I won't quit West Ham: Curbishley

Alan Curbishley insists he will never consider jumping ship as relegation-threatened West Ham stare deep into the abyss.

The Hammers are nine points from safety heading into tomorrow’s clash with Tottenham and their last 10 games of the season include Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

They must beat Spurs tomorrow and win at least four other games to stand even an outside chance of survival – a huge ask given West Ham have only won five league games all season.

And as if that challenge was not great enough, West Ham also face a Premier League charge which could see them docked five points.

That would almost certainly condemn West Ham, who began this season with ambitions of winning the UEFA Cup, to relegation.

But Curbishley committed himself to the long haul when he took the job in December – and he insists that will never change.

“I know I am not immune but I don’t fear the sack at the moment. The results have got to pick up but that is part and parcel of football,” he said.

“If it happens (the sack) then that is out of my hands. But I am not going to quit.

“When West Ham made the offer and I decided to come here it was a long-term commitment.

“When I was at Charlton I had get-out clauses in the contracts so that I could get out if clubs wanted me.

“I have got nothing in this contract. I didn’t even consider it. I was making a commitment. This is where I want to be. This is my club.

“I was never a fantastic player for West Ham – I played 85 or 95 games – but this is my club.

“I live two miles away from Upton Park and came to the club at 12 and was playing with John Lyall and big Frank Lampard.”

Despite growing up with claret and blue in his veins, Curbishley admits he has been surprised by the pressures of life at Upton Park.

Life was comfortable at Charlton. The press interest was minimal and the intensity of support a far cry from what he has discovered at West Ham.

“When I was at Charlton I could come out of south London, back into east London and was relatively left alone because everyone around me were either West Ham fans or Tottenham fans,” he said.

“But I have realised in a short space of time how many West Ham fans are out there in all walks of life.

“It is a situation I have never found myself in before. It is totally different from where I was. But the results are as well and that makes a big difference.

“What makes this situation so juicy for people is that this is a big club in trouble and a manager who has had it all going his way for 10 or 15 years.

“I have not doubted myself at all but I know I am in a difficult position because the results haven’t come along.

“This is a situation I couldn’t envisage. I have got no problem with the criticism. The only way it is going to change is to get the results.”

Curbishley has been using that line – “we need to start getting results” - ever since he joined West Ham and time has just about expired.

The trap-door is creaking following the desperate league defeats to Watford and Charlton, both of whom were below West Ham in the table.

The 4-0 debacle at The Valley, his old hunting ground, hurt Curbishley badly and left him “consumed by anger”.

But he has been criticised for poor body language and sounding like he as thrown in the towel.

“The players are taking a lot of stick. I am being picked on, the chairman is being picked. We are sitting targets because of the results and performances,” he said.

“The players realise after the last two performances against teams below us in the league that whoever gets picked to go out there tomorrow has to deliver, not just the performance or the result but deliver for 90 minutes because I don’t think anyone connected with the club will suffer for anything less.

“I have seen clubs around us pick results up and you could see with Charlton the confidence that gives. They look a different team but we have not had that lift because we have not won any games.

“For us to pick ourselves up we have to win a game. That may need things to go our way but what we certainly need is 11 players who will give everything.”