Gabbidon issues rallying call

Danny Gabbidon has called for West Ham to stand up and be counted in the second half of the season to ensure their promising campaign does not end in a battle for survival.

The Hammers head to Aston Villa this weekend on the back of four defeats from their last five Barclays Premiership matches, but buoyed by the FA Cup victory at Norwich.

Alan Pardew’s men had acquitted themselves well during the opening months of their return to the top flight after winning the play-off final, and cemented their place in mid-table.

However, their recent loss of form has left the Hammers with only a nine-point cushion ahead of the 17th-placed Portsmouth – and Wales defender Gabbidon is in no doubt what is needed over the next four months to ensure they are not dragged into a relegation dogfight come May.

“We have to stand up now and show how good we really are,” the 26-year-old said.

“We proved over the first half of the season we can put in good performances and get results.

“Everything does not go well all the time, but when things get bad, that is when you see who the real players are.

“We have got to prove ourselves again, go out there and start picking up some wins.

“If we can get on a little run, then we can put ourselves safe with a few games to spare.”

Gabbidon added: “We don’t want to drop our standards and we don’t want to fall away now.

“We have had our little bad run, and now it is about how we react.

“Hopefully we can kick on, get a few wins and try to finish in that top half.”

Gabbidon missed much of the hectic festive schedule because of a knee injury, which he sustained at Blackburn and then flared up again, which forced him out after just six minutes when coming on as a substitute at Portsmouth on St Stephen's Day.

The centre-back is now fully fit and was pleased to have put 90 minutes under his belt in the 2-1 third-round win at Norwich last weekend.

It is a result he feels is something on which to build.

“There was always going to be a spell when we lost a few, and that has happened. It is all about how we bounce back,” Gabbidon said.

“The win at Norwich helped get the confidence back, so we can now take that up to Villa.”

When the two sides met earlier in the season, the Hammers were in top form, running out 4-0 winners at Upton Park in September.

“At that point, everyone was at the top of their game and we could not do anything wrong,” the summer signing from Cardiff recalled.

“If we can get back to playing like that, then I am sure we will give them a tough game.

“Villa will be well up for it, and they want to keep their run going.”

With Pardew looking hard to bring in more new personnel during the transfer window, Gabiddon believes that can only have a positive impact.

The defender said: “It is important to improve the squad if you can, because it is a tough league and if we can get good quality players, that can only be good for us because it adds to the competition for the boys who are already here.

“We know we have to raise our game then, to compete with the players coming in.”

Veteran defender Tomas Repka, though, could be on his way out of the club, the 32-year-old keen to return home to the Czech Republic and his former club Sparta Prague.

“His family are all bac in Prague and he is here on his own, so I can understand how tough that is,” said Gabbidon.

“Hopefully, though, he will stay because he would be a very hard person to replace in that right-back position.

“We have played together for most of the season, and when someone leaves that unit, it is hard to replace them. Whoever comes in has to learn your game, and you have to learn his.

“We would be delighted if he would stay until the end of the season to try to help keep us up.”