PABLO TELLS HAMMERS TO GET ON IT’

Neil Moxley

PABLO ZABALETA has told West Ham to forget about finishing as the best of the rest – until they can find consistency for the crest on their shirt.

The Argentine has revealed that qualifying for European football next season was the aim at the start of the campaign.

Seventh spot would be good enough to secure a place in next season’s Europa League and that was the talk of the dressing room at the London Stadium.

But Zabaleta (above) says that, while the Hammers have shown they can mix it with the big boys – every player has to be “on it” if they are to win regularly in the Premier League.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s clash against Liverpool, he said: “Playing Liverpool at home is the perfect opportunity for us to put it all right.

“We show against the top teams. We have got, I think, seven points from four games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. But we failed three or four times to get that seventh position.”

It has been feast or famine in east London this season.

Four wins during December were followed two victories in eight.

And three defeats on the spin – including a four-goal FA Cup humbling against struggling League One outfit Wimbledon – have cast the campaign in a different light.

Zabaleta added: “We have been talking about it, about how good it would be to finish seventh, to play in the Europa League next season. Against Watford at home, it was a big chance – we lost. We had a big chance against Bournemouth – we lost. Against Wolves, we lost.

“We win games, put in a really good performance and then, five days later, we produce a really, really poor performance.

“West Ham need to be on it. Everyone has to be at it and every player needs to feel proud to play for the club and make it better. You need to perform week, in week out. You need consistency.”