Daily WHUFC News - 2nd November 2012

George sets top-half target
WHUFC.com
George McCartney wants the Hammers to maintain their top-ten position over the coming weeks
31.10.2012

George McCartney says that the next target for West Ham United is to make sure they do not waste their encouraging start to the season. The Northern Irish defender said that expectations had been exceeded in the first part of this season. That has heightened the confidence and spirit around the club, but no one will resting on their laurels with 29 more Barclays Premier League matches still to be played. As the Hammers prepare to face Barclays Premier league champions Manchester City this Saturday, McCartney said a solid start to the campaign means Hammers can go into games like this with nothing to fear. "At start of season, we had a few meetings where we talked about where we would want to be after eight games or so and we are very happy to have surpassed that," said the No3. "We have started off really well. We have picked up some really good results which has resulted in us sitting in the top half of the table, but there is a long way to go yet in the season and we must make sure we continue as much as we can what we have started. That is what the gaffer is drumming into us."

Following the visit of City, West Ham's run of forthcoming matches includes trips to Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and home games against Stoke City, Chelsea and Liverpool. McCartney is relishing the tests ahead and has set his team-mates the challenge of staying in the Barclays Premier League's top ten. " Over the next few games we are playing teams that finished in Champions League spots last season so, yes, it is a difficult run but aren't all games difficult, as it was at Wigan last Saturday? Our aim, whatever the run or whoever we play, is still to pick up as many points as we can to try and stay in the top half of the table."

McCartney said the spirit of togetherness in the camp has only been improved by the four victories the Hammers have achieved in their opening nine league games - together with the leadership shown and important goals scored by captain Kevin Nolan. "Until last season, I had never played with Kevin, but had seen him scoring goals for Newcastle and Bolton, so I knew what he was about. He is doing that here at West Ham and scoring important goals and for me, Kevin played a big part in us getting promoted last season. "This year, his goals already have helped us get into the top half of the table. He is a big player at the club on and off the pitch where he has time for everyone. He is a great captain and a great lad as well."

McCartney himself, who had to miss three Premier League games before returning at the 2-1 away win at Queens Park Rangers on 1 October, has settled back into the starting XI and is looking forward to the remainder of the campaign. "It was great for me last season when the Chairmen and the manager gave me the opportunity to come back down here. It was a loan deal then but thankfully they made it permanent in the summer. "I am getting on a bit in my career now but it is great to be back at a club like West Ham where I'm enjoying my football and I hope to play my part in helping the club have a good season again."

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Players score Golf Day victory
WHUFC.com
The players secured the West Ham United Ryder Cup on a thrilling day at the London Club
31.10.2012

Neil McDonald won the battle but lost the war at the West Ham United Ryder Cup Golf Day. Now in its second year, the annual event saw the assistant manager and his fellow staff take on eight players at the London Golf Club in Kent, where midfielder and scratch handicapper Gary O'Neil is a member. McDonald and Big Sam were paired against No1 seeds O'Neil and James Collins in the opening greensome, with the more senior pair pulling off an outstanding 4 and 3 victory. Unfortunately, the staff were unable to maintain their form throughout the day, with the players winning the trophy courtesy of a 7 1/2 to 4 1/2 overall success. McDonald also lost his perfect overall record during the afternoon singles, when he was narrowly beaten 2 and 1 by O'Neil. "Myself and Sam were in a team together and we beat the number one seeds James and Gary," said McDonald. "We are chuffed because it keeps our perfect record going since I have been playing with two points out of two. "We complemented each other very well, Sam had a good five iron, a good seven iron and was good with the putter and I have been driving really well. "The sledging was fierce and they were the number one seeds so we wanted to put them off as much as we could. They did it too and now Ginge is dropped and Gary is never allowed to play golf again!"

The assistant manager also believes that the Golf Day will boost the players' morale ahead of Saturday's visit of Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City to the Boleyn Ground. "It was great, but the weather was absolutely atrocious. This is the second time we have held this competition and unfortunately it has rained on both occasions. Thankfully that has not had an effect, as both the players and staff were out in their numbers and it was great for team spirit."

