Daily WHUFC News - 21st October 2012

Big Sam hails second-half show
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was delighted with his side's four-goal second half output in
their victory over Southampton
20.10.2012

Sam Allardyce was happy to see his West Ham United side recover from a poor
first-half display to score a sensational 4-1 Barclays Premier League
victory over Southampton. The Hammers were second-best to the Saints for
much of the opening 45 minutes at the Boleyn Ground, but two goals in the
opening three minutes of the second period completely changed the complexion
of the game. Mark Noble's free-kick squirmed in before Kevin Nolan converted
Yossi Benayoun's low cross to put West Ham in charge. Although Adam Lallana
pulled a goal back for Nigel Adkins' men with a rasping half-volley, Big
Sam's men regained the composure and control of proceedings through Noble's
penalty and a sensational individual effort from substitute Modibo Maiga.
Speaking to West Ham TV, Big Sam admitted his players had been far from
their best before half-time, but praised their collective ability and
determination to turn things in their favour after the interval. "Like
everybody else, I was dumbfounded by the first half and our lacklustre
performance," said the manager. "The only good thing we did was to not allow
Southampton any real chances even though we weren't playing to our best. We
didn't score a goal that would have made things easier for us and it was
hugely difficult for us before half-time. "At half-time, without me telling
them, the lads knew they were under par and I just said 'You've got to do
the right things better and your work-rate, energy and tempo have got to be
lifted by 15 or 20 per cent - not just five per cent. I told them that once
that tempo was lifted and we put pressure on the opposition, they are a
struggling side near bottom of the league with not a lot of confidence and
they will make mistakes, which they did. "The second goal, in particular,
their left-back has been caught in possession by Yossi and he has made a
brilliant ball for Kevin to score. That was the thing we were looking for
and we got that right from the start of the second half. In the space of
just a few minutes we were two-nil up because our attitude and desire to get
forward and on the front foot and stop the opposition from doing what they
wanted to do. "They made a lot of mistakes and we went on to win comfortably
four-one in the second half and, for me, it was great to see that fourth
goal - not only for the quality of it but for Modibo, who has been patiently
sat in the wings since he arrived in this country from Sochaux. That goal
will do him the absolute world of good because it was his first goal in the
Premier League. He has scored in the Capital One Cup and he has scored while
he has been away on international duty and scored again today, so he's made
a big impact and that's a great for us, especially with the injury list we
have got at the moment."

The opening goal saw Noble's free-kick bounce past James Collins and a host
of other bodies before bouncing into the top corner past a wrong-footed
Artur Boruc. While some untrained eyes may claim the strike was fortunate,
the manager said it was down to good planning. "We always play those
free-kicks and tell them that what we want them to do is to hit the target.
If you deliver the ball with enough quality, the goalkeeper has to stay
static until there is a touch. If there is not a touch, then he has to try
to dive and save it, but by that time it is often too late. The attacking
and defending players are running in and normally by the time the ball gets
to them then they are only six yards out. "If we get a touch we might score,
they might get a touch and score or if nobody gets a touch then the 'keeper
has to try to save it. He cannot make the move until it has gone over all
the players and by that time it has bounced past him. It's a little bit
lucky, but the accuracy of the ball is what creates the goal. To score
almost immediately after that was brilliant. "We got a really good
performance in the last 45 minutes and any win is fabulous, but to score
four goals in the second half after the way we played in the first was a
brilliant response from all of the players."

Big Sam was impressed by the impact made by his fringe players, with the
likes of Benayoun, James Tomkins and Maiga showing that they can contribute
positively when called upon. "They did well. James has been chomping at the
bit and has been really frustrated and, because of his lack of matches, has
had cramp catch up with him at the end. It's not that serious. We're on our
bare bones defensively with no Guy Demel, Matt Taylor or Joey O'Brien. The
back four had to stay solid with James playing out of position and they've
done it and produced a brilliant result. "The football in the second half
was what we wanted to see, coupled with the result, so hopefully everyone
will wake up tomorrow and forget about the first half and just remember the
second half and the win."

The result served as a perfect birthday present for the manager, who turned
58 on Friday - although he jokingly admitted the number is no longer
important!
"I like them to fly under the radar at my age! I actually had a great night
with my very good friend Mike Garstang at the solicitors charity do at the
Grosvenor House Hotel, so I celebrated it there with him. This was a bigger
present for me - the lads winning and getting a four-one victory.
"Fourteen points from eight games is top-drawer."

