WHUFC.com
Matthew Upson's thoughts have already shifted towards Sunday's trip to west
London
09.12.2008
Matthew Upson was as disappointed as anyone in the Boleyn Ground as
Tottenham Hotspur struck a late second to kill off any hope of a West Ham
United comeback in the London derby.
The England international led a solid defensive unit that stood firm until
Spurs captain Ledley King headed his side in front with 22 minutes remaining
before Jamie O'Hara added a killer second at the death late on Monday night.
The central defender believes that as frustrating as the result was, a small
change of luck could lead to a big shift in fortune for the team.
"We've not really had the rub of the green at home this season and I thought
the first-half was quite level," he said. "It was a bit of a scrappy affair
but there wasn't a lot in it and it could have gone either way. We're just
disappointed we've not taken anything - we were so close to levelling up and
taking a point apiece but it wasn't to be and it's just a disappointing
evening for us."
The 29-year-old believes the upcoming 'important run' of games are crucial
to defining West Ham United's season, with thoughts already turning to
Sunday's second consecutive London derby against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
"There are a lot of teams right in the thick of it. This period building up
to and through Christmas is really going to put distance between teams who
are looking good and heading for the top and those who are going to be at
the bottom of the table. So it's going to be an important run of results for
us, we have to work hard and stick to what we believe in and grind some
results out."
"Chelsea is definitely a game we want. We've been solid enough to go to
places like that and get something from the game so I've got belief that we
can do that and I'm sure the players and the manager do too. It's a huge
game and they way we've been playing defensively and our organisation has
been good there's no reason why we can't get something."
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More progress for loan duo
WHUFC.com
Homegrown duo James Tomkins and Kyel Reid got more vital match action under
their belts on Tuesday
09.12.2008
James Tomkins and Kyel Reid continued to gain valuable experience on Tuesday
night with Coca-Cola Championship run-outs for their loan clubs.
Tomkins was a 52nd-minute substitute for Derby County away to leaders
Wolverhampton Wanderers, although by the time he entered the fray the Rams
were two down and victory was out of reach. The England Under-19
international defender has enjoyed his time so far at Pride Park, helping
Derby to a League Cup semi-final against Manchester United.
Reid was aiming for a third straight win with Blackpool but they were undone
by a 1-0 defeat away at high-flying Reading. The 21-year-old left winger has
made an instant impact but was unable to inspire another success in playing
the whole game, although Blackpool have made significant strides away from
the relegation zone since his arrival.
Finally, Nigel Quashie got another run-out for Birmingham City in the 1-0
success at Plymouth Argyle. It means the second-placed Blues are within
three points of rivals Wolves. A total of eight West Ham United players are
out on loan with one intriguing fixture this coming weekend being the
meeting of Jordan Spence's Leyton Orient with Josh Payne's Cheltenham Town.
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Zola determined to bounce back
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola says he will be working 'even harder' after Monday night's
defeat by Tottenham Hotspur
09.12.2008
Gianfranco Zola has spoken about his determination to get West Ham United
going again after the disappointment against Tottenham Hotspur
There is the small matter of a trip to Chelsea to contend with next Sunday
but, with just two points between West Ham United and ninth place, the
manager has every faith in his team. The last away trip saw a 0-0 draw at
leaders Liverpool, so there is optimism for the trip to Stamford Bridge. "It
is not an easy situation, we know that, but in football you never know," he
said.
"We are going to be working even harder than we are doing and we are trying
to improve the situation. We won't panic, we have faith in ourselves and we
will carry on working. [Against Tottenham] it was important for us to score
first because we knew the game was going to be close.
"I understand it must be disappointing for the fans because that was a big
game for them as well. The players gave everything and so what can I say? I
do understand the frustration - we gave everything we had to make them happy
and unfortunately it didn't work. It was a game everybody wanted to win and
it was disappointing."
In the 2-0 loss, the manager believed his team were denied a penalty when
Carlton Cole's goalbound header was handled while there was also a
disallowed goal when the ball went into the Spurs net via Jermaine Jenas in
the first half. The teams are now level on 18 points, along with Manchester
City, while Newcastle United are two points behind - emphasising the
closeness of the league standings.
But for a Heurelho Gomes double save at the death from Lucas Neill and David
Di Michele that so nearly cancelled out Ledley King's opener, it would have
been honours even. As it was Jamie O'Hara broke away to score a second. "The
last ten minutes I took a gamble. I put another striker on. I knew I was
going to risk something. We had the opportunity, we didn't score and they
came down and scored."
