Tony Gale is well placed to judge the form and fortunes of Blackburn Rovers ahead of this Sunday's trip to Ewood Park.
The former Hammers defender, who spent ten years at the Boleyn Ground between 1984 and 1994, won a league championship medal with Blackburn in the 1994/95 campaign. In the first of a three-part special looking at the club's chances this weekend, Galey runs through the Blackburn side and admits it will be a tough test for Alan Curbishley's side.
"It is going to be a tough game up at Ewood Park," he told WHUTV. "I think they are an excellent team. You wouldn't see a better coached team in the Premier League." Assessing the lineup, he describes Mark Hughes's side as having "a very solid defence" while he also reserves special mention for the "excellent" two strikers - Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz.