Daily WHUFC News - 20th October 2012

Big Sam on Southampton
WHUFC.com
The manager has spoken to the press ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier
League fixture
19.10.2012

Sam Allardyce has held his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's
Barclays Premier League fixture with Southampton at the Boleyn Ground. The
West Ham United manager was quizzed about everything from international
breaks to racism in football to his thoughts on Saturday's opponents. Big
Sam's press conference ahead of Saturday's sold out showdown with the Saints
can be watched in full on West Ham TV now!

Sam, the international break has come to a close. How is your squad looking
ahead of the clash with Southampton?

SA: "We are OK other than the shock of Senegal versus the Ivory Coast in
which we had two players involved in a horrific situation. One (Guy Demel)
was injured so he didn't play but they have both come back OK. Andy Carroll
has got back and he is OK. Winston Reid did not get back until late on
Thursday but he was called up despite being injured and had to fly 26,000
miles to not play. Everybody else is doing well. Our main problem is that
Winston had a back problem before he left and we do not know how he has
responded to treatment over in New Zealand. Guy has a thigh problem and will
probably not be ready for Saturday and we have a few other injuries but
internationals-wise they have come back OK."

Do you think that going away with the England squad has benefitted Andy
Carroll and his return to full fitness?

SA: "I think it has, yes, but I know Andy and I know he would have probably
liked to have played a lot more than he did. But he has had two weeks in a
very competitive environment and he got 17 minutes against San Marino.
Playing with some very good players will have brought him up to speed and
hopefully he will stay fit for us in the future."

Looking at the state of the pitch in Poland, Andy may have been the ideal
man to go on and get a goal. Did it surprise you that he wasn't brought on?

SA: "I am not here to criticise Roy Hodgson's decision-making process but I
would have liked Andy to play because he is my player. Roy is obviously the
man in charge and he has his view on who he wants to play and who he wants
to bring on and I have absolutely no problem with that."

Southampton were promoted with you last season and received a lot of
plaudits for the way in which they played. Does it satisfy you that they
were unable to
match you in the transfer market and points wise so far this season?

SA: "Well they have matched us because they signed a £12million player in
[Uruguay midfielder] Gaston Ramirez during the transfer window. We only have

Andy on loan and we paid a lot less than that so I think that they have gone
out into the market and spent big like we all have to. What I do think is
that we have coped with the Barclays Premier League very well at the start
of this season and I also think we had a group of fixtures that were less
challenging than Southampton's. From a Premier League point of view our
experience is probably better than theirs so hopefully that will be a
telling factor on Saturday. Our confidence is also very high because we have
been very good at home. I am hoping to see the same kind of performance that
I saw against Aston Villa, Fulham and Sunderland. If we play like that we
will create opportunities and have a very good chance of winning the game."

Would you agree that Southampton have a Barclays Premier League attack with
the likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert, but a Championship-standard
defence?

SA: "I don't know and I do not think Nigel Adkins will look at in that way.
Perhaps you in the media look at it that way because they have scored and
conceded a lot of goals. There are two ways of playing the game and that is
in possession and out of it. If you do not get both right you do not win.
What you do out of possession in the Barclays Premier League is just as
important as what you do with it, especially during your first season. If
you can get both of those on an equal par you will do well. It is usually
more difficult to score goals than it is to concede. Southampton have found
it easier to score but in doing so they have left a lot of gaps. We suffered
the same problem against Arsenal. As we got better in possession they hit us
on the break twice and we found ourselves 3-1 down."

As a man at the forefront of footballing science, have you been surprised by
the news that England players have had to use caffeine and sleeping tablets?

SA: "In football we all use caffeine in one shape or form in our build-up to
the games, depending on the individual, the game and how you want to monitor
it. Because they have had that extra dose of caffeine they find it harder to
sleep so to overcome that they have been given a sleeping tablet or two. I
do not see too much of a problem with it. Because they have had to play 24
hours after hoping to do so it will have had an affect and has meant they
probably could not give the performance they would have liked."

In the light of the recent racist incidents in football, have you ever had
to give your players advice on how to handle abusive atmospheres?

