The manager is focused on an important spell starting with the trip to Ewood
Park
08.12.2007
Alan Curbishley is looking forward to a "massive week" for West Ham United
starting with the trip to Blackburn Rovers on Sunday.
With Carling Cup and league contests against Everton to come at home on
Wednesday and Saturday respectively, Curbishley said he was only interested
in the task at hand. "This is a really big week and as far as I am
concerned, nothing is going to get in the way of that," he said. "We could
find ourselves at the end of it in the top half of the league and in a
semi-final."
In stressing that he was focusing first and foremost on Blackburn,
Curbishley admitted he was hoping for a similar result to the confidence
boost gained with last March's trip to Ewood Park - a key turning point in
ensuring top-flight survival. The Hammers came away with a 2-1 victory,
having seemed down and out after 4-0 and 4-3 defeats by Charlton Athletic
and Tottenham Hotspur in the previous two games.
"I think two things happened when we went to Blackburn last year," the
manager said. "We managed to keep the same side from the Spurs game and we
got a bit of luck." In recalling Bobby Zamora's winning goal, which hit
Carlos Tevez but was adjudged to have crossed the line, he added it "gave us
a lift at the right time".
That was the first of seven wins in nine games, and Curbishley recalled: "We
got the result up at Blackburn and it spun it around for us - it give us a
chance. We took full advantage of it. We played well against Spurs but we
needed three points desperately. Only wins would do. Whatever situation we
found ourselves in we knew we had to go for three points. Obviously this
weekend is a little bit different. There is a lot to play for."
Despite the significant competition for places in Curbishley's squad, last
season's hero Zamora will again be absent as he continues to recover from a
knee injury. Although he has not featured since 28 August, there is the
prospect of seeing him back in action sooner rather than later,. "It is only
now that he's working and it is not swelling up. We are hopeful that he gets
through the next week or so and then he may be back in full training."
The manager added that Lee Bowyer was "touch and go" for the weekend after
his hernia operation but could return for midweek. With regard to Mark
Noble, another to have missed out last weekend, Curbishley was pleased he
was ready and willing to fight for his place. "I said to him the competition
is there now. Scott Parker is back, Hayden Mullins is playing well and that
is part and parcel of being at a Premier League club. He has accepted that
and got on with it."
Curbishley reiterated his delight at the strength in his squad, especially
as three games in six days is likely to mean rotation. While he is now
reaping the benefits of the experienced international-class players like
Lucas Neill, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker acquired for last season's
run-in, he paid tribute to those already at the club who have taken their
chance - not least Carlton Cole and Mullins. "Players have grabbed the
opportunity. It is amazing what confidence can do."
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Ferdinand on way back to fitness - WHUFC
Alan Curbishley expects his young defender to be back in contention very
soon
08.12.2007
Alan Curbishley has spoken about Anton Ferdinand's desire to get fit and
earn a return to the West Ham United starting lineup.
The manager revealed the talented 22-year-old had made a real effort over
the summer and in the early part of the season. He had arrived back at the
club on a high after impressing for England in their run to the European
Under-21 Championship semi-finals - and carried on in similar fashion at
Chadwell Heath. "He came in a lot stronger, a lot fitter and, with the
competition here at centre-back, he started the season," the manager said.
Although initially picked ahead of Danny Gabbidon and James Collins,
Ferdinand was then frustrated by a hamstring setback at the end of October
that allowed the ever-reliable Gabbidon to come in and forge a formidable
partnership with Matthew Upson. Despite that disappointment, Curbishley
explained the homegrown talent was "now just concentrating on getting fit",
adding: "I think he is hoping to have a clean slate and a clear run at it
now."
The club is renowned for producing talented youngsters through the Academy
and Curbishley believed there was no bar to what his young No5 could go on
to achieve with West Ham United. "He has got so much ability that it could
take him wherever he wants to go," he said. "But it is all right talking
about it, you have got to go and do it." With Ferdinand due back in training
in the next week and with the games coming thick and fast, it is likely he
will get a chance to shine again sooner rather than later.
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Curbs wants an end to antics - SSN
Hammers boss hopes defender has changed his ways
By James Pearson Last updated: 7th December 2007
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley hopes Anton Ferdinand has put his off-field
problems behind him in order to fulfil his potential. The Hammers defender
is being tipped for a big future in the game, although Curbishley believes
numerous incidents have hindered his progress. Ferdinand was last month
acquitted on assault charges dating back to an incident outside an Ilford
nightclub in October 2006, while he also defied club orders in travelling to
USA, which resulted in a club fine. Curbishley has been pleased with the
defender's attitude change this season after cementing his place in The
Hammers' backline despite intense competition for places. "I think the penny
dropped in the summer that football needed to be his number one priority,"
stated Curbishley. "We noticed a change in him in pre-season. He came in
looking at lot stronger and a lot fitter. Despite the competition at
centre-back, he started the season in the team.
"Hopefully that will carry on off the field and in the way he sets about his
profession. Everyone knew the consequences if the verdict went against him.
I think he's hoping now to have a clean slate. "If that's the case, I hope
that football does become his number one priority because he has got so much
ability that it could take him wherever he wants to go. "It's alright
talking about it, but you've got to go and do it."
