Then last season, they battled to avoid the drop.
I gave so much time to it and want them to avoid the drop".
Grant believes Keane is just the character the Hammers need in their fight to avoid the drop.
Having worked at that end of the table, I can guess what their managers will be doing to try to avoid the drop.
Lecce, who sit second from bottom, had looked on course for a valuable point in their bid to avoid the drop until Ronaldinho struck after 90 minutes.
Nottinghamshire and Hampshire each collected three points in a game with ramifications in the battles both for second place and to avoid the drop.
Oxford would go on to avoid the drop from the first division, beating Arsenal 3-0 on the last day of the season to send Ipswich down.
For those looking for portents, the good news is that Darlington Omodiagbe and SV Wacker Burghausen did manage to avoid the drop in 2010-11.
Last night's defeat simply highlighted the need for fresh faces and more experience if the Villains are to avoid the drop.
While Lancashire and Middlesex duel to avoid the drop, their coveted place in the top flight will be disputed by Essex (who host promoted Worcestershire) and Hampshire (who are away at Glamorgan).
That was a credit to Paul Collingwood's men, for whom the five points awarded for the draw were welcomed for altogether different reasons, as they seek to avoid the drop.
