Wednesday, June 22

Daily WHUFC News - III 22nd June 2011

Sam sets out promotion plan
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has held a positive first press conference as West Ham
United's new manager
22.06.2011

Sam Allardyce has set out his plan to lead West Ham United back to the
Premier League. The 56-year-old held his first media conference in a packed
Press Room at the Boleyn Ground and immediately stated his aim to lead the
Hammers to the top-flight at the first attempt. Smiling broadly, the man
known throughout the game as 'Big Sam' explained how he plans to turn the
club's fortunes around, with whufc.com there to record every word.

Sam, to start, how do you plan to achieve promotion this season?

"Without sounding too arrogant, I think that my experience and my expertise
as a manager that I've gained, particularly in the Premier League over the
last ten years, will help me to bring the club together, to get a team
spirit and a togetherness that is going to achieve the ultimate - to get
promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. "As
difficult a task as that is going to be, I think it can be achieved. At a
club the size of West Ham, it needs to be done as quickly as possible
because the long-term goal is the Olympic Stadium and the team must be back
in the Premier League when it is going to move into that great venue. "So,
I've got to instil a bit of discipline, a little bit of magic and creativity
and certainly a bond between the players and the staff to drive ourselves on
through what is a very difficult season trying to get into the Premier
League. Lots of big teams are spending lots of money aside from ourselves to
try to achieve that goal. "It won't be an easy task. There are 46 very
difficult games, but last year we saw QPR and Norwich achieve it and we're
hoping to do the same. "I've got to try to really get rid of the hangover
that relegation brings to a football club and transform that as quickly as I
possibly can into a positive mental attitude."

Have you spoken to the players about their futures?

"Not just yet. They are all on holiday and will come back next week. "I've
talked to some of the younger players - Jack Collison and James Tomkins -
this morning and it was great to see them in and around the training ground
at this stage of the season. They could still be on holiday, as most are. "I
think when we all get together, I've got an awful lot to sort out in terms
of pre-season training, staffing and relocating myself. I'm going to try to
do that before the players get back and speak to them on an individual and a
group basis and set out some goals, really, and what we need to achieve. "I
think we'll look at moving some players on because their desire is to want
to play in the Premier League. From a financial point of view, it suits us
as well to lose that financial commitment because the drastic loss in
revenue is what we all have to face at West Ham, first and foremost.
"Certainly the owners have got to really back-up with their own money to try
to get us back into the Premier League. Some of the cuts we have to make
will have to come and some have already been made, of course, because some
of the players have already left.
"We will try to get as best a squad as we possibly can. "On a positive note,
we've signed on Abdoulaye Faye and Kevin Nolan already, which are good
positive moves and, like I said, I think there are still some very good
young and experienced players at the football club. "If we all want to work
together and go in the right direction, we can give it our best shot and
hopefully that will be good enough next season."

How many players will have to leave?

"The speculation is probably around Carlton Cole, Robert Green and Scott
Parker. At the moment, we haven't had any concrete bids for any of those
players. "Other than them, there is no rush to sell anybody else. "Thomas
Hitzlsperger has already left, as far as I'm concerned. He had his contract
terminated and that position has moved on."

There have been comments about the possible style of play you will employ
and whether it will fit in with the 'West Ham way'. What do you have to say
about those comments?

"I thought that question would have come first! We will be OK. When did West
Ham last play the 'West Ham way?'. It can't be the 'West Ham way' if we got
relegated.
"The club has been up and down like a yo-yo so I don't see the fans as
thinking of that as playing the 'West Ham way'. "The 'West Ham way' is about
winning football matches and the enjoyment of winning. The fans are in the
game to watch winning football and I'm in the game to play winning football
and to entertain the public, and that's what I do. "Everywhere I've been,
I've entertained the public, regardless of the perception. The perception
from the media is that 'Sam Allardyce plays long ball' but that's only a
perception. Football is run on perception today."

Why have you decided to drop down a division at this stage of your
managerial career?

"Because it's West Ham, that's why. I think that as a football club, it's
such a big club and has great tradition and a great fan base, really.
"Weighing up all the odds, I thought 'Let's go and try and be successful at
a football that's not been as successful as it should have been over the
last four or five years'. "I think the excitement of rebuilding the football
club was a big pitch to me - the idea that I could go and reinvent West Ham
as a club with sustainable success. "Too often this club has had fleeting
moments of grandeur mixed with too much depression in terms of the times
it's been relegated. "I do think it's a football club where something
sustainable can be built if we all pull in the right direction."

