Daily WHUFC News - 15th October 2013

Carlton Cole returns
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have signed forward Carlton Cole on a short-term contract
until January 2014
14.10.2013

Carlton Cole cannot wait to pull on a claret and blue shirt again after
re-joining West Ham United. The England centre forward has signed for the
Hammers on a short-term contract until 13 January 2014, reuniting him with
the Club he represented 237 times over seven seasons. After working on his
fitness at Chadwell Heath for the past few weeks, Cole successfully came
through a behind-closed-doors match with Championship side Charlton Athletic
last week. The striker, who scored 59 goals for the Hammers between 2006 and
2013, told West Ham TV he is looking forward to getting reacquainted with
the team-mates, coaching staff and supporters he knows so well. "I'm in an
excellent mood, am happy to be back and can't wait to get working with the
lads again and start my season off," said Cole, who turned 30 on Saturday
and will wear the No24 shirt. "I've been working hard with the strength and
conditioning coach Mathew Monte-Colombo in the gym and he's been really
hands-on with me to get me up to standard to train with the team and get my
match-fitness up as quickly as possible with a view to signing. "I feel fit
and raring to go and it's time to start knocking on the manager's door to
get some games under my belt."

Cole rejoins the Club at an exciting time, with the squad on a high
following a 3-0 Barclays Premier League win at Tottenham Hotspur and players
like Stewart Downing and Ravel Morrison adding quality to the group. "I
didn't actually see the Tottenham game but I saw the goals going in on Sky
Sports News and, being a West Ham fan, I was over-chuffed for the team, the
players and the manager. "I'm definitely excited because there are top-class
players here and it's good to be playing and stable in the Premier League
and looking to progress and do better than last season. We've got the
players to do that and hopefully I can be a part of it."

Reflecting on his departure from the Boleyn Ground in the summer, Cole is
now looking to make up for lost time and make his mark again in a West Ham
shirt.
"At the end of the day, everything happens for a reason and you don't always
choose what is going to happen to you. We decided to part ways in the summer
but West Ham and me have ended up together again! Hopefully I can come in
and be who I am and help the team achieve what we need to achieve."

A powerful presence, Cole initially joined West Ham from Chelsea in July
2006, scoring with his first touch on his debut in a 3-1 home Premier League
win over Charlton Athletic the following month. After two seasons on the
fringe of the starting XI, Cole became a central figure for the Hammers
during the 2008/09 campaign, during which he netted 12 goals in all
competitions. Cole would finish as West Ham's leading goalscorer in four
straight seasons between 2008/09 and 2011/12. Cole's form saw the one-time
England U19, U20 and U21 international earn a senior debut against Spain in
February 2009. He now has seven senior caps to his name. The most-famous of
Cole's West Ham strikes came at Wembley in May 2012, when his first-half
goal put Sam Allardyce's side on the way to a 2-1 Championship Play-Off
final victory over Blackpool and promotion back to the Premier League. Prior
to his initial spell with West Ham, Cole began his career with Chelsea,
making his first-team debut for Chelsea in a 3-0 home Premier League win
over Everton on 6 April 2002. He scored his first senior goal on his first
Chelsea start in a 2-0 Premier League win at Middlesbrough three weeks
later. Cole totalled 35 appearances and eight goals during five years at
Stamford Bridge, while also enjoying loan spells with Championship side
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Premier League sides Charlton and Aston Villa.
Away from the pitch, Cole has long supported community and charitable
causes, while he is also a talented DJ.

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Potts hails in-form U18s
WHUFC.com
Steve Potts' U18s scored a superb victory over previously unbeaten Tottenham
Hotspur on Saturday
14.10.2013

West Ham United U18s manager Steve Potts claimed his squad earned their 3-2
victory over previously undefeated Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
The Hammers got off to the perfect start in Enfield, taking a 2-1 lead into
half-time when ever-present captain Kieran Bywater grabbed his eighth and
ninth goals for the season. Tottenham drew level before Jordan Brown showed
strength and determination in the closing stages to finish low into the
corner of the net and seal the win. Prior to their defeat by Potts' side,
Tottenham had won all seven of their Barclays U18 Premier League fixtures.
"I'm very pleased with the result," said Potts. "Tottenham had played seven
and won seven this season so they are a very good team. "I had players in my
team for the game that haven't really played much recently because some of
the lads that have been playing are away on international duty. It's nice to
see them come into the team and work hard and, all things considered, it was
an excellent performance."