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West Ham 4 Southampton 1
20 October 2012
Last updated at 18:24
By Nabil Hassan
BBC Sport at Upton Park

West Ham earned their fourth victory of the season after a Mark Noble brace
and goals for Modibo Maiga and Kevin Nolan sealed all three points.
Southampton hit a consolation strike through Adam Lallana but West Ham's
powerful second-half display proved too much for Nigel Adkins' side. Noble
opened the scoring with a fortuitous free kick while Nolan tapped home at
the back post before Lallana made it 2-1 with a delightful turn and shot.
But Noble sealed victory from the penalty spot before Maiga scored a
wonderful solo goal to compound Southampton's misery. Victory consolidated
West Ham's position in the top half of the table while Saints remain a point
outside the bottom three on four points. The game was evenly poised at 0-0
at the break but Southampton's early season demons continue to haunt them
with yet more poor defending denying them any chance of getting something
from this game. Adkins cut a forlorn figure in the post match press
conference, bemoaning his side's defending, and he will know that something
will need to change at the back or his side will quickly turn into
relegation fodder. They have now conceded 24 goals this season - a return
that is quite simply not good enough. The corresponding fixture last season
saw Saints earn a valuable draw that helped kick start their stuttering
promotion challenge.

Slow starters
Southampton have trailed in all eight Premier League games at some point,
the only team to be behind in all of their league games. The Hammers had to
rely on the lottery of the play-offs to go up but despite missing out to
Saints and Reading on those automatic places, it is Sam Allardyce's
experienced West Ham side who have made the better start to the new Premier
league campaign. With 14 points already, the Hammers have a healthy return
from their opening eight games. And while it is too early to judge,
Saturday's game was further evidence that Southampton are yet to settle into
Premier League life. Saints took the decision to drop star striker Rickie
Lambert prior to the game but the visiting side made a bright start without
creating a clear opening. The first real chance fell the Hammers way with
Jos Hooiveld heading James Tomkins' looping header from 12 yards off the
line. Collins later went close with a header but by in large this was a poor
first half played in front of a turgid atmosphere with the moans and groans
of the Upton Park faithful growing louder as the half wore on.
Sam Allardyce also cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines chewing gum with
more urgency and intensity then his lack-lustre side, while for Adkins it
was a case of job done as the teams went into the half-time break level. But
it took just 58 seconds for the Hammers to buck up their ideas and typically
it came from poor Southampton defending with no-one dealing with Noble's
inswinging 35-yard free kick that eventually bounced in at the back post. It
was the 21st goal Saints had conceded this season, a symptom of their
early-season troubles and just a minute later there was worse to come for
Adkins side.

Benayoun showed more desire to get to the ball than Maya Yoshida and his
cross to the back post was tapped into the empty net by Nolan. With Upton
Park lifted and the supporters buoyed, Southampton's confidence evaporated
as the away fans called for their talisman to be introduced - Lambert. But
it was the man that was playing up front in his place - Jay Rodriguez - who
helped get Saints back in the game, showing quick feet to turn inside
Collins before releasing Lallana. With his back to goal the midfielder
swivelled delightfully before powering a shot into the roof of the net.
Lambert was then introduced and he went desperately close with a free kick
from 20 yards. But the Hammers soon restored their two-goal advantage with
another Noble free kick causing Saints problems and Fonte was penalised for
handball after coming under pressure from Andy Carroll. Noble powered in the
spot kick to a collective sigh of relief and Carroll continued to cause
Hooiveld problems at the back before he was replaced to a standing ovation.
The on-loan Liverpool striker is quickly on his way to becoming a cult hero
at Upton Park. West Ham pressed for a fourth and it came late on through
Maiga who sealed the rout with a wonderful solo goal that embarrassed three
Southampton defenders.

