WHUFC.com
Valon Behrami is one of several West Ham United players on senior
international duty this week
17.11.2008
Only Lucas Neill is in competitive international action this week while
several other West Ham United players are facing friendly fixtures including
Scott Parker, who has earned a deserved England recall.
Gianfranco Zola is delighted to see his players recognised by their
countries and expects them all to be better for the experience. "It is good
for them to be selected and I hope they can get a lot of confidence from
this," he said. "I have said it before that I know how important it is for
players to represent their country.
"It would be good to have them with us in training but that is not the case
and I wish them well. I hope they all have good experiences and come back to
us fit and with high confidence. We have to understand that it is important
for players to play for their country and I hope it is a positive experience
for them."
England
Matthew Upson and Scott Parker will have high hopes of their 12th and fourth
caps respectively with game against Germany in Berlin. Upson played the full
90 minutes in last month's wins against Kazakhstan and Belarus that took the
nation clear at the Group 12 summit and is the main challenger to John Terry
and the absent Rio Ferdinand. Parker is in line for his first appearance
under Fabio Capello.
Switzerland
Valon Behrami, a key man for coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, is with his country for
the visit of Finland to St Gallen. The Swiss have got their campaign back on
track with Group 2 victories last month against Latvia and away to leaders
Greece. The latter nation are just two points better off than the Swiss and
still have to make the return trip. Their next competitive fixture will be
the trip to Moldova on 28 March.
Wales
James Collins, Jack Collison and captain Craig Bellamy are all in contention
to start for John Toshack's youthful team with the trip to Denmark. The trio
of club-mates are all in good form and full of confidence. Wales have made a
decent start in Group 4 with six points from four games that have included
narrow defeats in Russia and Germany, the two teams above them in the
section.
Australia
The Socceroos have two wins from two in the final round of Asian zone World
Cup qualifying having won in Uzbekistan and at home against Qatar. It has
left Lucas Neill's team clear at the top of Group 1 which features five
nations playing on a home and away basis. Australia play Bahrain on
Wednesday knowing another win would put them in the driving seat for one of
the two automatic finals places.
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Spence to face Germany
WHUFC.com
Promising young defender Jordan Spence is set to lead England U19s in a
high-profile friendly with Germany
03.11.2008
Jordan Spence has a mouth-watering Under-19 international friendly to look
forward to on Tuesday night when England take on Germany in Colchester.
The 18-year-old defender has particular reason for wanting to do well,
having been the skipper of the Young Lions side that lost out to Germany in
the quarter-finals of the 2007 U-17 World Cup. Spence had helped his country
to the last eight by scoring the winner against Brazil - and he remains the
only Englishman at any level to have led a team to a competitive victory
against the South American nation.
It promises to be a a stiff test against the reigning U19 continental
champions but England are on a high after reaching next spring's Elite round
final qualifying stage for the 2009 finals. Spence has previously worn the
armband for the U16, U17 and U18s.
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Ludo praises keen Green
WHUFC.com
A tireless worker in training and a superb goalkeeper, Robert Green has the
respect of Ludek Miklosko
17.11.2008
There was no prouder person than Ludek Mikloso on Saturday as Robert Green
underlined yet again why he is the reigning Hammer of the Year.
Goalkeeping coach Miklosko was delighted to see the West Ham United No1 go
up against Jermain Defoe on a trio of occasions, and each time come out on
top with superb saves when his team needed it most. It meant a first clean
sheet in 25 games, although that run does not tell the story of Green's fine
form. "I am very proud of the way he played," said Miklosko. "He made three
excellent saves and he did very well."
For the Czech coach though, it was simply a case of business as usual for
Green, with the keeper having also performed well against Everton last week
- only to be beaten three times then in a mad four-minute spell. "Robert did
very well on Saturday but he also did very well in the previous game against
Everton. The only thing was keeping the clean sheet but that was not just
his problem but the problem of the whole team.
"Against Portsmouth, he kept a clean sheet but also we should say it was not
just down to him but the whole team. Last week he couldn't do anything with
the goals but this is football and this is the life of a goalkeeper. You
have to take it on the chin, work hard and prove everyone wrong. He kept a
clean sheet and you can only say positive things about him."
