Daily WHUFC News - 2nd September 2013

U21s head for Newcastle
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad travel to Newcastle United in the Barclays U21 Premier
League on Monday
01.09.2013

Nick Haycock is hoping his Development Squad can return to winning ways when
they head to Newcastle United in the Barclays U21 Premier League on Monday.'
After beating Aston Villa and Everton, West Ham United lost their 100 per
cent record after surrendering a 2-0 lead at home to Tottenham Hotspur last
time out, losing 3-2. Now, Haycock's young professionals make the long trip
north to take on Newcastle at the Northumberland FA ground at Whitley Park
in Benton, and the U21s manager is keen to taste victory again. "We spoke
about the Spurs game and told them 'You've got to get over that second
half', but in fairness to the lads there was a lot right about the first
half as well," said Haycock. "You try to concentrate upon the positives and
touch upon the negatives of the second half. "I think you'll see a different
performance up at Newcastle. We spoke about getting the lines tighter
between the different parts of the team and making sure we're on the front
foot for the entire game. "It's an away game so we'll set up slightly
differently to the way we do at home, but the lads have trained well all
week and prepared well."

Haycock will be without defender Leo Chambers, who is away on international
duty with England U19s in Estonia, in the week following the right-back's
first-team debut in the Capital One Cup second-round victory over Cheltenham
Town. The U21s manager said Chambers' impressive bow, and that of Elliot Lee
in the Barclays Premier League in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City,
were credit to everyone involved in player development at the Academy of
Football.
"That's what it's all about. There are lots of people involved in the
Academy, from coaches to scouts and kit men to the people who run the
Academy House and they all get a pat on the back for those debuts. We're a
big family and that's how we look at it. "I'm delighted for Leo because he
has worked hard and it's the first rung of the ladder of him trying to
assert himself in the first-team squad. He knows he has to keep working hard
every day. He's now gone away with England so he won't be available for the
game up at Newcastle, but he deserves all the accolades he got. "Elliot got
a little feel for the Premier League on Saturday and he'll have benefitted
from that, but he was back in training on Sunday preparing for Newcastle."

Following Monday's meeting with the Magpies, Haycock will take a team to
Colchester United for a friendly match on Thursday evening. With the
first-team squad playing RCD Espanyol in Spain on the same evening, a number
of younger players will be given the opportunity to play at the Weston Homes
Community Stadium. "Thursday night is literally giving lads who have not
been playing regularly some minutes on the pitch. All those will get 90
minutes on Thursday. It's nice of Colchester to put the game on and I expect
they will do similar and one or two of their first-team squad who have not
been starting will also play.
"Where we can, we'll put a bit of experience in there just to strengthen the
team up, but it's more a minute-protocol game rather than a game we're
looking to do anything else with."

Both the Newcastle and Colchester matches will be covered with live text
commentary on whufc.com, while highlights and reaction will be available
after each on West Ham TV.

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Reid about Stoke defeat
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid reflects on a bad day at the Boleyn Ground as West Ham United
went down 1-0 to Stoke City
01.09.2013

Winston Reid admitted West Ham United had simply not produced the goods in
losing 1-0 at home to Stoke City in the Barclays Premier League. The Hammers
lost their first game of the 2013/14 season and first at home since February
as the Potters edged an unattractive contest at the Boleyn Ground. Stoke
substitute Jermaine Pennant produced one of few moments of quality to settle
matters with eight minutes remaining, curling a free-kick past Jussi
Jaaskelainen after Reid had been penalised for a foul on another
replacement, Glenn Whelan. "They obviously came and made it tough for us and
on the day they were the better team," Reid told West Ham TV. "We played
poorly and that's what you get sometimes in the league. They scored about
five minutes before full-time and unfortunately we lost. "I thought it
wasn't a foul [on Whelan] but you get some and you don't get some in the
league and the referee is trying to make the best decision, but I thought we
were a bit unlucky."

Whether it was due to Stoke's incessant pressing or their own inability to
create clear-cut openings, West Ham could not find a way through a solid
Potters defence. When asked why things had not clicked on Saturday, Reid was
brutally honest in his assessment. "Stoke didn't give us any time or space
and when we had the ball we were really bad with it. Everyone was. It's just
a really, really bad day at the office for us and under different
circumstances we might have got a point out of it, but we lost this one and
we'll learn from it."

