WHUFC.com
Jonathan Spector is delighted to have helped the United States reach the
Confederations Cup final
27.06.2009
Jonathan Spector is looking forward to representing the United States in
their first ever final in a major tournament after they reached the FIFA
Confederations Cup final with a fantastic 2-0 victory over European
champions Spain.
The Americans pulled off arguably the best result in their history as a goal
in each half from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey put paid to the Spaniards
in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on Wednesday evening.
The West Ham United full-back played an important part in a resilient
defensive display from Bob Bradley's side, working hard to keep the likes of
Fernando Torres, David Villa, Cesc Fabregas and Xavi at bay.
Spector, 23, had his work cut out marking Liverpool winger Albert Riera and
later Valencia wideman Mata, but responded with a disciplined, whole-hearted
performance.
"I think after the second goal you could tell they were, not panicking, but
just that they needed to get one back quickly," said Spector. "We all knew
that if we could hold them for five minutes that we would have a great
chance of going on to win the game. At that point I'd say is when I could
feel it.
"It was certainly a hard fought win and it took the entire team defending,
not just the back-four, we needed our midfielders and even the front
runners. We knew they wanted to go through middle so we forced them wide and
defended whatever crosses came in. It was successful for us."
Victory carried the United States through to face Brazil in Sunday's final
in Johannesburg. There, Spector and his team-mates will be battling for the
first major international trophy in his nation's history.
The Hammers defender was part of the American team that won the CONCACAF
Gold Cup in his home city of Chicago for the fourth time in 2007, but
success at the Confederations Cup would mark the greatest ever achievement
in US football.
"It's certainly a huge win for us, probably one of the biggest that the team
has had," said Spector. "It's our first major final and beating a team like
Spain is a great result, especially with their win streak.
"Well we certainly hope that we'll gain a few fans who will watch the final,
and we hope that we can turn in another good performance like we just had."
The United States have overcome a number of obstacles to reach Sunday's
showpiece, losing their opening two matches before turning round a six-goal
swing - with the help of Brazil's 3-0 win over Italy - to qualify for the
semi-finals.
Spector has played all 360 minutes of the Americans' run to the final,
appearing at right-back in the Group B fixtures against Italy, Brazil and
Egypt - setting up Dempsey's vital third goal in a 3-0 victory with a
pinpoint cross - as well as Wednesday's emotional success against Spain.
Before the tournament, the former U17 and U20 international was expected to
play second-fiddle to regular starters Steve Cherundolo and Frankie Hejduk,
but injuries to both have opened the door for Spector to win his 18th cap in
the biggest game in his country's history.
"There have definitely been changes to the back four recently and it's not
easy, obviously, when there isn't as much cohesiveness because we haven't
all played together as much. I think the entire team dealt with it really
well," he said.
Sunday's final will be screened live on BBC3 on Sunday evening, with
kick-off at 7.30pm.
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Duxbury's 'disaster' warning
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 27th June 2009
By: Staff Writer
Scott Duxbury had told KUMB.com that the much-delayed club accounts are 'a
disaster'. West Ham United CEO Duxbury, talking to KUMB.com for our latest
Q&A admitted that the twice-postponed figures reveal substantial losses
incurred as a result of Eggert Magnusson's 'massive player acquisition
programme'.
Duxbury also revealed that transfer fees for players such as Matthew Upson -
for whom the financing was thought to have come personally from Bjorgolffur
Gudmundsson - were actually secured on bank loans; loans which the club is
now in the process of repaying.
"The accounts were a disaster; we've had absolute Hell," said Duxbury.
"We've had the owner going bankrupt, XL ... it's been an absolute disaster.
"We've had massive pressure from the banks. The collapse of our various
partners and owner conincided obviously with the banking world just being
absolutely destroyed.
"When Eggert came in we embarked on a massive player acquisition programme.
It's not just the transfer fees, it was the salaries that were given. And
all of this, we didn't know, was bank funded - it wasn't owner funded.
"Then the banking world collapses and they said 'we want our money back'.
Fantastic."
