Saturday, February 28

Daily WHUFC News -

Upson ready to face Bellamy
Forward's taunts have no effect on England defender
By Hayley Paterson Last updated: 28th February 2009
SSN

Matthew Upson is relishing the prospect of facing former West Ham team-mate
Craig Bellamy when the Hammers play Manchester City. The Welsh hitman signed
for the Eastlands club in a £14million move last month and could be in for a
rough ride from the Hammers fans when his new club travels to Upton Park for
Sunday's Premier League clash. In-form Bellamy will be looking to recreate
his midweek performance where he netted a brace against FC Copenhagen and
helped City through to the last 16 of the Uefa Cup. But his good friend
Upson will be looking to mark the 29-year-old out of Sunday's game as
ninth-placed West Ham lie just one point ahead of the visitors.
"I'll probably be marking Craig. It will be good to see him," Upson said.
"I'm sure he will get a bit of stick from our fans. Maybe he will be in my
ear too but I don't take part in all that. "He's gone to City and, for all
his faults, he has a desire to do well and to win. "He brings a lot to any
team and has already made a big impact in the changing room there, which
looks to be quite volatile. "But it's what he is doing on the pitch that is
most important. "He doesn't care what people say or think. He's old enough
now to know what is going to be said about his behaviour."

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Gabbidon lay-off continues
Injury-ridden star desperate to end nightmare spell out
By Rob Carragher Last updated: 27th February 2009
SSN

West Ham defender Danny Gabbidon admits that he is still not sure when he
will make his long-awaited return to action. The Wales international has
been sidelined since December 2007 with a variety of injuries and
complications that have plagued the 29-year-old's recent career. More than a
year on from the original injury and the mental effect on Gabbidon has
become just as pronounced as his physical concerns, with problem after
problem slowly wearing down his morale. "It's been a long time and it has
been quite frustrating. I was hoping to get back a long time ago," he told
the club's official website. "It's been tough, a few setbacks here and
there, I thought I was getting there and then something else happens. "It
wasn't one problem but two or three different things that are quite
complicated and have proved quite hard to get rid of. "It sounds a bit silly
but it may have been better to have had a straightforward injury like a
broken leg. You know then you might come back."
But finally there is some light at the end of the tunnel for Gabbidon, whose
latest improvements have enabled him to anticipate a return to action within
the next few months. "I know the back is better than it was before and I can
make a few targets and goals now," he added. "Hopefully in a month I may be
running and closer to training and then I can incorporate a few more targets
and goals into my programme. "I've spoken to the manager (Gianfranco Zola) a
few times. He has been really good with me. He asks me how I am and says 'we
are waiting for you to come back'."

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Bellamy : I didn't want second best
The Sun
By MARTIN BLACKBURN
Published: Today

CRAIG BELLAMY admits he would have bottled it had he stayed at West Ham when
Manchester City came calling. The in-form Welsh hitman can expect a hostile
reception when he returns to Upton Park with City on Sunday. Hammers fans
were not impressed with the way he engineered his January move to Eastlands
amid suggestions he had gone on strike. Bellamy, 29, knows he will be firmly
in the spotlight due to his bad-boy reputation but feels he needed the
challenge being offered by boss Mark Hughes. He has four goals already to
his name since his £10million move and is looking to show the Hammers what
they are missing. Bellamy said: "To me, it's about not settling for second
best. That's why I came. I could be sitting at home now, still a West Ham
player. "Expectations on me and the club were completely different there.
"No disrespect but I don't regret what I did. I'm happy, my kids are happy
and so is my wife. This is a new test for me."
Bellamy has already made headlines for his heated row with team-mate Robinho
in the aftermath of the 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth two weeks ago. He expects
to read and hear more of the same over the next couple of seasons but
believes it is a move he had to make. The former Newcastle and Blackburn ace
added: "I'll get dragged into everything over the next two years or so,
whenever anything happens. Part of me thinks, do I need this? It's very big
here and the club wants to become the biggest in the world. "But then a
bigger part of me thinks if I'd shied away from it, then I'd have looked
back and think I'd bottled it a little bit. "You want to challenge yourself
and test yourself. I know my name is going to get brought into it whenever
anything happens — that's just a fact, so I'm just going to get on with it."

Bellamy has high expectations of both himself and his team-mates and wants
them to build on their UEFA Cup success and encouraging draw at Liverpool.
City's away form is still a major worry despite the point at Anfield and he
wants to see an improvement in East London. He said: "If we get it right,
then you can't tell me there's anything better quality-wise than we have
here outside the top four or five. "But at this level you really need to
work hard to achieve things. So that's what need to start doing. "It was a
well-deserved point at Liverpool. You know you are going to have to work
hard if you are going to get a result at a place like that. "The
disappointing thing for us is that we need to show the same attitude at
places like Portsmouth, Stoke and elsewhere and we haven't been doing that."

Boss Sparky persuaded old Chelsea team-mate Gianfranco Zola to eventually
sell Bellamy but insists the Welshman has nothing to prove. He said: "People
tried to make a nuisance of themselves, saying he was going on strike, which
wasn't the case. "I hope his record against former clubs continues this
weekend. He's in fantastic form at the moment and so it's a good time to
play West Ham. "If we can get him in the right positions and provide him
with the right service, hopefully he can get us the goals. "I think he's a
player who could play at any club in the Premier League and have an impact.
"He's been a great signing for us. People say we paid £14m for him but
actually it was nothing like that. It was more like £10m."

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Julien Faubert and Juande Ramos get their wires crossed
February 27th, 2009 · 1 Comment
The Spoiler
West Ham reject is shocked he can't get into the Real Madrid team

Julien Faubert has only been with Real Madrid for five minutes but he is
already complaining to the French press that Juande Ramos is not playing him
enough. The Spoiler can only assume that despite not being able to break
into the West Ham team, the Frenchman expected to walk straight into the
Spanish champions' starting eleven.

The winger had previously complained to his native media that he was
"suffering mentally" in his final days at West Ham and it appears that his
"suffering" has continued in Madrid, with Faubert suggesting to L'Equipe
that Ramos doesn't like him.

The former Spurs boss responded by claiming that Faubert has spent ten days
out injured. That suggestion has been greeted with scepticism though because
no mention of this "injury" had been made before and there is no
confirmation in Real Madrid's medical records.

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Matthew Upson relishing Craig Bellamy's return to West Ham
West Ham defender Matthew Upson is relishing the prospect of facing Craig
Bellamy when the hot-blooded striker returns to Upton Park for the first
time since his move to Manchester City.
Telegraph
By Rob Stewart
Last Updated: 12:52PM GMT 28 Feb 2009

Upson will have the job of quelling the Welshman who has scored four goals
in seven games following a £14 million transfer and is confident he will not
succumb to the pantomime villain's wind-up routines. "I am sure Bellers will
get a bit of stick from our fans and maybe he will be in my ear too but I
don't take part in all that," the England centre-half said. "He is very
funny. He's gone to Manchester City and for all his faults, he has a desire
to do well and to win. That stands out. "He brings a lot to any team and has
already made a big impact there, in the changing room which looks to be
quite volatile at the moment. But it's what he's doing on the pitch that is
most important.
"He doesn't care what people say or think. That's him. He's old enough now
to know what is going to be said about his behaviour. The dressing room at
West Ham is still good. Yes, he is a different type of character but we have
adapted well. "I'll probably be marking Craig and it will be good to see
him. He's a good player, makes clever runs but we play against decent
players every week in the Premier League." Upson and his colleagues will be
aiming to put their FA Cup exit at Middlesbrough behind them as they aim to
arrest a run of five games without a win. "We need to regroup and address
what went wrong," Upson said. "We never got going at Middlesbrough and it
was a real disappointment. We wanted to put on a good performance and it was
a wasted opportunity to do something in the FA Cup. "We may have been a bit
jaded from last weekend at Bolton perhaps but this is the hard part of the
season and we have to deal with it. "There has been no room for squad
rotation in the last few months but now we have to dig in and improve. "We
need to raise the standards of everyone around us. We didn't have the
sharpness at Middlesbrough, we have been punished two games in a row now,
both times by free-kicks. "What made it worse was we had such an awesome
away following. It felt twice as bad to lose, we had let the fans down."

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Manchester City have more ambition than West Ham, says Craig Bellamy
The Mirror
By David McDonnell 28/02/2009
Barclays Premier League: West Ham v Man City, Sunday, 12.30

Craig Bellamy claimed he was right to leave West Ham for Manchester City
because his new club have more ambition than their London counterparts.
Bellamy returns to his former club tomorrow for the first time since his
£10million switch to City, insisting his career has been rejuvenated by
playing under fellow Welshman Mark Hughes.
And the combative 29-year-old, who has made an immediate impact at City with
five goals in seven games, claimed his career had stagnated at West Ham.
"It's about not settling for second best," said Bellamy. "That's why I came
to City. I could be sitting at home now, still a West Ham player.
"Expectations on me and the club there were completely different. No
disrespect, but I don't regret what I did. I'm happy, my kids are happy and
so is my wife. This is a new test for me and it's something I wanted to do.
"City are going places and if we can get it right here then you can't tell
me there's anything better, quality-wise, than we have here outside of the
top four or five."
Bellamy has already seen his fiery nature land him trouble at City,
following a dressing-room row with team-mate Robinho after a 2-0 defeat at
Portsmouth, in which he questioned the Brazil star's work-rate and
commitment. Although he admitted his difficult reputation was a burden he
could do without, Bellamy claimed he cannot be any other way and admitted
there will be more controversies to come because of his outspoken nature.
I'll get dragged into everything over the next two years or so," said
Bellamy. "Whenever anything happens my name will always get dragged into it.
Part of me thinks: 'do I need this?' "But then a bigger part of me thinks if
I'd shied away from it then I'd have looked back and thought that I'd
bottled it a little bit. Who cares what anyone else says? You want to
challenge yourself and test yourself." City boss Hughes rates Bellamy so
highly he claimed the forward would walk into any team in the Premier League
- including English, European and world champions Manchester United. Hughes,
who managed Bellamy when he was in charge of Wales and Blackburn, claimed
there were few forwards who could match him in terms of pace, work-rate and
goalscoring ability."I've no idea why he's not thought of as one of the best
strikers in the Premier League," said Hughes. "I think he's a player who
could play at any club in the Premier League and have an impact. Even
United? Absolutely. "Craig's got frightening pace, and top clubs look at
that as a rare commodity and a real threat. Mind you, there's no intention
of us letting him go to anyone else. That's just an indication of how highly
we rate him. "It shows what a good striker he is that he's able to adapt to
different roles in different teams and different formations and still have
an impact. "He started well at Blackburn and ended up getting 20-odd goals
for me, so he did sustain it. I think if he's at the right club with the
right people, there's no reason why he can't be successful for many years."

