West Ham manager Avram Grant has told under-fire goalkeeper Robert Green he must face criticism like a man.
Green was axed from the England squad following his World Cup blunder against the United States, and his error at the weekend gifted Chelsea a two-goal advantage in the Hammers’ 3-1 defeat.
Some supporters cheered sarcastically when Green dealt with a simple ball shortly afterwards, and Grant has told his number one keeper he must quickly get over his latest mistake.
The West Ham boss said: “You can imagine (Green’s) mood. But this is the life of a sportsman, of football players and managers.
“I don’t know if the World Cup is on his mind. You’d need to ask him.
“He’s a good goalkeeper. Let’s say he was not happy with his performances sometimes but this is part of the game.
“The supporters were very tough with David Beckham after 1998 and very hard on Cristiano Ronaldo after 2006.
“Sometimes supporters love you, sometimes they are against you. You need to do your job no matter what. Rob is a tough guy. He’s a good goalkeeper and he needs to react like a man.”