WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr is already fine-tuning his plans for the 2009/10
season
05.06.2010
He may be approaching his 38th season with West Ham United and celebrate his
60th birthday in September, but there is no curbing the enthusiasm of
Academy Director Tony Carr. A month ahead of the start of pre-season
training and welcoming a bumper intake of 13 new full-time scholars, Carr is
already fine-tuning the work his young charges will be doing at Little Heath
come Monday 5 July. Refreshed from a week-long holiday in Dubai, Carr is
excited about working with the likes of England Under-17 forward Robert Hall
and England U16 midfielders Matthias Fanimo and Blair Turgott on a daily
basis. "We're coming in on 5 July and we're just starting to put the
programme together," he told WHUTV. "We've got the outline sorted out of
what we'll be doing and the games we'll be playing, so now it's just a case
of putting a bit of detail on that. That's what I'm doing at the moment,
just going through the detail of the day-to-day work we'll be doing. "I tend
to approach pre-season a week at a time and assess it at the weekend and
adjust the next week accordingly - either by increasing or decreasing the
amount of training, or altering the amount of ball work or more physical
work. "It's a bit of trial and error the first two weeks with what you're
trying to achieve, but most certainly it's an exciting time of year. You're
resting, but mentally you are still at work. I've just come back from a
week's holiday and I tried to switch off, but with football you never can.
It's always on the TV or someone is texting or calling you or you get an
email. "I'm having a break from the day-to-day rigours of training, but I'm
looking forward to it already. We've got a month to go. Hall will return to
club duty following a fine showing at the UEFA European U17 Championship in
Liechtenstein last month. England won the trophy for the first time in their
history, with Hall appearing in all five matches and scoring the winner in
the group-stage victory over Turkey. While Carr is already looking to the
future, he also found time to cast an eye back to his successful Testimonial
match, which took place at the Boleyn Ground on 5 May. The likes Rio and
Anton Ferdinand and Kieran Richardson turned out to play in honour of the
man who helped shape their careers, while Chelsea trio Frank Lampard, Joe
Cole and John Terry also returned to the club where they began their
careers.
Hammers legend Paolo Di Canio also rolled back the years with a virtuoso
display in front of a 13,836-strong crowd. "It went as well as I could have
expected, to be honest. All the players who said they would be coming turned
up, we got a good, vociferous crowd who seemed to enjoy their night and it
seemed to go down very well with the fans. I'm really, really pleased. "To
hear all the players, including John Terry and Frank Lampard, get the
applause and a great ovation from the crowd was fantastic and I thank the
fans for that. "I really enjoyed it and it's only just starting to sink in,
to be honest. On the night, it was all happening so fast and there was so
much organisation to do on the day that the actual game itself flew by. It
wasn't until a few days afterwards that I could take stock and look at the
photographs. It wasn't a bad night at all!"
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Play on the pitch
WHUFC.com
Don Hutchison and Steve Potts will be the managers with your chance to star
at the Boleyn on Wednesday
05.06.2010
Due to exceptional demand, a second charity match will be staged at the
Boleyn Ground pitting Don Hutchison against Steve Potts on Wednesday 9 June.
The first game in 'The Big Match' sold out last week but anyone hoping to
take part can still do so, provided they are quick. The new fixture will
start at 12.30pm, with players involved getting a full kit and the chance to
change in the dressing rooms, run out on the pitch, have your photos taken
with your legend manager and live the dream. To bid for a place in this
match or 'buy now' please click here to see which spots in the team are
still available. To bid and indicate the position you would like to play in,
simply click on the shirt you would like to wear. For further information
please contact sophia@footballnights.co.uk or call 0845 888 8884. A
proportion of the proceeds from the event, being organised by Football
Nights, will be donated to the children's cancer charity CLIC Sargent.
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Deportivo to grace Boleyn
WHUFC.com
Spanish club RC Deportivo La Coruna will provide the opposition for the new
season curtain-raiser
04.06.2010
West Ham United are pleased to confirm Spanish club RC Deportivo La Coruna
will provide the opposition in the traditional curtain-raiser to the new
season on Saturday 7 August. The 3pm match, which will be new manager Avram
Grant's first at the Boleyn Ground, was finalised on Friday. Deportivo, who
finshed tenth in La Liga last term, have enjoyed an illustrious recent
history, winning the Spanish title for the first time in their history in
2000 and finishing as runners-up in each of the following two seasons. The
Galician club, who reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2003/04,
boast a number of experienced players who will be familiar to West Ham fans.
Right-back and captain Manuel Pablo and midfield playmaker Juan Carlos
Valeron are both veterans of Deportivo's title success of a decade ago, left
winger Andres Guardado is in Mexico's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, while
goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia, midfielder Sergio and striker Mista have all
played for Spain.
The visit of Deportivo will represent the second by a Spanish club in three
years after Villarreal CF came to the Boleyn Ground in 2008. The prestige
pre-season opener at the Boleyn Ground has attracted a host of leading clubs
in recent years including PSV Eindhoven (2-1, 2003), Anderlecht (4-4,
Anderlecht win 5-4 on penalties, 2004), Osasuna (1-1, 2005), Olympiakos
(1-1, 2006), AS Roma (2-1, 2007), Villarreal CF (1-1, 2008) and SSC Napoli
(0-1, 2009). Last season, the Hammers were narrowly beaten by Roberto
Donadoni's side, with Italy striker Fabio Quagliarella scoring his first
goal for the club with a superb 78th-minute header. Further information,
including ticket prices, will follow via whufc.com as soon as it becomes
available.
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Green and Upson train
WHUUFC.com
The club's two England representatives at the FIFA World Cup both took part
in Friday's training
04.06.2010
Fabio Capello said squad numbers "mean nothing" as he gave his first press
conference since arriving at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and ahead of the news
that captain Rio Ferdinand had been ruled out with a knee injury.
Speaking at the England base in Rustenburg, Capello spoke for about 15
minutes about the first two days of preparation for the finals, which get
under way next week. Earlier on Friday, the England manager oversaw the
first training session in South Africa with Robert Green and Matthew Upson
both playing a full part.
