Curbs: I am up for Irons

Alan Curbishley has publicly stated that it would be a 'massive honour' to be manager of West Ham and he hopes to open talks soon. Curbs declared his hand in the Daily Excess which had to make space by dropping a story that Princess Diana's driver was poisoned by Russian agents in league with the Duke of Edinburgh.

Former Addick Rob Lee heaped praise on Curbs in a Radio 5 interview declaring him to be a 'brilliant' manager. He was able to get the best out of players, they liked him, and he was thorough and methodical.

No doubt this will make little impression on hardline critics of Curbs who will presumably expect West Ham to be relegated if he becomes their manager. Ironically, some of those who seem happy to settle for mid-table mediocrity in the Championship were critical of Curbs for delivering mid-table mediocrity in the Premiership.

But we have to move on. Rob Lee was critical of both the Charlton and West Ham chairmen for the sackings of their respective managers. The fans were not calling for them to go and the chairmen had, in his view, been affected by panic at the thought of losing Premiership revenues.

Charlton would say, of course, that Iain Dowie failed to fit in with the newly devised structure, but one wonders if that is a bit of management speak that has been turned into a shibboleth.