Coventry v West Ham, Oct 30, 7.45pm
(Carling Cup fourth rnd)

ALAN Curbishley is leaving nothing to chance in tonight's Carling Cup encounter with Championship side Coventry.

The Hammers boss has marked the game down as the second leg of a three-game week that could shape the Irons season.

He said: "I've been to see them and we've had them watched.

"We know we have a game on, a live game aswell, but we know if we set about it we will give ourselves a chance."

Hammers ended a three game losing streak with a 3-1 win over Sunderland last week and turned in a solid performance to earn a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth on Saturday.

"In our last two away games - Newcastle and Aston Villa - we didn't set our stall out and let in early goals," Curbishley said.

"We were determined not to let it happen at Portsmouth on Saturday and grew because of it - we need to make sure we do the same on Tuesday night."

Centre half Matthew Upson echoed his boss' rallying call to start turning an up-and-down season in the right direction.

Upson said: "The cup's very big for us because it's a route into Europe, then we have a massive home game against Bolton.

"We've not done ourselves justice at home yet. Our performances have not been good enough.

"That's something that we need to put right."

Curbishley is without cup tied duo Nobby Solano and Henri Camara and has only Carlton Cole as his only available forward.

West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Gabbidon, Upson, Ferdinand, McCartney, Ljungberg, Bowyer, Mullins, Noble, Etherington, Boa Morte, Cole, Wright, Collins, Quashie, Spector, Pantsil, Reid.

9:50am Tuesday 30th October 2007

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