West Ham boss Alan Pardew will turn to his young guns in tonight's Carling Cup tie - but insists he is taking the competition seriously.
And he won't be underestimating the challenge posed by Southend, even though the Blues lie close to the foot of League Two and have yet to win this season.
Injuries will force Pardew to look at the likes of Saturday's debutant Trent McLenahan, and fellow teenagers Anton Ferdinand, Mark Noble and Chris Cohen as he pieces together a squad for the match.
"They will all have to raise their game on the night," he said. "Iwon't be able to put out a full strength squad so I will be relying on my youngsters much more to get a result.
"The young players that are coming through have not reached their potential level yet, but with each game and experience they encounter, I believe they can do this."
Published Tuesday August 24, 2004
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