Graham Potter says it is important for his team to end the season as strongly as possible - even though the Hammers are virtually certain to finish in the lower reaches of the Premier League.
It's little more than a year since West Ham were battling for a Champions League slot, having enjoyed a best-ever start to an EPL season in 2023/24 - and less that two since the club won the UEFA Conference League in Prague.However with two managerial departures since and the exit of a controversial Technical Director, Potter has been left trying to resuscitate an ailing squad.
And he hopes to begin by putting the disappointment of Tuesday's night's defeat at Molineux against Wolves by beating in-form Bournemouth in Stratford this weekend.
"It’s important for us to finish as strongly as we can - we have the responsibility of trying to win every game," he told the assembled media during his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning.
"We were disappointed on Tuesday, because we always want to win. We always have to put things in perspective, as best we can. Over the course of the first half we weren’t happy with how we played.
"But in the second we showed a good reaction, and actually over the course of the game - in terms of chances, shots and all that stuff - it was relatively even.
"I think we’re just on the back end of the margins at the moment," he continued. "We were minutes away from winning at Everton, which isn’t easy, and we had a tight game against Newcastle that finished 1-0 because of a dubious goal from our perspective.
"That’s where we are, and that just shows how this league can be. Bournemouth are on a bit of tough run themselves, so we know how competitive and ruthless this league is, and we have to keep working to try and improve.
"We have the responsibility of trying to win every game - that’s our job, and what we have to do. I say it every week, but every match is important for us.
"This is the Premier League and we’re representing a huge club with unbelievable supporters, so we have to approach every game as if it’s the Champions League final.
"We have to try and get into that mindset. It’s important for us to finish off the season as strongly as we can, and that’s what we’ll try to do, starting on Saturday."
And looking back on his first three months in the role, Potter - who it has been claimed has an 18-month break clause in his managerial contract - admitted that he has barely got started.
"I can understand the waiting for the lift-off, so to speak, but you have to understand the context we’ve been working in," he said.
"When we started the team had some issues defensively in terms of conceding too many goals. We’ve fixed that and we’ve certainly made some steps in terms of how the team acts and behaves.
"I think you can see that over the last few games we’ve always been competitive. A lot of the previous games were one-sided, or high-scoring, but we’ve been competitive in all the games.
"When you’re changing things, and you’re changing the culture and the environment, it isn’t so obvious that the results go up as directly as you’d like. At the same time, we know we have to improve results, and that’s what we’re looking to do."
And he hopes that process restarts again on Saturday afternoon. "Bournemouth are a well-organised team who are clear about what they do in and out of possession," he said.
"They attack with clarity, and defend with clarity. Their coach has done a really good job, and it’s a club that’s aligned and on the same page, moving forwards.
"The run they’ve been on just shows how tough this league is. A few weeks ago they were getting some really strong results, and the last few weeks have shown how ruthless it is.
"Things can happen over a season, but over the course of the season, and Andoni Iraola’s time in charge, they’ve improved, and got stronger and stronger. We expect a tough game."
You may view Potter's press conference in full, below.
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