Big Sam shows Cardiff the way

West Ham United 2 Cardiff City 0

Tan expects to have spent €40m on new players by the time the transfer window closes on September 2 but his side, who were convincing winners of the Championship last season, looked short a cutting edge at Upton Park as they slid to a 2-0 defeat without even managing a shot on target.

Well-taken goals from Joe Cole after 13 minutes, turning neatly on a cut-back from Matt Jarvis, and then from Kevin Nolan after 76, sweeping home elegantly at the end of a move engineered by Mark Noble, gave West Ham a deserved victory and despite some neat interplay in midfield Cardiff rarely threatened to make a game of it.