Sunday, February 28

Daily WHUFC News - 28th February 2010

Internationals ready for action
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's band of internationals are readying themselves for a busy
week of friendly action
27.02.2010

West Ham United may have a free weekend, but the club's international stars
are set for a busy week of action across the globe. Robert Green, Matthew
Upson and Carlton Cole have all been included in England's 24-man squad for
the friendly international with Egypt at Wembley on Wednesday evening. The
match is a vital one for Fabio Capello as the Three Lions step up their
preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa.

Jack Collison has been included in the Wales squad for a friendly with
Sweden at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea on the same night, while Danny
Gabbidon has stayed behind as he works on his recovery from a hamstring
injury. Similarly Guille Franco will not go with Mexico for their match in
Pasadena, California against New Zealand.

Jonathan Spector is in the United States squad for a friendly showdown with
fellow World Cup qualifiers the Netherlands in Amsterdam. Remaining in
mainland Europe, Valon Behrami has been called into the Switzerland squad
for their home friendly with Uruguay in St Gallen.

At age-group level, James Tomkins is expected to start for Stuart Pearce's
England Under-21 side as they take on Greece in a potentially vital UEFA
European U21 Championship qualifier in Doncaster on Wednesday. Victory for
England at the Keepmoat Stadium will take them above their visitors into
first place in Group Nine.

Frank Nouble, on loan at Coca-Cola Championship high-fliers West Bromwich
Albion, has been named in England's U19 squad for a friendly meeting with
the Netherlands in Waalwijk on Tuesday evening.

Fabio Daprela has been included in Switzerland's U19 squad for a two-day
training camp and friendly international meeting with Poland in Renens on
Wednesday.

Reserve-team midfielder Daniel Kearns will link up with Republic of Ireland
U19s for the first time since switching his international allegiance from
Northern Ireland.

The Belfast-born 18-year-old previously represented Northern Ireland at U16,
U17 and U18 level, but will join in with the Republic squad for a five-day
training camp at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire between 28 February and 4
March.

Finally, Academy right-back Filip Modelski has been called into the Poland
U18 squad for a training camp in Warsaw between 7-12 March. The camp will
act as preparation for Poland's UEFA European U17 Championship qualifiers
against Belgium (17 March), hosts Northern Ireland (19 March) and Spain (22
March).

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KUMB.com on Facebook
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 27th February 2010
By: Staff Writer

You can now keep up with the latest news from Knees up Mother Brown via
Facebook. For those who use the premier social networking site, you may find
the new KUMB.com group page right here
(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=351133824973 ). To become a member,
simply send a request to join via the above link and you will be added to
our members list by return.

About Facebook
(from Wikipedia)

Facebook is a social networking website that is operated and privately owned
by Facebook, Inc. Since September 2006, anyone over the age of 13 with a
valid e-mail address (and not residing in one of the countries where it is
banned) can become a Facebook user. Users can add friends and send them
messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about
themselves.

Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, and
school or college. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of
books given at the start of the academic year by university administrations
in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other
better.

Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook with his college roommates and fellow
computer science students Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes
while he was a student at Harvard University.

The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard
students, but was expanded to other colleges. It later expanded further to
include (potentially) any university student, then high school students,
and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more
than 400 million active users worldwide.

The original concept for Facebook was borrowed from a product produced by
Zuckerberg's prep school Phillips Exeter Academy which for decades published
and distributed a printed manual of all students and faculty, unofficially
called the "face book".

A January 2009 compete.com study ranked Facebook as the most used social
network by worldwide monthly active users, followed by MySpace.
Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade 'best-of' list, saying,
"How on earth did we stalk our exes, remember our co-workers' birthdays, bug
our friends, and play a rousing game of Scrabulous before Facebook?"

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Noble backs Cole for World Cup
Midfielder believes goals are vital in battle to beat the drop
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 26th February 2010
SSN

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble has backed club colleague Carlton Cole to
earn a place in England's squad for the 2010 World Cup. The powerful striker
has enjoyed an excellent season and has scored nine Premier League goals for
a struggling Hammers side, despite spending almost two months on the
sidelines with a knee injury. England manager Fabio Capello is due to name
his squad for next week's friendly with Egypt on Saturday evening and Cole
will be in contention for a place in the party. The Hammers are not in
action this weekend, but Noble believes his team-mate's improvement since
his 2006 arrival from Chelsea should still have done enough to impress ahead
of Wednesday's friendly and this summer's World Cup. "He just seems to get
better all the time," the midfielder told skysports.com when asked about
Cole. "The difference between him now and when he first came to the club (is
massive). "We knew he had loads of ability, but, I do not know why, he just
wasn't showing it. "Now, he is one of the best forwards in the country. He
is fantastic for us and I'm sure he will continue to be. I'm sure a seat on
the plane to South Africa will be his."
West Ham are battling relegation and the goals of Cole will prove a major
factor in determining whether Gianfranco Zola's side survive or slip into
the Championship. New owners David Gold and David Sullivan agreed that as
many attacking options as possible were required following their takeover in
January. And as a result, Ilan, Benni McCarthy and Mido all arrived in the
winter transfer window to leave Noble delighted with his club's offensive
armoury. "When the new owners came in they said, 'we need bodies, we need
strikers'," he said. "Now we are lovely for strikers. We have probably got
too many now, but that is what you need when you are in the position we are
in. "You need firepower. You need to be able pluck something off the bench
or from somewhere to give us a helping hand."

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Sullivan concerned about integrity of results
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPN
February 27, 2010

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is deeply concerned about the validity,
credibility and authenticity of the rest of Portsmouth's Premier League
results now the club are in administration. Gold raised first raised his
concerns last weekend, and he even suggested he would loan Pompey £10
million to save them from the administrator. Sullivan is hoping, even
expecting, the Pompey players to be highly motivated against one of the
Hammers' relegation rivals Burnley this weekend. But he is also aware that
the situation could bring a negative effect. Sullivan told Soccernet: "I
hope Portsmouth don't cave in for the rest of the season, starting with
Burnley. I hope they rally rather than cave in. The players surely have a
big incentive, being in the shop window and hoping that a club will want to
sign them. They will want to show what they are made of. That is self
preservation, and greed. "However, it is equally true to say that they have
a ready made excuse if they don't do well. The truth is that they are
effectively relegated. Even if they won every game from now until the end of
the seasons it might not be good enough with those nine points deducted.
"The concern for a club like West Ham is that when you look at their run in
they are playing all the lowly teams, and it is easy to see why we should be
concerned."
West Ham, though, stand more to lose if the club went into liquidation and
couldn't fulfill their fixtures. Sullivan said: "We have four points to lose
if that happened which would reshape the league at the bottom, it would also
affect the league at the top." The Premier League will ensure, though, look
set to ensure that Pompey are able to fulfill their fixtures this season -
which would avoid the need to expunge their record.

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WEST HAM: Hammers trio make England squad
9:20pm Saturday 27th February 2010
Guardian Series

WEST HAM'S Carlton Cole has been included in England's squad to face Egypt
at Wembley on Wednesday. Robert Green and Matthew Upson were also announced
in Fabio Capello's squad of 23 for the final audition before the World Cup
in South Africa this summer. The surprise selection was the inclusion of
Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross. The Potters man joins John Terry, Wes
Brown, Joleon Lescott and Upson as the centre-back options for England.
However, Shawcross will do well to focus his mind on the task after he left
the field in tears having been sent off for a reckless challenge on
Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey, which left the young Welshman with a broken leg in
Saturday's late kick-off.

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West Ham upset with FA over Ashton compo dismissal
27.02.10 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United are upset over the FA's dismissal of Dean Ashton's compo
claim. The Daily Mail says there is considerable upset at West Ham that the
FA have used a loophole to reject Ashton's personal claim over the
career-ending ankle injury he suffered while training with England. The
retired striker won't receive compensation because the incident happened
more than three years ago. The Hammers are pursuing their own £7m insurance
claim against the FA, which doesn't have the same time restrictions. But the
FA stance is that Ashton came back from the injury to play a full season for
West Ham.

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Son of a gun Moncur impresses on West Ham reserves debut
26.02.10 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United reserves coach Alex Dyer was delighted with George Moncur's
performance on debut in their victory over Chelsea. Moncur is the son of
former Hammers favourite John Moncur and is a midfielder like his Dad. Dyer
told whufc.com: "Young George Moncur made his debut for the reserves and he
was excellent in midfield as was Jordan Spence at right-back. He was
breaking up and down the wing and he defended like a proper defender should
do."

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GREEN LIGHT FOR HAMMERS KEEPER EXIT
News Of The World
By Hugh Southon, 27/02/2010

WEST HAM will not stand in Robert Green's way if any of the Premier League's
top four move in on the England goalkeeper. Green has a year left on his
contract at the end of this season and could be offered a small rise on his
current deal. But a highly-placed source at Upton Park revealed: "We have no
rigid policy on Robert except that if any of the top four came in and he
wanted to move we would allow him to. "We may be in the business of offering
increases to our very best players despite the well publicised cost-cutting
exercise. "But we would expect plenty of interest in him and wouldn't stand
in his way if he wanted to advance himself." Speculation that Manchester
City's Joe Hart, currently on loan at Birmingham, will be on his way to West
Ham if Green leaves are "the product of a fertile imagination" according to
the Hammers source. "That theory came from the fact that the Hammers'
current owners took him to St Andrew's," he added. "His name hasn't been
mentioned. "Peterborough's Joe Lewis at £3.5million would be a far more
realistic proposition."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Friday, February 26

Daily WHUFC News - 26th February 2010

Specs feeling confident
WHUFC.com
Jonathan Spector has told WHUTV how West Ham United will be fully prepared
to face Bolton Wanderers
25.02.2010

Jonathan Spector has told WHUTV that West Ham United have not lost the
confidence they built up in beating Birmingham City and Hull City. Spector
was part of the Hammers side beaten 3-0 at Manchester United - the club that
brought him to England as a teenager - on Tuesday evening, but insists
Gianfranco Zola's team had their moments against the Barclays Premier League
champions. After a midweek international friendly engagement with the
Netherlands in Amsterdam, the 23-year-old will return to the Boleyn Ground
for next Saturday's vital league visit of Bolton Wanderers. "Obviously
Manchester United are a great side. They're champions for a reason and they
showed that. The chances they created, they finished, and that was the
difference really. I'm disappointed to lose after the two wins we had on the
bounce. "I think we matched them until they scored. The first goal was some
really good football, so it's hard to really fault anyone. They scored some
good goals and it is tough when we didn't keep the ball as well as we would
like to. "We still played well at times and are still confident. We came up
against a great side. I saw their last few home games had been three, four
and five-nil wins, so it's no shame, but we're still disappointed."

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Reserves win delights Dyer
WHUFC.com
George Moncur and Jordan Spence both shone in an impressive home success
against Chelsea
25.02.2010

Alex Dyer was delighted to see the reserves grind out a 2-1 victory against
Chelsea on Wednesday night despite extremely difficult conditions at
Woodside Park. Prior to the match there were concerns the Bishop's Stortford
pitch would not hold up to the torrential rain across Essex but the fears
proved unfounded. Goals in each half from Anthony Edgar and Olly Lee won it
for the home side, who also coped well with Manuel da Costa's second-half
red card for violent conduct. "First of all, I have to give credit to
Bishop's Stortford," said Dyer. "They played on the pitch the night before
and it was in doubt a little bit. The groundsman has worked miracles. The
boys got on the pitch and went out with the right attitude. It rained a lot
and there were strong winds but the boys had the right attitude from the
start. "They got the ball down when they could. We gave them instructions
that if you can't play you have got to hit the ball long and put the ball
into areas where we can turn them and get up the pitch a little bit. When it
was time, we got the ball down and played."
Dyer paid tribute to his namesake Kieron, who like Marek Stech, Fabio
Daprela, Junior Stanislas and Da Costa had all travelled with the first team
to Manchester United the night before. Chelsea gave away a lot in terms of
senior experience but had the benefit of being an established unit that had
come through the youth ranks. "It was a great performance all-round. The
boys worked hard. It was a good performance from the senior lads who came
in. Kieron played an hour and he was excellent. Fabio came in and led the
team well as captain. "It was good to see. Young George Moncur made his
debut for the reserves and he was excellent in midfield as was Jordan Spence
at right-back. He was breaking up and down the wing and he defended like a
proper defender should do."

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Tomkins willing to learn
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins has vowed to improve after coming up against an in-form Wayne
Rooney on Wednesday
24.02.2010

James Tomkins has vowed to work even harder on his game after coming up an
in-form Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United and England striker was in
scintillating form at Old Trafford, scoring twice in the Red Devils' 3-0
victory to take his season's tally to 27 goals. However, the 24-year-old
could have added to his tally had it not been for a number of important
challenges from England Under-21 defender Tomkins - the reigning SBOBET
Player of the Month for January. "Sometimes you can't do anything to stop
him," admitted the 20-year-old. "For a young lad, he is a clever player.
It's hard to imagine that he's still so young. We'll look at the video and
try to improve, because we need to try and do better next time."
Rooney benefitted from one marvellous piece of play to open the scoring on
37 minutes, heading home Antonio Valencia's first-time volleyed cross.
Tomkins admitted that the goal put an end to a bright opening from the
Hammers on Tuesday that had seen Valon Behrami and Alessandro Diamanti go
close to giving Gianfranco Zola's side the lead.
"Obviously we were playing against world-class players. I thought we started
off really well against them, but their first goal was very good. The
first-time cross killed us.
"The difference was in and around the box, and that's why they have paid the
prices they have for the world-class players they have got. They pass the
ball around and keep the ball nicely, and it makes you think what you can
improve on. You look at them and see how you can become a better player."
With the trip to Old Trafford now behind them, West Ham will prepare for the
visit of Bolton Wanderers to the Boleyn Ground a week on Saturday.
"Tuesday's was the sort of game where the pressure is off because you're not
expected to win, so we're looking to the next game now. "We were on a good
run before that game and the lads showed in glimpses what we can do. We'll
look to the next game and try to be more of an attacking threat as well.
Bolton will present us with a different proposition and a different style of
play. "We've got some very important games at home coming up and the Bolton
one is a massive one. Hopefully we can get the fans behind us and get back
to winning ways again."
Before Bolton's visit on Saturday 6 March, however, Tomkins has England's
UEFA 2011 European U21 Championship qualifier with Greece to look forward
to. Stuart Pearce's side take on the Greeks at Doncaster Rovers' Keepmoat
Stadium home on Wednesday 3 March knowing a win would take them above their
opponents to the top of the Group Nine table. "That's my next game and I'll
be concentrating on it. It's a massive game against Greece and if we win
that we'll be in good shape. It's us and Greece who are looking like the
strongest teams in our group and, if we can beat them, we'll be in a very
good position."

