The impressive form of Scott Parker and Hayden Mullins has fired up Mark
Noble
18.12.2007
Mark Noble is eager to win back his place in the West Ham United starting
lineup but admitted to WHUTV that he has a fight on his hands.
The 20-year-old midfielder had missed out on the three previous fixtures
before Saturday's home game against Everton, but was an energetic presence
when he came on for last 30 minutes. Noble lost his spot in the side
initially because of injury but, since recovering, has had to bide his time
because of the impressive form of Scott Parker and Hayden Mullins.
"I have come back from my hernia operation and Hayden and Scotty have been
playing well," he told WHUTV. "Hopefully I will get my chance soon and get
my place back and crack on and play as well as I can do." Noble will hope to
have done enough to be in the manager's thoughts for the trip to
Middlesbrough next Saturday, when the club look to maintain their impressive
away run.
Alan Curbishley's faith in Noble was underlined at the weekend when, with
Everton one-up, he sent on the youngster to try and add some attacking
impetus. "He just said - 'Go on and do what you can. Get involved in the
game' and it was nice to get on and get playing again.
"Obviously I am disappointed with the result, I think all the boys are but
we have got to pick it up and get a result at Boro next week. We had a few
chances. We really piled it on the second half but they defended well and we
couldn't get a goal. We didn't take our chances in the first half which paid
at the end of the game."
Noble, who said he didn't think "injuries are to blame" for two defeats in a
week by Everton at the Boleyn Ground, added that he fully expected the club
to start picking up more points at home to go with the fine away form.
"Sometimes it works like that - towards the end of last season our home form
was unbelievable. We were just punishing teams but it works like that and we
are trying our best to change it around.
"We have got enough players, we have got enough ability to be beating the
likes of Everton at home. Obviously the fans will stick by us and we will
always get a good travelling away support. We just need to pick up our
points at home and then I am sure we will be all right."
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Cup tie puts youths centre stage - WHUFC
Tony Carr's side welcome Bolton Wanderers to the Boleyn Ground on Wednesday
18.12.2007
West Ham United will play Bolton Wanderers in the FA Youth Cup third round
on Wednesday at the Boleyn Ground.
The 7pm fixture, which has to be played to a finish on the night, is the
first match in this season's competition for Tony Carr's Under-18 side. The
2007/08 edition began with the preliminary round back in September before
the first and second rounds were played. The winners of the tie will have a
home tie against Port Vale in the fourth round, after their 4-0 defeat of
Swansea City last week.
The two sides do not meet regularly because Bolton compete in Group C of the
Premier Academy League, while West Ham United are involved in the
eleven-team Group A. The clubs have met twice in the past ten seasons. West
Ham United recording a 2-1 home win in an 1998/99 play-off game and drawing
0-0 in an inter-group game in the 2005/06 season, in a match played at
Leyland FC.
West Ham United have won the FA Youth Cup on three previous occasions -
1963, 1981 and 1999. The most recent success saw a 9-0 aggregate defeat of
Coventry City, when a team inspired by Joe Cole and Michael Carrick turned
on the style - particularly in the 6-0 second-leg win at the Boleyn Ground.
Only Manchester United and Arsenal with nine and six triumphs respectively
have a better overall record in the competition with West Ham United also
finishing as runners-up on four occasions. The competition dates back to the
1952/53 campaign.
Tickets for the Bolton fixture will be £3 for adults and £1 for concessions.
Doors open at 6pm, with fans advised to go to Dr Martens Stand Lower
turnstiles 13, 14 and 15. Return to whufc.com later for a full match
preview.
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Curbs holds England fear - SSN
West Ham boss feels McClaren will be last home-grown national team coach
Last updated: 18th December 2007
Alan Curbishley fears an Englishman may never take charge of the national
team again. Fabio Capello's appointment as Steve McClaren's replacement has
largely met with a positive reaction, but Curbishley is concerned about the
effect on English coaches. The West Ham United boss, who was a contender for
the England job in 2006, is pessimistic about a home-grown candidate
replacing Capello in the future. "Steve McClaren sheltering under his
umbrella as England lost to Croatia last month may well be the last image we
have of a national manager from this country," said Curbishley in his Daily
Express column. That's it, I don't believe we will ever give the job to
anybody from England again. "The FA have made the position redundant as far
as an English manager is concerned. A proud tradition may well have come to
an end." Capello is looking to appoint an English coach to his backroom
staff, but Curbishley has suggested promoting Under 21 boss Stuart Pearce
would be a bad idea. He added: "The grooming of Pearce, for instance, would
be the only workable way one of us could be included in international
management. But it can't work. "Why? Until a manager becomes in charge of a
top-four side, he just won't get the vital experience that he so desperately
needs. "If Stuart is promoted it means he has to forsake the Under 21s where
he would have gained the knowledge of the international game, and of younger
players - those who should be groomed for the senior side. It's an important
role in English football. "Champions League football in this country is
contested by men who are not English, so you tell me how an English manager
gets the necessary experience to step into an international job."
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Freddie headache hits Curbs - SSN
Midfielder set for two weeks out after migraine attack
By James Dall Last updated: 17th December 2007
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley has been dealt another injury blow with
the news that Freddie Ljungberg has suffered a migraine attack. Curbishley's
side has been plagued with injuries this season, with Ljungberg's absence
adding to The Hammers boss' woes. The summer signing from Arsenal - who has
had issues with migraines in past - confirmed that he is likely to be
sidelined for up to two weeks. "I feel fit at the moment although I've had a
migraine again. It always takes me about 10 days to two weeks to get over
one," he said in the Daily Mirror. Curbishley admits that he is at a loss as
to the reason behind West Ham's injury problems this season. "Maybe it is
just one of those things. Who knows?" he said.
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Painstil's West Ham future hangs in the balance - ghanaweb
Ghana defender John Paintsil has been given the strongest warning yet that
he could be offloaded by the English Premier League side next month. The
26-year-old defender, arrived at Upton Park in 2006 after starring for Ghana
in their run to knockout stages of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. But since
the departure of coach Alan Pardew last season the Ghanaian has struggled to
gain fist team place. Pantsil played his first premiership game in almost a
year for the Hammers he came on as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Bolton
last month. He was given his first Premiership action in almost a year
because the club were facing serious injury crisis. Even though the injury
crisis is mounting at the club Paintsil is still unable to hold a first team
position. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley says he will dip into the January
transfer market if their poor luck on the injury front continues meaning,
making the postion of Painstil untenable at the club. "It is something we
have got to discuss. With so many players not available it is very difficult
to see where you start and we found last year how difficult it is to do
things in the window," Curbishley said. "But if it gets any more critical it
is something we have to think about." As new players are set to recruited,
Painstil will be pushed further back in the pecking order. West Ham will be
forced to offload him to cut down on their huge wage budget.
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