WHUFC.com
West Ham United's joint-leading goalscorer is the subject of this week's Big
Interview
11.04.2012
Kevin Nolan has enjoyed a hugely successful first season in east London. The
West Ham United captain is currently the club's joint-leading scorer with
eleven goals from midfield after he grabbed the opener in the 4-0 at
Barnsley on Good Friday. The midfielder then went on to be named man of the
match in Easter Monday's 3-3 draw with Birmingham City. Reading's win at
Brighton last night has moved them six points clear of the third-placed
Hammers, but Nolan and his team-mates have not given up hope of catching
them with four games left to play.
Kevin, you seem to have hit some good form at the right time?
I have been delighted. I spoke about it earlier in the season and it is a
massive thing coming to a new club with the expectations about coming and
doing the job from the start. It is about trying to find the right balance
with your personal and professional life. I feel now that more than ever. We
have made plans and I've got my family moving down in August and we are
looking to get everything sorted. It takes a huge weight off your shoulders
having the kids around. It has been fantastic and on the pitch I feel that I
am better for it. Just getting to know the lads takes time, getting to know
the club and the fans, but I think there is a lot more to come from me. I am
very positive that it will come and hopefully we will start seeing it in the
next four games.
It was a fantastic second-half performance against Birmingham City wasn't
it?
Yeah, it was the second half performance we have been wanting for a while.
It is just disappointing about the sloppiness in goals we conceded when we
seemed to have control of the game. We are not learning from it and really
we have got to if we are going to try for one final push to get into the
automatic spots before the end of the season. If that doesn't work then we
will be going into the play-offs, but hopefully this is going to be the nail
in the head and from now, until the end of the season we get it right.
What was said in the dressing room at half time?
There were quite a few things said to a few people, but to be fair we have
got a great bunch of lads here and we have got to be able to tell each other
when they are not doing the right things. We were just so disappointed. We
did it against Reading a couple of weeks ago. We got back in the game at 3-2
and they go down the other end and make it 4-2 from a sloppy goal. It
happened again against Birmingham, but thankfully we got it back to 3-3 and
we could have nicked it in the end.
It is a positive result and we have to make sure that we remain positive to
the end. We have got a big game coming up on Saturday. Reading have got to
go to Southampton, they have got to go to Birmingham so it is not all done
and dusted yet. We have just got to hope that people start taking points off
them. But we have also got to make sure that we get the maximum points from
our games. We have got to win every game if we have got a chance of going up
automatically.
The team played more directly in the second half didn't they?
I know, it is mad isn't it? Obviously we are 3-1 down, Birmingham have come
and sat in and did to us what we did to Barnsley. But it was our fault
because we got sucked in to just trying to keep the ball and not really
hurting them. It wasn't really working in the first half so we should have
played a few more long balls to try and open the game up and get the ball in
between their midfield four and the back four. The most disappointing thing
from our point of view was that we didn't see it and didn't realise earlier
that we were playing balls that we really shouldn't have been playing. That
is where their first two goals came from. Then the set-piece, their lad has
shanked it and I just can't remember when we have had one of those this
season and you just think 'Here we go again'. You start thinking is it just
one of those days, but we have just got to remain positive and make sure
that from now until the end of the season we do our job and that is to win
the four games and that will give us the chance of going up automatically.
What was the difference between Friday's performance and the first-half
against Birmingham?
Obviously, nobody comes here with the expectation to win. We have got that
expectation here. We have got fantastic supporters. They away fans have been
brilliant all season long. The fans here have been behind us for the
majority of the time. I think it has been so well documented in the press. I
think the press are trying to build a wedge between us and the fans and
there is nothing in that because we expect to be booed when we are not doing
well and supported when we are doing well. It is up to them to vent their
frustration when we are not doing well, but all I can say is that the fans
have been fantastic all season and we are giving it our all and we just
thank them for their support and hope from now until the end of the season
if they stick with us I feel that we can win those four games and hopefully
we will be celebrating at the end of the season.
Ricardo Vaz Te has been superb of late?
I have known him since he was a 16-year-old boy and he has been a great kid.
