Source: Team_Talk
Fixture list grim for Grant
Avram Grant admitted West Ham's next two games against Manchester United and Chelsea look even more daunting after the defeat to Bolton.[LNB] West Ham will head to Old Trafford next weekend without a point to their name, having conceded six times in their opening two games of the 2010-11 Premier League season.[LNB]Grant described the defeat to Bolton as a "strange game" but West Ham were punished for failing to take their chances in a dominant first-half performance.[LNB]Carlton Cole had a penalty saved by Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, who also did brilliantly to tip Kieron Dyer's shot onto the post.[LNB]Bolton then snatched the lead with an own goal from Matthew Upson before Johan Elmander struck twice, either side of a Mark Noble penalty which only briefly gave West Ham a lifeline.[LNB]Manchester United rattled three past Newcastle last week and Chelsea have opened their campaign with successive 6-0 wins over West Brom and Wigan.[LNB]Grant admitted: "We knew the next two games were tough fixtures. They are especially so now because we lost.[LNB]"But if you saw the spirit after the game last week, and even after going 2-0 down to Bolton, you know that this season we will not give up and keep fighting.[LNB]"We showed we can do it. The spirit was good. We played better than I thought we can. We played like a team right near the top.[LNB]"But we missed a penalty and lots of chances. I am frustrated.[LNB]"If we are in a relegation battle we will fight against it - but we don't want to be in a relegation battle.[LNB]"It's only two games. We can change the mentality. I did it in my last team and I can do it here too."[LNB]Grant, who was referring to his time at Portsmouth, has nine days until the transfer window closes to strengthen his squad.[LNB]West Ham were denied the chance to sign Serbian striker Miralem Sulejmani on loan from Ajax after losing a work permit appeal and Grant must sell in order to raise funds.[LNB]Alessandro Diamanti, Valon Behrami and Radoslav Kovac have all been linked with moves away from Upton Park.[LNB]"Our squad is a little bit short and we want more players," said Grant.[LNB]"I knew from the beginning that I would have to sell before I could buy. There is debt but every year we will have more resources. We need to deal with it. We are trying to build this team for the long term."[LNB]On the plus side for Grant was an eye-catching first Premier League start from Pablo Barrera while Dyer made an impressive return to the side, in only his eighth league start for the Hammers, and Frederic Piquionne was promising in flashes.[LNB]All three of them caused Bolton's defence problems during the first half but West Ham could not forge the breakthrough they needed - and paid the price after the interval.
