Pearce walks suspension tightrope

Stuart Pearce's season will be effectively over if the West Ham defender is booked in tomorrow's Premiership clash at Aston Villa.

Pearce, 39 this month, plays his last match tomorrow at Villa Park before beginning a three-match ban following his red card against Everton.

Initially, Pearce believed he had been dismissed for two yellow cards but club secretary Peter Barnes confirmed that the former England defender's dismissal against Everton last Saturday was a straight red. He will miss the matches against Derby, Newcastle and Leeds before returning for the final three matches of of the season.

However, manager Harry Redknapp said today: "Stuart is only one booking away from another two-match ban so a yellow card against Villa will mean his season is effectively finished."

Pearce's imminent suspension is more bad news for Redknapp, whose side have won just one of their last 11 matches and have failed to score in their last four Premiership games.

Redknapp has promised to tighten things up for tomorrow's trip to the Midlands and could recall John Moncur but the West Ham manager said today: "I can't make too many changes, if any at all. Ideally youngsters like Joe Cole and Michael Carrick deserve a rest but, without injured players like Trevor Sinclair and Steve Lomas, I don't have too many other options.

"It's true we have been going through a difficult time recently but people sometimes expect too much. They see three of our players in the England squad and expect us to be up there.

"It's not as simple as that. Joe and

Michael will develop into two of the very best players in English football but they are still young and in their first full season. All young players, no matter how good, level off after a time. Even Frank Lampard is still only 21 and still learning the game.

"I'm not making excuses but, in the matches against Arsenal and Chelsea, we didn't have a team. We played badly against Ipswich and then, in last weekend's game against Everton, we conceded a penalty and were reduced to 10 men just before half-time when Stuart was sent off. Not many sides would have come back from that.

"I know we need a couple of top-class players during the summer and I will be working hard to bring them in. We are going through a dodgy patch at the moment but we will come back stronger than ever, mark my words."

Redknapp will, however, change his playing system tomorrow, as well as his line-up since new signing, Australian central defender Hayden Foxe, misses three matches while away on international duty.