Daily WHUFC News - 11th September 2012

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is pleased with how his squad is shaping up ahead of Norwich
City on Saturday
10.09.2012

Sam Allardyce is looking forward to getting back to Barclays Premier League
action when West Ham United travel to Norwich City for Saturday's lunchtime
kick-off.
After a convincing 3-0 win against Fulham in their last league outing made
it six points from three matches, the Hammers have had to be patient as
international fixtures meant a game-free weekend. A host of first-team
players will be away with their countries until the middle of the week,
meaning Big Sam and his coaching staff will have an opportunity to work with
a smaller group at Chadwell Heath ahead of the Carrow Road clash. "The whole
team played well against Fulham and it was nice to go into the international
break with two home victories already secured in the league," said Big Sam.
"All managers have to deal with the break, but we're all experienced enough
to know what we have to do with the players who are here and keeping in
touch with those that are away. "We're all in the same boat and those that
get their act together quickest when they come back are the ones that can
help us get another good result. We must not forget how hard we worked
against Fulham and we must do the same again when we play Norwich."

If the Fulham match was anything to go by, one area that might not need as
much fine tuning is West Ham's passing game. Pundits and former players
alike were queuing up to praise the way the Hammers dealt with a talented
Fulham side with some slick, attacking football. "The best way for a team to
play is to have variation and we have shown that since the beginning of the
season. "We go short, we go long, we go forward, we go back, we go diagonal
and we go in behind. It makes us very hard to play against and luckily we
have the players like Ricardo Vaz Te and Mark Noble who can adapt. "It was
good to see the quality of our finishing being so good. Before we scored our
second we had two or three really good chances that all tested the keeper."

While Andy Carroll continues his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, Big
Sam has plenty of capable attacking players waiting in the wings. Last
season's top scorer Carlton Cole is one obvious option, while Modibo Maiga
is in a rich run of form after scoring on his full debut for the Hammers
against Crewe Alexandra and for Mali in a 3-0 win against Botswana on
Saturday. "I really like the variation of the squad. We have a lot of talent
- young, old, homegrown and foreign - and it all adds to the mix to form a
very strong squad, which you need in this league. "We have Matt Jarvis and
Yossi Benayoun, who are both ready to make an impact. As you saw against
Crewe, Modibo Maiga is already finding his way, as is Alou Diarra, and I
think that Gary O'Neil is also getting back to his best."

While the manager will have to make at least one change in the striking
department, there are also tough decisions to be made at the back. Hammer of
the Year runner-up James Tomkins is still pushing for his first Premier
League start in defence, where he faces some tough opposition from the likes
of Winston Reid and James Collins. The duo were imperious in the Hammers'
two Premier League clean sheets on home soil so far this season. "We have
terrific strength in depth in defence and it can leave Tonks frustrated, but
he will get an opportunity when the time is right. "James [Collins] is away
with Wales and Tonks will continue to work hard in his absence. You saw how
good a player he is when he came on against Fulham against good forwards
like Dimitar Berbatov."

Joey O'Brien was also an integral part of the Fulham shut-out and his
manager is delighted to see him once again show the form that promised so
much from his early days at Bolton Wanderers. O'Brien will train with
Ireland ahead of their friendly with Oman on Tuesday, before joining up with
his club team-mates once more in time for the Norwich fixture. "I've got to
give a great big boost to Joey O'Brien. He was one of the best young players
I ever worked with when I was at Bolton. Injuries have dogged his career but
I asked him to fill in at left-back against Fulham and he gave the kind of
performance that I saw many years ago. I hope for him that he keeps that up.
"There were a lot of people who had forgotten about Joey in the game and
playing like he did against Fulham will get people to sit up and take
notice. I hope he continues that kind of form as the season progresses."

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TC hails strong start
WHUFC.com
Tony Cottee believes his beloved West Ham United are on track to enjoy a
positive and successful future
09.09.2012

West Ham United great Tony Cottee has hailed the strong start the Hammers
have made to the 2012/13 season. The popular striker, who helped the Hammers
to finish a club-record high of third in the league in 1986, has been
impressed with his club's record of three wins in four matches in all
competitions so far. Cottee, who hailed the recent signings of Andy Carroll
and Yossi Benayoun, believes the club is united behind the Board and manager
Sam Allardyce and is in a fine position to enjoy a productive and successful
season in the Barclays Premier League. Cottee spoke exclusively to whufc.com
on a recent vist to Chadwell Heath to catch up with assistant manager,
friend and former Everton team-mate Neil McDonald.

West Ham United sit seventh in the table and are through to the Capital One
Cup third round so, all in all, do you think we have made a decent start to
the new season?

