WHUFC.com
The manager expects his team to defend their unbeaten run at the very least
on Tuesday night
18.10.2011
Sam Allardyce is relishing the prospect of a top-two showdown with Nigel
Adkins' Southampton at the summit of the npower Championship on Tuesday
night. The manager has plenty to ponder as he takes an unbeaten away record
to the team with the best home form in the country - 16 straight wins and
counting. He may well have to make changes but Big Sam is convinced that
whoever wears the claret and blue will rise to the occasion. To help the
cause, the squad were boosted by a visit from an Olympian, who spoke to them
about the will to win and a positive attitude - as well as the benefits of
26 hours of training a week. The manager is keen to make sure his men are as
prepared mentally as they need to be physically ready every time they play.
Olympic gold medallist and world champion rower Mark Hunter came in to speak
to the team on Friday. How has that helped?
SA: He told the lads where he came from and how he got to where he got to.
It was an unbelievably difficult journey. You will have thought most people
would have given up and thought 'it's beyond me' - especially when he
finished last in the first Olympics he was competing in. But he found the
right avenues and he was determined enough to find where the best place was
to get better and better and dedicated himself more and more. It runs along
very similar lines to football. However much you dedicate yourself is what
you reap at the end of it in this game. If you choose to ignore that, you
may be a talented player and you may get a living out of the game but you
won't maximise it. Certainly you strive and ask the players to do that on a
regular basis and it is that which will give us the opportunity to win at
Southampton.
It is a big game, isn't it on Tuesday?
SA: It is a massive game. We have the confidence and opportunity to go and
spoil Southampton's fantastic home record. The amount of wins they have had
on the trot is outstanding. We will have to upset them and try and be the
ones to break that run. Hopefully we can do that. It has been a great start
for Nigel's side and carrying on where they left off last season. It will be
a hugely difficult game, it will be the biggest test we have had this
season. We don't want to give up our away record. It will be a terrific
match and hopefully at the end of it we will still be undefeated.
How do you feel knowing you can go top if you win?
SA: Southampton is a different scenario to Saturday but for me it is about
the players being determined enough to make sure we stay unbeaten away from
home and that will be our goal going into the game. At the very least, when
we finish that game, let's make sure we still have our precious unbeaten
record. We want to hang on to that. Let's see how long we can go in terms of
not getting defeated that will make other teams fear us even more when we go
away and it will grow our confidence away from home to continue that kind of
run.
What's the team news after the weekend?
SA: Carlton [Cole] has a little problem to the ligament at the side of the
knee. They couldn't guarantee that if he went out on the pitch on Saturday
that he would make it worse. We didn't risk him at all. We rested Henri
[Lansbury] because he has played every game and he hasn't really done that
in his career up to now. He went and played two games back to back for the
U21s including one on artificial turf as well. Even though he is a young lad
he looked a little tired. I will have to change the team based on maybe a
couple of injuries - Matt Taylor and James Tomkins - but we will hopefully
have one or two back as well. Mark Noble will be disappointed he didn't
start on Saturday but Papa [Bouba Diop] came in and showed what he can do.
We have good competition for places. We are worried about Matt Taylor's calf
and James Tomkins' groin. We have other players in the frame, hopefully
Carlton and Joey O'Brien. I don't have selection headaches, not now. It is
about selecting the right team and pleasing some people and disappointing
others and dealing with it on a daily basis. It is about pointing out to the
player who is disappointed what the reason is. It could be he isn't playing
well or it could be from a tactical or fatigue point of view.
Important not to rest on your laurels for Tuesday. Will you change the
formation?
SA: I have warned the lads, enjoy the victory on Saturday but we have to be
100 per cent focused on Southampton. We have a very important away record to
keep hold of so we had a little bit of enjoyment on Saturday but we had to
focus the next day. I don't know on the formation. We will have a look at
it. I would think if they are very strong in certain areas then I will adapt
my side to nullify their strength. If we don't we will be one of many teams
that loses there, in fact every team has lost there during the last 16,
haven't they? My tactics will be to nullify the strength that means they win
games at home on a regular basis. If that needs a change of system we will
look at it and then we will build from that. Five away games not being
beaten is one we have to look to continue to master for as long as we
possibly can because it makes life an awful lot easier when we play at home.
Will this be the acid test for you?