Green had been handed the No12 shirt earlier this week, fuelling speculation
that David James, who has the No1, would get the starting job against the
United States on Saturday week. However, Capello rejected the suggestion
that the shirt numbers would have any bearing while James is also nursing a
slight knee issue of his own after the long flight from England.
Academy graduate Ferdinand's withdrawal - with Michael Dawson heading out to
replace him - could turn the spotlight on Upson, with the Hammers stopper
having filled in for the Three Lions skipper during qualifying. John Terry
is expected to occupy the other central defensive berth, with Ledley King
and Jamie Carragher thought to be Upson's main rivals behind the
first-choice duo.
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Cooking for England
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Head Chef Tim De'Ath is cooking for England at the FIFA
World Cup
04.06.2010
England's players might be hungry for FIFA World Cup glory, but they
certainly will not be taking to the field with empty stomachs. Alongside
Robert Green and Matthew Upson, West Ham United's head chef Tim De'Ath is
the third Hammer in Fabio Capello's squad for this summer's tournament. A
thrilled De'Ath, who has been at the club since 2001, is already in South
Africa preparing for the arrival of Capello and his players on Thursday.
"Like all the players and staff, it is going to be a fantastic experience to
be at a World Cup and it is an honour for me to be here," said De'Ath,
speaking to whufc.com from England's five-star team hotel in Rustenburg. "I
flew out here two days ahead of the squad to get everything set up and ready
for their arrival. It is the second time I have been out to South Africa as
we came out earlier in the year to have the look at the facilities, which
are superb. "It is a five-star hotel, so we have not needed to bring too
much with us. Everything is here that we need. The kitchen itself is
brilliant and I'm looking forward to working in it."
De'Ath is already friendly with Hammers pair Green and Upson, while he also
knows former West Ham players Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, David James,
Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson from their respective times at the Boleyn
Ground. The chef, who previously worked as a personal caterer to Hollywood
stars including Ewan McGregor and Leonardo Di Caprio, has already discussed
England's World Cup menu with physiotherapist Gary Lewin and Dr Ian Beasley,
who are on secondment from Arsenal for the duration of the tournament. While
the dishes remain a closely-guarded secret, it is safe to assume that pasta,
grilled chicken and fish, salads, steamed vegetables and fruit will all be
high on the menu for Capello, his coaching staff and his 23-man squad. "I
have consulted with Dr Beasley and Gary about the food that I will be
preparing," confirmed De'Ath. "The players are all Premier League players,
so the diet will be much the same as they are used to at their respective
clubs."
Alongside their meals, protein recovery drinks and shakes have been shipped
to South Africa from England to ensure the players are kept in tip-top
physical condition after training and matches - including those being played
at altitude. As De'Ath knows well from his work at West Ham, where he feeds
the players daily at Chadwell Heath, it is vitally important that players
eat a consistently nutritional diet to maintain their shape and give them
the energy required to perform at the very highest level.
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Hines boosted by honour
WHUFC.com
A long lonely road back to fitness for Zavon Hines has been brightened by a
major club award
04.06.2010
Zavon Hines is continuing to work hard on his rehabilitation from a major
knee injury and has been boosted by his Young Hammer of the Year award. The
21-year-old striker was delighted to be singled out for the honour at the
club's end of season awards and then to receive his trophy on the pitch
after the last match of the season. It was a rare break from his hours of
effort at Chadwell Heath, with Hines determined to get back to action as
soon as possible and impress new manager Avram Grant. Hines, whose last
appearance was on 5 December before he underwent an operation in January
that would keep him out for several months, said: "This award gives me a
boost because it makes me realise people haven't forgotten what I've done.
I've just got to keep faith and I know that I'll come back stronger. "I do
feel like I've got a good relationship with the fans - I haven't been booed
or anything! They've shown me love and I'm just thankful for that and that I
haven't done anything to annoy them. When I come back, I'll do my best for
them again."
Hines has joined an illustrious list of winners including Jack Collison
(2009), James Tomkins (2008), Junior Stanislas (2007), Anton Ferdinand
(2006) and Mark Noble (2005). The England Under-21 striker's progress was
underlined by a dramatic late winner in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League
victory over Aston Villa in November. "I can't really sum up my feelings, to
be honest," said Hines. "I'm a bit surprised because Jack, Tonks and Junior
were up for it as well and they'd played more games than me and played well
as well, but I'm also happy. "I went out there and tried to do my best for
the club because my feelings for the club are strong. Luckily enough, I did
do well. I've been here since I was 15 and came through the Academy, and
that Academy has helped me to win this award."
Hines put his progress down to the club's continued production line of youth
talent and the confidence that familiarity breeds. "It's good to play with
others who I've come through with, because they know my game and I know
their games, so it's good for the team as well because we've got a good
relationship."
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Friday, 4 June 2010
Football Is Love
Just Like My Dreams
Avram Grant recalls being in an art gallery with Roman Abramovich, admiring
one of the Russian's many paintings. Chelsea's owner, and at the time
Grant's boss, whispered how it had cost £25million. 'Pity,' said Grant. 'My
daughter would have done the same picture for you for 25 quid.'
Grant might not be much of an art lover but he does speak as he finds, as he
demonstrated to Abramovich that day and in the rare interviews he has given
since. He reluctantly reveals some of the more extraordinary incidents
during the most turbulent of seasons at Portsmouth; and suggests it is only
now, after somehow overcoming the chaos at Fratton Park to guide that team
to Wembley, that his former employers at Chelsea might appreciate what he
did for them. He feels, if you'll excuse the pun, that he was 'taken for
granted'. That he did not receive the recognition he deserved when he
steered Chelsea to what remains their only appearance in the Champions
League final, coming within a penalty kick of winning the thing. He also
admits he did not want the Chelsea job in the first place.
As he enjoys a spot of lunch in the Wolseley on Piccadilly, Grant insists he
is not bitter. He says he still embraces Chelsea's directors, staff and
players like old friends whenever he sees them. That he remains close to the
billionaire he still thanks for giving him his big break in English
football. 'It had always been my dream to manage here and I'd waited 10
years for the chance,' he says. 'Roman was the one who gave me the
opportunity.'
