The Weekend starts here....

I'm off to Edinburgh today in preparation for the Scotland v England Six Nations Match. I am expecting another half-hearted Scottish defeat but we live in hope. Perhaps the prospect of a second successive Wooden Spoon might raise the performance if not the visit of the Auld Enemy? Danny Cipriani's embarrassing omission? Perhaps the wind and rain will come to Scotland's aid? Nah, I'm seeing Paul Sackey falling to the try line over and over again. In any event, I will be in the good company of patriotic Hammers as well as some Blue Bloods. At least the Hammers won't be giving me any football stick after their recent performances - their season looks like petering out in the last ten games - who'd have thought it?

Kings Hill Addick reflects that he may have been too harsh in condemnation of the performance against top-of-the-table Bristol City and that he's looking forward to the visit of PNE. I have a similar feeling although I stand by the pivotal nature of the performance and the result. Leroy Lita looks like starting on Saturday and he's just the sort of character that will score on his debut. He certainly looks like a man with something to prove. Let's hope he makes his point emphatically and that he can inspire an attacking performance from those around him. They certainly owe us one for the second half showings against Watford and City.

The first real question-marks over Pards' ability to motivate his squad have emerged in recent weeks. The fact that we keep responding after set-backs says something about this but it is worrying that we seem unable to respond in some games. Terry Thomas made the point after Tuesday that the size and quality of AP's squad is not the problem but his increasingly inability to use it when necessary to change things when they aren't going well.

Burnley on Tuesday looks like mission impossible and it will need a 90 minute battling performance and probably a slice of good fortune as well if we are to get the win we need. Ipswich away Saturday week will require exactly the same and the chances of two in a row look slim.

Enjoy the game.