Shattered Hammers coach in blast at his critics

Alan Curbishley hit back today at his critics and urged them to have a sense of perspective after his team were thumped 4-1 by Manchester United.

The West Ham manager is believed to be feeling increasingly worn down by the level of criticism for his team's results and the style of their play.

Curbishley feels that not enough allowances have been made for the awful injury problems which have plagued him from last summer and not enough credit has been given to the players who have stayed fit and helped West Ham to a respectable 10th spot.

He said: "It seems I'm also constantly having to answer this criticism of us being dull.

"First of all it should be said we stayed up last season and have gone to finish in mid-table this year. How bad is that?

"In the third week of pre-season we lost Julien Faubert and Scott Parker and by the third week of the season, Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and Bobby Zamora. Four of those players were summer signings and with them went a lot of pace and creativity. Despite everything, the players who have stayed fit have put a shift in every week. I can't praise them too highly. Even at Old Trafford on Saturday they gave it all they could."

Curbishley was without 13 of his senior squad and he lost two more, Dean Ashton and Luis Boa-Morte, during the match.

"I've just got to get on with it," he added. "There should be some recognition of what we have gone through this season. Tell me how any Premier League clubs would have fared with the sort of problems we've had this season."