Daily WHUFC News - 5th August 2012

Ipswich Town 3-1 West Ham United FT
WHUFC.com
The Hammers suffer a pre-season defeat by Paul Jewell's men at Portman Road
04.08.2012

Ipswich Town v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Portman Road
Saturday 4 August 2012
Kick-off: 3pm

Final score - Ipswich Town 3-1 West Ham United

92 mins - Loach stands firm to stop West Ham halving the deficit. Maynard streaks forward before releasing Vaz Te with a through ball, but the goalkeeper dives to his left to push the ball away. Corner. It comes to nothing and moments later the final whistle is blown. We'll have highlights and reaction from today's game on West Ham TV soon.
90 mins - Into the final minute and a Noble free-kick comes to nothing inside the box. It's going to be a defeat for Big Sam's men, but they have improved after the break. They will need to eradicate the individual mistakes when the Barclays Premier League season starts, though. We're going to have two added minutes.
88 mins - Noble's delivery is low and cleared at the near post. Ipswich break after a Fanimo mis-kick but thankfully Henderson is there to gather the cross when it comes over.
87 mins - West Ham have a corner now. Taylor drives it across but it's too high for Collins to direct his header goalwards. Collins does win a throw, though, and from it Vaz Te wins a free-kick. Noble takes and Carson heads behind for a corner.
85 mins - Collins gives the ball away and then is beaten by the pass to Carson. The No7 shoots and the ball takes a deflection as it flashes past the upright. Before the corner, Whight replaces Cresswell. The ball comes over and breaks to Kourouma, who leans back and shoots too high.
83 mins - GOAL! Moncur slides but fails to keep control of the ball. Instead, Scotland takes possession and runs towards the box before cutting onto his right foot and curling the shot past Noble and Henderson and into the far corner. Great strike.
82 mins - Taylor has the chance. Demel lifts a cross to the far post and Loach doesn't come. Taylor rises and heads back across the face of goal and behind. So close!
81 mins - Into the final ten minutes and both young substitutes have been involved. Can they help West Ham to secure a second two-goal comeback in the space of a week?
79 mins - West Ham replace Jaaskelainen with Henderson in goal, while Murray comes on for Hyam for the home side.
78 mins - It's 4-2 to the Development Squad now! Blair Turgott has scored. That is some scoreline for the youngsters against the AFC Wimbledon first team.
77 mins - That's O'Neil's last contribution as he is replaced by George Moncur, an England Under-19 midfielder. Moments later, Noble lifts a cross over and Collins heads well wide.
76 mins - West Ham have a decent chance to draw level. Vaz Te collects and runs at the Ipswich back four before squaring for O'Neil. Unfortunately, the midfielder does not quite connect and shoots straight at Loach. The away fans are making a bit more noise as their team tries to get back in it.
74 mins - Cole is replaced by Fanimo before the game restarts. The No23 is an England Under-18 international winger with a sweet left foot.
73 mins - GOAL! Almost out of nowhere West Ham are right back in it. Taylor has the ball 25 yards out and is given time and space to pick his spot. A swing of the trusty left boot and the ball bounces in off the base of the right-hand post! Pinpoint finish from the No14.
71 mins - Ipswich replace Luongo with Kourouma. The little Italian gets an ovation from the Ipswich fans. He did play well today. The crowd today is 7,682 with more than 2,000 of them from West Ham.
69 mins - Collins rakes the ball out 50 yards wide left for O'Brien, who heads on for Vaz Te. He has Cole and Maynard running into the box, but slices his left-foot cross behind the goal and it bounces into the stand.
67 mins - O'Neil runs forward but his pass finds Cole offside inside the penalty area. The break in play sees Emmanuel-Thomas replaced by Byron Lawrence.
66 mins - Amazing news from Kingsmeadow where the Development Squad are now 3-2 up! I am told Piquionne may have scored a hat-trick, but that is not confirmed.
64 mins - Scotland barrels forward through the midfield before laying the ball wide right for Carson. He cuts inside on to his left foot and shoots, but drags the effort wide of the near post. Jaaskelainen had it covered.
61 mins - Changes from both managers. Edwards and Smith are replaced by Ainsley and Delaney for Ipswich, while Maynard is on for Maiga for the Hammers.
59 mins - An update from the Development Squad where Luke Moore had put AFC Wimbledon 2-0 up before half-time. However, Frederic Piquionne has pulled a goal back.
56 mins - Maiga and Cole combine before Taylor crosses low, but Smith clears. West Ham come again and Taylor cushions the pass down to Vaz Te. He loses his man and shoots hard and low. Loach dives to his left and makes the save before plunging on to the ball before it can get too far away from him.
55 mins - Ipswich attack through substitutes Scotland and Stevenson before the latter shoots from 22 yards - too high.
53 mins - Maiga loses the ball to Hyam before winning it back and being felled by the Ipswich No6. There have been glimpses from the Mali man and he will get better as he spends more time getting to know his new team-mates.
52 mins - Demel initially does well before passing straight to Edwards. He comes forward before shooting from 25 yards, but it is too high.
48 mins - Ipswich are first to show again as Cresswell overlaps and slams a cross in low to the near post. Collins stretches out his right leg to concede the corner. Emmanuel-Thomas tries to dribble into the box but Maiga slows him down and the Hammers clear.
46 mins - The home side get the second half underway. West Ham look like they are now employing a 4-3-3 formation, with Maiga and Vaz Te either side of Cole.