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West Ham Utd 4 Southampton 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham recorded their biggest win of the season against a lacklustre
Southampton at the Boleyn this afternoon - despite producing one of their
least impressive performances of the campaign thus far. Having looked mostly
inept in the opening 45 minutes, Sam Allardyce's side swept aside their
opponents with a four-goal, second half blitz. And key to the turnaround
was two-goal hero Mark Noble, who scored from a free kick and from the
penalty spot as the Hammers rose to joint fourth in the table courtesy of
their fourth Premier League win of the season. The travelling Southampton
contingent sang "we're Southampton, we play on the floor" as the away side
spent most of the first half passing the ball to each other inside their own
half. But for as poor as West Ham were ahead of the break, the Saints were
equally ineffective where it mattered and produced very little to threaten
Jussi Jaaskelainen's goal. However the second half was a completely
different story as United blitzed their opponents - with the first of their
four goals coming just 57 seconds after the restart. Although referee Neil
Swarbrick had a disappointing afternoon on the whole, he should be given
credit for pulling back play for a free kick after Andy Carroll had been
fouled 30 yards from goal and the advantage came to nothing. Mark Noble's
free kick towards the far post somehow evaded everyone inside the penalty
box and, as so often happens, found its way into the corner of the net after
Saints 'keeper Artur Boruc left it too late to attempt to push the ball
wide.

The Hammers had barely finished celebrating that goal before they found
thmselves two goals ahead. Yossi Benayoun, who was making his first start
since returning to the club made his way into the penalty box before
delivering an inch-perfect pass to Kevin Nolan at the far post, leaving the
captain the easiest of chances to make it 2-0.

The next quarter-of-an-hour saw West Ham revert to the containing style that
had so frustrated the home fans in the opening 45 minutes - and it was
therefore no surprise when the visitors pulled one back on 63 minutes with
an emphatic finish from Adam Lallana from close range.

But the two-goal advantage was restored just nine minutes later when West
Ham were awarded a spot kick following a Jose Fonte hand ball - and Noble
converted from 12 yards with some aplomb.

Ironically perhaps the last penalty West Ham were awarded at the Boleyn was
in the corresponding fixture last year when Matt Taylor - who was watching
from the stands today having been ruled out late on - was sent off just
yards from where Fonte hand-balled today; some justice, some might say.

Thethree points were finally sealed with just three minutes of normal time
remaining with the pick of the five second-half goals. Modibo Maiga, on as
an 82nd minute replacement for Andy Carroll weaved his way into the penalty
area before picking his spot with a wonderful curling effort.

The win leaves West Ham level on points with fourth-placed Everton and ten
points clear of today's opponents and the relegation zone - and looking
forward to a trip to Wigan next weekend, where they will face a Latics side
yet to win at home during the current campaign.


West Ham Utd 4 Southampton 1: match facts

West Ham Utd: Jaaskelainen, Tomkins (Spence 88), Reid, Collins, McCartney,
Noble, Nolan, Diame (O'Neil 68), Benayoun, Jarvis, Carroll (Maiga 82).
Subs not used: Spiegel, Chambers, Cole, Hall.
Goals: Noble (46, 72-pen), Nolan (48), Maiga (87).
Booked: None.
Shots on/off target: 9 - 8/1.
Possession: 47%.

Southampton: Boruc, Clyne, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Fonte, Schneiderlin, Davis,
Lallana, Puncheon, Do Prado, Rodriguez.
Subs not used: Davis, Seaborne, Mayuka, Reeves, Ward-Prowse, Chaplow,
Lambert.
Goals: Lallana (63).
Booked: Hooiveld (77), Schneiderlin (81).
Shots on/off target: 11 - 4/7.
Possession: 53%.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (6).
Attendance: 34,925.
KUMB.com Man of the Match: Yossi Benayoun.

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West Ham score four second half goals to win 4-1 against struggling
Southampton
Last Updated: October 20, 2012 8:10pm
SSN

Southampton's fragile defence was exposed again as Mark Noble scored two
second-half goals in a comfortable 4-1 victory for West Ham. Saints remain
out of the drop zone but pointless on their travels and after conceding
their 24th goal of the season at Upton Park - the worst defensive record in
the Premier League - these are worrying times for the South Coast club.
Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce's men from east London continue to impress in the
top-flight as their fourth win in the current campaign hoisted them up to
seventh. The opening period was a turgid affair, lit up only occasionally by
the lively Matt Jarvis and Andy Carroll for the hosts, but two goals in as
many minutes immediately after the break changed everything. It all started
with a slice of luck for the Hammers when Noble's free-kick deceived
Southampton's static defence with the ball bouncing straight in for the
opener.

Best of the match

Man of the Match: Mark Noble. At the heart of everything good about West
Ham's play and punished Southampton's frailties with two set-piece goals.

Moment of the match: Fonte's clumsy handball gave West Ham a penalty chance
that relaxed all the pressure that Southampton had built up after Lallana's
goal.

