Wednesday, August 12

Daily WHUFC News - II 12th August 2009

Parker exclusive on WHUTV
WHUFC.com
Scott Parker has told WHUTV that West Ham United are looking 'strong' ahead
of the start of the new season
12.08.2009

After winning a host of accolades at West Ham United last season, Scott
Parker is raring to try and do it all over again when the new season gets
under way on Saturday.

Parker picked up the Hammer of the Year award, three consecutive whufc.com
player of the month prizes, Player of the Round for the FA Cup third round
and several man of the match awards. After successfully overcoming a
niggling groin injury that ruled him out of the tail end of last season,
Parker is fighting fit for the opening game with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"It's been a good pre-season," Parker told WHUTV. "It's been hard like all
pre-seasons are but I think pre-season has changed over the years.

"When I started out there used to be a bit of hill running and silly running
where you pick up a lot of injuries but this pre-season has been very good
and as a team we have developed a lot and become a lot stronger."

Parker was back to his typically bullish self as the Hammers concluded their
pre-season programme with last weekend's Bobby Moore Cup game with SCC
Napoli. "Napoli were a very good team and I think the manager said
afterwards I think they are going to be strong this year. The two front men
are very sharp so it was a very good test for us.

"We haven't had a lot of games but we've had a steady improvement. Our first
lot of games weren't great, but you expect that, and we've picked up and
we're going into the start of the season strong."

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Eleven in international action
WHUFC.com
A full team of West Ham United players could represent their countries on
Wednesday evening
12.08.2009

As many as eleven West Ham United players could pull on their respective
national team jerseys on Wednesday evening. US defender Jonathan Spector has
made the longest journey of the group, making the 5,600 mile trip to Mexico
City for a vital 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier. The Americans, who finished
as runners-up at the FIFA Confederations Cup in June, sit second in the
CONCACAF Round 4 table, two points behind leaders Costa Rica. Victory at the
Azteca Stadium would take the US seven points clear of the fourth-placed
Mexicans with four matches remaining. The top three sides in the six-team
group - also containing El Salvador, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago -
qualify automatically for next summer's finals in South Africa, with the
fourth-placed team taking on the fifth-placed finisher in the South American
qualifying group.

Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole are all with England, who take
on the Netherlands in a friendly international at the Amsterdam ArenA. Green
and Cole could both be in line to start at the home of Ajax, earning their
fifth and third senior caps respectively. Fabio Capello's men will be
looking for their first win over the Dutch since former Hammer Teddy
Sheringham and Alan Shearer fired England to a 4-1 victory at the 1996 UEFA
European Championship finals at Wembley. Since then, England have failed to
win on four consecutive occasions, drawing 1-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA on
their most recent meeting in November 2006.

Further afield, Hammers trio James Collins, Danny Gabbidon and Jack Collison
will all hope to be part of John Toshack's starting eleven in Montenegro.
The Welsh will be eager to extend their winning streak to three matches in
the friendly in Podgorica, having overcome Estonia and Azerbaijan at the end
of the 2008/09 season. Toshack's side will use Wednesday's friendly to
prepare for their vital 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Russia in
Cardiff on 9 September.

The seventh West Ham player to be involved in international friendly action
is Herita Ilunga. The left-back has joined up with the DR Congo squad to
face Senegal in the French town of Blois, 115 miles west of Paris.

Three younger members of the West Ham squad could also be in international
action on Wednesday evening. Defender Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson and goalkeeper
Marek Stech could face one another when Iceland take on Czech Republic in a
friendly Under-21 match in Reykjavik. Finally, youth team midfielder Georg
Grasser will be part of the Austria U20 squad for a friendly international
with Switzerland in Stegersbach.

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New Season - New Optimism
Mr Polite - Wed Aug 12 2009
West Ham Online

Never before have I been so underwhelmed a few days before the start of the
season. The start of the season is when all teams are equal, even if some
are more equal than others, and a time for renewed optimism a time to forget
about the failed endeavours of seasons past and to feel rejuvenated, a blank
canvass on which to paint the dreams of glory.

