All the team news and background for Saturday's third-round home tie
03.01.2008
FA Cup third round
West Ham United v Manchester City
Saturday 5 January
3pm
WHUTV - Full audio commentary, plus Alan Curbishley's pre-match press
conference.
Introduction
The meeting of two of the Premier League's form clubs this season is sure to
be a competitive affair. West Ham United are three-time cup winners in 1964,
1975 and 1980. The club also played in the 1923 and 2006 finals - the latter
being the most memorable in recent history after a 3-3 draw culminated in a
3-1 win by Liverpool on penalties. City, currently six places higher in the
Barclays Premier League than the tenth-placed Hammers, lifted the trophy in
1904, 1934, 1956 and 1969, while they lost out on four occasions in 1926,
1933, 1955 and 1981.
Should a replay be required, it will be staged on Wednesday 16 January at
the City of Manchester Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm. The fourth-round draw will
be held from 1.30pm on Monday 7 January. Return to whufc.com for latest
updates.
Team news
Alan Curbishley is hopeful that Matthew Etherington and Lee Bowyer will
return while there is also every chance of youth internationals James
Tomkins and Jack Collison again being involved with the first team after the
2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day. Anton Ferdinand will hope for
another 90 minutes after his return from a hamstring injury. John Pantsil
and Henri Camara are due to go off to the African Cup of Nations after the
fixture.
Aside from the possible comebacks of Bowyer and Etherington, the manager
expects to largely have the same squad that travelled to the Emirates
Stadium after beating Manchester United last weekend - although Scott
Parker, Nolberto Solano and Freddie Ljungberg are all likely to miss out. A
number of other players - including Julien Faubert - are on the fringes of
selection and some could feature in a reserve game at Aston Villa on Monday.
Manchester City have playmaker Elano fit again, after he scored in the 2-0
victory at Newcastle United on Wednesday. The club have pledged to be active
in the transfer window with Mexico striker Nery Castillo in the frame for
his debut after his switch from Shakhtar Donetsk. City's only main injury
concern is Michael Johnson, with the England Under-21 midfielder having
missed the last four games with a groin injury. Valeri Bojinov, who played
in City's 2-0 win at the Boleyn Ground on the first day of the season, is
still out with a long-term knee problem.
Background
Having memorably won 2-1 at City in the FA Cup en route to the 2005/06
final, West Ham United will hope for similar this time around. Only Danny
Gabbidon, James Collins, Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington, Dean Ashton
and Bobby Zamora of the current squad featured in that quarter-final on 20
March 2006, with Ashton scoring both goals in the 41st and 69th minutes. For
City, current players Micah Richards, Richard Dunne, Sun Jihai, Stephen
Ireland, Darius Vassell all featured - with former midfielder Kiki Musampa
scoring their consolation.
The only other FA Cup meeting between the clubs came in the 1997/98 fourth
round, when goals from Eyal Berkovic (28) and Steve Lomas (76) cancelled out
Georgi Kinkladze's 59th-minute opener.
The 2007/08 league season started with City's trip to the Boleyn Ground and
was the first game in charge for new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Rolando
Bianchi (18) and Geovanni (87) scored both goals.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney (Ashton 63),
Ljungberg, Bowyer (Mullins 46), Noble, Boa Morte (Etherington 46), Zamora,
Bellamy
Subs not used: Wright, Gabbidon
Manchester City: Schmeichel, Richards, Corluka (Onuoha 62), Dunne, Garrido,
Elano (Geovanni 80), Hamann, Johnson, Petrov, Ireland, Bianchi (Bojinov 61)
Subs not used: Hart, Gelson
Curbishley's current side are in fine league form, with five wins and four
draws from the last 12 fixtures. The only three reverses came against strong
opposition in the form of Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal, whiile the club took
a respectable seven points from the four Christmas fixtures. A 2-1 win at
Middlesbrough on 22 December was followed by the 1-1 draw against Reading
and the 2-1 victory against Manchester United. The unbeaten run came to a
halt in the 2-0 loss at Arsenal.
The Hammers have still not lost in all nine league games this season when
they have taken the lead while the Boro and United successes were the first
two comeback wins of the campaign. George McCartney is bidding to make his
25th appearance this season in all competitions - and is the only West Ham
United player who has featured in every game to date, starting in each one.
