Daily WHUFC News - 20th July 2012

Tonks ready for Samba test
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins and his Team GB team-mates will face the mighty Brazil on
Friday
19.07.2012

James Tomkins and his Team GB team-mates will step up their preparations for
the London 2012 Olympic Games when they face Brazil at Middlesbrough on
Friday evening. The West Ham United defender and his colleagues will take on
the South Americans in their one and only warm-up fixture at the Riverside
Stadium in a game that will be screened live on BBC1 (7.45pm kick-off).
Tomkins will have a tough assignment against the Bazilians, who have
included AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato, FC Porto frontman Hulk and Santos
pair Neymar and Ganso in their squad. Naturally, the Hammers No5 cannot wait
to test himself against some of the finest attackers in world football. "You
know what to expect when it comes to Brazil," Tomkins told TheFA.com as Team
GB prepared for the Olympics at their training camp in southern Spain
earlier this week. "The will be technically very good and we'll have periods
of the game where we might not have too much of the ball, so we'll have to
be very disciplined as a team. "I've watched Brazil so many times over the
years and you know they bring up the young lads the exact same way. I'm
looking forward to it as an experience of another country I've not played
before and hopefully I can be part of the match."

The match at Middlebrough's Riverside Stadium on Friday is part of an
historic double-header match as Team GB Women's face Sweden earlier that
afternoon.
Tomkins, who was part of the West Ham team that won 2-0 at Middlesbrough in
the npower Championship in November 2011, is looking forward to returning to
Teesside. "It's a big pitch and physically demanding, but it's about what we
can get out of the game to help us in the tournament. Results come later on,
I'm sure this is going to be a great occasion, and it would be great to get
the confidence going early on."

Team GB have twice won the Gold medal, at the first-ever Olympic football
tournament in London in 1908 and again in Stockholm in 1912. However, Team
GB have not competed in the competition since 1960. This summer, Stuart
Pearce's side will kick-off their bid for Gold when they face Mohamed
Diame's Senegal in Group A at Old Trafford on 26 July. Team GB will travel
to Wembley to take on United Arab Emirates on 29 July before completing the
group stage with a fixture with Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium on 1
August. Sixteen teams will compete in the Olympic football tournament, with
the Gold medal match taking place at Wembley on 11 August.

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Duo join Douglas bidding
Fulham and West Ham lodge bids for Newcastle target
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated: July
19, 2012 12:42pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands that Fulham and West Ham United have both made offers
for FC Twente defender Douglas. Sky Sports revealed earlier this week that
Newcastle United had firmed up their interest in the Brazilian-born Douglas
by lodging a bid. But the Magpies have rival interest from the Premier
League and we can confirm both Fulham and West Ham have tabled offers.
Douglas, 24, will gain Dutch nationality next month which means he will be
able to play in the Premier League without any need for a work permit. He
has been linked with clubs in Italy and Germany, but it is believed he would
relish the prospect of playing in England.

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Hammers Bid to Sign Douglas!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

West Ham have made an offer for FC Twente centre-back, Douglas, following
the Dutch club's rejection of Newcastle Utd's £3m bid last week. The Geordie
interest in the player has been known for some time, although they appear to
have taken an inordinate amount of time to follow up on it. It seems that
the rejection of their offer has now sparked West Ham in to submitting an
alternative bid. However, West Ham are not alone in their interest,
apparently Fulham are also keen to acquire the defender..

Although Brasilian by birth, Douglas will gain Dutch nationality next month,
allowing him to play in the Premier League without a work permit. So, that
would be one very large obstacle to a deal out of the way.

It seems that the story about West Ham's interest in Southend Utd utility
man, Bilel Mohsni is perfectly true. The Frenchman, who has been training
with the Hammers since Wednesday, is to be included in West Ham Development
Squad for the pre-season friendly against Grays Athletic on Friday night.
For those that wish to attend, the match will be played at the Rush Green
Stadium, with a 7.45pm kick off. While the first team squad head off to
Colchester on Saturday for their next schedued pre-season fixture..


Regardless of his sharpness in pre-season, the strong rumours persist that
Sam Baldock is due to exit he club this summer, whether on a season long
loan or a permanent deal. Possible suitors include Crystal Palace, Bristol
City and Ipswich Town. Personally, I would like to see Baldock given his
chance at PL level, but failing that, loan him out to a decent Championship
side like Paul Jewell's and monitor developments. if, as alleged in some
quarters, it is a case of Sam Allardyce wanting to move the player on, then
a permanent exit is probable. It would be a very disappointing and premature
end to Baldock's time with the club, but at the end of the day, Allardyce is
paid to make these decisions! And he will be criticised if he gets it wrong.
Although previously lamented exits by the likes of Stanislas and Hines have
not exactly come back to haunt him, so perhaps we should just trust his
judgement?

