WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for Monday night's trip to Anfield to
meet the Reds
17.04.2010
Liverpool v West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Anfield
Monday 19 April 2010
8pm
Referee: Peter Walton
• West Ham United travel to the city of Liverpool for the second time this
month to take on Rafael Benitez's Reds. The club's last awayday saw the
Hammers earn a 2-2 draw at city rivals Everton and a repeat or better would
be a major shot in the arm for Barclays Premier League survival hopes.
• Gianfranco Zola's men went into the weekend four points clear of the drop
zone, meaning that they will stay out of the bottom three whatever happens
on Monday night. After the Everton result, the club won for the first time
in eight matches with a 1-0 home win against Sunderland last Saturday.
• The Hammers have still not won away since the opening day of the season on
15 August, while Liverpool have been impressive at home. They have lost just
twice in the top-flight at Anfield this season and taken 39 points from a
possible 51.
• Gianfranco Zola will be without Scott Parker after the Hammer of the Year
- and the SBOBET Player of the Month for March - was cautioned at Everton.
He served the first game of his two-match ban against Sunderland.
• Liverpool go into the match on the back of their owners Tom Hicks and
George Gillett confirming on Friday that they intend to sell the club.
British Airways boss Martin Broughton has been appointed to oversee the
sale.
• The match is almost a must-win for Liverpool if they want to catch
Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the three-way race for fourth place
- and a return to the UEFA Champions League next season.
• This is the 105th league meeting between the two sides. Liverpool have won
55, West Ham have won 21 and there have been 29 draws.
• Monday's match will be screened live by ESPN, as was the previous meeting
between the clubs back on Saturday 19 September at the Boleyn Ground. West
Ham have been on the losing side in the four previous matches shown live by
ESPN this season.
• The last meeting between the sides at Anfield came on 1 December 2008,
when Craig Bellamy hitting the post was the closest either came to scoring
in a lively goalless draw. Fernando Torres did not play in the match.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Dossena, Benayoun, Gerrard,
Alonso, Riera (Babel 78), Kuyt, Keane (Ngog 66)
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Agger, Mascherano, Lucas, Insua
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert (Boa Morte
86), Parker, Mullins, Behrami, Bellamy, Cole
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Noble, Tristan, Davenport, Collison, Di Michele
Last time out
Saturday 10 April 2010
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
West Ham United: Green, Upson, Spector, Da Costa, Kovac, Noble, Behrami,
Faubert, Stanislas (Franco 74), Cole, Ilan (Daprela 89)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Gabbidon, Diamanti, Spence, McCarthy
Sunday 11 April 2010
Barclays Premier League
Liverpool 0-0 Fulham
Liverpool: Reina, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Agger, Johnson, Rodriguez, Gerrard,
Aquilani (Kuyt 65), Babel (Benayoun 72), Mascherano, Ngog (Pacheco 79)
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Ayala, Degen, Lucas
Last meeting
The teams last met on Saturday 19 September 2009, when Fernando Torres
proved the difference in a match lit up by the electrifying pace of Zavon
Hines in the Hammers' attack.
West Ham United: Green, Upson (Gabbidon 25), Ilunga, Tomkins, Parker, Noble,
Behrami (Kovac 28), Faubert, Cole, Diamanti (Dyer 66), Hines
Subs not used: Kurucz, Spector, Payne, Nouble
Goals: Diamanti 29 pen, Cole 45
Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Johnson, Benayoun (Aurelio 85),
Gerrard, Mascherano, Lucas, Torres (Riera 89), Kuyt (Babel 61)
Subs not used: Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Dossena, Degen
Goals: Torres 20, 75, Kuyt 41
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
19 September 2010 West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool
9 May 2009 West Ham United 0-3 Liverpool
1 December 2008 Liverpool 0-0 West Ham United
5 March 2008 Liverpool 4-0 West Ham United
30 January 2008 West Ham United 1-0 Liverpool
30 January 2007 West Ham United 1-2 Liverpool
Overall record v Liverpool (all competitions) W 23 D 34 L 62
Next up
• West Ham United will welcome Wigan Athletic on Saturday 24 April, while
Liverpool travel to Spain to take on Atletico Madrid for their UEFA Europa
League semi-final on Thursday night.
Referee
• Monday's referee is Peter Walton.
• Walton, 50, began his refereeing career in 1986 and was an assistant
referee at the 1996 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Liverpool at
Wembley. That same year, he also joined the FIFA list of assistant referees
and ran the line during the Euro 96 group-stage fixture between Germany and
Czech Republic at Old Trafford.
• Walton joined the Football League List of referees in 1998 and joined the
Premier League Select List in 2003.
• This will be his third West Ham United game of the season, after taking
charge of the 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United on 5 December and the
goalless draw against Blackburn Rovers at the Boleyn Ground on 30 January.
• He has taken charge of six Liverpool games this season. The 4-0 win
against Stoke City on the opening day, the 6-1 defeat of Hull in September
and the 2-2 draw with Birmingham City. Those three successes all came at
Anfield, before he was the man in the middle for the 1-0 defeat at Aston
Villa in December and the goalless draws at Wolves and Manchester City in
January and February respectively.
West Ham United
• Carlton Cole, with nine goals to date this campaign, has still never
scored two goals in a game for West Ham.
• Robert Green is on a run of 122 unbroken starts in the Barclays Premier
League.
• Valon Behrami has committed 34 fouls since his last caution, no other
player in the top-flight has had to wait longer for a yellow card..
• Alessandro Diamanti's eight goals in all competitions has left him just
one behind top scorer Carlton Cole.
• In terms of attacking ambition, Diamanti leads the Hammers statistics in
terms of shots (81), shots on target (44), shots off target (37) and assists
(4).
• Behrami celebrates his 25th birthday on Monday, the day after Matthew
Upson turns 31.
• Mark Noble will make his 100th Barclays Premier League appearance if
selected.
• West Ham have scored 41 goals this season in the league with 15 different
players on target. Carlton Cole leads the way (nine), with Alessandro
Diamanti (seven), Guille Franco (four), Matthew Upson and Ilan (both three)
next in line. Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Junior Stanislas and Manuel da
Costa have each scored twice. Finally, the departed Luis Jimenez, Zavon
Hines, Radoslav Kovac, Valon Behrami, Julien Faubert and Scott Parker have
also registered. An own-goal from Everton's Tony Hibbert completes the
tally.
