Intro:

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce looked ahead on Thursday (20th November) to his side's English Premier League trip to Everton.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Allardyce, West Ham United (on his club's chances of finishing the season in a European place):

"I think it's far too early for us to be thinking that we, are going to finish in the top, five or six of the, of the Barclays Premier League. I think that, we're showing signs and capabilities that we may, be able to do that, but I always think that, the team's consistent level of performance to finish at that level has to be so good this season that it may be too much to ask to get to that position when they've.... only been playing together for the first time this season. So, somewhere along the line, and I think that, this is our big test now, November, December. All the international games are finished now and I think that what we achieve between now and the beginning of January will, give us an indication on whether we're good enough or not. But for me at the moment, it's far too early to be predicting that we will finish in that.... that high a position in the Premier League."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Allardyce, West Ham United (on Everton manager Roberto Martinez):

"I think it's, Roberto like everybody else has.... suffered a few more injuries than he did last season.... and I think that particularly at the back, when you suffer and you start changing the back four around then, you start leaking a few more goals and that hasn't, give them the sort of results that they might have expected because they've.... consistently been at this level for a long, long time under David Moyes and, then obviously Roberto last season. So, Moyes has always had them in the top, six or eight bracket and Roberto has carried that on. They've got Europe this year, and while they'll be delighted that they're playing in Europe, there's a, there's a legacy of playing in Europe that, I'm sure that his team are suffering when they have to come back from a Thursday night and play on a Sunday."