• Premier League

Gold: Allardyce stays as West Ham boss

Allardyce has been given a vote of confidence by the West Ham board © Getty Images

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West Ham co-owner David Gold has said under-pressure boss Sam Allardyce will still be the club's manager in the summer.

Allardyce - who saw his side secure three much-needed points at fellow strugglers Cardiff on Saturday - suffered a recent 5-0 FA Cup defeat against Nottingham Forest and a 6-0 Capital One drubbing by Manchester City, leaving him in a perilous position.

But the manager, who guided the club back to the Premier League, has been backed by the Upton Park hierarchy - and when asked whether he expected him to still be in charge in the summer, Gold told the Daily Mirror: "Absolutely.

"Listen, you can never say never about anything, but what I would say to you is that our judgment is that Sam is the man that we brought in. He has done everything we have asked of him.

"At the moment, there is a groundswell of anti-Sam feeling, but I think it's 50-50. If it's 50-50, the casting vote is with the board and that's the bottom line. If you believe that the manager has lost the dressing room that's a different matter.

"I'm a chairman that goes to the training ground every week. I see the players. I see the players before the kick-off of every game.

"I've got to say that they are 100% behind Sam. They work for him. Of course, the victory [at Cardiff] was so important because morale is a big issue.

"We are in the bottom three, heads are down, everything is going wrong for us, we get a player sent off, we don't get penalties, the opposition do - the season has been a very difficult one."

Gold said he hoped the return of club record signing Andy Carroll would be the catalyst for a revival.

"Sam is the man who brought in a centre forward who unfortunately had a bizarre injury that lasted six months," he added.

"Well, he is back. Although the ball at times looked like a bar of soap to him [against Cardiff], it was wonderful to see him and he made a goal. That is what great players do."

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