Tricky's Back

Trevor Sinclair and Youssef Sofiane will both get their first taste of pre-season friendly action for West Ham against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Tuesday evening.

"Trevor will start at Norwich," says Glenn Roeder, "and Youssef will hopefully get 15-20 minutes."

Despite claims by the Espanol president that a deal for Oscar Garcia could still be on, Glenn says: "That is 100% incorrect. He returned to Spain after one friendly game and there will be no move for him."

There will be no move, either, for West Ham's other pre-season trialist Mamar Mamouni, the Algerian international from French club Le Havre.

Like Garcia, he has played in one game - at Colchester United - and Glenn says: "He has returned home, and we will not be taking him on."

Absentees in Norfolk include the injured Paolo Di Canio and Steve Lomas, while new signing Gary Breen will train at Chadwell Heath instead of travelling.

Glenn is looking for an improvement on the 1-1 draw at Colchester on Friday, when the side conceded a last gasp equaliser, and explains: "It was a disappointing late goal to concede against Colchester because instead of winning the game, which would have made everyone happy, you draw 1-1.

"We should have been out of sight in the second half when their injury time goal went in.

"Jermain has scored in every pre-season game so far, but he was disappointed to slide one wide of an empty net when he went round the keeper.

"When they scored we should have been two or three in front.

"In the first half some of us - not all - were playing in too laid back a fashion and they should know by now when you play these sort of teams they are motivated.

"It is a big game for those players and it shows in the way they play.

"We had to have words at half time, and when we came out in the second half we played at a higher tempo.

"But there were some pleasing performances, none more so than Joe Cole, who was one of the few who did well in the first half, particularly the second period of it where he got on the ball and started going past players for fun.

"At this moment you would like to think we are in a stronger position than we were last year when we were running around looking for players to bring in.

"This present squad is one that finished with 53 points and we mustn't lose sight of that, but in the next three games, starting with Norwich, we need to put it in for 90 minutes."

Squad: James, Van der Gouw, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Labant, Garcia, Carrick, Cole, Sinclair, Kanoute, Sofiane, Moncur, Pearce, Winterburn, Defoe, Camara, Courtois, Iriekpen, Soma, McCann.