This board has had a lot of negativity – or what I would call realism over
the last month or so and it is with little wonder considering the lack of
transfer activity, the loss of the club captain, the lack of fitness of our
best striker etc etc etc.

Now although we can't ignore the weaknesses of the squad we have now reached
the time of year to get behind what we have, to give them our full support,
to show them we don't blame them for the weaknesses in the squad and that we
are right behind them – after all we do actually have many things to be
positive about.

We have one of the best Goalkeepers in the league who will be doing his best
to make the England number 1 shirt his own in the summer. We have three of
the four backline that did well last year and seemed to improve each game,
including one of the best young talents the academy has produced in years.
Faubert looks like he will be starting the season as our right back and
hopefully playing alongside the other three he will do well as some glimpses
in the Napoli game showed he can.

We have a good midfield with Noble, Collison, Parker, Jimenez, along with
the emerging talents of Stanislas and maybe even Payne and Savio. The
fitness (at the moment) of Dyer is a massive plus and cliché city – he will
be like a new signing. I haven't even mentioned our best player of last
season Behrami. Looking at our midfield can only fill you confidence.

Another thing to add confidence is looking at the other teams, not many of
them have really improved and there are some very poor teams in the league
this year. It may not be the ideal way of getting confidence but seeing as
we did so well against teams finishing below us last year it really is a
positive thing for us. With a couple of strikers which I am sure we will get
mid table should be achieved with relative ease, if we keep our main players
fit we really could push on to better than expected, who knows?

So although we can see negatives from the close season – I am now focusing
on the positives, focusing on the good starting 11 we have and focusing on
getting behind the team, after all we all want to succeed and giving them
our full support is the best opportunity we have of that happening. So for
you that are joining me at Wolves on Saturday, bring you voices, bring your
cheer, sing up for the hammers, the new season's here!

COME ON YOUR RIP ROARING FREE SCORING IRONSS!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading
Mr Polite

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Neill to start from bench against Ireland
Posted August 12, 2009 19:04:00
Updated August 12, 2009 19:09:00

Socceroos captain Lucas Neill looks likely to start on the bench in tomorrow
morning's friendly match against Ireland in Limerick. The English Premier
League season starts this weekend and Neill is still without a club after
his contract with West Ham expired. Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek says he has
discussed the situation with Neill, but cannot reveal his prospects. "We
have Lucas Neill with us and we know that Lucas at this moment has not
signed a contract," he said. "I cannot say anything about his future because
it's up to him to say something about the future." Verbeek says he is not
concerned that Neill is yet to find a new club and said it had not affected
his fitness.
"Lucas is I'm sure, 100 per cent sure he will find an interesting club for
himself and his career," he said. "Even without having a club he looks so
fit. He's ready, he's trained very hard for himself. So he's ready to step
in for any club who's willing to pick him up."
Verbeek said Scott McDonald would play as a lone striker in the friendly
after Japanese-based striker Josh Kennedy was left out of the squad because
of the time it would have taken him to travel to and from the match. Verbeek
says while McDonald prefers to play alongside a tall target-man, he also
needs to learn how to perform on his own. "The striker we normally have is
Josh Kennedy," he said. "He's the ideal partner I think for Scott. He likes
to play with a two-striker system, and he plays at the moment with three
strikers normally. So he has to get used to that."

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Zola targets Toni and Gudjohnsen for new-look West Ham strike force
Italian hopes to sign both strikers by 1 September
Jamie Jackson The Guardian, Wednesday 12 August 2009

West Ham hope to sign both Bayern Munich's Luca Toni and Eidur Gudjohnsen
from Barcelona by the end of this summer's transfer window, which closes on
1 September, with each deal potentially being on an initial loan basis. The
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola views the pair, who are experienced and
accomplished strikers for their respective clubs and countries, as ideal
additions to his squad, which currently has Carlton Cole and the injured
Dean Ashton as its only senior forwards, following the knee injury to Luis
Boa Morte. He is expected to be ruled out of a first-team return until after
Christmas.

