Sam Allardyce's words of contrition may have come too late to reconcile the deep divide between himself and a growing number of West Ham United supporters.
For perhaps the first time since Allardyce took West Ham back into the Premier League the under fire coach held his hands up to admit that the team's current poor run of form - seven defeats in their last nine matches - was his "responsibility".However his new-found conciliatory tone almost certainly comes too late to repair the relationship with some fans who have demanded that the 59-year-old be replaced, with West Ham having flirted with the relegation zone all season.
Supporter unrest manifested itself in the shape of a 'Fat Sam Out' banner at The Hawthorns yesterday, courtesy of a couple of disgruntled, middle-aged fans who waited until Albion were ahead before revealing their succinct message.
That those unfurling the banner soon became embroiled in heated exchanges with other supporters illustrates that the anti-Allardyce feeling is far from universal. However it is a cause attracting new converts with every passing match.
When asked about the protests by the BBC, Allardyce said: "It's not [my job] to get concerned about off-the-field activities. It's for me to focus on the players, to make them do better than they are doing at the moment and produce more results.
"I can understand the fans' disapproval, we haven't won for four games. Every fan in the Premier League shows disappointment towards their manager when it's not going so well - and it's not going well for us.
"I accept the criticism that comes my way because it's my responsibility to get it right."
Whether or not Allardyce, who joined West Ham in June 2011 has the opportunity to do that remains to be seen, with various whispers suggesting that his time at the club may be coming to an end.
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