WHUFC.com
West Ham United's latest England captain, Leo Chambers is firmly in the U17
fold for the latest EURO challenge
05.10.2011
Leo Chambers has been called up by England for the first stage of qualifying
for the 2012 UEFA European U17 Championship this month. The Academy central
defender is already a regular on the international scene, having captained
his country at U16 level before stepping up in age group this year. Chambers
will hope to figure when the Young Lions take on mini-tournament hosts
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia and the Netherlands in Sarajevo. The competition
will take place between 26 and 31 October, with the top two teams
progressing to the Elite round in the spring. Chambers wore the No6 shirt
back in August as he led England in all three games against Italy, Portugal
and the Czech Republic as they won an FA International Tournament on home
soil. The highly-regarded centre-back is not the only youth international in
Tony Carr's set-up, with Kieran Sadlier (Republic of Ireland, Danny Potts
(United States) and Matthias Fanimo and Blair Turgott (both England) also
having played on the national stage.
At development squad level, George Moncur (England), Robert Hall (England),
Eoin Wearen (Ireland) and Sebastian Lletget (US) have also been capped.
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Doncaster Rovers want Mahamadou Diarra and Piquionne
BBC.co.uk
Doncaster Rovers are attempting to sign former Real Madrid midfielder
Mahamadou Diarra and West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne, BBC Radio
Sheffield reports.
Mali international Diarra, 30, made 122 appearances for the Spaniards and
was most recently at Monaco, who released him this summer after their
relegation. One-time France international Piquionne, 32, has failed to score
in seven games for the Hammers this term. Rovers signed his team-mate Herita
Ilunga earlier this week.
Diarra could play in the Africa Cup of Nations for Mali in January and
February next year, if his country qualify.
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Allardyce offers Freedman retort
Hammers boss hits back at Palace counterpart
Last Updated: October 5, 2011 1:25pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has responded to comments made by Crystal Palace manager
Dougie Freedman about West Ham's style of play. The two clubs met in the
Championship on Saturday and played out a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
Freedman suggested afterwards that the Eagles were much the better side and
attempted to play the better football. He said: "(There) were two teams
playing two different ways. "Very much a physical, powerful team in West
Ham, knocking a lot of balls into your box, against the team that we had
with the guile, the sharpness and the interchange to play and try to create
chances."
Facts
Allardyce has been left disappointed by Freedman's remarks, with it his
opinion that his reading of the game is wrong. He believes that West Ham set
about their job in the right manner and were unfortunate not to take maximum
points from their capital neighbours. "We dominated the Palace game and
outplayed the home side so it disappoints me to hear a young manager talking
in the way he did about my team," Allardyce told his club's official
website. "Just to get the facts straight, we were on top in terms of chances
and possession and should have won the game with the chances we created."
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Why can't West Ham's skipper play at Upton Park?
London 24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
9:21 AM
One of the great mysteries at West Ham this season is the differing form
displayed by skipper Kevin Nolan at home and away. At Upton Park his
displays have been lethargic and decidedly average, but on his travels he
has scored at Doncaster, Nottingham Forest and now Crystal Palace as well as
putting in fine performances.
Manager Sam Allardyce thinks he has put his finger on the difference though.
"I think he gets more space, more opportunites to get forward," suggested
the boss.
"The team is playing better, they have better possession and they are
creating more opportunites. "There are a few players who I have to say are
playing better away from home than they are at home. "We have got a lot of
experience, we shouldn't be like that. I think in the end we will deliver
the same performances and results at Upton Park because as a squad we should
only get better from here on in." There you have it then!
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West Ham boss impressed after fitting 'Wardrobe' into his team
London 24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
12:00 PM
West Ham new boy Papa Bouba Diop is not nicknamed 'The Wardrobe' for
nothing. The giant central midfielder made his first West Ham start at
Crystal Palace on Saturday and immediately made an impression with his
strength and tackling ability. Manager Sam Allardyce was certainly not
expecting too much from the former Portsmouth and Fulham man, but was
staggered by what he saw at Selhurst Park. "I was expecting that I would
have to give him oxygen after 60 minutes in the heat," laughed Allardyce,
who seemed to be suffering from the temperature more than the Senegal
international.
Masterful
"I thought he was masterful in front of the back four, breaking things up,
starting us off on more and more attacks as the game went on, so I was
really pleased with him." The 33-year-old was pleased to be back too. He
hasn't played a competitive game since helping AEK Athens to the Greek Cup
last season. "I enjoyed the game because it was my first match in three
months," said Diop, who was picked up by West Ham as a free agent. "Now I've
played my first game at this level I am happy. I probably need one more game
after this to be fully fit."
Diop has had to be patient before making his West Ham debut. Problems with
his work permit took longer to be sorted out than expected, while he has had
to wait until injuries hit the side before he got his chance. "I have worked
very hard in training because if you don't play it is very hard," admitted
the midfielder, who played over 100 games for Fulham and Porsmouth in the
Premier League. "But when you get the call to play then you must be ready
because you never know when you will be needed."
Diop was certainly needed on Saturday. He provided a barrier between the
midfield and the back four and it is partly down to him that Palace only
managed three shots on target all afternoon - though they did manage to
score from two of them! "The team are happy to take a point from here,"
admitted Diop after Saturday's 2-2 draw. "The Championship is good because
it's physical and quick so this makes it more difficult than the
Premiership. "In the Premiership, it's more technical and here you have to
fight more."
