West Ham United assistant manager Steve Clarke says the club's ownership issues can be no excuse for the players.
The Hammers put in a lacklustre display at Bolton Wanderers where a sloppy mistake in the second half by England goalkeeper Robert Green helped the hosts to a 3-1 win.
Asked whether the ongoing speculation was affecting the players, Clarke said: "No, and I've had this question a couple of times. Obviously we are aware it's going on in the background, but there is nothing we can do about it.
"Inside the dressing room it's not spoken about. We don't mention it and I've not heard one player speak about it.
"Our business is to work hard through the week in training to try to get a winning team on the pitch.
"Unfortunately we are not doing that at the moment but that's all we are concentrating on - where the next win is coming from."