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The KUMB.com Q&A: Neil Humphreys
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 25th February 2010
By: Staff Writer

Earlier this week KUMB.com met up with author Neil Humphreys for a chat.

In our latest KUMB Q&A, Humphreys - the author of new book Match Fixer,
which is based on a fictional former member of the West Ham United academy -
tells about about the book and his love for the Hammers, amongst many other
things.

To read the interview, click here.

Neil Humphreys - biography

Neil Humphreys grew up in Dagenham, England. After attending Parsloes
Primary School, Mayesbrook Comprehensive School (now renamed the Sydney
Russell School) and then Manchester University he briefly became a
stockbroker before moving to Singapore in the mid 1990s. There he found work
as a speech and drama teacher before moving into journalism, working as a
sports reporter for the Straits Times.

Eager for a wider audience he wrote his first book, Notes From An Even
Smaller Island (Singapore through a young Brit's eyes) in 2001 before
joining Today newspaper for whom he compiled a weekly column. The column was
the source of much of his second book, Scribbles From the Same Island which
was published in 2003.

After a decade in Singapore, Humphreys moved to Australia - but before doing
so penned the final part of the trilogy, Final Notes From A Great Island: A
Farewell Tour of Singapore. He now writes for the Straits Times, Young
Parents, Challenge magazine, Changi Class, Practical Parenting and
Ex-Hammers, amongst various other publications.

In 2007, Complete Notes From Singapore was released. In 2008, his first
three books were re-released across South-east Asia and also in Australia
and the UK. In 2008, Be My Baby: On the Road to fatherhood was released and
became a best-seller in Singapore and Malaysia.

In January 2010, his debut novel, Match Fixer, was released. The book is the
first of Humpreys' books to be launched in both the UK (February) and
Australia (April/May).

Match Fixer Testimonials

"Wickedly close to the bone. seems more like fact than fiction." - Jason
Dasey, South China Morning Post columnist and host of FourFourTwo
(Malaysia).

"Having played in the Malaysian League as a foreign professional for five
years, during which time I was exposed first hand to the greed, lies and
scandals that is match fixing, I can say that without a doubt that Neil
Humphreys has written a book that is as close to the real thing as possible.
Compelling reading, I couldn't put it down." - Scott Ollerenshaw, former
Socceroo.

"Knowing Singapore rather well, and now that I find myself working in the
game, I think Match Fixer has an intriguing insider's perspective of both
worlds. It's an engrossing look at the Asian football scene." - Nick Leeson,
Galway United CEO and author of Rogue Trader.

"Being an old West Ham boy who grew up in East London and played in
Malaysia, it's clear to me that Neil Humphreys knows this world. Match Fixer
paints a vivid picture-colourful, exciting and unpredictable. It really is a
fascinating book." - Tony Cottee, former England, West Ham, Everton and
Selangor striker.

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Hammers confirm Nani exit
Change in ownership leads to technical director's departure
Last updated: 25th February 2010

West Ham United have confirmed Gianluca Nani has left his position as
technical director at Upton Park. The former Brescia coach had spent the
past two years with the Premier League club and had a further 12 months to
run on his contract. However, following the takeover of David Sullivan and
David Gold, the Hammers have decided to part company with Nani. Sullivan
told the club's official website: "I would like to thank Gianluca for his
contribution to the club and we all wish him well. "With the club heading
in a new direction since David Gold and I took charge last month, it was
felt the time was right for all parties to move on in an amicable way."
Nani said: "Today, in agreement with the owners of the club, I have resolved
my contract with West Ham United. "I would like to take this opportunity to
thank everyone who worked alongside me in this wonderful adventure - the
staff, Gianfranco Zola and the players. "A special thank you also to the
fans who have always supported us and whose warmth and dedication gave me a
passion for this club which will forever remain with me. "Finally, I wish
the owners the best possible success in the future."

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Can the West Ham influence win the World Cup for England once again?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 25th February 2010
By: Carole Paul

There will always be an inextricable link between West Ham United and
England's triumphant 1966 World Cup winning team.

Lest we forget, West Ham players provided all four goals for England on that
fateful Wembley day, and the Jules Rimet trophy was lifted by the Hammer's
third representative in the England XI.

Bobby Moore held the World Cup aloft after Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters'
goals had taken the 1966 final to extra-time. Hurst then scored one of the
most controversial goals in football history before completing his hat-trick
to the accompaniment of one of the most well-loved commentary lines of all
time.

"Some people are on the pitch. They think it's all over...it is now."

As England complete their final preparations for the South Africa - their
eleventh attempt to regain the World Cup - the West Ham influence will once
again be conspicuous. Of the 23 man squad Fabio Capello is likely to select
for the 2010 tournament, nine players will either be current or ex West Ham
regulars.

These West Ham alumni give England's squad a well-rounded and strong
appearance. According to bookmakers Paddy Power who offer a range of World
Cup odds England are 11/2 third favourites to triumph in South Africa.

With current West Ham stopper Robert Green and ex-Hammers keeper David James
competing for the number one jersey, there is a strong chance the first name
on Capello's team sheet will have West Ham connections. Three of the back
four could also boast Hammers links as Rio Ferdinand and Glen Johnson both
featured for the Irons, as does current defensive stalwart Matthew Upson.

Rio Ferdinand has been one of West Ham's must successful modern day exports.
A strong and reliable centre back Ferdinand moved to Leeds in November 2000
for two seasons at Elland Road. The former Hammer of the Year then moved on
to Manchester United where he has gone on to win numerous Premier League
titles and captain the side to Champions League success in 2008. After an
injury hit start to the season, with a wealth of talent and experience, we
should expect Rio Ferdinand to be one of England's bright stars at this
summer's world cup if he stays fit.

The trio of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick once sat alongside
one another in the West Ham midfield and all will hope to feature in South
Africa. And, up front, the recent goal scoring exploits of Jermain Defoe
might well hand the ex-Hammers hit man a starting berth alongside Wayne
Rooney against the USA on 12th June.

Frank Lampard was always destined for success after breaking into the team
at Upton Park in 1996. With over 100 Premier League goals to his name,
Lampard has been one of the top players in the top flight of English
football over the last decade. His great vision and passing will make him
one of England's danger men in the summer as well has his ability to shoot
from long distance. Some critics have questioned Lampard's performances for
England, but a brace against Croatia in England's 5-1 qualifying group
victory will be remembered fondly.

Jermain Defoe has been a goal scoring threat for every club he has been at.
His pace and finishing puts fear into the opposition. Defoe often goes large
spells of games without a touch of the ball, but can hurt teams in a matter
of seconds. Whether beating the offside trap, finding space in the penalty
area or running at defenders with the ball, Jermain Defoe is giving Fabio
Capello a message this season to start him in South Africa. He has scored
more Premier League goals this season than any previous, helped with a
hat-trick over Hull City and 5 at Wigan Athletic already this season.

With a number of ex-West Ham players likely to be selected for the England
squad this summer, they have a number of current players also competing for
positions in Fabio Capello's final squad. Goalkeeper Robert Green, defender
Matthew Upson, and striker Carlton Cole are all hoping to catch the coach's
between now and the selection deadline day in May, despite the Hammers
spending most of their time towards the bottom of the Premier League table.

Trevor Sinclair was the last West Ham player to represent England in the
World Cup after the Irons had no representatives in the England squad for
Germany '06. In 2002, Sinclair came on for Owen Hargreaves in England's
second game against Argentina and started the remainder of England's games
in the tournament.

After John Terry's recent dismissal as England captain, the armband is once
again the property of a central defender with West Ham connections. Can Rio
Ferdinand emulate the great Bobby Moore and lift the World Cup trophy for
England in 2010?

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Tragedy Yes, but Hold the Farce!
West Ham Till I Die

History Repeats itself: 'the first time as tragedy, the second time as
farce' (Karl Marx)

During the course of this turbulent season there have been comparisons made
with the tragic relegation of 2002-03. And high tragedy it most certainly
was, as the club was demoted with a record 42 points and then subsequently
suffered the loss of a unique generation of top class youngsters.

Sports journalist Martin Samuels recently drew upon this comparison in his
Daily Mail column . In a peice on the misfortunes of the club since the
2006 Icelandic takeover, he made an unfavourable comparison between the
strength of our current squad and that relegated in 2002-03. Samuels,
raising the spectre of a repeat, then went on to suggest that on the (then)
current form of the team we might only accrue a total of 33 points for the
season!

More recently, Zola has postulated that a 10 or 11 points tally from our
remaining fixtures may well be sufficient to guarantee PL survival. That
means that we would be looking at winning a total of 37/38 points, which is
more than possible. However, Zola does add the caveat that if the PL
fixture list throws up further improbable results, like the Wolves double
over Spurs, that could mean that 40 points may be required and the club must
strive to reach and even surpass that safety target.

So, if we accept the less optimistic 40 point target, where are the
additional 13 points going to come from? As we all know, we are fortunate
to have a run of winnable home games with Bolton, Wolves, Stoke City,
Sunderland, Wigan and Man City. We must set a target of securing 13 out of
18 points at Upton Park. That means 4 wins and a draw from Bolton, Wolves,
Wigan, Sunderland and Stoke city. So, admittedly there is not much margin
for error there! Lets hope that they have acquired the winning habit at
home, after the back-to-back Brum-Hull wins, and this continues to the end
of the season.

If there are slip ups, then we will obviously need to win additional points
from the other fixtures. These are more likely to come from Man City at
home or Fulham or Everton away. Of these, a win and a draw or even two
draws are more likely from the Man City and Fulham fixtures. Everton
should be a real possibility, but they seem to have had a bit of a jinx over
us in recent years, who knows if that will come to a timely end? Whatever,
lets hope that we are safe before the final home match with Man City, as
that is a potentially gut wrenching, last day, experience that can all very
well do without!

That leaves Chelski, Arsenal and Liverpool away. None of these are exactly
happy hunting grounds for us, although we probably have the best recent away
record against the gooners! We have shown both this season and last that
we can compete with Chelski on a good day. However, can they afford to slip
up against us, as they battle Man Utd, in the run in for the PL title? As
for Liverpool, they are not the force that they once were, but it has been
47 long years since we last won there, 1-2, courtesy of a Geoff Hurst
winner. This would definitely be a great season to break that particular
historical hoodoo!!

So, that is my overall appraisal of where the points might be accrued. Of
course being West Ham, they are just as likely to turn the odds completely
upside down and drop home points and gain more than expected away from home!
The best case scenerio is that the easier 37/38 point target will prove
sufficient and we can afford to drop a few more points then I have
estimated. What would really be nice is a 40 plus points total and a
comfortable 11th or 12th place finish. COYI!

Whatever the eventual combination of points won, I do anticipate that we
will achieve safety this season. I do not believe for one moment that the
tragedy of the relegation of 2002-03 will be repeated as farce in 2009-10.
Arguably, we have too much in the locker and enough winnable games to
prevent this particular peice of club history repeating itself!

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nani's Exit - Pro or Contra?
West Ham Till I Die

It has been confirmed by the club that Nani has left his post as Technical
Director by 'mutual consent.' It had been strongly suggested, for some
considerable time, that this might happen as part of the ongoing
cost-cutting measures at the club. A clear indicator was the way in which
David Sullivan took personal control of the transfer negotiations in the
January transfer window.

I think that Nani's role at the club split opinion amongst Hammers fans.
Some emphasised the recruitment of Behrami, Ilunga, Daprela, Diamanti and
Franco as clear evidence of his value to the club. They also pointed to the
recent flow of promising overseas youngsters like Ferriera and Sanchez in to
the Academy as further evidence of added value. In contrast others have
been disappointed with the acquisitions, were worried by an alleged recent
over-emphasis upon the Italian/overseas market and cited the acquisition of
Nsereko as the ultimate costly mistake.

As with most things in life, the assessment of achievement and ultimate
value is a balance sheet of perceived successes and failures. Based on such
an analysis should we be pro or contra the deletion of Nani's post at the
club? Should we acknowledge that the radically changing circumstances at
the club (particularly the worsening financial situation) fatally undermined
the scope of what Nani could achieve in the role? Is it the right move for
the club or a short-sighted measure? More to the point, what arrangement is
likely to replace his post and will it ultimately improve the club's
recruitment policy and track record?

SJ. Chandos.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 25

Daily WHUFC News - 25th February 2010

Reserves 2-1 Chelsea
WHUFC.com
24.02.2010

West Ham United v Chelsea
Barclays Premier Reserve League South
Woodside Park, Bishop's Stortford FC
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: A Davies

Final score: 2-1

There goes the full-time whistle and it is a well-deserved victory for Alex
Dyer's men. Goals from Anthony Edgar and Olly Lee proved enough on a night
when Manuel da Costa picked up a red card and automatic three-match
suspension for an off-the-ball incident. Kieron Dyer got a welcome hour
under his belt while the likes of Jordan Spence and George Moncur did well
in difficult conditions.

90min - N'Gala stays firm as Mitrovic looks set to latch on to a ball over
the top. The defender read that situation well. We are playing three minutes
of added time.

89min - Another yellow card. This time Abdulla's late challenge on Mitrovic
sees him punished.

87min - Edgar earns a corner but it is to be his last contribution. Subuola
is coming on for the No11. The new arrival makes an instant impact and wins
another corner.

86min - Stech claims a high cross from McEachran. Danny Subuola is about to
come on.

83min - Mellis was so close their to an equaliser. He did well to connect
with a fierce low cross from the left but could not divert his effort on
target. Moncur is off to be replaced by Danny Kearns.

81min - Moncur does brilliantly to stop Ben Morgan. The No10, still only 16,
has been lively tonight and is one of the better performers.

78min - Edgar is the next to be booked for kicking the ball away. Chelsea
meanwhile have a chance to play a free-kick into the penalty area. Gokhan
Tore tries to collect the forward pass but it runs out of play.

