Daily WHUFC News - 15th September 2012

Norwich City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the important background information and team news ahead of Saturday's trip to Carrow Road
14.09.2012

NORWICH CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 15 SEPTEMBER 2012
KICK-OFF: 12.45PM
REFEREE: ANTHONY TAYLOR

Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Carrow Road to face Norwich City tomorrow in their fourth Barclays Premier League game of the 2012/13 season.
• Saturday's clash at Norwich City is the Hammers' third consecutive 12.45pm kick-off, after facing Swansea City and Fulham at the same time in their previous two games.
• Yossi Benayoun could make his second Hammers 'debut' after joining on loan from Chelsea on deadline day.
• Winger Matt Jarvis could also start after recovering from a slight groin injury. If he does, he would emulate namesake Rossi Jarvis, who started for Norwich City in the most-recent meeting between the two clubs in the FA Cup third round in January 2006.

• The Hammers go into their third consecutive lunchtime league kick-off knowing victory would take them up to second in the table. An unlikely six-goal triumph would take Sam Allardyce's side above Chelsea to the top of the tree, but let's not get carried away.
• West Ham United have taken six points from a possible nine and start the weekend in seventh position. However, Big Sam's men were beaten in their only previous away fixture, 3-0 at Swansea City on 25 August. That defeat was the Hammers' first on the road since 31 January.
• Norwich City have taken two points from three matches to start the weekend in 15th. However, two of those games have been on the road at Fulham (0-5) and Tottenham Hotspur (1-1). The Canaries drew 1-1 at home with Queens Park Rangers in their only previous league game at Carrow Road this term.
• It is nearly seven years since West Ham United's last trip to Norfolk, when Hayden Mullins and Bobby Zamora netted in a 2-1 FA Cup third-round victory on 7 January 2006. League-wise, the Hammers drew 1-1 at Carrow Road in the Championship on 21 February 2004, with Marlon Harewood scoring and Matty Etherington being sent-off.
• West Ham United's clash with Norwich City is one of eight Barclays Premier League games on Saturday, the others are as follows: (Kick-off 3pm unless stated) Arsenal v Southampton, Aston Villa v Swansea City, Fulham v West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United v Wigan, Queens Park Rangers v Chelsea, Stoke City v Manchester City and Sunderland v Liverpool (5.30pm).

Last time out
Saturday 1 September 2012
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 3-0 Fulham
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O'Brien, Collins (Tomkins 67), Demel (Hall 78), Nolan, Taylor, Noble, Diame, Carroll (Cole 68), Vaz Te
Subs not used: Henderson, Diarra, O'Neil, Maiga
Goals: Nolan 1, Reid 29, Taylor 41
Saturday 1 September 2012
Barclays Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Norwich City
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin, Bassong, Garrido, Barnett, Johnson, Howson, Pilkington, Snodgrass, Holt, Jackson (Morison 73)
Subs not used: Rudd, Turner, Tierney, Surman, Hoolahan, Tettey
Goals: Snodgrass 85

Previous meeting
• Hayden Mullins and Bobby Zamora scored the goals that gave West Ham United a 2-1 win over Norwich City the last time the sides met in the FA Cup on 7 January 2006. Mullins opened the scoring after just six minutes when his shot deflected in off the post and the Hammers doubled their advantage after 57 minutes when Robert Green's mistake allowed Zamora to score. Paul McVeigh pulled one back from the penalty spot after James Collins handled the ball but the Hammers held on to end Norwich's FA Cup dreams for the second consecutive season. The lineups that day were:
Norwich City: Green (Ward 89), Jarrett (Spillane 87), Fleming (Cave-Brown, 90), Doherty, Drury, Henderson, Etuhu, Charlton, Jarvis, Thorne, McVeigh
West Ham United: Hislop, Repka, Gabbidon, Collins, Konchesky, Newton, Mullins (Fletcher 68), Reo-Coker, Etherington (Dailly 79), Harewood, Zamora (Katan 81)

Background
• West Ham United have officially faced Norwich City 46 times, winning 17, losing 15 and with 14 matches ending in draws.
• The first meeting between the two sides came on 6 October 1934, with John James Foreman and Hugh Mills scoring in a 2-1 West Ham United win at Carrow Road.
• Norwich City have yet to pick up a win in the Barclays Premier League under new boss Chris Hughton, having lost on the opening day and drawn their previous two games.
• Norwich City have not lost in any of their last 14 league games at home against West Ham United dating back to 10 February 1973, when Bryan 'Pop' Robson scored the only goal in a 1-0 Hammers victory.


Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
7 January 2006 FA Cup third round Norwich City 1-2 West Ham United
8 January 2005 FA Cup third round West Ham United 1-0 Norwich City
21 February 2004 Division One Norwich City 1-1 West Ham United
15 October 2003 Division One West Ham United 1-1Norwich City
11 March 1995 West Ham United 2-2 Norwich City
27 August 1994 Norwich City 1-0 West Ham United

Overall record v Norwich City (all competitions) W 17 D 14 L 15


Ten-year record

West Ham United

2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Norwich City
2011/12 Premier League 12th (47 points)
2010/11 Championship 2nd (84 points - promoted to Premier League )
2009/10 League One 1st (95 points - promoted to Championship)
2008/09 Championship 22nd (46 points - relegated to League One)
2007/08 Championship 17th (55 points)
2006/07 Championship 16th (57 points)
2005/06 Championship 9th (62 points)
2004/05 Premier League 19th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2002/03 Championship 8th (69 points)
2001/02 Championship 6th (75 points)

