West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley says the current generation of young players are too soft.

Curbs said: "I can't help thinking we're bringing up a softer generation. You can see that society now is very different to when I was a player.

"The young players coming through have got it all far too easy and are used to being taken everywhere by their parents and not having to fight too hard for things.

"The future of the English game is dependent on the raw material. But we're having a bit of a lull as far as the raw material is concerned.

"I think young kids involved in football have got to want to be footballers, to love the game, to want to improve. I think they see what can be achieved but I don't know if they want to go out and get it.

"There are so many other things on their minds apart from football - computers and text messaging and DVDs. We had none of those things when I was growing up. It was all about football."