West Ham are fully aware of the magnitude of todays London derby clash with Spurs, says Julen Lopetegui.
The Head Coach in east London, who arrived to replace David Moyes in the summer, is set for his first big showdown as boss, in the knowledge that this is a game that seriously matters to the fans.
“I know this is a big derby in London and means a lot to our fans,” Lopetegui told the clubs Official Website. “We don’t need any other reason to be ready. We’re going to have over 3,000 fans at the stadium, and we will be ready to work hard and get a good result for them. Our fans are always the best for us, and this is a good thing for us.
“The extra passion in these games is always good for the environment, the fans, the players, and also us. We will try to enjoy all of this, but in the end, you have to put the focus on football, and our aim is to beat a very good team. The most important thing is to play well, defend well, and be able to be very competitive.”
Lopetegui is aware it’s been a somewhat slow start to life at the club, however he says the process is taking shape as his side continues to improve and compete at the top end of the Premier League table.
“We are in the process where we have to improve a lot of things to win more points and consolidate different things,” added the Spaniard. “In the same way, we are working to be more competitive and to be able to win more matches.
“We don’t make a difference between [home and away fixtures]. Saturday’s match will be different from those we have played away so far, in the same way that Ipswich was different to those at home. We put the same importance on all the matches, home or away.”