Daily WHUFC News - II 24th November 2008

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Matthew Upson and Valon Behrami earned praise but Gianfranco Zola emphasised
the squad spirit
24.11.2008

Gianfranco Zola paid tribute to his defenders after reflecting on an
"outstanding" display that earned the team precious three points away to
Sunderland at the weekend.

Matthew Upson and James Collins, supported superbly by Lucas Neill and
Herita Ilunga, were resolute in keeping the home attackers at bay and
ensuring a relatively quiet afternoon for Robert Green. It was a second
clean sheet in a row and the victory moved the club to within striking
distance of the top seven in a week when Jonathan Spector, James Tomkins,
Mark Noble and Kieron Dyer will all be in full training.

"I am very pleased," said Zola of the way his team snuffed out the threat of
Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse on Sunday. "We have been rewarded for the
work we have done in the last couple of months. Maybe sometimes we were
playing better football and not getting anything. The result is something I
think we deserved for how we have played in the past."

"The centre-halves were outstanding. We knew we were going to have problems
because they have Jones who is very good with his head and Cisse as well. We
knew they were very good playing off each other so it was vital that we
defended properly. I don't think they lost one challenge. They were
absolutely perfect but the whole team supported them.

"I told Matthew that if I had to give a vote to him from one to ten I
couldn't do it because I would have given him eleven! He didn't lose one
challenge but also he was aware, he didn't stop talking, commanding the
defence. He was perfect. That is Matthew Upson and he deserves to play in
the national team."

Of his defender's big week with club and country, Zola added: "To perform
and play well for a footballer is great but also when you receive so many
compliments it is even bigger. I think he is a wonderful professional
because he always does his best. What I like is that he wants to improve all
the time so for the manager it is so good to have players like that."

The matchwinner on the day was Valon Behrami, whose energy and enthusiasm
was typified by the way he celebrated his 20th-minute strike by racing
straight to the manager on the sidelines. "I sometimes think Behrami has a
twin," added Zola with a smile. "He runs so much it is like there is two of
him … the players were fantastic. It is all down to them. They train hard
all the time. They never let themselves down. It is a very good reward for
them."

The result was also a reward for the manager himself who has learned much
about his players in recent weeks, including the strong contingent of
homegrown youngsters at his disposal. "We are all passionate about this game
- you can take it too seriously sometimes," he explained. "It is normal that
you suffer. I will be in a better mood. This is going to give the boys a big
boost. Finally, we got a very important result after our hard work."

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Carr confident for cup
WHUFC.com
The academy director looks back on a good weekend's work and the prospects
for the FA Youth Cup
24.11.2008

Tony Carr has reflected on a positive weekend for the Under-18s with victory
secured and vital confidence gained before a crucial FA Youth Cup tie at
Nottingham Forest on Tuesday week.

The 2-0 away win at Fulham, secured through second-half goals from Anthony
Edgar and Balint Bajner, will have done much for confidence after losses in
the two fixtures before the derby. "It is a good fillip for us going into
the Youth Cup. We have a good feeling that we can string a good team display
together rather than what the last couple of performances had suggested. It
was the result we needed.

"It was a clean sheet. We are really pleased. The boys are happy with a good
performance and a well-deserved victory. When no team has scored in the
first half you can never say that you are on top, but I thought we had the
better opportunities. They didn't create much.

"At nil-nil it is anyone's game, but we scored five minutes into the second
half and that settled us down and we were unlucky not to have increased the
lead with a couple of near misses and a few opportunities before we finally
got the second. It was a good all-round performance today. It may have not
been spectacular but it was a good team performance."

Among those who will have done his chances of playing in the Youth Cup no
harm was right-back Filip Modelski - on his first start - with Carr saying
he "did very well". The young Hammers will head to the City Ground without
midfielder Josh Payne as he will spend a third month on loan at Cheltenham
Town.

"Martin Allen wanted him and he wanted to stay. We are happy with that - the
long-term development of the player was more to the fore than our need for
him in the FA Youth Cup. He is playing league football in big stadiums every
week which is all great for his long-term development."

