For many West Ham United fans, this season’s struggles have been coming.
Indeed, there has been little to shout about at West Ham United since the famous Conference League winning campaign of 2023.
The club’s ownership remain thoroughly unpopular and playing at the London Stadium is arduous at best.
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Though that’s not to say supporters have given up, the fact the team are struggling is probably of little surprise to many.
Still, West Ham have hope in the relegation battle. They are not gone yet, and the win over Tottenham has lifted the mood somewhat.
There are some brilliant players in the West Ham squad and Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris is well aware of that.
Regis Le Bris surprised that West Ham are fighting relegation
West Ham are playing Sunderland on Saturday in another huge Premier League encounter.
The Black Cats, of course, smashed the Irons 3-0 on Wearside back in August in a game that set the tone for the whole campaign.
However, Le Bris has revealed that he is surprised the Hammers are struggling towards the bottom of the table.
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Asked during his pre-match press conference if he was surprised that West Ham were fighting relegation, Le Bris said: “Yeah, it shows that this league is very hard because they are a good team, really experienced and they are struggling.
“So, it means that winning points in this league is really hard. I don’t think they’ve given up, that’s really clear.
“They won their last two games, one in the FA Cup and one in the Premier League and probably deserved more against Nottingham Forest. They are in good form, they created two new forwards, so I think they can bounce back and create a new dynamic.”
Why West Ham can beat Sunderland in huge Premier League game
Hammers fans could be forgiven for not having a huge amount of confidence heading into the clash.
Sunderland have been one of the success stories of the Premier League season and will arrive in east London with confidence.
Still, the Black Cats do not boast the same bite in away games as they do at home.
They have won only two away games all season and aren’t in good form on the road.
West Ham played well against Tottenham, despite the tightness of the result.
There are reasons to believe they can do so here, even if it will be a huge test.
If West Ham come through this, then things really are looking on the up.
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