WHUFC.com
Tony Carr has produced another young Hammer for the England set-up in Josh
Cullen
27.10.2011
Josh Cullen had a night to remember as he helped England to a 4-0 win
against Wales in the Victory Shield on Thursday. The U16 tournament has been
a breeding ground for homegrown Hammers, with Cullen following the likes of
Blair Turgott, Matthias Fanimo, Robert Hall and Jordan Spence as recent
Young Lions. Cullen, wearing the No4, played for 66 minutes of the 80 played
at the Whaddon Road home of Cheltenham Town. The Wickford-based midfielder
was watched by club legend, Sir Trevor Brooking who was at the match in his
role as the FA's Director of Football Development. Cullen had been an unused
substitute in the 3-1 win against Northern Ireland earlier this month but
will hope to keep his place in the final Victory Shield encounter against
Scotland in Inverness on 25 November. Meanwhile, fellow Academy ace Leo
Chambers was withdrawn from England duty this week for the 2012 UEFA
European U17 Championship qualifiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina because of
injury.
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Faye focused on Foxes
WHUFC.com
Towering defender Abdoulaye Faye is ready to stand firm again for the visit
of Leicester City
27.10.2011
Abdoulaye Faye is challenging himself and his West Ham United team-mates to
keep it clean against Leicester City this Saturday. The Hammers were
resolute at the back in Monday's 1-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion with
Faye helping see off the Seagulls' strike-force. Having been around the top
level of the game for so long, Faye knows full well that if you stop the
other team from scoring then you have every chance to go on and take the
points. "We have confidence from a clean sheet on Monday and we want to do
that again. Leicester are like us, they are strong and have experienced
players. It will be a very hard game but we can defend well. "Our defending
has made us confident. We can look forward to the match and we want to win
and maybe go top of the league."
Leicester arrive without a manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure,
but Faye was not certain if it would be a positive or negative for the
Hammers. What he was sure about was that the team, even after a 4-0 success
last time at the Boleyn against Blackpool, would have to stay focused for
the full match. "We know we have to play for 95 minutes, not 90. We have had
that problem at home before but we are getting better. We want that clean
sheet." Faye paid tribute to skipper Kevin Nolan, who led from the front and
scored the only goal out of nothing at Brighton. "He is an important player
who scores important goals. I enjoy playing with him. He is a great lad and
when you have Kevin in your team it can only be good."
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Loan star Robert Hall wants extended Oxford United stay
Page last updated at 10:04 GMT, Thursday, 27 October 2011 11:04 UK
BBC.co.uk
Oxford United's on-loan striker Robert Hall says he wants to extend his stay
at the club following his huge impact since arriving from West Ham United.
Hall scored two goals for the U's in the 5-1 win over Plymouth on Tuesday,
to bring his tally up to six goals in nine games for the League Two side.
The 18-year-old is on loan at Oxford until 9 November and has been
instrumental in their success so far. "If I could extend it, I would extend
it again," Hall told BBC Radio Oxford. "It's just up to West Ham and whether
or not they'll let me stay. Hopefully, they'll let me stay, it's something I
want to do."
Hall's goals have helped fire United up to fifth in the table and manager
Chris Wilder says he is keen to extend his loan stay for a second time.
"From my point of view, I'd love to have him here for longer," said Wilder.
"He's flourishing, playing regular matches and is enjoying it. We're
enjoying him being here, as are the supporters, so we'll have to wait and
see."
United forward James Constable, who also scored twice against Plymouth, is
predicting big things from the West Ham trainee. "He is a tremendous player
and a joy to train with and play with," Constable told BBC Radio Oxford. "He
has got a massive future ahead of him and for the moment we are just pleased
to have him playing for us," added Constable. United put behind them their
weekend defeat by nine-man Gillingham with victory over bottom-placed Argyle
and Constable says team spirit has a part to pay in their success this
season. "We are all together," added Constable. "The morale is brilliant on
the training pitch and in the changing room and we all go out on Saturdays
desperate for the same thing and are driving towards that one goal."
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Honour your pledge, say protest group
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 27th October 2011
By: Staff Writer
A protest group set up to campaign for a referendum on West Ham United's
move to the Olympic Stadium have written an open letter to chairmen David
Gold and David Sullivan. The group, who operate under the banner WHU's View
(and may be found at www.whusvoice.com) are campaigning on a sole policy
manifesto that aims to force the club into conducting an independent ballot
amongst its supporters.