Goal of the match: Maiga's first league goal was one to remember, showing a
touch of artistry after muscling his way through three yellow shirted
defenders.

Talking point: Nigel Adkins' side continue to ship goals despite changing
the back four and the goalkeeper. They looked comfortable before the break,
but all the hard work was undone in a flash after the break when the defence
went to sleep on two occasions. Within 93 seconds the lead was doubled and
it was thanks to the influential Yossi Benayoun, whose shot was parried by
keeper Artur Boruc, leaving Kevin Nolan to tap in.

Adam Lallana's sizzling half-volley lifted the hopes for the visitors, but
an act of madness by Jose Fonte handed West Ham a reprieve to restore their
two-goal advantage. The defender tugged at Carroll's pony tail when the ball
was floated into the box and Noble stepped up to slam in the penalty and
settle any West Ham nerves.

There was still time for Southampton's beleaguered defenders to fold again
as they allowed Modiba Maiga to stroll through and curl in a fabulous
fourth.
West Ham looked the brighter side early on but Southampton earned the game's
first corner with Jay Rodriguez inches away from directing home Jason
Puncheon's loss cross. It was one of several threatening moments by the
visitors for whom goalkeeper Boruc was looking shaky. The former Celtic man
became the third different goalkeeper to start for Saints this season and
had Carroll to thank for not making the most of an awful clearance early on.

The home side were struggling to create any clear-cut chances, though, as
Southampton went into half-time without conceding for the first time since
their return to the Premier League. However, the Saints defence was breached
less than a minute into the second half. Collins could not quite get a toe
on Noble's floated 40-yard free-kick, but it bounced in the six-yard box and
flew past Boruc. The opener was followed moments later by West Ham's second
after a poor Do Prado pass was not dealt with by Yoshida. Benayoun won the
ball from the Japan international and his low cross was met at the back post
by Nolan, who tapped home from close range. Only the fine reactions of Boruc
prevented the Hammers captain making it three in the 61st minute as he
ghosted in and directed a quickly-taken free-kick goalwards. The save proved
invaluable as Saints reduced the deficit two minutes later when Lallana
turned beautifully to strike past Jaaskelainen from close range.

The goal came thanks to the hard work - and wayward shot - of Rodriguez, who
was replaced by Rickie Lambert immediately afterwards. Saints' top scorer
was surprisingly left out of the starting line-up and came on at the same
time as Emmanuel Mayuka, although it was the former that made an immediate
impact. First the 30-year-old saw a 20-yard free-kick just go over, before
heading a Nathaniel Clyne cross wide. Southampton were threatening to
quieten the home support but undid all their good work when Fonte handled as
he challenged Carroll. Noble fired home the resulting spot-kick, allowing
the Hammers to coast from the 72nd minute onwards.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce praises West Ham's win over Southampton
Last Updated: October 20, 2012 7:47pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce was full of praise for the second-half display that saw West
Ham sweep to a 4-1 win over Southampton. A below-par display in the first
half was quickly forgotten when Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan scored with a
couple of minutes of the restart. Adam Lallana narrowed the gap with a fine
goal after 63 minutes, but a second for Noble from the penalty spot and the
goal of the game from substitute Modibo Maiga late on eased the home side to
all three points.
"We were a little lacklustre in the first half," said the West Ham boss. "We
could not find the right tempo, we could not pass well enough or create
enough chances. "Southampton did not have any real chances, and we had to
point out to the players just how important this game was and what they
needed to do to get to the form we know they are capable of. "The first goal
settled us down, then we were off and running, and I thought the second half
was a tremendous performance with some tremendous goals. "A 4-1 win at home
never looked on at half-time, but credit to the players and the way they
picked themselves up. There was some fantastic finishing and a 4-1 win for a
team like ours that has just been promoted is a brilliant three points for
us. "We are 10 points ahead of Southampton at that bottom end, and we are
always looking at that because we have just been promoted."

Andy Carroll is still seeking his first goal for West Ham since his loan
move from Liverpool, but Allardyce was keen to praise the striker's
all-round contribution.
He said: "He is a nuisance to defenders, to try to win the ball, to try to
play the ball out. While he did not get a real chance today, his hold-up
play allowed us to start to spring off and get into the game more. "It was
great for Yossi Benayoun to get out onto the pitch as well, and at the
crucial time he has shown top quality with a beautiful ball to the far post
for Nolan to touch in. A lot of our players would have tried to shoot, but
he picked out Kevin brilliantly."

