Daily WHUFC News - 20th August 2012

Nobby delighted by Villa victory
WHUFC.com
Match-winner Kevin Nolan was all smiles after leading the Hammers to an
opening-day win over Aston Villa
19.08.2012

Kevin Nolan revealed his delight after West Ham United's 1-0 Barclays
Premier League home win over Aston Vila, with the skipper claiming the
Hammers had come away with everything they wanted. After a fractious opening
period the hosts settled well and dominated large parts of the game creating
a host of good opportunities. Nolan grabbed the winner in the 40th minute
after good work from Ricardo Vaz Te. Speaking post-match, the skipper
praised his side for making a perfect start. "We got exactly what we wanted
from the game," he said. "We spoke before about how important it was to get
off to a winning start and we have done that, while we also kept a clean
sheet. "We could have scored three or four. The lads were terrific,
especially in the heat, as I'm sure many people can imagine it was hard
enough simply watching the game. "The lads were terrific and we have
hopefully given ourselves a stepping stone ahead of what will be another
tough game [at Swansea City] next weekend."

There was a hint of controversy surrounding Nolan's goal with the assistant
referee raising his flag, but the skipper believes the correct decision was
eventually made as replays showed the ball was flicked-on by VIlla defender
Ciaran Clark. "I was under no illusions that it wasn't a goal. The ball came
off a defender so I knew Ricardo was onside and knew that if I converted the
chance we would go in front. "That is why I went off celebrating because I
was extremely happy, it was nice to get off the mark and hopefully it will
be the first of many."

The second half saw the Hammers dominate and Nolan could have had a second
past former Newcastle United team-mate Shay Given but for some commendable
last-ditch defending. "I beat Shay but the defender managed to get his body
in the way. I was absolutely gutted about that one because it would have
been nice to score another past him but one is good enough. "We worked very
hard for it. Last season was tough because teams came here and they sat
behind the ball, but this year you can already see things are going to be a
lot different."After the perfect start to their campaign you could forgive
the players for getting a little carried away, but Nolan insisted that
everybody understands the challenge ahead. "It's going to be very tough and
we know that, but we are up for the battle and we are happy with who we have
brought in. Hopefully by the end of the window there will be a few other new
faces to improve us and take us forward. Nolan also paid tribute to the mind
set of his team, commending them on their patience during a testing opening
period. "In the Premier League you sometimes have to be a little patient. In
the first 20 minutes they controlled the ball well but we managed to
restrict them from creating many chances. "As the half wore on we got more
of a foothold in the game and as soon as the goal went in we controlled it."

After the perfect start to their campaign you could forgive the players for
getting a little carried away, but Nolan insisted that everybody understands
the challenge ahead. "It's going to be very tough and we know that, but we
are up for the battle and we are happy with who we have brought in.
Hopefully by the end of the window there will be a few other new faces to
improve us and take us forward."

Manager Sam Allardyce compared his skipper to former England international
David Platt, who made a name by scoring important goals. It was a comparison
Nolan gladly accepted. "I have never heard the gaffer say that about me
before - but it is a compliment obviously because David was a great player
who played for England and scored a lot of goals during his career. "I
haven't modelled myself on him I must admit, but I wouldn't mind his
goal-scoring record when I finish my career. "Scoring goals has always been
a huge part of my career, I just have to carry on popping up in the box and
hopefully they will keep going in."

With a trip to Swansea next on the agenda for Big Sam's side, Nolan is
hopeful that they can go to the Liberty Stadium and pick up another positive
result. "We are a building a team for the Premier League and hopefully over
the next few years you will see us execute our plan and see West Ham United
back where they belong.
"This is just a small stepping stone for what will be a tough yet ultimately
good season for us. We are not going to get carried away with our wins, and
we are not going to be too disheartened by our losses. "Our ultimate aim is
to be sitting pretty in the table come May and to be ready to build and
improve for another season in the top flight.

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Allardyce on... Aston Villa
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 19th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

A delighted Sam Allardyce reflects on a wonderful start to the season - a
clean sheet and three very valuable Premier League points...

Sam: You must be very satisfield with that performance today?

Yes. In the end I thought we might have won by a goal more based on chances
created and certainly when Maiga - his nickname's Van by the way - went
through as cool as he did at the end. I thought he was going to finish a
great team performance off for us today.

But 1-0, a clean sheet and defensively very solid. In terms of creating
chances, we created them and scored the goal that won us the game off a free
kick. I have to say we had a very good decision by the referee Mike Dean on
the goal because when you look at it, it's clearly come off the Aston
Villa's player's head.

It was a very good decision; often the referee looks at a linesman putting
his flag up, doesn't question it and disallows the goal - so that was a
really good decision for us. I thought we just got better as the game went
on. Kevin Nolan had a good chance and I thought we should have had a penalty
for the push on Carlton Cole just after half time.

We limited Aston Villa to little or nothing in terms of chances at goal. Any
efforts they had came from outside the box, so all round it was a very good
day for West Ham and a very good start to the Barclay's Premier League.
We're so delighted to be back and even more delighted now we've got off to a
winning start.

I know it's a bit left-field but there's been a lot said about the Olympics
whilst [Richard] Scudamore spoke about football needing to have a bit more
of a responsible attitude. Do the players feel a responsibilty? There were
no rucks today.

We can't always be angels on the field because of the emotion that the game
brings, you know - but I think most times, 95 per cent of the time, we're
very responsible. But when we do get ourselves into trouble it's going to be
splashed across all sides of the media so it's something you try and control
and we talk about.

Today was a very placid game in terms of collisons, dirty tackles, free
kicks or fouls. Most of the Premier League has gone like that by the fact
that we all coach to stay on our feet today; we don't really coach to tackle
any more and I suppose that's brought about a game that's a lot cleaner.
They're more niggly fouls than they are dirty.

[Mo] Diame was tremendous today?

