West Ham Inside The Hadron Collider At Hull

This is it, the big one, in my view the biggest game since the match at Old Trafford that secured our survival in the Great Escape. Indeed, it could be argued that this match is more important because, if we lose, we will go down; and then the whole Tevez debacle would have been for nothing. All that money, all that heartache, all Duxbury's sexual favours (I did not have sexual relations with that solicitor!), just to delay relegation!

Is it really that big, some will ask. Yes, yes and yes again. If we lose there will be no way back, no escape (great or otherwise) just a sad, protracted and inevitable slide towards the Fizzy Pop. If we win, and follow up with a victory over Burnley next week, then we will survive and live to fight another day, providing C&B Holdings don't cash in all our chips in January.

I just hope Zola understands how important this game is and sends his players out understanding that defeat is not an option. In fact, a draw isn't any good to us either, it will just keep Hull deep in the mire with us. They will go down anyway, it is the three points and the psychological lift that are crucial. If we lose, the players will stare into the pit and know that God has abandoned them. If we win, there will be hope, belief, conviction that we can escape.

The omens are not good with Diamanti ruled out by injury and Ilunga struggling. But there can be no excuses today, defeat is not an option, Hull must not be allowed to out-fight us, we need OUR team to roll up their sleeves and go hell for leather for victory!