WHUFC.com
Well on track in the push for promotion, Big Sam will focus on the bigger
picture this week
05.12.2011
Standing pitchside after the 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace on a scorching early
October day, Sam Allardyce was asked to assess the first ten games of the
Hammers season. "We have 18 points from the first phase, the first ten
matches. It is two points behind what we wanted but I expect we will make
that up if we continue to grow as we showed today."
Ten games on, and the team have done exactly that to make it 22 from the
second phase of ten games. That leaves the Hammers with 40 overall - just
two points behind leaders Southampton and three ahead of third-place Cardiff
City - and firmly on the 'two points a game' target that almost certainly
means promotion. Naturally Big Sam was therefore striking a positive tone as
he considered again the surprising setback against Burnley on Saturday and a
2-1 defeat that was harsh on the Hammers. Kevin Nolan's superb lofted effort
- his sixth in 20 matches - was cancelled out by Chris McCann and Sam Vokes'
headers against the run of play.
It was a true 'smash and grab' raid that saw the team lose from a winning
position for the first time of what has largely been a superb npower
Championship campaign. "Looking back on the last ten games we have got more
points than we hoped for," Big Sam said. "Everyone has gone home
disappointed of course and frustrated but the overall situation is we are
well on target - 22 points from ten games guarantees you automatic promotion
if you can maintain that form. "The big thing was we could have made it 25,
that then gives you a massive cushion in the next ten-game phase if you
don't quite maintain that form. You don't lose your position in the league
if you have a couple of disappointing results. "But 22 points out of ten
games is a really great achievement considering what we have had to cope
with - all the injuries we have had throughout this period. We have never
been able to select the same team twice."
Matt Taylor limped out with a calf problem that casts doubt over his
inclusion against Reading next Saturday, with Henri Lansbury still not quite
ready to return despite having stepped up his training in recent days.
Winston Reid and Sam Baldock are further away but hopefully back before
Christmas. The manager has four big games before the transfer window opens
and he is expecting to be in the hunt for at least two new faces to bolster
his squad. "It is not too early to be looking," he said. "We hope to get a
couple of players in January. We need them at this time of year. It is not
just injuries, it is suspensions and it is the flu season and we could lose
more players. "We have to hope we don't get too affected but we will get in
the market for a couple of players in January."
Until then the manager will not fret too much about righting the few wrongs
there were at the weekend. "We have to take it on the chin and take what
positives there were out of it. "It was a great effort to try and get the
nine points we wanted out of this week. It is something we can put right. We
know we should have done better. "We have dominated and the opposition have
pinched it. That is what happens in football. "When we wake up on Monday we
will still be disappointed, but it is a fantastic set of results over ten
games and we have to pick ourselves up for game one of the next ten-game
phase at Reading next week."
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Pelly signs
WHUFC.com
The Hammers have signed 17-year-old Pelly Ruddock after a successful trial
with the club
05.12.2011
West Ham United can confirm the signing of 17-year-old midfielder Pelly
Ruddock. The teenager was registered with the Football League on Monday and
will go straight into the development squad as he is ineligible for the FA
Youth Cup tie at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday. Ruddock had attracted
a lot of attention during his rise through the ranks at Boreham Wood. He
said the club's reputation for giving youth a chance was key to his putting
pen to paper. "I am really excited to be here," he told West Ham TV. "I feel
happy inside and I am just hoping for the best for the future. "The club's
commitment to young players did attract me. It is good at West Ham because a
lot of young players have come through and gone on to do good things."
Describing himself as a box to box midfielder, who likes to attack and score
goals, Ruddock said he was keen to work hard and prove himself. He had done
just that in a successful trial period before his move. "I just want to
train and give 100 per cent every time I play." The teenager said he was
determined to keep his feet on the ground despite having been watched by
scouts from several clubs before West Ham's move. "I enjoyed the pressure. I
just carried on playing my game and working hard on the training ground. It
was a good standard I was playing at and I was coming up against some big
men. I just had to put myself about on the pitch."
Ruddock, who hails from west London but will be moving into digs close to
Chadwell Heath, paid tribute to those who have helped him get to this stage
in his career.
"My family have supported me and continued to support me. They have shown me
love and support for the future. My ambition is to get to the first team but
I know I have to work hard."
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O'Brien ready for Reading
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien said the team had to focus on making amends as quickly as
possible after the weekend loss
05.12.2011
Joey O'Brien is looking forward to Saturday's trip around the M25 to Reading
as the chance for the Hammers to get back on track. The Hammers have been
superb on the road this term, winning seven of their ten away league matches
- including the previous four. "We're going to Reading definitely trying to
win, but it'll be a tough game because they have some good players going
forward," he told West Ham TV. "Hopefully we can play like we did at
Middlesbrough and take all three points."
