Wednesday, February 11

Daily WHUFC News - II 11th February 2009

Dixon delighted to sign
WHUFC.com
Terry Dixon has joined West Ham United and is looking forward to making a
first-team challenge
11.02.2009

West Ham United are pleased to announce the signing of highly-rated Republic
of Ireland youth international striker Terry Dixon on a three-year contract.

The 19-year-old forward put pen to paper after proving his fitness with the
club in recent months. Dixon had been released by Tottenham Hotspur in March
2008 after concerns over past problems with his right knee. With West Ham
United having made significant improvements to the medical set-up at
Chadwell Heath and after a two-month spell with a knee specialist in
Belgium, Dixon was invited to work with the club's specialists to make use
of their advanced approach to rehabilitation.

The medical team including head of rehabilitation Giorgio Gasparini have
worked tirelessly during his recovery and have also been rewarded by the
Archway-born player's dedication to proving he still has what it takes to
make it at the highest level. Dixon's right knee has now been fully assessed
and he just requires conditioning work to prepare himself for a playing
return in the hope of catching Gianfranco Zola's eye.

Dixon was highly regarded a youth player and represented Ireland at every
level before being called up to the full squad at 16 by the then manager
Steve Staunton in May 2006, who at the time described him as a 'special
talent'. He was then named on the bench for his country's friendly against
Chile that month and was rewarded for his progress by being named Ireland's
Under-17 Player of Year for 2006.

The flame-haired striker, who cites Wayne Rooney as his favourite player, is
delighted to have committed his future to West Ham United and is looking
forward to getting back on the pitch.

"I'm pleased to have signed the contract and I'm glad to have got it
sorted," Dixon said. "I'm back in training next week and hopefully I want to
push on to the first team towards the end of the season. I'm so relieved to
be back to fitness as it's just so annoying to have those niggles because
you have been out for so long.

"My aims for this season are to get matches under my belt for the reserves
and if I do well there, hopefully I can get into the first-team squad. I
want to repay the faith the club have shown in me, if not this season then
season after."

Dixon also paid tribute to the medical team at Chadwell Heath that has aided
his comeback. "The fitness team have done a lot of work with me to make my
leg a lot stronger and my knee never swells up now. It's just like my other
one, it feels fine. I'm just glad West Ham took the chance on me and
hopefully it will pay off. I'd like to thank Christian Lattanzio and Giorgio
Gasparini for all the work they have done."

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "This signing is a testament to our
medical and technical departments for all the work they have put in to get
Terry to this point. He has worked very hard in the past few months and we
have all been impressed with his determination to start playing again. His
talent is undoubted.

"We know that Tottenham felt they had reached the end of the road with Terry
but we are hopeful he can yet prove himself and build a successful career.
He is certainly in the best place to do that and I am sure if anyone can get
the best out of him it will be Gianfranco Zola and his coaching staff."

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Neill makes his point
WHUFC.com
Lucas Neill's Australia secured a battling draw in Japan in their latest
FIFA 2010 World Cup qualifier
11.02.2009

Lucas Neill's Australia moved a step closer to the 2010 FIFA World Cup with
a hard-fought goalless draw with Japan in Yokohama.

Despite spending long periods of the match pinned in their own half by the
home side at the Saitama Stadium, captain Neill and his team held on for a
valuable point in their Asia qualifying fourth round Group A match. The
point keeps the Socceroos three points above second-placed Japan halfway
through the eight-match group stage.

West Ham United skipper Neill, who began his 47th international cap at
right-back before switching to the centre of defence midway through the
second half, expertly led the Australian rearguard as his side secured a
fourth consecutive clean-sheet to remain on course for a place in South
Africa.

Behind Neill, Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer produced a number of fine
saves to keep Australia in the game. Meanwhile, former Hammers forward
Richard Garcia, an FA Youth Cup winner in 1999, earned his third cap as a
64th-minute substitute for NEC Nijmegen's Richard Holman.

Australia return to competitive action on 1 April, when they entertain
Uzbekistan in Sydney. Pim Verbeek's side complete their qualification
campaign with a trip to Qatar and home matches against Bahrain and Japan in
June. Should they finish in the top-two in their five-team group, they will
qualify for their second straight World Cup finals.

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Striker Dixon earns West Ham deal
BBC.co.uk

West Ham United have signed Republic of Ireland Under-21 international
striker Terry Dixon on a three-year deal. The 19-year-old's career had
looked in doubt after Spurs released him in March 2008 following a
dislocated kneecap. However, the Hammers' medical team have worked hard to
help the London-born striker's rehabilitation. Dixon would have been the
Republic's youngest senior international, at the age of 16, against Holland
in 2006 but he had to pull out because of injury. He told the Hammers
website: "I'm pleased to have signed the contract and I'm glad to have got
it sorted. "I'm back in training next week and hopefully I want to push on
to the first team towards the end of the season. "I'm so relieved to be back
to fitness as it's just so annoying to have those niggles because you have
been out for so long. "My aims for this season are to get matches under my
belt for the reserves and if I do well there, hopefully I can get into the
first-team squad. "I want to repay the faith the club have shown in me, if
not this season then the season after. "The fitness team have done a lot of
work with me to make my leg a lot stronger and my knee never swells up now."


Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury said: "This signing is a testament to
our medical and technical departments for all the work they have put in to
get Terry to this point. "We know that Tottenham felt they had reached the
end of the road with Terry but we are hopeful he can yet prove himself and
build a successful career."

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Dixon signs for Hammers
19-year-old striker puts knee problems behind him
Last updated: 11th February 2009
SSN

West Ham United have signed 19-year-old Irish striker Terry Dixon. The
Republic of Ireland youth international was released by Tottenham Hotspur in
March of last year because of recurring knee problems. But he has proved his
fitness to The Hammers' medical team after a two-month visit to a knee
specialist in Belgium.
Dixon is looking to impress in the reserves and hopes a first-team call-up
from manager Gianfranco Zola will eventually come. "I'm pleased to have
signed the contract and I'm glad to have it sorted," he told the club's
official website. "I'm back in training next week and hopefully I want to
push on to the first team towards the end of the season. I'm so relieved to
be back to fitness as it's just so annoying to have those niggles because
you have been out for so long. "My aims for this season are to get matches
under my belt for the reserves and if I do well there, hopefully I can get
into the first team squad. "I want to repay the faith the club have shown
in me, if not this season then the season after."

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You're the one for me, fatty! Real Madrid fans turn on West Ham's Faubert
4sportsake.com

He's barely had time to sample the paella and chorizo and already Julien
Faubert has had to defend his physical condition at Real Madrid. Murmurings
of discontent at being somewhat 'gordo' have arisen after his apparently
shocking debut. Naturally, the Frenchman has come out and defended himself.
Here's what he said:

"It seems I weigh a lot, or more than I ought to, but it's not that way,
this is just the way I am, I am strong...but I do not weigh more than I
should. I haven't missed a training session with West Ham nor a game even
though I haven't been playing. I'm in good shape despite what people say
about my weight."

