WHUFC.com
A thrilling finale saw the Young Lions keep their cool on Friday to reach
the UEFA European Under-21 Championship final
26.06.2009
Mark Noble is set to lead England into the final of the UEFA European
Under-21 Championship on Monday after they survived a thrilling fightback
from Sweden to win 5-4 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in Gothenburg on Friday
night.
After both sides missed their first kicks through James Milner and Marcus
Berg, each team found the net with their next four efforts - Joe Hart, Lee
Cattermole, Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott doing the honours for the Young
Lions. The latter conversion meant that Rasmus Bengtsson had to score to
send the contest into sudden death which he duly did. Kieron Gibbs then
stepped up to score and when Guillermo Molins hit the post, England were
through.
England, skippered by the West Ham United midfielder, had needed to ride
their luck in extra time, having gone down to ten men after the dismissal of
Fraizer Campbell just before the turnaround and seeing Berg hit the
crossbar.
Stuart Pearce's side had begun in vibrant form against the host nation in
Gothenburg, underlined by Martin Craine's strike after just 54 seconds.
Nedum Onuoha added a second just before the half-hour mark before an own
goal by Mattias Bjarsmyr seemed to settle the contest seven minutes before
the break. However, Sweden fought back through two goals from Berg either
side of Ola Toivonen's free-kick inside the final 20 minutes to set up the
additional 30 minutes.
Noble was recalled to the starting eleven after sitting out the academic
group game against Germany on Monday, when James Tomkins impressed in a 1-1
draw. Tomkins was back on the bench for this contest at the Gamla Ullevi
stadium in the Swedish capital as Pearce went for experience. England were
bidding to go one better than the 2007 finals when they lost out to the
Netherlands following a 13-12 defeat on penalties.
Things seemed to be going all England's way when a deep Milner corner found
Craine on the edge of the penalty area inside the first minute. Gabriel
Agbonlahor, who will miss the final after picking up his second yellow card
of the competition in the first half, did just enough to put off the Sweden
keeper as Craine's shot fizzed into the corner. Milner was the architect of
the second goal as well, picking out Onuoha to rifle in before Bjarsmyr
deflected Cattermole's cross into his own net seven minutes from the break.
The second half was all about the host nation though. Berg dispatched a low
shot to pull one back on 68 minutes before his strike partner Toivonen gave
the capacity crowd real hope with a stunning free-kick on 75 minutes, five
minutes after Noble was replaced by Jack Rodwell. The incredible comeback
was capped by a fine volley from Berg, his seventh goal of the tournament,
to send England into a nervy extra time and then that penalties finish -
during which Hart was booked to mean he will also miss the final. Unlike two
years ago, this time they came out on top.
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Freddie ready to soar
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears is eager to start scoring after joining Crystal Palace on a
season-long loan
26.06.2009
Freddie Sears has admitted he cannot wait for the new season to begin after
joining Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal.
The West Ham United striker has flown the Boleyn Ground to join the Eagles
until the summer of 2010, and he is itching to start banging in the goals
for the Coca-Cola Championship side.
Sears, a prolific marksman for the Hammers' youth and reserve teams, signed
a five-year contract with West Ham last September. While manager Gianfranco
Zola sees the teenager's long-term future at West Ham, he believes Sears
will benefit greatly from a full season of regular first-team football with
Palace.
The speedy forward himself agrees, stating his intent to fire the south
London club back into the Barclays Premier League after a five-year absence.
"I can't wait at the minute," said Sears, who returned from his summer
holiday to complete the deal. "I want to get a good pre-season behind me and
then go from there.
"I'll get more experience from playing week-in, week-out in front of fans at
a good standard of football. I think getting a good run in the team and
starting to get some goals should be good."
Sears will work under experienced manager Neil Warnock at Selhurst Park, and
the striker revealed that the Palace boss has told him he will be given
every chance to impress in what is a tough, physically demanding division.
"He said I'll play and then see what happens and hopefully we'll have a good
season there," he added.
