WHUFC.com
Academy aces have lifted the manager but he also said a certain item of
clothing was playing a part
03.01.2011
A new year and renewed optimism for West Ham United manager Avram Grant this
week after the 2-0 weekend win against Wolverhampton Wanderers made it a
fourth match unbeaten. The manager put faith in his young guns over the
festive period and was rewarded with fine displays from 21-year-old trio
James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Freddie Sears - while old hand Mark
Noble - at 23 - has returned to put the icing on the cake. The Academy
quartet was part of a nine-strong British contingent fielded against Wolves
- further reason for homegrown cheer. Sears has been the most striking
contributor, coming back from a loan spell at Scunthorpe to start the last
three matches out wide and then score his first club goal since March 2008
with the decisive second on Saturday. The manager had no doubt he could play
on the right wing, having tried him there memorably against VfL Borussia
Monchengladbach in a July friendly.
"I don't think many teams would put three young players in the team when
they were struggling. We are trying to give our Academy players a chance but
they have to deserve it of course," Grant said. "Freddie Sears was with us
in the training camp at the beginning of the season. He did well in the
games he was with us and then we felt he needed some experience. "He went to
Scunthorpe and we followed him. Even if he didn't score I think he did a
good job, two or three times he was man of the match. We had a problem in
our team so we called him back because I thought in this difficult time we
could use him."
The manager rejected concerns that Sears had drawn a blank in 72 previous
outings. "When you play forward and you don't score it makes you frustrated
but he has been doing the right things all the time and he has in the last
three games. "He is playing intelligently and doing a good job for the other
players in the team. He is still young. He can get better. He scored a
fantastic goal and also had shot in the first half that forced the defender
to make an unbelievable block. He is good. He just needs to continue like
this."
Such selection choices can prove pivotal to a campaign but the manager did
not want to dwell on where praise should lie. "In this case it was my idea
but it doesn't matter who makes the ideas. I must say I have a good staff
and we are sitting together every week. Everybody says their view and then I
have to take the decision. "He didn't play before on the right side but I
remember that I played him one half in the training camp on that side and he
did a good job. I saw that he could do it."
Grant will continue to give youngsters a chance but is also set to bolster
his squad with a couple of new faces with the matches coming thick and fast
- Newcastle United away is next up on Wednesday night. He said there was no
shortage of players keen to don the claret and blue. "They are looking at
the kind of football we play. Sometimes we haven't succeeded or taken the
points we should but players like to play like this. They wanted to come
here, even if we were on the bottom. Now it will be easier and we want
players that can improve us."
As well as transfers in, the manager was delighted to welcome back Noble, a
man who has proved almost as much of a talisman this season as Robert Green,
Matthew Upson or Scott Parker. "It is very good to have Mark back. We are
very short in our squad and with a game every three or four days we need to
change the team all the time. He is a quality player. Noble has played good
football this season, energetic with good passing. I am very pleased that he
has come back. "We are trying to do some business because our squad is
short. We have a lot of games and we need a squad of good players. I trust
the players I have. If everyone is fit, we know we have a good squad but we
always need to improve."
Grant, as ever though, was keen to put the team over individual praise and
will go into a busy month - the massive Carling Cup semi-final against
Birmingham City looms large on Tuesday week - looking for more of the same.
"The boys deserve this feeling. They have kept their spirit, they never gave
up. They always tried to do the right thing. It is not easy to be at the
bottom. "They kept their spirit and they have been professional. You can
really measure people when there are difficult times, and the boys have been
great. People were worried about the situation but I always said you need to
believe. We have a long way to go but we are going in the right direction.
It will be a battle until the end of the season."
The manager will put his faith once more in preparation and passion, but
admitted that a certain item of clothing kept safely by Bob Oteng, the
first-team kit-man, was also playing a part - having been worn in the
positive recent results against Manchester United, Fulham and Wolves. "I
wore the scarf against Man United when it was unbelievably cold. Then Bob
said to me that he thinks it brings luck. Every time I wear the scarf we
seem to win. Don't think it was because we scored goals, it is because of
the scarf! It might get uncomfortable in August but it doesn't matter, I
will still wear the scarf."
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Positive Potts
WHUFC.com
Hammers great Steve Potts is more than optimistic the current crop have what
it takes to beat the drop
01.01.2011
West Ham United great Steve Potts believes West Ham United have more than
enough to keep climbing up the Barclays Premier League table. The defender
made 505 first-team appearances in claret and blue, earning a place in the
hearts of Hammers fans everywhere. Potts has been back at the Boleyn Ground
this week, meeting supporters in their Executive Boxes and corporate
hospitality lounges. "You do get the buzz. Obviously when you're playing
it's a different sort of buzz completely because you're in the dressing room
and playing the game and have the build-up to everything."
Potts spent 17 seasons with West Ham, being voted Hammer of the Year twice.
