West Ham insist Avram Grant is the right man for the job

West Ham have finally ended speculation surrounding Avram Grant’s future by publicly backing their manager.

Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal at Upton Park was rumoured to be Grant’s final game in charge of the Hammers, with Martin O’Neill said to have been lined up as the Israeli’s replacement.

But West Ham officials on Tuesday insisted that Grant is the man to guide the Hammers out of trouble despite the London club being firmly rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.

“The club are committed to retaining Avram Grant as manager and have identified potential transfer targets to give us the best possible chance of retaining Premier League status,” read a West Ham statement.

West Ham captain Scott Parker last week backed Grant to lead the club to top flight survival. When asked Grant had the players’ full support, Parker responded: “Yes, definitely.

“The lads are fighting as much as the gaffer is fighting. We’re all in the same corner. We’re all trying to do our best for ourselves, for the manager, for the club. The manager’s got tons and tons of experience and he’s doing a good job.”