Will it be harder to emulate the success you achieved at newly-promoted
Bolton Wanderers in the modern-day game?

"I provided the benchmark for success - survival was only two years of my
seven and the last four were eighth, sixth, eighth and seventh, so I
shouldn't really be tagged as a 'survival' manager. I am a productive
manager who breeds success wherever I go. "Yes, I had to survive in the
early stages at Bolton. Yes, I had to make Blackburn survive when I went
there, but my ultimate goal is to be in the top half of the Premier League
table searching for European places and cup finals, as I did at the end at
Bolton. "That is a long way off at the moment at West Ham - the only focus
is to get promoted and get out of this division as quick as I possibly can.
If I don't do that, I don't expect to be here, to be quite honest."

How confident are you that you can get West Ham United promoted?

"It's early days yet, so I'll know more once we've started training and got
through the first two or three weeks and I've ironed out any particular
problems that need urgent attention, whether they be contractual or family
issues or whatever it might be. "Those things will have to be dealt with
first and then we can get down to setting some goals on how we will get out
of this division. "The players will tell me whether they are good enough to
get out of this league by their attitude, by how well they train and how
well they perform in pre-season. "I'll speak to the owners if and when need
be in terms of modifying that squad or getting somebody new in.
"I just hope it's minimal now and there's not too much to be done because
it's a very difficult job to change around a team that's been relegated, but
it's even more difficult when you lose more than 50 per cent of your players
and then have to bring ten or 12 in to actually get a team together to play
as a team. "You're basically putting a bunch of strangers together virtually
that you've got to try to mould into unit and a system that brings the best
type of football to the fans of West Ham, to entertain them so they can go
home happy when they've won."

How big a challenge is this for you in your career?

"Personally I have taken a risk by losing my Premier League status which has
been built over the last ten years or so and come down into the Championship
to try to bring success to West Ham. "Hopefully I've made the right
decision. I'm going to do my very, very best to get them back where we all
want to be. There is nobody at this club who wants to be in the Premier
League more than me now, believe you me. "I don't want to spend too long in
the Championship if I can help it. It's a great, very competitive league and
there are lots and lots of teams looking for the gold at the end of the
rainbow. "At the end of the day, only three teams can go up a year and we've
got to be one of those, certainly in the next two years."

Will the planned move to the Olympic Stadium in 2014 serve as a distraction?

"No, I don't think the players will worry about it. "I think Upton Park is
one of the reasons I am here, anyway. Even though it is one of the oldest
stadia in and around the country now, because the fanbase is so big and
vocal, it has a great atmosphere. "As players, managers and coaches, you
like to feel that atmosphere. That's why you do the job on a Saturday. I
think the atmosphere they give the players and everybody around Upton Park
is fine by me. "The players won't be worried about the Olympic Stadium
because it's quite a way off. "We've got to create a very good atmosphere at
West Ham and the only way I can create that is by creating winning football
on a regular basis. If the fans get behind the team, then the team will
deliver to the fans and that is what has happened wherever I've been -
particularly at Bolton and even down as far as Notts County and Blackpool,
where I managed before. "So, we can create a fortress here at Upton Park,
hopefully, and people will not look forward to coming here. "The big
transition is also improving the away form because I've done my research and
over the last couple of seasons we could be great here and win, but when we
go away we seem to be a soft touch in terms of results. That has to change
if we want to get promoted."

Finally, how are you settling in on a personal level?

"I haven't settled anywhere yet because I've hardly had any sleep. The phone
hasn't stopped ringing and nor have the emails, so I'm haring around at the
moment, trying to get a plan together in my head to focus on what is most
important first and trying to move through that on a daily basis. "I seem to
be waking at four or five in the morning and writing these notes down, but
when I get up in the morning they don't make too much sense. "Like I said,
there is a lot to go through but I've done it before so I know what to
expect. It's not easy for me or the club at the moment, but we've got to get
through it as quick as we can. "We've got between now and 7 August when the
season starts for me to get everybody settled in their own department -
players and staff - and hopefully we'll have a united staff and a happy and
very contented environment."