It was a tight game for both sides and Potts can see where his team
performed slightly better than their London rivals, but also where they need
to learn how to play without fear. "In the first half, we went 1-0 up but I
really thought we could have got another goal straight away," he continued.
"When they got their goal back though, we just stood off them and let them
play. For about 30 minutes of that first half, Tottenham played very well,
but we weathered it and got another goal to take us into the lead at the
break. "In the second half, in my eyes, there was nothing in it. If
anything, I think the chances we had were slightly better. "It was a game of
everything; good and bad. The boys have got to realise that whoever they are
playing, they have to impose themselves and play without fear. They have the
ability, they just have to go out onto the pitch and show it."

Saturday's result saw West Ham win their third consecutive league fixture
and captain Bywater take his tally for the season to nine goals in nine
games. Both are achievements that Potts is delighted with. "Some of the
results this season haven't been there, but the performances have been
excellent. The lads haven't sometimes got the result that their performances
deserved, but we have a group of hardworking lads with good footballing
ability. It is those two aspects that you need to get results like we did
against Spurs and it's nice to see their hard work paying off at the moment.
"You can always see it in training that Kieran has that goal threat. He is
very aware in front of goal and knows the positions to pop up into. Both of
his goals against Spurs were excellent finishes and he deserves them."

This season has seen Potts' side tested against some of the best Academy
teams in the country, scoring wins over Manchester United, Liverpool and
Tottenham. "I said at the start of the season that the league programme this
season means that every team is going to be tested every week. "For example,
we went to West Bromwich Albion just over a week ago and it is probably the
most physical game that I've seen all year. The way that the West Brom
players got stuck into the lads and tried to put us off our game made us
work hard, but we played well, got through it and won the game. "Then we had
an away game with Spurs, who are a very good footballing team and to come
away with a result like we did, I'm really pleased for the boys."

West Ham's next Barclays U18 Premier League fixture sees them host Norwich
City at Little Heath on Saturday 19 October 2013. Both parking and admission
are free for that fixture.

U18s: Baxter, Amoo, Girdlestone, Onariase, Page, Cullen, Marlow, Makasi,
Bywater, Parfitt-Williams (Mavila), Brown (Martins)
Subs not used: Nemrava, Bailey

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Carlton Cole: West Ham re-sign striker on three-month contract
BBC.co.uk

Carlton Cole has rejoined West Ham United on a three-month contract. Striker
Cole, 30, left the Premier League side at the end of last season after his
deal expired. But with Andy Carroll out with a foot injury and Cole still a
free agent, West Ham turned to their former player to boost their attacking
options.
Cole's West Ham years

Carlton Cole has played seven times for England
Appearances: 237
Goals: 59
England caps: Seven
Cole scored the opening goal in West Ham's 2-1 Championship play-off final
victory over Blackpool in 2012.
2012-13 appearances: 29
2012-13 goals: 29/2

"I'm happy to be back and can't wait to get working with the lads again,"
said Cole, who could play for the Hammers against Manchester City on
Saturday.
Cole scored just two goals in 29 appearances for West Ham in 2012-13 and had
recently been training with Sam Allardyce's side before he proved his
fitness in a friendly against Charlton last week, which the Addicks won 4-2.
"I've been working hard with the strength and conditioning coach Mathew
Monte-Colombo in the gym," added Cole. "He's been really hands-on with me to
get me up to standard to train with the team and get my match-fitness up as
quickly as possible with a view to signing. "I feel fit and raring to go and
it's time to start knocking on the manager's door to get some games under my
belt."

