The Hammers are entrenched in a relegation battle, having collected just one win from 14 matches, going down 3-0 at Liverpool last weekend. Striker Carlton Cole labelled the Anfield defeat as "diabolical" and suggested Grant's men should now try "ugly football" in an attempt to get themselves out of trouble. Extra pressure for a positive result on Saturday had been added by the West Ham board have designating the clash against fellow strugglers Wigan as the 'save our season game' - with reduced admission prices to help ensure a bumper crowd. Grant appears, for now at least, to have the support of the owners with David Gold having followed vice-chairman Karen Brady in a visit to the training ground this week. The Israeli maintains nothing will be decided tomorrow alone, but intends to stay true to the "tradition of West Ham". "I don't know what is ugly, that we will not shave before? Or that we put the ball in the stand?," Grant said. "We cannot do it, this is not the tradition of West Ham. It is not something I believe in. "However, when the game is not going so well, we need to do some different things, especially when we are winning." Grant continued: "Any game is very important for us, and we want to win the game tomorrow, but even if we win we have a long way until we say, which I believe we will, that we can do it. "Even after 20 games, there is enough time to do it, it is not easy of course, but of course it is possible. "Any gap, especially at the bottom can change. "I will not say it has been injuries, or the decisions of the referees has been badly, badly against us. "I want to look at from now on what will happen, and I still believe in this team and this club, this is what is important to me." Grant indicated he was not impressed by Cole's post-match outburst. "What I have to say, I will say to the players. I am not dealing with the players through the media," the Hammers boss stressed. Grant believes his squad, who could have key midfielder Scott Parker back from a chest infection on Saturday, can actually take strength from their predicament. "Since I have been in football, there have been a lot of times with pressure from different angles," the former Chelsea and Portsmouth manager said. "This, I think, can be a good pressure, and I have told the players that if they take it in the right way, they can go from the relegation zone to being a good team." Grant added: "Nothing was good in the last game, but in the 12 games before, when we lost only two times, we deserved to win. "Nobody can say the football was not good, the tactics were not good, the players did not give 100%. "We were just a little bit from winning the games. "What is important for us is from now on and I can promise you will do everything we can to take the points to take West Ham forward." Grant feels the demanding Upton Park faithful can play their part. "We need the support of the crowd, and they are great, we can feel them behind us," Grant said. "But sometimes they are a bit impatient with a few players, and need to keep it to the end of the game. "I can understand them, because they have some frustrations, but can take that as energy, so can the team." Assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic left his role earlier this week, and former Brentford boss Wally Downes has taken up a position as West Ham's defensive coach. Former fans' favourite Paolo Di Canio has been linked with a return to his old club as a forwards coach. "I like Wally, he has a lot of energy, understands his job and has come with a lot of enthusiasm," Grant said. "I believe a football club needs a lot of coaches, goalkeepers, defenders and forwards, because each one is different."
