West Ham boss Zola: Hull clash is massive

West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola knows their clash with Hull City will be decisive in their relegation battle.

West Ham sit 15th in the Barclays Premier League, just one point above the bottom three, and with a trip to Manchester United lurking on Tuesday night, the former Chelsea striker believes it is vital that the Hammers extend their four-game unbeaten run at home in the league.

He said: "It's a massive game. We don't just need to win one game every now and again, we need to put some wins together in a row.

"We know if we don't perform well we will be in trouble. All the games are difficult and we know everything has to be right.

"I know the players have difficult times out there and the manager and staff have to always be supportive. That's what we try to do and it makes a big difference when people respond to that."

The fixture against Hull marks the end of a 10-day break since the victory against Birmingham, and Zola feels the rest will help his team create a gap between themselves and the bottom three.

He added: "It has allowed us to get players back like (Guillermo) Franco, so the time has not been wasted.

"Tomorrow is a big opportunity because we can make a big step forward and can make a big impact on the psychological side and in terms of our position."