TC - "Yes. The computer was kind to us for our opening eight or nine games
so it put a lot more importance on us getting a good start. We got an
excellent three points against Aston Villa, but were disappointed to lose at
Swansea in the manner that we did by making a couple of mistakes. Great
credit to the team because it would have been very easy, after losing our
first away game, to find it difficult coming back home but the way played
against Fulham was fantastic. We made a team which had started with a 5-0
home win look a very average team. Six points out of nine is a fantastic
start. I think football has always been about winning in different ways. It
has always been about playing with different styles and there is no right or
wrong way. You do what you are good at. At times, I thought we played some
really good football and there was some good passing and moving and we mixed
it up really well. I think that's what we've got to do and if we do, we will
be a very potent team, particularly at home with the crowd behind us. I
think that will stand us in stead for a good season."

The recent signing of Andy Carroll was a real statement of intent from the
Board and the manager, wasn't it?

TC - "I think it's great that we've got Andy Carroll at the club because I'm
a big fan. I've always said that you have to provide him with the service
because if you get the right service into him, he will look a world-beater.
I thought the service into Andy was really good. Everyone kept saying to me
about Andy Carroll and I said 'I don't know if we can afford him' so great
credit to the Board for getting him here on the deal that we did. I think
he'll fit in perfectly to what we're trying to achieve at the club. Yossi
Benayoun is a great signing, as well, which gives us another option and real
creativity. Those are really good signings."

I presume you would have liked to have played up front with Andy Carroll
yourself?

TC - "I'd have loved to have played alongside Andy Carroll! The one player
who I do regret never having played alongside was Duncan Ferguson at
Everton, who I missed by three months. They are similar players in terms of
what they bring to the game and have an aura and presence about them. Would
I have loved to have played alongside Andy? Of course I would."

As a forward, does his mere presence on the pitch distract other defenders
and create space and opportunities for the other players to benefit from?

TC - "I think that is the thing - he is such a handful. Whereas maybe a
player of my stature would only draw one defender's attention, Andy draws
two or sometimes three people to him and that can only benefit people like
Kevin Nolan and Ricardo Vaz Te. They will get more space because the
attention is so much on Andy. That can only work in our favour. I think Andy
is maturing as a player and there is a lot more to come from him. He has a
manager in Big Sam who knows how he works and what he needs and, once he
gets back from his injury, I think the fans will be really excited again."

Finally, as a West Ham United fan and for your friend Neil McDonald, you
must be pleased that the club is united and seemingly on track for a
positive future?

TC - "I think what the club needed was organisation and direction, certainly
in terms of on the field and off the field as well. I keep saying to
everyone that the signing
of Kevin Nolan was a very good one because it not only helped to galvanise
the dressing room but he scored so many important goals. He got another one
at the weekend and that's what he brings to the team so he was a great
signing. Under Macca (McDonald) and Sam, they have created a really good
spirit here. It is a pleasure to come to the training ground now, so
everything is moving in the right direction and hopefully we can slowly but
surely carry that on."

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Hendo relishing Ireland opportunity
WHUFC.com
Stephen Henderson is planning to make his mark after being called-up by
Republic of Ireland
10.09.2012

Stephen Henderson is looking to impress after joining up with the Republic
of Ireland squad ahead of their international friendly with Oman on Tuesday
evening.
The No13 will start the game at Craven Cottage as a substitute, with
Millwall's former West Ham United trainee David Forde getting the nod from
Trapattoni.
Henderson admitted to being shocked to get the call-up after Ireland boss
Giovanni Trapattoni allowed No1 Kieren Westwood to return to Sunderland, but
he is earger to take his chance to impress both in training and in match
action should he get on to the pitch. "It was a surprise to me," said
Henderson. "I had literally just got off the plane from Ireland as we were
given a couple of days off and I went home. I was returning from there and I
got a text saying I had been called up and to meet up with the team on
Monday morning at their hotel. "I am very excited to be here. I am here to
impress the manager and make sure he knows what I can do and anything else
will be a bonus, but I am delighted."

For the 24-year-old, this may be a chance to earn his first senior cap for
his country after coming through the international ranks and representing
his country at every level from Under-15 through to Under-21. Henderson was
named among the substitutes for the friendly international with Czech
Republic in Dublin in February 2012, but is hoping to get some game-time in
west London this time around. "I have been involved in the international
set-up since I was about 14, so for me to make it now for senior level has
always been my goal. "I have to wait and see if I get my chance. I just have
to work hard in training. The manager knows his options and I know there are
lads ahead of me, but I am very happy to be here and be involved in the
squad, especially with more World Cup qualifiers coming up."

Henderson was greeted by his Hammers team-mate Joey O'Brien when he arrived
at the squad's base on Monday morning. The defender also hoping to get a
chance in tomorrow's match after travelling 6,000 miles for Friday's 2-1
FIFA World Cup Group C qualifying win in Kazakhstan without seeing any
action. For Henderson, who joined West Ham on a permanent deal in the summer
following his arrival on loan from Portsmouth towards the end of last
season, it is about making his mark at both club and country. He enjoyed a
solid performance between the sticks for West Ham in the Capital One Cup
second-round victory over Crewe Alexandra last month and is looking to take
up the same opportunity if he can as he challenges Jussi Jaaskelainen for
the No1 spot. "That was good for me against Crewe. At the end of the day,
for me to have the chances internationally, I have to be playing and do well
at my club. That is my first aim anyway - to do well at West Ham. "I am
keeping myself focused on the fact that when I get my chance, I have to take
it. League games or cup games, they all matter to me. Hopefully I can get my
opportunity again if possible and just be as ready as I can for every match
we play."