Goals have proved hard to come by in recent weeks but Zola will be working
hard to put that right. "We tried to come back, we had the opportunities to
come back but we just didn't take them. We will try to get more goals. We
are going to be working on the strikers' confidence and trying to do
something.
"We need to put it right because that is what we need. We knew we were
conceding too much and we got to the point where we are not conceding too
many goals but now we have to improve on scoring. We are going to be working
on that to find the right solution."
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LBM in the dark
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th December 2008
By: Staff Writer
Luis Boa Morte says he is mystified as to why he is not playing more often.
The 31-year-old winger joined the Hammers two years ago next month in a
£5million switch from Fulham, but has generally failed to impress at the
Boleyn Ground. However the former Portuguese international - whose most
recent appearance came in the 0-0 draw at Liverpool - still feels that he
deserved more minutes on the pitch. "I cannot hide that I would like to play
more, " he said. "I have no idea why I am not played more. "Every time the
coach played me, I did well on the pitch, which is why I wish I played more
often."
Boa Morte, who has a year and a half remaining on his current contract,
added that he had looked into the possibility of returning to Portugal to
end his career - but added that he had received no rock-solid offers
recently. "At the moment nothing's for sure," he added, "but whatever
happens, West Ham United will need my agreement if they want to make a
deal."
Boa Morte was an unused substitute in last night's 2-0 home defeat against
Tottenham.
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Di Canio dreams of England
Former West Ham star hopes to return to Upton Park
Last updated: 9th December 2008
SSN
Paolo Di Canio has revealed that he dreams of coaching a club in England in
the future and admits former side West Ham would be an ideal destination.
The 40-year-old, who retired while at Italian side Cisco Roma in March, was
a cult hero during his playing days with the Hammers and a return to Upton
Park appeals. But Di Canio - who took his coaching badges in the summer -
recognises that he may be required to cut his teeth elsewhere before a move
to England materialises. "I took my badge just last summer because, of
course, it is my target to become a coach somewhere in the future," Di Canio
told Sky Sports News. "My dream is to come back to England because this is
pure and natural football with the passion and the atmosphere. It is unique
in the world. "But, of course, I must be open in my mind. What I would like
to do in the future is coach in England. "I have something special in my
heart for West Ham, but I need to be open because I need to start somewhere.
"Once you start you can show your quality and can improve and try to do the
best job you can in the future." Di Canio also spent time with Celtic,
Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton during his playing days in Britain.
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Upson fears the big four
Tom Collomosse
Evening Standard
Matthew Upson believes West Ham's next four matches will define their season
as Gianfranco Zola's side prepare for Sunday's daunting derby at Chelsea.
The 2-0 home defeat by Spurs left Zola's team just three points above the
Premier League relegation zone, and with just four goals scored in their
last 10 matches, the Hammers' lack of bite in attack is becoming a serious
worry. After taking on Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, West Ham have a home
match against inform Aston Villa on 20 December, before they travel to
Portsmouth on Boxing Day and face Stoke at Upton Park two days later. And
England defender Upson knows the Hammers must raise their game if they are
to turn things around. He said: "There are a lot of teams right in the thick
of it. "This period building up to Christmas and the matches around that
time will put a bit of distance between the teams who can move towards the
higher reaches of the table and those who will be struggling at the bottom.
"So the next four games are all important for us. We have to make sure we
get back to working hard. This period is huge because we can pull out a gap
between ourselves and the bottom of the table."
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Redknapp planning £16m West Ham swoop to bring Green and Upson to Spurs
By Matt Lawton and Simon Cass
Last updated at 2:08 AM on 10th December 2008
Daily Mail
Harry Redknapp is planning to return to West Ham when the transfer window
reopens next month and make a £16million offer for Matthew Upson and Robert
Green.
The Tottenham manager, who guided his side to a 2-0 victory at Upton Park on
Monday night, has identified Green as the perfect replacement for the
error-prone Heurelho Gomes and believes his former club would struggle to
resist an offer when they remain in a major financial crisis. The same goes
for Upson, who would be valued at £10m in the offer, with the defender just
as important to Redknapp because Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate are so
prone to injury. Upson has established himself as a key member of Fabio
Capello's England squad, starting the last three internationals and coming
on as a substitute in that memorable 4-1 win in Croatia. Green has so far
failed to impress the national manager, but his recent form suggests he will
be involved when the Italian names his squad for the friendly in Spain in
February. Redknapp believes King is good enough to be in that group, but the
centre back's knee injury is so bad he is struggling to be fit to face
Manchester United at White Hart Lane on Saturday. King's knee swelled up
like a balloon after he scored against West Ham on Monday but he said: 'I
always miss a lot of training. I probably won't train between now and
Saturday. But when a match comes around I refuse to be counted out. 'I have
niggles but wait for the day. I have no problem doing that. I'm desperate to
play against United and I'm really up for that one.' King is aware of the
threat former Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov will pose but insists his lack
of dedication before leaving for United in a £30.75m summer move means he
has not been missed. King said: 'Players come and go. We are professional
about it, but we are just interested in those who want to play for the club.