"It's a good league. You see the teams coming up getting stronger and
stronger and there are a few big teams in there like Newcastle and
Middlesbrough so it should be a good challenge.
"I think it will be a bit more physical. I don't think it will be faster as
the Premier League is probably the fastest league. I'll just have to get
stronger and see what happens."
Sears is the latest in a succession of promising Academy graduates to spend
a period away from Chadwell Heath. Last season James Tomkins, Junior
Stanislas and Josh Payne all returned from loan spells to force their way
into Zola's first-team reckoning.
Reserve team captain Bondz N'Gala and England Under-19 skipper Jordan Spence
also went out to MK Dons and Leyton Orient repectively, and Sears is eager
to emulate them by learning from the experience of playing in unfamiliar
surroundings.
"I think having spoken to them that they had a good time out there and
they've come back stronger and hopefully I can do the same," he added.
Sears was linked with loan moves to Championship sides Sheffield Wednesday
and Peterborough United, but he believes Palace will offer him the best
chance to improve his all-round game over the coming season.
"I wasn't too bothered where I went but I knew a few of the lads at Palace
so it was a good mix of youth and experience there so it interests more,"
said Sears, who plans to return to the Boleyn Ground to cheer on his West
Ham team-mates whenever the opportunity arises. "The fact that it is in
London is just a bonus."
"I think starting most games will be good. Even if I go there and play 30
games that would be good.
"I will still be at the West Ham games to see how the lads get on."
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Eagles swoop for Sears
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears has linked up with Championship side Crystal Palace on a
season-long loan
26.06.2009
West Ham United can confirm that Freddie Sears has joined Coca-Cola
Championship side Crystal Palace on a season-long loan.
The 19-year-old striker cut short his summer holiday to return to the Boleyn
Ground to complete the move, which will see him remain at Selhurst Park
until May 2010, on Friday afternoon.
Prolific at youth and reserve team level, Sears scored on his Barclays
Premier League debut against Blackburn Rovers in March 2008. Last September,
the teenager scored all four goals in the Hammers' 4-3 Barclays Premier
Reserve League South win over West Bromwich Albion.
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola believes Sears will benefit from his
time with Palace, who finished 15th in the Championship standings last
season. The manager has urged the teenager to seize the opportunity to
improve his game while playing regular first-team football.
"I probably didn't give him as many opportunities as he probably needed but
that is part of the game sometimes," said Zola. "I believe in him. He's got
good talent and good qualities.
"In the last few weeks of the season I saw him improving. We are trying to
add something to his game because, with the kind of body he has got, he
needs to add something to his game.
"We have been talking about him and said we have seen him improving. I my
view, he needs to go out and play consistently and get his game going again.
Then, he will be an important player for us in the future."
Youngsters James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Josh Payne spent time on loan
at Derby County, Southend United and Cheltenham Town respectively last
season, with all three returning to the Boleyn Ground before forcing their
way into Gianfranco Zola's first-team squad.
Sears could make his debut in Palace's pre-season friendly at Boreham Wood
on Thursday 9 July.
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Duxbury on Mancini
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 26th June 2009
By: Staff Writer
Gianfranco Zola is to try and persuade Inter star Mancini to join the
Hammers. Zola, who landed the Brazilian international's former Inter team
mate Luis Jimenez just last week is to try and resurrect the deal which has
stalled due to the numerous offers said to have been made to Mancini since
news of United's interest was made public.
Zola, who only recently returned from his summer holiday will be in Italy
with Hammers CEO Scott Duxbury, who told KUMB.com: "We're pretty much there
with Milan. I'm flying there tomorrow [Saturday] to see the player. "Jimenez
was never an issue. Mancini's a different story because he's got lots of
offers and lots of options - so it's down to Gianfranco really. "I'll get
the deal done, I know where we are with it so that won't be an issue - but
it's down to Gianfranco. If Gianfranco and Mancini can hit it off and
Mancini wants to come then I'm 80% sure it'll happen."