Last weekend ended in disappointment but, according to McDonald, the Golf Day was a great way for the players to relax ahead of Saturday's big game.
Indeed, Kevin Nolan and his team-mates showed no ill-effects by producing a consistent all-round display on the course. The skipper teamed up with Andy Carroll to defeat head of player recruitment Martyn Glover and his assistant Greg Mathieson in the greensomes, while George McCartney and Jack Collison overcame Wally Downes and groundsman Ian Denny. In the afternoon, O'Neil, Collins, Mark Noble and George McCartney all won their singles matches to secure overall victory, but Development Squad coach Ian Hendon scored a fine 4 and 3 win over James Tomkins.

Now the golf is out of the way, the focus turns to Manchester City. "We were very disappointed with the performance against Wigan but we will move onto the next game against the champions. We have still had a very good start to the season and the pressure is all on them. We just need to go out and play the same way we have all season at home and hopefully we will get something out of the game. "It is a good time to play them and we would certainly prefer to play them at home first because our record has been very good and we want to continue that as much as we can. "It is going to be very difficult playing against the champions because they are good, no matter what their form. They have got some excellent players who I am sure will respond well under the pressure of a full house at Upton Park."

McDonald remained tight-lipped on any possible changes following last weekend's defeat, stating that whoever takes to the field will need the fans' full support for their biggest task yet. "The fans have been brilliant so far and they certainly came in their numbers for the trip to Wigan, but the home fans have also been exceptional. It has been a full house every time. "That is lifting the players and it is giving them so much confidence and I would like to think that the way we have played and the amount of goals we have scored has excited them too. I am sure everybody is very happy with the team at the moment."

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Sam Allardyce acknowledges that West Ham are entering a testing run of fixtures
Last Updated: November 1, 2012 12:57pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce feels West Ham United's start to the 2012/13 campaign has them well placed to tackle a testing run of fixtures. The Hammers, in their first season back in the Premier League, have collected 14 points from nine games and are handily perched in the top half of the table. Allardyce feels the efforts of his side so far means they have margin for error heading into potentially tricky ties against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. "We knew (about the fixtures) at the start of the season and that is why we were looking to get the points on the board that we did and, like I say, nine games have passed and we have had two disappointing results, both away (from home)," he said. Allardyce concedes that he is not expecting to collect masses of points over the coming weeks, but feels a number of West Ham's top-flight rivals would happily trade places. "Certainly Southampton and Reading will be looking at us and be a little jealous, but there is this group of fixtures and it will be very difficult indeed," he added. "We accept that we probably won't get as many points as we have collected in the first part of the season but we have got to try and get as many points as we possibly can and then move on to late December and January."

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The November and December Fixtures - What's a Realistic Points Target?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Much has been written about the toughness of West Ham's fixtures over November and December. And it is undoubtedly the case that we face some very tough opponents in that period. The sequence of fixtures is as follows: Man City (H), Newcastle Utd (A), Stoke City (H), Spurs (A), Man Utd (A), Chelsea (H), Liverpool (H), WBA (A), Everton (H) and Reading (A). With a very credible 14 out of 21 points won to date, we go in to November in a strong position. But how are we likely to do in this period leading up to the New Year? There are a total of 30 points up for grabs. So, what is a credible minimum points target for this potentially crucial second phase of the season?

Well, lets take the tougher teams out of the equation for just a moment. Surely, victories over Stoke City (H), Liverpool (H), WBA (A), Everton (H) and Reading (A) (15 points - 50% of the total) are not totally out of the question. We should beat Stoke City at home; this current Liverpool team are beatable, specially at home; WBA away should carry good prospects of success; Everton are admittedly a bit of a bogey team for us, but again it is winnable; and Reading away should not hold any fears. We are bound to drop points, but 10/15 points (3 wins and a draw) is a realistic target.

Next, we turn to the remainder of our opponents. Of these, we are arguably capable of earning draws away at Newcastle Utd and Spurs, even if, for the purpose of this exercise, we write off the matches against Man City at home; Man Utd away; and Chelsea at home. Of course, we cannot actually do that, we must go in to them with the intention of (a) competing with the opposition; and (b) emerging with a result. So, my assessment is that we should target a minimum of 12 out of 30 points over this period. And hope that we can pull off at least one win or draw over the tough, PL title chasing, triumvirate of City, Utd and Chelsea! 12 points (3 wins/3draws/4 losses) would give us on a total of 26 points, with the second half of the season still to come. In which, we would need to accrue another 14 points to reach the widely accepted safety margin of 40 points.