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International action resumes
WHUFC.com
Four West Ham United players could be in action for their respective nations
on Tuesday
10.09.2012

The quest to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil continues
for two West Ham United players on Tuesday, while two more could be in
friendly international action in London. Winston Reid will kick-off
proceedings as New Zealand contest their second Oceania round three
qualifier with the Solomon Islands in his home city of Auckland. The All
Whites and their opponents both started the final round of regional
qualifying with 2-0 victories, beating New Caledonia and Tahiti
respectively. "I'm hoping to see a big crowd on Tuesday," said Reid. "I'm
looking forward to the game." The winner of Tuesday's clash at North Harbour
Stadium will take an outright lead a third of the way through the stage,
where the prize is a place in an intercontinental Play-Off against a North
and Central American nation for a place at Brazil 2014.

A few hours later and Yossi Benayoun will hope to feature when Israel host
Russia in Ramat Gan in their second UEFA Group F qualifier. Israel started
their qualifying campaign with a 1-1 draw in Azerbaijan on Friday, while
Fabio Capello's Russia beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in Moscow. The group is
completed by Portugal and Luxembourg. Benayoun is hoping for a more positive
result against the Russians after Israel let a lead slip in Baku. "We should
have won. We're the better team," Benayoun said after the match. "After the
first goal we should have scored another goal or two, or at least kept the
same result. It's a real shame we lost two points.
"We must beat Russia at any cost. If we don't, it will be a disaster."

James Collins will miss Wales' second UEFA Group A qualifier with Serbia in
Novi Sad through suspendion after being sent-off in Friday's 2-0 home defeat
by Belgium in Cardiff. Finally, at lot closer to home, Joey O'Brien and
Stephen Henderson are in the Republic of Ireland squad for their
international friendly meeting with Oman at Craven Cottage. Ireland won 2-1
in Kazakhstan in their opening UEFA Group C qualifier on Friday, O'Brien
would earn his fifth cap if he features, while Henderson was called-up late
on Sunday and would make his senior debut if he is given a run out by
Giovanni Trapattoni.

Oman are fourth in Asian qualifying round four, having drawn in Iraq (1-1)
and at home to Australia (0-0) and lost 3-0 in Japan in their opening three
fixtures. Coached by Frenchman Paul Le Guen, Oman host Jordan in their next
FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture in October.

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Blanchflower injury mars Ladies victory
WHUFC.com
Kelley Blanchflower suffered a suspected fractured collarbone in Sunday's
2-0 win at QPR
10.09.2012

West Ham United Ladies overcame a serious injury to striker Kelley
Blanchflower and a west London traffic jam score a 2-0 FA Women's Premier
League Southern Division win at Queens Park Rangers. Having arrived shortly
before the scheduled 2pm kick-off on Sunday, the Hammers showed no
ill-effects from their longer-than-planned journey to come flying out of the
blocks and score twice in the first 13 minutes. Blanchflower (pictured)
opened the scoring in spectacular fashion in the eighth minute, collecting
the ball 25 yards from goal with space around before running through the
defence and sliding the ball confidently under the advancing goalkeeper.
Just five minutes later, Blanchflower was involved again in the build-up to
West Ham's second goal. Emma Thomas was put through with a long ball out the
to left flank. It appeared Thomas had run the ball too close to the
goalline, but her shot from an acute angle beat Sophie Cheadle in the QPR
goal. The home side stemmed the West Ham tide by massing their defensive
ranks, with the game squashed into a small area in midfield. Unfortunately,
Blanchflower's next major involvement saw her suffer a suspected fractured
collarbone after she fell awkwardly on the edge of the QPR penalty area. The
forward was tended to on the pitch by medical staff before paramedics
arrived and she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

When the game resumed after a 45-minute delay, it had lost its tempo and
only an occasional threat was made on either goal. With the two -oal
advantage West Ham looked comfortable and never in danger but just could not
get the goal to finish off the game. With eight minutes remaining, QPR were
reduced to ten players when a melee ended with striker Kasha Petit being
red-carded following an altercation with the Hammers' Lindsey Morgan, who
was booked. After losing their opening league game at Millwall Lionesses,
Julia Setford's team have now scored back-to-back victories to rise to
fourth in the table. West Ham have a weekend off this Sunday before
returning to action in the FA Women's Premier League Cup group-stage at
Watford on Sunday 23 September.