Referee
• Saturday afternoon's referee will be Chris Foy.
• Foy refereed West Ham United twice last season, in the Hammers' 2-0 npower Championship away win at Cardiff City at the beginning of March and the defeat at the Boleyn Ground to Reading at the end of March.
• Previous to that, Foy was referee when the Hammers lost 1-0 at home to Birmingham City in the Premier League on 6 February 2011. Prior to that, he had taken charge of the 2-1 loss at home to Newcastle United on 23 October 2010 and the 3-1 defeat by Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground on 11 September 2010.
• Foy has been a Barclays Premier League referee since 2001, having originally made the Select Group list of assistant referees in 1995.
• In 2007, Foy took charge of the FA Trophy final at Wembley, before returning to the Home of Football a year later to act as fourth official for Portsmouth's FA Cup final victory over Cardiff.
• In 2009, he was back at Wembley to take charge of the League Cup final and Community Shield, while Portsmouth were in action again as Foy refereed the 2010 FA Cup final, which Pompey lost to Chelsea.
• Foy will be assisted by Simon Bennett and Richard West. The fourth official will be Mick Russell.
Team news
• Jack Collison is unlikely to play after missing the start of the season as he continues to manage his long-term knee issues.
• Andy Carroll will also be missing after suffering a hamstring injury on his debut against Fulham on Saturday 1 September. In Carroll's absence both Carlton Cole and Modibo Maiga are vying for a starting spot, as is Alou Diarra who is yet to make Premier League start.
• George McCartney and Matt Jarvis are also pushing for a place after returning to training, as is Yossi Benayoun who could make his second Hammers debut.
• Elliott Bennett (knee) and new arrival Steven Whittaker (ankle) are both injured, while Elliott Ward, who won the Championship Play-Offs with West Ham in 2005, has been left out of the Canaries' 25-man Barclays Premier League squad.
Old boys
• Norwich City manager Chris Hughton played for West Ham United 43 times between 1990 and 1992, winning promotion from the old Division Two in 1990/91.
• Norwich City defender Elliot Ward came through the ranks at West Ham United, playing for the youth team before breaking into the first team in August 2003. He made 18 appearances for the first team and formed a terrific partnership with Anton Ferdinand during the 2004/05 season that saw the club win promotion to the Premier League via the Play-Offs. Ward joined Norwich in 2010 and has passed 50 appeared appearances for the Canaries.
General Information

• The weather forecast for Saturday is mainly dry with bright spells and broken cloud with temperatures reaching highs of 18C (65F).
• Greater Anglia rail services from London Liverpool Street to Norwich will be subject to engineering works that will extend journey times. Due to overhead line renewal work taking place between Witham and Shenfield, mainline services from Norwich/Ipswich/Clacton/Colchester/Braintree will terminate at Witham and will connect into a replacement bus service to Billericay. At Billericay buses will connect into Southend Victoria services to Liverpool Street. A shuttle bus service will operate between Ingatestone and Shenfield for Ingatestone passengers only. For full information and timetables, click here.

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Captain's blog
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan has goals on his mind ahead of the trip to Norwich City on Saturday
14.09.2012

We are very much looking forward to getting back into match action this weekend with our trip to Norwich City. The last week or so has still been good, those of us not on international duty have been back here at Chadwell Heath working hard as usual. It is always a bit different during these weeks and especially as we did have a few lads away. We have worked hard in sessions to make sure our fitness levels were kept up - we all have targets to keep and meet and these are checked, so no one gets away with anything and nor would we want to. We work to make sure we are in top condition for when the next match comes around.

Some people may think we get two weeks off if you don't go away, but it is not like that, We had a couple of days off but around that we have been focusing on keeping things ticking over and getting focused for Norwich. But the fact that many of the lads have been away playing for their countries speaks volumes in that we have a good squad full of quality players and it is good to report that all have returned fit and well. Winston [Reid] was the last to return as he had the longest to travel, but it was good to see everyone back.

We are all looking forward to the Norwich game. To say we were disappointed following our last away match at Swansea is an understatement. We know we let ourselves down with the mistakes we made and knew we could have hurt them if we had taken our chances. But we move on from that now and look to try and carry on from the terrific away record we set up last season and get our first set of points on the road for this campaign. We also have confidence from the two league home games against Aston Villa and Fulham - and the cup game against Crewe which we won to take into this match. Hopefully we can do the business at Carrow Road on Saturday and that is our aim.

It will be a tough one - I have worked under Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood at Newcastle, so I know them very well. They will be looking to get their first win of the season and we have to go there like we haven't got any points yet and battle for them. Elsewhere, the new lads have been settling in well. You could all see the impact Andy [Carroll] had when he came on against Fulham, but not just on the pitch, all around the place. It is great to have the big man here. It was no secret we were chasing him all summer and so to finally get him as well as Jarvo {Matt Jarvis] before that and Yossi [Benayoun] right on the deadline was great.

Hats off to our owners, the Joint-Chairmen, who gave the licence to the gaffer to go after quality players and all of them together, the Joint-Chairmen and the gaffer have produced. Hopefully we can now get them all fit - Andy and Jarvo have had injuries - but we have a very good squad. Competition for places makes for a team that wants to do the best week in week out.

We have had that anyway, but it is really enjoyable going into training every day. The sessions are really good and we are all loving it. The new boys have added to what was a tight-knit bunch before. There are a few boys speaking different languages but it is everyone together and no one escapes the banter!

We have a good mixture and blend in the team - it helps winning games but we know we have this strength to get us through the low times, which there will be. We have to keep working hard, keep a happy medium and I think with the lads we have and the staff around us, we can do that.

One more thing I do want to mention is that Coley [Carlton Cole] was interviewed earlier in the week about us having a little bit of banter about who is going to be top goal scorer again this season and how many goals we are scoring. We do and it is fun. On a serious note though, I can't wait for Coley to get on the score-sheet. I am a midfielder and although a big part of my game is scoring goals, I won't be judged on that come the end of the season, but Carlton as a striker, will. Even though he does a lot more in the game than just scoring goals.

