Match Preview - West Ham United (Home)

Managerless West Ham are a team with some fans tripping over their own ego. They, like Sheffield Wednesday and like Coventry did thinking it's a stroll in the park for them in this division. West Ham are a team we either get a scrappy 3 points from or get mauled - it all depends on them.

If West Ham come thinking we will roll over for them then we can punish them but if they come all guns blazing they, admittedly, could maul us.

West Ham's season has been action packed all ready. After selling their best players like Glenn Johnson, Joe Cole, Freddie Kounoute & losing players like Di Canio on bosman's, their new striker David Connolly threatened to leave the club on the first day of the season after being left on the bench for the first game.

Then Rotherham's changing rooms were good enough for them so they got changed in the team hotel and after losing to Rotherham manager Glenn Roeder was sacked - probably a good 6 months late.

There was much speculation who their new manager is going to be.Hammers legend Trevor Brooking put himself out of the race saying he didn't want to be a full time manager, despite being caretaker. George Graham, Stuart Pearce and even Barry Fry have been mentioned but it was Alan Pardew who was top of the shortlist. West Ham approached Reading to speak to Pardew - Reading said no. So they tried again but Reading said no again.

This angered Pardew and his handed in his resignation but it was rejected but he was put on gardening leave. Reading are now asking for a compensation package from West Ham believed to be worth around £800k, while the League Managers Association are looking for someone to blame for an illegal approach - but the only guilty party were Reading themselves for actually telling Pardew about the approach.

So has all this unsettled West Ham? Well not under Trevor Brooking. The, ahem, loveable tv pundit may not want the job but he certainly knows how to manage a team. In his 6 games in charge of West Ham - as caretaker - he has won 5 and drawn 1. 2 wins and 1 draw last season and 3 wins in 3 games this season. Bradford, Ipswich and on Saturday, ironically, Reading were the victims. So for Crewe to crack that tough nut it'll have to be special - but we always live up to the occasion.

West Ham's team ain't half bad for a 1st Division club. England's no.1 in goal- because Ince is from Trinidad - with David James. Then just payers like Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, David Connolly, Neil Mellor, Steve Lo..............

For Tuesday something like: James, Anton Ferdinand, Pearce, Quinn, Repka, Dailly, Lee, Horlock, Connolly, Defoe and Mellor. Easy.

For us. Justin Cochrane and David Vaughan both look doubtful. Vaughan will probably miss out after aggrevating and unknown knee injury on Saturday while Justin is fighting a bad back to play. Ant Tonkin will come in for Vaughan and Neil Sorvel would come in for Cochrane if either fail to recover.

Chris McCready is still out and Adie Moses could make it to the bench but Dario probably won't risk him at the back - especially after Walkers and Fosters great partnership on Saturday.

Expected 11 - Ince, Wright, Foster, Walker, Tonkin, Lunt, Brammer, Cochrane, Rix, Jones and Ashton.

COME ON!!!!!!!!

16 September 2003
Burnley v Nottm Forest
Crystal Palace v Bradford
Gillingham v Norwich
Ipswich v Walsall
Millwall v Wimbledon
Preston v Coventry
Reading v Cardiff
Sheff Utd v Rotherham
Stoke v Sunderland
Wigan v West Brom

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