76min - Chelsea are trying to pick up the pace with their substitutes
working hard. Lee nearly plays his team into trouble with a back-pass that
holds up on the sodden turf but Stech just about clears in time.

73min - Well played N'Gala. He just stepped in front of Mitrovic to deny the
Chelsea No9 after a low cross into the box had the home defence in trouble.
Ofori-Twumasi is off for the visitors in their final change.

71min - Gokhan Tore is coming on for Chelsea. The man to be replaced is
Lalkovic.

68min - The Hammers have had to reorganise since going down to ten men.
Spence has moved into the middle with Lee at right-back.

66min - Da Costa is then shown a straight red for stepping in too strongly
when the Chelsea players took exception to the tackle. The defender was not
the only one who appeared to be pushing and shoving but is the only man
dismissed. Wearen is also booked for his part in the proceedings.

65min - West Ham are making their exoerience count. An eight-pass move is
only broken down by a last-ditch tackle. Mellis then surges forward and is
brought down by Edgar.

62min - Only a saving tackle from Magnay denies Abdulla a chance to make it
3-1. Corner to West Ham.

59min - Dyer's night is over. Eoin Wearen is on in his place after a solid
hour from the West Ham No7.

58min - Olly Lee does brilliantly to convert from close range after a fine
raking cross by Spence. The No2 had surged up the right flank to meet an
Edgar ball out wide before whipping into the near post for Lee to poke home.
A good goal that.

57min - Dyer is just beaten to the ball by Lalkovic, who then senses a
chance to shoot. His curled effort has Stech worried but it drifts just past
the post.

55min - Dyer does well before freeing Moncur. He slips it to Da Costa, up
from the back, who has a go from distance but it is a tame effort in truth
that goes well wide.

54min - A late challenge by Ofori-Twumasi on Stanislas leaves the No8 flat
on the floor. That sums up the second half so far.

52min - Neither side has really threatened in this half.

49min - Dyer finds Edgar with a precise pass. The Hammers goalscorer than
surges past one challenge but is then stopped by a second. The ball comes
out to Spence who gets forward again on the right wing but his low cross
comes to nothing.

48min - It has been scrappy in the opening minutes, although thankfully the
rain has eased off. It is still coming down but is more of a trickle than a
torrent.

46min - Chelsea get us under way with Nikki Ahamed on for Nemanja Matic.

Half-time - 1-1

45min - We are playing one minute of added time. It has been a fairly even
first half although the Hammers have had the better of the opportunities and
will feel they should be in front.

43min - Mellis tries his luck with a long-range shot but Stech watches it
bobble wide. Looks like it might be honours even at half-time. A talking to
and a yellow card for Clifford, Daprela was too quick for him and drew
another foul from the No7.

42min - Dyer has kept things ticking over at the heart of the midfield, with
Moncur using the opportunity to play in a more advanced position.

40min - Great play by Daprela turns Clifford inside out before he slips the
ball through to Abdulla. He gets to the byline and crosses but the visitors
scramble the ball away. Abdulla then has a go when the ball falls to him
again but it does not trouble Taylor.

39min - Da Costa is relishing this battle with the Chelsea No9 Mitrovic. He
wins the ball and then spreads the play neatly to Daprela on the opposite
flank.

36min - Da Costa thumps the ball away after a Chelsea attack and in so doing
takes a whack from Mitrovic. The Portuguese defender was not happy at that.
N'Gala is then penalised for a foul on Mellis, giving the Blues the chance
to send a free-kick into the box. Josh McEachran takes it but Mitrovic
cannot convert at the back post and the ball runs behind.

34min - Mellis is just flagged offside after Lalkovic thought he had beaten
the Hammers' offside trip.

33min - Edgar and Daprela combine well before Stanislas is sent free into
the box again. Another cross and another clearance, this time to Moncur
whose 20-yarder is deflected wide. Edgar then has a go with a shot that hits
the side-netting.

32min - Olly Lee's raking pass gives Moncur space to the right of the
penalty area before he is fouled. Stanislas takes the free-kick and is close
to picking out Daprela before Chelsea get the ball away.

30min - N'Gala blocks from Lalkovic after Dyer had been out-muscled by two
Chelsea forwards.

28min - N'Gala shows his strength to tidy up after Chelsea looked like
building something in midfield. The defender was not going to lose in that
battle.

27min - Moncur is fouled by Clifford. Da Costa took exception to the tackle
and is being spoken to the referee for something he said in response.

26min - Spence is down after a terrific run down the right wing saw him
reach the corner and cross into the six-yard box. It looks like he clattered
into an advertising hoarding but he is given the all-clear to continue after
about 30 seconds of treatment.

25min - Mitrovic goes down claiming a blow in the face from N'Gala. There
appeared very little contact and the referee waves play on.

22min - Now Mellis has a go from long range. This time the shot is well wide
of Stech's right-hand post.

21min - Clifford tests Stech with a 25-yearder but Stech is able to save
comfortably.

18min - GOAL!- Marko Mitrovic converts from close range after good work from
Milan Lalkovic had worked an opening on the left wing before crossing low in
front of Marek Stech. The Czech keeper could do little to prevent the goal.

16min - Carl Magnay fouls Abdulla. From the resulting free-kick, Dyer plays
a slide-rule pass down the left wing for Stanislas. He does brilliantly to
cut into the box before zipping a low centre into the area that only just
evades Abdulla. Lovely stuff.

15min - Daprela and Edgar show some neat footwork before Conor Clifford
closes out the Hammers spell of possession. The home side are on top.

13min - Da Cosa steps into save a corner and then shows neat footwork to set
the Hammers away. A lovely flowing move sees the ball worked out to the
right wing before running out of play. The groundstaff have done a great job
to get the game on but this weather is making things difficult.

10min - Stanislas tracks back to help Daprela on the left wing but his
clearance goes for a Chelsea corner. Mellis takes but Jordan Spence is able
to head clear.

9min - N'Gala does well to block Jacob Melis off just as the Chelsea No10
looked to have worked an opening in the penalty area. Marek Stech then
collects before being fouled. The rain, meanwhile, continues to pelt down
here.

7min - Alex Dyer will be pleased with the start his team have made,
especially as they possess more experience than their visitors in terms of
Premier League know-how. Manuel da Costa and Junior Stanislas are the others
on view to have played in the top flight while skipper Daprela played in the
FA Cup third-round tie with Arsenal.

5min - GOAL! - Edgar races clear again and shoots low. Rhys Taylor manages
to save but spills the ball into the path of the on-rushing Edgar who makes
no mistake at the second atttempt.

3min - Dyer surges forward and splits the Chelsea defence with a diagonal
pass. Chelsea are able to clear through Seth Ofori-Twumasi. Chelsea counter
and a mis-placed clearance from Bondz N'Gala nearly gifts the visitors an
opportunity before the Hammers recover.

2min - Edgar races through but the assistant referee's flag is up already.
Kieron Dyer is easily th emost experienced performer on view with the
England man in a deep-lying central midfield position.

1min - Ahmed Abdulla and Anthony Edgar get us under way. The Hammers are
captained by Fabio Daprela this evening, fresh from his appearance on the
bench for the first team last night at Old Trafford.

Kick-off

Good evening and welcome to Woodside Park for tonight's Barclays Premier
Reserve League South fixture.

Alex Dyer's side will be looking to secure their first win since beating
Stoke City 5-2 here back on 24 November - exactly three months ago. In that
time, West Ham United's reserves have contested just three matches, losing
out to Birmingham City and Arsenal before drawing with Portsmouth on 20
January.

The Hammers will be boosted tonight by the presence of England midfielder
Kieron Dyer, who scored twice in the victory over Stoke. The 31-year-old
came through 15 minutes as a substitute for the first team at Manchester
United on Tuesday - his first appearance since 15 December at Bolton
Wanderers.

A number of other first-team squad members will line up alongside Dyer,
including goalkeeper Marek Stech, defenders Manuel da Costa, Fabio Daprela
and Bondz N'Gala and midfielder Junior Stanislas.

At the other end of the spectrum, 16-year-old first-year scholar George
Moncur - the son of former Hammers midfielder John - will make his
competitive debut at reserve-team level. Fellow scholar Ahmed Abdulla is
also named in the starting lineup.

With Chelsea's first team in UEFA Champions League action against
Internazionale this evening, the Blues have named a young team. Included is
highly-rated striker Marko Mitrovic, who netted a hat-trick in Chelsea's
thrilling 4-3 Academy League victory over West Ham on 23 January.

West Ham United reserves: Stech, Spence, N'Gala, Da Costa (sent off 66),
Daprela, Dyer (Wearen 59), Lee, Moncur (Kearns 83), Stanislas, Abdulla,
Edgar (Subuola 87)
Subs: Cowler, Brown

Chelsea reserves: Taylor, Ofori-Twumasi, Gordon, McEachran, Bridcutt,
Magnay, Clifford, Matic (Ahamed 46), Lalkovic (Tore 71), Mellis, Mitrovic
Subs: Sebek, Philliskirk, Sala,

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Olympic stadium plan angers Kelly Sotherton
BBC.co.uk

Olympic and world heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton has hit out at
West Ham's plans to take over the Olympic stadium after the 2012 Games. New
Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold want to leave Upton Park and
lease the newly built stadium in nearby Stratford as the club's new home.
However, Sotherton insists the stadium should remain an athletics venue.
"The legacy should be athletics. It's out of order that football think they
can just come and have it," she said. "We don't have a national athletics
stadium and we need one. We lost our last big stadium to Manchester City in
2002 after a great Commonwealth Games and the fear is now that we'll lose
another one to football. "I'm a massive fan of football and a big Arsenal
fan, but at the end of the day it's our stadium and I think the legacy is to
enable us to stage future world and commonwealth championships - who knows,
maybe another Olympics. "To have an Olympic stadium turned into a football
stadium by a club struggling near the foot of the Premier League, it's out
of order."
West Ham's plans have already met opposition from outside the world of
football, with Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, ex-London mayor Ken
Livingstone and UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner among those speaking out
against the move. One of the arguments is that London would not have won the
2012 Games had the Olympic committee heard that the stadium would be turned
into a football ground. Sullivan and Gold remain unperturbed, though, and
are confident a deal can be struck. Gold believes the deterioration of the
specialist athletics track at Crystal Palace provides an example that an
athletics stadium, in itself, is unsustainable. However, Sotherton told BBC
Five Live: "Of course athletics can't use it every week, but I'm sure uses
can be found for it in the off-season - rock concerts for example. "We just
don't have a stadium that replicates the size and grandeur of an Olympic
stadium. It's something the sport desperately needs."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
His name is Luca, he's been shown the door
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 24th February 2010
By: Staff Writer

Technical director Gianluca Nani has been fired by West Ham United's new
owners, according to reports. The Italian was brought in to assist Alan
Curbishley in the summer of 2008, with his main role being that of chief
scout. However his position (and salary of some £300,000) was considered
surplus to requirements by new joint owners David Sullivan and David Gold,
who are understood to have dismissed the Italian last weekend. Nani, who
joined the club from Serie B outfit Brescia, where he was general manager,
was brought in to West Ham in order to discover the best young talent from
around Europe. However shortly after his arrival the club's financial
situation changed for the worst and Nani was forced instead to hunt around
the bargain bins for free transfers, virtually rendering his position
untenable. Commenting on his arrival at West Ham back in March 2008, Nani
said: "I know that the academy at West Ham is the best in England and maybe
the world, but I think we are in a global market now. If we try to find
players from abroad it doesn't mean that we have to break the best Academy
in England. "We have to improve the English players too because the fans
like to recognise English players. Because we have this power, this capacity
here at West Ham we have to push all the time to find English players
without losing the chance to bring in the best foreign players.
"We have to follow this tradition, we have to keep alive, we have to push -
but it doesn't mean that we have to lose the possibility to get in a player
like Kaka, or Adriano - why not? It'll be a profit for the club, bringing
players from abroad."

Signed by Nani - the good, bad and the ugly

Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson - nominal fee. Currently on loan at Belgian Jupiter
League side KSV Roeselare.

Valon Behrami - £5million, Lazio. First team regular.

David Di Michele - loan signing for the 08/09 season, now playing for Lecce
(officially on loan from Torino).

Walter Lopez - free transfer, barely featured under Gianfranco Zola. Now
playing for Nani's former club Brescia.

Diego Tristan - spent a year at West Ham before being released. Now playing
in the Spanish second division for Cadiz CF.

Savio Nsereko - Nani's biggest flop. Signed with a fanfare for a fee said to
be worth up to £9million, left without a whimper. Sold to Fiorentina, who
have loaned him to Bologna.

Peter Kurucz - Young 'keeper who is currently the understudy to Rob Green.

Luis Jimenez - A huge flop. Sent back to Inter halfway through his loan
spell.

Herita Ilunga - An excellent first season but has failed to match that
performance this term.

Frank Nouble - The first - and only - home grown played signed during Nani's
reign. Currently on loan at WBA.

Fabio Daprela - Promising full back who impressed on his first team debut
against Arsenal in the FA Cup last month.

Radoslav Kovac - Initially signed on loan before making the move permanent
(in a £2million deal). Finally beginning to show signs of his pedigree.

Alessandro Diamanti - Hailed by some as the new Di Canio, said to cost
£5.7million from Livorno.

Manuel Da Costa - Young centre half signed in a swap deal plus cash with
Savio. A regular substitute.

