Monday, January 26

Daily WHUFC News - II 26th January 2009

Mullins leaves for Portsmouth
WHUFC.com
Hayden Mullins has left West Ham United for Portsmouth on a three-and-a-half
year contract
26.01.2009

West Ham United have allowed midfielder Hayden Mullins to join Portsmouth
for an undisclosed fee.

Mullins has been a loyal servant for the club since signing from Crystal
Palace for £800,000 in October 2003 and was the longest-serving first-team
player at the Boleyn Ground. Mullins was given permission to talk to
Portsmouth on Sunday after a substantial bid was made for his services. He
then travelled to the south-coast club to complete a medical and agree
personal terms.

The midfielder, who turns 30 in March, played 178 league games for the club,
scoring four goals. However, he had started just eight games in all
competitions this campaign, along with 13 appearances off the bench. The
Reading-born player has agreed a three-and-a-half year contract at Fratton
Park.

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola said: "I wish Hayden well for the
future. I did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he wanted
to play regularly and I respect his wishes. He asked me if he could talk to
Portsmouth and I could have said 'No' but he is a man that has shown this
club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would not have been fair to
stand in his way."

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "I would like to thank Hayden for
his valued contribution. I wish him well and have no doubt that our
supporters will give him a good reception whenever he returns. Gianfranco
has been clear about allowing players on the fringes to get first-team
football elsewhere if the opportunity arises and - given the fee, his age
and his desire to play regularly - this deal is good for all parties.

"The manager has also spoken about improving the squad and I am working
closely with him and technical director Gianluca Nani to make this happen.
Any new arrivals will complement our blend of experienced internationals and
homegrown youngsters. Our aim is simply to continue progressing in the
league and the FA Cup, and build for the future at West Ham United."

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Cup hat-trick for Tomka
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's young defender has not conceded a single goal in three cup
ties this season
26.01.2009

When it comes to cup competitions, James Tomkins is rapidly becoming a lucky
charm.

The West Ham United defender has started three ties this season - a Carling
Cup quarter-final while on loan at Derby County and two FA Cup matches for
the Hammers - and won all three without conceding a single goal.

The 19-year-old central defender was part of the Rams' side that beat
Premier League Stoke City 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium in early December. He
then returned to the Boleyn Ground to help West Ham United overcome Barnsley
3-0 in the FA Cup third round. Tomkins completed a hat-trick of knockout
victories in Saturday's 2-0 victory at Hartlepool United.

"It's brilliant. Hopefully we can keep this run going in the cup. The FA Cup
is a brilliant competition. Obviously it's my first experience of this
tournament. I'm enjoying it and want to go as far as we can in it."

Tomkins enjoyed his latest cup excursion, relishing the test posed by
Hartlepool's Australian striker Joel Porter and on-loan Watford forward Liam
Henderson at Victoria Park.

"They were physically strong and caused us some difficulties but I thought
we fought well and won our battles all over the pitch. We came through and
the two goals were very important. They came within the space of a few
minutes and killed them off really. In the second half, they still kept
coming at us to be fair to them, but we coped well with it all over the
pitch.

"They had a few good strikers. Obviously Porter is quite an experienced
player and they also had a few younger lads who came on and were quite
quick. We had to be on our guard but we kept a clean sheet and we were
always likely to score goals with the team that we've got."

After making his Hammers first-team bow at the tail-end of last season, when
he made six Premier League appearances, Tomkins suffered a calf injury at
this summer's European Under-19 Championship finals in the Czech Republic.
However, he is now back to full fitness and eager to earn more playing time
in Gianfranco Zola's side.

"Obviously it was brilliant for me [to play at Hartlepool]. I also played
against Barnsley which was good and we've kept two clean sheets. If I can
keep impressing the manager then it will help me, but the way we're playing
at the moment it's going to be difficult for me to break into the team in
the Premier League. He's given me two run outs in the FA Cup so hopefully I
can impress him and he can depend on me when he needs me."

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Youths win again
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Under-18s made it two wins from two in 2009 with a
convincing win at Ipswich Town
25.01.2009

Tony Carr's West Ham United Under-18s coasted to a 3-0 win at Ipswich Town
on Saturday despite playing the majority of the second half with ten men.

United started well are were unlucky not to be ahead within a minute as
Danny Kearns' free-kick hit the inside of the post and bounced out. They
were not to be denied for long, though, as 19 minutes later Ollie Lee gave
them the lead when he drilled home an Anthony Edgar cut-back from 12 yards.

The lead was doubled when a good move involving Kearns, Lee and Ahmed
Abdulla set Anthony Edgar through with just the goalkeeper to beat and he
prodded the ball into the back of the net.

It was not to be all plain sailing for United, though, as they had Christian
Montano sent off for a strong tackle ten minutes into the second half. This
presented them with a different kind of challenge and it was one that they
rose to admirably, putting their bodies in the way of everything Ipswich
threw at them.

After soaking up the pressure for most of the second half, Carr's side made
sure of the win with a superb third with ten minutes remaining. Jordan Brown
picked up the ball on the left and crossed for Abdulla and the striker
finished with a spectacular overhead kick.

After the match, academy director Carr felt the experience of going a man
down would help his young side's development. He said: "A clean sheet and
terrific win that makes it two in a row after our winter break.

"I think going down to ten men in the second half taught us that there are
other aspects of the game that you have to perform in order to win. We had
to work hard and chase the ball backwards and forwards. They had lots of
possession but very rarely threatened because we defended deep and in
numbers and full credit to the lads for keeping them out."

West Ham United: Loveday, Smith, McNaughton, Fry, Brown, Okus (Subuola 80),
Kearns (Werndly 85), Lee, Abdulla (Grasser 80), Edgar, Montano.
Sub not used: Mehmet

Goals: Lee (20), Edgar (30), Abdulla (80)

Sent off: Montano (55)

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West Ham complete Nsereko signing
By Simon Austin
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have signed Brescia striker Savio Nsereko and will confirm his
capture later on Monday. The Uganda-born forward will be a direct
replacement for Craig Bellamy, who moved to Manchester City last week. The
fee for Nsereko, 19, has not been revealed but it is expected to be a club
record, topping the £7.5m West Ham paid Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007.
Hammers technical director Gianluca Nani worked with Germany under-19 star
Nsereko when he was at Brescia. The striker can play in a variety of
attacking positions and was named player of the tournament at last year's
Uefa Under-19 Championship in the Czech Republic, which was won by Germany.
He was also reported to have attracted interest from Italian giants Roma and
Juventus. Nsereko has scored three goals in 17 appearances for Serie B side
Brescia this season. His signing will reassure fans who had feared the
Londoners would only be a selling club during the January transfer window.
Owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been beset by financial problems in recent
months and is considering selling the club. But other than Bellamy, who was
determined to leave Upton Park, West Ham have only sold fringe players
Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer and Hayden Mullins. Meanwhile, both the
Hammers and Juventus have quashed speculation that Carlton Cole could be
about to move from east London to Turin. "We are very happy with the players
we have in the team and we will not make any moves in the January transfer
market," said Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco.

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Nani: deal soon
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Gianluca Nani has confirmed that West Ham hope to tie up the capture Savio
Nsereko within the next few days. Nani, who was in Italy last week brokering
a deal to bring the 19-year-old winger to East London told Mediaset last
night that he expects the deal to go through soon. "We are working on Savio
and we are well advanced," he said. The news was also confirmed by one of
Nsereko's rpresentatives Patrick Bastianelli who added: "The player is very
close to West Ham. They have accelerated negotiations. "Savio will go soon,
the boy is happy to work with Zola - a great coach with whom he will only
grow and improve."
The Hammers have also been linked with Mario Balotelli, the young Milan
striker. However Gianluca Nani denied reports that a deal was likely to be
struck soon. "We have never talked to anyone about Balotelli," he said, "but
if we have Savio in place then that could be us done in January."
West Ham have been monitoring Balotelli closely and despite Nani's denials
have made enquiries into his availibility. The club have also confirmed that
the capture of Nsereko may not necessarily be the last bit of business done
during this transfer window.

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Mullins joins Pompey
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Hayden Mullins has joined the growing list of transfer window departures,
joining Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee. The defensive midfielder was West
Ham's longest serving player but decided to move south after five years at
the club once it was made clear that Gianfranco Zola was prepared to allow
him to leave. The fee is officially undisclosed but is thought to be worth
around £2million to West Ham. Portsmouth's Peter Storrie confirmed the deal
this morning saying: "Hayden will add strength to our midfield. Central
midfield was an area we needed to strengthen."
Storrie - who also confirmed the capture of Porto's Pele on loan for the
rest of the season - added: "Both players have been on our radar for some
time. Tony [Adams] and I decided to move for Hayden on Saturday night. We
got hold of West Ham on Sunday morning and I think they were a bit surprised
that we wanted to get the deal done so quickly. "Hayden's an experienced
player who has played exceptionally well against us in the past. He's a guy
with immense experience in the Premier League, and that's what we need in
this situation. "He wanted regular football because he has been in and out
of the West Ham side. We've been very successful getting players in who have
wanted regular football and then blossomed for us when they have been given
it."

Exodus: who's left West Ham since the end of last season

Sold: John Paintsil (Fulham, £1m); Bobby Zamora (Fulham, £5.3m); Anton
Ferdinand (Sunderland, £8m); George McCartney (Sunderland, £6m); Matthew
Etherington (Stoke, £3m); Craig Bellamy (Man City £14m), Hayden Mullins
(£2m). Total £39.3m.

Released: Freddie Ljungberg; Richard Wright; Nobby Solano.

Currently on loan: Jimmy Walker (Colchester Utd); Kyel Reid (Wolves); Lee
Bowyer (Birmingham); Nigel Quashie (Wolves); Joe Widdowson (Grimsby Town).

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Zola: why Hayden went
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Gianfranco Zola has revealed that he allowed Hayden Mullins to leave as he
could no longer guarantee him first team football. Zola, talking to
whufc.com this morning revealed that Mullins had asked to join Portsmouth
having started in just eight of his 21 appearances for the Hammers this
season. "I did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he
wanted to play regularly and I respect his wishes," said Zola. "He asked me
if he could talk to Portsmouth and I could have said 'no' but he is a man
that has shown this club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would
not have been fair to stand in his way."
Mullins was Alan Pardew's first signing back in October 2003 when he joined
in a £500,000 switch from Crystal Palace. He went on to make over 200
appearances for the Hammers but sadly missed out on the 2006 FA Cup Final
having been sent off the week before.

Hayden Mullins: fact file

League appearances: 151 (28 as sub) - 4 goals
Cup appearances: 25 (2 as sub) - 3 goals
Other appearances: 6 - 0 goals

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Cole to Juve?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Carlton Cole is being linked with a move to Juventus. Sky Sports are
claiming this morning that reprsentatives of the Italian giants have
contacted the Hammers with regards to making an offer for the in-form
26-year-old striker. Juve are currently managed by former Chelsea boss
Claudio Ranieri, who used to work with Cole when both were employed at
Stamford Bridge. La Vecchia Signora are currently second in Serie A behind
league leaders Inter having beaten Fiorentina 1-0 at the weekend. Should
Cole end up playing at the Stadio delle Alpi he will be vying for a first
team spot with the likes of club captain Alessandro Del Piero, French
international David Trezeguet and Italian international Vincenzo Iaquinta.

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A settled midfield?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Lee Byron

After months of brave tinkering it looks like our man Zola has finally
settled on his four main midfielders, with cameo appearances for everyone
else. Good for you 'Franco. So why do these four players work together so
well? Let's take a look at them individually, and then as a whole.

First we have Scott Parker. Stand-in captain (if I had my way he would be
the new club captain for reasons I won't go into here), Parker is a 100% a
game, box to box midfielder who gives every ounce of energy he has to our
beloved team. And to top it all he's very good. He is always available to
take the ball off the back four (and anyone else for that matter) and rarely
wastes possession. He tackles and blocks with sheer determination, and
breaks up the oppositions' play often as he reads the game so well (he
almost seems to stand just off of players, inviting a pass, and if it comes
he pounces). He drives through the midfield on runs every now and then,
which usually end up in a free kick to us. The only fault he has is in front
of goal. If I was Zola, I'd be giving him extra shooting practice from about
25 yards out. Overall though, Parker's a tireless, industrious player with
talent to match effort and an obvious choice for captaincy in my books.