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Taylor in talks
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2011
By: Staff Writer

Bolton midfielder Matt Taylor could be on his way to West Ham, according to
reports. The 29-year-old, who can also play at left back is said to be 'in
talks' with the Hammers over a permanent switch, according to Setanta this
afternoon. Taylor started his career at Luton back in 1999 and moved to
Portsmouth three years later in a £750,000 switch. After 178 appearances in
six years at Fratton Park he joined Bolton, having lost his place at
Portsmouth to Niko Kranjcar. Gary Megson paid around £4million to take
Taylor to the Reebok Stadium during the 2008 winter transfer window. During
his first full season Taylor scored ten goals from 34 league games, then
eight from 37 the following season. Last season he appeared in 36 of
Bolton's 38 league fixtures. Should he sign for West Ham, Taylor would be
the third former Bolton player to arrive at the club since Sam Allardyce was
unveiled as the new maanger.

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Hitzlsperger gone
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2011
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has confirmed that Thomas Hitzlsperger has left the club.
29-year-old Hitzlsperger - who arrived at the club last summer but failed to
make his debut until January due to a lengthy injury - had been offered
improved terms to remain at West Ham. However Allardyce confirmed today that
the German international was not being considered in his future plans.
"Thomas has already left as far as I'm concerned," he said. "He's gone and
has moved on." Allardyce also revealed that he expects Scott Parker, Carlton
Cole and Robert Green to move on before the beginning of next season.

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Allardyce: Premier League or bust
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2011
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce says that his number one target this season is promotion - but
that he hopes to achieve it with a little style. Allardyce, speaking at his
first press conference as manager this afternoon spoke at length about a
number of issues. However his core message was that promotion is an absolute
necessity - and that he feels it is a target that can be achieved.

"Without sounding too arrogant I think that the experience and expertise
I've gained as a manager - particularly in the Premier League over the last
ten years - is trying to bring the club together to get as team spirit and a
togetherness that's going to achive the ultimate, which is to get promotion
back into the Premier League at the first time of asking," he said.

"As difficult a task as that's going to be, it can be achieved I think. With
a club the size of West Ham it needs to be done as quickly as possible,
because obviously the long-term goal is the Olympic Stadium and the team
must be back in the Premier League when it moves into that great venue.

"It won't be an easy task, there's 46 very difficult games," he continued.
"I've got to try and get rid of the hangover that relegation brings. I've
got to transform that as quickly as I possibly can into a positive, mental
attutude really."

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Immediate promotion 'can be achieved' insists new Hammers boss Allardyce
Published 15:06 22/06/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror

New West Ham manager Sam Allardyce insists he can "achieve the ultimate" by
guiding the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Allardyce was today unveiled as the Hammers' new manager after succeeding
Avram Grant following their relegation to the npower Championship. And the
former Bolton and Blackburn boss acknowledged promotion is all the more
crucial with the club eventually set to move into the Olympic Stadium after
next year's Games. "I want to achieve the ultimate, which is to get
promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking," Allardyce
said. "As difficult as that is going to be, it can be achieved, I think.
"And with a club the size of West Ham that needs to be done as soon as
possible. The long-term goal is the Olympic Stadium and the team must be
back in the Premier League when it is going to move into that great venue."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - II 22nd June 2011

Fry confirms Hammers interest
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd June 2011
By: Staff Writer

Barry Fry has confirmed that West Ham have made an enquiry regarding striker
Craig Mackail-Smith. The 27-year-old has been linked with a number of clubs
since the end of last season and today Fry - a good friend of David Sullivan
- admitted that West Ham, who had also been linked with a move for 'keeper
Joe Lewis, had made enquiries with regards to Mackail-Smith's availability.
"West Ham have not spoken to me about Joe Lewis but they did ask me what we
wanted for Craig," Fry told the Evening Telegraph. "They have not made a bid
as yet, but they are having a serious go at getting back into the Premier
League straight away. "One Premier League club who have spoken to Craig set
him a deadline of today to make his mind up, but he will not be going there.
It's not a question of money, it's a couple of other things that he's not
happy about. "Craig is right not to rush into anything because there is
still plenty of interest in him."

Mackail-Smith has been linked with a string of clubs in the past fortnight
including Premier League outfits Everton and Norwich - the latter believing
that they had landed the player at the beginning of this month. Having begun
his career with non-league St Albans City and Arlesey Town, the Watford-born
goalscorer joined Dagenham & Redbridge in 2004 and scored 38 goals for the
club during the next three seasons. In 2007, Peterborough United snapped
Mackail-Smith up since when he has scored 80 goals in 183 starts for the
club.

