Curbs tells woeful stars to think of their wallets

Playing for the badge should provide sufficient inspiration for any footballer to give of his best for the full 90 minutes.

So perhaps it reflects poorly on some wearing the West Ham shirt that manager Alan Curbishley today felt it necessary to remind them that they are also playing for the betterment of their bank balances.

"This year their bonuses are geared to being in the top 10," he said. "They get nothing for not being there. We need to be in that top 10 to take anything from the season."

A home defeat by Portsmouth leaves West Ham in that potentially lucrative 10th place, where they seem to have been stuck for an eternity.

But more below-par performances like last night's against Harry Redknapp's FA Cup finalists and they could suffer the humiliation of being overhauled by Tottenham, or even Newcastle, in the final five games.

"I can't keep complaining about what's gone on at the club," said Curbishley. "We've fizzled out in games. The opportunities have been there for us to push on, but we haven't taken them. If we'd have scored first against Portsmouth that might have been a different story. But as the game wore on they got stronger and we got flatter.

"I'd like to at least stay where we are in the table but we've got to win some games for that to happen. If we don't, the season will fizzle out and we'll end on a downer."

West Ham's injury problems don't get any better. Mark Noble was missing from midfield with a hamstring complaint and captain Lucas Neill a doubt for Saturday's trip to Bolton after twisting his ankle.

Redknapp, having seen his side claim their 13th away win of the season, could afford to offer some sympathy to his former club. He said: "Alan has lost a lot of key players. You look at those who are out and he's got a whole team who are not playing."

Redknapp was too diplomatic to point out that his side was depleted, too, notably missing Jermain Defoe who was attending his grandmother's funeral in St Lucia.

Yet they still managed to produce the style and invention so notably lacking from the home side, never more so than when an intricate pattern of passes climaxed with Niko Kranjcar scoring a splendid 61st-minute winner.