Craig's got previous...
West Ham be warned, Bellamy has made a habit recently of scoring against
clubs he has just left.

Liverpool June 06-July 07
14th Oct 06
Liverpool 1 Blackburn 1 (1 goal)

10th Feb 07
Newcastle 2 Liverpool 1 (1 goal)

West Ham July 07-Jan 09
30th Aug 08
West Ham 4 Blackburn 1 (1 goal)

10th Jan 09
Newcastle 2 West Ham 2 (1 goal)
Manchester City Jan 09-

28th Jan 09
Man City 2 Newcastle 1 (1 goal)

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Bellamy has no regrets
Striker explains his reasons for leaving Hammers
Last updated: 28th February 2009
SSN

Craig Bellamy has admitted his move to Manchester City was too good to turn
down as he prepares to head back to former club West Ham. The Welshman makes
his first return to Upton Park on Sunday since his big-money move to
Eastlands during the January transfer window. Bellamy insists he has no
regrets over making the move claiming he would have 'bottled it' if he had
decided to snub the overtures from ambitious City. "To me, it's about not
settling for second best. That's why I came. I could be sitting at home now,
still a West Ham player," Bellamy said. "Expectations on me and the club
were completely different there. "No disrespect but I don't regret what I
did. I'm happy, my kids are happy and so is my wife. This is a new test for
me."
Bellamy has already found himself caught up in controversy at City amidst
rumours of a bust-up with team-mate Robinho. The former Newcastle and
Liverpool hit-man expects negative headlines to follow him around, but he is
adamant all the speculation does not affect him. "I'll get dragged into
everything over the next two years or so, whenever anything happens," added
Bellamy. Part of me thinks, do I need this? It's very big here and the club
wants to become the biggest in the world. "But then a bigger part of me
thinks if I'd shied away from it, then I'd have looked back and think I'd
bottled it a little bit. "You want to challenge yourself and test yourself.
I know my name is going to get brought into it whenever anything happens -
that's just a fact, so I'm just going to get on with it."

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The Bill Is In
Just Like My Dreams

Sheffield United will be claiming £45.5million over the Carlos Tevez affair
when they face West Ham United at an arbitration hearing next month.
According to several newspaper reports this morning, the Blades have finally
submitted the 'official bill' for the cost of their relegation from the
Premier League two seasons ago and will now face the Hammers at a hearing
due to begin on March 16 to decide how much compensation they should
receive.

The Hammers have already been fined £5.5million for breaching League rules
over third-party agreements and now the Yorkshire club, who were originally
claiming £30million, have produced a detailed breakdown of figures showing
what they claim to have lost, taking into account forfeited TV revenue,
falling gate receipts, depreciation in player values and a decline in
sponsorship.

The Sun reports that Argentine striker Tevez, now a Manchester United
player, scored the winner at Old Trafford on the final day of the season to
keep the Hammers up and send the Blades down. A subsequent tribunal, chaired
by Lord Griffiths, then ruled Tevez would not have been allowed to play if
West Ham had been honest about the status of his third-party registration.
Of course, we should not let the fact that West Ham United only needed a
solitary point to survive in the final game and would've achieved that
regardless of Tevez's strike cloud a good story here; nor the fact that
Sheffield United would've survived regardless had they managed to beat Wigan
Athletic at home.

It is now up to Lord Griffiths to decide the final payout to the Blades and
he will take into account evidence from expert witnesses. The article states
that the signs are not good for West Ham as Lord Griffiths has previously
been critical of their behaviour, particularly that of chief executive Scott
Duxbury. He insisted: "We have no doubt Tevez's services were worth at least
three points to West Ham over the season and were what made the difference
between them staying in the Premier League and being relegated."

The Hammers have already failed in attempts to get the case referred to the
High Court and the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. On each
occasion they were told to abide by the tribunal decision. In the meantime,
a new probe has been launched by the FA and Premier League as a direct
result of Lord Griffiths' findings.

In related news, the man in the middle of this wretched drama says the
demands of winning trophies with Manchester United is far easier to cope
with than the gut-wrenching pressure of fighting relegation with West Ham.
Carlos Tevez played a controversial part in keeping the Hammers in the
Premier League before his protracted switch to Old Trafford and he is quoted
in the Express as saying: "The pressure I felt at West Ham when we had to
keep them in the Premier League was intense. When you are at the centre of a
team that is fighting to stay up that is much harder pressure to deal with.
The pressure builds up match by match, especially when so many people love
the club and want to see it survive. It is not pleasant. It is much easier
when you are fighting for trophies. It is a nice kind of pressure and the
sort of thing I have been dealing with since my time at Boca Juniors. Win,
win, win – that's all you have to do!"

Posted by Trilby at 10:32

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BOOS WON'T BOTHER CRAIG
DAILY EXPRESS
g Bellamy
Saturday February 28,2009
By Gideon Brooks

MATTHEW UPSON believes West Ham fans will be wasting their breath if they
give former favourite Craig Bellamy a hard time tomorrow – "because he
simply doesn't care what people think". Upson, who will mark his former
team-mate when Manchester City visit Upton Park for the lunchtime kick-off,
insists he harbours no hard feelings over Bellamy's decision to leave. But
centre-half Upson warned fans planning to abuse Bellamy from the stands that
whatever they chant it will not get under the skin of the fiery Welshman.
"He's old enough to know what's going to be said and I am sure he'll get a
bit of stick from our fans," said Upson. "Maybe he'll be in my ear, too, but
he doesn't care what people say or think. That's just him." West Ham will
try to arrest a recent slump with victory tomorrow, having seen a
seven-match unbeaten run founder with two league defeats and an exit from
the FA Cup at the hands of Middlesbrough in the last four outings. Upson
accepted that in the midweek FA Cup loss at the Riverside, the Hammers
showed some worrying signs of tiredness and that it was important to get
some zip back into their season. "We never got going at Middlesbrough and it
was a real disappointment," he said. "We wanted to put on a good performance
and it was a wasted opportunity to do something in the FA Cup. "But we were
also a bit jaded from last weekend at Bolton, so now we have to dig in and
improve quickly."

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West Ham defender Matthew Upson demands massive home improvement from
team-mates
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 3:04 PM on 28th February 2009
Daily Mail

Matthew Upson feels West Ham owe their fans a good performance when
Manchester City come to Upton Park tomorrow. Gianfranco Zola's side went
down 2-0 to Middlesbrough in their FA Cup replay on Wednesday night, with
the large travelling contingent of around 4,000 from Teesside bitterly
disappointed by the below-par display.
Following a decent run of form just before and after Christmas, the Hammers
have now not won in five matches.

Nevertheless, victory over improving City at Upton Park on Sunday could lift
the Hammers back up into the top eight and maintain their outside hopes of
qualifying for Europe via the Barclays Premier League. Upson said: 'We need
to regroup and address what went wrong. We never got going at Middlesbrough
and it was a real disappointment. 'We wanted to put on a good performance
and it was a wasted opportunity to do something in the FA Cup.

'We need to raise the standards of everyone around us. We did not have the
sharpness at Middlesbrough and what made it worse was we had such an awesome
away following. It felt twice as bad to lose, we had let the fans down.' The
England centre-half has also called on his team-mates to 'dig deep' at what
is a crucial part of the campaign. 'We may have been a bit jaded from last
weekend at Bolton perhaps, but this is the hard part of the season and we
have to deal with it,' he said.There has been no room for squad rotation in
the last few months, but now we have to dig in and improve.' Hot reception:
But Upson does not believe the Hammers boo-boys will effect in-form Craig
Bellamy Tomorrow will see the return of Craig Bellamy to Upton Park for the
first time since his £14million transfer in January. The Welshman may be
expecting something of a hot reception from the Hammers' fans, but Upson
does not expect that to affect his former team-mate. 'He does not care what
people say or think. That is him,' said Upson. 'He is old enough now to
know what is going to be said about his behaviour. 'Craig is a good player,
makes clever runs - but we play against decent players every week in the
Premier League.'

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Friday, February 27

Daily WHUFC News - II 27th February 2009

Manchester City preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for Sunday's league visit of Manchester City to east London
27.02.2009

Barclays Premier League
West Ham United v Manchester City
Boleyn Ground
Sunday 1 March
12.30pm
Referee: Mike Dean

• West Ham United return to top-flight action with the visit of Manchester City to the Boleyn Ground on Sunday lunchtime, with a sell-out crowd expected.

• The club are ninth in the standings, one point and one place better off than City. The highest West Ham can rise with a win after the weekend games is seventh - depending on the fortunes of seventh-placed Wigan Athletic and eight-ranked Fulham away to Chelsea and Arsenal respectively. Wigan are two points ahead and Fulham one.

• Gianfranco Zola said: "Sunday is a very important match and the players know it. We will see what we can do. It is a tough match but we know how important it is for us and we are not willing to lose it. I don't think we are far away from a win. The players know what they have to do and I am sure they will get back to the winning habit."

