Tony is a particular admirer of Ian Pearce and admits:
"I am a fan and I am a friend as well, so I have got a foot in both camps with Ian, but I like to look at him with a critical eye - and I think a couple of weeks ago he wasn't getting tight enough or winning enough headers.
"But he has got a little bit better recently and I think that is the case with everybody in the team.
"The partnership is the main thing, and he has played with Repka who has played better; it is not just how you play individually as centre backs, it is how you play as a pair.
"The two of them have done a lot better, as Repka and Dailly got a lot better as last season went on.
"It has been a while since we have had a pair this season because everyone has had their problems - and that is not saying they are poor players.
"But one partnership has really settled down and this is a bit of a run, so you can't see any changes there.
"It is a shame there wasn't a game this weekend because when you are on a run like this you want it to keep going.
"But I am sure the lads will be keen to get back into action as soon as possible so they don't forget the winning ways."
Tony says the influence of the full backs has also helped, and adds:
"Those two have come on well; Rufus is a steady, experienced player and Glen Johnson has done very well.
"He mustn't let it go to his head because West Ham are in a desperate situation at the moment.
"The last thing you want to do when you are a youngster is, as an ex-manager of mine told me once, 'don't try and look good - just be good.'
"Don't try and make things happen and try and get out of tight situations and things like that, forcing your game, just do what you have to do and do your job.
"There are plenty of opportunities in a game to show how good you are without trying to create them.
"So if he does that for the rest of the season I am sure this experience will stand him in good stead."
And was the purveyor of such sound advice, as one might expect, John Lyall?
"No - it was Bobby Campbell!"