Duxbury - talking exclusively to KUMB.com in our latest Q&A that will appear
on the site throughout next week - also said that he was looking forward to
seeing new signing Jimenez in action. "I think that Jimenez is absolutely
huge for us - a massive, massive signing," he said. "He's a top drawer
player, he's exactly what we've been missing.
"We had a barbeque at Gianfranco's house and were just talking - but his
whole team revolves around Jimenez."
Duxbury also defended the club's decision to rely on the loan market to
supplement the first team squad, adding: "I'll try and do every deal this
way. From a cashflow perspective they're superb."
* Part one of our Q&A with Scott Duxbury will be published this coming
Monday.
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Keita keen on Lyon stay
Three clubs linked with move for Ivorian winger
By Patrick Haond & Giscard Gourizro Last updated: 26th June 2009
SSN
Kader Keita's agent has stated that the winger is keen to prove his worth at
Lyon despite rumours linking him with a move away from Ligue 1. The Ivory
Coast international joined Lyon from Lille in 2007 for a fee in the region
of £13.5million. However, Keita's struggle to make an impact at Stade
Gerland has led to suggestions that he could seek an exit this summer. West
Ham United, Everton and Roma have all be mooted as potential suitors, but
Keita's representative, Alfred Obrou, is hopeful he will stay at Lyon. Obrou
said: "Kader did not have the best two years in his career, but he is ready
to make amends. "I have contacts for him but he wants to stay and prove his
worth to Lyon. But if they don't want to keep him, he will look elsewhere.
"He will return to France for pre-season and we will see. There are contacts
in England, he is a great player so it is normal but nothing is official
yet."
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Sears makes Palace switch
Warnock thrilled to get striker on loan
Last updated: 26th June 2009
SSN
Neil Warnock has expressed his delight after Freddie Sears completed his
loan move to Crystal Palace. Palace agreed a deal with West Ham over the
weekend to bring in Sears for the whole of the 2009/10 Championship. The
switch has now been finalised and Eagles boss Warnock is looking forward to
working with the highly-rated teenager. Sears shot to fame when he scored on
debut against Blackburn in March 2008, but he failed to find the net in 22
appearances last season and will now continue his development at Selhurst
Park. Warnock told Palace's official website: "We are thrilled to have him
on board as we have been chasing Freddie for some time now.
"Freddie is an exciting, hard working player and I am sure the fans will
take to him very quickly."
Meanwhile, another Hammers youngster, Tony Brookes, has been handed his
first professional contract at Upton Park. The 18-year-old defender has been
with the club for a decade and has agreed a 12-month deal with the Hammers.
"It's a great honour to be picked by West Ham to get my first contract, I
feel over the moon," he told West Ham's official website. "The club have had
many great players come through the ranks and hopefully I can be the next
one. "I've been here since I was eight and hopefully I can carry on and get
into the first team."
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Blues reiterate Bowyer appeal
Reports claim deal is on the horizon
Last updated: 26th June 2009
SSN
Birmingham City remain optimistic midfielder Lee Bowyer will complete a
permanent move from West Ham United to St Andrews. Bowyer spent a fruitful
loan spell with the Blues during the second half of last season, helping
Alex McLeish's team reach the Premier League. McLeish has previously
confirmed his interest in signing Bowyer for next campaign and reports
suggest an agreement is imminent. The former Scotland boss said: "Lee did
well for us after coming here and he would definitely be a worthy addition
to the Birmingham squad."
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Scott Duxbury Interview Part 1: Why I Nearly Quit in January
Copyright West Ham Till I Die. No part of this interview may be reproduced
without crediting West Ham Till I Die Blog.
ID: What are the main differences in the club compared to a year ago?
SD: The main difference is we are – it sounds a little corny – but we are as
one. We are united. There is a general belief in what the club is trying to
do, and what Gianfranco is trying to do, and the supporters are now with us.
I've gone on the record on numerous occasions saying that one of the most
divisive aspects of any football club is if there are competing elements and
if the supporters aren't with us and the supporters don't believe in what we
are doing, then there isn't really anywhere for us to go. I think the
January [transfer] window, or the end of it, was the defining moment.
