Hammer of the Year Robert Green has made a case for the defence as supporters cast their vote for this season's winner.
The goalkeeper, who scooped the award 12 months ago, is a strong candidate to be crowned Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Vantis, again following Sunday's Barclays Premier League fixture against Middlesbrough at the Boleyn Ground.
There has been a huge response thus far, with over 8,000 votes cast and just 150 votes separating the top three players.
Green himself, however, believes defenders Matthew Upson and Herita Ilunga are the hot favourites to battle it out for the title, with midfielder Scott Parker also in the running.
West Ham have conceded just 40 goals in the 34 Barclays Premier League matches they have played since Ilunga arrived from French club Toulouse last August. The DR Congo left-back has played all 34, while Upson has missed just one league match, sitting out the trip to Blackburn Rovers in late March through injury.
Green believes the pair's consistency makes them leading candidates to follow in his footsteps.
"There are obvious candidates but personally, being the goalkeeper, I feel that barring the last two games we've had a good season at the back," said Green, who became the fifth goalkeeper to be named Hammer of the Year.
"I'd be looking at someone like Matthew Upson who has played all but one of the [Barclays Premier League] games and been tremendous and Herita as well.
"It's a difficult one because Matthew is obviously experienced within the Premier League but Rita has come in and stepped straight into the team and played every Premier League game since his arrival. For someone to do that is fantastic because it is such a hard league to come into. If either of those two wins it then I think that would be right because they've both had tremendous seasons.
"The other player who is in the running is Scotty, but the fact that he's missed a quarter of the season goes against him. He has been tremendous this season too, breaking teams down, so either him or either of the two guys at the back would be worthy winners."
Voting for Hammer of the Year closes at 10am on Thursday 21 May and there is strictly one vote per fan. Any additional votes will be discredited before the results are finalised.
To cast your vote, click here