In terms of the Premier League, only Robert Green and Upson have played
every minute of the 20 matches. Ashton, with five goals, is the club's
leading scorer in all competitions.
For City, only Martin Petrov has started every top-flight game this season,
although Vedran Corluka has appeared in each fixture. Elano with six goals,
five in the league, is the club's top scorer. The 2-0 win on the opening day
was one of only two away wins in the league this season - the second came in
the midweek 2-0 win at Newcastle. City have not lost in their last five
league games - three of which have been drawn - since 9 December.
Head to head (last six meetings, league unless stated)
11 August 2007 - West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
30 December 2006 - West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City
23 September 2006 - Manchester City 2-0 West Ham United
15 April 2006 - West Ham United 1-0 Manchester City
20 March 2006 - Manchester City 1-2 West Ham United (FA Cup)
16 October 2005 - Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United
Overall record v Manchester City (all competitions): W 34, D 12, L 37
Third-round fixtures
Saturday 5 January (All 3pm unless stated)
Aston Villa Manchester United (5.15pm)
Barnsley v Blackpool
Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City
Bolton v Sheffield United
Brighton and Hove Albion v Mansfield Town
Bristol City v Middlesbrough
Charlton Athletic v West Bromwich Albion
Chasetown v Cardiff City
Chelsea v Queen's Park Rangers
Colchester United v Peterborough United
Everton v Oldham Athletic
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Ipswich Town v Portsmouth
Norwich City v Bury
Plymouth Argyle v Hull City
Preston North End v Scunthorpe United
Southampton v Leicester City
Southend United v Dagenham & Redbridge
Sunderland v Wigan Athletic
Swansea City v Havant and Waterlooville
Swindon Town v Barnet
Tottenham Hotspur v Reading
Tranmere Rovers v Hereford United
Walsall v Millwall
Watford v Crystal Palace
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Cambridge United
Sunday 6 January
Burnley v Arsenal (2pm)
Derby County v Sheffield Wednesday (2pm)
Fulham v Bristol Rovers (2pm)
Luton Town v Liverpool (4pm)
Stoke City v Newcastle United (6pm)
Key FA Cup dates
Fourth round: Saturday 26 January
Fifth round: Saturday 16 February
Sixth round: 8 March
Semi-finals: 5 April
Final: 17 May (Wembley)
General information
For latest ticket news, click here. For details of getting to the Boleyn
Ground, click here
Weather: The forecast is for a chilly and overcast day in east London, with
rain possible. The temperature is set to peak at around 10C.
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Carr driven by developing players - WHUFC
Tony Carr was delighted to see two more of his Academy charges make the
first-team step
04.01.2008
The emergence this week of Jack Collison and James Tomkins thrilled no one
more than Academy director Tony Carr.
The youth-team supremo was delighted to see the 19-year-old Collison and
18-year-old Tomkins progress through the ranks to the first team and is
hopeful the pair might both be involved against Manchester City in the FA
Cup third round on Saturday. They could also be joined by Kyel Reid, the
20-year-old winger who made his mark earlier this season.
"They are both in the squad again and it will be great if they are on the
bench," said Carr. "They may even get a start, who knows?" Their emergence
meant there were four Academy graduates who faced Arsenal on New Year's Day,
with Anton Ferdinand and Mark Noble also playing a part. While defender
Tomkins did not get called upon, midfielder Collison played for nearly an
hour - much to Carr's delight.
"It was a difficult game to come on - 2-0 down at the Emirates and you have
got to come on and show what you can do. It was a fantastic experience for
him and you can't buy that. He can only go on from there now. It is another
first for him and it is great for the Academy."
Having had the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe
Cole, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson under his charge over the years, it is
clear Carr knows a thing or too about developing youngsters. The progress
made by Collison and Tomkins is something he has used this week to motivate
- were it even needed - the Academy talents hoping to follow in such
illustrious footsteps.
"I said 'that's how close you are, if you are good enough' - it was a great
reminder to the young players. Jack played a game with us two or three weeks
ago and he was playing with those same players. That's how close they are to
the first team. The bottom line is they have got to be good enough but if
you are there is a route. There is other clubs that can't say that."