• Mark Hughes said: "We are keeping trying to tell people we are fairly early in our progression and development. Where we are at this moment in time is right on track, it was never going to happen overnight. We have a group of players now that understand the pressures that will be placed on them. We have to deal with that and they are standing up to be counted."

• After 26 games last season, the club were also in ninth place but were four points adrift of eighth spot. A week later the club were tenth, and stayed in that position for the rest of the season.

• The club has 12 games remaining this season - six at home and six away. The teams still to visit the Boleyn Ground are City, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, Chelsea, Liverpool and Middlesbrough. The six away games are Wigan Athletic, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Stoke City and Everton.

• West Ham have only lost once in the ten league games this season where the team have scored first - at home to Everton on 8 November.

• Manchester City have not lost in the last seven meetings between the teams in all competitions - four of those came last season before the 3-0 win for the home team at the City of Manchester Stadium on 24 August 2008.

• The last West Ham success was a 1-0 home league win on 15 April 2006 when Shaun Newton scored on 15 minutes. Danny Gabbidon, James Collins and Dean Ashton all started in that fixture but are sidelined this weekend. Richard Dunne, Micah Richards and Darius Vassell were in the City first eleven.

• West Ham United's biggest home win against Manchester City was a 6-1 success in the old First Division on 18 May 1963. The club also won by the same margin in the away fixture that season on 8 September 1962.

• Manchester City have won just once on the road in league action this season - a 3-0 win at Sunderland back on 31 August.

• The two clubs met four times last season.

The 2007/08 league season started with City's trip to the Boleyn Ground on 11 August and it was the first game in charge for manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who lasted only a season. Rolando Bianchi (18) and Geovanni (87) scored both goals.

That was followed by the first FA Cup third-round meeting on 5 January again in east London when neither side could break the deadlock in a contest that saw Robert Green and Joe Hart excel.

The replay at the City of Manchester Stadium was again a tight affair and only a 73rd-minute headed goal from Elano separated the sides. The final meeting last season was the 1-1 league draw four days later on 20 January. Carlton Cole scored a terrific overhead kick in the eighth minute before Darius Vassell struck a 16th-minute equaliser.

Referee

• Sunday's referee is Mike Dean

Last time out

Wednesday 25 February - Middlesbrough 2-0 West Ham United (FA Cup)
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Collison 56), Kovac (Tristan 69), Cole, Sears (Di Michele 57)
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Savio, Spector
Booked: Behrami

Thursday 26 February - Manchester City 2-1 FC Copenhagen (UEFA Cup)
Manchester City: Given, Zabaleta (Elano 82), Onuoha, Dunne, Richards, Wright-Phillips, Ireland, Kompany, Bridge, Robinho, Bellamy
Subs not used: Hart, Garrido, Berti, Vassell, Caicedo, Evans
Goals: Bellamy 73, 80

West Ham United

• Mark Noble is serving a one-match suspension after picking up his fifth caution of the season away to Bolton Wanderers last weekend.

• Valon Behrami will miss the midweek trip to Wigan Athletic for the same reason after being cautioned in Wednesday's defeat at Middlesbrough.

• Robert Green, in line for his 100th appearance for the club, is the only player who has played every minute of every league game for the club this season. Matthew Upson has started every game.

• Carlton Cole is the leading league scorer with eight goals, along with a further two in the cup competitions.

Manchester City

• Shaun Wright-Phillips is serving the last game of a three-match ban and will miss the contest. Nigel De Jong returns after being ineligible for European duty midweek.

• Robinho has scored eleven league goals this season.

• Craig Bellamy scored seven goals in 24 league games for West Ham United between July 2007 and January 2009. He moved to Manchester City for an undisclosed fee on 19 January.

Team news

• January transfer window signing Savio is pushing for his first start in a West Ham United shirt and could compete with Jack Collison to replace the suspended Mark Noble.

• Czech Republic international Radoslav Kovac, 29, who has arrived at the Boleyn Ground from Russian side Spartak Moscow on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move, could make his home debut after starting against Middlesbrough.

• Dean Ashton (ankle), James Collins (hamstring), Luis Boa Morte (groin), Danny Gabbidon (stomach-back) and Kieron Dyer (calf) are not under consideration.

• Ashton underwent successful ankle surgery on his left ankle earlier this month to aid his rehab while Gabbidon continues to make progress on his long-term problems related to an abdominal injury. Both are aiming to be fit before the end of the season - although may not play any part this campaign.

• Dyer is thought to be a fortnight away from a possible training return while Boa Morte and Collins could be back before the end of March.

• The 19-year-old academy products Bondz N'Gala, a central defender, and winger Junior Stanislas have both been part of the matchday squads in recent weeks.

• Mark Hughes has concerns in midfield with Shaun Wright-Phillips suspended and Gelson Fernandes doubtful with a hamstring strain. However, Nigel De Jong is available again after being unable to play against Copenhagen on Thursday.

• Long-term injury victim Valeri Bojinov continued his comeback with 90 minutes for City's reserves in a 2-1 defeat by Manchester United this week. The striker scored City's goal from the penalty spot.

Last meeting

• The teams met for the first match on Sunday 24 August 2008, when City ran out 3-0 winners against the ten-man Hammers.

The lineups were:

Manchester City: Hart, Corluka, Richards (Hamann 54), Ben-Haim, Ball, Ireland, Kompany, Johnson, Petrov (Etuhu 77), Elano (Evans 77), Sturridge
Subs not used: Schmeichel, Garrido, Fernandes, Caicedo
Goals: Sturridge 65, Elano 70, 76

West Ham United: Green, Behrami, Davenport, Upson, Neill, Faubert, Noble (sent-off 38), Parker, Etherington (Boa Morte 74), Ashton, Cole (Sears 31, Mullins 46)
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Spence, Reid, Bowyer
Booked: Behrami, Noble

Head to head (last six meetings, league unless stated)

24 August 2008 - Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
20 January 2008 - Manchester City 1-1 West Ham United
16 January 2008 - Manchester City 1-0 West Ham United (FA Cup)
5 January 2008 - West Ham United 0-0 Manchester City (FA Cup)
11 August 2007 - West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
30 December 2006 - West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City

Overall record v Manchester City (all competitions) W 34 D 14 L 39

Next up

• West Ham United travel to Wigan Athletic on Wednesday night, kick-off 7.45pm, with Manchester City welcoming Aston Villa to Eastlands at the same time.

General information

• For ticket information, click here

• Please note there is planned engineering works on London Underground. Click here for more information

• Sunday lunchtime's weather forecast is for a cloud day with some sunshine, with the temperature set to peak at around 12C.

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West Ham v Man City
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 1 March Kick-off: 1230 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live & highlights on MOTD2
BBC.co.uk

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West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is suspended and defender James Collins (hamstring) will miss out. Luis Boa Morte (groin), Kieron Dyer (calf), Danny Gabbidon (back) and Dean Ashton (ankle) remain sidelined.

Manchester City wide-man Shaun Wright-Phillips is suspended and Gelson Fernandes remains doubtful with a hamstring strain. Nigel de Jong is available again, having been ineligible for the Uefa Cup victory over FC Copenhagen.

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West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Collison, Kovac, Cole, Di Michele, Lastuvka, Lopez, Savio, Spector, Tristan, Sears.

Man City (from): Given, Hart, Schmeichel, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Kompany, Bridge, Garrido, Zabaleta, Elano, Caicedo, Ireland, de Jong, Fernandes, Robinho, Bellamy, Vassell, Weiss, Logan.

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West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola: We are really dying to win again after our FA Cup defeat on Wednesday, and that is the kind of feeling we must have. "The guys are not willing to sit on this too long and we are determined to put another run of good results together. "We know what we are capable of achieving and will work very hard to make this happen."

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Zola plays down Bellamy return
Hammers boss urges players to concentrate on winning
Last updated: 27th February 2009
SSN

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola says his side must concentrate on the game against Manchester City as opposed to Craig Bellamy's return. The Hammers welcome City, and former striker Bellamy, to Upton Park on Sunday hoping to secure their first win in five league games. Fresh from his brace against FC Copenhagen earlier in the week, the Wales striker will be hoping to steer City towards just their second win on the road. Zola, though, despite admitting some uncertainty as to the fans' reaction to Bellamy's return, has told his players they must focus all of their attention on winning the match. "I hope he (Bellamy) can have a good reception, but that is not down to me," said Zola. "However, it is not my concern. It is important we focus, I focus, on winning the game. "He is a big player and he is one of the City players we will have to look after," he added. "But I have already spoken a lot about him leaving and now that is that on that subject."
Zola will be reunited with City boss Mark Hughes whom he played alongside at Wembley when Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1997. "It will be a pleasure to see him and shake hands with him again," he said. "We were partners - and had a very good partnership together. "When we were playing together, he always had the attitude and the qualities to be a manager."
Disappointed with Wednesday's FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough, the Hammers boss is now focused on getting back to winning ways. He said: "We are really dying for it (a win) again, and that is the kind of feeling we must have. "We know what we are capable of achieving and will work very hard to make this happen."

