Manager Gianfranco Zola has seen his team-building plans hit by the economic crisis, with Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson looking for fresh investment for the club but no firm offer yet received.

Mullins insists the players remain fully focused as they prepare for the trip to strugglers Newcastle United this weekend - when the Hammers will be aiming for a fourth successive win.

"The manager has come in and freshened a lot of things up, training is brilliant," said Mullins, who was handed the captain's armband for the 3-0 FA Cup win over Barnsley.

"We have got a new shape we are working on, and a lot of it is coming off. In the last couple of weeks people have seen the Portsmouth (4-1) result and the Stoke (2-1) result and then the win over Barnsley. It is something we are building on.

"It was not quite going for us a couple of weeks ago. But now it is turning round, and everything is looking upwards. We are going higher up in the league and are trying to win as many games as we can - and that is a tribute to the manager."