All the action as it happened from the Boxing Day meeting with Portsmouth at
the Boleyn Ground
26.12.2009
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United v Portsmouth
Boleyn Ground
Saturday 26 December
1pm
Referee: Lee Probert
Full time - And Lee Probert brings the action to a close and the players
make their way off to a rousing farewell from the Hammers fans. It was tense
and nervous at times but in the end the Hammers could and probably should
have had more. The win lifts the Hammers out of the bottom three for now and
will provide a huge lift before the London derby with Tottenham Hotspur in
two days' time.
90 min - Jimenez nearly makes it three as he stings the fingers of Begovic
with a free-kick from 20 yards.
90 min - We have had two of the four added minutes already. Just two more to
go.
90 min - Franco is the final player to be subbed for West Ham, as Zola takes
off the Mexican for Frank Nouble.
90 min - Well hopefully we have seen the last of the goals today and if we
have then it will be West Ham's third clean sheet of the season.
89 min - GOAL! And that must be that. Radoslav Kovac meets Jimenez's
free-kick to power a header past Begovic for his first goal of the season.
85 min - Behrami's introduction has given everyone a lift and Kovac is the
next to close with rasping effort from 25 yards.
84 min - Well West Ham are going all out for the second now and a one-two
between Behrami and Parker sees the former into a shooting position. Sadly
he drags his shot wide of the post.
82 min - Collison could, and probably should, have wrapped up the points
there but Begovic denies him. The Wales international had made his way into
the area but put his shot a little to close to the Pompey stopper, who has
had a great game today.
80 min - Piquionne has Portsmouth's best shot of the game so far. The
forward chested the ball away from Tomkins and forced Green into a diving
save with a low right-footed drive.
79 min - Grant has makes his final change with Brown making way for John
Utaka.
72 min - Behrami comes on in place of Diamanti and the Italian gets a huge
round of applause as he makes his way off.
68 min - It looks like we may be seeing Valon Behrami shortly as Zola has
called him over. The visitors have enjoyed the better of the last ten
minutes so Zola will be looking to counter that.
63 min - Jamie O'Hara is booked for a late tackle on Radoslav Kovac.
61 min - The visitors have started to threaten a bit more and Green had to
be alert to rush off his line and smother the ball at the feet of Piquionne.
59 min - Diamanti spotted Begovic off his line and tried to lob him from
about 50 yards. It goes a foot high and wide but certainly had the
Portsmouth stopper worried.
58 min - Not much to report on as most of the action has been taking place
in the midfield rather than either penalty area. Having said that, the
Hammers have looked the brighter when on the ball, so hopefully they can
create something soon.
53 min - Well Dindane is to leave the field but due to a substitution and
not another foul. He is taken off and replaced by Nwankwo Kanu.
49 min - We have 33,686 fans inside the Boleyn Ground so not quite a sell
out, but a good Boxing Day turnout nevertheless.
47 min - Only a superb save by Begovic stops Diamanti grabbing both his and
West Ham's second. The winger's shot took a deflection of Finnan and looked
to be looping in until he dived at full stretch and just managed to flick
the ball out from underneath the bar. From the resulting corner, Upson heads
straight at the Portsmouth stopper.
46 min - We are underway in the second period and Avram Grant has used the
break to make a change with Nadir Belhadj subbed off for Boateng.
Half time - Great half from the home side, who go in a goal to the good.
They are clapped off as they leave the field and all will be hoping for more
of the same in the second half.
45 min - Collison goes close to netting for the second consecutive Boxing
Day after firing inches wide from 12 yards. That would have been the perfect
way to end the half.
45 min - Jimenez shows some great footwork to dance around his marker and
deliver a tempting cross to the back post, but there is nobody there to meet
it.
45 min - We will have four added minutes at the end of the half.
43 min - Parker has been superb again so far today. The November player of
the month has run non-stop and has put his body on the line at every
opportunity.
38 min - A rare shot from the visitors as Tal Ben-Haim goes on a jinking run
past four players before blazing his shot well over Green's goal.
34 min - Dindane is doing well to stay on the pitch here as he brings down
Diamanti with another late tackle. I make that at least five fouls this
half. Probert calls him over and issues a final warning.
33 min - After a few niggly little fouls by the visitors, Collison goes
close with a volley similar to the one attempted by Didier Drogba last
weekend. Diamanti had played him in with a quick free-kick and the Wales
international volleyed just over from the angle.
28 min - Vital interception by Faubert, who came across to flick Frederic
Piquionne's pass away from the toe of Dindane.
25 min - That is Diamanti's third goal in as many games following his
strikes against Bolton Wanderers and the Blues last weekend.
23 min - GOAL! Diamanti steps up and just like against Chelsea last week,
puts the ball to the right of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
How important could that goal prove to be?
23 min - Penalty to West Ham. Jimenez is tripped in the area by Brown.
20 min - Parker is in the wars a bit here as Michael Brown launches a high
tackle on him. He too is carded by Probert.
19 min - Dindane makes another late tackle, this time on Parker and this
time Lee Probert chooses to issue a yellow card to the Portsmouth No24.
15 min - Brief stoppage now as Mark Noble is down and it looks like he will
not be able to continue. Luis Jimenez will be the man to replace him.
10 min - Good move from the hosts as Ilunga and Collison work together to
set Diamanti free in the area. His low cross is hacked clear by Younes
Kaboul. The best moment of the game so far.
8 min - First shot of the game from Scott Parker as tries to beat Asmir
Begovic with a 30 yard chip. Sadly, if flies about five yards over.
5 min - Diamanti is caught late by Dindane and the referee has a word with
the Portsmouth forward, but opts to keep his cards in his pocket this time.
3 min - Good tracking from Alessandro Diamanti, who is playing on the
left-hand side of the midfield five. After taking a heavy touch the Italian
slid in to block Steve Finnan's clearance.
2 min - Early corner for the visitors but it comes to nothing as the Hammers
win a goal kick.
1 min - Portsmouth get the game underway and will be attacking the Bobby
Moore Stand in the first half.
12.57pm - Portsmouth have not taken the usual half of the Sir Trevor
Brooking Stand so we have a few more claret and blue fans in that stand.
12.55pm - It is 'Bubbles' time and the crowd, which looks to be near a
sell-out, are in good voice. Hopefully they will be able to recreate the
atmosphere that was here last Sunday.
12.50pm - We are in the home straight to kick-off now and the tension is
building. Both sets of players have finished their warm-ups and made their
way back to the dressing rooms. There was nice moment as Mullins and Jack
Collison left the field together and stopped for a hug and a chat. Let us
just hope the friendship stops once they are on the pitch!
Good afternoon from the Boleyn Ground.
The teams are in and Gianfranco Zola makes one enforced change to the team
that drew with Chelsea last Sunday. Danny Gabbidon is ruled out with a
hamstring injury so James Tomkins takes his place in the heart of the
Hammers defence. There is also the welcome return of Valon Behrami to the
substitutes bench. Contrary to some reports, Guille Franco is available and
will lead the home side's attack once more.
Portsmouth make two changes to the team that beat Liverpool 2-0. Former
Hammer Hayden Mullins takes Kevin-Prince Boateng's place in midfield, while
Aruna Dindane comes in up front in place of Hassan Yebda.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Collison, Kovac,
Parker, Noble (Jimenez 16), Diamanti (Behrami 72), Franco (Nouble 90)
Subs: Stech, Spector, da Costa, Stanislas
Portsmouth: Begovic, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Belhadj (Boateng 46),
Hreidarsson, Mullins, Brown (Utaka 79), O'Hara, Piquionne, Dindane (Kanu
53)
Subs: Ashdown, Wilson, Diop, Yebda
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Zola on a high
WHUFC.com
With several catching the eye and a fine result, Gianfranco Zola ended
Boxing Day in upbeat mood
26.12.2009
Gianfranco Zola was full of praise once again for his West Ham United
players after they earned a deserved 2-0 home win against Portsmouth and
moved out of the bottom three. The Boxing Day triumph was secured by
Alessandro Diamanti's first-half penalty, his third goal in three games, and
a powerful Radoslav Kovac header in the closing stages. It was no more than
the Hammers deserved, and was in no small part due to the influence of Scott
Parker who was once again a shining light in midfield. "The importance of
Scott Parker I cannot even measure. For enthusiasm and the way he leads by
example," said Zola, before also singling out Kovac for his defensive play
that has been a major influence on freeing up Parker to roam forward in
recent weeks. This was especially the case in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea
last week before Saturday's triumph over Portsmouth. "I must mention Kovac,
who was outstanding," he added. "The last two games he has been incredible.
