Arsenal 0 West Ham 0
Kaveh Solhekol
Arsène Wenger came close to admitting that Arsenal are out of the title race
after his players failed to beat West Ham United on Saturday. Asked to
explain why his team were ten points behind Manchester United, the Arsenal
manager did not mince his words. "You look at the cost of their team and you
will understand why," Wenger said. "Manchester United bought Dimitar
Berbatov for £31.5 million — we have gone a different way."
Arsenal's different way means paying off the loans that they took out when
they built their stadium, putting their faith in young players and Wenger
getting his chequebook out only when the right player becomes available at
the right price. The Arsenal manager has identified Andrei Arshavin, of
Zenit St Petersburg, as the man who can kick-start Arsenal's season, but
West Ham defended so well on Saturday that it is debatable whether the
Russia forward would have made a difference.
Steve Clarke, the West Ham United assistant manager, somehow managed to keep
a straight face when he claimed that his team had not come to defend, but
West Ham fans had to wait until the 76th minute for their team's only shot
on target, a harmless strike by Carlton Cole straight at Manuel Almunia, the
Arsenal goalkeeper.
Wenger sprang a surprise by giving Robin van Persie a well-earned rest and
with the Holland forward sitting on the substitutes' bench, Arsenal lacked
the power, pace and imagination to break down West Ham's stubborn
resistance. Arsenal's injury problems meant that Wenger had to start with
Emmanuel Eboué wide on the right again and when the Ivory Coast player
limped off with a thigh injury in the 35th minute, the Frenchman switched to
an ineffective 4-2-1-3 formation, moving Samir Nasri inside and putting
Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela on the flanks.
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Vela failed to make much of an impression against Lucas Neill, the West Ham
right back, Bendtner was anonymous on the right and Emmanuel Adebayor had an
afternoon to forget against West Ham's excellent centre-back pairing of
James Collins and Matthew Upson.
"We have to find a solution to score more goals, but you can say the same
about Chelsea, Liverpool and Uni-ted," Wenger said. "The positive thing is
we didn't concede a goal. Why? Because West Ham didn't attack."
With Collins and Upson standing firm, a disappointing game fizzled out
before Wenger's players left the pitch to a smattering of boos from their
supporters. "Why should the fans not have an opinion?" Wenger said. "They
pay their money and are entitled to boo if they want to."
David Dein, the former Arsenal vice-chairman, who left the club under a
cloud in 2007, is still close to Wenger and attends most home games.
According to Dein, Arsenal have a tough task to overtake Aston Villa, who
are fourth in the league, and qualify for the Champions League. "Five points
behind Villa is a mini-mountain to climb but they can do it," he said. "When
I left I said it was only because I could see what was on the horizon. I
said it was in danger of slipping and that's what's happening at the
moment."
Arsenal (4-4-2): M Almunia 6 — B Sagna 6, K Touré 6, W Gallas 6, G Clichy 6
— E Eboué 6 (sub: C Vela, 36min 6), A Diaby 5 (sub: A Song, 90), Denilson 6,
S Nasri 7 — E Adebayor 5, N Bendtner 5 (sub: R van Persie, 68 6).
Substitutes not used: L Fabianski, A Ramsey, J Djourou, K Gibbs. Booked:
Diaby, Vela. Next: Tottenham Hotspur (a).
West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 7 — L Neill 7, J Collins 8, M Upson 8, H
Ilunga 7 — V Behrami 7, S Parker 8, M Noble 7 (sub: Savio, 70 6), J Collison
7 — C Cole 5, D Di Michele 5 (sub: L Boa Morte, 83). Substitutes not used: J
Lastuvka, W López, J Spector, D Tristán, F Sears. Booked: Collins, Neill.
Next: Manchester United (h).
Referee: S Bennett Attendance: 60,109
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Wenger calls for patience from restive Arsenal fans
Guardian report Observer report Match facts
Premier League
Arsenal 0 West Ham United 0
Dominic Fifield at the Emirates Stadium The Guardian, Monday 2 February 2009
Article history
Arsenal's recent history had been about pizzazz and, for a while, Premier
League titles. These days the buzz word that crops up after spluttering
performances and squandered points is "patience". There was frustration as
their latest opportunity to gain ground on the Champions League positions
was passed up, grumbling discontent surfacing on the final whistle. "We must
not go overboard with the crisis we face," said Arsène Wenger. "Let's judge
our team at the end of the season."