He admitted he and his West Ham United team-mates were snot happy with the
manner of Saturday's 2-1 npower Championship defeat by Burnley at the Boleyn
Ground. The Hammers uncharacteristically conceded two goals from set pieces
to allow the Clarets to battle back from a goal down to steal all three
points in east London. The loss was all the more galling when you consider
Sam Allardyce's side out-shot Burnley 15 to six and had ten corners to the
visitors' one. To compound the hosts' frustration, they learned at the final
whistle that a victory would have carried them above leaders Southampton,
who went down to a 1-0 defeat at struggling Doncaster Rovers. "It was
disappointing in the end. I thought we played well in the first half and
they didn't really offer much going forward," said O'Brien.
"The second half we scored and I thought we would keep pushing forward and
get the second goal, but from their first real ball into the box they
scored. Then, their first corner, they got another goal and it was one of
their few chances in the game, so it was disappointing to lose. "I think the
first goal Matty [Taylor] had come off injured and if he wasn't injured the
manager wouldn't have made that decision there and then to replace him when
we were defending a set piece, but he had to come off there and then. That
probably just threw a curve ball at how we set up and the ball came into the
box and their lad got up well and headed it in. "The second goal from the
corner was another good header, but obviously somebody was meant to be
marking him. "The lads were disappointed because the news [about
Southampton's defeat] was broken to us after the game and we'd have been
right up there with them if we'd won. They haven't made any ground on us, so
we have a chance to catch up with them next week. "We played well and we've
played well in the last few games, which is a positive thing. It's three
points dropped and we dropped another couple against Bristol City which are
disappointing because we should have won those games. "I think we should
have won the game against Burnley or, as a minimum come back with a point.
Maybe in trying to go for the win we got a bit anxious and let them in the
back door."
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Big Sam eyes additions
Hammers chief keen to bolster squad
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
December 5, 2011 12:43pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admits he plans to make a couple of signings in
the January transfer window. Allardyce is scouring the transfer market
looking for reinforcements as he seeks to bolster his squad in the New Year.
The Hammers chief is keen to ensure his squad options are not limited as he
looks to keep their promotion bid on track. "It's not too early to be
looking. We hope to get a couple of players in January," noted Allardyce.
"We need them at this time of year. It's not just injuries, it's suspensions
and it's the flu season and we could lose more players. "We have to hope we
don't get too affected, but we will get in the market for a couple of
players in January."
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Sam-ba Allardyce signs Pelly!
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
The Sun
WEST HAM have pulled off one of the most surprising transfers of the season
by signing Pelly. Not the one from Brazil but the boy from non-League
Boreham Wood in a £25,000 deal — and only after a three-day trial.
Midfielder Pelly Ruddock has joined in the hope of making it big under boss
Sam-ba Allardyce. He is only 17 — the same age as Brazil legend Pele when he
scored two goals in the 1958 World Cup final. Ruddock said: "I am really
excited to be here. I feel happy inside and I am just hoping for the best
for the future. "The club's commitment to young players did attract me. It
is good at West Ham because a lot of young players have come through and
gone on to do good things." West Ham beat off competition from Arsenal,
Tottenham and QPR to land the highly-rated prodigy in a deal which could
rise to around £200,000.
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Tomkins pledges future to West Ham
By talkSPORT
Monday, December 5
West Ham defender James Tomkins insists he is happy to stay at Upton Park
and is determined to help the club gain promotion back into the Premier
League next season. Tomkins has been strongly linked with a £3m move to QPR
when the transfer window re-opens in January. The former England Under-21
defender has been outstanding for the east London club and has played a
major role in helping them cement their place at the top of the
Championship. West Ham co-owner David Gold has stated that Tomkins is not
for sale at any price and the young defender is hoping to agree a new
long-term deal to stay at West Ham. Tomkins said: "Talks are on-going. They
have been for a while now. Hopefully I can get that sorted as soon as
possible. "Coming up to January, you are going to get speculation. I am
happy here and I want to get West Ham promoted and that is the main thing
that I have got on my mind and that is all I want to do, really."
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The FIVE Things West Ham Have Learnt From Last Season's Debacle
Date: 5th December 2011 at 2:35 pm
Written by Brad Pinard
FootballFancast.com
West Ham were by far the worst team in the Premier League last season,
winning just seven games throughout the whole campaign. Avram Grant could
not have done any more in helping the Hammers to relegation and should have
been sacked in January when Martin O'Neill was lined up as his replacement
before it was leaked to the press.
The football was terrible to watch each week and a lack of passion and
commitment was obvious throughout the majority of the squad. Relegation
however has been a positive learning curve for the remaining squad players,
owners and fans. Lessons have thankfully been learnt at Upton Park and the
club will only benefit from the changes that have been made.