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West Ham v Man City preview
Bellamy returns to Upton Park as 9th and 10th go head-to-head
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 27th February 2009
SSN

PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com prediction: 2-2
One to Watch: Craig Bellamy

Craig Bellamy returns to Upton Park for the first time since making his winter transfer window switch as Manchester City try to improve their woeful away record against West Ham. The Welsh marksman, whose brace on Thursday ensured that City are the last English team left in the Uefa Cup, will be bidding to make it a hat-trick of goals against his former employers. The 29-year-old striker has scored three times in the league, including two against former teams Newcastle and Liverpool. Bellamy might be well-travelled, but his side have been anything but this term - just one win away from Eastlands has been achieved in the league. Mark Hughes admitted his side have been well below-par away from home on certain occasions this season, but after the impressive draw at Anfield last Sunday, the City boss will be hoping his side can build from that. The signs look ominous for the Hammers, who have lost in the league to Bolton last Saturday and then coupled that defeat with another reverse midweek as they were dumped out of the FA Cup in a replay with Middlesbrough. After a purple patch which saw Carlton Cole score five goals in as many games, the striker's goals have dried up and so have the points - with Gianfranco Zola's side's last win coming against promoted side Hull when they won 2-0 on January 28th.
Midfielder Nigel de Jong, who starred in last weekend's draw with Liverpool, is available again for City after being ineligible to play in the midweek victory over FC Copenhagen. England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is sidelined through suspension while Gelson Fernandes remains doubtful with a hamstring strain.
West Ham will be without midfielder Mark Noble for Sunday's visit of Manchester City, as he serves a one-match suspension. Hammers skipper Lucas Neill made his return from injury in the midweek defeat to Boro and should continue at right-back at Johnathan Spector's expense. James Tomkins is again expected to deputise for James Collins, who was stretched off against Bolton, while Jack Collison and David Di Michelle should return to the starting line-up after slipping to the bench on Wednesday. Radoslav Kovac made his debut midweek and the Czech is likely to retain his place following Noble's absence.

Possible starting XI's:

West Ham: Green, Illunga, Tomkins, Upson, Neill, Behrami, Kovac, Parker, Collison, Di Michele, Cole.

Man City: Given, Richards, Dunne, Kompany, Bridge, Zabaleta, Elano, Ireland, De Jong, Robinho, Bellamy.

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WEST HAM v Manchester City: Noble absence adds to Zola's woes ahead of City clash
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 3:01 PM on 27th February 2009
Daily Mail

West Ham will be without midfielder Mark Noble for Sunday's visit of Manchester City, as he serves a one-match suspension. Jack Collison looks set to come into the starting XI, but defender James Collins (hamstring) is out after missing the midweek FA Cup replay defeat at Middlesbrough. Luis Boa Morte (groin), Kieron Dyer (calf), Danny Gabbidon (stomach/back) and striker Dean Ashton (ankle) remain sidelined.

Team from: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Collison, Kovac, Cole, Di Michele, Lastuvka, Lopez, Savio, Spector, Tristan, Sears.

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4000 Fans And No Thanks. Disgrace
By Sam H ⋅ February 27, 2009
The West Ham Process

My journey for Middlesbrough started at 8:45am Wednesday morning, and finished at 4:30am Thursday morning. All calculations being correct, that's almost a 20 hour round trip to see, quite frankly, some absolute drivvle. I wish I had taken a leaf out of the Boro fans' book and just stayed at home.

The performance was poor, and I will get onto that in a bit, but the most frustrating thing for me is that only 3 (maybe 4) players at an absolute push, bothered to walk the few meters to come and applaud the travelling support. We made up a fifth of the total attendance at the Riverside, we had endured a painful attempt at a game of football, and had a 7 hour journey ahead of us. Most people took at least one day off work, others two. I can deal with a loss, no matter how bad, but a little respect for what we had gone through to watch our team play wouldn't have hurt anyone.

Rob Green made it all the way over to the fans, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker didn't make it all the way over, but noticably directed some applause in our direction. And I think that it may also have been Jack Collison who joined in with the thanks, although my eyes are slowly failing me so I can't be 100% sure on that one!

The worst person for me though had to be Carlton Cole, who half heartedly raised his hands and clapped as he walked off the pitch….after having spent the time swapping shirts with a Boro player. Now, you could argue that I am splitting hairs, but when you have made the sacrifices that 4,000 or so fans had made to be there for that game, you should at least contain your excitement at getting hold of a precious piece of Middlesbrough memrobillia till when you are out of the fans' sight. To be honest, he was so poor anyway, he may as well have been in the Boro shirt from the start.

Regular readers of my blog will know that I am usually optimistic and I'll always try and find the bright side of things, but the fact that not every single player and both Zola and Clarke did not come and at least recognise our efforts, was an absolute disgrace. So try as I might, there is no silver lining to this one…appalling.

The 'Performance'

In all honesty I don't want to talk to much about the game, as I am still pretty cross, so I'll keep it brief…

- So, once again, we go 1-0 down early on, closely followed by the second. Bored of that now West Ham, it has to stop.
- It was clear after about 15mins that we needed width. Everything was predictable and it was all coming through the middle. We rarely mixed up our options and we didn't have a plan B when it wasn't working.
- Neill and Illunga put in the effort to get up the flanks, but a simple introduction of Savio on the left would have made life a lot easier for them. Behrami's role therefore could have been to hug the right touchline, Savio's the left. It would have mixed our game up, it would have provided some new outlets for our play and I believe it would have caused Boro some problems. Southgate knew what he was doing the exact same thing…we made Downing look good.
- I don't think the sale of Etherington was the right move.
- We shouldn't have given starts to both Kovac and Sears, neither really looked at the races. I felt sorry for Sears really because he was just chucked in with very little game time under his belt alongside Carlton Mis-Control, who once again looked to be back to his former self.
- SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT. We need someone to just take some of our opportunities and make something from them…ie, put the ball in the back of the net. We had a lot of posession, we had a lot of pressure, but we did nothing with it. Boro seemed to have less posession, but attacked with pace and intention and always looked a threat. It has to change.

I'm going to stop going on about it all now, it's done, it's finished and it's clear that a lot has to change. Unfortunately I think the blame lies at Zola's feet for poor tactical selections and decisions. If we are all honsest with ourselves, Man City could very well be a struggle…

Sam

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West Ham v MAN CITY: De Jong back in contention after missing out on UEFA Cup victory
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 12:05 PM on 27th February 2009
Daily Mail

Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong is available again for the Barclays Premier League match against West Ham at Upton Park on Sunday. De Jong sat out the UEFA Cup victory over FC Copenhagen on Thursday night as he was ineligible. England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is sidelined through suspension while Gelson Fernandes remains doubtful with a hamstring strain.

Team from: Given, Hart, Schmeichel, Richards, Onuoha, Dunne, Kompany, Bridge, Garrido, Zabaleta, Elano, Caicedo, Ireland, de Jong, Fernandes, Robinho, Bellamy, Vassell, Weiss, Logan.

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View from the Opposition - Manchester City
One McAvennieeeeee - Thu Feb 26 2009
West Ham Online

So without a win in 5 for the Chelsea dream team, and out of the FA cup, we are back to concentrating on a mid table finish which so many despised last season. This weekend we welcome the richest club in World Football to the academy, Manchester City. They possess a striker who has scored against all his former teams he's played against this season, with only 1 team to go...........

Lifelong City fan Andy Leatherbarrow has kindly agreed to answer our questions this week.

Q. What are your thoughts on the season so far?

A.Typical city really, lurching from the sublime to the ridiculous. We have played some awesome football at home (Pompey 6-0 was the best Ive ever seen us play) and then been dire and uninterested away (Pompey again!). The perception of city has changed as well. We were always liked by other supporters but are now widely hated, especially by the media. I prefer being hated to be honest!

Q. Expectations for the rest of this season?

A. Hopefully that we have settled down a bit now and will see some consistancy. We have brought in effective players in the window which we needed to do. De Jong will be especially important to us. Whilst I hate everything Bellamy stands for he has done well so far, it will though all end in tears with that lad.

I back the manager but whatever gloss Hughes puts on it, if we dont qualify for Europe (which we wont) then he cant judge this season as anything but a failure. We have spent a shit load of money.

Q. You've had 8 (eight) different home grounds (including Middle Eastlands) since you were formed – when you find one that gets a decent atmosphere do you think you'll stay put?

A. Whatever you do dont leave Upton Park. We have one of the better ones but new stadiums are soulless. Stadiums named after trainers in a shopping centre car park, need I say more....

Credit to CoMs though, best bars in the Prem inside the ground.

Q. Mark Hughes is like a kid in a candy shop with all the money at his disposal – Why do you think he went for the out of date packet of quavers that is Craig Bellamy?

A. He is a Hughes kind of player, and thats what worries me. He has done well so far but I still cant warm to him. When we play we look like a ten man team and Craig Bellamy. Whatever the manager says, there aint no love there. Lets be honest though, will he be playing for us next season?

Q. What player don't you think deserves his place in your starting line up? - If it is easier you can choose one that does.

A. This is difficult as I genuinely dont have a problem with any of our lads. He is a quality keeper but I dont think I would have signed Given personally. Hart has been great for us and to drop the bloke sends terrible signals to our young players. Basically you can play well, get in the England side, and you're still replaced. What would you think if you were a youth player at city?

Elano is a player that gets a lot of support from the anti-Hughes fans but he does fuck all 90% of the time and the manager is correct not to pick him. He had three good games against weak teams last season - WH away comes to mind!!

The player who deserves massive credit is Ireland. Awesome season, our best player. He was absolute shit last season but has sorted himself out. I own up to the fact that when Sunderland came knocking I would have let him go.

Q. It must be great having some Brazilian flair in your team, a player that seems to want to play for the shirt, a real talent that the team and fans love in equal measure. So how much do you miss Jo?

A. Very funny! I dont know what to think about this bloke. Big lad with pace and skill but hes an absolute fairy. £19m!! The biggest transfer flop in history? Yeah Id say so!

Earlier in the season I didnt think he had been given a decent chance but when I hear about him pissed in nightclubs when he should be training I lose sympathy. He will no doubt come back to haunt us. Hughes - if Everton are a rival for the euro spot we are apparently still chasing why the fuck are we lending them players???

Q. Robinho has been criticised for his lack of effort in many games, especially those away from home, Is this because he is too busy molesting young girls in night clubs the night before? That he dislikes playing with such low quality players? That he quite clearly wants to be playing for another club?.... or is there another reason?

A. I think with the fitness and conditioning routine in place that Robbie should be able to molest girls in Leeds nightclubs and then perform the following the day! More importantly what the fuck is he doing going out in Leeds?!