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Taylor tipped with Big Sam link up
by Setanta Staff , 22 June 2011 comment
Setanta

Matt Taylor is believed to be in talks with West Ham over a potential summer
move to Upton Park. The former Portsmouth man had looked set to slip down
the pecking order at the Reebok, following the capture of Martin Petrov this
summer, but Taylor still made 42 appearances last term. But the Oxford-born
midfielder, signed by Gary Megson, is likely to be keen on a return to the
south and West Ham are understood to be closing in on a deal for the
29-year-old. Sam Allardyce has already brought in former Bolton stars Kevin
Nolan and Abdoulaye Faye, since being appointed by the Hammers and Taylor
could become his third capture.

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Fresh deal for Collison
Hammers eager to extend Welsh schemer's stay at Upton Park
Last Updated: June 22, 2011 9:29am
SSN

Jack Collison's representatives have entered discussions with West Ham over
a new deal for their client. The talented midfielder is a player the club
are eager to keep at Upton Park as they look to win an immediate return to
the top flight. With Scott Parker seemingly to depart over the summer as
Tottenham continue to be strongly linked, it will be left to the likes of
Collison to help lead a promotion push. The Wales international is still
under contract at West Ham but the club's management are looking to tie him
to a long-term deal. Talks are set to continue over the summer as both
parties look to thrash out fresh terms for a player highly-rated in the East
End.

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West Ham make approach for Peterborough ace Mackail-Smith
By talkSPORT
Wednesday, June 22

West Ham are ready to make a move for Peterborough striker Craig
Mackail-Smith. Mackail-Smith, 27, has been linked with a number of Premier
League clubs, but has failed to reach an agreement over a lucrative move
into the top flight. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has already seen Demba Ba
leave the club and is looking for a quality striker to spearhead their
attack as they look to bounce straight back into the Premier League.
Mackail-Smith scored 35 goals to help Peterborough gain promotion last
season, but is keen to showcase his talents at a higher level and could be
tempted by a move to Upton Park. West Ham have already shown they mean
business by signing Newcastle captain Kevin Nolan and Stoke defender
Abdoulaye Faye and now hope Mackail-Smith will become their third major
signing of the summer. Peterborough's director of football Barry Fry admits
West Ham have enquired about his availability but have yet to make a firm
offer. Fry said: "West Ham did ask me what we wanted for Craig. They have
not made a bid as yet, but they are having a serious go at getting back into
the Premier League straight away."

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West Ham ask after Posh ace Craig Mackail-Smith
West Ham have made an enquiry about Craig Mackail-Smith.
By Alan Swann
Published on Wednesday 22 June 2011 10:13
PeterboroughToday.co.uk

CHAMPIONSHIP title favourites West Ham United are not interested in signing
Posh goalkeeper Joe Lewis, but they have made an enquiry about star striker
Craig Mackail-Smith. Lewis was linked with a move to Upton Park in several
national newspapers yesterday as a replacement for England keeper Robert
Green. But Posh director of football Barry Fry insists the only contact he's
had from West Ham involved a conversation about Mackail-Smith. Mackail-Smith
is today expected to reject a transfer to a Premier League club. West Ham
have yet to make a formal bid for the 27 year-old. Fry said: "One Premier
League club who have spoken to Craig set him a deadline of today to make his
mind up, but he will not be going there. "It's not a question of money, it's
a couple of other things that he's not happy about. "Craig is right not to
rush into anything because there is still plenty of interest in him. "West
Ham have not spoken to me about Joe Lewis, but they did ask me what we
wanted for Craig. "They have not made a bid as yet, but they are having a
serious go at getting back into the Premier League straight away."
Mackail-Smith has also been linked with Everton, QPR, Norwich and Swansea as
well as a host of Championship clubs. Posh are understood to want in the
region of £3 million for him.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 22nd June 2011

Blair having a ball
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is loving life after England made a winning start at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Mexico
21.06.2011