• No team has been awarded more penalties than West Ham in the top flight
this season, with nine given to the Hammers and seven of them have been
converted.
• Parker has been cautioned ten times this season, and his caution at
Everton means he missed the Sunderland date as well as the trip to
Liverpool.
• * The visitors will be looking to record their first win on Merseyside
since 14 September 1963. The London side have lost on their last eight
visits there since goals from Frank Lampard and Marc Keller helped secure a
2-2 draw in February 1999.
* West Ham United's last win at Anfield, on 14 September 1963, came courtesy
of goals from Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. Jim Standen also saved a
penalty from Ronnie Moran in the match.
Liverpool
• Steven Gerrard leads the Liverpool in all attacking categories: shots
(80), shots on target (48), shots off target (32), assists (6), crosses
(115).
• Liverpool, along with Burnley, have hit the woodwork on 13 occasions this
season, a league-leading statistic.
• Pepe Reina, who has just signed a new long-term contract, is tied with
Petr Cech of Chelsea for the most clean sheets this season (14).
• Two Liverpool players, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt, made their debuts
against West Ham. Carragher's first appearance came at Anfield in January
1997, while Kuyt's came at Anfield in August 2006.
• Striker Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick against West Ham in Liverpool's
4-0 win at Anfield on 5 March 2008..
• Alberto Aquilani received extensive treatment for an ankle injury at
Chadwell Heath while still a AS Roma player in the 2008/09 campaign before
his summer move to Liverpool.
• Liverpool's record home win against West Ham was a 6-0 success on 7 April
1984, a month before they became crowned champions of Europe in Rome.
Team news
• With Scott Parker absent through suspension, Herita Ilunga (tendon
injury), James Tomkins (ankle), Kieron Dyer (hamstring) are all unable to
return to the squad. It remains to be seen if they will figure again this
season.
• Mido is available for selection after a virus kept him out last week.
• Luis Boa Morte is back in the reserves after missing the whole season to
date with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and other knee problems
suffered last July.
• Zavon Hines will not play again this season with a knee injury, while Jack
Collison is also not expected to feature with his own knee problem.
• Liverpool have major concerns over Fernando Torres, who has scored 18
league goals this season and 22 in all competitions. He has been troubled by
a knee injury.
• Emiliano Insua and Fabio Aurelio both have knocks, meaning Daniel Agger
could continue at left-back.
• Martin Skrtel is close to a return from a foot injury but is not thought
to be ready yet.
Old boys
• Liverpool and Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun made 72 appearances,
scoring eight goals, during two seasons at West Ham United. Benayoun, who
turned 29 on 5 May, arrived from Spanish side Racing Santander in the summer
of 2005 before leaving for Anfield in July 2007.
• Glen Johnson, 25, came through the ranks at West Ham, making 15 league
appearances in the 2002/03 season. He was transferred to Chelsea for £6m in
summer 2003 and subsequently moved on to Portsmouth before Liverpool snapped
him up in June 2009.
• Liverpool and Argentina defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano spent
half-a-season with West Ham United between August 2007 and January 2008. The
24-year-old made seven appearances in all competitions for the Hammers.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Craig Bellamy,
Tom Bradshaw, David Burrows, Titi Camara, Charles Cotton, Julian Dicks, Ray
Houghton, Don Hutchison, Paul Ince, David James, Rob Jones, George Kay, Mike
Marsh, Neil Mellor, Neil Ruddock, Danny Shone, Rigobert Song and Thomas
Stanley.
General information
• For ticket information, click here. For details on getting to Anfield,
click here
• Monday's weather forecast in Liverpool is for an overcast evening with
temperatures peaking around the 8C mark.
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Zola eyes Anfield repeat
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola is eager to score West Ham United's first victory at
Liverpool in nearly 47 years
17.04.2010
The date is 11 June 1996 and Gianfranco Zola has done something that West
Ham United have not achieved since 1963 - won at Anfield. That day, Zola was
part of the victorious Italy side which scored a 2-1 Group C victory over
Czech Republic at UEFA Euro 96 - with both goals being scored by his close
friend and strike partner Pierluigi Casiraghi. Nearly 13 years later, the
Hammers manager believes his players can end the club's 47-year hoodoo at
the home of Liverpool. "The confidence level is definitely higher than
before. We're going there [to win] and I think we have found a way to be
more effective. We know that, until the end, the important thing is going to
be to fight very hard until the point when we can play with a little bit
more freedom. "We will go and give everything we have got, and hopefully it
is going to be enough. "I did win there as a player. We are expecting a
difficult game over there because of their team. We can do it, though. We
have a lot of motivation and enthusiasm to do it, so we will have a go."
Liverpool go into the game contending with the twin distractions of a
prospective takeover in the summer and a UEFA Europa League semi-final,
first-leg trip to Atletico Madrid less than 72 hours after Monday's meeting.
"They might be [distractions], but I don't think we have to rely on them. We
have to rely on ourselves if we want to get a good result. We have to put in
a good performance and everyone has to work very hard. On top of that, if we
have advantages, then that is good, but I honestly believe we need to do it
ourselves."
While Zola will be without the suspended Scott Parker for the trip to
Anfield, he lauded the impact made by Ilan - who scored important goals in
the 2-2 draw at Everton and 1-0 win over Sunderland - and Mark Noble, who
took the Hammer of the Year's place in central midfield against the Black
Cats to good effect. "Ilan, everybody saw, scored two goals that got us four
points, so he really affected the game both times. I'm delighted for him.
"Mark Noble obviously came on and gave us a lot of energy and enthusiasm and
those things, right now, are priceless. So I'm very pleased that he's back
on form and I think he's getting better and better. "It's important [that
the other players step up]. Scott is a very talented and important player
for us, but we have to remember that, last year, we played without Scott for
a long time and got good results. We have to be a team. We know that if
everybody works hard as a team then, even if we are missing one important
player, we can get a good result."