Yes he doesnt always fancy it away but the lad is class and his workrate at home is very good. Personally Id always pick him.

Q. Player to look out for?

A. On Sunday defo Ireland. For the rest of the season it has to be the hopeful return of Bojinov. Aggressive and skillful without the need to play pitch and put with team mates kneecaps, this lad could be a legend for us.

Q. What do you make of WHU this year?

A. Improving all the time, despite a couple of funny results recently. Back four and midfield look very solid and when on form I think the front two compliment each other well. If Carlton Cole could finish he would be worth 20m quid.

Q. Your view of West Ham fans?

A. Im related to a few so have to be diplomatic, so lets just say old school!!

Q. If you could choose 1 player from our squad who would it be?

A. We could do with a centre back and I have always like Upson, a good steady player.

Q. What is your favourite animal/rude word combination?

A. No idea, depends on the moment!


Q. Mark Hughes has won more honours as a player for your Main rivals than Man City have as a club in their whole history – how does that make you feel?

A. He will never be loved because of the United connection. Personally wouldnt have sacked Sven but we did so I back Hughes. We always needed a more physical and disciplined approach and I think that is coming. He also has a good eye for a player, all our best performers (Ireland aside) this season have been Hughes purchases.


Q. You went for Kaka but ended up with Kak – how do you think you did in the Jan transfer window?

A. We were widely slated for the Kaka thing but were only trying to show some ambition (and lets be honest Milan and Kaka were very keen on the money). To be fair I think we got 90% of the players we needed in the window. We needed a full back and got a decent one and a strong midfielder player who likes a tackle, again we got one. I think we desperately need some height in the team and would have tried harder to get a big number 9. However Im glad we didnt give any money to that twat Alladyce.

Q. Being the richest club in the world comes with its own pressures, Is not getting into champions league by next year going to be seen as failure?

A. I dont think it would be next year, though I think there will be real pressure to see a marked improvement. I think the owners are realistic but certainly as the money spent on the team continues to grow the pressure will mount. I do think though that they will expect top six next season.

Q. If your best mate collapsed in front of you after eating a bag of crisps and needed mouth to mouth resuscitation, what flavour would you like the crisps to be?

A. I would rather let the f*cker suffocate than give him mouth to mouth but if I have to lets stick to plain.

Many thanks Andy for answering these.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Please donate to my run for charity
http://www.justgiving.com/peter-robinson
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Thank You so much to those who have already contributed

Daily WHUFC News - 27th February 2009

Zola expects positive reaction
WHUFC.com
A big game at home against Manchester City this weekend could mean an
instant upturn in fortunes
26.02.2009

Gianfranco Zola has emphasised the determination within the West Ham United
camp to focus fully on a strong Premier League finish.

With 12 games to play, the club are well-placed to make a challenge on the
teams just above in the standings - namely seventh-placed Wigan Athletic and
eighth-ranked Fulham, who have trips to Chelsea and Arsenal respectively on
Saturday. The Hammers are then in action on Sunday lunchtime when a
Manchester City side looking to make their own assault on the top half of
the table arrive at the Boleyn Ground.

Although the disappointment of Wednesday night's FA Cup exit at
Middlesbrough after a 2-0 fifth-round replay defeat still lingers, Zola is
expecting a reaction from his team who until last weekend had not lost away
since 29 October and have shown good form of late at home. "The guys are not
willing to sit on this too long and we are determined to put another run of
good results together," he said. "We know what we are capable of achieving
and will work very hard to make this happen."

The manager acknowledged though that his team's display at the Riverside,
that featured a Stewart Downing set-piece and opportunist Tuncay strike,
"certainly hasn't been our best performance". With reference to the previous
defeat at Bolton Wanderers that began with a Matt Taylor free-kick, he
added: "It is not easy to start for the second time in a few days with an
opposition player putting the ball in the top corner and then after that
straight away to concede another goal. That made it difficult for everybody
- especially confidence wise.

"It hasn't been a great performance but I believe the players gave
everything as well. That is encouraging. We had to try and score before
half-time. We didn't manage to do that and in situations like this the
confidence of the other team increases where ours goes down. We prepared
properly and then you have a player that puts the ball in the top corner
[like Downing did]. Maybe the second goal I might have something to talk
about - we will look at that during the week."

Zola had Radoslav Kovac making his debut and his extended run-out will have
been invaluable as the Czech international midfielder builds up his match
sharpness while the contest offered more invaluable top-level experience for
youngsters like James Tomkins and Freddie Sears. Above all, the manager was
keen to emphasise the postives seen and heard from the huge travelling band
of fans.

"I am very disappointed for our supporters. Once again they were fantastic.
They came here with a big crowd and we wanted to give them something more,"
he said before stressing that his players would do all they could to repay
that backing at the earliest opportunity.

"It is not a very good moment but it will not last long - that is for sure.
We are determined to stop this run straight away. Sunday is a very important
match and the players know it. We will see what we can do. It is a tough
match but we know how important it is for us and we are not willing to lose
it. I don't think we are far away from a win. The players know what they
have to do and I am sure they will get back to the winning habit."

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Thanks from Richard House
WHUFC.com
The Wear Red campaign went down well but it is not too late to show your
support for the worthy cause
26.02.2009

Club charity Richard House Children's Hospice has thanked all West Ham
United fans who backed their Wear Red for Richard House campaign.

On Friday 13 February, the Beckton-based hospice that offers support to
life-limited children and their families staged the event to raise
much-needed funs. The charity has said that anyone who has not yet paid up
their donations or sponsorship, can do so at their Just Giving site. For
more information, click here.

The West Ham United squad led the way by donning special red Richard House
T-shirts on the day. If you want to help make next year's event even bigger
and better, then you can fill in a quick online survey. Click here to find
out more while you can read much more about the excellent work done by
Richard House by going to their website.

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Stanislas sets his sights
WHUFC.com
Young winger Junior Stanislas is determined to make his first-team
breakthrough sooner rather than later
27.02.2009

Junior Stanislas is aiming to make his mark on the first team before the end
of the season having had a taste of the senior set-up in recent weeks.

The England Under-19 international has become a regular part of Gianfranco
Zola's training sessions and travelled for the Barclays Premier League
fixture at Bolton Wanderers last weekend. He was cup-tied in midweek but
that meant he could get another good run-out with the reserves as they went
down 3-1 to a more experienced Tottenham Hotspur side.

Stanislas, 19, has a dozen games left this season to force his way into
Zola's top-flight thinking, and the winger certainly did his cause no harm
with three goals in nine games during a recent loan spell at Southend
United. "I want to push on in the first team and start being on the bench,"
he admitted when asked to explain his immediate goals.

"I travelled with the first team the other day. I want to be on the bench,
get some game time and come on and get five minutes here and there and get
myself in the picture. I am training with the first team. It is good. I was
a bit slow to start with but obviously training with those players can only
make you better."

In last Tuesday's reserve contest, Stanislas was arguably the most effective
of the homegrown Hammers on the pitch and he paid tribute to the young squad
that coach Alex Dyer had at his disposal. "The 3-1 doesn't sound so good but
we had a young team and they had a few experienced players.

"We played well up to the 80th minute and could have got something from the
game," he added before acknowledging the part that Spurs' No10 Adel Taarabt
played with his hat-trick. "When you have got a player like that it makes a
difference," Stanislas said. "He scored three good goals had good ability
and helped them a lot."

Stanislas, who has been at the club for eight years, recognises he has a
role to play in helping those following behind. "I just do the best I can
and try and help the boys get a good result. All the rest of the boys were
youth players and did well. They didn't look nervous, passed the ball well
and played the game. They did well."

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Faubert hoping for chance
On loan Real winger growing frustrated at the Bernabeu
By Patrick Haond Last updated: 26th February 2009
SSN

Real Madrid winger Julien Faubert has admitted that despite enduring a
frustrating start to his Bernabeu career he is determined to prove his
worth. The 25-year-old has made just one substitute appearance since his
surprising loan move from West Ham on the last day of the January transfer
window. Despite his lack of football the former Bordeaux ace is confident he
can make an impact at the club if he is given a chance. Faubert's loan
expires on May 31st and the French international knows that he does not have
long if he is to make the most of the opportunity he has been given. "It is
difficult. I don't know why, I have been told nothing. However it goes off
better and better during training sessions," he explained. "The other
players start to know the way I am playing, preferring the gaps. I believe I
have already improved on technical and physical levels. I have lost two
kilograms. "Anyway I won't give up, even if I don't know what I have to
change. I never experienced such a moment in my career. "I don't have a lot
of time, my loan will be over on May 31st. I have to play and prove my
value."

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Sheffield United Demand £45m From West Ham Over Tevez Saga
Who'd have thought Carlitos' goal at Old Trafford in 2007 would prove so
expensive for the Hammers?
27 Feb 2009 06:29:02
Goal.com

The Sun reports that Sheffield United are now demanding more than £45
million in damages from West Ham United over the illegal transfer of Carlos
Tevez. Tevez arrived at Upton Park at the start of the 2006-07 season, and
it was his barnstorming performances during the back half of that campaign
that rescued the Hammers from relegation. Indeed, the Argentine forward
netted against Manchester United - for whom he now plays - on the last day
of the season to keep the Irons in the Premier League. That, combined with
Sheffield's failure to claim a result against Wigan Athletic the same
afternoon, saw the Yorkshire club go down - and they hold West Ham and their
illegal recruit personally responsible. The Londoners have already been
fined a record £5.5m for failing to disclose Tevez's third-party status, and
now they face financial meltdown if the Blades win their case. West Ham have
unsuccessfully referred the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and
the High Court, and so their fate rests with a tribunal hearing set to start
on March 16.