West Ham United Ladies: Toni-Anne Wayne, Vicky King, Danica Revell, Rosey
Sullivan, Jess Barling, Emma Thomas, Stacey Little Lindsey Morgan, Carly
Roache, Becky Merritt, Kelley Blanchflower
Subs used: Katie Bottom, Zoe Lipley-Hinton, Fran Tye

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Adapt and survive
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th September 2012
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has praised his squad for their ability to adapt ahead of this
weekend's trip to Norwich. The newly-promoted Hammers take on last season's
surprise Premier League package at Carrow Road this weekend with Allardcye
yet again having to defend his tactical approach following yet more unfair -
and, some would say, lazy - accusations in the press during the past few
weeks. Some elements of the media have chided Allardyce for what they
perceive to be a singularly direct tactical style - even though there were
few examples of that when his West Ham team overwhelmed Fulham 3-0 at the
Boleyn Ground last weekend with a performance full of slick passing.

And Allardyce was keen to highlight that fact when speaking this morning
ahead of what promises to be yet another tough test for his squad. "The best
way for a team to play is to have variation and we have shown that since the
beginning of the season," he said. "We go short, we go long, we go forward,
we go back, we go diagonal and we go in behind. It makes us very hard to
play against and luckily we have the players like Ricardo Vaz Te and Mark
Noble who can adapt. "I really like the variation of the squad. We have a
lot of talent - young, old, homegrown and foreign - and it all adds to the
mix to form a very strong squad, which you need in this league."

Looking forward to this weekend's game at Norwich - a match from which West
Ham are hoping to take their first away points of the season having been
well beaten at Swansea in their only previously fixture on the road this
season - Allardyce maintained that regardless of the wide array of options
open to him now, only full commitment from all areas of the team would be
enough. "We must not forget how hard we worked against Fulham," he warned,
adding, "we must do the same again when we play Norwich."

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The new art of Tweeting a secret
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th September 2012
By: Craig Wood

We live in a time where sports news is constantly available. We are no
longer limited to a short round-up at the end of the news and dedicated
sports channels now provide round the clock coverage of news from a huge
variety of sports.

Sky Sports News has even become the default channel in countless households
throughout the country. This provides the viewers with a plethora of
information on everything from the latest scores, transfer gossip and injury
news, to live footage from press conferences and highlights from the latest
round of fixtures.

However, this also provides hours of unfilled airtime and there is an
increasing pressure on journalists to provide a constant stream of breaking
news. Because of this, we are seeing an increasing use of social media in
news reports.

While Twitter can provide newsworthy quotes, it feels like the journalists
are simply attempting to show us that a news story they have broken is
continuing to develop when in reality there has been little or no progress.
Transfer deadline day is a great example of this.

While there were early rumours of Yossi Benayoun's transfer from Chelsea to
West Ham or Liverpool, there had been no new developments for some time. The
nature of transfer deadline day, and Sky Sports News' desire to provide
breaking news even when there is none, resulted in the following tweet being
reported as breaking news.

Although this shows that the story is not dead, and a direct quote from
Yossi Benayoun is more newsworthy than one from "Sky Sources", it provides
no new information and is so ambiguous that it surely cannot be seen as an
advance in transfer proceedings.

By cluttering up the broadcast with items like this, Sky Sports News are
making it increasingly difficult for the viewers to differentiate between
valid news stories and the rumours and hearsay that can be found on
virtually every transfer rumour website. The news channel should also be
questioning the motives of the people who are sending out the tweets as
well.

Taken literally, "Things are getting very interesting" means nothing. The
player is implying that a transfer away from Chelsea is on the cards but the
mysterious style of the message is clearly designed to incite a reaction. By
sending out this tweet, Yossi Benayoun (or his agent) is sending a message
out to potential suitors that they will miss out on the player if they do
not make a move for him soon.

While simply sending this tweet will not necessarily alert clubs to his
availability, having it reported on a widely viewed sports news channel
will.

The use of twitter as a means of fulfilling a personal agenda in football is
not limited to the footballers. West Ham owners David Gold and David
Sullivan both use the social media site (Sullivan through his son Jack). In
general, David Gold sticks to answering questions about player injuries and
ticket sales and Jack Sullivan is left to inform fans of potential
transfers.

West Ham fans will be familiar with being told by Jack Sullivan on twitter
of a big name signing later in the week only for nothing to materialise. Why
do the owners of a football club think it is wise to reveal a potential
transfer target before the deal is completed and risk deterring the player
because the story has been leaked , ultimately ending up looking foolish if
the deal does not come off?

Gold and Sullivan will argue that they want the fans to know about deals as
soon as possible but there are clear ulterior motives. As shrewd business
men, the owners want to get the most out of every deal, whether directly or
indirectly. Directly through reducing transfer fees or wages of an incoming
player and indirectly through shirt sales and an increase in ticket sales
from fans who want to see the new player.

While announcing that West Ham will sign a big name player just before the
start of the season, at the same time as being linked with the signing of
Andy Carroll in the national press, is likely to have a positive effect in
the form of season ticket sales, as long as the fans believe that the player
is likely to sign. This means that the club can receive benefits of the
transfer before it happens and even if it is not completed. David Sullivan
does not even have to take the blame for sending out the tweet as he has
delegated that duty to his son.

As long as the players and owners have something to gain from using twitter,
we will continue to read about things getting very interesting.