Another player who the manager has been delighted to see back on the
training pitch this week is Luis Boa Morte, who made a successful return to
reserve-team action at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday evening - even if
it is a case of slowly but surely for the popular midfielder. "It was very
nice. Last year, he wasn't only important at the end because he played, but
he was important throughout the year because of his enthusiasm and his
positive attitude. He was very important for the whole team. We missed him a
lot on the pitch and off the pitch and now I hope he is going to be able to
play before the end of the season. That will be massive for us."
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Striking opportunity at Liverpool
WHUFC.com,
With five forwards vying for selection, Gianfranco Zola is hoping for goals
on Monday night
17.04.2010
Gianfranco Zola is "spoilt for choice" up front as West Ham United travel to
take on a Liverpool side sweating on the fitness of Fernando Torres. Spain
striker Torres has been a thorn in the Hammers' side in the past, scoring
twice in the 3-2 win at the Boleyn Ground last September and a hat-trick in
a 4-0 win at Anfield back in March 2008. There is real concern at Liverpool
that he will not recover from a knee problem in time, with the Reds also
looking to a UEFA Europa League semi-final at Atletico Madrid next Thursday.
Zola, who is without the suspended Scott Parker, meanwhile will pair Carlton
Cole and Ilan up front, but also has the fit-again Mido, after a virus,
Benni McCarthy and Guille Franco pushing for places on the substitutes'
bench. "We are spoilt for choice up front," Zola said on a sunny Saturday
morning at Chadwell Heath. "We have everybody back and Mido is also fit
again. It will give me the opportunity to have a choice which is always a
good thing for a manager. "Ilan has been doing very well. I am really
impressed. The boy waited for his opportunity. He is using that now very
well. He will start on Monday."
The manager said there was a "plan B" for getting to Liverpool should
volcanic ash drifting over from Iceland mean the club are unable to fly on
Sunday afternoon. Whether the team take to the air or the road, Zola will
make sure they head north with a clear focus on the task facing them.
"Liverpool still have something in their bag to cause us problems. I know
Torres is a big asset for them but to be honest I like David Ngog very much.
I am sure he could be a problem any way. We don't have to really be thinking
that if Torres doesn't play, it is a big advantage for us. We have to
perform. "What ever team they play they will always be a tough game for us.
That is for sure. We need to make sure that first of all, we play a good
performance and then we will also have to be a little bit lucky."
A win last time out against Sunderland and a 2-2 draw at Everton before that
has raised morale at Chadwell Heath. Complacency is a danger with plenty of
points still up for grabs. "Things are a little bit better but we have to
keep focused because it is a championship where you can't really relax. The
gap between the clubs at the bottom is very close. One bad game could cause
a lot of problems."
With the Hammers on 31 points, the manager believed two wins from the final
four games would make sure of survival. "Sometime ago we said 34 points
could be enough. I don't know, I have got my doubts right now. It is still
close. We will see. I would assume that to be completely safe 36 points
would do it."
He was also not worried about playing on Monday night, after the relegation
rivals had all been in action over the weekend. "It could be good for us to
see what the others do. To be honest, I am not taking too much interest in
that because you have to play and you have to perform well yourself. Really
I am not giving that too much attention."
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Monday test for Bondz
WHUFC.com
A high-profile date for Bondz N'Gala could be the difference between
survival and relegation
18.04.2010
Bondz N'Gala faces his biggest test yet at loan club Plymouth Argyle when
the Pilgrims welcome newly-promoted Newcastle United on Monday night. The
20-year-old central defender has done well in his six appearances since his
move to Home Park but Plymouth are still fighting to avoid relegation from
the Championship. With three matches to play, the Green Army are six points
from safety. Elsewhere in the division, Freddie Sears did not feature as
Coventry City drew 1-1 with Preston North End to all but ensure survival.
Also on Saturday, Frank Nouble played 20 minutes off the bench as League One
promotion hopefuls Swindon Town drew 1-1 at home against Walsall. Matt Fry,
the fourth Academy graduate out on loan, has yet to feature for Charlton
Athletic, who are also looking likely for a play-off spot despite losing 1-0
at home to Norwich City.
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Four-star show from U18s
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr's youngsters defeated MK Dons with four
second-half goals on Saturday
17.04.2010
West Ham United Under-18s extended their unbeaten FA Premier Academy League
run to six matches with a 4-0 victory at MK Dons. After being held goalless
for the opening 55 minutes, Danny Subuola, Matthias Fanimo (pictured), Dylan
Tombides and Dominic Vose all found the target to complete a comprehensive
success. The only sour note came in the shape of a late red card for Vose.
Having draw their previous three league matches 1-1, the Hammers took
advantage of a free weekend by defeating LA Galaxy 5-0 seven days ago, and
Tony Carr's side demonstrated the same ruthless streak at an MK Dons side
that have won just two of their 26 league games this season. After being
frustrated throughout a tight first half, Subuola put the Hammers ahead from
Vose's low cross before Fanimo scored a carbon-copy goal from George
Moncur's centre. Tombides made it 3-0 before Vose cut inside from the left
and curled a shot in off the far post. West Ham have now won eight, drawn
eight and lost eight of their 24 league matches, and return to action at
Arsenal on Wednesday morning. Carr's youngsters complete their campaign with
trips to Watford and Southampton before hosting Charlton Athletic on Friday
7 May. Post-match reaction from Academy Director Tony Carr will appear on
whufc.com on Monday.
West Ham United: Mehmet, Young, Craig, Lampe, Modelski, Moncur, Turgott
(Fanimo 30), Wearen (Hurley 65), Vose, Tombides, Subuola (Werndly 60)
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Da Costa eyes Reds revenge
WHUFC.com
Manuel da Costa is eager to make up for two UEFA Champions League defeats at
the hands of Liverpool
18.04.2010
Manuel da Costa is keen to bury his memories his UEFA Champions League
heartache when West Ham United head to Liverpool. The Portuguese defender
was part of the PSV Eindhoven side beaten 2-0 at Anfield in the group stage
of European club football's most prestigious competition in November 2006.
