WHUFC.com
A strong display going forward has encouraged Scott Parker before
Wednesday's important match
09.11.2010
Scott Parker has said attack will continue to be the best form of defence
for the Hammers going into Wednesday night's big match. A front three of
Victor Obinna, Frederic Piquionne and Carlton Cole were a constant menace on
Saturday at Birmingham City, allowing Parker and his midfield colleagues to
join the attack at will. The second goal on Saturday was scored by Valon
Behrami but also involved Parker and Luis Boa Morte bursting forward, before
Cole's supplied the final assist to the Swiss international. "I enjoyed [the
way we attacked]," said Parker, who was joined on four goals for the season
by Piquionne after he had opened the scoring. "It was good. I thought we
looked a threat on the break on Satuday and every time we went forward we
looked like we could score. That was the case in the first half and second
half, so that was pleasing."
The midfielder is relishing the prospect of the chance to build quickly on
the weekend point against West Bromwich Albion. However, Parker also
acknowledged that the team had to make sure they could hang on to a lead in
future. "We wanted to win the game and we came away with a draw. Probably
we'll look back and think it was a good point. We deserved to win the game
and it's our fault because at 2-0 up we shouldn't have lost. "We have to win
games like this. We need to learn from this and just keep going. Saturday
wasn't meant to be but we're looking forward to Wednesday now."
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Cup season ticket deadline near
WHUFC.com
Man United tickets - including season ticket seats unsold - will go on sale
to members this week
08.11.2010
Season ticket holders should note time the deadline is fast approaching for
their exclusive selling period for the home Carling Cup quarter-final with
Manchester United. Once again the club have slashed ticket prices, with
season ticket holders able to see the match on Tuesday 30 November for just
£15 for adults and £5 for kids. Season ticket holders have until 5pm on
Thursday to make sure of their seat, with tickets going on sale to members
the following morning. The club is expecting huge demand from Academy and
Youth Academy members especially with great savings also to be had on their
tickets. As before, non-season ticket holders' prices are set at £20 for
adults and £10 for kids - for all four corners of the stadium - and they
will be able to buy any unsold season ticket seats. With just three weeks to
go, excitement is mounting for a mouth-watering match that will take the
winners to just one tie from Wembley and February's showpiece final.
The selling dates have been set as follows:
Season ticket holders - until Thursday 11 November
Club members - Friday 12 to Monday 15 November
Cup ticket history and West Brom priority* - Tuesday 16 November (personal
callers, telephone and postal only)
General sale - Wednesday 17 November onwards
* After season ticket holders - who have prices fixed at £15 and £5 for
adults and kids whenever they purchase - and members, there will be an
exclusive selling period for anyone who has proof of purchase from the
previous cup games - with those attending West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday
also given access to this guaranteed priority period.
To be eligible for the West Brom offer, fans must book in advance and retain
their ticket stub - while anyone buying multiple tickets should supply the
names for each seat. This priority chance for the cup will not apply to
anyone paying on the day on 10 November and cannot be used in conjunction
with any other offer.
All offers are subject to availability and tickets are also selling fast for
the arrival of the Barclays Premier League's surprise package this season,
so anyone interested in being at the Boleyn for either game should move fast
or face disappointment.
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Upson thanks fans
WHUFC.com
Matthew Upson has paid tribute to the fanatical support received at
Birmingham City
08.11.2010
While there were plenty of ups and downs during West Ham United's 2-2
Barclays Premier League draw at Birmingham City, there was also one constant
- the incessant noise made by the travelling Hammers fans. Nearly 3,000
supporters sang their hearts out at St Andrews, even when their side
conceded the two-goal lead they had deservedly built. Captain Matthew Upson
has thanked those fantastic fans for the amazing atmosphere they created,
admitting their passion had spurred Avram Grant's side on. "They were
awesome, just like they are every week," said the No15. "Our away support is
second to none and it's great to play in front of them. It makes a massive
difference to know they are there and that they are behind us and it
certainly did on Saturday."
Having dominated the 45 minutes - coming within inches of opening the
scoring when Ben Foster diverted Carlton Cole's volley onto the inside of
the post - West Ham were two goals up by the hour-mark thanks to Frederic
Piquionne and Valon Behrami. Just when it looked like the Hammers would end
their 23-match winless league run away from the Boleyn Ground, Birmingham
hit back to level matters through Cameron Jerome and Liam Ridgewell. Both
sides had chances to win a thrilling game in the closing stages, with Danny
Gabbidon diverting Jerome's shot against his own crossbar before Lars
Jacobsen had his shirt pulled by Jean Beausejour inside the Blues' penalty
area. "I think we can take a lot of confidence out of that performance,"
said Upson. "We looked comfortable for long periods of the game and when we
were on top, I thought we moved the ball quite well and were dangerous. It
was disappointing to go from a two-goal lead to two-two, but we have to take
something out of it - it's an away point at a really tough ground. "Our
decision-making and our attitude and the way we played the game changed a
bit when we went 2-0 up. We started to be a little more defensive instead of
performing like we did when it was nil-nil. If we'd tried to go and score
more goals, I think we'd have pinned Birmingham back and maybe not been
under such an intense period of pressure. "I thought Carlton held the ball
up well and we had some pace running off him and looked dangerous, like we
can in every game. There is a lot of hope to take from the performance and I
think if we are more clinical and make better choices with the ball at
times, we can get some points."
