Mervyn Day was a happy man after seeing Hammers come
through Saturday's opening pre-season friendly at Dagenham and
Redbridge in good shape.
A 2-0 victory against the Football League new-boys got Alan Curbishley's men off to a winning start in their preparations but, for the Assistant Manager, it was the physical condition of the players that pleased him most.
"It was a good work-out," said Merv. "The first pre-season game is never about performance, it's all about fitness, and everyone came through it in good condition.
"Physically, it was a very good test for us, against a Dagenham side who had a fantastic season last year and are in confident mood ahead of their new league campaign.
"As always with the first game, the sun came out, the temperature went up, and the ground was very firm. Having said that, I thought we coped quite well with it and took a lot of positives out of the exercise.
"It's about building those fitness levels, and adding that competitive edge where you know there are going to be a few challenges flying about, getting the players used to a match situation again."
One player more eager than most to enjoy a taste of action again was Dean Ashton who, after a year on the sidelines, made a welcome comeback and got through an satisfying 45 minutes.
A heavy challenge from his marker just minutes after stepping on the pitch had a few hearts in mouths, but Deano carried on to put in an impressive display, and Mervyn was full of praise for the way the England striker handled the encounter.
"What people have to remember is that Dean has been out for 12 months," he said. "And no matter how much fitness work he has done during that time, playing football is completely different, because you don't have that timing and balance.
"You can be off balance, someone can hit you when you are in the wrong position, and that is the test. First ball up, the centre half came straight through Dean, caught him on the ankle and left him in a bit of pain.
"It was good to see him get up and run it off, though, and I'm sure he would have been very happy to get through that first crunching challenge without any problem. For 20-25 minutes I thought Dean was excellent and, although he faded slightly towards the end, that was to be expected considering the lay-off he has had.
"We are very pleased with him, as we are with the likes of Danny Gabbidon and Matthew Upson, who were also playing their first football for some time. In some ways, it's like three new signings, and we look forward to seeing them all available for the start of the season."
A 2-0 victory against the Football League new-boys got Alan Curbishley's men off to a winning start in their preparations but, for the Assistant Manager, it was the physical condition of the players that pleased him most.
"It was a good work-out," said Merv. "The first pre-season game is never about performance, it's all about fitness, and everyone came through it in good condition.
"Physically, it was a very good test for us, against a Dagenham side who had a fantastic season last year and are in confident mood ahead of their new league campaign.
"As always with the first game, the sun came out, the temperature went up, and the ground was very firm. Having said that, I thought we coped quite well with it and took a lot of positives out of the exercise.
"It's about building those fitness levels, and adding that competitive edge where you know there are going to be a few challenges flying about, getting the players used to a match situation again."
One player more eager than most to enjoy a taste of action again was Dean Ashton who, after a year on the sidelines, made a welcome comeback and got through an satisfying 45 minutes.
A heavy challenge from his marker just minutes after stepping on the pitch had a few hearts in mouths, but Deano carried on to put in an impressive display, and Mervyn was full of praise for the way the England striker handled the encounter.
"What people have to remember is that Dean has been out for 12 months," he said. "And no matter how much fitness work he has done during that time, playing football is completely different, because you don't have that timing and balance.
"You can be off balance, someone can hit you when you are in the wrong position, and that is the test. First ball up, the centre half came straight through Dean, caught him on the ankle and left him in a bit of pain.
"It was good to see him get up and run it off, though, and I'm sure he would have been very happy to get through that first crunching challenge without any problem. For 20-25 minutes I thought Dean was excellent and, although he faded slightly towards the end, that was to be expected considering the lay-off he has had.
"We are very pleased with him, as we are with the likes of Danny Gabbidon and Matthew Upson, who were also playing their first football for some time. In some ways, it's like three new signings, and we look forward to seeing them all available for the start of the season."