SA: "No, because we do not get them and that is the bottom line. It is
talked about an awful lot but from our point of view we all know where we
stand. At the start of the season we all have the keep racism out of
football cards, badges and t-shirts and we are well aware of our
responsibilities. From within football I do not see any, there have been a
couple of incidents in exchanges of words on the field so everyone has
brought it up again but I personally have not seen it.
From my point of view, in terms of discrimination, I do not see any
internally and I have not seen any for many years at Bolton, Blackburn,
Newcastle and West Ham United. I think that if I have to say anything I
would say that this country is one of the best in the world. We will never
be perfect but we are one of
the best at trying to get it right."

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Cole exclusive on West Ham TV!
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has spoken exclusively to West Ham TV ahead of Saturday's visit
of Southampton
20.10.2012

Carlton Cole is aiming to celebrate his birthday by netting his first goal
of the season in Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture with
Southampton. The West Ham United and England striker has not found the net
since his unforgettable npower Championship Play-Off final strike against
Blackpool at Wembley.
In the same week he turned 29, Cole told West Ham TV he would love to get
off the mark by notching in this weekend's sold out meeting with the
newly-promoted Saints at the Boleyn Ground. "I would love a birthday goal
but to be honest I just want any kind of goal whether it is off my knee, my
chest, my back or wherever my head - I don't mind!" he laughed. "Any goal
would be welcome but as long as we are winning anyway and everyone else is
scoring we will be fine. "Southampton got four points off us last year and
we were not happy with that. We played them at Upton Park with ten men for
most of the game and that was a big game for us but we survived and drew
one-all. "They have not started as well as us this season in the Premier
League, which is a completely different ball game. I have always said that
we have a strong side for the Premier League and while we lost the last game
[at home to Arsenal], we are looking to bounce back straight away. "Our home
form has been very good so hopefully we can bounce back against Southampton.
I think they will be coming here thinking that we are the same team as last
season and that they can grab a few points. "Southampton think they know us
but I think we will surprise them because we are not the same team as last
season. We have added a few good players to our team as well so it will be
an interesting game for them to see if they can handle us. We are very sound
defensively and we are very good going forward at the moment so we have
everything going for us."

While Cole might not have hit the net himself in 2012/13, his all-round
contribution to the team has been appreciated by his coaching staff and
team-mates alike. "I have got a different part. If you want to read into
stats, read into stats, but what I do on the field sometimes doesn't get
mirrored with my goal ratio. Once you are a striker you are a striker and
people will look into different parts of your game to try and criticise you,
but I know what I am picked for and the manager knows why I get in the team
and why I have to be around to help the team out."

One person who always appreciates Cole's efforts - on and off the pitch - is
his mother. Last weekend, the No9 joined his mum Selina and guests at the
launch of CARLAKKA, a foundation founded by the striker dedicated to making
a difference for children in Sierra Leone. The event, held in Chiswick,
raised thousands of pounds towards the cost of building a new school in the
African nation of his mother's birth. "It is close to my Mum's heart and she
wanted me to be the face of the Carlakka Foundation, which is building a
school in Sierra Leone. Calakka has teamed up with the Ndoro Children's
Charity that is going to be building a school in Zimbabwe, so we are trying
to make as much money as possible because they are both good causes. "We see
how the African children live and I have to try and help as much as I can
over there and over here. I will do anything to make my Mum happy. At then
end of the day it is a great cause and I have people there to support me and
I know West Ham will too."

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West Ham v Southampton
KO 15:00
19 October 2012
Last updated at 12:32
BBC.co.uk
By Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 20 October

West Ham defenders Winston Reid and Guy Demel face fitness tests on back and
thigh injuries respectively. Ricardo Vaz Te has had surgery on a dislocated
shoulder and been ruled out for three months.

Southampton are without Gaston Ramirez for at least a month due to problems
relating to a dead leg he suffered before the international break. Danny
Butterfield, Jack Cork, Tadanari Lee and Frazer Richardson are out, but
Nathaniel Clyne could return.

MATCH PREVIEW

Side-by-side for most of last season in the Championship, it was Southampton
who stayed the distance to clinch automatic promotion while West Ham had to
take the harder, if more glamorous, route via the play-off final at Wembley.
And yet it's the Hammers that have adapted to life in the top-flight more
impressively. They sit eighth in the table with three wins under their belt
already, while the Saints are just one place and a point above the
relegation zone.

