Vinny - Sun May 10 2009
West Ham Online
West Ham United 0 Liverpool 3
West Ham were brushed aside comprehensively by title chasing Liverpool as
the visitors ran out comfortable winners at Upton Park.
There had been a sense of confidence going into this one especially with the
great result we had a Stoke last weekend but a goal within two minutes
totally knocked us for six and although we saw lots of the ball Liverpool
were happy to soak up the pressure.
I think normally we could take a defeat to Liverpool with a pinch of salt
but I think there was a sense of disappointment amongst the support because
before the game we really did think we could get something out of it. The
scoreline looks very comfortable and you have to hope that this result
doesn't effect the team for the remaining two games.
Gianfranco Zola made no changes to the side which defeated Stoke City last
weekend not that there were many he could make. On the bench saw the return
of Savio from illness and Jack Collison was also on the bench.
In the Liverpool team was former hammers Yossi Benayoun and Javier
Maschrano. Benayoun had received a poor reception from fans last season but
this time around for some reason it became mixed with many actually
applauding him.
The atmosphere was electric inside Upton Park as Bubbles rang out loudly and
confidence seemed high going into the game but everything fell apart around
ninety seconds in as Liverpool took the lead.
The ball found its way to Fernando Torres who looked up and played a
delightful ball through our defence which saw Steven Gerrard put through
clear on goal. He rounded the keeper and slotted past Green.
It was a superb run from Gerrard who was being played just onside by Lucas
Neill. I don't think it was the fault of Neill as the run and pass were of
the highest quality.
The fans kept going despite this early set back but Liverpool could have
doubled their lead when Green had to smother the ball at the feet of Torres
to prevent any further damage.
At the other end a clever piece of skill from Mark Noble saw referee Alan
Wiley award a free kick. It was taken by Noble and the delivery was
excellent and found the head of Kovac who beat Reina to the ball but his
header was just over the bar.
We had a lot of possession from then on and Noble in particular was
attempting to drive us forward. Liverpool of course with that goal cushion
could afford to give us more time on the ball that we would have hoped but
it was up to us to break them down and this is something we just couldn't
do.
I was quite happy with our performance and realised that the early goal
although had come as a sucker punch did not necessarily mean it was game
over despite playing one of the best sides in the country.
But although we acquitted ourselves well we just did not have enough to hurt
them and any hope of a comeback was killed off when Liverpool furthered
their lead on the 38 minute mark.
It should have never have go to the point where Liverpool were even in our
area as referee Alan Wiley made a bad error in judgement not to award Luis
Boa Morte a free kick in the Liverpool half as he was chopped down by
Maschrano.
The Portuguese winger was incensed at this decision and ran up the other end
like a man possessed and as Benayoun played a delightful looped pass over
the top Boa Morte ran into the area and pulled on Torres' shirt and the ref
pointed to the spot.
Even from where I was sitting at the other end I could see the shirt pull
and it was no doubt a penalty.
Steven Gerrard stepped up to take the penalty which was superbly stopped by
Robert Green but the ball luckily fell back to Gerrard who could not miss
from just a couple of yards out.
It going one down was difficult to come back from a second goal effectively
ended the game unless we could grab a goal in the remaining few minutes of
the half this game was fast becoming a write off.
That goal could and really should have come when Jamie Carragher made a
terrible error and mis kicked the ball and Di Michele raced onto the ball
and had a free run at goal but somehow he completely fucked up the chance by
trying a piece of skill which went wrong and then he tried to claim a
penalty which he was duly yellow carded for.
This was a terrible miss and although the West Ham fans chanted at the
referee the fact is this wasn't a penalty and the one at the other end was.
The ref got it right and Di Michele showed once again what a poor finisher
he is.
Torres was very unlucky not to score when a long ball forward hit the top of
the Spanish strikers head and Green could only watch as the ball dropped
just wide of the post.
