By Alan Duffy

"Oi Xavi, stop poncing about, go long... hit the channels, you f*****g girl's blouse"

Never one to hide his light under a bushel, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has eased Hammers fans fears by reiterating that, despite being linked to the England job (a tiny bit), he is still fully focused on his job at Upton Park.

Tottenham fans would have tuned in to last weekend's London derby at Upton Park in the hope of witnessing two things –

1. A defeat for the home side
2. A solid performance from Harry Kane

Sadly we got neither with Harry starting the game on the subs' bench along with Ryan Mason but both players got a full 90 minutes under their belt as Millwall saw off the challenge of Southampton in last night's FA Cup replay.

Two points separate the top four sides in the Championship going into this weekend's action, with leaders Southampton in danger of falling out of the automatic promotion spots for the first time this season.
Nigel Adkins' men wasted no time in acclimatising to life back in the second tier, surprising those who bet on the Championship to quickly build up a healthy lead over the rest.

Looks like George John is getting the best of both worlds.

The FC Dallas center back will soon be playing at Upton Park as part of West Ham. But it won't be as part of a full transfer as previously believed. Not just yet, at any rate.

I don't have many details, but it looks like the first step here is a loan to West Ham through the end of February.

By Chris Wright

So, West Ham unveiled their new mascot 'Hammerhead' before their 1-0 win over Barnsley at Upton Park on Saturday...

Saints be praised, it looks like he's got a back story too:

"Foundered in the Thames Iron Works many decades ago, the workers who crafted a new champion drew on the spirits of heroes old and new to create the ultimate goal machine.

The last week or so in the Championship have acted as a sudden reminder to anyone who may have thought that the two automatic promotion places might already have been sewn up. Southampton's stunning start to the season has seen them ascend to the top of the table with West Ham United, relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, clinging onto their coat-tails in second place.

This is not an attempt to absolve anyone of any blame for the unacceptable performance at White Hart Lane last night, but it's become painfully obvious to me in the last 18 months or so that in the fans' eyes it's players that win games... and managers that lose them.

Let me give you an example:
Towards the end of last season, in what would be Gerard Houllier's final game on the sidelines, we took on the hapless West Ham at Upton Park.

It was a process that took around six years from top to tail in total, and it came in three very distinct phases. I had been a supporter of the England national team, reasoning that, with no foreign blood in the family tree and a knowledge that we weren't all as bad as we were painted, I had to have someone to follow for international tournaments.

It was a process that took around six years from top to tail in total, and it came in three very distinct phases. I had been a supporter of the England national team, reasoning that, with no foreign blood in the family tree and a knowledge that we weren't all as bad as we were painted, I had to have someone to follow for international tournaments.

It is being reported today that Arsenal have turned down a request from West Ham Utd to take the 31 year-old French defender Sebastien Squillaci on loan. The Hammers recently had Manuel Almunia at Upton Park for a month while Robert Green was out injured and Sam Allardyce was hoping for a similar deal for [.

Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio was never to far away from controversy, but in 2001 the former Italian talisman was awarded a FIFA Fair Play Award for showing the spirit of Fair Play after catching a ball in a goal scoring position to allow the opposition keeper Everton's Paul Gerrard receive attention after an injury in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park.

Old-school turnstile entrances at West Ham United's Sir Trevor Brooking Stand at their Boleyn Ground (rather better known as Upton Park). Photo taken October 20, 2011.

Photo credit: Tom Cuppens on Flickr

Controversial striker El-Hadji Diouf has dropped down to the Championship to join Doncaster Rovers on a three-month deal. The move is still to be rubber-stamped but the Senegalese player has decided to sign for Dean Saunders' Yorkshire outfit after being released by Blackburn in the summer. The two-time African Footballer of the Year is well known in these parts after spells with Liverpool, Bolton, Sunderland and Rangers and he has, of course, been in his fair share of trouble.

Boca Juniors are hoping they can agree a deal to sign Manchester City's outcast striker Carlos Tevez, according to reports. The Argentine forward was suspended by the club earlier this month, following his refusal to come on as a substitute in City's Champions' League defeat to Bayern Munich. After that incident, Roberto Mancini has made it clear that Tevez will never play for the club again.

Championship giants West Ham United have confirmed they are still very much interested in a move to the London Olympic Stadium following the completion of next year's Olympic Games. The Hammers had originally won the bid to take over the ground as part of the legacy of the games, but with legal challenges from London rivals Spurs and Leyton Orient looming it was instead decided that the stadium would remain in public ownership as a valued asset and be leased out instead - with some circles of the British press reportedly claiming the rental of the ground would cost a fee in the region of £2 million per year.

