Sam Allardyce has revealed that he is finding it "tough" to live with the expectation levels that come as manager of West Ham United.
Allardyce, speaking ahead of this weekend's Championship clash with Derby County told MSN Sport that the pressure to succeed is overwhelming at times - although he remains confident that he can achieve promotion at the first time of asking."Everybody's desperate for a little bit of success and a little bit of joy in life and we're trying to bring that to everybody who either supports or works at West Ham," he said.
"At the moment there's a feelgood factor and I'm breeding confidence, hopefully making sure we don't move into complacency mode thinking that we just have to turn out and we will win.
"It's a bigger challenge than when I got Bolton promoted in the sense that the expectation is greater and the fact that everybody thinks that we should [be promoted].
"It was tough that, really tough - but it wasn't tough from the outside. It was tough from the inside - but not the outside. It's tough in here and it's tough out there to live with that expectation because that's a greater demand and a greater pressure on the players and myself.
"But I do think we're more than capable of handling it with the experience that we've got."
Despite the intense pressue associated with the Boleyn Ground hotseat Allardyce, who has a two year contract with West Ham, hopes to remain at the club for the near future - despite continuing to harbour a desire for the England job.
"It's about when it comes around again," he added. "Are you in good form as a manager? Is your team in really good form? Is it where should be and is it performing to the level it should be? That then brings you into contention.
"But hopefully at the end of this season I can say I've made the right decision, I picked the right club for me at the right time. Newcastle was the right club at the wrong time - and Blackburn Rovers was just bizarre."
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