When he came to Bolton he had a massive future ahead of him, but he had a
knee injury and everything it sort of stopped him. But he is a lad who went
to Greece to make sure he stayed in the game and then went off to Scotland
to play for Hibs. This year he has been brilliant for Barnsley and that is
why he got the move. He deserved to come here and since he arrived he has
been a breath of fresh air. He is a pacey forward type winger. He is great
in the air and he is also a good kid to have around. It is just great to see
a lad who you have known since he was 16 and he is growing up and doing the
right things and hopefully he will get rewarded for that by scoring more
goals before the end of the season and getting his chance back in the
Premier League next season.
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Play-offs looming
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 11th April 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's chances of automatic promotion all but disappeared last night
after Reading snatched a 1-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion. Despite being
under the cosh for much of the game, a 14th minute strike from Ian Harte - a
free kick that took a massive deflection on its way in - was enough to win
all three points at the Amex Stadium for Brian McDermott's in-form team.
That win took the Berkshire side six points clear of the Irons - who have
won just three of their last ten outings - and level on points with
Southampton (on 82 points). All three clubs have just four games of the
league campaign remaining. All of which means that should either Reading or
the Saints avoid defeat in two of their remaining four games, West Ham can
kiss goodbye to automatic promotion - regardless of how well Sam Allardyce's
side fare in their remaining fixtures.
Albion captain Gordon Greer, whose team are now in grave danger of missing
out on the play-offs altogether and who visit the Boleyn Ground this weekend
said: "We're all disappointed because we felt like we did well [tonight]. We
have won games by playing far worse than that. "But we will be doing all we
can in training to get it right for Saturday. I think there is more pressure
on West Ham considering they were in the Premier League last year. We are
running out of games, but every game remains very important to us. "We don't
feel under pressure because we are just concentrating on what we need to do.
We have not focused on West Ham's form we just look at what we do, and
hopefully that will get us the result."
West Ham must now hope that this weekend's Southampton v Reading clash will
provide an outright winner whilst they beat Gus Poyet's side in order to
maintain their slim hopes of finishing in the top two.
Remaining fixtures
West Ham Utd: Brighton (h); Bristol City (a); Leicester (a); Hull (h).
Southampton: Reading (h); Peterborough (a); Middlesbrough (a); Coventry (h).
Reading: Southampton (a); Nottm Forest (h); Crystal Palace (h); Birmingham
(a).
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West Ham United: loud, proud and . wrong
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th April 2012
By: Terry Land
An ex-colleague for whom I have the highest regard is a strongly active
member of the Labour Party and I read her Tweets with great interest. Not so
much for details of her personal life - as amusing as they often are - but
for the clinical precision with which she will dissect the latest idiocy
coming from either Parliamentary or grassroots members.
I empathise with her undoubted frustration at believing in a cause so
strongly yet being hampered at every turn by disunity, arrogance or
stupidity. As trite as it may appear her travails as a political animal
mirror mine as a football follower. You see, the truth is I often struggle
not to despise people who would no doubt call themselves fellow West Ham
supporters.
According to a longitudinal study by the Sir Norman Chester Centre for
Football Research at the University of Leicester West Ham season ticket
holders are some of the wealthiest around (probably a function of the
smallish ground and high demand which has led to relatively expensive ticket
prices) yet at the same time among the poorest educated with a low
proportion having attended tertiary education compared to other clubs.
As many other fans observe, Hammers are a bit "chavvy" - or to put it
another way, working class-made-good. Living as I do in Suffolk the obvious
comparison to make is with Ipswich whose supporters tend to be polite,
respectful and a lot less raucous. Few self-respecting Irons would be seen
dead wearing facepaint or many other symbols of the Sky corporate definition
of what it is to follow "footy" even if replica shirts now abound. Town fans
are much more volatile in their support - full of bravado when they win the
same people disappear upon defeat. Most of all I don't notice any shared
sense of what it is to be a Tractor Boy.
To be West Ham is to be loud, proud and obnoxious. It's no coincidence one
of the most enduring chants over the years has been, "Same old West Ham,
taking the piss" Throughout the 70s and 80s the feared ICF (Inter City Firm)
came to define the support. Although a mate of mine who ran with them denies
any tactical command, "We weren't organised, we just set our clocks early"
there is little doubt the proud boast "30 years undefeated" has some
substance.