Southampton look like they'll always score goals; his concern is that they
seem even more prone to letting them in. Twenty goals conceded so far means
they have the worst defensive record in the Premier League - 12 of those
have come in their three away games. Trips to Manchester City, Arsenal and
Everton were always going to be challenging but on their day, in their own
way, West Ham can be just as destructive. Ask Fulham. Andy Carroll terrified
their defence at Upton Park on his debut and, now fully-fit again, the
England striker will test Southampton's rickety backline. It's a shame for
the Saints that club-record signing Gaston Ramirez will be missing for the
next month with a thigh injury, meaning much of the creative responsibility
will fall on the shoulders of Adam Lallana. If he's up to the task, and if
Rickie Lambert can get a few sights of goal, Southampton could finally pick
up their first away point or points of the season.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
In their meetings in the Championship last season, the Saints won 1-0 at St
Mary's and drew 1-1 at Upton Park.
Southampton won on their last visit to West Ham in the Premier League, but
it was only their second victory in 10 visits to Upton Park in the division.
This is the 96th meeting between the sides. West Ham have won 36 times,
Southampton 32, and there have been 27 draws.
West Ham
West Ham have scored 88% of their goals in the first half of matches this
season.
The Hammers have committed the most fouls (109) and earned the most cards
(18) so far this season.
Carlton Cole has the lowest pass completion rate (42%) in an opponent's half
of any Premier League player this season.
Southampton
Southampton have dropped 11 points from winning positions this season, the
most in the Premier League. If they had won those points, the Saints would
be second in the table.
They have four points from their first seven Premier League matches, the
same as they had when they were last in the division in 2004-05. They went
on to finish bottom and were relegated.
The Saints have attempted fewer long passes (268) than any other team in the
Premier League this season.

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Jarvis: I'll set 'em up...
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

Matt Jarvis says that he can't wait to get his partnership with Andy Carroll
up and running. The two recent arrivals in east London have thus far started
just one game together - the 3-1 defeat against Arsenal a fortnight ago -
but West Ham fans have high hopes that the two can form a formidable
partnership on the field. It is a sentiment that Jarvis shares. Talking to a
daily newspaper, he said: "We all know that whatever kind of ball you put
into the box, Andy's going to be bursting to get on it. That's good to know
as a winger. There's 6ft plus of him, so he certainly makes his presence
felt. He's showing what he can do on the pitch and I'm going to be providing
the ammunition for him to go and get on the end of. Hopefully we can strike
up a good understanding."

Jarvis, West Ham's record-signing at £10.75million - who began his career at
Millwall before being released as a 16-year-old - also admitted that he was
keen to add to his sole international cap won in a 2011 friendly against
Ghana. "It does motivate me to keep playing well week-in, week-out," he
added, "and if I do put in the performances, you never know."

Both Jarvis and Carroll are expected to feature in Sam Allardyce's starting
XI when the Hammers take on Premier League strugglers Southampton at the
Boleyn Ground tomorrow afternoon.

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Allardyce on... West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

Ahead of this weekend's Premier League clash with Southampton - a match he
himself described as a 'six-pointer' earlier in the week - Sam Allardyce
spoke to Yahoo about all things West Ham...

How do you assess the start West Ham have made to the season?

Well, up to now I think it's been exceptionally good. I think that while we
were disappointed by losing to Arsenal in our last game you can expect that
with Arsenal being such a good side and with us just promoted back into the
Premier League. Our only real disappointment was the Swansea away game where
we got beat comfortably in the end, but every other performance and every
other result has been very, very good. 11 points in seven games is a good
start for us.

Which of your players have impressed you most in rising to the challenge
this season?

I think one of the most impressive has been Winston Reid, who hasn't really
been in this country that long. The improvement of Winston and the
consistency of performances he gives us as a central defender have been key
to some of our results, because our defensive unit as a team and as
individuals have been very good.

From the players I inherited when I first joined West Ham, Mark Noble has
come good in the Premier League. Plus my captain, Kevin Nolan, who's been
there before and leads the team on and off the field; he's made a good
start. Most of the players, to be perfectly honest, have done their job and
hopefully they can continue to and continue to get the results that we're
looking for.

