Sam Allardyce has written off West Ham United's chances of winning the Championship, but remains optimistic of automatic promotion.
Hammers boss remains optimistic of claiming second spot
Sam Allardyce has written off West Ham United's chances of winning the Championship, but remains optimistic of automatic promotion to the Premier League.
The Hammers have slipped out of the top two of late after drawing five games in a row and seven of their last 10 league games in total.
Allardyce's side now sit nine points adrift of leaders Southampton with eight games left to play and he is not expecting to catch Nigel Adkins' men.
However, back-to-back wins over Peterborough United and promotion rivals Reading this week will lift West Ham into second and Allardyce is targeting a change of fortune.
Slipped up
"I think that's gone now," said Allardyce regarding winning the Championship. "I can't see Southampton losing three or four on the trot for us to make up those points.
"We've slipped up, they haven't and credit to them because they have been there all season.
"If we deliver eight clean sheets in our last eight games, I think we'll go up automatically but we've had seven draws and three wins in our last 10 games when it should have been the other way round.
"It's costing us dear, but we are still in with a shout if we turn the draws into victories.
"If I get a performance like the one at Burnley, I'm sure we can win at Peterborough. Then we play Reading on Saturday, and that's our chance to get back into second spot.
"But if we really want to get in among the automatic promotion side of it, we have to beat Peterborough. It's just sad that we can't go there on the crest of a wave after taking the three points we deserved."
