ALAN CURBISHLEY strongly refuted claims of prioritising in favour of Charlton’s FA Cup campaign following Saturday’s dismal performance in the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.

Disgruntled Addicks fans were heading for the exits a good 20 minutes from the end of a one-sided affair that ended the club’s four-match unbeaten run.

In the week manager Alan Pardew publicly declared that West Ham’s priority was the FA Cup over Premiership considerations and fielded a weakened team against Portsmouth on Saturday, Charlton’s boss denied following suit.

Tonight, five days after the Highbury debacle, Charlton meet Middlesbrough in an FA Cup quarter-final at The Valley.

Curbishley insisted: "I have certainly not prioritised.

"I don’t want to come to Highbury and put in a performance like that. Over the years, when we’ve played the top four sides, I’ve expected more than what I got today.

"Jason Euell has been coming on in the last four or five games and he needed to play.

"Dennis Rommedahl has been out since January, so he needed a game.

"The only player I did save was Chris Powell because he’s playing so well for us at home. He played on Sunday and I thought that three games in a week maybe a bit difficult.

"I put a team out against Arsenal that had worked hard all week in the hope of trying to do something at Highbury.

"The big disappointment was that the hard work put in on the training ground went down after 13 minutes when Arsenal took the lead.

Curbishley confessed to fearing a mauling on Saturday after Arsenal had taken a 2-0 lead after 32 minutes.

He added: "Anybody who comes here and goes 2-0 down so early with the players they’ve got, and with the space they were creating for themselves, you have to fear the worst.

"There is no doubt that when Arsenal are on top of their game they are a frightening team."