The letter, sent to the board of West Ham United earlier this week reads as
follows:
"A group of West Ham United football fans, both for and against the move
away from Upton Park, have made a formal written request to the owners of
the club for a full independently audited ballot of season ticket holders
and members before putting forward a new bid to move from their current home
in Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. "Whu's View was set up in
the wake of the announcement by the OPLC on the 11th of October 2011 that
West Ham United and Newham Council's joint bid to move to the new stadium
had been unsuccessful and that a new bidding process was to take place.
"When Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan took over our club, a key pledge made was to
consult with the fans. We appreciate that the club remains in financial
difficulties, we respect the fact that they have invested their own money
and that any financial decision rests with them. "However, we ask that the
pledge to consult is honoured by way of polling before bidding. We await a
positive response from the club."
You may register your support for a vote on the proposed move to Stratford
by visiting WHU's View website at www.whusvoice.com.
The board's ten-point pledge (made in May 2010)
1. To appoint a new 'high-calibre' manager
2. Sign new players 'hungry to do well'
3. Further invest in the Academy
4. Further reduce club debt
5. Freeze season ticket prices with further member benefits promised
6. Build the status and image of the club both domestically and further
afield
7. Make the football enjoyable - including changes to pre-match and
half-time entertainment
8. Ensure closer ties with the local community - both inside and outside of
football
9. Build towards a move to the Olympic Stadium
10. Listen to the supporters
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Don't sell the long ball short
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 27th October 2011
By: Gary Portugal
I'd be lying if I said that I enjoy watching us pump long balls up to a lone
striker all game long, even if it is Carew who can hold the ball up well. I
don't. But a long time ago, I came to terms with long ball. If it gets us
promoted and out of the Hell-hole that is the Championship, then I can
easily live with it.
Financially, we may not be able to afford another season in the
Championship. The current owners have pumped a lot of cash into the club
since relegation, in the hope and expectation that we can immediately return
to the top flight. If we fail to achieve promotion, it's possible that the
owners may not continue to fund the club.
So this is it: we have one chance to get ourselves out of this mess and we
can't screw it up. And long ball is a necessary evil - I'll take it as
opposed to seeing us go into administration or get liquidated by failing to
win promotion. We simply are in no position to be carrying a debt of
£75million.
So is long ball all ugly,all the time? Is it greasy pimples without
exception? Upon closer inspection, I'd say not. Look at our record against
Bolton in recent years. How many times have we been brutally turned over by
them, even after Allardyce left, home and away? How many times have they
destroyed us by using the width of the pitch and delivering great crosses
into the box that we could not cope with? Over and over again - and so often
those moves started with the long ball,the total hoof, but ended up with a
Bolton winger receiving the ball down the flank and crucifying us.
So when you pass judgement on long ball, you have to take into account who
is playing it and how they are executing this style of play. Historically,
we have been horrible at this style of play and it goes against the
traditions of the club of being a proper passing side that gets the ball
down on the floor and plays it, as the game was meant to be played.
But does that make it wrong for us to employ the long ball in the
Championship in 2011, at least some of the time? Not necessarily.
For a start, like any formation or tactic, it cannot be used all the time.
To rely exclusively on one tactic is football suicide no matter how skilled
or how physical your players are, as you become predictable and easy to
defend against. And in fairness, at times we have been easy to defend
against because of our predictability this season. But there is still a time
and a place for the long ball this season and there are going to be many
games when it is entirely appropriate.
For a start, we lack pace; apart from Faubert and, when fit, Taylor (and
when in the side, Baldock) we just don't have fast players. But we do have
some very big lumps who can intimidate the life out of people. Not just
Carew, but Nolan, Dioup and when he comes up for corners, Faye. The whole
league, rightfully so, views us as a very big, physical side that can
present problems to any defence from set pieces.
So there are times, depending upon the nature of the opposition, when it
plays to our strengths to go long ball. Not all the time, but certainly in
some fixtures.
To me the real issue isn't whether we play long ball or not this season, or
even how often we play it. It's about HOW we play it,when we use it. If we
stand around like 11 statues with no movement on or off the ball, then I'm
not interested. If our goalkeeper just kicks the ball straight to an
opposition defender, straight up the middle of the pitch, then I'm not
interested. If when we use this tactic, it's always with an isolated striker
alone up front, then I'm bored to tears with it and frustrated by it. If
it's played at a deadly slow tempo, then I hate it.
