Gianfranco Zola has said he is determined to stay on as West Ham manager and believes he can keep the club in the Premier League.

Saturday's loss to Stoke was the club's sixth in a row and prompted Zola to fly to Sardinia to consider his future.

But with the club only out of the bottom three on goal difference, Zola has pledged to fight on.

"I have had time to reflect. We have to work harder but we can get the results we need," he told the club's website.

In the immediate aftermath of Saturday's defeat, Zola conceded that he needed to find out "what the problem is - and if the problem is me".

That result, on the back of a 3-1 home defeat by Wolves in midweek, left the Hammers level on points with third-from-bottom Hull, but having played a game more.

Prior to the match against Stoke, David Gold stated that Zola's job was safe regardless of the result, although Gold's fellow owner David Sullivan had upped the pressure following the loss to Wolves by writing a highly critical letter asking for fans' forgiveness.

Zola, though, said he was continuing with the owners' backing.

He's a great man and a great manager Robert Green on Zola

"I am determined to carry on. Losing on Saturday was emotional for everyone but I know we can turn it around and we have the ability to achieve our objectives," he said.

"The owners have backed me and I am grateful for that.

"My only thought for now is to keep this club in the Premier League and that remains my goal. I will give everything I can to make this happen between now and the end of the season."

Having faced Wolves and Stoke at Upton Park in their last two fixtures, West Ham now face trips to Everton and Liverpool in their next three games, although Zola has backed his team to cause an upset at Goodison Park on Sunday.

"We will go to Everton determined to get a result," he said.

"People might not expect us to get something from the match but we will be positive. No one should write us off. Although we are in a serious position we have time to sort things out and be in control of our destiny at the end of the season.

"We said before Stoke that one game would not define the season but we also know that each of the games we have left will be cup finals..

606: DEBATE Like all managers Zola was great when the going was good - the test of a true manager is when the going gets tough the1hammer

"They will be massive and I know the fans will once again get behind us starting with Everton and we will give everything to reward their support. They have been brilliant and we owe them."

Zola, who took charge in September 2008, also appears to have the backing of the squad, with England goalkeeper Robert Green and Egypt striker Mido publicly praising their manager.

"He's a great man and a great manager and you could see on Saturday that it's not through want of trying," Green told the Hammers' site.

"He's been hamstrung with selection problems and players leaving and he's just putting out teams that seem fit. It's up to us to put in the effort that we did on Saturday.

"Saturday was disappointing, but everyone put their all in."

Mido, who missed West Ham's best chance at the weekend, heading over from close range, added: "We're behind that man. He is a top manager, in my opinion, and we're all behind him.

"I think we have a very good chance of staying up. If you look in the dressing room and you see the faces in there, you don't see a team that is going to get relegated."

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