While Payne and Bondz N'Gala, at MK Dons, are gaining experience elsewhere,
it affords Carr the chance to give his younger teenagers experience in the
side. Carr has taken the opportunity to do just that of late. "We have had
the chance to shake things up a bit and look at other players. That is what
we are doing. We are not afraid to blood the young ones. It is important
that we keep developing."

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Zola heaps praise on Upson after vital win
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 24th November 2008
By: Thomas Rooney

Yesterday's victory over Sunderland was probably the most important of the
season so far. Not only did it end a run of seven games without a win, but
it has also given Gianfranco Zola a huge boost as he gets to grips with life
as West Ham manager.

If the poor run of form went on for much longer, there could have been a bit
of a problem. There were already reports of 'crisis talks' between the board
and the new manager, so another three or four games without a win – who
knows what would have happened.

As things stand though, Zola and co are back on track thanks to a priceless
away victory at against Roy Keane's Sunderland. It was a win that not many
people would have predicted, but it was a win that gave the players their
reward for playing some decent football without coming out on top.

Overall, it was a fantastic defensive performance from the Hammers that won
them the game. Yes, Sunderland were far from their best, but the way Zola's
men stood firm to whatever was thrown at them was so encouraging. The
defence has been a real worry in recent weeks, so that made it all the more
significant.

One man in particular stood out for Zola and there are no prizes for
guessing who it was – Matthew Upson. The England defender barely put a foot
wrong in the game and the West Ham boss has described him as 'absolutely
perfect'. Zola went on to say that he doesn't recall Upson missing a single
challenge during the 90 minutes.

There is no doubt, in my opinion, that Upson is playing the best football of
his career right now. He capped a solid England performance with a goal in
midweek and has delivered the goods again this weekend to ensure a much
needed victory. He is probably West Ham's most important player right now.

There were other positives to take from the game though. Valon Behrami's
first goal for the club will hopefully help him settle at the club even
more. Fair enough, his shot took a deflection on its way past Marton Fulop –
but they all count!

In fact, Behrami probably should have had a second goal when he smashed the
bar from five yards out. Nevertheless, West Ham won the game and that's all
that matters. It was a gutsy performance and one which lifted the Hammers to
13th place – four points clear of the drop zone.

So, after the football odds began to suggest West Ham could be dragged into
a relegation fight, perhaps this win can signal the end of that. Admittedly,
one swallow doesn't make a summer and all that, but there is a genuine
feeling around Upton Park that this is the turning point.

I suppose the win at Sunderland is made even more important when you
consider that it is Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea in the next three
games. However, I may place a football bet on West Ham to get something at
Anfield and beat Spurs at Upton Park. Four points from these two games is
very achievable and would take a lot of pressure off the trip to Stamford
Bridge.

Finally, it is worth noting that the Sunderland game marked consecutive
clean sheets for the Hammers. That is the first time this has happened in
over a year! What price on back-to-back wins now I wonder?

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It's Al over
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 22nd November 2008
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammers boss Alan Pardew has been sacked by Charlton Athletic. The
charismatic Pardew - who led the Hammers for just over two years from
2004-2006 - was dismissed following the Addicks' 5-2 home defeat to
Sheffield United earlier today, a result that leaves them stranded in the
Championship relegation zone. The former window-fitter's fall from grace has
been almost as rapid as his rise to fame. Pardew became a Premier League
manager in 2005 when his youthful, exuberant United side beat Preston in the
04/05 Championship play-off final - just eight years after he took his first
full time post at Reading. However he found himself out of work less than 18
months later after being sacked by West Ham United's new Icelandic owners in
2006 following the club's worst run of league results in 80 years.
Struggling Charlton - at the time embroiled in a relegation scrap along with
the Hammers - gave Pardew the opportunity to rebuild his career at the
Valley, and a 4-0 win over his former charges in February 2007 gave the
impression that he would do so by keeping the Addicks in the Premier League.
But a disappointing climax to the season saw Charlton relegated, and after
an indifferent first season back in the Championship things have gone from
bad to worse for the former Crystal Palace midfielder whose team have won
just four of eighteen league games this term. West Ham United's decision to
fire Pardew - who claimed once in an interview that his ambition was to
manage Barcelona and England - is a subject that divides Hammers fans to
this day.