The skipper admitted the Hammers' Jekyll and Hyde-esque performances were
impeding their progress this season, with the good football being played
being cancelled out by mistakes and lapses in concentration. "I think some
of our performances have been a mixed bag in the same game, with good and
bad that has just cost us in little areas. We've made bad choices and we've
been punished heavily this season. We need to get back on a winning streak
and a couple of wins will change everything. "The brutality of the Premier
League is that, if you make the wrong choice, you'll pay for it. "We can't
say we're not a 'bottom of the table club' because the facts speak for
themselves and we are. The table doesn't lie and the points we have don't
lie. That's the things we need to change and until we change that, we have
to accept that we're in this position and we have to get out of it. "I think
we need to learn from games like Saturday and understand that once we went
2-0 up and our attitude, our decisions with the ball and the way we played
the game needed to be different. If we'd done that, we'd have won the game."
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Cole targets goals boost
Hammers striker insists he is a different player to Heskey
Last updated: 8th November 2010
SSN
Carlton Cole is determined to rediscover his goalscoring touch as he does
not want to be saddled with the tag of being the new Emile Heskey. The West
Ham United striker has scored just once this season and has netted only
twice in his last 26 appearances at club level. His lack of form in front of
goal saw Coleomitted from the last England squad and the 26-year-old is
determined to get back into Fabio Capello's plans. Cole understands why
comparisons have been drawn with Heskey, who has been maligned throughout
his career for his lack of goals, despite his overall contribution to the
team. However, Cole believes he possesses more of a goal threat than the
Aston Villa striker and is eager to get back to his best for West Ham.
Threat
"I don't want to be known as a striker who does not score," said Cole in the
Daily Mirror. "All I want to do now is to get back to where I was. "My game
has always been about getting the ball and holding it up and bringing others
into play. "That's how I got into the England team, it was not about my
goals, but my hold-up play. "If I can get back to that, and also start
scoring some goals on top of that, then I should be a threat in the future.
"Emile is a really nice guy, but I don't see myself as his type of player. I
can do that job, but I really think I am threat as well."
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Cole targets turnaround
West Ham striker baffled by lowly position
Last updated: 8th November 2010
SSN
Carlton Cole believes two victories this week could provide the springboard
for West Ham to put any relegation fears aside. The Hammers remain bottom of
the Premier League table after surrendering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with
Birmingham on Saturday. They are three points adrift of safety and
Coleadmits he is baffled the club's predicament considering the strength of
Avram Grant's squad. However, he is staying positive and has set his sights
on maximum points from the forthcoming home games against West Brom and
Blackpool to set the Hammers on course for a more secure campaign. "I look
at it (the table) every single day. I am thinking, 'how are we down there,
we shouldn't be down there' because with the players we have got, we are a
really good team," Cole told the Epping Forest Guardian. "We just need to
turn draws like this one into wins. "I think right now we are confident and
two wins in a row can get us up the table, that's how tight the league is at
the moment. "We need to get out of the relegation scrap as soon as possible
and any win right now will be very, very welcome. "I haven't seen the
statistics but we haven't lost that many in the last six or seven games, our
form has not been that bad."
Digging in
Cole has been impressed by West Ham's form on the road after they came close
to inflicting a rare defeat on Birmingham at St Andrews. I think we play
really well away from home, but sometimes we just don't get the result that
we deserve," he said. "I thought for 70 minutes of the game (against
Birmingham) we deserved the win, but it just didn't work out that way. "You
can see how well we played. We don't look like a team at the bottom of the
league, it doesn't make sense. We just need to dig in, keep focused and it
will turn for us."
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Grant backs Dyer to shine
Hammers boss hoping returning star can make a difference
By Chris Burton Last updated: 8th November 2010
SSN
Avram Grant believes Kieron Dyer could be the man to help steer West Ham
away from danger. The Hammers continue to prop up the Premier League table,
two points adrift at the foot and three from safety. They are, however,
welcoming back injury victims at regular intervals and have shown over
recent weeks that they are better than results suggest. Among those to have
returned to the fold is Dyer, who came off the bench for the final seven
minutes of Saturday's 2-2 draw with Birmingham. Grant believes a player of
his considerable talent and experience could prove invaluable over the
coming weeks, but accepts that the injury-plagued 31-year-old needs to be
handled with care. "Kieron is good," he told the club's official website. He
hasn't trained a lot but he felt better. I am sure he will help us as he
looked good again. "All the games he has played this season, he has done
well, but he had only trained twice before the match so we needed to manage
him."
