WHUFC.com
28.12.2009
Barclays Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
White Hart Lane
Monday 28 December
12.45pm
Referee: Chris Foy
Full time
90 min - Three minutes of added time.
89 min - And one more change for Spurs as Jenas comes on for Lennon.
88 min - Second change for the hosts as Benoit Assou-Ekotto is replaced by
Gareth Bale.
86 min - Well that could have made things interesting as Diamanti's shot is
beaten away by Gomes for a corner. Franco's' header just fails to hit the
target.
83 min - First change for the hosts as they swap Modric with Niko Kranjcar.
82 min - GOAL! After all that pressure Defoe makes it two but smashing in
his own rebound after Green had palmed away his shot.
80 min - He has gone over to the left of midfield and it straight into the
action by winning a corner, which is cleared.
79 min - Collison is the man to make way for Stanislas' arrival.
78 min - Corner to Spurs is brilliantly headed away by Upson. Junior
Stanislas is getting ready to come on.
74 min - Good opening for Kovac there as the ball bounces kindly for him 25
yards out. He catches the volley well but it goes too high to trouble Gomes.
72 min - Kovac is booked for a late tackle on Huddlestone.
70 min - Corner to the Hammers as Diamanti's cross is hacked behind.
69 min - Collison and Jimenez nearly get on the end of Spector's left-wing
cross but Gomes comes out to claim it.
67 min - The game really is hotting up now as Vedran Corluka is booked for a
late tackle on Diamanti. The Italian stays down before making his way back
to his feet.
65 min - Diamanti is booked for a late tackle as Spurs go close once more.
64 min - Franco is the first player to be carded after clipping the heels of
Palacios. He will miss the cup game with Arsenal now.
58 min - West Ham are looking more dangerous as the game goes on and just a
slightly heavy touch from Franco breaks up a threatening move. There is a
real noise inside White Hart Lane as both sets of fans are backing their
team.
56 min - That is as close as we have come to a second goal as Huddleston
sees his shot bounce back off Green's upright and to safety.
53 min - Corner to Spurs as Palacios' shot deflects behind for a corner off
Upson.
52 min - West Ham have looked brighter in the opening seven minutes of the
half than they did in the first. They are still to really trouble Gomes yet
though.
49 min - Lennon goes on another jinking run but once again the end product
lets him down as he blazes the ball well over.
48 min - There are 35,994 people in the stadium today. Once again the
Hammers fans are in good voice.
47 min - Early shot from Defoe but it goes well, well wide.
46 min - Off we go in the second half. West Ham United will now be attacking
the end of the ground in which their fans are seated. No more changes from
the visitors.
Half time
44 min - Defoe comes mighty close to making it two before half time but his
free-kick goes just wide.
41 min - Good goalkeeping from Green, who has been solid so far, as he
rushes out to claim a through ball.
37 min - More good defending from Tomkins as he dives in to cut out Modric's
cross
33 min - Great block by James Tomkins to get in the way of Crouch's
goalbound shot. The referee misses the block and awards West Ham a goalkick.
29 min - Plenty of goalmouth action as Huddlestone drags another shot wide
of Green's far post.
28 min - The away support have not lost their voices and another huge
rendition of 'Bubbles' is delivered.
26 min - First shot on target from the visitors as Collison jinks past two
tackles and forces Heurelho Gomes into a diving save.
24 min - Better from the visitors. For the first time in the match they
string a series of passes together in the Spurs half before the move comes
to an end after Diamanti's slightly overhit pass.
23 min - Huddlestone fires a left-footed shot a few yards of Green's
right-hand post.
21 min - Franco is down as well but he gets back to his feet. Hopefully Zola
will not have to make his third early change.
19 min - Ilunga is the man to go off.
19 min - Jonathan Spector is stripped and ready and there will be a second
early change.
18 min - Another corner to the home side as Ilunga flicks the ball off the
toe off Crouch.
15 min - Diamanti tries to flick a ball forward for Collison but it is just
overhit.
12 min - An early change for the visitors here as Parker is forced off. Luis
Jimenez is the man to replace him.
11 min - GOAL! Lennon breaks down the right and after his cross is deflected
off Tomkins Luka Modric is there to fire past Green.
9 min - Great flick from Guille Franco sends Parker racing clear. The
midfielder tried a shot from 25 yards but drags it wide.
6 min - Free-kick to the home side on the right after Diamanti is ruled to
have fouled Lennon. Parker does well to head away under pressure from Peter
Crouch.
5 min - Spurs have the game's first corner after a great tackle by Behrami
on Aaron Lennon.
2 min - Still plenty of noise coming from the away support and their team
have not started too badly either. Kovac has just put a strong but fair
tackle on Tom Huddlestone.
1 min - We are underway. West Ham United will be attacking the goal to my
left.