Guillermo Franco - Free transfer and one of the few to make an impression on
the first team

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kelly slams Hammers bid
The Sun
By NICK KING
Published: Today

KELLY SOTHERTON has slammed West Ham's bid to move into the Olympic Stadium
after the 2012 Games, insisting Great Britain needs a world-class athletics
venue. New Hammers owners David Gold and David Sullivan have revealed their
hopes of turning the east London club into a major force depend on moving to
a bigger stadium than Upton Park. But Sotherton, an Olympic bronze medallist
in the heptathlon in 2004, has backed officials who insist the new arena's
main use must be for athletics. Sotherton said: "We don't have a national
athletics stadium and we need one. "We lost our last big stadium to
Manchester City in 2002 after the Commonwealth Games and the fear is that
we'll lose another one to football. "I'm a big Arsenal fan but it's our
stadium and I think the legacy is to enable us to stage future
championships."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Technical director Gianluca Nani leaves West Ham
Gary Jacob
The Times

Gianluca Nani has been dismissed as technical director of West Ham United.
The Italian was given his notice on Thursday, nearly two years since he was
appointed after holding a similar role at Brescia. Nani was the first person
to hold the post at Upton Park, but David Sullivan, the joint-chairman, has
taken a more hands-on role regarding transfers since the recent change in
club's ownership. Nani won praise for signing Valon Behrami but was
criticised for some of his others transfers, including Savio, who cost about
£5 million and left after six months, last summer. Nani had three years left
on his deal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham axe technical director Nani as cost-cutting continues - Exclusive
Published 22:45 24/02/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror

Gianluca Nani is set to leave West Ham in the next 24 hours as the latest
victim of the Hammers' cost-cutting which already wiped £15million off the
club's huge debt. Nani, 47, was brought in as the Hammers' sporting and
technical director in June 2008 on a lucrative three-year contract. And the
Italian is very close to compatriot Gianfranco Zola after helping recruit
him as boss. But new West-Ham joint chairman David Sullivan is desperate to
reduce the Upton Park club's debt further from £95m after inheriting debts
of £110m last month. MirrorFootball revealed last October the club was £100m
in debt but Sullivan has taken drastic action since becoming joint chairman
with David Gold. And hands-on Sullivan, who is helping draw up the club's
summer transfer targets, feels West Ham can do without Nani. The Hammers'
legal team have now reached a settlement for the rest of his contract and an
announcement of Nani's exit is due imminently. Former Birmingham co-owner
Sullivan maintains Nani's departure will not affect his relationship with
Zola, which he claims is fine. Sullivan speaks to Zola only once or twice a
week and has always deliberately avoided visiting the training ground for
fear of encroaching on managers.
Sullivan also feels Zola has been normal with him despite his controversial
blast at the club's players before the Birmingham game when he proposed
shock pay-cuts. Meanwhile, Sullivan is looking for British co-investors to
buy out Straumur's remaining 50 per cent stake in West Ham by the end of the
season. Otherwise Sullivan and Gold will increase their shareholding in the
club and inject more money after paying £50million for 50 per cent last
month.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic medallist attacks West Ham's stadium bid
Published 22:45 24/02/10 By MirrorFootball
The Miorror

Kelly Sotherton has hit out at West Ham's bid to take over the Olympic
Stadium after the 2012 Games, insisting Great Britain needs a world-class
athletics venue. The Hammers, under new co-owners David Gold and David
Sullivan and vice-chairman Karren Brady, have expressed interest in
relocating from Upton Park to the 80,000-capacity arena in Stratford but
have found their overtures played down by Olympics chiefs. Olympics minister
Tessa Jowell and London 2012 chief Lord Coe insist keeping the stadium as a
grand prix athletics stadium was one of the reasons London's bid for the
Games was successful. And Sotherton, Olympic bronze medallist in the
heptathlon in 2004, is adamant the arena's primary use must be for track and
field. "We don't have a national athletics stadium and we need one," she
told BBC Radio Five Live. "We lost our last big stadium to Manchester City
in 2002 after a great Commonwealth Games and the fear is now that we'll lose
another one to football. "I'm a massive fan of football and a big Arsenal
fan, but at the end of the day it's our stadium and I think the legacy is to
enable us to stage future world and commonwealth championships - who knows,
maybe another Olympics."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nighty Night Nani
Posted by Billy Blagg
ESPN

Hey-ho whadda I tell ya? The inevitable happened today as Technical Director
Gianluca Nani left West Ham by 'mutual consent'.

This announcement, following the departure of Scott Duxbury some weeks ago,
was safetly predicted by me on the day Gold and Sullivan took over at Upton
Park and I can only assume that Gianfranco Zola may well now be considering
his future at the club; Nani was largely responsible for Zola coming to the
club and there must be little doubt the Italian's power base has now
shifted.

Gianluca Nani had been at the Boleyn Ground for the past two years since
joining from Brescia Calcio in his native Italy. Nani, along with Duxbury,
had big visions for the club and backed by the Icelandic owners before the
banking collapse that plunged the Hammers into the mire, the Italian set-up
changing the fortunes of the East End club by trying to run things along
more european lines. With Nani's vision of 'the project', the club set about
ensuring that future of the club by developing further West Ham's already
impressive youth policy and aligning it by bringing in players scouted from
abroad to provide a more professional platform on which to build success.

Most of Nani's plans seemed to be working well - the purchase of Valon
Berhami perhaps the highlight - but the world banking crisis saw the club
brought to its knees as the owners became virtually bankrupt. The sale of
the club to David's Gold and Sullivan - who have 'projects' of their own -
was bound to bring the new owners into conflict with Nani. Sadly, as is the
way with these things, Nani's legacy would seem to be the purchase of the
virtually unknown Savio Nseresko with some of the money obtained from
selling Craig Bellamy to Manchester City during the transfer window of
2008/09.

West Ham were well-placed for a Europa League spot at the time and, though
the Bellamy sale was seen as good business, the purchase of Savio proved a
costly mistake; the young player 'earmarked for the future' rarely featured
for the Hammers and was sold to Fiorentina in embarrasing circumstances
after appearing in only ten games - only one of which he started! With the
loss of Bellamy and no effective replacement, West Ham's end of season fell
away allowing Fulham to grap the Euro spot. What actually happened with
Savio is still a puzzling mystery.

After the announcement, West Ham United chairman David Sullivan was quoted
as saying: "I would like to thank Gianluca for his contribution to the club
and we all wish him well. With the club heading in a new direction (sic)
since David Gold and I took charge last month, it was felt the time was
right for all parties to move on in an amicable way."

Nani said: "Today, in agreement with the owners of the club, I have resolved
my contract with West Ham United. I would like to take this opportunity to
thank everyone who worked alongside me in this wonderful adventure - the
staff, Gianfranco Zola and the players.

"A special thank you also to the fans who have always supported us and whose
warmth and dedication gave me a passion for this club which will forever
remain with me. Finally, I wish the owners the best possible success in the
future."

For those wondering where the 'Project' is going now, I think we can all be
assured that it has been swept away to be replaced with the new vision of
Gold and Sullivan. Expect Neil Warnock to manage the club next season while
the hotel is turned into a brothel and the matchday programme introduces
tits on page 3 and a swingers section at the back.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RESERVE REPORT: WEST HAM 2 CHELSEA 1
Posted on: Wed 24 Feb 2010
Chelseafc.com

Chelsea's second string succumbed to an experienced West Ham side in
difficult conditions tonight. The reserves came back from a one-goal deficit
to equalise in torrential rain, thanks to a Marko Mitrovic (pictured)
strike, before conceding the winning goal during the second half. The Blues
were without several reserve regulars while West Ham fielded five players
that travelled to Old Trafford only yesterday evening, including Keiron Dyer
and Junior Stanislas. The last time these two teams met Chelsea secured a
4-1 win thanks to goals from Alex, Daniel Sturridge and a Fabio Borini
brace. None of those players featured in tonight's fixture. Instead the
side, which began in a Christmas tree formation, included Josh McEachran,
Conor Clifford and Nemanja Matic in midfield. Jacob Mellis and Milan
Lalkovic sat behind Mitrovic, who led the attack in his first start for the
reserves. The defence included Nana Ofori-Twumasi, who started brightly for
the Blues. First he broke down the right flank and launched a cross for
Matic before tracking back and intercepting a dangerous through ball into
the Chelsea box. But it took only four minutes for the hosts to take the
lead when Anthony Edgar sprinted beyond the back line. He sent one shot
towards Rhys Taylor, which the keeper parried away, before following up on
the loose ball and calmly slotting home. Chelsea retaliated to the opener
with a succession of corners, all without end product. The pressure was
building for West Ham but they kept calm and organised, catching Chelsea on
the counter-attack. It took until the 20th minute for Mitrovic to equalise
on his starting debut. Lalkovic collected off Mellis and dribbled down the
left side before sending a cross towards the near post where Mitrovic tipped
over the line.
West Ham came back with a couple of chances, but neither George Moncur's
drive at the near post or Ahmed Abdulla's sliding shot found the net. The
first half ended a goal apiece and there was one change before the second
got under way. Apart from the rain, which finally stopped, Matic made way
for Nikki Ahamed in midfield. West Ham had the better of the first 10
minutes following the restart, although neither side threatened either goal.
It took until the hour mark for a real chance to be created. Lalkovic stole
possession from Dyer in midfield and sent a 30 yard shot curling inches past
the post. Only a minute later, West Ham made it two. This time it was Olly
Lee, who cut inside of Liam Bridcutt to tap home a clinical Jordan Spence
cross. An unfortunate situation followed when Mellis was fouled and a
scuffle ensued. It ended with Manuel da Costa earning a red after hitting
out at our number 10, right in front of the referee. Chelsea's best chance
to equalise once more came when substitute Gokhan Tore sent a ball skimming
across the face of goal. Unfortunately a sliding Mellis knocked the ball
wide from close range. It was a tough encounter for a young reserve side,
facing an experienced West Ham team, but overall an impressive performance
from Chelsea's second string.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Rhys Taylor; Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Liam Bridcutt, Carl
Magnay, Ben Gordon; Nemanja Matic (Nikki Ahamed H-T), Conor Clifford, Josh
McEachran; Jacob Mellis, Milan Lalkovic (Gokhan Tore 71); Marko Mitrovic.

West Ham (4-4-2): Peter Kurucz; Jordan Spence, Fabio Daprela, Olly Lee,
Bondz N'Gala; Manuel da Costa, Kieron Dyer (Eoin Wearen 62), Junior
Stanislas, Ahmed Abdulla; George Moncur (Daniel Kearns 82), Anthony Edgar
(Danny Subuola 87).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM RES 2-1 CHELSEA RES – BLUES DEFEATED IN TOUGH BATTLE
By Philip Rolfe • on February 24, 2010 • 367 views
Cfcnet.co.uk

With attentions firmly turned elsewhere on a Champions League Wednesday, it
would have been easy to forget that Chelsea's Reserves were in midweek
action with a rescheduled fixture away to West Ham. A young and makeshift
team battled hard in poor conditions throughout but ultimately fell short to
a goal in either half from the hosts.

With Jeffrey Bruma, Gael Kakuta and Fabio Borini in Milan on Champions
League duty and Jacopo Sala only a sub after an achilles injury, Steve
Holland's options were reduced somewhat. Liam Bridcutt was forced to drop
back into central defence, which meant a midfield start for Josh McEachran.
Mitrovic started his first game at this level alongside Milan Lalkovic. The
hosts featured Kieron Dyer, fresh from a first team outing at Old Trafford
24 hours previous, and there was also room for Junior Stanislas and Manuel
Da Costa, whilst George Moncur also debuted in the reserves.

In heavy rain on a pitch which had only been cleared for action earlier in
the afternoon, Chelsea started sluggishly and found themselves a goal behind
inside five minutes. The pacy Anthony Edgar – cousin of Jermain Defoe – sped
clear of the visiting defence and found himself faced with Rhys Taylor. The
Welsh stopper denied him initially, but couldn't hold the effort, and Edgar
was able to continue and tuck the ball into the back of the net. It was a
goal to reflect the early stages of the match, and the more experienced
Hammers were enjoying domination over their younger counterparts.

Not that it would last very long. Against the run of play, Chelsea equalised
after 18 minutes. In a rare foray forwards, Lalkovic found some space on the
left side to work an opening which allowed him to send a cross into a
teasing area. Marek Stech was unable to intercept and Mitrovic was available
to clean up and level the scores with his 14th of the season in all
competitions. It brought about a boost in confidence from Chelsea and they
began to resemble a football team for the first time. Conor Clifford and
Jacob Mellis both chanced their arm from distance in conditions which would
test Stech, but ultimately the Czech Republic youth international was not
worried by either effort.

With the scores tied and the rain slightly relenting, the game settled into
something of a battle, with no major goalmouth action. Mitrovic was
revelling in a battle with towering West Ham centre-backs N'Gala and Da
Silva, whilst Clifford saw his name taken by referee Williams for a late
tackle on Fabio Daprela. Both goalscorers found opportunities to give their
teams an advantage as the game ticked towards half time but Edgar couldn't
meet a Stanislas cross, whilst Mitrovic struggled to get purchase on a far
post effort created by McEachran. The scores would remain level at half
time, and there was no real indication at this point which way the game was
likely to swing.

Nikki Ahamed was introduced at the start of the second half, replacing
Nemanja Matic (who, of course, is not registered for European duty) in
midfield. The second period opened up very slowly and without incident until
Jordan Spence put in a dangerous cross from the right which found nobody. Da
Costa tried a shot from distance which fell tamely wide and it summed up the
match up to that point. Lalkovic beat Dyer to the ball and threatened Stech
from distance with an effort which drifted wide, but it was West Ham who
would re-take the lead on the hour through one of their famous young sons.

Spence got forward again from right back and spun a dangerous ball across
the face of goal. Chelsea were unable to defend it and Oliver Lee, son of
former England and Newcastle midfielder Robert, tucked the ball away neatly
at the far post. On the balance of play they probably deserved it but it was
a little harsh on Chelsea after they had fought their way back into the
game. Carl Magnay had to make a last-ditch challenge minutes later to deny
Ahmed Abdulla the chance to make it three, and almost certainly put the game
to bed.

However, with 25 minutes remaining, Chelsea were given a way back into the
match. A tough tackle from Manuel Da Costa was followed by a reaction from
Chelsea and the typical handbags ensued. Da Costa would be shown a straight
red card, leaving the hosts to play the final quarter with a man down.
Spence moved to centre back with Lee to right back, and Holland threw Gokhan
Tore and Jacopo Sala on for Lalkovic and Ofori-Twumasi to try and seize the
initiative. The pace definitely picked up, with Mitrovic causing worry and a
clearance from N'Gala to prevent a goalscoring opportunity, and the hosts
were firmly penned back as the game was set for a grandstand finish.

Chelsea kept up the tempo and caused problems, with both Edgar and Abdulla
picking up a yellow card, but despite their best efforts the home side kept
turning them away. N'Gala was a colossal presence in the resistance, keeping
Mitrovic at bay as Holland's boys looked to their Swedish striker as a focal
point. They couldn't find the goal to take a point back South with them, but
can take heart from a battling performance in tricky conditions. It's a
disappointing result, but Mitrovic scoring on his full reserve debut and
McEachran looking decent in a congested midfield will be the points to take
away from this one.

