Daily WHUFC News - 4th September 2013

West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
A look back at a successful summer in the transfer market for West Ham
United
03.09.2013

West Ham United have reached the end of a record-breaking summer transfer
window and will now focus 100 per cent of their efforts on enjoying a
successful 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season. Despite the Board and
manager deciding to do their business early on in the window to avoid
last-minute panic buys - resulting in the successful signings of Andy
Caroll, Stewart Downing, Razvan Rat and Adrian - Joint-Chairman David
Sullivan and manager Sam Allardyce did spend all night on Monday trying to
sign one of three international strikers, but all opted for the lure of
European football instead.

Importantly, the Board also turned down bids for several first-team players
in the last week of the window as they are determined to give the squad the
best chance possible of bettering last season's tenth-placed Premier League
finish. The Club are pleased to announce that popular striker Carlton Cole
is also undergoing a medical today with a view to returning to the Boleyn
Ground on a short-term deal. While the two previous summers have seen a
necessary overhaul of playing staff, this time around the Board and Big Sam
elected to make fewer alterations to a group that performed so well on their
return to the Premier League, although the Club's transfer record was broken
for the second year in succession.

Summer 2013
England centre forward Carroll was the biggest name in through the Boleyn
Ground's famous John Lyall Gates, signing for a club-record fee from
Liverpool in June. The towering striker netted seven goals in 24 appearances
while on loan from the Reds last season and is closing in on a comeback
after missing the start of the current campaign with a heel injury. When he
pulls on his new No9 shirt again, the 24-year-old will be itching to get on
the end of crosses supplied by fellow England international and former
Liverpool team-mate Downing. The No23, who has already made three
eye-catching appearances in claret and blue, is a prolific crosser of the
ball who has chalked up 70 assists during a successful career with
Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Liverpool. The 29-year-old has been voted
Player of the Year at his previous clubs three times and has appeared in the
League Cup final for all three, producing a Man of the Match display as the
Reds beat Cardiff City in the final at Wembley in 2012.

Rat is the Romania national team captain, who brings both his vast
experience and outstanding talent to east London after a decade with
Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. The left-back, who speaks fluent
English as well as four other languages, won 15 trophies during his time
with Shakhtar, while he appeared in the UEFA Champions League on more than
50 occasions. An attack-minded player, Rat made 300 appearances for the
Ukrainian side, and he is expected to pass the 90-cap mark with Romania
during Friday's FIFA World Cup qualifier with Hungary. Spaniard Adrian is a
goalkeeper who burst onto the scene at Real Betis Balompie last season,
keeping eleven clean sheets in 32 Primera Division matches as the
Seville-based club qualified for the UEFA Europa League. The 26-year-old
came through the Betis ranks before waiting patiently for his chance in the
club's junior teams. An agile stopper with outstanding distribution, Adrian
will keep the pressure on No1 Jussi Jaaskelainen to maintain the outstanding
form the Finn showed himself last term. Finally, Whitehead is a 19-year-old
central midfielder who already possesses extensive first-team experience
from his time with previous club Stockport County. Whitehead played more
than 40 times for Stockport last season before making his switch to east
London in June. Since then, the Manchester-born player has featured in a
number of first-team pre-season matches and started all four Barclays U21
Premier League games so far this term.

Meanwhile, a small number of players departed the Club, with Gary O'Neil
joining Queens Park Rangers and Rob Hall moving to Bolton Wanderers. Emanuel
Pogatetz returned to German club VfL Wolfsburg at the end of his loan spell
and has since joined Bundesliga side 1.FC Nuremburg. Youngster Declan Hunt
has joined Histon on a permanent basis, while England Under-21 defender
Jordan Spence has joined Championship club Sheffield Wednesday on a
month-long emergency loan.

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'We're going to have to sort it out'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis says West Ham United are determined to put things right after
Saturday's disappointing defeat
03.09.2013

Matt Jarvis said the West Ham United squad are absolutely determined to put
things right after Saturday's disappointing 1-0 home Barclays Premier League
defeat by Stoke City. The Hammers produced an uncharacteristic performance
at the Boleyn Ground, lacking the usual intensity and tempo that they have
shown on home turf since Sam Allardyce took charge in summer 2011. That
performance was punished by Jermaine Pennant's 82nd-minute free-kick, which
condemned West Ham to just their second home defeat of 2013 and left the
England winger feeling that they had let themselves and the supporters down.
"I was very disappointed with the performance and the result, really,
especially with it being at home where we have such a good record," Jarvis
told West Ham TV. "We're going to have to sort it out and make sure it never
happens again and get back to winning ways and what we normally do at home.
"Stoke did play well but we didn't play our usual high-tempo game,
especially at home where we're normally very good. It just didn't happen on
Saturday."
Jarvis and his team-mates have redoubled their efforts at Chadwell Heath
this week in a bid to ensure they are ready when they resume Barclays
Premier League hostlities at Southampton on Sunday 15 September.