I think many of us went into half time in a despondent mood as this game was
effectively over. Having heard that Fulham had beaten Aston Villa and Spurs
had picked up a point at Everton anything from this game would have been
welcome but barring a miracle this was unlikely to happen.
The second half was hard watching as it became apparent early on that we
just had little to hurt them and Liverpool are the masters at seeing out a
game.
Yossi Benayoun nearly wrapped things up early in the second period and a
deep cross found the Israeli at the back post but his volley when just over
the bar.
Zola replaced Stanislas with Collison as we searched for a way back into the
game.
Going forward we offered little but Boa Morte was doing his upmost to run at
defenders which saw him being brought down a number of times and free kicks
being awarded.
One of these free kicks resulted in a Liverpool attack as the ball was head
clear to Collison but his shot was charged down and came out to Gerrard who
raced forward along with three other Liverpool players.
Gerrard played Dirk Kuyt in on goal but his shot was saved well by Robert
Green who knocked it out for a corner.
Yossi Benayoun found himself unchallenged as he cut inside and hit a shot
which went just past Green's post. If anyone looked like scoring it was
going to be Liverpool.
One half chance fell our way when Noble did well to play in Ilunga who
managed to cut the ball back for Di Michele but the Italian hit the ball
well wide and was no where near to testing the keeper.
This prompted Di Michele being removed by Zola and replaced by Freddie
Sears. Di Michele did not get the warmest of receptions as he left the
pitch.
As we tried to attack once more Diego Tristan gave away possession very
cheaply and Liverpool broke once again with devastating effect.
Gerrard swept the ball out to the right to Kuyt who crossed the ball for the
unmarked Ryan Babel to head at goal which was again superbly saved by Green
but the rebound was something Babel could not miss and he scored to make it
3-0 and a miserable day for everyone connected with West Ham.
Cue the mass exodus from Upton Park as the West Ham fans headed for the
exits. Those who stayed continue to sing but all in all this was a very
disappointing day and a disappointing result which leave a place in Europe
hanging in the balance.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
Superb performance from Green once again. Made some excellent saves and was
very unlucky with the penalty stop as he had kept out the penalty. I still
think he is a real contender for Hammer of the year.
Lucas Neill
A much more difficult encounter than last week at Stoke where he was superb.
That's not to say he put in a horrible performance but we did not see him
command the game like last week.
James Tomkins
Excellent and continues to impress me with every game. He has come on leaps
and bounds from his shaky start to his West Ham career last season which was
mistake ridden. Now he looks very assured and I thought he dealt with
Torres's really well. Top stuff from another academy boy.
Matthew Upson
Like Tomkins I thought he had a solid game and although saying that when you
have conceded three goals seems odd, if you saw the game you would realise
that for the majority of the game the defence stood strong.
Herita Ilunga
Defended well enough but struggled to get forward. When he did he gave us a
much needed outlet as out attacking play was often static but Liverpool had
done their homework on Ilunga and we saw little of him.
Luis Boa Morte
It was silly of him to get so worked up and give away the penalty. His
overall performance was good and he put in a lot of effort. Also seemed to
be the only player who was prepared to run at opposition players and take
them on.
Radoslav Kovac
He isn't a bad player but he does look out of his depth against the better
sides. Last week he was excellent, today not so much as he seemed lost in
game which past him by. He is still an assets in my opinion and a good squad
player to have.
Mark Noble
From a West Ham perspective he was my man of the match as he put in a good
shift. Looked good on the ball and attempted to drive us forward whenever he
could. His set pieces were generally good and more should have been made of
them.
Junior Stanislas
Just never in the game and hardly got a kick.
Diego Tristan
Lost the ball far too many times and won nothing in the air. As usual when
he had time on the ball he looked decent but against a side like Liverpool
you do not get that time.
David Di Michele
Another in the long line of atrocious performances from Di Michele.
Subs Used
Jack Collison (on for Stanislas 59 mins)
A few nice passes saw Collison feel his way back into match fitness again.
He may well start next week.
