Monday, January 12

Daily WHUFC News - II 12th January 2009

Behrami's high expectations
WHUFC.com
Despite it being a 'good moment' for West Ham United, Valon Behrami is
aiming even higher
12.01.2009

Valon Behrami admitted to having mixed emotions after West Ham United fought
out an entertaining 2-2 Premier League draw at Newcastle United.

The Switzerland midfielder was his usual effervescent self as the Hammers
recovered from a goal down to lead 2-1, only for Andy Carroll's 78th-minute
header to deny them a second consecutive away victory. Afterwards, Behrami
said he and his team-mates had ultimately been left disappointed not to
secure three points at St James' Park.

"It was a strange game because we lost the first half one-nil and won the
second half two-one. I think the emotion I felt when the game was finished
was disappointment because we could have won the game. If we had won, we
would have been in a very, very good position. I think we showed the right
mentality but we should not be happy with this result."

Michael Owen had given the Magpies a 19th-minute lead before Gianfranco
Zola's side struck back through superbly taken goals from Craig Bellamy and
Carlton Cole - the fourth consecutive match in which the 25-year-old had
scored. However, Carroll's late intervention denied the visitors a point.

While in the past West Ham United might have been happy with a point on
Tyneside, the Hammers went north on a run of five away matches undefeated
and full of confidence. As a result, the 23-year-old admitted he and his
team-mates felt they had missed an opportunity to win at Newcastle for the
first time since 1998.

"I think this is a good moment for us. Everybody gave their all to get the
result. Maybe we would have been happier with this point earlier in the
season but we had a lot of opportunities to close the game so we are little
bit disappointed. We have to carry on doing what we are doing and we'll be
OK.

"In the first half we were thinking if we could draw it would be OK but
after half-time we wanted the three points. We had the chances to win the
game. We have to improve."

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Walker to stay with Colchester
WHUFC.com
Jimmy Walker has agreed to extend his loan deal with Colchester United for a
further month
12.01.2009

Jimmy Walker has extended his loan spell at Colchester United for an
additional month.

The 35-year-old goalkeeper will now stay with the League One side until the
middle of February and could feature in tonight's game with MK Dons at
stadium:mk.

Walker has made six appearances so far for Paul Lambert's side, helping them
to four wins in that time. The Us currently sit eleventh in the League One
table, ten points off a play-off place.

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Zola excited for the future
WHUFC.com
A chance to go five matches unbeaten and move up the league standngs will
fire Gianfranco Zola this week
12.01.2009

Gianfranco Zola has already turned his thoughts back to the training ground
and another busy week ahead of the visit of Fulham this Sunday.

After a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United at the weekend, a home win in front of
the Sky cameras next Sunday could move the club into a lofty eighth position
and the manager will be pushing his team to match the form shown of late.
"The quality the players are producing right now is quite high," said Zola.
"If you look at the first 15 minutes of the second half against Newcastle,
we were excellent.

"Obviously you can't pretend to be able to play like in those first 15
minutes [at St James' Park] throughout the game - it is impossible. But, I
think we can still improve in certain things. We are working hard, we are
improving every week as a team and as individuals. We are getting to where
we want but we can still do more."

That Zola's team is playing with freedom is emphasised by the form of the
"on fire" Carlton Cole and Craig Bellamy. The former has scored in each of
his last four games in all competitions while the latter has four goals from
his last three away outings. The manager is delighted to see such scoring
streaks but, in encouraging his men to express themselves further, is eager
to also see a defensive focus.

"Sometimes we get carried away by the enthusiasm of going forward and
scoring that sometimes we concede something [at the back]. But trust me this
team can play even better. I can tell you we can produce the football like
we did in the first 15 minutes of the second half at Newcastle for even
longer. I have confidence in my players.

"They were determined to win, they wanted to win. In the end, I had to keep
some of them from running forward. It is positive though, it means they want
to win. They are determined to improve, they are willing to do everything to
get the team to a high level. It is a fantastic thing for a manager to see."

Other positives at the weekend were the successful returns to action for
Lucas Neill, Matthew Upson, Valon Behrami and Scott Parker - while the likes
of Jonathan Spector, James Tomkins, Julien Faubert, Walter Lopez, Kieron
Dyer, Freddie Sears and Diego Tristan are all itching to get involved. Some
will play for the reserves at Aston Villa on Tuesday with the aim of facing
Fulham

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Ex-footballer sentenced for fight
BBC.co.uk

Former footballer Frank McAvennie has been given a four-month suspended jail
sentence for fighting outside a bar in the Isle of Man. McAvennie, 48, of
Newcastle, head-butted a man outside the Aperitivo wine bar in Douglas, in
July last year. The former Scotland, Celtic and West Ham United striker was
on the island to take part in a Manchester United versus Liverpool legends
charity match. McAvennie admitted affray, at a hearing at The High Bailiffs'
Court in Douglas. The court heard McAvennie asked security guards to remove
local man Ian Moffitt, 23, from the bar as he felt threatened by him.
Mr Moffitt and McAvennie were involved in an altercation earlier in the day
and met again in the bar. Sgt John Manley told the court the two men then
clashed on the street "first with words, then pushing each other and
throwing ineffectual punches" before McAvennie head-butted Mr Moffitt.
Jerry Carter, defending, said the former sports star, who is now a football
agent, had not intended violence and was provoked. He said: "These are not
the actions of someone who was out looking for trouble, but someone who felt
he was on the horns of a dilemma and was trying to deal with it."

'Regret and remorse'

High Bailiff Michael Moyle sentenced McAvennie to four months in prison,
suspended for a period of two years, ordered him to pay court costs of
£113.70. Passing sentence, Mr Moyle, said: "I know people may say things
that rile you or upset you due to your status as a footballer, and I'm
afraid that's the price you have to pay for fame. "I'm sentencing you to
four months with a suspension of two years. "I'm not ordering you to be
expelled from the island because it's clear you have shown regret and
remorse and you feel you have let your associates down and want to make
recompense."

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Boa Morte unaware of Tigers interest
Hammers wide man denies Hull City contact
Last updated: 12th January 2009
SSN

West Ham midfielder Luis Boa Morte is unaware of reported interest from Hull
City, according to his agent. The Portuguese wide man has been strongly
linked with a switch to the KC Stadium in the January transfer window,
having struggled for regular football at Upton Park. Tigers boss Phil Brown
is in the market for a left-sided player and has conceded his admiration for
the 31-year-old. Both clubs, however, are insistent that no agreement has
been reached. Amadeu Paixao, the former Portugal international's agent,
said: "We have read in the newspapers that Hull are interested but we don't
know anything about it. This club we do not know. "Nobody has contacted us
to allow Hull to talk to us, nothing has been said to us."
The Hammers are thought to be keen to offload some of their fringe players
to reduce both the wage bill and size of Gianfranco Zola's squad.
Boa Morte, who moved to West Ham in a £5million switch from Fulham in 2007,
would not appear to be keen to quit the East End. Paixao added: "He has
never mentioned that he wants to leave West Ham. He has a house near the
training ground, a wife and two kids. He is very happy there."

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Hammers reject new Bellamy bid
City have improved offer for striker turned down
Last updated: 12th January 2009
SSN

West Ham have rejected an improved offer for striker Craig Bellamy from
Premier League rivals Manchester City. Sky Sports News chief news reporter
Bryan Swanson understands City's second bid was for £9million. But Hammers
chief executive Scott Duxbury maintains the club do not need to sell their
best players during the winter transfer window. City boss Mark Hughes
confirmed on Thursday that an initial bid for Bellamy and Hammers team-mate
Scott Parker had been turned down. The Eastlands club, backed by the
financial muscle of owners the Abu Dhabi United Group, have since returned
with an enhanced package for the Wales international. But the Upton Park
club are determined to retain the services of their star striker and have
again rebuffed the approach from the North West. Bellamy was on target for
West Ham in their 2-2 draw at Newcastle on Saturday and is an integral
member of Gianfranco Zola's plans. Hughes has money to spend in the transfer
window and has already bolstered his squad with the arrival of full-back
Wayne Bridge from Chelsea. Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz is also a
confirmed target for City, but Rovers are unwilling to part with the
Paraguay international.

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Walker extends Us stay
Veteran goalkeeper stays for another month
Last updated: 12th January 2009
SSN

Veteran goalkeeper Jimmy Walker has extended his loan stay with Colchester
for an additional month. The 35-year-old's initial spell from West Ham
expired on Saturday, but the League One club have agreed an extension until
the middle of February. Walker will now be available for Monday night's
League One clash with MK Dons, which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 and
HD1. The former Walsall man made six appearances during his first month with
the Us, helping the club to victories over Leyton Orient, Brighton, Leeds
and Northampton. With Rob Green established as the No.1 at Upton Park and
Jan Lastuvka and Marek Stech available as back-up, Gianfranco Zola was happy
to let the shot-stopper depart.
After the MK Dons clash, Walker will be available for the games against
Cheltenham, Bristol Rovers, Northampton, Carlisle, Millwall and Stockport.
Paul Lambert's side are currently 11th in the League One table, 10 points
adrift of the play-off places.