12.45pm- Just minutes to go now and the players are out on the pitch as we
get final confirmation of the teams once more.
12.42pm - Despite the weather warming slightly over the past few days it is
still a very chilly day in north London with lots of hats and gloves on
show. Let us hope the Hammers can warm their fans up with their second win
in two days.
12.40pm - Just five minutes until kick-off and all of the noise is coming
from the away fans to my right.
12.35pm - The Hammers make their way off the pitch as the first rendition of
'Bubbles' is heard. The away end it already nearly full ten minutes before
kick-off.
12.30pm - Good reception to the West Ham players as they jog over to the
travelling support. A chant of 'One Scott Parker' rings around the ground.
12.20pm - After the much improved performances in the last two games, West
Ham will hope to turn around a rotten run of form against the north
Londoners. The Hammers have failed to win at White Hart Lane in their last
nine visits - their last victory came in the shape of a 2-1 success on 24
April 1999.
12.16pm - Tottenham's players have joined their visitors on the playing
surface and are stretching up in the opposite end to my left. Referee Chris
Foy is also out doing his pre-match warm up.
12.15pm - The West Ham United players are out on the pitch getting warmed
up. Spurs' third-choice goalkeeper Jimmy Walker was waiting at the end of
the tunnel as they came out and shook the hands and hugged his former
team-mates as they came on to the pitch.
Gianfranco Zola has made one change to the side that beat Portsmouth 2-0 on
Boxing Day, bringing in Valon Behrami for hamstring-injury victim Mark Noble
for the short Barclays Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Former Hammers player and manager Harry Redknapp has named another ex-West
Ham player in his starting lineup in striker Jermain Defoe.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga (Spector 19),
Collison (Stanislas 79), Kovac, Parker (Jimenez 12), Behrami, Diamanti,
Franco
Subs: Stech, da Costa, Payne, Nouble
Tottenham Hotspur: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto (Bale 88),
Modric (Kranjcar, 83), Palacios, Huddlestone, Lennon (Jenas 89), Crouch,
Defoe
Subs: Alnwick, Hutton, Bassong, Keane
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Hammers edged out
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fell to a 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Tottenham
Hotspur on Monday
28.12.2009
West Ham United fell to a 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat by Tottenham
Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Monday. Croatia midfielder Luka Modric struck
a bouncing volley past Robert Green after just eleven minutes before Jermain
Defoe made the game safe with nine minutes remaining. The Hammers tried hard
to force their way back into the game after Modric's early opener, but could
not find a path past Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. Jack Collison and
Alessandro Diamanti came closest to nicking a goal for the visitors, but
both shot too close to the Brazilian. West Ham, already without
hamstring-injury victim Mark Noble, saw their task made even harder when
both inspirational midfielder Scott Parker and left-back Herita Ilunga were
forced off within the opening 19 minutes. Luis Jimenez, impressive as a
substitute against Portsmouth on Boxing Day, and Jonathan Spector were their
respective replacements. As such, it was no surprise that the home side took
the early initiative, with Aaron Lennon a constant menace down the right
wing. It was the England winger who created Modric's goal, swapping passes
with international team-mate Defoe before cutting the ball back into the
six-yard box, where it deflected off James Tomkins into the diminutive
goalscorer's path. Although he did not hit his shot cleanly, it possessed
enough strength to bounce past Robert Green.
Having gone ahead, Spurs upped the ante, with Tom Huddlestone shooting wide,
Tomkins blocking a goalbound Peter Crouch flick and Defoe firing straight at
Green. The vast majority of the 35,994 crowd would have enjoyed much of what
they saw before half-time, but the Hammers gave the home supporters more
cause for concern after the break.
Even so, it was Tottenham who came closest to scoring the game's second
goal. Defoe and Huddlestone both shot powerfully wide before Wilson Palacios
saw his drive blocked behind by Matthew Upson. It looked like the pressure
would pay off eleven minutes after the break, only for Huddlestone's
powerful daisy-cutter to ricochet back off the inside of the far post. As
the game reached its fourth quarter, the competitive nature of the fixture
took over in the shape of four bookings in nine minutes. Guille Franco,
Diamanti and Kovac all saw yellow for the Hammers, while Vedran Corluka was
punished for a foul on the Italian. With a little more than ten minutes
remaining, Gianfranco Zola sent on Junior Stanislas for Collison, switching
to a 4-4-2 diamond formation. Unfortunately, the switch had no time to prove
effective as Defoe rifled in Spurs' second after seeing his initial shot
blocked by Green. West Ham kept up their effort until the end, and Diamanti
could have halved the deficit on 86 minutes, only for Gomes to beat away his
rasping shot. The Hammers take a break from league action for 13 days, and
will hope for better luck when they host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the
Boleyn Ground on Sunday 10 January. Before then, Arsenal visit east London
for an FA Cup third-round tie next Sunday, 3 January.