'We'll say hello and shake his hand, but once we go on the pitch we'll have
a job to do in keeping him quiet. Dimitar was like Robbie Keane, he was the
fans' favourite while he was here. I'm sure they appreciate what he did for
the club and hopefully we can keep him quiet if he is playing.' Strikers
Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko are not yet as popular as their
predecessors with the fans but King pointed out that the goals are being
shared around more. He said: 'We have players all over the pitch who can
score and good defenders, too. We have a good squad.
'It's about getting the best out of everyone and it's down to everyone to
chip in with goals, not just the front men. Scoring is about the same thing
as keeping a clean sheet — it is a team effort.'
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Mail Says Redknapp to Bid for Green & Upson
West Ham Till I Die
The Daily Mail is running a story that Harry Redknapp will bid £16 million
for Rob Green and Matthew Upson in January. That wouldn't surprise me at
all. And I suspect they won't be the only ones.
It is surely inconceivable that we could sell our two best players - unless
of course the club's financial position worsens. If those two go, we might
as well all give up. At the moment they would be irreplaceable.
Note: I'm in Russia until Sunday evening, so posting may be irregular or non
existent until then. If I find a Russian oligarch with a few hundred million
I'll be sure and direct them to Green Street, E13.
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Who will stand up for the Hammers as bubble bursts?
Last updated at 8:23 AM on 10th December 2008
Daily Mail
Premier League football club who are closer to an abyss than West Ham
United. Nice try if you just shouted Newcastle, but we're going to have send
you home with £50 and a commemorative tie. During the Hammers' 2-0 defeat by
Spurs this week I started to count the indignities heaped on the East End
congregation. There weren't enough fingers in my street. Read this as a
stream of consciousness that will be familiar to many West Ham fans.
The manager in the opposition dug-out is an East End legend now engineering
a victory for Tottenham, the Australian right back earns more than Jonathan
Ross, the shirts have been relaunched after the collapse of the original
sponsors (XL) and one of the star players (Craig Bellamy) is maintaining his
one-man crusade against the Football Association's Respect campaign by
calling a linesman a 'f****** p****' at the volume of a Motorhead track.
Somewhere in the stands are representatives of a tiny island that wanted to
conquer the world with credit. No, not Britain, but Iceland, from where
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson tried to blend geysers and geezers in a fantasy that
matched the lending policies of his country's marshmallow banks. From
Reykjavik to Wreckyourclub, with love.
Offstage, the club's directors are thrashing on the hook of a possible
£30million pay-out to Sheffield United from the Carlos Tevez affair, in
which the lawyers have exhausted the manual of delaying tactics. The task is
to kill off a compensation bill that might just become payable at the point
of their own relegation to the same league as Sheff U.
Down on the field, Carlton Cole surrenders possession in midfield and is
engulfed by spectator angst that comes across as a blood-chilling 'Aaargh!'
Cole then chases Tottenham's Didier Zokora back to his own penalty area and
retrieves the ball, to universal applause. A neat summation, this, of the
volatility and grumpiness of the modern, fed-up fan.
In the coaching zone, where only five managers reigned between 1902 and
1989, Gianfranco Zola is West Ham's fourth boss since Harry Redknapp left in
2001. Alongside him is a fellow Stamford Bridge refugee, Steve Clarke.
Chelsea used to pinch West Ham's best young players. Now they use Upton Park
as a nursery slope for upwardly mobile managers.
Dean Ashton is fragile. Kieron Dyer is still on his way back and there's no
sign of Lee Bowyer. The third member of that unholy trinity, Bellamy,
continues to mistake snarling for purposeful endeavour and combines mouthing
off at match officials with picking fights with Tottenham players and
failing to direct the ball into the net, which is his primary job.
West Ham have won one of their last 10 league games but are only 10 points
behind Aston Villa, who are fifth, which must provide some succour. Yet the
team are now a compound of local diehards and starlets such as Mark Noble
and Freddie Sears, fading opportunists from Serie A and survivors of the
stupid extravagance underwritten in the early days of the Icelandic buy-out.
