Avram Grant applauded his new-look West Ham side after they overcame Blackpool 3-1 to climb off the bottom of the Premier League.
Grant reserved special praise for new signing Robbie Keane, with the Irishman adding to Victor Obinna’s brace to bag a crucial win for the Hammers.
“We’ve been looking for a player like him, Robbie is a very intelligent player and we’re pleased to have him,” Grant said.
The match also marked the involvement of new signings Gary O’Neill and Wayne Bridge, and Grant was pleased with the way his side is beginning to take shape.
“Gary O’Neill was good, and so too was Wayne Bridge, all of our signings were good,” he said.
“I’m very pleased how we attacked in the first half. The difference today was that we created chances and took them.”
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway, meanwhile, said he will look to freshen up his squad after they slumped to a sixth defeat from their past seven league games.
The result leaves Blackpool just four points clear of the relegation zone, and Holloway conceded his men are beginning to look a little battle-weary after a strong start to the campaign.
“I’ve got to settle everybody down and make sure – with the new intake now – what we do and I might have a chance to actually rotate a few now,” Holloway told Sky Sports.
“Because I think this is the time – it’s getting a bit tough physically, mentally and if we’d have won that today it would have catapulted us up out of the way and we haven’t.”
“So we’re slipping back towards where people thought we might be but I can assure you I’m still very proud.”
“We were not quite as fluent as we’ve normally been and things aren’t going our way at the moment.”