Helping Green to push himself on is the competition in training with Jan
Lastuvka, Jimmy Walker and Marek Stech keeping him on his toes. Miklosko is
delighted with the pool of talent he is able to work with every day at
Chadwell Heath. "There is a fantastic atmosphere in training. I have got a
great bunch of goalkeepers. They work hard and want to work hard. Sometimes
I am more tired than them because they want to work more and more and more.
This is great for me."
Green was overlooked for an England call this week but Miklosko has no
doubts that the 28-year-old is one of the best around. "The England manager
was watching him. He saw him and I think he deserves to get a chance. That's
all I can say about it. He is a fantastic goalkeeper." Coincidentally, the
result was West Ham United's first goalless draw in 33 league games since a
0-0 draw at Portsmouth 13 months ago - on that occasion Green was the hero
again with a last-gasp penalty stop.
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Parker back in England fold
WHUFC.com
Fabio Capello has drafted Scott Parker into the England squad to face
Germany in Berlin on Wednesday night
17.11.2008
Scott Parker has been rewarded for his fine form with an England call-up
after Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard withdrew through injury.
The West Ham United midfielder was watched by Fabio Capello in Saturday's
0-0 draw at home to Portsmouth and joins club-mate Matthew Upson in the
squad. Fulham's Jimmy Bullard has also been drafted into the travelling
party for the trip to face Germany in Berlin on Wednesday night.
Parker has three caps already for his country and could become the first
England player to earn four national-team appearances while with four
different teams, having earned his previous call-ups while with Charlton
Athletic, Chelsea and Newcastle United. The 28-year-old has played 12 times
for West Ham United this season, having made 20 appearances last season in
his first campaign at the Boleyn Ground.
Revised England squad
Goalkeepers: Carson, Robinson, James
Defenders: Bridge, Johnson, Davies, Lescott, Terry, Mancienne, Upson,
Richards
Midfielders: Parker, Bullard, Wright-Phillips, A Young, Downing, Barry,
Carrick, Walcott
Forwards: Agbonlahor, Bent, Defoe, Crouch
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West Ham's stadium plans set to change
BBC.co.uk
Mihir Bose - BBC sports editor
17 Nov 08, 03:40 PM
The credit crunch means West Ham's plans to move to the Parcelforce site
near the old Boleyn ground, let alone the even longer shot of the Olympic
Stadium, may now be ditched. I am told a third plan winning great favour at
board level is to extend the east stand and build around the corners of the
ground, so increasing the capacity from the present 34,000 to about 50,000.
The plan has many advantages. Income will increase by about £12m a year and
it will cost about £50m. Contrast this with the likely cost of about £300m
for the Parcelforce land, a difficult site for redevelopment. As for the
Olympic stadium, this would mean dismantling the stadium being built for the
2012 Games and starting again, which would cost about £500m. And there is no
certainly that the Olympic authorities would go for that in any event. As
for the Parcelforce land there are a lot of questions to be sorted out
regarding developing the right transport links and who might provide the
money.
West Ham would certainly be looking for public money, either from local
authorities or central government. And how realistic that might be in the
present climate is not hard to imagine. Not that redeveloping Upton Park
does not have problems. Fans will have to put up with a great deal of
inconvenience for a season and the club will suffer from reduced income. But
the view gaining ground is that in a time of recession this may be the best
option. However, even here the club will have to negotiate with the local
authority about increased traffic congestion once the redeveloped ground
opens. The roads around Upton Park are very busy on match days and would be
even worse if capacity were to be increased to 50,000.
But are these stadium plans, even an expanded Upton Park, not just pipe
dreams? With the winds of recession threatening to assume gale proportions
and the West Ham owner facing huge problems in his native Iceland surely the
more pressing issue is whether West Ham will have to be sold? I am told the
club's owner has received a number of enquiries but nothing remotely like an
offer, nor has the club been put up for sale. Much depends on what the
Icelandic owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, needs to do to take care of the
impact on his investments as a result of the financial crisis that has
overwhelmed his native country. If his situation in Iceland dictates a sale
then it is hard to see how West Ham can remain unaffected. So while club
officials may work out different stadium plans, nothing will be decided
until the club's future is settled. This means that whatever may be planned
for Upton Park, the real decision about the club will be made in the
financial corridors of Reykjavik. That is modern football for you.
