Tc: It's The Right Choice

Tony Cottee says he welcomes the appointment of Trevor Brooking as caretaker manager of the club.

Trevor's appointment was announced after he had a meeting with the staff and players at Chadwell Heath, and Tony thinks the move to bring him in until the end of the season is the right one.

"I think it is a good appointment, to be honest," he says. "I think the club had three options, the first of which was to stick with Roger Cross and Paul Goddard in charge for the last three games. No doubt they would also have looked at possibly bringing in someone from the outside to be in charge, but I personally believe that the best option of the three was to appoint someone who is well respected at the club, someone who knows everything about the club - and I think in Trevor Brooking that is certainly the case, so I am all in favour of it.

"I think there is not enough time for anyone to come in and learn the ropes, if you like, and get to know the players, because we have only got three weeks left with three games to go - and in that spell we have got one of the most important periods in our history.

"There is not enough time for someone to come in and gradually get their feet under the table - it has to be someone who knows exactly what is going on and is aware of the situation at the club.

"All the first team players at West Ham will have enormous respect for Trevor Brooking and I am sure he won't tinker with the team too much."

Roger Cross and Paul Goddard continue their roles, of course, and Tony adds: "I think he will let Roger and Paul do the coaching and I am sure he will help out in terms of picking the team.

"They are both coaches, and if you are in a coach you want to get on with the coaching. I always think coaching and management are two different things.

"Glenn has obviously been the figurehead at the club as manager and it is important for the coaches to bounce things off the boss - and in Trevor Brooking they can do that for the last three games."

Tony dismisses the notion that he is 'too nice' to take the managerial role, and adds: "I think Trevor has very strong, good, opinions about the club and he won't hold back.

"Through choice, he has not been in this situation before, as he never really wanted to go into the management game, and I think it is quite obvious that this is not one for the future. It is an emergency situation that has obviously been brought on by Glenn's illness, and he has been asked by the club to do a job and help the club out.

"That is what he is doing and it will be a three game matter, though having said that if they win all three games I am sure there will be a clamour for Trevor if that is what is needed!

"It has been a very traumatic week for the club and very difficult circumstances.

"He will say what needs to be said and pick whoever he feels needs to be picked, and the most important thing is that he will have the respect of the players.

"It is not as if it is someone coming in about whom the players will say 'who is this?' This is a man who is Mr. West Ham and totally respected at the club.

"And he will have been seen around the training ground many times this season, so it is not as if the players won't know him.

"He will gain that respect but he will want to do things his own way."

Tony thinks Trevor will have to achieve three wins out of three and adds: "The position isn't good, four points behind Bolton and with a poorer goal difference - it is an uphill battle and I think we have got to look to win the last three games.

"Seven points might be enough, but if we get to nine and get to 44 there is a very good chance we might be able to stay in the Premiership.

"But whether it was Glenn, Trevor Brooking, or anyone else at the club it is a very difficult thing to achieve."

One tough decision Trevor will have to make is whether Paolo Di Canio will have a role to play, and Tony, giving his personal opinion, says: "I would like to have seen Paolo play some part in keeping the club in the Premiership. He has been a fantastic servant to the club in the last three or four years and on his day he is a match winner.

"He has had problems with Glenn Roeder after the West Brom game, we all know that, but Paolo has always said how much he loves West Ham and I think now is the ideal chance - though I don't know whether he will get the chance under Trevor.

"Whether he is in the team or on the subs' bench, what a fantastic opportunity for Paolo to get back in the good books at West Ham.

"He has always been a hero at West Ham. He has had a few problems where everyone has questioned whether he is still a hero at the club, but he can now become a hero if given that opportunity - but that, of course, is one for Trevor Brooking to call."

More to the point, Tony's concerns lie with Glenn Roeder, and he says: "Once again, I would like to send Glenn my best wishes and we all hope it is a speedy recovery and it is a situation where Trevor is filling in for three games and Glenn will come back fighting fit for next season.

"Obviously we will have to wait for the tests to see whether that is the case but it goes without saying that he want him to get well as soon as possible."