Italy striker Toni has indicated he is keen on a move to Upton Park and his
agent, Jose Alberti, recently said: "At Bayern [he] is not playing ,and Zola
is a great friend of his. I think it will happen." Toni, who has scored 38
times in 56 Bundesliga appearances and was Bayern's top scorer last season,
is thought to be under contract until 2012 and there may be clauses that are
proving a stumbling block. But while West Ham have been in discussion with
Toni's camp for weeks and are confident any contractual difficulties can be
negotiated, Gudjohnsen's arrival in east London from Barcelona is a decision
that may rest, in part, with the player.

The former Chelsea forward has been in contact with the West Ham hierarchy
in recent weeks but is thought to have some personal affairs that may affect
the 30-year-old's future. Gudjohnsen can also play in midfield, which would
offer Zola further options as he hopes to improve on last year's ninth place
Premier League finish.

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Ex-West Ham captain Lucas Neill could be back at Upton Park
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 9:22 AM on 12th August 2009
Daily Mail

Lucas Neill has not ruled out a return to West Ham. The former Hammers
skipper turned down reduced terms to stay at Upton Park when his contract
expired at the end of last season. The 31-year-old Australia international
received an offer from Sunderland and has been linked with Manchester City
and Turkish giants Galatasaray, where countryman Harry Kewell is playing.
Neill said: 'There's an offer from West Ham and it's an offer that's on the
shortlist. But there are a number of clubs who have shown an interest.'

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West Ham United Aim To Sign Toni & Gudjohnsen Before Transfer Window Shuts –
Report
Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola is keen to wrap up deals for the pair...
12 Aug 2009 08:58:42

West Ham United are still hopeful of signing both Bayern Munich's Luca Toni
and Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen before the transfer window closes. The
Hammers may attempt to initially sign the pair on loan deals in order to
secure their immediate services, as there continues to be financial and
personal stumbling blocks in both moves, according to The Guardian. Hammers
manager Gianfranco Zola has been vocal in his admiration for former Chelsea
team-mate Gudjohnsen over the summer, and the Italian has admitted the door
would be open to the Icelandic star, should he wish to return to England.
Meanwhile, Italian frontman Toni has fallen out of favour at German outfit
Bayern Munich, despite his prolific goal scoring record in his first season
at the club, and he is understood to have welcomed a move to east London.
Toni's agent, Jose Alberti, is in confident mood with regards to a move to
Upton Park for his client. "At Bayern [he] is not playing, and Zola is a
great friend of his. I think it will happen," he said, according to the UK
newspaper. West Ham are short of options in attack, with Carlton Cole the
only fit, available and experienced striker in their current squad.

Jamie Dunn, Goal.com

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West Ham to show European intent by completing ambitious double deal
Sport.co.uk
Author: Ben Moss
Posted on:12 August 2009 - 09:33

West Ham will reportedly pip a host of Premier League rivals to the
signature of former Bolton and Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, as well
finalising a deal for Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni. Gudjohnsen has also
been linked with Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham, but the Guardian
suggests Gianfranco Zola is close to completing a loan deal for the
Barcelona forward with the option of a permanent move at the end of the
year. Zola has made no secret of his desire to sign his former Stamford
Bridge teammate, and while the deal is not yet complete, West Ham remain
hopeful a move for the Icelandic international will be completed shortly.
Italian international Luca Toni has fallen out of favour at Bayern, despite
scoring a glut of goals in his second season at the club. The player's agent
recently claimed, a move to Upton Park was a distinct possibility due to
Zola and Toni's friendship. Jose Alberti is quoted by the Guardian as
saying: "At Bayern [he] is not playing, and Zola is a great friend of his."
"I think it will happen."

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Derby swoop for West Ham keeper Walker
13.08.09 | tribalfootball.com

Derby are swooping for West Ham United goalkeeper Jimmy Walker. The Mirror
says Derby boss Nigel Clough is ready to snap up experienced keeper Walker
on a free transfer from West Ham. The far-travelled shot-stopper is expected
to sign a contract in the next few days as Clough drops his interest in
Blackburn reserve Frank Fielding.