Blair Turgott is loving life at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Mexico - on and off the pitch. The West Ham United youngster completed the full 90 minutes as England kicked-off their challenge with a 2-0 Group C victory over Rwanda in Pachuca on Sunday. With Canada next up at the same venue, the Young Lions took a break from training to visit the world-famous Teotihuacan ruins. The 17-year-old spoke to whufc.com direct from England's training base ahead of Wednesday's second group-stage fixture. Concentrating first on the victory over Rwanda, Turgott explained how he and his team-mates had left nothing to chance in the build-up to their clash with the African side. "We were pleased with the victory and to be fair we put in a good performance and I thought we controlled the game," he said. "In a tournament like this, getting off to a good start is everything as we now have something that we can build on going forward. "Before the game we watched a lot of clips of the opposition and that was good because we got an insight in to them. The coaches kept banging the message into us not to take them lightly and that if we kept playing our football and being patient we would get our rewards and I think that's what definitely happened - we wore them down. "I was happy to get the full 90 under my belt and thought I put in a good performance. It was a great team performance from the lads, especially as we were playing in front of a big crowd. "We are just looking forward to the next game now against Canada on Wednesday, where hopefully the lads can put in another solid performance."

It has not been all hard work for England's youngsters, though. John Peacock's squad and coaching staff - including the FA's Head of National Teams and former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence - travelled into the Basin of Mexico to visit the historic Teotihuacan ruins and pyramids - an Aztec settlement dating from 100 BC.
"There has been a good vibe around the camp, to be fair, leading up to the game," Turgott confirmed. "Ray Clemence has been here with his experience and that is definitely a good factor because you can talk to him at any time. "We did go to the pyramids which was nice. They were in nice surroundings and I got some nice photos. Everywhere we went on the site, people were trying to sell us things, but it was definitely good for us to have that bit of sightseeing to help us to relax."

Live action and highlights from the FIFA Under-17 World Cup are being screened on British Eurosport.

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Da Costa departs
WHUFC.com
Manuel da Costa has joined Russian Premier League side FC Lokomotiv Moscow
21.06.2011

West Ham United can confirm that Manuel da Costa has joined Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow. Da Costa, who had only one year left on his Hammers contract and had expressed a desire to leave, has linked up with Lokomotiv for an undisclosed fee. He spent two years in east London, making just 35 appearances and scoring four goals. The 25-year-old joined the Hammers from Italian club ACF Fiorentina in September 2009, having previously featured for French side AS Nancy and Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven. The Portugal B international becomes the second Hammer to join Lokomotiv this week, following Internazionale loanee Victor Obinna to the Russian capital. The club, who have already signed Abdoulaye Faye and Kevin Nolan as part of a busy summer of transfer activity, would like to thank Manuel for his efforts and wish him all the best in the future.

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Da Costa departs
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st June 2011
By: Staff Writer

Portuguese centre half Manuel Da Costa is joining Russian club Locomotiv Moscow on a permanent contract. The 25-year-old is set to put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Russian Premier League outfit after just two years in east London. He will play at the Lokomotiv Stadium alongside another former Hammer, Victor Obinna, who signed a permaent deal with Loko just last week. The deal that takes Da Costa to Russia is reported to be worth just €1.5million - around half the valule placed on Da Costa when he came to the Boleyn Ground in exchange for Savio Nsereko in 2009.

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Da Costa departs Hammers
Portuguese defender heads to Lokomotiv Moscow
Last Updated: June 21, 2011 8:27pm
SSN

Defender Manuel da Costa has left West Ham and joined Lokomotiv Moscow for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old, who had one year to run on his Upton Park contract, spent two seasons in East London, scoring four times in 35 appearances. Among his team-mates in Moscow will be Victor Obinna, who spent last term on loan at West Ham from Inter Milan. The Hammers, who suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, claimed that the former Fiorentina, Nancy and PSV man was keen to move on. A statement on the club's official website read: "West Ham United can confirm that Manuel da Costahas joined Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow. "The club would like to than Manuel for his efforts and wish him all the best in the future."

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Transfer Market Fetishists
Alex V - Tue Jun 21 2011
West Ham Online

Some will disagree, but I think our haul of transfer signings over the last season was probably one of the most impressive in our history. Hitzlsperger, Piquionne, Reid, Jacobsen, Obinna, Barrera, Ba, Bridge, Keane and O'Neill. The end result - a humiliating relegation. It should leave more than just Avram Grant and David Sullivan scratching their heads.

