From the Boardroom - David Sullivan

Sullivan
There is no disguising the fact that everyone was bitterly disappointed with the home defeat against Arsenal on Saturday.

We were determined to build on the impressive point we had gained at Old Trafford the week before and this was the first big game being played under the lights at London Stadium since our memorable win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup.

Unfortunately we were unable to reach the same standards that saw us produce such an impressive victory back in October.

We are refusing to make excuses though and the players will know that the performance was not good enough and we need to show a lot more if we are to get back on the winning trail.

I saw Slaven's comments after the game and as always he was completely honest with his assessment.

Slaven cares passionately about the Football Club and this defeat will be hurting him as much as anyone.

I have no doubts that he is doing everything he can to address the situation and everyone is working together to ensure we turn our season around.

We cannot forget the amazing job that Slaven did in his first season at the Club. With a bit more luck he could have taken us into the top four.

His passion, commitment and outstanding track record at the highest level were among the many reasons we appointed Slaven in the summer of 2015.

Despite what some people have said, there is still a great spirit among the players and everyone is working towards the same objective.

We all need to stick together and get behind the team. We are all part of the West Ham United family and in hard times families pull together.

I and my family feel the same frustration and disappointment as you when we lose, and the same joy and elation when we win. It is the same for my fellow Board members. West Ham is in our blood, just as it is in yours.

We all want the same for our fantastic Club, and together we are stronger. Only by remaining united can we turn things around.

You cannot hide away from the fact that we were missing a number of influential players through injury for the Arsenal game, including both our first choice wing-backs.

Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell are key members of our team and are players who make a big difference to the way we play.

Just when we thought the injury situation is clearing up, we then lost Diafra Sakho for another six weeks and Cheikhou Kouyate damaged his hamstring the night before the Arsenal game.

To make matters worse, James Collins then had to leave the field after just seven minutes and all the planning that Slaven and his backroom staff had prepared for the game had gone out the window.

Hopefully we will see a few of these players back in action next week and the team will show a vast improvement as we prepare for a massive week with big games against Liverpool, Burnley and Hull.

We have shown this season that the players have the quality to compete against the big teams and we need to show the same mentality when we travel to play Liverpool on Sunday.

I am sure the players will not need any reminding about our famous 3-0 win at Anfield last season which was our first victory since 1963, and it was a memorable day for everyone at the Club.

We would now love to see a repeat performance and repay the fans for the magnificent support they show towards the team.