Tony: It's Looking Good

Tony Gale is delighted with the signings West Ham have made of late - and feels Alan Pardew is ushering in a new era at the club.

On the most recent transfer, that of Jobi McAnuff, he says:

"He is a good little player, very pacy, and he has a good touch as well; that pace is vital and if Alan decides to play with wide players in a 4-4-2 Jobi can do it.

"We have had a shortage of players to play on that right side of midfield so I think it is a good signing in that respect.

"Maybe Alan won't play him from the start - Alan can't play all the midfield players that we have got at the moment - so he has got a few decisions to make, nice ones."

Several clubs were chasing Jobi's signature and Tony adds:

"It was important that we nipped in and got him now and I think we did very well in doing so."

Tony feels that the experience Jobi, and erstwhile Wimbledon colleagues Adam Nowland and Nigel Reo-Coker bring to West Ham, despite their youth, is a fantastic combination - and is backing the trio to make the transition to Upton Park smoothly.

"It is all good for the future but the young lads know we have to get going now," he says.

"These lads made their first team debuts quite early at Wimbledon and have done so because of the plight they were in - but that will have served them well.

"They have got a bit of experience and they know they have to start performing straight away.

"It is young boys coming to a big club and so there is a bit of pressure on them and I think they can handle it because they came in to first team football so early in their careers.

"It is great experience; I was fortunate enough in my career to have made my debut at 16 and I was a regular at 17.

"These boys have done the same; you have to learn how to win very quickly in this profession and it will have been very good that these players were all thrust in at the same time."

The day before Jobi - a Liverpool fan as a kid - arrived at the club, West Ham fan Bobby Zamora signed for the club, and Tony reckons he can be an instant hit with the supporters he used to sit amongst and says:

"Bobby never got his chance but he has proved he can score at this level; if he can score for a side like Brighton then he will score for West Ham.

"I believe that is going to be a good signing for this division and he has a very good chance of hitting it off at West Ham."

Regarding the departure of Jermain Defoe, he adds:

"Jermain wanted to go; there are no second thoughts about that.

"As soon as we went down he wanted out so it is maybe best for him and West Ham that he moved on.

"Receiving the money for him that we did with Bobby Zamora in exchange was a good deal for the club.

"He hasn't attracted any offers from the big three so getting that type of money off a club outside of that means West Ham have done very well."

Tony firmly believes that West Ham are on the up under Alan and adds:

"He is getting his own people around him and he has had a good little chance to look at things so hopefully after these last couple of results we may have kick started the season.

"I still feel we are one of the best sides in the division; I think we are going to be okay now and it is important the crowd get behind the new lads.

"The old lads have gone because they wanted to go and we had to get the best money available for them, which we have done.

"When you look at the cut price sales Leeds have had to make at least we are receiving top dollar for our players - it is good business."