Having scanned through a few comments accompanying the article, a lot of
Real fans are dubbing him Eric Cartman i.e I'm not fat, I'm just big boned!
Is he actually fat or are the Spanish press just in need of a new fatty to
pick on now Ronaldo and Ronaldinho are long gone from La Liga? It was an
extremely strange signing in the first place but Juande Ramos must have been
desperate for a right sided player. Maybe all those rumours about Jermaine
Pennant being eyed up were true after all. Further rumours that Stuart
Ripley was being lined up should the Faubert deal fall through have so far
been unconfirmed. It's not good news for the lad though. Surely it's only a
matter of time before the racist fans that tarnish the Spanish game get the
monkey noises going...and that'll probably be from his own fans. It seems
almost impossible for someone to rescue themselves once on the slippery
slope at the Madrid giants. English players like Michael Owen, Jonathan
Woodgate, and Steve McManaman all spring to mind.

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The club nobody wants to join: Sportsmail looks at England's sorry one-cap
wonders
By Mark Lawford
Last updated at 2:56 PM on 11th February 2009
Daily Mail

As David Beckham prepares to join a very select band of England players by
equalling Bobby Moore's outfield record of 108 caps, two of Fabio Capello's
squad will be hoping tonight is not their one and only. James Milner has
long been touted as a full international, the Aston Villa midfielder having
played a record 40 times at under-21 level. But West Ham striker Carlton
Cole is very much a surprise choice, despite scoring six goals in 19
Under-21 appearances. The enforced absences of Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen,
Jermain Defoe and Theo Walcott have opened the door for the ex-eternally
on-loan striker. He's played his part in making life better for Hammers boss
Gianfranco Zola and is finally winning over the Upton Park faithful. But
although Capello said: 'Cole gets better and better in every game. His
movement and his strength impress me. He is young - he is interesting', it
is hard to see how anything other than a hatful of goals or the sudden
retirement of Rooney, Owen, Crouch, Heskey, Agbonlahor, Defoe et al will
guarantee Cole a place in the next squad. So the 25-year-old could debut and
disappear on the same night and join the most unwanted club of all - the
one-cap wonder brigade - a clan that contains many a household name that
should have been a great but turned out to be just another contender with no
chance of getting a title fight.

Sportsmail looks back on some of the highest-profile one-cap wonders - and
history shows that even if Cole does find the target, that might not be
enough.

STRIKERS

Step forward the unlucky trio Francis Jeffers, David Nugent and Paul
Goddard. They all average a goal a game for England but the solitary cap and
shirt will never be added to. Goddard netted against Iceland in 1983, while
fox in the box Jeffers was on target in the horrific 3-1 home defeat against
Australia in 2003. So much was expected of Jeffers especially when Arsenal
shelled out £8m to take him from Everton to London. Sadly, Franny never
settled or shone in the Smoke and now ekes out a living at Sheffield
Wednesday where he averages a goal every nine games. And in 11 years, he has
only managed 32 league goals after netting 13 in 16 games for England
Under-21s. Preston striker Nugent managed his goal - against Andorra -
despite playing in the second tier of English football. Since he moved to
Premier League Portsmouth, the nearest he's got to an England cap since is
in the Wembley Stadium clubshop.

Other one-cap strikers worth a mention: Michael Ricketts (v Holland 2002),
Peter Ward (v Australia 1980), Brian Stein (v France 1984), Peter Davenport
(v Eire 1985).

MIDFIELDERS

The engine room and not always a place for nice guys. So it's no surprise to
see the likes of Lee Bowyer and Joey Barton carving their names with pride
on the one-cap board. After delays because of a much-publicised court case,
left-sided Bowyer got the reward he deserved against Portugal in 2002. He
even set up Alan Smith's goal but then disappeared without trace, pausing
only to thump a team-mate on the way. Last seen at Birmingham City where he
has scored a goal.
Bowyer, however, is very much a League Two bad-boy compared to the snarling
Barton. The highly-rated Manchester City central midfielder got his chance
against Spain in 2007. But court cases and even a spell in prison have
pushed the mixed-up 26-year-old to the back of the queue, behind the likes
of Phil Mitchell, Simon Cowell, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twiggy from The
Royle Family.

Some caps are just plain bizarre: Seth Johnson helped save Crewe from
relegation in 1999 and by the following year Peter Taylor played the now
Derby man against Italy, David Beckham's first match as skipper.

There are also plenty of right-siders in the group. David White, then a
Manchester City hero, got his chance and was injured in the 2-0 1992 loss in
Spain, while Mark Walters - he of 1982/3 Goal of the Season fame when
playing for Aston Villa - darted around against New Zealand (yes, that's
right) in 1991.

Other one-cap midfielders worth a mention: Lee Hendrie (v Czech Republic
1998), Gavin McCann (v Spain 2001), David Dunn (v Portugal 2002), Colin
Harvey (v Malta 1971), Steve Guppy (v Belgium 2000), Danny Wallace (v Egypt
1986), Alan Thompson (v Sweden 2004).

DEFENDERS

Touted as the solution to England's troublesome left-back slot after the
retirement of Stuart Pearce, Michael Ball had it all. Sadly, although Sven
Goran Eriksson picked him for his first-ever match in charge -the 3-0
defeat of Spain in 2001 - Ball rolled off the pitch to be replaced by Chris
Powell, then Ashley Cole, then Wayne Bridge. Terry Venables gave hard-man
Liverpool central defender Neil Ruddock a cap against Nigeria in 1994 and
drafted in Everton's David Unsworth against Japan a year later, Eriksson
capped then axed Tottenham's Anthony Gardner against Sweden in 2003. And
Bobby Robson made the popular decision to award Mel 'Zico' Sterland a
right-back slot against Saudi Arabia in 1988.

GOALKEEPERS

When England went to the US for the Bi-Centennial SoccerBall Pennant Bowl
Celebration Festival in 1976, they played Brazil, Italy and Team America,
the latter including Bobby Moore in their line-up. But against Italy,
manager Don Revie gave Arsenal keeper Jimmy Rimmer the gloves. At half-time,
Revie took them back with England trailing 2-0 and brought on Joe Corrigan.
England won 3-2 and Rimmer was never seen with a Three Lions shirt on again.

It's a big step up: Alex Stepney (second left) gets his orders from Sir Alf
Ramsey while Gordon Banks, Peter Thompson, Colin Bell and Bobby Charlton
also take it in Manchester United legend Alex Stepney took his chance well
when helping England beat Sweden 3-1 in 1968 - the last time England have
beaten the Scandinavians - while Aston Villa's Nigel Spink kept against
against Australia in 1983. All three keepers are linked in another way.
Rimmer was a Manchester United substitute for the 1968 European Cup Final
victory against Benfica at Wembley, Stepney being the regular No.1. And the
luckless Rimmer lasted just nine minutes of Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup
Final against Bayern Munich - to be replaced by rookie reserve Spink,
meaning Rimmer has won two European Cup medals with a combined total playing
time of nine minutes.

