West Ham give their backing to Curbishley - for now

A board statement confirmed that Curbishley's position is safe for now, although it did reveal the need for 'challenges to be met'.

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The statement read: 'The board recognise that recent results have been disappointing and frustrating. However, there is no question of Alan Curbishley's future as manager being called into doubt. Alan, his staff and the players have done well to put the club into the top half of the table despite a massive injury list and they have the full support of the board.

'Of course, there are challenges to be met and further improvements needed. The board will work with Alan to ensure that the progress we have made is maintained and built on to deliver success and long-term stability.'

Should West Ham continue to founder, Slaven Bilic would become a firm favourite to replace Curbishley once the former Upton Park favourite has guided Croatia through this summer's European Championship.

Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and his board have concerns which stretch beyond the recent drubbings at the hands of Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham. Reports of player dissatisfaction with Curbishley's training ground methods have not gone unnoticed.

In addition, eyebrows have been raised about why, under the chairmanship of former ally Eggert Magnusson, Curbishley chose to gamble vast transfer fees and wages on players like Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and Scott Parker, whose careers have been interrupted by injury.

Marooned in mid-table for more than five months, West Ham have not enjoyed back-to-back victories since September. How Curbishley could do with the sort of run that Carlos Tevez inspired at the end of last season, when they won seven of their last nine games to avoid relegation.

But his managerial history suggests that is unlikely. During seven seasons in the top flight with Charlton, Curbishley averaged fewer then three wins from the last 12 games of each campaign.

Scoring goals has been a major problem this season — a situation not helped by injuries to Bellamy and Dean Ashton. That Ashton is the club's top scorer with six goals in all competitions tells its own story.

Although Curbishley opted for Ashton, struggling for form, and Bobby Zamora, struggling for fitness, as a two-pronged attack against Spurs, his propensity for playing with a lone striker, especially against the so-called big four, has become a major bone of contention for many fans. They view his tactics as negative rather than realistic.

Ashton worked as hard as any West Ham player in Sunday's thrashing at White Hart Lane but his golden touch has deserted him, while a fractious relationship with his manager suggests the £7.5million signing from Norwich could be on his way in the summer.

Ashton earns £23,000 a week, far behind the likes of Bellamy, Dyer and, notably, Freddie Ljungberg — who has done little to justify his £80,000-a-week deal since joining from Arsenal last summer.

Curbishley continues to present a calm exterior at press conferences, insisting he can turn West Ham into genuine contenders for European football if the board remain patient.

But berating referee Chris Foy at half-time and full-time last Sunday was uncharacteristic behaviour and suggested a manager beginning to feel the pressure.