Wait 'til you see him settled in, he'll be even better. Yes, I think we've
got a nice footballer, an all-round talented midfield player. He's got the
biggest smile you've ever seen in your life, he loves football, he is happy
to be here and extend his ability with us. He can only be a major bonus for
us.

His energy levels were incredible today?

Yeah, and under such extreme heat today. Both teams had to suffer playing
under extreme heat today but I thought we mastered it better than them in
the end. They faded away and we continued right the way through to the end.

It's not an easy task playing any game in the Premier League when you're
first back. I know we've only been out for a season but when you're first
back you've got a few anxieties, you don't quite know if your team will be
right or wrong or whether they'll be able to cope.

We found it difficult at the start to get any emotion into the game because
Aston Villa were just keeping the ball. When we overcame that and started
winning the ball back - started to assert a little bit of pressure on the
defence - we saw one or two weaknesses there and in the end we exposed it
and won the game.

It's only one game but especially as a newly promoted team, how important is
it to get off to a new start?

Well it's everything, you know. Good starts are the basis for securing a
Premier League position as early as possible. I've had some good starts and
I've had some poor starts [at previous clubs] and a poor start has caused so
much pressure on the players that we've barely got out of the bottom three
until Boxing Day. It took that long.

Then, once we got out of it we stayed out of it - but we started the season
poorly and stayed in the bottom three [for a while]. We were six points
adrift from fourth from bottom, then eight points adrift and to make it up
took a whole two to three months.

Was that at Bolton?

Yeah, second season. First season we got 15 points in ten games and even
then we we had a sticky spell. But we only entered the bottom three twice in
the entire season.

A good start means the pressure is off the players and they'll enjoy playing
in the Barclays Premier League more. That's the important side of trying to
say to the players: "Hit the ground running, hit the ground at 100 per cent
- that's your responsibility. We might get caught up later on in the season
but if we've got the points in the bag, that's the most important thing."

Another of your new signings, James Collins, was fantastic today?

Yeah. Ginge got a great reception from the West Ham fans here which was nice
for him. Both he and Winston Reid did a sound, solid job on one of the most
lethal goalscorers in this division, Darren Bent. Did he have a shot at goal
today?

No. Three touches!

No. So you've got to give them credit for that. Well he can have three
touches and score two, Darren Bent, by the way!

You said in the first half your players were a bit tentative. Do you think
that was because last season the team made some silly mistakes which you
were very vocal and unhappy about that?

I think there was just a little bit of anxiety about playing again here.
What was it going to be like, what were Aston Villa going to be like?

Of course, the opposition keeping the ball and making it difficult - even
though they weren't causing us any problems, they were keeping the ball but
without really getting anwhere - meant we couldn't get the ball and couldn't
get the atmosphere up, couldn't get the crowd on the edge of their seats. We
couldn't create an atmosphere that might imtimidate the opposition.

Eventually we overcame that and started to do it. Like, I said a lot of the
problems today were heat-related but in the end, the game always lasts over
90 minutes - and over 90 minutes we mastered it better than them.

Kevin Nolan has scored so many incisive goals for you down the years. The
fact that he scored for you in your first Premier League game at Bolton...

Did he? Well you've got a better memory than me! [laughs]

Yes. But he is a goalscorer, isn't he. A lot of the people in the game of
football say although he's a midfield player he's not a creative midfield
player. Kevin is a David Platt; he gets on the end of things and ghosts into
the box without people knowing how he's got there.

You saw Kevin Nolan get there today; he got there out of instinct, he got
there out of the fact that he's took the chance. If he gets himself in those
areas he can get himself a goal. While the rest of the players are standing
watching, he's on the move. Then, the ball gets popped along and he pops it
in the back of the net.

That's what he's all about. He's a quality finisher in the box, he's as good
as any Premier League forward at finishing in the box. That's his
outstanding quality which had been proven over many, many years in the
Premier League.

Was it a gamble to play him today?

It was a little bit, because he's missed a lot of training. But he's my
captain, he's got grit and determination written all over him and he 's got
the desire. He pushes himself through the pain barrier; he knew he wasn't
quite 100 per cent today but he extended his body to near exhaustion.

That's gong to be really good for his and the rest of the lads' fitness. Now
it'll be about their recovery, keeping a nice steady flow to training and
improving on what we did today. We go to what's going to be a very difficult
game at Swansea next week. What a fantastic start they've got off to, 5-0 at
QPR.

You've stated that you're still a few players short of a full squad. So a
busy next two weeks ahead?

Always, yeah. On the phone, on the email. I don't lose my keys and I don't
lose my phone at the moment, because I can't afford to!

Thank you lads.

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Ready to go?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 18th August 2012
By: Connor Geelan

Please join us in welcoming another budding young writer to KUMB.com -
Connor Geelan. Connor describes himself as "a 16-year-old avid supporter"
and opens his account for KUMB by examining the current first team squad...

As you all probably know, West Ham United need to make improvements in many
areas.

However one area we don't need to improve is central midfield. We have got
players of good quality in that area; Mark Noble (West Ham legend) and Kevin
Nolan, a very good player who has proved he can play in the Premier League.
Yet Big Sam has signed both Mohamed Diame and Alou Diarra. Both are
brilliant signings for West Ham United but do we really need them?

Does this signal a change in formation? Three defensive midfield players and
one attacking? This might mean West Ham move to a more defensive formation,
such as 4-2-3-1 like Manchester City and Real Madrid. This I think would
work at West Ham, as long as we play fluent football which isn't just
kicking the ball up field and hoping Carlton Cole can get a touch.

But I'm sure Big Sam knows what he is doing; I guess we'll find out when we
kick off the 2012/13 season against Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground this
afternoon.

Our defence as a whole is weak. We have a three central defenders - James
Tomkins, Winston Reid and James Collins - which isn't enough. What happens
if one of them gets injured during next season? We are left with two to play
every week. Alou Diarra can play in that position, but I'd like to see a
signing in that area of the pitch.