Ipswich are making some changes - Jason Scotland and Ryan Stevenson are on for Chopra and Martin. O'Brien on for Potts for West Ham.
Judging by the rigorous warm-up he is undertaking at the moment, I think Joey O'Brien could be on after the break. He is already stripped down to his match kit.

46 mins - Half-time. West Ham will have to improve after the break if they are to avoid defeat here. Two set-plays led to two Ipswich goals and the hosts have been the better team. I know it's a cliche, but it's only pre-season!
45 mins - Another decent passing move from the home side ends with Martin making room for a shot on his left foot, but Collins is out quickly to charge it down. Ipswich have certainly moved the ball well through the midfield. They have been fluent at times.
44 mins - On the plus side, an Ipswich staff member has just brought a kettle and some mugs up the steps to the Press Box. A half-time cuppa will help!
41 mins - Vaz Te and Taylor have swapped wings. Cole has the ball in the midfield, turns and looks up and then lifts a pass through to Loach.
39 mins - The wonders of social media tell me that the Development Squad are trailing 1-0 at AFC Wimbledon through Luke Moore's goal. Emmanuel Thomas has another go here and again the shot is deflected wide. Cole heads the corner clear at the near post.
36 mins - Reid has a few words to say to Martin after a coming together near the byline. The referee has a chat with both players, but takes no further action. Reid was trying to hold off the Ipswich midfielder and took exception to the robust nature of Martin's challenge.
34 mins - A few moments of calm as both teams struggle to maintain possession. Just to remind you that the Development Squad are also in action this afternoon at AFC Wimbledon. We'll have a report from that fixture later today.
31 mins - Taylor wins the ball back inside the Ipswich half and it breaks to Maiga. He pushes the ball in front of him and then shoots from 25 yards, but it flies well over the top.
30 mins - Ipswich have a corner as Edwards' low shot takes a deflection off Taylor. Martin deilvers and Jaaskelainen makes the catch high above his head.
28 mins - Ipswich shout for another penalty but this time Potts gets his body in the way and shields the ball from Chopra. Good defending from the 18-year-old. West Ham then go up the other end and Loach's clearance is headed into the centre by Taylor, but Cole cannot benefit.
26 mins - This time Smith challenges Cole in the air and the foul is given. The initial free-kick is cleared to Noble, whose follow-up header is also hacked away. West Ham are having a spell of pressure, however.
24 mins - Some patient build-up from West Ham ends with Noble clipping a cross towards Cole. He flicks-on for Maiga, but the assistant referee flags for a foul by Cole on Smith.
23 mins - Hmmm... Emmanuel-Thomas jinks past Collins and has a sight of goal from 18 yards. He sidefoots low and the ball just dribbles past the right-hand post. That could have been 3-0 with a slightly better aim from the former Arsenal youngster.
21 mins - West Ham try to break down their right through Demel and Vaz Te, but Cresswell gets a toe in to prevent the Ivorian's pass sending the No12 away. West Ham do win a throw, but they can do nothing with it.
19 mins - GOAL! Not a great start. Martin curls the free-kick over to the far post and Chambers is unmarked. He cranes his neck and sends the header back past Jaaskelainen and into the corner of the net. West Ham will need to stop conceding set pieces in and around their box.
18 mins - Ipswich have another chance to put a ball into the box as Potts clips the heels of Martin. Free-kick three yards outside the penalty area.
17 mins - The Hammers try to respond and win a free-kick down their left. Taylor and Potts work a crossing chance, but again it's too close to Loach and the goalkeeper makes a smart catch low down.
15 mins - GOAL! Emmanuel-Thomas runs at Taylor before passing square to Martin inside the penalty area. O'Neil brings him down with a clumsy challenge and referee Pat Miller blows his whistle and points to the spot. Chopra strolls up and sends Jaaskelainen the wrong way. Ipswich lead.
14 mins - Vaz Te seeks out Taylor with a raking 40-yard pass. The No14 controls and then tries to find Cole in the middle, but his cross bounces too close to Loach, who collects. It's been an open game so far.
11 mins - Cole wins a flick-on to himself before finding Maiga. He gets past Edwards and crosses low, but Chambers clears for a throw. From it, Cole finds Potts, who wins a corner as his cross flicks off Edwards. It comes to nothing initially as Noble's cross is headed clear. Maiga keeps the ball alive and Taylor finds Potts in space. He crosses high towards Maiga, but Smith glances the ball away.
10 mins - Vaz Te shows no ill-effects as he pushes the ball into space behind Cresswell and races forward. Carson tracks his run and makes the sliding challenge to concede a throw. West Ham try to force an opening, but concede a free-kick for a foul instead...
9 mins - Vaz Te is felled inside the centre circle. He has the physio on for a while but is back on again after some treatment.
8 mins - Close again. Emmanuel-Thomas runs at Potts before clipping the pass back to the supporting Edwards. The Trinidad and Tobago man again crosses low and Chopra dummies. The ball hits Collins before the Welshman boots the ball clear.
7 mins - Ipswich come again and this time Collins' tackle is ill-timed. Free-kick. Emmanuel-Thomas fancies this one from just over 25 yards. He steps up and curls his shot a few yards over the top. West Ham have not settled yet.
6 mins - James Collins is back! Ginge wins a header but nods it straight to Luongo. The home fans encourage the Tottenham loanee to shoot. He does, but Collins makes a thunderous block to clear.
4 mins - Ipswich having the majority of possession so far and they work an opening well down their right. Full-back Edwards is a former winger and shows his quality by whipping in a low cross that Chopra meets at the near post. He shoots first-time and the ball flies wide. Decent chance.
2 mins - Maiga is up front with Cole. Vaz Te is playing wide right in a 4-4-2 formation. Taylor is on the left. The rest are set out as you would expect. Reid is playing on the left of the two centre-backs.

