Monday, January 25

Daily WHUFC News - II 25th January 2010

Carr praise for driver
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr has praised coach driver Mick Straker for his
lightning reactions
25.01.2010

Tony Carr has lavished praise on West Ham United's Academy coach driver Mick
Straker following Saturday morning's drama on the M25. Straker showed
admirable reactions to keep control of the vehicle when an air pipe burst
and the brakes locked as the Under-18s made their way to take on Chelsea.
Thankfully, the motorway was quiet at the time and the driver was able to
keep the coach away from danger, save for a minor impact with a crash
barrier. After a short wait on the hard shoulder, the Hammers were collected
by a minibus provided by Chelsea before continuing their journey to Cobham
for the FA Premier Academy League fixture. Despite their dramatic journey
and falling 4-1 down just a minute after half-time, West Ham produced a fine
display in going down to a narrow 4-3 defeat. Cristian Montano netted twice
and Callum McNaughton his first goal in two years for Carr's side. The
Academy Director was immensely proud of everyone involved in Saturday's
game. "We had a difficult day all-round. We were involved in an incident on
the M25 and it could have been a lot more dangerous than it actually turned
out to be. We have to be thankful that we were all wearing seatbelts and all
came out uninjured.
"It was one of those things that galvanised us and brought everyone
together. It was an experience they had together and brought them closer.
Other than standing on the hard shoulder for 45 minutes in the freezing
cold, it was not too bad for them. "All credit must go to our driver, Mick,
who kept excellent control of the coach when the air pipe blew and the
brakes locked up. It could have been all so different and we all feel
fortunate to have come out unscathed. "It was nice that the new
vice-chairman, Karren Brady, rang us as soon as she heard about the incident
to check that everyone was OK. In all the years I have been travelling on
coaches, I've had the odd one break down, but nothing like this."
Following their eventful journey to Surrey, Carr's team understandably took
some time to settle, only to produce a stirring second-half comeback that so
nearly saw them earn a deserved point. "All credit to Chelsea, who sent a
minibus to pick us up, and we kicked-off half-an-hour later. We started the
game a little bit edgy, as you might expect, and Chelsea took the lead early
on. "We managed to equalise and I thought that would settle us down, but it
didn't as we conceded from a corner within three minutes. A bit of loose
marking in the box allowed him to score, and he duly completed his hat-trick
a minute before half-time. "We had a mountain to climb at half-time, which
then became even steeper when a goalkeeping error from Sam Cowler allowed
the ball to slip through his fingers and gift them a fourth goal. "From that
point onwards, I thought the team might feel sorry for themselves and
collapse and concede more goals, but all credit to them. They came back to
4-3 and the last 20 minutes we took the game to Chelsea but just didn't
quite have the quality to create an equaliser."
Among those individuals to do well on a day full of impressive performances
were schoolboys Dominic Vose, Blair Turgott and Robert Hall. The trio were
given a chance to shine after Nicky Barrett and Ahmed Abdulla were rested
after the midweek FA Youth Cup fourth-round victory over Queens Park
Rangers. "We had three schoolboys in the team and a special mention for them
as they played very well. Dominic and Blair had outstanding games in the
midfield, with Dominic getting all three assists, so there were some real
plus points from a day that had started very differently."
The U18s return to action next Saturday, when Charlton Athletic are the
visitors to Little Heath for an 11am kick-off.

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Cole raring to go
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's attacking options at Portsmouth could be boosted by
Carlton Cole's imminent return
25.01.2010

