WHUFC.com
Junior Stanislas was in action in Southend United's 4-1 third round replay
defeat by Chelsea
14.01.2009
West Ham United youngster Junior Stanislas played a full part as Southend
United gave Chelsea a scare before going down to a battling 4-1 FA Cup third
round replay defeat at Roots Hall on Wednesday.
Stanislas, who has been on loan with the League One side since late
November, helped Southend to force the replay by drawing 1-1 at Stamford
Bridge on 3 January.
The 19-year-old was back in the limelight again and it did not take long for
the teenager to make his mark. The England Under-19 international winger's
corner was powered into the net by Shrimpers captain Adam Barrett to give
Steve Tilson's side a shock lead after 16 minutes.
Stanislas, who scored two goals in the 3-1 second round win over Luton Town
to set up the clash with Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, was a lively presence
down the left flank. Faced by Jose Bosingwa, the south Londoner refused to
be fazed by the challenge posed by the Portugal international full-back.
Chelsea had the better for long periods of the game, which originally looked
set to be postponed due to dense fog 90 minutes before the scheduled 8.10pm
kick-off. However, shortly after it was widely believed the game had been
called off, the mist lifted and referee Chris Foy gave the tie the go-ahead.
Stanislas had a half-chance to double the hosts' lead on 38 minutes, but
could only fire over after Petr Cech had superbly blocked Alex Revell's
header. The Premier League side's class finally told a minute before
half-time when Germany captain Michael Ballack scored an equaliser following
a mix-up between Barrett and goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall.
The winger was back in the thick of things 12 minutes after the break when
his cross was headed over by Jean-Francois Christophe, but it was Chelsea
who would go on to win the tie. Salomon Kalou put the visitors ahead on the
hour-mark before Nicolas Anelka added a third with 13 minutes remaining and
Frank Lampard completed the scoring in added-time.
Stanislas is set to return to the Boleyn Ground later this week as his
six-week loan period ends on Thursday, and will hope the promise he showed
in scoring three times in seven matches for the Essex side will encourage
Gianfranco Zola to hand him a chance in the West Ham United first team later
this term.
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West Ham reject third Bellamy bid
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have rejected a third bid from Manchester City for striker Craig
Bellamy, BBC Sport understands. On Monday West Ham turned down an improved
£9m offer for the 29-year-old Welshman with the new bid again higher. City
are keen to bring both Bellamy and team-mate Scott Parker to Eastlands but
have so far failed to land either. West Ham, whose owner Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson may sell the club, insist they do not want to offload players
and are under no pressure to do so. Often a controversial figure, Bellamy
has helped lead 10th-placed West Ham back up the Premier League table in
recent weeks after they had initially struggled as Gianfranco Zola settled
in at the club after joining as its new manager in September.
And speaking after Saturday's 2-2 draw at Newcastle, in which Bellamy
scored, Zola said: "If you see the way he plays all over the pitch, it is
fantastic. "It is an example of professionalism and he is performing very
well." The Italian added: "It is not true that we want to sell our best
players. We want to improve so we are hopeful we can do this."
The former Liverpool, Blackburn, Newcastle, Coventry and Norwich forward has
made 54 appearances for his country scoring 16 goals. City, who signed
left-back Wayne Bridge from Chelsea for around £10m when the January
transfer window opened, have also had a £12m bid for Blackburn striker Roque
Santa Cruz rejected.
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Tottenham, Manchester City Fail With Fresh Bellamy Bids
Goal.com
West Ham United have turned down new bids from Manchester City and Tottenham
Hotspur for Craig Bellamy, according to the British broadsheet The
Independent. It is claimed that this is the third time the Hammers have
rejected an offer from the Citizens, having first rebuffed a £15 million
offer which also included Scott Parker, and then an £8.5 million bid plus a
further £1 million in add-ons. City's latest offer for the 29-year-old Welsh
international is believed to have been £9.5 m, but the Irons are thought to
be holding out for at least £15 m before anything is even considered. Spurs,
meanwhile, apparently offered Darren Bent, who is surplus to requirements at
White Hart Lane, in an exchange deal but West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is
thought not to be a keen admirer of the Englishman.
Ricky Brooks, Goal.com
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Rafa ready to rock Hammers with a move to take Ilunga to Liverpool
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 4:45 PM on 14th January 2009
Daily Mail
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is ready to make a move for West Ham defender
Herita Ilunga. Congo international Ilunga, 26, is on a season-long loan at
Upton Park with a view to a permanent £3million move from Toulouse. Benitez
has not been impressed by £7million summer signing Andrea Dossena and the
Reds have made enquiries over the terms of Ilunga's contract. Former Udinese
left back Dossena has been linked with a move back to Italy during the
transfer window.
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Gianfranco Zola Not the Man for the Hammers? by Nick Daly (Contributor)
January 13, 2009
Bleacher Report
Gianfranco Zola remains one of the favourites to be the next Premier League
manager to depart his position, according to the latest odds. SkyBet list
the Italian, who has only been in charge at the Boleyn Ground since
September, as fourth favourite to be next to depart despite his United side
recently enjoying a run of good form. Zola, who made noise about his future
before Christmas, has been given reassurances by the board that he will not
be forced to sell key squad members during the transfer window. However,
that promise appears to have been taken with a pinch of salt, not just by
Hammers supporters but also by the bookies, who still feel that things may
come to a head before the end of the current transfer window.
