Curbishley pleads for patience March 09 2008
Alan Curbishley is hopeful that his board understand the injury crisis he has faced as West Ham's season threatens to fizzle out following a third 4-0 defeat in a row.
After losing heavily to Chelsea and Liverpool last week, Tottenham completed an unwelcome hat-trick with Dimitar Berbatov scoring with two early headers and substitutes Gilberto and Darren Bent wrapping up the scoring at White Hart Lane.
Curbishley woke up to reports suggesting his job may be under threat, although he feels his board are sympathetic about the problems he has had with players missing during his first full campaign at the club.
"I think they are realistic about it but we'll have to see on that score because it's a results business," the Hammers boss said.
"Up until this week we hadn't been too bad so we'll have to bounce back."
He added: "We're in football and nothing surprises anybody but I would have thought (they would understand). They are realistic about what has gone on. They get the update every Monday of the injury situation.
"Any other team that has had six or seven out every week would find it difficult. You can see the difference in teams with settled sides."
Anton Ferdinand was to blame for Berbatov's two goals, both free headers from Tom Huddlestone free-kicks.
"He was nowhere to be seen," said Curbishley.
"He's got to dig in, he gave a penalty away against Chelsea early in the game and put us on the back foot.
"You can't allow centre-forwards to have free headers.
"Berbatov didn't have to jump. Then straight away there was another one. It's difficult to come back from it."
Curbishley was upset with Jonathan Spector being penalised for fouling Berbatov leading up to the opener.
"He fell over in stages," the Hammers boss added.
"They (referees) spend all week on this and that and looking at videos and perhaps they have got to realise one or two things that were going on."
Curbishley had no complaints, though, when Luis Boa Morte was dismissed for two bookings, the second coming a minute before the break.
"We took two wallopings going into the game and I asked for more aggression and application," he said.
"He was done for persistence.
"Luis put a wholehearted performance in but he's on thin ice and has to make sure he gets to half-time. He hasn't and that has killed us off a bit."
Gilberto made his Barclays Premier League debut when he came off the bench and he scored with a finish on the turn, then Bent headed in the fourth in stoppage-time.
"We put ourselves in a position where we expect to finish in the top half," Curbishley added.
"We've lost three games on the spin and we're still there so it's all to play for still.
"The pressure when you lose three games 4-0 is there, and we have to bounce back. We all have to. It's only them that can go out and do it.
"We have to regroup and get on. There are not many options with our injury situation and we have to just get on. Our aim is to finish in the top half and as high as we can, and we can still do that. It's a long way back for us."
Spurs head coach Juande Ramos was pleased with his side's response after two defeats since winning the Carling Cup.
"The goals made it easier and we were in control for a large part of the match," said the Spaniard.
"It was important to have a victory to recover people's esteem."
The only negative aspect of the afternoon was Jonathan Woodgate taking a knock to his foot and calf and getting taken off as a precaution.