Grant: City ´a team better than us´

West Ham manager Avram Grant admitted Manchester City were just too good for his side at Upton Park on Saturday.

Grant watched his side remain at the foot of the English Premier League table after strikes from Yaya Toure, Adam Johnson and a Robert Green own goal helped City to a 3-1 triumph.

The result leaves West Ham four points behind 17th-placed Fulham and six behind Birmingham City in 16th, meaning the Hammers’ task to stay up is becoming increasingly difficult.

“We played against a very good team, with very good players,” Grant told Sky Sports.

“They are a team that are better than us. Now we are going to play against teams that are at our level and we need to do more.”

“We wanted to do something today, the boys tried, but they were too strong for us.”

Grant is looking forward to his side’s next four Premier League fixtures with Blackburn, Fulham, Everton and Wolves – all in the bottom half – in a busy festive period that could well determine West Ham’s fate.

“Our next games are against the teams who are around us, teams that we need to take points from and that is what is important,” he said.

“It will not be easy, but we can take points.”

Manchester City assistant boss Brian Kidd was understandably pleased with the victory and said it was down to the increased work-rate of his side on the training track.

“The way the boys are working, they put a great shift in today, all credit to the players, they worked really hard during the week,” Kidd said.

“West Ham were unbeaten at home in five games so we knew it was going to be tough but I thought the boys stuck at it well and it was a good victory for us.”

Kidd revealed that the players were ‘disappointed’ in conceding a late goal, which cost them a clean sheet. He also defended striker Mario Balotelli, who stormed off the pitch after being substituted just after he received a yellow card for dissent.

“There has been a lot said about Mario, but he is a young lad. He is a fantastic talent and people tend to go overboard a little bit,” he said.

“He is learning every day and he is getting a lot of help and support at the club, but it is nothing major.”

The victory saw City join Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table and as the praise for manager Roberto Mancini continued, Kidd compared him to Manchester United’s Sir Alex Ferguson.

“I was privileged to work with Sir Alex at Manchester United and I see so many of those traits in the boss,” he said.

“He is a stickler, he won’t accept second best, his passion, his desire, it hurts him when there are mistakes and it is fantastic to see.”

“He is a fantastic manager, a fantastic coach, he is a winner, no doubt about it and Manchester City should be very pleased they’ve got him.”