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Weight not an issue for Faubert
Sport.co.uk
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on: 11 February 2009 - 9:27 AM

West Ham flop Julien Faubert insists he is in perfect shape to earn a
permanent deal with Real Madrid. The France winger made a shock loan move to
the Spanish capital last month after boss Juande Ramos missed out on Aston
Villa's Ashley Young and Wigan's Antonio Valencia.Faubert's arrival was
slammed by the majority of Real fans, while television pundits accused the
midfielder of being overweight and out of shape. But the former Bordeaux man
has moved to set the record straight and says he will prove his fitness by
firing Real to success. "I have seen some people on television saying I'm
fat but that is not true. The manager has told me that I don't need to lose
anything," he said. "I have the physique and internal strength, I hope I
will continue here once my loan contract is over and I'm going to fight for
this. "I'm aware that I didn't arrive at this club with Zinedine Zidane or
David Beckham's status, but I'm going to work like a bull to show that I
deserve to wear the Real Madrid shirt. "Football is my life. I don't mind
being third choice in the club's or the coach's right winger wish list -
it's normal that such a big club study various options before they make a
deal."

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Cole call shows how desperate England boss Capello is for firepower up front
Last updated at 10:03 AM on 11th February 2009
Daily Mail

Carlton Cole is in a good run of form and it has caught the eye of Fabio
Capello, but the West Ham striker should enjoy his England moment because it
surely won't last. The country must be desperately short of firepower if
Cole suddenly looks like a viable option. For all his goals this season and
the potential he once showed at Chelsea, Cole still needs a handful of
chances before he scores and his brain is just not naturally attuned to the
game at top level. Sure, he has made improvements. His movement is better
and he is exploiting his strength to occupy defenders but the mature,
finished article he is not. Form is temporary, but international class
should be longer lasting - and Cole doesn't have it.

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Great expectations for the Hammers, insists Green
12:54pm Wednesday 11th February 2009
Guardian Series

HAMMERS goalkeeper Robert Green insists the team's expectations have gone
through the roof after a run of games that has seen them enjoy a dramatic
ascent up the Premier League table. The Irons' custodian has been more of an
interested onlooker than hero between the sticks in recent weeks as the ten
players in front of him have kept him largely out of the line of fire with a
string of superb defensive performances. With the front line of attack also
beginning to find their mark, Green believes the team have matured into a
unit capable of standing toe to toe with the likes of world champions
Manchester United, which they achieved with real conviction on Sunday.
"Considering the run of form we're in, we'd have liked to have continued
that (against United). But it's a step in the right direction. A few months
ago people would have been dreading this game, outside the dressing room,
and now you get the general feeling people are disappointed," said Green.
"Expectations have risen and none more so than ourselves."

Ryan Giggs' second half strike was only the fourth goal Green has conceded
in the last seven games, emphasising why both he and defensive colossus
Matthew Upson were included in Fabio Capello's England squad for last
night's big friendly against European champions Spain. Another Hammer to
have been given the nod for his first international call-up was on-form
striker Carlton Cole. Cole has discovered a golden touch in front of goal of
late, with six goals coming in his last eight games, while Capello has
heaped praise on the 25-year-old's ability to hold up the ball and bring
others into play. "He is young and interesting," the Three Lions' coach said
of West Ham's top scorer. "I have been following him and he has just got
better and better every game. His movement and his strength impress me. He
is in good form."

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Collison backs Irons to soar to Wembley
12:51pm Wednesday 11th February 2009
Guardian Series

WEST Ham midfielder Jack Collison believes the team have 'a great chance' of
winning their first FA Cup in 29 years this season. The Hammers reached the
final in 2006, only to be beaten 3-1 on penalties after playing out a
thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium. But the team
head into this week's fifth round tie with Middlesbrough in high spirits,
despite their 1-0 reverse against Manchester United at Upton Park on Sunday.
Prior to that result, Gianfranco Zola's men had racked up an unbeaten run
stretching eight games in all competitions. And Collison, having played a
key role in the team's transformation from relegation candidates to bona
fide UEFA Cup challengers, insists the confidence bred from that run can see
them march all the way to Wembley on May 30. "It would be a dream start to
my first full season in the team. It's what all kids dream of, winning the
FA Cup," said the 20-year-old. "We've got Middlesbrough first and if we can
get through that then we've got a great chance of winning it. "It's
definitely our best chance of winning something this season and we're going
to go into the game (against Middlesbrough) full of confidence. The results
haven't been going well for them at the moment so we're going to try and
beat them and then we're only a couple of games from the final."
It speaks volumes for how far the Hammers have come under Zola that the
players came away from the Boleyn Ground disappointed not to have beaten the
world champions, having more than matched United for much of the game. "We
knew it was going to be a tough game, but looking back now we're
disappointed to be coming away with nothing," added Collison. "I think that
shows how far we've come as a team as well. We were disappointed last week
not to win the game at Arsenal and disappointed this week to come out with
nothing against Man Utd. "That's a credit to ourselves. We're really looking
to push on."
Collison, too, has been doing plenty of pushing on himself this campaign,
having cemented his place on the left side of a midfield diamond. The young
Wales international will hope to have seen a glimpse of what the future may
hold for him on Sunday, as he saw his compatriot Ryan Giggs prove that while
the mileage clock suggests it may be time to call it a day, age has no
bearing on class, as he made the difference with a wonderful solo goal.
"He's not bad is he?" Collison said of Giggs after learning the Welsh legend
had now scored in every Premier League season. "He's had such a great
career. Everyone grew up watching him, you've just got to admire a player
like that. I think it took something special to unlock us today."

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The Perfect Footballing Tool
Just Like My Dreams

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery;
None but ourselves can free our minds.
Have no fear for atomic energy,
cause none of them can stop the time.
Redemption Song

The chronic shortage of established forward options for Fabio Capello means
there could be a striking role for the Premier League's most in-form hitman
in this evening's hotly anticipated friendly with Spain, reports the Times.
Carlton Cole arrived in Seville with the hope of coming off the bench on a
night when Capello will use his maximum six substitutes, but the sight of
Emile Heskey sitting out last night's training session in the Ramón Sánchez
Pizjuán stadium to protect his sore Achilles tendon has raised the prospect
of the United striker starting alongside Gabriel Agbonlahor.

It would be a partnership with just one cap between them — from the Aston
Villa forward's bright debut against Germany in November — and England's
striking options, or lack of them, may seem stark when set against those of
Spain, the European champions, who have Fernando Torres and David Villa. In
the absence of Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch is another alternative if Heskey
is forced to sit on the sidelines, but it was Cole and Agbonlahor who were
paired in training yesterday, both bounding around with wide-eyed
enthusiasm. And if Cole does not get his chance now, states Matt Dickinson,
on the back of good form for West Ham United, he probably never will.

At 25, it is quite late for Cole to be making his senior debut, but then he
did choose a roundabout route, with loan moves to Charlton Athletic,
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, after he failed to make the grade
at Chelsea through lack of application. Cole's career has been nomadic; a
striker with undoubted talent trying to settle. Chelsea saw promise but the
Croydon-born forward made only 25 league appearances in five years, scoring
four goals. Cole was loaned out to try to provoke a reaction, but all those
spells combined failed to trigger his career, with a modest return of eight
league goals in 55 games.