Before then, the Hammers will travel to Spain to take on Primera Division
RCD Espanyol at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat on Thursday evening in a fixture
aimed at ensuring they retain match-sharpness during the international
break. "We will make sure we work really hard, as we usually do at the
training ground, and will get our tactics spot-on as we normally do and will
focus strongly on that game and getting a very positive result. "We felt the
extreme disappointment exactly the same as the supporters after the Stoke
game and we're going to make sure we turn it around and make sure that never
happens again at home. "It would be nice if there wasn't an international
break and we could get straight back into a proper Premier League game, but
it gives us something to use to get us ready for the Southampton game. "It
won't be an easy game at all. Southampton have signed quite a few players so
it'll be tough, but we got a draw down there last year and we beat them at
home, so hopefully we can take a positive result."

Following the trip to St Mary's, West Ham return to home turf for two
important matches, hosting Everton in the Barclays Premier League on
Saturday 21 September and Cardiff City on Tuesday 24 September. "The main
thing is that we've got to get back to winning ways and making the Boleyn
Ground a fortress, as we did last year."

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Hammers set for internationals
WHUFC.com
A number of West Ham United players are in international action this week
03.09.2013

West Ham United's band of internationals are set for action with their
countries this week all the way across the globe. Centre back Winston Reid
faces the longest trip, as his New Zealand side warm up for their FIFA World
Cup qualification play-off in November by taking part in a four-team
tournament in Saudi Arabia. The All Whites will take on the hosts in Riyadh
on Thursday, before contesting either a final or third place play-off
against United Arab Emirates or Trinidad & Tobago. Reid is the New Zealand
skipper and has 14 caps for his country.

Jack Collison will help Wales try to improve their standing in Group A of
the European section of qualification in their matches against Macedonia and
Serbia.
Chris Coleman's side travel to Skopje first to take on Macedonia on Friday,
before returning to Cardiff for their meeting with Serbia on Tuesday 10
September.
Also involved in the European qualifiers is Razvan Rat, whose Romania side
are looking for the points to climb into the top two of Group D. They face
the current holders of second place, Hungary, in Bucharest on 6 September,
then taking on Turkey, also at home in the Romania capital, on 10 September.

Mohamed Diame's Senegal will guarantee top spot in their group of World Cup
qualifying in Africa with a point against Uganda on 7 September. Their game
will be played in Marrakesh, Morocco, due to Senegal being barred from
playing at their usual home ground as a result of crowd trouble in an Africa
Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast last year.

The Hammers also have three players involved in international matches below
senior level. Raphael Spiegel will join up with the Switzerland U21 squad
for UEFA U21 Championship 2015 qualifiers against Latvia and Liechtenstein.
The Swiss first travel to Latvia on Thursday, before taking on Liechtenstein
in Vaduz on Monday 9 September. Leo Chambers, who made his Hammers first
team debut in last week's Capital One Cup win over Cheltenham Town, is in
the England U19 squad for a friendly in Estonia on Thursday 5 September.
Jamie Harney completes the list of West Ham internationals in this period,
with his Northern Ireland U19 side taking on Austria in Vienna on Wednesday
11 September.

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In-form Lee praises team spirit
WHUFC.com
Hat-trick hero Elliot Lee was delighted with the character shown during the
Development Squad's win over Newcastle
03.09.2013

Hat-trick hero Elliot Lee praised the Development Squad's team spirit after
they produced a magnificent comeback to beat Newcastle 5-4. Lee scored twice
from the penalty spot, the first of which kick-started an amazing run of
five unanswered goals after they had fallen 3-0 behind with only 13 minutes
played.
George Moncur and Dylan Tombides grabbed a goal each as the Hammers scored
five times in an amazing 25 minute spell and Lee says the win shows just how
good the squad's team spirit is. He told West Ham TV: "To go 3-0 down in the
first 15 minutes and to come back and win 5-4 shows what great character
we've got in the squad. "Going three down we could have let our heads drop
and thought it was game over. "But we've come here to Newcastle, a long
seven hour trip and we've fought hard and in the end got the win that we
wanted."