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Zola cheered by spirit
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola was pleased with West Ham United's efforts despite narrowly
losing out at Spurs
28.12.2009
Gianfranco Zola was encouraged by the spirited second-half display as West
Ham United suffered a 2-0 derby loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
Luka Modric had given the hosts the lead in the eleventh minute and they
went on to see the better openings of the first half. It was a different
story after the break, however, as the visitors took the game to their
opponents and looked to be the more likely to score until Jermain Defoe
connected with a sucker punch second with just eight minutes to go.
"I said to the players I am delighted with the way they played in the second
half," Zola said. "With that spirit and attitude it won't be long until we
are winning again. We lost to one of the best teams in the country.
"In the second half we stood up against them and there was a moment that if
a team was going to score I thought it would be us. When you play a team as
good as Tottenham Hotspur they can create a goal from nowhere and that's
what happened."
He was equally praiseworthy when asked about the supporters who gave
arguably their display of the season with 90 minutes of non-stop singing. He
said; "They were fantastic," he said. "My applause, my appreciation to them.
I think the team gave them the performance they were looking for so I am
delighted with that."
The West Ham United manager had to adjust his tactics early on when his side
was denied the services of Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga through injury
within 20 minutes. Luis Jimenez and Jonathan Spector were the replacements
before Junior Stanislas arrived late on for Jack Collison.
"Losing them early didn't help and it restricts your options in the game
especially when you've played two days before. The players on the pitch
coped well, they were very good.
"Parker had a tight hamstring but shouldn't be too long. We'll see in the
next two days. Ilunga is the same thing as his hamstring is tight so
shouldn't be anything serious."
Tottenham had the luxury of recalling several rested players from their
Boxing Day draw at Fulham but West Ham United remained unchanged aside from
Valon Behrami's start in place of Mark Noble, as Zola was keen to keep the
tight-knit unit that had performed so well of late together.
"I was considering making some changes but last year we did the same and
didn't change many players and we were all right. I kept the same team
because they were doing very well and I wanted to maintain the bond between
the players."
Other than the two goals, Robert Green did not have many saves to make as
the four defenders in front of him kept the main threats in white at bay.
Particularly worthy of note was James Tomkins, who built on his solid outing
on Boxing Day against Portsmouth with another assured display.
"The defence line was really good. James and Matthew Upson and Julien
Faubert were really good. I'm pleased with the way we defended and I think
the whole team is defending better.
"Tomkins is growing up a lot in confidence and security. The boy has got a
future and if he keeps working hard he will be an important player."
Even at two goals down the Hammers did not give up and Alessandro Diamanti
forced Heurelho Gomes into a diving save. The Italian showed flashes of his
ability and his manager was keen to praise his versatility.
"Diamanti is more effective when he can come from behind and place balls for
people running into the box. His best position is when he is in behind and
can use his skills. His best quality is setting balls for the others.
"Against Spurs he did some good things. I have to think about Diamanti and
think about the balance. I am playing him as a left midfielder at the moment
but he can play as a striker on the left in a 4-3-3. I think it is going
well and he is improving.
"The position he is playing in he is very effective and that is the right
position for him. Right now it is better to have him in that position."
As the Hammers sign off a decade of highs and lows with the match, Zola now
has six days to ready his players for a FA Cup third-round match with
Arsenal on Sunday. Guille Franco picked up his fifth booking of the season
so will miss the game, but Zola is at ease knowing that he has the option of
drafting in Frank Nouble should he need to.
"I was thinking of bringing Frank Nouble in. He is doing better in training,
whether he is ready, it will be the pitch that will tell me. It was a 50/50
between him and Junior and I decided to use Junior's speed and quality in a
one on one situation. He has more experience than Nouble, but I think his
chance will come soon."
Franco's absence may also allow Zola to look at other formations as he seeks
to add some extra attacking impetus to his side.
"In the first half he was isolated but that was the game. We wanted to close
them down and use him as a reference with Collison and Diamanti. In the
second half we put Jimenez up front to provide more support. I know he needs
a bit more help and we have to adjust some things."
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Tottenham 2 - 0 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
By David Ornstein
Luka Modric marked his first start in four months with a telling
contribution as Tottenham beat West Ham to move up to fourth in the Premier
League. Modric, who broke his shin on 29 August, swept home Aaron Lennon's
deflected cross to cap a bright start. With West Ham toiling, Jermain Defoe
put a curling free-kick just wide and Tom Huddlestone drove against the
post. Injury-hit West Ham lacked a cutting edge and former Hammer Defoe
confirmed their defeat with a fierce finish. It was fitting end to a
commanding all-round performance by Spurs and they will remain in fourth
unless Aston Villa beat Liverpool at Villa Park on Tuesday. Harry Redknapp's
men are now unbeaten in four matches, keeping four clean sheets in the
process, and they lie just one point behind north-London rivals Arsenal.