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A summer summary
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th September 2012
By: Robert Watson

Here at KUMB.com we're always keen to give aspiring young writers the
oportunity to share their thoughts with our readers. The latest to do just
that is 16-year-old Robert Watson, who makes his site debut with a review of
the recent transfer window...

First of all, let's start with the outgoings.

We lost our number one early on. It was disappointing to see Robert Green go
as he was one of our most consistent performers in my eyes and one of our
best players. We also parted with a few of the youth players; Ollie Lee,
Frank Nouble and Cristian Montano which is sad to see as we're known as the
Academy of Football - but we've got to trust Sam Allardyce's judgement with
these players.

Of all the players we've let go, which a majority have left on a free
transfer, I was most disappointed to see Abdoulaye Faye leave as he would've
been absolutely brilliant cover for the centre-half position. He was one of
our best players last season, so solid. Also, I'm sad to see Sam Baldock and
Nicky Maynard sold as they were natural, pacey strikers - but would they
have made it in the Premier League? Maybe not, so I wish them all the best.

We also sold others, such as Pablo Barrera and Freddie Sears both of whom
just never really delivered the goods. It was a real shame about Sears
although I feel he was hyped up too much.

Now onto the transfers into the club. Having released four 'keepers - Green,
Peter Kurucz, Ruud Boffin and Marek Stech - we brought in three; Jussi
Jaaskelainen, Stephen Henderson and Rafael Spiegel. Jussi is a very
experienced keeper and he played well last time out against Fulham, always
keeping focused and making some excellent saves. I feel the jury's still out
on him but on a free? Good business.

I've only seen Henderson play once, in the Capital One Cup, and he made a
brilliant double save and looks to be one for the future. Not bad for a fee
of around £650,000! Spiegel I've never heard of and it's possible like most
of our 'keepers he will remain in the development squad and be sold in two
years' time.

We brought George McCartney back to the club for around £1million which is
good value for money for someone can do a decent job at left back (even
though he had a torrid time against Swansea). James Collins, another former
Hammer was bought back to the club for £2.5million which I feel is decent
business for an excellent centre half who has been so solid for the first
few games. He has so much experience at centre back and will be vital for
the team; he too enjoyed an outstanding game against Villa.

Now on to someone who I'd say has been one of the best signings of the
summer - Momo Diame on a free! He has been absolutely brilliant in the three
games played so far. His desire to get forward has impressed me a lot, he is
a centre midfielder yet he still roams down the wings and gets everywhere on
the pitch. His energy levels are flawless and he is always battling on the
pitch wherever he is. He's a real powerhouse and a box to box midfielder.

We also signed Alou Diarra from a financially-struggling Marseille team for
£2million; he is a defensive midfield player who will sit in front of the
defence. Even though I've only seen him play twice he looks to be a good buy
having played nearly 50 times for France.

When he played for France against England in the Euro's he absolutely bossed
the game. But Allardyce hasn't started him in the Premier League yet and
he's made only one substitute appearance in the League and a start in the
Capital One Cup. It's been tough for him to get into the team as Nolan and
Noble had a great season for us last year and they've started well. They
were especially excellent against Fulham and, as I mentioned above, Diame
completes the current midfield trio.

Next I move onto our record transfer fee of £10.75million pounds; winger
Matt Jarvis who signed from Wolves. Against Swansea he looked our best
player, within minutes he whipping in a quality cross which Nolan nearly got
his head on to. He also had a shot well saved from Vorm. Statistically he is
the second best provider of crosses out of the top five leagues in the
world, with only Seville's Jesus Navas ahead of him.

The transfer I didn't expect was that of Yossi Benayoun who arrived from
Chelsea on a loan deal on transfer deadline day. Earlier on in the day Sky
Sports had said that we couldn't afford his wages and I thought that'd be us
done on the transfer front, but when the deal was confirmed I was delighted
as he can play centre midfield, out wide if needed and he brings a lot of
creativity to the team which is what we need. As there is a lot of
competition for the central midfield positions he may be played out wide -
even though I feel he's better at centre midfield as shown when he played
for Arsenal last season.

As for the strikers, firstly we signed Modibo Maiga from Souchaux for
£5million. I've only seen him play against Villa when he was unlucky to
score as he took the ball around the 'keeper in the dying minutes only to
see his shot blocked on the line. He also started against Crewe in the
Capital One Cup where he played quite well but the opposition was League One
standard so I'm still unsure on him as he's yet started a game in the
Premier League. However I read that he's scored over half of his goals with
his head, which could be useful!

Lastly, the big man himself - Andy Carroll, signed on loan from Liverpool.
What a signing that is for us.

When he started against Fulham the whole team seemed to have a buzz about
themselves. They performed so well, we even played some Barcelona-style
football at times! When we hit big Andy he absolutely bullied Fulham's Brede
Hangeland, which isn't an easy task. Carroll is a really threatening
striker, aerially he barely lost a header! It's sad to see him injured now
after such a brilliant debut.