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No time for bad Egg
Pardew reflects on his difficult final few months at West Ham
Last updated: 11th January 2009
SSN

Alan Pardew told Goals on Sunday that he had no respect for former West Ham
chairman Eggert Magnusson and that his exit was the best thing to ever
happen to the club. Pardew managed West Ham from 2003 until 2006 and enjoyed
some notable successes during his time at Upton Park, including taking the
club to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2005 and guiding them to the
FA Cup Final in 2006. But following a takeover by an Icelandic consortium,
led by Magnusson at the start of the 2006/07 season, Pardew left the club
and he now admits he had "no relationship" with the Icelandic businessman.
Pardew told Goals on Sunday that Magnusson had unrealistic expectations and
ideas about transfer policy and his subsequent departure was a good thing
for West Ham. He said: "The big problem of course at West Ham was when
Eggert came in, who I had no respect for and no relationship with. "That was
never going to end or start well. "He never showed me much respect to be
honest. He kept wanting to buy eight different positions, but the first time
I spoke to him I said I didn't really need that many. "He wanted to buy the
world. I thought he was a bit naive and the best thing to happen to West Ham
is that he's no longer there. "I just feel at that time he was not really
understanding how it worked."
Pardew said the takeover, which took place during the club's second season
back in the Premier League, unsettled everybody at the club and was one of
the reasons why they flirted with relegation that year. "In our second year
in the Premiership, which is always a tricky year, we had a takeover and it
really caused havoc to be honest. "It unsettles you. Everybody becomes wary
of their position. Is the manager still going to be here? Are the players
and the staff going to change? Everyone gets a little bit nervous. "I've had
three takeovers in my managerial career, which isn't particularly long. The
first part of the West Ham takeover was slightly contrived because Carlos
Tevez and Javier Mascherano were involved."
The signings of Tevez and Mascherano have certainly caused plenty of
controversy and Pardew admitted that their arrivals caused problems for him
in terms of team selection. He said he wanted to sign players in other
positions, but was unable to do so because of the takeover, and felt the
arrival of Tevez and Mascherano complicated things further at the club. He
continued: "Up until that point we hadn't signed anybody in that window and
I was getting very concerned. There were two or three positions I really
wanted to fill. "The board were obviously wanting the club to be taken over
and I was not aware of some of the conversations that were going on at that
time. "At the end of the window I was told there was a chance of getting
these two world-class players, but not in the positions I particularly
wanted to fill if I'm totally honest. "But I wasn't going to turn down the
opportunity to manage two players I'd watched in the World Cup that summer.
I was going to bring them in. "We didn't actually fill the positions I
wanted to. We had a weakness in the squad that unfortunately came out to
play massively as the season progressed. "Those two players were absolutely
outstanding but Tevez hadn't played for eight months because of a ban and a
problem at his former club and they were both not quite ready. "We tried to
introduce them, I think there was a bit of animosity and we had takeovers.
It was a very complicated situation. "They weren't expecting to play. I have
to say they were both brilliant professionals in their time at West Ham.
"But every time I introduced them unfortunately nothing really worked for us
and it didn't kick on, which was a shame. "Tevez did show, especially
towards the end, what he was all about. He played a big, big part in saving
them from relegation."
The controversy over the legality of those signings refuses to die down and
this week the FA and the Premier League revealed they are to launch a fresh
inquiry into the affair. Pardew says he was not party to the contract
negotiations, but feels the situation should have been dealt with by now. He
added: "That's a nonsense because that was dealt with. In all honesty it
should be dead and buried now. "It all sounds so ridiculous. Something went
on there that no-one really has got to the bottom of and this money
situation which is supposed to be transferred from West Ham to Sheffield
United, how are they going to agree on that? "I've not been party to the
contract situation that was there. I always felt that as part of West Ham,
which I was at that time, I had some responsibility for that. "But I wasn't
party to those decisions and I'm still not. I still haven't seen those
contracts so I wouldn't know in all honesty."

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Marseille ready to buy West Ham star
Monday 12 January 2009 - 15:20:44
http://footylatest.com

Olympique Marseille appear to be poise to sign West Ham's Julien Faubert,
after the player had expressed his will to move back to the French Ligue 1.
The 25 year old winger started his career with Cannes in 2002, appearing in
45 league games, before he switched to Bordeaux in 2004. He was also capped
internationally once in 2006. Having played 96 league games for Le
Girondins, Faubert switched sides in 2007 joining the Hammers, and has
played in 25 EPL games for them since. The Frenchman announced: "I am happy
that Olympique are interested in me. My dream is to play again for my
national team and play the World Cup and I think that playing in France
could help me"

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Could you forgive West Ham fans for thinking there is some sort of curse?
Posted by: TF90M , on Mon 12 Jan 2009
Footballfancast.com

West Ham United. Three times winners of the FA Cup and former holders of the
European Cup Winners Cup. According to their fans they even won the World
Cup with their players Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and of course the late,
great Bobby Moore playing key roles in England's 'sixty-six' success. Many
more legendary players have since donned the famous claret and blue strip...
Bonds, Brooking and Di Canio to name just a few.

Recently dubbed a 'feeder club', the West Ham Academy has produced such
young English talent as Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Joe
Cole and Jermain Defoe. Relegated in 2003, Championship football beckoned
for West Ham and additionally those Premiership clubs capable of flexing
financial muscle circled their star players, worsening the fall for the
London side. Despite quickly bouncing back and finishing runners-up to
Liverpool in a pulsating FA Cup Final, ever since injuries, transfer
regulations and financial problems have continuously struck blows to the
club. Though what is this curse that continually hits West Ham United?

Fighting for their survival once again during the 2006-07 season, this time
the Hammers survived with Argentinean Carlos Tevez hailed as the saviour.
Tevez popped up to score the Irons' winner against Manchester United - his
employers now - on the last day of the season saving West Ham and instead
condemning Sheffield United to the dreaded drop. However after a substantial
investigation, West Ham were found to have breached Premier League rules
when they signed Tévez and fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano from
Corinthians. Their punishment extended to a £5.5 million fine, though to
Sheffield United's dismay, West Ham escaped without a points deduction. With
the case still being disputed, the Yorkshire club are seeking £30 million
from the Hammers to compensate for money lost when they were relegated from
the Premier League. With a full trial scheduled for this year, it appears
likely West Ham will be summoned to pay a large sum of money for 'damages'.

With this payout looming on the horizon, the credit crunch couldn't have
come at a worst time. Having already lost their shirt sponsors XL, after the
travel company went bust, West Ham's financial situation is in crisis with
Chairman Björgólfur Guðmundsson losing his investments in the Icelandic
bank, Landbanksi, after it entered adminstration. Speaking publicly about
the situation following the Icelandic bank collapse, Guðmundsson, a keen
football fan, said that he would be listening to any offers made by other
companies around the world to buy West Ham United Football Club.

Many cited that the financial woes for West Ham were initiated by previous
Chairman Eggert Magnússon, who overindulged in the summer of 2007 when the
team agreed sky-high wages for some players who then didn´t live up to
expectations. The purchases included Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy, Freddie
Ljungberg and Julien Faubert. All who have since also been sidelined for
long periods of time due to sustaining injuries. Dyer broke his leg, Bellamy
underwent operations on his knee and groin, Ljungberg suffered various ankle
problems and Faubert ruptured his Achilles tendon during a pre-season
friendly.

Whilst Ljungberg has since departed and Bellamy searches for an exit,
Faubert has become a first team regular. Dyer's return from his 17 month
lay-off was delayed until last week due to the flu, though as the forgotten
man of English football perhaps manager Gianfranco Zola can inspire him and
the rest of the squad to play such silky football the Italian used to
produce week in week out. With Zola's men sitting in mid-table, it will be
the former Chelsea man's task to keep the players focused on the pitch and
not the boardroom where many financial dealings will need to be made.

Either West Ham are incredibly unlucky, or the numerous injuries inflicted
and financial problems are the result of a magical curse cast on the Upton
Park team. A Hammers fan commenting on an internet forum sums up the
supporters view perfectly, "Who was it that put the curse on West Ham? Was
it a disgruntled fan? Alan Pardew? or Titi Camara? Perhaps it was you!"

