West Ham 0 Arsenal 3: AVRAM GRANT'S silence could be golden. While the West Ham United manager waits to be put out of his misery at Upton Park, his reluctance to name the senior club executives he claims have it in for him could ensure he gets his four-year contract paid up in full – thought to be worth at least €5 million.

Perhaps his refusal to speak out against the owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, or the vice-chairman, Karren Brady, derives from studying the fate of his immediate predecessor, Gianfranco Zola. Despite avoiding relegation the Italian was sacked at the close of last season for “breach of contract”, the owners citing an apparently innocuous response from Zola to Sullivan’s declaration that every player but Scott Parker was for sale. This followed an attritional campaign of public criticism of the team from Sullivan and Gold.

Grant did not emerge for his usual chat after goals from Arsenal’s Robin van Persie (twice) and Theo Walcott handed his side an 11th league defeat of a troubled season.

The message was that the Israeli was reluctant to field yet more questions regarding his future, having woken on Saturday morning to media reports that claimed he would lose his job whatever the result at home against Arsene Wenger’s team.

Yet Grant might have decided to pass up the first chance to offer his views regarding his treatment by Sullivan, Gold and Brady. How long Grant remains piloting West Ham is moot as Martin O’Neill was last night locked in talks about whether to succeed him. The former Aston Villa manager was first sounded out by a West Ham executive last week.

The sack is apparently inevitable for Grant and it could be a shrewd move to keep his own counsel to avoid giving any reason why he should not receive every penny he is due. The 55-year-old former Chelsea, Portsmouth, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa and Israel head coach did not accrue nearly four decades’ experience in an often treacherous industry without learning a few lessons.

Zola’s tenure as manager ended when, despite retaining West Ham’s Premier League status, Gold and Sullivan marched him out in May, framing his removal as a disciplinary matter.

West Ham take a 2-1 lead into the League Cup semi-final with Birmingham City next week. The chances of Grant being in charge appear remote. But, if O’Neill declines the job and Sullivan, Gold and Brady continue their reluctance to sack Grant, this impasse could run and run.