WHUFC.com
All the background and early team news for Tuesday night's meeting of the
top two
17.10.2011
SOUTHAMPTON V WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to the league leaders Southampton knowing that a
victory would take them to the top of the npower Championship. The Saints,
however, have been imperious at home, and are on a run of 16 straight wins
at St. Mary's.
• Victory would be the perfect early birthday present for Sam Allardyce,
with the manager turning 57 on Wednesday. The Hammers are one of only two
teams in the division - along with Middlesbrough - who have not lost away
from home this season.
• The Hammers have not topped a table since they led the way for 24 hours in
the fledgling Barclays Premier League standings on 22 August 2006 with a 1-1
draw at Watford.
• Both teams are new to the Championship this campaign. The Hammers were
relegated from the Premier League while the Saints finished second in League
One, three points behind Brighton & Hove Albion, to earn promotion. West Ham
go to Brighton on Monday.
• This is the Hammers' 12th npower Championship fixture of 2011/12 after a
third home league victory of the season on Saturday. The Hammers have
previously beaten Portsmouth (4-3) and Peterborough United (1-0), drawn with
Leeds United (2-2) and lost to Cardiff City and Ipswich Town (both 0-1).
• Southampton sit two points ahead of the Hammers after a fantastic start to
life back in the second tier. In all, the Saints have won their previous 16
home matches in all competitions - a run stretching back to a 2-1 FA Cup
fourth-round defeat by Manchester United on 29 January.
• In the league, Southampton have won their previous 14 home matches, won 16
of their last 17 and not lost since going down 2-0 to Brentford on 11
December 2010.
• Southampton have scored in every league game they have played this season,
although have just one win in their last four matches.
• West Ham have never won at St Mary's, losing 2-0 in January 2002 and
drawing 1-1 in April 2003. The clubs have not been in the same division
since that campaign, although there was a 2-2 friendly draw on 1 August 2008
- the last meeting of the clubs.
• Southampton's best home showing against the Hammers was a 6-2 win on 4
February 1967, while they also won 4-0 on 27 August 1988. Both games were
played at The Dell.
• West Ham have four times won by a two-goal margin at Southampton. Three of
which were 2-0 wins, the most recent being courtesy of Trevor Morley and Lee
Chapman on 29 November 1993. There was also a 4-2 away triumph for the
Hammers on 26 December 1935.
• Only Kevin Nolan has started every league game for West Ham this season.
He also played in the Carling Cup first round.
• Rickie Lambert has scored eleven goals in all competitions and is the
league's leading scorer this season with nine. Sam Baldock has eight in all
competitions, including six for MK Dons.
Team news
West Ham United
• Joey O'Brien should be fit for a recall if selected after a hamstring
problem. The manager is also keeping an eye on Brian Montenegro's form after
three goals in three matches for the development squad.
• Henri Lansbury could also be involved after being rested against
Blackpool. It remains to be seen if Carlton Cole will be fit after a minor
ligament issue that cost him his place at the weekend, although he has been
training.
• Matt Taylor (calf) and James Tomkins (groin) are doubtful after limping
off on Saturday.
• Robert Green is nearly halfway through a six-week recovery after his knee
cartiliage surgery.
• Guy Demel is making good progress from a hamstring injury that has delayed
his debut.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) is out with long-term ankle injury.
• On-loan David Bentley is unlikely to play again this season after major
knee surgery on Tuesday.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza
and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla and Cristian Montano (Swindon
Town), Jordan Brown (Aldershot Town), Robert Hall (Oxford United), Herita
Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers), Olly Lee (Dagenham & Redbridge), Callum
McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon), Frank Nouble (Gillingham), Marek Stech (Yeovil
Town) and Dominic Vose (Braintree) are all out on temporary loans.
Southampton
• Attack-minded midfielder Adam Lallana is set to return after a foot injury
kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Derby on Saturday.
• Frazer Richardson is doubtful after coming off against Derby, meaning a
possible recall for Danny Butterfield at right-back. Dan Seabourne is still
sidelined.
Last time out
Saturday 15 October 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 4-0 Blackpool
West Ham: Almunia, Faubert, Tomkins (Faye 60), Reid, McCartney, Collison,
Bouba Diop, Nolan, Taylor (Sears 62), Baldock, Carew (Noble 80)
Subs not used: Boffin, Piquionne
Goals: Carew 12, Baldock 47, 51, Collison 55
Saturday 15 October 2011
npower Championship
Derby County 1-1 Southampton
Southampton: Davis, Richardson (Hammond 73), Fonte, Fox, Hooiveld,
Schneiderlin, Cork, Guly (Harding 90), Chaplow (De Ridder 59), Lambert,
Connolly
Subs not used: Bialkowski, Martin
Goal: Lambert 61
Previous meetings
• The most recent competitive meeting between the sides was the 1-1 draw at
St Mary's on 5 April 2003. James Beattie put the home side in front on 44
minutes before Jermain Defoe's equaliser seven minutes from time.
