Crunch Time

At the start of the season no-one would have predicted it, but the nightmare continues for beleaguered West Ham United boss Alan Pardew after a 2-1 Carling Cup 3rd round loss to Roy McFarland’s Chesterfield brought their eighth successive defeat, in spite of a confidence boosting 4th minute lead from Marlon Harewood’s goal and an impressive display of goalkeeping by Robert Green.

Now Pardew is fearful that frustrated Hammers fans may turn on him and his players at their next Premiership game – a difficult encounter with Mark Hughes’s resilient and uncompromising Blackburn Rovers. And it doesn’t get any easier, because after that it’s Arsenal.