Freddie Sears (on for Di Michele 70 mins)
Di Michele simply had to be removed and Sears was the obvious choice. Tried
hard but knocked off the ball easily.
Josh Payne (on for Boa Morte 80 mins)
A good display from young Josh Payne. Looked quite bright and a bag of
tricks as he went to the right hand side of midfield.
Overall
It is not so much the losing to Liverpool as I can take that but more the
eagerness to finish 7th so we can get this European place. I am not one of
these people who do not want us to get into Europe as this is something that
we should not pass up as it doesn't happen very often.
I like the fact that we have something to play for and just think back to
this stage of last season when many of us couldn't wait for the season to
end.
Two games left and I still think four points may be enough but Fulham
beating Villa was something I think many didn't legislate for - I know I
didn't.
There is talk of Carlton Cole being fit for the Everton game which would be
terrific because David Di Michele needs to be out of that team as soon as
possible. Anything good he had to his game has not been evident for quite
some time and he just doesn't score enough goals.
Everton are next and you would be hoping that they will have their minds on
other things and we will pick up the result. We have been good away from
home this season and a win would really set things up nicely for the end of
the season.
Franco's Feelings
"It's strange because we are so close to each other there. It doesn't matter
really as our team is alive, it plays well and above all every time we had a
bad game we always came back strong
"I'm confident that in the next two games my team is going to give
everything and I won't be surprised if we still get the results. We are
still very up for it. There are two games to go. Two difficult games,
especially the one on Saturday [at Everton], but the players are determined
and focused so don't be surprised if they surprise you.
"I don't think on the pitch there was a big difference," "The first half
probably we played better than them. The quality of the passing was good,
but 2-0 was too much really."
"It could have been 2-1, in my opinion it should have been 1-1 but that's
the difference really.
"I can't be too hard on my players as they played a good game, all the time
very high-quality football but it is just teams like Liverpool, they have an
opportunity and they punish you.
"I'm not going to have a go at the referee. He is a human being like that
can make mistakes, it doesn't really matter. Today unfortunately it wasn't
the case but in other times it can be the other way around so we are not
going to complain about that."
"I have said many times that David does not get many goals but he is a key
player for us and makes the team play very well. It's a pity because if he
could score a few more goals he could be a top player because other than
that he really makes the team play very well."
"The gap between the top four or five teams and the others is huge. So for
teams like us to get on that level we have to work hard. As I said the way
the team played in the first half is encouraging. We need to improve a
little bit of quality in the last third and then maybe we can match teams
like that and I am confident we can do that."
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Liverpool Match Report
West Ham Till I Die
The advantage of writing a match report the day after the match is that you
can read other people's views. And boy do they conflict! Lucas Neill,
according to some people, had a nightmare game. To others he was superb. The
same with Boa Morte. Well let me give you my twopennyworth.
Let's start by stating a fact. We did not deserve to lose 3-0. Indeed, I
could easily argue we did not deserve to lose at all. It was the unjust
second goal, scored by the referee, which did for us. But even after that, I
really thought that we could have snatched something from the game … until I
realised that yet again we were playing without two strikers. You can't beat
Liverpool, or come back from 2-0 down, with nine players. And that's
effectively what we had. Di Michele had another shocker. He rarely, if ever,
passed to a West Ham player and his first touch was non existent. His one
clear goal scoring opportunity - a one on one with Reina - was embarrassing.
He ended up tripping over his own feet while in the process of shooting.
That takes a rare skill. And to show how crap the referee was, he booked him
for diving!
Tristan was marginally better, but only marginally. He showed one or two
deft touches, but he is incapable of running. It would be kind to suggest
that he is able to break into a canter. Perhaps trotting is a more accurate
description. Freddie Sears eventually replaced Di Michele and was much
brighter, but that wouldn't be difficult. However, he too failed to get a
real scoring chance. Zola must play him for the whole of our last two games.
There's no point in sticking with Di Michele. Give Sears a chance and see if
he can take it.