West Ham United, like Saturday's first-team opponents Manchester City, are
gaining plenty of attention for producing the stars of tomorrow - and with
the likes of defender Jordan Spence, midfielder Junior Stanislas and striker
Freddie Sears, there is more to come. "We call it the production line, we
call it the conveyor belt - that's what it is. It moves on and on," Carr
added.
"There are players in every year group who we feel have got a chance of
going the whole way. That's what we are about. Any youngster out there who
has got ambition to be a player - this is the club to be at."
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Captain's Blog - Up for the cup - WHUFC
Lucas Neill shares his weekly thoughts on life at West Ham United with
whufc.com
04.01.2008
Lucas Neill is relishing the opportunity to help the side avenge the
opening-day defeat by Manchester City. He also looks back to the fantastic
win against Manchester United with special mentions for goalscoring
defenders Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson, along with Mark Noble.
I would like to start this week's column by wishing everyone a very Happy
New Year. Beating Man United at home was a fantastic way to end 2007. Like I
said last week there was no reason why we couldn't beat them. It took a
spirited performance by the team and a great atmosphere generated by the
Upton Park faithful to turn a 1-0 defeat into a 2-1 victory but we once
again showed we can beat anyone on our day.
We have been threatening with set-pieces for a while now and in particular
Matthew Upson so it was great to see Matty get his first goal for the club
and top off a great first half of the season for him personally. Also credit
must go to super-sub Anton for coming on and scoring the equaliser against
his brother and giving him a boost of confidence after two unsettled months
coming back from injury.
I also thought Nobes put in a performance of note, he is one of the most
exciting English talents in the league at the moment and crucial to the
long-term future of this club. The victory over the champions capped off a
great Christmas period, taking seven points from nine, and it set us up
nicely for the trip to the Emirates.
The game plan against Arsenal went out of the window after 70 seconds and
although we created three good opportunities to get ourselves back in the
game, the second goal was the nail in our coffin even though it was 20
minutes into the game. That is not to say we threw in the towel, but
considering the amount of games we had played, there was just not enough
diesel left in the tank to come back from being 2-0 down against an in-form
team like Arsenal at the Emirates.
The intense Christmas schedule needs to be looked at, in my opinion, as both
teams were looking tired and although the intention to give it our all was
there, the fans paying to watch us play could not be blamed for feeling they
were not getting good value for money - although they were in good voice as
normal!
Special mentions must go to James Tomkins and Jack Collison. It must have
been very daunting to hear they were going to make their first appearances
on the bench against a team like Arsenal at a ground like the Emirates but
they took it all in their stride. Jack, in particular, came on to make his
debut in a tough setting and hopefully we will see more of them both in
2008.
Everybody loves the FA Cup and I am no different. We have a very tough game
this weekend and I welcome the staff, fans and players of Man City, once
again to Upton Park for this third-round tie. Until Wednesday, Man City had
struggled to win away from home and the last time they had won on the road
before that game was strangely enough the first game of the season against
us. I didn't play in that game but will still be relishing the fact I can
help my team mates exact some revenge for that disappointing season opener.
Wouldn't it be great if we could emulate the achievements of two years ago
in this competition when the club was two minutes away from winning the FA
Cup? But we need to take one game at a time and the only objective this
weekend is to make sure our name is in that hat for the next round of the
draw.
Thanks in advance for your support and here's to a successful second half of
the season.
Lucas Neill
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Cup connection inspires Noble - WHUFC
Mark Noble has plenty of reason to enjoy playing in the most famous
competition of all
04.01.2008
Mark Noble already has a special connection with the FA Cup and cannot wait
for West Ham United to get started on the road to Wembley this weekend.
The 20-year-old midfielder made his first-ever start for the club in the
competition - a 1-0 third-round win at Norwich City on 8 January 2005 - and
followed that up last season with his first goal at the same stage against
Brighton and Hove Albion, pouncing on a Carlos Tevez knockdown to fire in a
shot from 18 yards.
