Alan Pardew shares his thoughts with the BBC on a miserable performance in Smogsborough ...
It was a tight affair. The home team set up 5-4-1 and there wasn't a lot of room to play. I can hardly think of a chance in the first half for either team - they didn't create a lot and restricted us from being able to play through them.It was always going to be a tight affair. You felt that one goal was going to be the difference - if indeed there was going to be a goal - and the break unfortunately fell for them, and they took it.
I'm a little bit grieved in terms of the effort we've put in - and the application to what we tried to achieve - to have nothing. But that's what we've ended up with.
Our confidence levels were high. Defeat here is not a disgrace but in terms of our performance we deserved more. We just have to think positively; we go to Chelsea next and maybe the break will come there. Certainly you're only going to get one or two chances at Stamford Bridge - and you need to take them.
The game was crying out for a bit of quality today and it never really happened for either team. We had moments to capitalise but they went astray.
The only disappointing fact for us today - apart from the result - was the last ten minutes when we got a little bit impatient, trying to claw it back. That might have something to do with the fact that we haven't picked up too many points away from home this year so we started looking a little bit too long-ball there. If we had been a little bit more patient we might have put more pressure on them.
We had a couple of blows today, with injuries, suspensions and flu. But we have to start picking up points away from home. It's absolutely important if you're going to be a strong side in the Premiership.
We've shown over the last three games that we can compete against anybody. But we've got to start accumulating more points than we've got at the moment.
The situation with me on the side is never going to change. I've always been the same, I'm just trying to do what I think is the right job for West Ham. Unfortunately today we haven't won, but Gareth [Southgate] was good today.
He deserved his three points and he'll be happy - but I'm not.
Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough)
On the back of the last two games it was going to take a while for the confidence to set in, but we dealt well with that and kept our composure. When we were positive we looked a good side.
West Ham started the day level on points with us so it was an important win.
* Something to say about this story? Please visit the KUMB Forum to leave a comment.