SA: They are top of the league and we have Brighton and Leicester after
that. Perhaps the lads will shine above all else when they play the bigger
boys and really show what their abilities are all about. That is what I am
hoping for. We all know how competitive this division is, this division runs
harder, longer and faster at high intensity in distance than the Premier
League. It is the one thing it does better than the Premier League, the one
big thing that stands out. If you are not capable of getting around the
pitch in this league it is always going to be difficult even if you have the
ability because you won't be able to show the ability you have got.
Would a win at Southampton be the perfect birthday present for you ahead of
Wednesday?
SA: I forget about the birthdays now. I am getting closer to 60 and I don't
really want to know about that! The lads have given me a really good shot in
the arm by the way they have played and hopefully they will give me an early
birthday present Tuesday night before Wednesday.
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Joy for John
WHUFC.com
John Carew is revelling in his role as both goalscorer and mentor at West
Ham United
18.10.2011
He has played at the very highest level and alongside some of the finest
forwards in the modern game, but John Carew is thoroughly enjoying life at
West Ham United. The Norway striker, who has been capped 90 times and won
league titles in his homeland, Spain and France, has partnered the likes of
Francesco Totti and David Villa during a hugely successful career. However,
his appetite for playing football, winning matches and passing on his
immense experience to new strike partner Sam Baldock have not been
diminished. The 32-year-old was at his best in Saturday's 4-0 npower
Championship win over Blackpool, scoring a trademark header - his third goal
in three games for club and country - setting up a goal for Baldock and
giving the Tangerines back four a thorough going over with his power,
movement and outstanding technique.
The three-times Norwegian Footballer of the Year might has won plenty of
medals already, but he now has his sights on adding another one to his
collection. "It felt good to have a game like this at home that we won
convincingly against a decent team who came down from the Premier League
last year," he told West Ham TV. "I think we took another step up to where
we should be level-wise so it was a good feeling. "We played really good
offensive football, so it was great. We know we haven't taken enough points
at home from the beginning - the reason for that I don't know - but I think
we've taken a step in the right direction in the last few games.
"We showed that we're near where we should be and I really enjoyed playing
out there, being out on the pitch. The fans were fantastic, so I really
enjoyed the atmosphere and playing good football. The spirit is so nice and
they're a great bunch of lads, so it's very enjoyable."
While his roll call of former partners is like a who's who of European
football, Carew admitted he is relishing the opportunity to help 22-year-old
Baldock on his own path to the top of the game. The pair have spent time
working on their partnership on and off the pitch - something that was
clearly evident to anyone who saw their movement and combination play on
Saturday. The only sour note came when Carew chose to curl a shot over the
crossbar rather than tee-up Baldock for what would have been his hat-trick
goal midway through the second half. "Sam loves me! I set up his second
goal, remember? I actually didn't see him. I looked up early and then
lowered my head again and decided what to do, then I saw him come in after.
Luckily it wasn't decisive, but he still has to thank me for his second
goal! "We do talk in the dressing room. It's important we do that, because
he is young and I have played for 15 years at the top level and I have
played with quite a few top strikers in my career. I think he could be
really, really good. "I think he has a big future ahead of him, so I'm just
trying to give him small bits of advice all the time - things that I've
learned playing with great players like Pablo Aimar, Francesco Totti and
David Villa. I also played with Gabriel Agbonlahor together for three years
and we did really well together. "I spoke a lot to Agbonlahor as well and he
has turned into a great player, so the advice I can give to Sam I will
always be ready to give. "If I can help him to develop and be a good
influence, I will do my best to do so because I have been in the game for
one and a half decades. Hopefully I've learned something along the way that
I can pass on to someone else."
While he is looking forward to seeing Baldock continue to develop, Carew is
also excited about the prospect of Tuesday's table-top clash at Southampton.
Victory over the Saints - wrecking their 100 per cent home record in the
process - would send West Ham top of the table. Carew also believes success
on the south coast would further strengthen the Hammers' title credentials
following Saturday's thumping win over Blackpool. "I think it will be the
next step for us to do something there because we are good enough to change
their home record. Giving Southampton their first loss at home is our goal
and I think we're good enough to do that. Hopefully we can do that. "Being
in the top two doesn't put pressure on us - in fact it has the opposite
effect. It has given us a confidence boost, because it's a bit more of a
struggle if you're fourth or fifth and you know you have pressure on
yourself to win and not drop even further. "We played against a direct
opponent in Blackpool on Saturday - I think they'll be up there in fourth or
fifth in the course of the season - so I think it was a very important for
us to win. If we had lost, there would have been more pressure on us to have
to try to catch up. "This gave us more confidence to go up to second."