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Zola fears international injuries for West Ham
By Simon Hayes on August 12, 2009 10:03 AM
Wharf.co.uk

Gianfranco Zola is praying all his West Ham players come through their
international commitments this evening as he counts down to the Premier
League kick-off. Zola has a number of key players turning out for their
countries this week, including three in the England squad against Holland.
Carlton Cole, Rob Green and Matthew Upson could all see some action in
Amsterdam tonight and the Hammers boss hopes they return to east London
unscathed as he makes his final preparations for Saturday's visit to
Wolverhampton Wanderers. He said: "Yes, I am worried about injuries. I don't
think it's the best time to be playing but unfortunately this is the
international schedule and you can't avoid it. "I understand it is important
for the international teams as well. I've been with the [Italian]
international team until some time ago so I know these fixtures are
important. "I can't do anything about it, but as far as I'm concerned it's
not the best."
As well as the England trio the Irons have James Collins, Danny Gabbidon and
Jack Collison playing for Wales in Montenegro, Jon Spector with the USA in
Mexico City, while Herita Ilunga is in the DR Congo squad playing Sengal in
France. Having had several weeks of pre-season to try and get his squad up
to fitness and gelling as a unit Zola now finds his final preparations
disrupted, with the danger of losing key personnel before the Irons have
even kicked a competitive ball. He said: "It's not ideal because one week
before the start of the season you'd like to prepare the game with the whole
team. Certainly Wolves will probably have the game prepared better than us
because they will have the whole team. "But I'm not complaining. I know the
rules, I know the stakes, and I'll get on with that and we'll try to make
the best out of it."

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WEST HAM: Hunt on for more firepower ahead of Wolves opener
11:07am Wednesday 12th August 2009
Guardian Series
By Kevin Bradford »

THE need for more firepower in the West Ham front line was again evident
during the 1-0 defeat to Napoli at the weekend. Much has been made of
Gianfranco Zola's pursuit of a striker, with Carlton Cole the only fit,
recognised goalscorer in the squad. The Hammers have been linked with
Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen and Bayern Munich's Italy forward Luca Toni
over the summer, although the only capture in that position has been
17-year-old Frank Nouble from Chelsea. Ahead of the season opener away at
Wolverhapton Wanderers this Saturday, Zola said: "Everybody knows that the
forward line is a position that we need a little bit more cover for. "But I
rely on the club and they are trying to strengthen the team. Maybe this week
something will happen. "Certainly Toni is a good player, but I don't know if
he will be a West Ham player in the future. He's a good player, but right
now I can't say anything, but we will see what happens."
A cutting edge was all that was missing for West Ham at the weekend, as they
controlled long periods of the Bobby Moore cup match against Italian Serie A
side SSC Napoli before going down 1-0. And with Cole again likely to
spearhead the attack at Molineux on Saturday, Zola said he was delighted
with the performances of last season's top scorer. He said: "Carlton Cole is
no surprise any more for me. "Some of the bits he does are unbelievable. He
is improving day by day, his confidence, his presence, his perception. I'm
very pleased by his performance."
He was, however, unable to give a return date for striker Dean Ashton, who,
despite being out for almost a year, has been linked with a move away from
the club. Zola said: "All I can say is that he is a player that I would love
to have in my side. "Can you imagine the impact of having a player like him
in the team? He's a big player. He is one of the players I would have loved
to play with."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 12th August 2009

Tube open for Spurs
WHUFC.com
TfL have confirmed that Upton Park Tube station will be open for the visit
of Tottenham on 23 August
11.08.2009

Fans will be pleased to learn that planned London Underground improvement
work at Upton Park station on Sunday 23 August has been cancelled.

Transport for London confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon which means
that the station will be open for the Barclays Premier League visit of
Tottenham Hotspur. "[District line] works between Barking and Upminster, and
on the Hammersmith and City line, have now been cancelled on this day."
However, the Jubilee line will be closed throughout the day.

As it stands, the Hammersmith and City line and the District line will be
shut between Barking and Whitechapel for the home game with Liverpool on
Saturday 19 September. This means that Plaistow, Upton Park and East Ham
tube stations will have no underground service running to them.