That poor return continued for two seasons before Gianfranco Zola and Steve
Clarke came along, familiar faces and men prepared to give Cole a cuddle.
Prior to their arrival as manager and assistant in September, Cole had
managed one more goal in the league, but all that has changed now. An
impressive return of six goals in seven games, from December into January,
signalled Cole's arrival, although his performance against Manchester United
on Sunday, in front of Capello, showed both his physical attributes as he
brushed off Rio Ferdinand but also the lack of killer instinct as he
attempted to score with an over-elaborate chip.

That said, the West Ham striker has come a long way since his days at
Chelsea, when he was headstrong and behind Gianfranco Zola, Eidur Gudjohnsen
and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for a place in the team. Five years previous, at
Stamford Bridge, Claudio Ranieri would call Cole 'My Tyson' and little
wonder. His young striker had just laid out a senior professional on the
training ground and there were no regrets. Jesper Gronkjaer had been getting
on Cole's nerves during a practice session, nipping the young cub's ankles
so often that he snapped and punched the Chelsea winger in the face. "It
might have looked vicious and some of the lads said it looked like I was
going to 'do' him but, hand on heart, it wasn't like that," Cole, just 20,
said at the time. "Everyone was gearing up for the West Bromwich game and
things got pretty heated among the players."

As a first-year professional, he struggled to get out of bed in Brentford to
make the five-mile drive to Chelsea's old training ground in Harlington. He
was frequently late, fined for snoozing by a manager who still regarded him
as the best young striker he had worked with. "I've never coached a young
player as good as Carlton," claimed Ranieri at the time. "He's fantastic and
he has a very big future at Chelsea."

That was in 2002. Not long after, Cole would play on a Wednesday for Chelsea
reserves at Aldershot and then turn out for his uncle Duncan's Sunday League
side in Greenford. He was jeopardising his career, but Cole is anything but
a conformist. "The penny has finally dropped but it has taken a long time,"
said Alan Curbishley, who managed the striker at both Charlton (where he was
on loan) and West Ham. "He has everything you want in a modern striker. He
is strong, he has pace and he is difficult to mark but the one area of his
game he needs to improve is his goalscoring."

Cole was the recipient of the Golden Boot when he was in Chelsea's youth
team, an in-house award given to the club's leading scorer, and his career
was expected to blossom. After he made his debut as a substitute against
Everton in April 2002, Ranieri put him in the same bracket as reserves
team-mate and future England captain John Terry. But Cole took it too easy,
buying a Mercedes 4x4 with his first pay packet and back-chatting opposition
defenders with some west London bravado during his frequent run-outs with
the reserves.

By then he had a taste of first-team action and believed he was good enough
for a place in a side challenging for Champions League qualification without
putting in the hard graft with the second string. Eventually, he was loaned
to Charlton, then Wolves and Aston Villa, before eventually signing for West
Ham. Trouble with a long-standing knee complaint allowed the then Upton Park
manager Alan Pardew to negotiate an attractive performance-related
arrangement with Chelsea, highlighting why clubs prefer the details of such
deals to stay 'undisclosed'.

Off the field, Cole sometimes struggles with the complexities of day-to-day
life, shrugging off a visit from the bailiffs to West Ham's training ground
in 2007 when they were chasing him over unpaid congestion charges. He
claimed his friends were driving his car through central London, failing to
pay the £8 toll, but he eventually forked out for the heavy fine. His
lifestyle remains an area of concern. He was arrested for drink-driving in
September last year, but believes he is on the straight and narrow under the
pastoral care of Zola.

It helps that he held the former Italy forward in such high esteem when they
were together at Chelsea, listening to Zola's guidance and becoming a more
rounded. "He doesn't have to be nasty to be a very good player," insisted
Zola last week. Cole's performances on the field have improved this season.
He scored a notable goal at Newcastle when he controlled the ball with the
outside of his boot before lashing it beyond Shay Given. His form has
elevated him into the England squad, a reward for the hard work that he has
put in this season.

Now 25, Cole is a coruscating mountain of muscle, something Manchester
United's Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will readily testify to after he
roughed up the best central defensive pairing in the Barclays Premier League
at Upton Park on Sunday. "He has grown in stature, but that's because he is
working for a manager who understands him," said Ferdinand. "He is
appreciated and working in an environment that suits him. He is a young
player, he wants to learn and he is better for it."

Of course, some footballers are born unthinking competitors – like Michael
Essien who apparently sleeps all day until you wake him and stick a football
before him: instant intensity. Some are less fortunate, condemned to
struggle with doubt and insecurity. While most are rarely troubled by
physical uncertainty- their bodies are tools, trained through unvarying
repetition into automatic muscle response- the training of the mind is much
trickier. Just ask Cole. He is 6ft 4in, searingly swift at full lope and
blessed with the co-ordination to instantly tame the blur of a passing ball;
in short, the corporeal embodiment of the perfect footballing tool. However,
he has never managed to master those physical gifts and he confesses to have
become plagued by the idea of his own unfulfilled potential. Yet in the past
months and weeks something has happened to Cole: he has begun to shed the
skin of his old timidity and the result has been revelatory.

He is now the in-form striker in the division, his five goals in seven
Premier League games attracting the curiosity of Fabio Capello. Through the
faithful cajoling of Gianfranco Zola and his coaching team, combined with
the advent of a greater maturity, Cole has flourished into the footballer he
has always threatened to be. When he arrived at West Ham, Zola knew there
was real ability trapped inside Cole. He had played alongside him as a rangy
teenager at Chelsea, seen his capabilities but also how he inhibited them.
"The manager knew what I was about, knew I had to build on what I had done
last season," Cole said. "He said in front of the whole team that he has 100
per cent faith in me and that if you get the ball up to Carlton, he'll cause
the opposition problems. I had to change my mentality. I had to become more
selfish. It is hard to change your mentality after playing three or four
years in the same way but it's happening now."

Kevin Keen and Steve Clarke have stalked Cole on the training ground with
the mantra: "goals, goals, goals". With training becoming more intense, with
lots of fast ball-work, Cole has been part of a general elevation of
expectations and ambitions. But it has been establishing a personal
commitment to improvement that has allowed him to thrive in Zola and
Clarke's team. He takes home and studies DVDs of his own performances and
works closely with a sports psychologist. He says he "has read whole a host
of books" to help with motivation and focus.

Books? Most players prefer the bookies. "I've read about the greatest people
in sport. I read about the lives of Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, people like
that. I'm not saying I'm going to get up there but I'm going to try and get
up there. That's the only way you progress in life is if you aim for the
highest point. If you keep striving and are never satisfied then you'll do
well in your career. I know how important it is for me to take my life
seriously. Things happened off the field that were out of my control. It set
me back a bit. I don't want to go back into it. A few things have happened
away from the field made me realise how important football is and how many
people would love to be in my position. There are a lot of people who would
rather not think about football, go home and relax. At this stage of my
life, I think I have pissed away a large percentage of my career. Well,
maybe not pissed away but not been focused enough. I'm making up for lost
time, trying to get to a level where I can say I have achieved a lot."