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Hammers are all behind manager Gianfranco Zola, says hero Behrami after
Sunderland win
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 1:18 PM on 24th November 2008
Daily Mail

Valon Behrami insists the West Ham squad is 100 per cent behind Gianfranco
Zola after they finally eased pressure on the Hammers boss. Behrami's first
Premier League goal sealed a priceless 1-0 victory at Sunderland to snap a
seven-game winless streak and lift the gathering storm clouds at Upton Park.
The Swiss international said: 'It was a vital win for us and it's a
performance and a result that shows the team are fully 100 per cent behind
the manager. Hopefully this win takes the pressure off a little. 'It's a
great win because when you've not won for a few games it makes things hard
all round. We know we can do better but this shows how we're ready to work
hard for the manager and do our best. 'Two months without a win made it
difficult to go out on the training ground and this is just what we wanted.
The manager has stuck to what he believes in and he hasn't panicked. 'We'll
come out of this experience stronger for it. We're not out of this difficult
situation yet but this shows we're heading in the right direction.' Behrami
admits the Hammers can't afford to get carried away with the win as they
look ahead to facing Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea in the next few weeks.
The 23-year-old, who needed treatment for an ankle injury after the game,
added: 'This is just one win and we have to build on it. We've got a really
tough schedule looking at the next month so the hard work is just beginning.
It's very close in the table and we know one win can push you up a lot of
places.'

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Zola hails defensive strength
ViewLondon.co.uk

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has lavished praise on his
centre-back pairing of Matthew Upson and James Collins after his side's 1-0
win at Sunderland.
Zola watched his under-pressure players put a poor run of seven matches
without a victory behind them as they snatched all three points at the
Stadium of Light, courtesy of Valon Behrami's 20th minute winner. But the
Italian coach said the plaudits should go to his defenders, who coped
admirably with the dual threat of the Black Cats' formidable forward line of
Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse. "The defence was unbelievable, particularly
Matt Upson and James Collins who were outstanding," he said. "The team has
character and they proved it." Zola admitted the team's recent seven-game
run, which had yielded just two points and seen the side lose at home to
Bolton Wanderers and Everton and away to newly-promoted Hull City, had been
"very difficult" to deal with. "I'm happy it's over," he continued.
"You walk into the dressing room after your team has played well, but lost,
and you have to try to cheer them up. "It has been difficult but we are
through it now."

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West Ham boss Zola: England call boosted Upson
24.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola was full of praise for Matthew Upson after
victory over Sunderland. The 29-year-old, who scored for England against
Germany in midweek, turned in a superb individual display as he and James
Collins withstood the threat of Sunderland strikers Kenwyne Jones and
Djibril Cisse at the Stadium of Light as the Hammers claimed a 1-0 victory.
A delighted Zola said: "I told him if I had to give him a vote one to 10, I
couldn't because I would have given him 11.
"He didn't lose one challenge. He was also aware, talking, commanding the
defence. He was perfect. "Matthew Upson deserves to play in the national
team."
Asked how Upson's return to the international stage had boosted him, Zola
added: "It has been a big boost for him. "To perform well for a footballer
is great, but also when you receive so many compliments, it is even bigger.
"He is a wonderful professional because he always does his best. What I like
about him is he wants to improve, he wants to improve all the time. "For a
manager, it is so good to have players like that." Upson's form for the
Hammers has inevitably led to speculation he could be a target for other
clubs during the January transfer window, but his manager is having none of
it. He said: "We are not selling our best players, I have said that. The
club is determined to keep its best players. "He is not for sale as far as I
am concerned."

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Arsenal will make new bid for West Ham defender Upson
24.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger wants to bring West Ham defender Matthew Upson
back to the club. The Daily Star Sunday says they made a cheeky bid to buy
him for £6million during the last transfer window. And Arsenal boss Arsene
Wenger is now even more desperate for a centre-back having ditched William
Gallas as Gunners captain. The last bid for Upson was rejected because, at
the time, the Hammers had plenty of cash. But the financial collapse of
their owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and the loss of shirt sponsors – airline
XL – means any large bids for players will be considered.