Team: Taylor, Ofori-Twumasi (Sala 73), Magnay, Bridcutt (c), Gordon,
Clifford, Matic (Ahamed 45), McEachran, Mellis, Lalkovic (Gokhan Tore 71),
Mitrovic

Goals: Mitrovic '18
Booked: Clifford '41

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David Sullivan a little too 'busy' for West Ham fans?
Date: 24th February 2010 at 4:32 pm
Author: Sefa Atay

How many times do we hear managers complaining about owners who are a little
too involved? As a manager, the last thing you want is to have an owner who
begins to draw too much attention to your club. Especially if, in the case
of West Ham, you are involved in a fight to remain in the Premier League.

The arrival of David's Gold and Sullivan brought some much needed cash to
Gianfranco Zola and his West Ham side. However, despite some impressive
dealings in the January transfer window, Hammer's fans may be getting
slightly tired of the constant comments of David Sullivan.

As if publicly claiming responsibility for the team's win over Birmingham
wasn't enough, Sullivan has also been questioning whether Zola is 'too nice'
to be a good manager. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Sullivan said "Of all
the managers I've dealt with he is the nicest. The question is 'Is he too
nice?' Ossie Ardiles was the nicest guy you could meet but look what he did
to Tottenham. Time will tell. Zola will prove himself over the next few
games."

Instead of the dreaded vote of confidence, it seems Zola has been given the
vote of 'un-confidence'.

In the past month, Sullivan has also announced that he is losing sleep over
the club's league position and described their financial situation as
'disastrous'. Not exactly the best way to propel the team towards Premier
League safety.

As I write this, West Ham have just suffered a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
Hardly a surprising result given the circumstances but it is the games that
follow that will determine the Hammers' fate. Over the next matches, West
Ham host fellow relegation battlers Bolton and Wolves with games away at the
Emirates and Stanford Bridge lodged between. Six points is a bare minimum
and a point in the two away games could prove to be crucial.

Key to this will be confidence and possibly a vow of silence from Sullivan.
As a player, how would you feel if you see the club chairman criticising the
manager? Confused? Unsettled? Or both? A point that the owners should really
take on board.

In my opinion, West Ham will be safe. They have enough talent in their team
to survive this season and, with a bit of investment, they can possibly push
on for Europe next year. However, the future of Gianfranco Zola will not be
so safe after another disappointing season.

If the recent comments are anything to go by, Sullivan's search for a new
manager may already have begun.

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Manchester United defeat angers Zola
11:28am Wednesday 24th February 2010
Guardian Series

IT SPEAKS volumes for the rapid transformation West Ham have enjoyed in the
space of two weeks that their manager Gianfranco Zola expects his players to
go to Old Trafford and come away with something to show for their efforts.
The 3-0 scoreline flattered the defending Premier League champions on
Tuesday evening, as the Hammers more than matched their illustrious hosts
for much of the game. However, for a man so quick to praise his players in
the face of adversity, Zola was critical of his players' performance and
called on them to 'refocus' immediately for a more important game against
fellow relegation rivals Bolton next week. "I'm not very pleased to be
honest," said the Italian. "I think that we were okay until they scored the
first goal and, after that, we should have done more. "I was expecting more
but it's not easy to play against Manchester United when you're 1-0 down.
They don't make it easy for you to come back but we've got no excuses. "We
have to do much better than this and refocus straight away because an
important game for us is coming up next week, it's as simple as that."
While many will have drawn positives from West Ham's ability to frustrate
United for much of the first half, as well as trying to impose their
attacking brand of football, Zola saw only room for improvement. Two
convincing victories over Birmingham City and Hull City in their previous
home games has seen the Irons muscle their way up the league, to the point
they are now one of the favourites to avoid the drop. And, perhaps believing
that his side are still occupying a false position in 13th, Zola clearly
wanted to make something of a statement at the Theatre of Dreams. As it was,
King Midas intervened. Wayne Rooney, hailed by the Hammers boss as the 'man
with the golden touch', nodded his 26th and 27th goals of the season from
two Antonio Valencia crosses either side of the break to set United on their
way. Michael Owen then came off the bench and made it three with a smart
finish. Rooney was earlier denied his hat-trick by defender Julien Faubert,
who tracked back well to clear off the line.

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£32m + £30.75m + £17m (Plus mega salaries) = Extra Class
West Ham Till I Die

Mmmm …. I must admit that my feelings were mixed at the final whistle at
Old Trafford. Whilst naturally disappointed with a 3-0 reverse, I was
actually not displeased with the Hammer's overall performance. I have
attended many matches against Man Utd at Old Trafford over recent decades
and I can assure you that there have been many far worse performances.

It was an expansive Hammers display, but with a crucial lack in the final
third. We had lots of possession, we passed and moved well and created a
number of decent chances. But ultimately there was no final product. On
another night Carlton Cole could well have had an hattrick, but on each
occasion he was just behind the play or his reactions were not quick enough.
Diamanti tested Foster with one of his speculative long range efforts and a
truly wicked left foot drive. While Upson ballooned the ball over the bar
from about 4 foot out! So, no one can deny that we had our chances!

At the other end we were undone by two peices of sheer class, with Berbatov
(£30.75m), Valencia (£17m) and Rooney (£32m) combining beautifully to carve
us open. That's the extra class that expenditure in the region of c.£80m
(plus mega salaries), on three top quality forwards, secures you! Without
labouring the point, West Ham can only dream of laying out that sort of
money on three players. If we could then perhaps our current ambitions
would be very much higher this season (ie. Champions League rather than
avoiding relegation). A unpalatable fact of PL life that should be made,
but not dwelt upon for too long! So, lets move on.

Before the match I had feared that Man Utd would get at our full-backs.
However, all things considered I thought Faubert and Spector did reasonably
well. Yes, Valencia's class told on the right hand side, but Spector did
everything that he could under very difficult circumstances. Personally, I
think Zola should have seen the writing on the wall after the first goal and
done some 'outside of the box' tactical switches. He could have brought
Daprela in on the left and had him double up with Spector to counter
Valencia's threat. Daprela could also have been given the licence, whilst
we were in possession, to get forward, provide extra width on the left and
get at Gary Neville. This would then have allowed Diamanti to come inside
and support Cole through the middle. I feel that this might have worked
better than just substituting Franco for Mido.

If the first two Man Utd goals were just pure class, the third was very
unfortunate from our perspective. Noble was down injured, Faubert lost
posession in a dangerous position and Owen cruelly punished us with a
clinical finish. Yes, 9 times out of 10 the ref would have stopped play to
address Noble's injury, but that is the typical of the way that key
refereeing decisions that have gone against us this season!

At the end of the day, we were beaten by a team who are the reigning PL
Champions and regulars in the Champions League (winning it twice in recent
years). They are a top class act, even minus Ronaldo and Tevez. But there
were still some promising signs for us here, such as the quality of our
overall play, the chances we created and the very good performances of a
number of our players, particularly Tomkins, Kovac, Faubert and Behrami.
This should not be lost in a sea change of opinion from over-optimism to
excessive, negative criticism.

Like Zola, we should accept that they had too much for us, learn from it and
move our focus firmly back to beating Bolton on Saturday week. Yes, we
also have Chelski, Arsenal and Liverpool away fixtures coming up. If we get
a point or two from those matches than I will be very happy, because they
will effectively be a bonus. For me the important thing is to be positive
and give class opposition a real contest. And of course, in the process,
defend our advantage of having a superior goal difference over the teams
down at the bottom of the PL table.

However, our fate will ultimately be decided against the likes of Bolton,
Stoke City, Wigan and Wolves at home. And we have more than enough 'extra
class' of our own to beat opposition of that ilk!

SJ. Chandos.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Wednesday, February 24

Daily WHUFC News - WHUFC Statement

West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
Gianluca Nani has left West Ham United after two years as technical director
24.02.2010

West Ham United can confirm the club have parted company with technical
director Gianluca Nani by mutual consent. He had been at the Boleyn Ground
for the past two years since joining from Brescia Calcio in his native
Italy. West Ham United chairman David Sullivan said: "I would like to thank
Gianluca for his contribution to the club and we all wish him well. With the
club heading in a new direction since David Gold and I took charge last
month, it was felt the time was right for all parties to move on in an
amicable way."
Nani said: "Today, in agreement with the owners of the club, I have resolved
my contract with West Ham United. I would like to take this opportunity to
thank everyone who worked alongside me in this wonderful adventure - the
staff, Gianfranco Zola and the players. "A special thank you also to the
fans who have always supported us and whose warmth and dedication gave me a
passion for this club which will forever remain with me. Finally, I wish the
owners the best possible success in the future."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 24th February 2010

'We've got no excuses'
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola believes Wayne Rooney's opener changed the course of
Tuesday's defeat at Old Trafford
24.02.2010

Gianfranco Zola admitted Manchester United's first goal had all but ended
his side's challenge at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The Hammers had held firm
for the opening 37 minutes, going close to opening the scoring themselves
through Valon Behrami and Alessandro Diamanti, only for Wayne Rooney to
break the deadlock with a scintillating goal of his own. Substitute Ji-Sung
Park and Dimitar Berbatov combined before Rooney clinically headed in
Antonio Valencia's sensational volleyed cross to complete a flowing
one-touch move. "To be honest their first goal was a very good one," said
Zola. "It was well manufactured, although it was really unusual to see
Manchester United score on the counterattack at home. "After that, I was
expecting more but it's not easy to play against Manchester United when
you're one-nil down. They don't make it easy for you to come back but we've
got no excuses."
After falling a goal behind, the Hammers' challenge waned as the reigning
Barclays Premier League champions celebrated Old Trafford's 100th birthday
with a much-improved second-half display. Just 12 seconds had elapsed when
Valencia found Park inside the box and the South Korean rattled the
underside of Robert Green's crossbar with a rising drive. While the visitors
continued to try and pass the ball through United's midfield, the lively
Valencia, Darron Gibson and Paul Scholes began to exert more and more
influence as the game wore on. "I'm not very pleased to be honest. I think
that we were OK until they scored the first goal and, after that, we
should've done more. "In the first half we did very well coming from the
back and playing through the midfield, but we didn't do as well as we
normally do up front. Guillermo Franco and Carlton Cole couldn't control the
ball properly and it was different. "I liked the way that we occupied the
pitch in the first half. We showed composure and played some good football.
I take that as a positive but, to be honest, I'm expecting a lot more from
my team."
With eleven days before the vital home match with Bolton Wanderers, Zola
wants his players to regain their best form - both mentally and physically -
as quickly as possible. "We have to do much better than this and refocus
straightaway because an important game for us is coming up next week, it's
as simple as that."
One man Zola and his players will be happy to see the back of is Rooney, who
took his goal tally to 23 in 27 league appearances with two textbook
headers. "I described Wayne Rooney as a King Midas. Everything he touches
now turns into gold. He's in the type of form where every opportunity can
turn up a goal. I thought he had a normal game tonight but he still scored
two goals and could've got another one. That says a lot about the player.
"Having a player obviously helps the situation but, don't forget, one player
cannot do everything on his own. He can certainly make a big difference to
the team that's got him, although there have to be other players supporting
him. Manchester United and England both have those players so they will be
successful."
With the spectre of Rooney now a thing of the past Zola, who confirmed that
influential midfielder Scott Parker had been rested due to tightness in his
muscles, is expecting an improved performance - and result - against the
Trotters. "I though that Tuesday was a fantastic opportunity for us because
in our previous two matches we built up a good platform to go there and play
with more freedom, without being under too much pressure. I was expecting to
be more positive but, honestly, it's easy to say that from the outside but
when you're out there against the champions it's not so easy. "I think that,
generally, we've been playing better recently and that's given us greater
confidence. Forgetting about Tuesday, I think the team is looking in better
shape and that gives me a bit more confidence."

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Rampant Rooney denies Hammers
WHUFC.com
The champions were never troubled as West Ham United came up short at Old
Trafford once again
23.02.2010

Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United

Wayne Rooney did the damage as Manchester United saw off West Ham United at
a bitterly cold Old Trafford on Tuesday night. The England striker headed in
seven minutes before half-time just as the travelling Hammers faithful
started to think of seeing out the first half. Rooney repeated the trick on
55 minutes, nodding in to assure the champions of the points, Michael Owen's
late third off the bench confirmed the end of a two-match winning run for
Gianfranco Zola's side, who were on the receiving end of a thoroughly
professional Red Devils display, just as AC Milan were seven days before.
There was no sign of what was to come in the opening stages. Jonathan
Spector was the liveliest performer on view, with the former Manchester
United man three times getting in timely blocks in the first ten minutes to
stop the ambitious Antonio Valencia down the home side's right wing.
Alessandro Diamanti was proving an effective screen in front and a charge
down of a Gary Neville clearance fell for Carlton Cole to have the visitors'
first effort of the night, although it never troubled Ben Foster, in for
Edwin van der Sar in the champions' goal. On 20 minutes, Rooney surged
forward and looked likely to get a shot on Robert Green's goal but for a
late saving tackle from James Tomkins. The Hammers quickly broke on the
counter and, after neat footwork from Radoslav Kovac, the ball found its way
to Valon Behrami, who shot just wide across Foster's goal. The keeper was to
be more troubled a minute later by a deflected Diamanti effort, and he just
about managed to prevent the Italian's looped shot from crossing the line.
West Ham were on top but the home side sparked into life on 26 minutes when
Valencia and then Darron Gibson tested the visitors' defence before Green
scrambled away a flicked effort from Dimitar Berbatov. Gibson shot tamely
into Green's hands on 33 minutes before Upson did likewise to Foster barely
30 seconds later. Gibson went closer soon after that with Green having to
tip his 25-yarder around the post before the Irish midfielder had a third go
with a more pedestrian effort. The deadlock was broken on 38 minutes when
Rooney finished off a devastating move that began with Vidic surging forward
unchallenged. He played it to Berbatov who picked out Valencia. The winger
caught it first time and volleyed back for Rooney to head in. The No9 was
proving unplayable and nearly beat Green again with a 20-yard volley as the
interval approached. The hosts were quick off the mark in the second half,
Ji-Sung Park, an early replacement for the injured Anderson, smashed a shot
against the underside of the crossbar with Green beaten.
Birthday boy Mido, a half-time Hammers arrival, won a corner a minute later
and after the first effort was cleared, Behrami sent a shot skywards from
Diamanti's second flag-kick. The home side were in control though and
Rooney's second came in similar fashion to the first, Berbatov releasing
Valencia who picked out his team-mate with ease in a central position. With
the Hammers support singing 'We're gonna win 3-2', the visitors refused to
give up and Cole was inches away from connecting with a chipped Behrami
cross on the hour just after Rooney had nearly embarrassed Green with the
keeper stranded. Paul Scholes could have made it three-nil on 65 minutes
before a desperate Tomkins tackle stopped Rooney getting his hat-trick.
Diamanti had Foster sprawling to save as the match entered its closing
stages before Kieron Dyer returned from injury to try and liven up the
Hammers attack. It was the home side that were still the most threatening,
and they wrapped up the win as the match entered its final ten minutes
through Rooney's replacement Owen's confident finish. Upson could have got a
consolation after that but scooped over from five yards. While the hosts
contemplate the League Cup final on Sunday, all Hammers thoughts will
quickly turn to the visit of Bolton Wanderers on Saturday week.

