Fredi's Fear

Fredi Kanoute admits he had a few anxious moments before having it confirmed that he had scored his 12th goal of the season on Saturday.

Sebastien Schemmel raced on to a firmly struck pass from Paolo Di Canio in what was arguably the Hammers' best move of the match, and really only had one choice - to prevent it going out, and in so doing, drag it back to Fredi Kanoute if he could.

But Fredi's celebration was muted, and he explains: "I don't know if it crossed the line. I wasn't sure at the time and I waited after I scored to see what the decision of the referee would be.

"So I just stood there and then he told me it was all right, though I haven't seen the replay after.

"I was delighted with the win, it was good, and 2-0 made it more comfortable because they showed they were very motivated to get level, and it was very hard against them."

With 12 goals in just 24 starts and the recent praise of Glenn Roeder ringing in his ears, Fredi is a contented man at Upton Park, playing with a smile on his face, and undisturbed by the groans from a few fans when he was unable to score - despite his best efforts - in the previous home game against Ipswich Town.

With three wins out of three for West Ham, and two goals in two for Fredi taking him to a more than commendable 50% goals to games strike rate, he says: "It has been very enjoyable. Now we are seventh, we feel more relieved and we believe we can finish well in the championship."

Glenn has reiterated recently that he is unlucky to have so much competition for a place in the French squad, but insists the ambition is still there.

"Hopefully it will come. I just want to play my best football and if things happen after that is good for me, and that's it."

Fredi says that being a foreigner does not limit his awareness of how passionate Saturday's London derby with Tottenham will be, and he says: "It is a very big game, like every game over there, and I know there will be a lot of motivation in the team; it can be a good match.

"Games are all the same but I have heard that against Tottenham it is special, because it is a hard fixture like Arsenal against Tottenham.

"We feel it, even if we are French and we know that a derby game is very special. We feel that the atmosphere is very different, even though all games are important, of course."