Alan Curbishley has issued a behind-the-scenes revelation about his final days as West Ham manager.
He has asserted that the club went behind his back, which essentially left his position untenable in the capital.
West Ham United were the last team Curbishley managed and he was in charge of them from 2006 to 2008.
West Ham’s record vs Aston Villa is AWFUL! What must Nuno do to mastermind a WIN?
Alan Curbishley knew when his position was untenable
Curbishley has revealed that he knew his position was untenable and that is what led to him stepping down.
He admits that a player he was led to believe was injured was actually fit and was being sold to another club without his knowledge.
At that time, the Irons had beaten Blackburn 4-1 and were in the top four or five after a good start to the Premier League season.
After the game, he learned that one of his first-team players had joined Sunderland.
This most certainly did not sit well with the former West Ham and Aston Villa midfielder as he had a clause in his contract stating that he would have the final say on players joining and leaving.
The club did not live up to the end of their bargain and that resulted in him being compensated.
He said on All Out Football: “What happened was, as I say, we played the third or fourth game of the season, beat Blackburn 4-1, and we were in the top four or five, whatever.
“And I got upstairs to be told that one of my players had gone to Sunderland. I didn’t even know. I thought he was injured.
“Like he didn’t train Thursday or Friday, right? But he’d gone to talk to a club and I didn’t even know and I just thought, well, what’s the point that ain’t right, obviously. But other players, their agents have been told that they were for sale, etc., which I didn’t know about either. So the position was, in my eyes, untenable.”
West Ham could have gone on to become a force under Alan Curbishley’s stewardship. This was a huge mistake.
Which player do you think he was talking about?
West Ham need to be run better even in the present day
What the hierarchy did under Curbishley was unacceptable.
The worst thing is that the board continue to throw players and managers under the bus.
After winning the UEFA Europa Conference League under David Moyes, the sensible thing to do would have been to build on that success.
Instead, they botched the transfer window, made a mess by hiring Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter, and Nuno is still trying to clean up their mistakes.
Things need to improve, and they need to improve soon, or else West Ham could be a Championship club in the next few months.
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