Andy Carroll: how significant a transfer do you think that was for West Ham
and, in a more general sense, how important is it for a promoted team to get
players like that on loan?

Andy was a big, big signing for us. Even though it's only a loan deal for a
season I think the size of the player - not just in stature but in terms of
his ability - was one where every player who was already at West Ham thought
"wow". I think Andy, with Matt Jarvis and then Yossi Benayoun made the squad
a real secure squad in terms of strength and depth.

While Yossi hasn't been able to break in on a regular basis just yet, Matt
Jarvis and Andy Carroll have made a major impact - not just individually but
to the rest of the team, making them feel like we can do something this
season in terms of where we finish in the Premier League.

What do you think about the prospect of West Ham maybe moving into the
Olympic Stadium?

I've said since arriving at West Ham that I understand the history and
tradition of the Boleyn Ground, but to really become one of the top clubs in
London, if not in this country, then a new stadium is of the utmost
importance.

We've seen Chelsea grow into a major European side over the last decade
because of Roman Abramovich's money. We've seen Arsenal move into a brand
new 60,000 stadium at the Emirates and we've seen Man United grow their
stadium to 75,000. Moving to the Olympic Stadium is a must for the growth
and the development of the club.

60,000 seats are planned and that will satisfy everybody who wants to come
to West Ham - and a fantastic venue it could be too. We experienced what the
atmosphere was like at the Olympics; that same atmosphere could be recreated
with a West Ham football team playing there.

Does it make it even more exciting when we saw the likes of Mo Farrah and
Jess Ennis win Gold there? It's got some memories, hasn't it?

It's got some fantastic memories, the Paralympics as well; the turnout for
the Paralympics and the athletes' success there was absolutely magnificent.

For the area itself it's very important that we do move there and make sure
that we keep the standards up. It's a superb venue, the Olympic Park is a
superb park and I can't see anybody else using it to the maximum as we
could. The big problem to be overcome is the running track around the pitch
which must be maintained, so the engineers would have to plan particularly
well to cope with that situation.

I was going to ask you about that. There's a widely-held perception in this
country that having a running track impacts on the atmosphere. Do you think
that is an issue?

Yes, most definitely. Bayern Munich, for instance, got themselves their own
stadium where the fans come much closer to the touchline and that creates a
much, much better atmosphere. If you go to Spain with the old stadiums, that
creates an even better atmosphere. Because their health and safety rules
aren't as strict as ours their terracing is much steeper, so the fans are
even closer to the pitch than they are in England - and that does create the
electric atmosphere that you're looking for.

In the wake of the Olympics we heard a lot about how footballers contrasted
with athletes. Do you think there are things footballers can learn from
Olympians and Paralympians, or do you think some of the criticism
footballers got was overblown?

The game is a volatile contest so people will lose their temper - but nobody
seems to highlight the fact that rugby players stamp on each others heads or
gauge each others eyes out; that seems to be acceptable. Or ice hockey
[where] players beat themselves up with sticks. But when a footballer kicks
somebody, or does something that's slightly untoward it's "lock them away,
ban them for life".

I think there's a lot of jealousy around football in this country. More and
more people complain about the price and so on and so forth, whereas with
the other sports it's not quite the same. So it's something we have to live
with.

The Olympics is not as fierce a competition because there's not that
day-to-day, week-to-week competitive edge. It's a build-up of four years - a
very dedicated four years of course - and the delight of winning must be one
of the biggest highs anybody's ever experienced.

Do you have a code of conduct at West Ham and what do you think of England's
attempts to implement one?

Yes, we do. I've always had a code of conduct which is signed up to by the
players, the club itself and me as the manager. Any sporting industry has to
be run with discipline; if it's not, then it will fail miserably.

It is adhered to by everybody concerned and if anybody has any complaints,
then I can revert to the code of conduct and say "I'm sorry, but it says in
the code of conduct that you're not supposed to do that; you have, so the
consequences are this" - and there can be no argument. Of course, there's
always the right of appeal on anything that may result in a fine, but
discipline for everything is imperative if you want to succeed today.

