WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes James Tomkins should be part of England's European
Under-21 Championship squad
11.05.2009
Mark Noble has backed West Ham United team-mate James Tomkins to join him in
England's squad for this summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship in
June.
Former Hammer Stuart Pearce is widely expected to name Noble in his 23-man
selection for the tournament, which sees England drawn alongside Finland,
Spain and Germany in Group B.
The midfielder, who turned 22 on Friday, believes central defender Tomkins,
20, has done more than enough to join him on the plane to Sweden.
Both Academy graduates did their chances of being included no harm at all by
producing impressive performances in front of watching England head coach
Fabio Capello during Saturday's Premier League defeat to Liverpool at the
Boleyn Ground.
Despite the final scoreline, Noble put on an excellent all-round display,
catching the eye with his perceptive passing, tough tackling and dangerous
set pieces. Tomkins, too, was not intimidated by the challenge of facing the
combined talents of Spain striker Fernando Torres and England midfielder
Steven Gerrard.
"I just want to do that every week, but it wasn't just me," said Noble.
"Tomka was superb and obviously it was good for him to show that. We've got
the Under-21 tournament in the summer and hopefully he'll be in that with
me. I think he's done more than well enough to earn that and has been
fantastic since he's come in, so hopefully he'll get that opportunity."
While Noble was pleased with his personal performance, the youngster
admitted that his pleasure was tempered by the disappointment of being
beaten by the title-chasing Reds.
Gerrard put Liverpool a goal up after just 77 seconds before doubling his
side's lead after Robert Green had initially saved his 38th minute penalty.
However, the Hammers passed up a number of presentable opportunities to
score themselves before the break, with David Di Michele and Radoslav Kovac
both going close.
"It's only a superb performance if you win. It was nice because I thought I
did well but, at the end of the day, we lost the game 3-0. The early goal
killed us and obviously it was a little bit of a shame that David didn't but
his chance away. I thought they got a little bit lucky with the penalty as
well, so luck wasn't on our side.
"They are Liverpool and they're going for the title so I thought our first
half performance wasn't too bad. If we could have scored one of a couple of
chances [we created it could have been different]. Kova's header from my
free-kick was a good chance, as was David's, but that was about it. We're a
little bit gutted, to be honest with you."
"They weren't that much better than us, not really, but when you have the
likes of Torres and Gerrard who combine so well together, they're going to
take their chances."
Noble was slightly aggrieved by referee Alan Wiley's decision not to award a
free-kick to Luis Boa Morte after the Portuguese winger appeared to be
felled by former West Ham team-mate Javier Mascherano. Seconds later, Boa
Morte was penalised for a foul on Torres inside the home penalty area,
handing Gerrard the chance to double Liverpool's lead, which he took at the
second attempt.
Following Saturday's defeat, the Hammers' longest-serving player is eager to
bounce back at Everton this weekend and still believes Gianfranco Zola's men
can secure a top-seven finish and a spot in next season's inaugural UEFA
Europa League. West Ham are currently ninth, two points behind
seventh-placed Fulham with two games remaining.
"Luis was still frustrated from the free-kick that should have been as
Mascherano wasn't anywhere near the ball and he gave away the penalty. It's
a little bit gutting on our behalf but we're still in a good position, we've
got two more games left and we need to do well in them.
"We go into every game thinking we can win it. We go up there obviously
knowing that Everton are a fantastic side who have been doing really well
recently, but we'll go there are really believe we can get a result. I'll
believe it and I'm pretty sure all the other boys do, so it's a case of
working hard in training this week and giving a good performance up there."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola was 'encouraged' by the performance of his team in the
weekend game with Liverpool
11.05.2009
Gianfranco Zola has said he has learned much from the weekend and reiterated
his trust in the future potential of his team.
West Ham United may have succumbed to a 3-0 defeat by Liverpool but the
scoreline did not tell the whole story - not that the manager was making any
excuses even without the services of four England internationals in Scott
Parker, Kieron Dyer, Carlton Cole and Dean Ashton while Liverpool had their
three world-class performers on view in Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard
and Fernando Torres.
"I wanted to make a statement but unfortunately the result did not go for
us," he said. "The performance was encouraging for me. To beat teams like
Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United you need to perform at a
very high level.