Two goals in the last five minutes of the first half may have gone some way
to appeasing coach Nick Haycock following the nightmare start, but according
to Lee the players still bore the brunt of their coach's frustrations. "It's
a terrible start from the boys to be honest and we had a telling off at
half-time.
"First 15 minutes we go 3-0 down and I haven't touched the ball yet so it
wasn't a great start. "I didn't think things were right in the warm up but
we move on to the next one, we got a good win at the end of the day and
we'll learn from it."

The striker's hat-trick follows just two days after he made his Barclays
Premier League debut as a second-half substitute against Stoke City. With
the first team currently without Andy Carroll there could be more
opportunities in the near future and Lee is keen to make sure Sam Allardyce
cannot ignore him. "It's been a great week to say the least, it's always
great to score as a striker and to score a hat-trick is the best thing you
can do so I'm really happy. "If I keep doing what I'm doing, keep scoring
goals then hopefully the gaffer can't ignore me."

The international break comes at the wrong time for Lee and his teammates
who are full of confidence after their astonishing win over Newcastle, but
the marksman is already looking forward to their next game. "We've got a
little break now; we come back in two weeks' time to play Manchester City at
Upton Park. "We'll take great confidence from this win and hopefully we can
keep winning."

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West Ham: Carlton Cole set for Hammers return
BBC.co.uk

West Ham are set to re-sign striker Carlton Cole little over three months
after releasing him. The 29-year-old, who has won seven caps for England, is
undergoing a medical with a view to signing on a short-term contract. It
comes after the Hammers missed out on three international strikers on
transfer deadline day. Former Chelsea frontman Cole, 29, made 237
appearances for West Ham over seven years, scoring 59 goals. Manager Sam
Allardyce said at the time of Cole's release in late May: "Carlton's need at
his age is to be playing football as often as he can. We felt it better he
found pastures new."

Cole's West Ham years
Appearances: 237
Goals: 59
England caps: seven

Cole scored the opening goal in West Ham's Championship play-off final
victory over Blackpool in 2012. West Ham made four senior summer signings in
striker Andy Carroll and winger Stewart Downing from Liverpool, left-back
Razvan Rat from Shakhtar Donetsk and goalkeeper Adrian from Betis. They have
three experienced strikers - Carroll, Modiba Maiga and Ricardo Vaz Te. The
Hammers confirmed in a statement they were looking at striker signings
throughout Monday and also turned down several other offers. "Joint-chairman
David Sullivan and manager Sam Allardyce did spend all night on Monday
trying to sign one of three international strikers, but all opted for the
lure of European football instead," it read. "Importantly, the board also
turned down bids for several first-team players in the last week of the
window as they are determined to give the squad the best chance possible of
bettering last season's 10th-placed Premier League finish."

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Vaz Te and Allardyce
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd September 2013
By: Gary Portugal

At the time of writing, Carlton Cole has had a medical - but regardless, the
underlying theme of what follows remains especially since Cole will require
time to get fit.

Call me a middle-aged cynic, but in my experience human relationships are
like milk: once when they turn sour, there is no getting them back. There is
the odd exception, as may turn out to be the case between David Moyes and
Wayne Rooney.

Is there any way for Ricardo Vaz Te and Sam Allardyce to "re-boot" this
season and start their relationship over again? As a realist, I think
probably not. I have some, but limited confidence in Sam's man management
skills. I don't have a lot of faith in Vaz Te's maturity. So this is going
to be a severe test of Allardyce's man management skills.

We'd better hope he's up to it as our season, at least until the January
window, may well depend on it. On a positive note, it IS in both Sam and
Ricardo's interest to try to patch things up. If Vaz Te wants a move, he has
to put himself in the shop window and perform. If Sam wants to avoid a
relegation scrap, he needs all our potential goalscorers to start
contributing and needs to somehow coax the best out of Vaz Te. No easy task
at the best of times, given the player's somewhat moody temperament.

I didn t agree with Vaz Te's way of dealing with the situation, or his
timing. To hand in a transfer request so near to the closing of the window
was childish. He knew Downing was on his way here weeks ago and that would
have been the time to voice concerns to Sam, or worst case hand in a
transfer request, or both. Instead the player threw his toys out of the
pram, failing to consider the injury-prone nature of Joe Cole, Stuart
Downing, and Andy Carroll. He was never likely to be on the bench for too
long.

