The Hammers, who travel to Old Trafford this weekend, staved off relegation with a 1-0 win on the final day of last season thanks to a goal from Carlos Tevez, now a United player.

"It's amazing - this is the fourth time in the last six years I've gone there for their last home game - a couple of times with Charlton and now with West Ham," Curbishley told the club's official website.

"We haven't got the pressure we had last year but we want to finish as strongly as we can.

big stage

"We'll see what we've got left this week and will go there and give it our best shot.

"Last year was a different set of circumstances completely, perhaps they didn't have too much to play for and we had everything to play for and perhaps it's turned around now.

"I've said all along this season has been the most competitive Premier League I've been involved in at the top and the bottom.

"We've got our own situation to play for. We've got a big stage to play on and one or two people in my team will come out of that next week with a big experience from it."

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