Manchester United: Foster, Neville, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Gibson,
Scholes, Anderson (Park 19), Berbatov (Owen 78), Rooney (Diouf 78)
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Rafael, Evans, Fletcher

West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Behrami (Collison
63), Noble, Kovac, Diamanti (Dyer 75), Franco (Mido 46), Cole
Subs not used: Stech, Daprela, Da Costa, Ilan

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Ray up for End of Season awards
WHUFC.com
After enjoying last year's inaugural event, Ray Winstone is banking on
another great evening this May
23.02.2010

Lifelong fan Ray Winstone is looking forward to the West Ham United End of
Season Awards dinner to be held on Tuesday 4 May - with all proceeds from
the glittering gala night going to the Academy. The homegrown Hollywood star
was back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to see his daughter be a mascot
before his beloved Hammers ran out 3-0 winners against Hull City. Although
he has a notoriously busy schedule with movie commitments around the world,
Winstone has earmarked the May date already. It promises to be a special
night with X Factor star Stacey Solomon already booked as part of the
night's entertainment, which will also feature an array of player awards
including Hammer of the Year, young player of the year and Goal of the
Season. Tickets are going fast, with prices at £2,500 for a table of ten
with a limited number of individual places available at £250 per person.
Last year's star-studded event was hosted by comedian and West Ham fan Phill
Jupitus and was a memorable celebration of all things claret and blue.
Gianfranco Zola, who was on the receiving end of some light-hearted banter,
and the first-team squad were all in attendance on a night that saw Tony
Carr earn a special tribute. Winstone himself caught up with friends old and
new and admitted he struggled to recall much of the festivities afterwards.
He has pledged to be at the London Hilton in Park Lane this time around,
work commitments permitting. "I'll be there. I can't remember it last year,
so it must have been good," he said with a smile. He went to claim it looked
like there would be plenty more reasons to celebrate come the end of this
campaign. "I've got nothing to moan about this season. Zola's done a great
job with, week-in, week-out, players seemingly coming and going. "The team
has had plenty of heart. If you look at the goal difference, we've been
getting beat by the odd goal and sometimes you need a bit of luck, and we
probably haven't had that. I've got big hopes. We're going to be all right."

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Special Bolton sponsorship deal
WHUFC.com
Martin Peters will be the host for the Matchball sponsors when Bolton
Wanderers arrive in east London
24.02.2010

West Ham United have an exclusive Matchball sponsorship package available
for the major Barclays Premier League encounter with Bolton Wanderers at the
Boleyn Ground on Saturday week. The 6 March package provides the very best
in hospitality and is the ultimate way to enjoy what promises to be another
exciting contest. The Hammers will be looking to make it three wins from
three at home after the successes against Birmingham City and Hull City. As
well as providing fantastic benefits for your company, FIFA World Cup winner
Martin Peters will host the Sponsors Lounge for the visit of Bolton -
meaning the rare chance to get up close with a true great of the game and
all-time Hammers legend.

Priced at £3,000, the package includes:

• Table of ten in our intimate Sponsors Lounge, situated in the centre of
the Directors Box
• Lounge hosted by Martin Peters
• Fine dining experience with a three-course meal including wine
• VIP Directors Box seating
• A signed and cased football
• Company logo on cover of matchday programme
• Pre-match website feature
• Featured in weekly e-newsletter with a distribution of 140,000
• Matchday programmes for each guest
• Pre-match pitchside visit and photos with your lounge host
• On-site car parking (two per ten guests)

To book this exclusive package and to find out about sponsorship packages
for other matches this season, please call our Corporate Sales Department on
0871 221 2700 or email corporatesales@westhamunited.co.uk.

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In memory of Moore
WHUFC.com
Wednesday marks the 17th anniversary of the passing of the great Bobby Moore
OBE
24.02.2010

Wednesday 24 February 2010 marks the 17th anniversary of the passing of West
Ham United's greatest ever player - Bobby Moore OBE. In this World Cup year,
thoughts have naturally turned to his crowning glory - when he lifted the
Jules Rimet Trophy for England at Wembley in the 1966 final - while the club
continues to enjoy a successful partnership with the charity founded in his
name, the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK. Born in Barking in April
1941, the accomplished centre-back made his debut for the Hammers in a 3-2
Division One win over Manchester United on 8 September 1958 - when he was
just 17. Moore would go on to captain West Ham to FA Cup glory in 1964 and a
European Cup Winners' Cup triumph 12 months later. Then came July 1966, when
he captained an England side containing fellow Hammers Geoff Hurst and
Martin Peters in their 4-2 victory over West Germany in the World Cup final
at Wembley. In total, Moore would make 644 first-team appearances for West
Ham between 1958 and 1974, scoring 27 goals. He would go on to play for
Fulham - appearing in the 1975 FA Cup final defeat by his old club - before
moving to the United States and representing San Antonio Thunder and Seattle
Sounders. At international level, Moore appeared at two World Cup finals
tournaments, starring in 1966 and 1970, when he enjoyed a famous battle with
Brazilian legend Pele.
Tragically, the elegant defender was taken ill with bowel cancer, succumbing
to the disease on the morning of 24 February 1993 - he was just 51.
Thousands of supporters turned out at the Boleyn Ground to mark his passing,
turning the stadium into a shrine to their former hero, while a memorial
service was held at Westminster Abbey attended by the members of England's
1966 World Cup-winning team. A short time later, the South Bank end at the
Boleyn Ground was renamed in Moore's memory. Since his death, Moore's widow
Stephanie founded the Bobby Moore Fund, raising more than £10m in funds for
research into a cure for the disease that took her husband's life. In 2002,
Moore was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame while, in May
2007, a statue of the great man was erected outside the new Wembley Stadium.
Two years ago, West Ham introduced the Bobby Moore Cup - an annual
pre-season fixture held in Moore's memory to raise funds for the charity
which bears his name. At half-time in the 1-1 draw with Spanish side
Villarreal CF in August 2008, Moore's No6 shirt was retired by the club in a
moving ceremony involving Stephanie and England defender Matthew Upson.
Meanwhile, the logo of the charity founded in Moore's memory features on the
kits worn by the club's youth teams.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carr proud of youngsters
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr was pleased with the performance of his
schoolboys against Ipswich Town
22.02.2010

Tony Carr was proud of the efforts of his young West Ham United team in
battling back to secure an FA Premier Academy League point against Ipswich
Town. Academy Director Carr blooded no fewer than five Under-16s in
Saturday's fixture against the Tractor Boys, who had earlier knocked holders
Arsenal out of this season's FA Youth Cup. Full-back Jake Young was handed
his debut at U18 level, while midfielders Dominic Vose, Blair Turgott and
Mathias Fanimo and striker Robert Hall were all given another chance to
impress. The quintet, along with their six team-mates and yet another U16 -
substitute Dylan Tombides - did not let Carr down, helping the Hammers to
secure a hard-fought share of the spoils through Vose's late equaliser at
Little Heath. "We are going to try and blood some of the Under-16s at this
stage of the season and I thought we did really well against Ipswich's FA
Youth Cup team," said Carr. "Ipswich had a lot of territory and possession,
but we worked really hard and, even though we conceded to go behind late on,
we stuck at it and equalised very late in the game. "The young boys
acquitted themselves well and I thought we thoroughly deserved the draw."
The U18s, who sit sixth in the Group A table five points behind
second-placed Crystal Palace, return to action with a trip to ninth-placed
Southampton on Saturday morning.

West Ham United: Loveday, Young, Driver, McNaughton, Craig, Vose, Turgott,
Purdy (Tombides), Hall, Subuola, Fanimo

*West Ham United Academy graduate Daniel Kearns, who is now in his first
year as a professional, has been named in the Republic of Ireland's squad
for a training camp to be held at Bisham Abbey in Buckinghamshire between 28
February and 4 March. The Irish will use the gathering as preparation for
their upcoming UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifying matches
against England, hosts Ukraine and Bosnia at the end of May. There, Kearns
could face West Ham club-mate Frank Nouble. Before then, the Irish have a
home friendly double-header with Poland arranged for 6 and 8 April.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Man Utd 3 - 0 West Ham
Rooney took his run of goals to 19 in his last 19 matches in a fine display
By Sam Lyon
BBC.co.uk

Wayne Rooney took his goal tally to 27 for the season as Manchester United
saw off West Ham to move to within a point of Premier League leaders
Chelsea. The in-form frontman opened the scoring with a firm header from
Antonio Valencia's excellent volleyed cross. And another Valencia cross was
headed home by Rooney for the hosts' second, before substitute Michael Owen
clipped a late third from Paul Scholes's pass. West Ham battled bravely, but
fell away in the face of Rooney's brilliance. It was another sensational
performance from the England forward, and one that rendered a Hammers
display full of spirit, if lacking in final-third quality, pointless. Still,
the visitors need feel no shame in failing to find a way to stop Rooney at
Old Trafford - they are by no means the first this season - and how national
coach Fabio Capello will be hoping his key striker maintains this form up to
and through the World Cup this summer. The thought of where Manchester
United would be this term without Rooney must at times send shivers down the
spines of their fans, and once again the striker was the hosts' inspiration,
his touch and movement first class, and his form in front of goal simply
unstoppable. It was he who almost single-handedly dragged the hosts out of a
lacklustre opening to near domination as the game dragged to a close.
On the back of Saturday's defeat by Everton, and perhaps with half an eye on
Sunday's Carling Cup final against Aston Villa, Sir Alex Ferguson made five
changes, with the likes of Ben Foster, Anderson and Darron Gibson brought in
from the cold. However, the changes served only to produce a disjointed
first-half display and, but for Rooney, West Ham may have taken advantage.
Playing on the counter, the visitors went close when Valon Behrami lashed
wide after being played in by Alessandro Diamanti, while the Italian almost
embarrassed Foster in the home goal when his deflected shot was parried down
onto the goal line by the keeper. At the other end, Valencia should have
done better when his air-shot inside the box allowed a good chance to go
awry in the opening 10 minutes, before Robert Green produced a smart double
stop from the winger's shot and Dimitar Berbatov's flicked follow-up. But as
the game neared the break, the Hammers appeared more than comfortable - that
is until Rooney's goal-scoring intervention. It was a marvellous move.
Berbatov collected Ji-Sung Park's pass and crossed for Valencia, who
volleyed expertly into the six-yard area where the unmarked Rooney slammed
home a header. That lead was almost doubled seconds into the second half
when Park rattled the crossbar from Valencia's low cross, and yet there was
still a feeling that West Ham were in it if they could get the dangerous
Carlton Cole and Diamanti on to the ball. That was until the hosts
effectively settled the game on 55 minutes, Valencia - a close rival for the
man-of-the-match award - again the provider from the right for Rooney to
head past the sprawling Green. West Ham, on the back of two Premier League
wins for the first time in nearly a year, refused to compromise their
footballing approach and continued to probe at the Manchester United
backline. But with the returning Nemanja Vidic marshalling the defence
brilliantly, clear-cut chances were very much at a premium for the Hammers.
And as it turned out it was another England striker who put the match firmly
to bed in the 80th minute, Owen dashing on to Scholes's pin-point pass and
chipping over Green's dive and into the net. West Ham were aggrieved that
play was not stopped in the build up to the goal with Mark Noble lying
injured, but referee Alan Wiley was unmoved as Owen raced clear to fire into
the corner. There was still time for Scholes to fashion a chance for a
fourth, only for the midfielder to blast high and wide from 16 yards out. A
fourth would have been harsh on the visitors, though, and West Ham will now
look ahead to their potentially crucial six-pointer against relegation
rivals Bolton at the weekend. Ferguson, meanwhile, will comfort himself with
the knowledge that while his side are looking to win the league cup for a
fourth time in their history, they cannot fall any further than four points
off the Premier League summit with 10 matches left in the campaign.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson: "We had to win and we did that. In
the second half, especially, we played some really good football and it
could have been more.
"But we're happy with the three points. Wayne Rooney was magnificent again.
They were two excellent headers, although there was also some good play from
Antonio Valencia.
"Now there will be changes on Sunday (for the cup final). I have done that
all along in the competition and I will have to look at the situation to
make sure we have a fresh team."

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:"We played some good football and looked
like we were in the game for most of the first half, but after that we did
not play as well. "Manchester United are a fantastic team and we could not
live with them. We probably played them at the wrong time after their defeat
on Saturday and, in Rooney, they have a player who turns everything to gold.
He is one of the most complete strikers in the world. "Now we look ahead to
the game against Bolton, which is absolutely massive for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Man Utd 3 West Ham Utd 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 23rd February 2010
By: Staff Writer

Gianfranco Zola's dismal record against 'the top four' continues unabated as
United went down 3-0 to the reigning league champions at Old Trafford
tonight.

Zola's side offered little resistance after going behind late on in the
first half, which was especially disappointing given their bright opening to
the match - and that only ten games remain in this season's Premier League
campaign.

Alex Ferguson's side - who started as if they had one eye on this weekend's
Carling Cup final - were well below par initially but despite improving
dramatically rarely had to step out of second gear on a bitterly cold night
in Manchester.

West Ham, with just one change from the side that comfortable beat Hull at
the weekend briefly threatened to upset the odds with a strong opening
half-hour before rolling over, in typical fashion for this fixture, having
gone behind to a 38th minute Wayne Rooney goal.