But even then he is not sure if Abramovich and his directors at Stamford
Bridge recognised the talent he clearly has for managing football teams; a
talent that has now taken him to West Ham. 'Like I said, I will never forget
what Roman did for me but I can be disappointed with him for the way that it
ended,' he says. 'He knows how disappointing it was for me. The decision
itself didn't disappoint me. It was how it was made that did. The last three
months, when the team were doing well, when we won the big games and played
good football, I think they took that for granted. They didn't understand
that everything comes from how you do things, how you don't sleep at night
because you're thinking about training and the tactics; how you speak with
the players. And yet at Chelsea every game we won wasn't down to me. It was
down to the players, the other management, the kit-man, the groundsman. I'm
joking but that's how it was. Only when we lost was it down to me.'
He knew it would be. It is precisely why he first told them not to sack Jose
Mourinho and then rejected the invitation to switch from director of
football to the self-anointed Special One's replacement. 'When they offered
me the job I said no,' he said. 'I didn't want to be the manager. I told
them it would be better to take a team like Crystal Palace, another team,
and make positive steps. Then everybody would see what I had done. People
like to go to big clubs but, if you think only about yourself, it is better
to start almost anonymously. If you believe in yourself, it is better to
take a club and develop the football side, showing leadership and
everything. At Chelsea, even though the team were on the way down, and they
were, any winning would be, "That's what they should do". I would need to
have unbelievable success, and when I took over nobody believed we would go
to the Champions League final or fight for the title to the last day.'
Prompted by information from sources at Stamford Bridge, it is put to him
that he argued against the decision on Mourinho. 'It's true, ' he said. 'I
did. It was not that they sacked Mourinho. In the end he also wanted to go.
But before this they thought about sacking him and I said they shouldn't.
They asked me if I wanted the job and I told them to keep Jose. I was
fighting like crazy. I had just come to the English league, after a short
time at Portsmouth, and I wanted to work as an assistant to put the right
things in place.'
An indicator of the widespread derision that greeted Grant's appointment can
be found in the front-page headline of an Israeli sports magazine. It read,
in capital letters, "What the fuck?" Grant smiles and says: "The Israelis
are very nice guys, but some like to be cynical." So, too, the British
media. He was seen simply as Abramovich's mate and not someone who should be
taken seriously as a manager. 'I think you're right,' he said. 'England
didn't know me when I was at Chelsea. Maybe they didn't want to know me. The
one thing I didn't like was that people didn't judge my work. The criticism
I can take, OK. But if you compare what I did to Ferguson and Wenger in
their first year, or Mourinho in his last year, compare the way I worked,
the style of training, the way we played, the fact we only lost one league
game, I think I did a good job. We changed the style of play, less
long-ball. But people didn't want to know. I think they have changed now,
though, even the Chelsea supporters.'
At times he appeared over-whelmed by the size of the task, struggling to
fill the shoes of Mourinho when he quit the club in September 2007. That has
changed now that he is a familiar face in the Premier League, standing up
for his himself and rattling off some of his own statistics. "The target was
to win the Premier League title and to reach the Champions League final," he
added. "After I took the job, we were in title-winning form and I still
believe we would have won it if there had been two more games. Sir Alex
Ferguson said it was the best team he had ever built at United and they only
just beat us. We reached the Champions League final and only lost because of
the grass - well, I have to blame someone."
Instead it was John Terry's slip that cost Chelsea the chance to win the
Champions League, losing his balance in the penalty shootout in the Luzhniki
Stadium. Grant lost his job and yet he accepted his fate, paying the price
for his failure to achieve the objective of winning the Premier League.
"Every club has a plus and minus. At Chelsea you have everything. The
facilities are first class, the staff are great and the players are top
class. You can have any player you want, you can build whatever you want. I
wanted to change the team and we were starting to do that. Everyone in
England likes a bet and yet no-one put a penny on us to finish the season
the way we did. I never found it political. It's not like Gordon Brown and
David Cameron, I just left all that to other people. The target was to
improve the team. Before I came people said we were playing appalling
football, but no-one said that when I was manager. They were on the way down
after big success under Mourinho, but when we won it was down to the
players. When we lost a game like the Carling Cup final against Spurs, it
was down to Avram. I couldn't win. I knew that."
The players always seemed to like him, as Frank Lampard revealed when he
paid a moving tribute to Grant at a dinner in the England midfielder's
honour back in January. Not only did Lampard praise Grant for doing such a
fine job during his eight months in charge, but in particular for the way he
responded to the sudden death of the player's mother. 'The bond I formed
with those players is something I'm very proud of,' he says. 'Not all of
them, but most of them. Lampard was very special, and I will never forget
what happened in the week he lost his mother. It was obviously a question of
whether we played him in the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool.
He hadn't trained and when he eventually did, in the last session before the
game, he was a disaster. He was scoring own goals. I'd never seen him like
that. So distracted. The staff thought he shouldn't play because his mind
just wasn't on the game. But I spoke with him and used a little psychology.
I didn't tell him he would be playing, even though I knew he would. I didn't
want to burden him with trying to think about the game. I left it until
lunchtime on the day of the match and he was absolutely great.'
Grant departed within days of the defeat in Moscow. "It was an emotional
moment," he says of the penalty shoot-out. "I remember one of the Chelsea
directors saying: 'You show emotion.' I said: 'For me it's a compliment, for
you it's not.' Emotions are good if you don't lose your judgment. I wanted
to bring more soul to the game, for players to not be like computers."
Moscow is a wound that will never heal. 'You know that John Terry didn't
want to be up there taking the penalty,' he says. 'But I don't know if it
would have been different if that penalty had gone in. I don't know if they
would have wanted me to stay or even if I would have wanted to stay. When I
look back, though, I can't have negative feelings. There were things I
didn't like but there were a lot of good things as well. Roman is not
perfect, nobody is, not even him, but he is a good man. And I can tell you
that he never interfered. All this talk that he tries to pick the team, that
he chooses the players, it is not true. All he has done is put the club on
the map. It is a big club because of him. The facilities, the training
ground. That is what he has done.'