Even presuming, in actuality, that we lost an additional match to give a final total of 9 poiints for the period (2 wins/3 draws/5 losses), that would still give us a total of 23 points. Setting us the revised target of winning 17 points, in the second half of the season, to reach the 'magic' 40 point safety margin. Obviously, this is all based on West Ham doing the minimum to achieve survival. However, there is a need to underline the fact that there is nothing that dictates that we cannot do better than this and storm to a comfortable top 10 finish.

West Ham being West Ham, of course, they are just as likely to include Man City, Spurs or Newcastle amongst their wins; lose to Reading and draw with Stoke City!! But seriously, somewhere in Sam Allardyce's office, next to the opta statistics, there will be a projected points haul for this phase of the season. That would make very interesting reading. But unfortunately we do not have access to it, so this is an attempt to 'set the bar' from a supporter's perspective. Some will consider 12 out of 30 points too optimistic; others will predict that the 'PL sky' is about to fall in on Sam Allardyce's head; whilst a brave minority will argue the bar can be placed a bit higher.

Obviously, points won against Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea are a bonus. The Spurs and Newcastle games are likely to be tough, but a draw is not beyond the realms of possiblity. But it is against Stoke City, Liverpool, WBA, Everton and Reading that we stand the best prospects of success. It is possible that this could be a very punishing period for us and we could lose a significant bit of the advantage that we won in the first phase. If it happens, we must deal with it and come strongly again. However, I do not think so, I feel that we will navigate this difficult 2nd phase and be in a reasonable position to 'push on' in the New Year.

As with most things, time will tell. However, I view the Man City match with little dread, more with interest at how the side will respond to one of the two or three toughest challenges in the PL. If we end up losing, I will be looking for positives, principally the side being competitive and pushing the opposition all the way. In that context, avoiding a demoralising heavy defeat is essential. But who knows, Nolan and co might even spring a surprise and do far, far better than most pundits anticipate. COYI !

SJ. Chandos.

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Big Sam: We're up against it
Published: 01st November 2012
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE admits his Hammers face a daunting task in the coming weeks as they prepare to do battle against the Premier League's elite. West Ham currently sit ninth in the league but face champions Manchester City at the weekend before taking on Newcastle, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. And Allardyce said: "Our season is determined on what we do against the bottom eight, not the top five or six. The top five or six is an ultimate bonus if you get a result against them. "We knew about the fixtures at the start of the season and that is why we were looking to get the points on the board that we did. "Nine games have passed by and we have had two disappointing results, both away from home. "Certainly Southampton and Reading will be looking at us and be a little jealous but there is this group of fixtures and it will be very difficult indeed. "We accept that we probably won't get as many points as we have collected in the first part of the season but we have got to try and get as many points as we possibly can and then move on to late December and January."

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You'll Hammer one in soon, Andy!
The Sun
Pic: MARK ROBINSON
By JAKE RYAN
Published: 01st November 2012

Andy Carroll's barren spells

11. From February 2007 to December 2008, Carroll went 11 Prem games without scoring for Newcastle.
11. Three months and 11 goalless league games came at Liverpool between October 2011 and January 2012.
11. West Ham loanee Carroll has not scored for 11 league games — his last goal was for Liverpool against Blackburn on April 10.

SAM ALLARDYCE admits Andy Carroll's frustration at his goal drought is just making it worse. The West Ham boss says his star striker should have already bagged his first Hammers goal. Carroll has failed to score in 11 league games since his deadline-day loan move from Liverpool. If the £35million England forward, 23, does not find the target against Manchester City tomorrow he will set a new record for a dry patch. Allardyce said: "I think he's a little frustrated by it but that's the issue. "I don't think frustration helps you. I think you like to come, start and get off the mark as quickly as you possibly can. "So we have got to keep providing the service and eventually, he'll start putting it in the net, we hope. "The more he plays with our players, the more he can start to read how the situation develops and hopefully get on the end of it."