I want to chip in with goals and help make a difference for us in games like I have done against Aston Villa and Fulham, but will happily give the top scorer award at the end of the season again to Coley as it means he has been scoring goals… but I am looking to be just behind him on that front! I want to finish off this week by saying a big thank-you in advance to all our fans travelling to Norwich to cheer us on. Having been here a year now, I understand that we get support no matter what, and this is terrific. Come Saturday, we will be doing all we can to get the result we all want.

Come on you Irons!
Kevin Nolan
Captain

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Vice-Chairman outlines Stratford vision
WHUFC.com
Vice-Chairman Karren Brady is committed to creating a mutli-sports arena fit for all in Stratford
14.09.2012

Vice-Chairman Karren Brady has spoken about her vision for the West Ham United's proposed move to Stratford in a feature in the Guardian newspaper.
The article is featured in full below:

Karren Brady insists West Ham United the best option for Olympic Stadium

- Vice-chair says club would make legacy hopes a reality
- Boris Johnson has taken control of final negotiations
By Owen Gibson

As final negotiations over the future of the Olympic Stadium enter a crucial stage, the West Ham United vice-chair, Karren Brady, has insisted that the club's proposal will deliver a lasting legacy. Boris Johnson this week took personal control of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), moving the chairman, Daniel Moylan, to a new role chairing an aviation review after less than four months in the job. One of the mayor's most pressing tasks will be to try to strike a deal with West Ham amid protracted negotiations over the terms of any tenancy deal. On top of the £95m in public money already pledged to convert the stadium into a permanent venue with a full roof and hospitality facilities, the east London club are believed to want the LLDC to contribute towards retractable seating and other costs.

Brady will make the argument that by handing the main tenancy to a Premier League football club, it will bring benefits to the Olympic Park and wider area above and beyond its rental contribution, including enhancing the value of naming rights and helping make it a popular destination. "I noted with interest Lord Coe's comments on Sunday about his desire to find a workable solution where athletics and other sports can operate together side-by-side," Brady said. "His comments instantly struck a chord with me, as I firmly believe that our proposal will ensure that his vision would become a reality should we be given the opportunity to do so."

It is understood that Johnson is keen to conclude a deal and anxious to avoid any potential delay in reopening the park from July next year onwards. But the LLDC's interim chief executive, Dennis Hone, will be keen to ensure that the figures add up and some on the board believe the success of the Olympics, which proved the stadium will work as an athletics and music venue, have strengthened their negotiating hand with West Ham.

"In addition to bringing the most exciting and most watched football league in the world to Stratford, we would ensure that the stadium retains the Olympic legacy that Lord Coe feels so passionately about," Brady argued. "The truly multi‑sport capabilities of the arena would mean our award-winning community sports trust, which already helps tens of thousands of children a year, can further extend its multi-sports coaching to the next generation of potential Olympic athletes."

The saga of the future of the £468m stadium has been long and drawn out, punctuated by missed opportunities, legal battles and expensive mistakes. The original deal with West Ham had to be scrapped amid legal challenges from Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient. But Coe said at the close of the Games that it remained "perfectly within the wit and wisdom of all of us to make a multi-purpose sporting arena work for track and field". The LLDC hopes to reopen the south end of the park, including the stadium, by spring 2014. Brady said that West Ham's bid would also help further the legacy aims of the LLDC and the government. "Our bid revolves around creating a sporting hub that the community of east London and beyond can use to better themselves; whether that be through sport, education or simply living a healthier lifestyle," she said. "We have all watched in wonder at the historic scenes created in the Olympic Stadium and I believe it would now be unthinkable to not maintain this new global landmark as a stunning, world-class sporting venue that can inspire hundreds of thousands of people through the power of sport."

*Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of West Ham United

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George targeting Norwich victory
WHUFC.com
George McCartney is preparing to take on a few familiar faces when the Hammers travel to Norwich City
14.09.2012

George McCartney believes West Ham United can continue their encouraging start to the season when they head to Norwich City on Saturday. The Hammers have won two of their opening three Barclays Premier League fixtures and will head to Carrow Road confident of achieving their first away victory of 2012/13. The reigning Players' Player of the Year will help West Ham's cause with insider knowledge on four Canaries players who he has previously played alongside - former Leeds United trio Robert Snodgrass, Jonny Howson and Bradley Johnson and ex-Sunderland centre-back Michael Turner. The left-back sat down with whufc.com to talk about his former team-mates and his hopes of success in Norfolk.

George, you and all the players must be encouraged by the good start we have made to the new Barclays Premier League season?

GM - "Yes, we have collected six points from nine. We sat down before the season and worked out what we were aiming for from the first few games so to get six points out of nine is a very good start and gives us a platform to build on. Hopefully we can be consistent throughout the season and have a really good year."

When you are out on the training pitch, do you look around and think to yourself 'We have got a really strong squad here' and believe we can have a successful 2012/13 campaign?

GM - "I pre-season, the squad wasn't that big. It was pretty much the same as last year. Although we all had really good seasons last year and promotion was the main aim, I think the manager knew he had to make the squad stronger. Over the last two or three weeks, you can see some of the quality that the manager and the Joint-Chairmen have brought into the club. Everyone has fitted in really well and it's going to be hard, not only to get into the team but to get a position on the bench because it's a big squad now. We have a lot of quality players, but you expect that of a Premier League club."

We have lost just one away game since January - last time out at Swansea City - so presumably we are targeting a positive result at Norwich City?

GM - "Last year, our away form was a lot better than our home form. We hadn't lost away from home for a few months prior to Swansea but I think you know that, when you move up to the Premier League, the main thing is to win home games. It's going to be a lot harder to play away from home and we found that at Swansea. We did gift them the first two goals but overall our performance wasn't good enough. We all sat down and looked through the game to see where we went wrong and
I'm sure the same mistakes won't be made against Norwich."