But to take a step back, was Vaz Te JUSTIFIED in losing his rag? Probably
so, even if the timing of his transfer request stunk. He has scored some
important goals at West Ham, and not just the one that got us promoted. He
has also shown that he is at least capable of scoring in the Premier League,
even if he can be inconsistent. And he can play as a striker, even if
Allardyce prefers him as a winger.

Over the past 15 months, we have brought in three very good wide players and
spent a fair bit in doing so. Vaz Te could be forgiven for thinking that he
wasn't truly in Sam's plans, given the arrival of Jarvis, Cole and then
Downing.

Which leads to the next angle of the story. Who is to play as our lone
striker in the event of - for whatever reason - Carroll not being fit at any
stage of the season? Maiga had a chance last term to prove himself, and didn
t take it. He just completed a good pre-season, which deservedly or not,
earned him a second shot.

It was a second chance that I feel he's spurned, despite a good opening day
performance against Cardiff. Against more established sides such as
Newcastle and Stoke, he was anonymous - and his work rate wasn't too
impressive either. If you are sitting in Vaz Te's shoes, you have got to be
upset looking at Maiga's two recent and decidedly average performances.

Is Vaz Te a world-beater up front? Hardly, but he carries more of a
goalscoring threat than Maiga does. Given time and space, Maiga is good on
the ball. But how many teams are really going to give him that space? You
can argue that Sam had to give Maiga at least three games to show what he
can do. I'm not so sure. After the Newcastle game I would have had real
questions as to whether Maiga was up to the task. Especially as a starter,
not an impact sub.

One does wonder what, if any, communication there was between Sam and Vaz Te
in the opening weeks of the season. Did Allardyce do anything to reassure
the winger that he was still part of his plans? Evidently not, which was a
major oversight.

Players do get injured, especially it seems at West Ham. Which means that a
manager shouldn't take any player for granted, nor leave any feeling that
they have been frozen out if they have a role to play. So, much as I dislike
how Vaz Te vented his anger, I completely get WHY he did - which doesn't
reflect well on Allardyce's communication skills. Might we be bumping up
against the limits of Sam's usefulness to West Ham as a manager? Maybe. But
that will be the subject for another piece.

We can only hope that, for the next three months, Vaz Te chooses to take his
frustration out on the opposition when called upon and delivers motivated
performances. I'm not holding my breath.

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A very poor decision
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 2nd September 2013
By: Gary Portugal

I like our owners a lot. They have invested loads in the club,without which
it would have likely gone into administration or bankrupt.

The two Davids are genuine fans, who eat, breathe and sleep this club. But
that won't stop me from pointing out when I think that they have made a big
mistake - ad they have made a MASSIVE one in buying Stewart Downing. He's a
very talented player, and the price was very reasonable, if not cheap.

But that isn t the issue. The issue is that we didn't need a winger, full
stop. We needed, desperately, a STRIKER, as the Newcastle and Stoke fixtures
made all too clear.

Maiga has a decent shot on him but he's poor in the air, not strong or hard
enough for the Premier League and his work rate isn't good enough. Even
Kenwyn Jones made Maiga look downright lazy. We have absolutely no cover for
Carroll, especially with Vaz Te having thrown his toys out of the pram.
Bringing in Downing was the last straw from Vaz Te's point of view.

I will be shocked if Carroll makes it to Christmas without getting injured
again. Now there is talk that he may not even be fit for the Southampton
game. Sam admits that he got injured three times last season- yet claims the
player is not injury-prone. Really, Sam?

The owners will tell you that they had to "support" Sam and be SEEN to
support him. And that is why they approved the purchase of Downing, despite
the fact that it left us with no money under the wage cap to buy cover for
Carroll. That is utter nonsense to me.

They had already "supported" Sam in acquiring Andy Carroll, Razvan Rat and
Adrian to the tune of £20million-odd. Sam didn t need more "support". What
Sam needed was a reality check.

Who runs the club? The owners or Allardyce? At some point the owners need to
step up and knock the manager back. And do what's right for the long-term
health and security of the club. Taking a high stakes gamble on Carroll
getting through this season without further injury is absolute madness.

By caving in to Sam's ill-judged demands on Downing the owners have left our
season hanging by a thread. How could the manager, and our owners, think
that the club could rely on an unproven Maiga as cover for Carroll? Now,
anytime Carroll takes any kind of knock, we're all going to fear the worst.

If Carroll sustains any further injury this season, we will be plunged right
into a relegation scrap. You would think that our current owners would have
learned the lessons from 2003 when a lack of striking options strongly
contributed to our relegation. No PL club operates with just one recognised
striker. Nobody is crazy enough. Except us, it would seem.