Mark Noble comes next as he's the other central midfielder. He has the
advantage (as does Jack Collison) of being a local lad having come up
through the academy. And we love it when that happens don't we. He has still
to reach his full potential in my eyes. When he first broke into the first
team, he labeled himself as a player who wins the ball and then gives it to
someone who can play. He can play a bit himself, and I like the fact he's
not afraid of shooting. He can thread balls through to the front, and tackle
with the best of them. I feel he just needs to find his niche as he seems to
be caught between being a defensive midfielder and playmaker.

Jack Collison, the second of our homegrown midfielders is a revelation for
me. If anyone has taken to the premiership like a duck to water, it's him.
He looks like he's been around for years. He's comfortable on the ball, and
like Scott Parker, is always available to take the ball, providing another
option when playing out from the back. He doesn't mind running with the
ball, and has the confidence to roam around, which is a menace for a team
defending. As we've already seen, he loves to get on the ball and more
encouraging, he loves to get the ball in advance positions. He's scored
twice this season, and gave Carlton Cole a gift when his strike came off the
inside of a post, landing at the feet of the gangly striker against
Portsmouth. With the gait of Michael Carrick, and the confidence of a
seasoned pro, he will go on to great things, hopefully in a claret and blue
jersey. I'd even tip him to be an England player at some point.

Finally we come to Valon Behrami. What has surprised me about him is his
incredible hard work when we haven't got possession. He is tenacious to say
the least, and upsets any opposition with his uncanny knack of getting close
enough to be a hassle, but not too close so he gets turned or left on his
heels. He also looks very comfortable on the ball, and you can see he has
found his place in the side by working hard not only on the pitch, but also
working out how he can fit himself into the West Ham line up. I feel this is
where he has succeeded over Faubert, who has all the potential, but lacks
personal drive when it's not going so well for him (I do however like
Faubert and think he'll be great in a different set up). He's even notched
up a couple of goals, and provides another valuable alternative when playing
out from the back. On the whole he has made himself difficult to drop
because of his overall contribution.

So there you have it. Four very similar players, somehow forming a very
solid midfield that even the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have struggled
to break down. On paper it looks doomed to failure. Jack Collision playing
out of position on the left, Noble and Parker both seemingly playing
similar, more defensive roles, and Behrami looking like he favours the
middle areas than the right. All of whom wander all over the pitch and don't
seem to stick to their area of the field. This was emphasized recently when
all four midfielders were on the right in one build up.

Maybe this is the genius, deliberate or not, of Zola's selection. All four
midfielders are happy to mix it up and cover for each other. They play as a
four man midfield team, rather than sticking to their individual roles.
Collison and Behrami both like to cut inside from the flanks, which although
can lead to congestion in the middle, can also create space on the wings for
wingbacks to take full advantage of (this I suspect is the reason Faubert
was given a go at right back). And if the central midfield pairing can work
with the wider players coming inside, surely they can venture wide into the
space left; Noble is particularly adept at this.

To sum up, we seem to have a midfield that contain players who have the
right mindset, are comfortable playing together, and are equally as
comfortable interchanging positions during the course of a game. Possibly
more important is that they all know how to hassle, tackle and break up
opponents' possession. It will be interesting when Dyer is fully match fit
to see how he is utilised.

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Mullins 'shock' at hasty exit
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Hayden Mullins has revealed that it was the prospect of regular first team
football that persuaded him to join Portsmouth. The defensive midfielder, 30
this coming March completed a move to Portsmouth - estimated to be worth
between £1-2million to West Ham - late last night, little more than 24 hours
after featuring for United in the 2-0 FA Cup fourth round win at Hartlepool.
"It was a little bit of a shock," he told Portsmouth's website. "I trained
[with West Ham United] yesterday after the game at the weekend so it was a
bit of a shock, it happened very quickly. But I'm very pleased to have
joined this club. "There was no problem playing there, it's just the offer
to come to Portsmouth now and maybe play more games than I was playing at
West Ham [was a good one]. "They've got a very settled team down at West
Ham, the team are doing very well. I enjoyed my time there a lot but it was
time for a change. "I'd been at West Ham for five years and loved every
minute of it so for me personally, at this stage of my career, it was time
for a change and a new challenge."
Mullins also praised former boss Gianfranco Zola, who admitted this morning
that he was disappointed to lose the player. "It was a great experience to
be working under Gianfranco," said Mullins. "But it's a new challenge here
and I'm working with some really talented players and staff. "Portsmouth is
a really good club and have got a lot of history - they won the FA Cup last
year - so I'm delighted to be here."

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Parker confident over Upton Park stay
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Thomas Rooney

Amid plenty of speculation about his future, Scott Parker has insisted that
he will remain a West Ham player for many years to come. The 28-year-old has
been the subject of interest for Manchester City during the current transfer
window and the Hammers have snubbed a bid for his services.

Craig Bellamy has already made the move to Eastlands and some feel that it
will only be a matter of time before Parker follows him there. However, in a
bid to try and reassure West Ham fans, the midfielder has claimed that he is
going nowhere.

In fact, he believes that his 'long-term future' is with West Ham. This is
because the team are 'playing well under the new management' and that he is
really 'enjoying himself' at this moment in time.

One thing that Parker did hint at though was that the whole matter could be
taken out of his hands. He said that if someone informs him that the club
are selling him, he 'can't do anything about that'. As much as he may want
to stay, the club make the final decision over his future.

Parker is clearly revelling in the role as West Ham skipper though and is
arguably playing some of the best football of his career. He appears settled
and very keen to remain exactly where he is.

When he refers to his future being out of his hands, I imagine that he is
referring specifically to a huge Manchester City bid. As we know, the
Eastlands club are splashing the cash this window and considering they
missed out on a £100m bid for Kaka – they have a few pennies to spare!

Should they decide to spend anything like the £14m they paid for Bellamy on
Parker, then the football odds would expect the club to find it very hard to
turn down. Parker is aware of this, but for now he is saying all the right
things – I'm happy here…etc.

Although we hope it doesn't happen, what affect would it have on the team if
Parker does leave? Well, according to midfielder Mark Noble, West Ham would
struggle without him. Noble says that Parker is 'so important to us' and
that in reality, he would be irreplaceable.

As for Bellamy, Noble believes that the team have 'proved we can live
without him' in the last two games. Since the Welshman's last game for the
Hammers, Gianfranco Zola's men have recorded two victories. The first was a
Carlton Cole inspired win over Fulham and this was followed by a very
professional display against Hartlepool in the FA Cup.

Should Parker move on though, the affect could be far more negative if
Noble's views are to be believed. Parker plays in a position that makes his
role in the team extremely influential and with time running out in January,
a like-for-like replacement would be hard to find.

Parker is right when he says that unless someone tells him he is moving, he
simply has to get on with things as a West Ham player. He says being the
captain of the side is the 'way it is' right now and that he must continue
to focus on his role.

To be honest, I would place some of my football betting money on Parker
staying. It's just a hunch. We haven't heard much from the Manchester City
camp recently and I hope this is because their interest has decreased.

Even if a massive bid did come in late in the window, I'm not sure Zola
would want to accept it if there was no time to spend the money.

To finish with for today, let me ask you this – Bellamy or Parker? Who could
prove to be the biggest loss? Regardless of the fact that Bellamy has
already moved on, which would you consider as more important to West Ham?
Which would you rather hold on to? I'm curious!

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Juve deny Cole rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Juventus have denied rumours linking them with a possible move for West Ham
United's Carlton Cole. Sky Sports reported this morning that La Vecchia
Signora had made enquiries into Cole's availibility. However that rumour has
been quashed this lunchtime by Juve sporting director Alessio Secco who told
reporters: "We are very happy with the players we have in the team and we
will not make any moves in the January transfer market."
West Ham have also since confirmed that no discussions with regard to Cole
have been held with the Italian giants. A spokesman for the club confirmed
that "no discussions have taken place and Carlton Cole is not for sale".
Juve are currently second in Serie A behind league leaders Inter having
beaten Fiorentina 1-0 at the weekend. Were the rumours correct Cole could
have ended up vying for a first team spot at the Stadio delle Alpi with the
likes of club captain Alessandro Del Piero, French international David
Trezeguet, Brazilian striker Amauri and Italian international Vincenzo
Iaquinta.

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Hypocrites at it again
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

Sheffield United stand accused of third-party interefence yet again after
details of Matthew Spring's transfer from Luton Town to Charlton Athletic
were exposed. Spring, a Luton player loaned to Sheffield United back in
August for the duration of the season was allowed to prematurely end his
loan arrangement in order to sign a permanent deal with Championship
strugglers Charlton on 9th January. However Spring was absent from
Charlton's 2-1 FA Cup fourth round defeat at Bramall Lane on Saturday due to
an agreement between the clubs involved that, at Sheffield United's behest -
and presumably as a condition of agreement - insisted that Spring would not
play against them in the fixture.

Martin Samuels, writing for the Mail Online today slammed the Blades -
previously accused of third party influence regarding the transfer of Steve
Kabba - for yet again infringing the very rule that West Ham were penalised
for breaking in regards to the signing of Carlos Tevez, and which led to a
few hundred supporters of the Yorkshire club to march on London under the
banner of 'Fairness in Football'. "Chances are that Sheffield United will
get away with it again," wrote Samuels. "Despite all that has happened these
last two seasons, the rules seem either vague, easily circumvented or
non-existent. "Many pontificate, but few seem moved to act. We have,
however, cornered the market in hypocrisy. For clearly, it is unthinkable
that a man as publicly committed to fair play as Kevin McCabe, chairman of
Sheffield United, would not have checked the regulations first and ensured
that everything about Spring's transfer was above board and not at all wonky
or open to abuse."

Charlton have reacted to the storm by making a statement on the club's
website this afternoon; it read: "Daily Mail journalist Martin Samuel,
writing in his column, claimed the Blades had no right to come to a
'gentleman's agreement' with the Addicks that the midfielder - who signed
for Charlton from Luton Town - should not play in the match because he
wasn't officially a United player. "But in fact the deal was stipulated in
the initial negotiations regarding the premature ending of Spring's
season-long loan at Bramall Lane from the Hatters. Although not a permanent
signing, Spring was registered to the Blades. "The Addicks agreed that if
United released Spring from his loan commitments, thereby allowing the
transfer of the Luton player to The Valley to go through, manager Phil
Parkinson would not field the player in any potential FA Cup fourth-round
tie between the two clubs."

As of yet neither Sheffield United - nor their unusually silent Chairman Mr
McCabe - have responded to Samuels' article.

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Portsmouth sign Mullins and Pele
BBC.co.uk

Portsmouth manager Tony Adams has bolstered his midfield options with the
double signing of Hayden Mullins from West Ham and Pele from Porto. Mullins,
29, has agreed a three-and-half-year deal at Fratton Park and joins Pompey
for an undisclosed fee. Portuguese midfielder Pele joins on loan for the
remainder of the season with a view to a permanent move. "Hayden and Pele
have been on our radar for some time," said Portsmouth chief executive Peter
Storrie. "They will add strength to our midfield. Central midfield is an
area we have needed to strengthen - that's why we brought in two players."
Both players have been signed in time to feature in Portsmouth's Premier
League match at home to Aston Villa on Tuesday.