Carlton Cole has spoken of the belief in the West Ham United camp as the
squad head to Portsmouth in high spirits. The England striker could be back
on the bench for Tuesday night's match at Fratton Park after a two-month
absence and said the mood had been boosted by the arrival of new owners
David Sullivan and David Gold. He said: "It is good for everyone, the
players and the manager and the fans as well. "All of us can now just
concentrate and build on what we have got here already. We know we are here
to achieve things and have goals that have been set. "The first thing is to
get up the table but it is important also that we go on to realise the true
potential we have and we should have help coming with a few acquisitions to
the squad."
Cole is in contention for his first appearance since limping out of the 28
November visit of Burnley with a knee problem. He has been putting in long
hours at Chadwell Heath and will be ready whenever called upon, should it be
against Portsmouth or even the visit of Blackburn Rovers this weekend. "I
had a good pre-season which has given me a good base, so I just need to keep
building on everything now and get match sharp. "I am looking forward to
getting back out there on the pitch - trying to make sure I am explosive for
West Ham. I want to make a difference for the team when I get called upon.
"We have a run of matches coming up which we believe we can get results
from. With hopefully a full squad to choose from, we can get results in
these games. We are feeling positive, we want to get as many points on the
board as possible."
Cole said the squad had responded to the positive air around the Boleyn in
the last week. "It is good to hear the chairmen want to invest in helping us
because all we have heard in the past is that we may have to sell players.
"It is just nice to know and feel that we don't have to do that, that
everyone is settled. We can just concentrate on pulling in the same
direction and getting further up the table."
Cole, who has scored 14 goals in his last 25 league games since Boxing Day
2008, was part of a player delegation that met the chairmen at a special
training ground gathering last week. "It was very positive, I for one, took
a lot of confidence out of what they were saying, to know that they are here
for us, here for the fans, here for the staff. "They have come in with a
no-nonsense attitude which is good. First and foremost we have to get the
job done - our priority is to stay up. That is what we are focusing on and
are here to do. We must start that against Portsmouth. "We all know now what
we are doing and no player has to leave, so everyone knows they have to
fight for their places now, especially if other players get brought in. That
will be a real positive thing - competition for places is very important in
any team."

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Zola relaxed but ready
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola has spoken of the positive impact given by the club's new
owners
25.01.2010

Gianfranco Zola has reiterated his relief that he is once again able to
focus solely on football matters - starting with Tuesday night's game at
Portsmouth. David Gold and David Sullivan were announced as the club's new
owners last week and the West Ham United manager has spoken publicly for the
first time about having them at the helm. With a key run of games to come,
Zola is well aware of the importance of a settled and stable atmosphere.
"It's positive for the club as we will have the stability we have been
talking about for such a long time," he said. "I take it as a positive thing
for everybody. We will see what happens but it is looking good. "All the
players are committed to what we are doing. They were feeling some
uncertainty with all the speculation around, but the fact we are owned by
people who want to keep everyone at the club and strengthen it is good for
the morale of everybody. "The main thing they've already done is to bring
stability and to keep the players that were already in the team. That
already has been a big thing. "Now they are also trying to strengthen the
team and that is good. I think they want to bring someone in and they are
working hard to do that."
While there has been positive news off the pitch, Zola is hoping for more
good news on it as Carlton Cole could make the matchday squad for the first
time since the 28 November meeting with Burnley. "It is very good, Cole
might be on the bench. He has been training with me and he looks OK which is
positive news because when you have him back it's a big lift for everybody.
"It is like a massive new signing for us as he's an important player. The
whole team looked very good in training this morning."
The manager is hopeful of having Herita Ilunga, Danny Gabbidon and Kieron
Dyer back in full training over the next week or so while Guille Franco is
making progress from his muscle injury. The Hammers last met Portsmouth on
Boxing Day when they won 2-0 at the Boleyn Ground. It was not until Radoslav
Kovac's late headed goal that the points were assured though, and Zola is
predicting a similarly tough match at Fratton Park. "It was a tough game but
we did very well. I'm expecting it to be as tough as that on Tuesday but my
team is prepared. We are ready to play every game but we will have a go and
will see what the outcome is. "Everyone knows it is a big chance and they
have to perform. I am looking forward to the game."
Portsmouth are struggling at the foot of the table but are unbeaten in three
games in all competitions and go into the fixture on the back of a 2-1 FA
Cup victory over Sunderland at the weekend. "For them it is a very important
match and that is why we need to be careful as they are going to be fighting
very hard. They are struggling and the game is vital for them. For us if we
want to win, we must match that as we are fighting for our lives as well."
The Portsmouth match begins a run of six consecutive games against teams
outside the top six and Zola is determined to take full advantage. "We've
got 18 games to go and the ones coming up are all against teams that are
fighting like us. They all count so it will be a massive game."
With nobody having to leave and the transfer window closing in a week's
time, Zola reiterated his desire to bring in some more firepower to help
bolster his attack. He praised the efforts of the new chairmen in helping to
achieve that goal. "We need some strikers as that is the position that we
lack more than anything and then we will see what else we can do but the
priority is that. "The club are looking for some reinforcements but we
didn't speak about a budget. They are trying to strengthen the team and that
is enough for me."