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Zola raving over perfect Upson
by Richard Field, 24 November 2008
Setanta

Manager Gianfranco Zola says defender Matthew Upson produced a flawless
performance to help West Ham get back to winning ways against Sunderland. It
was not that long ago that The Hammers coaching staff and players held a
clear the air meeting and Zola must feel vindicated in taking that step
following West Ham's first win in eight games. Upson threw in his assured
display, at The Stadium of Light, on the back of his equally impressive
performance for England. "All my players were outstanding but Matthew was
absolutely perfect," Zola said in the Daily Star."I told him I could not
award him a mark out of 10 because I would have had to give him 11. "I
cannot remember him losing one challenge. It was a brilliant display
especially after his performance for England."

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Zola backed by his team as win finally arrives
Jason Mellor
This Is London
Sunderland 0 West Ham 1

Valon Behrami insists the West Ham squad is 100 per cent behind Gianfranco
Zola after they finally eased pressure on the Hammers boss. Behrami's first
Premier League goal sealed a priceless 1-0 victory at Sunderland to end a
seven-game winless streak and lift the gathering storm clouds at Upton Park.
The Swiss international said: "It was a vital win for us and it's a
performance and a result that shows the team are fully 100 per cent behind
the manager. Hopefully this win takes the pressure off a little. "Two months
without a win made it difficult to go onto the training ground and this is
just what we wanted. The manager has stuck to what he believes in and he
hasn't panicked. "We'll come out of this experience stronger for it. We're
not out of this difficult situation yet but this shows we're heading in the
right direction."
But Behrami admits the Hammers can't afford to get carried away with the win
as they face Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea in the next few weeks. The
23-year-old, who needed treatment for an ankle injury after the game, added:
"This is just one win and we have to build on it. We've got a really tough
schedule looking at the next month so the hard work is just beginning."
West Ham needed plenty of luck en route to earning their first victory at
the Stadium of Light in six years to take their post-war points tally to
exactly 3000. Another referee could easily have awarded two first-half
penalties against James Collins for fouls on Kenwyne Jones and Djibril
Cisse. Fortunately for Zola's men, Mike Dean did not. Behrami took full
advantage to fire home the winner from the edge of the area after 20 minutes
with the aid of a big deflection. How the Swiss international failed to
double his and West Ham's tally shortly before the interval when he struck
the bar from point-blank range after the impressive Bellamy robbed former
Hammer Anton Ferdinand, only he will know.

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Hammers boss has good reason to smile
Shields Gazette
Published Date: 24 November 2008

GIANFRANCO Zola hailed the way his defenders contained the attacking threat
of Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse. The West Ham manager felt his side's
resolute defending was the key to their 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light
yesterday. And the perma-smiling Italian had particular praise for England
defender Matthew Upson.
"I told him afterwards that if I had to give him a mark out of 10, I would
give him 11," he grinned. "I thought it was pretty much a perfect
performance from him, because not only did he defend very well, but he also
organised the players around him so well too. "It was so good because we
knew before the game that we could have potential problems with Kenwyne
Jones and Djibril Cisse up front - two real dangers and two who are also
very good in the channels. "But my defenders were outstanding in the way
they handled them. "When the ball was kicked up towards us I think we won
just about every single challenge, and Upson stood out more than anyone.
"That version of Matthew Upson is the one that deserves his place in the
England team." Upson's form has caught the eye of bigger clubs, and
cash-strapped West Ham might struggle to hold on to him in the transfer
window. But the little Italian will certainly not let him go without a big
fight. "We will not allow our best players to leave," he said. "And Upson is
certainly one of those. "I think he is a better player for his England
recognition. "I think it helps when you get praise like he has been getting,
because it builds your confidence. "But what I like about him is that he
wants to improve all the time, and for a manager it is so good to have
players like that."
Despite how well his defenders did, there was no getting away from the fact
that both Jones and Cisse had potential penalties turned down by referee
Mike Dean.
But Zola was very much laid back about that: "I didn't have the best of
views but it didn't look like a penalty from the bench. "Whether it was or
not though - that's just the way it goes. In football, as in life, sometimes
you get what you deserve, sometimes you don't "We have had a few games where
we should have been given penalties, but we didn't complain too much about
it. That's football."
West Ham had a miserable run before their arrival at the Stadium of Light -
just two points taken from their last 21 - but Zola says they have played
better than their results suggested. "I think we have been rewarded today
for the work we did previously," he mused. "I am very pleased for the
players, because it is all down to them, they trained hard, they never let
themselves down and they got their reward. "I do not worry about myself when
it comes to those results - I feel for the players in the bad run because
they have played well in a few games and got nothing. "Football is a strange
game. Sometimes you play well and get nothing; other times you don't play
well and get a good result." "But this result will give the boys a big
boost forward. It is important for the players and, of course, the manager."
The win ensured Zola left the North East with that broad grin still intact,
but with Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa ahead, he knows
there will be stiffer examinations ahead for his team than the one
Sunderland managed to provide. He said: "I try to smile all the time, even
when we're not getting results. "I hope that continues because even though
we all have this passion for the game, sometimes we do take it too
seriously. "I always try to smile. But obviously my smile is bigger after
this match! "It wasn't the prettiest of games, but I don't mind that though,
because we got the three points and that is more important."