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McLeish confirms Davenport interest
Published: 12/01/2009
Itv.com

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish had revealed Blues approached West Ham over
a possible deal for centre-back Calum Davenport before his move to Bolton
collapsed last week. And he has not ruled out bringing the 26-year-old to St
Andrew's as he looks to bolster the club's promotion charge. "I will have to
pose the question to (managing director) Karren Brady, she had been talking
with West Ham United and we left our proposal with them," McLeish told the
Birmingham Mail. "Whether they now come back to us, that's a possibility."
Birmingham have already been busy in the January transfer market having
sealed loan deals for wingers Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza and
midfielder Lee Bowyer. Midfielders Keith Fahey and Robin Shroot have also
been signed on permanent deals.

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BREAKING NEWS: West Ham Reject Improved Bellamy Bid From Manchester City
Goal.com

Manchester City will have to up their bid if they are to lure Craig Bellamy
away from Upton Park during the January window...
West Ham United have turned down an improved bid from Manchester City,
according to Sky Sports News. The fee is yet to be disclosed by either club,
although a figure of £9 million has been reported. Tottenham were the first
club to act in the winter window but had a £6 million bid rebuffed. Hammers
chiefs are remaining rigid in their stance as they do not want to allow
their best players an exit from the Boleyn Ground.
Craig Bellamy recently got himself on the scoresheet as he found the net in
the 29th minute during the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last Saturday.
Manchester City could be the Welsh international's eighth club after spells
at Norwich; Coventry; Newcastle; Celtic (loan); Blackburn Rovers; Liverpool:
and West Ham. In terms of dedicated articles written about a specific
player, Craig Bellamy's exodus has been the most popular West Ham related
transfer story, with 32 stories printed by the newspaper press since the
close of the summer window to date.

Alan Dawson, Goal.com

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West Ham reject new bid from Manchester City as they step up fight to keep
striker Bellamy
By Laura Williamson
Last updated at 1:01 PM on 12th January 2009
Daily Mail

West Ham have rejected an improved bid from Manchester City for Craig
Bellamy, according to reports. City have already had a double bid for
Bellamy and Scott Parker turned down by the Hammers, who seem determined to
hold on to their key players. Eastlands boss Mark Hughes is believed to have
tabled a £9.5million offer for the Wales striker. Last week Gianfranco Zola
said the Wales striker was one of the players he regarded as 'untouchable',
calling Bellamy 'the perfect professional' and admitting he would be very
difficult to replace. The striker repaid his manager's faith by scoring the
Hammers' first goal in their 2-2 draw away at Newcastle on Saturday.

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James Collins loving life with the Hammers now the good times are back
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 10:40 AM on 12th January 2009
Daily Mail

James Collins is confident West Ham's luck has finally changed on the pitch
– even if they face trouble off it. The defender recovered from a torrid
first half at the hands of Michael Owen at Newcastle on Saturday to help the
Hammers earn a 2-2 draw. The result came after a week which saw West Ham the
subject of a new investigation over the Carlos Tevez affair and more
transfer speculation over key men such as Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker.
But Collins is only focusing on matters on the pitch and said: 'The luck has
changed for us. We had a bit of a bad run a couple of months ago. We just
couldn't get the results to match the way we were playing because we were
performing really well. 'Hopefully, that's long in the past now. We've had
some good results of late and I'd like to think we can continue to climb the
League and progress in the FA Cup.' West Ham were unlucky not to win and go
into Sunday's London derby against Fulham bristling with confidence. 'If we
had come out with three points nobody could have said a word about it
because the performance we put on was excellent,' said Hammers manager
Gianfranco Zola.

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Ask Dr Stupid
Just Like My Dreams

Martin Samuel began his first day of work over at the Mail this morning and
he has already commenced the arduous process of sucking out the anti-West
Ham venom that has poisoned that publication for so long. You never know,
the football segment of the sports section might actually become the first
semi-palatable part of the newspaper ever. It's not a bad start...

With the announcement of a second Premier League investigation, some think
the Carlos Tevez affair is getting stupid. Not quite. The day Lord
Griffiths, 85, decided he could predict and measure in points the precise
impact an individual player had on the football season, it got stupid.

When his panel processed the views expressed in a match report written by
the chief football writer of The Daily Telegraph as if it were fact, not
opinion, stupidity was pretty high on the agenda, too.

Indeed, at the moment when an independent committee first hit West Ham
United with the biggest fine in the history of the Premier League, then
announced they would have done something far worse had only they got their
backsides in gear earlier, the Tevez inquiry pretty much decked common sense
with a flying head-butt.

So to have a further investigation based on the meaning of an oral cuddle
between Scott Duxbury, the West Ham chief executive, and Kia Joorabchian,
owner of Tevez, cannot be classed simply as stupid.

It is post-stupid, in the way some TV shows are described as post-modern
when concerned with ironic self-reference and absurdity.

Indeed, one such post-modern cartoon, the wonderful Ren and Stimpy, made by
Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, actually contained a segment entitled Ask
Dr Stupid, with foolish logic that pre-empted the Tevez inquiry by a good 15
years.

Yet, somehow even a psychotic chihuahua and his idiot fat Manx cat
accomplice never got quite as stupid as this lot.

In keeping with the positive vibe, the same paper suggests Gianfranco Zola
is expected to sign Paraguayans Nelson Amarilla and Juan Aguilar at the end
of their trial. Amarilla, 20, a defender, and Juan Aguilar, 19, a
midfielder, play for Guarani in Paraguay but have had a week of training in
east London. According to the article, the West Ham manager said the club
had yet to make a decision but he thought the Hammers would want them both
to stay. "The project is to make a team capable of a high level," he said.
"We cannot compete by spending £200million so we have to do it through
getting young players. Not all the time we will be looking abroad. We have
good young English players here like Freddie Sears and Mark Noble and we are
trying to improve them.' Fair enough, the quote does not exactly corroborate
the story but who am I to quibble? May the Boleyn reverberate to exuberant
galopas.

Elsewhere Alan Pardew revealed yesterday that he had little or no respect
for former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson and that his exit was the best
thing to ever happen to the club. Following a takeover by an Icelandic
consortium, led by Magnusson at the start of the 2006/07 season, Pardew left
the club and now admits he had "no relationship" with the Icelandic
businessman. Speaking on Goals On Sunday he said Magnusson had unrealistic
expectations and ideas about transfer policy and his subsequent departure
was a good thing for West Ham.

"The big problem of course at West Ham was when Eggert came in, who I had no
respect for and no relationship with," he said. "That was never going to end
or start well. He never showed me much respect to be honest. He kept wanting
to buy eight different positions, but the first time I spoke to him I said I
didn't really need that many. He wanted to buy the world. I thought he was a
bit naive and the best thing to happen to West Ham is that he's no longer
there. I just feel at that time he was not really understanding how it
worked."

Pardew said the takeover, which took place during the club's second season
back in the Premier League, unsettled everybody at the club and was one of
the reasons why they flirted with relegation that year. He recalled: "In our
second year in the Premiership, which is always a tricky year, we had a
takeover and it really caused havoc to be honest. It unsettles you.
Everybody becomes wary of their position. Is the manager still going to be
here? Are the players and the staff going to change? Everyone gets a little
bit nervous. I've had three takeovers in my managerial career, which isn't
particularly long. The first part of the West Ham takeover was slightly
contrived because Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were involved."

The signings of Tevez and Mascherano have certainly caused plenty of
controversy and Pardew admitted that their arrivals caused problems for him
in terms of team selection. He insisted he wanted to sign players in other
positions, but was unable to do so because of the takeover, and felt the
arrival of Tevez and Mascherano complicated things further at the club. He
continued: "Up until that point we hadn't signed anybody in that window and
I was getting very concerned. There were two or three positions I really
wanted to fill. The board were obviously wanting the club to be taken over
and I was not aware of some of the conversations that were going on at that
time. At the end of the window I was told there was a chance of getting
these two world-class players, but not in the positions I particularly
wanted to fill if I'm totally honest. But I wasn't going to turn down the
opportunity to manage two players I'd watched in the World Cup that summer.
I was going to bring them in. We didn't actually fill the positions I wanted
to. We had a weakness in the squad that unfortunately came out to play
massively as the season progressed. Those two players were absolutely
outstanding but Tevez hadn't played for eight months because of a ban and a
problem at his former club and they were both not quite ready. We tried to
introduce them, I think there was a bit of animosity and we had takeovers.
It was a very complicated situation. They weren't expecting to play. I have
to say they were both brilliant professionals in their time at West Ham. But
every time I introduced them unfortunately nothing really worked for us and
it didn't kick on, which was a shame. Tevez did show, especially towards the
end, what he was all about. He played a big, big part in saving them from
relegation."