3.02pm - O'Neil and Vaz Te get the game underway. The ball goes back to Potts, whose clearance is helped back into the West Ham half by Chopra. Reid heads out for a throw. Low-key start!

3pm - There is a decent crowd inside Portman Road for today's game and they are making some noise as the team lineups are read out. I'm afraid the low stand roof in front of me means I can't see how many West Ham supporters are here!

2.58pm - Here they come. West Ham are in claret and blue shirts, sky blue shorts and claret socks and are captained this afternoon by Mark Noble. Noble is sporting lime green boots, while Gary O'Neil has yellow footwear on. Very flash, but perhaps not as flash as Matt Taylor and Ricardo Vaz Te's PINK boots!

2.55pm - OK, the sun is out after a recent cloudburst and the two teams should be with us soon. I'm looking forward to seeing Maiga in action this afternoon, and of course to seeing the Reid/Collins combination at the heart of the back four. Big Sam will want West Ham to put on a show today, with just a fortnight to go until the big kick-off.

2.50pm - OK, we have the Ipswich lineup and substitutes...

Ipswich Town: Loach, Edwards, Cresswell, Chambers, Smith, Hyam, Carson, Luongo, Emmanuel-Thomas, Martin, Chopra
Subs: Lee-Barrett, Murray, Ainsley, Delaney, Kourouma, Lawrence, Whight

2.15pm - Just to clarify, Kevin Nolan is missing today as he continues his treatment for a minor toe injury, while George McCartney has a slight back problem. Jack Collison is back in full training, but this game has come just too soon for him. James Tomkins and Mohamed Diame are both on Olympic Games duty.

1.55pm - OK, we have the West Ham team news. Modibo Maiga starts, as does James Collins, while there are places on the bench for George Moncur, Sebastian Lletget and Matthias Fanimo. Raphael Spiegel has travelled with the squad for experience, but Stephen Henderson is the substitute goalkeeper.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, Potts, O'Neil, Noble, Taylor, Vaz Te, Maiga, Cole
Subs: Henderson, O'Brien, Moncur, Lletget, Fanimo, Maynard

Good afternoon and welcome to Suffolk for today's pre-season match between npower Championship side Ipswich Town and West Ham United.
The Hammers have ventured up the A12 for their penultimate pre-season fixture ahead of the new Barclays Premier League season, which begins with the visit of Aston Villa to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 18 August. Don't forget that tickets are selling fast for the season opener - to make sure of your seat, buy a Season Ticket or match ticket today!

Manager Sam Allardyce and his players will be determined to get one over the Tractor Boys after suffering home and away defeats by Paul Jewell's team last season - including a shock 5-1 reverse here at Portman Road in January.

Big Sam has a squad combining youth and experience at his disposal, with new signings Modibo Maiga and Raphael Spiegel hoping to make their maiden first-team appearances on UK soil. The manager has also included young professionals Dan Potts, George Moncur and Sebastian Lletget in his squad in the absence of the injured George McCartney and Kevin Nolan and Jack Collison, who has only recently returned to full training.