Five months later Da Costa was back on Merseyside as PSV, who had knocked
out Arsenal in the previous round, were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by the Reds
in the quarter-finals of the same tournament. Three years on, the
23-year-old is determined to gain revenge for those results in Monday's
Barclays Premier League showdown, allowing him to taste victory over
Liverpool at the fifth attempt in the process. "We played against Arsenal
and after that, we played at Liverpool. That was very hard. They were a very
strong team and it was difficult for PSV. At the time, we were not doing
very well in Holland - we were 15 points off the top of the table and had
not won in four games when we played the first game at home. "It was
difficult because we were playing against a big team. I remember we lost 3-0
and then we went to Anfield. It's not every week that you go to Liverpool
and win, and we lost the second leg 1-0, but I was on the bench."
As a youngster growing up in the suburbs of the city of Nancy in north east
France, Da Costa remembers seeing footage of the great Liverpool sides of
the 1970s and 1980s. While the Reds have fallen some way from those lofty
heights, the centre-back believes they will rise again - but not until after
Monday night's encounter. "I respect them as a team. I remember when I was a
child, I saw videos and Liverpool was a big team. They may have gone down a
little bit, but they are historically a big team. They are now starting to
come back with a new story. "Now, when all the players speak about
Liverpool, they say they are a big team, but I am going there to win. You
respect them for their history and as a big team before and the game, but
when you play, you don't respect them."
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Liverpool v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Anfield Date: Monday, 19 April 2010 Kick-off: 2000 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio & live on ESPN
TEAM NEWS
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is a doubt for Monday's game with West Ham
as he awaits further examination on a knee injury. Defenders Emiliano Insua
and Fabio Aurelio are both still out so Daniel Agger is set to continue at
left-back.
West Ham midfielder Scott Parker completes his two-match ban. Louis Boa
Morte played 45 minutes for the reserves on Tuesday after eight months out
with a knee injury but is not yet ready for a first-team return.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Liverpool
Doubtful: Torres (knee)
Injured: Aurelio & Insua (both thigh), Kelly (knee), Skrtel (foot)
West Ham
Suspended: Parker (one match)
Injured: Boa Morte & Hines (both knee), Dyer (hamstring), Tomkins (ankle)
MATCH PREVIEW
With the club put up for sale this week, Liverpool fans will be hoping the
2009/10 season can quickly be consigned to the past. Champions League
qualification looks unlikely and that, for Liverpool, represents a miserable
campaign. Liverpool need to win their remaining games - including the visit
of leaders Chelsea - to have any chance of snatching fourth place. Manager
Rafa Benitez could be forgiven for making Thursday's Europa League
semi-final against Atletico Madrid his priority.
West Ham are fighting for survival at the other end of the table but have
found some form recently. Unbeaten in April, they have inched four points
above the relegation zone.
As with Liverpool, there could be big changes at West Ham in the summer,
with manager Gianfranco Zola's future unclear. "My focus is to get them
(West Ham) safe and then we will see what happens," he told Five Live this
week.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• This is the 121st meeting between these sides. Liverpool lead by 63 wins
to 23, with 34 draws.
• West Ham haven't won at Anfield since September 1963 and have scored just
four goals in 14 Premier League matches there.
• Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine home league matches.
• If Liverpool end up outside of the top four, it will be their lowest
finish for five seasons.
• Jose Reina has kept 14 clean sheets this season, the most in the Premier
League along with Chelsea's Petr Cech prior to the weekend fixtures.
• Fernando Torres scored a hat-trick in this fixture two years ago (March
2008) as Liverpool won 4-0.
West Ham
• West Ham have gone 16 matches without an away win since a victory at
Wolves on the opening day of the season.
• West Ham have been awarded nine penalties in the Premier League this
season, joint-most with Sunderland and Chelsea. They have scored seven of
them.
• Mark Noble is set to make his 100th Premier League appearance.
• Midfielder Valon Behrami celebrates his 25th birthday on the day of this
match.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Liverpool
Torres: 22 goals (18 league); Kuyt: 11 goals (9 league)
West Ham
Cole: 9 goals (9 league); Diamanti: 8 goals (7 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Walton
Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup & Adam Watts
Fourth official: Phil Dowd
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Liverpool (D0-0 v Fulham, h): Reina; Johnson, Kyrgiakos, Carragher, Agger,
Aquilani (Kuyt 65), Mascherano, Maxi, Gerrard, Babel (Benayoun 71), Ngog
(Pacheco 78). Subs not used: Cavalieri, Lucas, Degen, Ayala.
West Ham (W1-0 v Sunderland, h): Green; Faubert, da Costa, Upson, Spector,
Stanislas (Franco 74), Kovac, Behrami, Noble, Cole, Ilan (Daprela 90). Subs
not used: Kurucz, Gabbidon, McCarthy, Diamanti, Spence.
MOST RECENT MEETING
West Ham 2-3 Liverpool (19 September 2009)
West Ham scorers: Diamanti (pen) 29, Cole 45
Liverpool scorers: Torres 20, 75, Kuyt 41
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West Ham's Luis Boa Morte back after eight months out
BBC.co.uk
West Ham winger Luis Boa Morte made his comeback in a reserve game against
Wolves on Tuesday night after being out for eight months with a knee injury.
The Portuguese international damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his
right knee against Tottenham in a tournament in China in July 2009. Boa
Morte, 32, played the first half at Telford's New Bucks Head ground before
being replaced by Anthony Edgar. Wolves, with seven full internationals in
their side, won the match 4-1. Boa Morte has won 26 caps and scored two
goals for his country and featured at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The
former Sporting Lisbon player began his career in English football with
Arsenal in 1997 before having a brief spell at Southampton. He then spent
six years at Fulham and joined West Ham for £5m in 2007. Boa Morte was a
first-team regular for the next two seasons before being hampered by the
pre-season injury.