The controversy over the legality of those signings refuses to die down and
this week the FA and the Premier League revealed they are to launch a fresh
inquiry into the affair. Pardew says he was not party to the contract
negotiations, but feels the situation should have been dealt with by now. He
added: "That's a nonsense because that was dealt with. In all honesty it
should be dead and buried now. It all sounds so ridiculous. Something went
on there that no-one really has got to the bottom of and this money
situation which is supposed to be transferred from West Ham to Sheffield
United, how are they going to agree on that? I've not been party to the
contract situation that was there. I always felt that as part of West Ham,
which I was at that time, I had some responsibility for that. But I wasn't
party to those decisions and I'm still not. I still haven't seen those
contracts so I wouldn't know in all honesty."

On a separate note, and with the world's attention focused on the bloody
conflict in Gaza, it was inevitable that some United related footballer
somewhere would dip his toe into the maelstrom with something other than the
usual bland "let's all pray for peace" schtick. On this occasion it was not
Di Canio or Pa(i)ntsil, but former Hammers sulk-meister Frédéric Kanouté. On
Wednesday, while celebrating a goal against Deportivo La Coruña, he lifted
his jersey to reveal a T-shirt that read "Palestine". Note, observes
Gabriele Marcotti, it didn't read "May my Palestinian brothers drive the
Israelis into the sea" or "Hamas: More Rockets Please" or even just "Free
Palestine". Simply "Palestine". Despite receiving support from Raphael
Schultz, Israel's ambassador to Spain, who said that he did not consider
Kanouté's "gesture as an incitement to violence", the former Hamas (see what
I did there?) striker was fined just under £3,000. Then again, the Spanish
FA had little choice: regulations state that "revealing messages of a
religious or political nature on the pitch is strictly prohibited during the
time of play."

Talking of controversial figures, the Times are reporting Frank McAvennie
has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence after he admitted
fighting outside a bar on the Isle of Man. The ex-Celtic and United striker
head-butted a man outside the Aperitivo wine bar in Loch Promenade, Douglas,
on July 4. The High Bailiffs' Court in Douglas heard that McAvennie asked
security guards to remove local man Ian Moffitt, 23, from the bar as he felt
threatened by him. Sergeant John Manley told the court the two men then
clashed on the street "first with words, then pushing each other and
throwing ineffectual punches" before McAvennie head-butted Mr Moffitt. Ah,
you can take the boy out of Glasgow, but...

McAvennie was on the island to take part in a Manchester United versus
Liverpool legends charity match at the Bowl sports stadium, but missed the
game following his arrest. McAvennie's advocate, Jerry Carter, said the
footballer had not intended violence and was provoked. "The defendant called
security staff to have Mr Moffitt removed, and has accepted that he
over-reacted and used too much force but he clearly felt he was threatened
at the time," he said. "These are not the actions of someone who was out
looking for trouble, but someone who felt he was on the horns of a dilemma
and was trying to deal with it." Michael Moyle, the High Bailiff, sentenced
McAvennie to four months in prison, suspended for a period of two years. He
also ordered him to pay court costs of £113.70, but said he was not to be
permanently excluded from the island.

Back to the current team and midfielder Luis Boa Morte is reportedly unaware
of interest from Hull City, according to his agent. The Portuguese attacker
has been strongly linked with a switch to the KC Stadium in the January
transfer window, having struggled for regular football at Upton Park. Tigers
boss Phil Brown is in the market for a left-sided player and has conceded
his admiration for the 31-year-old. Both clubs, however, are insistent that
no agreement has been reached. Amadeu Paixao, the former Portugal
international's agent, said: "We have read in the newspapers that Hull are
interested but we don't know anything about it. This club we do not know.
Nobody has contacted us to allow Hull to talk to us, nothing has been said
to us."

The Hammers are thought to be keen to offload some of their fringe players
to reduce both the wage bill and size of Gianfranco Zola's squad. Boa Morte,
who moved to West Ham in a £5million switch from Fulham in 2007, would not
appear to be keen to quit the East End. Paixao added: "He has never
mentioned that he wants to leave West Ham. He has a house near the training
ground, a wife and two kids. He is very happy there." Not to mention his
vociferous 30,000 strong fan club that turn up to encourage him every other
week.

Similarly content is Valon Behrami, who admitted to having mixed emotions
after West Ham United fought out an entertaining 2-2 Premier League draw at
Newcastle United. Speaking on the official site, Behrami said he and his
team-mates had ultimately been left disappointed not to secure three points
at St James' Park. "It was a strange game because we lost the first half
one-nil and won the second half two-one. I think the emotion I felt when the
game was finished was disappointment because we could have won the game. If
we had won, we would have been in a very, very good position. I think we
showed the right mentality but we should not be happy with this result."

While in the past West Ham United might have been happy with a point on
Tyneside, the Hammers went north on a run of five away matches undefeated
and full of confidence. As a result, the 23-year-old admitted he and his
team-mates felt they had missed an opportunity to win at Newcastle for the
first time since 1998. "I think this is a good moment for us. Everybody gave
their all to get the result. Maybe we would have been happier with this
point earlier in the season but we had a lot of opportunities to close the
game so we are little bit disappointed. We have to carry on doing what we
are doing and we'll be OK. In the first half we were thinking if we could
draw it would be OK but after half-time we wanted the three points. We had
the chances to win the game. We have to improve."

Finally, as I write this, Sky Sports News are reporting the club have
rejected a renewed offer for Craig Bellamy from Manchester City.
Reassuringly, chief news reporter Bryan Swanson understands City's second
bid was for £9million but Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury still
maintains the club do not need to sell their best players during the winter
transfer window. Given that numerous reports in the media this morning have
variously estimated the players value to be between £10 and £15, that hardly
seems over generous from the Abu Dhabi United Group. Isn't there a striker
in Seville who would be a cheaper, fitter, equally moody but slightly more
politically sympathetic option? And in the meantime, in the words of Phill
Jupitus, if somebody could please close that window, there's a terrible
draught blowing round Upton Park...

Posted by Trilby at 09:57

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers spurn second Bellamy bid
ManchesterEveningNews.co.uk
12/ 1/2009

WEST Ham have turned down an improved Manchester City bid for striker Craig
Bellamy. The Hammers are believed to have spurned a £9million deal for the
Wales international, after refusing the Blues' initial bid last week - when
they also would not entertain an attempt to sign midfielder Scott Parker.
Hammers' chief exexcutive Scott Duxbury has reaffirmed that the club does
not have to sell its best players, and backed his words by turning down
City's latest attempt to reinforce their squad ahead of the January 31
transfer deadline. Bellamy scored for West Ham at Newcastle on Saturday, two
days after City boss Mark Hughes confirmed the Blues' interest in the
player.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boa Morte keen to stay at West Ham as agent denies links with Hull
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 12:54 PM on 12th January 2009
Daily Mail

Hull remain keen on signing Luis Boa Morte from West Ham, even though the
Portuguese midfielder's agent has claimed he is not aware of any interest.
Both clubs last week dismissed reports they had agreed a fee for the former
Arsenal, Southampton and Fulham player but Hull boss Phil Brown has since
admitted he is keen on recruiting the 31-year-old. Brown is looking to add a
left-sided player, and is also keen on Wigan's Kevin Kilbane, but Boa Morte
has not been informed of any approach. Amadeu Paixao, the former Portugal
international's agent, said: "We have read in the newspapers that Hull are
interested but we don't know anything about it. Nobody has contacted us to
allow Hull to talk to us, nothing has been said to us."
The Hammers are thought to be keen to offload some of their fringe players
to reduce both the wage bill and, for practical reasons, the size of
Gianfranco Zola's squad. Boa Morte, who moved to Upton Park for £5million
from Fulham in summer 2007, has struggled to earn a regular starting place
during his time at the club. It remains to be seen, however, how the recent
departures of Matthew Etherington and Lee Bowyer - to Stoke and Birmingham
respectively, the latter on loan - affect his status. Paixao added: "He has
never mentioned that he wants to leave West Ham. He has a house near the
training ground, a wife and two kids. He is very happy there."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former West Ham and Celtic star Frank McAvennie spared jail for head-butting
man in fight
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 1:01 PM on 12th January 2009
Daily Mail

