Alan - Continuity The Key

Alan Pardew says he is delighted to have the back room staff he has inherited - and fully intends to work with those already here to the club's advantage.

"I am think that it is unfair for a manager to come in and make decisions about staff members when you don't know what their qualities are," he stresses.

"I have enjoyed working with them so far; this is THE academy and I have spoken to Tony Carr about not disrupting it too much."

Alan is well aware of West Ham's proud tradition of bringing on players and he adds:

"We will have a look at that and maybe add one or two things that I think could help, but certainly that would be with Tony's co-operation - I wouldn't put things on him that he didn't think was right.

"It is absolutely essential to produce your own players; we might not have a batch that we have just had in terms of the Lampards say but there are certainly some signs that in a couple of years time there will be another good batch so it is still coming and the West Ham fans want to hear that as well.

"A lot of it is reflected on recruitment at a young age; my work at Reading, for instance, in terms of the youth side, upon which I put in a great deal of effort, won't come to fruition for a couple of years.

"The thing that will represent me immediately here is results and I have got to get results at this club - I need to win."

Alan says he has had a friendly welcome at Upton Park, and adds:

"It is not just the players and not just the immediate staff, but everyone in the stadium has been particularly helpful to me and I would like to thank them for that.

"I have been made to feel very welcome which has made it easier for me and the players - the most important thing to the fans - have been very receptive and I am hoping they show me, and the supporters, they can perform better than they have been.

"I inherited a couple of people at Reading who turned out to be not only good members of staff but good friends as well and I am hoping to gain some friends here.

"In the short time I have been here people like Tony Carr, Paul Goddard, and Roger Cross have been extremely helpful; we have got some very good staff here and it is my job to make sure they are motivated and pulling in the right direction too."

As for holding on to existing talent on the field, he admits it is not easy.

"Damien Duff is a great example - a team that is in Europe and financially stable losing their best player," he explains.

"So you can never say never, but you have to make sure that the club grows when you lose a player and that will be my job.

"I can't reflect on what has happened in the past because I am not aware of all the facts but from where I sit now that is how I will approach that."

And the competition in the first division?

"The teams I have seen such as Sheffield United, West Brom, Notts Forest, Wigan with an organised side, and Reading maybe, would be the teams up there.

"There area lot of teams this year that have got a great chance and there are similarities between them.

"But the one advantage we have got is top quality players in certain areas and if we keep them fit we are going to have a really good chance."

As to whether he would rather have taken over West Ham in the Premiership, he adds:

"It is a hard question to answer; in some ways I can ingrain some good habits for a side that goes into the Premiership.

"But to be honest I thought when David Moyes went to Everton I thought that he brought a lot of the stuff that he had been doing in the first division to them - made them work hard and made them tight.

"I can only talk about the situation I have taken and everything else is speculation - and I am looking forward to the challenge.

"I am not Bobby Robson who has worked at several different clubs - I walked into Reading which was a disaster at the time and I have come here which is much healthier.

"So I am hoping that the stuff I put in will happen quicker and the players are much more experienced at a high level to understand what I am trying to achieve.

"The fixtures coming up aren't easy but I could have Walsall and Wimbledon, say, and stumble on those.

"So bring the top teams on and let's get results against them; it is a crucial time and there has been no hangover from relegation but with 46 games I am going to have to keep my eye on that because I think that is going to be important for David James, Christian Dailly, Michael Carrick and people like that - it is a long haul."