Sunday roast

A truly daunting test awaits us. As we leave behind the three games we expected to win and enter the ones we'd forgive ourselves for losing, there isn't much light in the tunnel, never mind at the end of it. It is very important to get a win at West Ham today. Losing at Upton Park and then presumably at Anfield will mean four straight league defeats running into our tricky home tie with Everton and then a nice easy trip to Old Trafford...erm...

By the time the lads get home from Manchester in a couple of weeks time there will have been 21 points up for grabs, how many can we expect to have by then? I don't like all this doom and gloom, but patience will be the key this season. Again.

My XI today is a simple one.

---------------Given--------------

-Carr---Moore---Taylor---Ramage-
Milner----Parker--N'Zogbia----Duff
---------Rossi-----Martins----------

Bench: Harper, Bernard, Emre, Butt, Ameobi

I have dropped Emre to the bench because N'Zogbia is more of a goal threat. Emre insists on taking freekicks but they are usually poor. This my preferred eleven but I expect Roeder to put N'Zogbia on the left and Duff on the right, with Emre and Parker in the middle. Rossi could be very useful today, he should ensure we keep the ball on the deck and provide some nifty through balls for Martins.

Will we be hammered? Or will we make Pork and chips of them? Nobody knows but the Hammers will be pretty confident.