Paul Goddard insists that he and Glenn Roeder accept the pressure
that goes with being manager and no. 2 at a big Premiership club.
They know that there was a lot of unsavoury gossip about their jobs leading up to the Southampton game in the wake of the two heavy away defeats, and says the attention was over the top.
"It is but you are not going to stop that," he admits, "there was a lot of talk but it is a multi-million pound business, and one of the favourite things people talk about is who is going to get the sack."
Thinking about matters on the field, and looking to the Chelsea match, he says:
"It will be a completely different game; they won't be as direct as Southampton, they will come and play - and probably let us play a little bit.
"They are a very good side who haven't lost this season in the league but there is no reason not for us not to be confident at Upton Park.
"I don't think there was a lack of belief in the ability but when you do get the results like we have had in recent weeks you tend to step backwards instead of forwards which is a natural human reaction.
"But hopefully that win against Southampton will get us stepping forward.
"We showed a lot of character the first thing everyone said was roll on Wednesday."
They know that there was a lot of unsavoury gossip about their jobs leading up to the Southampton game in the wake of the two heavy away defeats, and says the attention was over the top.
"It is but you are not going to stop that," he admits, "there was a lot of talk but it is a multi-million pound business, and one of the favourite things people talk about is who is going to get the sack."
Thinking about matters on the field, and looking to the Chelsea match, he says:
"It will be a completely different game; they won't be as direct as Southampton, they will come and play - and probably let us play a little bit.
"They are a very good side who haven't lost this season in the league but there is no reason not for us not to be confident at Upton Park.
"I don't think there was a lack of belief in the ability but when you do get the results like we have had in recent weeks you tend to step backwards instead of forwards which is a natural human reaction.
"But hopefully that win against Southampton will get us stepping forward.
"We showed a lot of character the first thing everyone said was roll on Wednesday."