Aside from that notable contribution on 6 January 2007, the England Under-21
international was voted man of the match in a 3-0 victory. It was a clear
statement of what the young midfielder was capable of and surely led to Alan
Curbishley having confidence in the youngster for the crucial final ten
games of the season.
"I scored my first goal in the FA Cup and it would be nice to get another on
Saturday," Noble said as he looked forward to the visit of Manchester City.
"But the most important thing is to win and get through to the next stage.
If we can do that I am sure we will be happy. It is a great cup to have a
run in - it gets all the fans going and it is something to look forward to."
Noble is thoroughly enjoying being back in the starting eleven having had a
brief spell on the sidelines following a hernia operation. After being on
the bench for the previous three fixtures, he was delighted to figure from
the off in the 2-1 win and 2-0 loss against Manchester United and Arsenal
respectively. "It is nice to be back in the team," he said.
"To come back in against Man U and Arsenal is a big ask but I enjoyed it. I
am happy with my performances but we have got to crack on - we have got a
big game on Saturday. That is the main thing we have to look forward to
now."
Noble was part of the team that went down 2-0 to City at home on the first
day of the season, and he is well aware "they are doing really well" under
Sven-Goran Eriksson. However, he expects the home side to be a stronger
proposition this time around. "We nicked a great win against Man U at home
so we are trying to take that performance into the next home game on
Saturday. We will look to get into them and really crack on.
"It will be nice to have a little run in the cup. We have also got to
concentrate on the league as well. We are tenth and we have a good chance to
push on so it is all looking well for us at the minute."
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Zamora special in City programme - WHUFC
Bobby Zamora is the latest big name to reveal all in the matchday magazine
04.01.2008
Check out the matchday programme this Saturday for a special six-page
feature on Bobby Zamora.
The West Ham United striker speaks about closing in on a first-team return
after a knee injury, his future and his happiness at being regarded as the
squad joker.
Zamora also turns his attention to the FA Cup and his hopes of a Wembley
finale. "The FA Cup has such incredible history and prestige," he says. "It
was an honour to play in the 2006 final and something that the club is
determined to repeat again sooner rather than later."
Other special features in the Manchester City issue are:
# An extended Robert Green column on his hopes for 2008
# Club legend Alvin Martin recalls a past meeting with Manchester City
# Match action from the Christmas period
So don't forget to get your matchday programme in and around the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday. Alternatively you can contact Cre8 for subscription
information and back issues at the following address: Cre8 Ltd, The Old
Brewery, Priory Lane, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4SG. Alternatively, you can
email: subscriptions@cre8ing.com
Note: please do not send letters, cheques, cash or postal orders for
programmes to West Ham United.
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West Ham v Man City - BBC
Upton Park
Saturday 5 January
Third Round
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Referee: Rob Styles (Hampshire)
Replay: Wed, 16 January, 1945 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match
of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.
West Ham duo Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington could both return for the
tie with Manchester City. The pair have been back in training for more than
a week after injury, but Julien Faubert is not yet ready.
Mexico striker Nery Castillo could make his debut for Manchester City debut
after receiving international clearance following his year-long loan move.
City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has no new injury worries from the team that
defeated Newcastle on Wednesday.
West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Pantsil,
Mullins, Bowyer, Etherington, Camara, Spector, Noble, Collison, Cole,
Ashton, Wright, Tomkins.
Man City (from): Hart, Isaksson, Onuoha, Corluka, Sun, Dunne, Richards,
Garrido, Ball, Ireland, Hamann, Elano, Fernandes, Geovanni, Petrov, Mpenza,
Vassell, Bianchi, Samaras, Castillo.
BIG-MATCH FACTS
West Ham United welcome Manchester City to Upton Park for their first FA Cup
meeting since the quarter-final clash at Eastlands on 20 March 2006, which
the Hammers won 1-2, courtesy of two Dean Ashton goals. It was one stop on
the journey to the Millennium Stadium for the final with Liverpool, which
was drawn 3-3 after extra time and eventually won on a penalty shoot-out by
the Merseysiders.
This is one of four third round ties guaranteed to eliminate a quartet of
top-flight clubs.
The League ladder
Manchester City are six rungs higher than West Ham in the Premier League
table, in fourth place.
