Let's Get Physical

Trevor Brooking says he anticipates a completely different game to Tuesday night's trip to Crewe when West Ham face Gillingham away on Saturday.

Looking to the weekend, and hoping to make it five wins on the trot, he says: "I can't speak highly enough about the spirit and we will have to keep that against a Gillingham side who have lost the last couple but do battle and scrap.

"I have watched their last couple of games and it will be an aggressive, physical type of game.

"Against Crewe, Dario's side played a passing game and it was a case of trying to impose our passing over and above theirs.

"This game will be a more disruptive, stop-start affair."

There are injury worries surrounding the three players that were taken off at Gresty Road, and Trevor adds: "Wayne Quinn got a knock and we weren't sure if it was a strain or a dead leg. At the moment it has settled down so we have certainly not ruled him out for Saturday.

"Niclas Alexandersson has a bit of a knock as well, as did Matthew Etherington, so we will just have to wait and see on Saturday morning with those two.

"It would be a shame if we have to make changes but when you get a flurry of games as we are at the moment that is how it is going to be."

Despite those knocks, Trevor was delighted with the night's work on Tuesday, and says: "I was very pleased with the level of performance. In the first half we passed the ball as well as we have for a long while, really - I thought the movement was excellent and the desire was good.

"We got the three goals and capitalised on a couple of errors but the way we played forced them into the errors rather than them just doing it, so more than anything it was encouraging.

"There was a tense period at the start of the second half - which you would expect with them getting a bit of a rollicking - and Jamo made a couple of good saves.

"Then we really played the game professionally and it was a good three points."