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McCarthy: please release me
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2010
By: Staff Writer

Benni McCarthy is refusing to return to Blackburn - whilst stating that he
wants to join West Ham, according to reports. McCarthy, who is surplus to
requirements at Ewood Park is thought to have been the subject of a
£1.25million bid from West Ham last weekend. Rovers are said to have told
United that a deal would not be sanctioned until a replacement for the South
African striker had been found. The 32-year-old is understood to have failed
to attend training with his club since last Thursday as a result of the
impasse and, according to Sky Sports this lunchtime, has now confirmed that
he sees his future with the Hammers as a result of having been frozen out by
Sam Allardyce. David Gold first revealed West Ham's interest in the striker
upon being unveiled as the club's new joint-owner last week.

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Zola given unequivocal backing
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th January 2010
By: Staff Writer

Gianfranco Zola has been told that his job is safe - for as long as
continues to deliver results. Zola, who takes his team to bottom club
Portsmouth tomorrow night for what will be West Ham's first outing since the
club was (semi) purchased by David's Sullivan and Gold has been given the
full backing of the club's new owners, despite United's current league
position. Joint Chairman David Gold, speaking this morning revealed that
Zola had been told that he is the man to lead the club forward, adding that
he had been impressed by the Italian's reaction to the part-takeover. "My
relationship with him already - and I've only met him three times - I'm
finding him very comfortable to work with, he's very measured," Gold told
Five Live. "But managers are judged by performance, by results - we're all
aware of that. "I've alluded to the relationship between the manager and
the principles of the football club - and I can tell you that's excellent
already. His ability with the media - I think he comes over as a very
accessible person, I think he delivers himself very well through TV and
radio and I think that's very good as well because it embraces the fans.
"I'm a patient person. I will at all times - and I'm sure I'm speaking for
David Sullivan as well - put West Ham United Football Club ahead of
everything. I think that Gianfranco Zola will make an exceptional manager,
given time. "I can't see any reason why that would not be the case. But how
far do you go ahead? You might ask me whether I see him with us in ten years
time, to which I'd say 'I hope so'."
Zola, whose own difficulties seem almost trivial in comparison to those of
current Pompey boss Avram Grant could welcome Carlton Cole back into the
squad for what will be the first of a string of crucial fixtures against
teams in the lower half of the current Premier League table.

Following tomorrow night's trip to the south coast the Irons face Blackburn
(h), Burnley (a), Birmingham (h) and Hull (h). A fifth potential clash with
Wolves scheduled for 2nd February has however been postponed - again - as
Wolves' FA Cup clash with Crystal Palace finished 2-2 and will therefore
require a replay on the night of the rescheduled fixture with West Ham,
which was dependent on a result in the Cup match.

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West Ham player Calum Davenport denies sister assault
BBC.co.uk

Premier League footballer Calum Davenport has appeared in court to deny
assaulting his sister. The West Ham United player, of Bedfordshire, is
charged with causing actual bodily harm to Cara Davenport, 28, in Bedford on
22 August. The 27-year-old centre back was granted bail when he appeared at
Luton Crown Court with the condition that he does not contact his sister. A
provisional date for the two-day trial was set for 2 August.