FA CUP RECORDS AND BEST PERFORMANCES
WEST HAM UNITED
Current form
Won three of the last seven.
Recent FA Cup performance
Not been knocked out in the third round since 1999-2000.
FA Cup fact
The second of West Ham's three cup final winning line-ups in 1975 was the
last to be comprised entirely of English born players.
MANCHESTER CITY
Current form
Undefeated in four. Won four of 12 on the road, and 10 of 13 at Eastlands.
Recent FA Cup performance
Quarter-finalists in each of the last two seasons.
The Manager
This is Sven-Goran Eriksson's first experience of FA Cup football, but he
has won five domestic cups in three different countries as a coach. He
guided IFK Gothenburg to the Swedish Cup in 1979 and Benfica to the
Portuguese Cup in 1983, as well as winning the Italian Cup with AS Roma in
1986, Sampdoria in 1994 and Lazio in 1998.
FA Cup fact
It's 39 years since City last won the cup for the fourth time in their
history.
HEAD to HEAD
All competitions
Manchester City won their last three Premier League meetings with West Ham,
including this season's equivalent visit to Upton Park on the opening day of
the season, when Rolando Bianchi and Geovanni scored in a 0-2 triumph.
FA Cup
The Hammers hold a 100% FA Cup record against City, of played two, won two,
both away, and both by 1-2 margins.
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West Ham Utd v Manchester City - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 4th January 2008
By: Matthew Coker
I'll kick off this FA Cup Preview with an apology for the lack of previews
for the last two games. I was a victim of the excesses of Christmas, where
the speed of games and the impossibility of trying to keep up with
opponent's results, form and injury lists during the busy period was just
beyond me.
A combination of this and my self imposed mission to eat my own bodyweight
in Quality Street has meant that I was only fit for spending the bit of the
Christmas break that didn't involve a West Ham game firmly encased on the
living room sofa.
However, if there is one thing that is guaranteed to get me back amongst the
land of the living, it is the FA Cup third round. This season's fiddling
around with the ball bag has seen us paired with Manchester City and it is
us that has the home advantage in a 3pm Saturday kick off.
The Blue Moonies
Obviously there are plenty of easier ties than this one to be involved in,
particularly at such an early stage of the competition. Our opponents are
one of the 16 Premier League clubs that are not considered worthy of Big
Four status but they currently sit 4th in the table, jostling with
Liverpool, Everton and Aston Villa for a finish that would see them qualify
for European competition next season.
There has been much nibbling of humble pie amongst the ranks of the press in
regard to City's manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, who has been in charge of the
club since the summer. A combination of City's good form, particularly at
home, and the cock up that Steve McClaren made as coach of the national team
has made the papers realise that perhaps they were wrong to be so critical
of the job that Eriksson's work at Soho Square.
He has made significant changes in personnel at City and there has been much
gushing over his purchases, particularly of the Brazilian, Elano and the
Bulgarian winger, Martin Petrov. However, it would be slightly simplistic to
claim that all the success has been bought as he has continued to pluck
talent from the club's academy as well as getting performances out of
existing players such as Dietmar Hamman and Micheal Ball that many
supporters would not have believed possible before this season.
The club also appears to be looking to the long term as many regular first
teamers were born in the (mid) eighties and those likely to feature against
us include Stephen Ireland, Vedran Corluka, Micah Richards, Gelson
Fernandes, Michael Johnson (if he's recovered from injury), Nedum Onuoha and
Joe Hart.
Despite all of the positives, there are one or two chinks in the armour. I'm
not sure if there was a misunderstanding at Sven's interview when he was
warned about playing away but they have struggled on the road. Of the ten
away league games that City have been involved in, they have only managed to
register two victories, the first of which was of course at the Boleyn back
on the opening day of the season and they also enjoyed a midweek success at
St James Park this weekend, putting Sam Allardyce under more pressure than
my trouser button, post the Christmas chocolates.
The away form slightly improves when you look at the Carling Cup, where they
managed to beat Bristol City and Bolton before coming a cropper at the
Quarter Final stage.
The side's strength lies in a resolute back line and a five man midfield
that allows them to pack the middle of the park and play quickly on the
break. The midfield has seen excellent performances from the likes of Elano
(who is now re-hitting his early season form) as well as Hamann, who is
displaying the benefits of his maturity and experience.