I was more delighted than him, trust me. The goal was the final touch but
the whole game was massive. He was digging in. "It was a fantastic win.
Massive I tell you, I rated this as a six-point game. Because it was so
important for the table, for the morale, to give a bit of consistency and
for the crowd. I'm pleased the boys won it with a lot of character and it
will be a big boost for everybody. "I enjoyed it very much. A victory is a
victory and when you are involved like I am you enjoy it very much. We are
all emotionally involved and I am the first one. We are building something
here that will give us belief of what we are doing. It was massive."
It is clear from words and actions that the manager has the full support of
his men, although he played down his influence when asked. "It is a sign
that they are playing that they want to do good things. Whether they are
playing for me I don't know. "I hope they are playing for everybody and I
include myself in everybody because I am part of the group as we are all
together in this. It is this that has produced these results. You can see
the enthusiasm and the crowd is very much involved with us and that is what
is producing good results."
Zola was mindful that Portsmouth have also impressed of late, not least with
a 2-0 defeat of Liverpool, and said that explained the tentative opening to
the match as both sides looked to gain the all-important first goal. "I was
expecting them to come back. They are a side that is playing very well. You
saw it. They passed the ball around the pitch very well and made it very
difficult for us. We held the ball very well and they had a couple of
chances but not very big ones. It was a solid performance and they did
exactly what they expected us to do."
As last year's Boxing Day triumph against Portsmouth kick-started a move up
the table, the manager is hoping his team build on this season's success and
take it into Monday's derby trip to Tottenham Hotspur. "Hopefully it will be
the same. Now we have got other games coming up but we are going to face
them with more security. The boys are there and they are there and they are
showing it."
The manager will be without Mark Noble on Monday after he felt his hamstring
early in the first half but the early signs are that "it is nothing major".
He also had confidence that Guille Franco would be OK to go again against
Spurs after another battling performance leading the line. Luis Jimenez
profited from Noble's 16th-minute departure to have a hand in both goals. He
won the 22nd-minute penalty after being brought down by Michael Brown before
whipping in a delightful free-kick for Kovac to convert for his first goal
at the Boleyn Ground. "He did very well," said Zola about his Chile
playmaker. "Everyone is coming in and doing their job. Jimenez was good. It
hasn't been easy for him but this is an opportunity for him to regain the
terrain he lost in the early part of the season."
So to Monday at White Hart Lane and Zola's parting words were a reminder
that he is well aware of what the match means to the loyal band of
travelling Hammers supporters. "I know the importance to the fans and we
will play with our best and with this spirit we could do something
important."
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Portsmouth downed again
WHUFC.com
Goals from Alessandro Diamanti and Radoslav Kovac helped West Ham United to
a vital Boxing Day win
26.12.2009
West Ham United 2-0 Portsmouth
West Ham United secured their second consecutive Boxing Day victory over
Portsmouth to move out of the bottom three of the Barclays Premier League.
Alessandro Diamanti's penalty - the third game in a row in which he has
scored - and a Radoslav Kovac header were enough to win the match and
deliver a belated Christmas present to the Hammers fans among the 33,686
crowd. With so much at stake, unsurprisingly, the game was an intense if not
slightly scrappy affair punctuated by flashes of individual brilliance.
Diamanti and his fellow Serie A summer arrival Luis Jimenez, on for early
hamstring victim Mark Noble, provided much of this attacking flair for the
hosts. There was also the welcome sight of a late return for Valon Behrami -
all of which looks good for Monday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
It was Jimenez and Diamanti that combined forces to conjure up West Ham's
opener as a slick passing move down the left saw Jimenez tripped in the area
by Michael Brown. And just as he had done against Chelsea last week,
Diamanti placed the spot-kick hard and low into the bottom right-hand corner
of the net. Portsmouth rarely threatened in the first half, with just a
harmless Tal Ben-Haim shot their only chance of note. With the other teams
around them either playing later on the day or on 27 December, both sets of
players knew a victory could provide them with an early start on their
competitors. At times the tensions got a little too much with referee Lee
Probert issuing yellow cards to Aruna Dindane and Michael Brown - both for
fouls on the imperious Scott Parker - before the first half was out. The
second period carried on in the same vein and only a truly outstanding save
from Asmir Begovic kept the visitors within touching distance of their
hosts. The Portsmouth stopper had to dive at full stretch to tip Diamanti's
deflected drive over the crossbar.
It was to be the hosts' best effort for 20 minutes as the visitors started
to show the form that had helped them to a 2-0 victory over Liverpool last
time out. Robert Green demonstrated quick feet and thinking to dive and
claim from Frederic Piquionne. Shortly after a diving save thwarted the
French forward in Portsmouth's best moment of the game. In between those
chances Gianfranco Zola had brought on the fit-again Behrami as he looked to
consolidate his side's position. The change seemed to work as both the
Hammers and the claret and blue faithful backing stepped up a grear.
Jack Collison ensured the nails would be bitten right until the end when he
shot too close to Begovic when placed before Kovac fired over from 25 yards.
The Czech international would not have to wait from his first goal of the
season and second in West Ham colours as he rose to meet Jimenez's
right-wing free-kick to thump a header home in front of an ecstatic Bobby
Moore Stand. The win moved the Hammers out of the bottom three, and - along
with the first clean sheet since August - will provide a huge shot of
confidence ahead of the big derby with Tottenham in two days' time.
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West Ham 2 - 0 Portsmouth
BBC.co.uk
Diamanti gives the Hammers fans a late Christmas present from 12 yards
By Mark Ashenden
West Ham hoisted themselves out of the bottom three with a hard-earned
victory over fellow strugglers Portsmouth. After a tense opening, Alessandro
Diamanti scored from the spot for his third in as many games after Hayden
Mullins fouled substitute Luis Jimenez. Pompey were more positive in the
second half with Kevin Boateng and the lively Frederic Piquionne both going
close. But the Hammers held firm at the back and Radoslav Kovac nodded in
Jimenez's curling free-kick to secure the points. Following their excellent
point against leaders Chelsea last week, it was three deserved points for
manager Gianfranco Zola's men to claim only their fourth league win of the
season and their first clean sheet in 16 league games. It was a strangely
timid opening for the table's bottom two clubs with any sign of forward
movement soon quelled by two very congested midfields. After two wins in
five league games for new boss Avram Grant, the Pompey camp would have been
a happy one in the build-up to Christmas but it was the home faithful who
were singing on 23 minutes. Having endured the early departure of injured
Mark Noble, it was his replacement Jimenez who created their opening goal
after being hacked down by former Hammers midfielder Mullins.
It was West Ham's seventh penalty this season and Diamanti had no problem in
tucking the ball past keeper Asmir Begovic, who again deputised for David
James. The Italian's third goal in three games understandably produced a
huge smile from Zola on the sidelines. Portsmouth's best chance of the first
half fell to a player without a goal for nearly five years as defender Tal
Ben-Haim blazed over after a fine run. West Ham picked up the pace and
missed a golden opportunity to double the lead when Jack Collison dragged
the ball wide after being set up by the trickery of the impressive Scott
Parker. Soon after the interval it was only the left hand of Begovic that
prevented a second goal, the 32-year-old Bosnian tipping away Diamanti's
shot after it deflected off Steve Finnan's boot. Nwankwo Kanu was introduced
to provide some much-needed support to striker Frederic Piquionne and the
pair came close to creating an equaliser but keeper Robert Green was alert
to the back-heeled pass. The tension returned to the legs of the hosts and
substitute Boateng begun to pull the strings for Portsmouth from midfield,
although his downward volley was easily caught by Green.
West Ham showed occasional glimpses of creativity despite focusing their
attentions on their rearguard and Collison and Valon Behrami both went close
in the final minutes to killing the game. But with almost the final kick of
the game, Jimenez swung in a free-kick to find the unmarked Kovac leaping
brilliantly to power in his header past Begovic. Portsmouth boss Grant now
has much to ponder as he sees four of his players head to the Nations Cup in
Angola, with the club still under a transfer embargo.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Portsmouth boss Avram Grant on Premier League survival: "Everything is
possible. We have the quality to win. I've said so many times and I'm not a
person to change my mind."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola: "It was a fantastic win, a massive one. I
rated this as a six-point game, it was so important for the table and for
morale. "The boys won it with a lot of character and it will be a big boost
for everybody."