The rest of the team was superb. Rob Green must have impressed the watching
Capello. His penalty save was stunning, and it was a shame that the rebound
was knocked in by Gerrard. And again, Upson and Tomkins were brilliant in
central defence. Tomkins in particular deserves praise. He has been your man
of the match in four out of the last five games. Today he was immense. For a
19 year old to control Torres in the way that he did was truly noteworthy. I
am convinced he will be picked for England soon. His positional sense is the
key to his success.
I thought Lucas Neill had a good game. He played some searing ground passes
along the touchline and through midfield. Indeed, he seemed to be at the
centre of many of the good things we did. Ilunga too was good at getting
forward, although I think he was at fault, along with Kovacs for playing
Liverpool onside for the first goal.
But the centrepiece of our performance was Mark Noble. This was by far and
away his best performance of the season. He was everywhere and was at the
centre of everything. His performance eclipsed Gerrard's, who, despite
scoring two goals, was otherwise quite quiet. He played some delightful set
piece balls into the box and his corners were also better than normal. He
was an inspirational figure who started virtually every one of our attacking
moves. He faded in the last ten minutes, but I was not surprised after the
efforts of the previous 80 minutes. Tomkins runs him close, but I give Man
of the Match to Mark Noble.
Elsewhere in midfield, Luis Boa Morte put in the best performance I have
seen him give in a West Ham shirt. He really seems to have built some
confidence, and the crowd clearly appreciate it. I admit I never thought I
would see the day when I would stand up and applaud him off the pitch. But I
did yesterday.
Kovac is a player who threatens to deceive. He tackles well, but his passing
is all over the place. Junior Stanislas was largely anonymous. He had a few
opportunities down the left, but never tried to beat anyone - he always cut
infield. I really do think he has a huge amount of talent, but I suspect
Jack Collison will be back for the last two games.
Collison was excellent when he came on and I hope we see him in his best
position in the next two games. Josh Payne came on for the last 15 minutes
and played on the right of midfield. He got involved immediately and showed
some nice touches. Definitely one for the future.
So, all in all, not a bad performance if you ignore the result! We deserved
better.
Green 8
Ilunga 6
Neill 6
Tomkins 8
Upson 7
Stanislas 5
Boa Morte 7
Noble 9
Kovac 5
Di Michele 3
Tristan 5
Collison 7
Sears 6
Payne 6
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Ashton on the comeback trail
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on: 10 May 2009 - 1:56 PM
Sport.co.uk
Dean Ashton looks set to banish his West Ham injury hell by returning in
time for pre-season training. Striker Ashton, who has been out of action
since suffering a devastating ankle injury last September, had originally
hoped to return by late April.Ashton started the season on fire, scoring
twice on the opening day of the Premier League against Wigan before
succumbing to injury. But Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola reckons the England
hitman will be back in business by the time his squad returns to Upton Park
ahead of the new season. "Deano is doing very well," said the little
Italian. "He's intensifying his training work and he's going very well. I
believe he's visiting a specialist to check on his progress. "He is looking
very well at the moment and I believe he will be able to do a full
pre-season."
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Di Michele is no diver - Zola
Sun 10 May, 03:34 PM
Yahoo sport
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola claims David di Michele was unfortunate to
be booked for diving in the 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool. It could have
been a different story if Italian forward Di Michele had kept his composure
when racing through on goal just before the break. He lost his footing as
Jose Reina approached - and to rub salt in the wound he got booked for
simulation. "I don't think he looked for it," said Zola. "The referee booked
him, but he just lost his legs and lost his balance. "I don't think it was a
simulation. What can I say, Di Michele doesn't get many goals, but he is a
key player for us."
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West Ham and Zola get good news as Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson prepares to stand
down
The Mirror
By Paul Smith 10/05/2009
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's reign as West Ham chairman and owner will end in
the next few days. Straumur, the Icelandic bank that lent the businessman
the funds to buy the club in 2006, are poised to take control. The takeover
will ensure the club is financially secure. Funding will be made for the
purchase of a new training ground. Straumur will back the club's management
of Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke in charge of team affairs with Scott
Duxbury as chief executive and Gianluca Nani as technical director.