The forward line has been a slight disappointment and the club are currently
being linked with any striker available or otherwise including Johan
Elmander and Peter Crouch. The Italian, Rolando Bianchi is the top scoring
striker with 5 strikes in total (Elano is the overall top scorer with 6),
though Eriksson is currently favouring the pace of Darius Vassell to lead
his attack. This may change at the weekend with the acquisition of Mexican
striker, Nery Castillo, who has joined on a loan deal and is available to
face us.
Previous Encounters
For some reason, Manchester City seem to have a habit of bringing out the
very worst in West Ham in recent seasons. This season's opening day
performance was woeful, caused in part by a bit of a Curbs off day in terms
of opening line up and then all the re-shuffling that saw our biggest threat
on the day, Matty, ending up at left back.
Similarly, both of the encounters with the Blues last season were candidates
for the most effete showing in a West Ham shirt, the 2-0 at Eastlands was an
lacklustre effort that almost mirrored our first visit to their place and we
were similarly awful when we lost 1-0 at home.
Quite why this is the case is unclear to me, City are very much a side that
play good football and we have traditionally performed much better against
sides like this, as opposed to more physical opposition or teams that put
ten men behind the ball.
The optimists amongst us may point to our success against City in the cup as
indicative of us getting through on Saturday. While there is truth in the
fact that we beat them in the FA Cup in both 1998 and 2006, it is difficult
to see what lessons we can learn from those victories, with the time
elapsed. It is not as though we can count on a 1998 version of Steve Lomas
to settle the tie on Saturday, is it?
Devaluing the Cup
In West Ham's version of a New Year sale, ticket prices are down for this
one, not only for ourselves but also for the visitors. This has resulted in
me being turfed out of my usual standing position in the Centenary Lower and
being re-seated in the Centenary Upper (aka The Haribo Enclosure).
From this vantage point, I'm not confident about this. With it being
doubtful that we will have any of our walking wounded back for Saturday, we
are as far from full strength as Sampson was after getting a number one all
over at the barbers. I have a bad feeling the cup run will end on day one
and that City will continue to be a thorn in our side in a 2-1 defeat.
Enjoy the game.
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West Ham v Man City preview - SSN
City hoping for repeat of league victory at Upton Park
By James Pearson Last updated: 4th January 2008
PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com predicts: West Ham 1 Man City 0
SKY BET odds: West Ham 5/4 Draw 9/4 Man City 7/4
Manchester City will be hoping for a repeat of their Premier League win at
West Ham this weekend in the third round of the FA Cup. City kicked off Sven
Goran Eriksson's reign in charge of the Eastland club with an opening day
upset of The Hammers at Upton Park. Meanwhile, West Ham stunned Manchester
United in their last home game before slipping to a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on
New Year's Day. City are a side on the up having gone unbeaten in their last
four league outings, including a 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Wednesday.
West Ham's treatment room is clearing up and manager Alan Curbishley is
hoping to have midfielders Lee Bowyer (groin) and Matthew Etherington
(groin) available for the clash. The Hammers could well use the 4-5-1
formation that brought victory over The Red Devils, with either Carlton Cole
or Dean Ashton in a lone striker's role. Midfielders Scott Parker (knee),
Nolberto Solano (hamstring) and Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring) are all set to
miss out so youth internationals James Tomkins and Jack Collison could again
be on the bench. Anton Ferdinand will be hoping for another 90-minute run
out as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, although the game
comes too soon for the fit-again Julien Faubert.
City team news
Playmaker Elano is set to feature for City after confirming his fitness and
form with a goal in City's midweek win at St James' Park. On-loan Mexico
striker Nery Castillo will be hoping to make his debut after joining the
club from Shakhtar Donetsk in the transfer window. Midfielder Michael
Johnson is a doubt for Eriksson having missed the last four games with a
hamstring injury, while long-term injury victim Valeri Bojinov remains on
the sidelines. Gelson Fernandes could well be handed a start after scoring
his first goal for the club in the impressive midweek success over
Newcastle.
