Alan Curbishley maintains his ability to take West Ham forward must not be judged on a campaign in which injuries have decimated his squad.The beleaguered Hammers boss has found himself in the firing line following three successive 4-0 defeats which have all but ended hopes of a top-six finish.

Yet with his team still in 10th place, Curbishley believes the criticism has bordered on "hysteria" - so much so the board felt it necessary to publicly back the former Charlton boss, who was brought in during December last year and oversaw a miraculous escape from what had looked certain relegation.

After reshaping the squad over the summer following the exits of key striker Carlos Tevez, Yossi Benayoun and Marlon Harewood, Curbishley could do little but watch in frustration as his big summer signings all suffered fitness problems.

Highly-rated £6million French winger Julien Faubert did not even make it to the start of the campaign after an Achilles injury pre-season, while Wales striker Craig Bellamy has only managed a handful of appearances, midfielder Scott Parker was hampered by persistent knee problems and Kieron Dyer suffered a broken leg during a Carling Cup tie just after getting back into the England side.

Curbishley maintains such a depletion of his options would have a severe impact on any Premier League side, but feels that is perhaps sometimes forgotten at Upton Park.

"The one thing that disappoints me is that people haven't taken into account the problems that we've had with the injuries - no sympathy whatsoever," said Curbishley, whose side host Blackburn on Saturday.

"I read one article which said we spent heavily in the summer which meant people were expecting European football, but those players have only played 20 games between them.

"It is as if it doesn't count, but it does count.

"You look at the sides who have been successful this season, like Everton, Portsmouth and also Manchester City. They have had settled sides, you know their team most weeks. We have never had a settled side in any shape or form.

"We all want to do better - but I don't know how you can be judged if your new players have not been able to play."

Curbishley did admit, however, that he aspires to be higher up the table than the Hammers are at present.

He insisted: "I think we should be a top-eight team and trying to push on better than that.

"Other clubs have spent more than us, but we've stood with them and matched up with them.

"However, the new guys we brought in simply haven't played enough. They are all attacking, offensive and quick players.

"If Portsmouth, for example, had lost players of the like we have, would their season have panned out as it has?"

Curbishley rejected the men he signed had a history of fitness problems.

He said: "You can't tell me Kieron Dyer was injury-prone. He played for 18 months solidly at Newcastle before he came here, got in the England squad and then he breaks his leg in two places. Nobody talks about that though - Eduardo does the same thing and everyone talks about it.

"Then there is Faubert, who ruptured his Achilles. Scott [Parker] took hits to his knee, Bellamy has never had this stomach problem before, while [James] Collins did his cruciates. Others have had wear and tear.

"We have had eight, nine sometimes 10 injuries per week. We have just been damned unlucky.

"While I don't want to keep using that as an excuse because it's disrespectful to the other players who have played, these are big players for us to lose."

Curbishley understands some criticism must be expected given the recent slump in form, but has been

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