Hammers defender pleads with Upton Park board not to part with Curbishley

Lucas Neill has urged 's board to be patient with boss Alan Curbishley as he battles for his Upton Park future.

Curbishley has spent £47million since taking over at the Hammers yet managed just 10th place in the Barclays Premier League last term - his first full season in charge.

Included in that total was a £22.5million outlay on Craig Bellamy, Freddie
Ljungberg, Kieron Dyer and Julien Faubert.

So far the quartet have made a combined total of 34 Premier League starts because of injury, with Ljungberg leaving the club last week.

West Ham toiled without their main attacking weapons and as a result Curbishley has been installed as the pre-season favourite to win the Premier League sack-race amid financial uncertainty at Upton Park.

But Neill, who was signed by Curbishley in January last year, believes it is
ill-fortune and not ability that has left the Hammers boss in trouble.

"I think he's been a victim of a board that's come in, given him a lot of
money and wanted success immediately," said Neill.

"He spent the money and unfortunately what he spent it on didn't bear fruit.

"That's not his fault.

"It was just bad luck with injuries. I think he's got to be judged on what
happens from now.

"Somebody's got to be the favourite to get the sack first and unfortunately
it's him because of the demand at West Ham for success.

"But the odds on him going will soon change if we stick two or three quick
wins together.

"It's a slow process and you've got to build a foundation.

Matthew Upson summed it up the other day - you can't just buy success in one season, it takes time.

"Time stood still for us for a year because everyone we tried to bring in, in
terms of knowledge and experience, was injured."

Curbishley's critics have pointed out that Bellamy, Dyer and Ljungberg are
notoriously injury-prone and were always going to be regulars in the treatment
room.

Lucas Neill wants the Hammers board to give boss Alan Curbishley time

The news that Bellamy will miss the first month of the season with Dyer
possibly not available until November will have been greeted with dismay by
Hammers fans.

But Neill believes that when they do return the duo will feel like fresh
signings - explaining the board's lack of movement in the transfer window this
summer.

"There's a determination to go where we wanted to go last season before it
went wrong. It was a frustrating season," he said.

"All the impact players we bought to change games were always on the treatment
table, which was frustrating for everybody.

"You want your biggest weapons out there because you know at any stage of the
game Kieron Dyer or Craig Bellamy's pace could get you a goal.

"I think there's been less activity in the market this summer because we're
yet to see our transfers from last year play their part.

"If you look at the games they've played collectively, there's not even a
season between them.

"If they play 20 games each this season there will be a completely different
outcome.

"Having them back, alongside Dean Ashton and Scott Parker, will be like new
signings."

The sudden departure of Ljungberg last week - the injury-jinxed Swede is
reported to have taken £6million to end his contract three years early - has
taken everyone at the club by surprise.

"It's something he agreed with West Ham.

"He's a great player but obviously something wasn't right. Nobody knows what happened," said Neill.

"Nobody has seen Freddie. Nobody is talking about the Freddie situation. We
don't even know what the real situation is."