Hammond not surprised by start

Southampton midfielder Dean Hammond is hoping to repeat history against West Ham when the Hammers visit the league leaders on Tuesday evening. Hammond scored twice against the Hammers in Brighton colours during the east London club's previous spell in the second tier during the 2004-05 campaign and wants to renew his personal duel at St Mary's.Southampton have won all their home games this season and are now two points ahead of West Ham, but the Saints skipper is not shocked at their strong start."It's surprised a few people, but it hasn't surprised us," he told the club's official website. "We went into the new season fitter than ever and in a very positive frame of mind."The hard part was having to adapt to the higher level, but we adapted quickly. The good start has given us more confidence and more self-belief, but no one here is taking it more than one game at a time."West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has warned he could make changes against the Saints despite a dominant display in the match against Blackpool on Saturday.The Hammers climbed to second in the table after a 4-0 hammering of the Seasiders in what Allardyce called a "complete performance".The win included a brace for 22-year-old striker Sam Baldock and goals for John Carew and Jack Collison.But Allardyce could switch from a 4-4-2 system to 4-3-3 in a bid to nullify Saints' threat at St Mary's."I will change things if I think it's necessary," Allardyce told the Evening Standard."I will adapt my team first and foremost to nullify Southampton's strengths."If we don't do that we will become one of many teams to lose at Southampton."

Source: Team_Talk