Mike Maguire, Goal.com

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Pogatetz admits players concerned with Middlesbrough's 'sit down, keep
quiet' letter
27.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

Middlesbrough skipper Emanuel Pogatetz admits the club's letter to fans for
them to 'sit down, keep quiet' had the players worried ahead of their FA Cup
victory over West Ham. "We were a bit unsure of what it would be like
because of what had happened," he told the Evening Gazette. "When I turned
up at the stadium I wondered how fans would react after the letter. "But
they were brilliant and they stood right behind us. "It has been a bad spell
these last few months and but it gives the players a great lift that they
are right behind us even at times like this. "I think the fans wanted to
prove a point. They made a great atmosphere and it is important for us that
they stick with us. That kind of atmosphere can give us a big push in the
relegation battle."

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Blackburn, West Ham target Foley focused on Wolves
27.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

Wolves fullback Kevin Foley is staying calm over increased transfer talk.
Blackburn, West Ham and Wigan have all been linked with Foley, who told
skysports.com: "I'm just trying to concentrate on my career with Wolves and
I try not to take much notice of stories linking me elsewhere. "There is
such a big job on our hands here and no player wants to get sidetracked by
talks like that, so yes it is nice to receive such attention, but it means
nothing to me as I am focused on the job here."

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Zola unfazed by Bellamy return
Sport.co.uk
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on: 26 February 2009 - 8:47 PM

Gianfranco Zola insists he will not allow the return of West Ham hate figure
Craig Bellamy to distract him from ending his side's run of five matches
without a win. Bellamy recently made a £14million move to Manchester City
and can expect a red-hot reception when he returns to Upton Park with Mark
Hughes' men this Sunday. West Ham have hit the buffers in recent weeks and
were dumped out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough on Wednesday, while Bellamy
has found his shooting boots since signing for City. The fiery Wales forward
will be the number one target for the East End masses on Sunday and Zola
admits he has no idea what awaits his former player. "I don't know to be
honest - it's not my concern," said Zola. "It is important that we focus and
I focus on winning the game. I hope he has a good reception, but that's not
down to me really. "Yes, I was sad to see him go but I've already spoken so
much about it. Now, he doesn't play for us and that's it."

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West Ham v Man City
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 1 March Kick-off: 1230 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live & highlights on MOTD2
BBC.co.uk

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Team news to follow later.

BIG-MATCH FACTS
Two clubs adjacent to each other at the bottom of the top half of the
Premier League table, go toe to toe at Upton Park.

Both West Ham and Manchester City have won nine games, but the Hammers are
one point better off.

Both sides were in action midweek; West Ham were knocked out of the FA Cup
by Middlesbrough.

Manchester City head to East London, with an appalling away record. Only one
victory has been accrued in 13 attempts away from the City of Manchester
Stadium this term.

Manchester City will be aiming to stretch their unbeaten run over West Ham
in the Premier League to six matches. The Citizens have won four and drawn
one of the last five and only conceded one goal in the process.

Distance between the clubs: 215 miles (347 kilometres)
Manchester City are making the longest journey of any club for a Premier
League match this weekend.


CLUB FORM
WEST HAM UNITED

Club stats

Going into this round of matches: 9th 33 points

Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League
fixtures)

1. Lost their last two Premier League matches, against Manchester United
(home) and Bolton (away).

2. Completed 16 top-flight games since losing three in a row; in fact they
tumbled to four straight losses throughout the month of October 2008.

3. Down by seven points on this same stage last season, when they crept up
to ninth for one week from their 10th placing where they returned to and
stayed for the rest of the season.

4. Lost just one of the 10 games in which they have opening the scoring;
home to Everton on 8 November.

5. Their three game winning run at home was brought to an end with a 0-1
victory by Manchester United in the most recent top-flight game at Upton
Park on 8 February.

6. In danger of a hat-trick of top-flight defeats to North-West clubs,
having lost home to Manchester United and away to Bolton in their last two
league outings. Not beaten a club from the region in six attempts, from
which only one point was garnered.

7. This game precedes another mid-table match-up, away to Wigan before
back-to-back fixtures with relegation-haunted sides; home to West Brom and
away to Blackburn.

Fixtures

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MANCHESTER CITY

Club stats

Going into this round of matches: 10th 32 points


Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League
fixtures)

1. Won four of eight Premier League matches.

2. 12 points down on this identical juncture last season, when in the top
seven.

3. Won all seven league games in which clean sheets have been kept, and lost
all six matches in which they've failed to score.

4. Not registered a goalless draw in 33 top-flight matches, the longest
current such sequence by any club in the Premier League. The most recent was
away to Bolton on 22 March last year.

5. Drawn five and lost six of the last 11 away league games.

7. Their only Premier League victory on the road this season came courtesy
of a 0-3 triumph over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on 31 August.

8. Won one of nine top-flight trips to London; 0-2 against West Ham on 11
August 2007.

9. The next four fixtures after this will include clashes with three of the
'Big Four'; home to Aston Villa and away to Chelsea and Arsenal.

Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES
WEST HAM UNITED

Squad profiles

Robert GREEN is the only remaining player to have been on the field for
every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.

Carlton COLE is the club's top Premier League scorer with eight goals.

If selected:-

GREEN will be making his 100th appearance in a West Ham goalkeepers' jersey.


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MANCHESTER CITY

Squad profiles

ROBINHO is the club's top Premier League scorer with 11 goals.

Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS is a hat-trick shy of 50 club career goals (Nottingham
Forest, Manchester City and Chelsea). ?

If selected:-

Richard DUNNE will be making his 300th career Premier League appearance
(Everton and Manchester City)

Craig BELLAMY will be facing a former club. The 29 year old Wales
international made 26 appearances (24 in the league) and scored nine goals
(seven league) for West Ham between July 2007 and his move to Eastlands in
the January window.

Michael JOHNSON will be playing two days before turning 21.

HEAD TO HEAD
Last season's equivalent fixture was Manchester City's first match under
Sven-Goran Eriksson and new owner Thaksin Shinawatra, and resulted in a 0-2
victory for the visitors to East London. Since then of course, both have
moved on.

If City pick up a third consecutive league victory at Upton Park, they will
complete a second Premier League double over West Ham; the first came in the
season before last.

Home and away
League (inc PL): West Ham 32 wins, Man City 37, Draws 12
Prem: West Ham 6 wins, Man City 8, Draws 3

at West Ham only
League (inc PL): West Ham 23 wins, Man City 10, Draws 7
Prem: West Ham 5 wins, Man City 2, Draws 1

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
11 August 2007 - Ref: Peter Walton
Man City scorers: Bianchi 18, Geovanni 87

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
24 August 2008 - Ref: Howard Webb
Man City scorers: Sturridge 65, Elano 70, 76
Sent Off: Noble (West Ham) 38

REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)

Premier League referees' table
Mike Dean's 2008-09 Premier League card count

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Thursday, February 26

Daily WHUFC News - 26th February 2009

Middlesbrough 2-0 West Ham
By David Ornstein
BBC.co.uk

Middlesbrough produced an inspired attacking display to beat West Ham in
their FA Cup fifth-round replay and set up a trip to Everton in the last
eight. The hosts made a fine start and took the lead when Stewart Downing
curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner. The Hammers were rugged in
possession and Tuncay Sanli volleyed in a second after James Tomkins failed
to clear. David di Michele wasted an opening for West Ham but Boro could
have extended their lead and were worthy winners. The Hammers have now gone
five matches without a win but this defeat enables them to now focus solely
on their Premier League campaign. Manager Gianfranco Zola will be concerned
at how easily his team's defence was penetrated time and again, although as
the match wore on they showed impressive glimpses going forward.
Middlesbrough's victory brings to an end a five-match winless run in all
competitions and they are into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the
fourth season running.
Boro had failed to score in five of their last seven games but they looked
dangerous from the outset and Gareth Southgate's attack-minded formation
paid dividends. The Boro manager named Downing and Gary O'Neil on the left
and right wings respectively and recalled Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay up
front.
West Ham's 4-4-2 formation, with Freddie Sears starting his first match in
over three months and Radoslav Kovac making his debut in central midfield,
simply encouraged the hosts to flood forward. And when Kovac felled Tuncay
on the Middlesbrough right, 25 yards from goal, Downing stepped up to send a
magnificent effort past Robert Green via the angle of post and crossbar.
Boro went in search of a second and Downing zipped a shot narrowly wide
after Matthew Upson's suicidal cross-field pass was intercepted. O'Neill
then sent a fizzing aerial ball forward and James Tomkins succeeded only in
hooking his clearance to the on-rushing Tuncay, who fired convincingly past
Green. Backed by a healthy travelling support, which was bussed up to
Teesside by the club, West Ham eventually tested Boro goalkeeper Brad Jones
when Kovac shot low following Herita Ilunga's burst into the penalty area.
Attempting to stay true to their manager's philosophy, West Ham showed their
ability to put together fluid passages of play and Hoyte was forced to make
a vital interception as Kovac primed himself to convert Carlton Cole's
centre. Boro came close to extending their advantage before half-time as
O'Neil's deep cross from the right was played back by Downing, only for
Tuncay to blast high over the bar. With West Ham desperate to work their way
back into the match and Boro hungry for more goals, the second period got
off to a pulsating start. Aliadiere saw an effort deflected narrowly wide
and Green caught well to prevent O'Neil scoring after a slick exchange
between Aliadiere and Tuncay. At the other, Sears and Mark Noble came close
to breaking through Boro's impressive defensive wall and, having introduced
Jack Collison and Di Michele, West Ham continued to probe.
The visitors might have been level on the hour mark had Scott Parker's
left-footed drive from Di Michele's throughball not squirmed just wide of
the post. Parker's influence began to grow but, with Boro all too willing to
get forward when in possession, West Ham could ill afford to neglect
defensive duties. Green foiled Aliadiere expertly when the Frenchman was
played through by O'Neil, Matthew Bates saw a long-range drive tipped over
and Tuncay's deflected shot ran marginally wide. But those misses proved
insignificant and Boro now travel to Goodison Park with a place in the
semi-finals and a trip to Wembley at stake.