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Parker gets England call
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 17th November 2008
By: Staff Writer
Scott Parker has been drafted into the England squad as one of two
replacements for the injured duo Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. The West
Ham United midfielder - who has enjoyed a good recent run of form - is a
surprise choice to replace the first choice pair. England boss Fabio
Capello was at the Boleyn on Saturday to watch Parker, and was obviously
impressed enough to give him the nod. However the former Charlton and
Newcastle midfielder faces stiff opposition for a starting berth, being as
he is up against the likes of Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry and Fulham's
Jimmy Bullard - another late inclusion. The call-up for 28-year-old Parker -
who has three full international caps to his name - is his first as a
Hammer. He becomes the second Hammer in the squad alongside central defender
Matthew Upson.
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Monday's snippets
KUMB.ccom
Filed: Monday, 17th November 2008
By: Staff Writer
The latest gossip from the world of West Ham United ...
* Tony Carr's under 18s succumbed to yet another loss at the weekend, this
time going down 2-1 at Charlton. Despite running Arsenal close for the title
last season the Hammers have won just two of their 12 games thus far this
season and following Saturday's defeat now find themselves bottom of Academy
Group A.
* United's FA Youth Cup third-round tie with Nottingham Forest will be
played on Tuesday, 2nd December at Forest's City Ground; the game kicks off
at 7pm.
* Defender Jon Spector, who is yet to play this season due to injury has
signed a new one-year extension to his current contract. The American
defender has signed a deal to keep him in East London until 2011.
* Good news for the armchair supporters amongst us - West Ham's next five
games are being broadcast live; the games with Chelsea and Fulham by Sky and
the remainder by Setanta.
* On loan midfielder Nigel Quashie was sent off on Saturday whilst playing
for Birmingham in their 3-2 win over Charlton.
* Left-back Herita Ilunga is likely to be fit for the this weekend's trip to
Sunderland - despite suffering a knock in Saturday's 0-0 bore draw with
Portsmouth.
* Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill has warned his team mates against
complacency ahead of this week's World Cup qualifier with the mighty
Bahrain. The Aussies face Bahrain in Manama on Wednesday evening, with Neill
expected back in Blightly late on Thursday.
* Long term Hammers target Stephen Appiah had added Tottenham to his list of
admirers, with Harry Redknapp (unsurprisingly) now showing interest. However
the Ghanaian international - out of action since the end of last season - is
in no hurry to make up his mind, telling reporters this weekend 'I don't
need to rush because this is a huge decision.'
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One in, one out
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 17th November 2008
By: Staff Writer
Matthew Upson has retained his place in the latest England squad - but Rob
Green had been dumped.
The United centre half missed out on the last squad through injury, but is
back in and likely to start against Germany this Wednesday due to the
absence of Rio Ferdinand.
However Green, who finally won a place back in the squad for Capello's last
selection is strangely outed in favour of Man City youngster Joe Hart - who
has since pulled out through injury to be replaced by Paul Robinson, the
Blackburn keeper who made another blunder at the weekend.
The former Norwich keeper is determined to remain positive despite the
setback however; speaking about his omission, he said:
"It's motivation enough to be playing for West Ham. I just have to keep
trying and plugging away, doing what I think is right, saying the same old
things, doing the same old stuff. It's the ugly side which hopefully will
get you a chance."
England take on Germany in the Olympic Stadium, Berlin this Wednesday night.
The game kicks off at 7:45pm.