For the hosts, former West Ham Academy player Jimmy Bullard needs no introduction to Hammers fans, while Ipswich will also have new signings Scott Loach and Luke Chambers on duty.Chambers, you might remember, scored an own-goal for West Ham in their 4-1 win at Nottingham Forest last August!

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Difficult day for Demel
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel knows there is hard work to be done after a disappointing pre-season defeat at Ipswich Town
04.08.2012

Guy Demel admitted West Ham United did not perform well enough in Saturday's 3-1 pre-season defeat at Ipswich Town. Employing an experimental 4-4-2 formation, the Hammers started slowly at Portman Road and found themselves two goals down to the npower Championship side within the opening 20 minutes. The first was a Michael Chopra penalty, while the second saw an unmarked Luke Chambers head in Lee Martin's free-kick. West Ham did improve after half-time and Matt Taylor halved the deficit, but Ipswich added a late third when Jason Scotland took advantage of another mistake to fire into the far corner. Demel, who completed a full 90 minutes at right-back, conceded that the Hammers had not deserved anything from the game. However, he told West Ham TV that he is confident the squad will have ironed out any deficiencies come the big Barclays Premier League kick-off against Aston Villa on 18 August. "I think we took the game seriously but we didn't play well early in the game and we conceded two goals," said the Ivorian. "After that, it was difficult for us to come back because Ipswich played with confidence. It was hard for us to get the ball and to play our football. "There are a lot of things we can learn from this game. They were bad things for us, but even if it wasn't nice and we weren't happy with the result, it was better that it happened now because we can work hard over the next two weeks to prepare for the Premier League."

The players will be back on the training pitch at Chadwell Heath on Sunday morning before flying to Portugal early next week for their final pre-season fixture. West Ham take on UEFA Champions League qualifiers SC Braga in Portugal on Friday night and Demel believes the match will be vital in shaping the team's preparations for the season ahead. In short, the No20 said they could not afford to repeate the mistakes made against Ipswich against opposition as good as Braga. "I think this will be most important game of our pre-season because it is the last game. We have played some good and bad games in pre-season, but in this one there will be no excuse because it is the last one before we play Aston Villa in the Premier League. "We must be at 100 per cent physically and mentally. This game will give us more information about how well we are and where we will be at the start of the season."

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Dev Squad too strong for Dons
WHUFC.com
The development squad were impressive winners on Saturday against AFC Wimbledon
04.08.2012

The Development Squad completed a sensational comeback against AFC Wimbledon by coming from 2-0 down to win 4-2 on Saturday afternoon. Freddie Piquionne led the charge - scoring a nine minute hat-trick at the beginning of the second half after a frustrating opening period. Speaking after the game, development squad manager Ian Hendon praised his side for their response after a disappointing start. "We started a little slow and found ourselves two goals down, but after that we responded well and created a host of good opportunities. "We came out second half and took our chances, playing a lot better especially at the back so I'm really pleased with the turnaround."

Hendon stated last week that he wanted to see his side to show more creativity and they did just that with Rob Hall and Blair Turgott both impressing after a spell away with the first team in Germany last week. "I got a lot of the lads back this week who have been away in Germany like Blair and Rob, we also had Jordan Spence in the side today and players like that only add to the strength to my squad. "That showed today playing against a very good team in AFC Wimbledon and getting a few of the older lads back definitely helps," said Hendon. "Last week we had first and second year scholars, we were still quite young today but the lads did very well."

Turgott got the Hammers' final goal, rounding off an exceptionally hard working performance, by holding off left-back Warren Cummings before firing the ball past Steve Collins in the home side's goal. Another player who stood out for the Hammers was keeper Jake Larkin who made a string of impressive stops, much to the delight of his manager. "Jake did exceptionally well today, he made some very good saves in the first half when we were very much up against it. "His distribution up to the front men was also very good as was his kicking; I'm very pleased for him."

Hendon also praised first year scholar Courtney Homan who put in a solid defensive display. "Whilst we're talking about defence I want to mention Courtney who came in as a first year scholar and played extremely well." Freddie Piquionne put in a man of the match performance, and Hendon is hopeful the Frenchman can now kick on as the season unfolds. "Freddie has shown his quality today and I think he would be the first to admit that he hasn't done that enough in recent games, unluckily for Wimbledon they've caught him on a good day."

The development squad will participate in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League this season with a trip to Reading first on the agenda. Hendon is confident that his pre-season preparations will ensure the side are ready to hit the ground running. "Pre-season is all about being fit, ready and motivated for the start of the season and we showed signs today that everything is starting to come together. "I had around eight or nine of my players out on loan at once last year and that won't happen this year. "Some players will leave and they need to in order to gain valuable experience but they will also gain that here now we have fixtures of our own."

