Tuesday 22 August 2017 19:52, UK
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has called on his team to play "like it is the last game of our lives" and kick-start the season with a Carabao Cup win at League Two Cheltenham on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports.
The Hammers have lost both of their Premier League fixtures so far, going down 4-0 to Manchester United before suffering a 3-2 defeat at Southampton, where they had fought back following the sending off of Marko Arnautovic only to concede a last-minute goal from the penalty spot.
But Bilic remains confident his players can come through their latest test to give themselves a boost going into Saturday's trip to Newcastle, their final game before the international break.
"We need a win to get that boost, but it was a completely different feeling after the defeat at Manchester United and at Southampton," he said.
"There were a lot of positives on Saturday when we came back from 2-0 down with 10 men to equalise. But of course we have zero points.
"If we do some changes, it is because we have a good squad and okay, with a little bit of an eye towards the Newcastle game, but we will of course put a strong team out.
"We are a Premier League side, we are all professionals, it is part of our job to feel the pressure, it is always there.
"We know it is going to be a difficult game, but it is up to us to make it less difficult with our performance.
"We know they will play almost like a cup final, but there is only one thing we have to do to stop that and it is to play the game like it is the last game of our lives.
"Only with that approach are we going to reduce their chances. Normally we have a better team, but the [team on] paper means nothing when the game starts.
"After a good performance against Southampton, now there is a platform for us before Newcastle to boost our confidence with a win, which means a lot in the club."
Watch Cheltenham v West Ham in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Coverage begins on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football at 7:30pm.