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Gold spotted - again
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 26th December 2009
By: Staff Writer
Businessman David Gold was in attendance as West Ham beat Portsmouth 2-0
today - hours after rumours of a purported second bid by the former
Birmingham City owner and business partner David Sullivan for West Ham
United surfaced. Gold and Sullivan made an initial £50million bid for the
club a fortnight ago, an offer that was widely reported to be unsatisfactory
to current owners CB Holdings. Since then little has been heard from either
camp bar a brief statement posted on whufc.com on Christmas Eve reaffirming
CB Holdings' intent to retain ownership of the club for up to another two
years. For whose benefit that was remains unclear. However fresh reports
claim that a second, improved offer of £60million was made by Gold and
Sullivan last week - and that a decision is yet to be made by CB Holdings.
In tomorrow morning's News of the World a 'spokesman' for the pair is
quoted, insisting that they would not up their opening bid in stark contrast
to the rumours. Gold and Sullivan appeared to have a clear run as the only
interested bidders following reports that Tony Fernandes had pulled out of
the race - although the CEO of Air Asia posted a cryptic 'let's see' note on
Twitter on Christmas Eve, in response to emails from West Ham supporters
regarding his interest. The club's current owners, who are said to be
looking for around £80million for West Ham have refused to buckle to
pressure to sell as soon as possible and insist that they are in no hurry to
do so. Gold arrived at the Boleyn an hour-and-a-half before kick-off today
and watched West Ham's 2-0 win from the executive boxes. It was the third
time the former Birmingham City owner has been spotted at the ground in
recent weeks. Fernandes was also amongst the 33,686 crowd.
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Parker: leading by example
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 26th December 2009
By: Staff Writer
Gianfranco Zola hailed the contribution of midfield dynamo Scott Parker
after West Ham beat Portsmouth at the Boleyn this lunchtime. Parker has been
in sensational form for United in recent weeks despite the club's lowly
league position - and his efforts were recognised by a beaming Zola who told
the BBC: "I'm used to it; Scott Parker is leading by example. "When he
plays like that he just lifts everyone. He's incredible and it's good to
have him on the team."
Reflecting on the win that leaves the Irons just three points adrift of
11th-placed Stoke, Zola added that he was delghted by the performance -
whilst insisting that he never felt worried - despite Portsmouth's second
half rally. "It was a massive result in terms of points and confidence," he
added. "I knew it wasn't going to be comfortable but on the pitch I had
eleven lions. It was good; we kept our composure until the end. "Right now
the spirit in the camp is very good and today's result will make it even
better. But we need consistency - that is the key. We're not in a position
where we can afford to get a good result and then a bad one."
The win lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone, four points clear of
today's opponents who remain rock bottom of the Premier League.
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West Ham Utd 2 Portsmouth 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 26th December 2009
By: Staff Writer
The Irons moved out of the relegation zone with a relatively comfortable 2-0
win over a rudderless Pompey side at the Boleyn this afternoon. An
Alessandro Diamanti penalty and a late header from Radoslav Kovac secured
West Ham's fourth league win of the season against a Portsmouth side bereft
of invention and ideas in front of an expectant holiday crowd of some
33,000. Gianfranco Zola's side were good value for the win in the end,
despite enduring a worrying period during the second half. The clean sheet
was an added bonus, being as it was United's first since the stalemate at
Blackburn on 29th August, some four months ago. After a fairly uneventful
opening quarter-of-an-hour, one not unexpected perhaps given both teams'
precarious league positions, the Irons began to take control of the game and
finally broke the deadlock on 23 minutes.
Luis Jimenez, on as a 16th minute substitute for the injured Mark Noble was
sent tumbling in the area by a poor challenge from former Hammer Hayden
Mullins, who had received a warm welcome by the home fans prior to the
match. Diamanti, who went into the game with two goals from his last two
games made it three out of three - despite a gallant effort from 'keeper
Asmir Begovic.
With no further goals to follow United went into the break with their
slender advantage intact - a lead they deserved on balance of play. But the
second half was to prove a different story as Zola's side once again
retreated into their collective shell to the dismay of a home crowd that
felt, reasonably enough, that the Irons should be looking for a second goal
rather than settling for protecting the one they already had - a policy that
has too often ended in tears this season.
The visitors, bouyed by West Ham's retreat certainly made a game of it - and
had they a half-decent striker on the pitch would almost certainly have
punished the home side for sitting too deep. Fortunately for the Irons, main
striker Frederic Piquionne, for all his bustle and effort was having a bad
day, summed up best by his failure to beat Rob Green when presented with a
gilt-edged opportunity ten minutes from time.
By that stage Pompey were running out of both steam and ideas, and the
Hammers once again began to take control of the game - a situation greatly
assisted by the welcome return of Valon Behrami as a 72nd minute substitute
for a tiring Diamanti. The Swiss midfielder, back after surgery was the
inspiration for the second goal and the hatful of chances that preceeded it,
which included efforts by himself and Jack Collison that were both only
inches away from finding their intended target.
The second, decisive goal arrived with less than 60 seconds of normal time
remaining and yet again, Chilean playmaker Jimenez was involved. His
inviting free kick was met by a powerful header from Radoslav Kovac, who got
the goal he deserved for two excellent performances within a week.
Kovac's second goal for the club, and his first since making a loan spell
permanent marked the end of the game as a contest and a most welcome victory
for Zola's side, whose win against Portsmouth a year ago to the day sparked
the kind of revival recent performances have suggested could well be
repeated this term. The win initially lifted the Irons four places up the
Premier League to 15th, although later results saw Zola's men drop back to
17th - but most importantly, out of the relegation zone. Any result against
a resurgent Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Monday will be welcome yet
perhaps unexpected - whilst the FA Cup tie against Arsenal a week today will
prove a welcome distraction from a difficult league campaign. But it is then
that the real work begins as Zola's side face fellow strugglers Wolves (h),
Portsmouth (a), Blackburn (h), Burnley (a), Birmingham (h) and Hull (h) all
before the end of February - matches that will go a long way to deciding
West Ham's fate this season.
The good news for Zola is that bar Carlton Cole, he goes into those
forthcoming games with a fully fit first choice XI - and Cole himself is
thought to be just two or three weeks away from a welcome return. The bad
news is that club owners CB Holdings appear intent on flogging at least one
of the club's leading stars during the transfer window - a policy that could
potentially prove disastrous.
West Ham United 2 Portsmouth 0: match facts
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Collison, Kovac,
Parker, Noble (Jimenez 16), Diamanti (Behrami 72), Franco (Nouble 90).
Subs not used: Stech, Spector, Da Costa, Stanislas.
Goals: Diamanti (pen 23), Kovac (89).
Portsmouth: Begovic, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Belhadj (Boateng 46),
Hreidarsson, Mullins, Brown (Utaka 79), O'Hara, Piquionne, Dindane (Kanu
53).
Subs not used: Ashdown, Wilson, Diop, Yebda.
Booked: Dindane (19), Brown (21), O'Hara (63).
Referee: Lee Probert (7).
Attendance: 33,686.
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Zola hails 'massive' win
West Ham boss delighted after taking spoils in relegation six pointer
Last updated: 26th December 2009
SSN
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola was delighted after his side beat rock-bottom
Portsmouth 2-0 to climb out of the Premier League drop zone. The Hammers
took the lead via Alessandro Diamanti's first-half penalty before Radoslav
Kovac made sure of the points with a late header. The win lifted Zola's side
up two places from second from bottom and the Italian was delighted with his
side's Boxing Day display. He said: "It was a fantastic win, a massive one.
I rated this as a six-point game, it was so important for the table and for
morale. "The boys won it with a lot of character and it will be a big boost
for everybody." Man of the match Scott Parker put in a box-to-box display
and Zola hailed his influence. "He is so important," said Zola. "You can't
even measure it. He leads with his enthusiasm and example and I feel lucky
to have a player like him." The West Ham boss is now hoping his side can
repeat their efforts of last season when a Boxing Day victory against Pompey
sparked a run that saw them climb the table. "Hopefully it will be the same
as last year," the Italian said. "We will face games now with a bit more
security. "In this period coming up I think we can do something important."
On a less positive note, midfielder Mark Noble suffered a hamstring injury,
which is expected to keep him out of Monday's derby clash against Spurs. "He
felt his hamstring and had to come off," Zola confirmed. "I think he'll be
out for Monday."
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Hammers claim crucial win
Diamanti penalty and Kovac header seal points
Last updated: 26th December 2009
SSN
Man of Match: Scott Parker. Worked tirelessly all game for the Hammers,
making several vital tackles.
Moment of the match: Alessandro Diamanti's penalty. The first goal was
crucial in this game and it went West Ham's way. The Hammers were still
nervous at times afterwards but deserved their win.