Southampton: Niemi, Telfer, Lundekvam, Bridge, M Svensson (A Svensson),
Fernandes, Oakley, Marsden, Prutton, Beattie, Ormerod (Davies 67)
West Ham United: James, Johnson, Pearce, Repka, Brevett, Sinclair, Bowyer,
Lomas (Cisse 45), Cole, Ferdinand (Kanoute 58), Defoe
Last six meetings
5 April 2003 - Southampton 1-1 West Ham United
2 December 2002 - West Ham United 0-1 Southampton
30 January 2002 - Southampton 2-0 West Ham United
20 October 2001 - West Ham United 2-0 Southampton
5 May 2001 - West Ham United 3-0 Southampton
25 November 2000 - Southampton 2-3 West Ham United
Overall record v Southampton (all competitions) W 36 D 26 L 29
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Southampton
2010/11 League One 2nd (promoted to Championship
2009/10 League One 7th
2008/09 Championship 23rd (relegated to League One)
2007/08 Championship 20th
2006/07 Championship 6th
2005/06 Championship 12th
2004/05 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Premier League 12th
2002/03 Premier League 8th
2001/02 Premier League 11th
Referee
• Darren Deadman will be taking charge of a Hammers first-team game for the
first time on Tuesday.
• His last Southampton fixture was the 2-0 home win at St Mary's against
Sheffield Wednesday on 19 March 2011.
• His biggest match to date was the League Two play-off final last May when
he took charge of Stevenage's 1-0 defeat of Torquay United at Old Trafford.
• He has been a fourth official in the Premier League.
• Deadman did officiate in a Hammers reserve match on 15 October 2002 when
they drew 1-1 with Tottenham.
Us and them
• The teams have not met since a 1 August 2008 friendly at St Mary's when
goals in the second half from Calum Davenport and Zavon Hines cancelled out
David McGoldrick's first-half double.
Southampton: Bartosz Bialkowski, Lloyd James, Andrew Surman, Morgan
Schneiderlin, Michael Svensson, Chris Perry, Jake Thomson, Simon Gillett,
Adam Lallana, David McGoldrick, Lee Holmes
Subs: Tommy Forecast, Aarran Racine, Paul Wotton, Joseph Mills, Bradley
Wright-Phillips, Stern John, Grzegorz Rasiak, Nathan Dyer
West Ham United: Marek Stech, Valon Behrami, Calum Davenport, Matthew Upson,
Lucas Neill, Julien Faubert, Hayden Mullins, Scott Parker, Kyel Reid,
Carlton Cole, Craig Bellamy
Subs: Robert Green, Joe Widdowson, Anton Ferdinand, Jordan Spence, Jack
Collison, Mark Noble, Tony Stokes, Junior Stanislas, Zavon Hines
• Sam Baldock, who has eight goals in ten matches this season, scored at St
Mary's last season when MK Dons lost 3-2 in a League One encounter on 2
April 2011.
• Frazer Richardson scored the only goal when Stoke City won 1-0 at West Ham
on 9 December 2003.
• David Connolly spent the 2003/04 season at the Hammers, after signing for
£285,000 from Wimbledon. He went on to score 14 goals before moving on to
Leicester, with the Hammers doubling their money.
• Kelvin Davis had a trial at the Hammers in summer 2010 but a move could
not be agreed and he rejoined Southampton.
• Among the other players to have played for both clubs are William Adams,
Eyal Berkovic, Wayne Bridge, Henri Camara, Alistair Campbell, Frank
Costello, Christian Dailly, Calum Davenport, Iain Dowie, Bob Fairman, Jack
Foster, Horace Glover, Richard Hall, Jimmy Harris, Fred Harrison, Joe
Kirkup, George Kitchen, Alex McDonald, Walter Pollard, Nigel Quashie, Albert
Roles, Robbie Slater, David Speedie, Vic Watson, Arthur Wilson, Richard
Wright
Up next
• West Ham United will travel to Brighton & Hove Albion next Monday.
Southampton are also on the road, making the trip up to Reading for a
Saturday evening kick-off.
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Almunia aiming for the top
WHUFC.com
Manuel Almunia insists West Ham United have the ability to go to the summit
by winning at Southampton
18.10.2011
Manuel Almunia has played in the UEFA Champions League final, the Premier
League and Spain's La Liga, but he still cannot wait to play in Tuesday's
top-of-the-Championship clash with Southampton. The on-loan Arsenal
goalkeeper has made a fine start to his West Ham United career, keeping his
first clean sheet in Saturday's 4-0 thumping of Blackpool at the Boleyn
Ground. That result, combined with Southampton's 1-1 draw at Derby County,
means victory at St Mary's in midweek will take the Hammers to the summit.
Almunia, for one, it itching to be involved. "My ambition is to play as many
games as I can. I want to do well for the manager and the club. We will see
if I extend my loan. At the moment I am happy - it is a great club with nice
people and that's enough for me. It's good to feel the game again and with
this club, that is easy. "Of course I am looking forward to Tuesday's game.
We all like big games. Despite it being a Championship game, it's going to
be hard and a good test for us to see where we're going to be at the end of
the league. "At the end of the day, it is football. Champions League or
Championship, it is all the same. The style and quality are different, but
it is football and I enjoy playing football whatever the category. Of
course, I believe we can go there and win."
