West Ham captain Mark Noble has hit back at his critics after a section of the club’s fan base called for him to be dropped.

The 29-year-old has been a near ever-presnt in the Hammers XI this season, but his form, along with that of the club, has dipped in recent weeks.

United’s slump contiunued on Saturday as they fell to a 3-2 defeat against Bournemouth to extend their winless Premier League run to four games.

Despite missing just two of the Irons’ league games this season, Noble’s position has been under increasing scutiny, but he is paying little attention to the criticism.

“If I am really honest, a lot of people who now go to football don’t really understand the game,” he told Sky Sports.

“Football is a game of moments now and if someone does four step-overs, they’ve had an incredible game. That’s not something I do. It’s just football, you’ve got to live with it.

“Players like Wayne Rooney, some people want him out of the Manchester United team. That’s why we are captains of our clubs because we can handle that pressure.”

Having been at the club since 2003, Noble has expereinced the highs and lows of life at West Ham.

He descirbes this season, which saw the Hammers battling near the foot of the table earlier in the campaign and lose star player Dimitri Payet, as the the toughest of his career.

He said: “It’s probably the hardest [period] of my West Ham career because we’ve had so much to deal with off the pitch. You’ve got to stick at it.”