Gudmundsson is facing personal bankruptcy in his home country and that would
damage West Ham if the bank didn't step in. Straumur see the club as a sound
investment and believe over the next few years they can see the club develop
and be an even more valuable asset when the world financial market
stabilises.
But they will be keen to establish that their arrival is not just a short
term solution. They want to see a period of stability in which West Ham can
develop. While they intend to stand by the senior management, Straumur will
appoint a new chairman, vicechairman and a new board.
CARLOS VELA is set to join West Ham on loan next season. The 20-year-old
striker has been unable to command a regular place at Arsenal after loan
spells in Spain with Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna. Now Arsenal boss
Arsene Wenger is ready to let him go to Upton Park on a temporary,
season-long basis. Wenger is confident that, working under Zola, the Mexican
international will further his football education. Vela will also be assured
of more first-team chances than he's had at Arsenal. Wenger hopes Vela will
develop into a major player.
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Reds maintain title challenge
Soccernet
By The Insider
May 9, 2009
Gerrard missed only his second penalty for Liverpool, and then scored from
the rebound. While no one begrudged Ryan Giggs his coronation as the PFA
Player of the Year after couple of decades of remarkable service to the
game, the premature nature of that ceremony means its credibility has been
tarnished to the point where the winner is selected merely by luck rather
than genuine judgement.
Those of us fortunate enough to have a vote in the Football Writers'
Association Player of the Year poll are required to cast our nominations
this weekend and while it would be easy to pick a player from Manchester
United's soon to be title-winning side, Gerrard's performances this season
are worthy of consideration.
Consistent brilliance is a quality those in the running for a Player of the
Year honour require and Gerrard has excelled in that department for a
decade, with his ability to drag his side out of holes aplenty in this long
season - leading many to believe he is an outstanding candidate.
From the moment he fired his last minute Anfield winner against
Middlesbrough on the opening day of the season, Gerrard has been a shining
example of class in his No.8 shirt and the club's title challenge may well
have had a different conclusion were it not for his handful of niggling
injuries.
Indeed, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez must wonder what might have been if he
had Gerrard and star striker Fernando Torres available all season as crucial
points were dropped when his key duo were absent.
Benitez has only been able to start with his star men in 12 of Liverpool's
36 matches to date and they have looked to be a potent force in each of
those fixtures, though some would say their over-reliance on Gerrard and
Torres should be viewed as a flaw.
Rivals Manchester United are not so dependent on the likes of Wayne Rooney
and Cristiano Ronaldo as they have the back-up players to fill the void and
if Benitez is to end Liverpool's wait for the title, squad strength is an
area he needs to look at.
As it stands, Gerrard and Torres have done their best to carry Liverpool to
glory and the fact that this victory against West Ham saw them return to the
top of the Premier League in the second week of May suggest Benitez's side
have made some progress in the last 12 months.
That rivals United have two games in hand makes their accomplishment seem
somewhat less impressive, yet the Reds emphasised their title winning
potential for future seasons by scoring a fine opening goal in this game
after just 76 seconds.
When Liverpool's top two combine, few teams seem to have an answer and just
for a change, it was Torres feeing Gerrard on this occasion before the
Liverpool talisman rounded keeper Rob Green to open the scoring.
It took West Ham some time to clear their heads after their early blow and
while they gather some kind of a foothold in the game, their optimism was
quashed as Torres burst into the box and Luis Boa Morte tugged on the
Spaniard's shirt. After a week when penalties appeared to be impossible to
earn in London, Alan Wiley pointed to the spot.
Gerrard stepped up to score his 15th Premier League goal of the season and
his landmark will be recorded as a goal from open play as Hammers keeper Rob
Green saved his initial penalty, only to see the Liverpool captain tap in
the rebound.
