WHUFC.com
Twelve months ago, West Ham United were rampant against Portsmouth and are
looking for the same again
23.12.2009
Gianfranco Zola is hopeful history will repeat itself when West Ham United
meet Portsmouth at the Boleyn Ground on Boxing Day. On 26 December last
year, the Hammers returned from Fratton Park with a 4-1 victory to
kick-started a revival that ended with the club securing a ninth-placed
finish. The manager is not sure whether he will have Valon Behrami - who has
been in full training this week - available for Saturday as part of his
upbeat squad but he is mindful that the trip to Tottenham Hotspur follows
swiftly next Monday. Zola said: "The good news is that Valon Behrami has
been training with me so he might be available. The squad is the same as
last week other than Danny Gabbidon is out with a hamstring injury and Valon
Behrami might be back. "We need everybody. A team is made of the people that
play and do not play - they are the same importance. Playing two games like
that you have to have fresh legs available. "We are looking for the same
result [as last year] but I know it will be a tough match - tougher than
last year. I am confident because we are in a good moment, in a good spirit
so I'm not afraid of playing this game."
Although Spurs is looming large, all that really matters to the manager is
Portsmouth and the possibility of moving clear of the bottom three. "They
have been playing well recently, they look compact and seem to have found
their way. There is no doubt that it will be a tough game but we have found
our way as well. It's going to be an interesting match. "It's a game that we
need to get a result and it has to be three points but we have to do it
intelligently as we are playing against a team that is in very good
condition. We will like to play very carefully."
The manager emphasised the spirit in the camp, fuelled by the positives of a
1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday that could have been so much more. He is not
dwelling on the harshly-awarded penalty last time out though. "Hopefully in
the future some decisions will go for us so I will stick to that. It happens
and is part of the game and we have to accept it - even though it is
painful. "There's a very, very good atmosphere right now and I think the
Chelsea game has lifted everybody up. It is important and it is essential
when you play football that you have that kind of atmosphere. "Tactics are
important in football but if they are not supported by the passion and
desire the players showed the other day then you are always short. That was
the thing I admired the most and training on Wednesday morning was great -
it really makes you pleased. "This time of year you have to be careful with
what you are doing as you can't do very much with so many games coming up.
In our case not having a big squad you have to try to not do too much. I am
trying to keep the spirit alive and the positivity which is very important
and I think it is working."
The squad have been vocal in support of the manager in recent weeks and Zola
was pleased to see the togetherness in the camp show itself against league
leaders Chelsea.
"When you do something you hope that the players share what you are doing
and they work on what you say. For me it was very encouraging to see the
passion the players showed in the game. It means that we are creating
something and they want to work on that."
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Festive fun with Behrami
WHUFC.com
Fans were able to meet Valon Behrami this week when he made a special visit
to one of the club stores
23.12.2009
Valon Behrami proved a popular visitor to the Lakeside store this week as he
helped spread some Christmas cheer. The midfielder went along to the club
shop to sign autographs and pose for pictures, and young and old queued out
the door for the chance to say hello. Behrami, who has been training this
week after a knee problem, was making his first visit to the shopping centre
and enjoyed the experience of meeting fans in the Hammers heartland. He
said: "I enjoyed it very much. It was good to meet all the supporters and
everyone was very nice to me. I would like to wish everyone a happy
Christmas and hopefully I will be back in the team very soon." Keep an eye
on whufc.com for more news of player appearances at both club stores -
Stadium and Lakeside - in the New Year.
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'Back to basics'
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison knows West Ham United will have to work hard to overcome
Portsmouth on Boxing Day
23.12.2009
Jack Collison has told WHUTV he and his West Ham United team-mates are
determined to repay manager Gianfranco Zola by beating Portsmouth on Boxing
Day. The Wales midfielder admitted that the players felt they had let Zola
and first-team coaches Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen down with their recent
performances in the Barclays Premier League defeats at Birmingham City and
Bolton Wanderers. Having taken a positive step by drawing with leaders
Chelsea on Sunday, the 21-year-old and his colleagues are eager to go one
better by beating bottom side Portsmouth at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.