On to our full backs. We have decent players there but are they good enough
for the Premier League? To be honest, I don't think so. We need a full back
who can offer great defence as well as being effective on the counter. For
example, Glen Johnson, in the Euros; he proved to be a quality player for
England.

He did well defensively, but when attacking he proved he could deliver a
well-placed ball into the box for the likes of Andy Carroll to get his head
on. Although this may not have worked for England as we only reached the
quarter finals, it could in the PL. There are many examples of good full
backs out there such as Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Gael Clichey. These
are all players who do what I have just talked about (though probably out of
our price range).

On the wings we have the options of Modibo Maiga and Ricardo Vaz Te. Maiga
is a winger who can play well there, but Vaz Te dosen't look comfortable on
the flanks. He is a proven striker (obviously, as he scored three against
Brighton & Hove Albion and the crucial winner at Wembley in May) but I feel
he may not be up to PL standard. Matt Taylor can play on the wings, but he
will easily be beaten by pace and skill. I can't see him playing well as a
winger in the PL.

Finally I come to our striker dilemma. Carlton Cole had a good season in the
Championship but he hasn't really made an impact in the PL. Rumours have
linked us with Adebayor but this is silly if true - he's another overpaid
player who no longer makes a major impact on games. If we break the bank for
his wages, I won't be happy.

But what can we do; I'm just writing about it, I can't really change Big
Sam's mind (and I suspect he doesn't listen to the supporters). So let's
leave the professionals to do what they need to do. You never know, some of
these signings may have a postive impact.

Anyway that's me for today, I hope you enjoyed my first article for KUMB.
All I know is whatever happens, West Ham United fans will stay with the
club. No matter where you go you will find a West Ham fan; we are West Ham's
claret and blue army!

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Building a fortress
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 18th August 2012
By: Tom Kilbey

Last season, our indifferent home form was heavily highlighted.

We might have won 11 of our matches at the Boleyn, but anyone who frequented
the stadium would agree that, at times, the football was far from pretty.
Our lack of creativity was regularly exposed when we were forced to take the
game to other sides.

Looking ahead to this season, our home form may be critical to our success,
and ultimately our survival. Below, I'll outline a few reasons why I think
our home form won't be a hinderance next season, and why this will
contribute to our survival.

1). History tells a story

Previous Premier League seasons tell us that we've always had to rely on our
home form. After a ridiculous run, spanning 26 away games and acheiving the
dubious honour of being the second-longest winless run in the history of the
Premier League, our away form has never been anything to write home about.

With the exception of the 2010/11 season, we have always pulled results out
of the bag against top clubs, and do just about enough at home, and I expect
us to claim some more scalps this season which will make up for any lack of
points we might encounter away from home.

2). It's hard to compare the Championship and the Premier League

Its a illogical statement to say that because we dropped lots of points at
home in the Championship, we'll do the same in the PL. Take Norwich from two
seasons ago. They picked up just four more points than we did at home, but
enjoyed fantastic success the following season at Carrow Road, picking up an
impressive 27 points.

Although the players in the Premier League are obviously technically
superior, many other factors play into our hands. The expectation is
massive, the motivation isn't always there, and almost every team came to
Upton Park last year with no pressure, and with West Ham in their mind as
their biggest potential scalp of the season. But the main factor that will
change our fortune next season is Sam's tactics.

3). Big Sam's style of play

Despite all the mixed feeling towards Allardyce amongst fans, the vast
majority would agree on one word to describe him: stubborn. On occassions,
it worked in his favour, and ultimately resulted in our promotion. But at
times, even his biggest fan must have been infuriated by his tactics,
especially at home.

Sitting back at home against the likes of Doncaster and Watford, and playing
the ball long when we had the likes of Nolan, Collison, Lansbury and Noble
in our midfield just didn't make any sense, and ultimately resulted in poor
results, and even worse performances. Our style of play will suit us when
teams bring the game to us, which the better sides will, and hopefully the
addition of a couple of techically gifted creative midfielders will allow us
to break down teams on the rare occasions they decide to park the proverbial
bus.

4). The Fans

I thought the idea that the Hammers fans were contributing to poor
performances at Upton Park last season was fairly ridiculous. Granted, the
atmosphere wasn't always great, but it was hardly Ewood Park. What's more,
the fans weren't disgruntled for the sake of complaining, and those that
chose to show their disapproval at the team's performanced felt obliged to
do so. That being said, if we can create the atmosphere of a few years back
with the help of some good performances on the pitch, I believe the fans can
once again be the 12th man and help us pick up a few extra points.

All these factors should help contribute to a successful home campaign next
season. Although it's a side point, I think we can continue our success away
from Upton Park this season. If we can stay solid at the back, there's
reason to expect a few good away results next year. BFS's tactics are
perfect for playing away, and hopefully we can capitalise on experiences
last season to ensure we pick up points even when we're away from the
Boleyn.

That all being said, I think its absolutely essential we get off to a good
start, and a good performance against Aston Villa will give us the perfect
platform for a successful season. So when the whistle blows at 3pm this
afternoon, let's make sure we play our part in making Upton Park a fortress
this season!

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Vinny's Aston Villa Report
Vinny 12:50 Sun Aug 19
West Ham Online

West Ham United 1 Aston Villa 0

The opening game of the season saw West Ham claim all three points in a hard
fought battle against Aston Villa as the season got off to a perfect start
for the Hammers. It feels as though it has been an age since Ricardo Vaz Te
was firing the club into the Premiership with his goal at Wembley and with
the European Championships, the Olympics, Pre Season and so much transfer
speculation so much seems to have been going on since that wonderful day at
Wembley.

I actually have found the reaction to Pre Season results and transfer
rumours difficult to stomach. So much crap has been written by West Ham fans
it does make you wonder about the mentality of some. I wonder if anyone is
complaining about a result against Oxford or Dresden now.