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Leyton Orient 'applies for London 2012 Olympic Stadium'
BBC.co.uk
Leyton Orient says it is applying to move to the Olympic Stadium - after the
deal handing it to West Ham collapsed. The Olympic Park Legacy Company
(OPLC) cancelled the original deal, blaming delays caused by a legal dispute
with Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs had launched a bid for a judicial review into
the decision after its own campaign to move to the venue was overlooked in
favour of the Hammers. But Orient said it would only move if the athletics
track was covered. The club's chairman, Barry Hearn, said: "We want to see
if we can get around the athletics track. "It has to stay, we know that.
"But can we build up, not down, and see if it's possible to get it covered
while we play?"
West Ham has already said it still hopes to move into the stadium after the
games. Tottenham Hotspur is negotiating with the Mayor of London for public
money to help it develop a new ground in Tottenham. On Monday the club
withdrew its bid for a judicial review into the handing of the Olympic
Stadium to West Ham, according to a government spokeswoman.
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Joey's back
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 18th October 2011
By: Staff Writer
Joey O'Brien could make his return to first team action in tonight's top of
the table clash at Southampton. West Ham travel to St Mary's in second place
in the Championship following Saturday's 4-0 demolition of Blackpool at the
Boleyn Ground. And with Sam Allardyce set to make changes to the team that
brushed aside the Tangerines' challenge, less than 72 hours ago, O'Brien is
poised to make his return to first team action having just recovered from
injury. Allardyce, who will almost certainly revert to his favoured 4-5-1
formation for the trip to the current league leaders - who currently enjoy
an unblemished home record that reads played five, won five - will almost
certainly drop last weekend's man of the match Sam Baldock.
Mark Noble, who was a late substitute against Blackpool could also come into
the reckoning, although Papa Boupa Diop - who has been magnificent in his
first two starts for the club - is expected to retain his starting spot.
Definitely out are Rob Green - for whom Manuel Almunia will continue to
deputise - and Guy Demel, who is yet to make his Hammers debut due to a
hamstring injury that has plagued him since moving to England at the end of
August. Allardyce is also without the services of David Bentley, who has
returned to Tottenham for treatment after being told he was likely to miss
the next six months through injury.
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Southampton v West Ham United - Match Preview
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 18th October 2011
By: Preview Percy
We're working Preview Percy hard this week. The theory was that if we asked
him to write two columns in four days he'd finally take the hint and get
lost. Oh well, at least the nurses in his rest home will get a few hours off
from being chased all over the place as he takes his usual slightly warped
look at Tuesday's visit to Southampton. We're just surprised he's realised
that they've moved from the Dell. As usual, John Northcutt supplies a
welcome burst of statistical sanity at the end. Or at least he will do once
one or two technical glitches are sorted out here at Kumb Towers...
And so we head to the deep south for the first of two matches on the
seaside. First up we have Southampton who we face in a 7.45pm kick off at St
Mary's.
I need hardly tell anyone that this match represents a clash of the top two
in the league, with us sitting two points behind them. They have a 100%
record at St Mary's having seen off Leeds, Millwall, Forest, Birmingham and
Watford on their own turf, whilst we are unbeaten on the road so this is a
big one for both clubs. Their two defeats this season have come at Leicester
(2-3) and at Cardiff (1-2).
This will be the second top four clash in four days for the home team,
having come away from Saturday's clash with Derby County with a point from a
1-1 draw. Although the Saints came from behind, the fact that Rams' keeper
Frank Fielding gained many of the man of the match plaudits should give some
sort of clue as to how deserved the point was, though other reports suggest
that Derby had chances to pinch it at the end.
They've had some fun in recent years on the ownership front. After a period
of administration they were bought in 2009 by Markus Liebherr whose family
made their fortune making construction equipment. Liebherr appointed Nicola
Cortese as executive chairman and a certain Alan Pardew as manager. Sadly,
Liebherr passed away in August 2010 after suffering a heart attack. Rumours
abounded that all was not well between Pardew and those charged with the day
to day running of the club and it had been suggested that Pardew remained in
place only due to Liebherr's patronage. True or not, it is a fact that
Pardew was sacked within three weeks of Liebherr's demise, though there were
some who mischievously suggested that Pardew left out of disappointment when
he discovered that Nicola Cortese was an Italian businessman rather than a
woman as he had hoped.
Pardew's replacement was Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins who guided them to
promotion from the third tier alongside Brighton. Like their fellow
south-coasters they have made a decent start to the season, though Brighton
have faded a little of late.