Former Scotland striker Frank McAvennie was given a four-month suspended
jail sentence after he admitted fighting outside a bar on the Isle of Man.
The ex-Celtic and West Ham player head-butted a man outside the Aperitivo
wine bar in Loch Promenade, Douglas, on July 4. The High Bailiffs' Court in
Douglas heard that McAvennie asked security guards to remove local man Ian
Moffitt, 23, from the bar as he felt threatened by him. Sergeant John Manley
told the court that the two men then clashed on the street 'first with
words, then pushing each other and throwing ineffectual punches' before
McAvennie head-butted Mr Moffitt. McAvennie was on the island to take part
in a 'legends' charity match at the Bowl sports stadium, but missed the game
following his arrest. McAvennie's advocate, Jerry Carter, said the
footballer had not intended violence and was provoked. He said: 'The
defendant called security staff to have Mr Moffitt removed, and has accepted
that he over-reacted and used too much force but he clearly felt he was
threatened at the time. 'These are not the actions of someone who was out
looking for trouble, but someone who felt he was on the horns of a dilemma
and was trying to deal with it.' High Bailiff Michael Moyle sentenced
McAvennie to four months in prison, suspended for a period of two years,
ordered him to pay court costs of £113.70 and said he was not to be
permanently excluded from the island.The court heard that Mr Moffitt and
McAvennie were involved in an altercation earlier in the day and met again
in the bar at around 11.30pm. Glasgow-born McAvennie, 48, who now lives in
Newcastle and works as a football agent, tried to employ his usual 'coping
strategy' when faced with difficult fans, but was unable to walk away. Mr
Carter told the court: 'The defendant was a striker with Celtic and West Ham
United, and he was the leading goalscorer in the Premiership at one stage,
and that comes with certain problems. 'Over the years he has had to develop
a coping strategy. He has no previous convictions for assault and I would
ask Your Worship to accept that his strategy is simply not to get involved.'
Passing sentence for affray, Mr Moyle, said: 'I know people may say things
that rile you or upset you due to your status as a footballer, and I'm
afraid that's the price you have to pay for fame. 'It is somewhat ironic
that you used to be a striker: Mr Moffitt might take the view that you still
are. 'I'm sentencing you to four months with a suspension of two years. That
means if you do not commit any more crime in the Isle of Man you will hear
no more about it. 'I'm simply saying if you keep your nose clean there's no
danger of you going to prison. I'm not ordering you to be expelled from the
island because it's clear you have shown regret and remorse and you feel you
have let your associates down and want to make recompense.'
Speaking outside court, McAvennie said he hoped to return to the island to
participate in future charity matches. McAvennie pleaded not guilty to a
separate charge of causing disorder in licensed premises on the same
evening, but no evidence was produced in court relating to the incident. Mr
Moffitt was also charged in connection with the incident at an earlier
hearing in the same court. He pleaded guilty to affray on December 23 and
was sentenced to a four- month prison term, suspended for two years and
subject to a supervision order.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boa Morte 'unaware' of Hull interest
Teamtalk

Luis Boa Morte's agent has claimed the West Ham midfielder has not been made
aware of any interest in him from Hull City boss Phil Brown. Both clubs last
week dismissed reports they had agreed a fee for the former Arsenal,
Southampton and Fulham player but Brown has since admitted he is keen on
recruiting the 31-year-old. Brown is looking to add a left-sided player, and
is also keen on Wigan's Kevin Kilbane, but Boa Morte has not been informed
of any approach. Amadeu Paixao, the former Portugal international's agent,
said: "We have read in the newspapers that Hull are interested but we don't
know anything about it. This club we do not know. "Nobody has contacted us
to allow Hull to talk to us, nothing has been said to us."
Boa Morte, who moved to Upton Park in a £5million move from Fulham in summer
2007, has struggled to earn a regular starting place during his time at the
club. It remains to be seen, however, how the recent departures of Matthew
Etherington and Lee Bowyer - to Stoke and Birmingham respectively, the
latter on loan - affect his status. Paixao added: "He has never mentioned
that he wants to leave West Ham. He has a house near the training ground, a
wife and two kids. He is very happy there."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gentleman John Paintsil
West Ham Till I Die

An extract from a new book by Craig Murray, former UK Ambassador to
Uzbekhistan…

In December 2008 I found myself sitting next to Baroness Amos on an airport
bus heading for the plane to Accra. Once on board she moved to Business
class while due to overbooking I was downgraded to Economy Plus. I shared
this fate with John Paintsil, the Fulham and Ghana wing-back. We sat
together and I must say he is delightful. He was flying back for two days
mid-season to take his sick father to hospital. He was extremely polite and
unassuming, helped other passengers with their luggage, put up with my
conversation about football, and was evidently devoted to his wife and
children. At the end of the flight I saw him search through the cabin to
find one of the British Airways Unicef envelopes to make a donation, while
not drawing anyone else's attention to his gift. We hear a great deal about
the terrible behaviour of Premier League footballers. But I am sure there
are other John Paintsils.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
McAvennie spared jail over bar brawl
TeamTalk

Frank McAvennie has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence after
admitting to fighting outside a bar on the Isle of Man. The former Celtic
and West Ham player head-butted a man outside the Aperitivo wine bar in Loch
Promenade, Douglas, on the evening of July 4. The High Bailiffs' Court in
Douglas heard that McAvennie asked security guards to remove local man Ian
Moffitt, 23, from the bar as he felt threatened by him. Sergeant John Manley
told the court the two men then clashed on the street "first with words,
then pushing each other and throwing ineffectual punches" before McAvennie
head-butted Mr Moffitt. McAvennie was on the island to take part in a
Manchester United versus Liverpool legends charity match at the Bowl sports
stadium, but missed the game following his arrest. McAvennie's advocate,
Jerry Carter, said the footballer had not intended violence and was
provoked. He said: "The defendant called security staff to have Mr Moffitt
removed, and has accepted that he over-reacted and used too much force but
he clearly felt he was threatened at the time. "These are not the actions of
someone who was out looking for trouble, but someone who felt he was on the
horns of a dilemma and was trying to deal with it." High Bailiff Michael
Moyle sentenced McAvennie to four months in prison, suspended for a period
of two years, ordered him to pay court costs of £113.70 and said he was not
to be permanently excluded from the island.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brown plans transfer raid with Boa Morte top target
Yorkshirepost.co.uk
Published Date: 12 January 2009
By Richard Sutcliffe

PHIL BROWN wants to sign West Ham United's Luis Boa Morte after admitting
for the first time that Hull City are embroiled in a relegation fight.
The Tigers' alarming slump in form continued with a 2-0 defeat at Everton, a
result that means the Yorkshire club have collected just seven points from a
possible 36. City are still eighth but are looking more and more vulnerable
with each passingADVERTISEMENTweek due to the sides near the bottom picking
up vital points. It means Brown is facing the most testing time of his
reign at the KC Stadium as he tries to restore belief to a squad that have
lost their last four league games. The Hull chief believes possible
salvation lies in the transfer market with a couple of new arrivals in the
January window likely to lift spirits and boost competition for places. It
was revealed before the trip to Goodison Park that Kevin Kilbane was on his
list of targets but that Wigan Athletic would have to lower their valuation,
which is believed to be £1m, if a deal was going to be struck.
Sources in the Lancashire town have suggested a compromise will be struck
with the Republic of Ireland international midfielder likely to sign for ity
this week. Brown is determined to bolster his attacking options this month
following Dean Windass's departure on loan to Oldham Athletic and confirmed
after the defeat to Everton that Boa Morte was a target. The
Portuguese-born former international has a proven Premier League pedigree
and has played 18 times for the Hammers this season, the most recent coming
from the bench in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Newcastle United. It is understood,
however, that manager Gianfranco Zola is willing to let Boa Morte follow
Matthew Etherington, another of the east London club's fringe players who
last week joined Stoke City for £3m, out of Upton Park in order to cut the
wage bill sufficiently to hold on to the likes of Craig Bellamy, Scott
Parker and Matthew Upson.
Tigers manager Brown said: "The transfer window was always going to be a
time for us to shuffle the pack. I am hoping to make a couple of additions
in the next week and one will be a striker."
Asked if one of his targets was former Arsenal and Southampton man Boa
Morte, Brown replied: "Yes. But I don't know if we will get him or not."
City's defeat at Everton means the 13-point advantage they held over the
bottom three at the start of November has been cut dramatically by the
club's subsequent poor run of form. Before the defeat on Merseyside Brown
had emphasised that his players were still looking up the table and not down
it. However, after his side's third away reverse of the season, the City
manager admitted: "I think 14 teams in the division are in a relegation
battle. The only teams excluded are the top six."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham may be hard up, but without Craig Bellamy they will be worthless
The Mirror
By Stan Collymore 12/01/2009