Attempt of the match: Diamanti tried an effort from just inside his own half
after spotting Asmir Begovic off his line but was just wide.
Save of the match: Begovic pulled off a great save to deny Diamanti's
deflected shot soon after the restart.
Talking point: Can West Ham now push on and pull right away from the
drop-zone, while does this defeat mean Pompey are dead and buried?
Goal of the game: Radoslav Kovac's. Rose above Hayden Mullins to head home
Luis Jimenez's free-kick.
An Alessandro Diamanti penalty and Radoslav Kovac header proved the
difference as West Ham beat bottom side Portsmouth to climb out of the
Premier League drop-zone.
The home side, who started the day second from bottom, got the crucial first
goal when substitute Luis Jimenez was fouled in the box and Diamanti
despatched the spot-kick after 23 minutes. Soon after the break, Pompey
keeper Asmir Begovic pulled off a fantastic save to deny a deflected shot
from Diamanti, while substitute Kevin-Prince Boateng went close at the other
end. But Kovac made sure of the points when heading home a Jimenez free-kick
with a minute to go. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola will be hoping this will
be a repeat of last year's Boxing Day win over Pompey as his side then went
on a decent run in the second half of the season. Pompey had never lost at
West Ham's ground in the Premier League but they never looked like
continuing that run with this feeble effort. To make matters worse for
Pompey boss Avram Grant, he now loses several players because of the African
Cup of Nations, not that they made much of an impact here. Grant's men came
into the match off the back of a morale-boosting victory over Liverpool and
there was a mood of optimism during the week. The Hammers also had a decent
result in their previous game, a 1-1 home draw against Chelsea, but it did
not mean this clash was any sort of spectacle.
Both sides were nervous, struggled to keep possession and gave a clear
explanation as to why they started the festive period 19th and 20th in the
table. The first significant moment came when Zola was forced into a change,
in the 16th minute, when Mark Noble needed treatment for a knock, with
attack-minded Jimenez coming on for his first appearance since scoring
against Burnley in November. With chances not being created, referee Lee
Probert was kept busy, firstly by Aruna Dindane's fouls on Diamanti, while
Scott Parker earned a yellow. Michael Brown also went in the book for a knee
into Parker's thigh. With the tackles flying in, it was no surprise that a
mis-timed challenge led to West Ham's 23rd minute opener. The move started
with Julien Faubert's ball forward for Parker, Younes Kaboul failing to
clear when he had a chance and Guillermo Franco getting blocked from his
route to goal. It fell invitingly for Jimenez, who appeared to be tripped by
former Hammers midfielder Hayden Mullins, as well as Brown. Probert pointed
to the spot and Diamanti confidently tucked away the penalty, taking his
overall tally for the season to five, with three goals in his last three
games. Jack Collison almost took advantage of a quick free-kick to double
the lead but the Welshman volleyed over the crossbar. He then fired just
wide from close range in first-half stoppage-time when Parker pulled the
ball back from the byline.
Grant needed to change things drastically so brought on Boateng, who had
been struggling with a virus ahead of the match, for Nadir Belhadj at the
start of the second half. It did not take long for Dindane to be replaced
either after his woeful first half, with Kanu being brought on. But Pompey
could have fallen further behind two minutes after the restart when
Diamanti's angled drive deflected off Steve Finnan and Begovic, in goal as
David James is still nursing a calf complaint, had to pull off a fine save.
Diamanti then also went close with a cheeky long-range lob from just inside
his own half. Boateng caused the hosts problems and almost embarrassed
Herita Ilunga when the Hammers full-back left a ball for Robert Green to
collect. Boateng took the ball away from the goalkeeper and defender but
Ilunga did well to get back and deflect his finish wide. Pompey striker
Frederic Piquionne had an effort saved late on, while Collison and Behrami
both went close for the hosts before Kovac headed home Jimenez's free-kick a
minute from full-time to seal the vital victory.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The moment of truth approaches
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 26th December 2009
By: Gary Portugal
On the surface, West Ham supporters may have plenty to be thankful for as of
the conclusion of activities on Boxing Day.
An unlikely point against Chelsea that was earned with an excellent
performance, coupled with a win against Pompey that by no means looked
certain following their improvement under Avram Grant. We could have bottled
it in both these fixtures, as relegation-threatened sides often do, but
instead we took four points from six. A positive step, along what is going
to be a treacherous road to ultimate safety.
It's no coincidence that in these two fixtures we conceded only one goal in
total with Matthew Upson present - and no coinicidence that in the three
fixtures prior to these two we lost every match, conceding eight goals in
total, without Upson. It tells you all you need to know about how important
Upson is, not only to our defence, but to our survival in the top flight. He
is simply irreplaceable this season, as are Scott Parker and Carlton Cole.
The one player who could be sacrificed, if and only if we got Ben Foster on
loan from Man United, is Rob Green. But even to sell Green would, in my
opinion, be a mistake, at least in this window.
From a supporters' point of view it is simple as could be: with the team in
a relegation battle, why sell ANYONE, as we're struggling as it is? Why do
anything to make life even more difficult for a threadbare squad, especially
if whoever we brought in was not an adequate replacement for who we sold?
That is not what I would call logic; it's simply common sense, which any
schoolboy would understand.
If that is the case, then why all the speculation about possible sales of
key West Ham players in the window? Surely, if the owners want to sell the
club, their best chance of doing so at a good price is if the club is NOT
stripped of its key player assets, and if its position in the table is
improved. Of course,holding on to your best players and moving up the table
go hand in hand. Then why is the media so convinced that the likes of Upson
in particular, and Green, Parker and Cole could all be sold? Surely the sale
of one or more of these players would see us relegated. Yet CB Holdings
claim that they are no pressure to sell the club quickly. If that is the
case, then why would CB want to sell players and jeopeardize their entire
investment?
Why? Because the interests of CB Holdings do not appear to be aligned with
the interests of West Ham supporters . CB Holdings do not seem to be
terribly concerned one way or the other whether West Ham avoid the drop or
not. If they were concerned about our potential relegation they would not
have sold Collins, and they would have successfully re-signed Neill for
another season to ensure that we did not have the fourth-worst defence in
the League. And they would have bought both cover for Cole and a strike
partner for him in pre-season, as opposed to waiting til the season was five
weeks old to get Guillermo Franco. And therein lies our problem as
supporters - not only is our club competing against 19 others in the Premier
League, but it is also competing against a 20th opponent, the club's
ownership.
The owners of West Ham don't appear to be bothered about our potential
relegation, which would of course see them lose their entire investment in
the club. Sky revenues would disappear, ticket sales would plummet and
merchandising profits would vanish etc. Even the money that we would get
from sales of players would be marginal as the sales would all be cut-rate
desperation deals. So why are CB Holdings seemingly oblivious to all this?
For a start, at the moment the only thing on their minds seems to be selling
the club at some unrealistically high price. If they can find some fool to
pay over the odds for the club in a recession they'll have it. Otherwise,
they have no intention of selling - and certainly not for under
£80-100million.
Well if CB Holdings are not going to sell in the near future, then certainly
they don't want to see us get relegated, right? WRONG. It is a damn good
thing that we got results against Chelsea and Pompey because if we did not,
there could have been a firesale in January. Were we sitting bottom of the
table New Year's Day, with little prospect of beating the drop and no chance
of finding that "magic buyer" prepared to reach CB's sky high valuation of
the club, what would stop CB from selling all our top players? Absolutely
nothing. Which is why a point would not go amiss at White Hart Lane either.
Simply put, I think CB Holdings' game is to extract as much cash out of West
Ham as it can in the short term, meaning in the January window, even if it
results in our relegation. They don't seem at all concerned about the
terrible impact that all the window speculation has had on the morale of the
players, managers and supporters and on our results thus far this term. From
the selfish perspective of CB Holdings if we go down,so what ? If we go
down, that could force the club into admistration. And who holds the bag
then? Not CB Holdings. Because if the club goes into administration, then
all those debts that West Ham have could disappear in smoke. Leaving CB with
no obligation to make good on those debts, nor to honour contracts with
players, managers and other staff.
After all, if CB are really broke or skint, who is going to be able to come
after them here or in Iceland? If CB are facing insolvency themselves, then
who is going to be able to collect anything from them? Nobody. So one could
argue that in essence, CB Holdings are sitting on a free option. If it all
goes pears, it's not their problem - they may be able to just walk away from
it and say "blame it on the credit crunch and the recession." In which case
it will be the players, managers, staff and most importantly, the supporters
who are hung out to dry.