There's been a lot of attention paid to diving recently. Why do you think it
creates so much controversy in this country and do you agree with the view
that divers should be banned retrospectively?

As a professional I have a view that diving - or simulation, as it's called
- is not what we want. Over the years, simulation has crept in more and
more; it started with some of the foreign imports who came into the game.
But there is another side to it that says honest players who stay on their
feet don't get fouls given to them by referees today.

From our point of view nobody needs to feign anything if there's no contact.
But I feel that on some occasions, if contact is made, if you don't go down
you don't get [awarded anything]. If there is contact - and the contact is
severe enough - more often than not the referee chooses not to give anything
and that creates a greater frustration and anger than diving does.

If you want to cut diving - blatant dives - out, suspending players would be
a good thing. But you have got to get the other side right as well and
balance that up by giving free kicks that are free kicks when honest players
stay on their feet.

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Big Sam blasts FA
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 18th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has hit out at New Zealand Football after they insisted
Winston Reid make the trip home for the All Whites' World Cup 2014
qualifying match against Tahiti. Reid, who was nursing an injury sustained
during West Ham's 3-1 defeat at home to Arsenal a fortnight ago was ordered
back to New Zealand by the NZF - the country's equivalent of the English FA
- for the match, which the Kiwis won 3-0. That result gave them an aggregate
win of 5-0 and edged them closer to another appearance in the Finals.
However Allardyce was critical of the decision to call Reid - who was an
unused substitute - back for the game. "I don't see any sense in calling
them over and particularly that far, because they are injured," he said. "I
don't see any sense it in at all. I also think there was an underlining
factor that they didn't trust him or us that he was injured. "There's
another underlining factor that tells me that the players are brought there
and then they're put under enormous pressure to play, because of the
loyalties to the country by the coaches and certain political elements which
they have to resist. "On one hand I'm all for international football - but
it doesn't make any sense to take them because they can't play. I don't
understand that at all."

Reid, who has been suffering with a back spasm could make his return to West
Ham's first team against Southampton at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday -
despite having undertaken a mammoth 48-hour flight this week. Should the
in-form centre half not be considered fit to play, James Tomkins is on
standby to deputise.

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West Ham v Southampton preview
Last Updated: October 19, 2012 3:46pm
SSN

It may only be October, but Sam Allardyce has already billed West Ham
United's home date with Southampton on Saturday as a 'six-pointer'. The
Hammers have made a bright start to life back in the Premier League, and
occupy a top-half standing at present, but they are taking nothing for
granted. Allardyce has been around long enough to know that fortunes can
change in an instant, making it all the more important to life live in the
present. That means taking as many points as possible off those sides in and
around you, and those who were promoted alongside you if you are new to the
top-flight.

Southampton will feel exactly the same as they prepare to head for the East
End, with Nigel Adkins' side yet to accumulate the points tally their
performances have deserved. A leaky defence has been the root cause of their
troubles so far, with a division-high 20 goals conceded in just seven
fixtures. The Saints will be aware that they need to plug those gaps if they
are to stop undermining all of the good work they continue to carry out at
the opposite end of the field - with there only seven sides to have scored
more goals than Adkins' men so far this term.

West Ham
Last 6
1-3
1-2
1-4
1-1
0-0
3-0

Defenders Winston Reid and Guy Demel are West Ham's main injury concerns
heading into the weekend. Reid (back) and Demel (thigh) will have to prove
their fitness ahead of the match, while the Hammers will also be without
Ricardo Vaz Te who has had surgery on his dislocated shoulder. Andy Carroll
came through England duty unscathed and is expected to start up front, while
Raphael Spiegel will back up Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal, with Stephen
Henderson beginning his three-month loan with Ipswich.

Southamptn
Last 6
2-2
3-1
2-0
4-1
6-1
2-3
Southampton will be missing record signing Gaston Ramirez on Saturday, and
for the foreseeable future. The 21-year-old faces another four weeks out
after problems related to a dead leg picked up before the international
break and will be joined on the sidelines by Frazer Richardson (thigh). Jack
Cork, Danny Butterfield (both knee) and Tadanari Lee (elbow) are also out,
but Nathaniel Clyne is set to return. Artur Boruc could be involved with
Southampton for the first time.

