West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says he is "amused" that certain individuals have moved to rule themselves out of the running for the vacant manager's position as they have not even been considered.
The Hammers sacked boss Avram Grant immediately after the 3-2 defeat at Wigan on Sunday, which confirmed their relegation from the Barclays Premier League. Grant's departure has seen the likes of former England manager Steve McClaren and Brighton boss Gus Poyet rule themselves out of the running for the Upton Park hotseat.
While Sullivan did not name the pair, the co-owner admitted he thought it was odd that managers have made the public move to distance themselves from the role. "We are amused by certain individuals saying they don't want the job when they haven't been considered for it," he told the London Evening Standard.
"We've had approaches by some good candidates but we treat all applications as confidential."
The Hammers have vowed to have appoint a new manager by the end of May as they look to bounce back from the npower Championship at the first attempt.
Martin O'Neill is understood to be high on the wanted list again having been offered and turned down the job during January, while Stratford-born former Newcastle manager Chris Hughton is also believed to be in the running.
Source: PA