This performance against Villa was pretty much as we would have expected it
to be. We were solid, not really great going forward but we kept going to
the end and despite Villa's dominance in possession I actually thought we
just shaded it and deserved our win.

I cannot deny, I loved being back at the Boleyn. I had been counting down
the weeks and could not wait for the entire day. Last season gave me a bit
of a different perspective supporting the club and I have to admit I did
enjoy the season in terms of going to the games.

Villa fans travelled in numbers to see their side have a lot of the ball and
pass it in pretty triangles but fail to really test our new keeper
Jaaskelainen. This was as much down to us keeping them out than their
failure to find the break through with two new signings James Collins and
Mohammed Diame putting in excellent displays.

The summer had seen a number of comings and goings with Abdoulaye Faye, Papa
Bouba Diop, John Carew and Robert Green leave the club and Henri Lansbury
returning to his parent club Arsenal.

All players have been replaced and most with better quality with
Jaaskelainen, Collins, Diame, Maiga and Alou Diarra all coming in as well as
the permanent acquisitions of Stephen Henderson and George McCartney.

You always want to sign top quality players and I can perhaps understand
some of the frustrations regarding bringing in players but the amount of
stick the board of have taken regarding some players who have simply been
linked with the club is a bizarre to me.

This good result doesn't mean too much in the grand scheme of our season but
it is an excellent start and hopefully proof that we are not going to be out
of our depth. I personally never thought we would be as I don't see a lot of
quality in the Premiership and really, are West Ham any worse than Wigan,
Norwich, QPR, Reading, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea or West Brom? I
don't think there is much in it to be honest and if we are organised and can
get results at home like this then we will do just fine.

The Team

37 year old Jussi Jaaskelainen was between the sticks with Robert Green
having opted to leave the club to go to Queens Park Rangers. In defence,
Guy Demel was at right back with George McCartney on the left. The centre
half positions saw the only surprise of the day with James Tomkins only on
the bench and Winston Reid given the nod to play alongside James Collins who
was back at the club having left for Aston Villa in 2009. The three centre
midfielders were Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and debutant Mohammed Diame. On the
left was Matthew Taylor, the right Ricardo Vaz Te and up front was Carlton
Cole. On the bench were new signings Modibo Maiga and Alou Diarra.

The referee was Mike Dean.

First Half

I don't know if I was still on the high from Wembley or that I was feeling a
little drunk but I enjoyed singing 'Bubbles' as much as I ever had. I belted
the thing out like I'd just won a gold medal and as 3pm hit I was
unquestionably ready for another chapter in the West Ham saga.

The stadium looked just about full as we kicked off shooting towards the
Trevor Brooking Stand where the Villa fans were in good voice on an
extremely hot day in East London.

The opening stages of the game saw Villa looking slightly the better side
and it was clear that we were going to take a little while to settle.
As the game began to get a little more physical the referee Mike Dean bore
the brunt of the home fans frustrations as he was letting a lot go as
Matthew Taylor looked to have been clearly fouled but nothing was given.

If there was ever a moment which epitomised James Collins it came around 20
minutes into the match when a shot from El Ahmadi was brilliantly charged
down and then Collins rushed out to block the follow up shot from Stephen
Ireland.

A ball forward from Reid saw Taylor latch onto the ball but was brought
down. The resulting free kick into the area by Noble was poor and straight
into the hands of Villa keeper Shay Given.

We were beginning to realise that we needed to work a little harder when
Villa had the ball and you could see that we were starting to close them
down quicker which forced them into more misplaced passes.

Nothing was really falling for Carlton Cole and he was engrossed in a
physical battle with Villa's Ron Vlaar. Cole was on the ground quite a bit
and at first the referee didn't want to know but then the free kicks began
to come.

Cole won a free kick a few yards outside the area which Noble rolled to
Kevin Nolan who smashed his shot low but wide. If this was on target it
would have flew past the keeper in what was our first good chance of the
game.

Diame was starting to really impress with his ability to win the ball and
drive forward. One of these bursts saw him taken out unceremoniously by
Villa's Ciaran Clarke which saw the defender booked.

From this free kick we would opening the scoring.
Noble saw his free kick drifted into the area as Collins went up with the
defender, flicked the ball on to Vaz Te who crossed for Kevin Nolan to steer
the ball into the back of the net.

I saw the linesman's flag go up straight away when Vaz Te had received the
ball and did not even bother to celebrate. But the referee Mike Dean was
adamant that it was a goal, went over to the linesman to have a quick word
and indicated that the goal had indeed been awarded.

Replays show that the flick on was actually by a Villa player which is why
Vaz Te could not have been offside.

I don't think there would have been too many complaints if the goal had been
ruled out as it was quite difficult to see but the call from referee was
spot on and in the rules of the game the goal was absolutely legitimate
which in fairness to Villa manager Paul Lambert he freely admitted after the
game and had no complaints.

We saw the final five minutes of the half out and went in at half time a
goal to the good.

Second Half

We began the half well, forcing a couple of corners but both amounted to
little despite our physical presence in the area with Reid, Collins, Cole
and Diame.

Three minutes into the second half and we should have had a penalty. From
where I was sitting it looked a clear foul as a ball clipped towards Cole
saw Vlaar push him in the back. The West Ham crowd appealed as did the
players but nothing was given.

People will complain that Cole goes down to easily but that was a push, and
that was a penalty. A poor decision from Mike Dean not to award it.

Diame won the ball back after losing it and saw a shot go wide but it was a
bit more of an indication of what Diame is all about and he was very
impressive.

A wonderful piece of skill from Vaz Te on the right saw him nutmeg the Villa
player Barker and race into the area. He probably held onto the ball a bit
too long but his cross did find Kevin Nolan who saw his low shot cleared off
the line as Villa in their ugly Lime colour kits had put up a wall of
players on the line to stop the ball.

