Jon Brodkin talks to the West Ham manager ahead of tomorrow's vital game against Blackburn Rovers

Alan Pardew has received messages of support from fellow managers and had his shopping interrupted by West Ham fans eager to offer encouragement, but the 45-year-old knows such comforts will not provide the win he is desperately seeking. Extra shooting practice and increased one-to-one discussions with players in his office are among the more important tools Pardew has turned to as he tries to transform a season that has already seen his team exit two cups and slip into the relegation places.

If eight straight defeats constitute a dreadful sequence for West Ham, the team's tally of one goal during that run is also striking and Pardew will hope his instruction to shoot more regularly is followed tomorrow at home to Blackburn.

Victory against those opponents at Upton Park on the opening day of last season provided what the manager yesterday called "the catalyst" for a campaign that culminated in ninth place and an FA Cup final. "It is a nice omen if we can beat Blackburn on Sunday and look back on last year and say: 'Let's get going now'," Pardew said.

He, as well as the players, needs such a fillip. Pardew retains the backing of his board at this stage, and said the chairman, Terry Brown, offered his support after Tuesday's League Cup defeat at Chesterfield, but his future cannot be seen as secure, especially in the event of a takeover. Pardew, though, survived against expectation two seasons ago to deliver promotion, and insists the pressure now is less acute than before that play-off final against Preston. Defeat then would have meant the sack and little chance of the deeply ambitious manager finding immediate employment in the Premiership.

"The play-off final, the second one with West Ham, was a particularly critical moment for me and my career at West Ham," Pardew said. "That was probably more stressful than where I am now. I think I have a good side, good staff and good people around me supporting me, and I am hoping things fall our way on Sunday and fortune favours us and we get a victory that is much needed for the confidence of not just myself but everyone from the chairman right down to the tea lady."

Pardew feels he can draw on the experiences of two seasons ago, and is reassured that many of his squad came through those tests, but points out distinctions. "There is different pressure on the players, as in some ways they have earned their reputations and now have to justify them; the same as myself. It is an important time for us, to really attack the game. If we take a negative step to Blackburn, I think we will be in trouble."

Drained confidence has led to a reluctance to shoot or try the unexpected, and the abandonment of the sharp passing Pardew likes in favour of long balls. So the emphasis in training has been put on restoring a fast, attacking game. Though two golf days this season have apparently not had the desired effect, other ways of lifting the squad have been tried. Players have been talked through videos of their performances and shown not just where they are going wrong but what they have done right.

"I don't think you should ever doubt yourself and I certainly give that message to the players," Pardew said. His focus has been absolute recently and he called a meeting of his staff after the defeat at Chesterfield to stress that everyone - himself included - needed to be at their peak and preparing the players as best as possible. He accepts he has made errors.

"I am not immune to mistakes, like any man in any walk of life, and I am sure that there are many mistakes I have made," he said. "I don't want to disclose them publicly but I have discussed things with players and staff that maybe we could have done differently. You are always learning in your trade. I have learnt things this year: the effects of our season last year, expectation, transfer window. There are a lot of lessons to be learnt." Pardew described ongoing takeover talk as "a big factor" in the season but not an "excuse", and broke into the occasional smile, including when noting he was not the first West Ham manager to suffer an ignominious cup exit.

"[ The chairman] came down to check that I was okay and said that we had been here before many times during his time, and that I was okay," he said. "I thought that was a nice gesture from him."

Even in defeat tomorrow, Pardew does not intend to resign. "I don't think I would," he said. "I don't think that is my way. My position has always been the same; to repair myself quickly and get ready for the next game." He admitted the mood was "not particularly good" after Chesterfield but is confident of a positive response, and hinted he will start with Teddy Sheringham, using the striker's high-pressure experience and assuredness in possession.

"A Sky game in front of the nation, on the run we are on, will be a daunting prospect for most teams," he said. "I am sure that we can deal with it. Events have taken a course where perhaps all our confidences have been knocked. One victory can restore that very, very quickly."

Guardian Service