Declan Rice has given his full backing to David Moyes after the manager admitted he is now very much under pressure.

West Ham have simply failed to live up to the expectations so far this season, with some new arrivals failing to settle, a loss of identity and a reoccurring lack of nous in crucial parts of matches that are costing our Hammers dearly.

The loss to Leicester on the final match before the World Cup break leaves Moyes’ side in 16th place and just 1 point off the relegation zone, despite high expectations after a huge summer outlay which saw West Ham spend circa £180m on new recruits.

Question marks over performances have been apparent for some time, however in recent weeks the mood has certainly turned with fans now questioning whether David Moyes is the right man to lead the club forward, this was against highlighted after the loss on Saturday.

Hammers captain and England midfielder Declan Rice though has rubbished claims that Moyes is under pressure, and feels the successes in recent seasons should allay pressures on the West Ham manager.

“It’s nonsense,” Rice told the BBC. “If you look at what he’s done for this club, how he’s brought us back from where we’ve been.

“Every team is going to have a blip and of course there’s always pressure in these moments, but no way should there be pressure on the manager because he’s been unbelievable for us.”

Rice though admitted that the team are failing to deliver at present and confessed that with the quality the side possesses, this cannot be happening. “It is probably the best West Ham side we’ve had in years,” confessed the midfielder. “If you look at the quality of players we have at the moment, we are underachieving as a group.”

Moyes though admitted the pressure is now on and this is driven by the high expectations that are now felt in East London after 2 positive back-to-back campaigns.

“This club is used to being in the top six or seven the last couple of years so I can understand that (boos),” stated the manager.

“I’m a manager and have been a manager for a long time but sometimes it’s easy to forget what we’ve done. Obviously if you’re not doing so well then you’re always under pressure.”