Avram Grant, who counts many of his rival managers as friends, has been discussing the pressures that face him and his contemporaries in the closing stages of the season.

The Israeli has seen his side slowly creep up on league leaders Manchester United and Arsenal over recent months, to a position where with two games to go, we are still in with a healthy shout of the Premier League title, not to mention a first Champions League success.

We travel to Newcastle on Monday, but before that Manchester United entertain West Ham at Old Trafford today.

Hammers manager Alan Curbishley has expressed his view that Sir Alex Ferguson's side deserve the championship, but Grant points to his firm belief of integrity in sport as an indication that they will not roll over when the two sides meet.

'It is not a good message for your players, but I have no reason to doubt the players,' Grant said of Curbishley's comments.

'I believe in integrity in sport. One of the players that was very close to me, more than a player for me was Yossi Benayoun. He was my player since he was 20 and we were champions together, and then didn't lose in the qualifications with Israel.

'Then who makes a brilliant assist against me on Wednesday? Yossi Benayoun.

'You can be friends, but when you come to the pitch you want to win. I have a very good relationship with Alex Ferguson and won against him on Saturday. I have a good relationship with [Arsene] Wenger and I did everything to beat him one month ago. I believe that's what sport needs to be. You do everything to win.'

Grant also points to history to show that nobody will be offering any favours.

'In the first year I was in England, Leeds fought for the title with Derby, the league was finished and Derby were in Spain. Leeds needed a point against Wolves and lost, so Derby were champions without playing,' he recalled, referring to the 1972 title race.

'Wolves had the integrity and tradition of English football, and I believe in this. I want to think that it is still there.'

The Israeli also believes that having been in the top two for much of the season, there is a pressure hanging over Manchester United.

'They fought all the time with Arsenal and thought everything was okay. It is a pressure, it's not easy.

'We want United to drop points of course but we need to do our job and I don't think it will be easy.

'We want to win the title, especially with where we came from. It was never in our hands, we needed to do our job, and we need to win first on Monday. It is a difficult game against Newcastle. For United it is not easy to play with this pressure, it is in their hands, but now it is another kind of pressure.'

He does though admit he is unsure whether the champions will slip up, either against West Ham or Wigan on the final day of the season.

'I am not convinced, I cannot be convinced,' he said simply.