London – West Ham's co-chairmen have given their backing to manager Sam Allardyce, a day after the relegation-threatened club slumped to an embarrassing 5-0 loss to second-tier opposition in the FA Cup.
Of the current bottom five teams in the Premier League, only next-to-last West Ham hasn't changed managers by the halfway stage of the season.
David Sullivan and David Gold say in an open letter on West Ham's website “we know Sam has not lost his ambition or desire and is committed to making West Ham United a great Premier League club.”
With his squad beset by injury, Allardyce fielded a team full of reserves and youth-team players for Sunday's loss at Nottingham Forest.
West Ham is scheduled to move into the Olympic Stadium in London from 2016. – Sapa-AP