Source: Daily_Mail
Nolan determined to win promotion at first attempt with West Ham
Hammer time: Kevin Nolan in action for West Ham[LNB]Kevin Nolan insists anything other than promotion will be a failure for West Ham this season.[LNB]The midfielder made a surprise ?4million move from Newcastle this summer and is determined to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.[LNB]West Ham are preparing to take on Cardiff at Upton Park next week and Nolan told the Sunday Mirror: 'We have to come out all guns blazing. We have to hit the ground running, there is no hiding place for us.[LNB]'The stakes are high and there is immense pressure on us.[LNB]'But the time for feeling sorry for yourselves following relegation from the Premier League has long since passed.[LNB]'The least we should expect is promotion. Anything else will merely be an unmitigated disaster for thisclub. This club doesn't belong in the Championship and we have to make damn sure we don't stay here either.'[LNB]Nolan experienced the trauma of relegation with Newcastle two seasons ago and he is the first to admit the Championship is not an easy league to escape.[LNB]He said: 'There are striking similarities between West Ham and Newcastle. The pressure and expectations are exactly the same.[LNB]'When Newcastle went down some peopleexpected us to struggle but we re-grouped and had a right go. We knew we had to either get out of the Championship straight away or face beingstuck there for years to come.[LNB]'It was a make-or-break situation for us in much the same way it is for West Ham.[LNB] 'You don't have a divine right to win promotion no matter how big the club are. You have to earn the right. No-one is going to do you any favours. Everyone will want to beat us. [LNB]'This will be their biggest game of the campaign. Opposing teams will come to Upton Park looking for a major scalp. You're a team to be shot at.[LNB] Sam's the man: Nolan has linked up with Sam Allardyce again[LNB]'But if we apply ourselves on the pitch and get the supporters right behind us I see no reason why we shouldn't be celebrating come April/May.'[LNB]Some people are still surprised that Nolan was prepared to trade top-flight football with Newcastle for the Championship.[LNB]But he claims it was a no-brainer, explaining: 'Naturally the opportunity to work with Sam Allardyce again helped, but the club made such an enormous effort to get me that I felt I would have let them down if I said no. It's nice to be wanted, that's for sure.[LNB]'And after everything that happened at Newcastle it was important for me to hear that.[LNB]'More importantly when I met David Sullivan he did such a great job selling the club it didn't take long to make up my mind.[LNB] 'To fair he could have sold me some unwanted double glazing windows. He was that good.[LNB] Is it a bird, is it a plane? Nolan spent two years at Newcastle [LNB]'I won't lie though, he wouldn't let me leave the room until I agreed to sign after they had their bid accepted for me.[LNB]Despite being happy with his decision, Nolan admits he was heartbroken to leave Newcastle.[LNB]He said: 'I envisaged spending the rest of my career at the club.[LNB]'I was settled, happy and I adored the supporters. I was captain of a huge club and played with a smashing group of lads I had untold respect for.[LNB]'But ultimately I was forced out because I lost trust in key people at the club and when you lose trust in people it's almost impossible to regain it.[LNB]'From January and shortly following the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, I was involved in ongoing discussions about signing a new contract between four and five years.[LNB]'I discussed the deal at length with managing director Derek Llambias and even shook hands on it.[LNB] Let down: Nolan had agreed a new deal at Newcastle with Derek Llambias (right)[LNB]'In my book when you do that man-to-man you expect them to see it through.[LNB]'But what we talked about and what they finally offered me was laughable. They did a U-turn on what we agreed They showed me no respect. I felt totally betrayed.[LNB]'Then they had the nerve to claim I rejected a new contract. What contract? A deferred option to increase my deal by 12 months with a bonus that hinged on the success of the team on the pitch the following season.[LNB]'Perhaps I was just naive. I thought I had a good relationship with the board.[LNB]'But when it all came to a head in the summer I knew my time was coming to an end.[LNB]'I had given the club everything but they didn't want to give me anything in return, just broken promises. I simply couldn't work with people like that. There was no way back for me.'[LNB] CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE FANTASY FOOTBALL GAMEO'Brien becomes FOURTH Bolton old boy to join Big Sam at West HamTaylor demands promotion after sealing move from Bolton to West HamAll the latest West Ham news, features and opinion [LNB]