"It was a massive result, but the bigger bonus was the performance; the way
we went out there and played; the belief; the desire; it's what we really
need right now. It's going to give us a lift going into our biggest game of
the season with Portsmouth. "We were very disappointed with the last two
games. We felt like we should have got points out of both of them and we
didn't. We came into training and everyone is working hard and digging in to
improve the situation. "Everyone is united behind the manager, and also
Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen. They've been massive for us. We're all behind
them and, at the end of the day, it's down to us as players. We're the ones
going out on the pitch and he can only do so much for us. We feel we let him
down in a couple of games and hopefully Sunday went a long way to showing we
can stay in the league and we can push on now."
Collison, who has set high standards since making his debut at Arsenal on
New Year's Day 2008, also conceded that he had not been at his best in the
recent home defeat by Manchester United, when he was given a tough
examination by France left-back Patrice Evra. On Sunday, the youngster kept
another international full-back, England's Ashley Cole, quiet, no doubt to
the irritation of his wife, X-Factor judge Cheryl Cole, who was watching the
action from the stands. "Ashley Cole is a very talented player and I knew it
was going to be a tough game. I was a little bit disappointed with the way I
played against Manchester United and I was a bit happier on Sunday. I'm
going to keep trying to improve and do what I can for the team. "It's
massive that we all work hard and get behind one another and support each
other and we can improve the situation. "We've got to go back to basics. We
did that on Sunday and we've got to do the same against Portsmouth. It's a
massive game for us and hopefully we can get three points and go into the
New Year ready to kick on."
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Travel help from TFL
WHUFC.com
TFL have launched aservice that could help your matchday travel plans
22.12.2009
TfL would like to remind all West Ham United supporters that they can
receive the latest travel news direct to their phones and computers. Fans
can find out well in advance if it is going to take longer to travel to the
Boleyn Ground or away games in London. To keep informed, go to TFL's website
by clicking here and sign up for the travel alerts and weekend closures
emails which warn you each Wednesday of closures on the following Saturday
and Sunday.
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West Ham's shareholders in no hurry to sell club
BBC.co.uk
West Ham's major shareholder has reiterated that it is not under pressure to
sell the club. A club statement says CB Holding aims to find new owners in
the next three years, and is not "under pressure to conclude an agreement".
Former Birmingham owners David Gold and David Sullivan have tabled a £50m
bid, which is thought to be well below the club's valuation. The club say
they have had "a number" of other approaches from investors. Gold and
Sullivan wanted to take a substantial shareholding in West Ham, and were
reportedly ready to give manager Gianfranco Zola a transfer fund in January.
However, their hopes of a quick purchase suffered a blow when CB Holding's
parent company - Straumur-Burdaras Investment Bank - had its debt payments
frozen until September 2010. If that had not happened, Straumur Bank would
have been forced to sell off its assets, including West Ham. Nonetheless,
reports continue to suggest that Zola could be forced to sell his best
players in January, including Rob Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and
Carlton Cole. "I don't know what's going to happen next month," said Zola at
a news conference on Wednesday. "The only thing I know for sure is that
before then we have three games coming up that are very, very important and
I want to focus on them. That's the main thing, the rest is out of my
control." The Hammers face Portsmouth on Boxing Day in a match between the
Premier League's bottom two.
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Zola uncertain over sales
Hammers boss admits decision on sales may be out of his hands
Last updated: 23rd December 2009
SSN
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola does not know if his best players
will be sold from beneath him in the January transfer window. Endless
speculation regarding the Hammers' current financial predicament has
suggested that Rob Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole could
feature in a fundraising exercise. Zola is desperate to keep that spine of
his squad together but the Italian does not know what January will bring and
admits a final decision may be out of his hands. "You know, we want to keep
the best players. I don't know what's going to happen next month," said
Zola. "The only thing I know for sure is that before then we have three
games coming up that are very, very important and I want to focus on them.
That's the main thing, the rest is out of my control."
The Hammers tackle Portsmouth, the only side below them in the Premier
League, on Boxing Day and that fixture is the immediate focus for Zola. "The
first step is get through this game on Saturday which is vital and let's do
it all together and then we'll see what happens (in January)," added the
Hammers boss. "I can only focus on the game and make sure everything goes
well on the pitch. If we keep the same spirit we have against Chelsea I
think we are going to go through everything, that is my personal belief."
