"The most important thing for this year has been to try and instil as much as I can in training and in games a winning mentality - and I think that has shown so far this season," he says.
"I think you have to keep players stimulated and although we all have to work even playing football can get monotonous at times if the training is the same, so we have tried to mix it and give the players certain incentives."
Looking at the draw on Saturday, he says:
"In the first half we got the goal and had a purple patch when perhaps we could have got a second or even a third at that time.
"In that time we had the penalty which obviously we didn't score, and then in their purple patch they scored - that is probably the story of the game, and it knocked us out of our stride a little bit.
"It was two good sides; they showed the quality they had in their team and I thought we showed our quality.
"At times we were pleased and I would like to think the heads didn't drop from the penalty miss; when that occurs it is a natural reaction but we had time to redress it at half time and we looked at what might happen.
"Let's not let the penalty miss cloud the issue and say that that was the reason we didn't win; we had chances before that when the goalie did terrifically.
"He really likes going to Upton Park - he was good in the playoff game - and he kept them in it at times."
Alan concurs with the general view that the new players are settling in well and adds:
"I am pleased with the way the team has settled down quickly but we would have liked to have finished the game better.
"In terms of the changes we have made we look quite together as a team and I am quite happy with that but we are disappointed we didn't win on Saturday - we should, perhaps, have got the three points.
"I hope our fans don't remember that last period of the game because in that first half because in the first half we were sublime at times."
Regarding the substitution of Teddy Sheringham, Alan says:
"When you see Teddy taken off you can be disappointed - but he has had three games in the week and we were struggling in the midfield at times.
"So we tried to change it tactically and Sergei nearly created something for Mattie that flashed across the box.
"But the other side are always trying to stop you doing what you want to do - we wanted to achieve some momentum in that last period and we just couldn't get it going.
"We were up against a good team with a star up front in Darren Bent - and we had to be on our guard against that."