With such experience behind him, the 43-year-old knows exactly what is
required to stay in the top-flight. Now a London taxi driver, Potts hears
plenty of opinions from his passengers, but he firmly believes his former
club will survive in the Barclays Premier League having moved up to 16th
after a fine 2-0 win against rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers. "A lot of teams
are getting dragged into it. Aston Villa are on a really bad run, so I think
there are about six teams who are in a lot of danger. "I don't look at West
Ham and see a team that is a bottom-of-the-table team. I think they are a
lot better than what they have been showing and, with a bit more luck, could
have had a few more points in the table. "The fans I speak to are a little
bit mixed but I really do believe we can get out of it. It is getting to the
stage now when the odd win isn't enough and we keep this run going."
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Obinna a happy Hammer
Inter loan star could make move permanent in summer
Last updated: 2nd January 2011
SSN
Victor Obinna has reassured West Ham he could join them permanently if the
right deal is on the table, amid reported interest from Aston Villa. The
Inter Milan forward is currently at Upton Park on a season-long loan with a
view to a permanent move at the conclusion of the campaign. While West Ham
have struggled at the wrong end of the table Obinna has caught the eye with
a series of dynamic displays down the left flank. If reports are to be
believed Villa boss Gerard Houllier is monitoring the situation but Obinna,
who spent last year at Malaga, is ready to settle down in East London. "If
West Ham want me then I'll speak to them because I am happy here and the
Premier League is sensational," he said. "I have been out on loan a lot in
recent times and my desire is just to settle. "I would like that to be here
in England - even though I do not like the weather." To date Obinna has made
14 league appearances for West Ham and scored one goal.
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Sears eyes prolific form
Youngster ends two-year wait for goal and now hopes they will flow
Last updated: 2nd January 2011
SSN
West Ham forward Freddie Sears has admitted his relief at ending his goal
drought and now hopes he can spearhead the club's survival bid. The
21-year-old grabbed a first goal since scoring on his debut in March 2008 as
the Hammers climbed off the bottom of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over
relegation rivals Wolves. Sears had only just been recalled by Hammers boss
Avram Grant from a loan spell at Scunthorpe, having also spent Championship
stints at Crystal Palace and Coventry. The boyhood West Ham fan hopes the
goal can earn him extra playing time under Grant and will do all he can to
help the Hammers beat the drop. "It has been a long wait, but is now a
weight off my shoulders," said Sears, who coolly slotted home from 12 yards
with 10 minutes left. "It has been hard at times, when you are looking for
goals and the ball is just not going in, so it is great to get that
goalscoring feeling and hopefully I can keep it up.
Depleted
"Coming back here, I did not expect to go straight into the team and play
the next three games like I have. "It has been good and has given me a lot
of confidence. "The manager has shown a lot of faith in you and now you just
have to go out and keep your position in the team." Given West Ham's options
have been depleted by injury, it was a welcome boost to see two more Academy
graduates in the starting XI on Saturday, with James Tomkins and Junior
Stanislas also making an impression alongside Sears. Grant, though, is
expected to bring in at least a couple of fresh bodies during January,
having been strongly linked with a move for midfielder Steve Sidwell from
Aston Villaas well as £2million-rated Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. We will
try to do business because the squad is short," the West Ham manager
confirmed. "We have a lot of games and are trying to bring more good players
to us. "We know that if everybody is fit we have a good squad, but anyway,
any player who can improve the squad we will take him."
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Coe favours Hammers proposal
West Ham in pole position for stadium, says 2012 representative
By Jamie Casey Last updated: 2nd January 2011
SSN
Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organising Committee for the 2012
Olympic Games, has backed West Ham's bid to move to the Olympic Stadium
after the event. West Ham and Tottenham are vying for the right to move into
the stadium but, with the Hammers willing to keep the running track around
the field, their bid appears to be leading the chase. The Olympic Park
Legacy Company [OPLC] is due to make a decision on the future of the stadium
by March, but Tottenham's reluctance to keep the track is hampering their
chances. Former athlete Coe played a prominent role in London being awarded
the games and has since taken up senior roles at a number of the committees
organising the event. As vice-president of the International Association of
Athletics Federations [IAAF], Coe favours West Ham's case, as Tottenham are
refusing to budge with regards the track. Coe said: "We made a commitment to
track and field to be a part of the legacy of the stadium so, as
vice-president of the IAAF, it's not going to come as a huge shock that I am
going to defend and help my sport. "We are told that West Ham are happy to
play football within a track and Tottenham have clearly said not. Conclude
from that what you want."
Coe confirmed that West Ham's proposal was in line with the promises made to
the International Olympic Committee [IOC] in Singapore when London's bid to
stage the event was successful. "It [West Ham's proposal] lives with the
commitment we made in Singapore," Coe said. "We have had assurances that the
tenders will be underpinned by the recognition that commitments were made to
the IOC and to the international federations about a track and field legacy,
and we have no reason to believe the OPLC will do anything to contradict
that."
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Hammers get Coe approval
The Sun
Published: Today
SEBASTIAN COE has thrown his weight behind West Ham's bid to move to the
Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games. West Ham and Spurs are bidding to move
into the stadium - but the Hammers have promised to keep the running track.
