WHUFC.com
Debutant Joey O'Brien believes it will not be long before West Ham United
start chalking up the victories
09.08.2011
Joey O'Brien admitted to having mixed emotions following his West Ham United
debut. The Hammers' new No17 enjoyed an impressive debut at right-back, only
for his day to be ruined when Kenny Miller's last-gasp strike scored a 1-0
npower Championship victory for visitors Cardiff City. The Irishman defended
stoutly and also got forward to good effect on a number of occasions - most
notably when he jinked his way to the by-line before setting up a gilt-edged
chance for Freddie Sears.
Sears' strike flew over the crossbar, while Frederic Piquionne hit a post
and James Tomkins saw his header scrambled off the line before Miller's late
intervention.
Speaking to West Ham TV, the 25-year-old admitted the home side should have
taken the opportunities they created.
"I think we had enough chances to win two or three games, but we committed
the cardinal sin at the back of letting them score with what was only their
first or second chance of the game," said O'Brien. "It was a killer blow for
the whole team. We should have got a minimum of a point from the way that we
played, but it was not to be, but the performance was really good I
thought."
The Republic of Ireland international was one of three West Ham debutants
alongside captain Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor, but the home side looked far
from strangers as they produced a series of fine attacking moves. "I felt
that we came out of the traps really well early doors. We had chances and
the tempo and the atmosphere helped as well. I felt for the majority of the
game we looked really good. "The atmosphere was fantastic. I've always loved
coming here with Bolton, listening to the fans on the way out. I thought
they were really good for us today."
While the support for the team was second-to-none, O'Brien conceded that
West Ham would have to up their collective game if they are to get their
promotion bid back on track at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. "When teams
play against West Ham they are all up for it. You could see when Cardiff
scored the way they celebrated was as if they had won the league. "That is
the way it is going to be with teams this season, especially when they come
to Upton Park, they really want to take the scalp of West Ham United. "So as
a football team we know that as well as anyone, so we have to start getting
points on the board. "I think the way we started the game shows that we can
work hard. Some of our players haven't been in this situation, but when you
look at Kevin Nolan, he had exactly the same situation with Newcastle and
they went up. He knows this level and what it takes to get promoted and so
hopefully he can lead us which I'm sure he will."
While O'Brien is convinced of Nolan's leadership qualities, he is also happy
with his own level of fitness after three years blighted by a serious knee
injury. "I think I'm still a bit off match-fitness wise. Towards the end I
was feeling it a bit, but I think I just need to play regular games. I
haven't played a lot of games in the last three years really, so if I can
get a run of games in the next five or six weeks, I will feel the better for
it."
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Montano makes league bow
WHUFC.com
Cristian Montano made his senior debut as Notts County lost out on penalties
in the Carling Cup
09.08.2011
Cristian Montano made his senior debut as Notts County were beaten on
penalties by local rivals Nottingham Forest in the Carling Cup first round.
The 19-year-old forward, who joined the Magpies on an initial month-long
loan last Friday, appeared as a 63rd-minute substitute in front of a
21,605-strong crowd at the City Ground - more than 6,000 of whom were
supporting Montano and his team-mates.
Montano, who has been in fine form for the Hammers in pre-season and
travelled with the first-team squad to Switzerland, joined the action with
Martin Allen's side trailling 2-1 to their neighbours. Fellow substitute
Graham Westcarr equalised with a low shot with 14 minutes of normal time
remaining and, after coming close to winning the tie in normal time from
Montano's cross, striker Lee Hughes put the League One side ahead eight
minutes into extra time. Wes Morgan scored a last-gasp equaliser before
misses from Hughes, Hamza Bencherif and Neal Bishop saw Forest edge through
4-3 on penalties. Earlier, Mike Edwards had put County ahead before Lewis
McGugan and United States international striker Robbie Findley put Forest
2-1 up eleven minutes into the second half. Montano will hope to make his
League One debut at home to Chris Powell's Charlton Athletic on Saturday.