Another stat for you: Andy Carroll won more headers than any other striker
in the Premier League last year. Considering how little he played, that's
very impressive - and the combination of him and Jarvis could turn out to be
a quality partnership.

Overall, I'd say we've had an absolutely brilliant transfer window, bringing
in a lot of quality players and strengthening the squad all round. The only
slight negative is perhaps I would've liked to have seen another defender -
preferably a centre back - but on the whole? A brilliant transfer window.

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Henderson in Republic squad
Hammers keeper replaces Westwood
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
September 10, 2012 12:37pm
SSN

West Ham goalkeeper Stephen Henderson has replaced Keiren Westwood in the
Republic of Ireland squad for Tuesday's friendly against Oman at Craven
Cottage.
As revealed by skysports.com over the weekend, Henderson was given a late
call for the friendly with Oman. Westwood started in Friday's 2-1 win over
Kazakhstan but has been allowed to return to Sunderland early as Giovanni
Trapattoni looks to name an experimental line-up for the game in London.
Henderson, back-up to Jussi Jaaskelainen at Upton Park, has not won an
international cap for the Republic but was named on the bench for February's
friendly draw against Czech Republic.
Trapattoni confirmed on Sunday that Millwall shot-stopper David Forde will
start in goal so 24-year-old Henderson is likely to be among the
substitutes. Trapattoni also has Motherwell keeper Darren Randolph available
to him.

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Allardyce happy with options
Hammers chief pinpoints variety in squad as key to success
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
September 10, 2012 4:34pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has hailed his squad options after their
impressive start to the season. The Hammers have taken six points form
their opening three games on their return to the Premier League.Allardyce
takes his side to Norwich this weekend after the international break and he
feels the versatility in his camp is the key to their solid start to the
campaign. "The best way for a team to play is to have variation and we have
shown that since the beginning of the season," Allardyce told the club's
official website.

In behind

"We go short, we go long, we go forward, we go back, we go diagonal and we
go in behind. "It makes us very hard to play against and luckily we have the
players like Ricardo Vaz Te and Mark Noble who can adapt. "It was good to
see the quality of our finishing being so good. Before we scored our second
we had two or three really good chances that all tested the keeper. "I
really like the variation of the squad. We have a lot of talent - young,
old, homegrown and foreign - and it all adds to the mix to form a very
strong squad, which you need in this league."

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Are We Going Back to Our Community based, multi-sports, Roots by Moving to
the Olympic Stadium?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

As some of you may know, I have always been interested in the history of
West Ham Utd FC. It's a rich and fascinating history and the origins of the
club are obviously rooted in working-class industrial heritage of the area.
Allied to this is the early formative influence of the public school and
Oxbridge beliefs of our benefactor, Arnold Hills. Hills was a great believer
in sporting values, exercise and physical fitness and he actively promoted
its amongst his workforce at the Thames Ironworks plant. In the latter 19th
Century many educated men of a similiar social background established
'settlements' in working class communities, designed to bring both sport and
christianity to the masses. Anyone who has lived in, what is now, South
Newham will be familiar with the former Docklands Settlement in CanningTown
and Fairbairn House Boys Club at the Abbey Arms, Plaistow. So, in many ways
Hills was linked to that movement, while having distinctly different
pre-occupations via his ownership of a local industrial plant.

Indeed he could not be called a typical Capitalist of the 19th Century
variety. Hills was far more enlightened concerning the welfare of his
employees and initiated 'good fellowship' and profit sharing schemes for the
workers, something very rare in those days (and not so common even today!).
Indeed, for a long period he was actually resident in Canning Town and lived
very close to the homes of his workers. Although largely a progressive
employer, he did significantly blot his copybook in 1899-90 when he
responded to union organisation and strikes by locking out strikers and
employing 'scab' labour. These were actions that deeply troubled Hills and,
it could be argued that, his subsequent establishment of a works football
team, plus building improved local sports facilities, was part of a wider
attempt to heal the wounds arising from the dispute.

He should always be honoured as the founder of the club in 1895. Although it
was his public school and Oxbridge distaste for professionalism in sport
that was instrumental in an eventual parting of the ways between the club
and the TIW, the founding of West Ham Utd FC in 1900 and the move to the
'cabbage patch field' that was to eventually become The Boleyn Ground, Upton
Park. Other factors were the increased financial difficulties experienced by
the company from the turn of the century and his attempt to float TIW as a
public limited company to fund other engineering plant acquisitions. Due to
these circumstances, Hills had less financial resources and freedom to
continue his sponsorship of the football team.

Prior to the split, Arnold Hills had invested £20,000 in the construction of
a multi-sports stadium at the Memorial Grounds, West Ham. It was massive and
had a reputed capacity of 120,000. The stadium provided a football pitch,
plus cinders running and cycling tracks. So in that sense it was genuinely
multi-purpose. As stated, Thames Iron Works FC left this wonderful venue
after a relatively short, three year tenure, for a number of reasons,
including Hills objecting to the creeping professionalism at the club and,
in particular, the practice of charging spectators for admission!