Next up for Hendon and his side is a trip to Northampton on Tuesday night before rounding off their pre-season schedule against Dagenham and Redbridge. The development squad will then kick off their league campaign against Reading on the 17 August, which is followed by a trip to Everton and round two of the Capital One Cup.

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Mohsni deal in the balance
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Southend United are still considering a bid from West Ham for central defender Bilel Mohsni. The Hammers submitted an offer - thought to be in the region of £150,000 - for the 25-year-old Frenchman earlier today and initial reports suggested that it had been rejected by the League Two club. But according to local press, those reports were premature with Southend still considering West Ham's offer for a player who has just twelve months left on his current contract and who has already signalled a desire to try his luck elsewhere. An unnamed spokesperson for the Shrimpers told the Echo today: "The offer is still being discussed by the football club," adding that "it hasn't been accepted or rejected at this stage."

Meanwhile the player himself added: "At this moment I don't know what is happening, but I think I should find out more over the weekend." The defender, who can also play in attack made his debut in claret and blue at Grays last month before featuring for West Ham at Colchester and then in United's recent tour of Germany.
Speaking last month about his future away from Southend, he said: "I am leaving the club. I don't know where I will sign but I want to play at a higher level."

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Oh no, Momo
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's new signing Momo Diame could miss the start of the Premier League season after limping off during Senegal's Olympic Games quarter-final defeat against Mexico. The Senegalese captain appeared to suffer a hamstring strain late on in the second half of the match, which the Mexicans eventually won 4-2 after extra time. Having gone in for a challenge close to the half way line, the 25-year-old immediately pulled up sharply clutching his thigh. And just a few minutes later Diame was replaced by Serigne Mbodji as he trudged forlornly down the Wembley tunnel. Diame, who signed for West Ham in June on a free transfer having decided to leave Wigan at the end of last season cpatained his country during all three of their group games at the competition, which saw the Senegalese accrue five points with two draws and a win. Diame's new team mate James Tomkins is in the Great Britain squad which faces Korea in the last Olympic Games quarter final fixture later this evening.

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Ipswich Town 3 West Ham Utd 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham suffered a second successive defeat at Portman Road in 2012 as Sam Allardyce's side were well-beaten by the Championship side. Back in January, West Ham suffered their heaviest defeat of the 2011/12 season when going down 5-1 to the Tractor Boys. And there was further disappointment for Allardyce and his players as they went down 3-1 to a lively Town side in Suffolk this afternoon. Whilst Kevin Nolan and George McCartney, both nursing minor injuries missed today's game - not to mention the absence of Olympians James Tomkins and Momo Diame - there was a welcome recall for James Collins, making his first appearance for the Hammers since returning to the club from Aston Villa.

However the central defender's homecoming was abruptly spoilt with just quarter-of-an-hour on the clock when Michael Chopra put the home side one-up from the penalty spot after Gary O'Neil was adjudged to have felled Lee Martin inside the penalty box. Still shellshocked from going a goal behind, Allardyce's side found themselves two down just four minutes later when Chambers' looping header dropped into the corner of Jussi Jaaskelainen's net. And it was nearly 3-0 just after the restart when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas took advantage of West Ham's defenders backing off to fire an effort inches wide of the post.

With new signing Modibo Maiga, making his first appearance for West Ham on English soil looking lively, West Ham began to get back into the game. However the yw were unable to reduce the deficit before the break and went into half-time two behind. That's how it stayed until 17 minutes from the end of normal time when Matt Taylor scored from long-range to bring West Ham to within a goal of their hosts. However the game was won for Ipswich with just seven minutes remaining when Jason Scotland made it 3-1 from the edge of the box with a curlign effort that left sub 'keeper Stephen Henderson no chance.

The defeat was West Ham's fourth reversal of pre-season following defeats at Austria Wien, Oxford United an Dynamo Dresden. And although pre-season should never be used as a barometer of form for the ensuing league campaign, there may well be some concerns inside the camp tonight at the nature of the defeat - and West Ham's apparent defensive weaknesses.

West Ham Utd: Jaaskelainen (Henderson 79), Reid, Collins, Demel, Potts (O'Brien 46), O'Neil, Noble, Taylor, Vaz Te, Maiga (Maynard 59), Cole.
Subs not used: Moncur, Lletget, Fanimo.

Ipswich Town: Loach, Edwards (Ainsley 61), Chambers, Smith (Delaney 61), Cresswell, Carson, Hyam (Murray 79), Luongo (Kourouma 71), Emmanuel-Thomas (Lawrence 67), Martin (Stevenson 46), Chopra (Scotland 46).

Subs not used: Lee-Barrett, Whight.

