David Moyes is clinging on to his job as West Ham boss despite the humiliating 5-1 home defeat by Newcastle.
The Hammers are hovering above the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference after the sort of performance which can get a manager the sack.
The nature of the defeat, caused by some awful defensive errors, has set alarm bells ringing among West Ham’s owners. But it was business as usual on Thursday with Moyes and the players in for training and recovery.
Moyes is due to speak to the media on Friday morning and, as things stand, will be in the dugout at Fulham on Saturday.
Captain Declan Rice pulled no punches as he surveyed the wreckage of their display at the London Stadium.
“You can’t win any game of football if you concede five goals like we did,” he told the club website. “Five poor, terrible mistakes that you can’t make at the top level. We haven’t defended like that as a group for months.
“West Ham is built on heart, desire, never giving up. But we let ourselves down. By the end of the game we couldn’t even do the basics.”
Newcastle’s Callum Wilson and Joelinton both scored twice, with Alexander Isak also netting, as West Ham’s defence hit the self-destruct button.
The Hammers were still in the game when Kurt Zouma’s header made it 2-1 at half-time. But dreadful mistakes by Nayef Aguerd – just 21 seconds into the second half – and Lukasz Fabianski gifted further goals to Wilson and substitute Isak before Joelinton helped himself to number five.
“The beauty of football is you’ve got another game Saturday,” added Rice. “I’m ready already. I want to put it right, the lads want to put it right, the manager wants to put it right.”