Finally, it seems that some supporters are playing a guessing game of 'who
are the two defenders.' Twitter sources have stated that deals for two
defenders are at an advanced stage. If true, who are they, Simpson, Ba,
Olsson, Dann? As always, we must wait to see?

SJ. Chandos.

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Torr war
The Sun
Published: Today at 00:39

WEST HAM, QPR and Blackburn are in a fight to sign £2million-rated Getafe
star Miguel Torres. The former Spain Under-21 right-back, 26, said: "English
football is a paradise for any player. I believe my sporting future will be
there."

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TRANSFER RUMOUR: Paul Jewell reignites interest in West Ham's Sam Baldock
EADT.co.uk
By Dave Gooderham
Thursday, July 19, 2012
10:42 PM

IPSWICH Town have enquired about the possibility of taking West Ham striker
Sam Baldock on a season-long loan, with a view to a permanent deal next
year.
And we understand the forward is keen to join Paul Jewell's side rather than
sit on the sidelines as Hammers boss Sam Allardyce looking elsewhere for
firepower.
Baldock was first mentioned in connection with the Blues in May – even
before West Ham gained promotion via the play-offs. Since then, the striker
has actually impressed in pre-season, scoring in three consecutive
friendlies. But his chances of being a Premier League success at Upton Park
were hit this week when the Hammers signed Mali international frontman
Modibo Maiga for £5 million. Baldock might sit tight for a while – with
fellow striker Ricardo Vaz Te demanding a hike in wages after shooting the
Hammers into the Premier League. But Jewell is monitoring the situation
surrounding the 23-year-old very closely and is ready to pounce with
divisional rivals Charlton also showing interest. Speaking after tonight's
1-1 draw with Den Bosch, Jewell admitted he was looking for a big targetman
– but this might not stop him adding former MK Dons striker Baldock as well.
The Blues boss admitted he was hopeful of making a fourth summer signing
sooner rather than later saying he had "a few things going on". He revealed:
"We need a big centre forward, a bit of physicality." Regarding another
striking target, Steve Davies from Derby, Jewell added: "We have not made a
bid, but I spoke to Nigel Clough on Wednesday to say we do have other
targets. "We are hopeful of getting one in particular very quickly."

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Southend United's Bilel Mohsni set to play for West Ham's development squad
against Grays Athletic
Echo News
5:21pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in Sport By Chris Phillips

BILEL Mohsni is set to play West Ham United's development squad in a
pre-season friendly against Grays Athletic on Friday night. The Frenchman,
who still has a year left on his contract at Southend United, has been
training with the Hammers since Wednesday. The match will be played at the
Rush Green Stadium and kicks off at 7.45pm. It remains to be seen if the
24-year-old will also line up for West Ham United when they head to
Colchester on Saturday.

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Revealed: The Truth about West Ham United new boy Modibo Maiga!
Posted on July 19, 2012 Claus
Footballrascal.com

It is not often West Ham sign a player that leave fans scratching their
heads thinking 'who?' or 'never eard of him'…my mistake, it is pretty common
practice at Upton Park (Marco Boogers anyone?). The arrival of Sam Allardyce
will do little to help this, there are generally only three types of players
that 'Big Sam' signs: Veteran's, former players or complete unknowns and for
many Hammers fans the clubs new gun, Modibo Maiga, fits in to the latter
category. But the big man from Bamako may have more in common with West Ham
than you would think.

Modibo Maiga arrives at Upton Park to become the second Mali international
to grace the hallowed turf, that's if you count Freddie Kanoute as he hadn't
defected from France whilst he was still at West Ham. It is no surprise that
the Hammers new boy is being compared to his Malian predecessor for obvious
reasons, but these two have more than their nationality in common. Maiga is
a forward that has some similar characteristics to Kanoute; they are both
skillful and strong with the ball at their feet, they hold the ball up well,
win headers and are both composed in front of goal, but the majority of
Maiga's attributes are more reminiscent of another former West Ham striker…

Demba Ba was supposed to be joined at Newcastle by Modibo Maiga during last
summer's transfer window and Maiga even went on strike to force a move. The
striker was then supposed to be joining Newcastle again last January before
Papiss Cisse arrived. The reason Maiga didn't sign wasn't down to his bad
attitude, no no no, it was down to the fact his knee failed a medical in a
very Demba Ba/Stoke-esq kind of way. The other theory I have is that they
made up an excuse because Maiga was too similar to Ba.