Upson has 18 months left to go on his deal and you can easily understand why
he does not want to extend it under the current West Ham ownership. But that
is no excuse for selling him in January. He could still be sold in June, at
a decent, even if somewhat lower price than now, without putting the club's
survival in doubt now. But that assumes that the Icelandics actually care
about West Ham United as a going concern. Which, in my opinion, they don't.
And that is why CB Holdings, ladies and gents, are a cancer which must be
exterminated from West Ham United, before they exterminate our club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham set to snub former Birmingham City owners David Gold and David
Sullivan
Daily Mail
By Rob Draper, Mail on Sunday Chief Football Writer Last updated at 8:53 PM
on 26th December 2009
West Ham's statement during the week that they are in no hurry to sell the
club is due to the fact that none of the bidders has come up with an offer
that troubled Icelandic bank Straumur consider acceptable. The four
interested parties are understood to be former Birmingham City owners David
Sullivan and David Gold, London-based financial analysis firm Intermarket,
Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes, who has since withdrawn, and an
unidentified American individual. Sullivan and Gold are unlikely to succeed,
given that their £50million bid falls below Straumur's valuation and they
have antagonised the club by the manner with which they have conducted
themselves.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers strike blow in relegation fight
ESPN
Updated: December 26, 2009, 8:06 AM UK
Alessandro Diamanti scored his third goal in as many games to maintain West
Ham's hopes of survival and keep Portsmouth rooted to the bottom of the
Premier League.
The Italian forward struck from the penalty spot at Upton Park midway
through the first half of a match short on quality, clear-cut opportunities
or reasons to suggest either team deserves to be higher in the table.
Radoslav Kovac added the second just before the end. Hammers boss Gianfranco
Zola will be hoping this was a repeat of last year's Boxing Day win over
Pompey as his side then went on a decent run in the second half of the
season. Pompey had never lost at West Ham's ground in the Premier League but
they never looked like continuing that run with this feeble effort. To make
matters worse for Pompey boss Avram Grant, he now loses several players
because of the African Nations Cup - not that they made an impact in this
game. Pompey will be reminded they have to defy the odds to retain their
top-flight status this season as most teams bottom at Christmas go down -
West Brom in 2005 are the only team to avoid it in Premier League history.
Grant's men, however, were coming off the back of a morale-boosting victory
over Liverpool and there was a mood of optimism during the week. The Hammers
also had a decent result in their previous game, against Chelsea, but it did
not mean this clash was any sort of spectacle. Both sides were nervous,
struggled to keep possession and gave a clear explanation as to why they
started the festive period 19th and 20th in the table. The first significant
moment came when Zola was forced into a change, in the 16th minute, when
Mark Noble needed treatment for a knock, with attack-minded Luis Jimenez
coming on for his first appearance since scoring against Burnley in
November. With chances not being created, referee Lee Probert was kept busy,
firstly by Aruna Dindane's fouls on Diamanti while Scott Parker earned a
yellow. Michael Brown also went in the book for a knee into Parker's thigh.
With the tackles flying in, it was no surprise that a mistimed challenge led
to West Ham's 23rd minute opener.
The move started with Julien Faubert's ball forward for Parker, Younes
Kaboul failing to clear when he had a chance and Guillermo Franco getting
blocked from his route to goal.
It fell invitingly for Jimenez, who looked to be tripped by former Hammers
midfielder Hayden Mullins, but replays showed that Brown was the culprit.
Either way, Diamanti confidently tucked away the penalty when Probert
pointed to the spot. After goals against Bolton and Chelsea in his last
games, it took his overall tally for the season to five.
Jack Collison almost took advantage of a quick free-kick to double the lead
- but the Welshman volleyed over the crossbar. He then fired just wide from
close range in first-half stoppage-time when Parker pulled the ball back
from the byline. Grant needed to change things drastically so brought on
Kevin-Prince Boateng, who had been struggling with a virus ahead of the
match, for Nadir Belhadj. It did not take long for Dindane to be replaced
either after his woeful first half, with Kanu being brought on. They could
have fallen further behind two minutes after the restart when Diamanti's
angled drive deflected off Steve Finnan, and Asmir Begovic, in goal as David
James is still nursing a calf complaint, had to leap across his goal to pull
off a fine save. Diamanti also went over with a cheeky 45-yard lob. Boateng
caused the hosts problems and almost embarrassed Herita Ilunga when the
Hammers full-back left a ball for Robert Green to collect. Boateng took the
ball away from goalkeeper and defender but his finish went wide. Pompey
striker Frederic Piquionne had an effort saved late on, while Collison and
Bahrami both went close for the hosts. Kovac headed home Jimenez's free-kick
a minute from full-time to seal the win.
After the match manager Gianfranco Zola hailed the character of Scott Parker
and the rest of his players as they fought for a vital victory. "It was a
fantastic win, a massive one," said Zola. "I rated this as a six-point game,
it was so important for the table and for morale. The boys won it with a lot
of character and it will be a big boost for everybody." He may not have got
on the scoresheet but Parker was the clear man of the match with his
box-to-box display. "He is so important," Zola said. "You can't even measure
it. He leads with his enthusiasm and example and I feel lucky to have a
player like him." Zola is hoping his side can repeat their efforts of last
season when a Boxing Day victory against Pompey sparked a run that saw them
climb the table. "Hopefully it will be the same as last year," the Italian
said. "We will face games now with a bit more security. In this period
coming up I think we can do something important." The only negative aspect
of the afternoon was a hamstring injury to Mark Noble that is expected to
keep the midfielder out of Monday's clash against Tottenham. "He felt his
hamstring and had to come off," Zola confirmed. "I think he'll be out for
Monday."
Pompey boss Avram Grant could only bring on Kevin-Prince Boateng at
half-time as the midfielder was ill prior to the match. "Boateng had a virus
so we couldn't play him for the start as he hadn't trained all week," he
said. "In the second half we dominated the game apart from a few
counter-attacks. The game didn't start well for us and we conceded a ninth
penalty of the season." Grant loses four players to the African Nations Cup,
while Jamie O'Hara will miss the game against Arsenal next week through
suspension. There is still uncertainty over whether Pompey will be allowed
to make transfers in January due to their financial situation, with Grant
adding: "We will know this week." The former Chelsea boss is still positive
about staying up. "Everything is possible," he said. "We have the quality to
win. I've said so many times and I'm not a person to change my mind."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alessandro Diamanti's gem lifts West Ham clear of Premier League relegation
rivals
West Ham 2 Portsmouth 0
The Times
Ivo Tennant at Upton Park
As if to emphasise the slender difference between two clubs at the foot of
the Premier League table, a penalty was all that divided Portsmouth and West
Ham until the London side's second goal a minute from time settled the
matter. On Boxing Day a year ago West Ham won 4-1 against a considerably
stronger team than Portsmouth fielded yesterday, which says something about
how standards have fallen at both clubs.
Alessandro Diamanti, a consummate penalty taker, scored after 23 minutes
when Michael Brown brought down Luis Jimenez. West Ham had the better
chances, not least when Radoslav Kovac directed a powerful header from
Jimenez's free kick to assure themselves victory.
"It was massive, massive," said West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola, repeating
that same adjective in his smiling way when summing up the contribution of
Scott Parker. "We showed a lot of character — the team is playing for
everybody else, not just for me. Kovac was also outstanding, apart from his
goal. Portsmouth passed the ball around very well but we had big chances."
In a strange kind of way, Portsmouth might well have benefited had Brown
been sent off for an assertive challenge on Parker: it was the kind that
stricter referees than Lee Probert would have penalised with a red card.
Four minutes later, he caught Jimenez on the shin inside his own penalty
area. A spot kick it unquestionably was.
Diamanti, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot in last week's 1-1
draw against Chelsea, beat Asmir Begovic with his left foot — his third goal
in three matches. Other than that, it was a first half of two shots from
Jack Collison, one volleyed over and the other struck low and just wide from
Parker's cross, and further crass challenges, this time from Aruna Dindane.
He, too, could be said to have been lucky to stay on the pitch.
So sleepy Boxing Day fare for the most part, but after half-time came the
moment of the match. A shot from Diamanti was deflected by Steve Finnan over
the head seemingly of Begovic. Yet here was a one-handed save of the highest
order, and by an understudy to boot at a time when David James' fitness as
well as his future at Fratton Park is far from assured.
As for Portsmouth farther up the field, their game picked up when they
sensibly brought on Kanu early in the second half. One instantaneous flick
was of a class above anything bar the goalkeeping but, as when Kevin-Prince
Boateng, an earlier substitute, manoeuvred past Robert Green only to drive
into the side netting, it came to nought. So, too, did low drives from
Frederic Piquionne and, for West Ham, Collison.