In goal they have veteran 'keeper Kelvin Davies. Club captain Davies nearly
became a Hammer in the summer of 2009 when all was chaos at St Marys.
However the arrival of the new owners prompted Davies to stay with the club,
preferring guaranteed first team action to a life on the bench understudying
Rob Green, which is fair enough.
A brief trawl through various Southampton discussion boards suggests that
the potential absence of attacking midfielder Adam Lallana is a worry –well
for the supporters at least. There is a perception amongst the faithful that
they struggle when the player isn't about and he did miss the trip to Pride
Park at the weekend with a foot problem. Official reports suggest that they
are hopeful that Lallana will be fit for this match. On the other hand,
unofficial reports suggest that the player missed Monday training and that
he was seen at the training ground (or "complex" as I understand we must
call such places these days) on crutches. Such comments are obviously about
as reliable as the tube these days (has Wright-Phillips finished that
medical yet?) so caution is advised before placing any credence in such
reports.
One who definitely won't be making an appearance is defender Dan Seaborne.
Seaborne was on the wrong end of a beating outside a nightclub a few weeks
ago that left him with a serious head injury. Arrests have been made and it
would be probably be prudent to say no more.
In midfield during the summer they picked up Jack Cork from Chelsea for a
reported £750,000. Cork is the son of the old Wimbledon striker Alan Cork,
who gave his son the decidedly un-Crazy Gang middle name of "Porteous" ,
though I suppose knowing that lot it's always possible that he did it for a
bet. Cork made exactly zero appearances for Chelsea, presumably Abrahamovic
thinking him too cheap to display in his nice shiny first team.
Up front the current form horse is Ricky Lambert. The first signing of the
Pardew era, his goals were instrumental in securing last season's promotion
and his nine league goals so far this season suggests that the move up a
division is not one that has caused him many sleepless nights. He's capable
of scoring in the air and on the ground from open play and I seem to recall
the odd free kick from time to time on the highlights shows as well – though
they tend to be on late at night and the medication they give me in this
place to keep me out of mischief can often play tricks with the memory.
However, he's definitely one to keep an eye on.
Disappointingly for those who remember the movie "Mike Bassett England
Manager" Lambert's strike partner is the familiar figure of David Connolly,
rather than someone named Butler. During his spell at the Boleyn Connolly
was famously christened "Angry Ant" by Glenn Roeder when the player took
exception to being left out of the side in favour of Neil Mellor, whose
first contact with his team mates was being picked up at a motorway service
area on his way to the match. He's been with Southampton for two years now,
which, early spells with Watford and Feyenoord apart, is just about as long
as he's spent in any one place. At 34 he's entering the veteran stage of his
career but, like the aforementioned Lallana, he has scored 4 times in the
league this season, which indicates that he can still do a job at this
level.
Our turn now. Well that was a decent performance and result at the weekend
wasn't it?! It did come at something of a cost though. James Tomkins is
struggling with a recurrence of the groin problem that kept him out a few
weeks ago and once more we look a bit short in depth in the central
defensive areas. If Tomkins is not available – and the noises emanating from
the club suggest that this will be the case - Faye will come in to accompany
Reid. If anything happens to them we'll then be looking at people to "fill
in" in unfamiliar positions – always a worry.
Also doubtful is Matt Taylor, who was limping for a good few minutes before
the ball went dead and he could be replaced on Saturday. Sadly, during this
spell he did try and chase back a few times, bless him. Laudable as his
efforts were one hopes that they didn't worsen the calf injury from which he
was clearly suffering.
Another absentee will be Guy Demel whose hamstring continues to delay his
debut. Another player injured before he starts then. We must be up to three
figures for those by now.
On the bright side Joey O'Brien is ready again, though Faubert's recent good
form on the right hand side means that O'Brien's selection may depend on
which of the half dozen or so formations Mr Allardyce has in mind for this
one. The boss has already hinted that, despite the fine game that Baldrick
had at the weekend, he might not form part of the manager's cunning plans
for this one.
Of those given the day off against Blackpool, Lansbury and Cole will both
return to the squad. If we do go with one up front (or three as Mr Allardyce
insists we do) Carew's form last week suggests that he might be a better
bet. The Norwegian held the ball up exceedingly well against the Tangerines,
though we'll need to get the "other two" up alongside him a lot better than
we've been doing with that formation thus far this season if that plan is to
work.
