Trevor: Wait And See

Trevor Brooking says he is relaxed about still be in charge of West Ham in a caretaker capacity.

"We have got to see now how we move on and naturally everyone is speculating about whether something is going to happen this week or next week," he says, "and if there are legal difficulties - so we have got to wait and see what all the implications are.

"Tuesday night now is on so we will take that one and if it goes on longer and I have to do it for a little while, okay, and if it happens quickly and we can settle somebody in and do a good job, fine.

"The main thing is with Niclas Andersson and Wayne Quinn coming in it gives us a little more depth to the bench.

"Michael won't be out for long and Stevie Lomas should be back for next month and then it will only be Rufus who is out for another six weeks after that. "We have also got the option to bring in another body or two if we need to do that - but hopefully that will be up to the next person.

"With Niclas and Wayne we have the option of extending their loan."

As for the Reading game and the attendant coverage, Trevor adds:

"There was a lot of spotlight on the fact that the two sides were playing with the undercurrent there; to be fair to John Madejski he has obviously figured quite prominently in the situation, but he was there on Saturday and went up to the boardroom - he didn't watch the game with their fans as a lot of the media said he was going to do.

"He came down to the dressing room before, I saw him afterwards as well, and I said well done to his team for playing so well and making us work so hard.

"I wished him all the best for the rest of the season and he dealt with that fine so hopefully everyone retained their dignity throughout the day - though naturally the circumstances were difficult.

"In the end you all try and deal with it as well as you can while acknowledging the fact it is not ideal from everyone's point of view and the feelings, naturally, of being a little bit aggrieved.

"But more than anything now we move on and try and deal with other games.

"Whether it is going to be a long, drawn out affair or not, who knows but I will tick along in the mean time.

"Kevin Dillon stepped in for them, did very well and it was his first experience; I know how difficult that is from my own point of view.

"He would obviously like the job so we will see what happens; they are at home to Cardiff midweek which will be an important result and a tough game.

"But at least our game is out of the way and the build-up is behind us - so whether that helps or hinders remains to be seen.

"I can understand the focus but that game is behind us now."

Don Hutchison and Michael Carrick Garcia are the notable absentees from the squad to face Crewe, but Richard Garcia has receovered from an injury sustained in the reserves' defeat by Spurs on Monday night.

SQUAD: James, Bywater, Lee, Repka, Dailly, Pearce, Connolly, Quinn, Alexandersson, Horlock, Defoe, Etherington, Mellor, Sofiane, Noble, Ferdinand, Garcia, Kilgallon.