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A right result
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 17th April 2010
By: Staff Writer
It was a good day for West Ham in the Premier League this afternoon as the
end of the campaign draws ever nearer. With United not playing until Monday
night when they visit Liverpool, the key games in this afternoon's programme
were Hull's trip to Birmingham and Burnley's visit to Sunderland. Both sides
started the day four points behind the Hammers (Hull with a game in hand). A
spirited fightback from the Clarets wasn't enough to prevent them falling to
a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland. Frazier Campbell and Darren Bent put the Black
Cats two goals in the clear ahead of the half-time break before substitute
Steven Thompson gave Burnley a fighting chance with an 81st minute close
range effort. A flurry of late corners for the visitors failed to come to
anything leaving Brian Laws' side on 27 points from 35 games. Over in the
Midlands it was a far closer affair between the two Citys, mid-table
Birmingham and Hull, desperate for a result following last weekend's
capitulation at the hands of relegation rivals Burnley. Despite being the
better side for much of the 90 minutes Iain Dowie's team failed to make the
vital breakthrough and had to settle for a point that leaves them three
points behind West Ham, but with a far inferior goal difference. Both sides
had opportunities to grab all three points at St Andrews but in the end a
point had to suffice. In other games, Bolton ensured that they will be
playing Premier League football once again next season by virtue of a 2-1
win at Stoke.
How they saw it - the opposition view
The Burnley view (claretsturf.co.uk)
"It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination and after going a goal
down so early on I was thinking Man City (1-6) all over again. But how wrong
I was. The fight, belief and commitment the team showed has to be commended
- I just wonder why it has taken until we are on the verge of relegation for
them to show what Burnley FC are all about. Here's hoping it continues for
the remaining 4 games." - Chris Yates
The Hull view (ambernectar.org)
"We didn't lose, that with our side is as good as it gets. A half decent
performance, but why play with one up front?" - cartoonhead
"More spirit and fight I suppose but unfortunately the same quality,
everywhere. A draw against Villa will be more of a result and if results go
our way tomorrow puts pressure on others. " - bristolsteve
"Too little too late im afraid. Good effort today but we didn't test the
keeper enough and I still think we are going down." - jonnythetiger
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Liverpool v West Ham United: Match Preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 17th April 2010
By: Preview Percy
We blew up a volcano in an attempt to stop him. Unfortunately the resulting
cloud of ash failed to delay the buses so Preview Percy's back again and,
gawd 'elp us, this time he's quoting T S Eliot....
Next it's a swift return to the land of the boarded-up buildings for a trip
to Anfield for a punter-unfriendly 8pm kick-off against the red and whiny
half of the city.
It is but a few months since manager Rafael Benitez guaranteed the Anfield
faithful a place in the top four. This makes their current position in 6th
place highly amusing. They currently lie some 6 points behind Man City who
currently occupy fourth spot with a game in hand and a 7 goal advantage in
the goal difference department. Funnier still is the fact that they are only
one point clear of Villa in the last Europa League spot. The Europa League
is, of course, a much-coveted trophy and is in no way the second-class
tournament that the home supporters were saying it was before their exit
from the so-called "Champions" league. They are therefore faced with the
possibility that they will not be in Europe at all next season, though they
will, no doubt try to find some legal loophole that will satisfy what they
see as their divine right to European football.
All the main stories emanating from that part of the world at the moment
seem to relate to off the field stuff. They recently appointed Martin
Broughton, of British Airways to head the club. The effect was instant, as
thousands of supporters found their half time pie options reduced to a
choice of beef or chicken, a culinary delight followed by the kiosk
attendant pouring coffee straight into their laps. Still it could have been
worse – had they given the job to anyone from Ryanair they'd have found
themselves charged extra for having the pie warmed up and they'd be watching
home matches miles away from home – Liverpool (Runcorn) anyone?
Broughton's arrival is tied in with the announcement that Barclays Capital
have been appointed by the club's US owners to handle the sale of the club.
That is not going to be the easiest of jobs. Quite apart from the question
of whether or not it is ever advisable to buy anything second-hand in that
part of the world, the way that the septics handled the original purchase
has left the club with a significant level of debt. The club's bankers, RBS
(i.e. you and me) have been looking nervously at the amounts involved for a
while now and the debt – currently in the region of £240m - was rescheduled
last summer just before a rather large repayment was due.
Just to add to the mix we have recently been treated to the annual
announcement of which club Benitez definitely hasn't been talking to,
honest. This time round it's Juventus with whom there have been absolutely
no discussions, though given that there is likely to be a change at the top
at the Bernebau at the end of the season, we can expect Benitez and his
agent to be holding absolutely no discussions at all with Real Madrid any
day now. Again.
Unless the bods at Sky are being incredibly selective in their choice of
interviewee (surely not!), it seems that the supporters are being remarkably
tolerant with the manager, with Hicks and Gillet seemingly being held
responsible for all that ails them. Well I suppose zonal marking is
something that they use in basketball. It would be interesting to see if the
Americans would get quite so much stick if the team were actually
performing. Or, conversely, if Benitez would be getting away with quite so
much murder if the club didn't owe quite so much money.
In amongst all that their form has been decidedly mixed of late. They've won
two, drawn two and lost two of their last six. Their last two matches have
finished in draws, 0-0 at home to Fulham and 1-1 away at Birmingham. The
gifted but increasingly petulant Torres was substituted after 65 minutes at
St Andrews and his body language as he walked off spoke volumes. Steve
"caught red handed but never guilty" Gerrard was so surprised at the move
that he quite forgot to dive for a bit.
Torres is listed as an unlikely participant on Monday. All that running into
people then moaning when the ref fails to give a free-kick has taken its
toll on his knees. He was due to pop back to Spain for a check-up this
weekend but at the time of writing his journey has fallen foul of the cloud
of volcanic ash currently sitting over the country. John Lennon Airport
(so-named as it was the first place that the Beatles headed for as soon as
they had made a few quid, allegedly), has been closed and not even the
club's new chairman has been able to sort anything out. Still, had it been
Ryanair Torres would probably have been paying for his own flight. Medical
comment keeps stressing the need for Torres to rest and his appearance or
otherwise on Monday night may depend as much on how results go elsewhere
this weekend as it does on huge plumes of volcanic ash.
Others on the sick list are defenders Aurelio (thigh), Insua (thigh) and
Skrtel (ankle/foot/missing vowel in surname). This will mean Daniel Agger
probably filling in at left back.
Talking of injuries, one of their biggest disappointments of the season for
them has been the absence of big money signing Aquilani, who has spent a lot
of time on the sick since his arrival for £17m during the close season.
Benitez recently queried the player's mental attitude to his injury
problems. However, Merseyside is probably not the right place to be
criticising somebody for claiming sick pay when they appear to be fit and,
given the fact that Aquilani was signed from Roma, he's probably just trying
to fit in by taking the phrase "when in Rome" to its logical conclusion.