Even though this game still had nearly an hour to run, it felt as if the
battle had already been won and the West Ham mood was hardly lifted as
striker David Di Michele wasted a glorious chance on the stroke of
half-time.
The talk among the journalists gathered for a half-time cup of tea focused
on the Player of the Year prize and Liverpool legend John Aldridge, working
here for Merseyside radio, was among those promoting Gerrard's cause.
Giggs' name was not mentioned in discussions that included mentions for
Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, along with Chelsea
midfielder Frank Lampard, who may well emerge as a dark horse to claim the
prize after failing to make the shortlist for the PFA honour.
The second half of this game confirmed again why Gerrard has so much respect
within the game and he fancied completing his hat-trick as he tested Green
with a powerful shot after 58 minutes, but Liverpool had to wait until the
final exchanges before adding their third goal.
GettyImages
The Italian was booked for tripping over.
As Ryan Babel fired home on the rebound after Green saved his first effort
at goal, Liverpool confirmed that they have finally cracked the code of
winning tricky away games in the Premier League, much to the delight of
their match winner.
"We full deserved our victory and it was another good performance away from
home," said Gerrard. "People are saying that the title race is over, but we
have to keep going and winning our remaining games will put a little bit of
pressure on United. If they are good enough to deal with it, good luck to
them."
Benitez was equally unwilling to concede the title has slipped through his
grasp with a business like press briefing. "We started so well and once
again Gerrard was fantastic," said the Spaniard. "There are only two games
for us to play and it is important we finish with six points and see what
United do. Maybe they will slip up, you never know."
Benitez's thoughts will soon turn to next season and if Gerrard and Torres
enjoy good health for a whole campaign, Liverpool's near miss of 2009 could
be converted to the ultimate success a year from now.
As for Gerrard, he can set his sights on finishing as the Premier League's
top scorer and maybe, the title of Footballer of the Year will also come his
way.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Steven Gerrard
The Liverpool captain does not have off-days and he was at his brilliant
best once again at Upton Park. His high-energy style is too much for most
opponents to deal with.
DI MICHELE MADNESS: You don't often associate the Premier League with comedy
moments, but West Ham's David Di Michele was guilty of providing just that
as he latched onto Jamie Carragher's mistake and raced clear on goal with
just the keeper to beat.
Just as he seemed ready to pull the trigger, the Italian striker
inexplicably tumbled in the box and he simply had to appeal for a penalty
with no opponents anywhere near him. All he got from referee Wiley was a
yellow card for diving and a huge roar of laughter from the media pack
watching the incident on the TV replays.
HAMMERS VERDICT: Gianfranco Zola has done a fine job in his first season at
West Ham, but his team lack the quality to break down sides of Liverpool's
class. They looked blunt in attack.
GERRARD VERDICT: This reporter may be tempted to cast his vote in favour of
Steven Gerrard for the Player of the Year prize. In a season when there have
been no outstanding candidates, the Liverpool captain has been brilliant
throughout.
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Zola: Expect Surprises From West Ham United
The Hammers will not be letting the season fizzle out, warns their little
wizard of a manager...
10 May 2009 18:57:31
Goal.com
West Ham United may have lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool yesterday, but
manager Gianfranco Zola was staying upbeat, and assuring supporters that his
team would not be thinking about their holidays in the last two games of the
season, away at Everton and at home to Middlesbrough.
The Hammers are locked in a tussle for seventh place with London rivals
Fulham and Tottenham Hotpsur, as well as Manchester City, and Zola is
insistent that his men will not be using yesterday's defeat to the Reds as
an excuse to give up.
"It's strange, because we are so close to each other there. It doesn't
matter really as our team is alive, it plays well and above all, every time
we had a bad game, we always came back strong," he told the club's official
website.
"I'm confident that in the next two games my team is going to give
everything and I won't be surprised if we still get the results. We are
still very up for it. There are two games to go. Two difficult games,
especially the one on Saturday [at Everton], but the players are determined
and focused so don't be surprised if they surprise you."
