Sam Allardyce has neatly side-stepped the question of whether or not the co-owners should have sacked him a few weeks ago.

The Upton Park boss was told that some clubs had “hit the panic button” and fired their managers before being asked whether the Irons’ latest run had vindicated the owners’ decision to keep him in place.

Allardyce, however, made it clear that question could not be answered honestly until the end of the season when “we’ve achieved what we want to achieve and that’s to finish as high up the table as we can. “

He said: “We’re not out of the woods yet but I think all of us have made great strides and great efforts, not  just here at the training ground, but the co-Chairmen and the vice-Chairman Karen Brady on acquiring some new players for us in January.

“Everybody’s played their part to try and alleviate the situation that we were in and it’s my job to make sure that pays off in the end.”

Addressing the weekend clash against  Southampton he said: “They are back on a winning streak and  will provide a very difficult game for us.

“Hopefully in the form that we’re in, we’ll be big enough and strong enough to conquer them.”