West Ham v Aston Villa Saturday at 10 am on Fox Soccer Plus

We're going low-def this weekend (in my house, anyway) for the match that will make or break our season. It'll be on Fox Soccer Plus at 10 am, with stomach-churning live coverage. I, uh, can't wait. Or maybe I can. In any case, it's going to happen.

Beat Villa, and we live to fight another day. Draw, and we're likely looking at opening against Scunthorpe or Doncaster (or Millwall...?) next season. Lose, and it's lights out and a trip straight to the npower (whatever that is) Championship. Overly dramatic? Maybe, but Villa can bury is with a win on Saturday, and Blackpool--our most serious survival opponent at this point--have a fairly weak run-in with Wigan at home this weekend and something like for of their last six games on the seacoast. (That's where Blackpool is, the seacoast.)

Oh, and we'll be doing it all tomorrow without Scott Parker, who, according to my new Android West Ham phone app (provided by FootyFocus--look for it), has an Achilles problem and won't be playing. That's right. Relegation six-pointer, do or die...and no Scott Parker. I don't even have words here. I also have no words for Bolton. Three goals conceded and not even a card to show for our troubles? Did we even send a squad, or did Bolton play XI-on-zero, still keeping 10 men behind the ball and only attacking on the counter (hence the paltry three goals)? It wasn't on TV, so I'm not sure...

Gird your loins, Irons fans. Tomorrow, the entire future of our club hangs in the balance, and our field general will be watching from the Recaro seats. Other than that, it should be an enjoyable Saturday of football...

COYI