Full England squad:
James (Portsmouth), Carson (West Brom), Hart (Manchester City), Johnson
(Portsmouth), Upson (West Ham), Bridge, Terry, Mancienne (all Chelsea),
Davies (Aston Villa), Lescott (Everton), Richards (Man C), Barry, A Young
(both Aston Villa), Carrick (Man Utd), Lampard (Chelsea), Downing
(Middlesbrough), Wright-Phillips (Man C), Bent (Spurs), Walcott (Arsenal),
Agbonlahor (A Villa), Defoe (Portsmouth), Crouch (Portsmouth).
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Quashie seeks Blues stay
SSN
Midfielder keen to extend loan deal
By Chris Burton Last updated: 17th November 2008
Nigel Quashie is hoping Birmingham will agree to extend his loan deal from
West Ham. The midfielder has enjoyed his month-long stay at St Andrews,
helping the Blues continue their push for an immediate return to the Premier
League. However, having been sent off during a dramatic 3-2 victory over
Charlton on Saturday, Quashie is set to be suspended for Birmingham's trip
to Swansea this weekend. With his current deal set to expire 24 hours after
Friday's encounter at the Liberty Stadium, the former England U21
international is hoping an agreement can be reached will allow him to remain
in the Midlands. "Saturday was my second competitive game (start) which I've
really enjoyed," Quashie told the Birmingham Mail. "I can't do anything
more. My family's here. My son is in nursery here. It's just a bit
unfortunate to be in that situation of not knowing if I'm going to stay or
not. "I really want to stay and I really want to be part of the boys, who
are a fantastic group to be around. And I think I will be really up to speed
with a few more games. "It's hard. When you have been out for so long, you
can play behind closed doors but it's different to a match because it's a
lot sharper. I'm getting there."
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Collison looks to make Wales mark
BBC.co.uk
Venue: Brondby Stadium Date: Wednesday, 19 November Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC Two Wales, Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sport
website
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West Ham midfielder Jack Collison is hoping to use Wales' friendly against
Denmark on Wednesday to cement his place in the senior side. The 20-year-old
youngster, who scored his first Premier League goal in the 3-1 defeat to
Everton 10 days ago, has been promoted from the Under-21 side. "I feel as a
player, I've matured a lot over the last few months," he said. "Friendlies
are massive opportunities for youngsters like myself to really try and
cement our place in the team." Collison will win his third senior cap after
starting in the win in Iceland and coming on as a substitute in the Holland
defeat. And he has enjoyed life under new West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola
who has given him a run in the team. "It's been a very good few weeks for
me," said Collison. "He's [Zola] been brilliant for everyone at West Ham.
"He's come in, he's said he wants his players to play with freedom and he's
given me a lot of confidence to really kick on this season. "It was nice to
score my first Premier League goal, but at the end of the day, it didn't
mean much."
Collison played a key role in the Wales U21 side who narrowly missed out on
a place in next year's European Championships. But now his focus is on
securing his place in John Toshack's side. "We are going out there to try
and do our best," said Collison. "Denmark are going to be a tough opposition
but it's a great opportunity for us to put ourselves up against a decent
team."
And assistant coach Dean Saunders insists Wales' young stars should thank
Toshack for accelerating their promising careers. Teenage trio Aaron Ramsey,
Gareth Bale and Chris Gunter all secured big-money moves to the Premier
League after impressing on international duty. Collison and Manchester
City's Ched Evans were also rewarded with top-flight positions once they had
performed well for Wales. "John has done brilliant for all of them as he
gave them all a chance," said Saunders. Bale, Ramsey, Gunter, Collison,
Evans and Sam Vokes have followed goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and midfield
duo Joe Ledley and Dave Edwards off Wales' production line since Toshack
became Welsh manager in 2004. Ramsey and Tottenham Hotspur defensive duo
Bale and Gunter cost Premier League clubs a combined total of £17m. "After
playing for Wales, there's a few of them who have joined massive clubs for
big money because of John giving them a chance. "John has taken a lot of
criticism for what he is trying to do because not a lot of people could see
what he was trying to do. Now everybody is starting to realise. "It has
taken a bit of time but there is some extremely good young talent which
bodes well for the future and our chance of qualifying for a major
tournament finals in five or six years." Wales have not qualified for a
major finals since the 1958 World Cup but Toshack's squad now boast 12
Premier League players, five of whom are aged 20 or under.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wales squad: Wayne Hennessey (Wolves), Boaz Myhill (Hull City), Gareth Bale
(Tottenham), James Collins (West Ham), Neal Eardley (Oldham), Chris Gunter
(Tottenham), Craig Morgan (Peterborough), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby), Darcy
Blake (Cardiff City), Sam Ricketts (Hull), Ashley Williams, Shaun MacDonald,
Owain Tudur Jones (all Swansea City), Jack Collison (West Ham), David
Edwards (Wolves), Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal), Craig Bellamy (West Ham), Ched
Evans (Man City), Sam Vokes (Wolves).