The visitors were not doing too much in the way of creating chances and I
felt confident that we would be able to see this out as simply Villa had not
probably tested Jaaskelainen all day long.

Our first substitution of the game came when Joey O'Brien replaced George
McCartney at left back. I can only presume McCartney had picked up a knock.

A few minutes later we made another sub with captain and goal scorer Kevin
Nolan coming off and being replaced by James Tomkins.

With 15 minutes remaining Villa began to get desperate with Ron Vlaar
pushing forward from centre back to hit a 35 yard effort on goal which was
well struck but held well by Jaaskelainen.

A good chance came our way when a free kick was on the right hand side and
Taylor whipped in a delightful cross for Cole to meet the ball with a head
which he put wide when he should have at least hit the target.

That was to be the last involvement for Cole as he was replaced by Modibo
Maiga.

Four minutes of added time were announced which was odd but every time we
are leading by one goal there is always four minutes. Just watch how many
times this happens this season.

I was concerned that Villa would get that one golden chance to score but
instead it was us who created it and should have made it two.

Noble played a first time pass through to Maiga who showed great pace and
was through on goal, he looked composed, rounded the keeper but his finish
was cleared off the line by Clarke. He had done so well and was unlucky
although if this was Carlton Cole I wonder what the reaction would have
been?

Despite not scoring we were still able to see the remaining couple of
minutes out and secure the victory that we had worked hard to achieve.

It wasn't a rampant performance nor even that exciting but it was a win and
I reckon there will be a few more of these throughout the season and more
than many might expect.

Player Reviews

Jussi Jaaskelainen
A clean sheet on his debut will be pleasing for him as we begin life without
Robert Green. I have to say I expected Jaaskelainen to be called into action
a little more than he was. He barely had to do a thing other than a couple
of routine saves. The defence in front of him offered better protection than
a durex. 6

Guy Demel
A player many still have doubts about. I know he was prone to the odd
mistake last season but I was still impressed with him and in this game he
showed nothing to concern me or indicate that he may be out of his depth.
Time will of course tell. 7

James Collins
A great display from Collins who showed us all what he is all about. He may
have no pace and will get caught out by trickier forwards but he is gutsy,
solid, good in the air and will put his body on the line to make sure
nothing gets through. This was a fitting way to reintroduce yourself to the
West Ham faithful. 8

Winston Reid
I think we had all expected to see Tomkins line up alongside Collins but
Reid came and did very well. This time a couple of years ago he made his
debut against Aston Villa in a 3-0 drubbing at Villa Park where he was
dreadful. He has come on leaps and bounds and he is showing us that he can
step up. 7

George McCartney
Like Demel he has been questioned on whether he is good enough for the
Premiership but on this evidence he shows that he is solid and dependable
than ever. I like McCartney, and he has certainly worked on his movement
going forward. He linked up well with Taylor on the left and just needs to
work on getting early crosses into the area. 7

Mark Noble
Sat very deep in the first half and for most of the second until Tomkins
came on. His ability to switch play helped us out a few times and when in
possession he was very rarely robbed of it. Not involved in the game enough
for my liking as we look better when he is able to take hold of a game. 6

Kevin Nolan
Another goal for Kevin Nolan really doesn't come as a surprise. The goal he
scored was typical of him and he is usually in the right place at the right
time. He was blowing out of his arse for most of the second half and I was
not too surprised to see him come off. His ability to get goals makes him
indispensable and he is one of the best goal scoring midfielders in the
league. 6

Mohammed Diame
An exceptional display from Diame who was my man of the match. Strong in the
tackle, difficult to get the ball from, full of energy and just what we will
require this season from our midfield. 8

Matthew Taylor
Needed to be a little stronger when going up against the opposition players
and he seemed to look as though he was going to lose the ball the moment he
received it. He was closed down well and prevented from putting in those
important crosses which is something Villa had obviously worked on. 6

Ricardo Vaz Te
In an out of the game and we will want him to be more involved throughout
the entire 90 minutes. He can make things happen out of nothing and a lovely
piece of skill in the second half showed us just what he can do. He will
also come out of this game with an assist which I would think he will have a
lot of come the end of this campaign. 6

Carlton Cole
An indication of just how tough the season will be for Cole was evident in
this game as he was in a battle with Villa's Ron Vlaar for just about the
entire time he was on the pitch. Cole kept going, won a number of free
kicks, should have done better with a chance in the second half and should
have also had a penalty. Workman like display without any guile or real
quality. 6

Subs Used

Joey O'Brien (on for McCartney 71 mins)
In an unfamiliar left back role he had little trouble adapting to this and
looked reasonable comfortable.

James Tomkins (On for Nolan 73 mins)
Did well in the defensive midfield role and was winning header after header.
As time wore on Villa tried to pump balls into the area but with Reid,
Collins and now Tomkins this was futile.

Modibo Maiga (On for Cole 81 mins)
Showed how fast he is with that chance in stoppage time and he looked
composed until his finish which although was good defending his reaction to
the miss said it all as he knew he should have finished it. Promising signs
though.

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Diarra, O'Neil, Maynard

Bookings: Villa – Clark

Scorers: Nolan (40 mins)

Man Of The Match: Mohammed Diame

Aston Villa:Given, Baker, Vlaar, Clark, Lowton, El Ahmadi, Delph,Ireland,
N'Zogboa, Holman, Bent
Subs: Guzan, Lichaj, Herd, Gardner, Bannan, Weimann, Burke

Ref: Mike Dean, 6

Attendance: 34,172

Overall


Many of us looked at the opening fixtures and saw an opportunity to get some
points on the board.

The home form is obviously going to be the indicator into how well (or not)
we can do this season this result against a pretty average Aston Villa side
is just what we needed.

It took us a while to get into the game but when you are playing a side who
look as though they have no idea what to do in the final third it gave us
time to settle.

