Paul Goddard has no worries about the players being adversely
affected by the changing face of Upton Park - even though, as they
trot out for the first home game of the season, they will be
emerging from what is effectively a building site!
"The pitch is beautiful, the stand is impressive - and the players will hear us when we shout!" says Paul.
"There are certainly good times in front of us but obviously there will be a period of a little bit of inconvenience for certain people while the restructuring is going on.
"People have got to take the long term view and you can sense how magnificent the ground is going to be.
"There is a lot of hard work going on and we have to try to get things right on the pitch now.
"The public are demanding better facilities to watch the game they love to watch nowadays, and I think it is good for everyone that these fantastic stadia are going up.
"We'll hear the fans, they are high up there, and the atmosphere is going to be different.
"But you have to look at it long term, and what a place it will be for people to come and support West Ham United."
The hope is that West Ham, who - along with Chelsea - have played one less game than the rest of the Premiership, can get off the mark after last week's defeat at Anfield.
"There were no points and that is the main concern - although we were reasonably pleased with the performance," he says.
"But for a gentleman named Michael Owen I think we might have got something from the game.
"We want to take that on now and give Leeds a run for their mone,y and we hope to get more chances in this game.
"But Leeds are an extremely good side and you can see them finishing in the top two to four this season, so it will be a very tough game."
The match marks the second return of Rio Ferdinand in a Leeds shirt; does Paul feel the Hammers should have sold him?
"I can't really comment on that," he says, "it was a decision the club made at the time.
"Rio is a fantastic player and the club miss him; Leeds are grateful to have a player of that standing."
As to the issue of his transfer fee, Paul says:
"It is a lot of money, but with the money going around these days, who knows if it was the right price?
"It is uncontrollable at the moment, and nothing surprises me regarding fees and wages.
"It is a spiralling business and Rio is probably worth more now - but I'm sure Leeds would not sell him.
"We must bring some more players in of our own to make the squad bigger and give us a right crack at it.
"Glenn is working his socks off to try and make something happen; nobody wants to sell their best players and we only want good players here.
"We hope he is successful."
Paul confirms that Paul Kitson, Fredi Kanoute, and Hayden Foxe will not be risked, despite training at Upton Park on Thursday with the rest of the squad.
"Paul and Fredi are a fair way down their running now at 3/4 pace, but Saturday is too early," he says.
"With Fredi, who has not trained for three weeks, he needs to build that hamstring up.
"The last thing we want is for that to go again; it is very important to have a fit Fredi.
"It would be a great temptation to put him on the bench but that is something we will have to withold."
As for other injury news, he says:
"Ian Pearce is coming on, and training with balls very soon.
"Steve Lomas is working very hard and will be going to Canada to continue his rehab."
SQUAD: Hislop, Schemmel, Song, Dailly, Winterburn, Sinclair, Carrick, Moncur, Cole, Di Canio, Todorov, Soma, Forrest, McCann, Defoe, Courtois, Byrne, Potts, Bywater.
"The pitch is beautiful, the stand is impressive - and the players will hear us when we shout!" says Paul.
"There are certainly good times in front of us but obviously there will be a period of a little bit of inconvenience for certain people while the restructuring is going on.
"People have got to take the long term view and you can sense how magnificent the ground is going to be.
"There is a lot of hard work going on and we have to try to get things right on the pitch now.
"The public are demanding better facilities to watch the game they love to watch nowadays, and I think it is good for everyone that these fantastic stadia are going up.
"We'll hear the fans, they are high up there, and the atmosphere is going to be different.
"But you have to look at it long term, and what a place it will be for people to come and support West Ham United."
The hope is that West Ham, who - along with Chelsea - have played one less game than the rest of the Premiership, can get off the mark after last week's defeat at Anfield.
"There were no points and that is the main concern - although we were reasonably pleased with the performance," he says.
"But for a gentleman named Michael Owen I think we might have got something from the game.
"We want to take that on now and give Leeds a run for their mone,y and we hope to get more chances in this game.
"But Leeds are an extremely good side and you can see them finishing in the top two to four this season, so it will be a very tough game."
The match marks the second return of Rio Ferdinand in a Leeds shirt; does Paul feel the Hammers should have sold him?
"I can't really comment on that," he says, "it was a decision the club made at the time.
"Rio is a fantastic player and the club miss him; Leeds are grateful to have a player of that standing."
As to the issue of his transfer fee, Paul says:
"It is a lot of money, but with the money going around these days, who knows if it was the right price?
"It is uncontrollable at the moment, and nothing surprises me regarding fees and wages.
"It is a spiralling business and Rio is probably worth more now - but I'm sure Leeds would not sell him.
"We must bring some more players in of our own to make the squad bigger and give us a right crack at it.
"Glenn is working his socks off to try and make something happen; nobody wants to sell their best players and we only want good players here.
"We hope he is successful."
Paul confirms that Paul Kitson, Fredi Kanoute, and Hayden Foxe will not be risked, despite training at Upton Park on Thursday with the rest of the squad.
"Paul and Fredi are a fair way down their running now at 3/4 pace, but Saturday is too early," he says.
"With Fredi, who has not trained for three weeks, he needs to build that hamstring up.
"The last thing we want is for that to go again; it is very important to have a fit Fredi.
"It would be a great temptation to put him on the bench but that is something we will have to withold."
As for other injury news, he says:
"Ian Pearce is coming on, and training with balls very soon.
"Steve Lomas is working very hard and will be going to Canada to continue his rehab."
SQUAD: Hislop, Schemmel, Song, Dailly, Winterburn, Sinclair, Carrick, Moncur, Cole, Di Canio, Todorov, Soma, Forrest, McCann, Defoe, Courtois, Byrne, Potts, Bywater.