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Match Report: West Ham 4 Southampton 1
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

You won't believe this, but I nearly left at half time. I wasn't feeling
great. The second half rather cheered me up, needless to say. Let's face it,
although there were virtually no chances on either side, Southampton had
much the better of the first half, both in possession and creativity. I have
to admit I feared the worst. But it's a funny old game and the second half
saw a bit of a change around. Perhaps Allardyce put something in their
caffeine at half time. If he did change anything around I'm not sure what it
was. But it worked.

Again, the key to this game was the midfield. As the game went on, Noble,
Nolan and Benayoun started to rule. Diame had a rare off day. He didn't do
anything particularly bad, but apart from a couple of rampaging runs, he
didn't achieve much positively. But Benayoun was a revelation. He didn't
just look dangerous on the right, he was tackling like a dervish and had
Noble not scored a brace, Benayoun would have been my man of the match.
Noble's tackling and passing were great today and for once, his corners
looked dangerous.

Defensively we rarely looked in any great danger. James Tomkins slotted in
very well at right back and Winston Reid was immense again, despite having
travelled 26,000 with a bad back. James Collins, apart from one misplaced
back pass looked solid and McCartney scored his usual 6 out of 10. There was
a moment at the end when Jussi and Winston Reid had a misunderstanding,
which might have resulted in disaster, but apart from the goal, Southampton
rarely threatened. Quite why they didn't start with Rickie Lambert, Lord
alone knows.

Once again, Andy Carroll put in a fantastic effort. Southampton didn't know
how to play him. I really hoped he would grab a goal, and he did have a
couple of half chances, but his contribution to this performance should not
be underestimated.

To have 14 points on the board after 8 games is a real achievement and bodes
well for the rest of the season. We are 7th in the table - or equal 4th, as
I like to put it. Would any of us seriously predicted that at the beginning
of the season? I doubt it.


Jaaskelainen 7
Reid 8
Collins 7
Tomkins 7
McCartney 6
Benayoun 8
Jarvis 7
Carroll 8
Diame 6
Noble 8
Nolan 7
Maiga 7
O'Neil 5

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West Ham 4 Southampton 1
By ANDREW DILLON
Last Updated: 21st October 2012
The Sun

SOUTHAMPTON watched Only Fools And Horses on the coach to Upton Park but
West Ham went home feeling Luvvly Bubbly. A bizarre goal from Mark Noble, a
calamitous handball by Jose Fonte and disastrous defending condemned Saints'
plonkers to more road misery. Not even a heavy dose of Del Boy could have
cheered boss Nigel Adkins after his team collapsed in the second half. West
Ham were fired up by a half-time coating from boss Sam Allardyce. It was
their biggest win since returning to the Premier League and the perfect
insurance for a tough run of games through to mid-December. Manchester City,
Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool lie in wait after Wigan
away next Saturday and Big Sam is relieved to have the points on board.

He said: "I'm surprised we won 4-1 if you look at what we did in the first
half. The players took a bit of criticism at half-time because we were
struggling.
"I told them Southampton score goals but they also concede plenty and if we
put them under sustained pressure they would crack." The lucky break came
West Ham's way just after the restart.Andy Carroll won a free-kick 20 yards
out. Noble lifted the ball into the area and everyone missed it, including
Hammers' advancing defender James Collins. But Collins' arrival did enough
to distract keeper Artur Boruc who watched the ball in dismay as it bounced
in. Boruc's debut took another downward turn straight away when Yossi
Benayoun robbed left-back Maya Yoshida.

Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan, not the fastest thing on two legs, jigged into
the Saints area and was allowed to drift unseen to the back post where he
waited to turn in Benayoun's low cross. Good luck does not tend to accompany
Adkins at the moment - his team pipped West Ham to automatic promotion last
season but the two clubs are enjoying contrasting form. Adam Lallana's
clinical goal on 63 minutes was thanks to Jay Rodriguez holding off Collins
before laying off a great pass. It handed the visitors the initiative and
West Ham started to look wobbly. But Carroll's battering-ram qualities
forced Fonte into a handball from which Noble slammed home a penalty.
Allardyce claimed Southampton were reduced to "fighting and fouling" the big
man. With three minutes left sub Modibo Maiga scored his first Premier
League goal when he took on three Saints defenders and curled a shot round
Boruc. Adkins admitted: "We conceded some poor goals but the killer blow was
the penalty. We have a vision to play passing football but I'm not naive
enough to realise football is a results driven industry."
a.dillon@the-sun.co.uk