Denmark squad: Jesper Christiansen (FC Copenhagen), Thomas, Sorensen (Stoke
City), Anders Moller Christensen (Odense), Daniel Agger (Liverpool), Kasper
Bogelund (Aalborg), Patrick Mtiliga (NAC Breda), Per Kroldrup (Fiorentina),
Thomas Rasmussen (Brondby), Hjalte Bo Norregaard (FC Copenhagen), Ken Ilso
(SonderjyskE), Leon Andreasen (Fulham), Martin Retov, (Hansa Rostock),
Martin Vingaard (Esbjerg), Thomas Kristensen (FC Copenhagen), Dennis
Rommedahl (Ajax), Michael Krohn-Dehli (Brondby), Morten Nordstrand (FC
Copenhagen), Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal), Soren Larsen (Toulouse).
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Tottenham want West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green
The Mirror
18/11/2008
Harry Redknapp will step up his attempts to land Robert Green in January
after another horror show by Heurelho Gomes on Saturday. The Brazilian
keeper fumbled in a Simon Davies shot against Fulham to cap a litany of
mistakes he has made since his £8million summer move from PSV. Green, by
contrast, was outstanding at the weekend as West Ham held Portsmouth to a
goalless draw to end the east Londoners' run of 24 games without a clean
sheet. Although the Hammers maintain they are not looking to sell their best
players, a series of cost-cutting measures led to the sale of Anton
Ferdinand and George McCartney in the summer. Green is set to become the
latest star to exit Upton Park for similar reasons and has made his feelings
clear on not being on a par, in terms of wages, with some of his colleagues.
Redknapp had been interested in the former Norwich stopper during his time
as Portsmouth boss. Real Madrid have put former Spurs boss Juande Ramos on
their list of replacements for under-pressure boss Bernd Schuster, who is in
danger after a poor run of resu lts. That has led them to Ramos, who is
still highly regarded in Spain after the job he did at Sevilla, despite
being axed by Tottenham. Madrid also want a top striker to replace crocked
Ruud van Nistelrooy, with Wigan's Amr Zaki and Chelsea's Didier Drogba
firmly in the frame.
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West Ham to Stay Put at the Boleyn?
West Ham Till I Die
BBC Sports Editor Mihir Bose reports that West Ham are ditching plans to
move to the Parcelforce site or buy the Olympic Stadium and are now more
likely to redevelop the East Stand and fill in the two remaining corners. He
says that will bring capacity up to 50,000. I am not sure that is right. My
understanding is that 42,000 would be the maximum capacity. Many will
welcome these plans, if they turn out to be true, and in the present
financial climate it would be a brave board indeed who made a commitment to
move elsewhere. It was indicative that there were only 32,000 in the ground
last Saturday for a fixture than in previous years was a sellout. Whether
this is a reflection on the team's current fortunes or a sign of the coming
economic recession is difficult to say, although my betting is on the
latter.
And a quick word of congratulations to Scott Parker for his England callup.
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West Ham Boss Zola Backs Green For England Recall
Submitted by Jake Briggs on Mon, 2008-11-17 17:19.
West Ham United Premiership Manager News
Premiership Latest
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has claimed that an England recall
is not far away for goalkeeper Robert Green if he continues to put in
performances like the one against Portsmouth at Upton Park on Saturday in
the Premier League. 28-year-old Green was the difference between the
Hammers losing to Pompey or coming away with a point as the former Norwich
City pulled of a series of fine saves to keep West Ham in the match and
ensure that Zola's side did not endure their sixth defeat in seven games.
