West Ham finally escaped the Premier League relegation zone last weekend with their impressive 4-0 victory over Wolves.
The Hammers are now two points clear of Tottenham after their London rivals lost 1-0 away to Sunderland.
With Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in good form and Spurs on the decline, many expect the table to stay the same.
However, former Premier League manager Mick McCarthy has a different view after his experience of relegation battles.
Where will West Ham finish this season? 📈 And who will be relegated? ⬇️
Mind the gap, Tottenham Hotspur 😂
Mick McCarthy suggests ‘bonkers mentality’ could be an issue for West Ham
McCarthy believes Tottenham may actually benefit from falling into the bottom three after their defeat to Sunderland.
Speaking from his experience of relegation battles, McCarthy insisted that being in the drop zone can inspire better performances.
This would benefit Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham side in their upcoming league games against Brighton and Wolves.
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“You’re fourth bottom and forever all you’re doing, well, not all, but your concern is the one behind you, because only one can catch you,” McCarthy said.
“Suddenly, you go to third-bottom, and it creates more of a desire. You think, hold on a minute, we’re in relegation here; yeah, we can catch them.’
“It’s a bonkers mentality that suddenly gives you a more positive outlook being in the bottom three, because you’re just looking upwards and trying to overtake the ones above you.
“It really is an unbelievable difference in mentality that, unless you’ve been there, I know you’ve been there, I’ve been there, you can’t express it.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s comments suggest West Ham could feel under more pressure after climbing to 17th place.
Rather than hunting down Spurs, Nuno’s team will now be looking behind them and hoping to stay clear of Spurs over the coming weeks.
West Ham’s performance against Crystal Palace on Monday will soon inform fans whether McCarthy is right.
If the Hammers play with the handbrakes on and look as if they would be happy with a draw, the 67-year-old will be proven right.