Michail Antonio has called on West Ham fans not to give up on the squad as they look to turn the tide at London Stadium.
With poor performances on the pitch and a fractious fanbase in the stands threatening to derail the club's bid to retain their Premier League status, the game against Southampton on March 31 is likely to prove vital in the run-in.
Five of West Ham’s eight remaining games are at home, making it vital that the chaotic scenes during the defeat to Burnley - five pitch invaders were on Thursday handed lifetime bans - ahead of the international break are confined to the past.
David Moyes took the squad on a warm-weather training camp to Miami last week, which Antonio insists brought the team closer together but highlighted the need for support from the stands in their fight against the drop.
“Don’t give up on us,” Antonio, speaking to Standard Sport, said to the fans. “The situation we’re in now, we’re going to need them - it’s not just us in the situation, it’s them as well. We’re all in the situation together so, keep fighting and keep pushing together.
“Going away got the boys to gel together, to bond. Every day you can come into training. You can come in [and] not be seen, not really speak to players."
He added: “We kind of had a bad vibe going around because we’re not winning games.
“The gaffer thought to take us away to change the mood, get a bit of sun in the system, play a couple of bonding games and come back to kick on and keep going forward.”
Antonio himself has struggled with injuries this season but last season’s Hammer of the Year scored twice in a fundraising friendly against Dagenham and Redbridge on Wednesday, with January signing Jordan Hugill also scoring his first goal for the club in a 3-1 win.
The Daggers are facing financial ruin after major investor Glyn Hopkin walked away earlier this season. Having come from non-league himself, Antonio was keen to aid a local club in need.
“We’re definitely doing something good,” he said. “I hate to see football clubs struggling, especially me coming from non-league. So it’s just one of those things where any way we could help we can.”
