The pressure on Alan Curbishley increased tonight as West Ham United suffered a 4-0 reversal for the third time inside a week.
Two goals either side of the break condemned the Hammers - who were forced to play the second half with only ten men after Luis Boa Morte was dismissed a minute before the break - to a third successive Premier League thrashing this afternoon.Alan Curbishley could at least point to the high calibre of the opposition in the previous two games but there were no such excuses tonight as his side went down to a side eight points below them in the league.
In Curbishley's defence, he gave his critics exactly what they wanted by sending out a far more attacking team than in recent weeks. However despite his best intentions he had no control over the defensive errors and sheer stupidity of Luis Boa Morte that virtually handed the game to their rivals.
Anton Ferdinand, who had told his team mates that it was time to 'step up to the plate' after the heavy defeats against Chelsea and Liverpool was guilty of falling asleep twice inside two minutes to gift Dimitar Berbatov the first two goals - both coming from set pieces at which Ferdinand was due to be marking the Tottenham forward.
Yet the Hammers had started the stronger and should have taken the lead after just five minutes when Freddie Ljungberg's shot was dropped by Paul Robinson before eventually falling to Bobby Zamora whose shot was goalbound had it not hit Luis Boa Morte.
But United's defensive frailites were exposed in the 8th and 10th minute when Berbatov twice got the better of Ferdinand - who not for the first time was guilty of switching off.
It was Ferdinand's trip on Solomon Kalou last weekend that cost the Hammers dear, whilst he was embarrassed twice more by Fernando Torres last Wednesday. Without regular defensive partner Matthew Upson to bale him out today, his shortcomings were exposed even futher.
Yet Ferdinand was saved from being villain of the day by the ridiculous antics of Luis Boa Morte whose days at West Ham must surely be numbered after petulance and sheer stupidity saw him sent off for a second bookable offence a minute ahead of the half time break.
Already yellow-carded for a spiteful 23rd minute challenge on Tom Huddlestone the £5 million winger was handed his marching orders for lunging in unnecessarily on Aaron Lennon on the stoke of half time.
It was little more than he deserved and if Curbishley has any sense the sight of Boa Morte disappearing down the White Hart Lane tunnel will be the last time he's ever seen in a West Ham United shirt.
The expected second half capitulation almost failed to materialise but two late goals for the home side - Gilberto's first for the club on 85 minutes and substitute Darren Bent's injury time effort - gave the home side a margin of victory that they never truly deserved, such was West Ham's battling spirit after the break.
But that will be of little comfort to Alan Curbishley tonight as he battles to pick up the pieces and save his job which, according to rumours, would appear to be on the line following his team's recent run of dismal form.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Green, Neill, McCartney, Ferdinand, Spector, Mullins, Parker (Noble 76), Ljungberg (Paintsil 71), Boa Morte, Zamora, Ashton (Cole 77).
Subs not used: Wright, Solano.
Booked: Boa Morte (23), Ljungberg (69)
Sent off: Boa Morte (44)
Tottenham: Robinson, Hutton, Chimbonda, Woodgate (Tainio 77), Dawson, Zokora, Huddlestone, Lennon, Malbranque (Gilberto 58), Keane (Bent 69), Berbatov.
Subs not used: Cerny, Boateng.
Goals: Berbatov (8, 10), Gilberto (85), Bent (90+3).
Attendance: 36,062.
Referee: Chris Foy.
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