Curbishley to Ferdinand: You have no future here

LONDON - MANAGER Alan Curbishley has told defender Anton Ferdinand he has no future at West Ham.

The pair were at the centre of a huge dressing room bust-up after the Hammers' 0-4 embarrassment by relegation rivals Charlton last Saturday.

The whole squad and coaching staff held a post-mortem after the defeat, where accusations flew and tempers flared, reported The Sun.

Curbishley reportedly stated that many of the club's top players would be sold at the end of the season.

When Ferdinand demanded he named names, Curbishley yelled out: 'You'.

The manager then walked away to avoid a further confrontation.

Fans are already so fed up that they want the club to scrap the Player of the Year award.

An online petition blamed the 'lack of effort and despicable attitude shown by the majority of the squad'.

The Hammers' survival bid looks doomed, as they are only a point ahead of bottom club Watford, three points behind Charlton and nine points adrift of safety.

This latest morale-sapping spat only makes it worse for a club that could get points docked for fielding ineligible players.

Already, the Hammers have to resign themselves to missing out on the one player who could possibly have made a difference.

There were hopes that striker Dean Ashton, who has yet to kick a competitive ball since breaking his ankle on England duty in August, was on his way back.

But the 23-year-old has admitted he is still way off being fit despite returning to light training

Privately, the club's medical staff have given up on the £7.25 million (S$21.75 million) star playing this season.

'I'm not even thinking about match-fitness at the moment,' Ashton said. 'It takes a long time for your ankle to get used to having weight on it.

'I want to get across that it's not a simple bone injury. I have been out for 61/2 months now and it's just not right yet.

'I am absolutely desperate to play, but there is no point in rushing it.'

West Ham are also being investigated by the Premiership over whether the signings of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last summer broke rules on the ownership, and possible influence, of players by a third party.

Although the League has yet to charge West Ham, it considers the situation potentially more serious than Middlesbrough's failure to field a side in 1997, reported The Daily Mail.

That season, Bryan Robson's side were docked three points for not playing against Blackburn owing to illness and injury to 21 players. The penalty led to the club's relegation.

It is alleged that West Ham officials failed to produce key documents relating to the transfers of Mascherano and Tevez, even after the Premiership requested them.

Club chairman Eggert Magnusson intends to fight any charge by claiming the offences were committed before his takeover.

Magnusson's predecessor, Terry Brown, who was in charge when the rules were allegedly broken, resigned from the Upton Park board on Tuesday.

Defeat at home against bitter rivals Spurs on Sunday will all but condemn West Ham to Championship football next season.

With just one win in 11 matches since taking over, Curbishley looks certain to make big changes again.

He will at least be able to pick his strongest defence, with Matthew Upson expected to recover from a calf injury to partner Calum Davenport. Lucas Neill is also expected to return from a knee injury.