Sam Allardyce admits his future as West Ham manager is far from certain but is urging the Hammers to remember the club's position when he took charge before they decide to pull the trigger.

Allardyce arrived at Upton Park in June 2011 after the club had just been relegated to the Championship and finished bottom of the Premier League table.

He guided the club back to the top flight at the first attempt and has overseen the team's survival for two consecutive campaigns.

Inconsistent results and a direct style of play however have drawn regular criticism from the club's support this season, with reports emerging on Thursday Allardyce faces the sack following Sunday's final match at Manchester City.

"Nobody ever knows when or if it's going to happen to you, you just have to do the best you can with the resources you've got," Allardyce said.

"Everybody needs to remember this club was down and out when I took over.

"It was in the Championship and historically it wasn't guaranteed to get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

"If you look at the number of teams that get back into the Premier League first time round it's very few.

"We've progressed from there and we are trying to establish ourselves as a Barclays Premier League club now."

West Ham only guaranteed their safety last weekend with a 2-0 win over Tottenham but the Hammers have enjoyed a healthy cushion ahead of the relegation spots since recording four consecutive wins in February.

Allardyce believes he would have been given more credit had those victories come towards the end of the season and the team's escape been more dramatic.

"The only thing I can say is I've delivered what I've been asked to deliver," he said.

"I could have done better this season, we all could have done, but we're still where we planned to be.

"We haven't been fighting for relegation over the last few weeks, we cured that six or seven weeks ago.

"If I'd done that now instead of before like Gus Poyet at Sunderland has done would everyone be signing my praises? Probably yes."

Allardyce has been sacked by two Premier League clubs before.

He was dismissed by Newcastle in January 2008 after Mike Ashley took over and two years later was removed as Blackburn boss after Venky's arrived.

Allardyce said he made the decision to leave Bolton in 2007 because of the club's lack of ambition and insists his aspirations at Upton Park are not to be underestimated.

"I have more ambition than West Ham ever has," he said, before qualifying: "I have more ambition than them or the same ambition as them.

"I want to get better. I want to get into Europe, I want to get into the new stadium, I want to win a cup.

"I understand money isn't as free-flowing here as it is at other places but it doesn't stop us getting there.

"It's whether anyone is patient enough for us to wait to get there, that's the problem today, there's a lack of patience across the board."

The Hammers take on title hopefuls Manchester City on Sunday knowing only a win will give fellow challengers Liverpool hope of clinching top spot.

A draw or defeat for West Ham will see Manuel Pellegrini's side crowned champions but Allardyce insists his team will not be changing tactics at the Etihad Stadium to serve the title race.

"We'll go there to try to stop the opposition producing the top talent they have," Allardyce said.

"We have to deny them the space they like to play in and make them feel as uncomfortable as we possibly can, particularly in our half."

He added: "I don't really have any feelings for anybody else because it's not professional to think about that, you have to be totally focused on your own team.

"The only thing that would make me happy is for us to get a result at Manchester City regardless of what happens for the Premier League title."