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Paul Groves and David Coles have joined manager Avram Grant's coaching staff
02.07.2010
West Ham United are delighted to announce the appointment of Paul Groves and David Coles to the club's backroom staff. Senior coach Groves and goalkeeper coach Coles both worked under new manager Avram Grant at Portsmouth and have extensive Barclays Premier League experience. They were at Chadwell Heath on Friday along with first-team coach Kevin Keen to prepare for the start of pre-season training from Monday. Groves, 44, enjoyed a successful 18-year playing career spanning more than 650 Football League appearances with, most notably, Blackpool and Grimsby Town. At Grimsby, he was part of the club's greatest-ever side, reaching Division One - now the Championship - and winning the Football League Trophy in 1998. The former midfielder became player-manager at Blundell Park in December 2001 at the age of just 35, steering the Mariners clear of relegation from Division Two during his first season in charge.
After returning to playing full-time with Scunthorpe United, York City and Stafford Rangers in 2004, Groves joined the Portsmouth coaching staff in the summer of 2006. The Derby-born coach was appointed as Pompey's caretaker manager following the departure of Paul Hart in November 2009 before working as first-team coach under Grant and helping to lead the south coast club to the 2010 FA Cup final.
Coles, who turned 46 on 15 June, has worked with some of the finest goalkeepers in British football. Born in Wandsworth, Coles turned out for Mansfield Town, Aldershot, Newport County and Brighton & Hove Albion before turning his attention to coaching in the 1990s. At Southampton, he worked under former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp, helping to turn Wales international Paul Jones and Finland stopper Antti Niemi into two of the Premier League's top goalkeepers. After following Redknapp to Portsmouth in 2005, Coles helped former Hammer David James to regain his place in the senior England squad and oversaw the development of promising youngsters Asmir Begovic and Jamie Ashdown. Coles also wrote the book 'Goalkeeping - the specialist' in 2003, providing tips and drills for goalkeepers of all ages.
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Hammers step up Remy bid
Improved offer tabled for Nice striker
By Pete O'Rourke Last updated: 2nd July 2010
SSN
Skysports.com understands West Ham United have tabled an improved bid for French forward Loic Remy. West Ham are keen to rebuild their squad this summer and Nice ace Remy is one of their top targets. The 23-year-old scored 16 goals last season for Nice, having enjoyed a successful campaign during the previous season. Remy is rated as one of the best prospects in Ligue 1 and there was uproar in France when he was left out of the squad, along with Karim Benzema, for this summer's World Cup as Les Bleus crashed out at the group stages. A number of clubs in France are thought to be interested in signing Remy, who has been likened to former Arsenal star Thierry Henry. Arsenal have also been linked with Remy in the past, but West Ham are hoping to win the race to bring the player to the Premier League. The Hammers have now upped their offer to €13.5million (£11.1million) for Remy as they look to thrash out a deal for the player. Remy is believed to be keen on a move to England and West Ham are hoping their latest offer will get the green light from Nice for them to open talks in the next few days.
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Pompey pair join Hammers
Groves and Coles join Grant at West Ham
Last updated: 2nd July 2010
SSN
Portsmouth coaches Paul Groves and David Coles have quit the club to team back up with former Pompey manager Avram Grant at West Ham. Ian Woan and Guy Whittingham will assist Portsmouth manager Steve Cotterill in first-team coaching duties while a replacement for Groves is considered. John Keeley, meanwhile, will step up from Pompey's academy to replace Coles as first-team goalkeeping coach. Portsmouth chief executive David Lampitt said: "We are sorry to lose both Paul and David to West Ham, but understand the offer to continue working in the Premier League was difficult to refuse. "I would personally like to thank them both for the excellent jobs they have done at the club and wish them well for the future."
On Keeley's appointment, Cotterill added: "John has worked well in the academy and is looking for a step up. We're more than happy to promote from within.
"At the moment I'm working with Guy and Ian and just want to see the dynamics of the group before appointing anybody else."
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McCarthy in determined mood
Striker hoping for Hammers impact
By Carla Hilton Last updated: 2nd July 2010
SSN
Benni McCarthy has said he is determined to prove himself under Avram Grant at West Ham. The 32-year-old failed to make an impact in a dismal season for the Hammers last term after arriving on the last day of the January transfer window. He made only five appearances for the club having been troubled by a persistent knee injury which led to him being overlooked by South Africa in the World Cup. Determined to put things right, he has made the trip back to Chadwell Heath early this week in a bid to be better prepared for training on Monday. Those extra preparations could prove crucial, with Grant making no secret of his desire to bolster his current squad, making competition for a starting berth incredibly fierce. "I still have loads to prove to the West Ham fans," he said. "For me, I am like a new player coming in, because last season I am writing off. "I have been training hard for two weeks now and it is all off my own back. "I am very determined and that is why I decided to come back earlier. "I wanted to make a fresh start - what I couldn't do then, I want to be able to do now."