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Hammers deny sale fears
Club in talks with interested parties
Last updated: 23rd December 2009
SSN
West Ham have denied reports that the club is under pressure to find new
owners. Speculation has suggested CB Holdings, the company formed by the
creditor which runs West Ham, is seeking new investment in the cash-strapped
outfit. Former Birmingham City co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have
already seen one bid for the club rejected by Icelandic bank Straumur, which
owns 70 per cent of CB Holdings. The club have moved to quell rumours they
are desperate to find new owners and insist a number of interested parties
have approached them about a takeover and that talks are ongoing. "Our
shareholder CB Holding has made it clear it would like to find new owners
for the club in the next three years and that is still the case. "In recent
months we have had a number of approaches from parties interested in
investing in West Ham United. The club have held a number of discussions
with those parties and the talks are ongoing. "CB Holding is not under
pressure to conclude an agreement in the immediate future, but the club will
keep supporters informed of any developments when appropriate."
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West Ham tell David Sullivan: You can't buy the club on the cheap
Published 17:55 23/12/09 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham have shattered the bid by David Gold and David Sullivan to buy the
club on the cheap by insisting they will not be held to ransom. The former
Birmingham owners have tabled a £50millin bid – around half the Hammers'
valuation – in an attempt to take advantage of their cash crisis. In
painting themselves as the saviours of the east London outfit, Gold and
Sullivan have also made it clear they are ready to pump £20million into a
transfer kitty for boss Gianfranco Zola to buy new players for the fight
against relegation. But the club's major shareholder, CB Holding, have
revealed they are NOT under pressure to sell and maintained West Ham are
also talking to other interested parties. The second-from-bottom club's hand
is further strengthened by the fact that their parent company Straumur Bank
has been granted a moratorium on their debts until September. In a club
statement, West Ham said last night: "Our shareholder CB Holding has made it
clear it would like to find new owners for the club in the next three years
and that is still the case. "In recent months we have had a number of
approaches from parties interested in investing in West Ham United. "The
club have held a number of discussions with those parties and talks are
still ongoing. "CB Holding is not under pressure to conclude an agreement in
the immediate future, but the club will keep supporters informed of any
developments when appropriate."
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Gianfranco Zola losing grip on Matthew Upson as transfer window looms
Gary Jacob
The Times
Gianfranco Zola could be losing his battle to prevent the sale of Matthew
Upson in the transfer window next month. The West Ham United manager fears
that selling the influential defender could lead to the club losing their
fight against relegation this season and is also concerned about the
negative signal that the departure would send to fans.
The Italian has been told that he will have the final decision on Upson, but
the club may be forced into a change of tack if finances dictate. "You know,
we want to keep the best players," Zola said. "[But] I don't know what's
going to happen next month."
West Ham are conscious that Upson will be 31 in April and has only 18 months
left on his contract. However, Zola is worried that he will be short of
experienced options at the back if he is sold. Upson changed his agent a
year ago in the hope of a move to a top-four club and is still agitating for
a move. Liverpool remain keen on the player after showing interest in the
summer, when they were unable to raise the funds. They face the same problem
now but West Ham may decide to try and create an auction for Upson in a bid
to raise money to strengthen the squad. They believe that Manchester United,
who have had up to six defenders out injured recently, and Tottenham Hotspur
could be interested. Harry Redknapp has four established centre backs but
the Tottenham manager may be prepared to sell Michael Dawson. Alan Hutton,
the Spurs right back, could also move to Upton Park on loan as part of the
deal. Off the pitch, Straumur, West Ham's Icelandic owner, is willing to
sell a stake in the club with a view to a takeover. It would also reduce its
exposure to the liabilities in the event of relegation. It values the club
at £120 million but has concerns about the prospective buyers. Tony
Fernandes, a Malaysian airline entrepreneur who withdrew his interest, and
Intermarket, another party, are not credible buyers. Straumur also feels
that David Sullivan and David Gold, the former Birmingham City owners who
made a £46 million takeover bid this month, have been trying to unsettle the
club. The prospect of Sullivan and Gold taking over is reduced because the
banks owed nearly £50 million by West Ham do not want to deal with them. It
leaves probably one significant unnamed interested party.