Monte-Colombo later tweeted: "Really pleased for Carlton Cole. He's worked
his socks off with me for the last five weeks and got his reward." West Ham
have used one of two free places in their 25-man Premier League squad to
re-sign Cole. He first joined the club from Chelsea in 2006 and has scored
59 goals in 237 appearances for the Hammers. They are 13th in the table and
have only scored seven goals in seven Premier League matches this season,
although they did beat Tottenham 3-0 in their last match.

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Carlton Cole is a Hammer (again)
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th October 2013
By: Staff Writer

Carlton Cole has finally completed his return to West Ham. The striker, who
celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday, has signed a three-month contract
with the Hammers having convinced Sam Allardyce that he is fully fit once
again. Cole made his long awaited comeback for West Ham in a
behind-closed-doors friendly against Chalrton Athletic last week, which the
visitors won 4-2. Having come through that test unscathed, Cole was offered
the new contract - five months after he first left West Ham, having refused
to accept the club's original contract offer.

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Rav's cheeky chip
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th October 2013
By: Staff Writer

Ravel Morrison was caught on camera scoring the cheekiest of goals during
training for the England Under 21s today. West Ham United's 20-year-old
midfielder made his debut for the Under 21s against San Marino last week and
is hoping to keep his place when Gareth Southgate's side face Lithuania at
Portman Road tomorrow night [Tuesday]. And judging by the reaction to this
cheeky effort - which comes courtesy of the FA - during training this
morning, he'll have no problem doing just that...

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Carlton Cole signs three-month contract with West Ham
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey | Last Updated: October 14, 2013
4:38pm
SSN

Striker Carlton Cole has returned to West Ham United, rejoining the club on
a three-month contract. The 30-year-old striker initially left the club
earlier this summer, and had held talks with a number of other teams.
However, as no move materialised, Cole returned to train with the Hammers
last month with a view to signing a deal - if he could prove his fitness.
Now the former England international has returned to the club on a
three-month deal, with a view to extending it in January. Cole told West Ham
TV: "I'm in an excellent mood, am happy to be back and can't wait to get
working with the lads again and start my season off.

"I've been working hard with the strength and conditioning coach Mathew
Monte-Colombo in the gym and he's been really hands-on with me to get me up
to standard to train with the team and get my match fitness up as quickly as
possible with a view to signing. "I feel fit and raring to go and it's time
to start knocking on the manager's (Sam Allardyce) door to get some games
under my belt."

Reflecting on his departure over the summer, Cole added: "At the end of the
day, everything happens for a reason and you don't always choose what is
going to happen to you. "We decided to part ways in the summer but West Ham
and me have ended up together again. Hopefully I can come in and be who I am
and help the team achieve what we need to achieve."

Cole will now be eligible to play against Manchester City at Upton Park this
Saturday evening - a game you can see live on Sky Sports. Cole first joined
West Ham back in 2006 and has played nearly 250 games for the club.

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RAVEL MORRISON'S COMPLICATED CONTRACT
By Sean Whetstone 14 Oct 2013 at 13:45
West Ham Till I Die

Back in January 2012 Matt Lawton published a story in the Daily Mail saying
Ravel Morrison, then age 18 demanded £30,000 per week despite making only 3
first team appearances at the time. The story went on to say Sir Fergie
described his demands as 'unrealistic' and were said to have counter offered
at £12,000 a week.

In response Morrison tweeted "I have never 1s [sic] turned down a contract
off united"

A story in the Guardian by Jamie Jackson on the January transfer deadline
day of 2012 suggested the Deal to bring Ravel Morrison to West Ham was an
initial feel £650,000 with up to £2m of add-ons. It was also claimed there
is no buy-back option for Manchester United and claimed agents involved in
the transfer were demanding a fee of around £1m.

The story said his wages would start in the region of £10,000 to £15,000 a
week, potentially rising to £65,000 depending on a certain number of Premier
League starts. Last week in the Sun it was suggested Ravel Morrison had a
£19 million buy out clause into his contract. They allege he insisted on the
buy out clause himself when he signed his West Ham contract.