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ZOLA: Ups and no downs
Sunderland Echo
Published Date: 24 November 2008
Hammers' central pair win approval

Gianfranco Zola hailed the way his defenders' contained the attacking threat
of Sunderland strikers Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse at the Stadium of
Light yesterday – the key to the game in the West Ham manager's mind. And
the perma-smiling Italian had particular praise for England defender Matthew
Upson. "I told him afterwards that if I had to give him a mark out of 10, I
would give him 11", he grinned. "I thought it was pretty much a perfect
performance from him, because not only did he defend very well but he also
organised the players around him so well too. "It was so good because we
knew before the game that we could have potential problems with Kenwyne
Jones and Djibril Cisse up front – two real dangers and two who are also
very good in the channels. "But my defenders were outstanding in the way
they handled them. "When the ball was kicked up towards us, I think we won
just about every single challenge and Upson stood out more than anyone.
"That version of Matthew Upson is the one that deserves his place in the
England team."
Upson's form has caught the eye of bigger clubs and cash-strapped West Ham
might struggle to hold on to him in the transfer window. But the little
Italian will certainly not let him go without a big fight. "We will not
allow our best players to leave," he said. "And Upson is certainly one of
those. "I think he is a better player for his England recognition – I think
it helps when you get praise like he has been getting because it builds your
confidence. "But what I like about him is that he wants to improve all the
time and for a manager it is so good to have players like that."
Despite how well his defenders did, there was no getting away from the fact
that both Jones and Cisse had potential penalties turned down by referee
Mike Dean.
But Zola was very much laid back about that. "I didn't have the best of
views, but it didn't look like a penalty from the bench. "Whether it was or
not though – that's just the way it goes. "In football, as in life,
sometimes you get what you deserve, sometimes you don't "We have had a few
games where we should have been given penalties but we didn't complain too
much about it. "That's football."

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Behrami: West Ham players won for Zola
24.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

Valon Behrami was delighted to hit West Ham's winner against Sunderland
yesterday. The Swiss international said: "It was a vital win for us and it's
a performance and a result that shows the team are fully 100 per cent behind
the manager. Hopefully this win takes the pressure off a little. "Two months
without a win made it difficult to go onto the training ground and this is
just what we wanted. The manager has stuck to what he believes in and he
hasn't panicked. "We'll come out of this experience stronger for it. We're
not out of this difficult situation yet but this shows we're heading in the
right direction." But Behrami admits the Hammers can't afford to get carried
away with the win as they face Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea in the next few
weeks. The 23-year-old, who needed treatment for an ankle injury after the
game, added: "This is just one win and we have to build on it. We've got a
really tough schedule looking at the next month so the hard work is just
beginning."