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Hammer time! Noble bags a brace as West Ham slaughter sorry Southampton
The Mirror
20 Oct 2012 17:28
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE


Sam Allardyce's half-time rocket fired West Ham to hit the heights and pull
off a devastating victory. Allardyce read the riot act during the interval -
and his players duly answered with a four-goal blitz that handed Southampton
another mauling on their travels. The Hammers boss said: "I'm surprised we
won 4-1 after that first-half performance. We had to take a long, hard look
at ourselves at the interval and I was delighted with the response." West
Ham have adapted to life in the top tier much quicker than Saints, who
admittedly have had the tougher start. The Hammers were quickly out of the
blocks yesterday and though Andy Carroll failed to take advantage of a lazy
pass out by Saints keeper Artur Boruc, the England striker went on to cause
the visitors' back line all sorts of problems. While Saints were mainly
concentrated on Carroll, the Hammers almost took the lead, but James
Tomkins' header was cleared off the line by Jos Hooiveld. Jay Rodriguez's
attempted lob went past a post as Saints showed they were a threat on the
counter, even without the benched Rickie Lambert. Allardyce's words at the
break certainly reignited the fire in the Hammers' belly. Less than two
minutes after the restart Mark Noble's teasing free-kick eluded everyone and
fooled Boruc. Moments later Yossi Benayoun worked his magic down the right,
and Kevin Nolan sneaked in at the far post for a poacher's finish.
But with West Ham threatening to turn the screw, Saints hit back through
Adam Lallana, who spun on Rodriguez's pass and fired into the roof of the
net. Suddenly the game had a different complexion but Carroll and Noble -
the two most impressive players on the pitch - had something to say about
that. Carroll's presence forced Jose Fonte into handling and Noble took full
advantage with a clinical spot-kick. Carroll went off to a standing ovation
after 81 minutes - another valuable contribution under his belt - and was
replaced by Modibo Maiga who wasted no time in dancing through a now dazed
defence to claim number four. Saints have the worst defensive record in the
division, and it's starting to niggle manager Nigel Adkins. He said: "We
defend as a team, just as we attack as a team, and I'm not going to
criticise individuals. It is my responsibility."

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WEST HAM UNITED 4 - SOUTHAMPTON 1: SAINTS ARE LEFT DEFENCELESS BY MARK NOBLE
ARTS
Daily Express
Sunday October 21,2012
By Colin Mafham

SAD Southampton last night stood accused of Premier League suicide - and
they literally had no case for their defence. The 'prosecution' proved
without doubt that woeful neglect at the back killed off any hopes
Southampton might have harboured of stemming a tide of goals. Guilty as
charged was the only verdict - and a better side than West Ham would have
been up for footballing murder. After one of the poorest first halves of the
season, West Ham had three points handed to them on a plate by defenders who
more than justified their label as the worst in the Premier League. They
have leaked 24 goals - three per game - and even manager Nigel Adkins had
difficulty defending them after yesterday's debacle. "We have conceded some
poor goals and there have been far too many Premier League games where we
have not been able to keep the ball out of the net," he conceded.

"Going two down so early in the second half changed the pattern of the
game. When we got back into it we conceded the penalty, but this is a
results-driven business and we have to win games." The sorry Saints
defenders stood like scarecrows as the grateful Hammers plundered two goals
in as many minutes.
All that after 45 minutes of tedium which left Hammers boss Sam Allardyce to
admit: "I'm surprised we won 4-1 after what we did in that first half, but
credit to the professionalism of the players for the way they responded to
the bit of criticism I gave them at half-time. "I told them that if they put
pressure on Southampton's back four they would make mistakes, and they did.
Fourteen points from the first eight games is a massive start for a
newly-promoted club."