The crowd sound sullen and dispirited in a way Upton Park audiences rarely
are. The most phlegmatic of all London supporters must be feeling they're
the fall-guys in an especially vengeful script penned, say, by Germany's
losing World Cup side from 1966 or the players, directors and followers of
Sheffield United.
There's just space to mention that Gudmundsson's holding firm Hansa are in
the process of going into administration. The owner is thought to have lost
£230m of his fortune when Iceland's Landsbanki collapsed.
If you think about it, the Premier League is a microcosm of what's happened
to the British economy.
Everyone borrowed and spent manically in the false belief that the value of
their physical assets (houses, clubs) would always cover the cost of their
debts. In both spheres, the assumption was that the boom was infinite. In
football, clubs have been spending future TV revenues on wage bills that
have come to look like colossal liabilities.
West Ham's finances imploded along with the international banking system,
specifically as it applied to Iceland, and now Gudmundsson is hoping someone
will hand him £150m for the privilege of paying Lucas Neill's incredible
wages. This breathtaking chutzpah will be seen by future generations as an
hallucinatory era in which far too many people who claim to love the game
conspired. Here, late in the day, is the good news. Once this pain has
passed (it may take a while), West Ham never have to be in this position
again. They never have to buy the bright shining lie of the roving
speculator. Scant consolation, admittedly, when Harry Redknapp's Spurs are
whipping you 2-0
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Brooking secure to speak out
Matt Scott The Guardian, Wednesday December 10 2008
Sir Trevor Brooking's position at the Football Association looks more secure
than ever despite the tensions his comments have created within the game.
Brooking is the FA's director of football development and is responsible for
youth-coaching standards in England. But what makes him indispensable is his
role as the link between the suits at Soho Square and Fabio Capello.
Insiders say the England manager and his Italian coaching team are
relatively estranged from the FA executive despite being its most important
employees.
Brian Barwick, the chief executive who handed Capello a £4.5m-a-year salary,
was close to the Italians who saw him as a "football man". But Barwick
officially departs the FA next month and has not been a regular visitor to
Soho Square since his exit was announced in August.
Adrian Bevington, the FA's long-serving head of communications who has been
close to a succession of England managers, is similarly trusted by Capello.
However, Capello's relationships do not extend much further.
Internal politics dictate that were Brooking to join Barwick in leaving the
FA it would be interpreted as a highly isolating move for Capello and his
team.
It is from this position of strength that Brooking has been outspoken about
what he considers a lack of accountability at clubs on youth development,
sparking a public row with the chairman of the Football League, Brian
Mawhinney.
If a frustrated Brooking parts company with the FA it would be of his own
accord. "Sir Trevor continues as director of football development," said a
spokesman.
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Benayoun Joins Babel In Eyeing Liverpool Exit
Submitted by Jake Briggs on Tue, 2008-12-09 13:53.
Premiership Latest
Israeli International Yossi Benayoun has joined Liverpool team-mate Ryan
Babel in voicing his discontent about limited opportunities at the Premier
League club, with the former West Ham United player revealing that he will
assess his situation at the Merseyside club in January or at the end of the
season.
Benayoun was unveiled at Anfield on the same day as Babel last summer, but
like the Dutchman, who declared that he wished to return to former club Ajax
on loan is unhappy at having to settle for a place on the bench under Reds
boss Rafa Benitez in the Premiership this season.
While 28-year-old Benayoun understands that it is hard for Benitez to drop
anyone from a Liverpool side that is currently top of the Premier League and
is prepared to be patient. Benayoun is also, having to consider if his
long-term future is at Anfield or whether it lies elsewhere.
Benayoun told the Sun: "The boss had a chat with me a couple of weeks ago
after stuff appeared in the newspapers about my future.
"I didn't ask for any talks - he said he wanted to speak to me about it and
he just told me to stay calm, because I would get my chances in the team.
"We agreed it was important now for me to put any of my personal feelings to
one side and concentrate on trying to keep us at the top of the table.
"There will be time for me to think about my situation in January or at the
end of the season.
"So for now I'm happy to put that behind me and focus on doing my bit for
the team. The problem for me is the manager is not rotating as much as he
used to.
"It is the same 11 players every week, and they are doing so well, so no one
can really complain.
"I have to be patient, but I'm still not sure whether, in the long term, my
future will be here."
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Tottenham To Move For West Ham Duo Upson & Green
Spurs are reportedly planning a winter swoop for two of the Hammers' most
valuable back-line battlers...