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Sunderland 0 West Ham 1 - Graeme Anderson's in-depth match report
Sunderland Echo
Published Date: 24 November 2008

Opportunity knocks but it rarely hangs around. And that's something
Sunderland have failed to grasp since their stirring victory over Newcastle
United a few short weeks ago. That derby win – a month ago tomorrow – seemed
to leave Roy Keane's men poised to strike out towards the upper reaches of
the Premier League.
But they have not capitalised, despite working hard to be on top for long
spells in the games that followed. They spurned the chance offered by the
match against Stoke a few days after the Magpies game. Then Portsmouth. Then
Blackburn Rovers in the cup. And now West Ham. And while a level-headed Roy
Keane quite rightly pointed out this week that one defeat in the Premier
League represented a crisis to some of the game's more hysterical observers;
this is not one defeat. This is in danger of becoming a trend.
The worrying thing is that none of those opponents have been any great
shakes, but Sunderland's talented bunch of players have failed to deliver
against all of them.
And the timing of yesterday's game could not have been more appropriate, for
the phrase "month of Sundays" sprang to mind when it came to assessing
Sunderland's chances of scoring against West Ham's lively but limited side.
Only rock-bottom West Brom have scored fewer goals than Sunderland this
season and the Wearsiders' failings lie in goal creation just as much as
goal taking. On top of that though, Sunderland have problems at the other
end too – in the 17 games played so far this season, Keane's players have
managed to stop the opposition scoring on only two occasions – and yesterday
was not one of them.
The Londoners, who arrived in the North East on the back of the worst run of
form in the Premiership, must have been delighted with their result for they
should not have had a prayer of beating a Sunderland team which dominated
much of the match, created plenty of chances and had two good calls for a
penalty ignored by below-par referee Mike Dean. But, like Portsmouth and
Stoke before them, West Ham simply held their nerve against Sunderland's
admittedly unrelenting but generally unconvincing attacks and then took full
advantage when the opportunity offered itself at the other end.

All too easy.

Charity begins at home, but Sunderland are in danger of taking generosity to
new levels right now – struggling teams like Portsmouth, Blackburn and West
Ham are coming to Wearside for just the sort of pick-me-up their failing
season needs. And Sunderland must find a way to stop themselves flattering
to deceive. Yesterday, you looked through the Sunderland team and struggled
to find anyone – OK, perhaps Kenwyne Jones and Djibril Cisse – who had a bad
game. But you also struggled to find a red and white player who had an
outstanding game. Everyone seems to be doing generally OK, but no-one is
seizing the bull by the horns. In short, Sunderland's whole is less than the
sum of its parts – and that's a fact which negates the whole value and
concept of a team. "You can't fault the players' attitude or desire,"
admitted Keane afterwards and he was right – the fault has to lie in the
coaching. More work has to be done in finding a way to get the best out of
these players. There isn't a poor player in Sunderland's side, but they just
aren't clicking together as a team and that is a problem the management have
to swiftly solve. Sunderland fans have an unerring knack of finding a weak
link in their side and then punishing it mercilessly – whether it deserves
it or not – so it was telling that they could not find a scapegoat
yesterday, not even late substitute Daryl Murphy.

That means it has to be back to the drawing board for every one of the
coaching staff this week in a bid to get this team to click, for, just as a
lack of teamwork was apparent in the Jones-Cisse axis yesterday, it is only
teamwork which will get Sunderland back on track. Not that that's an easy
task – for few would have faulted the manager's team selection going into
the game. Keane made only one change to the side which beat Blackburn Rovers
the previous week – Andy Reid preferred in central midfield to Teemu Tainio
as the manager opted for a more attacking line-up, looking to exploit home
advantage. In response, West Ham switched from their usual 4-3-3 system to
4-4-2, with former Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy partnered up front with
Carlton Cole. Despite the freezing weather of the previous 24 hours, it was
only chilly at kick-off, with the floodlights on from the start and shining
down on a pitch in good condition as West Ham got the game underway and gave
as good as they got in the opening stages. The first real goal threat didn't
come until the eighth minute when Reid's cross from the left was punched
clear by keeper Robert Green under pressure. The left wing provided the
source of the next threat when Reid's right-foot cross was headed narrowly
over the bar by Cisse, with Sunderland now threatening to take control.