This was followed up by Darren Lewis in the Mirror suggesting West ham will
offer Ravel Morrison a new deal in January and attempt to remove the £19
million buy out clause.

Yesterday fresh claims were made by David Kent in the Daily Mail. The story
believes there is a complicated release clause in Morrison's current
contract which amounts to more than £20 million. The big new claim is that
West ham have to make a £25,000 payment every time Ravel Morrison makes a
first team appearance for us. At eight appearances so far that adds up to
£200,000 with many more to come in the very near future. There is
speculation that the deal was structured this way rather than pay Manchester
United's original asking price of £3m.

David Gold seems to have rubbished the existence of a buy out clause for
Morrison on twitter. When asked 'Does Ravel Morrision have a buy out clause
like Diame?' Gold answered No he doesn't dg'

However David Gold seems to have confirmed the existence of the £25K per
game fee on twitter. When someone commented it was until we reach £1m David
replied. "i think your'e right. I will check tomorrow. dg"

This is what Sam Allardyce told the press recently: "I don't know if there
is a buy-back clause and what that figure might be if it even exists, but my
real big worry is that Manchester United will come back to buy him. Look at
what happened when Chris Smalling played a handful of games for Fulham –
United jumped in with £10 million. Then there was Phil Jones when I was at
Blackburn – that's what you are up against."

An article in Goal.com today claimed a source close to club said talks on a
new contract would not be held until the end of the season, The source was
quoted as saying:

"We won't be holding talks on a new contract until near or the end of this
season, Were we to go to him now, it's unlikely he would want to talk. Like
us, he wants to see where he is at the end of the season. We will then know
how many goals he's scored, where he stands as a player, the impact he's had
on things, the number of assists he's provided and everything else. At that
point we can put exactly the right contract before him which includes the
necessary provisions for his future potential."

With his recent wonder goal against Spurs and his England Under 21 call up I
am sure he is going to fill a lot of column inches in the papers for the
foreseeable future.

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Fulham, Norwich and West Ham to battle FOUR German clubs to sign Jiloan
Hamad
Daily Star
By Nick Lustig/Published 14th October 2013

Hamad's agent has previously stated his client's intention was to move to
the Premier League . The midfielder is attracting huge interest across
Europe with a number of superb performances which has put his current club,
Malmo, on the cusp of winning the Allsvenskan title and securing a place in
next season's Champions League. Hamad's agent, Ferhat Cifci, earlier this
month confirmed interest from the Premier League for his client, but
according to reports in Sweden four Bundesliga clubs have now entered the
race. Borussia Monchengladbach, Freiburg, Hannover and Hoffenheim are all
interested in bringing the Swedish international, who becomes a free agent
in January, to Germany. The 22-year-old is a target for a number of European
clubs [GETTY]The 22-year-old is a target for a number of European clubs
[GETTY] Hamad has been an impressive performer for Malmo helping to take
them to cusp of the league title [GETTY]Hamad has been an impressive
performer for Malmo helping to take them to cusp of the league title [GETTY]
"Hamad has scored 28 goals in 149 appearances for Malmo since joining the
club from BK Forward in 2007" Cifci previously stated Hamad's intention was
to secure a move to the Premier League, however a potential move to the
German top flight may scupper the chances of Fulham, Norwich and West Ham to
secure a deal. The 22-year-old's representatives held talks with the Hammers
over a move to Upton Park in the summer, but no agreement was reached over a
transfer. Hamad has scored 28 goals in 149 appearances for Malmo since
joining the club from BK Forward in 2007.