Mentality
Grant admits he was disappointed to see a two-goal lead slip at St Andrews,
but believes the Hammers are taking steps in the right direction. He added:
"I am concerned we let two goals slip but I prefer to look at the positives.
"We played good football, we scored two good goals. What I want from now on
is to continue to play our football like in the last two months. "We will
turn the corner. Sometimes, when you are at the bottom of the league, you
might think the mentality is not good but we are playing good football and
the results will come. "We just need to continue doing the right things."
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Grants turns to Dyer to save Hammers season
Published 22:15 08/11/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Avram Grant reckons Kieron Dyer is ready to help save West Ham's season. A
muscle problem has kept the midfielder sidelined for the last three weeks.
But after injury-plagued Dyer played the last seven minutes at Birmingham,
Hammers chief Grant said: "Kieron hasn't trained a lot but he felt better."
And with West Ham still rooted to the foot of the Premier League, Grant
added: "I am sure he will help us as he looked good again."
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Another Hard Luck Story, But is Di Canio's Name the Writing on the Wall?
West Ham Till I Die
I was firmly convinced last week that West Ham had the beating of Birmingham
City and, by rights, they should have delivered the three points on
Saturday. Unfortunately, West Ham's continuing inability to overcome their
flaws put paid to that. West Ham are not playing badly, its just that they
cannot seem to put in a consistent 90 minutes. For the first 45 minutes we
dominated the play and had Brum firmly on the back foot. One naturally
feared the worst when we did not translate that dominance in to goals, but
they then duly come out for the second half and scored two excellent goals.
It should have been game over!
We were 0-2 up and the three points were seemingly in the bag. Then Victor
Obinna hit the cross bar. A timely signal for the wheels to come off! From
that moment we lost the midfield and started defendingtoo deeply. When Brum
got their first it conformed to the all too familiar template; the ball in
from the flank, the big opposition striker winning the ball in the air and
the next thing we know its in the net. The equaliser was inevitable from
that point. When it arrived, it came from the free kick that never was.
Scott Parker won the ball cleanly, but was penalised (how many times has
that happened this season?). The resulting free kick was pushed out by
Green, but lady luck frowned upon us as the ball went straight to Liam
Ridgewell and he duly put it in the back of the net! We were only saved
from a 3-2 defeat by a lucky deflection off Gabbidon that pushed the ball up
on to the bar. Still, it is not that often that the Hammers get lucky!
Yes, we were unlucky, no doubt about that. Cole should have scored in the
first half, but was foiled by Foster's instinctive, reflex save. Obinna did
extremely well to work the ball in the penalty box and was unfortunate not
to make it 0-3. As previously argued, Parker's tackle should not have been
penalised for the free kick that led to their equaliser. And West Ham were
denied a clear penalty in the last few minutes when Jacobsen was clearly
pulled back in the Brum penalty box. All correct, but it is a story that is
now repeating itself week after week. The truth is that West Ham have to
start turnng their possession into goals and killing off teams when they
have the upper hand. We should have been two goals up by half-time and the
two in the second half would have finished the match as a contest. We are
just not consistent or ruthless enough. There is an old saying that 'you
make your own luck' and it has some resonance.
It has to be said that, yet again, West Ham's forward play was sparkling at
times. While we had the midfield under control and were pushing forward we
were fine. When we lost the initiative, the defence once again cracked
under pressure. And we keep conceding in the same way, time and again.
Avram Grant must address these problems as a matter of urgency. So far
Grant and his coaching staff have not succeeded in finding effective
solutions. There are very clear positives in our play, but the persistent
negatives keep undermining them to lose us vital PL points.
Now the writing is very firmly on the wall. David Sullivan has been
reported as stating that he expects 7 points from the forthcoming run of
fixtures. That means back-to-back home wins over Blackpool and WBA. No
more excuses, no hard luck stories. It is challenging in the current
circumstances, but very far from impossible. If the target is not met then
a 'shuffling of the pack' has been threatened. Some quarters have suggested
that Di Canio might be brought in to the coaching staff to add some
personality, passion and extra footballing nous. His detractors would
probably argue that Di Canio's strengths are outweighed by his famous
unpredictability. Perhaps, but he could be exactly what the squad needs? A
splash of vivid colour in a gray, conservative coaching set up; a passionate
West Ham man that can inspire and breed self-belief on the training pitch
and transfer it to the pitch on match day.
The truth is that such an appointment would be a gamble that could
potentially go either way. But if we are firmly entrenched in the
relegation zone, come Christmas, it might be a gamble that looks
increasingly attractive to the embattled owners? Especially if it unites
and fires up the supporters. Personally, I would love to see it happen.
There is a void separating the club's management from its support at the
moment. Di Canio would bridge that gap and re-engage the supporters,
bringing back the identification with, and belief in, the badge.
Will it happen? Longer shots have come in!
SJ. Chandos.
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