The Hammers defender says the manager wants his charges to play every match as if it’s their “last game” ever.
Ahead of West Ham’s Premier League home game against Huddersfield Town, Ryan Fredericks has spoken out about what the club’s coaching staff demands of the players, and the general expectations at playing for the club.
The Hammers have had an up-and-down season, starting the campaign poorly under Manuel Pellegrini but improving to edge into the top half of the table, although their 2-0 loss at struggling Cardiff City last time out showed there’s still a lot of work to be done.
Fredericks highlighted the pressure of playing for West Ham, saying they’re expected to be competitive against the Premier League’s top sides and win against every other team, with Pellegrini delivering intense motivational techniques and demanding a certain style of play too.
Looking ahead to the game against the relegation-battling Terriers, the 26-year-old defender told the official Hammers website: “We’ve got good players in our team and there’s a lot expected from us every game. We’re confident, if we go out there and play our stuff.
“We play at such a big club that we’re expected to go out and compete with the big boys, and beat everyone else. The manager puts a lot of demand on us to win every game and play in a certain way. He wants us right at it and playing as if it’s the last game we’re ever going to play.”
Fredericks joined the London Stadium outfit in the summer of 2018, penning a four-year deal after leaving Fulham on a free transfer, and has made 10 Premier League appearances this term, a tally which was impacted by an ankle injury midway through the campaign (Transfermarkt).
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