EDDIE Howe has urged Burnley to prove their Premier League credentials in Monday’s FA Cup clash with West Ham United.

The Clarets’ top-six push has got back on track since the former Bournemouth manager’s appointment last month with a return of 11 points from a possible 18.

Having thrust themselves back into the play-off frame by taking four points from fellow challengers Watford and Cardiff in their last two games – both away – the early season promotion favourites take a break from the Championship for their fifth round clash at Upton Park.

And Howe has told his players to show they are ready to make their Premier League comeback against the division’s second-bottom side.

“In some senses you could look it at as being where we want to get to; this is what we’re fighting to achieve this season,” said Howe ahead of Monday night’s televised match (kick-off 8pm).

“Let’s see if we can beat a side that are already there.

“I think it will be a good benchmark and a good test.

“It’s a chance for our players to test themselves against Premier League players. That’s always an opportunity to stake their claim to say ‘I’m good enough to play at this level regularly’.

“I’d want my players to rise to that challenge and to take it on full steam ahead.

“I don’t think sitting back and being negative would suit any of our players.

“We’ll go there and try to be positive and give a good account of ourselves, and we’ve got some excellent footballers to compete at that level. I’d like to think we’d be okay.”

Sports network ESPN has earmarked this claret and blue battle for its upset potential, which, if achieved, would pile even more pressure on Hammers manager Avram Grant.

But Howe admits that while they are gunning for the win, he takes no pleasure in the repercussions for his counterpart.

“I don’t think it fills me with any satisfaction to see any manager struggling,” he said.

“I think it’s difficult times to manage, I really do.

“It seems as if you can be given a job and a contract one minute and three or four games later you can be under huge pressure and I think it’s difficult to manage in those circumstances. You have to have long term planning, you have to have backing from your board to achieve success. That’s my own opinion.

“It’s talked about a lot that the clubs that have stuck by their managers have achieved that.”

But while the demand for results is intense at any level in football, Howe does not believe he will work under as much pressure as he encountered at Bournemouth, who were staring relegation from the Football League in the face when he took charge on January 1, 2009.

Livelihoods were dependent on Howe turning the team’s fortunes around.

“When I first took the job we were aware that if we went out of the Football League the club could have gone under, and probably would have done.

“So I always talk about that time as probably the biggest pressure that I’ll work under because we had a future of a football club at stake,” said the 33-year-old.

“That’s quite rare really, but it was a good grounding and a great experience.

“But that can happen the lower down you go. Club’s futures are at stake because there’s so much to play for.”

Howe knows the value of Premier League survival for West Ham. Yet he is confident the Carling Cup semi-finalists won’t be tempted into fielding a weakened team on Monday.

“We’re preparing as though they’re going to play their strongest team. I think that’s how we have to,” he said.

“What they do, ultimately, is up to them, but they will want to win the game just as much as we will I’m sure.

"So we’re not going to underestimate them or prepare for anything less than a full-strength West Ham team.

“We’ve got it all to do and all to prove.

“Hopefully we can do it on this occasion and progress.”