"I wish we were a little more aggressive," said Avram Grant, Portsmouth's
manager, "but we deserved to get something out of this match.
"That is now nine penalties scored against us this season. The squad is okay
but I want to boost it and make it stronger, which is the same thing I say
after each match."
Star man: Alessandro Diamanti (West Ham)
Yellow cards: Portsmouth: Dindane, Brown, O'Hara.
Referee: L Probert
Attendance: 33,686
WEST HAM: Green 6, Faubert 6, Upson 6, Tomkins 6, Ilunga 6, Collison 7,
Kovac 6, Parker 7, Noble 5 (Jimenez 15min, 7), Diamanti 8 (Behrami 71min,
6), Franco 6 (Nouble 90min) PORTSMOUTH: Begovic 7, Finnan 6, Ben-Haim 6,
Kaboul 6, Hreidarsson 6, Dindane 5 (Kanu 53min, 7), O'Hara 6, Mullins 6,
Brown 4 (Utaka 78min), Belhadj 6 (Boateng h-t, 6), Piquionne 6
1 The number of times West Ham have beaten Portsmouth in the Premier League
at Upton Park after yesterday's 2-0 win. It is also the number of times
Portsmouth have failed to score in six games under manager Avram Grant
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 2 Portsmouth 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Boxing Day Premier League game between West
Ham United and Portsmouth at Upton Park on Saturday Dec 26 2009.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley at Upton Park
Published: 3:00PM GMT 26 Dec 2009
Portsmouth, 2-0 winners over Liverpool last week, remain at the foot of the
Premier League after losing narrowly in a nervous Boxing Day battle with a
goal in either half, from Alessandro Diamanti and Radoslav Kovac, separating
the bottom two. West Ham United have won more penalties than any other team
and Diamanti successfully converted the club's seventh spot-kick out of
seven to put his team on the road to three valuable points off their
relegation rivals. And Kovac confirmed the win with a firm header late in
the game. Sport on television Both teams started nervously and early chances
were rare, although Frederic Piquionne had the ball in the West Ham net in
the 12th minute but had already been ruled offside. West Ham responded when
Jack Collison fed Diamanti but his cross was cut out. And when Guillermo
Franco sped down the flank and into the area only the diligence of Nadir
Belhadj prevent the game's first chance. Soon afterwards West Ham were
forced into a change when Mark Noble had to be replaced by Luis Jimenez.
Aruna Dindane, one of four Portsmouth players on their way to the African
Cup of Nations after this game, was booked for a robust 19th-minute
challenge on Scott Parker. The West Ham midfield was involved again two
minutes later when Michael Brown caught him with his knee and was also
cautioned. And, in the 23rd minute, West Ham took the lead when former West
Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins and Brown combined to fell Jimenez. It allowed
Diamanti to take West Ham's seventh penalty of the season and he maintained
his team's 100 per cent success rate from the spot when he converted with
confidence to claim his third goal in three games. West Ham were dominating
and when the impressive Parker sent Collison free from a free kick the
Welshman was unlucky with a dipping volley that rose just over the
Portsmouth bar. And on the stroke of half time West Ham almost increased
their lead when Parker crossed, the ball was cleared only to Collison but
the youngster put the ball narrowly wide when he should have scored.
For the second half, Kevin-Prince Boateng replaced Belhadj but still they
came under pressure, with Diamanti's shot deflecting off Steve Finnan and
saved superbly by Asmir Begovic.
Diamanti tried to test Begovic on the hour with an audacious lob,
dispatching the ball from just inside the Portsmouth area, but it flew just
over the bar. At the other end another, substitute Kevin-Prince Boateng
slipped the ball around Robert Green but succeeded only in finding the side
netting. West Ham have shown a tendency to throw away leads and as the game
progressed so they became nervous - Piquionne forced Green into a crucial
save late on - but they actually came close four times in the final 10
minutes to a second goal with Collison denied by Begovic, James Tomkins
heading just over, Valon Behrami rolling the ball an inch wide and Kovac
firing just off target. And the pressure paid off when, in the 89th minute,
Jimenez's free kick was headed home powerfully by Kovac.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Battling Franco Boxing clever
Marc Isaacs
The People
West Ham 2 Portsmouth 0
There is something about Portsmouth on Boxing Day which brings out the best
in West Ham. You could sense from Gianfranco Zola's celebrations at the
final whistle that this victory could prove to be the biggest of his
managerial career. West Ham recorded one of their best performances of the
season 12 months ago when they came away from Fratton Park with a 4-1
victory, which helped turn their campaign round and ensured they secured a
top-10 finish. It may not have been the same emphatic scoreline but the
importance of yesterday's result cannot be underestimated as Zola celebrated
a win which saw his side move out of the bottom three and left Pompey rooted
to the foot of the table. A first-half penalty by Alessandro Diamanti and a
late header from Radoslav Kovac handed West Ham only their fourth victory of
the season. After getting their season back on track with a 1-1 draw against
Chelsea last weekend, West Ham's players showed they are fully behind Zola
and are desperate to keep the club in the Premier League.
Despite facing financial turmoil off the pitch and the threat of having to
sell his best players once again in January, Zola believes this result could
prove crucial in his team retaining their top-flight status. Zola said:
"This was a fantastic win. It was a massive result and this was one of my
biggest wins as a manager. I rated this game as a six-pointer and it was so
important for the table. "The boys showed a lot of character and this is a
big boost for everyone. It is a sign that they believe we want to do good
things and they are playing for everyone. We are building something here."
Speculation surrounds the future of England trio Robert Green, Matthew Upson
and Scott Parker. But if West Ham are to stand any chance of beating the
drop, Zola will surely be doing everything to ensure Parker remains at Upton
Park. The former Chelsea midfielder was quality once again and his battling
spirit played a vital role in helping West Ham pick up all three points.
Zola added: "You cannot measure the importance of having Scott in the team.
I feel lucky to have a player like him. He has so much enthusiasm and is a
leader by example."
Avram Grant must wish he had a player like Parker in his side and should
have strong concerns over Portsmouth's ability to move out of the bottom
three following this latest setback. Portsmouth looked to have got their
season back on track with a 2-0 win over Liverpool last week, but they
failed to produce the same form and will now lose four key players to the
African Cup of Nations. Aruna Dindane, Nadir Belhadj, Kanu and Hassan Yebda
will jet off to the tournament in Angola which leaves the Portsmouth squad
extremely light at such a crucial stage of the season. Grant is still unsure
if he can bring any new players into the club with the current transfer
embargo at Fratton Park, but will find out this week if the punishment will
be lifted. He said: "I think we deserved something from this game. We
dominated the second half but lost. "I think we showed last week that we can
win games so anything is possible. I won't change my mind about our
prospects. We want to make the team stronger and I will find out this week
if that will be possible."
Despite a nervy start from both teams, West Ham opened the scoring on 23
minutes when the ball fell to Luis Jimenez, who was brought down in the area
by Hayden Mullins.
Diamanti scored from the penalty spot against Chelsea last weekend and again
he made no mistake, firing the ball past Asmir Begovic. Jack Collison had a
golden chance to double the home side's lead on the stroke of half-time but
he fired wide. Pompey looked a different team after the interval and the
introduction of Kevin-Prince Boateng gave them a different dimension. But
West Ham defended for their lives and wrapped up a crucial victory right on
full-time when Kovac powered an unstoppable header past Begovic.
Outstanding display. If all players show same commitment, the Hammers will
have no problems staying up.
West Ham: Green 6 - Faubert 6, Upson 6, Tomkins 6, Ilunga 6 - *PARKER 9,
Kovac 7- Collison 5, Noble 6 (Jimenez, 16mins, 6), Diamanti 8 (Behrami,
71mins, 7) - Franco 7.
Portsmouth: Begovic 7 - Finnan 6, Kaboul 7, Ben-Haim 7, Hreidarsson 6 -
Mullins 6, Brown 6 (Utaka, 78mins, 6), *O'HARA 7, Belhadj 5 (Boateng,
45mins, 7) - Dindane 5 (Kanu, 54mins, 6), Piquionne 6.