Allardyce insists he is still more than happy with Carroll's displays and the Hammers fans still love the Geordie hitman. Big Sam said: "What I do think is that he's not just a goalscorer. That's 90 per cent of his game. "I think he's an all-round front man in terms of his hold-up play and his movement as well as his ability to score goals. "The fans at West Ham love committed players and I think Andy wears his heart on his sleeve." Allardyce reckons an in-form Carroll would already be off the mark after a perfect chance fell to him in last week's 2-1 Wigan defeat. Carroll's last Prem goal was in April for Liverpool against Blackburn. Allardyce added: "He had one very good chance at Wigan, which dropped to his right foot. "In his heyday, he probably would have just volleyed it straight away but he just tried to bring it down and failed to control it." The 6ft 3in pony-tailed striker faces one of his favourite clubs in City. Carroll has netted four times in games with the Premier League champions — more than he has against any other club. Big Sam wants nothing more than for Carroll to break his duck against Roberto Mancini's inconsistent side — who will be preparing for an aerial bombardment at Upton Park. He added: "Mancini's trying a different system and he's lost De Jong — it is encouraging. "But it's not all about Andy and his heading ability, he's very, very good at scoring goals on the floor." Carroll finished with 10 goals in his first full season at Liverpool — after that mega transfer from Newcastle in January 2011. But he was allowed to leave by Brendan Rodgers. West Ham team-mate and pal Kevin Nolan is convinced the Kop boss made a big mistake. Nolan said: "We want him here for as long as possible. I'm really baffled he couldn't fit into their system and the way they apparently play."

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Hammers keen on Courtois
The Sun
Published: 01st November 2012

WEST HAM are keen to swoop for Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois, who is starring on loan at Atletico Madrid. The Belgian international, 20, is due to return in June. But Chelsea may now want him to become Petr Cech's eventual successor.

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Noble believes 'settled' West Ham role is aiding his football
After recently reaching 200 games for the club, the midfielder has declared that life under Sam Allardyce has led to him playing the best football of his career to date
Goal.com
2 Nov 2012 00:13:00
By Joe McPhee

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble believes his new role under Sam Allardyce is producing the best football he has ever played. The Hammers star enjoyed his most successful season with the club in terms of both goals and assists last year in the Championship, and has continued his rich vein of form in the Premier League. And the 26-year-old, who came through the east London club's youth team ranks, believes his current performances are the best he has ever put in.
"I'm thoroughly enjoying life under Sam," Noble told talkSPORT. "I'm probably playing the best football I've played in a long, long while. "I'm settled in my position. I'm settled at the club and obviously I've just signed a new contract, so I was happy with that." Noble has never been capped by his country at senior level, but he insists international recognition is not an accolade he strives for as his domestic duties come first. He added: "I'm just looking forward to being out on the pitch every week. I keep working harder and harder in training every week, trying to improve, trying to get better and I just want to keep working hard and get performances under my belt."

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West Ham vs Manchester City
Cityam.com
Friday 2nd November 2012, 12:39am
Tomorrow 5.30pm

SHOULD Man United and Chelsea win earlier on in the day, then it will be imperative for Manchester City to claim three points from tomorrow's early evening showdown at West Ham. They certainly have the tools to do just that and Coral's offer of 8/11 for a City victory is very tempting. The champions might not have hit top gear yet, but they are the only remaining unbeaten team and have won their last two away games, at Fulham and West Brom, even if they did have to come from behind – and strike late – to do so. West Ham have made a decent start to the season and go into the game joint eighth on 14 points, but they haven't had too many tough tests yet. The biggest challenge they faced was Arsenal at home, and they lost that one 3-1. The Hammers were defeated by the same scoreline when City last visited Upton Park, in December 2010, and Roberto Mancini's charges are capable of victory by a similar margin. At 15/2 with Coral, City to triumph 2-0 appeals in the correct score market, with the visitors netting, on average, exactly two goals-per-game this season, while Joe Hart has kept a clean sheet in two of their last three league matches. Selling goals at 3.0 with Sporting Index is recommended.

■ Pointers…

Manchester City at 8/11 with Coral
City to win 2-0 at 15/2 with Coral

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*** Apologies but this will be the last digest until 10th November when I return from my holiday as I had no volunteers to take over for a week. ***
PeterR

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