This is the biggest match of the season thus far. We've managed to hit
second spot without ever quite having an extended run of good form. Whether
the lack of consistency can be attributed to chopping and changing
formations to deal with the opposition is a fair question. Certainly the
manager's comments about picking a team to nullify Southampton's strengths –
as opposed to making them worry about ours – seems to suggest that we'd have
seem a different starting line-up for this one even without the changes that
are likely to be enforced through injury.
A win here would take us into top spot and I think that the confidence to be
gained from taking three points from this one would see the start of a run
that would see us start to pull away. However they are no mugs and they will
be up for this with a decent-sized crowd under the lights. So this week's
Preview Percy Prediction –which is invariably totally wrong – is for a 2-2
draw.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met: In our relegation season of 2003 we drew 1-1 down there
with a poacher's goal from Defoe giving us the point. Earlier that season at
home we went down 1-0 to an injury time goal from James Baettie in what was
just about the visitors' only attack of the match. It's not a new problem
then.
Referee: Darren Deadman – I can't find any trace of him having refereed us
in the past. He has shuttled between The Championship and League One this
season, taking charge of four matches in the higher level. He was in charge
at Leyton Orient on Saturday but unfortunately he failed to annoy Barry
Hearn.
Danger Man: Ricky Lambert – the division's top scorer – 'nuff said. (though
that unwritten law that says players will score against their old side means
that Connolly will also be a threat).
Daft Fact of The Week: One of Southampton's most famous sons was the late
Benny Hill. Hill's career went on the slide when his tv series was cancelled
and he died in 1992 – on the same day a contract arrived in the post for him
to produce a whole new series of specials for Central TV. Frankie Howerd
died about the same time and some newspapers published a tribute from Hill
not realising that he himself had been dead for a few days.
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Almunia eyes Hammers stay
Spanish stopper enjoying time with Hammers
Last Updated: October 18, 2011 10:36am
SSN
Arsenal's goalkeeper Manuel Almunia says he hopes to extend his loan at West
Ham. The 34-year-old was signed by the Hammers as cover for Robert Green
after falling out of favour at the Emirates. Almunia is set to deputise for
Green once again at Southamptonon Tuesday night and admits he is enjoying
his spell with the club.
"It's good to feel the game again," he told The Sun. "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." West Ham are currently second in the
Championship table following the demolition of Blackpool at the weekend.
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Hearn fuming with Johnson
O's chairman was Mayor removed from decision process
Last Updated: October 18, 2011 10:05am
SSN
Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn is fuming with London mayor Boris Johnson
for stating West Ham were favourites for the Olympic Stadium. Orient will
bid again to occupy the stadium when the re-tendering process begins next
month but Hearn has written to the Government to try to have Johnson
excluded from the decision-making process. This is because Johnson, when
confirming that the venue would be rented to a football club, stated that
The Hammers were the favourites to win the bidding. That comment has irked
Hearn and The O's supremo has confirmed his lawyers have written to the
Government in a bid to try and have the mayor excluded from deciding the
future the stadium.
Outrageous
"The crux of this is that we have a mayor who has come out with the most
outrageous statement," commented Hearn. "He has effectively said that West
Ham are off-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 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 could have said anything better for us. It is so challengeable."
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Bevan comments met with concern
Clubs angered by suggestions of Premier League franchise
Last Updated: October 18, 2011 11:59am
SSN
A number of club chairmen, owners and managers have spoken of their concern
at suggestions that promotion and relegation in the Premier League could be
scrapped. The chief executive of the League Managers' Association, Richard
Bevan, said on Monday that American and Asian owners of top-flight sides are
keen on a franchising model. However, the widespread reaction to Bevan's
comments has been negative. The Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, said: "It's the
most stupid suggestion I've ever heard in my life. "If it was to happen I
would resign Wigan from the Premier League and go back and play in the
Football League. "It's a worrying thought that if we get 14 or 15 foreign
owners (in the Premier League), they come up with some mad idea and it gets
voted through. It would ruin and kill English football. "It's got to be
competitive, every club has got to have that ambition to get to the Premier
League, that's why our league is so good. It's an appalling suggestion. It
would ruin and kill English football." The Manchester United manager, Sir
Alex Ferguson, said on Monday: "I don't see where the end product comes in.
"There are at least eight teams in the Championship at the moment with great
history. "What do you say to those eight teams, they can never play in the
Premier League? "You may as well lock the doors. It would be absolute
suicide for the rest of the teams in the country, particularly the
Championship."
History
West Ham's co-owner David Sullivan told The Sun: "With no promotion or
relegation to or from the Prem it's not football as we know it - all history
and tradition.
