THE ODDS have been firmly stacked against West Ham and manager Avram Grant to avoid relegation and the sack respectively as the season enters its second half.
Grant denied being told by owners David Gold and David Sullivan that he had three games to save his job last week. However, it appears it is a target that has been at least set in the club’s backroom. And now the Israeli boss has just two games to find a victory.
In the only 3pm game to go ahead on Saturday, West Ham had to come from behind to secure a draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park thanks to a well-taken Junior Stanislas goal.
It looked as if the Hammers had frozen in the icy conditions that swept the North West, but Stanislas came off the bench and was ice-cool in front of goal in steering a shot into the far corner with 20 minutes to play.
In truth, it was a game that the visitors should have won against a rudderless Blackburn team there for the taking after the sacking of Sam Allardyce last week.
Ryan Nelsen had put the hosts ahead after a goalmouth scramble; a scrappy goal that mirrored the play that had preceded it. The defender saw his initial shot excellently blocked by goalkeeper Ruud Boffin, making his first Premier League appearance for the club, but the ball fell back to the New Zealand captain and his second attempt off his knee was more successful.
A point, on paper, was not a bad result, but when one considers West Ham are rock bottom of the table with two points less than their closest rivals, having played a game more, then the situation begins to look dire.
Typically, Grant refused to throw in the towel, despite being faced with the task of defying the Premier League’s ‘rule of relegation’ that the team bottom of the pile at Christmas does not survive. Only West Bromwich Albion have beaten the drop in the same position since the league’s inception back in 1992.
“What I think doesn’t matter,” said Grant. “I need to do my job and that’s what I concentrate on. I believe in the future of West Ham. If I did not I would not be here.
“We need to do it step by step. We need to do our best on the pitch.”
While reports that Grant will be sacked if he does not find a win in the next two fixtures are merely speculation, it seems likely that he will not last should defeats follow at Fulham on Boxing Day and against Everton at Upton Park on New Year’s Day.
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