Zola was also optimistic about the more long-term future for his team, whom
he felt were progresing very well, but needed to show more consitent threat
in the opposition half. "The gap between the top four or five teams and the
others is huge," he admitted. "So, for teams like us to get on that level,
we have to work hard. As I said, the way the team played in the first half
is encouraging. "We need to improve a little bit of quality in the last
third and then, maybe, we can match teams like that and I am confident we
can do that."
Zack Wilson, Goal.com
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Tevez Returning to Upton Park?
Thegamesgonecrazy.com
What are the chances that Tevez would ever return to West Ham? I felt that
it was quite high a few weeks ago as I first read about him wanting to leave
Man United but press speculation seemed to point towards him joining Real
Madrid. A week or two ago he was very strongly linked to Real Madrid again
when he was interviewed by Spanish journalists. He said he would like to
play in Spain but his wording left me in no doubt that he meant at a much
later date.
What raised my hopes then was that he intimated that his family wanted to
stay in England. Today I saw the BBC report which raised my hopes yet again
with the following
"I don't think I'll be a United player next season. I've done everything I
possibly can but they have never made me an offer or given me a contract. I
have not been treated as a member of the (Man U) family. The fans treat me
like family but United have not signed me so they don't respect me as a
footballer. It's not true my family are unhappy in England. It's not true I
want to leave England for Spain. My four-year-old daughter is learning
English and my wife is very happy living in England. We want to stay. I want
to play in England because it is the best League in the world and it suits
my style."
Tevez was visibly moved by the reception he got from us when he played at
Upton Park this season. He played diabolically for Man U in fact due to that
outward show of affection from us West ham fans. Add to that the fact that
in a World Cup year Tevez needs to be a first team regular to be sure of his
Argentina place. That cuts out a move to Liverpool where he would have to
compete for a place as second striker and is almost certain to be in the
same kind of position he is now as at Man United.
Arsenal and Chelsea are likely to have the same issues where competition for
that second striker spot is really hot.
How about Everton, Spurs, Man Citeh or Villa? Well Everton has a shortage of
strikers but play a 4-5-1 without a second striker. Spurs, Citeh and Villa
don't have a shortage of strikers and he would have competition again. Tevez
would also be committing a cardinal sin if he moved across Manchester to
money-bags Citeh so out of the Premiership teams it seems to me that it is
down to us if regular football is the objective!
Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian works for us as our transfer consultant so I
would be very surprised if it hasn't even been discussed as to how we could
bring Tevez back even if it is on loan again? Hopefully this time Duxbury
might get the paperwork right if it is true! None of the football
journalists has made any connection to West Ham being a possible destination
for Tevez but one of the strongest pulls is always the emotional one. He
knows he is loved and revered at West Ham. He knows Zola is a good manager
well versed in playing and coaching the second striker role which both of
them excel at. He knows he would have Ashton or Cole, two England squad
forwards, to play off. And he knows he would have regular football at a time
he needs that to retain his Argentina place. He will also know that our
thrust towards a Europa League spot has been hampered by a striker shortage
yet we still might make it. 7th spot would certainly help our cause.
The only downside is our financial state. I cannot see Straumur putting
money into us if they do take us over so how could we afford him? I am sure
that if there is a will there is a way. Maybe it's an impossible dream but I
remember waking up one morning 3 years ago to the amazement that he had
signed for us first time round. We can dream some more surely?
Billbanksy
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Chelsea aware West Ham pair Zola, Clarke have get-out clauses
10.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola and No2 Steve Clarke both have get-out clauses
in their new contracts. The News of the World says this will spark fresh
speculation about the pair's long-term futures at Upton Park, especially
with former club Chelsea announcing a new boss in the summer. The Blues are
aware of the get-out clauses although it would cost them more than £3million
in compensation to take Zola and Clarke to the Bridge. But that would be no
obstacle for Blues' billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, a known admirer of
Zola.
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