Tottenham would not keep the track - but instead develop an alternative
athletics legacy, possibly at Crystal Palace. The Olympic Park Legacy
Company are due to make a decision before March. And London organising
committee chairman Coe has made no secret where his loyalties lie. He said:
"We made a commitment to track and field to be a part of the legacy of the
stadium so, as vice-president of the IAAF, it's not going to come as a shock
I'll defend and help my sport. "We're told West Ham are happy to play
football within a track and Tottenham have clearly said they are not.
"Conclude from that what you want." Coe confirmed West Ham's proposal was in
line with the promises London 2012 made to the IOC. He said: "West Ham's
proposal lives with our commitment."
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Grant £4m move for free Liam
The Sun
Published: Today
WEST HAM boss Avram Grant has tabled a £4million bid for Liam Lawrence - who
has just joined Portsmouth for FREE. The midfielder, 29, only completed a
permanent move from Stoke yesterday but Fratton Park supremo Balram Chainrai
is set to cash in. The only stumbling block is the clubs must convince FIFA
to allow the deal to go through as you cannot buy and sell the same player
in a single transfer window.
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Blackburn join West Ham in race for £10m-rated Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:26 PM on 2nd January 2011
Daily Mail
Blackburn are to rival West Ham for Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba but the
German club want close to £10m for the Senegal international. Both clubs are
desperate to bolster their striking options during the January trabnsfer
window.
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Lift-off for West Ham has Avram Grant preaching value of prudence
Hammers' win over Wolves lifts them clear of relegation zone
Avram Grant says struggling clubs need to show patience
Guardian report
West Ham United 2
Zubar (og) 51, Sears 79
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
Jamie Jackson at Upton Park
The Guardian, Monday 3 January 2011
West Ham United wake up this morning finally out of the bottom three and
with their manager, Avram Grant, stating that Saturday's result has sent a
clear message to other clubs not to panic when times get tough. After a 3-0
loss to Aston Villa on the opening day, Grant had been unable to lift his
team out of the bottom three for five months. That was until a Ronald Zubar
own goal and Freddie Sears's first strike in three years pushed Wolves to
the foot of the table and West Ham into 16th place.
Only seven points separate ninth-place Liverpool and Wolves, however, and
Grant is clear that patience yields reward. "Yes. I think sometimes
everybody has quick conclusions," he said. "Robert Green was not good in the
first two games, [so it was said] he's not a goalkeeper. We were bottom in
the last game, so I am not doing a good job. The top line is the result. But
sometimes you need to analyse what's happened on the way to the result.
"I always said this to everybody and I speak to myself also; just be
patient, and then take decisions. Like it was with Rob Green, like it was
with West Ham."
Two more managers were sacked on Saturday evening, George Burley at Crystal
Palace and Mark Stimson by Barnet, and those two followed last week's
dismissals of Darren Ferguson by Preston North End and Brian Laws at
Burnley.
Grant said: "For me it's very strange when you pick a manager in June, and
then in October or November you want to change him. When you pick a manager
you pick a philosophy behind this – you don't just pick a manager.
"Everything is results but sometimes you need to be patient with this
because, even with a new manager, when you receive a team you cannot turn it
[round] in two or three months. It takes time."
West Ham are now enjoying a four-match unbeaten run which has produced eight
points from games against Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Everton and now Mick
McCarthy's disjointed strugglers.
Grant hopes to add at least three players to his squad during the transfer
window. Steve Sidwell, the Aston Villa midfielder, was at Upton Park on
Saturday and the club are confident he will join soon, while Robbie Keane
and Wayne Bridge top their most-wanted list.
"Sidwell will go through but it's not my area and [Tal] Ben Haim, I don't
know," Grant said of the Israeli defender whose loan from Portsmouth is due
to end this week. "There are some problems, I think, from Portsmouth's end."
Grant, though, is confident he can attract high-class performers to the
club. "I was very surprised that many players want to come to us. I think
they are looking at the sort of football that we play – sometimes we are not
succeeding in this, and this year we didn't take points, but if you are a
football player looking at the style of the play we are playing, [they] like
this," he said.
For McCarthy, the warmth of last week's 1-0 win at Liverpool was replaced by
a long drive back to the Midlands and the challenge of what to impart to his
players before Chelsea's visit to Molineux on Wednesday.
"I'm very proud because they are never wanting for effort every single
game," the Wolves manager said. "My approach is one of encouragement. Being
bottom doesn't matter. You go down in any of the three positions. The only
way for the foreseeable future is up. We have to keep scrapping and make
sure we stay in the fight.
"There are a lot of teams who are sweating and in a bizarre sort of way it's
the teams in 17th and 16th and 15th who are sweating and not wanting to drop
in the bottom three. We've been there a long time.
"It's not affected my psychological behaviour. I haven't suddenly become a
psychopath or something. I started the season as that, so ..." His sense of
humour, obviously, remains intact.
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