Attendance: 7,682 (2,075 away fans)

Pre-Season 2012/13: First team Squad Results

August
Braga v West Ham Utd
Ipswich Town 3-1 West Ham Utd

July
Energie Cottbus 2-2 West Ham Utd
Dynamo Dresden 3-0 West Ham Utd
Rot-Weiß Erfurt 0-3 West Ham Utd
Colchester Utd 1-2 West Ham Utd
Oxford Utd 1-0 West Ham Utd
Southend Utd 0-3 West Ham Utd
Boreham Wood 1-1 West Ham Utd
Austria Wien 3-1 West Ham Utd

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Tractor Boys beat Hammers
Last updated: 4th August 2012
SSN

West Ham suffered a 3-1 defeat at Ipswich Town in their pre-season friendly at Portman Road on Saturday. West Ham, who before Saturday's match at Ipswich had already lost three pre-season friendlies, fell behind after 15 minutes when Michael Chopra netted from the spot. Summer signing from Nottingham Forest Luke Chambers put the hosts two goals up four minutes later with a header. Matt Taylor pulled one back for the visitors after 73 minutes with a long range effort, but Jason Scotland sealed a 3-1 win for the Suffolk side seven minutes from time.

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Hammers' Mohsni bid rejected
Southend snub bid for Frenchman
Last Updated: August 4, 2012 1:01pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham have had a bid rejected by Southend for Bilel Mohsni. Mohsni has been on trial at West Ham during pre-season as Hammers boss Sam Allardyce casts an eye over the 24-year-old. The defender, who can also play as a striker, has impressed at Roots Hall over the last couple of seasons. Mohsni is thought to have caught the eye in pre-season training and West Ham have tabled an offer in the region of £150,000 for the Frenchman. However, Southend have rejected West Ham's initial offer for Mohsni as they battle to keep hold of the versatile performer. Mohsni has just a year left on his current deal, after Southend took up the 12-month option they had on him at the end of last season.

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Saturday Talking Points
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

* Sam Allardyce is concerned about James Tomkins' match fitness if Stuart Pearce doesn't play him in Olympic matches.
* Crewe, Doncaster and MK Dons are said to want to take Freddie Piquionne on a season long loan. At £38k a week?
* The Salomon Rondon rumours gather pace.He's a Venezuelan striker with Malaga, who has scored 25 in 67 games.
* Similarly, West Ham are said to be scouting Senegal strike Moussa Konate.
* Freddie Sears scored twice for Colchester last night in a 2-2 draw with Derby.
* West Ham play Ipswich at Portman Road in a friendly. Ipswich manager Paul Jewell has told his time "It's time to get nasty". Nice.
* It looks certain that Sam Baldock is off to Bristol City for £500k less than we paid for him last summer. Madness.
* Joey O'Brien has been called up to the Irish national squad for their friendly against Serbia on 15 August.

In July this site had 67,713 absolute unique visitors, 226,157 visitors and 329,629 pageviews. Thanks to all of you who visit to regularly. The number of comments is increasing massively. We're nearly ready to reinstate nested comments. In other news, I'll be interviewing a star West Ham player for the site soon - most probably Carlton Cole. More on that in a few days time.I've also asked to do a feature interview with Karren Brady once the Olympic Stadium bid decision is made. And finally, in a few hours time I am off to the Olympic Stadium to watch the evening's athletics. I can't wait to see what it's like. I'll report back tomorrow. UPDATE: According to Sky Sports Southend have rejected a £150,000 bid for Bilel Mohsni, who has been on trial with the Hammers for the last few weeks. He can play in defence or as
a striker.

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Sag in the bag for Hammers
Published: Today at 01:25
The Sun

WEST HAM lead the race for Evian ace Yannick Sagbo, 24. The frontman said: "I had approaches from Fulham, Wolfsburg and Marseille. "If I must choose it is West Ham."

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KEVIN NOLAN: WE CAN BE TOP-SIX IF MY PAL ANDY CARROLL SIGNS FOR SAM ALLARDYCE
The Daily Star
5th August 2012 By Steve Morgan

WEST HAM skipper Kevin Nolan has told pal Andy Carroll: 'Sign up and turn us into a top-six club'. Nolan reckons the Liverpool striker could be the catalyst for the team to shock the Premier League's big guns. Nolan and manager Sam Allardyce feel that the winning mentality gained in their Championship Play-Off Final promotion will stay with them in the top flight. Outspoken Sam was delighted stars like Carlton Cole stayed to help get the the club back up to the top flight in one season – but admitted it was their fault they had dropped out of the Premier League. Big Sam also feels the way he was treated at Newcastle and Bolton has damaged his reputation as a manager. Nolan said: "I would be delighted if Andy would come and join us here. "I am not too sure whether Brendan Rodgers will let him leave but there is lots of speculation – there always is surrounding Andy. "If there is a chance, we would be in the reckoning for him because he is such a quality player."

Nolan – Sam's former leader at Bolton – reckons his wily boss may shock the league. "I think everyone who has worked with Sam can honestly say he gives you everything he has got and gives you every little bit of detail to make sure you do well. "He is not given the praise for what he has done at clubs he has been at, or complimented for what he has done."