A sense of crisis, of course, is always relative. This stalemate against a
superbly organised and committed West Ham side actually extended Arsenal's
unbeaten league run to 10 games, albeit with five of those deemed costly
draws. The manager still hopes to recruit Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St
Petersburg to illuminate and invigorate this side. Yet, even when it comes
to a potentially mouth-watering signing, Wenger's rhetoric is driven by
realism. For the vocal minority left chuntering in disbelief on Saturday
that is not enough.
Wenger acknowledged the "little faction who are negative" among the club's
support. The problem is that, while times have changed, the expectation for
others remains the same. Comparisons with Wenger's most recent title winning
side – the Invincibles propelled by Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Patrick
Vieira and Ashley Cole – are unhelpful. Those were galácticos, the glorious
memory of whom rather hinders those currently wearing the club's shirt.
More relevant is a glance back at the Arsenal team which, by defeating West
Ham 2-0 here on New Year's Day last year, maintained their two point
advantage at the top. That side boasted Cesc Fábregas, Mathieu Flamini and
Tomas Rosicky from the start, with Aleksandr Hleb and Theo Walcott thrust on
from the bench. The absence of those five players, to be replaced by
younger, inexperienced talents, explains their current predicament.
Arsenal laid siege to the West Ham goal, forcing the Hammers to make 12
blocks of goalbound efforts. Arsenal were forced to make only one from West
Ham's attacks
Arsenal now trail Manchester United by 10 points, a deficit they are
unlikely to claw back. "United bought [Dimitar] Berbatov for £31.5m and you
look at the cost of their team and you will understand why [they are so far
ahead]," said Wenger. "We can of course compete [financially] but we have a
young team and we have gone a different way. We go through a period where we
have to accept we must be strong and patient. We are on a good run but the
big problem is once you are behind every point you drop looks like a
disaster."
At first glance the manager has broken with recent strategy in pursuing
Arshavin, a 27-year-old with no experience of life at a club outside Russia.
Wenger sees in the playmaker a talent he can mould to flourish within his
set-up. Certainly a fully fit and acclimatised Arshavin might have prised
the visitors open here but, even if a deal is completed today, it will take
time for the newcomer to feel at home.
"There's always a danger that people want a wonder man, but I don't believe
in that," said Wenger. "I accept that the expectation level on him would be
very high – if he joins us. But we don't need an instant saviour."
Robin van Persie, having either scored or set up every goal Arsenal mustered
in January, was rested until after the hour-mark here. West Ham were
relieved in his absence, with James Collins and Matthew Upson outstanding.
Emmanuel Adebayor missed the games two more presentable opportunities but
the visitors merited their point. Gianfranco Zola departed heartened with
his side unbeaten in eight away games. Arsenal take less satisfaction from
their own undefeated run.
Man of the match James Collins (West Ham United)
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Moon to shine for West Ham
Monday, 2 February 2009
Belfast Telegraaph
Former Coleraine favourite Bryce Moon is poised to become a happy Hammer.
The South African, who spent a season at Ballycastle Road as a flying
winger, is now plying his trade as a defender with Greek giants,
Panathinaikos. But now he is close to signing for West Ham at a cost of
£1.5m, with an option to buy in the summer. The Hammers are close to
agreeing a deal to sign the 22-year-old to provide cover at right-back and
midfield following the departure of Julien Faubert to Real Madrid on loan
for the rest of the season. Moon would cost less than £1m and has been
tracked by West Ham's technical director Gianluca Nani for some time. It is
expected that Moon should sign before the close of the January transfer
window at 5pm today. West Ham also hope to sell Calum Davenport before the
deadline passes although, as of last night, no deal had been concluded for
the £3m-rated central defender who has been deemed surplus to requirements
by manager Gianfranco Zola as he continues to re-shape his squad.
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Socceroos have mental edge over Japan, says Neill
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font February 2, 2009 -
4:24PM
Smh.com.au
Captain Lucas Neill has reignited the intense rivalry with Japan ahead of
this month's pivotal World Cup qualifier by claiming the Socceroos still
hold a mental edge over their 2006 World Cup rivals. Neill believes
Australia's historic 3-1 World Cup group stage win in Kaiserslautern almost
two-and-a-half years ago will still be playing on Japanese minds when they
meet in Yokohama on February 11. The Blue Samurai have since claimed some
revenge with a penalty shootout win over AUstralia in the 2007 Asian Cup
quarter-finals, but Neill believes that would have done little to heal the
scars from Germany. "We know psychologically we have a slight edge over them
from the World Cup," Neill told AAP. "We were nowhere near our best in the
Asian Cup, it took the luck of penalties to decide the game and
unfortunately we lost."