What is your assessment of Norwich City?

GM - "It's going to be a tough game. They have made a few signings over the summer and they got a draw at Tottenham in their last game, which is no easy place to go. They will be looking to get their first league win of the season but we've had a good start and hopefully we can continue to progress and stay in the top half of the season."

You played with three Norwich City midfielders during your loan spell at Leeds United in 2010/11. What can you tell us about Robert Snodgrass, Jonny Howson and
Bradley Johnson?

GM - "They are all obviously great lads and I had a few months with them at Leeds. I could tell then that they were all quality players and would end up getting the moves that they wanted to the Premier League. I didn't see many of Norwich's games last year but I'm sure they were playing most weeks and doing a good job. All three of them are very good players and come Saturday, they'll present a tough test for us. That said, I look around our team and we are more than capable of getting a good result. Howson is a very attack-minded midfielder.

Scotland winger Robert Snodgrass was very highly-rated at Leeds and has settled in quickly at Carrow Road. What is it that makes him so effective?
"Snodgrass's quality on the ball is probably up there with any winger I have come across. From free-kicks and corners and creating goals from open play, his delivery is really good. He might not have that much pace about him, but his quality on the ball is really good and I'm sure he'll be a danger-man for us to watch out for. In general, I think it'll be a tough game and Norwich have a lot of quality players. I do feel we can at least get a draw there."

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Times they are a'changing
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th September 2012
By: Paul Walker

The Olympics are gone, consigned to a vivid memory of a triumph, a London one and in particular an east London triumph, as we all knew they would be.

Now as a proud east London football club, we await the decision next month that will change us forever, whether we get the Olympic stadium or not.

Anybody who believes that we can just continue as we are is living in a dream world. Some of us may not want to move to Stratford, and I have swayed from one side to other over the years, now I am exhausted really with the debate.

We all know the arguments inside out by now. For and against. Nobody, surely is sitting on the fence and doesn't understand the issues any longer.

But our owners have their master plan. Everything, from moving out of the Boleyn to signing Andy Carroll is part of that great scheme.

We must progress. To stay as we are leaves us, in effect, slipping backwards with every passing season. The only way to compete at the highest level and to take and maintain West Ham into the top half of the Premier League, is increased revenues.

And the only way that is achieved is to have a bigger stadium. If it is not Stratford then Upton Park has to be enlarged, or we have to find a new home to build a stadium with a 60,000 capacity and all the commercial capacity that comes with it.

To be honest, rebuilding the East Stand and adding 10,000 more seats is not enough, even if we could overcome the difficult planning logistics--and get Newham Council's approval--that would be needed.

Our owners have a plan, clearly, and they have never hidden the fact that they would want to sell the club at one stage. Selling the Boleyn to pay off the club debts and to recoup their own outlay is their aim, whether we like it or not.

The smart money is already on us getting the Olympic stadium. Too many reports and expert observers in recent months have made reference to us winning the bid for it not to be nailed on, or so it seems.

If for some reason we don't get Stratford, there will be a major re-think of the owners' plans and a messy debriefing of what went wrong and where they go from here.

But the status quo is not an option. We will be left with the revenue only to mount a regular fight to avoid the drop. And that is not progress.

Nobody really wants to leave the Boleyn. Four generations of my family have lived their lives in our lovely old stadium. I know every step of the old Chicken Run and where they all watched the Irons from way back into the last century.

That does not mean that we cannot move home. And let's face it, so many clubs have done it. Manchester City moved to the now Etihad from Maine Road, to my mind a similar sort of ground and club to ourselves in the good old days. Nobody talks much of Maine Road now.

Sunderland, Derby, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Bolton, Southampton, Reading, Coventry, Swansea, Stoke, Cardiff, Hull, Brighton have all changed homes to give themselves a better future. Even ourselves from the Memorial ground to Upton Park. The list goes on. Nothing is forever, and we should realise we have to embrace that.

If you stand still, you die. And financing a refit for the Boleyn or building something bigger and better elsewhere - God knows where in such a crowded, over-populated part of Essex and east London - would be horrendously expensive.

The Davids probably could not afford to fund that level of transformation and would no doubt re-evaluate their commitment. And that leaves us wide open to dodgy bidders with ulterior motives. Yes, I mean you, Liverpool and Portsmouth. Better the devil you know!

So get used to it all of you, our club is going to change dramatically over the next few years, giving the Davids the chance to fatten it up and flog it off to some rich Arabs, no doubt. A West Ham club established in the top flight and using a re-designed, iconic stadium close to the City skyline would be an attractive proposition.

Do not forget, billions around the world have been watching the Olympics and seen the stunning backdrop and unique position close to the centre of the greatest city in the world. That is what will be it's selling point for the Davids.

They keep telling us they are dipping into their own pockets to ensure we do stay in the top flight, and we have all experienced a summer of transfer activity, Big Sam style, that has started to address the quality of our squad.

For some it has been an education. Seeing Sam and his agent mate Mark Curtis in full flow, and that has needed financing. Although anyone who believes we have spent over £20m on players is deluding themselves.

The deals never involve full outlay upfront. Only Manchester City can do that, and they've started trimming back on that front.

Punters tend to believe the hype, with Sky at the forefront. They love a big round figure, the bigger the better because it looks good on TV. But we have probably only paid half of that figure, maybe even less with the deals depending on add-ons, appearances and success.

The owners have put in money, and keep saying how hard it is for them and how many family conferences they have had.. And then there's £12m still to pay to Sheffield United.

But until we see the end of ridiculous red limos in the car park. Until the bottom drops out of the lingerie business(yes, I like that one too). Until mansions are sold, private golf courses shut down and oyster cards replacing private helicopters, I will not be crying too much about austerity in the Davids' households.

They know just what they are doing, how to get and maintain funding and how they will get their money back in the long run.