Former Chelsea legend Zola claims Green played like an International keeper
and now wants the Hammers stopper to maintain that high level and force
himself in to England manager Fabio Capello's plans. "Robert was
outstanding. He was aware and made some fantastic saves, I'm really pleased
for him. He played like a national team goalkeeper, but it's not down to me
to judge. Capello knows what to do better than me," said Zola. "To be in the
national team you have to perform at high levels all the time, week in week
out. I wish that Robert will do the same now here. "I am expecting him to
perform like this for many other games. We need Robert playing the way he
did against Portsmouth."
Green, who was pleased to have kept a clean sheet in the match with Pompey
is confident that West Ham have enough quality to avoid relegation, with the
Hammers stopper upbeat about winning another England cap. Despite being
overlooked in favour of Joe Hart and Scott Carson for the clash with Germany
on Wednesday. Green said: "We have not had the best of runs but I am sure
we can go forward - I am confident we will avoid it [relegation]. "I've been
sick of people reminding us that we've not kept a clean sheet for goodness
knows how long. It's good to get that monkey off our backs. "I was in the
last squad for Kazakhstan. If it comes along it comes along. It is
motivation enough to do well for West Ham."
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Zola salutes Green after shut-out
TeamTalk.co.uk
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola paid tribute to goalkeeper Robert Green after
they finally managed their first clean sheet in 25 league games. Green was
in fine form as the Hammers drew 0-0 with Portsmouth on Saturday and Zola
was delighted with the form of his keeper. He said: "I told the players at
half-time to go for it. We wanted to win. When you want to win sometimes you
tend to go forward and you concede something to the opposition, especially
when they have a striker like Jermain Defoe. "He is very good at making runs
behind you and all the time playing within the lines of the defenders. It is
something that we knew. We took a risk.
"Robert was outstanding. He was brilliant. He was aware and he made a couple
of fantastic saves. "I understand that especially for Robert and the
defenders it has been a frustrating time. Even if you win, it can be
frustrating if you don't keep a clean sheet. This is a big boost and they
will get a lot of confidence from this."
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Appiah: West Ham deal a Possibility
Nov 17, 2008
C'Mon Yu Irons! Home
Ghana captain Stephen Appiah has mentioned in the past that if he was to
move to a club in England then it would most definitely have to be a club in
London. Appiah now a free agent after Fenerbahce had earlier disputed the
ruling and even warned clubs that, they will have to pay dearly if they want
to sign him. But the world governing body insisted on its ruling in a press
statement last week declaring the Ghana captain a free agent. There are 3
clubs that are showing an interest in Appiah, West Ham United, Newcastle,
and Boro and these clubs are reported to be sending a scout out to watch how
the former Fenerbahce ace plays against Tunisia on Wednesday, a game that
can be watched live on Wednesday evening from links on soccer-pages.com.
Appiah is not only a strong central midfielder and defender but can also
score goals and was once wanted by Harry Redknapp for Portsmouth but the
asking price was £7m a fee that Harry did not want to pay. All 3 clubs that
will view him on Wednesday will more than likely make an offer to the player
after the match with West Ham more than likely and hopefully being the
successful club for 2 reasons, West Ham are a London club that play the
style of attacking football that Appiah loves, and also Appiah has many
friends in London which includes his close friend from Chelsea and Ghanian
team mate, Michael Essien.
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West Ham's Gianfranco Zola confident Robert Green can win back England place
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has said goalkeeper Robert Green can earn
an England recall if he continues to perform as he did against Portsmouth at
the weekend.
Telegraph
By Emily Benammar
Last Updated: 1:29PM GMT 17 Nov 2008
Green's excellence was without a doubt the only thing standing between
clinching a point and West Ham's sixth defeat in seven games, and Zola is
adamant that if he continues to impress an England call will not be far off.
