Hammers under mental pressure

Manchester United v West Ham United

A visit to Old Trafford is always a daunting task, but West Ham travel north in the knowledge that another defeat would keep their season rolling in the wrong direction.

Having finally established stability off the pitch, the Hammers would have targeted a mid-to-top finish at the start of the season, but two opening defeats to Aston Villa and Bolton have many pundits tipping them for relegation. After Saturday's test against United, West Ham's next three games include Chelsea and Tottenham and with manager Avram Grant already blaming ''psychology problems,'' something has to change quickly.

If West Ham are looking for a morale boost, they may have got it with a last-minute winner against Oxford in the Carling Cup, but United are a wholly different proposition. Sir Alex Ferguson's men came out of the blocks strongly by beating Newcastle 3-0 before being pegged back by Fulham, but they have had a week's rest to prepare for the clash and the Hammers' midweek excerptions may cost them dearly.

The pace of Antonio Valencia and the industry and creativity of Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes, alongside the return of Wayne Rooney, mean United are ideally placed to take advantage of West Ham's failings. The last team you want to face when you are mentally struggling is the Red Devils, and expect the Fergie mindgames to be brought to town. If they get a penalty this time out though, don't expect Nani to take it.

Manchester United player to watch: Paul Scholes. He keeps rolling back the years with performance after performance of quality, and Ferguson knows that Scholes' influence in the side is actually growing when perhaps it should be dwindling. A devastating shooter from outside of the box, his vision and awareness on the ball have put him head and shoulders above his team-mates in the first few games of the season and he will, once again, be the focal point of the creativity in midfield. Age may be catching up with him, but there appear no signs yet that Scholes' career at United is coming to a close.

West Ham player to watch: Pablo Barrera. After an excellent debut for his new club coming off the bench against Villa, the Mexico winger stood out in the defeat to Bolton and his pace and crossing ability could be crucial in lifting the club out of their malaise. A direct runner is always tough for a defence to deal with and Barrera looks to have cemented his place in the first-team for the time being, with Avram Grant trusting him with the burden of supplying the ammunition for the mis-firing strikeforce from the right hand side.

Key battle: Wayne Rooney v Matthew Upson. Having recovered from a stomach complaint that kept him out of the 2-2 draw with Fulham, United's talisman will be raring to prove himself for his club after failing to get on the scoresheet since March. It's quite an impressive drought for England's foremost goal-getter, but those who doubt the passion, consistency and desire of the No. 10 will soon find themselves proved wrong. His quality is such that Upson will have to monitor his runs from deep constantly, paying particular attention to his new-found aerial ability. The England defender will have worked with Rooney on a regular basis in training camps, so will have the inside track on how to stop him and boasts pace and strength in abundance himself; however with Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez also likely to cause problems if given a chance, he will have his hands full.

RED DEVILS

IS GOING TO BREAK THE HAMMER ''