But for all the stats, Redknapp will be especially pleased with the return
of Modric, the Croat managing 83 minutes during which he scored his first
goal of the season and orchestrated almost every other attack. England
winger Lennon also continued to press his case for a starting place at the
World Cup with yet another scintillating display, Huddlestone was a rock in
the hosts' midfield and Vedran Corluka again impressed at right-back. In
stark contrast, West Ham remain a point above the relegation zone and have
played three games more than Bolton in 18th and one more than both Hull in
19th and Portsmouth in 20th.
They are now without a win in their last nine away league games and have
still not triumphed in the league at White Hart Lane since April 1999, when
Redknapp was their manager. Arriving on a high following wins against
Manchester City and Blackburn and a hard-earned draw at Fulham, Spurs
dominated possession in the opening exchanges.
Redknapp utilised his large squad to make four changes to his starting
line-up but Spurs quickly settled into a tidy rhythm and set about unpicking
their opponents. An ever-growing injury list meant West Ham boss Gianfranco
Zola was only able to make one alteration to his side and they looked
fatigued and laboured from the outset. Zola attempted to contain the likes
of Modric and Lennon by deploying a 4-5-1 formation, but Tottenham were able
to saunter forward almost at will and their lead, when it arrived, was
richly deserved.
Defoe released Lennon on the right and his low cross deflected off Jack
Collison to an unmarked Modric. The Croatian hit a first-time shot into the
ground but saw it bounce into the net over a diving Rob Green. West Ham's
midfield was nowhere to be seen as Lennon burst into the box and that was in
part down to a limping Scott Parker, who came through a late fitness test on
a hamstring strain to start but aggravated the complaint when he dragged a
shot wide early on. Parker was replaced by Luis Jimenez but, seven minutes
later, there was more misery for West Ham as right-back Herita Ilunga
succumbed to a similar injury. Tottenham were in cruise control and started
passing and moving with the swagger of a side who appear capable of
finishing among the Champions League places this season. Huddlestone dragged
wide, a Crouch shot was deflected wide by James Tomkins and Defoe curled a
sumptuous free-kick inches wide of Green's right-hand post.
Spurs must have wondered how they failed to extend their advantage before
half-time and the chances kept coming after the break, with a goal-bound
Wilson Palacios strike diverted to safety by Matthew Upson and Huddlestone
exposing some woeful West Ham marking to drill against a post. The Hammers
eventually began to threaten and Guillermo Franco mis-controlled in a
promising position before the 79th-minute introduction of pacy 20-year-old
Junior Stanislas finally gave them a source of penetration. But clear-cut
chances were few and far between and, with Tottenham always looking the
likelier scorers, it came as no surprise when Defoe wrapped up the points.
The England striker collected possession on the counter attack, drifted
inside the West Ham defence and, after having a powerful drive parried by
Green, lashed in from the edge of the box.
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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp: "It was a game we dominated but when
you're only 1-0 up you fear that sooner or later they will make a chance.
"We needed a second goal and eventually it came but overall we were stronger
than them today, there's no doubt about that. We played well and were always
in control. "I've got a luxury that Gianfranco hasn't - strong players to
bring in who don't weaken your team in any way, shape or form. Whoever comes
in at the moment is doing well and a fourth clean sheet in a row shows we're
a force. We can beat anyone on our day. "We're not looking at anybody (in
the January transfer window), I cant stand here and say we've made contact
with any clubs over any players. If players leave we'll see if we need to
replace them and strengthen in areas, but there are no plans to at the
moment."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola: I'm delighted with how the players reacted
and how the team played. "In the second half we played really well against a
very strong team. We were pushing them and they were struggling but when you
have a team with the quality they have they can score at any moment. If we
keep this spirit we can do important things. "I've got to work with what
I've got but if the players who are fit give me performances like today
we'll be all right. "The club wants to keep their best players and we're
going to try very hard to do that. We did very well against Chelsea and
Portsmouth and today, with all circumstances considered, we've done well."
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Franco out
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 28th December 2009
By: Staff Writer
Guillermo Franco is out of next weekend's FA Cup tie with Arsenal - leaving
Gianfranco Zola without a single, fit, first-team striker. The Mexican
international received his fifth booking of the season during this
lunchtime's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham and joins the likes of Carlton Cole and
Zavon Hines as unavailable for next Sunday's live TV clash. Zola, who also
lost Dean Ashton recently when the former England international was forced
to quit the game through injury could start with either Luis Jimenez or
Alessandro Diamanti in place of Franco, although another option would be to
give 18-year-old summer signing Frank Nouble his first competitive start.
