Curbs - No rift with Nani

Hammers boss denies row with technical director

By Chris Burton   Last updated: 22nd August 2008

Alan Curbishley West Ham manager

Curbishley: Rubbished rumours

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Alan Curbishley has dismissed reports claiming he has fallen out with Gianluca Nani.

The West Ham boss was rumoured to have disagreed with the club's technical director in regards to Chilean trialist Sebastian Pinto.

A national newspaper claimed Curbishley had refused to play the striker in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday.

However, the former Charlton manager claims Pinto completed an unsuccessful 80-minute run out, and is at a loss as to where the rumours have emanated from.

Despair

"I do despair sometimes about what is written about us and I've been saying it for 18 months but it doesn't seem to make any difference," the Hammers coach told the Echo.

"If someone had just made a phone call (they would have discovered that) the boy played.

"He came over, he played on Tuesday in a reserve game arranged with QPR a week before that for James Collins to play in.

"He played for 80 minutes.

"He played, we didn't fancy it and he's gone back.

"After the game, me and Nani went to QPR to watch South Africa and Australia and then I dropped him home, so if I had a big row he wouldn't have got in the car."

Injuries

Curbishley went on to confirm that another specially arranged friendly will take place next week in order to help George McCartney with his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury and a bout of pneumonia.

"We had two people playing in that game (against QPR) aside from the ones coming back from injuries. (Lee) Bowyer played in it, as did (Nigel) Quashie," he added.

"We're trying to get another one arranged for next week for McCartney and one or two others."