Those troubles off the field – the most recent being that arrest in
September – are, he insists, behind him. Cole seems a man finally at peace
with himself these days, unlike those early years at Stamford Bridge. "I am
unrecognisable as a person from then," he insists. "When I was at Chelsea I
was really immature. I made my first team debut at 18 but soon got involved
in stupid stuff off the field."

Cole makes special mention of one example of 'stupid stuff' when he and
Wigan defender Titus Bramble were among those questioned over an alleged
rape case in a London hotel back in 2003. In the event the case was dropped
and neither man faced charges. "I've had loads of really low times," he
says. "I would get back on track for a while and then go off the rails
again. It was partly my fault and partly those around me. I've ditched loads
of so-called friends since those bad times.It's unbelievable how many
friends I thought I had but turned out to be hangers-on. My life is back on
track now and I'm never going back. There was a lot expected of me at a
young age at Chelsea. Some people cope with that pressure but I didn't
handle it well, I realise that now. In the end I was shipped out so many
times to various clubs that I never really found my feet.

"It's only now that I'm getting my life back on an even keel and I'm so
happy here at West Ham. I've never played so many games in a season before
and that has meant I've grown up on the pitch as well. It's a great feeling,
knowing you are one of the team's main strikers. It does my confidence so
much good. It's only now I realise I can have a good future in the game and
I want to carry on as long as possible. I feel really solid in myself,
content." He has a young son with wife Sophia, which puts a new perspective
on things, and what he calls the "support system" of his mother and uncle to
help maintain his new-found "drive". His mother, who still buys her boy his
Marks and Sparks underpants, is from Sierra Leone and he visits relatives
there every year. He has also begun to visit Nigeria, his father's home
country.

"I go back to Sierra Leone every year. It's funny, I saw Craig Bellamy there
last time. He's contributed a lot to a football academy there. I didn't know
he was doing it until I saw him there! I said to him, 'You come to my
country and don't even tell me!' I've got a lot of family there. I've been
going to Nigeria for a couple of years now, straight after Sierra Leone. I
was there in the summer and played in Jay-Jay Okocha's testimonial match.
The fans are unbelievable. I didn't realise people knew me there. It's
crazy. That spurred me on – they worship you. It opened my eyes to another
side of football. They approached me to play for the Nigerian national team.
At the time I was nowhere near the England set up so I agreed to it. However
there were some complications with Fifa. I had represented England under 21s
and been captain so it was a bit unfair."

The flirtation with playing for Nigeria shows how far Cole thought himself
to be from the England reckoning. How things change. Capello has been
impressed with Cole's pace and power and the quality of his approach play,
while expressing reservations about his composure in front of goal. He
should keep watching. Cole is coming into his own. Not only that, he is
finally letting his feet do the talking.
Posted by Trilby at 10:19

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West Ham v Middlesbrough preview
12:57pm Wednesday 11th February 2009
Cmonboro.com

West Ham v Middlesbrough

FA Cup fifth round, Saturday February 14, 3pm

LAST MEETING: Middlesbrough 1–1 West Ham (01/11/2008) A late Mido strike
earned Boro a share of the spoils after Hayden Mullins had given the Hammers
the lead.

LAST MEETING AT UPTON PARK: West Ham 3-0 Middlesbrough (15/09/2007) Three
goals in 15 minutes quashed Boro's hopes at the Boleyn Ground. Lee Bowyer, a
Luke Young own goal and a Dean Ashton strike saw the Irons come away with
all three points.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: West Ham 24 wins, Boro 23 wins, 12 draws

FORM: Gareth Southgate's men are going through a turbulent period, having
won only once in their last 14 league games. They have scored the fewest
goals in the top flight and they currently lie second from bottom in the
league table, with just five wins to their name all season.

DANGER MAN: Stewart Downing is Boro's shining light in a side otherwise
emitting a dim glow. The left winger and England international is a threat
from dead ball situations, while the Hammers' defence will need to be wary
of his wicked delivery into the box from the wing.

FUN FACT: Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara is understood to be a keen
Middlesbrough fan. 'Kammy' is famed for his excitable game updates on Sky's
Soccer Saturday show, none more so than his hilarious take on David Healy's
'goal' when Fulham took on Boro last season. Search 'Chris Kamara Legend' on
YouTube.

PREDICTION: West Ham 2 Middlesbrough 0

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Web Item - WHUFC - New Signing

Dixon delighted to sign
WHUFC.com
Terry Dixon has joined West Ham United and is looking forward to making a
first-team challenge
11.02.2009

West Ham United are pleased to announce the signing of highly-rated Republic
of Ireland youth international striker Terry Dixon on a three-year contract.
The 19-year-old forward put pen to paper after proving his fitness with the
club in recent months. Dixon had been released by Tottenham Hotspur in March
2008 after concerns over past problems with his right knee. With West Ham
United having made significant improvements to the medical set-up at
Chadwell Heath and after a two-month spell with a knee specialist in
Belgium, Dixon was invited to work with the club's specialists to make use
of their advanced approach to rehabilitation.

The medical team including head of rehabilitation Giorgio Gasparini have
worked tirelessly during his recovery and have also been rewarded by the
Archway-born player's dedication to proving he still has what it takes to
make it at the highest level. Dixon's right knee has now been fully assessed
and he just requires conditioning work to prepare himself for a playing
return in the hope of catching Gianfranco Zola's eye.

Dixon was highly regarded a youth player and represented Ireland at every
level before being called up to the full squad at 16 by the then manager
Steve Staunton in May 2006, who at the time described him as a 'special
talent'. He was then named on the bench for his country's friendly against
Chile that month and was rewarded for his progress by being named Ireland's
Under-17 Player of Year for 2006.

The flame-haired striker, who cites Wayne Rooney as his favourite player, is
delighted to have committed his future to West Ham United and is looking
forward to getting back on the pitch.

"I'm pleased to have signed the contract and I'm glad to have got it
sorted," Dixon said. "I'm back in training next week and hopefully I want to
push on to the first team towards the end of the season. I'm so relieved to
be back to fitness as it's just so annoying to have those niggles because
you have been out for so long.

"My aims for this season are to get matches under my belt for the reserves
and if I do well there, hopefully I can get into the first-team squad. I
want to repay the faith the club have shown in me, if not this season then
season after."

Dixon also paid tribute to the medical team at Chadwell Heath that has aided
his comeback. "The fitness team have done a lot of work with me to make my
leg a lot stronger and my knee never swells up now. It's just like my other
one, it feels fine. I'm just glad West Ham took the chance on me and
hopefully it will pay off. I'd like to thank Christian Lattanzio and Giorgio
Gasparini for all the work they have done."

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "This signing is a testament to our
medical and technical departments for all the work they have put in to get
Terry to this point. He has worked very hard in the past few months and we
have all been impressed with his determination to start playing again. His
talent is undoubted.