It is, of course, a world away from where he went to next - a club at the
opposite end of the Premier League food chain and one that was in turmoil
all last season. The deduction of nine points that followed Portsmouth's
slide into administration; the changes in ownership and their failure, month
after month, to pay the players on time. Not to mention the round of
redundancies that forced those same players to dip into their own pockets to
keep certain members of staff, mostly down at the training ground, in
employment. Grant, too, suffered financially.
When he took the job at Portsmouth back in November as successor to Paul
Hart, having returned there two months earlier as director of football, he
agreed to help them out by taking 20 per cent of his salary as a bonus for
keeping them in the top flight. The nine-point deduction soon ended any hope
of that. Like the players, he had also been paid late and in other months a
good deal less than he expected. 'I called them once to say they must have
mistaken me for the kit-man,' he says.
Pompey's administrator made drastic cutbacks, shaving costs in an attempt to
turn the club into a viable business proposition. The team were frequent
flyers in the old days, when cash appeared to be in plentiful supply and
they took off for away trips from Southampton Airport. Adds Grants: 'There
had been cutbacks. Where we used to fly to games we now had to get on a
coach for five or six hours to save money. For a time we couldn't afford to
prepare the training ground pitches properly, putting all the players at
risk of injury. There had been lots of smaller things, such as the chef
having to perform miracles. He didn't even have a budget for tea bags any
more. Oh, and the coffee machine…' The bailiffs had been in again meaning no
more coffee in the training ground canteen and no more double espressos for
Portsmouth's head coach. 'I had to buy a new machine, but I didn't like the
coffee it served," jokes Grant. "The new man will have to get another."
Grant remains in good form, the gallows humour of someone who has come
through so much. At 54, he has come of age in the Premier League, part of
the fixtures and fittings after leading Portsmouth's fight against the drop
with dignity. Their place among the elite was always a lost cause and yet
the enduring images of Grant, burying his head into a swell of Pompey
supporters enhanced his reputation. He is a good man, a deep thinker with a
dark sense of humour, switching effortlessly between the two as he
contemplates his recent experiences.
"I felt like I was fighting for people who were victims of circumstances
beyond their control," he reveals. "People in football forget that most
things are temporary. Managers come and go, so do players and so do owners,
especially at Portsmouth. The only permanence is the fans. I liked the
challenge. To work for a team that belonged to a proper town was different
to anything I'd experienced before. Problems in football are part of the
game and at Portsmouth it's financial. If we hadn't survived beyond the
season, it wasn't going to be for the lack of trying. To beat Southampton
was so important for the supporters. It was a privilege to see so many
people happy - they never did anything wrong. All they did was turn up to
support their team and yet they didn't know if they would even have a team
to support next season. No-one did."
It had, in his words, been insane. 'The main problem was not knowing who the
owner actually was,' he says. 'One day I'd be speaking to Mark Jacob, the
next Peter Storrie. I knew Peter wasn't the owner but the chief executive,
but at one point I just shouted, "Who the fuck is the owner?" One time I was
sitting with Sulaiman Al Fahim, who by then was the former owner. He said,
"I know you're interested in this Egyptian striker; you need to take him". I
turned to Peter, who was sitting the other side of me, and said, "Is this
the owner or the former owner?" The players were confused. They didn't know
what to do. If you don't get paid, you want to go to the owner and find out
what is happening. But there was nobody to go to. Crazy.
'When I came there they said the problem with the wages was a
misunderstanding and that the money was coming through from Hong Kong. Now
we know that was not true but I was told, "No problem, we don't have any
problems with money". Then I was told I could keep the squad together and
add three or four players. When I agreed I was sure we could stay in the
league, so much so that I told them to put 20 per cent of my money as a
bonus for keeping them up. In November or December we were told the debts
were £20million or £30m. Then it was £60m and that seemed crazy. But now
it's £140m - and I still don't know if that is it or if there is more.'
Grant rose above enforced player sales and salary disputes, operating with
honour when he could easily have walked away. It was not an act, not part of
some well thought out scheme to help him secure his new post at another
Premier League club for next season. He has also overcome the embarrassment
of being caught walking away from a Thai massage parlour known not so much
for its backrubs as its "happy endings", after pictures were published in
several national newspapers. For now it is off limits - "this is not the
right time" - but he will address it one day. His wife Tzofit supported him,
highly visible as she protected her husband in the hours that followed.
The morning that Grant's infidelity was exposed in the papers, she was
sitting in a restaurant outside her home town of Tel Aviv. He had rung at
6am to warn her of the coming storm. By 10am, Mrs Grant was besieged with
enquiries, and issued similar statements to different papers, television and
radio stations until midnight that night. "What do I care?" she told them.
"It's his business. It's very stressful being a manager at a club like
Portsmouth. He should have had two massages."
Faced with the prying and the press intrusion, the sniggering inquisition
dressed up as sympathetic indignation, she has been defiant. She has, until
now, brushed aside the press with that flip deflection. She has proudly
defended her privacy, dismissed the prurience and stoically taken the
postmodern Tammy Wynette position: she is standing by her manager. She has
refused to be the victim of the story, nor has she been a willing party to
it. Instead, to spend a day with Tzofit Grant – to hurtle from her sell-out
play in Tel Aviv to her home in the suburbs with her teenage kids, to tea
the next day with Rabbi Lau, the old chief rabbi of Israel, to a long, late
dinner talking about her television shows in Israel, Avram's football
matches in England and the pressures on their 17-year marriage – is to see
the complexities of real life too easily cast as a tawdry morality tale in
the media.
But then, Mrs Grant is anything but the stereotypical footballer's wife. On
television, she is notorious for her eccentric persona, her chutzpah and "so
sue me" attitude. But sitting in her stylish but informal home in Tel Aviv,
she comes across as a mature, self-analytical woman: the thinking woman's
WAG. A strikingly attractive 45 year-old actress and the mother of two
teenagers, Mrs Grant is a series of contradictions: she dyes her hair
different colours but wears little make-up off camera, she has a healthy
appetite but worries she is fat; works flat out on her career but is a
devoted mother, can out-vulgar any lads' mag but was appointed president of
a charity for the mentally ill in Israel after her brother was struck down
with schizophrenia.