Contemporary football hooliganism has been all but eradicated but that
legacy survives. Unfortunately with a median age over 50 it's clear the same
season ticket holders are still attending with a lost generation of 25-40
year-olds having missed out. Equally regrettably the previous aggression and
sense of pride has been turned inwards into a sulky blanket disapproval of
easy targets, principally the players and coaching staff. Meaningful protest
has been forgotten as fans starved of considered media comment fail to make
any connection between events on and off the pitch.
I strongly maintain the best thing about supporting a team, my team, are the
people I meet and interact with - they're the reason I keep going. But when
it comes to doing the right thing for the club West Ham supporters seem to
invariably choose the wrong option.
Former manager Harry Redknapp was adored by fans despite tactical illiteracy
and a hold over then Chairman Terence Brown that allowed him to purchase and
sell players not in the best interests of the club but for the betterment of
his own bank balance. Admittedly protests were held against Brown - not
least during several stormy AGMs. Far more damaging to the club however,
were the subsequent Icelandic owners who all but propelled the club into
liquidation but were saved any serious disquiet by canny PR. There's a
current revisionist platform that hails Alan Pardew's reign as manager -
particularly as under his stewardship Newcastle are having a good season -
but the truth is he was disliked for most of his time at the club too
despite taking us to our first domestic final in 25 years.
Although from the same background as the club's support current co-Chairmen
David Sullivan and David Gold are treated with at best mistrust and worst
outright hostility despite being the first owners in the club's 117 year
history to put significant sums of their own money into the club
(unfortunately the Icelanders investment turned out to be underwritten by
Monopoly money). Current manager Sam Allardyce has the best win record of
any manager but appears to be engaging an all-out PR war with his own
support.
So it is with unease I view current plans among fan groups to demand a
ballot on any proposed move from the Boleyn Ground to the Olympic Stadium in
a mirror of the current fashion for TV viewers to "have their say" in regard
to reality shows.
Leaving aside arguments over why non-shareholders might believe themselves
worthy of representation only the most blinkered could possibly argue
against a move on financial grounds. Club revenue will rise and ticket
prices drop - hence Orient Chairman Barry Hearn's antipathy to the move.
Players would be more attracted to join the club and the sponsorship profile
would rise. For spectators journey times to and from games would be slashed
and pre and post-match comfort much improved from the dingy and derelict
pubs surrounding Upton Park. Most importantly the increased capacity would
enable the club to welcome back the lost fans I speak of.
Objections to the move are ostensibly based on the potential distance from
stands to pitch with fans fearful of a diminution of atmosphere. Frankly
this is hogwash, the current ground bears no relation to the dark, hostile
and intimidating arena I first watched a game from in 1969. I'd suggest the
real legitimation - and I'd have a lot more sympathy with this view - is the
quite natural fear of change.
Sadly boys and girls, I believe our time is gone and a new generation of
support is long overdue. If the club are to maintain traditions perhaps it's
time to ditch ours.
*Terry Land hosts a blog at moxycoxy.wordpress.com. He may also be found on
Twitter at twitter.com/#!/AMoCS.
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Nolan: Vaz Te can fire West Ham into Premier League
By talkSPORT | Wednesday, April 11, 2012
West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan is backing Ricardo Vaz Te to score the goals to
help the club gain promotion back into the Premier League next season.
Despite the Hammers dropping more crucial points at home against Birmingham
on Monday, Nolan feels they have still got enough quality to gain promotion.
West Ham are currently six points behind Southampton and Reading with just
four games left to play. But having scored seven goals for the east London
club following his move from Barnsley back in January which includes five in
his last four games, Nolan feels the Portuguese striker is one of the
hottest strikers in the Championship and can play a major role in helping
the club reach the top flight. Nolan said: "I have known him since he was a
16-year-old boy and he has been a great kid. When he came to Bolton he had a
massive future ahead of him, but he had a knee injury and it sort of stopped
him. "But he is a lad who went to Greece to make sure he stayed in the game
and then went off to Scotland to play for Hibs. This year he has been
brilliant for Barnsley and that is why he got the move. "He deserved to come
here and since he arrived he has been a breath of fresh air. He is a pacey
forward type winger. He is great in the air and he is also a good kid to
have around. "It is just great to see a lad who you have known since he was
16 and he is growing up and doing the right things and hopefully he will get
rewarded for that by scoring more goals before the end of the season and
getting his chance back in the Premier League next season."