"The 'new' brigade would argue the Premier League is a new entity and a new
brand. But in reality it's Division One under another name. "I'm sure they'd
like to turn it into the NFL. Yet it would kill the game outside the Premier
League if no clubs could be promoted to it and it would even hurt a lot of
the excitement within it."
Meanwhile, Leeds owner Ken Bates said in the Daily Mail: "Maybe there is
some insecurity or feelings of inferiority driving these ideas. "Maybe they
don't have the confidence to run a successful club. Maybe they are scared of
going down. All I would say is that if they don't like our system and our
rules, they should go somewhere else. "English football was a first-class
operation before the foreign owners came and it will still be first class
when they have gone. If they don't like it then they should get out."
And Aston Villa, whose chairman Randy Lerner is American, released a
statement on their official website asking Bevan to clarify his comments. It
read: "We were confused and surprised by Mr Bevan's remarks today stating
that unnamed American and Asian owners have been talking about scrapping
promotion and relegation to the Premier League. "If he intended this group
to specifically include Aston Villa, as could be inferred from his comments,
then we would ask him to confirm as much.
"We might also add that the founding of the Football League in 1888 was led
by a previous chairman of Aston Villa, William McGregor."
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Southampton and West Ham seek seasonal surge in top-of-the-table clash
The sense of two teams still seeking their level makes for a fascinating
prospect as first meets second in the Championship
Guardian.co.uk
On the face of it tonight's match between Southampton and West Ham at St
Mary's represents a collision of the mutually buoyant: it is the biggest
game in the Championship so far this season, a meeting of first and second
in the table and a chance for two clubs with a genuine (and in West Ham's
case rather desperate) hunger for promotion to gouge an early-season lump
out of each other's ambitions of setting up a decisive autumnal surge away
from the chasing pack.
Beyond that it is still impossible to contemplate a meeting between these
two attractive middleweight top-tier regulars of the 1980s and 1990s without
seeing the joins, noting the scar tissue and being reminded that these are
still essentially two clubs in the process of bouncing back.
Southampton, with their enviable stable ownership, their recent promotion,
their settled team may in fact claim to have already bounced back. But it is
still a process and successes have come only very recently. That these two
clubs are both operating in reduced circumstances is illustrated by the
simple fact of their own most recent meetings. The last time they played
each other outside the top tier was in 1952 (a full 54 matches ago).
Generally, at this stage of the season at least one Championship promotion
hopeful will stir itself and make a decisive push for breathing space away
from the pack. Both West Ham and Southampton have a convincing case for an
autumnal surge, albeit their differing strengths are perhaps best
illustrated by comparing their squads. West Ham in particular still bear the
scars of last season's relegation in their 35-man jambalaya of pressed men,
coming men, men who once were and men who might still be.
Sam Allardyce is perhaps still stumbling across the right combinations in
among this superfluity of manpower. The pairing of John Carew and Sam
Baldock up front against Blackpool last weekend brought three goals in eight
second-half minutes and a hint of an encouraging big-man-small-man
chemistry. Allardyce enthused, in particular, about Baldock's movement
afterwards. Whether Carlton Cole regains his place this evening after being
rested might be telling.
There is a managerial contrast here too. In Allardyce, West Ham have opted
for an unpopular pragmatist – and with some immediate dividends.
Southampton's Nigel Adkins is a rather more modern breed, the kind of
media-trained, visibly ambitious, holistically inclined career manager that
appears to be very much current trend, a Championship-level André
Villas-Boas. Adkins has known nothing but success so far and is clearly a
man riding a crest of momentum. He is a likeable and energetic figure,
extremely popular with a settled squad that has tended to nurture and
promote from below rather than hauling in a land-grab of established stars.
No doubt this has helped provide a welcome sense of continuity after a spell
of seven managerial changes in three years before the advent of Adkins, not
to mention 15 changes of manager since the turn of the century.
Southampton have won every single home game this season, success based
around a tendency to keep the ball and attack in waves. Rickie Lambert, who
has 11 goals so far this season ahead of his 400th career appearance, has
been a continued revelation this season, his ability to find space and use
the ball intelligently key to Southampton's success at the higher level.
Saints missed Adam Lallana's explosive qualities against Derby at the
weekend. He may return tonight after a foot injury. If he does Lallana will
embody another passing point of comparison between these two sides:
Southampton currently have one of the most successful youth set-ups in the
country, another attribute that is often a barometer of internal stability.
