SAM Allardyce believes that both he and West Ham boss Glenn Roeder are playing for their managerial lives in the Premiership basement clash writes Richard Mulligan

On offer are vital points that could lift Wanderers out of the bottom three - but could also condemn them to the foot of the table.

Looking ahead a few weeks, however, there is also the possibility that their points tally and league position could have a major bearing upon the players they will be able to attract during the January transfer window.

Wanderers could, in effect, be battling with clubs such as the Hammers for the signature of top players from across the continent, and to bring in the best will have to show they are a club with promise.

Allardyce said: "In many ways your job depends on who you can buy. I'm sure that Glenn looks at his situation and feels the same as me as he may not be able to strengthen his squad as he would have liked.

"At the moment I have players in my mind but it is a question of whether they still want to come because of the position we are in.

"Three or four weeks ago it was not looking too bad, but now players will look at the table and wonder if they really want to struggle at the bottom of the Premiership.

"They will wonder if a move here would enhance their career or harm it. It was not a problem last year because we were not in the bottom three.

"Players are wary of a move to the bottom unless they have completely bombed at their current club. We have taken advantage of that in the past but then you have fitness worries if they are not match fit."

While Allardyce sweats on the players that he will be able to pick up next month, his opposite number seems to have the kind of squad that most bosses in the Premiership would relish.

With England stars David James, Trevor Sinclair, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick at his disposal, as well as foreign aces such as Paolo Di Canio and Freddie Kanoute, West Ham were expected to build on the seventh position they achieved last season.

But Roeder's side have a particularly difficult afternoon in store as they face a Wanderers side smarting from defeat against Leeds, and on top of that, they have yet to win a game at Upton Park this season.

Allardyce said: "West Ham are worse off than us at the moment. We feel pressure upon ourselves, but what do they feel?

"We are expected to be in this position - maybe not as much as Birmingham and West Brom were at the start of the season - but nobody thought West Ham would do so badly after what they achieved last season."

Allardyce is boosted by an almost full squad for the Upton Park trip, although fractured leg victim Bernard Mendy is still missing, as is Ricardo Gardner. Paul Warhurst attempted to train during the week after his hamstring injury but will not make a return, while Akin Bulent is still suspended. Scottish teenager Derek Niven could be called up to the squad as cover in midfield.

One player returning to the fold is Kevin Nolan, and Allardyce is hoping the midfielder can continue where he left off against Blackburn, when he came on as a substitute for Warhurst.

He said: "It is good that Kevin is back. His appearance as a substitute against Blackburn gave us a glimpse of the Kevin Nolan that we would have liked to have seen more of this season.

"I think our spasmodic results have resulted in performances by players such as Kevin that have lacked consistency.

"It has varied from player to player. Some have been below average and we need about nine players to perform well above average to get results at this level.

"That kind of inconsistency has been the reason we have not picked up as many points as we should have done."