Whatever the reasoning behind Benitez's comments – and I suppose we cannot
rule out a SuGo-style "motivational" motive – Aquilani did apparently have a
decent game against Fulham, being thwarted by Mark Schwarzer on a number of
occasions.
Elsewhere in the squad there are a few ex-Hammers to be found. Yossi
Benayoun's transfer continued a long tradition of illegal work in the
transfer market by a club that seems to be above all football regulations in
this area. Portsmouth's financial problems saw them nipping in to rescue
Glen Johnson's career, which had taken a marked turn for the worse since his
promising start in the disastrous relegation season at the Boleyn. He's now
a regular in the England set-up and he seems to have got over his
predilection for shoplifting toilet seats, which is a bit of a shame really
because, as his skipper will probably tell him, Liverpool players are above
the law in that part of the world.
Then there is Javier Mascherano who made a few fleeting appearances before
disappearing North West. Liverpool were given special permission from FIFA
to sign the player in a regulation-busting deal, something that cheesed off
a number of Spanish clubs who tried to make similar signings on the same
basis, namely that the Argentinian season was not coterminous with that of
those in Europe. One law for them....
So how about us? Well things are looking, if not exactly marvellous, well a
little more rosy than they were at the start of the month. TS Eliot may have
banged on about what a cruel month April is (clearly there was someone that
never had the joys of having to endure the long wait until January payday or
the seemingly interminable wait for the fixtures to come out in June), but
so far it's a month that has been ok for us. The impressive performance up
the road at Goodison was followed by a morale-boosting victory against
Sunderland whose boss predictably moaned about the refereeing whilst
ignoring the fact that, but for said referee, his side would probably been
3-0 down well before he had anything to moan about.
Injuries, well there are still a few. Tomkins, Collison and Ilunga are all
most unlikely to appear. Though he made a most-welcome reappearance in a
midweek reserve match, it's far too early for Luis Boa Morte to join the
first team squad as yet. However, the fact that LBM is closer to a first
team appearance than Kieron Dyer probably says something or other. Benni
McCarthy isn't showing up on any of the usual lists and therefore might be
about to make the squad. Similarly Mido, who was absent with a virus last
time out (something he ate perhaps?), should also be about to challenge Cole
and Ilan for a starting place.
Scott Parker will be missing of course, thanks to the appalling standard of
refereeing in this country which has left him suspended, this being the
second of a two match ban. Mark Noble, in line to make his 100th top flight
appearance, had a fine match last week and it often seems to be the case
that he has his better matches when Parker is away.
Ok it's time for a reality check here. September 1963 was the last time we
got maximum points at Anfield (two in those days). I was two years old at
the time. For all their indifferent form, at home Liverpool are a different
prospect and they've won 5 and drawn 1 of the last six there. There's the
traditional refereeing advantage that they enjoy at home – though for a
while it's usually been a case of officials being unnerved by the deathly
silence that has been the rule rather than the exception at Anfield in
recent years. In short, history and home form should be against us getting
much out of this one.
However, the draw at Everton showed that going into matches with some sort
of positive mental attitude can get results. It's just a shame that we
didn't go into the match at Old Trafford with the same "give it a go"
mentality. The last two games will have done everyone the power of good – a
recent chat with a (non-playing staff) club employee remarked on how the
mood at Chadwell Heath had lightened since Goodison. So I'm really going to
stick my neck out here. If we go for this one in the manner of Imran Khan's
famous "cornered tigers" we could pull off a shock so I'll go for an
odds-busting 2-1 win based on absolutely no logic whatsoever other than one
day I'll be right so why not now?!
Enjoy the game!
Last Season: 0-0 - Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole both missed chances to
gain a memorable win, though it was the fine defensive performance that
caught the eye.
Danger Man: Steve Gerrard - If you think about tackling he will dive and
score from the resulting free-kick. If you don't he'll score anyway.
Referee: Peter Walton – Last seen by us having an erratic match in our 0-0
draw at home to Blackburn. If nothing else he should be suspended for using
the word "stakeholder" on his profile page on the referees' official
website. He'll be doing that thing with his fingers to signify inverted
commas next.
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Clarke confident of survival
Number two says Hammers can stay up
By Mike Barton Last updated: 17th April 2010
SSN
West Ham assistant manager Steve Clarke has spoken of his confidence that
his side can take points from their game against Liverpool on Monday. The
Hammers have not achieved a victory at Anfield since 1963, but need to win
this encounter to secure a vital three points in their fight against
relegation. Despite the Reds only losing two games at home all season, they
have flattered to deceive in many games and not lived up to the high
expectations put on them by their supporters this season, looking unlikely
to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. West Ham have taken four points
from their last two fixtures, moving them four points clear of the drop
zone, and Clarke believes his side can deliver a result that could see them
safe. "It's been a difficult season right from the start, but we're still in
there fighting," he told the clubs official website. "We'll focus on the
fixture on Monday night at Liverpool and, if we continue doing what we have
been doing, we'll be okay. "The best thing to do now is to get the points
that we require. We're not sure what the points tally will be, so we go to
Liverpool, we give a good account of ourselves and then we take stock on
Tuesday. Clarke, who is number two to Gianfranco Zola, is used to coping
under pressure, having been assistant to Jose Mourinho in their title
winning days at Chelsea. But the Scot is confident that his team can handle
the demands and make sure they will be playing top flight football when the
Premier League kicks off again in August. "Obviously the last couple of
results were good for us and we have to build on them. The finishing line is
in sight and we have to keep going," he added. "We have to achieve the
objective of staying in the Premier League and we're all confident we can do
that. "We're focused on the next gamer. That's as far as we look. "At this
moment in it would be foolish for us to look further ahead, so we look at
the next game and getting the points required to keep West Ham United in the
Premier League."