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Gold on striker search
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2010
By: Staff Writer

David Gold has revealed that he would be 'hugely disappointed' if West Ham
United failed to sign a striker ahead of the transfer window deadline. Gold,
talking to Gary Richardson on Five Live's Sportsweek show confirmed that the
deal to sign Ruud Van Nistelrooy had fallen through but insisted that he and
his partner David Sullivan were working flat out to bring someone in before
February 2nd. "The difference there, the reason he went [to Hamburg] is that
we wouldn't be prepared to pay somebody £100,000 [per week] for
one-and-a-half years - but we would for four months," said Gold. "We've done
it before, we did it at Birmingham with Dugarry for a very short period of
time - and he saved us from relegation. "I would be hugely disappointed if
we didn't bring in a striker before the window closes. Our only weakness in
the team, as we see it, is a shortage of strikers. "We played an
18-year-old boy [Frank Nouble] at Aston Villa last week and that's asking
too much. He was actually superb at times and he's got a great future, but
it's asking an awful lot of an 18-year-old. "[We're looking at] any centre
forward, any striker - with a caveat that he must be able to score goals,
because there are lots of strikers that don't score goals - and we're
listening to proposals and working very hard to bring somebody in. "But the
greatest danger was that this [Nistelrooy] deal would have gone on and on
and on, and the window would have slammed shut on us."
Despite the failure to land Van Nistelrooy, West Ham continue to be linked
with a number of strikers, the latest including Monaco's Eidur Gudjohnsen,
Stoke's James Beattie and Tottenham's Robbie Keane.

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Gold defuses 'Olympic' row
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th January 2010
By: Staff Writer

David Gold has dismissed an apparent suggestion by Vice Chairman Karren
Brady that West Ham United could be renamed in the event of a move to the
Olympic Stadium.
Brady, speaking in her weekend column for the Sun was quoted as saying 'I
love the idea of calling the club West Ham Olympic', which led to angry
comments from supporters who felt that Brady was referring to the name of
the team. However Gold, talking to Five Live's Sportsweek this morning
calmed fears when he confirmed that a name change was not under
consideration - but that the new stadium name may contain reference to its
former Olympic status. Speaking to Gary Richardson about the proposals,
Gold said: "You have to pursue these opportunities, they come up once in a
lifetime. It could transform West Ham. "If you ask me personally as a fan I
want to stay in Upton Park, but I'm a realist - if West Ham is to move
forward and challenge in due course maybe three, four, five years from now,
we really have to move into a state-of-the-art modern stadium.
"West Ham United would never change whilst I'm co-Chairman of the football
club, I have to say. It's what I remembered 50, 60 years ago so I wouldn't
want that changed. I think what you might do is call the stadium [the] West
Ham Olympic Stadium, I can make a case for that. "Everybody that I've spoken
to is in favour of this project, particularly now that we're on board and
they can see our enthusiasm. I've not met a single person that's been
negative about our idea. "I think what we'll be doing is looking at every
possibility. We're even looking at the possibility of retractable seating.
There's a very good example of how successful this can be with the
Manchester City stadium. You would like to try and emulate that."
Brady, whose arrival at the club has been somewhat low-key in direct
contrast to Gold and partner David Sullivan, spoke mainly of her vision for
the club post-2012 in the remainder of her generally upbeat article.

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Hammers look at Menseguez
Argentine could secure another stint in the Premier League
By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 25th January 2010
SSN

Skysports.com understands West Ham United are exploring a possible loan deal
for Argentine attacker Juan Carlos Menseguez. The 25-year-old spent the
second half of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion and impressed in
making seven appearances for the club. He was wanted on a permanent deal by
the Baggies before Tony Mowbray left his position as manager to take over at
Celtic. Mowbray tried to secure a reunion with the San Lorenzo schemer, but
was unable to agree a loan deal before the close of the summer transfer
window. Menseguez may now clinch another stint in the Premier League as West
Ham boss Gianfranco Zola steps up his search for more attacking options.
With the Hammers facing a battle to avoid relegation, Zola is keen to
strengthen his squad, with Menseguez one player being considered.