The comfort blanket we seem to continually cling to is this pervading belief that whatever our problems are on the pitch, they can be solved in the transfer market. Any poor performance is greeted by ideas of who we could bring in to solve the problem. I do it, we all do it. The media feeds this concept, especially during the Summer 'silly season' – who could be coming in and who could be leaving. The media loves it as it fills their and websites, the clubs love it because it sells season tickets, the agents love it because it bumps up their players' prices, and the fans love it because it gives them hope and excitement for the season to come.

I'm pretty sure that David Sullivan loves it. This is a man who has very publicly voiced his frustration at player performances, and this is the man who shapes our transfer activity. It's his only chance to solve the problems that he seems so clearly to see on the pitch. And it seems that he does it 24/7 – I would guess not a day goes by when he isn't ringing up agents scheming and planning our next moves in the transfer market.

I don't think 'playing the transfer market' offers a viable long-term route to success. I think it's a myth perpetuated daily by the media, the fans and the clubs themselves. I think we all need a good slap.

I think it basically compares to roulette. Each Summer you pick your players, spin the wheel and see what happens. We might hedge our bets a little, a long-shot like Barrera mixed with a more solid percentage roll on a German International like Hitzlsperger. But whatever we do we end up spinning the wheel. And if we win the only benefit is that we get to spin the wheel again next time with more chips to bet.

And just like spinning the roulette wheel things tend to only go right until they go wrong. Last season we span the wheel and it landed on zero. Back to the fruit machines.

The transfer market is a system of total compromise. You don't buy the player you want, you buy the compromise that you can afford. You don't pay for the worth of the player, but for the price determined by the demand for their services. Players don't go to the clubs best suited to their abilities, but to the best career opportunities. And of course the agents interests begins and ends with money – their only benefit from improving a club is the promise of future business. It's a really poor system for getting good players into your club.

And it's an even poorer system for providing long-term development and improvement. Players coming and going year on year, managers the same way. Many football clubs these days seem like the equivalents of battered celebrities on their fifteenth marriage, still claiming that this time they've found 'the one'. And if this season's bunch of players fail to deliver that short-term boost, then they're shipped out and the next bunch come in.

What has a decade or so of 'market trading' done for West Ham? Well it's nearly bankrupted the club twice. It's brought in a succession of higher-profile higher-paid players who have come and gone. The net result – zero. But what has it done for any club? Was Manchester United's dominance built on a mastery of the transfer market? Was Arsenal's development under Wenger? Was Barcelona's? The only thing the transfer market has created of 'worth' are the vapid under-achieving squads at Chelsea and Man City that should by rights dominate Europe but end up a collection of the World's best players in search of a beating heart.

And that is what we still aspire to? No thanks.

And worse, the transfer market has turned players into commodities, and fans into armchair traders. A player is judged against what the papers told us they were worth, rather than their actual value on the pitch as... you know... human beings. No wonder many fans are jaded cynics who think the players are unscrupulous overpaid mercenaries – that is the image sold every day in every paper you will read. It's the image the whole system depends upon, where one player is only 'worth' what they would cost to replace. I think there are better ways to apply the notion of 'value' to a player and to watching them as a supporter. It's as if we are slowly training ourselves to ignore the human feelings like respect, fear, pity, hope and exhilaration, and replace them with straight cash appraisals.

The next time a player puts in a shoddy performance, try this.

Hold back that 'natural' impulse to consider what a waste of money they might have been, or how much of their wages you might want to dock. Hold back the 'natural' impulse to consider who might replace them in the next transfer window, or how willing you might be to drive them to their next club. Hold back that 'natural' impulse to feel like a short-changed customer. In short, stop thinking about the money.

Instead think how they might improve. How they could work on their weaker foot. Or learn to keep their head up in possession. How to play the simpler percentage ball more often. How they could be fed the ball more effectively. How they could form a partnership with another player. How they could stay on their feet more and dive in less. How the club could get the best out of them.

I worry that too few people at West Ham are thinking about how to improve the players we have. I worry that those in charge of the club rely almost exclusively on trading in the transfer market to supply 'success'. I think it's desperately counter-productive, completely short-termist and will get us nowhere other than further into debt.

And the worst feeling is the idea that we might invest heavily, get promoted this season on our first attempt, and slip straight back into that mode of investing in the Summer, rolling the dice and betting the farm again in the lower reaches of the Premiership. It might improve the club as a short-term saleable asset, but I think as a football club it will lead us precisely nowhere.

