West Ham United 2 Blackburn Rovers 0 - Peter White's big match verdict

HARRY Redknapp's pre-match prediction had rather a hollow ring about it after Blackburn Rovers had slipped back into the Premiership's bottom three, their survival hopes looking as fragile as one of those bubbles in West Ham's anthem.

Happy Harry, revelling in the luxury of a top-six place for his own team, said: "Rovers have one of the best and strongest squads in the Premiership and next season will be serious challengers for honours."

Unfortunately, he did not specify in which division.

And his views were those of an outsider looking in.

For a quick referendum among Rovers fans at Upton Park would have revealed a substantial majority declaring that the only honour their team will be chasing next winter is promotion back to the Premiership.

Despite a courageous second-half fightback that might well have brought them a point on a better day, the evidence was conclusive - Rovers must go back into the transfer market to give themselves a realistic chance of climbing out of trouble.

Redknapp, clearly, does not realise the problems that Brian Kidd inherited when he took over the team rooted to rock bottom in early December.

"Blackburn have a lot of good players. You look at their squad and you wonder what they are doing in the bottom three," he said. "It's some squad, they shouldn't be where they are. You'd think they would be up there challenging."

Fair comment if so many key players were fit and available which they aren't. And if there were not such obvious imbalances in the squad, which there are.

Kidd has been reduced to the role of the Dutch boy with his finger in the dyke. But the squad has sprung so many leaks, he is fast running out of fingers.

With a makeshift midfield failing to stop opponents getting at the back four and also struggling to create chances, Rovers are suffering at both ends of the park - the inevitable recipe for disaster.

At West Ham, he tried to compensate in the key area with quantity, three men packed into the centre of midfield.

But, with natural wingers forced to play such a 'narrow' game, the home team exploited the extra space on the flanks as Redknapp later confessed was their intention.

Rovers are missing key personnel and, with little prospect of Garry Flitcroft or Billy McKinlay returning, the only option is the transfer market.

I cannot see any other answer if they are to stay up.

All hope of any reward on Saturday could have been extinguished by half time.

They were over-run in midfield, the only real attacking threat came from an occcasional piece of flair by Matt Jansen and Steve Lomas was given the freedom of West Ham's right flank.

He must have thought he had a contagious disease as Rovers - for whatever reason - simply refused to get anywhere near him.

It was asking for trouble, even though Lomas, normally a central midfield player, had been asked to fill an unfamiliar wing-back role. So many attacks came down that flank, Callum Davidson must have been dizzy and it is perhaps significant that the pressure eventually told with both goals being set up from the left-hand side of the Rovers defence.

The game actually got off to quite a quiet start, which was to Rovers' advantage.

But John Filan had to produce extraordinary acrobatics to keep the ball out when one defender's clearance rebunded off another in a hectic scramble.

Jason McAteer was trying to get Rovers going and, from his throw, Matt Jansen went close.

But they once again conceded possession too easily in the 27th minute - this time it was Jansen in his own half - and paid for it.

Paolo Di Canio was freed on the West Ham right, chipped the ball to the far post and ex-Rover Ian Pearce towered above everyone to head home via the inside of the post.

Just 10 days earlier, Pearce had been sat among the Rovers fans at Stamford Bridge, watching his two former clubs in action.

This time, he had a much more decisive role to play.

Four minutes later, Rovers were ripped apart by the movement and passing of the Hammers. Lomas, Frank Lampard and Eyal Berkovic were involved to set up an easy sidefooted finish for Di Canio.

It looked as though it might be a rout, despite an immediate reply from Jansen, who shot just wide. And the half-time whistle was a relief, Berkovic missing a great chance moments earlier.

The second half, however, brought a transformation.

Rovers took the game to West Ham, who were content to hit on the break, switched things round with their substitutions to put the emphasis on attack and deserved at least one goal.

Shaka Hislop earned high and genuine praise from his manager for superb saves from Keith Gillespie, Damien Duff and Kevin Davies.

Gillespie was close with another effort but the game's watershed came in the 72nd minute. Duff produced an excellent cross, Ashley Ward did well to meet it at the near post but his glancing header went just wide.

A goal then and Rovers might have claimed a draw but their chance came and went.

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