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Aldershot tickets a tenner
WHUFC.com
The club can confirm reduced prices for the Carling Cup fixture against
Aldershot Town
10.08.2011
West Ham United have slashed ticket prices for the Carling Cup first-round
tie with Aldershot Town. Fans can sit anywhere for just £5 for under-16s and
£10 for adults - great value for the first step on the road to Wembley. Sam
Allardyce is set to field many of his first-team regulars, while some of the
club's brightest young talents could also be involved. The match was
originally due to be played on Tuesday 9 August but will now take place at
7.45pm on Wednesday 24 August. All tickets bought for the original fixture
will be valid for the new date.
The draw for the Carling Cup second round will actually take place on the
evening of Thursday 11 August, with 13 Premier League clubs joining at that
point.
The Hammers, who reached the semi-finals of the same competition last
season, will have high hopes of another good run under new manager Sam
Allardyce.
Aldershot, who are managed by former Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers striker
Dean Holdsworth, finished 14th in League Two last season. The Shots have
never got past the third-round stage of the League Cup and were beaten 3-0
at home by Watford in last season's first round. Holdsworth played under
Allardyce for four seasons at the Reebok Stadium before embarking on a
successful coaching career with Newport County following his retirement. He
has been in charge at the Recreation Ground since January 2011.
West Ham have reached the League Cup final on two previous occasions,
finishing as runners-up to West Bromwich Albion in 1966 and Liverpool in
1981. Outside of wartime football and minor cup competitions, West Ham have
met Aldershot just twice previously. The Hammers were held to a goalless FA
Cup third-round draw at the Boleyn Ground on 5 January 1991 before
completing a 6-1 replay victory at the same venue eleven days later. Among
the players who have represented both clubs are Dale Banton, Bobby Barnes,
Alan Dickie, Neil Finn, George Matthews, Reg Wade and Alan Wooler.
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Parker put through his paces
WHUFC.com
England trained on Tuesday morning before police advice forced the midweek
friendly to be postponed
09.08.2011
Scott Parker and Robert Green trained with England on Tuesday despite the
decision to call off Wednesday night's international friendly with the
Netherlands. Fabio Capello used the morning session to put the players
through their paces before the Football Association confirmed that police
advice had caused the postponement of the Wembley game. It will be
rearranged for next year. Parker and Green will now return to the Hammers to
prepare for Saturday's npower Championship match away to Doncaster Rovers.
The club had last night postponed the Carling Cup first-round tie with
Aldershot Town scheduled for this evening on police advice.
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Wearen targets more goals
WHUFC.com
Eoin Wearen is looking to hit the back of the net more often after scoring
at Grays Athletic
09.08.2011
Eoin Wearen is targeting goals after opening his account for the season with
a smartly-taken strike in West Ham United's 5-1 development squad win at
Grays Athletic.
The 19-year-old ran through the defence before coolly slotting past
goalkeeper Ali Aksoy from 18 yards, capping a fortnight that also saw him
help Republic of Ireland reach the semi-finals of the UEFA European Under-19
Championship, where they were beaten by eventual winners Spain. "Obviously
being away has helped me keep fit so I feel 100 per cent and I was just
happy to get another 90 minutes under my belt," said Wearen. "Goal-scoring
is something I'd like to get into my game a bit more this season and I'd
like to add a few more if I can. It's my second game into the season, so I'm
quite pleased to have got off the mark already and hopefully there will be
plenty more to come. "It was a bit of a striker's finish, wasn't it! I think
the good thing was that I didn't have too much time to think about it, so I
just ran through and slotted it home, which was nice. "It was a brilliant
achievement for Irish football and I think we can learn a lot from the
Spanish. I will take that experience on with me and it'll make me a better
player. "I think competitive football is the best type of football and
playing for a European Championship really is the most competitive
environment. I can't wait for the next one."
