After a disappointing start to the season for Julen Lopetegui’s side, West Ham travel to St. James’ Park in the hopes of pushing up from their 14th position in the Premier League.
“St James’ Park is always a tough place to go, and their support is really good, so it’s going to be tough,” the 27-year-old Kilman told the club's website. “But we’re really looking forward to it.
“These are the kinds of games and atmospheres you want to be part of, and I think it’s the kind of match where we can really push on. Our next two games (against Newcastle and Arsenal) are huge, and we know if we can get good results a lot will change. That’s our plan, and what we’re looking to do.
“Hopefully I can be a big part of driving that on. We’ve got an experienced and quality squad, and we all want to achieve more. Making sure I’m fit, available and able to contribute has always been big for me, and for sure I’m ready to help the team improve and get the rewards we want.”
Adapting to Lopetegui’s tactics as well as the summer additions to the squad has been a hard adjustment for the squad but Kilman revealed that he has faith in the manager and thinks with consistent hard work the club can bounce back tonight.
“It always takes time when new players and a new manager come together. It’s maybe taken a bit longer than we would have liked, but we have a really good squad and an exciting way that we want to play.
“I worked under him (Lopetegui) at Wolves, and he’s a great manager with a great reputation, so I’m loving working under him again. And I’m really enjoying working with all my teammates, too.
“It’s JC’s (Todibo) first season in the Premier League, but he’s come in and handled it well, and with Dinos as well we have a really strong line-up. I’m fully settled and enjoying it, and we all just want to keep our heads down and keep working to make sure that the points come as we head towards what’s going to be a busy period.”
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