IT'S important that we don't finish the season on a downer. Against Sunderland it was very disappointing becuase I think we defended well enough to come out of it with a point.

Even down to ten men I thought we'd done enough to stop them getting through. But these late goals happen.

I have gone up to win the header and had to get something on it. If I'd left it someone might have run in with a free header. But it has just taken it away from our players and fallen to Andy Reid - to be fair to him it was a great finish.

We started the game well but perhaps the goal gave us too much confidence. We started taking too many touches of the ball and stopped popping it about.

There's been a lot of talk about the injuries and it certainly hasn't helped but we are professionals and can't use it as an excuse. God only knows why it keep happening to us but we have got to get on with it.

There's now five or six games to go and we need to give ourselves and the fans some good results - there's some hard work to be done on the training pitch to make sure we do ourselves justice.

For one thing, we've definately give the fans something to shout about because we really put them through it last year.

This year it has been much better but their support has always been the same.

Away from home we can always hear them above the home fans. No matter what the reputation is of the home fans or how loud they think they are, our fans will out-sing them. Of course, no-one is going to out-sing them at Upton Park - and that is do with the great passion that is always there.

It would mean a lot to the players to give them something to shout about this season.

- I haven't met the new technical director yet but he is meant to be coming down to introduce himself to all the lads. I'm personally looking forward to seeing what he brings to the club.

A lot of people have mentioned how good he is as what he does, which can only be a good thing for West Ham United.

A lot of the young boys have come through to the first team of late and there's a couple more who are banging on the door. If he can enhance that still further than would be brilliant for the club.