With 10 Premiership matches remaining, West Ham face a desperate struggle to avoid relegation. Fourth-from-bottom Wigan are nine points clear of Alan Curbishley's side, a gap that is looking wider than the River Thames. Following last weekend's 4-0 humbling at Charlton, they are odds-on with the bookmakers to go down.

In contrast to last season, when they achieved a ninth place finish and reached the FA Cup Final, West Ham's current situation is disastrous. It will require a dramatic turnaround in form if they are to drag themselves out of the relegation quagmire. It will be an immense test of the togetherness in the dressing room and doggedness of the players.

Since Curbishley took charge in December there has been no discernible change in the level of performance and he seems to be finding it hard to inspire the players. Speaking after their latest defeat, he looked a forlorn figure, admitting that he didn’t know what was going wrong. It was the Hammers' fifth straight defeat and Curbishley knows it’s now or never if they are going to stay up. "Of course, that record is not good enough but we've got 10 games left and must hope to turn it around," he offered.

To haul themselves up the table it’s going to take strong characters, determined leadership and a will to slug it out - qualities that Sheffield United and Reading have shown in abundance this season. These attributes have scarcely been seen at Upton Park.

The most alarming aspect at this stage is what you see from the other teams down at the bottom. They seem to be more determined, playing with a togetherness that seems more likely to pick up points. You look at West Ham, watch them play against Charlton and Reading, and they haven’t got the stomach for a fight.

A turbulent time off the field hasn’t helped matters; a prolonged takeover caused much speculation and turbulence but there has been plenty of opportunity to reverse the slide. The signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were a spectacular failure and only succeeded in adding to the discontent.

The true impact of these transfers may be even more damaging. The Hammers are currently the subject of an investigation into the players' registrations and if found guilty they could face a points deduction which would certainly lead to their relegation.

It’s clear there are deep-rooted problems at the club which neither Alan Pardew nor Curbishley have so far been able to solve, and the blame must sit with the players. The lack of fight can be attributed partly to the success of last season and the adulation that went with it. The supporters showered the players with praise and gave them the impression that they could do no wrong, giving the players the impression that they’d made it on the big stage. Players who think they are better than they are often fail to put in the required workrate and commitment to succeed in the Premiership.

These claims have been reinforced by sources within the club, including goalkeeper Robert Green, who claimed that the team had “gone missing.” He went on to say that the poor results weren’t down to a lack of talent but a lack of effort.

Certain players have found it difficult to achieve the levels of performance of last season. Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker are two players whose form has suffered the most. Last season there was talk of England caps and big-money moves. This helped to boost the players' egos even more, giving them the illusion that they are better than they really are.

As they got more money and praise, they forgot the hard work and commitment that got them where they are. The foundation of their game disappeared and they start strolling around.

It may a be mystery to Curbishley why his players are under-achieving, but it’s clear that West Ham need to go on a winning run - and it must start this Sunday against Tottenham. Their remaining fixtures aren’t easy and if the gap to Wigan becomes any bigger it may be too vast to close.

Is there any chance that West Ham will turn things round and avoid relegation? Let us have your views at Sportingo.