There’s no doubt Lee Bowyer’s got more than enough quality to represent England again and I’m sure he’s going to. It’s a shame that people don’t pick up on his qualities other than the aggressive side to his play that everyone seems to see. I wish people would recognise his ability with the ball and his running off it.”I think Di Canio will link up very well with him, because he’ll get his head up and see Bowyer’s runs – and the ball will arrive at his feet. I’m really looking forward to seeing them work together on the pitch. We’re all getting to know Lee more and more each day and in training he’s very low maintenance – whatever you ask him to do, he does it flat out to the best of his ability. He’s a very unfazed person.”So is Roeder, normally, though the one topic he quickly declared off limits was any further discussion of Bowyer’s potentially divisive impact on supporters, community and the West Ham family: “I’m not taking any questions on that That was all last week.

This week we’re on football only and will be for the rest of the season.”Whether Bowyer – and, indeed, Di Canio – stay at Upton Park beyond that time remains to be seen. For now, minds need to be concentrated on Highbury, a venue that has been a West Ham graveyard for seven successive seasons, in which time they have managed one solitary goal. Roeder, however, refuses to be dismayed by history, even if, as a great student of videos, he may have been frightened by what he has seen from the red shirts on his VCR these past few days: “There have never been two games exactly the same The next game’s always the next opportunity. But lots of adjectives have been used about Arsenal’s performance against Birmingham and I’d probably say ‘awesome’.”Henry stood out that day and Roeder has been warning his defence all week about the Frenchman’s runs across them or in behind them from out wide. “Our two central defenders will have long periods of not actually playing up against anybody. If Bergkamp plays, he’ll drop deep and Thierry will make his runs He becomes very elusive like that. You could argue he’s the best striker in the world.”Forewarned or forearmed, Henry against the Hammers still looks like an unfair contest.

Best prepare for more burst bubbles, and hope for something better at The Valley on Wednesday.. Leicester seemed to be closing in confidently on Ports-mouth at the top of the First Division until they paid their first ever visit to Priestfield Stadium yesterday. In spite of a spirited revival after going two behind, they succumbed to a Gillingham side who have now gone eight games unbeaten and face Leeds in the FA Cup next weekend much heartened. In Gillingham’s case they began without Marlon King, who has a knee injury expected to cost him two months’ service, while Leicester’s James Scowcroft was absent with a stomach injury.Deane had to abandon the game after only three minutes, to be replaced by Tom Wright.

Even so, with a 19-point gap between themselves and the visitors, Gillingham still knew they had a job on their hands.It was hard work for both sides. Where there were opportunities to break an untidy deadlock, generally they came not from any studious invention but hopeful shooting.Not unexpectedly it was a 25-yard drive which, eventually and deservedly, in view of their domination of attacks, took Gillingham ahead. Leicester had half-heartedly cleared their lines when Paul Shaw intercepted and successfully sent in a rising shot.Leicester, having gone behind, failed to generate any serious intent and in first-half injury time found themselves two goals down. Their defence had been slovenly in conceding the first goal and later Ian Walker was unable to rectify the problems, failing to reach a ball hooked over his head by Mamady Sidibe. It looped under the bar and Matt Elliott could only help it into the throat of the goal.