Football story by Boris Webb, Thu, 14 Dec 2006 14:36:00 GMT


LONDON - West Ham's new manager, Alan Curbishley faces a stern test in his first game in charge of a side languishing at the bottom of the Premiership. Come Sunday and Curbishley takes on the rampaging might of Manchester United as he attempts to get the Hammers going in this season.

Curbishley, who took over as the manager of West Ham on Wednesday after Alan Pardew was sacked, said that he was looking forward to revive the fortunes of his former club. "I think Man Utd is a massive game but the players have taken a lot of criticism because of what has happened in the last couple of days and they probably owe everyone a performance," he said.

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The former Charlton boss was considered a frontrunner for the England job, but it is thought that his chances were hampered by the fact that he has not managed high-profile clubs and players.

"People say I've been at the same club for a long while and have not managed these players or those," Curbishley said, adding that he hoped to silence critics once and for all.

He has also spoken to Sir Alex Ferguson who told him that West Ham are in the same position that Man United were in when he took charge two decades ago. "I was just seeking out Sir Alex's advice on a couple of things - He was writing out his Christmas cards and wanted to get back to them," he added.

Curbishley also said that his main aim at the moment was to get the Hammers out of the relegation zone before concentrating on playing in the style demanded by the fans.