But if we employ the long ball sensibly and in a way that shows some guile
and cleverness, then I have no issue with it.
Like if our 'keeper kicks the ball down the channels from goal kicks so that
it doesn't bounce straight back at us. Like if someone, such as Baldock for
example, is on the pitch to chase the knockdowns from Carew. Like if our
quickest wingers - such as Faubert and Taylor - are on the pitch. Like if
all our attacking and midfield players are trying to create and move into
space as opposed to just ball-watching. Like if the long balls are hit with
a purpose, rather than just hope or worse, desperation. Like if we use the
entire width of the pitch and play some diagonal balls .
If we can incorporate tempo, movement and purpose into long ball, then I
have no issue with it this season. Long ball does not have to be lazy man's
football or football for someone with no ideas. There is an expression:
"It's not what you say, but how you say it". You could say the same thing
about football systems. It isn't necessarily the system you play that
matters, but how you play that system.
I'd never advocate long ball being the only item in our bag of tricks, or
even being our mainstay. But it most certainly deserves to play a major role
this season provided it's done intelligently, even if it isn't what we'd
like to watch ideally. Do you want to spend another season in this sewer of
a division? Or do you want to get promoted and leave it behind?
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Allardyce wary of Foxes
Hammers manager offers thoughts on Eriksson's dismissal
Last Updated: October 27, 2011 11:21pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is expecting a difficult game against Leicester
following Sven Goran Eriksson's departure as Foxes manager. Big-spending
Leicester are the visitors to Upton Park for their first outing since former
England boss Eriksson was shown the door. Allardyce accepts that the Swede's
exit could spark an improved performance from the Foxes, but he hopes that
is not the case. "I hope it doesn't affect them in a good way, I hope it
affects them in a negative way because most of the players that will be
playing Sven will have bought to the club," said Allardyce.
Difficult job
Academy director Jon Rudkin and coach Mike Stowell have been placed in
temporary charge of Leicester after Eriksson was shown the door just 13
games into the season. "It's a results-driven industry these days, and
results have to come quickly," added Allardyce. "The problem with that is
you go out and bring in players - I brought in 14 - and it's such a
difficult job to produce results until you get to know the players and they
get to know each other and you build up team spirit. The results take time.
"If you've got the bigger purse strings you are expected to get to the top
of the league and Leicester have probably spent more than anyone else in
this division this summer. That's probably why he's paid the price."
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Hammers boss Allardyce targets injury-prone Smith in bid to ease squad
crisis
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:52 AM on 27th October 2011
Daily Mail
Desperate Sam Allardyce is ready to turn another one of his former players
in a bid to ease West Ham's increasing injury list: Alan Smith. Newcastle
are prepared to send the out-of-favour midfielder on loan to a Championship
club and the Hammers are among those interested in the ex-Manchester United
and England star. Leeds, who failed in a bid to re-sign former academy
product Smith back in the summer, have also been alerted to the
30-year-old's availability, as have Doncaster. Smith, however, has played
just four minutes of competitive football this season, called into action as
an 86th minute substitute in Newcastle's August Premier League win over
Fulham. It is understood that Toon boss Alan Pardew is keen to offload Smith
from the club's wage bill. Signed by Allardyce from Old Trafford for
£6million in 2007, Smith is in the final year of his lucrative £60,00-a-week
contract at St James' Park.
A move from West Ham would certainly represent a gamble with Smith, who made
his last start in January earlier this year, blighted by a succession of
injury troubles. Allardyce, who has been scouring the top-flight for other
potential loan signings, also appears to be in favour of what would prove to
be a controversial decision to recruit bad boy forward El Hadji Diuof. The
former Blackburn player, who played under the Hammers boss at Ewood Park,
has been training at the club's Chadwell Heath training ground for the past
week in his attempts to win a contract.
And Allardyce admitted to talkSPORT on Wednesday: 'He's just training with
us at the moment. It's our injury crisis that's my problem at the moment
more than anything else. 'We had George Moncur on the bench [against
Brighton] and he's only 17 years old. 'You need to a good squad to get to
the top of this league so I'm just having a look to see what he's looking
like.' Allardyce has so far revived ties with four players he worked with at
other clubs in his bid to get West Ham promoted back to the Premier League
at the first time of asking.
