Parker says attack is the way for Hammers to battle out of trouble
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Your support makes all the difference.Scott Parker believes attack could be the best policy if West Ham United are to drag themselves off the foot of the Premier League table. The Hammers have managed just one win this season to prop up the table with seven points after 11 games.
Their nine league goals is also the second-lowest total in the Premier League this term, but midfielder Parker thinks the Upton Park strikers can inspire a rise up the table after an improved performance in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Birmingham City. His manager, Avram Grant, employed a three-pronged attack at St Andrew's, with Carlton Cole returning to the line-up alongside the new arrivals Frédéric Piquionne and Victor Obinna.
It looked a winning move when goals from Piquionne and Valon Behrami fired the Hammers 2-0 ahead, only for the hosts to battle back for a draw. Parker admitted that represented points lost for his side, but found enough encouragement in their attacking play to suggest they can put their early-season malaise behind them when West Bromwich visit east London tonight.
"I enjoyed [the way we attacked]," Parker said yesterday. "It was good. I thought we looked a threat on the break on Saturday and every time we went forward we looked like we could score. That was the case in the first half and second half, so that was pleasing. We wanted to win the game and we came away with a draw.
"Probably we'll look back and think it was a good point. We deserved to win the game and it's our fault because at 2-0 up we shouldn't have lost the lead. We need to learn from this and just keep going. Saturday wasn't meant to be but we're looking forward to Wednesday."
The West Ham captain, Matthew Upson, returned from a hamstring injury for the draw at Birmingham – a match he said underlined the Hammers' inconsistency this season. The England defender has told his team-mates that, before they can climb out of trouble, they need to accept that their performances so far have warranted their lowly position.
"I think some of our performances have been a mixed bag in the same game, with good and bad that has just cost us in little areas," Upson said. "We've made bad choices and we've been punished heavily this season. We need to get back on a winning streak and a couple of wins will change everything. The brutality of the Premier League is that, if you make the wrong choice, you'll pay for it. We can't say we're not a 'bottom of the table club', because the facts speak for themselves and we are. The table doesn't lie and the points we have don't lie."
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