That should be right up Diop's street then, because he seems to be designed
for the physical side of the game. Watching him battle against the tiny
Palace midfielder Jonathan Williams made the match look like men against
boys at times. Diop is hoping Saturday's performance cements his place in
the starting line-up. "I hope so," he admitted. "I'm happy and I'm here to
work. I'm ready and when the coach says I can start then I just do my best
every time."
After a tough battle against Palace though, he knows that it will not be
plain sailing for the Hammers. "I think West Ham are not a Championship
club," he insisted. "Now everyone wants to beat West Ham - everyone. You saw
that against Ipswich and also here against Crystal Palace. "Now we go and
have a rest with family because we have two big games when we come back. If
we want to go back to the Premier League then we have to do better."
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Irons insight: Carlos cheered but Carlton is jeered by West Ham fans
London24
Matt Porter, London24 West Ham blogger
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
12:14 PM
South London seemed more like the south of France on Saturday as West Ham
pitched up at Selhurst Park. I came away from the match wondering whether
the unseasonable heat was affecting the judgement of a minority of the
travelling support. As we basked in the sunshine at 3pm everyone seemed in
high spirits, mischievously chanting for Carlos Tevez to be allowed to
return to his spiritual home of east London. Tevez might have proved himself
to be an irritant on both sides of Manchester, but he remains as popular as
ever to the Irons' faithful. However fleeting his stay was, no other West
Ham player has captured the affection of the Boleyn crowd more since the
days of Paolo di Canio. Carlton Cole, on the other hand, remains a player
who splits opinion and seems to cause cheers and groans in equal measure. It
only takes one glance at Cole to know he's no flamboyant playmaker in the
Tevez or di Canio mould, but he has proved himself to be a more than capable
footballer at the top level, let alone in the Championship.
I think that is why Cole irks a few fair Hammers fans. He is definitely a
confidence player in terms of his goalscoring prowess, although you can
never fault his work rate or commitment to the cause. All in all he seems a
thoroughly likeable bloke, which is why I always find it so disappointing
that certain supporters seem to turn on him at the slightest provocation.
Confidence issues aside, Cole's effectiveness is not being helped by Sam
Allardyce's tactics. Little seemed to have been taken on board from
Tuesday's drab performance against Ipswich as the lone striker was once
again isolated and lacking in support from the midfield. Even when Cole won
the ball in the air, he had no one to aim for and no way of keeping
possession. Allardyce's direct style of play will satisfy many fans as long
as it gets results, but if the last week is anything to go by Big Sam may
find that people start to grow restless. West Ham's travelling support tends
to be remarkably positive and supportive in spite of some largely horrendous
results over the past few years. It was for this very reason that the vocal
discontent and frustration during the second half at Selhurst Park was so
notable.
Maybe we can just blame the weather and hope that a return to the drab
English autumn improves things both on and off the pitch.
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Tony Cottee Column: We should judge Nolan's performances after five years,
not five weeks
London 24
Tony Cottee, London24 West Ham Columnist
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
2:00 PM
The Hammers returned from Crystal Palace with a point and I think that West
Ham fans can't be too disappointed with that. It was a tough game in south
London and I didn't expect any different as Palace are a strong side that
have really improved under Dougie Freedman and I think that they are capable
of finishing in the top 10 this season. It was important after last week's
defeat at home to Ipswich that we responded, and we didn't get off to the
best of starts when we conceded early in the game on Saturday. However, we
showed good character to come back from behind not once, but twice to
salvage a valuable point. Looking at the goals, it was of course
disappointing to see sloppy defending, but I think that was down in part to
the changes that were made within the defence and of course with a new
keeper coming in. Losing Rob Green for four to six weeks is a big blow for
West Ham. Green is a top class, international keeper and some of the saves
he has made this season have been as good as scoring goals at the other end.
However, in Manuel Almunia we have an able deputy.
I have to admit that I was not Almunia's biggest fan when he was at Arsenal,
but he is an experienced keeper having played in the Champions League, and
will be able to handle the pressure of playing for West Ham in the
Championship. I am confident that he will fill the role until Green is fit
again. Another player making his debut against Palace was Papa Bouba Diop,
who provided protection for the back four. He replaced the injured Mark
Noble and thrived on the physical nature of the Championship.
Of course, he is a completely different midfielder to Noble, but if the
defence need protecting, then Diop is the man and is probably the one player
in the squad that can fill that particular defensive hole left by Scott
Parker. The amount of injuries definitely affected Sam Allardyce's squad on
Saturday, and it just goes to show the strength in depth needed for this
long, Championship season. There are 46 games to play excluding any cup
competitions, and our squad is the best in the league. Captaining that squad
is Kevin Nolan, who was on the scoresheet again at the weekend. I know that
Nolan hasn't been playing at his best in recent weeks, but he was bought for
reasons both on and off the field and he has settled the dressing room
following the club's relegation from the top flight. Although he may not be
playing brilliantly, he is scoring goals and I have every confidence in him.
I think we should judge his performances after five years, not after five
weeks. We are 10 games into the season now and there have been some ups and
downs already. Obviously losing to Aldershot in the Carling Cup was a huge
blow, as were the defeats at home to Cardiff and Ipswich.
Our away form has been great though, and with 18 points already, we are on
course for a top six finish. It would be great to finish in the top two, but
I would love to see us have a day out at Wembley with the Play-Offs. We may
be four points off the top, but there are plenty of matches to play between
now and the end of the season.
Tony Cottee was talking to Nathaniel John
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