David Moyes has admitted that he cannot wait to get stuck in and transform West Ham United's fortunes, as he prepares for his first match in charge of the club.
The former Sunderland boss has been appointed by the Hammers on a short-term deal until the end of the campaign, tasked with guiding the East London outfit away from the relegation zone.
Moyes intends to make the London Stadium a tough venue to visit, much in the same vein as former home Upton Park, but he concedes that West Ham's survival hopes will ultimately come down to how well he can get his players to perform on the field.
"When I was the opposing manager coming to West Ham, my impression was it was always a real tough club. I still remember the team coach trying to get down the streets near Upton Park," he told the London Evening Standard. "Now I'm down here in London at West Ham and really relishing the challenge.
"It's been a whirlwind first week or so but that's always the way when you start a job, getting to know everybody's name, how things work but the one area in which I always feel most comfortable is when I walk out onto that grass. The big thing is, if you see yourself as a football club manager, it's so good to get out there again, back out on the pitch.
"That's the really good bit and, to be honest, the minute I got the job, my concentration was just to get out onto the training ground, to really get started with the players. I've found the training ground at Rush Green good, I like it. The surface we're training on at the moment is very good.
"It was cold in London earlier in the week and that surprised me - that's not how it's supposed to be down here! I've had a lot of conversations with the players, those who have been here during the international break - plus group conversations as well. We've already laid it bare. I've said that yes, the club can change manager but somewhere along the line, I hope the players here at West Ham can stand up and say: 'We need to do better'."
First up for Moyes is Sunday afternoon's short trip to Watford - his 500th top-flight game in management.
Daniel Lewis