West Ham's Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole are a big threat - as they proved
at Newcastle, extending their unbeaten run to four games. If the Upton Park
club can keep their stars together they can look forward to a top 10 finish.
But if the likes of Bellamy, Matthew Upson or Scott Parker go then they will
struggle and could be haunted by the spectre of relegation. Surely Hammers'
Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who wants to sell the club, must
realise his asset will be hugely devalued in the summer by flogging stars
now.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Callum Davenport on his way to St Andrews?
Vital Football

Alex McLeish revealed that Blues had approached West Ham over a possible
deal for defender Calum Davenport last week. The enquiry was made before the
player`s move to Bolton fell through and the Blues boss has not ruled out
the possibility of the 26 year old coming to St Andrews.
'I will have to pose the question to Karren, she had been talking with West
Ham United and we left our proposal with them,' said the Blues boss
'Whether they now come back to us, that's a possibility.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Please donate to my run for charity
http://www.justgiving.com/peter-robinson
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Thank You so much to those who have already contributed

Daily WHUFC News - 12th January 2009

On This Day: 12 January
WHUFC.com
Marco Boogers and a win at Watford are today's West Ham United moments to
remember
12.01.2009

Anniversary

Marco Boogers
Date of birth: 12 January 1967
Clubs: DS '79, FC Utrecht, RKC Waalwijk, Fortuna Sittard, Sparta Rotterdam,
West Ham United, FC Groningen, FC Volendam, FC Dordrecht

He may have made just four substitute appearances for West Ham United, but
no Hammers fan will ever forget Marco Boogers.

The Dutch striker arrived from Sparta Rotterdam for a fee of around £1m in
July 1995. Boogers made his debut in the 2-1 home Premier League defeat by
Leeds United on 19 August, but it was his brief appearance at Old Trafford
four days later that would live far longer in the memory.

The Dordrecht-born player was sent on as a substitute by manager Harry
Redknapp, only to be sent off almost immediately for a foul on Manchester
United defender Gary Neville.

Boogers would not play for the Hammers again until 4 November, when he
appeared as a substitute in the 4-1 home defeat by Aston Villa. The
striker's final game in a claret and blue shirt came on 2 December at
Blackburn Rovers. Boogers was loaned to FC Groningen in his homeland.

The striker enjoyed a fruitful return to the Netherlands, scoring 71 goals
in 129 games for Dordrecht '90 before retiring in 2003.

Classic Match

Watford 0-1 West Ham United
Second Division
12 January 1991

A crowd of 17,172 were at Watford's Vicarage Road to watch promotion-bound
West Ham United secure their fifth successive clean sheet at Watford.

Managed by Billy Bonds, the Hammers arrived at the home the Hornets top of
the Second Division table and having lost just one of their opening 25
league matches. Watford, meanwhile, were on their own eight-match unbeaten
run under Steve Perryman.

The match also saw United come up against former Boleyn Ground legend Alan
Devonshire, who had moved to Watford from West Ham in 1990. However, despite
a fine performance from Dev, the home side were unable to stop the visitors'
charge towards the top-flight.

The only goal of the game arrived on 66 minutes. Ludek Miklosko's long punt
would arrive at the feet of Trevor Morley, who made no mistake in planting
the ball past a young David James.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Faubert flattered by Lyon link
Midfielder fancies France return
Last updated: 11th January 2009
SSN

West Ham midfielder Julien Faubert has admitted he is flattered to be linked
with a move to Lyon. The French champions are believed to be lining up a
move for Faubert in the January transfer window after watching him in action
recently. Faubert has struggled to make an impact at Upton Park since his
£6.1million arrival from Bordeuax in the summer of 2007. Nantes and Rangers
have also been credited with an interest in Faubert and the versatile
performer admits a move to Lyon is an attractive proposition as it could
boost his chance of winning a place in the France squad.
"It is flattering for me to know that Lyon have been coming to watch me,"
Faubert is quoted as saying in the Sunday Mirror. "I think about the France
national team and the 2010 World Cup every single day. "I've had a taste of
international football, and I miss it. Maybe a return to France would help
me win a recall."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Newcastle Report
Vinny - Sun Jan 11 2009
West Ham Online

Newcastle United 2 West Ham United 2

Goals from Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole were not enough to give West Ham
all three points as Andy Carroll's 78th minute equaliser gave the hosts a
share of the spoils.

Looking back on this game there is a sense of disappointment that we did not
take maximum points as our performance was excellent and with a little bit
more conviction going forward we would have been out of sight by the hour
mark.

This was yet another solid away performance and our troubles on the road
have become a thing of the past with the players looking confident. I
thought we played some great football at times and the first fifteen minutes
of the second half were arguably the best football we have played this
season.

Gianfranco Zola made a few changes to the side which overcame Barnsley last
weekend. It was basically the same side who started in out last league game
at home to Stoke. Lucas Neill returned and replaced Julien Faubert in the
right back position.

James Tomkins dropped to the bench in favour of the returning Matthew Upson.
The midfield consisted of Behrami on the left, Collison on the right with
Parker and Noble in the middle.

Both sides looked to attack from the off as Newcastle looked to search out
Carroll and Owen with our attacks looking to play in Craig Bellamy who was
caught off side multiple times in the first ten minutes. Although
frustrating as it was to see Bellamy continue to be flagged you knew that
this was a dangerous game they were playing as the Welsh striker would get
in behind the defence at least once.

The first real chance of the game fell to Newcastle's Michael Owen as a ball
into the area saw the striker easily knock the ball past the static James
Collins and hit a shot past Robert Green only for the ball to hit off the
post and away.

Owen would make no mistake moments later as we gifted Newcastle the opener.
The ball was played inside to Owen who was not tracked by Behrami and he was
allowed to run towards the area which saw James Collins slip and allow the
striker to hit a powerful shot which Green could not keep out.

We settled down after the goal and began to find our passing game. The
approach play was often good but we needed that killer pass or shot. Bellamy
continued to be caught offside but with the midfield working hard we were
seeing more possession. The tireless Parker was winning the ball and moving
forward well and on one occasion he was chopped down by Danny Guthrie which
saw the Newcastle man booked.

An equaliser was found on the 29th minute after a free flowing move which we
are becoming more familiar at seeing. The move involved Noble, Collison and
Parker which resulted in the latter chipping the ball into the area for
Craig Bellamy to run onto and chip over the advancing Shay Given.

It was an excellent goal and showed how quickly we can start and finish a
move. This is something that Craig Bellamy gives us and to sell him would
see our quick movement going forward reduced to David Di Michele which is a
horrible thought.

Newcastle reacted well to goal and looked to regain their lead and nearly
did so as the ball broke for the impressive Jonas Gutierrez but his shot was
deflected wide when it had looked like it was about to hit the back of the
net.

We should have taken the lead ourselves as a wonderful chance presented
itself. A long ball forward saw Mark Noble beat the offside trap and race
towards goal. It seemed to take an age for him to advance on goal and when
he did his finish was poor and was saved by Given. The ball ran to Bellamy
after the save but the angle was too tight and he could only find the side
netting.

Ending the half well just gave me more confidence that we were going to go
to win this game. Although Newcastle themselves had created a few chances we
were playing the better football and if we could just go up a gear we would
be able to hurt them.
We managed to find that gear and for the first fifteen minutes of the second
period we battered Newcastle. We created chances and managed to take one of
them in what I would think was our most impressive passage of play this
season.

The first action of the second half saw us have a penalty claim turned down.
How referee Alan Wiley managed not to give it still has me stumped. A long
ball forward into the area saw Bellamy tussle with defender Bassong with the
defender grabbing Bellamy by the neck and wrestling him to the floor.

This did not deter us from taking Newcastle apart as a slick move saw
Bellamy cross the ball for Collison to hit a low shot which was brilliantly
kept out by Shay Given. Collison will probably look back on this chance and
feel he should have done better.

Mark Noble was next to be frustrated as a ball into the box found Cole who
showed great strength to hold off Bassong despite being pulled back by the
Newcastle man. Cole managed to tee the ball up for Noble but the midfielder
could not find the room to get any power on his shot as Given saved again.

It began to concern me that we had not taken one of these chances. Periods
like these do not last that long so you must take your chances when you get
them. Lucky for us we have a striker who is in a rich vein of goal scoring
form.

A great ball over the top from Ilunga saw Cole beat the offside trap and
latch onto the ball. The striker controlled the ball and lashed a stunning
left foot shot into the goal. This was Cole's fourth goal in the last four
games. This one was an excellent finish and just what we deserved.

Newcastle looked a bit shell shocked at the start they had made to the half.
The fans had become frustrated and it had all played into our hands.

It was foolish to think that this level of pressure could last and we did
take the foot off the gas after we had taken the lead which was to our
detriment.

Newcastle came back into the game with the impressive Jonas Gutierrez
causing us all sorts of problems. Newcastle removed the anonymous Geremi and
replaced him with want away winger Charles N'Zogbia.

