Avram Grant has praised the fighting spirit of his side after the Hammers recorded back-to-back wins to move out of the drop zone.
An impressive display against Stoke on Saturday followed a 3-1 win over Liverpool the previous weekend and West Ham now appear to be building momentum ahead of the run-in.
Speaking to the club's official website, Grant said he believes the players were strengthened whilst going through a barren run of form which included one win in six Premier League games:
"When we were bottom of the league, we were fighting and fighting. We always wanted to find a solution and the spirit was very good," Grant said.
"Of course no one was happy when we lost. But from every bad situation we became stronger and stronger. That is the reason why we now have good momentum. You cannot push a button and be good. You need to do the right things even when things are going wrong."
Only three weeks ago West Ham's Premier League future appeared in doubt when Grant's team found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline at half-time against West Brom. But a spirited fightback to earn a point has heralded a turning point in their season and they have now won two in a row since.
Grant believes it is the attitude of the squad during the bad times that galvanises a team.
"The real character comes when you are not in the good days," he said. "I know what I want from this team and I know what I want West Ham to be in the next few years."