Both Ba and Maiga often find themselves in wide area's which would leave no
one through the middle, so technically it would have been difficult for them
to play them together. It is not just positionally where they are similar,
they score the same kind of goals; powerful headers, good finishes, whilst
neither one particularly likes defending. So far we have established that
Modibo Maiga is a cross between Freddie Kanoute and Demba Ba – doesn't sound
too bad? Well not all stories have a happy ending because there is another
current West Ham player that Maiga has something in common with…

The bad news is it is Carlton Cole. Firstly the good news, they are
different types of player and the bottom line is that Maiga doesn't look too
bad and is a far cry from Carlton Cole in terms of style and talent. But if
we compare the two's headline career stats, things are a little too similar:

Carlton Cole – total games: 298 – total goals 73 – goal to game ratio: 0.24

Modibo Maiga – total games: 149 – total goals 39 – goal to game ratio: 0.26

We also need to bare in mind that Maiga was playing in a league which is of
a lower standard, but over his career he has only produced a record similar
to that of Carlton Cole when it comes to goal return. His best season was in
2010/11 with Sochaux where he managed 15 goals in a very creative side where
he was supported by some classy midfielders and a good partner in attack, if
he is to get a similar return he will need similar service at West Ham.

It is not just all about goals, it is about what he contributes to the team,
so lets look at assists and we will use Carlton Cole again as the benchmark.
Carlton Cole has played 298 games and has 28 career assists – that a ratio
of 0.09 or one assist every 10 games. Maiga has played 149 games and has 14
assists, which also gives him an assist ratio 0f 0.09. The good news is
Maiga does have other actual playing stats that do go in his favour such as
his shooting accuracy which was the second best in France's Ligue 1 last
season and he was the third best striker in Ligue 1 at converting his
chances.

Like any foreign import that comes in to the Premier League, you don't know
what you are going to get. Maiga is only 24 and there is no doubt the man
has potential and his pace and power should suit the Premier League. If West
Ham surround him with the right type of creative players, and if he fits in
to a system that allows him the freedom to roam across the front line, he
should do well at Upton Park – besides he is hardly a gamble in today's
market considering he reportedly cost under £5m. The jury is out on Maiga,
but a couple of pre-season goals and a few will be putting him in their
Dream Team…he has everything going for him and the potential, it is up to
him if he realises it.

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Hearn dreams of Olympic ground-share with West Ham
Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
July 19, 2012«
ESPN

Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn has told ESPN that he wants the League
One club to share the Olympic Stadium with West Ham after this summer's
Games in London. Hearn has previously spoken out against the Hammers'
attempts to move into the ground in Stratford as he believes it would lead
to the demise of Orient, whose main fanbase and Matchroom Stadium are
located close by. However, the sports promoter is now ready to accept a
compromise - suggesting that Orient could be joint-tenants with West Ham.

Ground sharing is rare in English football with Fulham the last top-flight
club to do so when they moved into QPR's Loftus Road while Craven Cottage
was redeveloped between 2002 and 2004. Hearn believes, though, that AC Milan
and Inter Milan at the San Siro, and Roma and Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico,
provide examples of it working successfully. "We have submitted plans for us
to take occupancy of the Olympic Stadium and work our fixtures around any
other tenants, and I would share the stadium with West Ham in a heartbeat,"
Hearn told ESPN. "My Martin Luther King moment is that I, too, have a dream,
and rather than West Ham put us out of business it is to let us have the
Olympic Stadium. The real legacy, the real intention of a legacy is to allow
the east end clubs to prosper. "If AC Milan and Inter Milan can share the
San Siro, I cannot see the problem of ground sharing in this country. Our
plan is to have a football-friendly, vibrant stadium. The legacy for this
stadium is better suited to that idea, surely? "If they give it to West Ham
alone, it would put us out of business. If we can have the stadium, it can
help us invest in the team and aim to become a Championship side "We are the
Cinderella club of the east end, but it is time for us to go to the ball."

It has also been claimed that Leyton Orient were preparing to be a part of a
bid from Formula One, who are reportedly considering holding a Grand Prix
around the Olympic Park. However, Hearn dismissed the idea, adding: "I am
sure [F1 chief executive] Bernie [Ecclestone] has a clever scheme but F1
cars whizzing around and inside the stadium, I don't think so. Cars going
through the Olympic Park, again I doubt it."

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Abdoulaye Faye gives Hull City deal the thumbs up as Steve Bruce targets up
to four more signings
Thursday, July 19, 2012Hull Daily Mail

HULL City are close to tying up a deal to land Abdoulaye Faye after the
defender yesterday gave the thumbs up to join Steve Bruce's side. The
34-year-old free agent had been mulling over a contract offer from the
Tigers following talks with Bruce on Tuesday. Abdoulaye Faye blocks Matty
Fryatt during West Ham's 2-0 win at the KC Stadium last year. A one-year
deal was thought to have been tabled and after positive further dialogue in
the last 24 hours, it appears Faye is keen on becoming the latest addition
to City's quickening recruitment drive. The former Bolton, Newcastle, Stoke
and West Ham defender, who has racked up over 200 appearances since his
arrival in English football seven years ago, has received offers from
overseas and from a rival club in the Championship. However, with Bruce
persuading Faye he can be part of another push for the Premier League, the
former Senegal international has leaned towards the KC Stadium. Providing
any late hitches can be avoided, the capture of Faye should come as another
step forward for Bruce.

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