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Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate:"There was a good feel about the
ground tonight and everybody has gone away with a good feeling. "It's
important because football is about dreams and we're keeping the dreams of
our supporters alive. "We've got a tough a touch draw in the next round but
FA Cup quarter-finals away from home are not a bad thing from my experience.
"It's something to look forward to, it keeps some enjoyment in the season
and gives us some confidence for the league."

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola: "Middlesbrough were very good and,
honestly, they deserved to win. "It's a pity because so far in the FA Cup we
have done well and we had many supporters here. "We wanted to give them more
satisfaction, which they deserved. It hasn't been the case and we're very
happy about that. "We've slowed down a little bit but it's understandable
and normal at this stage of the season. We are very determined to start
again and setting up another run."

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Middlesbrough: Jones, Hoyte, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz, O'Neil, Bates, Arca
(Walker 88), Downing, Sanli (Adam Johnson 81), Aliadiere (Emnes 67).
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Taylor, Alves, McMahon.
Booked: O'Neil.
Goals: Downing 5, Sanli 20.

West Ham: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble
(Collison 56), Kovac (Tristan 69), Cole, Sears (Di Michele 57).
Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Nsereko, Spector.
Booked: Behrami.

Att: 15,602
Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent).

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BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing
with 8.48 (on 90 minutes).

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Middlesbrough 2 West Ham United 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th February 2009
By: Staff Writer

There were very few positives for Gianfranco Zola to take out of tonight's
visit to the Riverside Stadium as the Hammers were sent tumbling out of the
FA Cup.

It was a case of deja vu for United as they once again found themselves 2-0
down within the opening twenty minutes - for the second time in four days.

Goals from Stewart Downing and Tuncay gave Middlesbrough - who prior to
tonight were without a win against a Premier League team since last November
- what proved to be an insurmountable lead and it is they, not West Ham, who
go on to face Everton at Goodison Park in the quarter finals.

Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke made several changes to the team beaten 2-1
at Bolton last weekend to fairly disastrous effect. In order to accomodate
debutant Radoslav Kovac - who had a poor start to his spell with West Ham
and was guilty of giving away an unnecessary foul that led to the home
side's opening goal - Scott Parker and Mark Noble were asked to play in
unfamiliar territory, and the Hammers subsequently failed to provide any
real threat.

Middlesbrough - who were just seven minutes away from a win at Upton Park in
the first tie before Herita Ilunga's header took the game to a replay -
stuck to the same game plan that had proved so successful 10 days earlier,
and once again the Hammers failed to respond.

Given very little space on the ball by a 'Boro side that closed down all
over the pitch Zola's side once again seemed intent on playing a narrow game
that played straight into the home side's hands; it is unlikely that the
relegation-threatened Wearsiders will enjoy many easier games between now
and the end of the season.

On the few occasions that the Hammers managed to move the ball wide some
threat was provided, but with most of the team out-of-sorts a comback was
unlikely with 'Boro the only team threatening to score once their early
two-goal lead had been established.

A miserable night for the Hammers began with Middlesbrough taking the lead
after just four minutes when Stewart Downing scored with an almost identical
free kick to that which Matt Taylor beat Green with at the Reebok Stadium.

The free kick came from an unnecessary challenge by recent signing Kovac on
the edge of the box; overall the experienced Czech looked well off the pace
for most of his 70 minutes on the pitch.

Once again, as per at Bolton, the goal failed to evoke a resonse from West
Ham and having gone close through Downing (again) and former Hammers loanee
Jeremie Aliadiere it was no surprise when 'Boro's lead was doubled after 20
minutes when Tuncay pounced on a James Tomkins error to volley past Green
with an unconvincing yet accurate strike.

United's only decent chance of the opening half fell to Kovac, but the Czech
international's well struck shot was expertly dealt with by Brad Jones. It
was to be a similar story in the second period, with Scott Parker's
well-struck shot on the hour mark being the closest the Irons got to
snatching a goal back - and the only real chance they mustered after the
break.

West Ham's miserable run without a win now stretches to five games, in stark
contrast to the superb form that immediately preceeded it.

However the major worry for Zola and Clarke tonight is that the performances
appear to be getting worse rather than better - and the games get no easier,
with a resurgent Manchester City (featuring former Hammer Craig Bellamy) up
next for United.

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Boro through to Cup quarters
First-half double sees Southgate's men into last eight
By Chris Harvey Last updated: 25th February 2009
SSN

Middlesbrough put their Premier League woes behind them as they eased
through to the last eight of the FA Cup at the expense of West Ham. Boro
have not won in the league since November - a run which has seen them drop
into the bottom three - but they showed few signs of a lack of confidence as
they swept the Hammers aside.
A superb Stewart Downing free-kick fired the home side ahead as he curled a
left-footer beyond the dive of Robert Green to give Boro a fifth-minute
lead. And the returning Tuncay doubled the lead on 20 minutes as he caught
out James Tomkins to fire home from the edge of the box. The Hammers rarely
troubled Brad Jones in the Boro goal and it was the hosts who came close to
extending their advantage on several occasions. Now Gareth Southgate will be
hoping his charges can transfer their Cup form to the Premier League,
starting with Liverpool's visit to the Riverside on Saturday. Southgate had
insisted before the game that, contrary to the message apparently sent out
by an "unfortunately-worded" letter to some of the Riverside regulars, that
he wanted them to make as much noise as possible. But with 20 minutes of the
game gone, the Teessiders had rediscovered their killer touch to put the
Hammers firmly on the back foot. Record signing Afonso Alves was left on the
bench as Southgate instead turned to Tuncay and Jeremie Aliadiere in attack,
but it was Downing who produced a top-drawer finish to get his side off to
the perfect start. The England international curled home a stunning
free-kick to leave Robert Green grasping at thin air and edge his side
closer to the last eight. Downing might have doubled his tally with 16
minutes gone when he ran on to Matthew Upson's criminally careless pass
in-field, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. However, the second
goal arrived just four minutes later when central defender Tomkins, in his
desperation to cut out Gary O'Neil's long ball to Aliadiere, succeeded only
in hooking it into the path of Tuncay. The Turkey international, who had not
scored since the first week of December, still had plenty to do, but he
controlled his volley superbly to beat the stranded Green. West Ham
responded briefly with midfielder Radoslav Kovac forcing a smart 23rd-minute
save from Jones but with Downing, Aliadiere and Tuncay giving the hosts the
kind of cutting edge they have lacked so often this season, it was they who
continued to dominate. They might have all but ended the tie as a contest
five minutes before the break when Downing cushioned O'Neil's raking cross
into Tuncay's path, but the striker lashed his left-footed shot high over
the bar. Boro could have strengthened their position further within three
minutes of the restart when Justin Hoyte picked out Aliadiere inside the
penalty area and he turned smartly to fire in a shot which flew just wide
with the help of a crucial deflection off Tomkins. Substitute David Di
Michele, who had mishit a volley within seconds of his arrival, turned
provider on the hour to hand Scott Parker a gilt-edged chance to drag his
side back into the game, but he pushed his shot agonisingly wide of the post
with just Jones to beat. But Green too had to be on his toes to keep
Aliadiere out seven minutes later after Hoyte and O'Neil had combined to
play him in. Matthew Bates and Tuncay both went close as time ran down, but
the win had already been assured.

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Boro 2 West Ham 0
The Sun
From STEVE BRENNER at the Riverside Stadium
Published: Today

GARETH SOUTHGATE must wish he could play in the FA Cup every week.
Southgate's struggling Middlesbrough have not won in the Premier League
since early November.
But put them in the oldest competition in the world and just watch them go.
Stewart Downing hit a cracking free-kick to help bubbling Boro book a place
in the quarter-finals. The England winger curled home after just five
minutes against Gianfranco Zola's wretched West Ham. And Turkish star Tuncay
added a second to seal a last-eight tie away to Everton. Zola's Hammers
never looked interested. The little Italian, a two-time winner in his
glorious playing career, would have been dreaming of Wembley yet again — but
he must wait to make it a hat-trick. The Boro faithful had been told to keep
the noise down — yet you just could not shut them up last night. And who can
blame them?
Hammers provided free coach travel to Teesside, meaning almost 4,000 made
the trip to the Riverside. But it was the home fans making all the racket as
Southgate's boys showed they have some fight in them after all. Boro have
not had anything to shout about recently. And boss Southgate said: "The
energy and enthusiasm in the first half has to be the standard we set. "We
were a bit too open at times but it was great to see the lads and the fans
enjoying their football once again. "Stewart's goal was class and this gives
everyone renewed optimism. Football is about dreams and that's why we take
the FA Cup seriously."
Hammers left demoralised. This was one of the poorest displays since Zola
took charge. It was a good tussle at Upton Park 12 days ago, which set up
this replay, with shot-shy Middlesbrough actually looking dangerous. And
they carried on where they left off by dominating from start to finish.
Downing got the goal in the first game and he was at it again last night.
Debutant Czech international Radoslav Kovac gave away a free-kick 25 yards
out and Downing stepped up to bend an absolute beauty past Robert Green into
the top-right corner. It was Downing's first goal at home since the end of
last season. And not before time. You could see the confidence flowing back.

Julio Arca shot straight at Green while Matt Upson's sloppy pass let in
Downing but he screwed wide. Zola was fuming. And the Italian was made to
feel even worse on 20 minutes when Tuncay increased the lead. Gary O'Neil's
long, raking pass was headed by James Tomkins straight to the recalled Turk
who lashed home. Boro were in complete control and nearly made it 3-0 before
the break. O'Neil's awesome right-wing cross was knocked back by Downing
into the path of Tuncay who fizzed one over.
The Hammers' best chance came on the hour — Scott Parker firing wide. Zola
moaned: "I wasn't pleased with them at half-time. "It's not easy when
someone puts the ball in the top corner but with the second goal I had
something to say. "It's not a very good time for us but it won't last long."

