WEST Ham's players and management will not receive a penny in bonuses if they slip into the bottom half of the Premier League table.

The Irons have lost five of their last seven matches, allowing 11th-placed Tottenham to close to within four points of them.

And manager Alan Curbishley has admitted that he and his players and staff will lose out financially unless the Hammers can arrest their alarming end-of-season slide.

"I don't think the players feel they're in a comfort zone because this year, especially, their bonuses are geared to being in the top-ten and nothing for not being there," said Curbishley, who has previously dismissed suggestions that his team has "switched-off" since reaching the 40-point safety mark.

"So for people to think we're switched off, they're wrong. We need to finish in the top-ten to take anything from the season so that's why it's even more disappointing."

West Ham have been marooned in the no man's land of 10th place since November 25, with Curbishley regularly complaining that his side do not move anywhere, regardless of their results.

But with Spurs and Newcastle both within striking distance, the boss is aware that the Irons need to start finding form sooner rather than later if they are to retain their top-half position.

"I'd like us to at least stay there, but we've got to win some games for that to happen," he insisted.

"We're a bit up and down. We played ever so well up at Everton and played well for half a game at Sunderland and in the first half on Tuesday, but we've fizzled out in those games and don't look as if we're going to score which is obviously a problem. It's something we've got to think about."

"We've just played two or three games we thought were winnable and over the next five games we've got to win some because we won't stay where we are, the season will fizzle out and we'll finish on a downer, which is the last thing we want to do.

"We've got five games left starting with a really tough one away from home at Bolton on Saturday.

"They are fighting for their lives and we obviously need to do better than we did on Tuesday night."

Curbishley could be without midfielder Mark Noble (hamstring) and captain Lucas Neill (twisted ankle) at the Reebok Stadium, where the Irons have never won on seven previous visits. However, England defender Matthew Upson could return from the calf injury he suffered in last month's 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.