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Parker happy to stay a Hammer
Noble admits team would struggle to cope without skipper
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

West Ham United captain Scott Parker insists he sees his long-term future at
Upton Park. Parker has been linked with a January move away from the
Hammers, with Manchester City having failed with a bid for the midfielder.
Craig Bellamy has already joined City, but Parker has suggested he has no
plans to follow his former team-mate out of the club amid reports he will be
offered a new contract by West Ham. The England international admits he has
no control over the speculation, but says he is happy to be playing for
Gianfranco Zola's side. "Do I see my long-term future at West Ham? Yes,"
Parker said in the Daily Telegraph. "The team are playing well under the
new management and with the lads here, we've got something that's really
good. "I'm happy, I'm enjoying myself and I feel I'm playing some good
stuff. "I'm owned by West Ham and I get paid by West Ham. I want to play
football and that's it, everything else is out of my hands. "If someone
rings me tomorrow and says, 'We're selling you', I can't do anything about
that. But I'm a West Ham player and until anyone tells me any different
that's the way it is."
Meanwhile, Mark Noble feels the Hammers would struggle to cope without the
influence of Parker, if he moved on. Noble said: "Bellamy is going to be a
great miss for us. He was a good lad and great in the changing room, but
we've proved we can live without him. "But Scott Parker? No, I don't think
we could. He's a fantastic player, always has been, and so important to us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Black Cats eye Davenport
Sbragia considers defender
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

Sunderland and West Ham are locked in talks over Calum Davenport,
skysports.com understands. Black Cats boss Ricky Sbragia has already
confirmed that he is looking at a number of defensive targets. One of those
is Davenport, who is seemingly surplus to Gianfranco Zola's requirements at
Upton Park. Davenport almost moved to Bolton earlier this month, before they
switched their attentions elsewhere. Now Sunderland are ready to take
Davenport and are in talks about a possible deal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ledley expects Cardiff stay
Welsh ace ignores transfer talk
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

Cardiff star Joe Ledley admits he expects to stay at the club despite being
linked with a move away from Ninian Park. Ledley's future at Cardiff has
been the subject of speculation for some time with the winger regarded as
one the best players outside the Premier League. West Ham and Fulham have
both been credited with an interest in the Wales international during this
month's transfer window, while Wigan Athletic have now been linked with a
£6million bid. Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale confirmed over the weekend
that they had received an enquiry for Ledley, but had rejected it out of
hand. "We have had an enquiry about Joe Ledley and a fee was mentioned, but
we said he is not for sale," said Ridsdale.
"Unless somebody comes in with a bid we haven't even thought about, that
situation will not change. "I have spoken to Joe and he understands the
situation. I expect Joe to be with City until the end of this season at
least."
Ledley has brushed off the latest rumours and says he expects to be still
playing for Cardiff once the transfer window slams shut next week.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm looking forward to playing against Coventry and
Nottingham Forest in the Championship and then the replay with Arsenal,"
Ledley told the Western Mail. "I'm a Cardiff City player until someone tells
me different and I'm not concentrating on anything else but playing for
Cardiff on Wednesday night and, hopefully, adding another three points. "I
thought the whole team put in a great performance that deserved a replay.
"We gave our supporters something to cheer and talk about whatever the
outcome might bring in the replay."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Juventus chase Cole deal
Ranieri keen to be reunited with former Chelsea youngster
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

Sky Sports sources understand Juventus have made an approach to sign West
Ham United striker Carlton Cole. The former England Under 21 international
has been in sparkling form for the Hammers of late after scoring five goals
in six games. He was linked with a move to Tottenham after Spurs boss Harry
Redknapp missed out on a deal for Cole's former Hammers team-mate Craig
Bellamy. However, Cole is now wanted in Italy, with Juventus understood to
have made an enquiry for the 25-year-old. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri gave
Cole his professional debut at Chelsea in 2002 and still appears to be a fan
of the powerful front man. Cole undertook loan spells at Wolves, Charlton
and Aston Villa before leaving Chelsea on a permanent basis for West Ham in
the summer of 2006. During his time at Upton Park, Cole has scored 18 goals
in 80 appearances and is a key part of Gianfranco Zola's plans.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Juventus deny interest in Cole
By Cindy Garcia-Bennett, PA
Monday, 26 January 2009
Independent.co.uk Web

Juventus have quashed speculation they are interested in signing West Ham
forward Carlton Cole. Juve boss Claudio Ranieri coached Cole when both were
at Chelsea and he once described the striker as the best young player he had
ever come across. However, Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco told PA
Sport today: "We are not interested in Carlton Cole. "We are very happy with
the players we have in the team and we will not make any moves in the
January transfer market."
Cole is under contract with the Hammers until June 2010 having joined two
years ago after finding first-team chances hard to come by at Stamford
Bridge. Juventus, who are second in Serie A following a run of six wins in
their last seven games, have recently seen veteran striker David Trezeguet
return from a lengthy injury lay-off.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mullins goes to play up for Pompey
Dick Gozinia - Sun Jan 25 2009
West Ham Online

I'm feeling gutted for some reason. I liked him. West Ham have allowed
midfielder Hayden Mullins to join Portsmouth "after a substantial bid" was
made for him yesterday as stated on the official site.

Mullins signed from Crystal Palace for £800,000 in October 2003 and was
instrumental in getting us promoted and consolidating our position in the
Premiership. He played 178 league games for the club, scoring four goals and
must've been disappointed to miss out on the FA Cup Final in 2006, when the
cheating Garcia and poor officiating from howard Webb denied him a place in
the Final.

Gianfranco Zola told the official site: "I wish Hayden well for the future.
I did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he wanted to play
regularly and I respect his wishes. He asked me if he could talk to
Portsmouth and I could have said 'No' but he is a man that has shown this
club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would not have been fair to
stand in his way."

Scott Duxbury added: "I would like to thank Hayden for his valued
contribution. I wish him well and have no doubt that our supporters will
give him a good reception whenever he returns. Gianfranco has been clear
about allowing players on the fringes to get first-team football elsewhere
if the opportunity arises and - given the fee, his age and his desire to
play regularly - this deal is good for all parties.

"The manager has also spoken about improving the squad and I am working
closely with him and technical director Gianluca Nani to make this happen.
Any new arrivals will complement our blend of experienced internationals and
homegrown youngsters. Our aim is simply to continue progressing in the
league and the FA Cup, and build for the future at West Ham United."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers could unleash £9m Nsereko against Hull
Ken Dyer
This Is London

West Ham are today expected to confirm the £9million signing of striker
Savio Nsereko from Brescia. The German Under-19 international has prompted
interest from several Italian Serie A clubs, including Juventus. But Hammers
boss Gianfranco Zola has seen enough of Nsereko to be suitably impressed and
the youngster could play in Wednesday's clash with Hull City. The signing is
a boost for the club who lost Craig Bellamy to Manchester City earlier this
month. Mark Noble has admitted they would struggle to cope if anyone else,
especially Scott Parker, is sold before the transfer window shuts. The
Hammers showed there is life after Bellamy with Valon Behrami and Noble both
getting on the scoresheet as Zola's side eased past Hartlepool 2-0 in the FA
Cup. Noble said: "He [Parker] is a great player for us, he just sits there,
gets the play going, makes great tackles and takes responsibility all the
time. "He is a fantastic player, always has been and is very important to
us."
West Ham insist Parker is not leaving and the England midfielder says he is
happy at West Ham. He said: "I want to play football and that's it.
Everything else is out of my hands."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Parker Plans Long Term Stay
Setanta.co.uk
by Robin Hackett , 26 January 2009

Scott Parker says he has no intention of demanding a move away from West
Ham. The Hammers have stressed that they are keen to hold onto their star
players this month despite financial problems, but Craig Bellamy was sold to
Manchester City after he asked to leave Upton Park.
However, Parker – who was the subject of an earlier joint bid from City
along with Bellamy – says he is happy at the club and will only move if they
decide to cash in. "At the end of the day, I'm a West Ham player and, until
anyone tells me any different, that's the way it is," he said. I just want
to play football and that's it. Everything else is out of my hands. "If
someone rings me tomorrow and says, 'We're selling you', I can't do anything
about that, but I'm enjoying myself and I feel that I'm playing some good
stuff." He added: "The team are playing well under the new management and,
with the lads here, we've got something that's really good."
Team-mate Mark Noble believes West Ham would be in real trouble if Parker
were allowed to leave. "I don't think we can live without Scott Parker," he
said. "He's such a great player for us. He just sits there, gets the play
going, makes great tackles and takes responsibility all the time.
"Playing in midfield with him is great. He's a fantastic player and always
has been. "He's very important to us and hopefully we will keep him.
"I'll be happy if this transfer window closes and we've still got him."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers confirm talks with Savio
TeamTalk

West Ham United director of football Gianluca Nani has confirmed that the
club are set to sign Savio Nsereko, but not Mario Balotelli. The Hammers
have been tracking youngster Nsereko for a number weeks and now look ready
to pounce ahead of the likes of Napoli and Roma.
It is widely reported that West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola will pay around
£9million for Ugandan-born Nsereko - who is a German youth international.
He began his career with 1860 Munich, before he was snapped up by Brescia as
a 16-year-old, and Nani played a major role in landing him as he was working
for the Italian club at the time. Nani has now returned to his former club
to broker the move for the 19-year-old forward, although he was quick to
again dismiss links with a loan move for Inter Milan starlet Mario
Balotelli. "We are working on Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced,"
confirmed Nani to Mediaset. "We have never talked to anyone about Balotelli,
if we have Savio in place then that could be us done in January."
Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli expects the deal to West Ham to go through
soon. "The player is very close to West Ham," he admitted to the Italian
press over the weekend. "Savio will go away soon, and the boy is happy to
find Zola, a great coach and with him he will only embrace an important
technical programme from which he will only grow and improve. "West Ham have
accelerated the negotiations."
It has been suggested that West Ham would need to sell before buying during
the window, but it now appears Zola has been given full backing by the
club's hierarchy. Reports also suggest that Zola's wish to keep the likes of
Robert Green, Scott Parker and Matthew Upson will come true, with new deals
set to be offered to the trio.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cardiff City reject £5m West Ham bid for Joe Ledley
Jan 26 2009 by Terry Phillips, South Wales Echo

CARDIFF City have rejected a £5m offer from West Ham United for Joe Ledley.
Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale confirmed an approach has been received,
but would not reveal which club has stepped forward, although it looks
certain to be West Ham. Ridsdale has told the Welsh international that, with
the exception of an outrageous offer: "You are staying until the end of this
season at the least." Manager Dave Jones is set on Ledley being in his team
for the FA Cup replay against Arsenal, which is scheduled for a day after
the January transfer window closes. Fairwater-born Ledley insists he won't
be pushing for a move, saying: "It's down to the club. If they accept an
offer there is something to talk about, but I am under contract until the
end of next season and I am focused entirely on playing for Cardiff City."
West Ham are keen on Ledley, while Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is also
contemplating a bid for the Welsh international now they have sold Jimmy
Bullard to Hull City for £5m. "We have had an enquiry about Joe and a fee
was mentioned, but we said he is not for sale," said Ridsdale.
"Unless somebody comes in with a bid we haven't even thought about, that
situation will not change. "I have spoken to Joe Ledley and he understands
the situation. I expect Joe to be with Cardiff City until the end of this
season at least."
Stoke City stepped in with a bid of £6m on the last day of the August
transfer window and it's clear any suitors will have to go way beyond that
to even tempt the Bluebirds. "If somebody left a message offering £6m, I may
not even ring them back," said Ridsdale. City are keeping tabs on Manchester
City and Welsh striker Ched Evans, who is wanted by Celtic. The Bluebirds
were keen to sign Evans on loan earlier this season and Ridsdale said: "He
is a player we asked about and are keeping a check on. "But we have not had
contact with Manchester City for some time."
Celtic are keen to sign Evans on loan for the rest of this season with a
view to buying him for £1.2m later, but there has not been any bid from
Cardiff. Ridsdale did, though, confirm City would be prepared to offer £1m
for a player, saying: "That's something which would be possible if the right
player became available."
Rumours Blackburn's Matt Derbyshire may be coming to City are not true,
while there have been enquiries about club captain Darren Purse.
Charlton Athletic and Leeds United have been linked with a move for Purse,
but Cardiff would only be prepared to let the defender go if a suitable
replacement was signed first.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MULLINS THRILLED AT FRATTON SWITCH
One minute he was training with West Ham and the next he was whisked off to
sign for Pompey.
Portsmouthfc.co.uk

Hayden Mullins' south coast switch came as quite a surprise to the
29-year-old midfielder, who came on as a substitute for the Hammers in their
FA Cup triumph at Hartlepool on Saturday. He had made 21 appearances for the
Londoners this season, netting in their 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough back in
November. But although he was surprised by the speed at which the transfer
happened, Mullins is delighted to have joined the Blues. He said: "It was a
little bit of a shock. "I trained on Sunday with West Ham after the game on
Saturday and then it all happened very quickly, but I'm very pleased to have
joined. "It was a great experience to have worked under Gianfranco Zola but
it's a great challenge here to come and work with some really talented
players. "I enjoyed my time at West Ham but I was there for five years and
thought that maybe it was time for a change. "Portsmouth are a club with a
lot of history. They won the FA Cup last year, so I'm very excited to be
here. "I've played a lot against Pompey in the past and they were always a
tough, physical side to play against. "I knew a lot about the club and it
was an easy decision to make."
Mullins is confident that he can help the Blues pull away from the bottom of
the Premier League in the coming weeks. He said: "A couple of wins will take
you away from the bottom of the table. "There's a great squad here and I
want to get into the team and work hard."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham on the verge of record Nsereko deal
By Soccernet staff
January 26, 2009