Standing in for the injured Robert Green, who is expected to be sidelined
until the middle of November, Almunia brings valuable experience and calm to
West Ham's promotion challenge. Having made his debut at Crystal Palace just
24 hours after joining the club on loan, the 34-year-old has spent the past
fortnight settling into life in east London. He already feels at home. "I
was very pleased and happy with the work of the team and very pleased for
the effort of every player. It was a great game to play in. "Blackpool has a
good side who were playing in the Premier League last season and we were
maybe expecting better play from them, but I feel we played well and imposed
our style very well. We used John Carew very well up front and that was the
difference. "For me we have the best team in the league. I think everybody
is very committed to reaching our target and I think we're going to be up at
the top of the table until the end of the season."
"The first game everything was very quick. I just trained for one day and
then I played at Crystal Palace. I hadn't played for a few months, but I've
been training every day for the past week and making contact with the
players and everything is right now. I feel well, ready and everything is
going well, so I'm happy."
Having played behind a strong Arsenal back four in seasons gone by, Almunia
knows a good defence when he sees one. With that in mind, the Spaniard is
effusive in his praise of West Ham's current batch of defenders. "It is a
strong defence. Every one is a Premier League player and they have the
quality and the skill to be great defenders and they will show that in the
league. With good communication, we can do everything because they have the
talent to play in the Premier League. "It's a different style from Arsenal,
where they like to play the ball out from the back a lot, but West Ham have
their own style and we have the right players for that style."
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Jack's got the X-Factor
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison celebrated his first goal in 22 months with an evening in
front of the television
17.10.2011
X-Factor fan Jack Collison is hoping West Ham United can impress the judges
by going top of the npower Championship at Southampton on Tuesday evening.
The midfielder netted his first goal in 22 months in Saturday's 4-0 home win
over Blackpool and celebrated by spending the evening on the sofa watching
wannabe pop stars being put through their paces on television. Collison will
hope his finest performance of the season so far will be enough to see him
keep his place at St Mary's for what promises to be a top-of-the-table
cracker. "To be honest, I have not been too pleased with my form this
season. Obviously the gaffer has stuck by me in the last couple of games and
I feel I'm starting to get there. "My fitness is starting to come. I don't
want to use the injury as an excuse, but obviously it was a big thing. In
the past few weeks, I feel I'm starting to get my fitness back and am
getting sharper all the time, so it was nice to be out there again on
Saturday and have the opportunity to have a go. "It was nice to get the
goal, but once again it was another terrific team performance and a clean
sheet at home. I was so tired I didn't have the energy to celebrate - I just
went home and watched the X-Factor and went to bed! "Tuesday is first versus
second so it's a massive game, even early on in the season. It's a great
opportunity for us to go out there and send out a statement to everyone in
the league that we mean business and we don't just want to go up, we want to
win the league and be emphatic. "If you look throughout our squad, there is
a lot of experience there and also a nice mix of youth as well. The manager
has already said that we will need our experienced heads on Tuesday - the
likes of Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble who have been there and done it. "We are
all looking forward to it and have our fingers crossed that it's another
three points."
Collison has returned to action this season after missing almost the whole
of 2010/11 with a serious knee injury. It has taken the 23-year-old some
time to get up to speed, but the Wales international believes he is
approaching his best form after impressing in West Ham's previous two league
matches against Crystal Palace and Blackpool. "I think having a run of games
is very important for me, but with the amount of games in the Championship
they are always coming thick and fast. There are going to be disappointments
when the manager doesn't pick you and I have had a couple of games when I
wasn't even in the squad. "I got my head down, worked hard and the manager
has put me in for the last two games. I can't knock him for his decision
because I haven't been playing too great this season, so I just want to keep
improving. "I think I've just been finding my feet and getting used to the
system. I'm playing out wide again, which I've got to try to get used to.
I'll always enjoy my football and Saturday was my most enjoyable game of the
season. "It was great fun. You've always got to enjoy your football.
Especially myself, I've learned that I've just got to enjoy every minute out
there. "The boys were magnificent. We had a 15-minute spell in the second
half when we could have scored four or five goals and, as I said, it was a
real team performance. It was also great to see Sam get off the mark and I
don't think he's going to stop scoring now. "As for my goal, it's come out
lovely to me and I've taken a touch but it took an age to drop down to hit.
Lots of things were going through my mind as I've not scored for a little
while, but obviously it was great to see it go in and I think you could see
from my reaction how much it meant to me."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Big Sam has plenty to ponder as he looks to succeed where 16 other teams
have failed at St Mary's this week
17.10.2011
West Ham United will head south to take on the all-conquering league leaders
on Tuesday night in full confidence after their best display of the season.
Southampton have won seven out of seven in all competitions this season at
St. Mary's, having incredibly collected maximum points in each of their last
nine League One fixtures at the end of the previous promotion-winning
campaign. As such, Nigel Adkins men have 23 points from the first eleven
matches to sit clear at the top of the npower Championship. The
second-placed Hammers, just two points behind, will aim to test that perfect
16-match record to the fullest after what Sam Allardyce described as a
"complete performance" in their 4-0 weekend win courtesy of John Carew and
Jack Collison either side of man of the match Sam Baldock's first two West
Ham goals.
