Premier League Game 13: Sunday 10 November 2002 West Ham United 3 - 4 Leeds United (Half-time: 1 - 4) Crowd: 33297 Referee: S Dunn (Bristol)
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Match Facts
West Ham United	Team	Leeds United
David James		Paul Robinson
Nigel Winterburn		Gary Kelly
Ian Pearce		Teddy Lucic
Tomas Repka		Ian Harte
Christian Dailly		Lucas Radebe
Steve Lomas		Eirik Bakke
Joe Cole		Lee Bowyer
Michael Carrick		Nick Barmby
Trevor Sinclair		Jason Wilcox
Paolo Di Canio		Harry Kewell
Jermain Defoe		Mark Viduka
Subs
Raimond Van der Gouw		Nigel Martyn
Sebastian Schemmel		Michael Duberry
Scott Minto		James Milner
Edouard Cissé		Stephen McPhail
Titi Camara		Michael Bridges

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My view from the armchair - Gaffer

Did my eyes deceive me, or were we playing 4-4-2?! Wilcox and Barmby were way out wide, and what a difference it made (admittedly against the poorest defence I've ever seen). To keep it brief:

Robbo - 6 - should've held the shot for the first goal ("he saw it late" said a commentator - rubbish! There was nobody even in the area!). Looked decidedly ill-at-ease - but then again, behind that defence, who wouldn't?
Kelly - 5 - should join Donaghadee United.
Lucas - 7 - looked more comfortable than last match
Lucic - 7 - very assured performance
Harte - 5 - seems to think that jogging alongside a player is all that is required, rather than tackling or marking properly.
Bakke - 5 - anonymous - what shape is his head, that the ball bounces off at any angle other than goalwards?
Barmby - 6 - faded badly, but at least he scored.
Wilcox - 7 - looked tired at the end, but gave good width and played well. Must start next match
Bowyer - 7 - that's a little bit more like it - made a few good challenges (esp the one for Kewell's second), and ran a lot
Kewell - 7 - two good goals, but faded again.
Viduka - 5 - sorry, I can't understand the plaudits for this game - I thought his touch (normally his best point) was awful - he gave the ball away so many times, and the only reason he got his goal was because he couldn't be bothered to get onside! Really, I've never seen him look SO unfit. I have no bee in my bonnet about him, but yesterday he was rubbish.

Trois points - that's the most important thing.

Roeder rescued but danger still threatens - Jon Brodkin

Copy from Football Unlimited of 11/11/2002.

Glenn Roeder looked so certain to be heading for the sack at half-time yesterday that it would be understandable if West Ham's directors had discussed possible successors over their Bovril. The team were 4-1 down and defending so ineptly that the end for the manager seemed inevitable. By the finish Roeder's job appeared safe again - at least until after Manchester United visit on Sunday.

Booed off at the interval, West Ham were applauded at the end. They did not overturn that three-goal deficit - though they made enough chances - and are in serious trouble, sitting in the bottom three and still without a home win. Yet the spirit of their second-half display, aided by panicky Leeds defending that borrowed from West Ham's earlier efforts, has surely earned Roeder a reprieve.

While Terry Venables must be grateful to West Ham's initial ineptitude and some enterprising Leeds attacking in the first half for easing the pressure on him, Roeder should thank Paolo di Canio more than anyone. The Italian does not know whether he has a future at Upton Park but that hardly prevents him giving everything to the cause.

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