Goals win games
The first lesson that has been rectified to a degree was the lack of goals.
Carlton Cole has never been and will never be a prolific striker and Freddie
Piquionne and Victor Obinna failed to make much of an impact at all. Robbie
Keane seemed to forget what a goal looked like which left Demba Ba to be the
only player that could put the ball away after his January arrival, but that
was too little too late.
33 goals in 38 games is unacceptable and narrow defeats were a regular
occurrence for the Irons who made sufficient chances throughout the season.
Over the summer the owners and new manager, Sam Allardyce realised the
obvious problem and signed John Carew and Sam Baldock to add fire power, as
well as attacking midfielder Kevin Nolan. Astonishingly the Hammers have
already scored more goals in the first third of this season than the whole
of the last campaign and that has been the catalyst to their good form.
A lack of loyalty from some players
Another lesson learnt was probably more for the supporters than it was for
the club and that was the lack of player loyalty. The East End club gave
chances to players when other teams wouldn't and perhaps assumed that the
players would repay the faith shown in them. But that wasn't the case;
Thomas Hitzlsperger was out injured for the majority of the season and then
jumped ship in the summer after relegation. Demba Ba was asked to stay on at
Upton Park after the Hammers were the only club willing to give him a chance
in January, but he turned it down. Other out of contract players such as
Mathew Upson did not sign new deals and left the squad very thin on numbers
when pre-season arrived.
Perhaps I was naive when I felt that maybe Ba and Hitzlsperger would stay
until January at least to give something back to the club that gave them a
chance, perhaps, but only in football would that lack of loyalty be
accepted.
The fans will always stick with the team
One thing that the rest of the Premier League learnt about the Hammers was
that no matter how bad it got, the fans would always follow them wherever
they went. Home attendances were consistently competitive and the away
following would sell out 90% of the time. The trip to the DW Stadium on the
penultimate week of the season sums it up perfectly. Anything less than two
wins from two games would see them relegated and for a club that had only
won twice away from home in 18 months, not likely. But 5,000 travelling fans
sold out the away end in the North West and sang and cheered throughout the
whole 90 minutes and the following three hour train journey home, even after
relegation was confirmed.
Yes Blackpool fans may have done the same, but it was a first for them, they
hadn't been to Old Trafford, the Emirates and Anfield all in the same season
in the top flight, they hadn't expected anything more than relegation back
in August. West Ham did.
A cup run did not help the league form
Another aspect that the Hammers will have learnt from last season is that a
cup run does not always help your confidence and form in the league.
Birmingham City were a prime example of that but they played just one extra
game than West Ham last year and they won that at Wembley
The London club were one game away from Wembley twice last season after
losing in the Carling Cup semi final and the FA Cup quarter final, both to
late goals. That heartache of last gasp cup defeat, twice heavily dented the
confidence of the West Ham squad that failed to recover from either result.
A chance for a club like West Ham to get to Wembley is a huge achievement
and would have brought the players and fans together for a joyous occasion,
but it was cruelly snatched away.
The owners have shown their colours
The final lesson learnt is one definitely, solely for Hammers fans and it is
that the clubs owners David Gold and David Sullivan are definitely putting
their money where their mouths are. The two David's are often seen in the
press, speaking their minds on all things West Ham, and at first it took a
while for the supporters to get behind them. But this summer and the
realisation of relegation has brought the fans and owners together to get
behind the manager and the team at all times.
For a club that was in unbelievable amounts of debt when bought by the
former Birmingham City chairmen, to now spending money freely as a
Championship club with the signings of Kevin Nolan, Sam Baldock, Matty
Taylor etc, is a real achievement. They are pumping their own money into the
club and they are very unlikely to see a return on that, making it a very
selfless act and one that should definitely be praised.
Currently sitting in the top two of the Championship, West Ham have a great
chance at returning to the top flight at the first attempt and will be
bigger and stronger for the year away.
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Tomkins: I'm happy at West Ham and I want to get the club promoted
London 24
Nathaniel John, West Ham correspondent
Monday, December 5, 2011
1:41 PM
West Ham defender James Tomkins has pledged his future to the Hammers, and
insists that his main focus is on getting the club promoted back to the
Premier League. The centre-back was linked with a January move to Queens
Park Rangers, but the 22-year-old believes it was pure speculation. "Coming
up to January, you are going to get speculation," he said. "It is just
speculation. I am happy here and I want to get West Ham promoted and that is
the main thing that I have got on my mind and that is all I want to do,
really."
Tomkins also revealed that talks are on-going with the club about an
improved and extended contract, something the Hammers Academy graduate is
keen to get sorted. "Talks are on-going," he said. "They have been for a
while now. "Hopefully I can get that sorted as soon as possible."
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