Deserted Grant still game for a laugh ahead of West Ham's semi-final date with Birmingham

Avram Grant appears to be losing friends fast at West Ham but his arid sense of humour has yet to desert him.



As the
Hammers manager prepared for Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg
against Birmingham, amid rumours that the club's owners had lost faith
in him, he was asked if he had received a message from the boardroom.



'Lose by as many as you can,' he said. Then his shoulders shook and he started to laugh. 'No, no,' the Israeli added.



'The
owners are doing everything they think will help the team succeed.
Coming into a semi-final, they are excited like everybody else, maybe
more.'



Grant's record in semi-finals in England is played
three, won three - although his sides have gone on to lose the finals -
and perhaps West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold are waiting to
see if he can make it four out of four before wielding the axe.



'Sometimes
a semi-final is more exciting than the final,' said Grant. 'For West
Ham to be in the final, their first at Wembley in 30 years, I would be
very happy. I think everybody around would be.'






On target: Spector is mobbed after scoring in West Ham's 2-0 win over Barnsley






Despite this, the owners appear to be running short of patience and
have already started the search for a replacement, with Martin O'Neill
and Sam Allardyce high on the wish list.



Grant knows he can
do little but plough on and consider the advice of Sir Alex Ferguson,
who, 20 years ago this month, was seemingly on his way out as Manchester
United manager after three years without a trophy.