West Ham joint Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have showed their support for manager Sam Allardyce in an open letter to the club's fans.

The Hammers lost 5 - 0 away to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup yesterday and have dropped to second from bottom in the league.

But Sullivan and Gold defended Allardyce's decision to field a youthful team at Forest:

"I know Sam would have loved to have put out a more varied side, with our talented youngsters accompanied by more senior players in the starting XI. But many key players are out injured and Sam has been handed a near impossible task of coming through three crucial games in the space of six days with a squad of only 14 fit and available senior players. This is not an excuse it is a fact."

Gold and Sullivan also suggested that Andy Carroll could be back very soon, having missed the entire season so far through injury, and also hinted at new signings to bolster the squad.

"Our first priority is to get our key players fit. Our record signing Andy Carroll continues to make good progress following his return to first-team training and he should be back on the pitch very soon along with Hammer of the Year Winston Reid and our other missing central defenders, James Tomkins and James Collins. 

"Thereafter, our second priority is to bring in the new talent needed to bolster our squad in the most needed areas. January is not an easy time to do business but we are pleased to confirm we are close to securing one of our key striking targets. A defender is high on the list of priorities as well and progress is being made on that front."