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Swansea ramp up bid to take Chelsea youngster McEachran on loan
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:30 PM on 27th October 2011
Daily Mail
Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers - a former Chelsea youth and
reserve-team coach - has confirmed he wants to take Josh McEachran on loan
from his former club. West Ham are also monitoring the 18-year-old
midfielder's situation.
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West Ham linked with Newcastle United and former Manchester United and Leeds
midfielder Alan Smith
10:24am Thursday 27th October 2011
Guardian Series
By Simon Mail »
West Ham have been linked with a loan move for Newcastle United midfielder
Alan Smith. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce worked with the former Leeds attacker
at St James' Park and is thought to be interested in bringing him to Upton
Park. The Irons have been hit by a spate of injuries including midfielders
David Bentley and Henri Lansbury. Another player on Allardyce's radar is El
Hadji Diouf who has been on trial with the Championship promotion
favourites.
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WIN AGAINST WEST HAM WINS SAINTS THE AWARD
LeagueManagers.com
The League Managers Association five-man Performance of the Week panel,
comprising LMA Chairman Howard Wilkinson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Joe Royle, Dave
Bassett and Barry Fry, were in agreement that this week, the F&C Thames
River Performance of the Week Award should go to Southampton following their
excellent 1-0 home win against West Ham United in the npower Championship on
Tuesday 18th October 2011. Southampton manager Nigel Adkins will receive a
specially engraved crystal football in a presentation to be screened on Sky
Soccer Saturday on 22nd October 2011. Southampton opened up a five-point
lead at the top of the Championship with a narrow win over second-placed
West Ham. Jos Hooiveld's goal was enough for Saints as he headed home Daniel
Fox's corner on the stroke of half time. It maintained Southampton's 100%
home record and came in front of a St Mary's record crowd of 32,150. West
Ham had chances to level, with Sam Baldock shooting wide and Mark Noble
hitting the post as they lost away from home for the first time this term.
Southampton manager Nigel Adkins was naturally delighted with his team's
performance: "West Ham were in the Premier League last season, their
aspiration is to go straight back up and they are favourites to do that.
"We also have that aspiration and after 12 games of the season we are top of
the league and are there on merit. "We kept a clean sheet, played some good
football, created opportunities and scored a good goal from a set play so I
am pleased with the three points. "We have got a lot of belief at the club
and are trying to play good football."
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West Ham boss hoping to take advantage of Leicester turmoil
London 24
Kirk Blows, West Ham Columnist
Thursday, October 27, 2011
1:00 PM
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is hoping Sven Goran Eriksson's departure from
Leicester City will play into his side's hands at Upton Park on Saturday.
Eriksson became the second former England boss to lose his job with a
Championship team this season – following Steve McClaren's exit from
Nottingham Forest – when he left the Foxes by "mutual consent" this week.
Leicester immediately put academy director Jon Rudkin and coach Mike Stowell
in temporary charge while they seek a new manager. Former Foxes chief Martin
O'Neill has reportedly been considering a return to the club, while Mark
Hughes, Billy Davies and Dave Jones are also among the bookmakers'
favourites for the post. But the Hammers are hoping the period of
uncertainty for Leicester, who lost 3-0 at home to Millwall last weekend,
will improve their chances of victory on Saturday. Allardyce said: "I hope
it affects them in a negative way. "Most of their players who will be
playing on Saturday are those who Sven will have brought to the club. "I
hope it doesn't affect them in a good or positive way."
West Ham and Leicester were listed as 4-1 joint-favourites to win the
Championship before the campaign kicked-off. But while the Hammers have
lifted themselves into second place with 24 points from 13 games, the Foxes
are in the bottom half despite being just five points behind the Londoners.
Eriksson had spent an estimated £20m on players following his appointment
last year, but just five league wins this term was deemed not good enough.
Allardyce admits it's all about the level of expectation at a big club when
a manager has been allowed to invest heavily in his squad. He said:
"Leicester have probably spent more than anyone else in this division to try
and get to where they want to go as quickly as they possibly can. "If you've
got the bigger purse strings you're expected to get to the top of the league
because of that financial clout. "It's a results-driven industry and results
have to come quickly. "But it's such a difficult job to produce results
until you get to know your players, they get to know each other and you
build up a team spirit."