Having read this, it struck me that the proposed OS move could be viewed as
a return to the Memorial Ground roots of the club; in terms the the idea of
basing the club in a community based, multi-sports facility, which will have
distinct benefits for the working-class people of the area. I do wonder if
the 'Irons' fans of that era complained about the running and cycling track
and being some distance away from the football action? Maybe, but I
seriously doubt it. Obviously, professionalism in sport became an
unstoppable force, on entering the 20th century, and the clearest and
updated expression of this, in contemporary times, is the EPL, with its
inherent and blatant commercialism. And, even accepting their clear passion
for the club, the business plans of our modern day club co-owners more
closely reflect that commercialism, rather than the altruism and principled
non-professionalism of Arnold Hill. Yet it is an interesting thought and
connection between past and present.

Arnold Hills is a significant figure in our history. All in all, he seemed a
decent chap in to the bargain, for a Capitalist! Indeed, it is a tragedy
that in later years he suffered serious health problems (a withering desease
that left him paralysed and confined to a wheel chair), whilst desperately
fighting a losing battle for the future of the TIW. Basically, Hill's firm
was largely dependent on government contracts and it began losing out to the
newer ship yards and foundaries in the north of England and Scotland.
Charles Korr's excellent academic study of the history of the club covers
this episode in some details and points an accusing finger at the then First
Sea Lord, Winston Churchill, and his apparent preference for awarding
contracts to the newer enterprises outside London. Hills even petitioned
Churchill for new contracts in 1911, but to no avail, with the firm closing
permanently in 1912. The great irony of that being that the closure was only
2 years short of the outbreak of World War 1 and the increase in government
contracts for ships and armaments resulting from waging the conflict.

For those interested, Hills is well worth some individual study, as is the
Thames Irons Work itself, which supplied steel for some major shipping and
civil engineering projects, such as the construction of HMS Warrior
(Brunel's first iron clad battle ship), the building of the Royal Albert
bridge across the River Tamar and the construction of bridges across the
Thames, to name just a few.

Although severely incapacitated, Arnold Hills lived to see West Ham play in
the 1923 FA Cup Final. He passed away at his house 'Hammerfield' in
Penshurst on 7th March 1927.

Post-script (1), prior to moving to the Memorial Grounds in 1897, TIW FC
played a number of matches at Hermit Road (the location of the current
Hermit Road Park, E13). Hills also apparently organised a floodlight,
evening match there between Woolwich Arsenal (Arsenal FC) and WBA. A real
innovation and, for anyone who knows it, it is quite a thought that Arsenal
and WBA once contested a match there!

Post-script (2), my personal memories are of a ruined structure of one of
the main stands of the Memorial Stadium being in place in the Grounds, as
late as 1980-81. I used to cut through the Memorial Grounds to get to West
Ham Station, in that period, and remember the structure being in situ. It
was demolished and cleared away at some point in the 1980s. And legend has
it that the claret and blue painted iron gates, outside shops beside the
Grange Road entrance to the Memorial Grounds, were forged in the Ironworks
foundary and are one of the last remaints of the old stadium.

Post-script (3), if verified as part of the old stadium, West Ham Utd FC
should move to protect its heritage and purchase the gates for the club
museum and its fans. They might also consider honouring Arnold Hills, in his
role as the founder and early benefactor of the club, with a statue or
naming some part of the ground after him. Interestingly enough, when West
Ham Utd was founded in 1900 there were plans for fans/stakeholder share
owning structure model. Unfortunately, the ownership and governance of the
club never developed along those lines.

Post-script (4), the thesis floated here is that there is connection between
the Memorial grounds and the OS, in terms of them both being community
based, multi-sports facilities. Of course, West Ham spurned the chance to
move to another multi-purpose stadium in the 1960s, in the form of the
Custom House Stadium. That 90-100,000 capacity venue hosted both speedway
and dog racing! Perhaps in terms of moving to and making a go of such a
facility it will be third time lucky for the club!

SJ. Chandos.

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Allardyce Tells it Like it is: It's Really a Matter of Mixing it Up!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Sam Allardyce has been quoted on Kumb, talking about the away fixture at
Norwich City and the playing style of his squad. In doing so, he has stated
the following:

"The best way for a team to play is to have variation and we have shown that
since the beginning of the season. We go short, we go long, we go forward,
we go back, we go diagonal and we go in behind. It makes us very hard to
play against and luckily we have the players like Ricardo Vaz Te and Mark
Noble who can adapt. I really like the variation of the squad. We have a lot
of talent - young, old, homegrown and foreign - and it all adds to the mix
to form a very strong squad, which you need in this league."


This is what I have been arguing for ages on here, the best possible
approach is to mix up your play and be able to adapt in games and during the
course of the season. The so-called 'hoof football' concept, so beloved of
some critics, is in essence, both a distortion and simplification of the
approach that Allardyce is endeavoring to establish at the club. And there
is strong evidence that he now has a squad at his disposal that is able to
vary the play. It's interesting that he picks out Noble and Vaz Te out for
particular mention, as they are two of the most skillful and technically
accomplished players at the club. But as is stated, they also have the
ability to apply themselves and contribute to different approach play. It
also undermines the recent speculation that Noble is surplus to requirements
at the club. If anything he is a key player both in the squad and the way
that Allardyce seeks to play.