Referee: Lee Probert 7
Shocker Dindane Failed to have any impact. Taken off at half-time and must
fear for his place after the African Cup of Nations
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
GIANFRANCO ZOLA: WEST HAM ARE LUCKY TO HAVE SCOTT PARKER
Daily Star
27th December 2009 By Colin Mafham
West Ham 2 Portsmouth 0
Gianfranco Zola has had some heady moments in his time but this one was up
there with the best of them. Okay, so the match was a long way off a classic
but the result Radoslav Kovac's last-gasp header gave him and West Ham was
incalculable. It took them out of the bottom three and set them up for
tomorrow's clash with arch-rivals Tottenham. No wonder the little Italian
wore the smile of a man who had got all his Christmas presents on Boxing
Day. "That was our biggest win for so many reasons," he said.
It was massive."
Then he hailed the midfield general who made it all possible. Zola said he
couldn't measure the importance to his team of man-of-the match Scott
Parker. "He is a leader by example and I feel lucky to have someone like him
in my team." He also singled out Czech international Kovac, who capped his
best display of the season with that dramatic last-minute goal. "He was
absolutely outstanding," said Zola. "In our last two games he has been
incredible. "Now we can go into the Tottenham game with a bit more
security."
But any talk of the season of goodwill soon went out of the window very
early. It was too important for that. Pompey's Aruna Dindane and Michael
Brown received Christmas cards of a different kind before Brown handed West
Ham a gift-wrapped lead. With a little help from Hayden Mullins he sent
Luis Jimenez fl ying in the box Parker set him up. That apart, it was a
Boxing Day battle without any punch. The second half started better and
West Ham might have wrapped it up but Pompey keeper Asmir Begovic stretched
to tip Alessandro Diamanti's deflected shot round the post. At the other
end Robert Green dived at the feet of Frederic Piquionne to deny the
Frenchman a rare chance. And rare was the operative word. To be honest,
Pompey kicked a lot more than they created.
Except, that is, for one piece of attacking quality which Piquionne
produced late on. He brought the ball down on his chest, skipped past two
defenders and finished off with a shot that was well worth a goal but wasn't
good enough to beat Green. It should have been all over soon after- wards
when Begovic brilliantly saved from Collison, then watched helplessly as
Valon Behrami's shot shaved the post. West Ham deserved a goal then, if only
as a reward for the peach of a pass Parker supplied. But they didn't have to
wait long the goal that sealed it. With two minutes to go sub Jimenez took a
leaf out of Parker's book with a super free-kick that Kovac headed
powerfully home. Game over. Pompey boss Avram Grant looked even glummer
than usual as he faces an even steeper uphill battle from the bottom of the
league. Grant also revealed that he will learn this week if the transfer
embargo on the club will be lifted and whether he With a little help from
Hayden Mullins he sent Luis Jimenez flying in the box the club will be
lifted and whether he will have the funds to strengthen his squad. "The
squad is okay but we need to be stronger he said."
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Mark Noble feeling 'hurt' over relegation fight but vows to lead West Ham to
safety
Published 23:00 26/12/09 By Steve Stammers Exclusive
The Mirror
West Ham have always been and always will be Mark Noble's club. So he makes
no excuses for feeling the pain of the Hammers' relegation fight more than
most in the dressing room, even though they boosted their bid to stay up
with a vital 2-0 home win over Portsmouth yesterday. "It hurts," said Noble,
who limped off yesterday with a hamstring injury that is almost certain to
rule him out of tomorrow's match at Tottenham. "Every day I think about it,
I can't have a moment's rest. Yes, it has been a tough, tough three or four
months for us." There are distractions that help to ease the pressure of the
battle to stay in the Premier League, notably his nine-month-old daughter
Honey. "That does put things in perspective," said Noble, only 22 but
already the longest-serving player at the club. "But my job is to help West
Ham get up the table and that is bound to be on your mind. "We are not where
we want to be with the manager we have and the players we have got. We just
shouldn't be there. "You try not to take it home. You want to go home, see
the baby and not be in a miserable mood. You want to be happy but sometimes
you can't. That only comes when you win and, quite simply, we have got to
get back to basics and put points on the board."
The manager Noble respects so highly is Gianfranco Zola. The Italian has
made it clear he will not abandon the club's principles and that is music to
the ears of Noble. "We haven't got the players to just go back-to-front and
win headers," he said. "We got praise for the way we played last season and
we have actually played as well this season. But things just haven't gone
our way. We have been ahead in games like Hull, Fulham and Sunderland and
not won. We didn't deserve to lose to Liverpool. "If we had those points we
would we well away from the bottom. But it is important that we look forward
to the games ahead, not what has gone. And we will continue playing our way.
"The manager is never going to make us boot the ball up the field. The
dressing room is fine, no problem. We train well every day. But we know we
have to tighten up. I mean, we were beating Burnley 5-0 and then let in
three goals in the last five minutes. Then you get a boo when you leave the
field! "You think you are going to have to score five goals to win a game!
There is no doubt in my mind, though, that we can get out of this. No doubt
- not with the players we have. And we know we have to buck up our ideas.
We are going to have to stand up, every one of us."
If there is one source of encouragement Noble can rely on, it is his dad
Mark Snr. It was thanks to him that Noble, before he had reached the age of
16, had played for various school and district teams at venues like Stamford
Bridge, Old Trafford and Wembley. "When you join an academy like I did at
West Ham, they say, 'We don't want you playing for other teams like the
school'. My dad said if I could not play for the school, I was not playing
for West Ham! "I remember him saying there is no way I would say, 'I can't
play for the school because I am at West Ham'. He has always supported me
and let me do what I wanted where football is concerned. "You get parents
these days who, if their kid is in the Under-8's, think they are going to be
superstars. He let me do what I enjoyed. I really appreciate that."
Mark Noble is a supporter of the Richard House Children's Hospice – an
official charity of West Ham United. It was one of the places visited this
week by the West Ham first-team squad as part of their annual Christmas
visits. To donate to Richard House, please go to www.richardhouse.org.uk
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West Ham 2-0 Portsmouth match report: The Sunday Mirror verdict
Published 06:00 27/12/09 By Steve Stammers
Gianfranco Zola was in no doubt. "This," the West Ham manager said, "was a
massive win. "I always rated this as a six-point game. It was important for
the table, for morale and for the crowd – for so many things." He didn't use
the word survival – and arguably it would have been the most relevant of
all. This was far from a classic. West Ham are bereft of players because of
injury and short of money to replace them during next month's transfer
window. Portsmouth appear bereft of ideas. They have assembled a squad that
will be hit by the loss of a quartet for the African Nations Cup – Hassan
Yebda and Nadir Belhadj to Algeria, Aruna Dindane to the Ivory Coast and
Kanu to Nigeria. Manager Avram Grant hopes the transfer embargo imposed on
the club by the Premier League will be lifted this week. The League's bottom
club need re-inforcements as soon as possible if they are to stay among the
elite. Grant clearly has a major job on his hands. "I don't know yet if I
will be buying players," he said. "I will know more during the week."
With a revived Arsenal at Fratton Park on Wednesday night, Grant needs help
sooner rather than later. At the moment, Portsmouth do not have the quality
to stay up. The win eight days ago against an imploding Liverpool and,
before that, three points from a Burnley outfit who panic when they are
outside their own city limits merely camouflage their problems. Zola can
look forward with a tad more confidence. He has a central midfield axis in
Radoslav Kovac and Scott Parker who, in tandem, could be a Duracell advert.
They chase, they harry, they close down, they score. It was the Czech Kovac
who allayed East End fears with a second goal two minutes from time. The
celebration combined both joy and relief. Even the substitutes sprinted from
the bench to join in. And Zola admitted: "I was more delighted than him. In
our situation this has to be one of the biggest wins of the season."
Any genuine football fan wants Zola to succeed. He has stayed true to
traditions of the club, no matter what restrictions have been put on him by
the uncertainty at Upton Park. "And that won't change," he insisted. What he
needed yesterday was an early break. What he got was another injury when
Mark Noble was forced to off after 15 minutes with a hamstring strain that
rules him out of tomorrow's White Hart Lane clash. Aruna Dindane and the
combative Michael Brown did their best to ensure Scott Parker joined him
with shuddering fouls. But Parker stayed strong – as did West Ham. And after
22 minutes, they went ahead with a penalty that was beyond dispute. Luis
Jimenez – the replacement for Noble – was hacked down by Hayden Mullins and
Alessandro Diamanti drilled the spot-kick past the impressive Bosnian
goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. "That was the ninth against us this season," said
Grant with some scepticism. The answer to that is simple – advise his
defenders against kicking opponents four foot into the air in the box. The
advantage should have been doubled on the stroke of half-time but James
Collison shot wide after an excellent run from Parker. Portsmouth revived in
the second half when Kevin Boateng replaced the ineffective Belhadj and
Jamie O'Hara – by some distance Portsmouth's most dangerous outfield player
– had an ally. O'Hara is on loan from Tottenham and Portsmouth want to keep
him for the rest of the season. Good idea. But while they were on the back
foot for long periods in the second half, West Ham always threatened on the
break and two minutes from time Kovac nodded in Jimenez's curling free-kick
to secure the points.