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West Ham boss: Ferdinand must avoid party lifestyle
tribalfooball.com - December 07, 2007
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley wants Anton Ferdinand to ignore the
popstar lifestyle of modern day football. Curbishley said: "I think the
penny dropped that football needed to be his priority. Everyone knew the
consequences if the verdict went against him. I think he's hoping now to
have a clean slate. I hope that football does become his priority because he
has got so much ability that it could take him wherever he wants to go. One
of the lessons is not to get into a situation before it arises."
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Hughes tells boo-boys to keep quiet - lep.co.uk
Mark Hughes has told fans to quit baiting contract rebel Lucas Neill on his
big return to Ewoood Park. The former Blackburn Rovers defender moved to
West Ham last season after turning down moves to Liverpool or Tottenham
Hotspur. Neill is on a reputed £80,000 a week at Upton Park and returns to
Ewood Park on Sunday for the first time since his controversial switch to
East London. But Blackburn boss Hughes told the Daily Mail: "It won't faze
Lucas, it's a waste of effort. It was the same with Craig Bellamy. They have
moved on and so have we, everybody gets on with their lives. But sometimes
supporters like to vent a bit of anger and don't pass up an opportunity."
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CURBS: DO IT ALL ROVER AGAIN - The Mirror
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE Blackburn v West Ham, tomorrow, 4pm
By Darren Lewis 08/12/2007
The last time Alan Curbishley led West Ham into battle against Blackburn he
was fighting to save his job and to keep the Hammers in the Premier League.
Fast forward nine months, however, and the former Charlton boss is in far
more relaxed mood having steadied the ship, revamped the squad and coped
with the customary clutch of injuries that comes with managing West Ham. Key
to his mood is a phantom goal credited to Bobby Zamora which turned the tide
and sparked a run of seven wins in their last nine matches. The win over
Rovers had come after crushing defeats against Charlton and Spurs which left
many people convinced relegation was a certainty. Curbishley said: "When we
went to Blackburn last year we managed to keep the same side, which I don't
think we did for most of the time I had been at the club. "Also we had a
bit of luck which we took full advantage of in terms of the Bobby Zamora
goal. It just gave us a lift at the right time because after the Charlton
and Spurs games we were rock-bottom. It spun it around for us. So we took
full advantage of it. Obviously this time around it is very different as
there are only around 15 games gone and there is a lot to play for. But we
were running out of games at that stage last season. "The change in the
players' confidence was incredible and we then kept a settled side which was
a big boost."
Curbishley enjoyed the unstinting support of chairman Eggert Magnusson at
the time - but he admitted that in the trigger-happy climate of this season
he might not have been so lucky. He added: "Only recently I did 15 years at
Charlton now the new man gets 15 games. "Sam Allardyce did 10 years at
Bolton. Sammy Lee got 10 games. Paul Jewell did seven years at Wigan and
Chris Hutchings got seven games. "If you don't win for three or four games
you become a clown or a donkey. It's crazy what's going on."
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Fans told to lay off boos for 'Lucash' - The Mirror
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE Blackburn v West Ham, tomorrow, 4pm SPARKY'S STARK
WARNING
Alan Nixon 08/12/2007
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has told Rovers fans to cut out the booing for
old boy Lucas Neill tomorrow. Neill's Ewood Park return with West Ham last
season was greeted by hate-filled jeers for most of a vital and
controversial Hammers win as the supporters let the player they dub 'Lucash'
know what they felt about his leaving. The tough Australia defender quit
Blackburn for West Ham when they offered him a massive deal with their
newfound wealth and January's £15million move left a bad taste with many.
But boss Hughes knows enough about Neill to realise it will only stir the
Hammers skipper up rather than put him off. Hughes said: "Lucas got a bit
of grief last time, but it's something you just have to get on with. "It
won't faze Lucas, nothing ever did. It's a waste of effort. "Lucas did great
service and great things in his time here. It was the same with Craig
Bellamy. They have moved on and so have we, everybody gets on with their
lives. But sometimes supporters like to vent a bit of anger and don't pass
up an opportunity."
Neill, 29, still has mates in the Rovers team and Aussie pal Brett Emerton
agrees with his manager that the defender will not be bothered - and should
not be given the stick he is likely to get. Emerton said: "I think that was
a bit harsh last season. Lucas was here for many years and he gave 100 per
cent for this club each and every time. "Hopefully they will give him a
warmer welcome. Lucas is a strong character, I honestly don't think it would
upset him too much anyway."
Rovers have a record to put straight today after a shocking linesman's
decision gave Bobby Zamora the 'goal that never was' when the ball did not
cross the line and West Ham won 2-1 to start their run for safety last
March. Hughes and his players are still in shock over that call which hit
their hopes of straight entry to the UEFA Cup - and they do not want a
repeat. The manager said: "It was a crazy day and we all remember it. From
that point on West Ham lost very few games and got a bit of momentum going."
Emerton added: "I think after that game West Ham went on a very good run
that kept them up. "Now they have a stronger squad and they are one of the
teams we have got to battle with for a European place."