"The difference between teams like us and them is big but on the quality of
football side, we are getting there. I am confident that soon we are going
to be competing with them. We just need to improve a little bit of quality
in the last third but I am confident we are on the right way.
"Every game is a lesson for me. Sometimes with teams like that it is not
enough to play better than them or at least as good as them. You need
something extra. We are going to try to work to get that."
That 'something extra' could be in the form of Cole, who the manager hoped
would be fit for next weekend's trip to Everton, while Parker and Dyer are
also working on their fitness in a bid to play at Goodison Park.
The manager admitted that while Gerrard took his two chances with aplomb,
before Ryan Babel's late clincher, his own side had not had the best of luck
in front of goal. "That probably has been the weakest link. We are a team
that creates a lot of chances but doesn't score as many as it creates."
The best of the weekend opportunities fell to David Di Michele and Zola had
words of encouragement for the striker. "Di Michele remains a key player.
Maybe he doesn't score many goals but he makes the team play very well .
when we lost Scott Parker he was the one who was really helping the
manoeuvre of the team. He is an important player for us and I am 100 per
cent sure about that.
"In the last few weeks, Diego Tristan was giving those goals we need. When
we have Cole it is a big thing for us. We will see." He could also have
Savio firing fully at Goodison Park after choosing to leave him on the bench
against the Reds because illness affected his preparation. Instead, Josh
Payne got a welcome first taste of senior football at the Boleyn.
"Savio didn't train all the week and also it is just I made a decision that
when the game was nearly finished I wanted to give a young player the
possibility to play in the first team. It is as simple as that. Savio is
still a player that we trust and believe in and I am sure he will make an
impact with West Ham."
Coming up short against a team battling for the title with just two weekends
remaining requires perspective and the manager said he had renewed optimism
for the final fixtures and then the season to come.
"In the first half, the way we played was very encouraging. It was not much
less than them. The difference was Gerrard had two chances and scored two
goals. He punished us. We will try to bridge the gap. When it is going to be
I don't know, but I am sure we are going to get there. Trust me.
"I am not considering next year yet. We will focus on this year and then we
will see what we can do. Maybe, it is not the moment. It won't improve the
situation if I start thinking about next year because also that depends a
lot on the position we are going to get this year."
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Mehmet's Euro hopes dashed
WHUFC.com
Academy goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet suffered UEFA European Under-17 Championship
defeat with Turkey
11.05.2009
West Ham United youngster Deniz Mehmet's hopes of lifting the UEFA European
Under-17 Championship trophy have been dashed after Turkey were beaten 2-1
by the Netherlands.
The Turks' defeat in the German town of Meuselwitz on Saturday left them
unable to reach the semi-finals following their opening 3-1 defeat to the
host nation on 6 May.
Under-16 goalkeeper Mehmet completed the full 80 minutes in both fixtures
and will be eager to be named in Abdullah Ercan's lineup again when Turkey
complete their Group B fixtures with a clash with England on Tuesday
afternoon.
The fixture will be shown live by British Eurosport, with kick-off in Gotha
at 4.45pm UK time.
West Ham's Academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John has been at the tournament
to check on Mehmet's progress first hand.
Despite their exit from the finals, Turkey still enjoyed a fine run in the
tournament, having come through two qualifying rounds without losing a
single fixture.
After missing the first qualifying round, Mehmet was brought into the squad
for the Elite Round, starting all three matches as Turkey beat Finland and
drew with Romania and Spain to book their place in Germany.
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Pre-season fixture announced
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 11th May 2009
By: Staff Writer
A West Ham XI will face Isthmian League Division One South champions
Kingstonian in a pre-season friendly this summer. The Surrey-based club, who
won the title having gone unbeaten in their final ten games of the 2008/09
season will host United at Kingsmeadow on Friday 31st July; kick off 7.45pm.
K's manager Alan Dowson told kingstonian.net: "We're delighted that a club
of the stature of West Ham are coming. "Gianfranco Zola has a soft spot for
us from when he played here for Chelsea, and has promised to send his
strongest possible side. We faced six internationals when we played Fulham
last year and will face more top quality players this time." Further
details of United's pre-season programme will be confirmed once the current
Premier League campaign has finished.
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2008/09 KUMB Awards: Goal of the Season
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 11th May 2009
By: Staff Writer
Voting will shortly commence in the 12th annual online KUMB.com season
awards.