And yes, I do believe they are doing this because they are fans and they care about this club. But don't expect me to repeat such a thing again, the cynic that I am, people will think I've gone soft in my old age!

They have backed Sam and Curtis in the market, and it costs to buy players who can compete at the top level. What does annoy me a little is that every time a player comes onto our radar, the message boards are awash with people slagging them off, insulting them and branding them donkeys, traitors or turncoats. Come on everyone, grow up, this is a tough industry in which players want the very best for themselves.

I was not a bit surprised that Carroll left it so late. He had acquired a move to one of the world's great clubs(although two sets of daft American owners have done their best to destroy that legend.)

Carroll wanted to play for England and it Europe, and with a club who could afford £80,000 a week wages. If you worked in a bank, and someone offered you vast sums to move elsewhere, you would go and you would want to hang onto that new status, so why are footballers considered any different?

But Carroll has arrived, and I believe Liverpool's rookie new boss Brendan Rodgers is at best being disingenuous about the terms of his loan.

Nobody at Liverpool has gone on the record to confirm that Carroll can be recalled in January, and our own owners have been distinctly unhelpful with their own utterances on the subject.

But a mate of mine, a football league chief executive, suggested that the January thing is a red herring, with Liverpool--having accepted money for a season long loan--could only recall Carroll if they wanted to sell him.

Now as we have first refusal and a clause that we can buy him for £17m, Rodgers looks like he was desperately searching for some ammunition to get himself out of the shambolic transfer deadline day abuse he found himself facing when the Boston mob refused to spend £7m on Clint Dempsey.

Now I wouldn't spend that amount on him either, and Fulham--who had previously reported Liverpool for an illegal approach--were going to get their pound of flesh and to make things very tough for the Anfield boss.

Rodgers, facing such uncertainty, should have been the master of his own destiny and not allowed Carroll to go until his replacement was signed.

So Rodgers was done up like a kipper, as they say, and made to look foolish. It didn't help that his managing director Ian Ayre, I believe, went home two hours before the end of the transfer window when the Dempsey deal collapsed! So no Plan B then, Brendan?

It allowed Big Sam to emerge with a real coup. It's a long time since we signed a player of such magnitude and stature, a current England international, the best in the country by far at his specific job, and not a player on the way down, too old or injury prone. And still some of our fans were slagging off Carroll.

I believe the reaction at Chadwell Heath amongst our players was one of delight, the signing lifted their spirits, the club's and ours. His performance underlined that, he was playing and wanted. And I do not believe he will be out for six weeks.

No one from our club went on the record with a return date after his unfortunate hamstring injury. There was nothing on the club website, either. Hamstrings usually take three weeks to recover from, four if it's bad, so I expect to see Carroll on the bench against Sunderland, having a run-out against Wigan in the League Cup and playing at Loftus Road against QPR on October 1.

Which brings me back to the great master plan. New stadium, old one sold, debts gone and top players being attracted--as well as potential rich buyers. I'd like to think that Carroll will be the first of several more top level players to arrive as long as we stay in the top flight and get out hands on the vastly increased TV money from next season.

And yes, I want to believe the times they are a'changing whether the Mail on Sunday's Patrick Collins thinks our owners are despicable porn barons or not, and whether he likes Sam and Curtis' methods or not--which he outlined in a sneering, sarcastic piece a couple of weeks ago.

So stand-by everyone, it's going to be a rocky time ahead, with us moving somewhere, somehow. Otherwise we will just stagnate and die.

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Norwich City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th September 2012
By: Preview Percy

Next up we pay a visit to Norfolk where our hosts will be Norwich City. It's the third silly o'clock kick-off in a row, starting as it does at 12.45pm.

If you're the sort of person that likes to travel with the great unwashed on public transport you may care to note that there are engineering works between Billericay and Witham which will necessitate your transfer from railway carriage to omnibus for part of the journey, adding something like an hour to the journey time between London and Norwich. Which probably means that if you are reading this at home it's now too late to go.

For the third time in four matches we face a side that changed manager during the summer. Paul Lambert's departure for Villa saw Chris Hughton making a similar trip in reverse, leaving Birmingham City for Carrow Road.

It wasn't the brightest of starts to the season for the Canaries as Fulham went on the rampage at Craven Cottage with a 5-0 win. Things calmed down a bit in the 'five-nil derby' the following week as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by QPR while last week they arguably had the better of the match (certainly of the closing stages) against Spurs with whom they also drew 1-1.

So two points from three matches then, which leaves them in 15th place so far. This is one place below Spurs by virtue of goal difference – the opening day thrashing doing them no favours in that regard.

Hughton was pretty busy over the summer. One of his first bits of business was to sort out the future of Grant Holt. Holt seemed to be a wee bit put out at the departure of Lambert and seemed set to leave, with an apparent preference for following his old boss to Villa Park. Such love appeared to be unrequited and there doesn't seem to have been any official bid from Villa for the player's services.

We, on the other hand, did apparently make a bid though the amounts being bandied about seemed to be quite a lot of money for a player in his thirties. As subsequent events turned out we ended up with a better deal anyway. Holt, meanwhile, apparently chastened by the relative lack of interest ended up signing a new deal which will keep him at Carrow Road for another three years and he is their skipper this term.

Ex-Hammer Hughton wasn't shy in approaching his other former employers for players. They secured central defender Sebastien Bassong from Spurs as their clearout commenced – depending on which of the many sources of info you believe the fee was £2.6-4m. Bassong has been on his way out of White Hart Lane for some time now, and spent the latter part of last season as part of Wolves' unsuccessful attempt to stay up.

Another central defender to arrive was Michael Turner, who arrived from Sunderland. Turner has spells at Charlton, Brentford and Hull under his belt. At Hull he was thrice voted Player of the year and played in every minute of every game in the Tigers' 2008/09 league campaign. On top of that his principal claim to fame is that many years ago when I actually had hair he and I used to get our locks trimmed at the same establishment. Which was nice. For him.

