Sam Allardyce has told his team that they need to start converting chances in order to continue their steady start to the 2012/13 Premier League campaign.
The West Ham boss, speaking on the radio earlier today admitted that he had been pleased by United's start to the league campaign - but slightly disappointed at their inability to convert goalscoring opportunities into goals.Despite having hammered Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground nine days ago West Ham - who had 20 shots to Sunderland's four - were almost punished for their profligacy and, in the end, were lucky to escape with a point after grabbing a 93rd minute equaliser.
And Allardyce admitted that thinmgs have to improve in that area - starting with tonight's trip across London to QPR.
"Our build up and creation has been okay," he said. "We've created a lot of chances away from home but we've not been as clinical in terms of converting those chances at the right time.
"The only time it really came to fruition was in the Fulham game where we banged in three of the five chances that we made in the first half. The rest of time we haven't been clinical enough both home and away.
"That's a bit of a problem as the season goes on and everything tightens up; you need to get that goal at the right time as it changes games. So we continue to work at that and hopefully get better in that area."
Allardyce, who is set to welcome Andy Carroll back to the match day squad admitted however that he was pleased with the team's overall performance - one that sends them into tonight's game in the top ten of the Premier League - thus far.
"We've bedded in nicely with some good results but we won't get carried away because these group of fixtures have been reasonably good and we've not faced the big boys in these first eight games," he said.
"To achieve what we want to achieve we had to hit the ground running and get points on the board - and we've managed to do that. We've got a big test tonight and for me, it's about the players continuing to improve on what they've already done."
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