West Ham have given themselves genuine hope of Premier League survival and now Nuno Espirito Santo is plotting a new great escape.
The Hammers were in exactly the same position and on the same number of points after 24 games in 2007, when Carlos Tevez led their remarkable bid to stay up.
West Ham won seven of their last nine matches to stay in the Premier League that season.
This time around, though, three wins in the last four – including the 2-0 victory at Burnley on Saturday – mean the Hammers have more games in which to pull off their new great escape.
The win at Turf Moor has pulled the Hammers to within three points of Nottingham Forest and the safety of 17th.
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West Ham now face a rejuvenated and in-form Man United at home while Forest host basement boys Wolves.
So it is now about who can hold their nerve and win the games they are expected to while perhaps springing the odd surprise here and there.
West Ham are in EXACTLY the same position as in their ‘Great Escape’ season! ⚡
What is your favourite memory of that 2007 escape?
The Hammers sit on 23 points with 13 games to go.
The 40-point mark is considered the magic number for Premier League survival – although West Ham remain the holders of an unwanted record of being the team relegated on the most points ever – 42.
Survival has not required 40 points for many years, but this season it is expected to be at least that, with some forecasting 43 will be needed.
West Ham’s owners stated what must happen now after the ‘great win’ over Burnley.
The Hammers board have made it clear the team must win the games they are expected to while ‘pulling one or two rabbits out of the hat’.
Hammers News can reveal that Nuno Espirito Santo has made several things clear to his players behind closed doors at Rush Green.
He does not want West Ham’s players looking at what the likes of Forest are doing week by week.
Instead he is drumming it into West Ham’s stars that they must focus solely on themselves on a game-by-game basis to maintain their good form and stay up.
But while that is the message being conveyed to the Hammers dressing room, Nuno and his staff are specifically plotting the new great escape in detail.
Nuno now targeting six games West Ham must win to survive
Nuno Espirito Santo is now targeting six games West Ham must win to survive.
The mentality from the Portuguese is very much that the Hammers can win every game they go into.
How many points do we NEED from these next five games?
And how many do you think we WILL get?
That was reflected in the approach to the match at Chelsea, where West Ham played with two strikers and on the front foot as they took a 2-0 lead in at half-time.
The less said about the second half collapse the better as the Hammers would be level with Forest on 26 points had they held on.
With 40 points as the ultimate target – albeit with the acceptance it may require more – Nuno and his staff have earmarked six games they feel West Ham must win.
The thinking is that the Hammers feel survival can be secured with victory in those games – with any positive results from the other seven games being a bonus or – in the words of the owners: ‘rabbits out of the hat’.
“The manager is very clear with the players that they must only focus on themselves and competing in every game to win,” a key senior West Ham source told Hammers News.
“The messaging is very consistent on that at the training ground. Nuno does not want the players obsessing over the table as it only adds pressure and anxiety.
“He has told them that having that single-track mind of ticking off wins will see them safe.
‘Points from other seven games seen as a bonus for West Ham’
“That doesn’t mean there is no plan, though, Nuno is very much targeting specific games to get the six wins he believes will be needed to stay up. It may not work out like that of course but points from any other matches would be seen as a bonus.
“It is felt getting to the 30-point mark as soon as possible could really help the players play with more freedom during the run-in while dragging others into the mix.”
These are the six fixtures Nuno and his staff are privately targeting to win from the final 13 in order to get to a minimum of 41 points.
Anything from Man United on Tuesday is seen as a bonus.
From there, Nuno wants to target beating Bournemouth at home, Fulham away, Wolves at home, Crystal Palace away, Everton at home and Leeds at home.
Win those and West Ham will get to 41 points.
Other games, such as Brentford, Newcastle and Aston Villa away may represent opportunities for points depending on form at the time.
And anything from tough-looking matches against the Red Devils, Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal are complete bonuses.
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