It was a familiar story for Avram Grant as his team ground out their fourth win in four this summer with a professional display away to MK Dons.

The Hammers had to wait to clinch the 2-0 victory against the League One side thanks to second-half goals from Julien Faubert and Carlton Cole - his third in four games - but were never in trouble. Equally positive was a third clean sheet in as many matches, with Robert Green starting in his first 45 minutes of the pre-season alongside fellow World Cup returnees Jonathan Spector and club captain Matthew Upson.

Scott Parker also enjoyed his first run-out on home soil after coming back into the squad during last week's successful stay in Germany. A clearly content Grant, who had been joined on the bench by new assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic, said: "It was a good work-out. We are three weeks into the pre-season and everything is going to plan more or less. The players are improving all the time."

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He had special mention for Green and Upson, when asked if he had noticed a negative impact on them as a result of England's early FIFA World Cup exit. "Robert is a good goalkeeper. He is doing his job and he is training well," Grant said. "Also, Matthew Upson played his first 45 minutes as well. It was good for them and for us.

"They are not children. They know disappointment is part of the game and they need to recover very quickly because they are playing for the team. What has happened has happened and we are looking forward. I have no worries at all, it was business as usual and they know that."

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On Parker, the manager reiterated the club's view that he was very much a part of the long-term vision being established. "We want to plan to improve for the next few seasons and Scott Parker is a big part of this process. He is a very good player and has a good influence on the young players.

"Scott Parker is a good player and a good professional. I'm sure if he was for sale that other teams would want him as well. But we are a team with ambition and we want to progress."

Grant - who also reiterated that his team "will be ready" for the big kick-off on 14 August - was more concerned with who might be coming than leaving but would not be drawn on transfer targets. "We are looking for players. There are good players in this team but we want to make the squad stronger and we are looking for two or three players that can improve the team.

"You know because there are so many players linked to our team, until we sign them I am not going to say anything. I am happy for what we have but I am always looking for a way of improving and making things better.

"We want to improve how we play, the organisation of the game and we hope we can bring players in - but they need to be better than what we have."

The Hammers are next in action on Thursday night when the reserves take on Bishop's Stortford before the first team head to Ipswich Town on Saturday. Kieron Dyer, rested against MK Dons, and new recruits Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne could also figure at Portman Road, while Valon Behrami is training but being reintroduced carefully after fitness issues during the World Cup.