Yes, we defend well. We have conceded only one goal in total in three
matches in the league. But that is not enough to ensure our PL survival, no
less a good season. If we are incapable of scoring, or even creating
chances, as has been the case in the last two PL games then we are in deep
trouble. Carroll cannot, and will not, be the miracle cure. We will be lucky
if he plays 30 games this season.

I find it shocking that the club has taken this much of a gamble, with our
survival now resting on the fitness of one player. Stoke aren't
world-beaters, especially away from home. Nor are Newcastle. For us to have
barely a shot on target against these two sides shows just what a poor
decision it was to buy Downing.

I fear we may pay a big price for that decision.

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Overchuffed and back in the building
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd September 2013
By: Staff Writer

Carlton Cole is on his way back to West Ham - just three months after
leaving on a free transfer. The 29-year-old striker spent seven years at the
Boleyn Ground in his first spell before leaving at the end of last season,
having rejected the club's new contract offer. But with the Hammers failing
to land the additional striker so desperately sought during the window, Cole
- who remains a free agent despite being linked with a string of clubs
during the summer - has been handed a lifeline. This afternoon [Tuesday]
United confirmed that the former England international was on his way back.
"The Club are pleased to announce that popular striker Carlton Cole is also
undergoing a medical today with a view to returning to the Boleyn Ground on
a short-term deal," read a statement on whufc.com. Cole, who made in excess
of 200 appearances for West Ham after being signed by Alan Pardew from
Chelsea was a popular figure at the club prior to his departure. Upon his
departure, he thanked the "good, honest, decent people" who had supported
him during his time at United. "I came to east London not knowing what to
expect but I'm glad I did. I want to thank the West Ham fans for their
support - especially the ones who made the away games feel like a home game.

"Life is filled with ups and downs; today is a down but I'll be back!
Carlton Cole - or CFC as I have been called - has left the building."

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Youth development: a solution?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd September 2013
By: Geoff Toates

I'm sure I am not the only supporter to wonder why the once steady trickle
of young players graduating from our youth set up seems to have dried up.
And I'm also sure that, like me, others are speculating as to what might be
the reason and what, if anything, we can do about it.

We still manage to attract young players who are good enough to represent
England at their respective age levels so why is it that so few progress
through the ranks and, worse, many disappear without trace from the
professional game? The most recent, highly rated, youngster to leave us was
Robert Hall who joined Bolton when his contract expired last July. Like many
of us I had seen him at youth and development squad level and thought he had
a bright future at West Ham.

Some will no doubt point to Sam Allardyce and argue that Hall wasn't given
any opportunities at West Ham to show what he could do. Up to a point this
is a valid argument but it is equally valid to say that he had not been a
regular choice for the clubs, Birmingham and Bolton, he was loaned out to,
so why do we believe a player not considered ready for regular Championship
football should be thrown into Premier League action?

Those of us who have watched Development Squad games realise there is a
massive gap between that level and the Championship, never mind the Premier
League. The problem that clubs like ours need to address is how to bridge
that gap.

At present the loan system is the only process which a club can turn to and
the fundamental problem with the loan system is that the parent club loses a
large element of control over how the player is used. Hall spent a lot of
time on the bench at Bolton last season. How was that helping his football
education? It would be wrong to blame the Bolton manager. His responsibility
is to win matches for his club, not worry about the development of a West
Ham youngster.

What I believe clubs should be allowed to do is to field 'B' teams in
competitive leagues. This system works very well in Spain, for example, and
has undoubtedly benefited clubs there. Barcelona's present squad contains
many home grown players who have come through their academy and been given
the opportunity at 'B' level before graduating to the first team.

It appears that West Ham (and probably other clubs too) are lobbying for
this system to be introduced here. I think it was Nick Haycock who made the
point in a piece on the club's official site.

Personally I don't see a down side. Let's assume we had a 'B' team playing
in the Conference as a starting point. I actually think it would benefit
clubs to have a visit from teams representing West Ham, Spurs, Man United
and so on. You only have to look at attendances in pre season friendlies,
even where a 'So-And-So FC XI' turn out without a hint of a first team squad
member to realise that a 'name' club will add to the gate.

The benefit to clubs is obvious. The players would be competing in a
competitive environment. They could be rewarded by promotion to a higher
level . Obviously, as in Spain, they couldn't compete in the same league as
the senior side but I doubt if there are many clubs, even the big boys,
whose development squads are good enough to attain that level anyway.

