ALLARDYCE ON COSTA: "Defenders not to get involved with how he might upset them!"

Diego Costa is immense and it's a simple as that. His style of play, his work rate and his goals has taken the Premier League by storm. Love him or loathe him, you would want him to be playing for your team!

Sam Allardyce spoke to the media yesterday ahead of tonight's game at Upton Park and was keen to emphasise to his defenders that they must get wound up by Costa or become agitated because it will only inspire the Spanish striker to play better!

He said:

"We're not to get involved with him, our central defenders are not to get involved with how he might upset them.

People say he's an old-fashioned centre forward because he seems to get motivated by the physical and niggly aspect of it so we're not to get involved in that.

I don't think it winds him up -- it winds him up to make him better which is a silly thing to do.

He winds defenders up too, he'll do a bit of digging and niggling himself which is all part of how good he is.

He's one of many we need to shackle down and if we are to keep him quiet we need to limit the service that is given to him.

You can tag him for quite a while in some cases and then all of a sudden he pops up and however he seems to score it seems to go in the back of the net.

That might be good fortune or his expertise as a finisher -- he can head them in, scuff them in, mis-kick them in, hit them in sweet, hit them in through the legs, deflect them in off the defender -- it shows his great ability to score goals.

He has scored all types of goals throughout the season, which is why he looks like one of the few who can go better than the 20-mark in one season."

He is spot on isn't he. Costa does wind up defenders because as we have heard when he first met up with his new team mates back in the summer, he came here to fight.

In his interviews we have read and seen on TV, Costa always talks of the team, fighting and working for the team because that is what comes first and it's a fantastic attitude to have.

I sincerely hope that he manages to wind up the West Ham defence tonight because we need him at his best to get another all important three points!

Having already made an important contribution to our season and scoring on his first final appearance, Diego Costa will continue to do so between now and the end of the season because that's just the player he is!

Come on West Ham, wind him up!