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Cole relishing England chance
Striker pays tribute to current coach
By Hayley Paterson Last updated: 17th April 2010
SSN
Carlton Cole said he will be a 'proud man' if he is selected for England's
World Cup squad and that Fabio Capello likes how he has improved. The
26-year-old has had a stop-start season with the Hammers having overcome a
serious knee injury which kept him on the sidelines for two months during a
season in which Gianfranco Zola's men have struggled to maintain consistency
and found themselves hovering above the relegation zone. However the
powerful frontman has already netted nine goals, is regarded at the lynchpin
of West Ham's efforts to avoid relegation and is in contention for a spot in
the final 23-man squad set for South Africa. "I think Fabio Capello likes
me," Cole told The Independent. "Maybe he can see I have got the potential
to be a good footballer and I am still willing to learn. "I have improved
over the last 18 months rapidly and I have still got loads to do as well. He
can see that I am trying. "He loves that endeavour in a player, who wants to
learn and never gives up."
The former Chelsea trainee had high hopes of following in the same vein as
Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney after breaking into the
Blues first team at the tender age of 19. However with the arrival of
multi-millionaire Roman Abramovich and several big-money signings, Cole
found himself surplus to requirements and craving first-team football so
left Stamford Bridge for Upton Park in 2006. "I felt that I was going to
have the same kind of career as Rooney," said the towering 6ft 3in forward.
"I have learnt a lot of hard lessons. "It has matured me better maybe than
if I had gone straight to the top."
Cole paid tribute to his current coach and former team-mate Zola for
bringing the best out of his game which has also led to the striker getting
five international caps since August and being classed as a top contender
for Capello's final World Cup selection to be announced on 1st June. "He
(Zola) just had faith in me. He told the team, 'Give the ball to Carlton and
he will do what he does best'," said Cole. On his chances of World Cup
selection, he added: "If it does happen and I go to the World Cup with
England, I'll be a proud man. If it doesn't I'll still feel that way. "I
feel I have come a long way from where I was 18 months ago. It has been a
long journey and I am proud of what I have achieved."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola believes in survival
Hammers boss delighted at recent run
Last updated: 16th April 2010
SSN
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is of the firm belief that his
relegation-threatened side will stay up. The Hammers had lost six straight
games and looked doomed for the drop prior to drawing at Everton and getting
the better of Sunderland last time out. That priceless victory has moved
West Ham four points clear of the drop zone, however, that lead could be
trimmed to just a point if Hull City overcome Birmingham this weekend. West
Ham have a tricky-looking clash against Europa League semi-finalists
Liverpool at Anfield on Monday, but the Italian's belief has never wavered.
"I always believe and I still believe that we're going to stay up. It's not
going to be easy," he told Sky Sports News. "We need to keep fighting
because this has been a season where results have been strange. "You'd like
to win all the games 3-0 and when it doesn't happen you sometimes don't like
it. "I know they are trying very hard all the time and that is all that I'm
asking for."
West Ham's poor recent run led Zola to question his Upton Park future,
although he is pleased to be smiling again after collecting four points from
their last two outings.
"I try to smile all the time, but obviously when you get good results like
the one we've just had it changes your mood. "I'm glad. I'm looking forward
to results like that more often."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ilan holds fire on future
Brazilian waiting until summer to decide future
Last updated: 14th April 2010
SSN
West Ham striker Ilan wants to help the club retain their top-flight status
before worrying about his long-term future. The 29-year-old Brazilian has
proved a shrewd capture for manager Gianfranco Zola with three league goals
in seven appearances. The former St Etienne striker has scored in both the
club's last two matches, including their leveller at Everton and crucial
winner against Sunderland. Ilan believes momentum is now on the Hammers'
side and he is keen to continue to aid the club's quest to avoid relegation.
Once West Ham are safe and have another season of Premier League football
under their belt then he will sit down and discuss new terms. "We've
produced a good performance at Everton and got a home victory," he told the
club's official website. "We've got some momentum, we're more together, more
confident about getting out of this situation "I will do everything I can to
help West Ham and then when the season is over we will sit down and talk
about the future."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola : my focus is on survival
The Sun
GIANFRANCO ZOLA and Steve Clarke insist West Ham's survival bid is all they
care about. The Hammers management duo are under increasing pressure after a
disappointing season at Upton Park. But both boss Zola and assistant manager
Clarke refuse to take any notice of speculation concerning their futures.
Zola, 43, said: "I am the manager of West Ham and my focus is to get them
safe — then we will see what happens. "We are confident of staying up. We
are improving and we are determined to keep fighting until the end. "We know
it's not going to be easy, but the determination and fight is there." The
Hammers are currently four points clear of the Premier League drop zone. And
like Zola, Clarke believes David Sullivan and David Gold will still own a
top-flight club next season. He said: "The best thing to do now is to get
the points we require. "We have to go to Liverpool on Monday and give a good
account of ourselves. "We focus on the next game, that is as far as we look
at this moment in time. "It would be silly for us to look any further ahead.
We look for the next game and we get the points we require to keep West Ham
in the Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ferdinand brothers to line up in same team for the first time
Published 05:00 18/04/10 By Marc Isaacs
The Mirror
Rio Ferdinand is set to play alongside younger brother Anton for the first
time in his career when they make an emotional return to Upton Park. The
Ferdinand brothers both came through the academy ranks in East London, but
England captain Rio secured a big money move to Manchester United before
Anton made his first-team debut for West Ham in August 2003. Anton left the
Hammers for Sunderland last season, but both players have agreed to play
for West Ham in academy director Tony Carr's testimonial on May 5. The pair
will join Joe Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick in a
star-studded line-up. Anton said: "It would be the first time me and Rio
have played together. That's something I'm sure the West Ham fans would love
to see and something my family would love too. "Tony deserves it with the
amount of stuff he's done for this club. The number of players who have come
through says it all. "If it wasn't for him, some of the best players who
have come through into the England team wouldn't be doing what they're
doing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Upson: West Ham can pile more pressure on Benitez
Published 22:45 17/04/10 By Marc Isaacs
The Mirror
West Ham captain Matthew Upson believes his side can cause an upset at
Anfield and pile more pressure on Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez. Gianfranco
Zola's side have managed to hit form at just the right time, having gained a
valuable point against Everton and then beaten Sunderland. But the Hammers
have not won at Liverpool since September 1963 - and have scored just four
goals in 14 Premier League matches at Anfield. Despite that dismal record,
Upson said: "There is a great opportunity to go away to Liverpool and give a
good account of ourselves. We will go up there with the mentality of getting
something out of the game. "We have to think about extending the gap on the
bottom three and making it certain [that we stay up]. The win against
Sunderland has put us in a favourable position. But there is still work to
do."