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Da Costa Exits, as the Question is Posed: Should We Target Shane Long?
June 22nd, 2011 - 6:51 am by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

It has been confirmed that Portuguese centre half, Manuel Da Costa has left the club. Da Costa has signed for Russian side, Moscow Lokomotiv, for a non-disclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £1.3m. He now joins another ex-Hammer, Victor Obinna, next season at the Russian club.

Many will be surprised that Da Costa has been allowed to leave. There was a general feeling amongst supporters that Da Costa provided a physical strength and dominance in the air that would have been a real asset in the coming Championship campaign. No doubt there are a few conspiracy theories being hatched, as this is the latest of, former Director of Football, Nani's signings to have exited the club for nominal fees. However, the actual reason for the move may just be as mundane as (1) Sam Allardyce deems him surplus to requirements or (2) Da Costa is entering the final year of his current contract and he has indicated that he does not intend to sign another with the club. Hence, the move to obtain a fee for the player, rather than run down his contract and let him go on a Bosman.

Of those two possible explanations, current evidence points to the latter being most probable. After all, Da Costa has been quoted as stating that to remain at West Ham would have been a backward move, in a team where he did not always play. And that he wants to be part of a good team were he plays regularly! That's a bit rich considering that he was injured for a large part of last season. We can only guess at Allardyce's assessment of the player? But he must have agreed to the move going ahead. Personally, I thought Da Costa was a useful player, but not outstanding nor irreplacable. And at the end of the day we are going to need players next season that are 100% committeed to the cause, it does not appear, from his statements, that Da Costa was of that inclination! So, best to sell and take a fee.

Oh well, that's another centre back added to the list of transfer targets. Perhaps the club have also agreed to the move safe in the knowledge that youngsters Jordan Spence and Matt Fry will come in to the first team reckoning next season? Or maybe a deal for another centre back is pending? Whatever, expect the transfer revolving door to accelerate as we move into July and pre-season training. This is certainly going to be a very busy summer in the transfer market, as Allardyce assesses the current squad and oversees a radical restructure.

Speaking of which, also expect moves for a keeper and striker to complete the reconstruction of the spine of the team. The name in the frame for the goal keeping position is Peterborough's promising custodian, Joe Lewis. While we have been linked with a number of strikers, including Yakubu, Maynard and Boothroyd. However,one player that we should arguably be targeting is Reading's Shane Long. There are rumours that a number of PL clubs are considering a move for the Republic of Ireland international. But much of that could just be speculation. Long scored 20 plus goals last season in the Championship, is a mobile and skillful striker and would fit in well at the club. It is also a potential signing that would send out the clear message that the club are not going to just lump it up field for two 6ft plus target men all season. In addition, Shane Long falls in to that category of player who is young and has the potential to make a successful transition to PL football.

Will it happen? Probably not, but we live in hope!

SJ. Chandos.

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Allardyce's first West Ham press conference to take place tomorrow afternoon ( That's now this afternoon - PeterR )
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
2:15 PM
East London Advertiser

Sam Allardyce will hold his first press conference as a West Ham manager tomorrow at 2pm from Upton Park. Allardyce had his first day of work on Monday after returning from a family holiday and will be unveiled to the media in the media room. The former Blackburn boss was brought in by co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan following the sacking of Avram Grant at the end of the season, after the club were relegated to the Championship.

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West Ham hopeful Hines will sign new long-term contract
TalkSport
By Marc Isaacs
Tuesday, June 21

West Ham are hopeful that talented young forward Zavon Hines will sign a new deal with the club. Hines, 22, is currently a free agent after rejecting the first offer of a new contract at the end of the season. West Ham's new boss Sam Allardyce is keen to keep the England Under-21 striker at Upton Park and hopes he can persuade him to change his mind. After bringing in Abdoulaye Faye and Kevin Nolan, Allardyce wants Hines to see how the club is heading in the right direction following their relegation into the Championship. The club remain hopeful that Hines will pledge his long-term future to the club before the start of the season.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient face crucial week in oppostion to West Ham's Olympic Stadium move
By Paul Kelso11:58PM BST 21 Jun 20111


Tottenham and Leyton Orient will discover within days whether their challenge to West Ham's tenancy of the Olympic Stadium has been successful after a High Court judge spent the early part of this week considering their case. Mr Justice Davis will rule on whether to grant permission for a judicial review of the decision to declare West Ham the preferred bidder after considering four separate applications from Tottenham and Orient. The clubs are challenging the decision of the Olympic Park Legacy Company to select West Ham, the Government and London mayor Boris Johnson for endorsing that decision, and Newham Council's decision to agree to lend £40 million to a joint venture with West Ham that will convert and run the stadium. If successful, Tottenham and Orient will be granted a full trial at which their challenge will be heard, which is likely to be no earlier than October. The clubs have already won the first round of their challenge after the judged rejected an attempt by the Government and the mayor to skip the first phase of the judicial review and proceed straight to a substantive hearing in the autumn.

