West Ham remain determined to back manager David Moyes as he prepares for a make-or-break clash with Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Hammers find themselves back in the relegation zone after Sunday’s 2-0 derby defeat at Tottenham was preceded by wins for several of their rivals for the drop.
The pressure is back on Moyes, who appeared on the brink of the sack heading into last month’s similarly pivotal home meeting with Everton.
A 2-0 win in that game - the Irons’ first in the League since October - instead signalled the end of Frank Lampard’s reign at Goodison Park, and was followed by credible draws against Chelsea and Newcastle, as well as progress into the fifth round of the FA Cup.
As then, the club hierarchy insist they remain fully supportive of Moyes and want to give the 59-year-old time to steer the Hammers to safety, as well as the chance to pick up their strong pre-Christmas form in Europe when their Europa Conference League campaign resumes early next month.
West Ham are the only one of the current bottom six not to have changed their manager so far this season, however, and it remains to be seen whether the board’s patience would withstand a damaging defeat on Saturday, particularly if the crowd at the London Stadium were to turn.
Many fans were frustrated by Moyes’ conservative approach at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend, where the Irons managed only one shot on target.
One factor in Moyes’ favour appears to be the dearth of suitable replacements, with little more than a third of the League season to go.
High-profile targets Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are said to be uninterested in the position, while Sean Dyche, previously linked with the post, has already replaced Lampard at Everton.
Former Liverpool and Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has also been touted as a potential successor.