Grant has already brought in German midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger from Lazio and has made clear his intention of spending further. Nice striker Loic Remy and highly-rated Brazilian starlet Neymar are also said to be targets, whilst a fresh bid for West Brom midfielder Graham Dorans has been rejected. With so many new faces in the pipeline, McCarthy's number one priority is maintaining his fitness and avoiding a recurrence of that niggling knee problem. "The injury is completely fine and the weight is back to normal," an adamant McCarthy told the club's official website. "I have been following my programme since the end of the season. "It is the first time that something like this has happened to me and I need to make sure it doesn't happen again."
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Hammers in Neymar talks
Agent claims discussions with West Ham chiefs
Last updated: 2nd July 2010
SSN
Neymar's agent has confirmed that he is in talks with West Ham about a move to England. West Ham made their ambitious for Neymar earlier this week when they lodged a bid of just over £12million. Santos immediately responded by declaring that they had no intention of selling Neymar, who is one of the most sought after young players in the world. And despite not agreeing terms, the player's agent, Wagner Ribeiro, has confirmed that he has already held talks with the East London outfit. "I had a long talk with the leaders of West Ham via a video conference," Neymar told Terra Brazil. "My obligation as agent is to pass on the information to the player's family. "The negotiation with Santos is another case [for West Ham], and that is not for me."
Brazilian sources claim that a bid of closer to £20million could be enough to land Neymar, and they are now braced for West Ham to make an offer around that figure. However, if the Santos board reject that offer then West Ham could bid £28.5million, which would trigger Neymar's release clause. Reports in Brazil are also adamant that Chelsea are behind the deal and that West Ham will keep the player for 12-months before moving him on to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have previously done a similar deal with Santos, when they signed Alex, and then loaned him to PSV Eindhoven, until he qualified to play in England. However, with the huge transfer fee attached to Neymar - he would likely be granted a permit immediately to play in England so could, if he signed for them, play for West Ham or Chelsea.
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Behrami unsure of Roma plans
Agent still waiting to talk with Hammers over player's future
By Simone Bargellini Last updated: 2nd July 2010
SSN
Valon Behrami's agent has revealed that he does not even know whether Roma are still interested in the West Ham player. The Switzerland international's future has been the subject of speculation for some time, even though he is only halfway through a long-term contract at Upton Park. Roma are thought to want to bring Behrami back to the Italian capital, with the 25-year-old having enjoyed a productive spell with Lazio before his move to West Ham. Reports earlier this week suggested that Roma could include goalkeeper Doni in their offer as part of a swap deal. However, Behrami's representative Alessandro Beltrami insists he has had no contact with the Serie A club since holding informal talks with sports director Daniele Prade a long time ago. "The interest of Roma? I don't know if there is," Beltrai told Radio Incontro. "I met Prade in England long ago because he had come to see some matches and he said to me their estimate for my client. "Recently I have not met Roma and for now there is nothing concrete."
Beltrami maintains that a decision will not be taken on his client's future until after talks have been held with West Ham. The Hammers had previously stressed that they did not want to lose Behrami and Beltrami is eager to find out whether that is still the case following Avram Grant's appointment as manager. "Whoever wants Behrami will have to talk first with West Ham," Beltrami explained. "Before the end of the season West Ham told us that Valon was unsellable. I have not spoken with the new manager and when Valon returns from holiday, on 18th July, we'll see if they still consider Behrami non-transferable. "The player still has two years of contract but for him it is essential to feel important in a project, knowing the objectives of the club. "We'll talk with the manager to determine if the player is still part of the project at West Ham. "We are happy about the arrival of Avram Grant. He is a great coach and this choice of the club means there is an ambitious project. "Financial problems at West Ham? In this season we have not had any kind of economic problems."