A win from Town today would see the Blues getting three great results from what we thought would be the three hardest games of the season: Middlesbrough, West Ham and Brighton.
What a wonderful time it is to be a Town fan!
I was speaking to @FelsedBoy this morning and he quite delightfully described today as 'feeling like the first of the season, with the glorious weather and the feeling of hope in Ipswich'.

West Ham United have announced the emergency signing of Arsenal's back-up goalkeeper Manuel Almunia as a replacement for first-choice stopper Robert Green, who will be sidelined for almost six weeks due to a knee injury.

Almunia, who currently ranks third in the Gunners' pecking order behind the Polish duo of Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski, will be on loan at Upton Park for a month and Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has expressed his gratefulness to the North London outfit for approving the deal.

El descenso del West Ham de la Premier League hace que regrese ésta temporada uno de los clásicos más apasionantes del futbol mundial aunque probablemente es más conocido por la rivalidad fuera del campo que dentro del mismo. Una fecha marcada en el calendario de toda Inglaterra: Millwall recibe este fin de semana por la séptima fecha del Championship inglés –la segunda categoría- a los Hammers en el The Den Stadium.

Football League blog: Derby day double header

For the new season, MirrorFootball is teaming up with some of the blogosphere's best new writers to bring you even more great football reads every single day. Friday is Football League day, so please be upstanding for theseventytwo.

A trip to a usually hostile Reebok Stadium probably isn't the ideal way to return from and international break, one which United headed into with great momentum, having put 8 past an abysmal Arsenal side and 3 past Spurs.

From the side that did so well last season, Bolton missed Elmander, Sturridge, Steinsson, Holden, Muamba and Lee, bringing in City loanee Boyata as an uncomfortable right back, Klasnic/Tuncay/N'Gog as poor replacements for Elmander and Sturridge, both of whom left Bolton without a penny coming in, and Eagles, Reo Coker and Mark Davies filling in for injured or unfit players in the midfield.

Big move today by Tottenham have have signed England midfielder Scott Parker from West Ham for about £5m. The move comes after the 30-year-old handed in a transfer request on Tuesday, stating that he wished to play in the Premier League.

Parker, who joined West Ham from Newcastle for £7m in 2007, was named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year last season despite the club finishing bottom of the Premier League.

Big move today by Tottenham have have signed England midfielder Scott Parker from West Ham for about £5m. The move comes after the 30-year-old handed in a transfer request on Tuesday, stating that he wished to play in the Premier League.

Parker, who joined West Ham from Newcastle for £7m in 2007, was named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year last season despite the club finishing bottom of the Premier League.

Why Dean Holdsworth and Diogo are my Champ and Chump of the Week

Champ of the Week: Dean HoldsworthAldershot allegedly had no chance at Upton Park this week, but the Shots' League Cup victory came as no surprise to me. We played at the EBB Stadium in pre-season and I saw then how well organised and effective Dean had made his team.

Tottenham will make an ambitious attempt to land three Liverpool players if - or when - they decide to cash in on Luka Modric.
Manager Harry Redknapp is already looking to a future without the Croatian and will use the funds of his projected £35m sale to Chelsea to strengthen his squad and he hopes to do that with the signings of Joe Cole, Lucas Leiva and Dirk Kuyt.

The opening day of a new season is always eagerly anticipated but for Martin Kelly tomorrow's game against Sunderland at Anfield holds special significance.
Nearly six months ago the 21-year-old Academy graduate limped away from Upton Park disconsolately after tearing his hamstring.
The injury cruelly halted his progress and brought a premature end to the defender's breakthrough campaign.

Miller celebrates his decisive goal
Whilst Cardiff's 1-0 win at Upton Park against West Ham last Sunday was overshadowed by the events in Tottenham, crowd trouble of a different kind is aggravating Cardiff Fans. Arriva Trains Wales have decided to stop trains calling at Ninian Park station for Bluebirds' home games during a 3 hour period.

