Darren Randolph has claimed that West Ham United have regained their confidence after battling their way out of Premier League relegation trouble.
The Hammers were as low as 17th in the table back in December, but three straight wins lifted them away from the dropzone, with the club now in 11th place.
While the goalkeeper conceded that West Ham's performances were not up to scratch early in the season, he pointed towards manager Slaven Bilic as the reason for their recovery.
"I think everyone was hoping for an easier ride. We did play well in some games at the start of the season but didn't do it for the whole game," Randolph told Sky Sports News. "Mistakes then creep in and you end up losing games you should be winning, and you end up dropping points.
"I don't think the stadium was a big a deal as what people thought it was at the start of the season but the more time that goes on with no results or performances, then it becomes an issue. We've managed to put that right now. We've had some good results at home and have managed to move up the table from where we were.
"There's a lot of frustration because we know we're a lot better. After a few heavy defeats it's only natural that it knocks your confidence, but the one thing the manager said to us was don't lose that confidence, it will come good again.
"It took probably the two results against Hull and Burnley at home, where we didn't play well but got the two wins. From then on, that's when we picked things up again and get that confidence back."
Up next for the East London side is a Premier League away fixture at Bournemouth at 3pm GMT on Saturday.
Giuseppe Labellarte
