West Ham manager Sam Allardyce admits the board's decision to keep faith with him can only be judged at the end of the season.

The Hammers were under pressure to sack Allardyce during a bad run of results over Christmas but the team have since enjoyed an upturn in form, winning their last three matches on the bounce.

"We'll only know that at the end of the season, when we have achieved what we want to achieve and that is to finish as high up the table as we can," he said. 

"We are not out of the woods yet but we have made great strides, all of us, including the co-chairmen and vice-chairman Karren Brady for getting some new players in January.

"Everyone has played a part to alleviate the situation we were in and it's my job to make sure that pays off.

"At the moment it's going well but Southampton are back in good form again so it will be a difficult game.

"But hopefully with the form we are in we will be big enough and strong enough to conquer them."