Big Sam said: "We punished Blackpool to the hilt. We have to bear in mind
that they came to us on the back of a 5-0 win going into the international
break. Their position in the league shows they are no mugs but we
overwhelmed them in all departments. "We made sure we had a very comfortable
victory to please everyone and get us off to a good start on what is a big
week again."
That big week will see the Saints showdown followed by another testing
awayday at Brighton & Hove Albion a week today. The manager already knew he
would have to assess his squad quickly before they hit the M3 on Monday
evening, with post-Blackpool concerns over James Tomkins (groin) - brilliant
alongside Winston Reid at the back again - and Matt Taylor (calf). He had
already lost Carlton Cole, who was back in training at the end of the week
after a slight ligament issue that has been fully resolved, and David
Bentley with a season-ending knee injury. The manager may well change things
with Joey O'Brien, Henri Lansbury, Frederic Piquionne and Cole all itching
to be involved. There will be some tough decisions with Big Sam admitting
his team were "magnificent" from back to front on Saturday. "I would say it
is the complete performance we have been looking for. I actually expected to
have a few more fit after a two-week break and to have a bigger squad to
choose from.
"The staff sat down on Friday morning and juggled it about a bit for 45
minutes and we said 'let's go with a 4-4-2'. We got a terrific start and we
should have finished it before half-time. Big John had two one-on-ones and
Sam too. It was a little disappointing to only have one in the first half
but the way we finished it off in the first ten minutes of the second half
was great. "If your front two plays well, the team plays well and that's
exactly why we have won 4-0, and they had great service from the rest of the
team. "It also pleased me that we never looked like conceding. We have been
suspect at home before but this time we never looked like giving a soft goal
away."
While there was rightly praise for Manuel Almunia's clean sheet on his home
debut in goal, the manager's thoughts have rightly focused on Carew's
contribution and Baldock's brilliance. "John has been an outstanding player
in the Premier League for many years and Sam is trying to make his name
coming up the leagues as a prolific goalscorer. Both tested the Blackpool
centre-backs throughout the game. It was four but could have been a lot
more."
Most encouraging for Big Sam was the sight he saw in the dressing room after
the game. Rather than bask in the glory, the two front-men were deep in
discussion.
"You would have thought they had been playing together for years. I listened
to John in the dressing room saying 'When I do this I want you to do that,
and when I do that, I want you to go there.' " I was delighted to stand back
and just listen to that. The co-chairmen were good enough to splash the sort
of dough they did for Sam, and we've seen why. He not only got two goals but
he could have got a lot more. That will give him a huge amount of
confidence. "John was unplayable at times. When you are 6'5 with that amount
of ability and strength, he takes some stopping. It was great to see him.
Now he has continued with a goal in the last three games, two for us and one
for his country, and he is in a goal mood."
The final word was for those packed inside the Boleyn, with even more
expected to flock to the visit of big-spending Leicester City on 29 October
judging by the ticket office rush. "Hopefully we can continue this form at
Upton Park. There were 32,000 there and they were singing away. We gave them
something to sing about and that is what you want when you play at home. You
want to look forward to playing at home "We needed to give the fans a big
performance, entertain them and win. We have done all of that and then
some."
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Southampton v West Ham
Page last updated at 13:18 GMT, Monday, 17 October 2011 14:18 UK
BBC.co.uk
Npower Championship
Venue: St Mary's Stadium Date: Tuesday, 18 October Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: Listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra; coverage on
BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana could return after missing Saturday's
match against Derby with a foot injury. Frazer Richardson is doubtful after
he was forced off against the Rams, so Danny Butterfield could replace him.
West Ham's James Tomkins and Matt Taylor are major doubts due to groin and
calf injuries respectively. Joey O'Brien, Henri Lansbury and striker Carlton
Cole return to the squad and Manuel Almunia will keep his place in goal.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Southampton have a 33% winning record in competitive matches against
West Ham; 31 of 93. The Hammers have prevailed in 36, with 26 drawn.
• This is their first meeting since drawing 1-1 at St Mary's in the
Premier League in April 2003.
• The Hammers have recorded one win in nine league trips to the Saints
over 16 years; an odd goal in five Premier League victory in November 2000.
Southampton
• Southampton go into this top of the table tussle with second placed
West Ham, still two points clear at the top, despite just one win in four
league games.
• They are looking to stretch their club record of consecutive home
league victories to 15.
• The top scorers in the division (26 in 11) and are one of two clubs
to have netted in every Championship game this term, in partnership with
Birmingham.
West Ham United
• West Ham go into this match on the back of Saturday's 4-0 home win
over Blackpool. They have avoided defeat in nine of the last 10 Championship
outings, following the opening day home loss to Cardiff.
• The Hammers are one of two clubs still holding an unbeaten away
record in the Championship, in unison with Middlesbrough. Victory will give
them 14 away points; one more than was claimed in the whole of last season's
Premier League campaign.
• Three points would also provide Sam Allardyce with a welcome early
birthday present. He turns 57 the day after this game.