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West Ham join the race for Spurs midfielder
Published 08:50 14/04/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham are the latest club to join the race for Jamie O'Hara, according to
reports in Wednesday's papers. The Tottenham star, who is currently on loan
at relegated Portsmouth, is also thought to be on Wolves and Newcastle's
radar. The 23-year-old would cost around £5million.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Soccernet Preview: Liverpool v West Ham United
By Dominic Raynor
ESPN UK
Two weeks ago this fixture would have been a home banker. West Ham United
manager Gianfranco Zola looked like a dead-man walking as the Hammers
plunged towards relegation following a run of six consecutive defeats and
talismanic Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was fit and firing in the
goals.
How quickly things change. With injury-plagued Torres back on the sidelines
with a knee complaint, which also looks likely to rule him out of action on
Monday night, Liverpool could only manage a 0-0 draw with Fulham at Anfield
as their already slim hopes of claiming a fourth place finish in the Premier
League diminished further. Manager Rafael Benitez came under intense
scrutiny with Liverpool's Champions League qualification in the balance and
the Spaniard was linked with a summer switch to Juventus in both the Italian
and UK press, prompting his agent to go public about the speculation,
including the revelation that Benitez had been approached in January.
This was followed by the news that despite the "rewarding and exciting
experience" of owning Liverpool for the past three years, unpopular duo
Thomas Hicks and George Gillett had put the club up for sale and installed a
new chairman: British Airways chief Martin Broughton. Amidst all this
turmoil, and with a midweek Europa League semi-final against Atletico
Madrid, their focus on West Ham might have shifted.
Meanwhile, over at Upton Park, minds are concentrated. Following a short
time of reflection in Sardinia, dead-man walking Zola decided he still had
the stomach for the fight and stuck at his job with the Hammers. West Ham
subsequently earned an unexpected draw against in-form Everton at Goodison
Park and then secured a valuable 1-0 home win against Sunderland to give the
club a four point cushion above the drop zone. Brazilian forward Aruajo Ilan
finally came good, scoring the equaliser at Goodison and the winner at Upton
Park and will now be carrying the fight at Anfield.
Liverpool player in focus: David Ngog. He will once again lead the line with
Fernando Torres out injured and still has much to prove. The young
Frenchman, 21, has been thrust into the spotlight much early than expected
due to the striker shortage at Anfield and has struggled under the pressure,
scoring just four goals in 21 Premier League appearances this season.
Liverpool need an end of season flourish from the former PSG striker to keep
them in the Europa League qualifying places and it might also remind fans
why he was once tipped as one of France's hottest young talents.
West Ham player in focus: Aruajo Ilan He was nothing more than a bit-part
player for West Ham until he came off the bench to score that equaliser
against Everton. Handed a start in his next game, he scored the winner and
looked set to be the player that could lead the Hammers to safety. But then
he opened his mouth. "Zola has lost control of the team and it is impossible
for him to recover it," he said after his match-winning heroics. Under
normal circumstances he would be for the chop, but as the man of the moment
he will retain his place and is under real pressure to perform.
Key Battle: Sotirios Kyrgiakos v Carlton Cole - With Emiliano Insua out for
the season Kyrgiakos has been drafted into Liverpool's reconfigured defence
and the big Greek international should be perfectly suited to dealing with
the physical hold-up play of West Ham striker Cole. England international
Cole provides the focal point for the Hammers' attack and it was his flick
on that lead to Ilan's winner last time out. Burley centre-back Kyrgiakos
proved against Stoke that he is more than able to deal with an aerial threat
and if he can keep Cole quiet it will go a long way to frustrating Monday
night's visitors.
Tactics: Liverpool are likely to play David Ngog as a lone striker, with
skipper Steven Gerard in an advanced midfield role to provide support. £20
million summer-signing Alberto Aquilani will once again be asked to provide
the creativity in central midfield, with Ryan Babel and Maxi Rodriguez, or
Dirk Kuyt, providing support out wide. West Ham are likely to employ an "if
it ain't broke don't fix it" policy with a big man up top, Cole, a tricky
Brazilian in the support, Ilan, and Mark Noble once again stepping into the
boots of suspended midfielder Scott Parker to provide box to box cover.
Quotes: Rafael Benitez's agent Manuel Garcia Quilon on transfer news: "Juve
approached us back in January but we told them that the coach would not be
leaving Liverpool this season. I have not received any interest (recently)
from Juventus for Rafa Benitez."
Ilan backtracks on his comments: "I have spoken to Gianfranco Zola and there
is no problem. The important thing is we are together as a group. I will do
everything I can to help West Ham and then when the season is over we will
sit down and talk about the future."
In the news: It's difficult to narrow it down as far as Liverpool are
concerned; the club are up for sale and Juventus want to pilfer their
manager and half the playing staff. But the most pressing issue is that
Torres has returned to Spain for a second opinion on the knee-knack that
threatens to rule him out for the season. For West Ham, the headlines
continue to be dominated by speculation on Zola's future.
Liverpool team news: Torres is sidelined with a knee injury so Ngog wil
start up front. Defenders Emiliano Insua and Fabio Aurelio are both still
out so Daniel Agger is set to continue at left-back.
West Ham team news: Scott Parker is suspended for the second game of his
two-match ban. Louis Boa Morte played 45 minutes for the reserves on Tuesday
after eight months out with a knee injury but is not yet ready for a
first-team return.
Probable Liverpool team (4-4-1-1): Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Kyrgiakos,
Agger; Kuyt, Aquilani, Mascherano, Babel; Gerrard; Ngog.
Probable West Ham United team (4-4-2): Green; Faubert, Da Costa, Upson,
Spector; Stanislas, Noble, Kovac, Behrami; Ilan, Cole.
Soccernet prediction: Liverpool seem to be saving their best performances
for the Europa League, as two disappointing draws - 1-1 at Birmingham and
0-0 at home to Fulham - in their last Premier League outings attest. With
West Ham fighting for survival they could well take a point from their visit
to Anfield.
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