Opta stats

Southampton have trailed in all seven Premier League games at some point,
the only team to be behind in all of their league games.
Saints have dropped the most points from winning positions in the Premier
League (11). With those points, Southampton would be second in the table.
West Ham have scored a divisional high 88% of their goals in the first half
this season.

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Sam Allardyce backs West Ham to return to winning ways against Southampton
Last Updated: October 19, 2012 2:10pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believes his side will benefit from an easier
start to the season when they meet Southampton this weekend The Hammers
entertain fellow promoted side Saints at Upton Park on Saturday having lost
only once in front of their own fans in the Premier League. Allardyce's side
enjoyed home wins over Aston Villa and Fulhamand a draw with Sunderland
before they finally came unstuck against Arsenal last time out. In contrast,
Saints have already had tough fixtures against Manchester City and United,
Arsenal and high-flying Everton. "We've coped with the Premier League very
well over the start of our season, also I think we had a group of fixtures
that were less challenging than Southampton's," said Allardyce. "We were
disappointed by Arsenal, but our confidence, particularly here at home is
very high. "I hope we can see the same level of performance that I've seen,
particularly against Sunderland, Fulham, and Aston Villa at the start of the
season. If we can hit that level of form, I think we'll get opportunities to
win the game. "Clearly one of (Southampton's) strengths is set plays and I
don't want to jump the gun, but one of our strengths this year is not
conceding from set plays as well as scoring from them. "We'll have to try
and maintain that level and if we cut that side of it out for Southampton
then we obviously limit their percentages of chances of scoring a goal,
because they've been good at it."

The Hammers boss admits that they key to success will likely lay with him
finding the right balance between attack and defence. He said: "There's two
ways of playing the game. You play the game when you're in possession and
you play the game when out of it. If you don't get both right, you don't
win. "Certainly your first year in the Premier League, what you do out of
possession is just as important as what you do in. You've got to get those
two critical points on an equal par if you can. "If you can do that,
particularly defensively, even though Southampton haven't found it that
difficult, they've scored 12 goals in seven games, but they've gone out to
score those 12 goals and left gaps that have been exploited. "We suffered
the same problem against Arsenal two weeks ago, because when we got better
in possession in the game, in the second half particularly, they hit us on
the break and smashed us a couple of times and they ended up winning 3-1.
"Whereas in the balance as it was looking with only 10 minutes to go at 1-1,
we might have got something out of it then all of a sudden..."

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Carlton Cole has West Ham fight club goal
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 19th October 2012
The Sun

CARLTON COLE has a new W.H.U.F.C to inspire him on the pitch this season.
The Hammers striker wants to be West Ham's Ultimate Fight Champ as he gets
ready to rumble against Southampton today. Cole, 29, teamed up with pal and
UFC fighter Jimi Manuwa for a gruelling workout to make him meaner on the
pitch. He said: "I love UFC. I watch all the DVDs and to get a lesson from
Jimmy is a privilege. "I love all that gladiator stuff. This is the closest
we get to it these days." West Ham fan Manuwa, a mixed martial arts expert,
joked (kind of): "I train six days a week for five or six hours. He chases a
ball about. But Carlton is a quick learner." Cole admits it is time to start
throwing his weight around and toughen up in the search for his first goal
this season. Boss Sam Allardyce has ordered the 6ft 3in powerhouse into the
gym and to drop the perma-grin and become more aggressive in the box. Cole
confessed: "I've not been a softie but I've been a bit nice. "This season
the boss has got a different attitude and wants me to be more aggressive, so
I'm doing extra strength work.
"It's not in my nature to be mean and aggressive, that's why I struggled a
while back to be like that. "I've started doing special training to make me
sturdier on the pitch. "I've been strengthening my core and it's been a main
factor in me trying to be stronger on the pitch. "I've got a big frame and
I'm trying to be meaner. "It's difficult because I get a lot of fouls given
against me. "The manager has picked up on it. It's nothing malicious, I'm
just trying to be strong. "You can be more aggressive but you have to
control it. "It's not about shoving someone to the floor, it's about knowing
how to move someone when they are pushing you in the back, or in the box
attacking the ball and if someone pushes me I won't move. It's not about
throwing your arms about sulking and fouling."

