LEE BOWYER might have been facing boyhood idols West Ham today - not making his debut for them - if Sir Bobby Robson's plans had panned out the way the Newcastle boss had hoped.

It has emerged that the Magpies were indeed among the posse of clubs who chased England midfielder Bowyer before he agreed a £500,000 move from Leeds to Upton Park this week.

Sunderland revealed that manager Howard Wilkinson, who signed Bowyer for Leeds as a teenager, held talks with his former charge after the Wearsiders agreed a knock-down deal with the Elland Road club.

When asked if he had been similarly keen, Robson's reticence betrayed the interest he had harboured in the country's most controversial player.

The Magpies' manager would only say: "Lee Bowyer, as a player, is wonderful. He's gone there to try to get West Ham out of trouble.''

Hammers boss Glenn Roeder, the former Newcastle skipper, is hoping Bowyer will inspire a Houdini act in East London.

Roeder's side, rock bottom in the Premiership, are without a home League win this season.

But buoyed by the capture of lifelong fan Bowyer, and a 3-2 FA Cup third-round victory on their own patch against Nottingham Forest a week ago, the Hammers sense a change in fortune as they prepare to host a Newcastle side anxious to make amends for their calamitous exit from the competition at Wolves.

Robson, furious with his side after their miserable Molineux efforts, insists he will resist the temptation to "rip up'' his team for the Hammers clash.

His hand is partly forced by the absence through suspension of skipper Alan Shearer, who was yesterday named Premiership Player of the Month for December after hitting five goals in six games, and loss of centre-back Andy O'Brien with a back injury.

On the plus side, Robson is hopeful that midfielder Kieron Dyer will return from a two-game calf injury lay-off.

It seems likely Robson will leave out one of his wingers, Laurent Robert or Nolberto Solano, who were notable under-achievers against Wolves.

Robson said: "I know what I have to do. I'll not rip it up, not completely. Shearer and O'Brien are out and Dyer might return.

"It's an opportunity for the players to fight back and give the fans something they deserve. They've had criticism, which they deserve and I deserve, because I'm with them. I'm part of it - we win together and lose together.

"We've been angry with the players and I think they've been embarrassed by it all. It's a chance for them to bounce back.

"My opinion is we have to defend better, not attack less.

"West Ham haven't won a League match at Upton Park this season so they have an ambition, but so do we.

"While we talk about how dismal our result was at Wolverhampton, we must never forget where we are in the League.

"Three years ago, this club was heading towards the First Division. How many clubs would like to be where we are now?

"Wolverhampton was a disaster; we're sick about it and we're spitting blood, but we have to look forward.

"If I said to Glenn Roeder: 'Let's swap positions. You be fourth and I'll be bottom of the League and in the next round of the FA Cup. He would laugh at me.''

Robson knows his side will feel the loss of Shearer acutely. "He deserves his award - he's hit some stunning goals,'' said Robson.

But he is calling on stand-in Shola Ameobi to summon up the spirit of Barcelona, where the England Under-21 international deputised for the banned Shearer and scored in Newcastle's 3-1 Champions League defeat.

Robson said: "I told Shola on Monday: 'You have all week to prepare, build up your confidence and your fitness. All you have to do is play like you did in Barcelona and we'll miss Alan a lot less.

"I like Shola. He's only 21 and I think he's going to be a fantastic player.''

Robson also includes jinxed striker Carl Cort in his squad. Cort's propensity to break down with injuries has restricted him to only 24 starts in the two-and-a-half years since his £7m arrival from Wimbledon.

But Robson, who recently rejected a loan approach for Cort from Wolves, said: "After all the injuries he's had, Cort is looking like a player again. He needs games badly. We've had people asking for him on loan, but we won't do that yet.''

Centre-back Titus Bramble, still short of match fitness after over two months out with hamstring trouble, took part in a full-scale practice game yesterday. Robson said: "Titus is fit - he just needs games now.''

Meanwhile, midfielder Hugo Viana, who underwent surgery in his native Portugal for a dislocated shoulder, returns to Tyneside on Monday to give Robson a progress report.

"We're having him here for three or four days, but we'll probably send him back to Portugal after that because he can't train yet,'' said Robson

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