DEREK McInnes is adamant that his relegation-battling Bristol City players will not fear Championship big-shots West Ham United.
The two sides clash in a crucial encounter at Ashton Gate tonight and the stakes could hardly be higher for both clubs.
City desperately want the three points to aid their fight against the drop, while the Hammers need a win to close the gap on Southampton and keep alive their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League.
Despite the disparity between the two teams, who are separated by 18 places, Robins boss McInnes insists he and his charges cannot wait to take on the Championship's biggest club.
Sam Allardyce's team may boast the best away record in the English second tier, but McInnes said: "The game holds no fears for us. There is a real sense of anticipation about the fixture and there is a lot riding on it for both teams.
"For all of that, the hungriest team will be in my dressing room and we are really looking forward to this fixture.
"Regardless of whether we are playing a team at the top or bottom of the table, it is our performances that will determine where we finish.
"The boys are itching to get going and that is always a good indication for any manager.
"When you get to this stage of the season, you get a lot of players shying away from those situations.
"But there is no fear in our squad and it is good to see a hunger and a desire among the players to influence things. The game cannot come quickly enough."
City are likely to come up against former Ashton Gate goal-scoring star Nicky Maynard, who returns to BS3 for the first time since moving to Upton Park in a £1.65 million deal in January.
He is expected to spearhead an attack that has registered 13 goals in the last three games and McInnes is under no illusions as to the size of the task facing his team.
He added: "West Ham have assembled a squad to get them into the top flight and they are very strong. They have power, they have pace and they have a goal threat.
"It says a lot about the pull of West Ham that they managed to take our top scorer to try and help their cause to win a promotion. It shows the strength of the opposition we are up against.
"I'm under no illusions about how difficult it will be, but we have to remember that we went to Upton Park not so long ago and managed to get a well-deserved point.
"We showed a lot of qualities ourselves that night and that game certainly did not hold any fears for us."
Currently four points clear of the relegation zone, City will be hoping Millwall can do them a favour by beating third-from-bottom Coventry at the Ricoh Arena tonight.
But McInnes is challenging his players to take matters into their own hands during the final three games.
He said: "We don't want to just stumble over the line, we want to make sure we get the job done with a bit of quality, a bit of poise and a bit of confidence.
"I think we have been doing that of late and it has to continue.
"So long as we pick up the number of points we think we are capable of getting, then it won't matter what else happens.
"Of course, it is only natural to want to look at other results after the game, but our focus will be entirely on West Ham and not what is going on elsewhere.
McInnes will make an enforced change in central midfield after losing Kalifa Cisse to the ankle injury that forced him to limp off during Saturday's 2-2 draw at Birmingham.
Wingers Yannick Bolasie and Albert Adomah are both pushing for a recall to the starting line-up.
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