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Gianfranco Zola admits West Ham may have to sell their best players
Financial concerns leave Italian in an uncertain position
Rob Green and Matthew Upson among those that could leave
Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 December 2009 22.11 GMT
Gianfranco Zola's West Ham face Portsmouth in a crucial relegation battle on
Boxing Day. Gianfranco Zola has admitted he cannot be sure that he will be
able to keep hold of West Ham's leading players during next month's transfer
window. The manager is desperate to retain key men such as Rob Green,
Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole, but acknowledged that their
future is out of his hands because of West Ham's financial predicament. "You
know, we want to keep the best players. I don't know what's going to happen
next month," said Zola. "The only thing I know for sure is that before then
we have three games coming up that are very, very important and I want to
focus on them. That's the main thing, the rest is out of my control."
CB Holdings, the company formed by creditors to run West Ham, had its
position strengthened this month when Straumur, its leading shareholder, was
granted a moratorium on its debts until September. Zola prefers to focus on
a festive programme which starts against bottom-placed Portsmouth on
Saturday and is followed by games against Tottenham, also in the Premier
League, and Arsenal, in the FA Cup. "The first step is to get through this
game on Saturday, which is vital, and let's do it all together and then
we'll see what happens [in January]," Zola said. Upson is wanted by
Tottenham, though their manager, Harry Redknapp, will need to offload
players – most likely David Bentley or Roman Pavlyuchenko – to generate the
necessary funds.
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West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola warns his players: We must stay focused
Published 23:00 23/12/09 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Gianfranco Zola last night ordered his West Ham players to remain focused on
their jobs through Christmas, despite the uncertainty surrounding the club.
The second-from-bottom Hammers face tough festive fixtures against
Portsmouth, Tottenham, Arsenal and Stoke over the next two weeks. But they
go into their Boxing Day fixture against Avram Grant's Pompey boosted by
their superb 1-1 draw against league leaders Chelsea last Sunday. West Ham
have also shattered the bid by David Gold and David Sullivan to buy the club
on the cheap by revealing yesterday that they are in talks with several
investors. Fears remain that the club's cash crisis could see the likes of
Scott Parker and Matthew Upson snapped up by Liverpool, while Carlton Cole
is a cut-price target for Arsenal. But Zola has told his players to focus on
the only thing they can control - their performances.
He said: "I don't know what's going to happen next month. "The only thing I
know for sure is that before then we have three games coming up. Very, very
important games - and I want to focus on them. "Then in January, we'll see
what happens. To be honest, right now, I don't know what's going to happen.
But I know that if we play and perform well in these games they will
determine also what might happen in January. "Of course, of course [ we want
to keep our best players]. "We are on the same length that we are before,
what can we do? I can only focus on the game and make sure on the pitch
everything goes well. "That's the main thing. The rest is out of my control.
I can only focus on the things that I can somehow influence."
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West Ham United v Portsmouth: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between West Ham United
and Portsmouth at Upton Park on Saturday Dec 26 2009, kick-off 13.00 GMT.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 6:00AM GMT 24 Dec 2009
Saturday, 26 December
West Ham United v Portsmouth
Upton Park
Kick-off: 13.00 GMT
TV: BBC1 MotD.
The bottom two clash at the Boleyn Ground. Portsmouth received a boost last
Saturday with a 2-0 win over Liverpool but are expected to be without
goalkeeper David James again but West Ham's point against Chelsea kept them
off the foot of the table. West Ham have beaten Portsmouth once - at
Fratton Park last season - in eight meetings home and away. Last season,
this game ended goalless while West Ham's last home win against Portsmouth
came in 1993 when they went on to win promotion to the Premiership. Their
last home win against Portsmouth in the top flight was in December 1958 -
when they won 6-0.
West Ham United (Probable, 4-4-2): Green; Faubert, Gabbidon, Upson, Ilunga;
Collison, Noble, Parker, Kovac; Franco, Diamanti.