Goal.com
According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to offer West Ham
United £16 million for centre-back Matthew Upson and goalkeeper Robert
Green.
It is no secret that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp is in the market for a new
shot-stopper. Heurelho Gomes may be slowly improving, but the Brazilian's
blunders have cost his new club dearly this season and a safer pair of hands
is needed.
David James has been mentioned frequently, but Redknapp will opt against his
old No. 1 at Portsmouth to chase after the ever-consistent Green. The
28-year-old has been impressive since moving from Norwich City in 2006, and
many are baffled by his constant exclusion from Fabio Capello's England
squad.
Upson, on the other hand, has worked his way into the Three Lions fold as
understudy to John Terry and Rio Ferdinand - he even picked up the
man-of-the-match award for his star turn in the recent win over Germany.
Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola is on the record as saying none of his top
player will be leaving during the January transfer window, and both Green
and Upson certainly fit into that bracket. However, the club's financial
woes may force them to make a few sacrifices - and £16 million is a lot of
money.
Cecil Braun, Goal.com
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Matthew Upson aiming to keep West Ham United in the Premier League
Matthew Upson's international career may be on the upturn but his future as
a Premier League player remains in the balance after West Ham stumbled to a
2-0 home defeat against Spurs on Monday night.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Last Updated: 8:23AM GMT 10 Dec 2008
Gianfranco Zola's side have scored three goals in nine games and face a test
at the weekend when they visit Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge. While goals is
an issue for Zola, who scored 80 times for Chelsea, keeping the club in the
Premier League remains the key priority for Upson. "It's been very
disappointing," said Upson. "Result-wise, we've not really had too much of
the rub of the green at home this season. We were so close to levelling up
against Spurs and taking a point apiece, but it wasn't to be, and it's just
a disappointing evening for us. "You can say there can be general
improvement all over the team, but in the second half on Monday night we ran
out of steam a little bit. We started the second half well but didn't build
up the head of steam or pressurise them enough, while we also failed to get
enough quality balls into the box and look dangerous enough to score."
The defat means West Ham are level on points with Spurs and Manchester City.
Before Monday's game, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp warned it could prove to
be one of the hardest relegation battles in the competition's history. Upson
agrees. "There are a lot of teams right in the thick of it," he added. "This
period building up to Christmas will put a bit of distance between the teams
who can move towards the higher reaches of the table and those who will be
struggling at the bottom, so the next few games are all important for us. We
have to make sure we get back work hard stick to what we believe in and
grind some results. "If we can get some good results on the board, we can
put a distance between ourselves and that area of the table."
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Pazzini issues 'come and get me' plea to West Ham
Author: Charlie Coffey
Posted on: 10 December 2008 - 8:19 AM
Giampaolo Pazzini has opened the door for a move to West Ham after issuing a
'come and get me' plea to boss Gianfranco Zola. The Fiorentina striker, who
has already voiced his desire to quit the Serie A club, is desperate to link
up with Zola after their time together with the Italy Under-21 side. And the
24-year-old is determined to leave Italy after spending most of the season
on the substitutes bench, with West Ham and a reunion with Zola his
preferred outcome. "The Premier League is a great league and any footballer
in the world would love to play there," he said. "I know Zola very well and
I am not surprised that he is interested in taking me to West Ham. "My
future is my responsibility and I am ready to leave Fiorentina if it is for
a great club and a great project."
Zola is desperate to bolster his striking options in January with Dean
Ashton still sidelined with injury, while Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole
have struggled in front of goal. However, with the Hammers facing a cash
crisis, Zola may struggle to find the £8million needed to lure Pazzini to
Upton Park in January without selling a number of key players himself.
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Zola keen to work on Hammers' toothless attack
3:21pm Tuesday 9th December 2008
Guardian Series
WEST Ham boss Gianfranco Zola admits he and his staff will be putting in the
hours to find a solution to the team's toothless edge in front of goal. The
misfiring Hammers have scored just four times in the last ten games, a
dismal run that seen them claim just one victory. It was a problem all too
obvious in the club's disappointing derby defeat against Tottenham at Upton
Park on Monday. And Zola knows that it is a situation that must be
rectified. "We will try something," said the Italian manager, whose side are
hovering just three points above the Premier League relegation zone.
"Obviously we're going to be working on the striker's confidence and trying
to do something. "We need to put it right because that is what we need right
now. "We knew we were conceding too much and we've got to the point where
we're not giving too many goals away but now we have to improve our scoring.
"We're going to be working on that and we will find the right things to do."
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