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West Ham footballer Calum Davenport denies assaulting sister
Evening Standard
25.01.10

A Premier League footballer denied today that he assaulted his sister. West
Ham United defender Calum Davenport, 27, is accused of causing actual bodily
harm to Cara Davenport, 28, on August 22 in an incident which later saw him
stabbed in both legs. He pleaded not guilty to the offence today at Luton
Crown Court. Davenport, of Greenfield, Bedford, appeared in court wearing a
grey-brown overcoat, grey suit and black tie. He is due to stand trial at
the same court on August 2 and was released on bail on condition he does not
communicate with his sister. Ms Davenport was pregnant at the time of the
alleged incident and is due to give birth at the end of March or beginning
of April. Her boyfriend, Worrell Whitehurst, pleaded guilty in November to
causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the former England Under-21
international on August 22. Davenport was left with a 15-inch scar on his
leg after the attack and required surgery before he could return to
training. Whitehurst, 25, of Finsley Walk, Derby, will be sentenced after
the conclusion of Davenport's trial.

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Three West Ham United legends in the making
Sport.co.uk
Author: Ben Moss
Posted on:25 January 2010 - 12:40

Sport.co.uk takes a look at three West Ham United players who could go on to
cement legendary status amongst the Upton Park faithful…

Valon Behrami

The £5m signing from Lazio has been a revelation since his arrival in summer
2008 and has recently been linked with a £15m move to Manchester City. Now
under new ownership, the Hammers will be very reluctant to sell one of their
young stars, especially as their misguided policy of signing
aging/injury-prone starts on big wages shows no sign of abating. Beharami is
a tireless worker with no little quality and, if Gianfranco Zola can
continue to line him up in midfield alongside Scott Parker and Jack
Collison, things are bound to pick up for West Ham eventually.

Scott Parker

Carlton Cole attracts the headlines for his goalscoring exploits, while
Robert Green and Matthew Upson get the England call-ups, but the Hammers'
true on-pitch leader is former Charlton Athletic, Chelsea and Newcastle
United midfielder Parker. His all-action style has found an appreciative
home at Upton Park and he makes for a great mentor to youngsters such as
Collison and Mark Noble.

Jack Collison

Mark Noble seems to have been more of a first choice over the last couple of
seasons, but Wales international Collison looks like the greater prospect. A
technically gifted attacking midfielder, Collison may lack the defensive
attributes of Behrami and Parker but, together, they could make for a
midfield blend which you'd think would be enough to just about see West Ham
safe this season. Although anxious supporters will have heard that one
before.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 25th January 2010

Hall called by England
WHUFC.com
England Under-17s have rewarded Robert Hall for his continued good
performances for West Ham United
24.01.2010

Robert Hall's great year has continued with his inclusion in the England
squad for the annual Algarve Tournament in Portugal. The 16-year-old forward
is in fine form in the Academy, not least in helping Tony Carr's side earn
an FA Youth Cup fifth-round tie against Newcastle United on Wednesday 3
February. He has also shone on the international stage and, after great
strides with the U16s last year, is already established at U17 level. Hall
will travel with John Peacock's squad as they meet France, Ukraine and the
host nation over four days between 13 and 16 February. The round-robin group
will help the Young Lions prepare for the Elite round of qualifying for the
2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship which gets under way in March.

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Holmar on a high
WHUFC.com
On-loan Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson tasted victory on his third appearance for KSV
Roeselare
24.01.2010

Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson tasted victory for the first time in a KSV Roeselare
shirt as the Belgian side overcame Jupiler League relegation rivals KSC
Lokeren 4-1 on Saturday evening. The on-loan West Ham United defender was
making his third appearance for the club - also known as Roulers in French -
having previously turned out in a league defeat by KVV Mechelen and Belgian
Cup loss to KV Kortrijk. The news was much more positive this time around,
however, as two goals from Nikita Rukavytsya and strikes from Bertin Tomou
and Joeri Derquevy saw off Lokeren at the Daknamstadion. Victory for
Eyjolfsson's side lifted them three points above bottom-placed Lokeren. With
nine games remaining, Roeselare will maintain their top-flight status should
they remain in 14th place following the removal of Excelsior Mouscron due to
financial issues. Roeselare return to action in the return leg of their
Belgian Cup tie with Kortrijk on 27 January, hoping to overturn a 3-2
first-leg deficit.