Tottenham and Orient objected, arguing that the judge should decide whether to grant permission for the challenge before hearing the substance of the case. That process began on Monday when Mr Justice Davis began studying several hundred pages of documents submitted by the various parties. The legal challenges follow the acrimonious bidding war between Tottenham and West Ham that culminated in February with the Hammers being selected as preferred bidder. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, desperate to develop a new stadium to keep pace with their Premier League rivals, believes he was encouraged to enter the Stratford bid, only to be used to drive a better deal out of West Ham.

Orient, meanwhile, believe that West Ham's move to within a mile of Brisbane Road will have a huge impact on attendances and the club's commercial prospects.
Orient are also challenging the Premier League's decision to approve West Ham's potential move to Stratford. An arbitration hearing will be held in the autumn. The clubs' submissions, copies of which have been seen by Telegraph Sport, reveal that Tottenham and Orient are challenging both the process and the substance of the OPLC's decision, and Newham's financial support for West Ham which they say breaches European laws on state aid. The submissions also reveal that one of the OPLC's grounds for rejecting Tottenham's bid was that their plans to renovate Crystal Palace as an alternative to retaining the athletics track was "inadequate and under-funded" and "does not provide a long-term sustainable athletics legacy".

Spurs reject this argument, insisting that they provided a £500 million guarantee to underwrite their bid and the Crystal Palace scheme. The role of Newham in providing a £40 million loan to West Ham is at the heart of the challenge from Tottenham and Orient, while the legal process is understood to have exposed tensions between the OPLC and the council over the key issue.

Without the Newham loan, West Ham cannot afford to take on the stadium, but Tottenham and Orient argue that it is an inappropriate use of public money and was made unlawfully. Given this, they argue that West Ham's bid, which relies on council funding, is not financially secure and should not have been approved.
Tottenham argue that the Newham loan breaches EC laws banning state aid for private companies; that the council acted beyond its powers by entering into the deal with West Ham; and finally that Newham should have considered offering similar terms to them as they would then potentially have benefited from having two Premier League clubs in the borough.

Newham's defence is technical but crucial. The council argues that in fact it has not agreed to make the loan, but simply agreed that its chief executive could make the loan in future, if a suitable deal can be agreed with West Ham over terms and conditions. Tottenham argue that this admission proves that the OPLC should not have approved West Ham, as without the Newham money the bid cannot satisfy the key criteria that any tenant has "committed, secure and agreed" funding. Newham's claim that the loan has not been agreed is understood to have greatly concerned the OPLC, which based its decision to award West Ham the stadium on the fact that the funding was in place. The council and West Ham are understood to have signed numerous documents to that effect.

The Daily Telegraph understands that the OPLC was so concerned that it has written to Newham demanding clarification of the status of the loan. The council is thought to have responded that the loan will be available to West Ham, but Tottenham and Orient will claim that that admission negates the council's defence on other points. Describing the OPLC decision as "irrational, discriminatory and unfair", Tottenham accuse them of displaying bias towards West Ham in the bidding process and of secretly changing the rules by which the preferred bidder would be chosen. Tottenham argue that in key areas they were not given vital information about how the decision-making process would be made, particularly in relation to the five criteria on which the final call was based. The OPLC set out the criteria at the start of the process, stating that they were listed in order of importance, with the financial certainty of bidders rated the most important. Spurs say that "without warning" the OPLC changed the rules during the final bidding, judging the criteria with equal weight. This, they say, worked against them as West Ham should have failed the financial test, and the areas they were "perceived as failing" – reopening the stadium rapidly and flexible usage – were third and fifth on the list. They cite a letter from Johnson as evidence of the confusion, even among OPLC stakeholders. Explaining his decision to back West Ham, Johnson initially said the objectives "were listed in order of importance". In a subsequent letter however he has admitted that this was "a mistake and obviously so".

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