The ex-Hammer on the books is Elliot Ward. Ward was part of the Irons team that won promotion via the playoffs at the end of 2004/05. Although his selection was a last resort due to everyone else who could play in the centre of defence being injured at the time, it soon transpired that his partnership with Anton Ferdinand was more than good enough for the rigours of second-tier football. The pairing, accidental or otherwise, is widely credited with being a major contribution to our promotion that year.

Promotion gained, the restructuring of the side saw the arrival of Danny Gabbidon and someone called James Collins (whatever happened to him?). With Ferdinand and "love of our lives" Christian Dailly also about at the time Ward ended up going out on loan to Plymouth before signing a permanent deal with Coventry. He arrived at Carrow Road in 2010 but injuries have precluded his making an appearance thus far this season.

The first of two loan players in the squad is Spaniard Javier Garrido. Garrido is on loan from Lazio and his arrival in the summer marks his second spell in the Premier League, having spent 2007-2010 on the books of Manchester City, making his debut in his side's opening day 2-0 win at the Boleyn in August 2007.

The following few years and the arrival of large amounts of petrodollars on the east side of Manchester saw him make few appearances and his road led to Rome. Although Alexander Kolarov had gone in the other direction a few days before, technically the deals weren't linked. He's come in on a one year loan deal with an option to extend.

The splendidly Dickensian-named Robert Snodgrass arrived from Leeds and was on the scoresheet last week against Spurs. Snodgrass was made captain by his former boss Neil Warnock at Leeds. Which is a little bit like having your musical ability praised by Simon Cowell. Warnock offered Snodgrass an improved contract but the lure of going anywhere just to not work with Colin proved too great and he made the trek down to less unpleasant climes in July.

Regular readers will be aware that we love a good Player/Crime story in this column and Snodgrass is this week's "Miscreant Of The Week". At one stage last year the beak in Glasgow had mobilised the full force of the law against the Scotland international after he'd failed to appear in court. Not for Snodgrass the standard footballer offence of drinking too many shandies and being too stingy to pay for a cab home out of his £25k a week salary. No this was a misunderstanding over stopping on a pelican crossing. Bastard. Hanging's too good for 'em I say.

Perhaps Hughton might have a few words to say on the discipline front, once he's paid off the fine he got himself a couple of weeks ago for failing to identify the driver of his speeding Audi on the M42. I'm willing to bet that it'll be the only time this season that he won't be pleased at picking up six points.

The second loan signing of what I shall laughingly refer to as "the summer" was up front, where their options have been augmented by the arrival of striker Harry Kane. Kane has come in from Spurs on loan and spent a lot of last season at Millwall. Since he also has a spell as an employee of Barry "stuff the community what's in it for me?" Hearn under his belt, Norwich will be like a pleasant breath of fresh air for the player, who has been capped at U19 level for England.

And now us. Remember the 2012/13 season? You must do. We played three games – the last of which saw us beating Fulham 3-0. It seems so long ago now doesn't it. The arrival of Andy Carroll dominated – and continues to dominate - the headlines, especially in view of Liverpool's hilarious failure to get around to replacing him. It was, indeed, a splendid debut which saw him so keen to immerse himself in the traditions of our club he promptly picked up the "new player injury" that seems statutory for us to have at the start of a season. Four to six weeks is the prognosis, which, given the international break should see him back in three to five weeks or so.

Whilst Carroll is obviously out, the position with Guy Demel is less clear. Demel is listed as a doubt with the now ubiquitous "knock" against his name with "no return date". The news is brighter regarding Matt Jarvis & George McCartney, both of whom should be available for selection. There have also been encouraging noises on the subject of Jack Collison – though this match will be too soon for him it's been suggested that a return to the squad is weeks, rather than months away.

We'll also be bolstered by the return of Yossi Benayoun from the various footballing backwaters he's been frequenting since his illegal signing by Liverpool a few years ago. It is to be hoped that spending time at such muppet-places as Anfield, Stamford Bridge and The Library hasn't dulled his undoubted skills any. It is also to be hoped that a cure has been found for the mysterious ailments that seemed to plague him without fail just before every international break during his previous spell with us. I'm sure Mr Allardyce, with all his faith in science and technology has a computer programme already working on the problem.

So it's a pretty strong squad that will be available for this one. There'll be a fair bit of confidence about arising from the manner of the victory against Fulham which, despite Martin Jol's rather sour grapey comments to the contrary, contained a lot of decent football. There is, of course, a temptation to look at the fact that Fulham (somehow) stuck five past this weekend's opponents and look at the way we demolished them in order to come to a conclusion. Football, of course, doesn't work like that.

Amongst other factors to consider is the fact that Fulham's record away from Craven Cottage is traditionally awful. In fact, I reckon that if our return fixture with them were moved to that park next door to their ground we'd be guaranteed three points. Not to mention a quicker walk from the place where the boat docks.

However, when I look at doing a prediction I always place great store on the relative confidence levels of the team. Which may be why I'm usually wrong. Though the Canaries have undoubtedly improved since the opening day, they would still have preferred to have gone into the break with a win under their belts – especially against the likes of QPR and that other side they played. It's been a stuttering start for them and, though our one voyage away from the Boleyn thus far didn't exactly raise the spirits, it's difficult to see quite so many players having quite so many nightmares all at once. And Swansea was abroad and foreign travel is always tricky.

So I am upbeat about our chances of registering a first away win of the season. Here at the Avram Grant Rest Home for The Bewildered there is an emergency legal fund which is used after every time the place is featured on a "Panorama" documentary. I have, with my usual skill and dexterity, located said fund and will therefore be off to the Honest Ray Winstone Turf Accountancy Emporium to place all £2.50 on a 2-1 win to us.

