- West Ham play Crystal Palace at 8PM BST tonight
- Mads Hermansen says the team have a lot of belief
- The shot stopper credits Axel Disasi with making his job easier
West Ham United head to Selhurst Park this evening ready to fight for more precious Premier League points. Crystal Palace are all but safe, but still pose a strong threat as the Hammers attempt to join them in staying in the top flight for next season.
A win could take Nuno Espirito Santo’s men to four points above the relegation zone, piling more pressure on Tottenham Hotspur, who currently occupy 18th place.
Speaking before the game, shot stopper Mads Hermansen has told of how important communication between the backline is, and just how it has helped revolutionise this West Ham side.
“I think we’ve been really good working on our relationships in between us, especially in the defensive lines, getting some structure and discipline in the way we want to defend. We’ve been working really hard on that. It’s paid off, so it’s been great!
“Like we’ve been doing, our aim is to be stable in our defensive work and to be sure in what we do on the ball and then just exploit our opponents as a team.
“We believe a lot in ourselves and if we don’t believe going into every single game, it’s going to get tough, but we believe we have a lot to give.”
Composure is key at West Ham
Since returning to the starting line-up in February, Hermansen’s calming influence has been key for the Hammers. The defensive unit has been the building blocks of this new look Irons team and it all starts with the man between the sticks.
Whilst Hermansen deserves his flowers, the Danish international has credited Axel Disasi with helping him improve, and providing stability within the group in front of him.
“It’s just his strength in the duels and his calmness on the ball,” he observed. “Axel is very good at bringing calmness to all of the players around him, so I think he’s been great to have come into the team. All of us together have looked really strong.”
With six games left, West Ham know survival is in their own heads. For some, this can increase the pressure but the key for the Hammers is to not overreach, and find a level of consistency that will guide them to the finish line.
“I think it’s really important always to find the right balance in your energy levels or how much you want to show, because sometimes when you want things too much, you don’t get them because of that,” he concluded.
“The consistency in the way we’re working every single day, I’m sure that’s going to take us over the finish line to stay up.”