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Maoulida keen on Prem move
Striker suggests it is 50/50 that he could leave Lens
Last updated: 24th January 2010
SSN

Lens striker Toifilou Maoulida has expressed an interest in moving to
England after admitting it is '50/50' that he could leave his current club.
Maoulida has struggled to establish himself in Lens' starting line-up this
season, although he did score the winner against Compeigne in the Coupe de
France on Saturday. He has been linked with a switch to the Premier League,
with Stoke City, West Ham United and Wigan Athletic mooted as admirers. The
30-year-old insists he is not desperate to quit Lens, but is tempted by the
opportunity to secure a transfer to English football. "I'm waiting to see,"
he told L'Equipe. "I've had a discussion with my managers recently. They
have set a deadline of Wednesday. "I am in favour of the Lens project but
the situation is complicated. "If an English club give me this opportunity
then why not? The English league has always interested me. It's 50/50 at the
moment." Maoulida, who also lists Montpellier and Marseille among his former
teams, joined from Auxerre in January 2008 and immediately made his mark
with a 40-yard goal on his debut. He opted to remain at Lens despite their
relegation and was the club's top scorer last season as he helped fire them
to promotion with one of the best goal hauls in Ligue 2.

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Beattie's Gold-dust for David
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN

WEST HAM are set to end James Beattie's Stoke hell by jumping in with a
£3million offer. The Hammers - who narrowly missed out on signing Ruud van
Nistelrooy last week - are pulling out all the stops to land a striker.
Beattie, 31, had a furious bust-up with boss Tony Pulis after a 2-0 defeat
at Arsenal last month. West Ham are desperate to bring a player in with
Carlton Cole struggling with a knee injury. New Hammers joint-owner David
Gold said: "I'd be hugely disappointed if we did not bring in a striker
before the window closes. "But it would have to be someone of quality or
there is no point."

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Portsmouth v West Ham United Match Preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th January 2010
By: Preview Percy

The club may have new ownership but Preview Percy is still here. Sadly......


And so a new era commences with a trip down the A3 to Portsmouth for a
7:45pm kick-off this Tuesday evening.

There's a large amount of "there but for the grace of God" about this one.
Financially they are in similar schtuck to that which we found ourselves in.
The good people of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs have their finger
hovering over the switch to the life support machine, with a winding-up
order due to be heard in the High Court early next month. Players are
getting used to being paid late, an issue which may well cause the club even
more problems given that standard contracts usually allow for players to
give notice if they don't get paid. The Premier League have been using their
TV money to pay off debts direct to other clubs, and, whether not the
current transfer embargo gets lifted will depend upon their being able to
persuade the authorities that Udinese have, despite earlier protestations to
the contrary from the Italians, actually agreed a repayment schedule over
the transfer of Sulley Muntari back in 2007. Just to add to the mix Sol
Campbell decided that he wasn't unpopular enough within football by
commencing legal proceedings over unpaid bonuses and, hilariously, "image
rights". All in all it's easy to see why wags have renamed Fratton "Boracic
Park"

They are, of course, bottom of the league having garnered 14 points from
their 20 games thus far. Their last six league matches have brought them two
wins (at home to travel-sick Burnley and a dreadful Liverpool) one draw,
courtesy of a 93rd minute equaliser a Sunderland, and three defeats (home to
Arsenal and away to ourselves and Chelsea). What with it having been a bit
nippy of late, they have yet to play a league match this decade, their three
excursions of 2010 having come in the FA Cup where they took two matches to
overcome Coventry before coming from behind to beat Sunderland in front of
10,000 or so fed-up supporters in this weekend's 4th round. They will be
pleased with the draw for the next round where their share of the gate from
what will be a sell-out at St Marys will pay a bill or two.