The home side - who confirmed their win in the second half with another from
Rooney and a late strike by substitute Michael Owen, who always seems to
score against West Ham - failed to register a shot on target until Rob Green
made a great save with his feet from Dimitar Berbatov on 26 minutes.

That was mainly due to a bright start from United who went at their hosts
from the off, with Valon Behrami going closest to breaking the deadlock in
those early stages with a shot that flashed across the face of Ben Foster's
goal.

The Swiss midfielder's effort was followed by a deflected Alessandro
Diamanti shot a minute later that had Foster scrambling back to push the
ball clear of goal from under the crossbar. However that was about as good
as it got for Zola's side who were never at the races once Rooney opened the
scoring seven minutes ahead of the break.

A deep cross-field ball by Berbatov was volleyed back across goal by the
excellent Valencia who found the head of the in-form Rooney, left criminally
unmarked for the first time in the game. The England striker buried the ball
beyond Green with a bullet header that left the Irons 'keeper with no
chance.

Rooney almost doubled his personal tally two minutes later when a hopeful
volley on the turn clipped Green's bar before bouncing behind to safety.
However he had to wait just 10 minutes of the second period before notching
his second of the night after he was left criminally unmarked, once more, in
the six-yard box. Yet again Valencia, who gave poor Jon Spector a torrid
time, was provider for Rooney who simply couldn't miss from four yards.

The Irons had a great opportunity to get back into the game just two minutes
after Rooney had put the home side 2-0 up when Valon Behrami's cross from
the byeline was inches away from being converted by the well-below-par
Carlton Cole, who was inches away from converting the cross with his head.

Thereafter however Ferguson's side coasted to victory and it was no surprise
when Owen, long a thorn in the side of West Ham added a third goal ten
minutes from time - les than two minutes after he had replaced Rooney, who
left the field to a standing ovation.

With Mark Noble flat out on the ground having gone down moments earlier,
Manchester seized upon the advantage and Paul Scholes played the former
England striker in; Owen cooly lifting the ball above the advancing Green to
wrap up a comprehensive victory.


For United there were few positives on the night, at least in the final hour
of the game, as once again the teams' senior players failed to shine.
Grabbing at straws it may be but the return of Kieron Dyer for the final
quarter-of-an-hour at least gives Zola - who appeared to write the game off
from the moment he substituted West Ham's most dangerous player, Behrami, on
the hour mark - something to think about ahead of next weekend's crunch
clash with Bolton.

Although many would have written off tonight's game before the start it is
the case that West Ham, still perilously close to the bottom of the table,
simply cannot afford to take their foot off the gas in any of their
remaining fixtures. If the squad has been lulled into a false sense of
security by those two recent well-earned wins it's imperative that they
shake it off, and soon, for there are sure to be plenty of twists and turns
yet in the final third of the season.

Zola certainly started with the right intentions tonight, playing two up top
in Cole and Franco - but with the pair virtually anonymous the pressure was
always on with the ball constantly coming back. Former Man Utd defender
Spector was up against it from the start and constantly targeted by the home
side; it was almost criminal that he was offered virtually no assistance by
those ahead of him.

Mark Noble, in for the rested Scott Parker had an indifferent game once
again whilst Diamanti and Behrami, probably the liveliest of West Ham's
players, failed to make major inroads bar the aforementioned early
opportunities, despite giving a good account of themselves.

After a bright opening Radoslav Kovac and Julien Faubert both faded whilst
centre backs Tomkins and Upson looked ill-at-ease for much of the game; the
latter being responsible for playing Owen onside for the third goal and
missing an absolute sitter in the closing stages, firing over the bar from
five yards when it was easier to score.

Whilst the Hammers were always going to be up against it, playing as they
were one of the best club sides in the world at present, what disappointed
most was not the result - ater all, we either win 1-0 at Old Trafford or get
well beaten - but the way heads went down after the first goal went in.
Rooney's opening strike seemed to sap the will and desire from West Ham and
it was that, not the result, that left a slightly sour taste.

Zola's record against the top four since succeeding Alan Curbishley now
reads played 14, lost 9, drawn 5, won 0. WIth Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool
yet to come this season - all away - West Ham's home form in their remaining
fixtures takes on added importance in the battle to avoid relegation.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rooney brace closes the gap
In-form striker ensures United get back on track
By Ben Collins Last updated: 23rd February 2010
SSN

Man of the match: Wayne Rooney. Who else? The England striker continued his
stunning recent form with another brace.
Goal of the match: Michael Owen's third was arguably the pick of the bunch
as the forward boosted his fading World Cup hopes with a clever finish after
an astute pass from Paul Scholes.
Moment of the match: Rooney's opener broke West Ham's resistance at an
important time and laid the platform for their success.
Talking points: Can Rooney lead United and England to glory this year? Will
West Ham stay clear of relegation danger?

Wayne Rooney's double set Manchester United on course for a 3-0 win over
West Ham which put them back within one point of leaders Chelsea. United's
hopes of a fourth straight Premier League title suffered a setback as they
were beaten 3-1 at Everton on Saturday. But the Red Devils bounced back at
Old Trafford as Rooney followed up his two-goal performance at AC Milan with
another brace of headers. The in-form striker pounced either side of the
break, with late substitute Michael Owen reviving his fading World Cup hopes
by wrapping up a comfortable victory. West Ham had eased their relegation
fears with back-to-back wins but despite holding United out until the 38th
minute, they never looked like maintaining their revival. Rooney's double
took his season tally to 27 and it was little surprise that Sir Alex
Ferguson opted to stick with him as the Red Devils were eager to put
Saturday's setback behind them. The United boss did make three changes in
midfield while there was a return for fit-again Nemanja Vidic in defence.
Goalkeeper Ben Foster was also handed a chance to revive his World Cup
ambitions as he made his first appearance since November in place of Edwin
van der Sar. Rio Ferdinand did not return following suspension, although
Ferguson later revealed the newly-installed England captain had suffered a
back twinge. United lost Anderson, one of the newcomers in midfield, to an
early knee injury but Park Ji-Sung was an able replacement while Darron
Gibson was the hosts' main early threat. Although two long-range efforts by
Gibson were easy for Robert Green, one of Foster's rivals for an England
call-up, a third forced a fine low save from the Hammers' keeper. The wisdom
of Ferguson's selection was then proved when Rooney rounded off a fine
breakaway by planting a diving header past Green. Park fed Dimitar Berbatov
and his crossfield ball was volleyed back across the box by Antonio Valencia
for Rooney to head home from eight yards.
The visitors had given United a brief scare when an Alessandro Diamanti
strike looped off Gary Neville and almost caught out Foster, who
back-tracked and palmed the ball onto his own goal-line before gathering at
the second attempt. But 10 minutes after the break, Berbatov released
Valencia with another excellent pass down the right and the Ecuador winger's
cross found Rooney unmarked to beat Green's despairing dive. The Hammers
almost pulled one back as Carlton Cole failed to connect with Valon
Behrami's cross with the goal at his mercy. Rooney then bundled Green off
the ball and although his effort from a tight angle was on target, Julien
Faubert had got back to cover goal and clear the danger. Rooney's bid for a
third league hat-trick of the season was then halted as he made way for Owen
in the 78th minute, and just two minutes later the sub sealed victory with
his eighth of the season. Paul Scholes fed Owen in the left channel, and
with a finish reminiscent of his match-winner in the Manchester derby back
in September, Owen tucked the ball beyond Green and in off the far post for
his first league goal since that last-gasp effort against City. Scholes then
blazed over late so the veteran midfielder's wait for his 100th league goal
goes on.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola bows to United class
Hammers boss accepts they were beaten by better team
By Ben Collins Last updated: 23rd February 2010
SSN

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola held his hands up after his side were
brushed aside 3-0 at Manchester United. The defending champions came into
the game on the back of a shock 3-1 defeat at Everton on Saturday and
bounced back with a comfortable victory at Old Trafford. The Hammers had
eased their own relegation fears with back-to-back wins and held their own
in the opening half-hour. But Zola felt United's quality then shone through
as Wayne Rooney rounded off a fine breakaway to head the hosts into a
38th-minute lead. Rooney headed a second - his 27th of the season - in the
55th minute, before late substitute Michael Owen wrapped things up to send
United back to within one point of league leaders Chelsea. "It's never an
easy game against the champions," Zola told Sky Sports. "When they're on the
back of a bad defeat like the one they had before, it's even more difficult.
"We were well in the game early on but, in my opinion, we didn't keep the
ball well enough up front, as we normally do, and they punished us on the
counter-attack. "That was quite unusual to see - United playing
counter-attack at home - but credit to them, they are a fantastic team and
they deserved to win. "There's not much I can say really - all game they had
too much for us - although I'm disappointed because maybe the third goal
could have been avoided."
Zola was disappointed referee Alan Wiley didn't stop play when Mark Noble
was down injured as Owen scored the final goal with 10 minutes left. But the
Hammers must now turn their attention to the visit of relegation rivals
Bolton in their next league match on March 6. "Those are the games that will
change the story for us," said Zola. "We are disappointed for the way we
lost, and for the supporters that came up - they probably deserved something
more. "But now we have to be focused and concentrate on the game against
Bolton, which is going to be a massive game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Man Utd 3 West Ham 0
By NEIL CUSTIS
The Sun
Published: 23 Feb 2010

MANCHESTER UNITED celebrated 100 years at Old Trafford last night. It is no
exaggeration to say Wayne Rooney is now among the greatest to have played
here in that time.
Everyone has their favourites - Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton, George Best,
Denis Law, Eric Cantona and, most recently, Cristiano Ronaldo to name but a
few. But Rooney is flying into their sphere. The manager himself admitted as
much last night. Alex Ferguson said: "If he continues to improve at this
rate he will be a complete player, ready to join the distinguished band of
United legends." He is still only 24 and, providing the Glazers do not make
the club go bust in the next decade, Rooney has got everything to go on and
be regarded as the very best to have played at the Theatre of Dreams. Last
night he added another brace to his best tally for a season. It saw United
move back to within a point of leaders Chelsea, albeit having played a game
more. Rooney's two headers in the 38th and 55th minutes made it 27 club
goals for the season by the Scouser. It is 19 in his last 19 games and,
following some intensive training-ground work on his heading, he has used
his noggin for six of his last seven goals. He is unstoppable, without
parallel in the game at the moment. The man on whom the hopes of club and
country rest between now and July. Ferguson knew he had a dilemma when he
lost Ronaldo in the summer. It was a huge goals gap to fill. He filled it
simply by changing Rooney back into the player he was. Not the selfless one
that moved wide and deep to allow Ronaldo to float and flourish. But the raw
striker hanging on the shoulder of the last defender and waiting to burst
into goals. The man who makes it squeaky-bum time for defenders just by
having his name on the teamsheet. Rooney's goals last night were a triumph
not just for the individual but for the team with the build-up that created
them. For the first, Park Ji Sung found Dimitar Berbatov, who spread the
ball wide to Antonio Valencia. The Ecuadorian's cross was superb, volleying
to the far side of the six-yard box, from where Rooney sent a diving header
past Rob Green. Rooney nearly had a second soon after, with a stunning piece
of skill three minutes before the break. Berbatov was involved again,
chesting the ball off to Rooney who flicked it sideways between two
defenders and then sent a dipping volley on to the roof of the net. The work
between Berbatov, Valencia and Rooney was leaving the Hammers' defenders
with twisted blood all night. The same combination created the second goal
as Berbatov slid the ball down the line for Valencia to cross and Rooney
headed home again. It was only another Rooney supershow that denied Valencia
the man-of-the-match accolades. From a Darron Gibson corner, Rooney almost
completed a headed hat-trick but a deflection off Mido sent the ball the
wrong side of the post.
Roo was all action and, after chasing a seemingly lost cause with Green
towards the corner flag, he won the ball and curled a shot back to goal only
for it to be blocked just in front of the line by Julien Faubert. Brilliant
stuff by a brilliant player! The only downside for Rooney came when his
number was held up on 78 minutes as Ferguson finally decided to unplug the
human dynamo. Whenever Rooney is subbed - even with the game won - he really
looks like a little kid who has had his ball taken off him by teacher. He
came off to a tremendous ovation and his replacement Michael Owen needed
just two minutes to add United's third. First, Owen kept the ball in on the
left and then ran across the top of the box to get a return pass from Paul
Scholes and sidefoot home. To think West Ham had arrived full of confidence
after winning their last two games without conceding. To add to that,
Ferguson made five changes following their weekend defeat at Everton. He was
also missing Rio Ferdinand, whose four-game domestic ban was over but who
suffered a back injury yesterday morning. Ben Foster was back in goal after
not starting a game since December, Nemanja Vidic played his first of the
year and midfielder Anderson was back for the first time since going AWOL
last month, only to limp off on 19 minutes. The Hammers also had a great
early chance which Valon Behrami screwed wide. Was it really pointing to a
rare away win for the Hammers? Er no! Up popped Rooney and everything
changed. As Fergie said: "The hallmark of a truly great player is the
ability to grab a game by the scruff of the neck when play is deadlocked and
it needs something special if there is to be a winner." Rooney was that
player last week in Milan, again last night and probably will be against
Aston Villa in Sunday's Carling Cup final. Fergie dare not leave him out,
Rooney wants his ball back.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wayne Rooney is head and shoulders above all the rest
James Ducker, Northern Football Correspondent
The Times

"King Midas" was how Gianfranco Zola eloquently referred to Wayne Rooney
last night after the Manchester United striker's latest exhibition of
goalscoring brilliance. "Everything he touches turns to gold," the West Ham
United manager cooed, which is a good job because it is not only the hopes
of his club that Rooney carries on those broad shoulders.

With the World Cup finals less than four months away, Rooney's exhilarating
form must be about the only thing that has prevented Fabio Capello from
throwing in the towel.

As if the England manager did not have enough problems to contend with in
defence, the loss of Rio Ferdinand with a recurrence of the longstanding
back injury that had already raised question marks about the wisdom of his
promotion to captain must have been greeted with the same sense of
foreboding that opposition defenders feel on the eve of an encounter with
Rooney.

With Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole, the full backs, out injured and John
Terry in emotional turmoil, Ferdinand's latest injury has left Capello's
first-choice defence in tatters, but, for all the worries the Italian has at
the back, he can at least comfort himself in the knowledge that, at the
opposite end of the field, he possesses arguably the best player on the
planet on present form.