West Ham v Man City First Goalscorer: Bowyer 14/1
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Bowyer wants Hammers stay - SSN
Midfielder wants to remain at Upton Park for rest of career
Last updated: 4th January 2008
Lee Bowyer insists he wants to remain at West Ham for life as he prepares to
return to action against Manchester City in the FA Cup. Bowyer, now in his
second spell at the club, was in the Hammers side that lost 2-0 at home to
City on the opening day of the season. The midfielder later described the
match as the worst he had ever played in and that his own performance was
"unacceptable". But Bowyer turned his fortunes around by scoring four goals
in 10 league appearances before a hernia operation consigned him to the
treatment room. Boss Alan Curbishley is hoping to have Bowyer back against
Sven Goran Eriksson's side on Saturday - and the player has already set his
sights on ending his career with the club. Bowyer said: "I would like to
finish playing here. That would be my ideal; the icing on the cake for me
and my career. "I support the club, I love the club; always have and always
will. It will be the perfect scenario for me to finish at the club I love."
West Ham v Man City Anytime Goalscorer: Bowyer 5/1
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The injury situation improves slightly - Telegraph
Match Reporter - Fri Jan 4 2008
Matty Etherington and Lee Bowyer look set to return to the squad for the FA
Cup game. The pair who have 7 goals between them this season will be a major
boost to Alan Curbishley who said the pair had been in full training for the
last 9 days. Etherington has been missing since early December when he
injured his groin in the 1-0 win at Blackburn, whilst Bowyer has been
missing since the 5-0 thrashing of Derby where he hit a brace in early
November. Summer signing Julian Faubert who has yet to figure after a
pre-season achilles injury is expected to feature in the reserve game away
to Aston Villa on Monday. However Scott Parker, Nobby Solano and Freddie
Ljungberg are all still on the missing list which means youngsters James
Tomkins and Jake Collison will once again be involved. Henri Camara and new
fans favorite John Paintsil will both be involved before jetting off the the
African Nations Cup after the game.
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Ex West Ham striker an option - www.addickted.net
By Floyd
Friday 4th January 2008
Charlton are setting their sights on Marlon Harewood, according to The
Times. The Villa forward, has had offers to move on loan to several clubs in
the top flight, including Derby and Middlesbrough. Charlton have also shown
interest. The forward has not started a league match this season since
joining the club from West Ham in the summer, but Villa are keen to keep
hold of their £4million acquisition.
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West Ham v MANCHESTER CITY: Mexican striker Castillo to make City debut -
Daily Mail
Last updated at 15:15pm on 4th January 2008
Mexico striker Nery Castillo is in contention to make his Manchester City
debut in tomorrow's FA Cup third-round tie at West Ham. The 23-year-old has
had to wait patiently to make his City bow after his year-long loan move
from Shakhtar Donetsk last month, but manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has
confirmed he has received international clearance to play and he will travel
to Upton Park.
Otherwise Eriksson will choose from the same squad who claimed their second
away win of the season at Newcastle this week, with the Swede vowing to pick
his strongest possible XI.
Provisional squad: Hart, Isaksson, Onuoha, Corluka, Sun, Dunne, Richards,
Garrido, Ball, Ireland, Hamann, Elano, Fernandes, Geovanni, Petrov, Mpenza,
Vassell, Bianchi, Samaras, Castillo.
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West Ham FA Cup preview 04/01/2008 15:09 - mcfc.co.uk
City travel to Upton Park looking for their first win over the Hammers in
the FA Cup. The two clubs have only met in the world's most famous cup
competition on two previous occasions, firstly at Maine Road in January
1998. Georgi Kinkladze was on target for the Blues that day, but in an
ironic twist West Ham's goals came from two players with past & future City
connections. Eyal Berkovic bagged the first, but after Kinkladze had
equalised former City defender Steve Lomas popped up to grab the winner with
14 minutes to go. More recently, City went into their quarter final with
Alan Pardew's side in March 2006 with high hopes, but a pair from Dean
Ashton either side of half time devastated the home fans. Kiki Musampa's
late goal gave hope but it wasn't enough and the best cup run in several
years was over. But on a more positive note, that was the last time the East
Enders beat the Blues. We did the double last season, with a 2-0 win at home
being followed by a 1-0 in a rainstorm at Upton Park between Christmas and
New Year.