"We know that Tottenham felt they had reached the end of the road with Terry
but we are hopeful he can yet prove himself and build a successful career.
He is certainly in the best place to do that and I am sure if anyone can get
the best out of him it will be Gianfranco Zola and his coaching staff."

Daily WHUFC News - 11th February 2009

Friendlies in the spotlight
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole and Zavon Hines are with their national teams but James Collins
and Valon Behrami are not
10.02.2009

Several West Ham United players are on international duty this week with a
midweek round of fixtures across the globe. All of the West Ham United
internationals will be in friendly action on Wednesday with the exception of
captain Lucas Neill who has a World Cup qualifier on the same day. James
Collins (Wales) and Valon Behrami (Switzerland) have stayed behind at
Chadwell Heath for treatment on minor knee and hamstring troubles
respectively.

England
Carlton Cole, called up alongside Robert Green and Matthew Upson, is in line
for his first England cap against Spain in Seville. Upson has been capped 12
times with one goal while Green's solitary cap came in May 2005 as a
second-half substitute in a 3-2 friendly win against Colombia. The trio all
trained in Seville on Tuesday evening under the watchful eye of Fabio
Capello.

Of Cole, Capello said: "He gets better and better every game. His movement,
his strength and his movement without the ball impress me. When he is in
front of goal he has to be calmer. Sometimes he is too fast and he wants to
shoot too quickly, but he is good at the moment. He is young, he is
interesting."

Jamaica
Zavon Hines could make his international bow after being called up by
Jamaica for the friendly against Nigeria to be played in south London.
Hines, 20, has returned to fitness recently after a knee injury and will
hope to impress new Reggae Boyz manager John Barnes.

Czech Republic
Radoslav Kovac was an unused substitute against Manchester United but should
figure for the Czech Republic when they face Morocco in Casablanca. Kovac,
who arrived at the Boleyn Ground on loan until the end of the season from
Spartak Moscow last week, will hope to earn his 29th cap.

Australia
Lucas Neill is the only player on competitive duty with the Socceroos facing
a 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifier round four match against Japan in
Yokohama. The 30-year-old captain is expected to win his 47th cap. Australia
go into the match sitting top of Asian Group A, two points ahead of their
hosts and on course to go to the finals in South Africa next year.

Wales
Jack Collison may figure for Wales against Poland, with the match to be
played in Vila Real, Portugal. Central defender James Collins, who has
scored once in 27 games for his country, was also named originally, but has
withdrawn from the party. Collison has earned three caps since making his
debut in Iceland last summer.

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Spence loses out
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Jordan Spence was part of the England Under-19 side
beaten by Spain
10.02.2009

West Ham United defender Jordan Spence was unable to stop England's Under-19
side falling to a 3-0 friendly defeat to Spain on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old, who is currently enjoying a loan spell at League One Leyton
Orient, lined up alongside Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, Everton's Jack Rodwell
and Dan Gosling, Aston Villa's Nathan Delfouneso and a host of other future
Premier League stars.

A bumper crowd of 8,202 turned out at Bournemouth's Dean Court stadium, only
to see Brian Eastick's team soundly beaten by a skilful Spanish outfit, who
scored through Iago Falque, Jordi Pablo and substitute Raul Ruiz.

England's misery was complete late on when replacement Andrew Tutte of
Manchester City was sent off for a challenge on Ruiz.

The Young Lions will hope for better fortune when they return to action in
the European U19 Championship Qualifying Elite Round in late May and early
June, when they face Scotland, Slovakia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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Cowling: We`ve Won Walker Signature
Vital Football

Colchester`s Jimmy Walker, loaned from West Ham, will start in goal for
tonight`s Tranmere game. This is despite the prolonged confusion over the
35-year-old`s contract negations and the expiry of his old deal last
weekend. Vital Football had previously reported the fiasco, which U`s boss
Paul Lambert said made him, "an angry man." To read the report, click here.
Now, United`s owner Robbie Cowling had joined the calls for Walker to sign
full-time. He explained last night to the local media that the player has
indeed immediately signed an extended contract once more. "We are still in
communication with the Football League at the moment, with regards Jimmy
Walker," said Mr. Cowling in today's East Anglian Daily Times. United say
they had previously submitted a request to keep the stopper for longer than
three consecutive months, having agreed a move in principle with the
Hammers. But the League are rejecting that claim, hence the mix-up over
Walker`s future. "Negotiations at the time were difficult and we did not
receive the paperwork back from Jimmy Walker until ten-to-five, giving us
just 10 minutes before the transfer deadline," he explained.
Cowling has said he believes the club met the deadline, which should have
afforded them to another 24 to 48 hours to tie the agreement, under special
dispensation granted to all English teams by FIFA because of the recent
difficult weather conditions. "We had initially explored all avenues with
regards Jimmy, and in the end we decided to sign him on a standard loan
until the end of the season." It means that Walker can continue his
impressive form as Colchester mount an impressive League One promotion-push.
Cowling added: "As a fall-back, we have signed him for the third month to
take him up to the 93 days. The situation has been confusing, but we are
still hopeful that we have signed him until the end of the season."

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PREMIER LEAGUE - WEST HAM, WALES
COLLISON: ZOLA IS TURNING ME INTO A PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYER
ComeOnBoro.com; Tue 10 Feb 2009

Wales youngster Jack Collison credits his West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola as
the man who is turning him into a Premier League player. And Collison, 20,
admits he would hate the thought of the Italian leaving the Boleyn Ground.
Collison will win his fourth Wales cap on Wednesday in the friendly
international against Poland. It is another mark of the impressive progress
that Collison has made this season under Zola's guidance, with a starting
role in the last 10 West Ham matches. Zola has been linked with the Chelsea
job this week following the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari from Stamford
Bridge. And although it now looks as if Chelsea are set to turn to Russia
boss Guus Hiddink, Collison has made it clear he wants Zola to continue
helping him improve. Collison, talking to BBC Radio Wales, said: "The boss
has been doing one-on-one tuition with me and I am learning from him all of
the time. "There's no better player for me to learn from, he was one of the
best." Collison added: "Gianfranco going is the last thing anyone at West
Ham wants. "He has given us a confidence, he comes into training with a
smile on his face and he wants us to enjoy playing football. "Gianfranco has
come in and put a real buzz into the place and no-one wants him to go, he is
a really good young manager and things are going really well at West Ham at
the moment. "People may be a little surprised by his impact at West Ham but
he played at the very highest level and played under some top managers."
Collison could have gone to Peterborough on loan last year, but claims his
improvement is thanks to private training sessions with Zola. "I am a little
bit surprised to be a regular, as at a club like West Ham it is hard to
break through. But I've managed to keep my place and want to push on."