And Big Sam feels that Nolan's year scrapping in the Championship alongside other players like Cole and Mark Noble will have made them all stronger characters.
He said: "Kevin always gets the dressing room pulling in the right direction. "He boosts team spirit, ­commitment and every year goals have been consistently been part of his game – that is his main asset." Allardyce reckons that his team has the right attitude on and off the pitch with mental strength being a key component of their return. "Losing only eight out of the 49 games and only one in 2012 is why I came to West Ham – to win football matches," he added. "We did the ultimate which was get back into the Premier League the first time around. "I turned it round under very difficult circumstances. "To do that in a ten-month period and win promotion the way we did in the play-offs – that feeling of winning the final at Wembley – was far greater than the feeling if you get automatic promotion."

Sam was delighted Cole and Nolan stayed on reduced wages. He said: "From the financial aspect it was a massive commitment by him and quite a few players like that. "We were very disappointed but at the end of the day they were responsible partly for the club getting relegated in the first place. "Then to accept that responsibility and want to fight to get the club back up is not seen very often today, so they should take credit for that."

Sam is keen to prove himself a top manager again following the sack at ­Newcastle and Blackburn. He feels it was executives, not performances, which cost him his jobs, and "damaged" his ­legacy. He said: "It is damaged because someone has sacked you whether you deserved it or not. So that is where I think it ­damages my reputation, even though it was new owners who sacked me twice, once at ­Newcastle after six months because I wasn't their man and once at Blackburn when Venky's came in – because again I was not their man. "They have the right to choose whoever they choose, no matter how good or bad you do. "When they don't want you, you've to accept that."

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NEWCASTLE BATTLE WITH WEST HAM TO SIGN SENEGAL SCORING SENSATION MOUSSA KONATE
The Daily STar
5th August 2012 By Clive Hetherington

NEWCASTLE are battling with West Ham in the race to sign Senegal scoring sensation Moussa Konate. Toon boss Alan Pardew is anxious to boost his firepower after failing with an initial bid to take Liverpool striker Andy Carroll back to Tyneside on loan. Pardew, who has seen frontmen Leon Best and Peter Lovenkrands leave this summer, knows the chance to link up with compatriots Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse would appeal to Konate. The Maccabi Tel Aviv star, 19, caught the eye of scouts with four Olympic group-stage goals for Senegal, including the late equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Team GB at Old Trafford. He also scored the goal that rescued a 1-1 draw against the United Arab Emirates. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, who also wants England international Carroll, has already lodged a £1.5million offer for Konate. And Premier League champions Manchester City, along with Fulham, have been credited with an interest. Pardew is also demanding "more magic'' from his enigmatic star Hatem Ben Arfa. The controversial French playmaker, 25, produced flashes of genius as Newcastle qualified for the Europa League last season.
But Pardew wants greater consistency from Ben Arfa, who hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons this summer. He was warned about his future conduct by the French Football Federation after an alleged bust-up with former France coach Laurent Blanc at the European Championships. And Ben Arfa's father, Kamel, was reportedly involved in a public clash with his agent, Michel Ouazine, outside the disciplinary hearing. Pardew described Ben Arfa's goal in January's FA Cup Third-Round win over Blackburn on Tyneside as "technically the greatest I've ever seen''. He also scored a wonder goal at home to Bolton and Pardew said: "A lot of my players would tell you Hatem has talent they can only dream of. "He just has to bring it to the table. There were games last season where he did – but there were a lot of games where he didn't. "He has to get consistency in his game. It's about how many times he can bring that magic to the pitch. He needs to improve on that."

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West Ham suffer defeat at Ipswich
London24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Saturday, August 4, 2012
5:18 PM

Results don't mean much at this stage of pre-season, but West Ham boss Sam Allardyce may well have been a little perturbed by the manner of this defeat at Portman Road this afternoon. While the Hammers were marching back into the Premier League last term, they did lose twice to Ipswich, including an embarrassing 5-1 loss here in January. It was more of the same in this match as the Tractor Boys dominated for long periods and thoroughly deserved their victory against an under-par Hammers side which included James Collins making his first appearance since his signing from Aston Villa this week. Hammers adopted a 4-4-2 formation with new boy Modibo Maiga playing up front alongside Carlton Cole, with Ricardo Vaz Te on the right and Matt Taylor on the left. But it did not seem to be an effective plan as Ipswich took full advantage of the extra room in the middle of the park to take control. It was certainly Ipswich who started the brighter and in the fourth minute they went close to taking the lead when Michael Chopra met a low cross from the right, only to shoot inches wide. On 15 minutes they did get in front. Just as West Ham had begun to take some semblance of control, Ipswich went up the other end where Gary O'Neil upended the tricky Lee Martin for an obvious penalty. Chopra stepped up and made no mistake from the spot, sending Jussi Jaaskelainen the wrong way. Four minutes later it was 2-0 as West Ham conceded a free kick on the right hand side. Martin stroked the ball into the box and Luke Chambers was there to head the ball back into the far corner.