During West Ham's happier times it was a status quo in the manager's office
that helped nurture and promote the fruits of what is still a productive
academy.
Whoever wins at St Mary's will be top of the table and well-placed to launch
a gear shift towards promotion. It is a slightly giddy time for both these
newcomers to the division, a clash of two sets of players with differing
expectations and two managers with contrasting styles. It is always a bit of
a shame the Championship's most resonant matches often centre around the key
issue of not to wanting to play in the division any more, but in this case
the sense of two teams still seeking their level makes for a genuinely
fascinating prospect.
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Irons Insight: Hammers face stern test at St Mary's
London24
Matt Porter
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
1:59 PM
I've got a fairly decent recollection of 15 August 2009. After a lovely
detour around our long-standing away day nemesis – the M6 toll road – we
arrived at Molineux in the baking sunshine to see West Ham open the Premier
League season with a convincing 2-0 win over Wolves. On that same day,
battle-hardened Southampton fans navigated their way up the country to the
Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield to witness their team crashing to a 3-1
defeat. The result left the club rooted to the bottom of the League One
table with an implausible minus 9 points, having entered administration
during the close season. How quickly fortunes change. While the Saints have
enjoyed a fairytale renaissance over the past two years, the Irons have
lurched from one crisis to another. Now on a level playing field, they meet
at St. Mary's this evening in a top-of-the-table Championship clash. On the
face of it, the match promises to be an entertaining contest between the two
highest scorers in the division, the reality is that we may see an
altogether more cagey affair. The tone may be set by the team selection.
Despite his two goals against Blackpool at the weekend, it would appear
almost certain that Sam Baldock will drop back down to the bench tonight.
And rightly so. The team remain unbeaten away from home playing a 4-5-1
formation (however much Big Sam protests that it's actually 4-3-3) and it
makes perfect sense to stick to that formula.
It's harsh on Baldock – whose pace and composure in front of goal provided a
breath of fresh air on Saturday – but this is a results business. Upon his
arrival Big Sam promised we'd see two different types of West Ham – a home
team and an away team. At the weekend we finally saw the 'home' team in
action. For the meantime, it would seem that Baldock's role within the squad
will see him feature more at the Boleyn than on the road. With back-to-back
games on the South Coast in the coming days, Allardyce's squad promises to
be put to the test, and this time next week we'll have a much better idea as
to how well-equipped the Hammers are to make that immediate return to the
top flight.
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Allardyce: He's got the mark of a champion
Ken Dyer
18 Oct 2011
Evening Standard
Sam Allardyce is hoping that the testimony of Olympic gold medallist Mark
Hunter will help inspire his players to turn promotion dreams into reality.
Allardyce, who is looking for his team to overtake Southampton at the top of
the Championship tonight with a win at St Mary's, said: "If you get a
world-class sportsman who wants to come and talk to you it's an opportunity
you can't afford to turn down. "As a West Ham fan, Mark was thrilled to come
down and talk to our players on the day before the Blackpool game and it
showed the players what an outstanding individual he is, not just in terms
of his time but his dedication and the way he dealt with, particularly, the
setbacks in his quest to reach his targets. "He gave us an indication of not
just the commitment but the pain he had to suffer to get to the top in
rowing. "Most people would probably have given up before he won his biggest
race but he drove himself to the end to realise his dream. Unfortunately,
sportsmen like Mark don't get the accolades they deserve because rowing is
not a high-profile sport but what was impressive was the satisfaction that
oozed out of him because he had made those dreams a reality. "The lads
enjoyed it because, although we might believe we are dedicated in what we
do, we can always do that little bit more and he demonstrated that
dedication."
West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, meanwhile, believes his recent omission
from the team has helped him regain some sharpness. He scored his first goal
for 22 months in the 4-0 win over Blackpool and said today: "I can't knock
the manager for not playing me because I was disappointed in my own form.
"Tonight is a massive game and all the boys are really looking forward to
it. Our away form is superb, so we're not going there with any fear."
James Tomkins (groin) and Matt Taylor (calf) are major doubts but Joey
O'Brien, Carlton Cole and Henri Lansbury return to the squad.