Everybody was as one, and believes in what we are trying to achieve and
where we are going.
That was the first time you had really come out in the open and spoken
directly to the public, wasn't it?
Yes. The financial troubles of the football club have ironically helped me.
There has always been pressure from above to run the football club in a
certain way and I have simply had to follow orders, but for the first time,
in the past year I have been able to implement my ideas without hindrance,
which has been a good thing from my perspective and to be blunt, the
direction in which Gianfranco Zola and I think the club should be going has
been allowed to happen without hindrance, so when I came out in the January
window and said the things I said I did so with complete confidence, because
I knew there wasn't somebody above me who could suddenly pull the rug from
under me and say, no actually, we are selling Scott Parker, we are selling
Matthew Upson. I made the decision we weren't going to do that and I was
extremely confident I could deliver on that.
Was there ever a point in all of the ownership situation when you thought
there was a danger the club could go under?
No, there was never a thought we could go under, but there were various
times, particularly during the January window where there were pressures put
upon me where I couldn't deliver what I was saying I would deliver. I have
got no interest at being at West Ham and just surviving. The reason I
brought Gianfranco in, and the trust between me and Gianfranco, is that we
know what the situation is, we're ambitious and we know what we can achieve
but with the banking world collapsing, there was quite a lot of pressure put
on me by the banks to sell players. The previous funding of the players –
where we got players at prices we couldn't afford was by virtue of bank
loans. When the baking world collapsed the banks said, right, we want those
loans back, so we had to reduce our debts. I came up with the strategy of
selling the fringe players, and that would still keep us competitive, even
self sufficient. Notwithstanding that, during the window there was quite a
lot of pressure from our banks that we should sell Scott Parker. I argued
very strongly against to the point of, er, perhaps moving on, because we had
never breached any of our banking covenants. We had always made our
repayments back, but because the banks were getting nervous about their own
situations, to me they were putting undue pressure on us and trying to
interfere in the operation.
So to be clear, you actually threatened to quit?
Yes. It would have been an untenable situation. I had brought Gianfranco in.
We were working closely together and then suddenly top players would have
been removed. That wasn't part of our plan. I had made quite clear how we
could achieve the savings – by selling the fringe players - and if we are
not competitive and we are not growing, I don't want to be here and
Gianfranco doesn't want to be here. That was the biggest issue we have
overcome – battles with the banks.
So what you are saying is that there could have been a situation in January
where you would have quit, and there would have been a strong possibility
that Zola would have quit as well.
There are lots of hypothetical situations that could have happened, Iain,
but I see it as part of my job to have these battles, to make sure that what
I promised to Gianfranco, what I promised in our plan, is delivered. It's
part of my job to go into boardrooms and have these battles. Bankers have
their own agendas. They just want debts to be reduced. They are not
interested in the success of West Ham.
When you came out at the beginning of January and said you weren't going to
sell any top players, was that aimed more at the banks than anyone else?
No. It was a business plan which was absolutely watertight and I knew I
could deliver on that. There was no pressure from the owners. The fact that
the banks have their own problems with the economic climate meant they were
a little more jittery. They had no ability to make me buy or sell players.
They couldn't action that. They were starting to get very nervous and push
the boundaries but I wasn't prepared to be pushed. You've got to remember as
well that in January BG was facing bankruptcy and our ownership issue was up
in the air, so there were lively discussions. Now Straumur have taken over
the club, ownership issues are resolved. The banks are back where they
should be, which is lending money and we repay it back and there is no
interference. There will always be battles I have to have. You just have to
make sure you win them.
Part Two follows tomorrow.
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Chelsea to sign Charlton prodigy
Daily Express
Last updated: 26/06/2009 10:34:00
CHELSEA are closing in on a £4m deal for Charlton's 17-year-old forward
Jonjo Shelvey, who is also being tracked by Newcastle, Tottenham and West
Ham. (Daily Express)
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