It could have been three on 22 minutes when Jay-Emmanuel Thomas cut inside as West Ham failed to close him down, only for his scuffed shot to slip inches wide with Jaaskelainen struggling to reach it. Mali international striker Maiga attempted to haul the Hammers back into the game with an ambitious shot on 31 minutes, but his effort, though powerful, flew high and wide of Scott Loach's goal as the Hammers failed to make an impression in a very disappointing first half.

Manager Sam Allardyce opted to change the formation for the second half with Maiga switching to the left side in a 4-3-3 formation and it seemed to have the desired effect as West Ham got back into the game. Vaz Te forced a decent save from Loach on 57 minutes with a shot from the edge of the box, while Taylor began to cause problems with his deliveries from the left hand side. West Ham continued to press in the second half and they were rewarded on 73 minutes. Nicky Maynard played in Taylor on the edge of the box and he swung a left-foot shot which hit the post and flew into the net to make it 2-1. Taylor came close again 10 minutes later when he met Guy Demel's cross with a header that went across the goal and slipped inches wide. But on 83 minutes, Ipswich secured their deserved victory when Jason Scotland stormed forward before curling a shot from outside the box into the far corner. Maynard almost set-up Vaz Te for a consolation in injury time, only for Loach to save his shot, but it was already too late for the Hammers who have just one more friendly before they kick-off their Premier League campaign against Aston Villa at Upton Park on August 18.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen (Henderson 79), Demel, Potts (O'Brien h/t), Collins, Reid, O'Neil (Moncur 77), Noble, Taylor, Vaz Te, Maiga (Maynard 62), Cole (Fanimo 74). Sub not used: Lletget,

Attendance: 7,682

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Piquionne blasts 10-minute hat-trick as West Ham XI stun AFC Wimbledon
London Echo
by Tom Moore, at the Cherry Red Records Stadium
Saturday, August 4, 2012
4:50 PM

Pre-Season Friendly: AFC Wimbledon 2 West Ham United 4

West Ham striker Freddie Piquionne scored a 10 minute hat-trick to inspire a wonderful comeback against AFC Wimbledon. The Frenchman danced through the Dons defence for his first then scored his second from the spot. His third was the best of the lot as he fired an unstoppable long-range shot past Dons goalkeeper Steve Collis. The south-west Londoners had taken a two goal lead going into half-time with AFC Wimbledon made the better start and Hammers goalkeeper Jake Larkins had to be alert straight away, making two quick saves. The east Londoners started to gain a foothold in the game and Louis Harris had to be alert to stop Rob Hall's cross. Luke Moore gave the Dons the lead with a powerful shot that Larkins couldn't do anything about. The Hammers looked to come back into the game with Bilel Moshni forcing Collis into an excellent save. Freddie Piquionne then forced the Dons stopper into another good save. Brendan Kiernan then stung the palms of Larkins with a free kick that looked destined for the bottom corner. AFC Wimbledon made it 2-0 with 10 minutes of the first half remaining The two Moores combined and Luke was the goalscorer, lifting it over Larkins. Whatever Ian Hendon said at half time worked as came from two goals down to lead 3-2 within 10 minutes after the restart, with Piquionne dancing through the Dons defenders and firing home at the near post for their first. The Hammers were then awarded a 52nd minute penalty for holding in the box and Piquionne sent Collis the wrong way. Hall then should have given the Irons the lead when he went clean through but could only fire high and wide.

Piquionne then gave West Ham the lead, completing his hat-trick in less than 10 minutes, with a cracking finish from the edge of the area, leaving Collis no chance.
AFC Wimbledon looked to equalise but with the match entering the final 10 minutes, the Hammers had their fourth. Blair Turgottt tricked his way through the Dons defence and fired a low shot past Seb Brown. Piquionne was withdrawn with 10 minutes remaining and was replaced by Dylan Tombides. The final few minutes saw players from both sides go down with knocks and it was the Hammers that emerged victorious when the final whistle blew.

AFC Wimbledon: Collis (Brown 67), Osano (Fenlon 30), Cummings, Harris, Balkestein (Mitchel-King 45), MacDonald, Long, L. Moore (Midson 60), Strutton (Merrifield 60), Kiernan (Bor 89), S. Moore (Sweeney 90).

West Ham: Larkins, Spence, Homans, Powell, Mohsni, Wearen, Turgott, Vose (Miles 82), Puquionne (Tombides 82), McCallum (Makasi 89), Hall (Onariase 89).

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