They would also be playing in front of bigger crowds and, more importantly
in my opinion, their performances would be monitored by our own coaching
staff who would also be responsible for deciding whether or not to pick a
player, which is not the case when a player is loaned out.

I know some will argue it would devalue the structure of the English game. I
don't see that argument at all. A young kid whose dad takes him along to see
his local Div 2 side turn out against Bury or Accrington would still take
him along to see Manchester United 'B' wouldn't he?

Obviously this system would take some organisation which is, in my opinion,
something our footballing authorities are not particularly good at. But I
feel, like Nick Haycock, it is an idea which has a lot of merit and is at
least worth of discussion. I won't hold my breath because, as usual, vester
interests will come to the fore. But let's at least have a grown up
discussion about it.

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A new home for the Hammers: How have other top clubs fared in new stadia?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 3rd September 2013
By: Stephen Kenwright

The Hammers will fall just short of a 100 year tenure at the iconic Upton
Park Stadium when they move into the equally iconic Olympic Stadium in three
seasons' time.

It might not have the Boleyn Ground's extensive history, but for a club that
is so intrinsically woven into the fabric of English football, it seems
fitting that West Ham will find themselves playing their home games in the
current home of British sport.

The Hammers' housewarming

What can West Ham United expect when they up sticks and begin the new era at
the 54,000 Olympic Stadium? If recent history is to be believed, good things
are on the horizon – some clubs with rich histories have found homes in now
instantly recognisable stadia (by the way, see if you can spot the new
grounds in Ladbrokes' Guess the Ground quiz) and some of the UK's most
successful clubs have profited both on and off the pitch after a move. Here
are three clubs that can count a relocation in the win column (and one that
can't).

Arsenal fly in the Emirates

Fly Emirates are major sponsors of AC Milan, Benfica, Paris Saint-Germain
and Real Madrid – but say "Emirates" in this country and the new home of
Arsenal springs to mind straight away. With the "Arsenalisation" of the
60,000-seater stadium in full-swing, the move to the Emirates in 2006 meant
that the Gunners are hanging with the big boys in terms of their stadium, if
not their league position.

The Emirates does also keep Arsenal right up there in the financials, too.
The magnificent ground cost an estimated £471m to construct, but with a
reported £250m coming from Emirates in sponsorship alone the Gunners haven't
paid the price for it. It seems that West Ham have made the right decision
in moving to a stadium that's already about ready to host Premier League
football. Even the Emirates rose in price by £100m while under construction.

The start of Arsenal's first campaign at the Emirates, however, was a
disaster. Drawing with Aston Villa and Middlesbrough and losing to both
Manchester clubs in the first four matches, it obviously took some time to
bed in the new turf. Arsenal subsequently managed not to lose the next five
matches before the Hammers beat them 1-0 at Upton Park.

The Etihad – THE City of Manchester stadium

Speaking of Manchester clubs, City are another prime example of a stadium
move going right…after a while. The City of Manchester Stadium, as it was
initially known, was built as an athletics stadium like the Hammers' new
home and was converted to a football ground to be proud of with a minimum of
fuss.

The first game in the stadium was a friendly held between City and a
pre-Guardiola Barcelona, which City won. Nicolas Anelka scored the very
first goal on the ground and the first Premier League match held on the
ground saw the home side beat Charlton Athletic 3-0, but it was all downhill
from there. The club finished 16th and thankfully avoided relegation. If
they hadn't managed to stay up, the club might have never been purchased by
Abu Dhabi United Group 4 years later, they might never have renamed their
stadium the Etihad and they might never have won their first league title in
44 years in the very same season.

Liverpool still play in a shed

If artists' impressions are to be believed, Liverpool's new stadium, Stanley
Park, will be a joy to behold. One of the most technologically advanced
stadiums ever envisaged, it features grass scientifically designed to be
kind to Luis Suarez's skin.

Actually, that's just speculation, as since the stadium was scheduled to
open along with the Emirates in 2006, almost nothing has actually happened.
Most people were ready to add Stanley Park to the list with Duke Nukem
Forever and Chinese Democracy, but then Liverpool changed ownership and the
whole project was scrapped.

It would have been similar in size to the Olympic Stadium and would have
cost a similar amount as the Emirates to build, but nobody really knows
whether Liverpool F.C. will ever start construction of the new ground or
not. In the meantime the club's fans will have to content themselves with
all the great memories they have of Anfield (between 1884 and about 2005).