Personally, I have no objection to West Ham playing direct when it is
needed. I have no problem with intelligent balls flighted in to the box to
both create goal scoring opportunities and the knock down for runners in to
the box. But I also want to see passing and movement and us utilising the
technique and skills of playing like Noble and Vaz Te. What I do not like is
continual aimless ball pumped forward from the back, as we saw against
Villa. If there is such a thing as 'hoof football' that is probably it, the
Wimbledon FC approach of high balls and percentage play. As I have argued
previously, terms such as 'direct play' and the 'long ball' can be
interpreted in different ways and they need to be deconstructed to reveal
that diversity, rather than just relying on a single, mono-conceptual
interpretation.

Norwich City away is likely to be another tough test. But it will give us an
opportunity to assess the degree to which the squad has progressed. We were
all pretty happy after the Fulham victory, no doubt a poor result will
perpetuate renewed negativity in some quarters. However, I am hopeful that
the squad will adapt and secure another result to put our first away
point(s) of the season on the board. Central to that will be the ability of
Cole or Maiga to full the gap created by the injury to Carroll and, most
importantly, for the team selected to play differently to capitalise upon
their respective strengths as strikers. Neither are as effective as Carroll
in the air, but they do have other strengths and we need to capitalise on
them.

Can they do it? I think they can and, in doing so, they can effectively
validate the substance of the above statements by Sam Allardyce on the need
for 'variation.'.

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham Olympic stadium bid gets East London business votes
Cityam.co.uk
Tuesday 11th September 2012, 2:46am
EXCLUSIVE
FRANK DALLERES

LEADING business organisations from east London have thrown their weight
behind West Ham's bid for the Olympic Stadium, as a decision nears on one of
the capital's key legacy issues.

The ExCeL Centre and the East London Business Alliance (ELBA) have voiced
their support for the Premier League football club to be the main users of
the arena when it reopens in 2014.

League One outfit Leyton Orient have also bid to use the stadium, which cost
£486m and is to be downscaled from 80,000 seats to 60,000, as well as a
football business college and a company that hopes to stage a Formula One
grand prix.

"West Ham United have played a pivotal role in the local community for a
great many years, making a major contribution to the social regeneration of
east London," said ExCeL Centre chief executive Kevin Murphy. "No one is
better placed to take hold of the legacy baton after the Games and be at the
heart of a lively and busy Olympic Stadium."

ELBA chief executive Liam Kane said West Ham's proposed move from nearby
Upton Park would alleviate local unemployment by creating jobs in
construction and operation. "West Ham's bid would guarantee a busy stadium
on a bi-weekly basis, thus ensuring businesses in the local area continue to
flourish," he added. "Put simply, I cannot see any viable alternative."

The London Legacy Development Corporation is expected to announce the
successful bids next month. West Ham believe they can attract 1.2m visitors
to the park annually and have promised, if selected, to create 720 jobs.

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West Ham's Stephen Henderson called up to Republic of Ireland squad
• Goalkeeper replaces Keiren Westwood for Oman friendly
• Henderson set to be among substitutes at Craven Cottage
guardian.co.uk, Monday 10 September 2012 12.17 BST

Giovanni Trapattoni, above, has brought Stephen Henderson into his squad
after allowing Keiren Westwood to return to Sunderland. Photograph: Julien
Behal/PA
Stephen Henderson has replaced Keiren Westwood in the Republic of Ireland
squad for Tuesday's friendly against Oman at Craven Cottage. Westwood played
in Friday's 2-1 win over Kazakhstan but the goalkeeper has been allowed to
return to Sunderland early as Giovanni Trapattoni looks to name an
experimental lineup for the game in London. Henderson, back-up to Jussi
Jaaskelainen at West Ham United, has not won an international cap for the
Republic but the 24-year-old was named on the bench for February's friendly
draw against Czech Republic. Trapattoni confirmed on Sunday that Millwall's
David Forde will start in goal so Henderson is likely to be among the
substitutes on Tuesday night. Trapattoni also has the Motherwell goalkeeper
Darren Randolph available to him. The Italian has already allowed Robbie
Keane, Darren O'Dea, John O'Shea, Jon Walters and Glenn Whelan to return to
their clubs following Friday's fortuitous victory in Astana.

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Former West Ham striker poised for La Liga return
By talkSPORT | Monday, September 10, 2012

Levante are pondering a move for former Aston Villa and West Ham striker
John Carew. The La Liga side are looking for a new forward following the end
of Arouna Kone's loan spell at the club earlier this summer, and are
believed to have set their sights on Carew, who was released by West Ham at
the end of last season. Carew, who can be signed outside of the transfer
window as he is a free agent, is familiar with Spanish football, having
spent four years at Levante's local rivals Valencia earlier in his career.

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