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Tottenham Hotspur ends 2012 Olympic Stadium legal bid
BBC.co.uk
Tottenham Hotspur has withdrawn its bid for a judicial review into the
handing of the Olympic Stadium to West Ham, the government has said. The
move follows the collapse of the deal to award the stadium to West Ham after
the London 2012 Games. The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) blamed the
collapse on delays caused by the legal dispute with Tottenham. The
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed the latest move.
Tottenham is yet to comment. It is thought a legal hearing into the matter
scheduled for Tuesday will not now take place.
A DCMS spokeswoman said: "We have come to an agreement with Tottenham
Hotspur, where all parties will bear their own legal costs." The OPLC,
government and mayor of London currently agree the stadium will remain in
public ownership. West Ham has said it will bid to be the stadium tenant.
The OPLC has been asked to start a new process to secure tenants for the
stadium and any interested bidders will have to submit proposals by January.
A fund of £35m has been set aside from public money to convert the stadium,
which will have an 80,000-capacity during the Games, to a 60,000-seater
venue afterwards. Leyton Orient has also been challenging the award of the
stadium in the courts. It has also withdrawn its bid for judicial review.
'Whole process flawed'
The club is afraid West Ham moving to the stadium would affect numbers
attending matches at its nearby ground. Chairman Barry Hearn said on Monday:
"The whole process has been flawed. The last four or five years has been
largely wasted and we have to go back to the beginning. "If the OPLC try to
fast track the whole process they will be challenged again. "Someone has to
convince me how Leyton Orient, with its history in east London, can keep in
existence."
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Spurs drop stadium legal bid
Collapse of West Ham deal sees end to legal action
Last Updated: October 17, 2011 8:50pm
SSN
Tottenham has dropped its legal action over the future of London's Olympic
Stadium. The move follows the collapse of the deal to award the stadium to
West Ham after the London 2012 Games. Tottenham and Leyton Orient both
lodged complaints after West Ham initially won the tendering process to take
control of the Olympic Stadium following next summer's games. After growing
concerns that a lengthy courtroom battle could leave the stadium empty for
years, the OPLC came to an agreement with the government and Mayor of London
Boris Johnson that the ground should remain in public ownership. t is
thought a legal hearing into the matter scheduled for Tuesday will now not
take place. West Ham have confirmed they will look to lease the Olympic
Stadium, but it remains to be seen if Spurs would contemplate making a bid
to do the same. Spurs, who had wanted to remove the athletics track, are
currently moving forward with plans to redevelop White Hart Lane.
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Southampton v West Ham preview
Last updated: 17th October 2011
SSN
Team news for Tuesday night's Championship clash between Southampton and
West Ham at St Mary's Stadium. Adam Lallana could be available when
table-topping Saints take on second-placed West Ham. The attacking
midfielder was ruled out of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Derby with a foot injury
but boss Nigel Adkins is hopeful he will be passed fit. Defender Frazer
Richardson is a doubt after he limped off against the Rams. Midfielder Jack
Cork dropped into the back four at Pride Park but Danny Butterfield is a
natural replacement at right-back and could earn a recall to the squad.
Centre-half Dan Seabourne is still recovering from head injuries sustained
in an assault. Veteran striker David Connolly, who spent a season with the
Hammers eight years ago, will line up against his old club alongside 11-goal
top scorer Rickie Lambert.
James Tomkins and Matt Taylor are injury doubts for the Hammers ahead of the
game. Centre-half Tomkins came off against Blackpool on Saturday with a
groin problem and midfielder Taylor is still feeling a calf injury. But
fit-again full-back Joey O'Brien (hamstring) returns along with midfielder
Henri Lansbury and striker Carlton Cole, who were rested at the weekend.
Robert Green (knee) is still out so Manuel Almunia keeps his place in goal,
while wingers David Bentley (knee) and Gary O'Neil (ankle) are long-term
absentees. Boss Sam Allardyce must decide whether to stick with two up front
after John Carew and Sam Baldock were both on target in Saturday's 4-0 win,
or revert to a lone striker against the leaders.
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Gazza Wanted to Play for West Ham!
October 17th, 2011 - 11:25 am by Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
This evening on LBC I will be interviewing one of my sporting heroes, Paul
Gascoigne. For an hour! I get the good gigs, don't I? I can't tell you how
much I am looking forward to it. Tune in at 9pm. If you aren't in an area
where you can get LBC on fm or dab you can listen live via www.LBC.co.uk.
Anyway, reading his book, I was astonished to see that he wanted to sign for
West Ham in 1988, but instead went to Spurs. Here's the extract…
"I took matters into my own hands. I got me mate Jimmy Gardner involved,
naturally. I asked him to go to the newspapers and pretend he was on the
staff at West Ham, and say they were coming in with a million quid for me. I
picked West Ham because they looked a quality club with passionate fans,
just like Newcastle. Strangely, my final appearance was against West Ham on
7 May 1988. I was sad but I couldn't let on as nothing had been settled yet
with a move. I knew I would never play in front of them again as a Newcastle
player. It was time to move to but not to the East End as it turned out."
Just think what John Lyall could have done with Gazza. Although, at the same
time, imagine how Frank McAvennie might have led him astray – or had he left
by then?