When most big clubs move out of their spiritual homes there is usually some
degree of trepidation from the fans. Unlike most big clubs, though, West Ham
are a football institution that has always been very much focused on the
future; you only need to look at the legends that have come out of the
Academy of Football to know that the Hammers will be major players in the
Premier League for a long time and another twenty thousand fans cheering the
team can't hurt.

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Enough already
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 2nd September 2013
By: Gary Portugal

It's no surprise that Alan Pardew and Roberto Martinez have pointed it out,
given that it's their players who have been subject to constant transfer
speculation. But they are absolutely right. It is a total shambles that the
transfer window shuts on September 2,after three Premier League matches have
already been played.

What is the point? Is there any legitimate reason why the window doesn't
shut the day before the season-opener? What purpose does it serve to drag
out the transfer circus an extra three weeks, except to essentially rip off
supporters who see nearly 10 per cent of the season vanish without the likes
of Bale, Cabaye etc. kicking a ball.

What is the point of such players having to miss the opening few games?
Clubs have all summer long to bolster their squads; there is no excuse for
not being able to get their business done by the time the season starts.
Between the closing of the window and breaks for internationals, the start
of the Premier League season is very disjointed - which can't be good for
anybody, nor for the end product.

Even players like Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines, who may be off on
deadline day but have featured so far, must have had divided loyalties and
be weary of sustaining injury prior to the close of the window. The Bale
saga was the biggest joke of all; if it was inevitable that he was off to
Madrid,why could it not have been wrapped up ages ago?

Enough is enough. It's time for the Premier League to take the lead on this
issue regardless of whether other European leagues agree. I'm sick of it
all. End this farce, NOW!

Which leads me to another irksome topic- that of "international breaks" and
other season disruptions. Take a look at the fixture list and you will note
not one, not two, but THREE interruptions of two weeks between now and
Christmas. One per month in September, October and November - although some
will argue that the September break is actually a good thing for us as it
gives Andy Carroll, Joe Cole and Stewart Downing time to recuperate.

One disruption to the season between now and Christmas may be acceptable,but
why three? At least two of these hiatuses are due to internationals. Why
can't all the required internationals simply be played within ONE period of
two weeks?

Why is it necessary for players and teams to have meet up, break up and then
reconvene to repeat the process all over again a month later? It completely
takes away the momentum of the domestic league campaigns. Another option
would be to play at least some of the World/Euro Cup qualifiers and
friendlies BEFORE the domestic leagues begin.

There is a long period of time between the ending of a previous season and
the start of a new one. Domestic leagues need to build momentum. They don't
need stop/start scheduling after a summer away from the game.

Supporters just start to get used to ebb and flow of football again after
summer, and then the nuisance of two or three enforced breaks kills the
momentum. It's not the cleverest marketing tool, surely there has to be a
way around this? Domestic leagues should not be pushed around or dictated to
by FIFA or UEFA.

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Carlton Cole set for West Ham return
Last Updated: September 3, 2013 9:38pm

Carlton Cole is undergoing a medical at West Ham with a view to returning to
the club on a short-term deal. Cole is a free agent following his departure
from the Boleyn Ground at the end of May after seven seasons with West Ham.
He made over 200 appearances for the club, scoring 47 goals, having begun
his career at Chelsea over a decade ago. The 29-year-old has also had loan
spells at Charlton, Aston Villa and Wolves, and made seven appearances for
England since his debut against Spain in 2009, all of which came off the
substitutes' bench. A West Ham statement on Tuesday read: "Despite the board
and manager deciding to do their business early on in the window to avoid
last-minute panic buys - resulting in the successful signings of Andy
Carroll, Stewart Downing, Razvan Rat and Adrian - joint-chairman David
Sullivan and manager Sam Allardyce did spend all night on Monday trying to
sign one of three international strikers, but all opted for the lure of
European football instead. "Importantly, the board also turned down bids for
several first-team players in the last week of the window as they are
determined to give the squad the best chance possible of bettering last
season's tenth-placed Premier League finish. "The club are pleased to
announce that popular striker Carlton Cole is also undergoing a medical
today with a view to returning to the Boleyn Ground on a short-term deal."

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WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE BEEN LET DOWN
By Iain Dale 3 Sep 2013 at 17:48
West Ham Till I Die

Back in 1986 we had a real chance to play among the big boys. We had
finished third, but the owners of the club failed to match the fans'
ambitions and didn't invest in any new players. We all know what happened
then. In some ways we feel we are in a similar position now. We know we have
the nucleus of a pretty decent side. Sure, more than £20 million has been
spent on new players this summer, but £6 million of it was spent on a player
we didn't need, in a position we didn't need to fill, leaving us with no
money to buy a player for the position we certainly needed to fill – that of
second striker.

