Nigel: Let's Improve Away

Nigel Winterburn is hoping the Hammers can take more points on their travels - starting with the game at Newcastle.

"Hopefully we can pick up a lot more points away from home," he says, and at Newcastle last season it could have been 5-0 to us at half time but we let them off the hook that day, they came back, and in the end we were convincing winners.

"We are going to make it difficult for them and obviously we are trying to win.

"They had a good year, but like Arsenal and Manchester United they have now set their standards and will want to prove they can at least equal it if not better it."

One feature of the game is the presence of Olivier Bernard in a Newcastle shirt.

In other circumstances he could have been competing with Nigel for a place on the left on Monday evening, but Nigel admits he is not familiar with Bernard as a player.

"I don't know much about Bernard, though I know he didn't play too often for them last season, so it would be wrong of me to comment."