Even better was to come on the first day of this season, when Sven-Goran
Eriksson's new-look side went ahead after just 18 minutes thanks to
debutante Rolando Bianchi, pictured celebrating. The win was sealed by
another newcomer, Geovanni, just before the end but the Brazilian was
indebted to some silky skills from Nedum Onuoha, proof that the new arrivals
and the old hands had already gelled. Overall, City have the best of the
head to head with the Hammers over the years, with 37 wins to 34, with 12
games drawn.
Live commentary will be available from Upton Park via MCFCTV.com, and
mcfc.co.uk will have a full match report followed by reaction after the
game.
Tim Oscroft
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Dean Ashton must prove worth to West Ham - telegraph
By Vicki Hodges
Last Updated: 9:50am GMT 04/01/2008
Dean Ashton could seek a move away from West Ham in the transfer window
after manager Alan Curbishley warned that he is not afraid to leave the
striker on the bench. The 24-year-old has grown frustrated at his lack of
first-team opportunities having failed to start their last two matches
against Arsenal and Manchester United. Curbishley has opted to select
Carlton Cole ahead of Ashton in a 4-5-1 formation against the Premier League
top two and has said that it is results that matter most rather than trying
to please every member of the squad. "It's all right playing against the
best teams but when you play them you have to do certain things tactically
and I thought we did it the best way," Curbishley said. "We played 4-5-1 at
Chelsea, kept it tight and were unlucky not to get something from the game.
We went 4-5-1 against Manchester United and won and then again away at
Arsenal, where we lost. But going to the Emirates is tough. "Carlton Cole is
best suited to being the lone striker, there's a lot or work to be done. I
spoke to Dean before the United game and he understood. There are no
problems. We want to get the results and then we'll worry about
individuals."
Curbishley has said the club have wanted to ease Ashton back into action
gently following a knee injury which kept him sidelined for over six weeks
of the season. The former Norwich striker, however, is eager to get his
career back on track and hopefully earn a place in the international set-up
when Fabio Capello selects his first England squad for the friendly against
Switzerland on Feb 6. "Obviously people want to play every game but he
played three-and-a-half games, nearly four games on the spin over the
Christmas period," Curbishley said. "But he's had a good rest and hopefully
he'll come into training nice and fresh and looking forward to the weekend's
game against Manchester City."
Despite his injuries, Ashton, who has 18 months left to run on his contract,
has scored five goals this season and is regarded as one of the club's
biggest transfer-market assets. However, West Ham will not sit down and
discuss a new deal with the player until the end of the season at the
earliest, a situation which has alerted Newcastle, Portsmouth and Tottenham.
It is thought that the board have decided to stall negotiations as they want
Ashton to prove his fitness first having wasted money on big-name signings
who have spent more time on the sidelines than on the pitch this season.
Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy, Freddie Ljungberg and Matthew Upson have all
been hit by injury shortly after joining the club, while Ashton has been
blighted by problems over the last two seasons.
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Signing of injury-prone Freddie helped speed Magnusson's West Ham exit -
Daily Mail
By CHARLES SALE - More by this author »
Last updated at 10:04am on 4th January 2008
One important factor in Eggert Magnusson losing his position of power at
West Ham - where he has been replaced by the club owner Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson - was the £3m summer signing of Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg.
It's understood that Magnusson moved for the 30-year-old, who has a long
record of injuries, without much consultation, if any, with his Icelandic
colleagues.
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West Ham, Spurs bid for Juventus playmaker Tiago
tribalfootball.com - January 04, 2008
West Ham United and Tottenham have made offers for Juventus midfielder
Tiago. Corriere dello Sport says both Spurs and the Hammers have tabled bids
for the ex-Chelsea man this week. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri is today
discussing Tiago's future with sports director Alessio Secco.
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Chelsea, Spurs linked with West Ham's Ashton
tribalfootball.com - January 04, 2008
A host of Premiership rivals are following Dean Ashton's situation at West
Ham United. The Daily Star says Ashton could leave West Ham with Manchester
City, Tottenham, Newcastle, Portsmouth and even Chelsea possibly interested.
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