Nor is Mrs Grant's husband the most handsome man in the premiership: "When I
first met Avram, I thought he looked like a monkey." Indeed, she
acknowledges what most women do: "[Jose] Mourinho is sexy, I can't say that
he isn't." But Mourinho does not, she says, come close to Avram for
charisma. And, as Mrs Grant puts it, when she goes to bed with a man, she is
making love first and foremost to his brains. Her frequently foul-mouthed
and strident opinions belie a keen mind, generous personality and
uncompromising values. Ironically, for a woman whose husband has been caught
paying a woman for sexual favours, she says: "Almost every woman has a
price. It starts from a very early age when our parents want us to marry a
man who has money … It's most women, maybe 80 per cent in the rich, Western
world. Especially the upper class, it's very easy to buy an upper-class
woman in exchange for a comfortable life."
From her first encounters with Mr Grant, she railed against the transaction
that she believes is at the heart of courtship, where a man tries to buy a
woman, and a woman allows herself to be bought. "On our first date, I opened
the glove compartment and found some perfume, and the smell was amazing. And
Avram told me, 'You can take it', and I was so tough with him, I said, 'Yes
thank you very much — and then when you want to sleep with me I need to say
yes?'"
Three weeks later he proposed, in a football stadium, at midnight. Less than
three months after that they were married. Football has been part of their
marriage ever since. When Roman Abramovich hired Grant as director of
football for Chelsea in 2007, Tzofit came to live in St John's Wood. In the
evenings she found herself going to parties on Grant's arm as the "plus one"
she had worked so hard not to be. "I was so lonely. I used to wake up every
morning and cry for hours. Because in one moment I understood what it was
like to become a nobody, a zero. I lost everything, my work, my personality,
my spirit."
It was also a testing time for her husband, who was made manager after
Mourinho's departure. He consistently led the team to victory until the
fateful day that John Terry slipped and missed the penalty in the Champion's
League final against Manchester United in Moscow. "I couldn't look," says
Mrs Grant in a stage whisper. "My daughter, she screamed, and my son shut
down completely. Until now, as a family we can't talk about it. I remember
after the match I walked out into Moscow and it was raining. I didn't cry as
I was just trying to support my children. I said to them, "It's just
football, it's just a game." But I knew I was talking bull."
And her husband?
"I think he died a little in that moment," says Mrs Grant. "And he is still
underground. Something changed in him. But I don't think he believed that
Roman would tell him to go. That was what really broke his heart. Avram and
Roman do not like each other, they love each other. And we are all very
thankful to Roman for giving Avram such a big opportunity … But I never
understood why Roman dropped him. I think maybe he was nervous of the press
… And maybe it was also because Avram didn't have such status then as a
football manager. The Russians care a lot about status."
Mrs Grant is now living apart from her husband, ever since he took on the
job as manager of Portsmouth. She says that her husband received offers from
all around the world to be manager. So why did he return to England, to a
team that was at the bottom of the Premier League and in serious financial
trouble? Mrs Grant shrugs. "Because it is the best football league in the
world. And because being a manager in England is unfinished business for
Avram. And because it was a great opportunity for him. He was taking no
salary, it is not a normal club to be working at … But Avram is an amazing
coach, a first-class coach … He has the capability of managing the English
team. And also Argentina and Brazil."
With such support, it is hardly surprising that Grant soon recovered;
handling everything in a dignified manner and switching his attentions back
to the more pressing problems at hand. He admits to being hoodwinked by a
succession of owners, sold the dream when he was brought back to the club by
Ali Al Faraj. "The Portsmouth supporters wanted answers, that's only
natural," he says. "They deserve to know the truth, but I can't help them.
The people responsible for this mess admit they misled me. They say they
didn't realise the enormity of the situation. I have to accept that. Of
course I felt let down. Promises were made to me that were not kept. When I
agreed to take the job they accepted all of my demands, but then they found
a lot of financial problems."
They were so deep that Pompey were forced to sell players, cashing in on
some of the key assets under the threat of administration. Grant was
powerless, gripped by the fear of relegation and helpless as the team that
Redknapp built was ripped apart. He was told the club would go bust unless
they sold Younes Kaboul back to Spurs, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy
during the January transfer window. "At first, they told me January would be
fine, but then they suddenly told me they needed to sell four players," he
explains. "We needed to bring in players, not sell them. Everything came by
surprise, so quickly, there was nothing I could do about it. I was told that
if Kaboul stayed the club would go bust. That simple, very matter of fact.
They said I could use some of the money to improve the team. A few hours
later, they sold Asmir Begovic to Stoke.
"When I came to the club, no-one would have given us £100 for Begovic and
yet we sold him for £3.5million. If he had stayed we would have improved his
value. Part of my job is to develop players, but I didn't have time. As soon
as Begovic was sold, Mike Williamson went as well. I couldn't stop it. The
situation was desperate. I am a man of process and I like to plan
everything, from training to the style of play of the team, the identity of
the team and the behaviour of the players. They agreed to everything, they
told me the wages would be paid on time in future and that it was temporary.
At times it felt like it was permanent."
The blame game is in full swing on the south coast, with former chief
executive Peter Storrie, owners Sacha Gaydamak, Suliman Al Fahim, Ali Al
Faraj (if he exists) and Belram Chainrai all targeted over the fall of
Fratton Park. "I tried to do the job without blaming people. I didn't want
to be the judge," insists Grant. "All I know is that the picture changed
from the one presented to me when I took the job. My relationship with Peter
Storrie and Mark Jacobs was good. Part of the success in football is that
everyone does the job they are employed to do. All I wanted to know was the
budget. If they told me it was small we could handle it. If they told me it
was like Chelsea then we could build a different club. I don't know who is
responsible for the mess, but I know who was not to blame and that was my
players, my staff and the supporters.