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Abolishing Premier League relegation would 'kill' football: David Sullivan
London, Oct 18 : new.Kerala.com
West Ham supreme David Sullivan reckons abolishing Premier League relegation
would ''kill'' football. Sullivan said: "With no promotion or relegation to
or from the Prem it''s not football as we know it — all history and
tradition. The ''new'' brigade would argue the Premier League is a new
entity and a new brand. But in reality it''s Division One under another
name," The Sun quoted Sullivan, as saying. "I''m sure they''d like to turn
it into the National Football League (NFL). Yet it would kill the game
outside the Premier League if no clubs could be promoted to it and it would
even hurt a lot of the excitement within it," he added. zullivan does,
though, feel a revamp of the traditional system could lift the razzmatazz
value. "I could see two relegation spots making sense, instead of three.
Maybe even the 19th club in play-offs with second, third and fourth in the
Championship," he said. Having the Premier League as a safe haven for
failure would also harm the much-needed cash flow in football, he said,
insisting: "Abolishing relegation would hurt Sky TV as well. I bet they sold
a lot of satellite dishes in Swansea, Norwich and West London this year. And
had this rule been brought in 10 years ago, Manchester City would not even
be in the Premier League!"
--ANI
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Championship Previews: Saints' home record to take a Hammering
Andrew French / 18 October 2011
Betfair.com
"Despite being second, you get the feeling that West Ham haven't yet found
their stride – it may be harsh, but you also get the impression that Saints
really are currently at the top of their game." Top of the table Southampton
have won every home game this season, but Andrew French believes that run
will come to an end when title favourites West Ham visit St Mary's Stadium
tonight.
Southampton v West Ham, KO: Tuesday 19:45, Match Odds: Southampton 2.3, West
Ham 3.4, The Draw 3.6
Top of the league with a 100% home record - this isn't some early-season
dizzy spell, Southampton are looking down on the rest of the Championship by
rights. Yet this is a division where nothing - good or bad - lasts for very
long, and they will get one of their sternest tests so far when they host
second-placed West Ham, especially as the visitors can go top with a win.
Having lauded the Saints, let's just get a little bit picky: three of their
five home successes have come against teams currently 20th, 21st and 23rd.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their five away games and, crucially against a
side that has been scoring for fun on home soil, they've kept three clean
sheets on the road. Despite being second, you get the feeling that West Ham
haven't yet found their stride - it may be harsh, but you also get the
impression that Saints really are currently at the top of their game. In
other words, there's more headroom for improvement from Sam Allardyce's
side, and therefore it's not unreasonable to expect them to be able to find
that bit more when it counts in this division.
It's tempting to suggest laying The Saints but the price is a little too big
for me to advise that, so instead I think backing the Hammers in the Draw No
Bet market makes plenty of appeal.
Back West Ham @ 2.44 in Draw No Bet
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Almunia: West Ham are the best team in the Championship
London24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
8:41 AM
West Ham's new goalkeeper Manuel Almunia believes the Hammers are the best
team in the Championship after keeping a clean sheet in his second West Ham
game against Blackpool on Saturday. The experienced Arsenal goalkeeper
stepped in at a day's notice for the Crystal Palace match following the
injury to Robert Green, but he now feels that he has settled into his new
surroundings at Upton Park. "The first game came very quickly, I just
trained one day and then I played after not playing for a few months,"
explained the 34-year-old Spaniard. "But in the last week I've been training
every day, making contact with the players and setting things up and
everything is right now. "I feel very good and happy with the victory
today."
In truth, Almunia had very little to do against the Seasiders as the West
Ham defence held them at bay, and the goalkeeper rates the Hammers back-line
very highly.
"I was very pleased with a clean sheet and with the work and effort of the
team," he said. "Blackpool are a good side, they played in the Premier
League last season and we were expecting some better play from them, but I
think we used our style well. "We have a strong defence. They are Premier
League players and they have the qualities and the skills to be great
defenders in this league," he insisted. "With good communication we can do
anything because these players have talent to be playing in the Premier
League."
So are they better than the Arsenal defence at the moment? Almunia was
suitably diplomatic. "It is a different style," he said. "Arsenal like to
play with the ball from the back, so that is different to West Ham's style,
but we have the right players for that. "For me, we have the best team in
the league. As well as that I think everyone is very committed, the team as
well as the manager and I think we are going to be at the top of the table
for the whole season."
So what about the goalkeeper's ambitions? Does he want to stay at West Ham
and is it a huge drop to play in the Championship? "I want to play as many
games as I can here and not disappoint the manager and the club," he said.
"We will have to see about anything else, but at the moment I am happy. "It
is a good club, nice people and that is enough for me. It is good to play
the game again and with people here it is easy. "It is football. Champions
League or Championship or anything, you have to do the same things. "The
style is different and the quality of the players is different, but it is
football and I enjoy playing no matter what category."
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