Freddie Sears, who is currently on a season-long loan spell at Crystal
Palace has been rumoured to be on his way back to the Boleyn as emergency
cover and could also be a possibility should speculation prove correct.
Terry Dixon, who continues his rehabilitation in the reserves is not likely
to be considered at this stage due to a general lack of match fitness.
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The jinx strikes again
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 28th December 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's injury problems show no sign of abating after Scott Parker and
Herita Ilunga limped out of today's Premier League clash with Tottenham.
Both the full-back and central midfielder limped off with hamstring injuries
within the opening 20 minutes of the game, meaning that West Ham have now
lost SEVEN players to muscle-related injuries within the last month. As a
result of the extensive injury problems suffered by Alan Curbishley during
his tenure the club made sweeping changes to their backroom staff in the
summer of 2008, including hiring a team of experts from Roehampton
University to assess the problems and determine why so many muscle-related
injuries were occurring.
Despite spending considerable time and money implementing the findings of
the Roehampton team - including hiring a string of new medical staff - it
would appear that West Ham's problems are once again as bad, if not worse,
than they were under Curbishley. With Gianfranco Zola's slender squad
already stretched to its limits and the Hammers battling agaist relegation,
further injury worries are the last thing the manager needs at this moment
in time.
Hamstrung by injury: the magnificent seven
28th Dec, Herita Ilunga: Tottenham (a) - replaced by Jonathan Spector after
19 minutes.
28th Dec, Scott Parker: Tottenham (a) - replaced after just 11 minutes
having failed to shake off an injury sustained in training.
26th Dec, Mark Noble: hauled off after just quarter-of-an-hour of the
Portsmouth game.
20th Dec, Danny Gabbidon: Chelsea (h) - limped off himway through the first
half.
15th Dec, Kieron Dyer: Bolton (a) - pulled a hamstring during a run 20
minutes into the game.
5th Dec, Zavon Hines: Man Utd (h) - the youngster pulled up moments before
the half-time whistle.
29th Nov, Carlton Cole: Burnley (h) - replaced at half time after tweaking a
hamstring.
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Hammers to receive fresh bid
London-based American consortium to make bid for club next Monday
Last updated: 28th December 2009
SSN
Sky Sports News understands an American consortium are to make a £100
million bid for West Ham United next week. London-based Inter Market have
revealed they intend to lodge a bid for the Premier League strugglers next
Monday and plan to provide funds for Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola in
January. New York-born Jim Bowe is the chief executive of the company but
several of the investors are believed to be West Ham supporters and are
desperate to help the East Londoners out of the relegation battle which they
have become embroiled in this season. Inter Market are said to be keen to
seal a deal for the Upton Park outfit as soon as possible so they can give
Zola enough time to buy new players during the January transfer window. It
is believed CB Holdings, the company in control of West Ham, are looking
favourably at the deal but are in no rush to sell after they rejected a
previous bid by former Birmingham City co-owners David Gold and David
Sullivan earlier in December.
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Sparkling Spurs sink Hammers
Modric and Defoe on target in 2-0 victory
Last updated: 28th December 2009
SSN
Man of the match: Tom Huddlestone kept things moving in Tottenham's
midfield.
Goal of the match: Jermain Defoe's goal was unstoppable after Rob Green
stopped his initial effort.
Moment of the match: Luka Modric's opener meant that Tottenham were able to
enjoy a simple afternoon.
Save of the match: Heurelho Gomes didn't have much to do but he was equal to
Alessandro Diamanti's effort.
Talking point: Will West Ham stay up if they sell their best players in
January?
Tottenham produced an impressive performance to beat London rivals West Ham
2-0 and rise back into the top four. The crucial opening goal arrived after
just 11 minutes as Aaron Lennon showed lightning pace down the right wing
before crossing for Luka Modric to bundle the ball home on his first start
since August. Spurs carved out several good chances to extend their
advantage before half-time, while the Hammers were left hit by injuries to
Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga. The second period followed a similar pattern
as Harry Redknapp's men hunted for a second and the visitors struggled to
exert any significant pressure of their own. Jermain Defoe then smashed home
a rebound with nine minutes remaining after his initial shot had been
parried to secure all three points for Tottenham and leave West Ham in deep
trouble. It did not take Croatia international Modric long to make his mark
after a long period out with a fractured fibula. After two early runs led
to rash challenges from Ilunga and Alessandro Diamanti, it was no surprise
that Lennon was the creator of the goal. Defoe sent him down the right and
the England winger cut inside, his cross half-cleared by James Tomkins
before falling for the unmarked Modric. It was not a crisp effort from
Modric but his finish, stubbed into the turf, looped over Hammers goalkeeper
Robert Green for his first of the campaign. Adding injury to insult, Parker
could not continue after the goal and had to be replaced by Luis Jimenez,
depriving the visitors of their most influential player recently. Ilunga
also headed down the tunnel for treatment, with Jonathan Spector brought on
at left-back.
