I don’t fear the axe,

WEST Bromwich boss Alan Irvine is reassured he is not one game from the sack after speaking to chairman Jeremy Peace.

Supporters vented their anger at the head coach during Tuesday night’s loss to West Ham — his side’s fourth in a row — chanting ‘Taxi for Irvine’.

But the Scot believes he will be given time to turn things around, even while acknowledging a manager’s job is precarious.

‘We all know what it’s like — lose four in a row, people will be calling for your head. Win four then you’re great,’ he said.

‘I’ve experienced both of those things this season.

‘That’s the nature of the job. It’s difficult for it to be nice and stable.

‘I understand the way things are — it’s a short-term culture. If it’s not Alan Pardew getting stick, which it was six or seven weeks ago, it’s someone else. I spoke to the chairman after training today

but not about that and he didn’t speak to me about that. I’m fine, the chairman was perfectly calm. It is such fine margins, we’re not too far away from getting good results.’

Irvine (right) is the bookmakers’ favourite to be first Premier League manager to leave this season. He said: ‘I can’t control that, all I can control is how we go about the job and I will continue to be thorough and diligent.’

Captain Chris Brunt is out of tomorrow’s trip to Hull with a hamstring strain. NIkoLa ZIgIC, 34, has rejoined Birmingham five months after leaving. The 6ft 8in striker was earning £65,000 a week but returned on reduced terms. Director Panos Pavlakis said: ‘We

welcome him back home.’