Noble: Stability key to West Ham's rise

Stability is behind West Ham's rise in the Premier League after the club had been "run like a circus", according to captain Mark Noble.

Champions League is high on the agenda for West Ham, who sit fifth in the Premier League standings, just a point behind fourth-placed Manchester City with eight matches remaining.

West Ham appear to be finally settled under manager Slaven Bilic, who arrived in the off-season, having struggled for stability and Noble thanked co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan for changing the club since taking over in 2010.

"The key word is stability," said Noble. "In a way, the club was run like a circus in some stages over the last ten or 20 years.

"They have brought in good players and put in money and that was what was needed. That is why the club is moving the way it is.

"We have had a tough ten years. We had the different people in charge, five or six different managers.

"Now it seems like the chairman and Karren Brady have done a great job of settling the club down – running it properly and that gives you a platform from which to move on, to progress.

"They have brought in a great manager and, together, they have brought in great players. That is the way it should be done."