It was left to Jack Collison to provide the attacking power in West Ham's
midfield. The Wales youngster tested Heurelho Gomes with a low drive as the
visitors attempted to find a way back into the game. At the other end, Tom
Huddlestone went wide with a couple of efforts, while Peter Crouch had a
finish deflected to safety by Tomkins after Wilson Palacios surged down the
right flank. In the final minute of the first half, Defoe curled a 25-yard
free-kick just over Green's crossbar after he was fouled by Radoslav Kovac.
West Ham remained in the game while Spurs were in a wasteful mood -
Huddlestone and Lennon both shot over the crossbar from promising positions
just after the restart. Palacios also had an effort blocked by Matthew
Upson. With 10 minutes gone in the second half, Huddlestone received the
ball from Vedran Corluka with his back to goal, turned and struck the foot
of the post with his shot. Guillermo Franco was not having much joy as a
lone striker for the visitors and his frustration earned a yellow card from
Chris Foy when he tripped Palacios. Defoe grabbed his goal eight minutes
from full-time. Green blocked his initial effort from the edge of the area
but the England striker followed it up with a powerful strike that crashed
into the top corner. Gomes superbly denied Diamanti and Franco headed wide
as the Hammers failed to find a late consolation.
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Zola proud despite defeat
West Ham manager satisfied with efforts of players
Last updated: 28th December 2009
SSN
Gianfranco Zola saluted the spirit of his West Ham side following their 2-0
defeat to Tottenham. The Hammers have struggled with injuries all season and
the problems continued to mount at White Hart Lane as Zola was forced to
withdraw Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga inside the opening 20 minutes. Spurs
emerged triumphant thanks to goals from Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe but
Zola was pleased with how his men rallied, especially in the second half.
Asked if everything that could go wrong had gone wrong, Zola told Sky
Sports: "We can't do anything about that. We have to stay strong and get
round this problem. "I must say the reaction from the team to all the
injuries has been massive, so I am delighted with the performance of the
team. "Tottenham are a very good team but in the second half we played with
passion and spirit and also good football, because we created some chances."
Zola defended the decision to start with Parker and hopes he will recover
quickly after aggravating a hamstring strain. "Scott Parker is a very mature
person and we spoke and he said he was okay, so it is pointless to say now I
shouldn't have played him," Zola explained. "Maybe if I hadn't played him
and things hadn't gone well they would have said he should have played. "We
decided together and unfortunately it didn't go well but hopefully it is not
going to be a bad thing."
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Tottenham Hotspur 2 West Ham United 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Tottenham
Hotspur and West Ham United at White Hart Lane on Monday Dec 28 2009.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley at White Hart Lane
Published: 6:20AM GMT 29 Dec 2009
Harry Redknapp continues to haunt his former club. The Tottenham Hotspur
manager is now unbeaten in 10 games against West Ham United since leaving
Upton Park, winning eight of them, while his current side kept a fourth
consecutive clean sheet for the first time in almost nine years. A goal in
either half, from the returning Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe, confirmed a
victory that was not always guaranteed and afterwards Gianfranco Zola, the
West Ham manager, tipped Tottenham as an outside threat to the Premier
League favourites. Premier League team news: Weekend squad, stats and
betting tipsSpurs' aim all season has been a top-four finish and the
lucrative prize that is Champions League football, but Zola claimed that
they remained in the hunt for the title. Zola said: "Tottenham have such a
good squad, they have everything to be competitive and it will be down to
them. In my view they could be one of the possible surprises for the title.
"The championship is telling us that it hasn't got an owner. Even Chelsea,
who is top of the league, is struggling a little bit to get results so it's
open for everybody."
Redknapp insisted he was not interested in the "filth" sung by travelling
West Ham fans probably frustrated by their former manager's success, and
remains modest but determined. He said: "We've got a strong squad, with good
players. Why can't we finish in the top four? It's easy for me to say we can
do better than last year and finish seventh and that way I don't come under
pressure if we don't make the Champions League, but there's no reason why we
can't."
Zola, meanwhile, has other things on his mind. Not only did West Ham suffer
their 10th defeat of a season that has thus far provided few bright spots,
but Scott Parker, their most consistent performer, lasted just 12 minutes,
pulling up with a hamstring strain which rendered him a passenger in the
build-up to the first goal. He was soon joined on the sidelines by Herita
Ilunga who, like Parker, suffered a hamstring niggle, meaning the pair are
doubts for the visit of Arsenal in the FA Cup on Sunday. One player
definitely missing will be Zola's remaining target man, as Guillermo Franco
received his fifth booking of the season and will be banned. With Carlton
Cole at least three weeks from a return, West Ham will struggle to find a
striker to face William Gallas and company. Zola, though, was upbeat despite
the result which undid the good work of the 2-0 victory against Portsmouth.
