Chris Hughton admits the intense scrutiny on his position at Carrow Road was an unwanted distraction ahead of the vital top flight win over West Ham.

The City chief realised his own future was a hot topic during the build up but Hughton insists he is not the only manager under pressure across the Premier League.

'If you talk about the pressure I was under then look around the league,' he said. 'If those top teams are not in or around the top four then they are under equal pressure. That is modern football. You can't expect an easy ride when things are not going so well.

'When things are not going so well it is tough to get away from it; people talk about 24/7 and it is. You wake up thinking about things, you go to bed thinking about things but I won't be alone in that in this profession.

'I have been around a long time, maybe not in this management game so long, but I am aware of things said and newspapers and radio and that comes with the territory. Whether having that experience really helps you deal with it better or not, I don't know. The defeats certainly do not get any easier, but this is a fantastic club to be at and I was so pleased for the fans and those upstairs to get a result.'

Hughton was delighted his players delivered when it mattered after insisting they would respond to a mauling at Manchester City.

'I believe in the players and I was happy to say so in the build up. If the players see any panic from me then it can quickly transmit itself,' he said. 'You also have to have belief in your own ability. We are doing the best jobs we can and we are working as hard as we can but within that there will be good and bad times. You have to be able to cope with the down sides. What you look for is a togetherness from the players and I think we have had that, but I am aware of outside influences and you have to deal with that also. You must have confidence in your team and their ability. This is not the first difficult spell we have had. I think back towards the end of last season when we played West Brom and there was massive pressure on that one so I wouldn't say this has been the worst period I have gone through.'