Another favourite wont be in for Hammers job

2:10pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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STUART Pearce has become the latest name to rule himself out of the vacant managers post at West Ham.

The England U21 boss, who was a popular figure during his two-year playing spell at Upton Park towards the end of his career, claims he is more the happy to keep working within the national set-up.

And the news will certainly be a huge blow to Irons bosses, who have already seen early front-runners Harry Redknapp, Slaven Bilic and Davide Ballardini rule out replacing Alan Curbishley.

And Pearce was quick to make his own position clear, after the bookies and sections of the media had also tipped the former Manchester City boss to replace Curbishley.

“I gave my word to the FA when I took the job that I would certainly honour my contract,” he told the Telegraph.

“If we go out of the Under-21 qualifying campaign that might change that but other than that happening, I will honour my contract no matter what’s dangled under my nose financially."

Pearce was also quick to back former Charlton chief Curbishley and questioned the culture that is developing within the English game with the way British manager are being treated.

He added: “We have a lot of top-quality [British] managers,” the former City manager said. “The thing that disappoints me the most is how someone's stock can go from 'through the roof' to zero, all within a game. I don't live my life in that manner and I find it quite disappointing that football does.

“He (Curbishley) did a good job there.

“But sometimes when there is a groundswell of opinion against you, it becomes like a witch-hunt. Curbs is a very good manager who's proven himself over a number of years in the Premiership.

“One thing you can understand is there's only a certain amount of teams who can finish in the top half of the league and a certain amount who will finish in the bottom half of the league. That will be the case over a season. The expectation of more than half of the teams is to finish in the top half of the league, so it's difficult. The so-called top four are all expected to finish in the top four. But if they're not finishing number one, it's a disappointing season.”