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Transport Police launch hunt for football fans after abuse on train
following Southampton game at St Marys
Daily Echo
5:46pm Monday 14th October 2013 in News

WITNESSES are being sought as part of an investigation into a possible hate
crime carried out by West Ham fans on the train from Southampton after their
team played Saints. Officers from British Transport Police (BTP) are
appealing for information after racist and abusive language was heard on
board a train travelling between Southampton and Waterloo on Sunday,
September 15. Investigators are keen to speak to anyone who may have
information about the incident, which took place between 7.10pm and 8.30pm.
It is thought they had been to the Premier League match at St Marys which
ended nil-nil. PC Vanessa Cadrecha is investigating. She said: "A passenger
on board the 6.50pm Bournemouth to Waterloo service noticed that a group of
men who boarded the train at Southampton were being noisy. "When the
passenger heard what was being said, they were alarmed at the racist and
sexist language that was being used. Another passenger in the carriage asked
the group to stop and was verbally abused." The men are thought to have been
wearing West Ham football shirts and it is thought that there was roughly
ten men in the group that got off the train at Waterloo around 9pm. Six men
were spoken to at the station by officers.
PC Cadrecha added: "I'm sure that there were people onboard the train who
will have noticed the men's behaviour and may have heard what was said.
"I would encourage anyone who has any information to contact us as they
could really help our investigation."

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Here comes the future
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th October 2013
By: Liam Newman

Last Thursday night, West Ham's Ravel Morrison made his debut for the
England Under 21 side and helped the Three Lions to a comfortable 4-0 win
away at San Marino.

The Hammers' latest hero has been a revelation for Sam Allardyce during the
early stages of the season and a string of scintillating performances have
been duly rewarded with the inclusion in Gareth Southgate's new look squad.

Morrison started the game for England, wearing the number 10 shirt, and
lasted around an hour before being replaced by Jesse Lingard – who is
coincidentally on loan at Birmingham, where Ravel made a name for himself
last year whilst also on loan – with Southgate's side already 2-0 ahead
against a ten man San Marino.

Although it is hard to get too carried away with a performance against one
of football's minnows, Morrison looked more than comfortable alongside the
likes of Raheem Sterling and the young Hammer will hope to feature again on
Tuesday as the Under 21s take on Lithuania at Portman Road. Whilst he didn't
get on the score sheet, Ravel did test the Sammarinese goalkeeper with a
decent effort and also displayed flashes of skill that have seen him become
a fan favourite at The Boleyn Ground.

The 20-year-old has really impressed for West Ham this term, initially with
a goal in the Capital One Cup against Cheltenham (which was later followed
up by another against Cardiff in the subsequent third round) and then by
scoring the opener against Everton in the league.
Morrison has gained praise from pundits all season but it was the
breath-taking solo effort against Tottenham that has shot our latest idol
into national spotlight and suddenly he is being touted as the future of the
English game. Should he continue at this rate, you'd have to be a brave man
to bet against it.

His off the field problems were well documented during his time at
Manchester United and many critics questioned whether the midfielder could
ever reach his true potential. However, since trading Old Trafford for The
Boleyn the player has knuckled down and made huge strides as he matures into
one of the Premier League's most exciting young prospects.

The aforementioned loan spell at Birmingham has unquestionably had a
positive outcome on Morrison. Not only did the season-long move afford the
lively midfielder a chance to gain valuable match time but the physical
nature of The Championship has hardened the player into a real athlete.

He may have left West Ham a boy, but he's certainly returned a man and looks
more than ready for life in the top-flight.

Seven games into the Premier League season, Ravel has been a revelation for
Sam Allardyce. That goal of the season contender against Tottenham was just
a glimpse of the talent that the boy clearly has and it's frightening to
think how good he may become. Morrison has been a catalyst for The Hammers
so far, particularly in the absence of Andy Carroll, bringing something
fresh to the table every single time he steps onto the pitch.

You only need to listen to the praise offered by his colleagues and manager
to understand how highly the youngster is regarded and clearly big things
are expected for his future. It's very rare that you find a player with that
amount of flair who can also spot a pass but when you do it can be a deadly
combination.

For all the individual ability of our latest superstar, nobody could ever
brandish him as a selfish player and he always does what's best for the
team. His work ethic in training is reportedly of the highest standard too
and it finally seems that this phenomenal potential is going to be realised
over the coming years.

As for England's Under 21s, the comfortable victory over San Marino leaves
them with seven points from three games and a win on Tuesday would put
Southgate's side in the driving seat of Group 1 as they bid to qualify for
Euro 2015.