"Of course I was misled when I took the job. I was told we would be buying
players in January, not selling them. When we got to January, I realised how
bad things were. I had a list of three players I wanted to buy, but they
said we could only get them in on loan. Then I was told they couldn't even
come in on loan and that there was a transfer embargo in place. I didn't
need a good imagination to realise that we wouldn't be able to get out of
this. I told them that as long as I knew the budgets then I could work
within them and we could keep the club up. Since the problems started, there
had been a joke at the club that the latest news is "there's been an hour
without some bad news".
'We had the day when the players had to pay the staff at the training
ground. By then players had been sold. When we sold Kaboul they said it
would save the club, and two weeks later we went into administration and
lost nine points. I did come close to quitting. One month I would get paid
this, the next month that. They owe me money now. But I decided I wouldn't
give up, and when I saw the supporters and the unbelievable backing they
gave me, that made my mind up.
'It's embarrassing, the way they have behaved. But it was not like Chelsea.
At Portsmouth, everything we did they gave love back. If you stay at the
club, they give you love back. If you win, they give you love back. I love
that. Football is love. I know it's all about money in life, what the pound
is worth compared to the dollar or the euro. But I don't believe in that. I
respect money and I would have liked them to pay me. But it's not
everything.'
Two years ago, Portsmouth reached the FA Cup final, beating Cardiff when
Kanu skipped through the Bluebirds' defence to bring back the Cup. "When
Sol, goes up, to lift the FA Cup, we'll be there", they chimed, honouring
their heroes in the club's finest hour. Harry Redknapp had realised
Gaydamak's dream, taking the team to the final after the owner sent him a
text when they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford. "Harry did a great
job in the year that I was there as director of football," agrees Grant.
"The team played some great football and he made some very good signings on
free transfers, people like Sol Campbell, David James and bringing that
youngster Kanu through the academy."
Grant, of course, was working with limited resources, a world away from
those heady days and the riches he left behind when he was sacked by
Chelsea. How he and his players put such issues to one side and secured
their place in this season's final is extraordinary. Grant called together
his players and offered them two choices. "The first is to give up, go to
the beach," he told them. "Obviously I will not come as I'm not so skinny.
But nobody will blame you for what's happened. This is not football. The
second is not to give up. But to do it big time."
Grant would accept no half measures. The players took option B, found their
best form in the FA Cup and knocked out Sunderland, Southampton, Birmingham
and Tottenham en route to the final. "For us to come to the FA Cup final in
a season like that, playing our best performance in the semi-final against
Tottenham – that is some kind of miracle. We knew that whatever they did to
us in the league, in the FA Cup nobody could take what we did off us,' he
says. 'They couldn't take points away. They couldn't stop us playing. They
couldn't kill the spirit of my players. Since the administrator arrived
there had been more stability. But prior to that the hardest thing was
arriving in the morning and having no idea what would happen that afternoon.
I always like to start the day with a meeting with the medical people and my
assistants, about training. At Portsmouth, that was impossible."
Last month Grant went to Poland for Holocaust remembrance day, an echo of
the emotional journey he made just two years earlier. On the day he had
delivered an address to more than 10,000 Jews, a letter from him also
appeared in a newspaper in his native Israel. It was as emotive as the
speech he prepared for those he joined on the three kilometre March Of The
Living between Auschwitz and Birkenau. A eulogy to his father, who survived
the Holocaust but only after burying just about every other member of his
family, and an intensely personal account of his experiences in football
management.
As he has so often said, his father's story brings every challenge he
encounters sharply into context. "The home in which I grew up and the
education that I received have helped me get through these past months," he
said. "To coach a football team is a dream but it is also a very difficult
adventure. The pressure being placed on me cannot be described. The
expectations are enormous. Behind me is an enormous number of fans, a
demanding media and everything happens with the most crazy intensity. Every
moment of this story is a personal and professional celebration and
experience. I'll remember these moments, even the most difficult ones, for
the rest of my life. But in the end, you remember and you understand and you
know that nothing resembles what my father had to go through 65 years ago,
and you get things back into proportion and distinguish between bad and good
and know where you came from and where you are going back to."
So it was that Grant reluctantly resigned as the manager of Portsmouth after
a momentous season for the club. In an open letter to the club's supporters
Grant said the decision to step down was one of the most difficult he has
taken. "It's been both a difficult and complex year for us at the club but
at the same time it's been a wonderful and uplifting professional and
personal experience," he said. "I will never forget you, the loyal fans of
Pompey who, without a doubt, helped me protect the team under such complex
circumstances. There are very few teams in the world that have fans as
passionate and devoted as you are. It has been a great experience to be part
of one of the most wonderful occurrences that has happened in the history of
British football and also shows that even in the most desperate times
loyalty, devotion, professionalism and passion can be demonstrated. I wish
you all the possible success which you genuinely deserve."
Grant became something of a folk hero to the club's supporters after taking
over from Paul Hart, and that connection informs the anger he clearly still
feels. 'The Premier League taking the points away made me most angry,
because they punished the wrong people. Rules are rules but rules were
changed when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005 and they were still
allowed to play in the competition the next season, even though they had
finished fifth in the Premier League. The people who were sacked at
Portsmouth worked so hard for just a small wage. That was one of my saddest
days. The people who were hurt were the kind of people who have served the
club for so long. Before the last owners arrived and long after we've gone.'
Last season 'Uncle' Avram was fighting for them. For the people he never
took for granted.
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Avram's Bel boy
The Sun
ALGERIA World Cup star Nadir Belhadj has spoken to Avram Grant about a move
to West Ham. Portsmouth's £5million-rated left-back is Grant's top summer
target. Belhadj, 27, who also has offers from Spain, France and Qatar, said:
"Everyone's talking about West Ham, because we all know Grant's going there.
I've spoken to the coach. "But there's absolutely nothing concrete yet."