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Baros on way to West Ham
tribalfooball.com - December 07, 2007
Milan Baros' agent has denied media reports that the former Liverpool and
Aston Villa striker will join West Ham United in the transfer window. The
26-year-old - who was top scorer at the 2004 European Championships - has
struggled to make an impact at Lyon since joining last season, mostly used
as a late substitute when fit, and has been linked with a move since the
summer. His agent Pavel Paska told Sport: "I can definitely rule out that
Lyon would be offering Milan to anyone." Wigan, Middlesbrough and Birmingham
have all been linked with the striker who joined Lyon in a part-exchange
deal with Aston Villa for John Carew in January 2007 and has since only
scored six goals in 23 matches
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They Helped West Ham Survive, But Now Tottenham Are Officially In A
Relegation Battle -0 caughtoffside.com
December 7, 2007
Too good to go down. Too big to be relegated. All have been uttered in the
past about clubs who eventually plummeted into the lower leagues. Most
notably the talented West Ham team that included the likes of Joe Cole. Even
last season, West Ham again made it through by the skin of their teeth
despite having shelled out plenty of cash on expensive stars. Ironically, it
was Spurs' gutting 4-3 win over the Hammers that many say spurred them on to
stay up.
But this season the tables have been rather dramatically turned, with Spurs
boss Juande Ramos admitting what many fans may still have been hiding from,
"It's the reality," said Ramos. "At the moment we are closer to relegation
than we are to the European places. "So we're left with no alternative but
to fight against this and get as many points as possible. "And if we're
capable of coming out of this situation we will think about something
better. But at this moment this is the reality." "It's of massive importance
that my players don't think they're too good to go down but concentrate on
winning some games and then looking up the table," he said. "Good results
help players restore their confidence and from then on we will see if we're
capable of doing something better.
"Let's get to mid-table first and then we will have to think about going a
bit higher. But at this moment the situation is much more delicate than it
seems. We are at the bottom of the table." Good that he's trying to ground
the players as its harder to get out of a relegation scrap if delusions of a
top six finish still dance around in your head. But if history is anything
to go by, the last minute home loss to Birmingham may serve as the wake up
call that their players needed.
Just as West Ham.
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Hammers boss warns Ferdinand to ditch the 'pop star' lifestyle - Daily Mail
Last updated at 18:53pm on 7th December 2007
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley warned Anton Ferdinand must shun the "pop
star" lifestyle and put football first - night and day - if he is ever going
to fulfil his vast potential. The former England Under-21 defender was last
month acquitted on assault charges dating back to an incident outside an
Ilford nightclub in October 2006. Earlier this year, Ferdinand was fined by
West Ham for travelling to the USA for a birthday party having told the club
he was visiting his sick grandmother on the Isle of Wight. Curbishley is
confident Ferdinand has learned his lesson and believes that, with the right
attitude, the 22-year-old can go on to join his brother Rio in the England
set-up. "I think the penny dropped in the summer that football needed to be
his number one priority and that everything else didn't count for too much,"
said Curbishley. "We noticed a change in him in pre-season. He came in
looking at lot stronger and a lot fitter. Despite the competition at
centre-back, he started the season in the team. "Hopefully that will carry
on off the field and in the way he sets about his profession. "Everyone knew
the consequences if the verdict went against him. I think he's hoping now to
have a clean slate and a clear run at it. "If that's the case, I hope that
football does become his number one priority because he has got so much
ability that it could take him wherever he wants to go. "It's alright
talking about it, but you've got to go and do it."
Ferdinand will not feature in Sunday's game against Blackburn but is
expected to return to full training next week after shaking a niggling
hamstring injury.
Ferdinand admitted recently the pressure of the court case had got to him
but he added: "My head's clear and I just can't wait to start playing
again." Curbishley has held up Ferdinand's trial and tribulations as a
valuable lesson and a blunt warning to all young footballers who find
themselves blinded by the trappings of fame and fortune. "The modern
footballer is the new pop star," said Curbishley. "Football is such high
profile, with the financial elements and everything mixed into it, and we
are talking about young men seeing a lot of things early. "They have to
handle it. One of the lessons is not to get into a situation before it
arises. "Perhaps that is what the young footballer should be looking at -
don't put yourself on offer because there will only be one loser and that is
the player." And Curbishley added: "Those pop stars soon fade away when they
don't reach number one or bring a good album out. There is no mercy and
football is like that. "If you don't produce, especially in this league, you
soon fall by the wayside."
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Rangers want West Ham man - Sportigo
Wed, Dec 5, 07 14:35
Mark Apostolou
A host of clubs are planning a £2.5m raid for West Ham striker Bobby Zamora
in January (Daily Express). Zamora, 26, has found himself far down the Upton
Park pecking order and hasn't played since August. Top of the list of
potential suitors are Celtic, Rangers and Sunderland, all of whom see the
former Spurs man as a worthy addition to their squads. West Brom and Fulham
are also apparently interested. Alan Curbishley is keen to sell off squad
members in order to gain funds to re-invest during the transfer window. I am
sure Zamora will leave before January closes and a move to Scotland would
appear the wisest.
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