Angelo Ogbonna urges fans to stick with West Ham after sliding into bottom three

The 1-0 defeat to Wolves means the Hammers have lost six of their last seven league matches

Mark Mann-Bryans
Sunday 15 January 2023 10:43 GMT
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West Ham players after the full-time whistle at Wolves
West Ham players after the full-time whistle at Wolves (Reuters)

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Angelo Ogbonna insists it is important for West Ham to understand their current situation after they dropped into the Premier League relegation zone.

The Hammers have taken just one point from the last 21 on offer following a 1-0 loss at fellow strugglers Wolves on Saturday.

Daniel Podence’s low drive early in the second half was enough for Wolves to secure a much-needed victory, which saw them move out of the bottom three to be replaced by their visitors.

David Moyes has asked fans to stick with the team despite a run of six defeats from their last seven league outings, with a home game against a similarly out-of-form Everton next up.

Ogbonna is aware of the predicament West Ham find themselves in and said the players remain committed to altering their current fortunes.

“At this moment we don’t have a lot of luck,” he told the club’s official website.

“We have shown we can improve in the last three games and we stepped on the pitch (at Wolves) to get something more. It didn’t go that way, but maybe the next one will.

“It’s very important. From now on every game is important, for us, for all the players. It’s important to understand the situation – it’s a hard situation, but we’ve passed through hard times before at West Ham.

“We need to take it game-by-game. It’s the only way, to focus on the next game wherever it is. All the players want the best for this club.

“It’s a hard time. We know that. It’s a transition, so we need to stick with it. We need the fans, the next game is going to be massive and we need the fans whatever the result.”

Wolves are improving under new head coach Julen Lopetegui and edged a nervy game against West Ham in which neither side had many clear-cut chances.

Captain Ruben Neves hit the crossbar with a trademark long-range strike which would have given the hosts more breathing room, but the Portugal midfielder was happy to take a win as he praised the Molineux support.

“It is massive for us,” he told WolvesTV.

“We knew the importance of this game in front of our fans, we wanted to get the three points and we played a great game, a great atmosphere as well, it felt like the old times at Molineux today.

“That is where we want to build, how we want to feel every time we play here, and it was a very good afternoon for us and I’m sure for the fans as well.

“It is a massive win, if you look to the performance as well. It was a really solid performance and let’s work for the next one in three days.”

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