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Hammers consider new Neymar bid
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPN
July 2, 2010
West Ham have confirmed to Soccernet that they have not given up hope of signing Brazilian wonderkid Neymar but Upton Park insiders described the move as "complicated' because of third-party owners. Santos forward Neymar, 18, is 40% owned by an investment group, with a €28.4 million release clause and, in the wake of the Carlos Tevez affair, West Ham would need to buy the player outright to comply with the stricter third-party rules. West Ham denied that the plan is to allow Chelsea to sign him and loan him for one season to acclimatise to Premier League football, but it is possible that the Hammers will increase their £12 million bid as they believe he could be sold on to one of the league's biggest clubs if he succeeds in England. One player who will not be sold on is the club's player of the year, Scott Parker. The midfielder has been linked with a move to Aston Villa, but co-owner David Sullivan told Soccernet: "Scott Parker really is not for sale."
Parker has two years to run on his contract and the club would only consider an exceptional bid. Meanwhile, Sunderland are "just one" of the clubs chasing Matthew Upson. The England defender has just 12 months left on his contract has asked for time to consider the transfer. He has been offered a new three-year deal at West Ham. Carlton Cole is also attracting interest from Premier League clubs but, while Fulham continue to show interest in the striker, their £9 million valuation falls some way short of West Ham's expectation of at least £12 million.
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West Ham chasing Brazilian Neymar
West Ham manager Avram Grant is reportedly planning a £16 million swoop for Santos' 18-year-old striker Neymar.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Telegraph staff
Published: 11:39AM BST 02 Jul 2010
Brazilian wonderkid is wanted by West Ham but Santos have already rejected a bid of £12 million. Photo: AP West Ham have already had a £12m bid rejected, but Grant is determined to get the Brazilian striker. Neymar has a £29.1m release clause in his contract but it is unlikely West Ham, who are thought to be cash-strapped, will be able to activate that clause. Steve Clarke leaves West Ham Santos sporting director Luiz Nunes Pedro Conceicao has confirmed his club have rejected initial offers from the Hammers for Neymar, and from Lyon for Ganso. "We had offers of €15 million (£12 million) for each. We have not had time to formally contact either club, but our position is clear," Conceicao said. "We have not and do not want to open negotiations to sell either player." Sunderland, meanwhile, have made an offer of £7m for West Ham defender Matthew Upson. The Hammers are yet to respond to the bid for the England
defender.
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£7m for Matt Upson – Deal or No Deal?
West Ham Till I Die
It has been reported that Sunderland have tabled a £7m bid for Matt Upson. Not an inconsiderable sum for a 31 year old centre-half, who had a relatively disappointing season in 2009-10! A lot depends on Upson's attitude towards the new contract currently on the table. If he signs it then he will probably stay, if not then the club are likely to accept an offer.
The question is whether Upson fancies Sunderland and the delights of the North-East? He might even prefer to stay and see out the final year of his contract at West Ham? After all, in this situation, the player holds all the major cards. Regardless, is this potentially a good deal for West Ham? If Upson does leave, it will then becomes a question of who the club will bring in as a replacement?
Avram Grant has completely his backroom staff, with the capture of Messrs Cole and Groves from former club, Portsmouth. One wonders if Kevin Keen and Alex Dyer will be retained. In the absence of news to the contrary, one can only assume that they will.
I terms of incoming deals, the major speculation relates to big money bids for Remy and, Brazilian prospect, Naymar. It appears that Remy would have preferred to have joined the gooners, but Wenger does not appear interested. As such, we may well have a chance of landing the player, provided that a CL qualified club does not come in and trump us! As for the Naymar deal, who knows? He appears to be on the radar of the European big guns as a top prospect, but they do not appear ready to move on a deal. We will have to keep a watching brief on that one.
Finally, it appears that our old friend, Yossi Benayoun, has signed for Chelski. He is potentially a very good signing for them, as he will definitely bring something different to their midfield. Players like Benayoun, with his vision and creative ability, are at a premium. His signing for Liverpool was a major loss for us and one that arguably we have never adequately redressed. I would have welcomed him back like a shot, but the call of a top four side and the CL meant that was unlikely.
SJ. Chandos.
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West Ham up their bid for French hotshot Loic Remy while still pursuing Neymar
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 11:34 PM on 2nd July 2010
Daily Mail
West Ham have tabled an improved £11.1m bid for Nice striker Loic Remy, 23, and are maintaining their interest in Santos star Neymar after holding a video conference with his agent Wagner Ribeiro. Behind the scenes, Portsmouth coaches Paul Groves and David Coles have quit the club to join Avram Grant at Upton Park. Ian Woan and Guy Whittingham will assist Pompey boss Steve Cotterill while he seeks a replacement for Groves. Portsmouth academy goalkeeping coach John Keeley will replace Coles as first-team goalkeeper coach.
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