It appears that we will be unlikely to see former Hammer David James take up
his position between the posts on Tuesday. The on-off talks between Pompey
and Stoke over the 'keeper's immediate future are, at the time of writing,
on, though, as ever, cash is something of a sticking point with both sides
haggling over the amounts to be paid and the end-date for the contract.
James will be on good wages on the south coast, or at least he would be if
they were to pay him, so a departure will suit both sides, giving as it
would Pompey a bit of financial respite and James the possibility of some
first-team football in advance of the World Cup. Begovic will continue in
goal as a result.

With the transfer window being closed to Pompey until the authorities can
find the keys to the security locks, there have been no new arrivals of
late. However the squad is beginning to look a little threadbare at the
moment. They were only able to muster five subs for the Mackems' visit at
the weekend and both Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop picked up knocks at
the weekend, though my deadline for this means that it's a bit early to say
whether they'll be available for Tuesday. The main problem for boss Grant
has been the African Cup of Nations which has rendered the likes of Belhadj,
Dindane, Yebda and Kanu unavailable for selection. It never rains as they
say.

Star man for them in the cup match was John Utaka who picked up a brace.
Utaka has not always been first choice this season, with many of his
appearances coming from the racing car seats. Another perennial bench-warmer
has been former Hammer Haydn Mullins, who was one of the five in the dugout
on Saturday.

French striker Frederic Picuionne has been starting up front of late. He
showed some decent form against us in the Boxing Day fixture, though, by all
accounts, he does blow hot and cold. He's been at the head of a 4-3-2-1
formation in recent weeks with Utaka and Diop playing just behind.

Meanwhile for us things would appear to be looking up for once. After months
of speculation the two Daves (shouldn't that be Rodneys?) have finally taken
over with the promise of a spot of much-needed stability on the financial
side of things. First priority would appear to be a striker. Though the bid
to lure Van Niestelroy to the Boleyn ultimately failed, as a statement of
intent it took some beating. The stated aim was to bring in a striker prior
to this game, though at the time of writing that seems to be a non-starter.
I also find it unlikely that we'll be able to rescue Robbie Keane from his
"Spurs Hell" but it's nice to be mentioned as a possibility.

We may see the return of a number of players from injury, with Ilunga,
Gabbidon, Parker and, crucially, Cole all said to be nearing a comeback.
Franco will be absent for another week or so and, if Carlton needs another
few days of rehab, expect Nouble to have another start. The youngster
started to show some promise up at Villa Park last week, though his
composure in front of goal obviously needs a bit of work. Still, early days,
as they say.

Predictions? Well they'll be on a mini-high after the cup win, though by
Tuesday their players will know whether or not they'll need to be taking a
closer interest in those Ocean Finance ads next weekend. Assuming that some,
if not all of our players who are said to be close to a return, make an
appearance I have a suspicion that we'll be to strong for them once more,
especially if the atmosphere is already on a downer. I shall therefore go
for a 2-1 victory as the players seek to impress the new bosses who, let's
face it, do not have the air of people who will tolerate a lack of effort!

Enjoy the game!

Last Season: Won 4-1 A Craig Bellamy-inspired yuletide performance served to
kick-start a season that saw us ultimately pushing for a European slot. Same
again please.

Referee: Andre Marriner – did the Halloween match up at the Stadium of
Light. Sent off two whilst Sunderland's Cerna was allowed to get away with
half a dozen awful challenges each of which could have merited a red card in
its own right.

Danger Man: Utaka He will have his tail up after his goals on Saturday.

Look out for: Pompey Owner Ali Al Faraj – if you do see him there are a few
Pompey fans who I am sure will reward you handsomely for the information!

