Co-owner David Sullivan has insisted there is no need for any West Ham fans to panic, despite their dreadful start to the new Premier League season (West Ham 7/4 to be relegated).
The east London outfit have lost all three of their Premier League matches thus far and the club’s only victory came thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Scott Parker against League Two side Oxford United in the Carling Cup.
West Ham currently find themselves rooted to the foot of the league having been beaten by Manchester United, Bolton and Aston Villa, conceding nine goals and scoring just one.
The Hammers are likely to remain there for the next week at least as they prepare to welcome league leaders and defending champions Chelsea (1/3 to beat West Ham) to Upton Park on Saturday.
Having replaced Gianfranco Zola with Avram Grant at the back end of last season and brought in six new players during the transfer window the Hammers had been expected to move away from the wrong end of the league.
However, Grant’s new additions have failed to bed in and with constant speculation linking the likes of Scott Parker and Carlton Cole with moves away from London it has been a tough start for the Israeli manager.
West Ham owners Sullivan and David Gold were outspoken in their criticism of former boss Zola when the team were struggling last season.
However, Sullivan has come out in support of Grant and insists there is no truth behind the rumours the new manager is already under pressure to produce results.
“I’d like to put the record straight,” Sullivan told the London Evening Standard.
“Nobody is pressing any panic buttons and reports to the contrary are rubbish. We are building a new team under a new manager and transition is a tough time but game by game, I anticipate an improvement over the coming months.
“We expect the team to come together over the next few games and see some real progress. When we looked at the early fixtures we knew we faced a tough time but we only managed two points from the same fixtures last season.”
The former Birmingham owner also backtracked on comments he had made about the foreign contingent at Upton Park after he suggested last weekend that some of them ‘couldn’t be bothered’.
Sullivan now insists that it was just one or two players he was talking about when made his controversial outburst and claims the other members of the squad are all working hard to improve the Hammers situation.
Grant has also given his backing to the players and the board, insisting everyone is trying to do their best to rectify the current situation.
However, Grant will do well to start his salvage operation against Chelsea (6/5 Premier League outright) with the Blues having won all three of their opening matches, scoring 14 goals and conceding none thus far.
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Manchester United supporters praying for a miracle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday should perhaps look away now (1/12 Chelsea 7/1 Man United – Premier League outright).
Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill does not feel Birmingham’s poor run of form will count for anything in Sunday’s high-noon showdown at Villa Park (Villa 4/7, draw 3/1, Blues 9/2).