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Matthew Upson joins Stoke City after West Ham release
Page last updated at 17:49 GMT, Tuesday, 9 August 2011 18:49 UK
BBC.co.uk
Stoke City have signed England defender Matthew Upson on a free transfer
after his release by West Ham. The 32-year-old has joined on a two-year deal
and could line up alongside former Tottenham centre-back Jonathan Woodgate,
another summer recruit. Upson was released following the Hammers' relegation
to the Championship from the Premier League. "This is a fantastic deal when
you consider the quality and experience of the lad," said Stoke boss Tony
Pulis. Upson, who has 21 England caps, began his career at Luton Town,
before a £2m move to Arsenal in 1997. But he failed to cement a place in the
first team with the Premier League club and after loan spells at Crystal
Palace, Reading and Nottingham Forest, signed for Birmingham in 2003. The
Suffolk-born defender made 112 league starts for Blues, before a £6m switch
in 2007 to Upton Park, where he went on to make 145 appearances.
MATTHEW UPSON
Born: 18 April 1979
League debut for Luton v Rotherham - August 1996
England debut against South Africa - May 2003
Last appearance for West Ham v Manchester City - May 2011
He has signed in time to be registered for Stoke's forthcoming Europa League
play-off against Swiss side FC Thun and is looking forward to the challenge.
"There is a lot of competition for places here and that is part of the
attraction," he said. "I will relish the fight for a spot because it draws
the best out of players. "The manager has talked to me about the culture
here, the discipline and the organisation, and that is an environment I am
looking forward to working in."
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By George: Hammers back in for defender
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th August 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are understood to have held talks with George McCartney over a
possible return to the club. The 30-year-old left back is currently out of
favour at Sunderland, who paid West Ham £6.5million to take the Irish
international to the Stadium of Light in 2008. The Hammers are thought to be
looking to take the defender - who spent two years at the Boleyn - back on
loan, although a permanent deal remains a possibility. Herita Ilunga - the
club's only fully fit left-back at the moment, with youngster Jordan Brown
currently sidelined through injury - made his first appearance for the first
team in six months against Cardiff on Sunday. However it was a game to
forget for the Congolese defender, whose mistake led to Cardiff's
90th-minute winner - an error that is thought to have prompted Sam Allardyce
to step up his search for a full back. Should McCartney return to West Ham
on loan it will be his second loan spell this year, having spent time at
Leeds towards the end of last season (2010/11). And the Irishman will be
hoping that it proves rather more successful than his spell at Elland Road,
for which he was heavily criticised by Leeds chairman Ken Bates. Speaking
in May after McCartney insisted that he and his team mates were 'tired',
Bates said: "He only played twice in the last six games. He has been fined
more than once for turning up late in training. "If he turned up on time
and had a bit more commitment, then he wouldn't feel quite so tired."
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Aldershot date confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th August 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's postponed Carling Cup tie with Aldershot has been rescheduled for
later this month. United had been due to face the Shots at the Boleyn
tonight but the game was postponed, due to Police advice, as a result of the
petty thieving and rioting that has erupted around the capital during the
past 72 hours. However the club confirmed this morning that the match will
now take place on Wednesday, 24th August - three days after the Championship
fixture game against Leeds United. It was also confirmed that tickets
purchased for last night's game will be valid for the re-arranged fixture.
West Ham: August schedule
Saturday, August 13th: Doncaster (a)
Tuesday, August 16th: Watford (a)
Sunday, August 21st: Leeds Utd (h)
Wednesday, August 24th: Aldershot (h)
Sunday, August 28th: Nottingham Forest (a)
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£2m Bid for Kyle Lafferty?
August 10th, 2011 - 1:14 am by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Well, Shane Long looks to be heading to the Hawthorns, so West Ham's
emphasis will now shift to signing Nicky Maynard from Bristol City. Or will
it? Reports this morning suggest that Sam Allardyce is preparing a £2m bid
for Glasgow Rangers striker, Kyle Lafferty. And the suggestion is that
Rangers are willing to do business, even though Lafferty's eight SPL goals
in the final 10 games helped cliched the title last season.
