With all the hubbub yesterday about Kevin Keegan’s alleged sacking up at Newcastle, it seems the facade finally gave way in East London. West Ham manager Alan Curbishly has resigned as gaffer.

Favored to win what the Brits call the “sack race” (first to be fired), Curbishly looks to have jumped ship to avoid the hammer coming down on him. His departure highlights the absurdity of this age of football. He is a competent manager who took to a top-of-the-table finish a club that was nearly relegated the season before. Could the Hammers have done better last season? Certainly. But then so could any club that doesn’t win the title. Curbs appears to have quit West Ham for the very same reason Keegan was reported to have been sacked. It seems that the front office is pulling the strings a little too much for managers to handle. The Hammers gaffer felt limited by the brass when it came to signing new talent and was reportedly disillusioned that Anton Ferdinand and one of his favored players, George McCartney, were both shipped to Sunderland without his say so.

Unlike Keegan, Curbishly did not have the faithful backing of the fans at Upton Park. Hammers supporters felt they deserved better than the 10th place finish of last season and, early on, it looked like the club was poised to even challenge for a spot in Europe. Once they reached the 40-point mark, though, the club stalled and made no further progress. The ineptitude of sides like Tottenham and Newcastle effectively secured West Ham’s place.