"Robert was outstanding," Zola said. "He was aware and made some fantastic
saves, I'm really pleased for him. He played like a national team
goalkeeper, but it's not down to me to judge. Capello knows what to do
better than me. "To be in the national team you have to perform at high
levels all the time, week in week out. I wish that Robert will do the same
now here." And without putting too much pressure on his 26-year-old
goalkeeper, Zola said: "I am expecting him to perform like this for many
other games. We need Robert playing the way he did against Portsmouth."
Pleased to have silenced critics who publicise the fact West Ham struggle to
keep clean sheets, Green is hopeful that his side will avoid relegation. "We
have not had the best of runs but I am sure we can go forward - I am
confident we will avoid it [relegation]. "I've been sick of people
reminding us that we've not kept a clean sheet for goodness knows how long.
It's good to get that monkey off our backs." And despite Joe Hart and Scott
Carson getting the nod ahead of him, Green is not giving up on the idea of
winning another England cap. "I was in the last squad for Kazakhstan. If it
comes along it comes along. "It is motivation enough to do well for West
Ham."
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Young star Jack aims for perfect partnership with Aaron Ramsey
NorthamptonChronicle
Published Date: 18 November 2008
West Ham midfielder Jack Collison says he hopes to forge a midfield
partnership with young Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey that will serve Wales for
years to come.
The 19-year-old has been given his chance in the Premier League by boss
Gianfranco Zola in the absence of England under-21 midfielder Mark Noble.
Now Collison is set to be given the opportunity to cement himself in Wales'
side in the friendly against Denmark in Copenhagen alongside Arsenal starlet
Ramsey. Collison said: "I have had a brilliant couple of weeks with West
Ham. I have been given my opportunity in the first team and scored my first
goal in the Premier League. "I know I have been given a really good chance
to impress by our manager. He has told me that I will be getting more time
on the pitch on a regular basis. "He seems to like the way I play and is
giving me all the encouragement he can. "Now I am also getting a chance with
Wales, and seeing Aaron also being called in is brilliant for both of us.
"He is an outstanding player and great to play alongside. "We have worked
well together in the Under-21s and now we seem to be getting the chance to
establish a partnership in the senior side, which we both hope will last for
a long time."
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Birmingham make offer for PFAI Player of the Year Fahey while Sunderland and
West Ham wait in wings
By Paul Buttner Last updated at 9:02 AM on 18th November 2008
Daily Mail
Birmingham City are believed to have made the first formal bid for Keith
Fahey in a staggered deal that would match St Patrick's Athletic's asking
price of 500,000 euros (around £420,000) for the midfielder. Alex McLeish's
promotion challengers are thought to have offered St Patrick's an initial
transfer fee of £250,000 with four £50,000 instalments for each of the next
ten games the 25-year-old Dubliner may play for club. Premier League sides
West Ham United and Sunderland are among other clubs interested in the
former Arsenal trainee, who also had a spell with Aston Villa. But both
apparently want to take Fahey over on trial to assess him before making any
possible offer, something St Patrick's are reluctant to agree to. Fahey
reiterated his desire to move back to England to further his career when
collecting the PFAI Player of the Year award on Sunday. Meanwhile FAI Cup
finalists Derry City have been left reeling after one of the club's main
sponsors pulled the plug on £30,000 worth of funding. Struggling newspaper
company River Media, owner of the Derry News, told the club last week that
it wanted to terminate the contract. The club is owed £10,000 which is due
to be paid next week, and a further £20,000 next season as part of a shirt
sponsorship deal.
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Arsenal legend Adams: I almost signed with West Ham
18.11.08 | tribalfootball.com
Portsmouth boss Tony Adams admits he could've joined West Ham ahead of
former club Arsenal. The ex-Gunners captain revealed: "When I was about to
sign schoolboy terms, I looked at a few clubs. "I looked at Orient and
Fulham, but I spoke to Ronnie Gow at West Ham and went to a couple of their
games. "My family comes out of the east end. My dad was a big Hammers fan
and used to sing Bubbles all the time, so I care about the club. "But they
had great coaches at Arsenal and even my dad told me I should learn my trade
there. "Everything was so professional at Arsenal. "The environment was
fantastic and that was my decision. But I'm glad I did it."
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