Boro must make sure their form lasts long enough to avoid relegation or else
their Cup exploits will mean zilch.

DREAM TEAM STAR MAN – Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)

Middlesbrough: Jones 6, Hoyte 6, Wheater 7, Huth 6, Pogatetz 6, O'Neil 7,
Bates 7, Arca 6, Downing 8, Tuncay 7, Aliadiere 7. Subs: Walker (for Arca)
6, Johnson (for Tuncay) 6, Emnes (for Aliadiere) 6. Booked: O'Neil.

West Ham: Green 7, Neill 6, Tomkins 6, Upson 6, Ilunga 6, Behrami 6, Parker
6, Noble 5, Kovac 5, Cole 6, Sears 5. Subs: Di Michele (for Sears) 6,
Collison (for Noble) 6, Tristan (for Kovac) 6. Booked: Behrami

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Middlesbrough enjoy night of light relief
Middlesbrough 2 West Ham United 0
The times
George Caulkin

Just when their despairing supporters must have expected it least, belief
returned to Teesside. After a victory over West Ham United that was
remarkable for its dominance, Middlesbrough will play Everton in the FA Cup
quarter-finals. It was some performance.

This has become a strenuous, demanding season for Gareth Southgate and his
team and while their position in the Barclays Premier League table remains a
source of deep concern, last night brought them delight. Nobody at the
Riverside Stadium will wish to be reminded of 1997, the year that
Middlesbrough reached the Cup Final and were relegated, but if this sort of
commitment can be replicated, despair will be avoided.

This was no fluke. Early goals from Stewart Downing and Tuncay Sanli
separated the teams, but in terms of fluency there was a yawning gulf. Just
as West Ham were vapid until defeat was beyond doubt, so Middlesbrough
offered moments of stellar quality. It should provide them with confidence
before pivotal league fixtures against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

"It gives everybody renewed optimism," Southgate said. "In terms of the
season, it keeps people's dreams alive and football is all about dreams.
There's no priority for us, but that energy and enthusiasm has to be the
standard we set now."

Five unremarkable minutes had elapsed when Radoslav Kovac felled Tuncay as
they tussled for possession and while the position was promising for
Middlesbrough — 25 yards out and towards the right edge of the penalty area
— there had been little evidence in recent weeks that anything tangible
would follow.

What succour there was, however, Downing provided. The England winger had
mustered his first, tardy goal of the season at Upton Park on Valentine's
Day, a nod towards romance that somehow lingered. His free kick was
blissfully struck, a left-foot caress that curled into the top right corner
of the net; Downing sprinted towards the dugout to share his jubilation with
Southgate.

By the twentieth minute, the advantage had been doubled. A long, piercing
through-ball from Gary O'Neil was hooked away by James Tomkins, but the
clearance was desperate and the result unhappy. Tuncay, the Turkey forward,
who had been dropped for the previous three games, met the ball on the
volley on the fringes of the box to fire it in low and with attitude.

It was shades of the autumn for Middlesbrough, a reminder of the glinting
football that had been nurtured assiduously by Southgate. It was not a
scenario that West Ham could have envisaged, although their response let
down 3,000 of their supporters, whose journey to the North East had been
funded by the club.

The jeers with which they greeted half-time were eloquent. Aside from a
grass-trimming effort from Kovac, which Brad Jones had grasped with comfort,
they had offered nothing. Gianfranco Zola, the manager, had made four
changes from the side that had lost away to Bolton Wanderers last weekend,
but that was not sufficient to explain the listlessness.

"I am very sorry and disappointed for our supporters, who were fantastic
again and came up here in great numbers," the Italian said. "I know how
special this cup is and what it is like to win this competition and that is
something I wanted my players to experience. It's not a very good time for
us — we haven't won for three games — but it won't last for long. We're
determined to get back to winning ways."

- Cardiff City stretched their unbeaten run to 13 games last night but had
to settle for a goalless draw at home to QPR. Michael Chopra had the home
side's best chance but was denied by Radek Cerny, the QPR goalkeeper.
Cardiff moved back up to fourth place in the Coca-Cola Championship and are
nine points off an automatic promotion spot, but have three games in hand on
Wolverhampton Wanderers, the leaders.

Middlesbrough (4-4-2): B Jones - J Hoyte, D Wheater, R Huth, E Pogatetz - G
O'Neil, M Bates, J Arca (sub: J Walker, 88min), S Downing - J Aliadière
(sub: M Emnes, 67), Tuncay Sanli (sub: A Johnson, 82). Substitutes not used:
R Turnbull, A Taylor, Afonso Alves, A McMahon. Booked: O'Neil.

West Ham United (4-3-1-2): R Green - L Neill, M Upson, J Tomkins, H Ilunga -
V Behrami, R Kovac (sub: D Tristán, 69), S Parker - M Noble (sub: J
Collison, 57) - C Cole, F Sears (sub: D Di Michele, 57). Substitutes not
used: J Lastuvka, W López, Savio, J Spector. Booked: Behrami.

Referee: S Bennett.

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Fortune smiles on Tuncay as Boro end goal drought
Middlesbrough 2 West Ham United 0
By Michael Walker
Independent
Thursday, 26 February 2009

Buses from London transported 4,000 West Ham United fans to Teesside last
night, but it was Middlesbrough goals that came along in London bus fashion.
Boom boom.

Boro fans have not seen a goal here since 10 January but two appeared from
nowhere in the first twenty minutes and the goals, from Stewart Downing and
Tuncay Sanli, meant that Boro made it to their fourth consecutive FA Cup
quarter-final. They go to Everton on Sunday week.

The desperate hope of manager Gareth Southgate will be that confidence taken
will be injected into suffering Premier League form. Boro host Liverpool on
Saturday having not scored in the league for five matches.

Southgate praised his side's "energy and enthusiasm" and said the win "keeps
people's dreams alive – and football is about dreams." Recently here it has
felt more like a sleepwalk. The low attendance – 15,602 – reflected
declining local faith.

Anxious fans make for anxious players, as Downing for one has admitted, but
the talisman of a young team showed no nerves in stepping up to curl a
beautiful fifth-minute free-kick over the wall and into the top corner
beyond the outstretched, blameless hands of Robert Green. It was Downing's
first goal of the season here. Boosted by that, Boro then were given some
much-needed luck.

Tuncay is another to lose his way, but selected ahead of the dropped Afonso
Alves, the Turk seized on an ungainly 19th-minute clearance by James Tomkins
and volleyed with optimism. The shot was not wholly convincing but it
clipped Tomkins which took the ball away from Green.

Despite the consolation of 70 minutes remaining, West Ham were already
toast. Scott Parker and Czech debutant Radoslav Kovac tried to generate some
attacks but Brad Jones made a single save before the interval and after it
the visitors could not create any sort of momentum.

Gianfranco Zola made early substitutions but only David Di Michele made any
sort of impact and before the end those bussed-up fans were singing: "We
should have watched on the telly."

Zola agreed. "I'm very disappointed for our supporters," he said. "It was
certainly not our best performance."

Middlesbrough (4-4-2) Jones; Hoyte, Wheater, Huth, Pogatetz; O'Neil, Bates,
Arca (Walker, 88), Downing; Tuncay (Johnson, 82), Aliadière (Emnes, 68).
Substitutes not used: Turnbull, Taylor, McMahon, Alves.

West Ham United (4-4-2) Green; Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga; Behrami, Kovac
(Tristan, 69), Parker, Noble (Collison, 57); Cole, Sears (Di Michele, 57).
Substitutes not used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Nsereko, Spector.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).

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West Ham boss Zola admits Cup defeat big personal blow
26.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola admits their FA Cup defeat at
Middlesbrough was a "big blow". "It's a big blow for me," he said. "I know
how special it is winning this cup and I wanted my players to have that same
pleasure that I had a few years ago. "It certainly wasn't our best
performance, but to be honest, it's the second time in a few days that we
have started with an opposition player putting the ball in the top corner
and after that, straight away conceding a second goal. "That would make it
difficult for anybody, especially confidence-wise. "It wasn't a great
performance, but I believe the players gave everything, which is very
encouraging."

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Middlesbrough boss Southgate: Zola admitted Downing unstoppable
26.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate was full of praise for Stewart Downing
after his goal scoring performance in last night's FA Cup replay victory
over West Ham. The 24-year-old curled home an unstoppable fifth-minute
free-kick to set Boro on their way to the last eight for the fourth
successive season. Tuncay Sanli's 20th-minute second effectively sealed just
a third win in 18 attempts in all competitions and booked a last-eight trip
to Everton. But Downing's contribution a month after his home-town club had
resisted Tottenham's attempts to prise him away from the Riverside Stadium
thrilled Southgate. "That's why we wanted to keep our best players. Goals
like that win matches, simple," said the manager. "He has got the quality to
do that. He has scored two in three games now, and seeing himself do
something like that proves to himself the quality he has got. "The goal was
top-drawer. (West Ham boss) Gianfranco (Zola) was just saying, you can set
your team up for anything, but when somebody does that, it rocks everybody
on their heels."

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Crocked Gabbidon grateful for West Ham support
26.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United defender Danny Gabbidon has revealed he has the support of
management. The Wales international hasn't played since December 2007 due
to an abdominal injury and told WHUTV: "The club have been great. I have
been to see a few different people and they have been really good for
organising that and anything I have wanted they have done. I can't fault the
club for the effort they have put in to try and get me back fit. Hopefully I
can get back in and start repaying them.

"I have spoken to the manager a few times. He has been really good with me.
He asks me how I am, what has been going on and when I am going to come
back. He is a really nice man and he says we are waiting for you to come
back.

"It is nice to know the manager is thinking about you. When you have been
out for a while you can think you are the forgotten man. It has not been
like that at all. The manager and Steve Clarke often ask how I am and how
long til I get back. That gives me added motivation to get back as soon as I
can."

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