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Work permit holds up Grant arrival
Published 08:21 04/06/10 By Pa Sports
The Mirror
New West Ham manager Avram Grant will not begin his reign at Upton Park
until later this month as he waits for a work permit. Grant was named as
Gianfranco Zola's successor on a four-year deal on Thursday but the
appointment is subject to a successful work permit application. The
55-year-old Israeli must reapply every time he starts a new job, though West
Ham expect the process to run smoothly. Co-chairman David Sullivan has
revealed that new players will be arriving at Upton Park over the summer,
though how much Grant has to spend has yet to be made public. "I'm delighted
to welcome Avram to West Ham and am confident he will prove a success,"
Sullivan told the club's official website, www.whufc.com. "We have taken our
time over this appointment and are certain we have got the right man. "We
are all looking forward to next season with new players coming in and
Avram's arrival is just the latest reason for real optimism."
Grant's priority is to prevent a repeat of last season which saw the club
flirt with relegation before finishing in 17th place with 35 points. Only
the feebleness of the teams that ended up in the relegation zone kept West
Ham safe and co-chairman David Gold believes Grant's arrival will lead to
less anxious times. "I have to say that having met Avram and spent some time
with him, we have got our man. He is a perfect fit," said Gold. "We needed
experience and stability. He's a footballing man and quite frankly his
reputation speaks for itself."
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Will Upson Step Up?
West Ham Till I Die
SSN are reporting that a training ground knee injury has ended Rio
Ferdinand's World Cup Campaign. Micheal Dawson is flying out to SA to
provide central defensive cover in the squad. And the England Captain's
armband passes to Steven Gerrard.
It will now mean one of Upson, King or Carragher stepping up to play
alongside John Terry. Upson should be in pole position, having previously
partnered Terry in the World Cup qualifiers. However, the media are of the
opinion that Ledley King will get the nod! That may well be the case.
However, will King's knee hold up to a big tournament schedule of playing
and training?
Elsewhere in the squad, there is every chance that Green will be selected
for the USA match. The media have made much of James getting the No. 1
shirt, but Capello has confirmed that this is not particularly significant.
Green has had the most playing time in recent matches and pulled off some
fine saves in the Mexico match, effectively keeping England in the match.
It has also been reported that Gareth Barry has trained today. However,
there are now issues concerning his lack of match fitness. It is two months
since Barry played a competitive match! It is unlikely to happen now, but
would it not have been wise to have taken Scott Parker as an insurance
policy? As it stands, England may need to rely upon an out of sorts
Micheal Carrick, and his less than dynamic playing style, in the defensive
midfield role.
Nearer to home, West Ham have announced that La Liga club, Deportivo La
Coruna will provide the opposition for the curtain raiser to the season at
Upton Park, on 7 August 2010.
SJ. Chandos.
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Who is Likely to be On the Move?
West Ham Till I Die
So, as widely predicted, Avram grant is the newly appointed manager of West
Ham Utd FC. No doubt he has completed thorough research on the current
squad and produced a provisional list of players to be retained and those to
be moved on in the summer transfer window.
The biggest initial question mark is over the size of the allocated transfer
budget. Grant obviously knows that already, and it will be key in
determining how much might need to be raised via outgoing transfers? There
is a logical assumption here that there will almost certainly be a gap
between the budget available and the funds necessary to implement his plans
for restructuring the squad.
The future of three players will be of particular interest. Firstly, will
Green and Upson sign new deals or will the club cash in? The third player
is Behrami. He is a midfielder that we would ideally look to retain.
However, he is also probably our most wanted asset. Might there be a
decision made to cash in on him to strengthen other areas of the squad?
Palermo are allegedly interested in sealing a £8m deal and no doubt an
auction by other interested Italian clubs could push that figure even
higher.
Carlton Cole is also a saleable asset, but he will be hard to replace. As
such, I anticipate he will stay, unless someone puts in a silly bid of £15m
plus. Another player whose future is under a bit of a cloud is Diamanti.
There is a view that he is a luxury player and will soon be on his way back
to Serie A. If so, most of our attacking creativity will also be heading
out the door with him. Indeed, if the end is nigh for Diamanti, then he
will need to be replaced. And that will definitely cost, assuming that
quality play makers are available and willing to join West Ham? It may be
wiser and cheaper for Grant to work with Diamanti and get him playing to the
standard that many suspect he is capable.
Similarly there may be doubts over players such as Gabbidon, Kovac and
Spector. Will Grant see Gabbidon as too injury prone to be relied on as
defensive cover? Will he be impressed with Kovac in the holding midfielder
role? Does he rate Spector's defensive qualities, particularly his utility
value? I would also have placed Boa Morte in the same category at one time.
However, the offer of a new contract suggests that he will be with the club
for at least another season. Boa Morte is not my favourite player, but you
have to acknowledge the man's spirit and commitment. He certainly looked
quite good against Man City and gave the side a balance that it lacked for
most of last season.
Another whose future is unclear is Illunga. He signed a new deal last
summer, so is under contract, but last season proved to be an unmitigated
disaster for him. It started with the fractured cheek bone/jaw against
Wolves in the opening game and was then plagued by injury for the rest of
the season. Hopefully he will bounce back next season and replicate his
form of 2008-09. However, there have been rumours that he will move on this
summer. We shall have to wait and see what occurs with him?
Two further players whose respective situations will probably require a
decision are Kieron Dyer and Benni McCarthy. Dyer's injury record is poor
and he is, of course, nearing the end of a lucrative contract. Grant would
preferably want a player of Dyer 's ability, fit and playing week-in and
week-out. However, his two immediate predecessors in the manager's job both
nurtured the same ambition and never saw it realised. Is the situation
likely to change dramatically under Avram Grant? While McCarthy's fate will
probably be determined by his attitude and fitness when he returns for
pre-season training. My guess is that Grant well knows McCarthy's
experience and ability as a striker and will give him an opportunity to
prove that he can still do the business at this level.
Although an exit may not occur this summer, Grant will still be running the
rule over the more senior of the youngsters . Spence has an excellent
reputation and, at 20 years of age, this coming season should see him make a
real breakthrough. While the potential of Tomkins, Hines, Sears and
Stanislas to hold down first team spots will also be evaluated. Probably,
the most vulnerable of them is Freddie Sears, but I think Grant will very
wisely want to make his own assessment of the player before making any final
decision.