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Manuel Almunia wants to continue his loan at West Ham
Published: Today
The Sun
MANUEL ALMUNIA reckons West Ham's 999 call has rescued his career. The
Spaniard hopes he can extend his loan from Arsenal beyond a month as
emergency cover for crock keeper Robert Green. Almunia, who will deputise
for Green again tonight at leaders Southampton, said: "It's good to feel the
game again. "We will see if I extend my loan. At the moment I am happy — it
is a great club with nice people and that's enough for me."
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Nigel Adkins says Southampton won't get cocky against West Ham
Published: Today
The Sun
NIGEL ADKINS wants to deck Sam Allardyce tonight after showing his
Southampton players a DVD of a cocky boxer being KO'd. Saints can open up a
five-point lead over Allardyce's West Ham with victory at St Mary's. Adkins
said: "The DVD shows a boxer showing off with a lot of fancy footwork only
to get laid out cold with the first punch of the bout. You will not catch
this side showboating like that."
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Almunia: Southampton clash is like facing Barcelona
Published 21:45 17/10/11 By Mike Walters
The Mirror
Manuel Almunia is relishing West Ham's top-of-the-table duel at Southampton
as much as a Champions League final. The Hammers will go top of the
Championship if they can puncture Saints' 100 per cent record at St Mary's
on Tuesday, and Arsenal goalkeeper Almunia is already keen to extend his
loan spell at Upton Park. Almunia, standing in for crocked England keeper
Robert Green, has fallen behind Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski in
the Gunners' pecking order. But he kept his first clean sheet since April in
West Ham's 4-0 drubbing of Blackpool at the weekend, and the Spanish
stopper said: "I want to play as many games as I can for West Ham and want
to do well for the manager and the club, and we will see if I extend my
loan. "At the moment I am very happy – it's a great club with nice people
and that's enough for me. "It's good to feel the game again and, with this
club, that is easy. "We all like to play in big games, and Southampton will
be a good test for us to see where we're going to be at the end of the
season. "The Championship's style and quality may be different from a
Champions League final, but I enjoy playing football whatever the category.
And, of course, I believe we can go there and win."
Almunia, 34, played in Arsenal's 2006 European Cup heartbreaker against
Barcelona in Paris, when he came on as a substitute following Jens Lehmann's
red card after 20 minutes. But he has no superiority complex about the muck
and nettles of the Championship, where West Ham put their unbeaten away
record on the line against Nigel Adkins' surprise front runners. He added:
"For me, we have the best team in the Championship. Everybody is very
committed and I think we're going to be up at the top of the table until the
end of the season. "Everything happened very quick when I first came here –
I trained for one day and then played at Crystal Palace. "I hadn't played
for a few months, but I've been training every day for the past week and
everything's right now."
But Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has warned he could change a winning side –
despite West Ham's dominant display against the Seasiders. He admitted: "I
will adapt my team, first and foremost to nullify Southampton's strengths.
If we don't do that, we will become the latest of many teams to lose down
there." Meanwhile, Saints skipper Dean Hammond insists his side's surge to
the top of the table is no surprise to them. "It may have caught out some
people, but it hasn't surprised us," he said. "We went into the season
fitter than ever and in a positive frame of mind."
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West Ham to make changes for Saints clash
Published 15:27 17/10/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has warned he could make changes for
tomorrow's top of the table npower Championship clash against leaders
Southampton despite a dominant display over Blackpool. The Hammers climbed
to second in the table after a convincing 4-0 hammering of the Seasiders in
what Allardyce called a "complete performance". The win included a brace for
22-year-old striker Sam Baldock and goals for John Carew and Jack Collison.
Southampton, who have won all their home games this season, are now just two
points ahead of West Ham after their 1-1 draw at Derby on Saturday. But
Allardyce could switch from a 4-4-2 system to 4-3-3 in a bid to nullify
Saints' threat at St Mary's. "I will change things if I think it's
necessary," Allardyce told the Evening Standard. "I will adapt my team first
and foremost to nullify Southampton's strengths. "If we don't do that we
will become one of many teams to lose at Southampton. "Sam did very well and
he's different to the other strikers we have. People were saying he ought to
be in the team as soon as we signed him but he is a young player and I
wanted him to settle in first."
James Tomkins is a doubt for the Hammers after he picked up a groin problem
in the Blackpool game and Matt Taylor could also miss out due to a calf
strain. Rickie Lambert, who scored his ninth goal of the league campaign
against Derby, praised strike partner David Connolly and backed him to
impress against his former club tomorrow. "He's an excellent player, one of
the best strikers to play with," Lambert told the Southern Daily Echo. "He's
so clever and sees the little runs most people don't. "He knows how to get
into the right areas around the six-yard box, how to pull off defenders,
turn them, put people in - and not many players can do that." Adam Lallana
could be available for Southampton after he missed the game at Pride Park
due to a foot injury sustained in training.
