LES Ferdinand has told his West Ham team-mates they must win the battle of wits if they are to survive in the Premiership.

"If we can keep our heads then with what we have in our dressing room we will be able to get out of this situation," the striker said as the tension mounted ahead of Saturday's showdown with Wanderers.

"It may be nerve wracking but it is the team that holds their nerve that will get out of this situation."

But Wanderers striker Henrik Pedersen has warned that a team with more than 40 points could still go down.

Glenn Roeder's Hammers dropped two precious home points when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa but Ferdinand reckons: "I think it was more desperation than nervous; the players so much want to stay in this division and do it for the supporters and the club, and themselves.

"The tension comes in a little bit but it is important we keep our cool and there are still 15 points to play for."

Roeder is confident of securing another season of top-flight football. "We have enough incentive for survival without worrying about anyone else," he said. "It is the most important game of the season, we need to be selfish and we'll be absolutely focused on getting a result at Bolton.

"We are not going down the road of feeling sorry for ourselves and playing the role of the victim; we are going to get on with it, as we have done in the past six weeks with our six-game unbeaten run.

"The belief is just as strong that come the middle of May we'll be out of the bottom three - we really believe that - and I see no reason why we can't achieve our goal."

Hammers' young striker Jermain Defoe is convinced his side will avoid the drop, claiming: "I am not worried at all. I still think we can get out of it and I think all the players feel that as well.

"I don't feel we have got anything to worry about. We just have to look at ourselves and hopefully those other teams will slip up. I think we are good enough to get out of it with the players we have got."