The hosts thought they had equalised after a move which resulted in Lucas
Neill mis kicking the ball past Robert Green. The Newcastle fans celebrated,
the West Ham fans looked on, only to find a reprieve as the Referee blew for
a foul which seemed to be on James Collins.

Newcastle were piling forward and although most of our defending was spot
on, I couldn't help thinking that something would fall for them soon. As
time went on I was hopeful that we could hold out but on 78th minute the
home side found that equalising goal.

It was a soft goal and after so many last ditch blocks and interceptions
this was a very disappointing goal to concede. It came from down the left
with Damien Duff supplying the cross for Andy Carroll to score his first
Premiership goal as his header floated past Green.

Di Michele came on for Bellamy and Mullins replaced Noble. Both players had
worked very hard and in Bellamy's case he had run himself into the ground.

We had a few counter attacks and corners but could not make anything out of
them. It was Newcastle who came closest to winning the game and if it wasn't
for Matthew Upson they would have stole the game.

A ball into the area found Jonas Gutierrez who seemed destined to score but
for a last ditch tackle from Upson. There was no way we deserved to lose the
game and despite a few scares I still believe we were worthy of all three
points.

Before the game many of us would have been happy with a point but just like
many away games this season we created multiple chances which could have
seen us score even more. No matter what we say about this season Zola has us
creating multiple goal scoring opportunities and the strikers are beginning
to take more and more of them.


Player Review

Robert Green
It was a relatively quiet afternoon for Green who was not called into action
for many saves. The best part of his performance was the amount of crosses
he claimed.

Lucas Neill
He found it tough up against the superb Gutierrez and if it wasn't for the
ref's whistle he would have seen a terrible clearance chalked up as an own
goal.

James Collins
Our worst player without a doubt during this one. Every chance Newcastle had
in the first half came from a mistake from Collins. Wrong footed, lost the
flight of the ball, slipped over, missed headers (like he did against Stoke
which cost us the goal) overall this was a worrying display from our 'Ginger
Pele'.

Matthew Upson
A good display from Upson and although I have seen some people say he was at
fault for the equaliser (which I do not think he was) his last minute tackle
saved us from defeat. We must not let this man go.

Herita Ilunga
Yet another excellent performance from the left back. His defending was
excellent and Newcastle did not have much joy down that side. His pass over
the top to Carlton Cole was wonderful and he continues to be one of the most
consistent performers.

Jack Collison
Tired as the game wore on and it was not a surprise to see him come off. His
overall display was solid and he worked hard. Got into the area and should
have score in the second half. I still think he would work better in the
middle as he is very comfortable on the ball.

Scott Parker
A big performance from Parker up against his former club. He was all over
the pitch and won tackle after tackle. Frustrated Newcastle countless times
and he broke up their attacks. An excellent display.

Mark Noble
This was a very busy performance from Noble who found himself involved in a
number of attacking moves. He should have scored in the first half after a
great run forward. He, like the rest of the midfield worked and worked which
helped us win the midfield battle.

Valon Behrami
A quiet day for the Swiss midfielder who was on the left wing for the
majority of the game.

Craig Bellamy
Bellamy was his usual self as he buzzed around the pitch and showed great
movement which dragged the Newcastle defenders around. Scored an excellent
goal after a great run and a classy finish.

Carlton Cole
A much better performance from the big striker as he score yet another goal.
He really used his strength well and scored a wonderful goal. A striker who
scores goals is something that we now seem to have. This was his 8th goal of
the season.

Subs Used

Luis Boa Morte (on for Collison 76 minutes)
Worked hard but saw little of the ball to really make an impact. He is a
good player to bring on when you want to drive forward.

David Di Michele (on for Bellamy 81 mins)
Came on, got the ball, gave it away a lot. Not better than Sears.

Hayden Mullins (on for Noble 86 minutes)
Like the other subs he saw little of the ball. Was involved in one counter
attack but he could not find the ball which would have set up a chance.

Subs Not Used: Stech, Faubert, Tristan, Tomkins.

Att: 47,571


Overall

This was another positive result as we seem to have found our feet on the
pitch and the results are coming. Taking into account the chances we had and
the football we played I thought we should have got the win but I am not too
disheartened. Despite what the press are saying about this being a club in
crisis, there has been a massive improvement over the last few weeks. We are
creating chances, playing nice football and most importantly - Scoring
goals. Next up is Fulham at Upton Park which we will all be looking at
getting all three points. They have improved a lot this season but are still
to win away from home. If we create chances we will get the win and continue
to move up the table.


The Feelings of 'Lil' Franco

"It was an excellent game. "If we had come out with three points nobody
could have said a word about it because the performance we put on this
afternoon was excellent. "To be fair we played against a team that did not
want to lose and they got a late goal. "Bellamy and Cole are on fire and
that is making the difference." "We played a very good match - especially
in the first 15 minutes of the second half. We were absolutely outstanding."
"I am confident because the club is determined to improve. It is not true
that we want to sell our best players. We want to improve so we are hopeful
we can do this. This team deserves this for the way it is playing and
training." "It is a credit to their professionalism. They are fantastic.
Being a footballer I know it is not easy when you have so many rumours
around to concentrate and perform but they are outstanding. Their
performance has actually gone higher and they have improved in this period.
I have a lot of respect for them so I am very pleased.

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Carroll's dream comes true but Zola and Kinnear share transfer nightmare
Guardian report Observer report Match facts
Premier League
Newcastle United 2 Owen 19, Carroll 78
West Ham United 2 Bellamy 29, Cole 55

Simon Williams at St James' Park
The Guardian, Monday 12 January 2009 Article history

West Ham are worried about how many of their players will be leaving.
Newcastle United are worried about the lack of new arrivals. Both should be
concerned about potential relegation battles if things do not go to plan in
the transfer market this month.

Although the Hammers extended an impressive unbeaten away record to six
games with a perfect example of counter-attacking football, the problems
continue to mount up for their manager, Gianfranco Zola. Some of the
difficulties being experienced by the Italian in his first season at Upton
Park would test the spirit of a veteran, ­battle-hardened by years of
football club politics, let alone a newcomer like Zola who is still coming
to terms with the ­pressures of management.

Crippled by the credit crunch after the club's owner, Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson, was caught up badly in the collapse of the Icelandic banking
system, Zola is ­trying to keep his team away from the bottom three, while
simultaneously fighting to keep hold of two of his best players, Craig
Bellamy and Scott Parker. Bellamy is expected to join Manchester City in the
next 48 hours, but Zola may well have won the argument about Parker. The
­midfielder was superb against Newcastle and it is understood that City's
approach for him will be resisted harder.

If that is the good news, Zola has other problems with which to contend.
Having returned from a 17-month injury lay-off against Barnsley in the FA
Cup last weekend, Kieron Dyer was furious when told by his manager on Friday
that he would not be travelling to Newcastle. In terms of man-management, it
did seem like a strange decision to leave Dyer out of the squad completely
when he was so excited about playing against his former club. The
30-year-old was desperate to make his first return to St James' Park since
joining West Ham for £6m in August 2007 and the midfielder, whether fully
fit or not, would have been an ideal impact substitute.

Zola, though, refused to consider him and has even suggested that he goes
out on loan to work on his match fitness. Peace talks will need to take
place this week to ensure the England international's simmering ­discontent
is not allowed to fester.

"Kieron Dyer needs more match ­fitness," said Zola, when asked to explain
the player's absence. "He needs to play in two or three reserve games, but
he is a very important player for us."

By the time Zola gets the chance to sit down with Dyer, however, he may
already have said goodbye to Bellamy. The striker underlined his importance
to West Ham with a well-taken goal in the first half and a lively
performance which meant he was a constant worry for an unsteady Newcastle
defence. Cleverly set up by Parker, Bellamy darted on to a through-ball at
the end of a patient West Ham build-up to cancel out Michael Owen's 26th
goal in 50 starts for the Magpies.

West Ham had to soak up plenty of pressure from the home side – Owen clipped
the outside of the post with another first-half effort – but still took the
lead 10 minutes into the second half. Steven ­Taylor stood and watched
Carlton Cole run in behind Fabricio Coloccini and by the time the Argentine
reacted, Cole had smashed a shot past the stranded Shay Given.

Manchester City are not only hunting West Ham's big-game talent, though, and
their manager Mark Hughes had a £3m offer for Given turned down by Newcastle
on Friday. Joe Kinnear, who has given the out-of-contract former Rangers and
Schalke forward Peter Lovenkrands a trial this week, does not want to lose
the goalkeeper and the size of the offer was labelled "insulting" over the
weekend. However, an improved bid of more than £10m for a player who will be
33 in April may be too good to turn down.