The opening quarter-of-an-hour saw Sunderland looking comfortable, but,
after that, the game began to open up and it was set on its head in the 21st
minute when West Ham took the lead. Reid conceded a needless free-kick on
the right-hand side of the box and although Carlton Cole's cross was cleared
by Cisse, it ran out only as far as Valon Behrami on the edge of the area
and his low shot hit the heel of Kenwyne Jones on its way through and the
ball spiralled into the top right-hand corner of helpless Marton Fulop's
goal. The goal against the run of play threatened to unsettle Sunderland and
seconds later Phil Bardsley followed Reid into the referee's book for
fouling Behrami as he sought to cover for a sliced clearance from Fulop.
Gradually, Sunderland recovered momentum and, after a brave challenge from
Whitehead, Reid lifted a loose ball from right of goal on to the top of
Green's crossbar. But it was to be a rare threat – only Danny Collins tested
Green again before the interval – his 40th-minute rising shot palmed over
the bar by the keeper.

In between, Sunderland played some neat football and were denied further
progress only by the official's timidity – Jones was clearly wrestled to the
ground by James Collins inside the area for a penalty, not given, and Cisse
was pulled to the turf by the same player in an incident just outside the
box which should certainly have led to his dismissal. As it was, Collins
stayed and West Ham almost increased their lead on the stroke of half-time –
Anton Ferdinand, making his 100th league appearance and playing against his
former club – produced a nightmare touch just inside his own half and
Bellamy was on to it in an instant and racing towards the Sunderland goal.
Fulop did well to force the ex-Magpie out to the right of goal, but, when
the striker teed up Behrami inside the six-yard box, it looked goal all the
way only for the Swiss international to hit the bar from five yards out.
That would have been a killer blow and Sunderland started the second half
looking to make West Ham pay for their profligacy.

Cisse got a shot in on target in the 48th which clearly smashed against
Upson's hand, but again there was no penalty and a minute later Bardsley put
in a great cross from the right, but Cisse, at the far post, just couldn't
quite guide it on to the target. It was the story of Sunderland's afternoon
as chances fell to the French striker's head only for him to head them off
target with a frequency which suggested the Mohican haircut might be doing
him no favours when it came to hitting the target.
West Ham's first effort on goal in the second half did not come until the
55th minute when Scott Parker lifted an effort miles wide, though the
visitors went closer a minute later when Julien Faubert lifted in a cross
from the right which Lee Bowyer dropped on the roof of Fulop's net. With no
early breakthrough though, Sunderland were in danger of falling away, their
final ball letting them down and when they did find a great cross – Reid
putting a fine ball in from the left, Cisse's head saw it all go
pear-shaped. Sunderland made substitutions – Carlos Edwards, Daryl Murphy
and El-Hadji Diouf replacing Reid, Malbranque and Jones – but the Wearsiders
remained plentiful in possession and powder-puff in attack. The closest they
came before the final whistle was a flicked header by Whitehead in the 83rd
minute – the skipper glancing the ball goalwards from Bardsley's right-wing
cross only to find Green at his athletic best.

It was far too little though and far too late. Sunderland need to be better
than this. Currently, Keane's squad resembles nothing more than Eric
Morecambe's piano – the Sunderland boss having acquired all the right notes
but, for the moment, not necessarily playing them in the right order.

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Sunderland pay for lack of creativity
8:52am Monday 24th November 2008
Northern Echo
By Adam Murray »