Since 1997 KUMB has conducted an end of season poll in several categories,
including Player of the Season, Young Player of the Season and Best Signing.
This year you will be able to vote in ten categories once again which, in
addition to the above, includes the following:
Goal of the Season; Most Improved Player; Most Memorable Match; Worst
Player; Worst Signing; Biggest DIsappointment; Hackett of the Year.
By way of a taster for the awards, voting for which will commence following
our final game of the season against Middlesbrough, we have compiled the
following video (58mb) featuring the main contenders for the 2008/09 Goal of
the Season award.
So will it be Carlton Cole's strike at Wigan? Or Diego Tristan's free kick
at Stoke? How about Craig Bellamy's effort at Newcastle - or Junior
Stanislas' debut strike against Sunderland? One thing's for sure, there have
been some cracking efforts to look back on this season.
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Noble sets sights on Gerrard
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 11th May 2009
By: Thomas Rooney
It seems fairly obvious that Mark Noble is a fan of Steven Gerrard. Speaking
after the England midfielder helped Liverpool to a 3-0 win at Upton Park,
Noble said that he believes Gerrard to be 'the best' midfielder around.
The Liverpool captain found the back of the net twice to cap off an all
round display that even the opposition were praising afterwards. Noble is of
the opinion that Gerrard is an inspiration and an example for any youngster
trying to make their name in the game.
Noble went on to say that he didn't think Gerrard got enough plaudits for
his talents. Even though he is often labelled as one of the best midfielders
in Europe, Noble believes that 'with the goals he scores' he has to be
considered as 'the best'.
The Hammers midfielder even admitted that he would like Liverpool to win the
title one day. Perhaps they will fall just short this year, but Noble
believes Gerrard deserves this accolade for being so loyal to Liverpool over
the years.
One of the most significant aspects of Noble's praise for Gerrard though was
that the West Ham man has set his sights on being as good as the Liverpool
man in the future.
Noble admitted that 'everyone wants to aspire to being that good' and that
if he can be 'nearly as good' as Gerrard, he'd be very 'pleased'. So would
the majority of West Ham fans I'm sure!
The thing to remember here though is that Noble is a fantastic young player
in his own right and can definitely make a name for himself as one of the
best midfielders around.
Noble's performance against Liverpool was the highlight of a rather flat
display from West Ham and it is surely only a matter of time before he gets
some senior international recognition.
The 22-year-old seems to have the desire and the attitude to go to the top
as well. He absolutely loves playing football and will keep working and
working until he becomes as good as he possibly can be. Everything about him
is positive and let's hope he can have a successful future for West Ham and
England.
As for the team as a whole, well there is no doubt that the defeat to
Liverpool was a setback in the race for seventh place. Fulham now occupy the
position after beating Aston Villa at the weekend and at this moment in
time, they are favourites to finish there.
However, West Ham are still in with a shout. If they manage to get something
at Everton next weekend, it will be all to play for on the final day when
they host Middlesbrough.
Mark Noble certainly won't be giving up as yet and neither should anyone
connected with the club. It has been a long, hard season and West Ham
deserve some recognition for their efforts. Good luck boys!
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Hammer gunning for Spanish move
by Laurent Picard , 11 May 2009
setanta.co.uk
West Ham striker Diego Tristan has insisted that returning to the Spanish
league next season remains his dream. The veteran is under contract with The
Hammers until June 30, and he has vowed to wait in the wings, as his
priority is to seal a comeback to his homeland. The former Deportivo La
Coruna star has bagged 96 goals in the Primera Liga, and reaching the
sensational figure of 100 is part of his plans. Tristan understands that
there is speculation surrounding his future because of his recent good
displays in The Premier League. "This topic is back following my last few
performances, but there are still two games to go and I do not want to
comment," he said.
"It depends on what happens at West Ham ahead of next season and what my
family decides. I have already received some offers, but I keep the ambition
to return to enjoy my football in the Spanish league. "My dream is to score
100 goals in La Liga. It would be something exceptional."
