Sam Allardyce has appealed to the majority of Hammers fans to drown out any negativity that may arise when West Ham take on Reading at the Boleyn Ground tomorrow afternoon.
Allardyce, speaking on Talksport this morning pleaded with all Hammers fans to get behind the team when they take on the Royals in what will be the club's most important game of the season so far.Should West Ham manage to overcome the challenge on the in-form Berkshire side they will find themselves just three points behind current leaders Southampton, who face a difficult trip to Blackpool in tomorrow's late kick-off (5:20pm).
However Allardyce is concerned that an element of the home crowd may put a spanner in the works by voicing their disapproval should all not go to plan during the game - something that he is keen for the rest of the crowd - the vast majority - to shout down.
"We've got to try and drown out the negativity if we can," he said. "If we see the team struggling, cheer it on to try and get over the particular difficult period.
"If Reading are going to come and sit back and sit in then you can't play a fluent game of football no matter who you are. I watched Manchester United and Fulham this week and there were spells in that game where they [Man Utd] couldn't get the normal flowing football that they wanted going.
"But they still achieved the ultimate [aim] at the end of the day and won the game. You've got to win the game - and if you can win the game and you've been fantastic with great entertainment that's fine. But it's about winning and getting over the line now."
Allardyce admitted that supporters may have to show a degree of patience - as happened in midweek at Peterbough when an insipid first half display was followed by an outstanding second period.
"If you look at the Peterborough game, Peterborough had the early stages of the game," said Sam. "They shut us down from the front and we couldn't get the ball out and get the ball down - but we knew they wouldn't last.
"They tired, spaces opened up and then we completely outplayed and outpassed them and beat them quite comfortably - and that's what might happen on Saturday.
"But the best way to get the game flowing is for us to score as early as we can, because if there's any negative tactics then of course the opposition can sit in and frustrate you, they're quite entitled to do that. I used to do that myself when I played away from home.
"If you can score first and score early then that changes the way the play and you get a more open and more game where you can perhaps provide more entertainment. At the end of the day we want to win and most West Ham fans want to win. I don't know a West Ham who says 'we don't want to win'."
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