Joint favourites to go next are Chelsea boss Phil Scolari and Mark Hughes at
Manchester City (5/2). Tony Adams, whose Portsmouth side are in freefall,
having been forced to sell their best players in recent months, is listed at
11/4 whilst Zola is at 8/1. You can get 16s for Middlesbrough's Gareth
Southgate, Newcastle's Joe Kinnear, and on no further managerial departures
whilst the three rank outsiders are Alex Ferguson, Martin O'Neill, and David
Moyes, all 100/1.
KUMB.com
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Transfer Gossip Latest
West Ham Till I Die
* Ilunga to Liverpool
* Davenport to Stoke
* Quashie to sign permanently for Birmingham
* Boa Morte to Hull
* Faubert touting himself to anyone with a French accent
Any other gossip to add to the above list? That seems to be the sum of it
for the moment.
At least all is quiet on the Bellamy/Parker/Upson front. Long may it stay
that way.
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Faubert slams Zola
Sport.co.uk
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on: 14 January 2009 - 9:39 PM
West Ham flop Julien Faubert has launched a stinging attack on Hammers boss
Gianfranco Zola. The France midfielder, who is expected to leave Upton Park
in the coming weeks, is fed up with the lack of first-team opportunities
he's been given since Zola took over last September.Faubert's agent is in
talks with a number of French clubs with champions Lyon currently leading
the race for the 25-year-old winger. And the former Bordeaux star says he
has lost all patience with the West Ham manager after being axed for last
Saturday's game at Newcastle. "Zola has said he relies on me, but I don't
see any opportunities coming," he said. "I didn't play against Newcastle and
I don't know what he is up to. "Right now my agent is discussing with clubs.
Playing for a club such as Lyon is my priority to re-launch my international
career. "But the problem is that my selling price is very high."
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West Ham reject City and Spurs' Bellamy bids
By Jason Burt
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Independent.co.uk Web
West Ham United have rejected two new bids for Craig Bellamy, with Tottenham
Hotspur offering Darren Bent in a straight swap deal for the striker on
Tuesday evening and then Manchester City upping their offer for the Wales
international to £9.5m yesterday afternoon.
In a further significant development in the January transfer window the
Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan last night claimed that Spurs had bid £10m
for midfielder Wilson Palacios.
Whelan also said that Wigan had resisted the offer, for now, but it is
understood that the 24-year-old Honduras international, who again impressed
Tottenham's manager Harry Redknapp at the weekend, is expected to move to
White Hart Lane in the next few days. Redknapp is determined to reshape his
squad and is desperate to add Bellamy, as well as Palacios, to his options
because he feels they have the character for Spurs' looming relegation
battle.
However West Ham are adamant that Bellamy is not for sale having already
rebuffed three other offers for the 29-year-old. They rejected a bid of £6m
from Spurs on Christmas Eve and then had two offers from City which they
turned down.
The first was a £15m bid, which also included City buying Scott Parker, and
the second, which was also immediately rejected, came on Monday morning when
City offered £8.5m for Bellamy, plus another £1m if he scored 25 goals in a
season or the club won the Champions League. They have since offered £9.5m
cash.
City are now set to move on to other targets, with Roque Santa Cruz
remaining their number one choice ahead of Bellamy, although they would have
liked to buy both players. The Paraguayan is expected to move to Eastlands
for £20m from Blackburn Rovers before the end of the month. If West Ham were
to receive an offer of £15m for Bellamy they have promised that they will
then put it to manager Gianfranco Zola who, ultimately, will decide which
players are bought and sold at the club.
West Ham are determined to hold on to their best players and have also
rejected overtures to sign Valon Behrami – who was wanted by Roma – and
Matthew Upson who has attracted inquiries from several Premier League side,
most noticeably his former club Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle United,
although no formal bid has been received because all suitors were told the
central defender is not for sale.
To counter any attempts to lure away their most valuable assets West Ham
have sold, or are in the process of selling or loaning, a list of fringe
players which has been drawn up by Zola. Already gone are Matthew
Etherington to Stoke City for £3m and Lee Bowyer, on loan to Birmingham
City, with Luis Boa Morte wanted by Hull City for £2m.
A deal to sell Calum Davenport to Bolton Wanderers for £3m fell through,
despite the player travelling to the Reebok Stadium, after Bolton signed
Sébastien Puygrenier on loan instead. But there are two other clubs
interested in the defender, while West Ham would also part with Julien
Faubert who is wanted by Lyons.
The transfers mean that West Ham have not only trimmed their squad, reducing
the wage bill as well as getting closer to the numbers – 21 plus goalkeepers
– that Zola wants to work with, but have also balanced their books. The club
are determined to show that they are not in financial difficulties. To that
end the desire to hold on to Bellamy is apparent.
Bent who cost £16.5m is four and a half years younger than Bellamy, who
arrived from Liverpool for £7.5m, but he is not of interest to Zola. It is a
sign of the determination of Redknapp to shake up his squad that he is
willing to sacrifice Bent. Redknapp, who has already signed Jermain Defoe
for £15.5m from Portsmouth, was furious following the limp defeat to Wigan
on Sunday and flew to Milan on Tuesday to watch Internazionale play Genoa in
a cup tie before which he held talks with Inter's sporting director Marco
Branca about the availability of players.
These are thought to have included striker Adriano, who Spurs said yesterday
would not be joining them, defender Nicolas Burdisso and midfielder Olivier
Dacourt.
At the same time Spurs have been linked with a move for Milan goalkeeper
Christian Abbiati – in exchange for Heurelho Gomes – but yesterday denied
that they had any plans to part with Gareth Bale or Jermaine Jenas. Spurs
are also thought to be interested in Udinese defender Christian Obodo.
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