ALAN Curbishley has re-stated his "frustration" at his inability to name a settled West Ham team this season.

The Irons boss was jeered by Irons fans during Saturday's narrow 2-1 win over relegated Derby County at Upton Park, a result greeted with widespread boos at the final whistle.

Afterwards, Curbishley pleaded with the club's supporters for more patience and understanding and to "appreciate" the problems he has encountered due to the club's never-ending injury problems.

The Hammers manager was forced to make three last-minute changes to his starting line-up just hours before Saturday's game.

Defenders Jonathan Spector and Matthew Upson were both ruled out on Friday through injury, while striker Dean Ashton was laid low by a bout of tonsillitis.

The situation meant teenagers Freddie Sears and James Tomkins were both thrown in for their first Boleyn Ground starts, while Julien Faubert, Freddie Ljungberg and Mark Noble all returned to the first XI following spells on the sidelines.

And Curbishley claimed the situation had summed up the club's stop-start season.

"f I could sum up the season for everybody - it's frustration," he said.

"For me, it's been a frustrating year from the second week of pre-season, when I lost Scott Parker and Faubert. It's just gone on from there.

"Bobby Zamora scored his first goal of the season today - that's only his seventh game."

"There's been a whole catalogue of disasters. Dean Ashton was ill this week and felt rough again today. That's par for the course but it did give me an opportunity to give the young boys a go and I was delighted with that."

Curbishley compared this season's injury problems with the corresponding period of last season, when the boss was able to call on a settled squad as the Hammers won seven of their last nine games to secure their Premier League status.

And the former Charlton chief is desperate to re-discover that formula in time for the 2008/09 season, when crocks such as Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and James Collins will return to the fold.

"We're doing everything we can to try and get things right because it's frustrating for all the players," he added.

"We can't keep a settled side. In last year's run-in we only played 13 players in those final nine games.

"That's been the only time that I have been able to play a settled side. I just haven't been able to pick from a fully-fit squad this season.

"What we've actually done isn't too bad and once everyone's fit I'll have a decent squad. Hopefully, that'll come to fruition in the summer."