KC Stadium, Saturday 1500 GMTHULL CITY:
It is more than12 months since Hull managed back-to-back Premier League victories, but a West Ham side who are proving brittle on their travels this season provide the ideal opponents against which to rectify such a damning statistic.
Gianfranco Zola's team arrive as the second of three consecutive home games - the third is against Everton on Wednesday - which will have a significant bearning on the club's hopes of avoiding relegation in the wake of the morale-boosting victory over Stoke.
Manager Phil Brown is confident his charges can build on that come-from-behind win. He said: "There was a lot of negativity going into our last game against Stoke but, all credit to the players, we turned that round into a massive positive.
"As a result, we're going into this game with a better mindset, and the body language of the players has been upbeat so hopefully we'll get more of that on Saturday.
"We've got a couple of home games coming up which if we can get points from will help us go forward in a new frame of mind. The onus is on us to go out and perform, put our best foot forward and go out and get the result."
Not that Brown is taking the visitors lightly despite their struggles this season. He added: "I've watched them three times and on each occasion I've been very imressed, they've been unfortunate a couple of times and we've got to make sure we're on the ball. I'm sure the results will come for West Ham, but hopefully after Saturday."
Strategy: Brown insists he will not make wholesale changes to the side that beat Stoke, but his hand may be forced by the likely absence through injury of Seyi Olofinjana. That is offset by the return from suspension of Geovanni, who goes straight back into the starting line-up to give Hull an even more attacking outlook, with the Brazilian's inclusion likely to see the hosts field a 4-3-1-2 formation.
Brown expects Hull's Republic of Ireland trio of Stephen Hunt, Kevin Kilbane and Paul McShane to show no ill-effects despite their midweek World Cup heartache in Paris. He added: "They've obviously had their disappointments and our thoughts go out to them, but they've got a job to do back here."
Injury Update: Olofinjana is not expected to recover in time to play after suffering a hamstring injury during Nigeria's win over Kenya last weekend, but Brown will give the midfielder every chance to prove his fitness, although the former Stoke player looks more likely to feature against Everton.
Keeper Boaz Myhill is back in the squad after missing two matches with a knee ligament injury, but is unlikely to make the starting line-up. Jimmy Bullard has shown no ill-effects from his long awaited injury-delayed debut against Stoke, and takes his place in central midfield. Brown added: "We're very close to that elusive fully-fit squad." Ian Ashbee remains sidelined with a knee problem.
WEST HAM:
There is no disguising the facts. West Ham are undeniably in trouble and face Hull in a relegation battle, a prospect that seemed unthinkable towards the end of last season when Gianfranco Zola was enjoying an extended honeymoon period in his first managerial position.
Zola has repeatedly claimed his side has deserved better than their results suggest, but the way the failed to break down a poor Everton side in the final game before the international break suggested that belief among the Italian's squad is on the wane and the club is in danger of entering that spiral of decline which can lead to good teams being relegated.
That particular result was hard to take given the improved performances against Arsenal and Sunderland that had brought deserved draws before the exhilarating victory over Aston Villa that led the manager to belief the corner had finally been turned. Recent results therefore underline the need for consistency.
Unfortunately for Zola, the one area where his side has been consistent has been away from home where they have picked up just one point and scored four goals in five away games since their opening day win at Wolves, The Hammers have to make the most of this opportunity to put things right.
"On certain occasions we have been unlucky and in other occasions we didn't do things properly," Zola told his pre-match media briefing. "The players are training well, are confident, it's just a matter of times before we turn things around. Sometimes you do everything correctly and the result doesn't come. Some days you don't play as well as before and you win. It's a very close balance. I am expecting this moment soon, I expect to turn the corner like we did last year."
Strategy: More of the same. Zola has been reasonably pleased with the way his team has performed recently, but the result have reflected it. Now they have a chance to ease their worries near the bottom and Zola is unlikely to opt for a cautious approach. He will believe they have enough flair and mobility to unsettle Hull, so they won't lack ambition.
Injury update: Carlton Cole is set to play after recovering for a slight hamstring strain, but Herita Ilunga and Alessandro Diamante will miss out. Kieron Dyer and James Tomkins have trained this week after lay-offs, but are unlikely to be involved. Luis Boa Morte (knee), Calum Davenport (leg) and Dean Ashton (ankle) are still a long way from first-team returns.
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