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has been talking up his side's chances this time
around and even intimated the Socceroos were arrogant by saying last year he
wanted to "shut them up". But Neill maintains Australia will do most of
their talking on the Yokohama International Stadium pitch.
"They are assured of themselves and confident and they have every right to
be," Neill said of Japan. "But we're going to carry on the way we've tried
to start this second round of qualifying by just letting our talking be done
on the pitch. "There's nothing between the teams but sometimes the more you
talk about things it's because the less you're sure about yourself."
The match is by far the biggest of the campaign for both sides so far in
their quest to book a spot for South Africa 2010. Australia are unbeaten
atop the group, two points ahead of Japan, and a win in Yokohama would mean
only major disaster could stop them from reaching a second successive
finals. "It would give us one foot in the door and mathematically we'd be in
a great position" Neill said. "So we're just going to go there, be resilient
and try to continue the great run of form we've had and if we can steal and
win that would be great."
Okada has named a strong squad for the match including five Europe-based
players headlined by Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura. Socceroos coach Pim
Verbeek will name his squad on Tuesday.
AAP
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West Ham reject Sunderland approach for Spector
02.02.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United have rejected an approach from Sunderland for defender
Jonathan Spector. Black Cats boss Ricky Sbragia wanted to take the USA
international on-loan for six months, but the move was blocked by Hammers
manager Gianfranco Zola. Soccer365 says Zola sees Spector as a vital part
of his plans for the second-half of the season.
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Behrami credits West Ham turnaround to Zola
02.02.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami credits their form turnaround to the
positive approach of gaffer Gianfranco Zola. "We are all fighting together
to do better every day, and that is our secret," said the Switzerland
international. "When we lost four games in a row, the manager was always
positive, having a laugh with the team so when you go to training, you enjoy
working hard. That makes you stronger than before and we just have to keep
it all going."
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Neill opens contract talks with West Ham
02.02.09 | Andrew Slevison
Socceroos skipper Lucas Neill has opened contract negotiations with West
Ham. Despite rumours suggesting he would leave the club, Neill has insisted
that he intends to remain at Upton Park. "I'm the captain of a team that
hasn't lost in seven matches," Neill told AAP. "We're in the latter stages
of the FA Cup and we're all just starting to get a little bit excited about
possibly being only two wins away from Wembley. "I'm not about to jump ship
because I've committed to come here and get West Ham into Europe and we're
right on course for that. "If it's not quoted by myself then you can take it
as the fact someone else has manufactured a story. "The truth of the matter
is that the CEO and my agent have already initially talked about wanting to
extend my stay at West Ham and when the time is right for all parties I'm
confident that it will get done."
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Newcastle targeted Faubert before Real swooped
02.02.09 | Andrew Slevison
West Ham's Julien Faubert has revealed how Newcastle had targeted him but a
deal fell through before Real Madrid signed him on loan. Faubert did hold
talks with Newcastle but nothing eventuated before he moved to the Bernabeu.
"I got a phone call from a Real Madrid recruiter. I wasn't very polite to
him. I thought I was being made fun of, that it was a joke,'' Faubert told
L'Equipe. "I had just found out that contacts with Lyon and Newcastle had
fallen through. I wasn't feeling good.''
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Repaying the Faith
Just Like My Dreams
Less than 24 hours before the window slams shut and today's Sunday tabloid
gossip round-up is one of the quieter ones in recent memory. I would like to
think it is indicative of the clinical professionalism with which the club
now conducts its transfer business. I would like to think that. In all
probability, it is simply that a financially stable(ish), capably
administered, well managed and chakra aligned West Ham United is of waning
interest to the guttersnipes of the written press...
Bolton and West Ham have approached Henrik Larsson about a Premier League
return, according to today's Independent. Larsson, 37, is a free agent and
Bolton manager Gary Megson and West Ham's Gianfranco Zola have enquired
about him. Larsson, who hit 173 goals in seven seasons at Celtic, has
pencilled in contract talks with Helsingborg the Swedish league resumes in
March but could still move to England on a short-term deal as he did when
playing for Manchester United in 2007. Larsson's agent Rob Jansen confirmed:
"Premier League clubs are interested in Henrik but we'll negotiate a
contract with Helsingborg."