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London Olympics 2012: Barry Hearn demands Boris Johnson cuts ties with
decision on Olympic Stadium future
Telegraph.co.uk
By Paul Kelso, Chief Sports Reporter11:45PM BST 17 Oct 2011
Barry Hearn has demanded that Boris Johnson be removed from any discussions
over the future of the Olympic Stadium after the London Mayor said that West
Ham would "almost certainly" end up occupying the arena. Describing the
mayor as "inept", the Leyton Orient chairman has written to the Government
asking for Johnson to be stripped of any decision-making power because he
fears his views will prejudice Orient's chances in the new tender process.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company last week ended negotiations with West Ham
after the club's bid for the stadium collapsed amid continuing uncertainty
about the legality of their financing arrangements with Newham Council. The
OPLC is currently working on tender documents that would see any tenants
renting the £500 million Olympic stadium, with ownership remaining in public
hands. No details of the tender have been released but sports minister Hugh
Robertson has suggested the stadium would have a capacity of 60,000 and that
a further £95 million of taxpayer money would be spent upgrading it for
Premier League football.
Hearn is keen to submit a bid on behalf of Orient for a reduced capacity of
around 25,000, and believes his chances of success have been prejudiced by
Johnson's comments. "The plans are now that Government, OPLC and Newham
Borough Council have thrown in the towel, they realise the process was
flawed, they have wasted five years and we now go back to the beginning,"
Hearn told The Daily Telegraph.
"The Government now seems to want to fast-track it but they won't be allowed
to fast-track it. Our Mayor of London says West Ham are a "near certainty"
and by that statement he has rendered useless the entire procedure in one
line. The ineptitude of our mayor of London in this is unbelievable, the
fact that he can say something like that and put the whole process in
jeopardy. "Why should anyone now bid if the mayor of London who makes the
final decision, says West Ham are a near certainty? What's the point in
spending tens of thousands of pounds on evaluations and reports when the
mayor has made his mind up? "So we have written to the government saying
that he should be removed from the process because he has over-stepped the
mark." Hearn's comments came as the judicial review of the stadium process
brought by Tottenham was formally dissolved in the High Court. Spurs, the
OPLC and Newham will bear their own costs. Leyton Orient continue to seek
their costs in the case.
Tottenham have until Wednesday night to accept an offer from Johnson of a
£17 million contribution to the planning costs of upgrading the area around
their proposed new stadium development at Northumberland Park in Haringey.
The money would be used to improve infrastructure and facilities around the
stadium, requirements that could be placed on Spurs as a developer in the
area. Last night the mayor's office said that they had not had any word from
Tottenham about whether the deal would be accepted. Hearn said that in his
view the stadium was not viable for football if the running track was
retained, and would look at alternative configurations including building
stands on the track during the football season. "We all have to work
together with common sense, without pre-judging it as Boris appears to have
done. I would not want to play football in that stadium with the running
track. If the track has to stay, which seems to be the mood, then you have
to look at design features to rectify that by covering the track in some
way."
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Barry Hearn: There's no place like home...and greedy West Ham should be kept
out of ours
By JONATHAN MCEVOY
Last updated at 11:31 PM on 17th October 2011
Daily Mail
Barry Hearn ponders a newspaper headline that reads: 'We are the home team
and only we understand this area and all its proud fans,' and turns his ire
on the author of the accompanying article. 'Karren Brady,' says Leyton
Orient chairman Hearn of the West Ham vice-chairman, 'is paid by The Sun and
is entitled to give her opinion. But it is condescending in the extreme. It
is patronising. She always is patronising. And it is backed up with a huge
lack of knowledge.' The background is that West Ham want to take over the
Olympic Stadium post-2012 and so do Leyton Orient of League One. 'Her
appearances on TV, on The Apprentice, may have led her to believe that she
has another role in life,' he adds. 'I told her when the decision to award
West Ham the stadium, now overturned of course, was made that we would go
for a judicial review. Her exact words to me were, "My dear, you can't go to
judicial review because the Government have already agreed what's
happening". 'I replied, "Karren, that's the whole basis for going for
judicial review. I don't think you know what a judicial review is, do you?"'
'This says it all about West Ham,' adds Hearn. 'One, Avram Grant was in the
original picture (he's now been sacked as manager). Two, there are too many
West Ham players in the opposition penalty area - they never get that many
players forward. Three, there is no sign of the running track on this
picture. Can you believe that? This represents exactly the bull****
philosophy coming out of West Ham.' Hearn, 63, and looking trim after
losing a pound a week for 16 weeks as he unloads his thoughts in a central
London hotel, makes it clear he has known West Ham's co-owners David
Sullivan and David Gold for 25 years and has no personal gripe with them.
Nor with West Ham fans.
But as for London Mayor Boris Johnson, he is, says Hearn, central to the
whole problem and put his foot in his mouth last week when it was announced
that rather than West Ham and partners Newham Council buying the stadium as
planned, the process would be re-opened. The chosen club would then rent the
stadium from the mayor. Johnson said West Ham would 'almost certainly' end
up in the stadium.
Hearn is livid. 'The crux of this,' he says, 'is that we have a mayor who
has come out with the most outrageous statement. 'He has effectively said
that West Ham are odds-on certainties. This is the man who has the final
sign-off on the Olympic Stadium. But by his statement he has rendered the
whole bidding process a total waste of time. 'My lawyers have written to
the Government asking, in light of Boris Johnson's comments, whether he is
the right man to make the decision and, more importantly, if a deal has
already been done behind closed doors: "Don't worry West Ham, we have to do
this a different way but you are in". Boris couldn't have said anything
better for us. It is so challengeable.'
