Roeder targets three winter reinforcements
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Your support makes all the difference.Glenn Roeder hopes to bring in three players on loan as soon as the transfer window opens in January to help haul West Ham away from the foot of the Premiership table.
"With the wages available I could probably squeeze in three players. I am working on one particular deal, as I have been over the last couple of weeks, and the chairman has been very supportive," he said yesterday.
Roeder added: "It is a very small squad and we are in a big hole; it is a concern, as it would be for anybody, but I do believe that we will get out of the bottom three eventually with the players we have to come back.
"Although I don't really believe in luck, if there is any good fortune all I would ask is that our squad, small as it is, stays fit and healthy."
Roeder is hoping his French striker Frédéric Kanouté, out with hamstring trouble since the 3-2 win at Chelsea on 28 September, will finally be fit for Saturday's visit of Bolton.
The Blackburn Rovers manager, Graeme Souness, hopes referee Graham Barber will change his mind on the red card for Lucas Neill when he looks at the match video.
Souness went through the official channels to get the Australian full back's sending off at Everton changed and a ban dropped after Barber controversially booked the player twice on Saturday.
He is confident that Barber will have second thoughts – just as he did after dismissing Neill in similar circumstances in the FA Cup last season.
The Rovers manager said: "We have asked Philip Don [the referees officer for the Premier League] to ask Graham Barber to have a look at the video for both bookings, which we feel should be reviewed. We cannot appeal, but it is down to the referee to reconsider.
"I have seen it again and I did not think either were bookings, particularly the first which was a clean tackle."
Souness and Barber have a history of rows. The FA Cup defeat against Middlesbrough last season ended with a furious verbal assault by the manager that led to a three-game ban – even though Neill's red card was later rescinded.
Neill would miss one of the games over the Christmas period, but is clear to face Wigan Athletic in the Worthington Cup quarter-final tonight and both Manchester United and Liverpool in the Premiership.
Souness plans to field his strongest possible team against the Second Division side, including goalkeeper Brad Friedel for the first time in the competition this year.
Souness is still fighting for transfer cash to strengthen his squad and admitted he has little unless he sells Damien Duff, David Dunn or Martin Taylor who have all been the subject of recent direct and indirect approaches. The Rovers manager revealed: "We have had calls from people in and around the game asking about their availability. But we do not intend to sell our best young players." Souness will have funds to invest but they are only likely to be around £5m and ideally he wants two new defenders.
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