West Ham United midfielder Pablo Fornals has said that the Hammers’ playing squad are trying to stay together as a family in their attempts to steer clear of relegation this season.
In what has been a disappointing 2022/23 campaign so far, the Hammers currently sit 17th in the Premier League table and only clear of the bottom three on goal difference, knowing that they are likely to be back in the relegation zone before they next return to action on April 2 against Southampton, who currently sit bottom of the league.
Of their 26 league games so far this season, West Ham have won just seven times, drawing six others to leave them on just 24 points going into the final months of the season.
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Speaking on the difficulties and the challenge facing the Hammers after this month’s international break, Fornals has said that he and his teammates want to be together like a family and if they are, alongside the fans, it will be a big boost in their quest for survival.
“It’s going to be massive,” Fornals told football.london. “For me and for the lads, when you have a family and you have problems at home, if you are together with your family it is going to be better, I think it’s what we’re trying to do.
“Be together, try to give the crowd good moments to take them with us and stay together, all together, because it’s going to be a big part of our success.”
Spanish midfielder Fornals, currently West Ham’s all-time leading appearance maker in Europe, is set to make his 22nd European outing for David Moyes’ men on Thursday night in the second leg of their Europa Conference League round of 16 clash against Cypriot side AEK Larnaca.
Currently 2-0 up after their first leg in Larnaca six days ago, West Ham already have one foot into the quarter-finals, which would be West Ham’s second consecutive outing of reaching the last eight of a European competition, having got to the semi-finals of last season’s Europa League.
Despite the current league form, Fornals does not see it as a distraction, instead saying it is an opportunity for Moyes to give game time to all of West Ham’s squad, as well as further chances to win matches.
“I don’t think it’s a distraction, it’s a chance to win games and to give players opportunities, try to have everyone in the shape to be sharp for the team,” Fornals added. “I don’t think it’s a distraction, I think personally, it’s an opportunity.”
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