Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes has jumped to the defence of underfire West Ham United rival Alan Curbishley.

Hughes said: "If you look at the season they had last time and where they are this year, it's been a marked improvement.

"But sometimes the pressure is built by outside forces and people get on bandwagons and things start to run away from you.

"Alan is an experienced manager who has had these episodes before and come through them. The pressure seems to be building but I have no doubt he will be still be in charge next year."