The Northern Ireland international began his professional career at Burnley
and is familiar with the requirements of the Championship. But is he
the15-20 goals a season striker that we need? He certainly looked a good
prospect at Burnley and he has made a significant impact in the SPL. My
view is that Lafferty is worth a punt at that type of fee, to give us a bit
of variety and stength in-depth up front, but I think that I would still
prioritise Maynard. Perhaps we could try to bring in both strikers and cash
in on Piquionne, by selling him to Sunderland?
There are still no developments on Scott Parker's future. Apparently, Stoke
City made an abortive bid to sign Parker, but the player gave the potential
move short shrift. Who can blame him! The odds are that Spurs will come in
with a bid at the 11th hour, probably for c.£4-5m. Will that be enough to
attempt the West Ham board? Will Allardyce rubber stamp a late deal for
Parker, if he feels that he cannot replace him before the end of the summer
window? He has already warned Spurs that a late deal would not be
successful. Lets wait and see?
Stoke City have been linked with a number of Hammers players this summer.
First it was Noble and then Collison, Cole and Parker. All interest
destined to come to nothing! But hold on, the Potters have finally landed a
Hammers target, none other than ex-skipper Matt Upson. Now you may remember
that Upson once aspired to join a top 4 club, but harsh realities rendered
that a non-runner. Indeed, it was looking as if Upson might be without a
club prior to the big PL kick off. However, just in the nick of time, Stoke
City offered him a PL life line. Knowing Stoke's rigid wage structure, I
doubt that his new 2 year deal is worth anything like the c.£65,000 a week
that he was allegedly earning at West Ham. Still, he will have negotiated a
large signing on fee and even if he is on c.£30,000 a week, it is decent
wages for a 32 year old.
We now know that both Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer have picked up deals at
newly promoted QPR. While Thomas Hitzlsperger has had PL interest from
Everton, Villa and Wolves; but is yet to agree a new deal. Radoslav Kovac
has joined Swiss side FC Basel; Demba Ba made a Bosman move to Newcastle
Utd; Da Costa is to play in the Russian league; Robbie Keane is still with
Spurs; Wayne Bridge remains a City player, with another loan deal probable;
and Boa Morte has signed for Greek club, Larissa. That is a whistle stop
tour of the current situation relating to our ex-players who departed this
summer. Of these, it is only the exit of Ba and Hitzlsperger that I view
with genuine regret. Demba Ba is a prolific goal scorer and he will, no
doubt, also confirm that at St James Park. While Thomas Hitzlsperger showed
flashes of his quality, in the final matches of the season, but would have
performed even better on attaining full match fitness. Unfortunately both
players are just footnotes in Hammers history now.
One former player who is allegedly to re-join us is George McCartney. His
addition, should ensure healthy competition with Illunga and Brown for the
left-back spot. I just wish that we had similiar cover at right-back!
O'Brien looks a good option to play there, but what happens if he is injured
or suspended? Surely we will not continue to rely on Julien Faubert as
cover? It may well be advisable to bring in an experienced right full-back,
as well as another centre-back. While there has been a couple of reports
linking us with a move for Middleboro's Argentinian midfielder, Julio Arca.
Arca is a bit of a cult hero in the north-east, having been also played for
Sunderland. He is experienced, has ability and can be secured for a
reasonable fee. Could it be that he will be signed if Scott Parker is sold?
Finally, I hope that the current rumour that Barrera is to be sold to Real
Zaragosa is false. The Mexican international is class, we just need to help
him adjust and utilise his strengths. If we can do that he will be a
massive asset not only this season, but (hopefully) also back in the PL next
season.
SJ. Chandos.
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WEST HAM PULL OUT OF ANDY JOHNSON MOVE
Daily Express
Wednesday August 10,2011
By Daily Express Reporter
WEST HAM have pulled out of a move for Fulham striker Andy Johnson.
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