Having said that, if Manuwa wants to sulk, throw tantrums or foul it is fine
by me. The West Ham supporter from Croydon won his first UFC contest last
month and as an expert in boxing, thai boxing, kick boxing, jujitsu and
wrestling, he can do pretty much as he pleases. Cole reckons a workout with
mean machine Manuwa is a valuable lesson in being a bit more of a bruiser.
He said: "I'm privileged to get a little lesson. it's not everyday you go
toe-to-toe with a UFC fighter. "I respect him to the highest order. I've
always had team-mates to fall back on. Having to fend and fight for yourself
is nerve-wracking. "If it goes wrong for him, he only has himself to blame.
"I like all that ancient Roman stuff in the Colosseum. "I like blood and
gore stuff. I love Gladiator. I like those sort of movies where the emperors
decide if you live or die. "UFC is the modern equivalent. Everyone likes
blood and gore if they can. "UFC is the 21st century version. It's all well
run and supervised but it still pits great fighters against each other."

Manuwa, 32, has won all his 12 fights inside the distance since taking up
Mixed Martial Arts four years ago. The worst injury to a competitor in the
past 12 years has been a fractured leg. Manuwa said: "UFC is well
controlled. "It feels like sport rather than anything else because of all
the disciplines I need to constantly practise." West Ham take on Southampton
today — in a rematch between the two teams which led the Championship for
much of last season. It is also their annual anti-racism 'Kick it Out' game.
The Hammers are relatively flourishing in eighth place in the Premier League
while Saints are struggling in 17th with just one win from their seven
games. Cole, who scored 15 goals last season, said: "It's hurting massively
that I haven't scored yet. "Some of the other players are pulling my leg
that I haven't. "Kevin Nolan keeps reminding me that he has three already.
"But it's not just about me. I could score as many as I want but we could
still lose the game. You must know what you are good at. "First and foremost
it's not about me. Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself for the team.
"At the moment my goals don't matter because we are doing well and are where
we want to be. "Southampton had a tough start with hard games back-to-back
at the start of the season. "That has knocked their confidence a bit. Our
style of football is really direct at the moment. "Not many teams can cope
with us. I would hope we can get maximum points out of this." The next
UFC®154 live event is taking place in Montreal, Quebec on Sunday November 18
and will be aired at 3am on ESPN.

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It's Dr Big Sam! Allardyce plays shrink with West Ham's globe-trotters
The Mirror
19 Oct 2012 21:59

Sam Allardyce has turned to mind games to get his jet-setting Hammers ready
for Saturday's game with Southampton. West Ham have a number of weary
players returning from international duty, including England striker Andy
Carroll - and Big Sam will turn psychologist to get the best out of them.
"International duty has only recently been changed to Friday-Tuesday so
arriving back on Thursday is the norm, but it's about your mental attitude,"
Allardyce said. "Winston Reid [of New Zealand] came back from international
duty last time and had an outstanding game. "So if you're mentally prepared
and looking forward to the game then you play well. But if you wake up and
say, 'Oh, that journey has taken it out of me', then you won't play very
well. "It's the mind that makes you play right. If your mind isn't right, it
doesn't matter about all the skills, you won't play well, you will play
poorly "If you don't talk about good ­psychological values and being
mentally prepared then you can't perform for the highest level. "Everyone
has a different way to be motivated and, if you understand that, they
deliver better performances."

Allardyce's message comes days after he urged his men to deepen the woes of
a Southampton side that's conceded a league-worst 20 goals so far this
season.

Saints told: Give 'em hell!
By Alex Crook

Southampton chief Nigel Adkins is refusing to sacrifice entertaining
football – despite winning only one of their opening seven games on their
return to the Premier League. As Saints travel to West Ham, Adkins has
insisted: "We want to play 4-3-3 and we want to create chances and score
goals – but we know we need to keep them out at the other end. "We believe
it is the right thing to do, and I will make sure we stick by that." Adkins
will be without Gaston Ramirez because of a leg injury, but defender
Nathaniel Clyne returns. Simon Bird's Premier League predictions: Will
cutting Carroll down to size prove a tall order for Southampton?

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