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Liverpool planning to offload trio to fund moves for Carlton Cole and Victor
Moses
Published 23:00 26/12/09 By Jeremy Butler
The Mirror
Liverpool hope to offload Ryan Babel, Andrei Voronin and Andrea Dossena in
the transfer window to free up cash for new signings. Boss Rafael Benitez is
hoping to move the trio on after fielding calls for the stars in recent
weeks. Babel is wanted by Bayern Munich, Dossena by Napoli and Voronin is
interesting Panathinaikos, although Liverpool will have to take a hit on the
£18million they splashed out to land the internationals. Benitez wants the
money to fund moves for West Ham frontman Carlton Cole and Palace winger
Victor Moses. He said: "We know at this time that we have to manage the
squad and try and do some changes in the transfer window. "Normally, players
that are not playing will be looking at other options, especially with a
World Cup coming up. "There has been interest in some of our players."
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GIANFRANCO ZOLA'S CUDDLE AFTER SIX
West Ham 2 Portsmouth 0
News Of The World
By Rob Shepherd, 26/12/2009
GIANFRANCO ZOLA greeted the final whistle with a clenched fist and a cuddle
for every single player as they strutted off the pitch. A Boxing Day win
over the bottom club would not normally cause such elation, even at Upton
Park. But Zola's reaction emphasised this was a real six-pointer for a West
Ham side who finally seem to have woken up to the reality they are involved
in a relegation battle. The delighted Hammers boss admitted: "It was a
massive win... trust me. Thanks for reminding me it is only our fourth win
but, yes, this was our biggest of the season. "We went into this seeing it
as a six-pointer. It gives us a bit of security going into our next few
games."
The Hammers had started the match just one place and one point above Pompey,
so the win not only widened that gap to four points but also meant Zola's
side moved out of the bottom three. On the back of last week's stoic 1-1
draw against Chelsea, one could sense Zola feels a renewed sense of belief
after two dire defeats against Birmingham and Bolton had left the Hammers
boss admitting he would consider anything, even recruiting a sports shrink,
to turn around the club's season. Instead, good old-fashioned team spirit
and flashes of skill in key moments saw the Hammers respond to what was
becoming a crisis. Even fancy dan forwards Guillermo Franco and Alessandro
Diamanti showed stomach for the fight by getting stuck in, as well as
offering some sublime touches. The heartbeat of the Hammers side, though,
was midfield anchormen Scott Parker and Radoslav Kovac. Despite the blow of
losing Mark Noble early on, West Ham seized control after a tentative start
with Parker and Kovac the driving force. They took the lead in the 23rd
minute when sheer weight of traffic forced Pompey into conceding their ninth
penalty of the season. Parker caused panic in the Portsmouth box as he
surged forward and although Franco's shot was blocked, Noble's replacement
Luis Jimenez pounced on the loose ball and was brought down by a combination
of Michael Brown and Hayden Mullins as he shaped to shoot from 10 yards.
Diamanti stroked home the spot-kick with the same aplomb as he had done
against Chelsea to chalk up his third goal in three games. It was West Ham's
seventh penalty of the season, all converted, the most in the Premier League
so far. And they ought to have gone into the break with a more comfortable
cushion.
In stoppage time Parker did superbly to reach the line and pull it back to
Jack Collison but from 10 yards out he shot tamely wide. But the game then
changed. Pompey boss Avram Grant took off Nadir Belhadj, one of four Pompey
players heading for the African Nations Cup, and replaced him with
Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has not been called up by Ghana. Boateng did not
start because he was suffering with a virus. It certainly did not seem to
affect him. After Asmir Begovic had tipped over a deflected Diamanti shot,
West Ham suddenly found themselves under the cosh as Boateng made one
surging run after another. Along with Jamie O'Hara, he posed serious
questions of a Hammers defence where Matthew Upson had another unconvincing
game. But Pompey lacked penetration up front. In the 69th minute Boateng did
manage to nick the ball around Robert Green but ran out of ground and shot
into the side-netting from an acute angle. And a couple of minutes later
lively frontman Frederic Piquionne beat Upson and James Tomkins but fired
wide from the edge of the area. Zola urged his team to wind things up again
and Parker rallied the troops as he made tackles, passes and probing runs.
The Hammers cannot afford to sell HIM in the transfer window.
As Pompey ran out of ideas the Hammers had a late surge and in the last
minute Kovac met a Jimenez free-kick with a near-post bullet header, much to
Zola's relief. David Gold and David Sullivan, who still hope to buy the
club, were in an Upton Park box yesterday and Air Asia owner Tony Fernandes,
another possible investor, also watched the game. And they will have seen a
team with a renewed sense of optimism, providing not too many top players
are sold next month. Grant will not know if can spend on any new talent
until a decision is made on Pompey's current transfer embargo in the next
few days. Despite their recent revival, things are starting to look grim.
This time last year West Ham beat Pompey 4-1 at Fratton Park, a performance
which gave their season new momentum and pulled them well awy from the drop
zone. Zola is hoping yesterday's win will prove another springboard for
survival.
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FRANCO TARGETS WEST HAM STAY
NOTW
26/12/2009
GUILLERMO FRANCO wants to commit his long-term future to West Ham. The
striker, 33, has finally settled in at Upton Park after agreeing a one- year
deal from Villarreal in September. The Mexico international says he has
fallen in love with the Boleyn faithful and hopes to sign a new contract.
Franco, who has three goals so far, said: "I hope things go well and I can
stay here longer. I'm enjoying the football and the great support we have.
It was a wish of mine to come and experience English football. I'd come
previously with Villarreal to play in the Champions League and seeing the
atmosphere, the supporters, the style of football, it was something I was
excited about. "I'm delighted to be here.
"It's not easy for a player to come to the English league and adapt quickly
and win a starting place but I feel happy." "I'm feeling physically strong
and that's helped me. I'm playing matches so things are going very well
personally. Hopefully there will be more to come."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HAMMERS' SELL-BY DATE IS NEARLY UP
NOTW
By Rob Shepherd, 26/12/2009
DAVID GOLD and David Sullivan will pull the plug on West Ham takeover talks
on January 7. The club's agents, Rothschild Bank, have been made aware that
if a deal isn't agreed by then the pair will pull out. The two Davids have
made it clear that for the Hammers to have any chance of Premiers League -
and therefore financial survival - they have to get players in next month's
transfer window. A highly-placed Upton Park source said: "David Gold wanted
to end things on Christmas Day but given the business hours difficulties at
this time of the year he's been persuaded to extend the deadline. "Both men
want to give Gianfranco Zola the chance to bring in the players who can lift
the club away from the relegation zone and they know from their days at
Birmingham how difficult that can be. "If they not have taken control by the
7th they know it will be nearly impossible to get anything done and they
aren't going to preside over a club that is heading for financial disaster
in the Championship!"
Both men are huge admirers of Zola and his future will be entirely secure
under the pair who will hand him an £8million transfer market kitty.
However, they are insistent that if the current feet dragging continues they
will pull out of talks which have now been going on for between two and
three months Seventy two year old Gold in particular is deeply frustrated at
the lack of urgency in negotiations but has been persuaded to "hang in
there" until the seventh. Said the source: "The two are aware that they are
now the only show in town and that the other interested groups have pulled
out."
Talks between the two sides continued until late on Christmas Eve and will
recommence tomorrow morning. And a source close to negotiations told Sport
of the World: "If I was a gambling man I'd bet on Gold and Sullivan getting
control. I'd say things are about 60-40 in their favour. "There are two
answers to the West Ham situation now - a Gold/Sullivan takeover or the
Icelandics remaining in charge, following the suspension of their debts,
until next September. "The one certain thing is that the pair will NOT up
their bid from the £46m they have tabled. That too has been made crystal
clear. "The Icelandics now have a dilemma. They gamble on things improving
at a time when all interest is evaporating, apart from Gold or Sullivan, or
trouser the £20 million up front payment they have been offered and get
out."
And the source added: "The truth of it all is they are lucky to have anyone
interested. This club is not des res and were it not for the fact that David
Gold in particular is a Hammers fanatic who was boen across Green Street
there would be nothing but a total financial disaster facing the current
owners. "However, Gold is becoming increasingly annoyed and if he sees no
real progress over the next few days is certain to pull out."
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