Allardyce eyeing good start

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hoping his team can pick up points before they face "the big boys" in the winter.

West Ham boss knows points on the board are needed

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hoping his team can pick up points before they face "the big boys" in the winter. The newly-promoted Hammers kicked off with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Upton Park on Saturday. Allardyce's men have the chance to build on that success with Arsenal the only team from last season's top six they must face before November. Then comes a sequence of games against Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool so the Hammers boss is targeting a run of good results to start the season. "Our fixture list has not given us any of the big boys early on so you have got to try and do as much as you can and take advantage of that," said Allardyce, quoted in the Daily Mirror. "No game is easy as a newly-promoted team but it gives you the chance to play your best and secure some points. "These fixtures are critical for us until November when the big games start flowing week after week."