West Ham boss Sam Allardyce looks toward hard work to ensure Premier League survival and filling Olympic Stadium
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Your support makes all the difference.West Ham boss Sam Allardyce thinks his squad has made “massive progress” in a short period of time but has warned there is still hard work to come if the club want to play at a packed-out Olympic Stadium.
The Hammers have been training in Dubai this week as Allardyce hopes to keep his side fresh for the final 12 matches of the domestic campaign to ensure his side's Premier League survival.
West Ham will face Tottenham at White Hart Lane in their next fixture on Monday, February 25.
Speaking to United Arab Emirates-based daily sports newspaper Sport3600, Allardyce said: "They (the board) gave me a two-year period to (get promoted) and I did it in the first year and that was a massive achievement.
"We are 11th with 12 games to go and only need at the very, very maximum 10 points from the last 12 games to make sure we are safe. The progress has been massive in a short period of time."
Allardyce continued: "There is this huge massive-looking Olympic Stadium which is going to be converted and if that is going to be converted into a football arena, it will be one of the biggest in the country, then West Ham needs the players to be established in the Premier League if they want to fill it."
David Gold, West Ham’s co-chairman confirmed last week that any talks over a new contract for Allardyce would be on hold until the club’s Premier League survival is confirmed. And the West Ham boss has responded by saying that any talks of a contract will not distract him from the job at hand.
"We said we will deal with the contract when we are safe in the Premier League,” he said.
"It is as much my choice as it is theirs. We have come together and we are both comfortable with the decision."
The club will use the match against Tottenham to commemorate the20th anniversary of the death of former West Ham and England captain Bobby Moore who died of bowel cancer at the age of 51.
Donations from programme sales will also be made to the Bobby Moore Fund, with supporters also able to contribute via collection buckets at the stadium.
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