West Ham United are on the verge of completing a deal to bring Brescia
teenager Savio Nsereko to the club for a reported fee of £9m. The Hammers'
director of football Gianluca Nani helped to bring Nsereko to Brescia from
1860 Munich when he was working for the Italian club and is a big fan of the
19-year-old. "We are working on Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced,"
Nani told Mediaset. "We have never talked to anyone about (Internazionale's)
Mario Balotelli but if we have Savio in place then that could be us done in
January." Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli, has also confirmed that the
deal is close to completion, saying: "Savio will go away soon, and the boy
is happy to find (Gianfranco) Zola, a great coach and with him he will only
embrace an important technical programme from which he will only grow and
improve. "West Ham have accelerated the negotiations." Zola has also been
boosted by fresh indications from Scott Parker that he is willing to commit
his future to the club. The England midfielder spoke out as it emerged his
club was set to offer him a new two-year extension to his £50,000-per-week
deal after turning down bids from Manchester City. "Do I see my long-term
future at West Ham? Yes," Parker said. "The team are playing well under the
new management and with the lads here, we've got something that's really
good. I'm happy, I'm enjoying myself and I feel I'm playing some good
stuff."
Meanwhile, reports suggest Robert Green and Matthew Upson are set to be
offered new Upton Park contracts.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham warn off Spurs from making new bid for Cole
By Jason Burt
Saturday, 24 January 2009
Independent.co.uk Web

West Ham United have told Tottenham Hotspur not to bother submitting a new
bid to sign the striker Carlton Cole after they immediately rejected an £8m
offer. The bid was made earlier this month, after which Spurs concentrated
their attention on trying to sign another West Ham player, Craig Bellamy,
who subsequently joined Manchester City for £14m this week. The West Ham
chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said earlier this week that he does not want
to sell the club's best players to Spurs – and rejected four bids for
Bellamy – and has informed them that they will be wasting their time if they
make an improved offer for Cole.
One of Spurs' failed bids for Bellamy included a straight swap for Darren
Bent, but this was dismissed by West Ham. It has been mooted that the
striker may be offered again in return for Cole, who has been a long-term
target at White Hart Lane. West Ham tried to sign Bent before he joined
Spurs but they no longer have any interest in him, while the striker has
also been offered, without success, to Sunderland. Spurs also tried to sell
him to Aston Villa, who have subsequently agreed a £3.5m deal to acquire
Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic.

West Ham rejected two bids from Sunderland for Cole last summer, including
an offer of £5m, and since then he has signed a new five-year contract,
while his form has improved dramatically under the manager Gianfranco Zola,
a former team-mate when both were players at Chelsea.

Cole has scored five goals in his last five games, and nine in all this
season, and is being monitored by the England manager Fabio Capello, who was
at Upton Park last Sunday when the 25-year-old was man-of-the-match in the
victory over Fulham. Capello is considering Cole as an understudy for Heskey
and has been impressed by recent performances.

West Ham are understandably determined to hold on to Cole, not least because
they have sold Bellamy and promised Zola that he will not lose any more key
players. The manager has also been told that the funds from the Bellamy sale
will be re-invested and West Ham have been in negotiations this week to seal
a club record £10m signing – the fee includes add-ons – of the German
Under-19 international Savio Nsereko from Brescia.

One of his agents, Patrick Bastianelli, who represents Savio in Italy, told
romanews.eu: "At the moment West Ham are in pole position. The situation
could be unlocked next week. Roma were following him, but in the January
market many teams – including Roma – are not entering into transactions."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Juventus deny rumours of deal for West Ham striker Carlton Cole
Juventus have denied rumours suggesting they are interested in signing West
Ham striker Carlton Cole.
Telegraph
By Emily Benammar
Last Updated: 12:31PM GMT 26 Jan 2009

Juve manager Claudio Ranieri coached Cole when both were at Chelsea and he
once described the striker as the best young player he had ever come across.
However, Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco has rubbished suggestions
of a reunion, saying: "We are not interested in Carlton Cole. "We are very
happy with the players we have in the team and we will not make any moves in
the January transfer market."
Cole is under contract with Gianfranco Zola's side until June 2010, having
joined two years ago, after finding first-team chances hard to come by at
Stamford Bridge. Speculation began despite West Ham's chief executive Scott
Duxbury insisting he didn't want to sell Cole, who has scored seven goals in
19 league games so far this season. The club are also said to have rejected
an £8 million offer for Cole from Tottenham, in a bid to hold on to their
best players, following the departure of Craig Bellamy to Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Zola is said to be preparing a club record move to sign Brescia's
Savio Nsereko for around £10 million. The club has been tracking the
19-year-old German international for some weeks and director of football
Gianluca Nani has now confirmed that talks are advanced. "We are working on
Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced," he said. "We have never talked
to anyone about Balotelli, if we have Savio in place then that could be us
done in January."
Nani's comments were backed up by Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli, who
expects the deal to be completed before long. "The player is very close to
West Ham," he told the Italian media over the weekend. "Savio will go away
soon, and the boy is happy to find Zola, a great coach and with him he will
only embrace an important technical programme from which he will only grow
and improve. "West Ham have accelerated the negotiations."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Football's New Morality
Just Like My Dreams

Hayden Mullins has joined the growing list of transfer window departures,
with Portsmouth completing the signing of the combative United midfielder
for an undisclosed fee (thought to be in the region of £2million) this
morning. Pompey boss Tony Adams has been looking to bolster his midfield all
month after losing Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid and Papa Bouba Diop to a
long-term injury, while West Ham have decided to let Mullins move on as
Gianfranco Zola looks to trim his squad and balance the books at Upton Park.

Mullins has agreed terms on a three-and-a-half-year deal and passed a
medical to join Pompey. The midfielder could make his debut in tomorrow's
Premier League clash with Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports 1. "Hayden has
been on our radar for some time," said Portsmouth executive chairman Peter
Storrie. "He will add strength to our midfield. Central midfield is an area
we have needed to strengthen - that's why we brought in two players."

Mullins' move comes just two days after his final appearance for the
Hammers, as a substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Hartlepool. The
29-year-old has spent the past five years at Upton Park having become Alan
Pardew's first signing back in October 2003, when he joined from Crystal
Palace. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Hammers but sadly
missed out on the 2006 FA Cup Final having been sent off the week before.

Mullins told the club's website: "It was a little bit of a shock. I trained
on Sunday with West Ham after the game on Saturday and then it all happened
very quickly, but I'm very pleased to have joined. It was a great experience
to have worked under Gianfranco Zola but it's a great challenge here to come
and work with some really talented players. I enjoyed my time at West Ham
but I was there for five years and thought that maybe it was time for a
change. Portsmouth are a club with a lot of history. They won the FA Cup
last year, so I'm very excited to be here."

Gianfranco Zola revealed that he allowed Hayden Mullins to leave as he could
no longer guarantee him first team football. Zola, speaking on the official
site this morning, stated that Mullins had asked to join Portsmouth having
started in just eight of his 21 appearances for the Hammers this season. "I
did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he wanted to play
regularly and I respect his wishes," said Zola. "He asked me if he could
talk to Portsmouth and I could have said 'no' but he is a man that has shown
this club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would not have been
fair to stand in his way."

Exodus: who's left West Ham since the end of last season (courtesy of KUMB)

Sold: John Paintsil (Fulham, £1m); Bobby Zamora (Fulham, £5.3m); Anton
Ferdinand (Sunderland, £8m); George McCartney (Sunderland, £6m); Matthew
Etherington (Stoke, £3m); Craig Bellamy (Man City £14m), Hayden Mullins
(£2m). Total £39.3m.

Released: Freddie Ljungberg; Richard Wright; Nobby Solano.

Currently on loan: Jimmy Walker (Colchester Utd); Kyel Reid (Wolves); Lee
Bowyer (Birmingham); Nigel Quashie (Wolves); Joe Widdowson (Grimsby Town).

Meanwhile, Scott Parker insists he sees his long-term future at Upton Park.
The midfielder has been linked with a January move away from the Hammers,
with Manchester City having already failed with a bid. With Craig Bellamy
having already joined City, Parker was keen to reiterate he has no plans to
follow his former team-mate out of the club, amid reports he will be offered
a new contract by West Ham. The England international admits he has no
control over the speculation, but says he is happy to be playing for
Gianfranco Zola's side.

"Do I see my long-term future at West Ham? Yes," Parker said in the Daily
Telegraph. "The team are playing well under the new management and with the
lads here, we've got something that's really good. I'm happy, I'm enjoying
myself and I feel I'm playing some good stuff. I'm owned by West Ham and I
get paid by West Ham. I want to play football and that's it, everything else
is out of my hands. If someone rings me tomorrow and says, 'We're selling
you', I can't do anything about that. But I'm a West Ham player and until
anyone tells me any different that's the way it is."

Meanwhile, Mark Noble feels the Hammers would struggle to cope without the
influence of Parker, if he moved on. Noble said: "Bellamy is going to be a
great miss for us. He was a good lad and great in the changing room, but
we've proved we can live without him. But Scott Parker? No, I don't think we
could. He's such a great player for us. He just sits there, gets the play
going, makes great tackles and takes responsibility all the time. Playing in
midfield with him is great. He's a fantastic player and always has been.
He's very important to us and hopefully we will keep him. I'll be happy if
this transfer window closes and we've still got him."

On the transfer front, several media outlets are expecting West Ham to
confirm today the signing of striker Savio Nsereko from Brescia. The Mail
are reporting a deal worth £9million and say Gianfranco Zola has seen enough
of Nsereko to be suitably impressed. The youngster could even play in
Wednesday's clash with Hull City. The signing would be a boost for the club
following the loss of Craig Bellamy to Manchester City earlier this month.

At the very least, West Ham United director of football Gianluca Nani has
confirmed the club's interest in the Brescia striker. "We are working on
Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced," confirmed Nani to Mediaset.
Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli also expects the deal to West Ham to go
through soon. "The player is very close to West Ham," he admitted to the
Italian press over the weekend. "Savio will go away soon, and the boy is
happy to find Zola, a great coach and with him he will only embrace an
important technical programme from which he will only grow and improve. West
Ham have accelerated the negotiations."

The Hammers have also been linked with Mario Balotelli, the young and
wayward Inter striker. However a circumspect Gianluca Nani denied reports
that a deal was likely to be struck soon. "We have never talked to anyone
about Balotelli," he said, "but if we have Savio in place then that could be
us done in January." United are thought to have been monitoring Balotelli
closely, and despite Nani's denials are rumoured to have made enquiries into
his availability. The club have also intimated that the capture of Nsereko
may not necessarily be the last bit of business done during this transfer
window. For the moment, at least, the brother and agent of Mario Balotelli
is saying there's been no contact with West Ham for the Milanese striker.
Corrado Balotelli said: "He was calm after meeting with the club and I think
he is prepared to accept any decision from (coach) Jose Mourinho."

In another strange twist, Sky Sports sources 'understand' Juventus have made
an approach to sign West Ham United striker Carlton Cole. They report that
the former England Under 21 international has been in sparkling form for the
Hammers of late after scoring five goals in six games, and is now wanted in
Italy, with Juventus understood to have made an approach for the
25-year-old. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri gave Cole his professional debut at
Chelsea in 2002 and still appears to be a fan of the powerful front man. The
striker was recently linked with a move to Tottenham after Spurs boss Harry
Redknapp missed out on a deal for former Hammers team-mate Craig Bellamy.
Cole also undertook loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa before
leaving Chelsea on a permanent basis for West Ham in the summer of 2006.
During his time at Upton Park, Cole has scored 18 goals in 80 appearances
and is a key part of Gianfranco Zola's plans.

Thankfully (before my head explodes from the insanity), reports have
subsequently emerged that have cast doubts on the veracity of the rumour.
Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco told PA Sport today: "We are not
interested in Carlton Cole. We are very happy with the players we have in
the team and we will not make any moves in the January transfer market."
Juventus, who are second in Serie A following a run of six wins in their
last seven games, have recently seen veteran striker David Trezeguet return
from a lengthy injury lay-off.

Finally, Martin Samuel has taken another judicious swipe at the vagaries of
third party interference in football, especially as it pertains to Sheffield
United. West Ham are not mentioned directly in what is an excellent piece,
but the implication is readily discernible.

Some brief extracts...


The Football Association will this morning begin an investigation into the
circumstances around the transfer of Matthew Spring from Luton Town to
Charlton Athletic, on the basis of possible third party interference from
Sheffield United.

Don't hold your breath.

It has long been Sheffield United's lot to be painted as victims of grave
injustice, so do not expect this latest twist to make a ripple in that smug
little pond, or to appear anywhere beyond these pages. Even so, this is
important; or it would be if football cared for anything more than grand
gestures to the gallery.