Sam Allardyce
We were constantly warned that if we spent any money on a new striker, we
could only do so if we shipped a player or two out, yet no attempt was made
to do that until it was too late, and one player, Vaz Te, had handed in a
transfer request. The manager professed his profound happiness with his
squad despite having no striker cover. I never believed that for a minute,
and as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Sam Allardyce was as good at spin as
Alastair Campbell.

Yet I wonder now whether he was speaking the truth. I wonder whether he
really did believe his own words and that he was indeed happy with the
squad. If so, we should be very worried indeed.

When Sam Allardyce was appointed, I was a huge sceptic. I remember emailing
David Sullivan pleading with him not to consider Allardyce. He replied that
Sam's record was great, although he'd have to change his style of play if he
came to West Ham. And to be fair to him, he has certainly adapted it, if not
wholly ditched it. Slowly but surely I was won round, I didn't particularly
like his style of play in the Championship, but he got us up. That was what
mattered. And no one can say that a 10th place finish last season wasn't an
achievement. It was. And signing Andy Carroll on loan was a brilliant move.
I couldn't have been happier when Carroll signed permanently. But then I got
carried away. I started salivating over who might partner him up front,
should Allardyce ever ditch his 4-5-1, oh sorry, 4-3-3 formation. Could it
be Bony, Defoe, Ba. The list went on. I was sure, though, that it would be
someone, that a manager of Allardyce's pedigree would sign a top quality
striker. Indeed, I expected him to sign two. No one can expect to have a
good season without four strikers in their squad. Little did I realise that
Sam Allardyce apparently believes that you can go a full season with only
one main striker, and a deputy who is as effective as a powerpuff.

I believe we have a brilliant central defensive partnership. Our full backs
are more than adequate. Our central midfield is great. We have more than
adequate wingers. Anyone can see that the missing link is an effective
goalscorer. And yet we sit here today, sipping our afternoon tea, wondering
what might have been.

Ah, but you don't understand, David Sullivan will tell us. And I am sure we
will soon get the Club Statement on the Website. Here's what it will say…

The manager and owners of the club made strenuous efforts right up until the
last minute to bring new players to the club. We could not have done more.
We realise how disappointed fans will be, but we have to abide by the
Financial Fair Play rules. We always said that we would have to sell before
we could buy, but sadly that proved impossible. The manager would like to
reiterate he is very happy with his squad and looks forward to a successful
season.

Gold Sullivan
It's not quite like that, of course. One has to ask why we were the only
club to constantly cite the FFP rules as a reason we could not bring in more
players. The rules don't even come in until 2015, and although they do
require the 2013-14 accounts to be in order, they are for the full financial
year. So it was perfectly possible to buy someone in this window and then
make up the shortfall by selling a couple of non essential players in the
January window. The likes of Norwich and Southampton seemed to bring in as
many players as they liked without worrying about breaching FFP rules.
Tottenham too. Is anyone seriously telling me that they won't go over their
limit?

I bought an extra season ticket this year so I could bring friends to watch
games. On Saturday, I was with three people who came to a football match for
the first time. I wouldn't blame any of them for never wanting to darken our
doors again. But I could forgive that because I was sure that things would
get better. I now feel cheated. I know what is going to happen now. It's
what happened under Curbishley and Roeder. We're now going to be palmed off
with one or possibly two free agents – players who couldn't get a contract
any other way. It's going to be the likes of Tristan or Di Michele. Carlton
Cole is now making what I hope will be a glorious return. I suggested this
in a column a few weeks ago and was ridiculed for it. I love Carlton as a
bloke, but is he now our future? Well, better him than Maiga. Like any true
fan, I give him a hearty welcome back.

Perhaps we wouldn't worry so much if our midfielders were in any way
prolific scorers, but with the exception of Nolan they're not. Jarvis ought
to score far more goals than he does, the same with Diame. And now we have
the prospect of both Downing and Cole being out for weeks. Then there's Vaz
Te. Is his head ever going to be right? If we don't bring in any loan
players, he's the one who ought to be stepping up to the plate and playing
through the middle if Carroll isn't available.

David Gold and David Sullivan have in many ways performed wonders for this
club. Allardyce too. But this month the three of them should not be
surprised if we all feel they have let us all down. Let's now have some
honesty from them and let them admit it. They would go up in many people's
estimation if they did.

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