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Just what the doctor ordered for West Ham

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Andy Carroll Matt JarvisFinally, a first Premier League win in seven for West Ham. Exactly what every West Ham fan has been hoping for, and what the playing and coaching staff have been fighting for. Or at least have begun fighting for.

Sam Allardyce has pinned a lot of the return of Andy Carroll, and Cardiff City were to host the return of the saviour. West Ham’s record signing made his first appearance as a permanent Hammer, playing the final 20 minutes.

His first step back onto a football pitch, along with his first touch (a header of course), were greeted with a roar of relief from the West Ham fans, who rightly believe that the figurehead of the side has returned. He was incredibly rusty and admitted he was in a post match interview with Kevin Nolan and also on Twitter.

A few touches which sent the ball in an undesirable direction, however Carroll took down a long ball and played a one-two before finding Mark Noble in acres of space who finished the game off. This game didn’t need a genuine contribution from Andy, however an assist is very much welcomed.

The return of Andy Carroll was certainly what we needed, but even more so, a certain “fight” and passion from the playing and coaching staff alike was also much sought after. We got just that versus Cardiff.

I’m sure most of you will have seen the “tunnel-cam” which was shot post-match. James Tomkins, who had been sent off alongside fellow suspended captain, Kevin Nolan, and James Collins, welcoming all the players back into the changing room. It was such a fantastic sight, even the likes of Alou Diarra shared a smile with the absentees.

The passion was also evident on the touchline and during the players celebrations after Mark had put the match away. Big Sam showed athleticism not seen since his playing days, on the touchline. Kevin Nolan lifted Joe Cole and danced around the dug-out. All whilst the 10 players on the pitch celebrated a win that they had so obviously been searching for. The relief could be seen in all linked with the club. A victory to savour, but not for long. Most certainly no time to rest on our laurels.

If you have a spare few minutes and haven’t seen the tunnel-cam video, then it is a must watch. Savour in the passion and delight on the players faces. Passion is necessary in the Premier League, especially down at the bottom. Previously, very little had been shown. We need more of that, and a home win in the Premier League needs to happen very soon, however, with Newcastle coming to the Boleyn on Saturday, the curse of back-to-back Premier League wins under Allardyce still haunts West Ham.

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