Sunderland 0 West Ham United 1

WITH the Premier League being anything but predictable this season it
appeared nailed on that West Ham would win at the Stadium of Light
yesterday. The Hammers haven't won outside London in 2008, never mind this
season, so one of their longest trips of the season was a certainty to yield
three points. Sunderland fans may have complaints about three penalty
appeals turned down by referee Mike Dean, but they should be just as angry
about the lack of creativity displayed by their side after the break, with
West Ham keeper Robert Green only called into action once. The goal they
gave away was very avoidable. Andy Reid's late challenge on Lucas Neill
earned him a booking and led directly to the goal scored by Swiss
international Valon Behrami. It could have been worse with Anton Ferdinand
almost gifting the Hammers a second. Craig Bellamy robbed him on halfway,
only for Behrami to somehow hit the bar from eight yards out with just Phil
Bardsley to beat on the line It was Sunderland's fourth home defeat of the
season and they again failed to make it back-to-back wins to build on the
victory at Blackburn. It was the half-time team talk that inspired the win
at Ewood Park. The desire to make an instant impact was in evidence in the
first half but the end product was absent. They produced their first shot in
the opening minute and forced Green into a first save before ten minutes was
played. A minute later they should have been one up. Andy Reid, in for the
more defensively minded Teemu Tainio, produced his second testing cross of
the afternoon but Djibril Cisse was unable to direct his header under
Green's crossbar.
All appeared to be going swimmingly until, with their first real effort on
goal, West Ham went ahead.
Nyron Nosworthy cleared the initial danger from Julien Faubert's free kick
from just outside the box on the right but, as the ball came out,
Behrani's's low left-footed effort spun off Kenwyne Jones' heels and into
the top corner, leaving Marton Fulop with no chance. Undeserved but very
welcome for Gianfranco Zola's side, who went into the game on a seven-match
run without a win. With the economic crisis expected to bite football hard
in the coming 12 months, the predictions are for several January firesales
as clubs look to slash astronomical wage bills. West Ham are likely to lead
the way with their Icelandic investors feeling the financial effects more
than most and Zola must hope he can garner as many points as possible before
a seemingly inevitable exodus. Sunderland have also invested heavily with
the £2m spent to bring Cisse on loan for a season already paying dividends
with five goals.
It should have been six two minutes after Behrani's goal. Reid again
provided the perfect ball but Cisse's free header from ten yards out was
directed well wide of the target. Reid – or laughing boy as the Ireland
squad call him – then decided to try his luck from outside the area, only to
see his curling effort bounce off the bar. If the fans were angry at the
one-goal deficit they were apoplectic as two penalty appeals were waved away
by referee Mike Dean. Jones and James Collins tussled as Reid sent in a
free-kick, with both ending prone on the turf and Collins the guiltier of
the two. Nothing doing according to Dean, and shortly afterwards Collins was
pushing his weight around with Jones' strike partner Cisse. There appeared a
definite initial foul 20 yards out but Cisse stayed up until he reached the
edge of the area. That delay may have persuaded Dean it wasn't a foul and he
again dismissed the protestations. That certainly annoyed Cisse, who took
his anger out on the ball ten minutes before the break but could only hit
the side netting from ten yards.
Keane laid into his players at half-time down at Ewood Park eight days
before yesterday's game and Ferdinand may have not wished to venture to the
dressing room had the visitors taken full advantage of his howler just
before half-time. The centre-back's control allowed Bellamy to nick the ball
off him on halfway and leave him one-on-one with Fulop. Fulop did well to
force Bellamy wide but his cross was straight into the path of the onrushing
Behrami six yards out. With the goalkeeper nowhere to be seen it was a
certain goal but Behrami got underneath his effort and somehow hit the bar.
The second half was only three minutes old when penalty appeal number three
was turned down. Cisse was the beneficiary of Bardsley's mis-directed shot
with the ball ending up at his feet on the edge of the area. He turned
quickly and shot, but his effort struck Matthew Upson flush on the left
hand. As if not wanting to change the habits of an afternoon, Dean again
dismissed Sunderland's appeals.
Cisse was handed the chance to put the disappointment behind him shortly
afterwards but another free header was again directed off target by the loan
signing.
Sunderland were soon reminded West Ham could break at speed as first Bellamy
directed a free header just over the bar from Faubert's cross and then
Bowyer appeared to have got the better of Fulop only for the Sunderland
keeper to save at his feet at the second attempt. Despite a willingness to
work hard, Sunderland were unable to create clear-cut openings. With 25
minutes remaining plan A was abandoned by Keane, whose half-time words of
'encouragement' were failing to have the desired effect. Daryl Murphy and
Carlos Edwards were on for Steed Malbranque and Reid. The results of the
changes were limited, with the only chances of note in the next ten minutes
long-range efforts from Bardsley that failed to hit the target. El-Hadji
Diouf was the last throw of the dice by Keane but their best effort of the
whole second half came from Dean Whitehead. His flick header from Murphy's
cross was plucked out of the air by Green. That was as good as it got as the
siege expected after the break failed to materialise.

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