In a weekend that saw stuttering performances from a number of the challenging sides in the Championship, the pieces of West Ham United’s jigsaw began to fall into place after they demolished Blackpool 4-0.

The step down in class may have helped, but the galvanising effect, the injection of steel and street smarts, has to be put down to Sam Allardyce. When it comes to canny signings and common sense tactics – long the benchmark for the Championship, no place for high falutin’ tactical adventures – Allardyce is the poster boy and his changes at the Boleyn have turned a fragile, disjointed Premier League side into a much sterner Championship proposition.

Still a work in progress – Saturday’s result halted a run of two games without a win – the Hammers nonetheless look to already have Allardyce’s trademark physicality and bolshiness running through the team. A spine that includes Kevin Nolan, Papa Bouba Diop and John Carew will do that for a side, but it is unbalanced by a supporting cast that can still struggle to find the same levels of nous and sheer balls. The likes of Winston Reid and Julien Faubert have responded well to the rigours of an Allardyce regime, but they cannot be allowed to slip into the insipid displays of last season.

On Saturday, his battle-hardened charges provided the platform for a 22-year-old who looks like he might have a place in the former Bolton manager’s heart. Sam Baldock, signed from Milton Keynes Dons, received high praise from his boss after grabbing a brace and dove-tailing superbly with Carew. The big Norwegian is in ‘goal mood’, according to his manager, and Baldock joined him in striking nirvana with his first goals for the club.

Allardyce has always had a knack for timing, and this win was offset perfectly by Southampton and Middlesbrough’s slip-ups. It’s second place at the moment for West Ham and for a side that sunk so low last season, the Big Sam effect is having miraculous results.

ANOTHER EX-ENGLAND BOSS HITS THE SKIDS

One of Big Sam’s former Premier League counterparts had a less auspicious time this weekend as Sven-Goran Eriksson’s high-rollers, Leicester City, were beaten by Birmingham City on Sunday.

Sven is without a trophy in 11 years and his luck is likely to stay the same if his skipper Matt Mills keeps getting sent off as he did at St Andrew’s for a reckless two-footed lunge. Before then, Leicester had passed the ball crisply and showed signs of the cohesion that has been lacking in recent weeks, but Mills’ indiscipline helped them to a 2-0 defeat.

Marlon King tucked the first away from the penalty spot after Jean Beausejour was tripped before Chris Wood rounded Kasper Schmeichel late on to condemn the former England boss’ side.

ELSEWHERE…

A Ross McCormack-inspired Leeds put Doncaster through the wringer at the Keepmoat with a 3-0 win. Two straightforward finishes from Danny Pugh and Tom Lees, both from set pieces, book-ended McCormack’s sharp overhead kick to condemn Doncaster to 22^nd and keep Leeds riding high in seventh.

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run to three games with a 2-0 win away at Watford. Wilfried Zaha was among the goals once again, grabbing the opener on 66 minutes before Jermaine Easter put Watford out of their misery in injury time.

Two goals in two minutes were enough to give Portsmouth three points at Fratton Park after a 2-0 win against Barnsley. A 61^st minute David Norris opener had a friend on the scoresheet a minute later when Luke Varney struck. The win puts the two sides neck and neck on 12 points.

Middlesbrough couldn’t keep the heat up at the top of the table after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Millwall. Barry Robson ended Boro’s five-and-a-half-hour search for a goal on 24 minutes to put them in front, only for the home side to be pegged back by Liam Trotter’s equaliser ten minutes after half-time.

Table-topping Southampton were also frustrated this week after a 1-1 draw away at Derby. A win would have put Derby level with their visitors on 22 points and Theo Robinson struck within three minutes to put them ahead. It was up to Mr Reliable, Rickie Lambert, to snatch a draw for the Saints after County goalkeeper, Frank Fielding, performed a catalogue of saves.

Life without Steve McClaren is no better for Nottingham Forest after they were beaten by fellow underperformers, Coventry City, 1-0 at the Ricoh Arena. Lukas Jutkiewicz bagged the winner on 57 minutes to lift them out of the relegation zone.

Cardiff and Ipswich played out an entertaining 2-2 see-saw encounter in the Welsh capital. Rudy Gestede gave the home side the lead, before ex-Swansea forward Jason Scotland equalised on the half hour. It was then the turn of ex-Cardiff favourite, Michael Chopra, to give Ipswich the lead before Peter Whittingham sealed a point for the Bluebirds from the penalty spot.

There was a stalemate in the air at Turf Moor for almost 100 minutes – but the points were nicked by Reading just before the bell. The dark recesses of extra time were lit up by Jem Karacan’s strike, the Turkish midfielder only on because of a nasty-looking injury to Jay Tabb, who was stretchered off in a neck brace after being struck in the face by a clearance.

Ashton Gate watched on as BristolCity lost 2-1 to Peterborough. George Boyd gave the visitors the lead on 51 minutes, Lee Tomlin doubled it on 72 and Marvin Elliott got a consolation for the home side ten minutes later.

Brighton and Hull played out a 0-0 at The Amex. Both sides remain in the play-off places but lose pace on West Ham in second.