Hearn says the Olympic Park is 750 metres away from their Brisbane Road
ground and the Olympic Stadium a further mile away. If West Ham moved closer
to Orient, Hearn believes the fan base would gradually be eroded to a point
where the club could go out of existence. With this in mind, he spoke to
Greg Clarke, the Football League chairman, at Saturday's home win over Bury.
'West Ham asked the Premier League if they could move, but they have been
relegated to the Football League,' says Hearn. 'The rules are that the
Football League would not sanction a club moving closer to another club if
it affects the business of that other club. So I handed Mr Clarke a letter
asking permission for Leyton Orient to move into the Olympic Stadium. He now
has to answer it. 'West Ham can't just assume that they will be in the
Premier League by then. How, therefore, can the Olympic Park Legacy Company,
whose job it is to decide who takes over the stadium, allow West Ham to
remain in the bidding process? We want them thrown out because they don't
have permission from the relevant authority - the Football League.' The
OPLC's plan is that their prefer red bidder will be announced, for a second
time, in January 2012. 'Impossible,' says Hearn of the prospects of such a
fast process allowing all the issues to be resolved. 'The notion that it
could be is almost childlike in its simplicity. If you are going to run it
as a proper business, with cricket and rugby properly involved, it takes
time. It would take until, say, January 2013. You have to speak to stadium
operators, get in survey reports, etc. I know - this is my business. What's
the rush?
'We are asking for a 25,000-seat stadium and we want to see if we can get
around the athletics track. It has to stay, we know that. But can we build
up, if not down, and see if it's possible to get it covered while we play?
'If it isn't possible, it isn't - and we wouldn't move in with a running
track betwixt pitch and crowd.' Spurs were reported to have dropped out of
the battle on Monday night, something which would have come as no surprise
to Hearn. 'They got what I call a bung to withdraw,' he said, referring to
Johnson's offer of £17m to help Tottenham with new transport costs at White
Hart Lane. 'I would take a bung if it helped us. But what I really want is a
level playing field.'
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Allardyce wary of rampant Saints
Monday 17 October 2011
Morning Star
Football: West Ham boss Sam Allardyce could ring the changes for tomorrow's
top of the table Championship clash against leaders Southampton despite a
dominant display over Blackpool. The Hammers climbed to second in the table
after a convincing 4-0 hammering of the Seasiders at the weekend in what
Allardyce called a "complete performance." The win included a brace for
22-year-old striker Sam Baldock and goals for John Carew and Jack Collison.
Southampton, who have won all their home games this season, are now just two
points ahead of West Ham after their 1-1 draw at Derby on Saturday. But
Allardyce could switch from a 4-4-2 system to 4-3-3 in a bid to nullify
Saints' threat at St Mary's. "I will change things if I think it's
necessary," Allardyce said. "I will adapt my team first and foremost to
nullify Southampton's strengths. "If we don't do that we will become one of
many teams to lose at Southampton. "Sam did very well and he's different to
the other strikers we have. People were saying he ought to be in the team as
soon as we signed him but he is a young player and I wanted him to settle in
first."
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Baldock left sweating on West Ham place despite double blast
Ken Dyer
17 Oct 2011
Evening Standard
West Ham striker Sam Baldock is keeping his fingers crossed that his two
goals in the 4-0 win over Blackpool will be enough to keep his place for
tomorrow night's top-of-the-table clash at Southampton. Baldock, a £2million
signing from MK Dons in August, became an instant fans' favourite with his
brace against Blackpool, forming a potent partnership with John Carew. But
manager Sam Allardyce could change the system at Southampton from a 4-4-2 to
a 4-3-3, which will leave the 22-year-old sweating on his place. "I will
change things if I think it's necessary," said Allardyce. "I will adapt my
team first and foremost to nullify Southampton's strengths. "If we don't do
that we will become one of many teams to lose at Southampton. Sam did very
well and he's different to the other strikers we have. People were saying he
ought to be in the team as soon as we signed him but he is a young player
and I wanted him to settle in first." Matt Taylor is doubtful with a calf
injury, so Baldock may yet keep his place. He said: "I hope I won't just get
the odd chance."
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Allardyce hails hitman Carew
Monday 17th October 2011 11:11
TeamTalk
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce wants John Carew to stay on the goal trail
and fire them to the top of the Championship. Norway striker Carew goes into
Tuesday night's clash with leaders Southampton on the back of three goals in
his last three games. Allardyce, whose side will leapfrog Saints with a
victory at St Mary's, said: "When you are 6ft 5ins with that amount of
ability and strength, he takes some stopping. "He has a goal in his last
three games, two for us and one for his country, and he is in a goal mood."
Allardyce played Sam Baldock alongside Carew against Blackpool on Saturday
and the former MK Dons frontman hit his first two goals for the club in the
resounding 4-0 win. "That will give him a huge amount of confidence," added
Allardyce.
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