It needed that farcical defending to gift West Ham their first two goals.
What the hapless Saints thought they were doing when Mark Noble floated over
a free-kick only they know. It sailed straight past them and into the net.
Same story little more than 60 seconds later, when Maya Yoshida tamely
surrendered a 50-50 ball to Yossi Benayoun, then watched his team-mates
allow the Israeli space to deliver a cross they should have cleared. Somehow
it reached Kevin Nolan at the far post and the rest was easy. Everyone saw
precisely why Southampton have conceded more goals than anyone else in the
Premier League. Nolan should have made it three soon afterwards, when those
dozy defenders went awol again to give him a clear sight of goal, but he
passed that one up. Then that boring first half became an even more distant
memory as West Ham started handing out presents as well. Jay Rodriguez was
granted time and space to find the unmarked Adam Lallana, whose finish was
stunning. But poor Jose Fonte made sure the Hammers didn't have to pay a
price for their generosity with more kamikaze defending. The Portuguese, who
could be accused of having a neglectful hand in West Ham's first two goals,
completed a miserable afternoon when he appeared to punch away a free-kick
by Noble (above), who duly punished him from the penalty spot. But West Ham
saved the best until last - or, to be precise, Modibo Maiga did. Once again
Saints' sinners ran scared and allowed substitute Maiga the space to wrap it
all up by scoring a superb solo goal within five minutes of replacing Andy
Carroll. Where Southampton go after this, goodness only knows. West Ham?
Well, they're sitting quite pretty. As Allardyce said: "Now we can go to
Wigan with some confidence to try to get our first back-to-back wins in the
Premier League."

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Allardyce hails second-half performance as Hammers come good to rout sorry
Saints
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 18:44, 20 October 2012 | UPDATED: 18:44, 20 October 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce praised his side for recovering from a poor
first-half performance to secure a 'brilliant' 4-1 victory against fellow
Premier League new boys Southampton. After a dour opening 45 minutes that
Saints dominated, it took less than a minute of the second half for Mark
Noble to break the deadlock. Kevin Nolan doubled the Hammers' advantage
moments later and although Adam Lallana halved the deficit, Noble's penalty
and a superb strike by substitute Modibo Maiga sealed an emphatic victory
for the hosts. 'It was a surprise we won 4-1 when you look at what we did in
the first half,' Allardyce said after the match. 'The good thing for us is
the professionalism of players that took a little bit of criticism at
half-time for what was a bit of a lacklustre performance. 'The only good
thing we did was not to allow Southampton any real chances in the first
half. 'We were just not playing well enough and, if we were to overcome
them, we had to play better than that and we had to do that by upping the
tempo and showing the sort of desire we showed against Arsenal, Fulham,
Sunderland and Aston Villa this year. 'Of course, doing that in the second
half and giving that sort of performance and scoring the goals - obviously
the timing was brilliant because we went out, got right at them and scored
two very quick ones - gave us a fantastic 4-1 victory. 'We can forget the
first half now and just enjoy the victory and really focus on the positives
of how we turned the game around when we looked like we were struggling. In
fact, we didn't look like we were struggling, we were. 'To come out and put
it right, not just in terms of winning the game but winning the game
comfortably is great. 'Scoring four goals against any side in the Premier
League is no mean feat and 4-1 is a brilliant result for us.' The win was
the Hammers' fourth since their return to the top flight, while Saints have
only four points to show from their opening fixtures - something Allardyce
highlighted during the half-time break. 'We had to look at ourselves and say
"we're just not doing our job properly" apart from we defended okay,' the
former Bolton and Newcastle boss said. 'We weren't passing it well enough,
mixing our play well enough, we weren't putting the right quality to the
front lads, we weren't sustaining any pressure on the opposition.
'I said "we need to sustain pressure on this opposition as this team is
struggling confidence-wise. They've only picked up four points and they
score plenty of goals, but conceded 20. If we put pressure on the back four
they will make mistakes". 'And certainly they did that and we capitalised on
that.' The result means Southampton have now conceded 24 goals in just eight
matches back in the Premier League. It is a record that has cost the south
coast side this campaign and will no doubt see the position of manager Nigel
Adkins come under scrutiny.

Asked how long he thinks he will have to turn things around, the Saints
manager said: 'Honest answer? I don't know. That is football, I am being
brutally honest with you. 'There is a vision at the football club to play a
certain brand of football by passing the ball. 'There needs to be stability
at any football club, which is important. But I am not naive as it's
football and football is a results-driven industry. 'We've got a process in
place that we're doing our best to adhere to, but you've got to win games of
football. 'You've got to keep it out at one end and stick it in at the other
end. 'On too many occasions this year in the Barclays Premier League, we've
not kept it out of our net and I am being up front and honest with you.'

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