Tony Looks Ahead

Tony Gale says that the suspension of Wigan's Jason Roberts against West Ham on the final day of the season could be a huge boost to the Hammers.

"I saw Wigan last week when they played Sunderland and I think the fact that Jason Roberts will be suspended for that game is a good thing for us because the strike partnership of Roberts and Ellington is one of the best in the division," he comments.

"So him missing is a big plus for us, and I just saw defensive weaknesses the Wigan which I think we can exploit."

Ahead of that, of course, is the Watford game at home and Tony says:

"I see it as a difficult game against a team that hasn't got a lot to play for.

"I know the manager, Ray Lewington, very well - he is a friend of mine.

"They play good football and I think it will be a difficult game.

"But if we get off to a good start and get the crowd behind us I think we can win this one by a couple of goals.

"But that all-important momentum is needed for the playoffs and we don't want to see it fizzle out.

"I think four points, three against Watford and one away to Wigan, will be enough to see us into them.

"But you have to go to Wigan and play for the win anyway - we got a good win there in the cup and can do it again.

"There will be tension on Saturday and that's why I think Alan and Peter will be working overtime to make sure we have a fast start.

"When there is a team like Watford who are not playing for anything, they can play with a bit of abandon.

"If someone comes out of the blocks fast and furious it is a case of 'are you up for the battle?' at this late stage of the season.

"That is what could really catch them on the hop and I really hope that we do that."

Tony hopes the fans get behind the players for this vital game despite the ill-timed publicity that has made it into the papers this week from a group known as Whistle who claim they have money to put into the club.

"I can't really see what it is all about; I understand the frustrations of fans that we are not in the Premiership and things like that but I can't see any money in the group, I really can't," says Tony.

"They are saying the club is not being run properly - I think we all agree we are a club that shouldn't have gone down from the Premiership but do you turn around and blame the board for that? I would say it is the players.

"We certainly had enough players to keep us in the Premiership and we didn't do it - it is a difficult one.

"Football is all about finance nowadays and we have kept our heads afloat and I think you just need to look around at the other clubs like Leicester and Leeds as well as other clubs that have gone down in the past and say 'thank goodness the club has survived'.

"We go on about individuals that have left but the club is, as I say, afloat and doing well despite getting relegated.

"And we didn't go into administration, which was the vital thing."

He does not feel the players will be other than focused on the job, however, and adds:

"It shouldn't bother the players - it is a distraction for the board but then again Terry Brown, Paul Aldridge and company are not down in the dressing room trying to get the players going and that is where it matters.

"I think that things are best left to the board who I think are not doing a bad job.

"I can't understand where the money from this Whistle thing is coming from and at the moment it just looks like a group of people saying 'we could run the club better'.

"But anyone could say that, just as they can say 'I am a better footballer than him 'or 'I am a better manager than him'.

"The plain fact is - 'where is your money going to come from?'"