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Tony Cottee Column: West Ham boss got tactics spot on at Brighton
London 24
Tony Cottee
Thursday, October 27, 2011
4:47 PM
Kevin Nolan scored his fourth goal for West Ham in the 1-0 win at Brighton
on Monday – and with every one of them coming on the team's travels I know
fans are asking why the skipper appears to be more influential away from
home. I know from my own career that you can sometimes have spells when you
score goals at home and not away and vice versa so there might not be any
particular reason for it, although the obvious conclusion is that hes
playing in a more advanced role away from home. What I will say about Kevin
is that hes a quality player and hes been a huge addition to the dressing
room. Hes a powerful character and thats why hes been made captain. Fans are
always going to try and judge players, but I dont think you can necessarily
do that after five weeks or five months. I think you judge them after the
five-year contract and I believe that people will look back and know that
Nolan has been a very good signing for us. I thought it was an excellent
three points at Brighton because its a difficult place to visit and there
arent too many teams that are going to win down there. In terms of the game
itself, its probably fair to say that Brighton played the better football.
But defensively we looked very sound.
Its admirable the way Brighton try to play the game and they had lots of
possession. But theres got to be an end product and if you took Craig
Mackail-Smith out of the equation they didnt really look as they were going
to threaten our goal. Sam Allardyce named John Carew as a lone striker at
Brighton and I dont have a problem with that because there are times when
you need to play different systems. Ive always said it playing two strikers
gives defenders a lot more to worry about than just one. But you cant always
do that. Its the managers call and you cant say that Sam got it wrong
against Brighton because we got the three points. In an ideal world youd
play the silky football, but what do the fans want? Do we want to do what
Brighton did and lose 1-0 or do we want to get the three points and
hopefully get back into the Premier League?
There are going to be games when you have to grind out results, grab the
three points, get on the bus as quickly as possible and go home. The week
began with the news that El Hadji Diouf had been taken on trial and I know
some fans are unhappy about that. Theres no doubt that Diouf is a very
talented player; hes just done silly things over the years that have not
endeared him to supporters around the country. But if he signs, gets in the
first team and plays well, the fans will learn to like him because hes a
tryer and he can do different things. But if he sulks and disrupts
everything then the fans are entitled to moan. Its a risk, but people said
the same thing about Paolo Di Canio when Harry Redknapp signed him in 1999.
Another of my old clubs, Leicester City, visit Upton Park on Saturday and I
was very surprised when I got a call from my colleagues at Sky Sports
telling me that Sven Goran Eriksson had left his post as manager this week.
It will be very interesting to see what sort of Leicester turns up at the
weekend. If the players liked Sven you might see another flat performance.
But if they are pleased hes gone they might come flying out of the traps. My
former boss Martin ONeill has been linked with Leicester and if he returned
Id be very concerned by the threat it poses because hes the sort of manager
who could go in there and sort things out. Only time will tell, but I
suspect we will see Leicester in the top six by the end of the season.
Tony Cottee was talking to Kirk Blows
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Magpies midfielder on Leeds & West Ham radar - reports
Newcastle midfielder Alan Smith attracting interest from Leeds and West Ham
By Paul Bailey October 27, 2011
GiveMeFootball.com
Newcastle are ready to send forgotten man Alan Smith out on loan to the
Championship, with former club Leeds United and West Ham believed to be
heading the queue of interested parties reports the Daily Mirror. The
30-year-old midfielder is in the final year of his £60,000-a-week contract,
and with his future on Tyneside looking bleak, Smith will use the
opportunity to put himself in the shop window in an attempt to earn a new
deal. Having been on the fringes at St James' Park for the past year,
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew is keen for Smith to gain some much needed
first-team action elsewhere. Leeds boss Simon Grayson has previously failed
in an attempt to bring the player back to Elland Road, but his renewed
availability could now make a move possible. However, Leeds will likely face
competition for his signature from fellow promotion hopefuls West Ham - it
was Hammers boss Sam Allardyce who signed Smith for Newcastle for £6million
in 2007, when he was formerly manager there. Smith has been limited to just
a solitary substitute appearance for Newcastle this season, against Fulham
back in August - so will welcome the chance for some regular action at
either West Ham or Leeds.
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