Followed by:


The Football League, despite Lord Mawhinney's (right) regular land-grabs for
the high moral ground, do not have rules governing third party interference,
and a spokesman yesterday presented this issue as a hospital pass to the
Football Association, who have been so anxious for involvement in third
party rulings in the past.

Now they have the chance. Rule C1 (b), clause 3 states: 'No club shall enter
into a contract which enables any other party to that contract to acquire
the ability materially to influence the club's policies or performance of
its teams in matches and/or competition.'

In English? For Spring to join Charlton, his registration would have to be
held at that moment by Luton, not Sheffield United. And once this document
was restored to Luton, Sheffield United became a third party and any
involvement in his career should cease.

For Sheffield to then influence whether a permanent Charlton signing plays
against them is therefore third party interference; just as it was when
Sheffield and Watford publicly announced the gentlemen's agreement that kept
Steve Kabba out of the Watford line-up against his former club in 2007, the
year Sheffield went down.

In conclusion:


Chances are that Sheffield United will get away with it again. Despite all
that has happened these last two seasons, the rules seem either vague,
easily circumvented or non-existent.

Many pontificate, but few seem moved to act. We have, however, cornered the
market in hypocrisy.

For clearly, it is unthinkable that a man as publicly committed to fair play
as Kevin McCabe, chairman of Sheffield United, would not have checked the
regulations first and ensured that everything about Spring's transfer was
above board and not at all wonky or open to abuse.

And what a good thing that is, really, for otherwise a fellow could get
quite confused by football's new morality.

Football is a funny old game. Not really.
Posted by Trilby at 10:40

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham close in on Nsereko
Monday, 26 January 2009
West Ham hope to beat Milan and Napoli to sign Savio Nsereko from Brescia
Independent.co.uk Web

West Ham are close to completing the signing of German striker Savio Nsereko
according to reports. It is thought the Brescia player will move to Upton
Park for a club record £10m, as the Hammers look to strengthen following the
sale of Craig Bellamy to Manchester City. Brecia are a Serie B team but
19-year-old Nsereko's performances have done enough to interest West Ham
manager Gianfranco Zola and technical director Gianluca Nani. West Ham's
previous club record record fee was the £7.5m paid to Newcastle for Bellamy.
The east London club continue to have a hectic transfer window. Hayden
Mullins is expected to complete his move to Portsmouth after agreeing
personal terms while they have also rejected am £8m bid from Tottenham for
Carlton Cole.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PARKER GETS NOBLE PRIZE
The Mirror
By David Anderson 26/01/2009

HARTLEPOOL 0
WEST HAM 2

West Ham may have proved there is life after Craig Bellamy - but Mark Noble
claims they can't live without Scott Parker. After watching Parker
successfully steer West Ham through this tricky FA Cup tie against
giantkillers Hartlepool, Noble hailed him as the one player they cannot
afford to lose. The classy midfielder is still on Mark Hughes's shopping
list and the Manchester City boss has already failed with one £10million
offer. Hard-up West Ham have already flogged Bellamy to City for £15million
and are braced for another bid from the Blues for Parker. Noble claims it
would be a body blow for the Hammers if they lost Parker and is desperate
for his team-mate to stay. "I don't think we can live without Scott Parker,"
he said. "He's such a great player for us. He just sits there, gets the play
going, makes great tackles and takes responsibility all the time. "Playing
in midfield with him is great. He's a fantastic player and always has been.
He's very important to us and hopefully we will keep him. I'll be happy if
this transfer window closes and we've still got him."
Parker, 28, says what happens to him over the next seven days is out of his
hands. The England international feels like a bystander caught up in the
drama and claims his future will be decided by West Ham. "At the end of the
day, I'm a West Ham player and until anyone tells me any different, that's
the way it is," he said. "I just want to play football and that's it.
Everything else is out of my hands. "If someone rings me tomorrow and says
'we're selling you,' I can't do anything about that. "But I'm enjoying
myself and I feel that I'm playing some good stuff."
This comfortable win stretchesWest Ham's unbeaten run to six games and
silences the critics who predicted they would go into meltdown in January.
After Parker cleared an early Hartlepool effort off the line, they took the
lead a minute before half-time when Jack Collison's run into the box was
checked and Valon Behrami slotted home left-footed. Hartlepool switched off
because they were already thinking about half-time and they were caught
napping again two minutes into stoppage time when captain Michael Nelson
handled Carlton Cole's header. Referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot,
although the offence had clearly taken place outside the area, and Noble
converted the penalty to end the home side's hopes of an upset.
That was tough on Hartlepool and the League One side came close to scoring
the goal their neat football deserved when Gary Liddle's header was touched
over by Rob Green. Chris Turner's men deserve great credit for their cup run
and the millions who watched them live on ITV now know the town of
Hartlepool for something other than H'Angus the monkey, the club mascot who
became mayor.

Hartlepool: Lee-Barrett 6, Sweeney 6, Clark 6, Nelson 5, Humphreys 6,
Monkhouse 7, Liddle 7, Jones 6 (Foley 84), Robson 5, Mackay 5 (Henderson
56), Porter 6.

West Ham: Green 6, Faubert 6, Collins 5, Tomkins 6, Ilunga 6, Noble 7,
Parker 7, Behrami 7, Collison 6 (Boa Morte 64, 5), Di Michele 7 (Mullins 75,
5), Cole 6 (Sears 78). Goals: Behrami 44, Noble 45 (pen).

REFEREE: Lee Mason ATTENDANCE: 6,849

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Grimsby 3 Rotherham United 0: Hammers' loan pair end Rotherham's run
Yorkshirepost.co.uk
Published Date: 24 January 2009

Rotherham found revitalised Grimsby ultimately too much for them and their
five-match unbeaten run in League Two was ended. Grimsby manager Mike Newell
has changed his side considerably over the past couple of months and the
impact was plain to see in this performance, particularly in the second
half.
Left-back Joe Widdowson, on loan from West Ham and who was on loan at
Rotherham last season, provided the breakthrough 11 minutes into the second
half and then Grimsby fought hard to stay in front. A critical moment was
the second goal with 18 minutes left when referee Russell Booth initially
awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area, apparently for an off-the-ball
shirt-pulling offence.
Then having arrived at the spot where he had noticed the offence taking
place he changed direction and pointed to the penalty spot. Adam Proudlock
scored after Rotherham's protests had died down. "The referee said he was
only 10 yards away and was adamant he saw shirt-pulling by Jason Taylor,"
said Rotherham manager Mark Robins. "But if he was so close why give the
free-kick in the first place and not a penalty straight away? He couldn't
answer me on that one."
Although Rotherham applied plenty of pressure they were finished off seven
minutes from time by Dean Sinclair, like Widdowson, on loan from West Ham
and making his home debut.

Grimsby Town: Barnes; Clarke, Bennett, Atkinson, Widdowson; Jarman (Bore
73), Kalala (Llewellyn 85), Sinclair, Elliott; Proudlock, Akero. Unused
substitutes: Montgomery, Hegarty, Heywood.

Rotherham United: Warrington; Tonge, Sharps, Fenton, Nicholas (Burchill 46);
Hudson, Harrison, J Taylor, Green (Joseph 63); Broughton, R Taylor. Unused
substitutes: Cann, Cummins, Reid.

Referee: R Booth (Notts).

Man of the match: Mark Hudson.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mullins: Portsmouth move a whirlwind
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

Portsmouth have completed the signing of West Ham United midfielder Hayden
Mullins. Mullins' move comes just two days after his final appearance for
the Hammers as a substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Hartlepool. The
29-year-old, who has spent the past five years at Upton Park after an
£800,000 move from Crystal Palace, only became aware of Portsmouth's
interest yesterday. Mullins told the club's website: "It was a little bit of
a shock. I trained on Sunday with West Ham after the game on Saturday and
then it all happened very quickly, but I'm very pleased to have joined. "It
was a great experience to have worked under Gianfranco Zola but it's a great
challenge to come here and work with some really talented players. "I
enjoyed my time at West Ham but I was there for five years and thought that
maybe it was time for a change. "Portsmouth are a club with a lot of
history. They won the FA Cup last year, so I'm very excited to be here."
Pompey chief Peter Storrie said: "Tony and I decided to move for Hayden on
Saturday night. We got hold of West Ham on Sunday morning and I think they
were a bit surprised that we wanted to get the deal done so quickly.
"Hayden's an experienced player who has played exceptionally well against us
in the past. He's a guy with immense experience in the Premier League, and
that's what we need in this situation. "He wanted regular football, because
he has been in and out of the West Ham side."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Zola eyeing Middlesbrough fullback Bates
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is eyeing Middlesbrough fullback
Matthew Bates. The People says Zola's spies have singled out the Boro
defender who is a free agent at the end of the season. Lucas Neill can leave
Upton Park for around £2million and if a buyer comes in they will go for
Bates - and Boro have enough cover in his position to let the 22-year-old
go.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham move for Spurs striker Bent
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United are eyeing Tottenham striker Darren Bent. The People says
Bent is set to leave Spurs. West Ham are showing an interest in Bent,
although that would have to be a swap deal.

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

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

Web Item - Nsereko

West Ham complete Nsereko signing
By Simon Austin
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have signed Brescia striker Savio Nsereko and will confirm his
capture later on Monday. The Uganda-born forward will be a direct
replacement for Craig Bellamy, who moved to Manchester City last week. The
fee for Nsereko, 19, has not been revealed but it is expected to be a club
record, topping the £7.5m West Ham paid Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007.
Hammers technical director Gianluca Nani worked with Germany under-19 star
Nsereko when he was at Brescia. The striker can play in a variety of
attacking positions and was named player of the tournament at last year's
Uefa Under-19 Championship in the Czech Republic, which was won by Germany.
He was also reported to have attracted interest from Italian giants Roma and
Juventus. Nsereko has scored three goals in 17 appearances for Serie B side
Brescia this season. His signing will reassure fans who had feared the
Londoners would only be a selling club during the January transfer window.
Owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been beset by financial problems in recent
months and is considering selling the club. But other than Bellamy, who was
determined to leave Upton Park, West Ham have only sold fringe players
Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer and Hayden Mullins. Meanwhile, both the
Hammers and Juventus have quashed speculation that Carlton Cole could be
about to move from east London to Turin. "We are very happy with the players
we have in the team and we will not make any moves in the January transfer
market," said Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco.

Web Item - NON WHU - Sheffield United

Sheffield United's cosy deal to cut out Spring is all wrong
Last updated at 3:09 AM on 26th January 2009
Daily Mail

The Football Association will this morning begin an investigation into the
circumstances around the transfer of Matthew Spring from Luton Town to
Charlton Athletic, on the basis of possible third party interference from
Sheffield United. Don't hold your breath.

It has long been Sheffield United's lot to be painted as victims of grave
injustice, so do not expect this latest twist to make a ripple in that smug
little pond, or to appear anywhere beyond these pages. Even so, this is
important; or it would be if football cared for anything more than grand
gestures to the gallery.

Spring did not play for Charlton against Sheffield United in the FA Cup on
Saturday because of an agreement between the clubs. Such cosy deals are
legal now except Spring was never a permanent Sheffield United player. He
was a Luton Town player, who spent time on loan at Bramall Lane. This is how
it worked.

A journeyman midfield player, late of Leeds United and Watford, Spring
signed a season-long loan at Sheffield United, but it was not happening for
him and he returned to Luton in the transfer window. Charlton then bought
him but, as a condition of the deal, it was agreed that he could not play
against Sheffield United in the FA Cup. Charlton did not even register him
for the competition, despite Spring featuring in their League games with
Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday. This was confirmed on the
official Charlton website before the fourth-round tie. 'Also unavailable,'
it reported, 'is midfielder Matthew Spring under an agreement that was
struck with the Blades following his release from a season-long loan at
Bramall Lane earlier this month, that enabled him to complete a permanent
switch to The Valley from Luton Town.'
Still with me?

In other words, Sheffield United were able to de-select from the opposing
team a player who had never been owned solely by them. Take that one to its
potential conclusion. Perhaps Sheffield United could reach an agreement with
Doncaster Rovers not to play their goalkeeper, Neil Sullivan, in their match
at Bramall Lane tomorrow night, too? Maybe Manchester City's Sheik could
offer Newcastle United a cut to keep that pesky Michael Owen out of the way
on Wednesday. It would save him a right few quid on players.