We didn't create enough chances for my liking but then on the flip side we
took one of the few that we actually had. There was not much in the game but
under Sam Allardyce I kind of expect us to get over the line in close
encounters such as this.

A couple more signings before the transfer window shuts would be helpful and
if one of these is to be Matt Jarvis it is difficult to deny that it would
be an improvement on what we currently have.

Whilst people may baulk at the price tag for such a player, in the scheme of
things looking at how much other players go for then Jarvis is probably
worth the money being touted.

Next Game – Swansea City (a) Saturday 25th August 12.45pm Kick Off

The last time we played Swansea City in a league game was back in 1983 at
the Vetch Field in a 5-1 victory with Alan Devonshire, Geoff Pike (2) and
Alan Dickens (2) getting the goals. How we would love to repeat such a score
line against a side who have just put five past QPR at Loftus Road with
Robert Green having a bit of a nightmare.

Our away form was excellent last season and I am sure we will set ourselves
up and be hard to break down. Whether we have the quality to hurt them is
what is going to be interesting and I am looking very forward to watching
the contrast of styles.


The View From Allardyce

"It was a pretty low-key start due to two things - Villa were just intent on
keeping the ball and not really going anywhere with it and the weather. It
was so hot that it made it difficult to continue the sort of pressure that
you would do if it was a much cooler day.

"We had to be patient and then we built our way into the game and grew into
the game, if you like, and once we started we finding a quality of pass then
we started putting pressure on Aston Villa from corners, free-kicks and
final-third entries."

"In the end, they cracked and the referee made a huge decision for us -
which was the right decision - by not allowing the goal to be scrubbed out
for offside. The ball came off the Villa defender and not a West Ham player.
The linesman had flagged and the referee ignored that flag and gave the
goal, which was the right decision.

"We got better as the second half went on and started getting more of the
ball and started probing Aston Villa and we created some good opportunities.
Coley should have had a penalty after half-time, Kevin Nolan had a shot
inside the box and then cool-hand Maiga rounded the goalkeeper with ease and
we all thought he would put it into the net for 2-0 but up popped the Villa
defender to block it which was a great shame.

"It's a great day for us and a great result and one that we fully deserved."

"There was actually more energy expended than in a normal game. Because of
the drain of fluid and the heat, the body starts shutting down more quickly
than it normally would. The players lost three or four kilos during the
game, even though they were topping up on fluids before, during and
afterwards.

"It shows the extent of the energy they had to expend to win the game and in
the end our fitness told. We looked a little fitter than Aston Villa and saw
the game out better and could have won it by more in the end."

Finally, Big Sam was happy with the contributions of his goalkeeper and
defenders, who kept a clean sheet on the back of outstanding displays from
Man of the Match James Collins and WInston Reid.

"There was some good solid defending. A goalscorer with a great reputation
in Darren Bent was snuffed out of the game by Winston and James effectively
well. It didn't matter how well people were playing because if you let Bent
have a chance he'll score at any stage - they didn't even give him a chance
to day.

"They gave us the perfect platform from which to win this game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adam Johnson Up for Grabs and Might Sam Baldock Be the Key to a Deal for
Matt Jarvis?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Man City have confirmed that they will listen to offers for Adam Johnson.
The richly gifted winger is apparently surplus to requirements and there
seems to be a recognition by City that the players needs regular football,
something that is increasingly unlikely at his current club. A number of PL
clubs are bound to interested, including West Ham Utd FC! Personally, I feel
that Johnson is the type of player that we need to inject that extra bit of
class in to the squad. He is pacy, highly skillful and can play on either
flank. Indeed, Johnson could be the perfect alternative to Matt Jarvis, if
Wolves continue to refuse to agree a deal.

With regard to Matt Jarvis, West Ham have reportedly had three bids
rebuffed. The rumour is that we could go back in with a fourth and final bid
this week. Another interesting aspect to this story is that Wolves allegedly
have a keen interest in signing Sam Baldock! Could it be that the inclusion
of Baldock as a makeweight might be the decisive factor that facilitates a
deal for Jarvis? On one level, It would be a shame if Baldock left after
only one season at the club. Baldock has potential, but my only reservation
is that he appears too lightweight. If he could increase his upper body
strength then we could just make the grade as a PL striker. However, he
seems to have fallen out of favour and rather than stagnate in the
Development Squad there is obviously an argument for sacrificing him to
bring Jarvis to the club. We could live to regret it, but Sam Allardyce is a
good judge of a player and the alternative scenario is that he does not have
what it takes to make it at this level. If we do want a deal for Jarvis then
we need to move quickly, because Everton are also now showing an interest.
And they have the £15m burning a hole in their pockets from the sale of
Rodwell to Man City!

Yesterday, was a very good and disciplined performance by the Hammers. We
looked well organised and solid at the back. Collins was dominant at centre
back (Ivan Ramis who?) and Diame looked a dynamo in the middle of the park.
What is clear about Diame is that he is not just a 'win the ball and pass
it' defensive midfielder, he obviously also has a great deal of ability on
the ball. In particular, he made a number of powerful, surging runs forward
that really caught the eye. Guy Demel also showed what he is all about with
a solid defensive display at right-back. There should also be a mention in
despatches for Vaz Te, who showed some clever touches, McCartney who was
solid as ever defensively and supported the attack well and Kevin Nolan, who
scored a typically opportunistic goal from midfield. But overall, it was a
good team performance and everyone gave 100% to get the season off to a
winning start.

