Gary Jacob
Win a trip to the Ice Hotel in Lapland
Even today, when winning appears to be everything, the manner in which the team play is paramount to most West Ham United fans. Win, lose or draw, an entertaining, adventurous approach and a slick passing style have been taken as read at Upton Park.
As such, Alan Curbishley has been forced to put on a brave face over the jeering in recent weeks that culminated, during the 4-0 defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday, in chants of “it’s just like watching Charlton”, a reference to the organised style of football he oversaw at his previous club. However, he feels that the fans should not overlook the club’s lengthy injury list and that their position of mid-table comfort now should be viewed against last season, when they avoided relegation only on the final day.
“If they want to have a go at me that is fine, but leave the players alone to get on with it, as they are the ones who have to perform,” the West Ham manager said. “It is not what you want, but I am experienced enough to get on with it. If West Ham fans aren’t happy, they let everyone know. That has been the nature over the years.”
With the defeat by Chelsea last Saturday, Curbishley has now presided over successive 4-0 losses that have all but extinguished his team’s chances of European football, giving them little to play for in the rest of the season. But Curbishley, whose side face Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow, is adamant that the players must retain a positive attitude and that there should be no end-of-season dip, like those common in his time at Charlton.
To that end, he held a clear-the-air meeting with the players after the Liverpool match. “Performances recently have not been what people wanted, but we have never gone out there negative,” he said. “No one is congratulating each other [that we have stayed up]. The players are massively down.”
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
The inside track on current trends in the charity, not for profit and social enterprise sectors
Read our exclusive 100 Years of Fleming and Bond interactive timeline, packed with original Times articles and reviews
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip

Find tickets for:
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
05/2005
£13,500
08/2008
£109,950
2005 / 55
£59,500
Great car insurance deals online
£Excellent+ executive benefits
Torres and Partners
London
£49,229 - £62,035 pro rata
Charity Commission
London/Liverpool/Taunton
Alstom Power
Europe
Six Figure
Rolls Royce
Midlands/Europe
From £89,950
Special Offers now available
At the new sophisticated
Encore Las Vegas Resort!
Cruise the Islands of Hawaii - Pride of America
List your property with two leading travel websites
Great travel insurance deals online
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times, or place your advertisement.
Times Online Services: Dating | Jobs | Property Search | Used Cars | Holidays | Births, Marriages, Deaths
News International associated websites: Globrix | Property Finder | Milkround
Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
Unbelievable. 10th is better than West Ham could've hoped for at the start of the season. Liverpool, Chelsea & Spurs are all much better sides. Cloud cuckoo land.
Chris C, Zurich,
He has no tactics, no strategy and now he singles out players to take the heat off himself. He's average, and only just. He spent all that money and can't do anything constructive with who he bought. The team doesn't have strong enough centre and forward play so all the work is left to the defence who are supposed to engage only as a last resort . All the good defensive work to date has been undone by Curbishley's lack of vision and, I imagine, lack of productive man-management. It's been time to go for a long time now, so come on West Ham, get rid
Steve, Middx,
I think Curbishley should actually talk to the fans. Then, he might discover that many of us do not have delusions of grandeur. What we do have is the knowledge that the players available should not be losing 4-0 three times in a row. A change is needed, not in the managerial levels but, in the tactics that we employ. It is no surprise that we created more chances in the Tottenham game when using Ashton and Zamora instead of Cole as the lone striker. Now, he needs to spend as much time as possible on drawing all 3 diagrams of what a goal looks like and the importance of putting the ball into the back of the net.
Tony, London,
Bilic you must be having a laugh ? Who has he ever bought or sold ?? Curbs has done an excellent job and will continue to do so.
steve, crawley, England
The fickle goldfish fans are here again! How soon they forget that this time last season the hammers were looking highly likely to be relegated....... This season we are in mid table and a remote chance of a UEFA cup place. We have had a horrendous injury list and our strikers have been very badly hit. What do the so called supporters do? Moan that we should get another (unproven) manager in and play lovely attacking football. Well, ask the barcodes fans where that attitude has got them. Curbs and the players have done a fantastic job under difficult circumstances even if some cannot admit it. Onwards and upwards!
Geoff, Barking,
£750 was the price of my Season Ticket this year. You'd think that you could get some entertainment for that wouldn't you?
It's just so drab at Upton Park now. No attacking football to get the crowd going. Carlton Cole (something like 4 goals from nearly every game this year) up front on his own. Ashton, who even at well below his best still has better touch and vision on the bench not getting a chance. Doesn't make sense to me.
I'm not getting another season ticket next year. I appreciate that Curbs has turned things around from last year, but you pay the money for entertainment and it's just too dull.
Jim, Romford, Essex
He saves us from relegation and then garuntees us a 10th place finish despite long term injuries to Ashton, Dyer, Faubert, Bellamy, and Parker and people still aren't happy!
Clearly Newcastle isn't the only team with deluded fans.
PJR, London, UK
This is like a long playing record,we keep hearing the same moans week in week out,from Cubishley.
During the last two games the players looked like strangers,they could not string two passes together.The subsitutions made each week confuse everybody.The Manager has brought stability to the club and this I thank him for,he will not take the club any further.
The majority of players he has bought are overpriced and injury prone,and it would seem wrongly advised by the medical team.
Bellamy has been out for the majority of the season because the medical team could not make the right decision.
To start blaming the fans for being impateint is misguided
and wrong,the manager is paid a huge salary to get results.
Ron Sexton, Hornchurch, England
Curbishley,enough is enough,i can't watch this negative football anymore,face facts,you haven't got a clue how to entertain or win anything.Lets get a proper manager in like slaven billic,he's clever,passionate and goes for games.If mclaren beat you to the england job,what hope have we got! Its simple,keep the ball on the floor,pass to feet,and get those players fit,its not rocket science.We only want to be entertained with the hope we might win something,your giving us neither.
GIMME, ILFORD, ESSEX