Former Upton Park hero Trevor Brooking has been pledged to do all that he can in preventing West Ham from being relegated this season. Brooking, who is a member of the Hammers' board of directors, has stepped in to take charge after manager Glenn Roeder took ill following Monday's 1-0 win over Middlesbrough. Roeder was diagnosed with a blocked blood vessel in the brain and remains in hospital.
Brooking will be in charge for the trip to Manchester City on Sunday, the hosting of Chelsea at home the following week and the trip to Birmingham on the final day of the Premiership season. The Hammers need to win all three games to guarantee their survival.
The former West Ham great said "With Glenn and the players having worked so hard for 35 games and getting 15 points in the last eight games, everyone wants to give it everything in the next two-and-a-half weeks - and that is what we are going to do."
"No-one at the club expects anyone to do anything other than give their best in that time, but in that sense it is not difficult to do because everyone is of the same mind anyway. It would be a huge anti-climax to go out with a whimper, and, although it has been a very difficult few days, we have got to steel ourselves for these two-and-a-half weeks."
Brooking also insisted that he is merely keeping the manager's seat warm in anticipation of Roeder's return. "We just felt that if they could concentrate on doing what they have been doing with Glenn on the training ground, to handle the difficult situation the club is in with the last three matches - and the fluctuations each result will mean - it might be helpful to all of them for someone like myself to take over and take the pressure off them," he said.
Filed by Rob Wright
