Paul Goddard says the players were all totally motivated to get the
first win of the season at home to Newcastle this weekend - whether
Paolo had spoken up or not.
The returning captain, who wore a stars and stripes armband as a mark of respect following the atrocities in America recently, had said it was time to start turning potential into points.
But Paul says:
"Paolo is Paolo; we've heard those comments before, and the lads didn't need geeing up.
"They all wanted to get the season going.
"It was a great team performance, some excellent goals, and a win.
"It was very much needed and we are all very pleased about it.
"We've had five games with four good performances and one disappointing one, which was last week at Middlesbrough.
"Unfortunately we hadn't scored goals until yesterday and people have harped on about that.
"But with the quality we have got we were never worried that we weren't going to score some."
He says there was no magic dust sprinkled on the players last week - just honest hard work as the Hammers went from their worst to their best in the space of eight days.
"You might say that Newcastle beat Manchester United last week and will be disappointed by the loss against us.
"That is football, that is the motivation side of things, and that is why Manchester United stay at the top, by getting themselves up for home and away games.
"It's very important that we go into next week's game at the same level."
He disagrees with Bobby Robson's angry assessment that Christian Dailly fouled Robbie Elliott in the penalty area early in the game, adding:
"It was a long way away, and I think you always judge by the reactions of people.
"Our players around reacted by showing that they thought he just went over for no reason.
"I don't think many of their players thought it was a penalty either - it was too far away to tell."
And Christian himself says:
"I never even touched him."
Adds Paul:
"The first goal was very important; you could just sense we were a bit edgy until then, and the second one seals it a little bit.
"It was a great ball from Christian and then Paolo, unusually for him, shot early when normally he likes to drag it a little bit.
"It just gives you that bit of breathing space and a platform to go on and win the game well.
"I'm pleased for Fredi to get the third; he is not totally tuned in yet but he can only get better and we are a better team when he is playing."
Paolo, incidentally, has called for his compatriot Claudio Ranieri to ban the four Chelsea stars - including Frank Lampard - for a month after they went on a drinking spree the day after the disaster in America.
The quartet have been fined two weeks' wages and all apologised.
The returning captain, who wore a stars and stripes armband as a mark of respect following the atrocities in America recently, had said it was time to start turning potential into points.
But Paul says:
"Paolo is Paolo; we've heard those comments before, and the lads didn't need geeing up.
"They all wanted to get the season going.
"It was a great team performance, some excellent goals, and a win.
"It was very much needed and we are all very pleased about it.
"We've had five games with four good performances and one disappointing one, which was last week at Middlesbrough.
"Unfortunately we hadn't scored goals until yesterday and people have harped on about that.
"But with the quality we have got we were never worried that we weren't going to score some."
He says there was no magic dust sprinkled on the players last week - just honest hard work as the Hammers went from their worst to their best in the space of eight days.
"You might say that Newcastle beat Manchester United last week and will be disappointed by the loss against us.
"That is football, that is the motivation side of things, and that is why Manchester United stay at the top, by getting themselves up for home and away games.
"It's very important that we go into next week's game at the same level."
He disagrees with Bobby Robson's angry assessment that Christian Dailly fouled Robbie Elliott in the penalty area early in the game, adding:
"It was a long way away, and I think you always judge by the reactions of people.
"Our players around reacted by showing that they thought he just went over for no reason.
"I don't think many of their players thought it was a penalty either - it was too far away to tell."
And Christian himself says:
"I never even touched him."
Adds Paul:
"The first goal was very important; you could just sense we were a bit edgy until then, and the second one seals it a little bit.
"It was a great ball from Christian and then Paolo, unusually for him, shot early when normally he likes to drag it a little bit.
"It just gives you that bit of breathing space and a platform to go on and win the game well.
"I'm pleased for Fredi to get the third; he is not totally tuned in yet but he can only get better and we are a better team when he is playing."
Paolo, incidentally, has called for his compatriot Claudio Ranieri to ban the four Chelsea stars - including Frank Lampard - for a month after they went on a drinking spree the day after the disaster in America.
The quartet have been fined two weeks' wages and all apologised.