While many of his team-mates will fly to Spain for a meeting with Primera
Division side RCD Espanyol on Thursday evening, Reid will be boarding a
place for the Middle East, where he will captain New Zealand in the
four-nation OSN Cup in Saudi Arabia. The All Whites take on the host nation
in Riyadh on Thursday before facing either United Arab Emirates or Trinidad
and Tobago on Monday 9 September. The games will not only serve as
preparation for New Zealand's FIFA World Cup final-round qualifiers with
Panama in November, but also help Reid get over the disappointment of
Saturday's defeat in time for the trip to Southampton on Sunday 15
September. "It's is going to be hot in Saudi Arabia so I'm going to have to
make sure I take my fluids. It's going to be good to get away for a bit with
the national team, as we're trying to build towards going to another World
Cup. It'll be nice to see the guys again. "We have two competitive games and
my job as captain is to get the boys together and make sure we get on the
same track and are ready for our games in November.
"I'm looking forward to our next game with West Ham and putting things
right. We need to re-group for Southampton and I'm sure the guys are looking
forward to that opportunity to put things right."

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West Ham line up Fabio Quagliarella transfer from Juventus to boost
attacking threat
1 Sep 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Panicking West Ham will make a last-minute dive through the transfer window
for Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella after the desultory flop against
Stoke.
Owners David Sullivan and David Gold were singing from different songsheets
at the weekend as the penny dropped that Modibo Maiga is insufficient cover
for the Hammers' injury-prone Andy Carroll. In his programme notes on
Saturday, Sullivan wrote: "There are no imminent signings as Sam and I are
both very happy with the squad at present." But less than 24 hours later,
Gold admitted on Twitter: "Disappointing result yesterday. We clearly need
more strike power and our people are working flat out to solve the problem."
Hammers are now closing in on a loan swoop for Italy international
Quagliarella, who they were linked with back in June but has also been a
target for Norwich.

Boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in a new striker, and has seen
proposed moves for Duvan Zapata and Roger Rojas collapse. Allardyce will
have to sell before he can buy, but he insisted: "Last year we brought three
players in at the end of the window and they were a major factor in us
finishing 10th in the League. "We are not quite in that desperate a position
now." Upton Park sources are hopeful of getting Quagliarella, 30. His
arrival will see a frustrated Ricardo Vaz Te leave with Swansea, Cardiff and
Palace chasing him. Vaz Te wants to stay in the Premier League, despite
additional interest from Championship promotion hopefuls Wigan and Leeds.

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Joe Cole out for six weeks
By Liam Power, Reporter
Filed: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 00:59 UK
Last Updated: Monday, September 2, 2013 at 00:59 UK
SportsMole.co.uk

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce will reportedly be without midfielder
Joe Cole for at least six weeks after he suffered a hamstring tear in
training last week. Cole was ruled out of Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Stoke
City with the problem, which is now thought to be worse than first feared.
The 31-year-old had a scan on the injury which showed a grade three
hamstring tear, ruling him out of the Hammers next four Premier League
games, according to the Daily Star.
Allardyce already has injury problems in central midfield, after losing Alou
Diarra to a cruciate ligament injury in last week's League Cup win over
Cheltenham Town. West Ham fans watched Cole get their first goal of the
Premier League campaign against Cardiff City two weeks ago, but will now not
see the England international in action until October at the earliest.

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Stuart Downing joins West Ham's injury list
SUNDAY 01 SEPTEMBER 2013

Stewart Downing may not play for three weeks, after the West Ham winger
suffered a leg injury in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Stoke City. Downing
was making only his fourth appearance for the club since his £6m summer
transfer from Liverpool but ended up in hospital after the match. His
absence leaves the West Ham manager Sam Allardyce in a quandary, as he is
already missing Joe Cole, while Ricardo Vaz Te has expressed his desire to
leave. Allardyce said after the game that the chances of buying more players
were "slim" unless he also sells. "We roll with what we've got unless
something happens going out," Allardyce said.

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