Enjoy the game!


When Last We Met: Won 2-1 (FA Cup 3rd Round January 2006). Mullins and Zamora saw us safely through to the next round as the home side omitted Dean Ashton due to injury, honest guv, and in no way as part of some plot to keep him from being cup-tied in advance of a move to the Boleyn.

Referee: Chris Foy. Had a bit of a nightmare in the 4-2 home defeat to Reading last season. Loves refereeing Spurs as he knows all the abusive messages will go to the wrong place.

Danger Man: Robert Snodgrass. Public Enemy No.1 (No Pelican Crossing is safe) picked up a nicely taken equaliser at White Hart Lane the other week and is probably the pick of their strikers.

Daft Fact Of The Week: It is claimed that the Norwich song "On The Ball City" is the world's oldest football song. Dating as it does from the 1890's, before the formation of the club itself, it is probably the only song in the world that contains the word "scrimmage", a word for which the lyricists wisely avoided trying to find a rhyme.


Stat man John: Northcutt's corner

Head to Head
Pld 46; West Ham Utd 17, Norwich 15, Draws 14.

Biggest Win
11th March 1939: Norwich 2-6 West Ham Utd (Carrow Road, Division Two)

Heaviest Defeat
1st January 1988: Norwich 4-1 West Ham Utd (Carrow Road, Division Two)

First Meeting
6th October 1934: Norwich 1-2 West Ham Utd (Newmarket Road, Division Two)

Last Five Meetings
7th January 2006: Norwich 1-2 West Ham Utd (Carrow Road, FA Cup)
8th January 2005: West Ham Utd 1-0 Norwich (Boleyn Ground, FA Cup)
21st February 2004: Norwich 1-1 West Ham Utd (Carrow Road, Division One)
15th October 2003: West Ham Utd 1-1 Norwich (Boleyn Ground, Division One)
11th Match 1995: West Ham Utd 2-2 Norwich (Boleyn Ground, Premier League)

Memorable Match
16th September 1972: West Ham Utd 4-0 Norwich (Boleyn Ground, Division One)

Unbelievably perhaps this was West Ham's ninth game in just 35 days at the beginning of the 1972/73 campaign - any they think they have it hard now! With both teams firmly ensconced in mid-table the game, watched by just over 27,000 people was most notable for Bobby Moore's appearance in midfield - and it was to be a match-winning performance that left the morning's papers asking whether Alf Ramsey should use an aging Mooro in that position for England.

The first two goals - from Brooking and 'Pop' Robson - came from Moore assists. Tommy Taylor put the game beyond any reasonable doubt on the stroke of half time before Robson's grabbed his second and West Ham's fourth with 12 minutes of normal time remaining. West Ham would go on to finsih the season in sixth spot - equalling the club's best ever top-flight finish at that time.

Friendlies
October 1958: Norwich 2-4 West Ham Utd (Keeble 2, Grice, Musgrove)
May 1975: Norwich 1-1 West Ham Utd (Lampard)
July 2002: Norwich 1-3 West Ham Utd (Sinclair, Defoe, J.Cole)
July 2007: Norwich 1-2 West Ham Utd (Ashton, Spector)

It's An Early Bath For You, Mr Cantona...
Mattthew Etherington is the only Hammer to have been sent off against Norwich - that being in the 2003/04 season at Carrow Road.

They Played For Both
Mark Bowen; Robert Green; Albert Foan; John McDowell; Jimmy Neighbour; Graham Paddon; Matthew Rush; Alan Taylor; Steve Walford; Martin Peters; John Gurkin; Fred Kearns; Ted MacDougall.

Bossing It
The former West Ham players who have managed Norwich are John Bond, Ken Brown, Archie Macaulay, and Chris Hughton. Our former manager Glenn Roeder was also (briefly) the Norwich manager and Alan Pardew's assistant manager Peter Grant has also been the boss at Carrow Road.

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Norwich v West Ham preview
Hammers aiming for improved away showing but are without Carroll
Last Updated: September 14, 2012 11:29am
SSN

Chris Hughton will be hoping to pick up his first Premier League win as Norwich boss when West Ham visit Carrow Road on Saturday. In a lunchtime kick-off, live on Sky Sports 2 HD, the Canaries will look to build on their encouraging draws against Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham by picking up all three points against the Hammers.

Live on Sky Sports
Norwich v West Ham
September 15, 2012 12:30pm

Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson said: "I was very impressed against QPR when they were the much better team. If they can play like that in all of their home games they won't go too far wrong." In contrast, although Sam Allardyce's West Ham have won both home games, they were on the receiving end of a thrashing from Swansea in their only Premier League away game of the season. Allardyce will be keen to be more difficult to beat than they were at the Liberty Stadium and he will at least have been encouraged by the response of his players as they beat Fulham 3-0 last time out.

Norwich
Last 6
1-1
2-1
1-1
5-0
0-2
0-0

Hughton will check on the fitness of defender Russell Martin who pulled out of the Scotland squad with an ankle injury sustained against Tottenham two weeks ago. He is back in training and should be available. The Canaries boss will also wait on the recovery of forward Simeon Jackson who had a punishing travel itinerary over the international break with Canada. Jackson played all but four minutes of Canada's two CONCACAF qualifiers home and away against Panama and could be replaced by Steve Morison in attack. Meanwhile, long-term injury victims, midfielder Elliott Bennett and full-back Stephen Whittaker also report good progress but are highly unlikely to feature in this one.

West Ham
Last 6
3-0
2-0
3-0
1-0
1-1
3-1

Allardyce must decide who he should bring in to replace hamstring victim Andy Carroll, with Carlton Cole the clear like-for-like replacement. The 28-year-old forward played a key role in West Ham's promotion back to the top flight, scoring 15 goals for the club and he will be anxious to seize his opportunity in Carroll's absence.
Allardyce: "He is an obvious replacement and we would like Carlton to do how he finished off last season." Record signing Matt Jarvis is also back to full fitness but Allardyce may be reluctant to make significant changes to the team that beat Fulham so impressively.