Should England qualify for that tournament in eighteen months' time, they'll
no doubt want to make amends for the poor showing in Israel last summer
where they lost all three games. If they do make it to the Czech Republic,
then Morrison is almost certain to play a key role.

Secretly though, the young Hammer may even harbour hopes of being on the
flight to Brazil next summer (assuming we beat Poland on Tuesday) and it
would not come as a surprise if Roy Hodgson gave the 20-year-old a senior
debut in the forthcoming friendlies as England prepare for another World Cup
adventure.

Morrison's inclusion in the Under 21s is another big step as he continues to
develop into one of the country's finest young talent, which can only be
good for the future of the national side, and indeed the future of West Ham.

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The curious case of Carlton 'Boomerang' Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th October 2013
By: David Meagher

Am I alone in my gathering sense of discomfort about the whole Carlton Cole
affair since he parted ways with the club last summer?

While the decision to seek a new challenge was totally understandable in the
context of his age and obvious second choice status to Andy Carroll in a
lone-striker system, what has followed has become increasingly mystifying.

After a Summer being linked with all sorts of exotic new employers ranging
from Japan to the USA to Turkey and even 'tragic' QPR, in the short space of
a few months he has dropped from being the tee shirt icon of "Sex and drugs
and Carlton Cole" status, to being better described as "sex and drugs and on
the dole"!

The latest nonsense that played out as a 'behind the scenes' friendly with
Charlton seemed bizarre to say the least as he seems to be expected to prove
his fitness and value to the cause. What can we really learn about Carlton
in a soulless encounter with a modest Championship side that we don't
already know?

After five years Carlton's footballing abilities pose little mystery and any
half attentive Hammers fan knows both the capabilities and limitations of
the big man. For sure, he is a physical presence on the field who weighs in
with a modest goal haul that includes some memorable crackers, but he simply
doesn't score enough of the tap ins that a truly predatorial striker thrives
upon to serve as the lead striker in a strike force of one.

Moreover, Carlton is a big game player – remember the Championship play off
final or the thumping of Chelsea last year? Charlton with a stray dog and
two empty crisp bags as an audience is hardly what gets the big man up for
it!

However, perhaps the more difficult aspect to get to grips with is the fact
that any observer of Cole's progress over the years will have recognised
that he suffers more than most from the 'confidence' syndrome – when he is
buzzing he can be virtually unmarkable, while when his confidence ebbs, he
can look disinterested and even lost out on the pitch.

This Jekyll and Hyde aspect of his character has served to frustrate the
Hammers faithful while also bringing him into our affections. Carlton
responds to encouragement and reinforcement rather than the challenge of
proving himself or doubters wrong. At present we seem to be sending mixed
messages as to whether we really want him and whether we think he's actually
good enough. Hardly the positivity he tends to thrive upon.

And this is what makes the current pantomime all the more bemusing – even if
he does ultimately sign for us we are likely to get the 'low in confidence'
Carlton rather than the buzzing for action 'Killer' Cole that Andy Carroll's
absence requires.

Perhaps even more significantly, Carlton is a proper Hammer more because of
his likeability and commitment than raw ability or scoring prowess. This guy
is an all round decent bloke who took a pay cut for the cause when we were
haemorrhaging both financially and spiritually after the Avram Grant
relegation. I'm sure all true Hammers fans had that special feeling that we
are more than just a financial entity when Carlton revealed "You can't be on
Premier League wages in the Championship.

I know money is a massive factor in everyone's career, but when you don't
deserve it, as you have been relegated, you need to work back to where you
need to get to". Not every club can boast that it provokes that kind of
loyalty amongst the increasingly mercenary players of the modern era, but we
do pride ourselves upon being 'Moore than just a football club' and
somewhere deep inside I think that we all actually do believe that to be
true.

In this very week when Harry Rednapp's autobiography has highlighted the
importance of looking after our own – both absolute legends like Bobby Moore
and Billy Bonds as well as loyal servants such as Carlton – we should be
doing better by the lad. Much much better.

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