Moving on...

Moving on from a very disappointing week, we have a very important game coming up next week and a chance to bounce back. It's an away game so there shouldn't be any 'tension' and as Reading are showing no signs of slowing down it's an absolute must win because our lead over the play-off places is now down to goal difference due to incompetency at home. If we can emulate the Cardiff performance or the Blackpool performance (but keep 11 players on the pitch), we should come home from Leeds with the 3 points but football just isn't that simple, is it.

Leeds earned their first victory under Neill Warnock today at Middlesbrough which is a tough place to go so their confidence will be high, however, their supporters probably have less faith in their team than us at the moment as most of them want Ken Bates out! Against Saints their attendance was dreadful and as far as I'm aware it was a protest against Ken Bates. So if this continues next week there may be just as many of us there as there are home fans! And we all know that we're the best travelling fans in the country!

In all seriousness though I think we will bounce back and gain another predictable away win but the question when, and how will we take this away form into our home games? We're set to break a club record this season as the most away games we've ever won in a season was 11 in the 50's yet we've won 10 away games this season and with Barnsley, Peterborough and Bristol City yet to come away from home it's looking like a possibility. We still have some very difficult home games to come with Birmingham, Hull, Reading, Middlesbrough and Brighton still to visit the Boleyn so unless we can sort out our home form and start turning these draws into wins - even if it is in the ugly way we're used to this season - we stand no chance of finishing in the top 2. I'm trying to stay optimistic but dropping home points Doncaster, Watford, Bristol City and Ipswich is not promotion form. Our only saving grace seems to be our uncharacteristically good away form which has come as a surprise to all West Ham fans given that we only won 3 away games in the last 2 seasons combined at Wolves, Blackpool and Fulham.

My prediction for the match is a 2-1 victory for the hammers, let me know your predictions on Twitter @WHUThruAndThru.

COME ON YOU IRONS!