Curb your enthusiasm - Hammers boss tells fans to be 'more realistic'

The Hammers head across London to Tottenham on Sunday following successive 4-0 defeats, at home to Chelsea and then at Liverpool in midweek.

Curbishley has come under fire for a perceived negative approach recently, packing the midfield and playing with Carlton Cole as a lone striker.

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However, the former Charlton boss insists it is far from the case and defended his choice of tactics given the circumstances of having options limited by a crippling injury list.

"You can't stop criticism and if West Ham fans are not happy then they let everyone know," said Curbishley, himself a former player at Upton Park.

"That has been the nature over the years, but I haven't got to agree with it. Sometimes you have got to be a bit more realistic.

"Performances recently have not been what people wanted, but we have never gone out there negative in any game.

"I think the criticism of 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 is because people look out there, see one forward, and think it's negative, but half the Premier League are playing it - that is teams at the top and at the bottom.

"On a lot of occasions, certainly since we lost [Craig] Bellamy and [Bobby] Zamora, we have only had one forward left anyway.

"So I think you have to take it in context and be a little bit more realistic."

However, Curbishley accepted: "If there is criticism about then we have to take that and change it.

"It's up to us to turn it around so that the fans don't criticise. The only way we can do that is performances.

"However, there are a lot of the fans who are realistic. They have seen the problems we have had - but that still doesn't stop fans wanting more and we want more.

"We have got to get those results now. We can't just talk about it."

The West Ham squad held a meeting after defeat at Anfield, and Curbishley revealed the discussions have been frank, but positive.

He reflected: "It went well. Some things were said and it was constructive. We will see if it makes any difference.

"The players were massively down. We sold out the away end at Anfield, and we did say we had let the travelling fans down.

"Now, we have another big game on Sunday, so let's see if we can turn it around."

Despite their recent dip of form, winning just three times since the start of the year, 10th-placed West Ham are not yet out of the race for a top-six finish - and with it the possibility of a European qualification.

Curbishley remains focused on taking the positives from what has been a somewhat indifferent campaign, even though the Hammers recorded memorable home wins over defending champions Manchester United and Liverpool as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.

"We've had two tough games and did not perform. But there is always a chance we can bounce back in the next game - that's what we have to be looking to do," insisted the Hammers boss.

"This is the run-in - can we push on and get as many points and finish as high as we can? That is still our aim."

Curbishley hopes in 12 months time, the mood around Upton Park will have come full circle.

He said: "When we stayed up last season we were all looking forward to this season, because with the players we have brought in, it would be an exciting season.

"But it has just not happened in terms of the squad I have out there, but there is nothing I can do about that.

"Yet all this makes us stronger for next season when we get the other players back - that is what I am hoping."