can do. And certainly all the lads here, the coaching staff, manager, everyone is giving 100 per cent.
"Of course it is not going right at the minute and we want to put that right on Saturday, we know we have not been good enough, especially of late. And we are certainly looking forward to the Hull game, we will train hard the next few days and prepare well for the game.
"There is no easy game in the Premier League, especially away from home and against a club like Hull who are fighting, they are going to give everything for their manager, they are on a decent little run since the manager took over and we certainly know it is not going to be easy.
"But it is a place that we are going to prepare all week for and hopefully have a good start and get the three points."
If Cresswell can maintain his impressive form since returning from a knee injury in October, then the full-back could even add to the solitary England cap he won against Spain last November.
"I am only 27 years old, I had a major setback at the start of the season," he said. "But I have come back from that and am alright, then got the England call-up, which was a proud moment for me. And I will never give up on that dream.
"All you can do is give your all for West Ham, you want to perform well first and foremost and Gareth [Southgate] will be watching the games.
"And that is where he will see you, he will not see you in training, so you have to perform in the games to warrant a place in the England squad."
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