Source: PA
Grant confident of Hammers' backing
Under-pressure West Ham manager Avram Grant believes he has the backing of the club's owners following a meeting with co-chairman David Gold at the training ground on Friday.
The Hammers sit rock bottom of the Barclays Premier League after their encouraging run of form over the festive period was brought to a shuddering halt by Wednesday's 5-0 defeat at Newcastle.
West Ham face Barnsley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday and then Birmingham in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
Gold and co-owner David Sullivan will chair a board meeting the following day, leading to speculation that Grant has the two cup games to save his job. But the Israeli said his routine Friday conversation with Gold focused not on his future but on strengthening an injury-depleted squad for the rest of the season.
"To live in this club is to live with the rumours. It is a matter of what your boss is telling you and I have a good relationship with the owners," Grant said. "I don't think they are shy guys to tell me something else. One of them (Gold) is here and we are only concentrating on how to make the squad stronger.
"When you sign a manager you sign up to a philosophy and you have to know what you are doing. In this club we know what we are doing, we know our vision for the short and long term. Despite all that has happened we will continue with our vision. My way will stay the same way. I will not change."
