West Ham right-back Ryan Fredericks does not believe the Hammers should be satisfied with a top-half finish this season. The fullback thinks the club has the players and a manager in Manuel Pellegrini capable of far more:
“We are a confident bunch and have as good a squad as the top six. That is where we want to be, we have a lot of good players who are way too good to just be happy in the top 10.”
“We are a massive club with a massive fanbase and we need to be kicking on now. I think we have the players and the manager to do that.”
Fans on Twitter were in complete agreement with Fredericks in terms of his sentiments, although they believe that the defender should do his talking on the pitch:
Couldn't agree more mate ??
— Paul Humphrey (@PaulHum57498506) October 8, 2019
Keep the belief ⚒ pic.twitter.com/qeAh9QiJzq
— ⚒ COYIrons ⚒ (@COYIrons_com) October 8, 2019
Results, it’s about the results. Hype won’t do it. You needed to kick on before the Palace game, so I hope you’ve got a better plan for kicking on. ?
— Paul Reeve (@ECApaulreeve) October 8, 2019
I agree! Inconsistency needs to stop
— Nathan Warner (@NathanPatrick84) October 8, 2019
Totally agree!⚒️
— ?????? |⚒️?????⚒️| ?? (@WHUFC_USA_2008) October 8, 2019
Massive support & stadium yes, need performances to match now. Things definitely on the up but we need games like the palace one won!
— Vincent Bean ⚒️ (@VincentBHammer) October 8, 2019
We need to have another run of 6-10 games without defeat no matter who we're playing.then and only then can we be considered for a place in the top six
— john hooper (@johnhooper60) October 8, 2019
Crack on and do it then. You’ll have us all behind you.
— Stuart Townsend (@stuarttownsend) October 8, 2019
The loss to Crystal Palace before the international break shows there is work to do for West Ham to improve their consistency. If they want to finish higher than tenth, such results need to become a thing of the past.
It’s easier said than done in a competitive league, but as Fredericks says, the players have shown already what they are capable of and that they able to compete with some of the ‘Big Six.’
However, they need to start showing it every week, and if they do, they can begin thinking of a higher position in the table.