Scott Duxbury has replied to a report yesterday's Sun in which Alan Curbishley was blamed for the Freddie Ljungberg fiasco.
The paper carried quotes from West Ham United's Vice-Chairman, Asgeir Fridgeirsson, that were used to support a damaging story implicating Curbishley for the huge losses incurred by the Swede's turbulent year at the club.Yet taken on their own, Fridgeirsson's words appeared mostly innocuous:
“It's the manager and his management team who are responsible for paying out the player’s salary," he was quoted as saying. “It is their judgment about how to use the money they paid to Ljungberg in a wiser way."
The management team in charge of the financial side of transfers at the time referred to by Fridgeirsson was Scott Duxbury and Eggert Magnusson. Today the former accused the latter of being solely responsible for the debacle.
Speaking in a statement on whufc.com, Duxbury contradicted the Vice-Chairman's earlier statement by absolving Curbishley of any involvement, before implicating his former boss.
"The signing of Ljungberg was negotiated by the former chairman Eggert Magnusson and the financial discussions relating to the transfer had nothing to do with Alan Curbishley, who has never been involved in player transfer and contract negotiations," he said.
"All financial matters are controlled by the Board with the manager playing a full role in the identification and recommendation of players."
The conflicting statements from the two directors came only three days after Alan Curbishley had claimed in an interview with a local newspaper that Ljungberg was set to return to the club - just hours before it was announced that the Swede had been released.
Added to that the constant rumours regarding the club's financial situation plus reports of internal divisions and it has been a week United's Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson will be happy to see the back of.
However there was at least a glimmer of positive news - Duxbury also confirmed that the salary previously set aside for the departed Ljungberg will instead be made available to Alan Curbishley.
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