Intro:

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce spoke on Thursday (23rd April) on getting his team back on form and transfer rumours about Aaron Cresswell ahead of his team's Premier League match against QPR.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Allardyce, West Ham manager (about his focus being on getting his team back to winning ways)

"It's never been any different. People think I don't speak to David Sullivan and Karen (Brady) of course I do. I think we've been like that for many months now...I think the focus for me is to get the team winning football matches. There's a massive downside to what we've done at the minute and I think that we have the responsibility to try to get back on winning ways. I mean that's the most important thing for me, is the next game to win, to try to win as many of the games. We've let ourselves down so much in the last 10, 11 games by not producing enough wins. I have to say that it's hopefully not going to effect the performance but in saying that performance at Manchester City first half wasn't good enough, and certainly second half against Stoke wasn't good enough. Even though we only had a few seconds to hang on to win the game, i'm still interested that the performance level gets better. Before that it was fantastic and we weren't winning and has it had an effect on the players and it's my job to make sure it does and to make sure we get back to playing well and winning."

SOUNDBITE: (English) Sam Allardyce, West Ham manager (on Aaron Cresswell transfer rumours)

"As far as i'm concerned, as far as i'm aware nobody has bid for Aaron Cresswell. So it's pure rumours and speculation which has to fill the huge amount of media space that you have to fill. Somebody will have whispered in your ear somewhere that Arsenal or Chelsea or whoever were interested in one of our players and it shifts across the board. My problem is does it effect Aaron Cresswell, does it effect his performance, that's my problem, it always has been our problem, especially in transfer windows. That always has been a major problem. Players can lose their focus on that rumour and that's for me to makes sure Alan carries on doing what he's been doing all season and performing on a consistently well basis. So what will be in the summer we will wait and see, I've even heard somebody say that we've put a £25 million buy out on him. It's the first I know. I haven't heard anything from, myself or through the owners to say, if someone wants Aaron Cresswell we want £25 million."