He said: "I will tell you what I said to the players. I'm delighted with the
way they played in the second half, they looked very, very good, and with
that kind of attitude and spirit it's not going to be long before we come
back winning. "We lost, in my opinion, to one of the best teams in the
country but in the second half we stood up against them and there was a
moment when I thought the team that was going to score was us."
Parker had forced the game's first chance, a wayward shot, but in doing so
he felt his hamstring. Yet West Ham were slow to replace him and with Luiz
Jimenez waiting to come on, Tottenham took the lead. Radoslav Kovac could
have kicked the ball out but lost possession and Spurs went for the jugular.
Defoe fed Aaron Lennon, whose cross from the right bounced off a defender
and fell to Modric, who responded with a half-volley that beat Robert Green
and celebrated his first start for three months having recovered from a
fracture of his right fibula. West Ham rallied briefly when Jack Collison
forced Heurelho Gomes to save well. Either side of that effort came two
attempts from Huddlestone, on his 23rd birthday, but both went wide. For the
second half West Ham pushed Jimenez forward alongside Franco, but
Huddlestone and Lennon were first to threaten for Tottenham.
In the 56th minute Spurs could have scored again when the impressive
Huddlestone shot against the foot of the left post and Modric sent the
rebound high. West Ham did their best to respond but the difference in the
strength of the respective squads was obvious and, ultimately, the better
team won.
Tottenham confirmed the victory with another outstanding contribution from
Defoe. At times Spurs looked nervous, particularly in the second half with
West Ham defending well, but in the 82nd minute Defoe cut in delightfully
before dispatching a shot so hard that it bounced off the chest of Robert
Green. Defoe reacted quickly, belting the rebound home to claim his 14th
goal of an impressive season.
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Subdued West Ham no match for Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur 2 West Ham 0
The Times
Luka Modric scored on his return to the Tottenham starting line-up to help
defeat West Ham at White Hart Lane. The midfielder had made only two
substitute appearances since fracturing a fibula in August but converted
Aaron Lennon's cross in the eleventh minute to put his side on the path to
victory. Jermain Defoe, playing against his old club, added a second eight
minutes from full-time. Robert Green blocked his initial effort from the
edge of the area but Defoe followed it up with a powerful volley into the
top corner. West Ham suffered a further setback after Modric's strike when
Scott Parker limped off injured. Jack Collison attempted to provide their
attacking power from midfield, and tested Heurelho Gomes with a low drive as
the visitors tried to find a way back into the game. But Tottenham were the
better side and continued to press forward, with Tom Huddlestone going wide
with a couple of efforts, while Peter Crouch had a finish deflected to
safety by James Tomkins after Wilson Palacios's run down the right flank.
Huddlestone and Lennon both shot over the crossbar from promising positions
just after the restart to keep West Ham in the game. Palacios also had an
effort blocked by Matthew Upson. Ten minutes into the second half,
Huddlestone received the ball from Vedran Corluka with his back to goal,
turned and shot well. He was unfortunate the ball struck the foot of the
post. Guillermo Franco had a frustrating time as a lone striker for West Ham
and was booked when he tripped Palacios. Huddlestone, the man of the match,
said he and Defoe benefited from missing the Boxing Day fixture against
Fulham. "We felt sharp," he said. "Some of the lads that played on Boxing
Day said they felt a bit stiff in between but we felt fresh today."
Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, was happy with his team's effort
given their injury problems. Herita Ilunga was also replaced today, while
Mark Noble, Carlton Cole and Danny Gabbidon were among those unavailable.
"The reaction from the team has been massive," he said. "I'm delighted with
the performance. In the second half we created some chances and we looked
all right."
He refused to be drawn on whether he made the right decision in risking
Parker even though his hamstring has caused him problems. "It's pointless
now to say what I should or shouldn't have done," he said. "Hopefully it's
not going to be bad. It's not bad damage."