Zola has 'Europeanised' West Ham's training techniques. according to the
forward, who has hailed the Italian as a 'fantastic manager'. The former
Livorno player is delighted to have put his career back on track at Upton
Park. "It has been fantastic," Tristan told Marca. "My English is getting
better every day and in terms of sports, the trainer has always been behind
my back. "The only issue is that before Carlton Cole's injury, I did not
have many opportunities to play." "I am never happy with a team-mate's
injury. The truth is that I never expected to be in such a good position,
but hard work bears fruit. I feel like I have been playing here forever," he
said. When asked if he had to change his football in order to settle into
The Premier League, he said: "No. Talented footballers are capable of
playing everywhere. "He [Zola] has always asked me to bring my experience to
the squad," he added. "He told me to be fit in order to be ready when
needed. He was aware of my potential and is delighted with my displays over
the last few games. I am grateful to him. "He is a fantastic manager. He
loves to practise with the ball, something that resembles Spanish work. He
knows footballers pretty well and is involved within the group day in, day
out. He is like one of us. "The biggest change has been the club's
philosophy. We have breakfast and lunch at the training ground and have
double training sessions."
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Noble backs West Ham pal Tomkins for England U21 call
12.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
Mark Noble has backed West Ham pal James Tomkins to make England's squad for
the U21 European Championships. After defeat to Liverpool, midfielder Noble
told whufc.com: "Tomka was superb and obviously it was good for him to show
that. "We've got the Under-21 tournament in the summer and hopefully he'll
be in that with me. I think he's done more than well enough to earn that and
has been fantastic since he's come in, so hopefully he'll get that
opportunity."
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West Ham post scout to watch their Turkey U17 keeper Mehmet
12.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United have been keeping tabs on their Turkey U17 goalkeeper Deniz
Mehmet's form at this month's European Championships. The Hammers have
posted keeper coach Jerome John to monitor Mehmet during the group stages of
the tournament.
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West Ham boss Zola wants new signings to bridge top four gap
12.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is determined to find in the summer
market a player who can help bridge the gap with the top four. Reflecting on
defeat to Liverpool, Zola told whufc.com: "The difference between teams like
us and them is big but on the quality of football side, we are getting
there. I am confident that soon we are going to be competing with them. We
just need to improve a little bit of quality in the last third but I am
confident we are on the right way. "Every game is a lesson for me. Sometimes
with teams like that it is not enough to play better than them or at least
as good as them. You need something extra. We are going to try to work to
get that."
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West Ham boss Zola explains mystery Savio absence
12.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola has explained why Savio Nsereko was
withdrawn for their defeat to Liverpool. He said: "Savio didn't train all
the week and also it is just I made a decision that when the game was nearly
finished I wanted to give a young player the possibility to play in the
first team. It is as simple as that. "Savio is still a player that we trust
and believe in and I am sure he will make an impact with West Ham."
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Zola, Clarke won't skip out on West Ham for Chelsea
12.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
Gianfranco Zola will stay at West Ham United next season. The Italian and
his assistant Steve Clarke - another former Blues old boy - are reported to
have escape clauses in their new four-year contracts at Upton Park. Chelsea
are on the hunt for a new manager with temporary chief Guus Hiddink set to
walk away at the end of the season.
But Zola will start next season as their manager despite persistent
speculation linking the Italian with a return to Stamford Bridge, according
to the London Evening Standard.
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Tristan keen to remain at West Ham
12.05.09 | Andrew Slevison
Diego Tristan says he is keen to extend his stay at West Ham into next
season. The Spanish forward has enjoyed a good stint with the Hammers and
hopes he can sort out a deal with the club so he can remain at Upton Park.
"I came with the idea of playing this season and then we'd see at the end of
it," he told the club's official website. "I will do my best in the games
we've got left and then we'll see. I will speak to the manager (Gianfranco
Zola) and he will decide. "I just hope that in the remaining games I can
keep playing well, scoring goals and helping this team achieve their goal of
qualifying for Europe. "On a personal level I am proving something to myself
and to those people who might have wondered about me because I'd not played
for a long time. "They can see I still have something to give and am still
scoring goals and doing it in an important league like this one which is the
best in the world along with the Spanish. It makes me feel happy and proud
to be showing I still belong at the top level."
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West Ham to land Arsenal striker Vela
11.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
Arsenal striker 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.
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West Ham finances to be secured this week
11.05.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United's finances will be secured this week. The Sunday Mirror says
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.
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