Win or be 'doomed' for West Ham
Kieron Dyer has admitted that West Ham United might be "doomed" to relegation if they do not beat Blackpool at Upton Park tomorrow. Avram Grant's side remain bottom of the Premier League, four points adrift of safety, after drawing 2-2 with West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday.
West Ham had been 2-1 up against West Brom through goals from Scott Parker and Frédéric Piquionne, but Pablo Ibanez's 71st-minute equaliser denied them what would have been only their second League win of the season. The pressure is now on to beat Blackpool tomorrow.
"We said Birmingham was a 'must-win' game, but against Blackpool we need three points otherwise people will start saying we might be doomed," Dyer said. "Blackpool are going to come here and have a right go at us. We have to be confident and match their desire. It is all about playing with no fear."
Dyer conceded that confidence is low at the club and there was a sense of inevitability about West Bromwich's late equaliser. "I am a confident player and I don't let things affect me, but you can see that some players are affected," he said. "Again, as soon we went ahead we nearly got the third goal, but then we kind of went into our shells. You could sense it was just a matter of time that they were going to score and it can't be like that."
Dyer hopes that West Ham can turn around their disappointing form at Upton Park, where they have already lost three times, to Bolton, Chelsea and Newcastle. Fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic visit after Blackpool and Dyer said: "We have to give the crowd something to cheer about. If we are going to stay in the Premier League, we are going to have to make Upton Park a fortress."
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