However Duxbury added that the club are now back on an even keel whilst
confirming that Gianfranco Zola will have substantial funds at his disposal
from the summer of 2010 onwards - although this summer, any inward
acquisitions are likely to be loan-based, as per the recent Luis Jimenez
transfer.
"Ironically the past year-and-a-half has been the best it's been," added
Duxbury, "because we haven't had an owner.
"We've been able to just get on and run the club without interference and
basically implement the business plan."
You can read the full interview with Scott Duxbury here on KUMB on Monday
morning.
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ANTON FERDINAND HEADING BACK
West Ham try cut-price bid for Sunderland defender
27/06/2009
News Of The World
WEST HAM will consider a cut-price bid to buy back Anton Ferdinand. New
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce does not want the former England Under-21
centre-half. Ferdinand, 24, joined the Black Cats last summer for £8million.
With skipper Matt Upson likely to be on his way to Manchester City or Aston
Villa, the Hammers will need to bolster their back four. So West Ham boss
Gianfranco Zola is ready to test Sunderland with a £2m bid.
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Birmingham agree Bowyer terms with West Ham
28.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
Birmingham City have struck terms for West Ham United midfielder Lee Bowyer.
The Birmingham Mail says Bowyer spent a successful loan spell at St Andrew's
from January, adding impetus to the push for Championship promotion. And
now, after protracted negotiations, he has become the latest addition to the
ranks in a busy summer.
There are still some fine details to iron out before the signing, on a free
transfer from West Ham, is announced. But Alex McLeish can now move on to
his next target.
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Scott Duxbury Interview Part 2: I Want Us To Win the League
West Ham Till I Die
Copyright West Ham Till I Die. No part of this interview may be reproduced
without crediting West Ham Till I Die Blog.
ID: Would it be an exaggeration to say that almost for the first time since
the days of Harry Redknapp that it's a happy club?
SD: I have been at the club ten years and it's the happiest I have seen it.
There is a genuine belief that there is a permanence to it.There's a clear
structure. This isn't just 'we've signed a particular player who's
performing very well, and as long as he stays fit, happy days'. There's a
clear - I'll use it early on – The Project – there's a clear business plan…
ID Very New Labour. [laughs]
Exactly! Spin, spin spin! [laughs]. There's a clear direction that has a
certain longevity to it. I believe in it. Gianfranco believes in it.
Gianluca [Nani] believes in it. I think the supporters have every right to
be cynical and wary but I think they want to believe. They see a structure
and a long term future.
What reaction have you had personally from supporters over the last few
months? I don't think many people believed you when you came out in January
and said you wouldn't sell players, but you delivered.
The death threats have reduced a little bit, but they haven't completely
gone away. Joking aside, I used to look at the unofficial sites. I stopped
doing it but Greg Demetriou, my head of media keeps me informed of the
general views. There can be quite emotive comments and some of them quite
personal. I used to go home at night and I couldn't sleep. I remember when
McCartney left and we signed Ilunga, but we couldn't announce it because of
various red tape we had to get through, I really was getting death threats.
One said that if I left the club they knew who I was, where I was going and
I would be killed. It is quite disturbing. The danger is that you start to
make decisions that aren't rational because you are conscious of a personal
perception. So I try to ignore it and make the right decision for West Ham.
There have been lots of incidents throughout my ten years at the club but I
can honestly say I have always done what is best for West Ham United. So I
can sleep at night and I believe in my own ability so I am not here for my
own personal gain. I am here because I do believe I can contribute to this
football club and I believe we can achieve success.
Do you think that your comparative youth in running a club like West Ham
means that people haven't taken you as seriously as you might have liked
them to?
I think yes, there is a danger of that, but the fact I have been here for
ten years means I don't look particularly young any more! Maybe. I make
decisions that someone who is a little more conservative wouldn't – Zola,
for instance. But I have a team around me now which is a young team at all
levels. I think that's an advantage for us. It's supplemented with
experience. I think especially after the last year and a half I am taken
seriously. We are negotiating CEOs of Inter Milan, Barcelona. We are on a
very very high stage. They respect what we as a club, and me as a smaller
part, have done. I don't think that's an issue any more. In the past ten
years I have probably experienced more as a CEO than many others do in a
lifetime.