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Tony Cottee Column: West Ham must now concentrate on themselves
London 24
Tony Cottee, London24 West Ham Columnist
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
3:35 PM
It has been a real period of mixed emotions for West Ham fans over the
Easter break. Firstly we had the joy of comprehensively winning at Barnsley,
scoring four goals and setting a new club record. However, this was
short-lived as on Monday evening at half time, the Hammers found themselves
3-1 down, having been punished by Birmingham City. That disappointment was
overcome by an inspirational second-half display from Sam Allardyce's side
as West Ham managed to claw two goals back and were unlucky not to actually
win the game. Fast forward 24 hours, and the picture doesn't look so bright
for Hammers fans, as Reading's lucky win at Brighton means that the Royals,
along with Southampton, are now six points clear of West Ham at the top of
the league. With only four games to go, our chances of automatic promotion
look to be slipping away. Of course, Reading do still have to go to
Southampton and then Birmingham on the last day of the season, but in a way
the Hammers' fate could well now be out of their own hands. All West Ham can
do now is focus on their remaining four games of the season and go all out
to win them all. There is no point worrying about what the other teams will
be getting up to as we can only affect what we do on the pitch. If the
Hammers do end up in the play-offs then it isn't the end of the world.
Sometimes it is more fun to get promoted via the play-offs, and they provide
a fantastic opportunity for the fans and their families to potentially enjoy
a day out at Wembley. What will be important if we do end up finishing in
third place is that we build up momentum between now and the end of the
season. The second half of the Birmingham game will hopefully kick-start
things and the lads should be buzzing ahead of this weekend's game against
Brighton. Let's face it, it is about time that West Ham managed to get a win
at Upton Park and I believe that we will end our home hoodoo on Saturday.
Gus Poyet has created a Brighton side that like to play good football, but
the Seagulls haven't had the best results of late away from home, so we have
to hit the ground running and have a real go at them from the first whistle.
I actually think that Brighton's style of play will suit the Hammers better
than a side that comes to Upton Park looking to put 10 men behind the ball
and play on the counter attack. We only have to look back to when Blackpool
came to east London, tried to play good football and ended up getting beaten
4-0. Another performance like that would certainly set the Hammers up nicely
for the season run-in. Before that though, I imagine all eyes will be on St
Mary's tomorrow night (Friday) when Reading visit the Saints and I hope that
the game lives up to its expectations. I don't think that there can really
be a bad outcome for West Ham as one, if not both, of the two sides will
drop some points. With only four games to go, I'm sure that there could be
one last twist in the race for automatic promotion from the Championship.
Watch this space.
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Romance will never die at Upton Park
Evening Standard
Patrick Barclay
11 April 2012
For West Ham and their supporters, it has been a Clockwise sort of season.
One that may remind some of the nailbitingly comic film in which John
Cleese's headmaster, by turns encouraged and frustrated in his efforts to
drive to an event that means so much to him - the Headmasters' Conference,
of which he has been made president - declares: "It's not the despair,
Laura. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand." West Ham's
'Headmasters' Conference' is the Premier League and, although experience has
equipped them for dealing with despair in normal circumstances, hope keeps
intruding in the form of convincing away wins.
That Barnsley should be followed by yet another disappointment at home -
though it could have been worse because Sam Allardyce's team were 3-1 down
before drawing with Birmingham - was characteristic of a campaign now almost
certain to culminate in the play-offs. Reports that they plan to apply to
play both legs of their semi-final on the opposition's ground are frivolous.
Less so is a suspicion that the players have become nervous about presenting
Upton Park with football that hardly conforms to Danny Blanchflower's
glorious vision or - to stay closer to home - the traditions associated with
Ron Greenwood and John Lyall.
Romantics mentioning this leave themselves open, or at least ajar, to
derision. But East Londoners scan football's horizon and see football that
would have gladdened those luminaries' hearts: at Swansea, notably. There,
promotion has been followed by stylistic development and something
comparable might happen if Reading, recently triumphant at West Ham, proceed
to the Premier League. Last night Brian McDermott's men merely scraped a win
at Brighton, whose Guy Poyet can be expected to take a bold approach on
Saturday because they urgently need points. And where does fate send
Brighton? To Upton Park. Stand by for hope and despair.
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