Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has hit back at his critics ahead of their Premier League clash at Upton Park tomorrow night and warned his team are no longer a soft touch.
McCarthy was particularly upset at the reaction to the Hammers' 2-0 at Wolves on the opening day of the season.
With eight games of the campaign to go, his team sit a point ahead of West Ham, who are one place above the relegation zone after losing their last four matches and McCarthy said: "When we were beaten by West Ham on the opening day of the season there was a lot of hollering and hooting going on that we were destined for the drop and they were destined for bigger and better things.
"It is amazing how, with eight games to play, we are all in the mix for the drop.
"So there is a damn sight more pressure on them now than there was 30 games ago."
Wolves head to London in positive mood after moving four points clear of the relegation zone with a win at Burnley and a draw at Aston Villa in their last two games while West Ham lost to Arsenal 2-0 at the weekend despite the Gunners being reduced to 10 men.
McCarthy added: "It is their home game and they will be expected to beat us. In this fixture the pressure is on them. You can all do the maths.
"If we win this it will put a real dent in West Ham and it would certainly put some real daylight between us and Burnley and Hull.
"What would it do to us psychologically? What would it do to the rest of them psychologically?
"If we don't lose it would be a hell of a result for us. It is a huge game but more so for West Ham."
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