Spirit Bubbling At Upton Park

WITH several senior players returning ahead of Saturday's Play-off semi-final first leg against Ipswich, Alan Pardew faces a selection dilemma about whether to stick with the young stars who have fired the Hammers towards the Play-offs.

Without revealing whether he will look to youth or experience, Pards was quick to praise the young Academy players who have come in under difficult circumstances this season.

"It'll be a tough decision whichever team I chose," he admitted. "We have got some players coming back and that's really positive.

"We played an extra Reserve game against Northampton in midweek and were able to give another game to some of those players looking to build up their match fitness.

"But the young players who have come in this season are part of the reason why we are here and it's important that we don't forget that.

"I think if this squad had stayed fit then we would have been a lot closer to automatic promotion this season.

"But the young players we have blooded have done extremely well. The likes of Anton Ferdinand, Mark Noble and Elliott Ward have been the highlight of the season in many ways for the Club and they will all play important parts in the Play-offs.

"They've all played under extreme pressure this season and done excellently.

"It's one of the better selection dilemmas to have. The youngsters haven't got a lot of games under their belts, but what they lack in experience they make up for in ability and enthusiasm."

Pards has also been delighted with the performances of some of his other key players over this run-in, which has helped Hammers go on a run of just one defeat in ten games.

"We've got some players who are really hitting form at just the right time," he explained. "Nigel Reo-Coker and Hayden Mullins have done terrific in centre-midfield recently and that is a really strong area for us at the moment.

"Marlon Harewood up front has played a lot of games for us this season, and his pace and power have been key, while Jimmy Walker in goal is playing as well as I've seen him do at the moment.

"All that bodes very well for us and when you consider the players we have coming back to fitness as well the squad is in really good shape.

"There's a lot for us to be positive about going into the Play-offs."

Not least the fact that Hammers are the form side going into the Play-offs, something that Pards is also delighted to have in his team's favour.

"That's definitely a positive aspect for us," he admitted. "We're on a high after a good win at Watford and we've come along way to get to this point.

"Crystal Palace showed last season just how important good spirit is going into the Play-offs.

"It's a bit of an unmeasurable quantity, but you can't underestimate how important spirit is and I know there is plenty of it around West Ham United at the moment.

"We've been criticised for underachieving this season, but apart from those people at the Club, nobody knows what we have had to go through.

"That criticism definitely spurs us on. I want to succeed, and more importantly I want to bring success to the Club.

"We have a chance of doing that through the Play-offs and we're going to give everything to make it happen."