Grant tired of relentless rumours

Avram Grant was again forced to answer questions about his West Ham future despite his side’s 2-1 Carling Cup win over Birmingham on Tuesday.

Pressure has been mounting on Grant in light of the Hammers’ stuttering Premier League campaign, and a 2-1 win in their cup semi-final at Upton Park seems to have offered little respite for the Israeli manager.

Grant said he was remaining focused on the job at hand, and would leave the decision about his future to the club’s directors.

“Why do you need to ask me about something that is not in my control?” Grant said.

“You can ask me why I picked this player and not the other one because this is my responsibility.”

“The other decision is not mine.”

However, Grant admitted the constant speculation about his future did take its toll on the players, but said he was proud of the way they continued to fight for their Premier League survival.

“I lived with rumours, I think, since day one,” said Grant. “For us, it is much easier if the rumours around were like at other clubs.”

“There is Wolves around us, Wigan, Fulham, West Bromwich, Birmingham. The rumours are only about West Ham.”

“If everything was more quiet, I think it would help the players more.”

“Even with this, you saw the spirit of the players today, you saw the spirit of the players Saturday, you saw the spirit of the players against Wolves, against Everton, against Blackburn.”

“We need to fight from other things off the pitch, but I will take it as a challenge. We don’t want to think about any other things except to fight or take the challenge.”

The Hammers will take a slender lead into the second leg of the semi-final at St Andrews in a fortnight, but Grant was not getting ahead of himself.

He said: “It’s an advantage. Nothing’s finished yet but it’s an advantage.”

West Ham won thanks to a howler from Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster, who allowed Carlton Cole’s tame shot to slip underneath him and into the back of the net.

But Birmingham boss Alex McLeish defended the former Manchester United custodian.

“He’s (Foster) a big man, he takes it on the chin, he doesn’t hide and he apologised to the players,” McLeish said.

“He’s saved us many times and he’ll save us many times in the future.”