Revved-up for Rovers

Last updated : 09 August 2005 By Plymouth_hammer

It's what we've all been waiting for! On Saturday August 13th the Hammers will take to the turf in the first match of the Premiership campaign as we host Blackburn Rovers at Upton Park.

Rovers are exactly the kind of team West Ham will want to realistically take three points from, and a win here on open day would keep morale as sky-high as it has been after some excellent end of season performances. Rovers have been criticised for their gritty style of play but West Ham will have to match their grit in this game and the season as a whole if they are to survive in the top flight this time around.


So, obvious things first, this is a test for virtually the entire squad since most have not had vast experience of the Premiership. Bobby Zamora sniffed it with Spurs, (ironically netting his only goal against the Hammers to put us out of the Carling Cup) as did Etherington, and Konchesky at Charlton, but players like Christian Dailly, Roy Carroll, and Teddy Sheringham will prove invaluable for the massive experience and guidance they can give to the less experienced players.


The team will be looking to Matthew Etherington to create the same number of chances as he did so well for us last season. However big worry in this match, especially against a battling side like Blackburn, is that Etherington will be targeted in an attempt to cut his instrumental playmaking out of the game, as he was by Ipswich in the play-offs.


Reo-Coker will be influential and invaluable in his commanding captain's role in central midfield, holding up the ball and distributing as he does so well. New man Benayoun could play just behind Zamora or push up alongside. It will be exciting to see what the Israeli makes of Blackburn and hopefully his small frame is only a ploy to lull them into a false sense of security. He seems to have pace, he certainly has flair and control, and the £2.5million signing from La Liga is out to impress telling skysports.com, “I score goals, create goals, and that is what I’m going to do.”


Harewood could be employed down the right flank, an area that has been consistently weak with Newton doing little more than filling in, but Harewood is quick and strong here. It was he who delivered both crosses for Bobby Zamora in the Ipswich 2nd leg, when Bobby capped the last off with a spectacular half volley which any top striker would be proud of. Marlon will need to exorcise his lazy demons though because the big man was notably missing from many important games, play off final no less, where he shrank into anonymity until his appalling antics at the end. Williams has played reasonably well on the right side, but Chadwick would be a mistake.


Pardew should be bold and stick with Zamora up front where some new found confidence and fresh goals under his belt will mean he should threaten. Brad Friedel is a top keeper and Zamora, whose shooting has improved ten-fold, will maybe have to up it a notch further. The old hand Teddy may get a start, and could be seen in an attacking midfield role but more likely he'll be coming off the bench to test Friedel if the score line isn’t favourable with 60-70 minutes gone.

'Mr Reliable' Tomas Repka will be at right-back and is notoriously hard to predict in terms of performance. Put it this way; he could have a stormer, he could have a 'mare. But the player, who played 51 games for us last season, still has a lot to offer. Paul Konchesky will start at left-back and the new man seems to be clouded with controversy. Rather like Repka there seem to be some people who think he's brilliant and some who really dont so Konchesky is a bit of an unknown entity. Centre-backs are likely to be Danny Gabbidon who impressed so highly against TSV Munich 1860, and Anton Ferdinand who held things strong at the back in the Championship last season. He'll be a key man if he manages to up his game.


No prizes for guessing who'll be wearing the gloves, ex-Manchester United keeper Roy Carroll will get the shout ahead of Bywater, Hislop and the injured Jimmy Walker. Roy was statistically United's best keeper last season, a fact which seems to be constantly over-looked by many people who have criticised the stopper unfairly. Carroll is a very good goalkeeper and a great acquisition for Pardew who secured him on a free transfer after he rejected a new contract from Man United.

All eyes on the clock as we tentatively wait for the day when West Ham will either get a rude-awakening or show the Premiership there's more to them than just being another candidate for relegation.


Written by Barney French.