Grant defiant as Newcastle crush Hammers

West Ham manager Avram Grant insisted his team would recover after a 5-0 drubbing at Newcastle that sent the London club back to the bottom of the table.

The Hammers' run of five league games unbeaten came to a juddering halt as the Magpies ran riot at St James Park, with stand-in striker Leon Best scoring a hat-trick alongside goals from Kevin Nolan and Peter Lovenkrands.

Grant later dismissed the result as "a bad day at the office."

"I don't like the game, I don't like the performance, I don't like how we played, but in football, that happens," Grant said.

"Sunderland lost here 5-1 and afterwards, they have won many games, so it happens.

"Today was a bad day at the office. Everything we tried to do was not good - not the desire, not the effort, not passing the ball well, putting pressure on the other team.

"But those are things we did very well in the games before, so we need to continue."

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew meanwhile praised the hunger of Best, a late starter in place of the injured Shola Ameobi.

"Leon had been knocking on my door for the last two weeks telling me he hasn't really had an opportunity.

"I spoke to him and said, 'You have been here a year and there are no assist, no goals - what is there for us to keep about you?'

"He kept telling me he could do it, and he has proved that tonight."

Meanwhile Pardew dismissed speculation that star striker Andy Carroll could leave the club for Tottenham during this month's transfer window.

"We have given the answer to anyone who has contacted us that he is not for sale, it's as simple as that," Pardew said.

"I can't say to you strongly enough that Andy Carroll will not leave this football club in this window, 100 percent."

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