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Can the Club Land Huntelaar?
West Ham Till I Die

There are various reports circulating that the club are seeking to get
Huntelaar from AC Milan on loan for the remainder of the season. Huntelaar
is a striker with a big reputation from his days in the Dutch league, but
has apparently failed to settle in the Spanish league and Italy's Serie A.

There is no doubt that he is quality and just the type of goal predator that
we so badly need. The only question will be whether he can adapt quickly
enough to the more physical nature of the PL to maximise his impact over the
remainder of the season. My view is if we can realistically get him then we
should go for it! It could be an inspired move!

However, this is only one of the rumours circulating at the moment. Other
sources have us signing McCarthy from Blackburn and/or Gudjonsson from
Monaco. I think that McCarthy will be a good signing in the short-term and
for a fee in the region of £1.7-2.5m you cannot really go wrong. Some
sources are stating that Blackburn are digging their heels in over a £3m
fee, but the player is clearly unsettled and, hopefully, this will prove
decisive in pushing a deal through.

There are also reports of Spurs proposing a player swop deal involving
Carlton Cole and Robbie Keane. Whilst I would consider Keane joining the
club, losing Cole is really too high a price to pay I am afraid. Similarly,
we should reject any offer from Man City of £15m or a lower fee and a player
exchange. Again, losing Behrami is just too high a price to pay in my book.

However, things have gone quiet on prior reports that we were setting up a
deal for Luke Young from Villa. I have to admit that I do hope that a good
quality right-back joins the club, as it is a position that really worries
me. We need to tighten things at the back and preserve/ improve our
current goal difference. The -9 goal difference could be worth an extra
point to us, seeing as most of our rivals at the bottom are c. -20.
Hopefully we will climb to mid-table and goal difference will not be a
factor, but just in case!

Zola also has to decide whether he is happy going with the two young reserve
keepers as cover for Green. Both are very good prospects, particularly
Stech, but do they have the experience to cope if Green got injured? As an
insurance policy it might be advisable to Bring in a veteran keeper on a
short-term deal. Similarly, improved cover for Upson and Tomkins might also
be a preferred option, but it has to be recognised that you can only do so
much business in what remains of the the January window. Perhaps we may
just have to go with Da Costa and Gabbidon as first line cover, with
promising prospects Spence and Ngala as our fall back?

Whatever, the next 7 days should be very interesting. Starting with,
hopefully, delivering on the club's stated objective of bringing in a
striker before Tuesday's match with Portsmouth. Interesting that Pompey
beat Sunderland yesterday. There is always one team every season that
starts off well and then ends up dropping in to the relegation mire, could
that team be Sunderland this season?

SJ. Chandos.

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Cheeky David Sullivan invites axed boss Alan Curbishley to invest in
debt-ridden West Ham
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 12:40 PM on 24th January 2010
Daily Mail

David Sullivan has invited Alan Curbishley to invest his financial pay-off
from West Ham back into the cash-strapped Barclays Premier League club.
Former Hammers boss Curbishley won his case for wrongful dismissal against
the club in November and is still awaiting settlement. New West Ham
co-owner Sullivan admitted this week the club are £110million in debt, and
has been scathing in his criticism of the club's previous owners. Sullivan
and business partner David Gold face an uphill task to balance the books at
Upton Park and are seeking new investors, and the former Birmingham owner
believes Curbishley could go a long way to aiding those efforts. Sullivan
told the People: 'Alan will get somewhere between £1.25million and
£3.25million, and we'd love him to invest his settlement with us in West
Ham. 'It would be marvellous, I could think of nothing better, but I don't
think he's going to be doing it. We're hoping to start seeing people we hope
will invest with us by the middle of the week. 'We've got a few people
who've got a gold card who we're going to see and we're hoping they'll join
us in the battle to keep West Ham alive. 'We're talking about substantial
sums of money from some very rich people and we're hoping in a few months'
time that they will have signed up for the fight. 'We will show them what
we did at Birmingham, where all the investors doubled or quadrupled their
money.'

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