Whatever the future of the playing staff, it is important that Grant makes
the decisions. David Sullivan was quoted, in a recent newspaper interview,
as stating that the new manager would have 95% control over transfers, with
the Co-Chairmen retaining a 5% interest to enable them to make occasional
suggestion about a player or, as a last resort, veto the rare deal that they
feel not to be in the club's best interests.
It will be interesting to see how this 95/5% split works in practice? There
are certainly few excuses now that the board have appointed their own man to
the Manager's post. Having done so, Grant must now be given the space and
the active support to enable him to do the job!
SJ. Chandos.
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Liverpool target West Ham United & England defender Matthew Upson - report
4 Jun 2010 07:58:00
Goal.com
West Ham United centre-back Matthew Upson is a summer transfer target for
Liverpool, according to a report from The Daily Star. Avram Grant was
appointed as the new Hammers boss yesterday, and the report claims that he
is set to inform Upson, along with American defender Jonathan Spector, that
he can leave. The Israeli has apparently made two new centre-backs and a
right-back his priority targets as he looks to rebuild the team at Upton
Park. Upson has apparently yet to make a decision on whether or not to sign
a new three-year contract with the Hammers. With his current deal set to
expire at the end of next season, the club's owners are keen for him to
either sign the deal or leave this summer so that they can cash in.
Liverpool have reportedly been interested for a while, though the departure
from the club on Thursday of manager Rafael Benitez may throw any deal into
doubt.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Portsmouth's Nadir Belhadj keen on West Ham reunion with Avram Grant
Algerian defender has already spoken to Avram Grant...
4 Jun 2010 08:06:00
Goal.com
Portsmouth's Nadir Belhadj has exclusively told Goal.com UK that he has made
extending his stay in the Premier League his priority, and he has already
spoken to his former boss, and newly-appointed West Ham United manager,
Avram Grant. The Algerian international is certain to leave hard-up Pompey
this summer but reports earlier this week claimed he would turn down the
chance to join his old boss at Upton Park in favour of a lucrative switch to
Qatari club Al-Saad. However, Belhadj insists he has no desire to leave
England. "It's the best league in the world," Belhadj, currently in Germany
preparing for the World Cup with Algeria, told Goal.com UK. "There are lots
of great teams and you've seen, the race for the championship was really
tight this year right to the end. I feel good in England."
West Ham have been mentioned prominently among the suitors for the
27-year-old full-back, especially with the long-expected arrival of
erstwhile Pompey chief Grant in east London. "Yes, everyone's talking about
West Ham, because we all know Avram Grant's going there. I've spoken to the
coach," admitted Belhadj, "but there's absolutely nothing concrete for the
moment. We'll see what happens."
The former Lyon defender has also been linked with some of Europe's
highest-profile clubs, including Roma, Benfica and Barcelona. Speculation
over an unlikely switch to Camp Nou began after Belhadj came in for generous
praise from the Catalans' playmaker, Xavi. "It's a pleasure that Xavi spoke
that way about me," he said. "He's a great player and I've got a lot of
respect for him." Despite his plan to stay in England, Belhadj knows a
switch to the Spanish champions would be virtually impossible to turn down.
"Spain has a great championship, but we'll see after the World Cup," he
said.
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West Ham await Grant permit
June 4, 2010
ESPN
New West Ham manager Avram Grant will not begin his reign at Upton Park
until later this month as he waits for a work permit. Grant was named as
Gianfranco Zola's successor on a four-year deal on Thursday but the
appointment is subject to a successful work permit application. The
55-year-old Israeli must reapply every time he starts a new job, though West
Ham expect the process to run smoothly. Co-chairman David Sullivan has
revealed that new players will be arriving at Upton Park over the summer,
though how much Grant has to spend has yet to be revealed. "I'm delighted to
welcome Avram to West Ham and am confident he will prove a success,"
Sullivan told the club's official website. "We have taken our time over this
appointment and are certain we have got the right man. "We are all looking
forward to next season with new players coming in and Avram's arrival is
just the latest reason for real optimism."
Grant's priority is to prevent a repeat of last season which saw the club
flirt with relegation before finishing in 17th place with 35 points. Only
the feebleness of the teams that ended up in the relegation zone kept West
Ham safe and co-chairman David Gold believes Grant's arrival will lead to
less anxious times. "I have to say that having met Avram and spent some time
with him, we have got our man. He is a perfect fit," Gold said. "We needed
experience and stability. He's a footballing man and quite frankly his
reputation speaks for itself. "He has a great sense of humour and I'm sure
the players will relate to him and the fans will warm to him."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wenger clear favourite to land England stopper
Sport.co.uk
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on:04 June 2010 - 10:01
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is the clear favourite to sign West Ham
goalkeeper Robert Green with the Frenchman reportedly turning attention away
form Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer due to the player's £4 million asking
price and age.
Hammers keeper Robert Green, recently picked in Fabio Capello's England
squad for the World Cup in South Africa has been on Arsene Wenger's
goalkeeper shortlist since the transfer window opened, however reports this
morning have forced sports bookmakers to cut odds on the Frenchman signing
the former Norwich City stopper. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has also priced
Australian Mark Schwarzer out of a move to the Emirates, demanding £4
million for the the veteran 37-year-old, and Wenger is believed now to be
willing to sign an English keeper for the first time since Richard Wright.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been linked with a host of goalkeepers
around Europe including Gianluigi Buffon, Sebastien Frey, Hugo Lloris, and
Craig Gordon, however the Frenchman is now the clear favourite to sign
30-year-old Green from Upton Park. New West Ham boss Avram Grant could make
a u-turn to block the exit of a number of key players made available by
owners David Sullivan and David Gold in the transfer window, including
Cartlon Cole, Mark Noble, and Matthew Upson, however reports this morning
suggest Green is almost certain to leave the Hammers this summer.
ROBERT GREEN'S NEXT CLUB – SKY BET
ARSENAL – 9/4
SHALKE 04 – 5/1
CHELSEA – 7/1
MANCHESTER UNITED – 8/1
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR – 8/1
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