For further information and journey planning, please visit the Transport for
London website by clicking here. whufc.com will also have further travel
information in the run-up to both matches.

Tickets for the two games are now on sale to club members. Click here for
more information.

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Junior makes U21 bow
WHUFC.com
Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins both represented England Under-21s in a
midweek friendly
11.08.2009

Junior Stanislas got his first taste of international football at Under-21
level when he played for England in an impressive 0-0 draw in the
Netherlands.

Club team-mate James Tomkins played the full 90 minutes while Freddie Sears,
on a season-long loan at Crystal Palace, was handed seven minutes off the
bench as a replacement for Stanislas to earn his first experience of
Under-21 football.

All three homegrown Hammers had previously played together within the U20
set-up while Tomkins was also part of the Young Lions squad that reached the
final of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship earlier this summer.
Mark Noble had captained that side but is now too old for that level.

At the Euroborg in Groningen on Wednesday night, Stanislas nearly helped
break the deadlock within a minute of the start of the second half when his
return pass to captain Micah Richards allowed the defender to test Tim Krul
with a powerful drive. Ten minutes later, the attack-minded No7 went close
to grabbing the opening goal for himself when his 25-yard free-kick tested
Krul once more.

Former Hammers defender Stuart Pearce had named a strong starting XI for the
game with the 19-year-old Stanislas joining Everton's James Vaughan and
Aston Villa new boy Fabian Delph as the three players who were not part of
the squad that reached the UEFA final in Sweden just over a month ago.

The friendly result will act as a springboard for Pearce's youngsters as
they begin their qualification for the 2011 Euro with games against FYR
Macedonia and Greece next month.

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Hartson discharged from hospital
BBC.co.uk

Former football star John Hartson has been discharged from hospital, where
he has been having treatment for cancer. The 34-year-old ex-Wales, Arsenal
and Celtic striker was diagnosed about a month ago with testicular cancer,
which spread to his lungs and brain. He was initially treated at Swansea's
Morriston Hospital and was transferred to a cancer ward at Singleton
Hospital in the city last week. The hospital said he would continue with
chemotherapy as an outpatient. Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust
said in a statement: "John Hartson has completed the first phase of his
chemotherapy treatment and has been discharged from hospital. "He will now
continue his chemotherapy treatment as an outpatient of the hospital." His
family also issued a statement thanking all the staff at the two hospitals
for "their support in getting John to this stage in his treatment".
Last week, the retired player spoke for the first time following his
diagnosis, thanking staff and fans who had sent him messages and gifts. He
said: "People have taken time out to write a message and buy a card and that
means a lot." Some of the most recent messages and support have come from
other sporting figures such as boxer Joe Calzaghe and former Wales and
Manchester United footballer Mickey Thomas. He has also had support from
troops in Afghanistan and US Marines, his family revealed, along with Lance
Armstrong, the American cyclist who has himself overcome cancer.

The footballer, whose other clubs included Luton, West Bromwich Albion,
Coventry and West Ham United, had surgery on his brain before starting
chemotherapy. Hartson retired from football in February 2008 and had been
working as a television pundit.

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Zola: Savio 'struggling'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th August 2009
By: Staff Writer

Gianfranco Zola has told the local press that Savio Nsereko is struggling to
adapt to conditions in London. The German youth international was signed
from Bescia last January and, unusually for a youth player, was granted a
press conference to hail his signing. However that much-heralded arrival -
plus the weight of a transfer fee which has been rumoured to be anything
from £500,000 to £9million - is something that the quiet teenager has
apparently found difficult to live up to. "He has quality," Zola told the
London Paper, "but is really struggling with the heavy expectation on him.
"We're still working on the boy - but won't be putting any pressure on him."
Savio - who returned home for a brief period towards the end of last season
- made just one league start for the Hammers last term but featured from the
bench on nine occasions. However he has barely featured in pre-season,
leading to speculation amongst supporters that far is all from well. Zola
also spoke about about Dean Ashton, with whom he was rumoured to be
'furious' upon discovering that the former England striker was far from
fully fit prior to the China tour last month. "I'm thinking about Dean
Ashton as a person," he said. "He is feeling down but we have a very good
spirit here and everybody has been trying hard to cheer him up."

