West Ham manager Alan Curbishley believes his experienced players can help stabilise the Hammers after three straight 4-0 defeats.It has been a difficult spell for the Hammers, who have now shipped 12 goals without reply to see their hopes of breaking into the top six of the Premier League suffer a fatal blow.
Former Charlton manager Curbishley - who masterminded a remarkable escape from relegation last season thanks largely to the goals of Carlos Tevez - has seen his plans hit by several key men spending more time in the treatment room than on the pitch.
England centre-half Matthew Upson picked up a calf problem during the defeat at Liverpool.
However, Curbishley hopes Upson could be fit to face Blackburn at Upton Park on Saturday, adding some vital experience to the side.
"Matty might be back. He has trained over the last week," said the Hammers boss.
"You do need experience, that is why I have been saying to the younger lads that the time may not be quite right for them to play when you have had a set of results that we have had.
"In all fairness, we have been criticised for being defensive minded - but recently that went out of the window. So we have a few things to get right."
Curbishley, though, maintains the likes of England Under-19 striker Freddie Sears and defender James Tomkins, 18, can expect to soon get a taste of first-team action, like fellow youth product Jack Collison who came off the bench against Arsenal on New Year's Day.
"I will not be fazed about putting some of the young boys in but the time must be right," the West Ham boss maintained.
"Sears and Tomkins have been training with us for the past six weeks. They are slowly being introduced to it all.
"I have not got a problem putting them in. They have impressed me a lot.
"We know that young players get stifled quite a bit trying to break into the first team in the Premier League, so we will see what happens over the next nine games."
Curbishley, however, expects better from senior men such as Anton Ferdinand, who was frequently caught out of position during the defeat at White Hart Lane.
"He lost [Dimitar] Berbatov twice. Losing him once in the six-yard box was enough, but twice?" said the Hammers boss.
"It is something that we have worked on this week and will work on ahead of Saturday because we cannot afford to lose [Roque] Santa Cruz or [Benni] McCarthy."
Despite all their injury problems and three heavy defeats, the Hammers remain comfortable in mid-table, albeit with their goal difference having now taken a pounding.
Curbishley has, nevertheless, come under fire for a perceived negative approach and lack of flair.
West Ham went as far as issuing a statement earlier this week, stressing their manager had the confidence of the board, who sympathised over the players missing through injury.
The West Ham manager, however, is bewildered by what he sees as a lack of realism - from both some sections of the Upton Park faithful and certain areas of the media.
"It was a reaction to the personal stuff which has been written about me," said Curbishley, appointed in December 2006.
"When I talk to TV and radio, I know exactly what is being said and what is going out there.
"No disrespect to them, but sometimes the written stuff gets turned around, with a source here, or a source there. It becomes a bit tiresome really. But I cannot do anything about it.
"They don't make the headlines up, but certainly there are one or two agendas out there.
"I have to pinch myself sometimes to see where we are in the league - but I have just got to get on with it.
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