Newcastle deserved a point and they secured it with a delightful header from
Andy Carroll. It was the 20-year-old from Gateshead's first senior goal on
his first start at St James' Park and ensured an entertaining game had a
sentimental end. "That was one of my all-time life dreams come true," said
Carroll. "It was the best feeling in the world. Something I will ­cherish
all my life and something I have dreamt of since I was a little boy."

Man of the match Scott Parker (West Ham)

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Stan the man: Bellamy and Cole key to keeping Hammers happy
Stan Collymore 12/01/2009
The Mirror

West Ham's Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole are a big threat - as they proved
at Newcastle, extending their unbeaten run to four games. If the Upton Park
club can keep their stars together they can look forward to a top 10 finish.
But if the likes of Bellamy (above), Matthew Upson or Scott Parker go then
they will struggle and could be haunted by the spectre of relegation. Surely
Hammers' Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who wants to sell the club,
must realise his asset will be hugely devalued in the summer by flogging
stars now.

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West Ham are can overcome "bad times" promise Gianfranco Zola
The Mirror
By Simon Bird 12/01/2009

Barclays Premier League: Newcastle 2-2 West Ham

Gianfranco Zola has admitted West Ham are going through "bad times" as the
club's financial crisis threatens to force the sale of key players.
Prize assets Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy put the mental disruption of
being top transfer targets behind them by turning in admirable displays
against their former club. And given the commitment and effort his men
displayed at St James' Park, Zola wants to keep his squad together until the
end of the season at least. The Itaian says he is confident of warding off a
fire-sale and added: "This team is growing up and is going through very
difficult and bad times. "But going through this has helped us put behind us
a lot of our problems. It would be a pity not to see this team finish the
season together. We will see, but we are confident that we can keep our best
players. The quality my team is producing right now is quite high. "In the
first 15 minutes of the second half we were excellent, but you can't pretend
to play like that throughout the whole game. That would be impossible. "But
I still think we can improve in certain areas. Sometimes we get carried away
by the enthusiasm of scoring. "I am confident we can get there, together."

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Credit crunch? Just cash in on your superstars
Last updated at 8:03 AM on 12th January 2009
Daily Mail

The most over worn statement of recent weeks is that football has a fierce
financial reckoning ahead. Austerity for all is gleefully predicted,
bankruptcies, calamity, a pecuniary wake-up from hell. There is one problem
with this theory. It is Ballacks. Well, Ballack's contract, to be precise. A
piece of paper that would indicate that English football may be in a better
position to buck the trend than the majority of businesses, perhaps even
yours. And this is why...
Michael Ballack earns £121,000 per week playing for Chelsea, which many see
as excessive. He is 32 and his contract expires at the end of this season.
So, if Roman Abramovich needs to cut costs in times of recession and does
not think Ballack is value for money, he can let him go in June and it will
cost him... Nothing.
Not a cent. Not even a handshake if he cannot spare the time. No redundancy
package, no severance pay; Ballack walks and, in that instant, Chelsea save
at least £6,292,000 over the next year. They might not want to. They might
think keeping him represents excellent value for money.
The point is, try doing that at Marks and Spencer. Try getting one senior
employee off the staff anywhere, in fact, without racking up a raft of
compensation costs.

This is what separates football from the rest. Each season, perhaps a third
of the most expensive employees can be released without cost. This is every
managing director's dream. Do you think those in charge of Nissan would tot
up 1,200 redundancy packages if they could shed double that number on a wave
and a smile? As financial crisis bites, every company is cutting manpower,
yet none can do it as ruthlessly as a football club.
Chelsea are believed to have as many as 12 young reserve players currently
available. For now, they could be transferred or loaned. When the time comes
they will be written off more cheaply than any cog on the Nissan production
line.
In Ballack's case, he is a significant first-team player and it could be
argued that Chelsea would be weaker without him.

These are debates for the good times, however, not in the midst of economic
meltdown. A major club can reduce costs dramatically in what equates to an
instant. In the Premier League, particularly, there is always a way out (as
there is for Ballack, who could play elsewhere or even stay, with a
substantial pay cut).

Each week, football receives situation at West Ham, for instance, is not
proof of morbidity, but resilience. There is no other element of the
business empire of owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson that could generate serious
revenue as quickly in the current climate as a sale of players at Upton
Park. Yes, there would be a savage impact on the fortunes of the team and
the club would limp on in a reduced state, but what would have rescued
Gudmundsson from financial calamity? Not banking, shipping, property or
publishing. Football.
Keith Harris, a man who could sell football clubs in a market when a
chimpanzee with a BlackBerry could sell football clubs, now predicts dire
times ahead. 'The era of billionaire bail-outs is over,' read a headline
above an interview in which he suggested that takeovers were no longer the
solution to football's woes. Except they never were. Malcolm Glazer did not
bail out Manchester United, no more than Tom Hicks and George Gillett bailed
out Liverpool. Many purchases were investment opportunities. The idea that
the current generation of club owners are knights on white chargers rescuing
insolvent companies is a myth. Of course, football will be hit by the
financial downturn, as all businesses will. Television and commercial
revenue may drop and reins will be pulled in, but the widespread disaster
will not happen. You will not see Abramovich or his best players down the
Job Centre in the next year. Although the way certain media outlets are
reacting to this crisis, the same cannot be said of the harbingers of doom.

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West Ham legend Dicks: Tevez issue shouldn't affect players
12.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United legend Julian Dicks says the players cannot allow the latest
Carlos Tevez blow to affect them. "They are professional and have a job to
do and that is to fight tooth and nail every week for West Ham, treat every
game like a war," he roared to the Daily Star Sunday. "The Tevez issue is
something they shouldn't let bother them. "Their job is to battle, scrap and
fight all the way for the cause. "They can't affect that decision but they
can ensure the team stay out of the drop zone with their performances on the
pitch. Yes, the club seems to be in meltdown with the financial
­constraints, talk of a fire sale and the Tevez thing but the fans deserve
100 per cent out of the players. "I feel they have enough to stay up but I
do fear there is a real chance that the FA and the powers that be could send
my old club down once the Tevez issue is resolved.
"That would be heartbreaking." Dicks, who played 169 games for the Hammers,
added: "From the Championship it is a massive ask to get back in the Premier
League. "It would be a catastrophe. A disaster for the club."
Dicks, who has recently taken charge of non-league Wivenhoe Town in his
first managerial job, expects one or two Hammers ­players to leave in the
transfer ­window but reckons Zola will still have enough talent to see them
over the line. Players such as Scott Parker and Matty Upson would appear to
be on their way but if they can limit it to those two then there is enough
in the squad to keep them up."

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Paraguayan pair set to win West Ham contracts
12.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

Paraguayans Nelson Amarilla and Juan Aguilar are set to win West Ham United
contracts after successful trials. The Daily Mail says Amarilla, 20, a
defender, and Juan Aguilar, 19, a midfielder, play for Guarani in Paraguay
but have had a week of training in east London. West Ham manager Gianfranco
Zola said the club had yet to make a decision but he thought the Hammers
would want them both to stay. Zola said: "The project is to make a team
capable of a high level. We cannot compete by spending £200million so we
have to do it through getting young players. "Not all the time we will be
looking abroad. We have good young English players here like Freddie Sears
and Mark Noble and we are trying to improve them."

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West Ham boss Zola: Cole on fire
12.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is thrilled with the form of Carlton Cole.
Cole was again on the mark in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Newcastle and Zola
beamed: "He's on fire, his confidence is back and he's playing very well for
the team now. He's focused and dangerous all the time and his qualities are
coming out now."

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Troubled Hammers on the up, claims Collins
Simon Rushworth
12.01.09
This Is London

James Collins is confident West Ham's luck has finally changed on the pitch
- even if they face trouble off it. The defender recovered from a torrid
first half at the hands of Michael Owen at Newcastle on Saturday to help the
Hammers earn a 2-2 draw. The result came after a week which saw West Ham the
subject of a new investigation over the Carlos Tevez affair and more
transfer speculation over key men such as Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker.
But Collins is only focusing on matters on the pitch and said: "The luck has
changed for us. We had a bit of a bad run a couple of months ago. We just
couldn't get the results to match the way we were playing because we were
performing really well. "Hopefully, that's long in the past now. We've had
some good results of late and I'd like to think we can continue to climb the
League and progress in the FA Cup." West Ham were unlucky not to win and go
into Sunday's London derby against Fulham bristling with confidence. "If we
had come out with three points nobody could have said a word about it
because the performance we put on was excellent," said Hammers manager
Gianfranco Zola.

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