Q. Which English Championship team's fans were chanting 'USA, USA' yesterday...? A. Cardiff City's, in tribute to West Ham's former England goalkeeper Robert Green, whose side lost 0-1 to the Bluebirds at Upton Park in their first match under Sam Allardyce. As an England fan who watched Green's butter fingers from behind the goal in Rustenburg, even I found that funny, although on that chilly

Seeing Kenny Miller pounce with alacrity on Rudy Gestede's cut back at Upton Park yesterday, despite the fact that the pass was a little behind him, reminded me of the dangers of writing off seasoned strikers. A couple of weeks ago, I was told to don my tin hat by esteemed Oval Log blogger Stefan Bienkowski after suggesting that Miller was "a poor man's Craig Bellamy" and if it's unlikely that

Long time Premiership striker John Carew is back in England after spending a summer back in Norway. The giant striker found himself unattached after seeing his contract with Aston Villa expire, and will now ply his trade at Upton Park with recently relegated West Ham United.

"The manager (Sam Allardyce) was very good," Carew told West Ham's official website.

What are the odds Sven adds the Championship to his list of conquests? Derek McGovern's Bets of the Day

West Ham fans will get their first glimpse of the style of football Sam Allardyce's team will play when they kick off their season against Cardiff tomorrow. That's unless there's low cloud cover over Upton Park.

Will it be West Ham or Leicester for Championship Glory?

The waiting is almost over as the Championship kicks back in to action on Friday night as Hull face Blackpool at the KC Stadium. For lower league fans all across the country the time is now upon you as reality kicks in. Will your pre season optimism turn to a nightmare?

West Ham United is weighing up a move for out-of-favour Liverpool striker David Ngog according to The Sun.
The 22-year-old Frenchman has found first team football difficult to come by following the arrival of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll in January.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is busy building an Upton Park squad capable of an immediate return to the Barclays Premier League, and Ngog has been identified as a player to spearhead the West Ham attack.

Liverpool is weighing up whether to offload Joe Cole to QPR in a season-long loan move.
The Barclays Premier League new boys are hoping to strike a deal with the Reds over the England midfielder, who has failed to impress since joining from Chelsea last summer.
Liverpool could be ready to pick up a third of Cole's wage packet while he plays for the Loftus Road outfit, according to talkSPORT.

Date: Saturday Apr 30 2011
Ground: Ponciau Park
Comp: Cymru Alliance (Welsh step two)
Match: Rhos Aelwyd 1 Cefn Druids 2 HT: 1-1

ATT: 86
Additional: Entrance £3.00, Programme £1.50

Ponciau Park in pictures

Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 8, Structures/Terracing 5, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 8
Total 28

Rhos Aelwyd were promoted to the Cymru Alliance last season.

Date: Saturday Apr 30 2011
Ground: Ponciau Park
Comp: Cymru Alliance (Welsh step two)
Match: Rhos Aelwyd 1 Cefn Druids 2 HT: 1-1

ATT: 86
Additional: Entrance £3.00, Programme £1.50

Ponciau Park in pictures

Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 8, Structures/Terracing 5, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 8
Total 28

Rhos Aelwyd were promoted to the Cymru Alliance last season.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is preparing an ambitious bid to sign Liverpool pair Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky as the new Upton Park boss looks to improve his squad ahead of the coming battle to secure and instant promotion back to the Premier League.
The Hammers boss has already snapped up Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan and has now set his sights on two Anfield players who appear to be surplus to requirements at the Merseyside club.

We've had Fletcher and Mackay and now West Ham are looking to add Baraclough to their growing list of Slade Prison namesakes. The club are reportedly close to appointing former Scunthorpe boss Ian Baraclough to their coaching staff, according to several sources. Sam Allardyce is keen to bolster his backroom team after seeing Kevin Keen leave for Liverpool earlier this week and has lined up a move for the highly-rated coach as he begins his plans for next season.

New Liverpool coach Kevin Keen says he is "privileged, proud and honoured to be part of such a fantastic club."
And the 44-year-old former West Ham midfielder is even prepared to forgive Kenny Dalglish for spoiling his Football League debut 25 years ago!
Dalglish appointed Keen as first team coach yesterday following Sammy Lee's departure, with Steve Clarke moving up to assistant manager.

Liverpool has confirmed that Kevin Keen has joined the club as first-team coach on a three-year contract.
Keen will join up with his new colleagues for the first time on Monday when Liverpool's squad report back to Melwood for the start of pre-season training.
The 44-year-old made over 600 appearances in spells with West Ham, Wolves, Stoke City, Macclesfield and Wycombe.

Liverpool and Tottenham are monitoring the situation of West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, it has been claimed.
According to the News of the World, the Barclays Premier League rivals will also have West Brom to contend with, should they formalize their interest in the Wales international.
Collison only returned to action for the Hammers in the closing weeks of last season, having been sidelined for 14 months with a serious knee injury.