Opta Facts

Five of the last six league meetings between Norwich and West Ham have ended as draws
West Ham have won none of their last 14 league trips to Carrow Road (W0 D6 L8)
Norwich have kept just one clean sheet in their last 17 Premier League games

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Sam Allardyce is looking forward to seeing West Ham play against Norwich
Last Updated: September 14, 2012 10:42pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is looking forward to seeing his side return to Premier League action at Norwich City on Saturday. Due to injuries and the international break, Allardyce has seen most of his new-look squad come together for the first time this week and he believes it is a group of players strong enough to enjoy a good campaign. The Hammers have already picked up six points from their opening three games, and Allardyce is hoping to build on that tally at Carrow Road. He said: "I think we could have a relatively good season - it is far too early to tell what combinations will be what and who will perform better. "Everyone who has a place will have to fight very hard to keep their place now with the squad we have got and anyone who gets a place will have to perform very, very well to keep it if they get the chance. "That competition for places is a huge factor in getting the best out of the players on a consistent basis which is what you have to do to get the results you want in this division. "But, like every away game in this league, Norwich will provide a difficult test for us. "It will also be good to see Chris Hughton at his new club, but hopefully I will be the one smiling at the end of the game."

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Karren Brady's football diary – Wenger a shoe-in for fresh deal
By KARREN BRADY
Published: 14th September 2012
The Sun

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

WEST HAM'S Brescia saga continues. Having won hands down both at FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport to ensure we are paid the outstanding transfer fee for Alessandro Diamanti, they failed (again) to make payment within the 14-day deadline which expired last Friday. We have now notified FIFA — and copied in the FA, Premier League and Italian FA — and have requested the case is referred straight to their Disciplinary Committee, who can impose sanctions for non-compliance of a points deduction and/or relegation. The FA are in contact with the Italian FA and I am awaiting their feedback. All I really want is my money, which I've been waiting on for 14 MONTHS. Luckily I've got shareholders who are pumping money in to compensate but if I was a small club I'd probably be bankrupt now as a result of another club's poor financial management. This is why the football creditors rule is so vital.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
THERE is a common belief that footballers are as thick as planks. I remember over-hearing my team playing a name game on the coach and when asked to name an Opera, one said Winfrey! But listening to two of our remarkable West Ham old boys, the knights Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking, on the radio it's clearly an injustice.
Both of them speak as lucidly as any politician and had Sir Geoff had his way, the club would already have crossed the line for a move to the Olympic Stadium. I like his sentiment: "It's up the road (from Upton Park), it's better access and it's an absolutely magnificent stadium."
Here, here.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
URGENT club business precludes my attendance at a Premier League get-together that finishes with a visit to the Olympic Park. I finally get to the Park to meet up with some of the other delegates and see one PL attendee carrying an Olympic Park carrier bag. I ask him what souvenirs he has purchased but he seems reluctant to let me know. Finally, I force the bag out of his hand. So far as I am aware, Victoria's Secret underwear was not on sale in the Olympic megastore. Clearly a case of confusion between Wenlock and wedlock as, the last time I saw his wife, she wasn't a 36DD! Who's a naughty boy, then?

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
ACROSS the world, there are Games stadiums that stand as little more than monuments to great deeds. Lord Coe is only too aware of this and I'm currently writing a reminder to him of what West Ham offers to future sport, jobs and people in East London by an historic transfer to the stadium. We've never asked 'What can the stadium do for us?' but 'What can we do for the stadium?' and we don't want something for nothing. We'll pay our way, handsomely... unlike others I could mention!
I can't wait for the process to be over so we can reveal our exciting legacy plan alongside the multi-million pound package we've created.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
DIG into the topsoil of London football and you can be sure you'll discover Hammers roots. A few hours before Frank Lampard, ex-West Ham of course, scores the equaliser for England against Ukraine, no fewer than 1,000 people sign their 0-5 year-olds into the newly launched Junior Hammers membership. Bobby Moore's daughter Roberta and her husband brought their children and niece to become older members, too. Keep it in the family, it's said. We like to think we are the family.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
I'M happy to see Arsenal are confirming that Arsene Wenger is to be offered a new contract. But the Gunners' long-serving manager may not be applauding club chief executive Ivan Gazidis' rather puzzling comment that "he does not look too good in his brogues". It's true the Frenchman sometimes looks like a famished Bloodhound when he's under pressure. That doesn't, however, prove him incapable of leading the club to plenty more trophies and, moreover, by doing it his way. Wenger has made his name on these shores by coaching continental-style football and refusing to be held to ransom. Long may it continue to be so.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
MY club are under strict orders to be shipshape and in Bristol fashion for the 12.45pm kick-off at Norwich. I don't think it's at all funny that the Premier League have just fined us £5,000 for being late back from half-time for our opening match of the season against Aston Villa. I know many will think this is a trivial sum but I don't. It's not the 'keeping 'em waiting' rock star habit we adopted but it was 100 degrees and the players needed a proper cool down. Safety takes time.

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West Ham boss Allardyce keeps on-loan Benayoun guessing
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 23:08, 14 September 2012 | UPDATED: 23:08, 14 September 2012
Daily Mail

Sam Allardyce will make a late decision on whether to give loan signing Yossi Benayoun his second West Ham debut at Norwich on Saturday. Benayoun, who joined from Chelsea on transfer deadline day last month, featured in both of Israel's World Cup qualifiers this week but Allardyce is still not sure whether the midfielder is ready to start. He said: 'Yossi has been away with his national side and only had a light training session, so we will assess the squad and make a decision on the starting line-up from there.'

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