The Football League, despite Lord Mawhinney's regular land-grabs for the
high moral ground, do not have rules governing third party interference, and
a spokesman yesterday presented this issue as a hospital pass to the
Football Association, who have been so anxious for involvement in third
party rulings in the past.

Now they have the chance. Rule C1 (b), clause 3 states: 'No club shall enter
into a contract which enables any other party to that contract to acquire
the ability materially to influence the club's policies or performance of
its teams in matches and/or competition.'

In English? For Spring to join Charlton, his registration would have to be
held at that moment by Luton, not Sheffield United. And once this document
was restored to Luton, Sheffield United became a third party and any
involvement in his career should cease. For Sheffield to then influence
whether a permanent Charlton signing plays against them is therefore third
party interference; just as it was when Sheffield and Watford publicly
announced the gentlemen's agreement that kept Steve Kabba out of the Watford
line-up against his former club in 2007, the year Sheffield went down. In
their last five matches, it was Sheffield United's sole win. Somehow, the
Premier League allowed those clubs off the hook, because the arrangement was
denied and nothing was in writing.

Chances are that Sheffield United will get away with it again. Despite all
that has happened these last two seasons, the rules seem either vague,
easily circumvented or non-existent. Many pontificate, but few seem moved to
act. We have, however, cornered the market in hypocrisy. For clearly, it is
unthinkable that a man as publicly committed to fair play as Kevin McCabe,
chairman of Sheffield United, would not have checked the regulations first
and ensured that everything about Spring's transfer was above board and not
at all wonky or open to abuse. And what a good thing that is, really, for
otherwise a fellow could get quite confused by football's new morality.

Web Item - Carlton Cole

Juventus chase Cole deal
Ranieri keen to be reunited with former Chelsea youngster
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

Sky Sports sources understand Juventus have made an approach to sign West
Ham United striker Carlton Cole. The former England Under 21 international
has been in sparkling form for the Hammers of late after scoring five goals
in six games. He was linked with a move to Tottenham after Spurs boss Harry
Redknapp missed out on a deal for Cole's former Hammers team-mate Craig
Bellamy. However, Cole is now wanted in Italy, with Juventus understood to
have made an enquiry for the 25-year-old. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri gave
Cole his professional debut at Chelsea in 2002 and still appears to be a fan
of the powerful front man. Cole undertook loan spells at Wolves, Charlton
and Aston Villa before leaving Chelsea on a permanent basis for West Ham in
the summer of 2006. During his time at Upton Park, Cole has scored 18 goals
in 80 appearances and is a key part of Gianfranco Zola's plans.

Web Item - Hayden Mullins

Mullins leaves for Portsmouth
WHUFC.com
Hayden Mullins has left West Ham United for Portsmouth on a three-and-a-half
year contract
26.01.2009

West Ham United have allowed midfielder Hayden Mullins to join Portsmouth
for an undisclosed fee.

Mullins has been a loyal servant for the club since signing from Crystal
Palace for £800,000 in October 2003 and was the longest-serving first-team
player at the Boleyn Ground. Mullins was given permission to talk to
Portsmouth on Sunday after a substantial bid was made for his services. He
then travelled to the south-coast club to complete a medical and agree
personal terms.

The midfielder, who turns 30 in March, played 178 league games for the club,
scoring four goals. However, he had started just eight games in all
competitions this campaign, along with 13 appearances off the bench. The
Reading-born player has agreed a three-and-a-half year contract at Fratton
Park.

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola said: "I wish Hayden well for the
future. I did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he wanted
to play regularly and I respect his wishes. He asked me if he could talk to
Portsmouth and I could have said 'No' but he is a man that has shown this
club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would not have been fair to
stand in his way."

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "I would like to thank Hayden for
his valued contribution. I wish him well and have no doubt that our
supporters will give him a good reception whenever he returns. Gianfranco
has been clear about allowing players on the fringes to get first-team
football elsewhere if the opportunity arises and - given the fee, his age
and his desire to play regularly - this deal is good for all parties.

"The manager has also spoken about improving the squad and I am working
closely with him and technical director Gianluca Nani to make this happen.
Any new arrivals will complement our blend of experienced internationals and
homegrown youngsters. Our aim is simply to continue progressing in the
league and the FA Cup, and build for the future at West Ham United."

Daily WHUFC News - 26th January 2009

Middlesbrough next in FA Cup
WHUFC.com
The Hammers have Middlesbrough standing between them and another step on on
the road to Wembley
25.01.2009

West Ham United have been drawn at home against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup
fifth round with the tie to take place on the weekend of 14/15 February.

The Hammers memorably met Middlesbrough in the 2005/06 semi-final at Villa
Park when Marlon Harewood's solitary 78th-minute strike separated the teams.
That took the three-time winners - in 1964, 1975 and 1980 - through to the
showpiece in Cardiff, where they lost out to Liverpool on penalties after a
3-3 draw.

Gareth Southgate's men will prove a difficult prospect when they arrive in
east London next month - with the two teams drawing 1-1 when they last met
at the Riverside back on 1 November. Boro are also due at the Boleyn Ground
on 24 May for the last Barclays Premier League meeting of the season.

The draw - conducted by Gary Mabbutt and Gary Pallister - was conducted at
FA headquarters at Soho Square, London. The Hammers had earned their place
after a professional 2-0 win at League One side Hartlepool United on
Saturday lunchtime.

The winners of the tie will enter the sixth round on 7/8 March. The
semi-finals are due to take place at Wembley on Saturday 18 April. The final
will take place at the famous old stadium on Saturday 30 May.

Fifth-round draw

Sheffield United v Hull City
Watford v Chelsea
West Ham United v Middlesbrough
Sunderland or Blackburn v Coventry
Derby County or Nottingham Forest v Manchester United
Swansea City v Fulham
Liverpool or Everton v Doncaster Rovers or Aston Villa
Cardiff or Arsenal v West Brom or Burnley

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA Cup: Hammers to face 'Boro
WHUFC.com
Filed: Sunday, 25th January 2009
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United will play Middlesbrough at the Boleyn Ground in the fifth
round of the FA Cup.

West Ham, number five in the pot were the fifth team drawn out of the hat by
former 'Boro defender Gary Pallister; ex-Spurs hero Gary Mabbutt picking the
away teams.

The Hammers, unbeaten in their last four meetings with Middlesbrough last
lost at home to the Teesiders back in 1999 when a second half Brian Deane
strike was enough to seperate the sides.

But somewhat more memorably, the last meeting between the two sides in this
competition came just two years ago when Marlon Harewood's volley was enough
to win an action-packed semi-final 1-0 at Villa Park.

The teams have only met on three other occasions in the FA Cup - firstly in
February 1912 when the Hammers saw 'Boro off after a replay at the Boleyn
Ground and then in 1969 when 'Boro scored their only competition win against
United thanks to a 2-1 win at Ayresome Park - a game most notable for Bobby
Moore and Billy Bonds sarcastically clapping the officials off the pitch
after three key decisions went against Ron Greenwood's side.

All ties will be played on the weekend of 14th February.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers confirm Savio talks
Nani close to Brescia deal, but no Balotelli
Last updated: 26th January 2009
SSN

West Ham United director of football Gianluca Nani has confirmed that the
club are set to sign Savio Nsereko, but not Mario Balotelli. The Hammers
have been tracking youngster Nsereko for a number weeks and now look ready
to pounce ahead of the likes of Napoli and Roma.
It is widely reported that West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola will pay around
£9million for Ugandan-born Nsereko - who is a German youth international. He
began his career with 1860 Munich, before he was snapped up by Brescia as a
16-year-old, and Nani played a major role in landing him as he was working
for the Italian club at the time. Nani has now returned to his former club
to broker the move for the 19-year-old forward, although he was quick to
again dismiss links with a loan move for Inter Milan starlet Mario
Balotelli. "We are working on Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced,"
confirmed Nani to Mediaset. "We have never talked to anyone about Balotelli,
if we have Savio in place then that could be us done in January."
Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli expects the deal to West Ham to go through
soon. "The player is very close to West Ham," he admitted to the Italian
press over the weekend. "Savio will go away soon, and the boy is happy to
find Zola, a great coach and with him he will only embrace an important
technical programme from which he will only grow and improve. "West Ham have
accelerated the negotiations."
It has been suggested that West Ham would need to sell before buying during
the window, but it now appears Zola has been given full backing by the
club's hierarchy. Reports also suggest that Zola's wish to keep the likes of
Robert Green, Scott Parker and Matthew Upson will come true, with new deals
set to be offered to the trio.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Hartlepool Report
Vinny - Sun Jan 25 2009
West Ham Online
FA Cup 4th Round

Hartlepool United 0 West Ham United 2

A professional and efficient performance saw West Ham cruise into the next
round of the FA Cup as any talk of an 'upset' found itself diminished by
half time. Goals from Valon Behrami and Mark Noble were enough to secure the
victory as West Ham recorded their fifth win in the last six games.

There was never a time during the game where I thought we would concede and
we looked very comfortable throughout. I don't know if I am the only one but
I thought it was a lot easier than had been initially thought with
Hartlepool really hyping the game up.

It was a flat performance from our opponents who tried to play football on
the floor when in a cup tie like this a more direct approach would have had
a little more success. We bossed the majority of the game and although we
sat back in the second half Hartlepool only managed one attempt on goal and
that was saved well by Robert Green.

Gianfranco Zola had said before the game that he intended to play a strong
team and he kept to his word with only a few changes to personnel made.

In defence Matthew Upson was rested and replaced by James Tomkins. At right
back Julien Faubert came in for Lucas Neill who was on the bench.

The midfield and attack were unchanged from the side which beat Fulham last
weekend. This saw David Di Michele keep his place in the side.

We started in confident fashion with the possession of the ball being mainly
ours. The first ten minutes we controlled the game without having any
meaningful shots on goal. A good attempt from Mark Noble from just outside
the area was decent but it went wide.

With no early goal, the hosts began to settle and started to compete. They
were hardworking and lively which is to be expected of every lower league
club. We were finding it difficult to keep the ball in attacking areas and
our final ball was often the wrong one.

Hartlepool came close to taking the lead when a corner was swung in for
Michael Mackay to rise and head towards goal only for Scott Parker to clear
off the line.

A few moments later a half chance presented its was for the 'Monkey Hangers'
as Andy Monkhouse got into the area and past Parker only for his left foot
shot to go well wide when he should have at least got it on target.

This gave the home side something to get excited about and the atmosphere
became a little more lively. Our problem at this junction of the game is
that we were looking to play the long ball to Cole who was penalised every
time he went up for the ball which led to a stern telling off from the
referee.

It was a little frustrating to see us deploy this tactic when if we kept the
ball on the ground (which is what we are good at) we would have had much
more success as Hartlepool did not like the quick attacking football
especially down the flanks which seemed unoccupied.

The game found its bite on the pitch after a goal mouth incident which
sparked a brawl. The ball was rolling towards the Hartlepool keeper
Lee-Barrett with other defenders around and Carlton Cole went in hard on the
keeper which sparked fury with the Hartlepool defenders.

They all surrounded Cole who was on the ground as the keeper screamed at him
as if he had killed his child. Ilunga came racing over and got involved
although this was only to protect his team mate. I found it funny that they
were all having a pop at Cole who was grounded. I would have loved to see
them do it if he was actually standing up. I would think they would have
been a lot more muted if they were standing toe to toe with him.

Somehow Ilunga and Cole were the only ones to receive yellow cards. Cole I
could understand for the initial incident but Ilunga's reaction was no worse
than any of the Hartlepool's players.

With half time fast approaching it seemed as though we were going to be held
at 0-0 which would have only given Hartlepool confidence. That confidence
was to be ripped out of the home side as over two minutes we crushed
Hartlepool's cup dream.

Di Michele had drifted out to the left to find some space and the ball was
given to him. The Italian moved towards the area and rolled the ball square
for Jack Collison. The young Welsh international tried to trick his way past
multiple defenders and the ball broke for Valon Behrami who scored with a
very neat finish.

Although it was a fortunate break of the ball the finish was still sublime
as the Swiss international scored his second goal of the season.

To have stole a goal so late in the half would only go to hurt their
confidence but to score another one before that half time whistle
effectively ended the game as a contest.

The second goal came from a penalty which was fortunate of course as the
offence too place outside the area. When I saw it for the first time I was
screaming penalty, and the ref also had that split second to make the call.
Although it was the wrong one, no one has commented on the offence which was
a deliberate handball to stop a goal scoring opportunity which should have
been a red card in my opinion.