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NEILL SET TO DECIDE ON FUTURE
Posted 11/08/09 14:47EmailPrintSave
Football365

Australia international Lucas Neill is ready to decide where he will be
playing football next season. Neill is currently a free agent and looking
for a new contract after his deal with West Ham expired over the summer. The
31-year-old, who has been linked with Sunderland and Manchester City, has
confirmed the Hammers have an offer on the table and that he remains open to
a swift return to Upton Park. However, Neill is refusing to confirm where he
will end up, stating only that he is looking forward to resolving his
future. Neill has offers from outside of England, although he leaning
against having to settle in a new environment and tackle a new language.
"It's been interesting, it's been a little frustrating as well, but at the
same time exciting," Neill told Fox Sports. "There's a number of clubs who
have shown an interest and my agents have been talking to them. "But I think
we're down to the shortlist and I just want to get amongst it now and join a
team and focus on the season ahead. "There's an offer [from West Ham]. And
it's an offer that's on the shortlist, it's being considered. I'm very loyal
to West Ham. "We are talking to two clubs outside of England. That's been
the hardest one because it's a language barrier, it's a change of what I've
been used to for 14 years. "So that decision takes a lot of courage to do
but that's why I've taken my time because it's not something I take
lightly."

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Fabio Capello rules out Arsenal's Manuel Almunia despite England keeper
crisis By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 6:47 PM on 11th August 2009
Daily Mail

Fabio Capello has ruled out any chance of Manuel Almunia being called up
during his time as England manager. With David James already ruled out
through injury and Ben Foster pulling out of Wednesday's friendly with
Holland in Amsterdam because of a knee problem, talk has once again started
to surface about the Arsenal keeper.
Almunia is now eligible to play for England under FIFA's residency rules and
has revealed fellow Gunner Theo Walcott has already quizzed him about
whether he would be interested. It always seemed like something the FA
hierarchy would frown upon and a gentlemen's agreement is believed to exist
between the four home nations to prevent such a scenario occurring in the
future. And, while he was not at his most expansive when addressing the
subject, Capello made it pretty clear the whole idea of choosing Almunia was
a total non-starter. 'Almunia, for me, is Spanish,' he said. 'He is Spanish
and he plays for the Arsenal team.' With James and Foster ruled out, it
seems certain West Ham's Robert Green will keep his place at the Amsterdam
ArenA, with Paul Robinson and Joe Hart, who has had to join Birmingham on
loan after having his first-team place at Manchester City taken by Shay
Given.

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West Ham in the hunt for Napoli defender Leandro RinaudoBy Sportsmail
Reporter
Last updated at 1:16 AM on 12th August 2009
Daily Mail

West Ham are interested in Napoli defender Leandro Rinaudo, with manager
Gianfranco Zola keen to bring the 6ft 3in centre-back over on loan in case
he loses Matthew Upson or James Collins.

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Neill insists he is loyal to West Ham
12.08.09 | Andrew Slevison

Lucas Neill insists he is loyal to West Ham but is still considering offers
from other clubs. The Australian international has been linked with a move
away from Upton Park for the entire off season but is still yet to sign
anywhere. But the 31-year old defender says he does not want to rush such a
big decision as he weighs up a number of different options. "It's been
interesting, it's been a little frustrating as well, but at the same time
exciting," Neill told Fox Sports. "There are a number of clubs who have
shown an interest and my agents have been talking to them. "But I think
we're down to the shortlist and I just want to get amongst it now and join a
team and focus on the season ahead. "There's an offer from West Ham and it's
an offer that's on the shortlist, it's being considered. I'm very loyal to
West Ham. "We are talking to two clubs outside of England. That's been the
hardest one because it's a language barrier, it's a change of what I've been
used to for 14 years. "So that decision takes a lot of courage to do, but
that's why I've taken my time because it's not something I take lightly."

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