Portsmouth (Probable, 4-4-2): Begovic; Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Wilson,
Hreidarsson; Piquionne, Yebda, Boateng, Brown, O'Hara; Dindane.
Referee: Lee Probert. Matches: 8. R2 Y28.
Last Season: West Ham 0 Portsmouth 0, Portsmouth 1 West Ham 4.
Stat of the game: West Ham have never beaten Portsmouth at home in the
Premier League, in four attempts.
Betting Tip: Tight, tense and exciting. Portsmouth to force a goalless draw
at 9-1.
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Brazil striker Adriano snubs January switch to West Ham
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 1:38 AM on 24th December 2009
Daily Mail
Brazil striker Adriano has snubbed a move to West Ham United by accepting an
improved deal to stay at Flamengo for the next six months. The 27-year-old
has been handed a 40 per cent pay rise after the Brazilian champions landed
a new sponsorship deal, but the deal is still less than half of what was on
offer if he had returned to Europe. AC Milan, Roma and the Hammers all
approached the former Inter Milan player, but he was reluctant to leave
before next summer's World Cup.
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Franco injury leaves Zola short of options
West Ham left with no fit senior strikers ahead of the crunch match with
Pompey
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Independent.co.uk
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola was plunged further into crisis
yesterday when he lost Guillermo Franco to a freak training ground injury
that leaves him with no fit senior strikers for Saturday's Premier League
relegation game with Portsmouth. His squad is stretched to breaking point
now and Zola will surely have to start with Frank Nouble, the 18-year-old
signing from Chelsea who is still eligible to play for West Ham's under-18s
in the FA Youth Cup. Nouble has played only five times for the Hammers since
he arrived in the summer and he has never started a game for the club, let
alone led the line alone.
Zola has had appalling luck with injuries already this season. Carlton Cole
injured his knee against Burnley last month and will be out until midway
through next month. Zavon Hines is also out with a knee injury and Dean
Ashton has been forced to retire after more than three years battling the
consequences of his broken ankle sustained in an England training session.
Franco, 33, an Argentine-born Mexican acquitted himself well in the 1-1 draw
with Chelsea on Sunday, leading the line on his own in a 4-5-1 formation. He
picked up the injury in a session yesterday at the club's Chadwell Heath
training ground and is now likely to miss the crucial game against
Portsmouth and the game against Tottenham on 28 December.
It means Zola faces the Christmas period with no reliable source of goals in
a team in 19th place and one point above Portsmouth in last place in the
league. The club's owner CB Holdings, which is 70 per cent owned by the
Icelandic bank Straumur, said yesterday that it would not sell the club
cheaply but there are now major fears as to whether the club has the playing
resources to survive in the Premier League.
Even Franco was a free agent when he was signed in September and with the
club operating under financial restrictions, they may come under pressure
next month to sell leading players Scott Parker and Matthew Upson. Gianluca
Nani, the club's technical director, will have to rely upon loan signings if
he is to bring any players in during the transfer window.
Zola has admitted himself that he does not know what the future holds: "You
know, we want to keep the best players. I don't know what's going to happen
next month. The only thing I know for sure is that before then we have three
games coming up that are very, very important and I want to focus on them.
That's the main thing, the rest is out of my control."
West Ham released a statement yesterday in response to the bids from the
former Birmingham City owners David Gold and David Sullivan who have
outlined their interest in buying the club. West Ham have £40m of debt and
CB Holdings, which comprises the major creditors of former owner Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson, wants to sell for around £80m – with the buyer assuming the
debt.
Gold and Sullivan have offered £50m for the club and have been rejected. The
statement was a clear sign from the owners that although they want to sell
the club they will not be bounced into doing so at a cheap price.
A spokesman for West Ham said: "Our shareholder CB Holdings has made it
clear it would like to find new owners for the club in the next three years
and that is still the case. In recent months we have had a number of
approaches from parties interested in investing in West Ham United.
"The club have held a number of discussions with those parties and talks are
still ongoing. CB Holdings is not under pressure to conclude an agreement in
the immediate future, but the club will keep supporters informed of any
developments when appropriate."
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