But a penalty was good enough and Mark Noble stepped up for the third time
this season and made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way.

The second half was a different game as we basically said to Hartlepool "do
your worst". Depsite us controlling the possession the first ten minutes of
the half it was the home side who had a lot of the ball and tried to get
forward and find a way back into the game.

Try as they might it was a struggle for them to get anything goal with the
center halves Collins and Tomkins playing really well. What helped them was
the immense Scott Parker who seemed to always be there to get in a tackle.

Just after the hour mark that big chance for the league one side came when a
cross into the area from the left found Gary Liddle who head powerfully at
goal only for Green to tip the ball over the bar. It was a great chance but
the header needed to be anywhere but straight at Green.

A half chance fell to Ritchie Jones who saw his shot go over the bar after
he was gifted possession from a poor header from Scott Parker.

As an attacking force we didn't threat often but we did have a great chance
to seal the victory. A superb first time pass from Di Michele saw Cole break
the offside trap and advance on the goal. The striker shaped himself and
took his shot which seemed to bounce off the keeper then the defender and
onto the post.

This was to be Cole's last chance to score a goal as he came off to be
replaced by Freddie Sears. I think he needed to come off as just moments
before he did he was involved again in an incident with the keeper and he
clattered into him again.

Cole received many boo's from the Hartlepool fans as he trudged off slowly
clapping everyone for their hospitality.

The last ten minutes saw Sears have a half chance which he fired over the
bar and there were a number of moments for Boa Morte to pick out a pass in
the area but the lack of runners and poor decision making made this
impossible.

Through to the next round of the FA Cup was our only goal and this was
achieved.

Player Reviews

Robert Green
His kicking was pretty poor and I felt their was no need for this because
the pitch looked quite good. In terms of saves he did have to make one smart
stop in the second half but it was a easy day at the office.

Julian Faubert
Even in a game where we were playing lower league opposition and were
comfortable he still looked the weak link. He kept trying to cross the ball
with power which always led to the opposition receiving the ball. He looked
like a player who just doesn't want to be here.

James Tomkins
When playing a side like Hartlepool the physical battle is always going to
be one which needs to be won. This is a part of the game I was eager to see
Tomkins display and I thought he acquitted himself well. He looked shaky in
the early stages but got better and better as the game when on.

James Collins
Excellent display from Collins who was one of our best players out there.
The only blemish on his performance was a booking in the second half which
was one of the worst decisions I have seen by a ref in a while. I didn't
understand the card then and I still don't.

Herita Ilunga
Another all round performance from Ilunga. He can attack, he can defend. He
does them both well and is a player we must sign up soon.

Valon Behrami
Never did I think when he signed that his work rate would be a major part of
his game but this was another display of how much work this man puts in. He
saved Faubert a number of times with his tracking back and also managed to
score a good goal.

Mark Noble
This midfield system is bringing out the best in Noble who is given the
freedom to move forward and try and make things happen. A decent effort on
goal in the first half was something I want to see more of from Noble when
getting forward. Scored another penalty and it was again struck with
confidence.

Scott Parker
Man of the match for most people, and he did play very well. Always gives
100% and went in for every challenge he could. Controlled the midfield and
although Hartlepool had identified him as a threat they were unable to do
anything about him.

Jack Collison
Of all the midfielders he was the most subdued. Again playing on the left
saw him have to take extra touches on the ball and when he drifted inside he
was often crowded out.

Carlton Cole
No goals for Cole despite coming close on a couple of occasions. This was a
pleasing performance though as he got involved and put himself about. It was
good to see him use his size and physical presence to rough the opposition
up a little.

David Di Michele
In and out of the game but when he did get the ball he did make some very
handy passes. Had a big part to play in the first goal and his pass for
Cole's chance in the second half was sublime.

Subs Used

Luis Boa Morte (on for Collison 65 mins)
Played with his usual intensity when he came on but he was poor when in
possession. His decision making when picking out a pass as it has always
been at West Ham was not good.

Hayden Mullins (on for Di Michele 75 mins)
On to give us another body in midfield. Gave his all.

Freddie Sears (on for Cole 78 mins)
Had one chance shortly after coming on but the shot went well over the bar.
Muscled out of the remainder of the game.

Subs Not Used:Stech, Neill, Spector, Tristan.

Att: 6,849


Overall

The FA Cup is something that Gianfranco Zola has said that he is taking very
seriously and this what we should all be thinking. It is simply our only
remaining chance at winning a trophy and although it would be very tough to
do so it is not impossible.

Next up is Hull City on Wednesday night at Upton Park. We were poor against
Hull earlier in the season as we lost 1-0. That day we looked poor all over
the pitch with little creativity or skill. Since then we have improved all
over the pitch and look a different team.

Things have come together and we are heading the right direction. We must
keep this up on Wednesday night in a very winnable game. Another win would
really see us looking above us instead of down and take us into the Arsenal
and Manchester United games with some real confidence.

Franco's Feelings

"It was the result we were looking for and we are pleased. "It wasn't,
especially in the second half, a brilliant performance, but maybe we thought
we wanted to keep it that way and not risk too much. "But it was a great
result. That's what we wanted and it was very professional."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mullins Is Main Man for Adams
The Sun
By VIC HOLLY
Published: Today

HAYDEN MULLINS will become the latest player to quit West Ham by joining
Portsmouth in a cut-price £1million deal. Pompey have agreed a fee with the
cash-strapped Hammers to bring Mullins to Fratton Park as boss Tony Adams'
third signing of the transfer window. The ex-England Under-21 midfielder
travelled down to the south coast to tie up a three-year deal. Mullins, 29,
has hit four goals in 178 games since moving to Upton Park from Crystal
Palace for £800,000 in 2003. But he has grown frustrated after being
restricted to only five Premier League starts this season. Adams has moved
quickly to strengthen his squad after Saturday's humiliating 2-0 FA Cup
fourth-round defeat at home to Championship outfit Swansea. The Pompey boss
sees Mullins as an ideal replacement for Lassana Diarra following the
Frenchman's move to Real Madrid.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham ease past Hartlepool to side-step potential banana skin
Hartlepool 0 West Ham 2
The Times
Graham Chase at Victoria Park

West Ham United are used to living with a sense that crisis could strike at
any time, yet Gianfranco Zola, the manager, continues to rise above the
uncertainties and has steered his team to a six-match unbeaten run. The
present worry is that, like Craig Bellamy, the insistence that Scott Parker
will not be sold to Manchester City will be followed quickly by him posing
in a sky blue shirt. Having had four clubs in five years, the midfield
player is in familiar territory, but said: "If someone rings me and says,
'We're selling you', then I can't do anything about that. But I'm enjoying
myself and feel I'm playing some good stuff."

The match was settled in a two-minute period just before half-time when
Valon Behrami struck through a crowd of bodies and, in added time, a
penalty, converted by Mark Noble, was awarded for Michael Nelson's handball,
even though the Hartlepool United captain was outside the area. Ben Clark,
the Hartlepool defender, said: "Although the referee got that wrong, West
Ham deserved to win."

Hartlepool United (4-4-2): A Lee-Barrett 6 — A Sweeney 7, M Nelson 6, B
Clark 6, R Humphreys 6 — A Monkhouse 7, R Jones 7 (sub: D Foley, 85min), G
Liddle 6, B Robson 6 — M Mackay 6 (sub: L Henderson, 56 6), J Porter 7.
Substitutes not used: J Budtz, J McCunnie, S Collins, A Power, J Rowell.

West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 6 — J Faubert 5, J Collins 5, J Tomkins 6,
H Ilunga 6 — V Behrami 7, S Parker 7, M Noble 8, J Collison 6 (sub: L Boa
Morte, 64 5) — C Cole 6 (sub: F Sears, 78), D Di Michele 7 (sub: H Mullins,
75). Substitutes not used: M Stech, L Neill, J Spector, D Tristán. Booked:
Cole, Ilunga, Collins.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham midfielder Mullins set for £2m Pompey switch
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 10:56 PM on 25th January 2009
Daily Mail

West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins is set for a move to Portsmouth. The
club's have agreed a £2million fee for the former Crystal Palace man, who
will have a Fratton Park medical upon agreeing personal terms. The former
Crystal Palace midfielder has been told he can leave Upton Park as part of
the cost-cutting measures forced on Gianfranco Zola. Portsmouth are likely
to complete a deal on Monday, as manager Tony Adams sees Mullins as a
replacement for Lassana Diarra.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Golden Clasp
Just Like My Dreams

Ah, financial collapse, spirally debt, conspicuous greed, scorned lovers and
sordid exhibitionism; spiritual and literal human frailty laid bare on a
licentious platter of poorly researched, badly written tabloid journalism.
Sunday, truly is, the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the
week...

West Ham will offer new deals to Scott Parker, Robert Green and Matthew
Upson to secure their long-term futures at Upton Park. The News of the World
claims the contracts for Parker and Green will come into immediate effect
while negotiations with Upson will take place at the end of the season.
Displaying an alarming amount of inside knowledge, the article insists
keeper Green, 29, will sign a three-year extension of his current deal and
slightly improve his basic £25,000-a-week salary. While Parker, 28, gets a
two-year extension on his current £50,000 deal, struck in the heady days
when former chairman Eggert Magnusson was controlling the purse strings.
That will take the England midfielder through to 32 but with the terms
remaining the same. The club will wait until the end of the season until
they sit down and discuss a potential new deal with Upson.

Rob Shepherd believes Green and Parker will have success-related bonuses
inserted as part of the club's new strategic policy of streamlining their
excessive wage bill. It will allow Gianfranco Zola to plan for the future
without the fear of seeing his leading players sold off. The ability of the
Hammers to secure the services of Green and Parker will enhance the club's
insistence they can withstand the consequences of the collapse of owner
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's business empire.

While the Hammers have sold Matthew Etherington, loaned Lee Bowyer to
Birmingham and expect both Calum Davenport and Julian Faubert to leave, they
have also handed long-term deals to Carlton Cole and midfielder Jack
Collison. Shepherd states it is all part of the club's new planning, aimed
at reducing the core playing squad to 20, bringing down the wage bill and
nurturing new, young talent. The policy will help reduce debts which now
stand at around £42million having risen to nearly £50million before
Christmas, while also making the club more attractive to a potential new
buyer.

West Ham is still up for sale but Gudmundsson is holding out for at least
£150million. His business liabilities will be reviewed by a court in Iceland
in March but West Ham remain adamant that, such is the structure of the
club, it can't be forced into administration. An insider is quoted as
saying: "Gudmundsson has told the board to carry on running the club. They
can't go to him for any more money but the income stream is strong enough to
keep the club running smoothly."

That belief, claims the paper, has been enhanced by re-investing most of the
£14million received from Manchester City for Craig Bellamy in 19-year-old
German wonderkid 'Savio Nserkeko' from Italian club Brescia. Of course, that
is Savio Nsereko to you and me, but who am I to quibble with such a fine
journal. Nserkeko (just go with it) will be formally unveiled by the club
tomorrow. His fee is eventually expected rise to £10million, blusters the
article, which would make him the club's record signing, eclipsing the
£7million spent on Dean Ashton three years ago (not to mention the
£7.5million we subsequently spent on Craig Bellamy!). The paper also
believes the club is weighing up a move for Fiorintina's Italian under-21
forward Pablo Daniel Osvaldo. If that name sounds familiar, by the way, then
it might be because it is the same Pablo Daniel Osvaldo who only last week
publicly snubbed the Hammers when he signed for Bologna. It was obviously a
rough night for somebody over at the News of the World offices.

The same paper reveals Portsmouth hope to tie up a deal for Real Madrid's
Javier Saviola when the Argentina star's agent arrives in England tomorrow.
The striker has been given the all-clear to leave the Spanish giants.
Saviola, 24, is furious he has only started just once for Real this season
and says the situation is "intolerable". He said: "I expressed to our coach
Juande Ramos that I needed to play. I even said that if I wasn't part of his
plans, that he should tell the management to let me leave in the January
transfer window because this situation is intolerable. I'm going through a
very tough time." The article then credits West Ham United, Everton and
Newcastle United as other interested parties. Speaking of the Geordies,
another snippet contained elsewhere states Joe Kinnear is thinking about
renewing his interest in Lucas Neill, while Sunderland are said to be
weighing up a move for Calum Davenport.