Elsewhere Rob Shepherd claims West Ham will sell Dean Ashton and Kieron Dyer
at the end of the season because the Hammers hierarchy have become fed up
with the injury records of both players. Writing in the News of the World,
Shepherd states that the new direction of the club is to try and slash its
massive wage bill and nurture home-grown talent as well as young stars with
sell-on value. To that end, neither striker Ashton nor midfielder Dyer fit
that bill and will be moved on.
The article insists that the high-earning England stars are seen as a
symptom of the previous regime, which saw the Hammers brought to their knees
financially by free-spending Eggert Magnusson. It is understood Newcastle
will be at the front of the queue for Ashton, 25, who, despite a string of
long-term injuries, would still command a fee in the region of £12million.
He has failed to live up to the potential that once saw Spurs bid £20m for
him - and many at the club believe his best days are now behind the former
Norwich striker. United will accept £3million for Dyer, 30, who has broken
down again after 17 months out of action since his £6million, £60,000-a-week
move from Tyneside.
The same paper states Birmingham are in negotiations with West Ham over a
loan move for centre-half Calum Davenport. The Hammers have been holding out
for a £3million permanent deal but Brum want to take him until the end of
the season with an option to buy him then. St Andrew's boss Alex McLeish
made Davenport, 26, his No 1 target and has been chasing him throughout the
transfer window.
About half-way so time for a shamelessly gratuitous shot of Klara Medkova,
prettier other half of new Czech signing Rado Kovac. This did not actually
feature in any of the morning papers by the way, I just thought I would
enter into the salacious spirit of things.
The Sunday Mirror has the club returning with an £8million bid for Cardiff
City midfielder Joe Ledley after having an £5million offer rejected by the
Welsh club. The 22-year-old, who has won 24 caps, was also the subject of a
failed £6million bid by Stoke City earlier in the transfer window and James
Collins reckons his Wales team-mate would be the perfect addition to the
West Ham squad. Collins, who made the move from Ninian Park to Upton Park in
2005, said: "I'm not surprised by the hype surrounding Joe. He's a great
player. He is so young and yet he's probably played more games than I have.
It's a matter of time before he is playing Premier League football."
Meanwhile, Savio has vowed to repay the faith shown by West Ham boss
Gianfranco Zola after the Italian smashed the club's transfer record to land
the striker. Savio, 19, who completed his potential £9million move from
Brescia last week, made a cameo appearance during the home win over Hull.
But the Uganda-born striker, who has played for the Germany Under-20 side,
is now raring to go and wants to prove Zola was right to sign him.
"Gianfranco Zola was a great player and I think he'll be a great manager,"
said Savio. "I'll improve a lot under him and try to do my best. Both he and
Gianluca Nani explained what they want to do here at West Ham with all the
young players. They want to improve me and I want to pay them back on the
pitch. I'm proud to wear that shirt and I'll try to do my best to improve.
The No.10 shirt is a big responsibility but I'll do my best every day. Every
time I'm on the pitch I'll play with the heart and make the fans happy."
Finally Julien Faubert has confessed what we have all thought, namely, that
he was the victim of a prank when Real Madrid came calling. The French
winger signed out of Upton Park, possibly for the last time on Friday when
he completed an unlikely switch to the Spanish giants where he will act as
cover for a talented first team squad. Real have taken the 25-year-old on
loan for the rest of the season with view to a permanent deal in the summer
- although given Faubert's comments, it is unlikely that he will ever
feature for the Irons again even if that particular deal was to fall
through.
Talking to L'Equipe last night about his move, Faubert - who had also been
in talks with two other clubs prior to accepting Real's offer - said: "I got
a phone call from a representative of Real Madrid. I wasn't very polite to
him as I thought I was being made fun of, that it was a joke. I had just
found out that contacts with Lyon and Newcastle had fallen through. I wasn't
feeling good. But it's up to me to fight, to show that I can get in the
team."
Faubert, who has sadly failed to show very little of that 'fight' since
joining the Hammers 18 months ago in a £6million switch from Bordeaux also
claimed that he had been 'suffering mentally' since moving to London. "I
couldn't see a way out," he added. "I thought I would be staying at West
Ham, suffering." He's not the only one.
Posted by Trilby at 18:02
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