I found our organisation and defensive solidarity particularly encouraging
because it gives us a solid base from which to move forward. We can work on
our midfield and forward play and hopefully bring in some extra class before
the window closes, but a tight defence is a priceless starting point. The
other defining feature of the match was the way in which Allardyce set us up
to deal with Villa's main threats, N'zogbia and Bent. If those two are given
too much room they can hurt you severely, as we well know from previous
seasons! Yet, we contained N'zogbia, ensuring that two players challenged
him every time he got the ball; while Bent was not only given no room on the
ball, but we also crucially cut off the supply to him. Here was a defensive
plan very well executed. Indeed, although Villa had a lot of the ball and
passed it around, a good deal of it was in their own half, where they could
do us no harm. The very fact that they were mostly passing square and had
difficulties playing through us, illustrates the fact that West Ham
defensive set up effectively neutralised their attacking options.

Going forward, we did play too many high aimless high balls forward. We need
to be intelligent and vary in our play, playing it long at times, passing
through midfield on others. Hopefully, as this team gels our approach will
settle and our midfielders will start putting their foot on the ball and
playing it. Mark Noble did an awful lot of hard work yesterday, but in
future matches he needs to dictate play ore and add creative input. This is
especially true now that we have Diame and Diarra in the squad to anchor the
midfield. Matt Taylor is a very good squad player and he has a role to play
this season, but what we need to add some more speed, skill and creativity
on the flanks. Which brings us back to the possibility of adding Johnson or
Jarvis to the squad.

The other point about too many aimless high balls forward is that it does
not necessarily play to Carlton Cole's strongest suit. He is better
receiving the ball on the ground and using his strength and skill to disrupt
opposition defences. I thought Vaz Te contributed some wonderful play on the
right flank, some real skill to get behind the Villa defence. There can be
little doubt that Vaz Te can excel at this level and play on the right of a
front three. But there will be occasions, this season, when Allardyce will
want to push Vaz Te inside to play as a conventional second striker, perhaps
in a 4-4-2. Finally, Maiga looked promising when he came on and was very
unlucky not to score with that late chance. He did everything right, but was
frustrated by some 'last ditch' Villa covering play on the line. Sam
Allardyce obviously rates Maiga and has stated that he can become one of the
best finishers in the PL. Lets hope that he is right!

And so we head to Swansea with a solid performance, and a win, under our
belts. This will be a test of the organisation and discipline of the team.
Swansea are a team playing with real confidence, as demonstrated by their
0-5 away demolition of QPR. If we get a result in this match it will be
another positive indicator that we are on the right track. No doubt we will
see Sam Allardyce set up to replicate the successfull away displays last
season. Playing it solid and hitting the opposition with sharp
counter-attacks and via our height and strength at set pieces. What will be
really interesting is whether Allardyce will use Diame and Diara in a
4-2-3-1 formation? My guess is that he will deploy that formation in some
away matches this season, particularly against the the top four sides.
Playing away at Swansea, he is more likely to go with the one midfield
anchor.

So, it's a positive start, now we need to build upon it. I said in a recent
blog post that West Ham will be no 'soft touch' this season and the Villa
display sent out a clear message of intent to the rest of the PL. It is
admittedly still very early days, but so far so good!

SJ. Chandos

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sport Football News West Ham United FC
By Neil McLeman Comments 19 Aug 2012 22:30
Owe yes we do! West Ham still have 'eight-figure' debt from Tevez pantomime
The Mirror

Hammers owner confesses that the club owes big balance of compensation to
Sheffield United over illegal registration of Argentine...

David Sullivan has revealed West Ham still owe more than £10million to
Sheffield United over the 'Carlos Tevez affair'. The Hammers have made eight
signings this summer and manager Sam Allardyce said he is still looking for
"two or three" new players before the window shuts. But co-owner Sullivan
said the Upton Park club's transfer activity has been restricted by the
compensation due over the illegal registration of Tevez back in 2006/07.
"We've done some good business and brought in some real quality despite our
still-limited resources," he said. "We have an eight-figure sum still
outstanding over the Tevez affair, even though we have been paying it down
over the past two years. "That amount has to be paid off over the next 12
months, which does take its toll on our transfer activity."

West Ham were initially fined £5.5m by the Premier League over Tevez and
then agreed a £26.5m out-of-court settlement with the Blades in March 2009.
The Hammers, who hope to secure a move to the Olympic Stadium in the next
six weeks, still carry a total debt of £80-90m, including £5m to cover
ticket income that was sold in advance.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Iron heart: Collins gets his revenge over Villa to give Big Sam perfect
start
The Mirror

James Collins plays Total Football the Sam Allardyce way. Totally committed
to winning every challenge and every match back in the Premier League. And
the returning centre-back totally deserved this victory and a little
personal revenge against his former club Villa still struggling with Paul
Lambert's Dutch-style revolution. The Wales defender was sold by then
Hammers boss ­Gianfranco Zola in 2009 to bring in flash forward Alessandro
Diamanti. And then Lambert decided not to offer the 28-year-old a new deal
this summer as he brought in three players from the land of the Clockwork
Orange. But while Villa need more time, no-nonsense Collins hit every high
ball running yesterday in a typically robust display just two weeks after
leaving Villa Park. "It was strange," he admitted. "One minute you are
playing with them and the next minute you are not. But as soon as I got out
on the pitch, I was just concentrating on getting three points for West Ham
and playing well. "I got a great reception. Obviously I've got a love for
the club from when I was previously here, when I left when I didn't really
want to. The club was struggling for money and sold me. "But I think the
West Ham fans knew I didn't want to go. So to come back to that reception –
and come back a better player – is great."