Rooney's 26th and 27th goals of an extraordinary season set up United for a
straightforward victory over West Ham that moved them to within a point of
Chelsea, the Barclays Premier League leaders, and gave further credence to
Sir Alex Ferguson's claim that his striker will become a "complete player,
ready to join the distinguished band of United legends" if he maintains this
level of performance.

Denis Law, one of that select group Ferguson was referring to, celebrates
his 70th birthday today still holding the record for the most goals scored
by a United player in one season, but with a minimum of 12 matches remaining
this season, Rooney may fancy his chances of surpassing the Scot's record of
46 goals achieved during the 1963-64 campaign.

As much as Chelsea will curse Rooney, Terry and Cole must, in part, be
grateful that United's one-man goal machine continues to hog the headlines.
Indeed, if they represent the unseemly face of English football, Rooney
provides a welcome antidote. He did not have to be at his glittering best
against West Ham, who, having taken only a point from the previous 11
matches in which they had conceded first, never seemed to believe that they
could recover from falling behind in the 38th minute — and so it would
prove.

United had shipped five goals in their previous two games, but despite
morale-boosting back-to-back victories over Hull City and Birmingham City,
West Ham rarely threatened the home team's goal, a couple of speculative
efforts aside, and after Rooney's initial intervention, it was merely a case
of how unpleasant the champions wanted to make life for Zola's players. In
the end, 3-0 was a fair reflection on proceedings.

A subdued first period, previously notable only for Nemanja Vidic's first
appearance for eight weeks after a calf injury, sparked into life when
Rooney finished a fine counter-attacking move, even if Zola will have been
perturbed by the ease with which United sliced through his team.

United got the ball upfield quickly, Park Ji Sung, an early replacement for
the injured Anderson, finding Dimitar Berbatov, who chipped the ball
expertly to Antonio Valencia out on the right. The Ecuador winger's
first-time pass on the volley was measured to perfection, allowing Rooney to
score with a diving header.

Rooney's rise and rise contrasts starkly with the fortunes of Anderson,
whose future at Old Trafford will not have been helped by his substitution
with a knee injury 19 minutes into his first appearance for five weeks.

As he disappeared down the tunnel, a desolate figure, it was fair to wonder
how much more of the mercurial Brazilian we are likely to see this season,
particularly given the pessimistic forecast Ferguson gave on the injury.
Having been omitted from the previous seven squads after infuriating the
manager by skipping training and fleeing back home, he was hardly the
flavour of the month anyway.

That title, as it has for much of the season, belongs firmly to Rooney, who
put United two in front in the 55th minute after Park had rattled the
crossbar shortly after the restart.

Berbatov, enjoying one of his more productive nights, rolled a sumptuous
pass into the path of Valencia, who, exhibiting strength and determination
to hold off Jonathan Spector, crossed for Rooney to nod home. Six of
Rooney's past seven goals have come from his head — eight in total this
season.

If there was another reason for Capello to be cheerful, it was the sight of
Michael Owen coming off the bench to score with a lovely finish from Paul
Scholes's pass in the 80th minute, his eleventh goal in 11 matches against
West Ham, but he was the only England player on show apart from Rooney who
enhanced his reputation.

Robert Green and Ben Foster, the West Ham and United goalkeepers, looked
like accidents waiting to happen, another headache for Capello, who must
surely know that if England come unstuck in South Africa, it will most
probably be as a result of defensive issues.

Foster's kicking was abysmal and Green twice flapped at a corner from Darron
Gibson before catching the ball after two atrocious attempts to punch clear.
Then, just after the hour mark, the West Ham goalkeeper came hurtling from
his goal and foolishly tried to shepherd the ball out, only to be legally
barged out of the way by Rooney, whose effort from an acute angle was
stopped near the goalline.

If only everything in life was as reliable as Rooney.

Manchester United (4-4-2): B Foster — G Neville, W Brown, N Vidic, P Evra —
L A Valencia, D Gibson, P Scholes, Anderson (sub: Park Ji Sung, 19min) — D
Berbatov (sub: M Owen, 78), W Rooney (sub: M B Diouf, 78). Substitutes not
used: T Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, J Evans, D Fletcher.

West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green — J Faubert, J Tomkins, M Upson, J Spector
— V Behrami (sub: J Collison, 63), M Noble, R Kovac, A Diamanti (sub: K
Dyer, 75) — G Franco (sub: Mido, 46), C Cole. Substitutes not used: M Stech,
Ilan, M Da Costa, F Daprela. Booked: Faubert.

Referee: A Wiley.

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Hammers are cashing in on wage threats
Published 00:00 23/02/10 By David Anderson
The Mirror

Fergie has his hairdryer and David Sullivan just threatens to slash
everyone's wages by 25 per cent. Either way, the motivational methods have
had the desired effect for Manchester United and West Ham. Sullivan cheekily
claimed credit for the Hammers' mini-revival, saying his threat clearly
spurred Gianfranco Zola and his players on. The West Ham co-owner said he
didn't care if he had united the players against him as long as they won.
And win they have. Their back-to-back victories against Birmingham and Hull
- their first since March 2009 - have lifted them clear of the relegation
scrap. Zola's men are four points above the safety line and in such a
competitive season, that represents real breathing space. There was an
horrendous traffic jam on the M62 last night, delaying the arrival of any
fans at Old Trafford. But, finally, for West Ham the road ahead looks clear
after a traumatic season. The pressure was off them to some extent last
night and the game was not as important as it would have been a fortnight
ago. This meant the Hammers could afford to play a bit against United rather
than park the bus in front of the goal as most opposition teams do and hope
for the best. They carried their confidence from those wins and played well
in the first 25 minutes. Carlton Cole gave a nod to Fabio Capello that even
if England's World Cup base isn't yet ready, he is the finished article.
The Hammers have a strong spine, running from Rob Green, through Matthew
Upson and Radoslav Kovac to Cole and they refused to lie down and die like
so many visitors here. Alessandro Diamanti continues to excite and frustrate
in equal measure and, unfortunately last night, saw him do more of the
latter. West Ham were well in the game until Antonio Valencia set up that
goal-machine Rooney to head home the opener and crown a magnificent flowing
move from the champions. Even when that same double act combined to put
United 2-0 up, West Ham still kept going. Cole had a chance to make the
final half hour interesting when he headed wide in a rare lapse from the
normally-reliable striker. Still West Ham's fate will not be decided by
whether or not they can beat United and defeating the likes of Hull will be
more important. They can take some heart from their performance against a
United side clearly fired up after a blast from Fergie's hairdryer in
response to their poor display at Everton on Saturday. And on this evidence,
they should still be blowing bubbles in the Premier League next season.

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Manchester United 3-0 West Ham: The Daily Mirror Match Report
Published 23:00 23/02/10 By David McDonnell

Sir Alex Ferguson maintains he will rest Wayne Rooney at some point before
the end of the season. But with Rooney in such devastating form, his two
goals last night taking his tally for the season to 27, how can Fergie leave
out his main man? With the World Cup looming, Fabio Capello is
understandably concerned at England's star striker suffering burn-out before
he has even got on the plane to South Africa, such is Manchester United's
reliance on Rooney. And when you consider that Rooney has started all of
United's last 16 games, his only breather coming way back on December 8,
Capello's fears would appear to be well-founded. But on the evidence of last
night, the burden of carrying United alone this season does not appear to be
having an adverse effect on Rooney, as he maintained his extraordinary
heroics. Of Rooney's 27 goals this season, 23 have come in the Premier
League, with 16 in his last 15 games. Add the fact eight of his goals have
come from his head this season - including six of his last seven - and
Rooney is fast emerging as the complete striker. And he's still only 24. At
this rate, Rooney will come close to matching Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable
42-goal haul of 2007-08, which many - Fergie included - claimed was
unreachable. According to Fergie, such is Rooney's natural desire and
exuberance, he rarely needs a rest, and he will lead the United attack again
in Sunday's Carling Cup final against Aston Villa. The rest, if you can call
it that, was all of 12 minutes as Rooney and strike partner Dimitar Berbatov
made way for Michael Owen and Mame Biram Diouf after 78 minutes. By that
stage Rooney - with two headed goals from Antonio Valencia crosses - had
single-handedly destroyed West Ham, to haul United within a point of leaders
Chelsea. Rooney could have had a hat-trick, leaving Robert Green stranded at
the byline on the hour after chasing down a seemingly lost cause and beating
the West Ham keeper to the ball. And what a goal it would have been. With a
swift turn from an outrageously acute angle, Rooney curled the ball towards
the empty net, only for Julian Faubert to deny him.
United needed to win to exorcise the memory of last weekend's shock 3-1
defeat to Everton, which handed Chelsea a significant advantage in the title
race. Rio Ferdinand had been expected to start after completing a four-match
ban, but a twinge, related to his ongoing back problem, meant United were
unwilling to risk him. That means England's newly-appointed captain will
miss Sunday's final against Villa, as well as Wednesday's friendly against
Egypt, both at Wembley. United overcame the early loss of Anderson, who was
forced off when he pulled up in the 16th minute, Fergie describing the
midfielder's prognosis as "not good". West Ham started brightly, Valon
Behrami dragging a shot wide midway through the first-half, while Alessandro
Diamanti almost caught out Ben Foster with an audacious lob. But United soon
assumed control and took the lead in the 38th minute, a powerful header from
Rooney finishing off a breathtakingly quick move on the counter-attack.
Nemanja Vidic, playing his first game of 2010, surged forward from the back
before feeding Ji-Sung Park, who in turn found Berbatov. Berbatov picked out
Valencia, whose cushioned, volleyed pass was met by Rooney, who made no
mistake with his close-range header. The goal drained the visitors of their
early exuberance and gave United the encouragement to build on their lead,
Rooney almost doing so with an impudent looping effort just before the
break. Spotting Green off his line, Rooney swivelled before scooping the
ball high towards the West Ham goal, the execution only marginally out as
his effort found the roof of the net. United made an explosive start to the
second-half, Park hitting the underside of the bar with a curling shot
within 10 seconds of the restart. But they only had to wait 10 minutes for
the second goal, which effectively sealed the win and allowed Fergie's men
to breathe a little easier with a two-goal cushion. Berbatov turned
exquisitely before applying a majestic pass into the path of Valencia, whose
cross was dispatched by Rooney for his second header of the night. Owen made
an immediate impact after coming on for Rooney, exchanging passes with Paul
Scholes before steering the ball past Green for his eighth United goal in 20
appearances.
It was Owen's first Premier League goal since his dramatic late winner in
September's Manchester derby, and yet again Capello was not there to witness
it. Capello, in South Africa on a pre-World Cup trip, also missed Rooney's
latest heroics but the England boss needs no further confirmation of his
star player's qualities. But a human-sized cotton wool ball to wrap Rooney
up in until the end of the season would do for Capello right now.

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Manchester United 3 West Ham 0: match report
Read a full mach report of the Premier League game between Manchester United
and West Ham United at Old Trafford on Tuesday Feb 23 2010.
Telegraph
By Rory Smith
Published: 6:30AM GMT 24 Feb 2010

Another labour complete for Manchester United's Hercules. Wayne Rooney, a
week on from his slaughter of the Milanese lion, continued his quest for
immortality by putting West Ham to the sword last night. Two headed goals to
see off Gianfranco Zola's side, 19 in his last 19 games and 27 for the
season so far. Rooney runs the risk of his deeds becoming the stuff of
legend. The England international's form has kept Sir Alex Ferguson's side
in touch with Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table. Carlo
Ancelotti's team lead United by just one point, albeit with a game in hand.
They can feel the champions' breath on their necks, and it is Rooney leading
the charge. Gill is not the enemy within For all the power and panache of
his display here, Hercules was not the classical allusion of choice for
Zola, a man with more right than most to judge a forward player.
"The only way of describing him is to say he is like King Midas," said the
West Ham manager. "Everything he touches at the moment turns to gold. He had
a normal game tonight but he scored twice and could have had more, and that
says everything."
More worrying for Ferguson, though, is the fact that by far the most apt
parallel is with neither hero nor king, but titan. Rooney, in the absence of
Cristiano Ronaldo, is United's Atlas. His shoulders bear the weight of the
world. It was always the Portuguese's role, of course, to make the
difference in finely-balanced games, to produce a moment of magic to mask
all of United's failings. Rooney must do that now. He has always been
United's beating heart, the team's pumping lungs, but he increasingly finds
himself its brain, too, dictating play, setting the tempo. It is his job to
lift United above the ordinary. For the time being, he is relishing the
task. From the off here, he bustled and buzzed, his through ball wasted by
Valencia in the seventh minute as the Ecuadorian, impressing again after his
devastating cameo in Milan, scuffed a shot straight at the lunging Jonathan
Spector. United hardly impressed in the first half - Valon Behrami could
have given the visitors the lead, while Ben Foster, a moment later, almost
spilled a deflected effort from Alessandro Diamanti over the line - and, as
Old Trafford grew restless, it was to Rooney that they turned. The striker,
thriving on such expectation, responded, arrowing a header past Rob Green
after Dimitar Berbatov and Valencia crafted the most imaginative move of the
match. He almost had a second before the break, flicking the ball over
Matthew Upson, swivelling and shooting in the blink of an eye, but seeing
his effort skim the roof of the net.
He did not have to wait long for his second. Moments after Park Ji-Sung
cracked the bar from the first attack of the second period, Rooney found
himself unmarked three yards out, with Valencia's perfectly-weighted cross
in his path. Game over. For West Ham, at least. Rooney might have had two
more, hunting down Green as he waited in vain for the ball to roll out but
seeing his effort blocked on the line, failing to shoot as he bore down on
goal. His pain at seeing the man who had replaced him to a standing ovation
just a moment earlier, Michael Owen, score the third after an exquisite
exchange with Paul Scholes was evident, for all the polite applause from the
bench. The doubt remains, though, that United may struggle should Rooney
lose form or fitness. Their defence, even with the return of Nemanja Vidic,
looks suspect, and a better side than West Ham may have profited from the
occasional lapse here. In midfield, the increasingly threatening Valencia
apart, there is little authority and a complete absence of menace, while
Berbatov, as ever, is most politely described as mercurial. But there is
little problem with being a one-man team when that man is in the sort of
seam of form which United's standard-bearer finds himself in. Too reliant on
one player to succeed at home and abroad? Atlas shrugged.

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