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Noble delighted as Hammers hold on to Zola
Sport.co.uk
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on: 10 February 2009 - 8:57 PM

Mark Noble reckons West Ham have pulled off a managerial masterstroke by
keeping Gianfranco Zola away from the clutches of London rivals Chelsea. The
Hammers boss was heavily linked with a return to Stamford Bridge following
the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari along with assistant and former Blues
team-mate Steve Clarke.But Noble believes the east London club are on the
verge of a successful new era under the Italian and says Zola must remain at
West Ham if any progress is to be made. "The manager and Steve Clarke have
been a great asset to the club," Noble said. "I think we look so much more
solid now and it's about time that we were able to compete. I'm only 21 and
I've already seen a lot of managers come and go but the way the boss and
Steve bounce off each other really works. "Steve has been in the game for so
long and you respect the manager for who he is and what he has done." He
added: "They complete each other in a way and they really get their point
across and they know exactly how they want to play. "The manager came in and
put so much belief in everyone that they have so much talent and they go out
and play freely. "You listen to him when he talks to you and he builds that
confidence inside of you to go out there, try your best for him but put a
smile on his face and enjoy it."

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Clubs mull quota system
9:36pm Tuesday 10th February 2009
Echo

PREMIER League clubs are considering a quota for a minimum number of
'homegrown' players in their squads in a bid to stave off attempts to impose
spending controls. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has revealed the 20
clubs discussed the move at a meeting last week and there was consensus over
the general principle. The move comes as the European Clubs' Association, of
which Parry is a board member, today shelved a proposal for clubs in UEFA
competitions to be limited to spending a maximum of 50% of their turnover on
wages. Clubs in the Champions League and UEFA Cup are already obliged to
have eight homegrown players - of any nationality, but who have spent three
years under the age of 21 at the club - in their 25-man squads. Parry,
speaking in Geneva, said: "It was discussed at the Premier League last week
after being put up by the Premier League board. "We have not accepted a
figure, just the principle that some minimum limit of homegrown players
makes sense. "For those of us in the Champions League we could introduce it
now and it wouldn't be an issue. Indeed the Premier League did produce an
analysis which showed that actually a lot of the clubs would not have too
much difficult complying. "It will certainly be given more consideration,
it's a way off being decided but it was certainly a constructive
discussion."
The Football League have already agreed that from next season at least four
out of the 16 players in matchday squads have to come through the ranks of
clubs in England and Wales. Other proposals being considered by the Premier
League include giving financial incentives to clubs to use academy products,
but the 'homegrown' rule looks the most likely. It will also allow clubs to
argue they will bring more players through the ranks rather than spending
big on established stars. Parry said the Premier League's discussions have
come in response to pressure from the Government, UEFA president Michel
Platini and FA chairman Lord Triesman for top-flight clubs to create a more
level playing field and reduce debt. He added: "We are aware that there is
concern at Government and FA level and what we have to do is engage in that
debate and be part of the solution. "They want to see something, as does
Michel Platini, so it's about not being completely negative and isolationist
about those ideas that do have merit and perhaps being in step with Europe
rather than being completely out of step."
The clubs will return to the issue at their summer meeting in June when a
range of options on encouraging youth players will be put to chairmen. A
Premier League spokesman said: "There has been an ongoing discussion about
raising the standards of youth development and progressing academy players
but no definitive policy decision has been taken."
Parry said that the 93 member clubs of the ECA who turned up for today's
general assembly viewed a 50% turnover-wages limit as a "blunt instrument".
He said: "The debate on should we just have a simple 50% limit on turnover
threw up all sorts of issues such as does that mean the big clubs stay big
and the small ones never have a chance to catch up? "Does it mean that clubs
in countries with different tax regimes suffer? "A lot of clubs felt it is a
bit of a blunt instrument and maybe the debate over young players is a
better approach. "What we in England don't want to see is a dumbing down and
be penalised for the success we have achieved."

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Pompey switch could cost Curbishley millions
Matt Scott The Guardian, Wednesday 11 February 2009

Alan Curbishley's hopes of a return to management with Portsmouth could cost
him millions in compensation as he battles West Ham United for a payout.

The Upton Park club must file their defence this week in a case brought by
Curbishley to a tribunal that has been arranged through the Premier League.
Curbishley is aware that if he takes up a job it could have a material
effect on the size of any award the three-man tribunal might rule in his
favour. But employment law also obliges him to be available for work while
the tribunal deliberates, and that means he must make efforts to get a new
job.

West Ham are confident the tribunal will rule in their favour, arguing that
the former Charlton Athletic manager resigned from his position
unilaterally. Curbishley, who is claiming two years' salary totalling £3m,
alleges that he was not accorded sufficient control over transfer matters
and that this amounts to constructive dismissal.

The case will swing on minutes of board meetings held to discuss transfer
business. A provisional date for the hearing has been set for April or May,
meaning that, if Curbishley does take up the Portsmouth position, legal
argument could intrude on his preparations in the club's end-of-season
run-in.

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West Ham No1 Green happy with England recall
11.02.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United goalkeeper Robert Green is pleased with his England call-up.
He told whufc.com: "It's good to go. I'll go there, train hard and see what
happens with the game on Wednesday. My name is first on the squad list but I
think that's an alphabetical thing! Seriously, though, I wouldn't go if I
didn't see it as an opportunity. It's another chance to show the manager and
his staff what I can do and hopefully give myself a chance. "There are
three West Ham United players [Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole] in the
squad and two Manchester United players [Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick]
- both of whom are former West Ham players - and it is recognition of the
form that the lads have been in here."

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2012 Olympic Stadium to house school after Games
Reuters - Yesterday, 19:46
FourFourTwo.com

LONDON - The 2012 Olympic Stadium will house a school rather than a Premier
League club after the Games under legacy plans for the 500 million pounds
($740 million) venue, London Mayor Boris Johnson said on Tuesday. "In the
end there were insuperable obstacles with the shape of the stadium," he told
reporters at the launch of a detailed masterplan for post-2012 which
includes building 10,000 new homes and creating 10,000 jobs in east London.
"It would also have cost far, far more in the end to create a stadium
suitable for Premier League football even if there had been a Premier League
football team willing to come to the table. In the end there wasn't. "And if
you look back at our negotiations with West Ham United maybe we were lucky
not to get too far down that track," he added. West Ham, whose Icelandic
owner has been hit hard by the global banking crisis, did initially express
an interest in moving to the Olympic Stadium after the Games but were put
off by the requirement to retain an athletics track. Johnson said the idea
of a lower league footall club or rugby club using the stadium had not been
totally discounted. "If a club came forward with a coherent plan, of course
we would consider it," he said. When Johnson was elected last year he was
critical of the lack of a blueprint for the legacy use of the 9.3 billion
pounds Olympic Park and surrounding areas and appointed a board of advisers
to maximise its use. As well as a sport's academy for 400 secondary school
pupils inside the stadium, there are plans for the English Institute of
Sport and a National Skills Academy to be based there. Johnson said the
stadium, which will be scaled down from it's 86,000 Olympic-capacity, will
host international athletics events as well as other sporting events and
concerts. Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell said she hoped the Olympic Park
project would become a "hub for sport in London" and act as "a magnet for
business and investment".

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England by the numbers
By Dominic Raynor
Soccernet
February 10, 2009

One of the UK's daily newspapers has been heavily promoting their new
"chalkboard" utility this week, claiming that the match-by-match player
stats can help us amateurs analyse football matches the same way the pros
do, or simply settle arguments as to who is the better footballer.