When you talk about "The Project" what is a realistic ambition to emerge
from those plans?
I am the wrong person to ask because I am ambitious. My answer will be to
win the league. It's not a stupid remark because we are in a league, it's a
race and if you're not in it to win it, why on earth are you taking part?
Simply to exist is not what I am about. If we get the right set of
circumstances and continue to grow as a club, why not? Why can't we achieve
the ultimate? I was with Gianfranco just before the season ended and I said,
well, if we sign these players we'll definitely finish seventh and qualify
for the Europa League next season. And he said: "Only seventh? No way, we've
got to finish much higher than that". He shares my ambition and my view. Of
course I am aware of the financial constraints on the club and the perceived
financial requirements to compete at that highest level, but we've got our
vision and we believe in it. If we continue to develop the players, who
knows where we can end up. We are certainly not going to limit ourselves and
say we can never finish at this level because we all believe we can.
Moving on to the ownership question, it appears there is now a degree of
stability but the owners are effectively the creditors of the former
chairman. They are not in it for the long haul so they will want to maximize
their return at some point. It's not an ideal situation, is it, if you want
to launch a bid to get into the top four?
I disagree to be honest. It's a perfect scenario. The past year and a half
has shown that if we can run the club without interference… It's not just my
decision, it's Gianfranco, Gianluca, the three of us. Our decisions are not
questioned and we can push the club forward. Straumur allows us to do that.
Their vision is that over the next three years the world economy improves.
They do intend at some point to invest in the club and grow the asset and
then realize it in three years time. Three years is a lifetime in football.
If the three of us can work together during that time and grow the club,
wonderful. The one thing I cannot control is ownership issues. My big fear
is that tomorrow a new owner comes in, doesn't want Gianfranco as the
manager, wants some high profile individual, doesn't believe in the ethos of
the project, wants us to sign the most high profile midfielders and centre
forwards and it's all destroyed. We have seen the impact of owner led issues
at Newcastle. We have seen what it can do to a football club. We have had a
year and a half of the football club being run on footballing principles and
Straumur will hopefully allow us to continue that for the next three years.
Then Straumur – and this is where I will try to be involved - will hopefully
sell to someone who believes in Gianfranco, believes in The Project and
simply continues the development. But unfortunately that's out of my
control.
Do you on a personal level feel quite sad about what's happened to the
previous chairman and indeed Eggert Magnusson in some ways? They clearly
were not the kind of people who wanted to come in and rip the club apart,
they seemed to me to have a vision and the world economic circumstances
meant they weren't able to realise it.
It's dreadful. BG and Eggert are invited back to games. They had the best
interests of the club at heart. I hope BG comes back to games next season.
He personally has been dreadfully affected by the world economy.
Individually he is a bankrupt. He's lost everything. He loved West Ham. He
really did. Again, during his personal troubles, and I am not saying he
would have done this, but it would have been easy for him to say Scott, sell
Upson, sell Green, sell Parker and I'm having that money. That pressure was
never put on me at all. On the contrary. He completely endorsed the plans I
had and backed me when I was having some pretty difficult conversations with
the banks. Their place in history should be remembered fondly, and they have
really contributed to a club that has improved during difficult times. It's
no small thanks to them.
Part Three to come soon!
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Noble to lead England in Euro finalby RivalsDM
FoxSPorts
Updated: June 27, 2009, 12:20 PM EDT
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble will lead England Under-21s into Monday's
European Championship final against old rivals Germany. Stuart Pearce's
youngsters beat Sweden 5-4 on penalties after blowing a 3-0 half-time to
eventually draw 3-3 after extra-time. Noble was recalled to the starting XI
after being rested against the Germans in the final group game but returned
for the semi-final clash in Gothenburg - lining up alonside Fabrice Muamba
and Lee Cattermole in the heart of England's midfield.
The 22-year-old was replaced by Everton's Jack Rodwell with 20 minutes to go
and the Swedes fought back to score three times late on - but England,
amazingly, held their nerve in the shootout to reach the final.
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