West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate has insisted that the players are fully behind manager Slaven Bilic amid speculation over his future.
Bilic enjoyed a fine first year at the helm in East London, but the Hammers currently sit 17 points worse off than at the same stage last season, and needed a win over high-flying Tottenham Hotspur on Friday night to finally secure their Premier League status.
Bilic's position will reportedly be reviewed at the end of the season, but Kouyate has backed the boss and set his sights on achieving a top-half finish in the final two games of the campaign.
"Despite all the speculation, Slaven was very confident before the [Tottenham] game. We were right behind him the entire way. He said before the match that this was like a final for us and so we are very happy that we've won it for him," Kouyate told the club's official website.
"The objective for us for the remainder of the season is to get as many points as possible. We know that finishing as high as ninth or 10th is still possible.
"We have Liverpool on Saturday, and we know it won't be easy, but we will give everything until the end."
The Hammers, who currently sit 12th in the table, take on Burnley in their other remaining game.
Barney Corkhill