Speaking of Davenport, the Sunday Mirror decided to dredge up the story of
how the defender had a monumental bust-up with Gianfranco Zola when he was
omitted from the side to play Stoke after the 4-1 Boxing Day win at
Portsmouth. Zola explained that it was purely down to tactical reasons that
he changed personnel for the visit by Stoke. Davenport was livid and made
his protests clear. The article states Zola informed him that he would never
play for the Hammers again and the humiliation didn't end there for
Davenport. He was axed from the first-team squad and forced to train with
the kids. All of which is to say, the paper agrees that Davenport is now
poised to join Sunderland in a £3million deal.

Further raking through the more salacious aspects of the club's business,
the Mirror also claims Craig Bellamy had a massive fall-out with West Ham
after they refused to pay for his chauffeur. Bellamy, who was earning
£65,000 a week at Upton Park demanded that the club should pay £35,000 a
year to his driver. West Ham steadfastly refused to give in to his demands
prior to his exit to Manchester City last week. The Wales star did a
dramatic U- turn after demanding to go to Tottenham. When the Hammers
refused even to entertain a bid from their London rivals it took Bellamy
less than five minutes to tell City boss Mark Hughes he was on his way to
Eastlands instead. Bellamy hit the jackpot by landing an £85,000-a-week
contract and getting City to pay for his driver.

Over at the People, Gianfranco Zola is linked with making a move for
Middlesbrough right back Matthew Bates to replace Captain Neill. The article
states Zola's spies have singled out the Boro defender, who is a free agent
at the end of the season. They suggest Bates could join the club in the
summer, if Aussie star Neill leaves, but the deal could yet happen in this
window. It is believed Neill can leave Upton Park for around £2million and
if a buyer comes in Boro have enough cover in his position to let the
22-year-old Bates go. If you are anything like me then the one thing you
will know about young Master Bates (snigger) is that the poor lad hit the
tabloid headlines in 2006 when private photographs of him were posted on the
internet. Worryingly, one of which showed him wearing a pair of skimpy
briefs and another squatting in front of a mirror with an erect penis. It is
understood that he had taken the pictures himself over a period of months
for the benefit of his then girlfriend. For those curious male readers who
are particularly comfortable with their sexuality, you can view the
offending photos here. For those female readers... oh, you've already made
the jump haven't you?

Another random nugget comes courtesy of Sky Sports News, where an interview
with Mick McCarthy revealed United, Leicester City and Bolton are in a
tug-o-war over unsettled Wolves winger Mark Davies, 20. The exciting
prospect, currently out on loan at League One table-toppers Leicester, was
left out of the Foxes' squad for Saturday's home game with Huddersfield.
"We've had bids for Mark," said McCarthy. "We actually want to keep him and
have offered him a new deal but he doesn't want to stay and has put in a
transfer request." Telford-born Davies was considered a superb prospect when
he first broke through from the Wolves Academy four years ago. He was rated
as the club's best home-grown product since Robbie Keane by then Wolves
Academy director Chris Evans, who is now on the coaching staff at Bolton
with Gary Megson. Davies did well when handed his first-team chance under
Glenn Hoddle, becoming almost a regular over the latter half of the 2005/06
season. "It's kind of sad that he sees his future elsewhere but, if the deal
is correct, then we'll do it," admitted McCarthy.

Elsewhere, various media reports have Kieron Dyer's latest comeback stalling
again. The West Ham midfield man hoped to be on the bench for the 2-0 FA Cup
win over Hartlepool but is back on the treatment table with a calf problem
after lasting only 38 minutes of a reserve match against Fulham last
Tuesday. Dyer, 30, has made two fleeting substitute appearances this month
after 17 months out, having broken his leg just weeks after his £6million
move from Newcastle. Now, nearly every credible source is saying the player
needs an operation and is expected to be out for a further 2 months. The
News of the World, on the other hand, think the setback will be far less
painful. They quote a club insider as saying: "It's not an uncommon reaction
after a long time out. He'll need 10 days' rest." Despite the deep
misgivings already expressed in this post about the standards of reporting
in that particular publication, I reserve the right to believe them when it
suits me. Besides, until it is confirmed one way or the other in the Mail,
nothing is gospel.

Finally, as I finish writing this, the Daily Mail are claiming Hayden
Mullins is set for a move to Portsmouth. The club's have reportedly agreed a
£2million fee for the former Crystal Palace man, who will have a Fratton
Park medical upon agreeing personal terms. The article states Mullins has
been told he can leave Upton Park as part of the cost-cutting measures
forced on Gianfranco Zola (or maybe just part of Zola's stated preference
for a smaller squad), while Tony Adams sees Mullins as a replacement for
Lassana Diarra. In which case, I suggest somebody check Tony hasn't been
adding a little "extra something" to his Gatorade again.

Posted by Trilby at 11:50

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hartlepool 0 West Ham 2: Noble insists that Parker must stay with Hammers
By Colin Young
Last updated at 9:17 PM on 25th January 2009
Daily Mail

Gianfranco Zola won the FA Cup in his first season as a player in England
and now his West Ham squad are starting to believe he could do the same as a
manager. But first the Italian is praying he can keep his squad together to
give him a fighting chance of more Cup glory and, more importantly, Premier
League survival. In the week of Craig Bellamy's departure, West Ham produced
a thoroughly professional performance against Hartlepool, who were able to
match the slick passing of their higher-ranked opponents but not the two
clinical goals which sealed West Ham's place in the fifth round. West Ham
killed the tie in two devastating minutes at the end of the first half.
First, Valon Behrami pounced to punish hesitancy in the Hartlepool back four
and thrash a low shot past Arran Lee-Barrett. Then Mark Noble made it 2-0
from the spot after referee Lee Mason judged Michael Nelson had handled
Julien Faubert's pass. The offence looked outside the box.
Noble, the beneficiary of Mason's mistake, is growing into an influential
midfielder under Zola's guidance but the England Under 21 is also benefiting
from the classy presence of Scott Parker, who West Ham have prevented thus
far from joining Bellamy at Manchester City.
Noble is hoping it stays that way. 'He just sits there, gets the play going,
makes tackles, takes responsibility all the time,' he said. 'We pass a lot
to each other. He is very important to us.'
Parker himself added: 'Everything is out of my hands. If someone rings me
tomorrow and says we're selling you I can't do anything about that.'
There was no second top-flight scalp for Hartlepool in their centenary year,
after the third-round win over Stoke, but they have won plenty of admirers
for their style of football. The priority is League One survival but those
hopes will be dented by the loss of first-team coach Ian Butterworth, who
has been given permission to talk to Norwich about becoming Bryan Gunn's
assistant. Defender Ben Clark conceded the home side had their eyes on a
goalless first half before the crushing double blow. 'We thought we were
comfortable and that's why those lads are playing in the Premier League,' he
said.'They punished us and we were devastated at half-time. It would have
been bad enough being one down.'
West Ham striker Carlton Cole was fortunate a second late challenge on
Lee-Barrett did not result in a second yellow card. But Clark said: 'We
played together for England youths and I know there was no malice. We'd be
disappointed if our strikers didn't go in for the ball like that.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
25 cigs a day Julien Faubert's career's up in smoke
The Mirror
Edited By David James, sundaymirror.co.uk 25/01/2009

It must have been the fag end for Julien Faubert when he discovered his West
Ham days were almost over. The Frenchman, 25, was described as "a flying
winger" when he joined in a £7million deal from Bordeaux in July 2007. He
wasn't helped by injuries, but he never lit up the Premier League and is now
being linked with a potential escape route out by Nantes. However, Faubert
did light up 25 cigarettes a day - a habit that dismayed the Hammers'
coaching and medical staff. They did offer Faubert help in ditching his
habit. Unfortunately, he failed to respond and his Upton Park career seems
to have gone up in smoke.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hayden Mullins Off to Portsmouth?
West Ham Till I Die

The Daily Mail, [irony] our favourite newspaper of record [/irony], is
reporting that West Ham and Portsmouth have agreed a £2 million fee for
Hayden Mullins to move to the South Coast. I'm not sure whether to be happy
with this news or not. Mullins has always been a reliable performer and
while he's not the most skilful player, he never lets you down. However, we
do have a surfeit of central midfield players so maybe we can afford to lose
him. The fee seems about right for a player of his age who is not a first
team regular.

If he does go, I hope we're all united in wishing him well.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham set to sign Savio Nsereko
Hartlepool (0) 0 West Ham United (2) 2
Telegraph
By Jeremy Wilson and Rob Stewart
Last Updated: 12:35AM GMT 26 Jan 2009

West Ham are poised to complete a club record £10 million deal for Brescia's
German striker Savio Nsereko as they move to strengthen their attacking
options after Craig Bellamy's move to Manchester City. Nsereko, born in
Uganda, is 19 and playing in Serie B, but is well regarded by West Ham
manager Gianfranco Zola and technical director Gianluca Nani.

Such a fee would beat the previous club record of £7.5m that was spent on
Bellamy, while West Ham are expected to continue off-loading some of their
squad players by finalising the sale of Hayden Mullins to Portsmouth within
the next 48 hours. Zola has also been boosted by fresh indications from
Scott Parker that he is willing to commit his future to the club.

The England midfielder spoke out as it emerged his club was set to offer him
a new two-year extension to his £50,000-per-week deal after turning down
bids from Manchester City. "Do I see my long-term future at West Ham? Yes,"
Parker said. "The team are playing well under the new management and with
the lads here, we've got something that's really good. I'm happy, I'm
enjoying myself and I feel I'm playing some good stuff."

Parker, 28, underlined his worth with an outstanding display at Victoria
Park, but admitted his destiny might not be in his own hands. "I'm owned by
West Ham and I get paid by West Ham," he said. "I want to play football and
that's it, everything else is out of my hands. If someone rings me tomorrow
and says, 'We're selling you', I can't do anything about that."

Parker said he was sad to see Bellamy leave for City. "When someone of his
ability leaves you're going to miss him," he said. "I know the way he left
was not on good terms."

West Ham moved into an unassailable position against League One Hartlepool
when Valon Behrami's opener was quickly followed by Mark Noble's spot-kick
after Michael Nelson was penalised for handball. "It was outside the box,"
said Hartlepool centre-half Ben Clark.

He also defended Carlton Cole after fans demanded his dismissal following a
lunge on goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett. "Carlton's a real handful but there
was no malice from him," he said.

Match details

Hartlepool United: Lee-Barrett, Sweeney, Nelson, Clark, Humphreys,
Monkhouse, Jones (Foley 85), Liddle, Robson, Mackay (Henderson 56), Porter.
Subs:Budtz, McCunnie, Collins, Power, Rowell.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Collins, Tomkins, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker,
Noble, Collison (Boa Morte 64), Cole (Sears 78), Di Michele (Mullins 75).
Subs:Stech, Neill, Spector, Tristan.
Booked: Cole, Ilunga, Collins.
Goals: Behrami 44, Noble 45 pen.
Referee: L Mason (Lancashire).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Parker: Man City's Bellamy not welcome at West Ham
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United midfielder Scott Parker admits Craig Bellamy left the club
on bad terms. Along with the signing of Bellamy, Manchester City are also
keen on Parker, but he says: "Craig hasn't been calling me to come up and I
don't think that would be welcome to be fair. "I'd advise him not to. The
way he left wasn't on good terms but this is football and that's life. "Now
we just have to look forward and obviously try to forget about Craig and
push on. I am owned by West Ham. I want to play and that's it. Everything
else is out of my hands. "If someone rings me tomorrow and says 'we're
selling you', they are selling me so I can't do anything about it. But I'm
enjoying myself and I feel that I am playing some good stuff along with
everyone else. "If people are going to talk, people are going to talk.
That's just the way it is. "I honestly think that with the manager we've
got, given time, we can push on and do something really good."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble: Parker must stay with West Ham
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble says it's crucial they keep Scott
Parker. "He just sits there, gets the play going, makes tackles, takes
responsibility all the time," he said. "We pass a lot to each other. He is
very important to us." Parker himself added: "Everything is out of my hands.
If someone rings me tomorrow and says we're selling you I can't do anything
about that."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Portsmouth wrapping up deal for West Ham's Mullins
26.01.09 | tribalfootball.com

Portsmouth are in talks for West Ham United midfielder Hayden Mullins. The
Daily Mail says the club's have agreed a £2million fee for the former
Crystal Palace man, who will have a Fratton Park medical upon agreeing
personal terms. The former Crystal Palace midfielder has been told he can
leave Upton Park as part of the cost-cutting measures forced on Gianfranco
Zola. Portsmouth are likely to complete a deal on Monday, as manager Tony
Adams sees Mullins as a replacement for Lassana Diarra.

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

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