Villa opted to sell Collins for £2.5million with a year left on his deal.
"We had a tough couple of seasons and they were looking for a change and I
was looking for a change," he said. "So it was not going to be possible for
me to stay and as soon as West Ham came in it was a no-brainer." Allardyce
compared his captain Kevin Nolan to David Platt for his finishing ability
after his 40th-minute winner which saw both managers praise Mike Riley.
Linesman Simon Long flagged for offside in the build-up but the FIFA
­official correctly ruled Ricardo Vaz Te had been played on by Ciaran Clark.
Villa actually enjoyed more possession but failed to find their own player
with 10 crosses – and provided Darren Bent with only three touches all game.
Lambert admitted his side were missing the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor as
Bent was left isolated. "We have got to give him [Bent] service, because I
thought we had a lot of the ball, especially in the first half-hour," said
the Villa boss. "Losing Agbonlahor is a blow. His strength and pace is a
major plus."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce hails 'new Platt' after Nolan hammers home
West Ham 1 Villa 0
ALEX LOWE MONDAY 20 AUGUST 2012
The Independent.co.uk

Kevin Nolan was compared to the former England midfielder David Platt by
manager Sam Allardyce following the captain's decisive goal in West Ham's
1-0 victory over Aston Villa. The 30-year-old was presented with a simple
finish by Ricardo Vaz Te, but what impressed Allardyce was his ability to
"ghost into the box".
"I have never heard the gaffer say that about me before but it is a
compliment, obviously, as David was a great goalscorer throughout his
career," Nolan said. "I haven't modelled myself on him I must admit but I
wouldn't mind his record of goalscoring when I eventually finish." Nolan's
goal came with a hint of controversy, with Aston Villa convinced Vaz Te had
been offside when Mark Noble's free-kick fell to him. Assistant referee
Simon Long initially raised his flag but then changed his mind and Villa's
manager, Paul Lambert, accepted that it had been the right decision in the
end. For Villa, Darren Bent was never a threat as the Hammers centre-back
James Collins shone against the club he had left just a fortnight ago. "It's
been a very, very good day for us because we won our first game of the
season," Allardyce said. "A good start is so important to a team such as us,
because it helps secure your Premier position as early as possible."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payback time over Tevez saga still hurting Hammers in transfer market
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham's summer transfer business is being hampered by a £10million debt
still owed to Sheffield United as part of the Carlos Tevez saga. The
Hammers settled an out-of-court compensation package — understood to be in
the region of £24million — with the Yorkshire club over fielding Tevez
ineligibly, something the Blades successfully argued cost them their Premier
League status in 2007. Tevez scored six goals during the 2006-07 season,
including a decisive winner against Manchester United on the final day of
the season which effectively condemned Sheffield United to relegation in
place of the Hammers. West Ham have been paying the fee to the Bramall Lane
club in instalments and owe another £10m in two payments over the next 12
months.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan said in his programme notes ahead of
Saturday's win over Aston Villa that the financial burden is having a
massive impact on Sam Allardyce's transfer kitty. He wrote: 'We've done some
good business and brought in some real quality despite our still-limited
resources. 'We have an eight-figure sum still outstanding over the Tevez
affair, even though we have been paying it down over the past two years.
'That amount has to be paid off over the next 12 months, which does take its
toll on our transfer activity.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham take heart from Collins on strong opening day for Allardyce's men
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 August 2012
Daily Mail

James Collins left Upton Park after his second West Ham debut with his right
ankle strapped up. 'It's fine, just wear and tear... like every game,' said
the Welshman. That will be music to manager Sam Allardyce's ears after
Collins' brilliant display in the heart of the West Ham defence on Saturday.
If Hammers supporters had forgotten exactly what Collins is all about, then
it would not have taken them long to remember during the opening day 1-0 win
over Aston Villa.

What they need in the window...
West Ham: More creativity in midfield. Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Mohamed
Diame were all solid performers but they need a spark. Would the Wolves
winger Matt Jarvis provide it?
Aston Villa: More potency in the attacking third. Paul Lambert's new team
saw plenty of the ball in the early stages of this game but created almost
nothing.

The 28-year-old was magnificent: headers, last-ditch blocks and well-timed
interceptions galore. 'Obviously, I've got love for West Ham from when I was
previously here — when I left I didn't really want to,' said Collins, who
went to Villa in 2009. 'The club were struggling for money and sold me. But
I think the West Ham fans knew I didn't want to go. So to come back, and
come back a better player I think, is great.' Given that Collins left Villa
on August 1, Allardyce is likely to have tapped into his knowledge when
perfecting Saturday's game plan. But as the central defender admits, there
was a degree of apprehension about facing his former club so soon after his
exit. 'I'm not sure me knowing Villa so well helped me personally because
obviously you don't want to make a horrendous mistake against your old
club,' said Collins. 'On the other hand, I do have an insight into their
team which could have helped. It was always going to be a strange one for
me. The start of my second spell at the club and playing against boys I left
two weeks ago, it was strange in the lead-up to the game. 'One minute you
are playing with them and the next minute you are not. I still speak to a
lot of the Villa boys on the phone because it was only two weeks ago that I
left. 'But as soon as I got out on the pitch, I was just concentrating on
getting three points for West Ham and playing well.

'Was there any thought of me staying at Villa? I don't think it was there
for me to say, if I'm honest. 'We had a tough couple of seasons and Villa
were looking for a change and I was looking for a change. 'So it was never
going to be possible for me to stay, not for any other reason than there was
no contract offered to me. So as soon as West Ham came in it was a
no-brainer.' Collins was key in stemming an eye-catching early Villa tide as
Paul Lambert's side threatened to overrun West Ham. Despite the first-day
defeat, the new passing style under Lambert offers cause for optimism at
Villa Park. 'We have got to give Darren Bent more service, because I thought
we had a lot of the ball, especially in the first half-hour,' said Lambert.
'I thought we knocked it about really well and started well. But we never
worked the ball and we had to try to create. When we had that ball, we have
to try to be more penetrative. 'My players are footballers. I don't have
anybody who just kicks the ball up the pitch. We try to play the right way,
I don't want to see the ball just smacked up long. If we can pass, we must
pass.' In contrast, Collins added: 'We knew that Villa would pass the ball,
I played a couple of games for them out in America and that's his
philosophy: to pass the ball. 'I don't mean to be disrespectful, but as much
as they passed it, they didn't get near the goal.'

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