So rather than indulge in a bout of thumb-twiddling during the dire weather
this week I decided to crunch some numbers to see if England's latest new
recruit, West Ham United striker Carlton Cole, deserved all the criticism he
received upon winning a call-up to Fabio Capello's squad.

The former Chelsea striker has tapped into the form of his life since former
Blues team-mate Gianfranco Zola became Hammers boss earlier this year and
the muscular target-man has emerged as Capello's alternative to Emile Heskey
for the role of England's No.9.

Cole's detractors point out, and rightly so, that while Aston Villa striker
Heskey has won a series of trophies at club level and racked up 50
international caps his West Ham rival has breezed into the England squad
after playing well for approximately five months of a previously
underwhelming eight-year career. But what does the raw data say?

Well, if we compare the strikers' performances using a randomly chosen match
from this season - a home game against Newcastle United - we can see that
while neither forward scored, and a lack of goals has been a criticism of
both forwards, the rest of the stats fall in Cole's favour.

Cole mustered three shots and an assist in West Ham United's 3-1 win while
Heskey didn't have a single attempt on goal while playing for Wigan during
their 2-1 defeat of the Newcastle. Cole also out-passed Heskey, 14
successful passes to 10, and in terms of tackling back to help out his
team-mates the West Ham forward made nine challenges to Heskey's five.

This intriguing result led to the pondering of another comparison. A quick
check of the match stats for Everton's Phil Jagielka and Chelsea captain
John Terry shows that the Everton centre-back came out on top in terms of
interceptions, tackles and blocks. If this were a football management game I
would be spending my money on Jagielka rather then the England skipper.

And so, with curiosity piqued, the obvious question followed: if Capello
were to pick his starting 11, from the current squad, based purely on the
stats who would make the starting line-up against Spain on Wednesday night?

Well, if we take home games against a mid-table Premier League team such as
Fulham as the common denominator (or a comparable team in terms of league
position if the featured player didn't play against the Cottagers) then the
numbers would stack up something like this:

Goalkeepers:
Robert Green: Goals conceded 0, saves 1, successful passes 8, clearances 1
Joe Hart: Goals conceded 0, saves 0, successful passes 12, clearances 0
David James: Goals conceded 1, saves 5, successful passes 7, clearances 0

David James made the most saves but if we stick to the premise of going with
the pure stats, rather than factoring in all manner of variables, then the
most important thing data is a clean sheet. Joe Hart and Robert Green both
managed to keep the ball out of the net and with one additional save the
latter gets the nod.

Left-back:
Wayne Bridge: Tackles 5, interceptions 1, blocks 0, clearances 8, successful
passes 33
Ashley Cole: Tackles 4, interceptions 1, blocks 0, clearances 1, successful
passes 30

Wayne Bridge has the better stats of these two left-backs; making one more
successful tackle, three more passes and eight clearances to Cole's one.
Based on this data the Manchester City defender gets selected ahead of his
former Chelsea colleague for once.

Centre-back
Rio Ferdinand: Tackles 5, interceptions 1, blocks 1, clearances 1,
successful passes 61
Phil Jagielka: Tackles 4, interceptions 2, blocks 1, clearances 6,
successful passes 25
John Terry: Tackles 5, interceptions 2, blocks 0, clearances 3, successful
passes 107
Matthew Upson: Tackles 6, interceptions 2, blocks 1, clearances 7,
successful passes 28

It is a close call at centre-back but West Ham United's Matthew Upson is the
leader of the pack with more tackles and clearances than his peers, who he
at least matches in terms of interceptions and blocks. The rest are much of
a muchness but with of his massive tally of 107 successful passes John Terry
has elevated himself above both Phil Jagielka and Rio Ferdinand.

Right-back
Luke Young: Tackles 4, interceptions 0, blocks 0, clearances 6, successful
passes 43
Glen Johnson: Tackles 7, interceptions 2, blocks 0, clearances 4, successful
passes 38


Going forward Aston Villa's Luke Young has more successful passes but when
it comes to the defensive side, and the most important side, of a
full-back's role Portsmouth's Glenn Johnson wins his place in the England
team with more tackles and interceptions.

Soccernet

Check out Soccernet's own comprehensive stats by clicking on the 'match
action' tab in any match report, gamecast or match file. Click the pic to go
there now.

Left Midfield
Ashley Young: Shots 4, passes 17, tackles 1, free-kicks won 4
Stuart Downing: Shots 1, passes 32 (1 assist), tackles 2, free-kicks won 1

Although Aston Villa's Ashley Young is the golden boy of the Premier League
at the moment it is the much derided Boro winger Stuart Downing that edges
the battle of the stats. With double the amount of successful passes and one
assist it is the lad from Teesside that makes the team.

Central Midfield
Frank Lampard: Shots 3 (1 goal), passes 62, tackles 3, interceptions 1
Michael Carrick: Shots 5, passes 74, tackles 4, interceptions 3
Gareth Barry: Shots 5, passes 17, tackles 2, interceptions 3

The options are a bit limited in central midfield and only Aston Villa's
Gareth Barry misses out due to a poor tally of only 17 complete passes.
Frank Lampard's goal is the icing on the cake for his overall stats and
Carrick's impressive tally of 62 successful passes, in addition to his high
defensive contribution, wins him a place in the team.

Right Midfield
James Milner: Shots 1, passes 19, tackles 3, free-kicks won 3
Wright-Phillips: Shots 2, passes 10, tackles 3, free-kicks won 2
David Beckham: Shots 0, passes - (2 assists), tackles -, free-kicks won 3

Neither Shaun Wright-Phillips nor James Milner really catches the eye with
their stats. So despite having only limited information available for David
Beckham his two assists (using his recent performance against mid-table
Lazio) are not to be sniffed at - the game is about goals after all - and
gives the old man the edge over his younger rivals.

Strikers
Emile Heskey: Goals 0, shots 0, successful passes 11, free-kicks won 1
Carlton Cole: Goals 1, shots 3, successful passes 9, free-kicks won 3
Gabriel Agbonlahor: Goals 0, shots 1, successful passes 13, free-kicks won 0
Peter Crouch: Goals 1, shots 4, successful passes 19, free-kicks won 1

As mentioned earlier Carlton Cole's stats are surprisingly impressive and
even stand up to those of the injured Wayne Rooney, at least until the pass
completion rate is factored in, but most surprising of all is that
Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch is England's best forward, at least
statistically speaking. A goal apiece helps win the duo a place in the
England side.

The result of all that is an unfamiliar looking England team:

GK: Rob Green
LB: Wayne Bridge
CB: John Terry
CB: Matthew Upson
RB: Glen Johnson
LM: Stuart Downing
CM: Frank Lampard
CM: Michael Carrick
RM: David Beckham
ST: Peter Crouch
ST: Carlton Cole

Of course, all this is based on the stats for a single Premier League match
and only provides food for thought. But if you were of a statistical bent
and had sufficient time on your hands it would be easy to compile a more
comprehensive analysis. I have thumbs to twiddle, so it's over to you.

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