Curbishley safe despite loss to Spurs

LONDON - ALAN Curbishley will not be sacked as West Ham manager, even if the club are relegated from the Premiership at the end of the season.

West Ham lost 3-4 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. They led 2-0 and then 3-2 with only six minutes remaining.

The defeat left the them firmly entrenched at the bottom of the table.

The Hammers have won only once in 12 games since Curbishley took over in mid-December.

He admitted, after the defeat, that he would not be surprised if he was axed. However, a well-placed source told BBC Sport that Curbishley's job is safe.

West Ham, with 20 points, are 10 points from safety. They have nine games remaining.

BBC Sport's Garry Richardson said: 'My source at the club says that they will stick with Curbishley.

'I've been told that new chairman Eggert Magnusson is in for the long haul and wants Curbishley by his side.

'There is a feeling among some board members that Alan has inherited some players with the wrong attitude, and they will be sold in the summer.

'He will be given funds to buy. I was told there will be a major overhaul at the end of the season.''

The shell-shocked manager said on teamtalk.com: 'Naive is the word. It is down to lack of confidence and mental toughness, knowing how to see a game out. A mid-table team would have won that.

'There was a chance that if we got three points, we could close the gap on teams above us. We have blown it in terms of three points.

'We scored three goals and haven't taken anything. It is a massive disappointment. But we have got to keep going. We can't give up.''

West Ham attacked Tottenham with the spirit and determination that have been missing all season. But, ultimately, it was fruitless.

They led 2-0 after the first half with goals from Mark Noble and Carlos Tevez.

Tottenham hit back when Aaron Lennon won a penalty in the 50th minute, and Jermain Defoe stroked the spot kick past Robert Green.

The visitors equalised through Teemu Tainio in the 63rd minute. He scored from 10 metres after a superb pass from Lennon.

Curbishley must have thought West Ham were going to end their run of 11 matches without a win, when Bobby Zamora headed home Tevez's free kick in the 85th minute.

But Dimitar Berbatov curled a superb free kick past Paul Robinson four minutes later.

Paul Stalteri won it for Tottenham in stoppage time. He tapped the ball in after Green spilled Defoe's shot.

Said Tottenham manager Martin Jol: 'Today it was heaven, hell, heaven, hell.

'It was an amazing game.'

Meanwhile, West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand will be disciplined by the club after lying about leaving the country.

He disobeyed Curbishley by flying to the United States last month for a birthday party. The players had been told not to leave England during a four-day break.

Ferdinand has apologised. But he will still be fined, as the manager tries to impose some discipline on the team.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS