Monday, 15th September, 2014
Sometimes a defeat is good as it helps a team to come to terms with reality, West Ham winger Stewart Downing has insisted.
The Hammers resume their domestic campaign against Hull City tonight and Downing, like everybody else at the club, expects the team to bounce back from the disappointment of their loss against Southampton.
Sam Allardyce's team were humbled 3-1 at home last month by the Saints even after having taken an early lead through a Mark Noble strike.
Downing believes that the loss has served as a wake up call for his team as they now look to put the disappointment behind them and try to get their season back on track.
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"Maybe we relaxed a bit too much, got carried away even", Downing told his club's official site.
"Sometimes a defeat is good in the sense that it brings us back to reality, it can act as a wake-up call.
"Hull will be a difficult game and I think Steve Bruce is doing a good job there.
"They've got a good squad, so I think it will be a good game."
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