Blackburn Rovers v West Ham United - Murray Walker's big match preview

NOT many people had heard about Nils-Eric Johansson before he signed for Blackburn Rovers last week - and Glenn Roeder was one of them.

But the West Ham boss was quick to do his homework on the big Swedish 21-year-old defender who joined from Nuremberg.

"I had scouts at the Middlesbrough Worthington Cup tie and they came back saying they were very impressed with him.

"He wasn't a name I had heard of before and Graeme Souness seems to have unearthed a very good player by all accounts.

"The £2m they paid for him is relatively cheap nowadays, so it looks like a good deal."

Johansson was impressive in the 2-1 win over Middlesbrough and stands a good chance of making his full Premiership debut in tomorrow's clash but one doubt for Rovers is going to be Damien Duff - and, without being churlish, Roeder is relieved that Duff is a doubt.

"I'm a big fan of Duff," said the former Burnley assistant boss. "He's an exciting player that gives Rovers that extra dimension."

Roeder has been impressed with Rovers this season and feels, like his own West Ham, they haven't reaped the rewards their endeavour has promised.

"I watched the game against Aston Villa and thought Blackburn were very unlucky to lose.

"We have had similar games when we could have picked up more points. We could have won the goalless draws at home to Leeds and away at Derby.

"You often need a little bit of luck. Maybe we'll get ours tomorrow.

"One thing that hasn't helped us is that we have played four of our six games away from home and tomorrow will make it five out of seven.

"But we have been a bit Jeckyll and Hyde - beating Newcastle 3-0 and then going to Everton and losing heavily."

Referring to that 5-0 mauling at the hands of Everton, who the previous week had been beaten 1-0 at Ewood, Roeder said: "I've been disappointed with out defence and, obviously, when I've got all the players back from international duty, it's one of the things I've been working on.

"If I had been one of our supporters making the long journey home from Goodison I would have been very upset, and they have every right to be, because the defending was abysmal.

"You have to put your hands in the air when you haven't performed; you have to take it on the shin and get on with life.

"I've heard it said that was a typical West Ham away performance, but that is just not acceptable, and I can't live with that.

"If we have got the tag of being a soft touch away from home I need to bring in some more players because we need to change that label.

"It is hard, but it is not impossible, and it will not be achieved overnight.

"But I am aware of that label over the years; West Ham have been famous for some great victories at home and some very poor performances away from home and you can go back probably 20 or 30 years.

"We have taken only one point from our four away games and the performances at Everton and Middlesbrough are just not acceptable for this club.

"We have to be mentally tougher and physically tougher to grind out a result at Blackburn tomorrow before our next two home games."

Roeder, apart from long-term injuries, has virtually a full squad to pick from tomorrow with only a doubt over England young gun Joe Cole.

"Joe's touch and go," said Roeder. "He's fit, but it's just a case of whether he's ready."

Former Manchester City skipper Steve Lomas returned for the reserves in midweek but is unlikely to figure, while former Rovers defender Ian Pearce and goalkeeper David James are both out until December.

However, one man likely to play against Rovers is wantaway winger Trevor Sinclair, who handed in a transfer request last week.

"He is in the squad and will probably start," said Roeder. "I don't really see it as a problem."

Czech Republic international Tomas Repka returns from suspension to boost the defence.

West Ham (from): Hislop, Schemmel, Winterburn, Dailly, Repka, Carrick, Hutchison, Sinclair, Di Canio, Kanoute, Courtois, Soma, Foxe, Song, Moncur, Kitson, Todorov, Potts, Defoe, Bywater, Cole.