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Talk Of West Ham United Takeover Increases After Tony Fernandes Visit -
Report
Dec 28, 2009 6:46:35 PM
Goal.com
Airline tycoon Tony Fernandes visited Upton Park to see West Ham United
defeat Portsmouth on Boxing Day, with speculation rife of a renewed bid to
take over the club, according to The Daily Telegraph. The 45 year old
Malaysian recently revealed that he had no intention of tendering an offer
for the Premier League club as he looks forward to taking over new Formula
One team Lotus for the 2010 season. But Fernandes, who held discussions with
Hammers chairman Andrew Bernhardt last month, is not expected to complete a
buy-out despite meeting with manager Gianfranco Zola, who fears a January
wholesale of his first team given the club's financial quagmire, after the
2-0 win. The Premier League club have instructed the Rothschild bank to
negotiate on their behalf with potential investors, including former
Birmingham City co-owner and pornography magnate David Sullivan. Fernandes,
who was educated in England and is a fervent Hammers fan, is believed to be
the preferred investor after successfully piloting Air Asia through a
turbulent decade for the airline industry.
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Tottenham Hotspur 2 West Ham United 0 (Away)
Posted by Billy Blagg 9 hours, 5 minutes ago
ESPN
Losing to Spurs is always hard to take but it was never going to be esay for
the Hammers to get anything from this game, struggling as they do against
sheer pace. Inevitabiliy, It was Aaron Lennon who caused confusion for the
first goal scored by Modric after only 11 minutes and, with the Hammers
again struggling with injuries in-between, Defoe scored against his old club
late on to tie up the points for the home side.
West Ham were looking to follow up their Boxing Day win against Portsmouth
but found themselves behind early when Lennon's cross was stabbed home by
Modric as the ball looped off the surface and over Green. That was bad
enough but then the Hammer's best player, Scott Parker limped off to
necessitate a juggling of the side - Jimenez coming on - before Ilunga
limped off seven minutes later to be replaced by Spector. This left Collison
to hold the midfield together but it looked too much for the Welsh youngster
who struggled for much of the match, although he did provide one of the
first half's few chances for his side when he shot low for Gomes to save.
At the other end though, Spurs wasted chances with the impressive
Huddlestone going close on two occasions and Crouch having a shot deflected
by Tomkins while Defoe watched a free kick dip just over. Huddlestone again
came closest after the break, hitting a post as West Ham struggled to make
any headway with an ineffective Franco struggling alone up-front. Whatever
happens in January, the Hammers surely have to find someone to fill in if
Cole or Franco are injured.
With the lead only 1-0, West Ham were always in with a faint chance but
their hopes were dashed after a spell of pressure in the 82nd minute when
Defoe inevitably scored for the home side, his first piledriver striking
Green on the shoulder only for the ball to run out to the Spurs striker to
power home.
It was all rather depressing but with a touch of the inevitable about it.
The Hammers haven't won at Tottenham for ten years and that looks likely to
continue as Redknapp continues to build with Spurs while West Ham struggle
to hold onto their best players, even the MOTD pundits commenting on rumours
that Scott Parker is likely to move in the January window. Zola denied the
rumours, and it does seem unlikely that their best player will be allowed to
leave in the transfer window, but I think we can pretty much expect to have
to put up with this for the next 30 odd days.
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Redknapp Fury At Hammers Fans
The Sun
HARRY REDKNAPP blasted West Ham fans who chanted 'filth' at him yesterday.
Tottenham eased past their fierce local rivals and boss Redknapp said: "Am I
bothered by chants? No, not interested. "Who's interested in songs about
Frank Lampard Jnr when he goes back to Upton Park - who's interested in
that? Filth." Redknapp sat emotionless on the touchline as Hammers fans
directed foul-mouthed songs at their former boss. He was West Ham manager
for five years before being forced out and has been a terrace target since
leaving in 2001. His decision to go to White Hart Lane from Portsmouth last
year did not go down well with the Upton Park faithful. Ex-West Ham striker
Jermain Defoe was also on the receiving end but he also kept his composure
and answered the abuse by scoring Spurs' second goal. And in-form Defoe is
optimistic Tottenham can maintain their push for the Champions League. Luka
Modric marked his full comeback from a fractured fibula with the first goal.
And Defoe said: "It is fantastic. We're good enough to compete up there, so
we're delighted with a great win."
Tom Huddlestone, who turned 23 yesterday, added: "We totally dominated the
first half but in a local derby anything can happen. Once Jermain got the
second after the break we were home and dry." Huddlestone says he and Defoe
benefited from being rested for Saturday's draw at Fulham. He added: "We
felt sharp. Some of the lads who played on Boxing Day said they felt a bit
stiff in between." West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola said: "The reaction from
the team with all the injury problems has been massive. "In the second half
we created some chances and we looked all right." Hammers midfielder Scott
Parker went off injured in the first half. Zola added: "Hopefully it is not
going to be a bad thing for Scott. It is not bad damage."
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Zola needs to Sear it up a bit
The Sun
Published: Today
GIANFRANCO ZOLA is trying to solve his striker crisis by recalling Freddie
Sears from his loan at Crystal Palace. The West Ham boss has NO hitmen left
after Guillermo Franco picked up his fifth booking at Tottenham.
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