Saturday, August 10

Daily WHUFC News - 10th August 2013

Date set for Cheltenham cup tie
WHUFC.com
Fixture details for West Ham United's Capital One Cup tie with Cheltenham
Town
09.08.2013

West Ham United's Capital One Cup Round Two tie with Cheltenham Town will
take place on Tuesday 27 August with a 7.45pm kick-off. Thursday's second
round draw pitted the Hammers against the League Two Robins at the Boleyn
Ground. Cheltenham secured their place in Round Two by defeating League One
side Crawley Town 4-3 after extra-time, while West Ham enter the competition
at this stage.

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison blogs for whufc.com ahead of Saturday's game against Pacos de
Ferreira
09.08.2013

In the second of a regular series of West Ham United player blogs here on
whufc.com, midfielder Jack Collison updates us on the latest news from the
club's Chadwell Heath training ground….

Hello everyone,

We are back at our Chadwell Heath training ground following our last
pre-season trip of this summer, where as you all know, we played in the
Torneio do Guadiana in Portugal. While there we played Sporting Clube de
Portugal and SC Braga, both really competitive games against top sides and
that is what pre-season is all about, getting some matches under the belt
that will test us. Following the matches, I think we all feel that we were
magnificent in the first game against Sporting and then perhaps against
Braga, we came up a little short. But that is why we play these games so we
can be aiming to achieve the high levels we need to be at and be ready for
the new season and matches like this can point out to us what we still need
to do. With all these games, we have prepared and looked at them in the same
way we would for a Barclays Premier League match, from the video
presentations we would watch about the other side to the way we would look
at setting ourselves up for the match itself. It has been enjoyable and I
think we will certainly benefit as the season goes on, from the preparation
we have been doing.

One of the things that pre-season brings when you go away on trips is
sharing a room again with a team-mate. I got to share with Tonks [James
Tomkins] and it was a bit like the old days for us, as I used to share with
him years ago when travelling away. I must admit, I forgot how messy he is!
All I seemed to be doing was tidying up after him all the time. I don't
think he did this on purpose to annoy me or anything, this is how he is! So
it is nice to get back and have a decent night's sleep and without mess! We
had some banter, we're good mates so it was all fine and I think that is
another aim of the pre-season trips is to get the squad together before the
season starts, bonding off and on the pitch and getting the new lads settled
in.

When you are together as a squad like this, you do that extra bit for each
other, that spirit is there and you are a squad on and off the pitch.
Obviously the new lads such as Razvan, Adrian and Danny [Whitehead] all got
the chance to get settled in and it is enjoyable being part of a close-knit
squad. We have been on our travels pretty much since returning for
pre-season at the beginning of July so it is nice to be back at home and we
are looking forward to facing Pacos de Ferreira at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday. There is nothing better than being at home in front of our own
fans and this will be the first chance for many to see us again, watch us in
the new kit and be wearing it and see some of the new boys in action. It was
great to see fans travel out to see us on trips away, it is always nice to
see a West Ham shirt as you run out away somewhere and again we thank those
fans for their terrific support as always.

But we know not everyone can get to the pre-season games and against Pacos
on Saturday, there is a chance to see us putting some of the final
preparations into place and I can't wait, as it is always exciting being
back at your own stadium again and everyone is looking forward to everything
starting. So Saturday
should be good and we can't wait to be there.

I have enjoyed pre-season, it is hard work but as I missed out last year
with injury, it has been really good to be in and around the boys properly
this summer. It is a case of getting fitter with each week and while I still
have work to do, I am raring to go and wanting to be fighting for my place
in the starting line-up every week.

Come on you Irons!
Jack

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Adams' golden seal of approval
WHUFC.com
Boxer Nicola Adams happily championed the Hammers' move to the Olympic
Stadium
09.08.2013

Having sampled the Boleyn Ground atmosphere last season, Olympic champion
Nicola Adams can hardly wait to watch West Ham United at the Olympic
Stadium. Nine days after boxing her way to gold at the ExCel Arena last
year, Adams took in the Hammers' 1-0 win over Aston Villa, and it seems the
Club has left its mark on the 30-year-old. Though she heralds from Leeds,
Adams is clearly growing very fond of east London, not least of the Hammers'
prospective new home. Happily posing with the Club's new adidas home shirt
inside the iconic venue, Adams told West Ham TV: "It's fantastic to be back,
just to be here amongst all these people. "To be here again and to hear the
crowd, it's a surreal feeling and it's bringing back loads of memories from
the Games."

And Adams could hardly have been more emphatic in her approval of West Ham's
future occupancy of the Stadium. She continued: "It's really, really good!
I'm really excited and I'm hoping that I'll be there again as well to watch
them play. "The atmosphere's going to be really special and I'm really going
to be looking forward to it."

Meanwhile, exhibiting her typically sunny outlook, Adams expressed her
desire to continue inspiring the next generation, with one eye already on
Rio 2016. As for her own exploits in the ring, she is as ambitious as ever,
already plotting her tilt at gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. "The
inspiring is still going on," she explained. "I'm just hoping to keep on
inspiring more kids to get involved in sport. And hopefully we'll see some
really good talent through for 2016. "I'm going to be back in the ring soon.
I've just come back from the European Union Championships, I got gold there
again. I've got the Commonwealth Games next year, so I'm hoping to get
another first, making history and then it's onto Rio!"

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Tonks can't wait for Boleyn return
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins is looking forward to Saturday's pre-season match with Pacos
de Ferreira
09.08.2013

West Ham United defender James Tomkins cannot wait to step back out onto the
hallowed turf of the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The Hammers host Portuguese
UEFA Champions League qualifiers Pacos de Ferreira in their final pre-season
match of the summer, with tickets available to purchase on the gate.
Tomkins has been heavily involved throughout West Ham's pre-season build-up,
playing in the heart of defence as Sam Allardyce's men toured both Germany
and Portugal, along with taking on sides from the lower leagues of English
football. The centre-back says that has been perfect preparation ahead of
the big kick-off a week away, and he wants to end the summer campaign on a
high in front of the Hammers fans. "It will be nice to play at home on
Saturday after so many games out of the country," he told West Ham TV.
"Getting a game under our belts at the Boleyn Ground will be good,
especially against a team of a good standard as well. "The support should be
good, it's against a team in the Champions League and the fans will be
supporting us ready for the important one against Cardiff. "It's always an
honour to play at home and represent the Club, whether it's a competitive
game or not. Hopefully we can get another result under our belts before the
start of the season."

Having already faced teams from the top flights of both Germany and
Portugal, Tomkins is primed for another stern examination from a side who
begin their Champions League campaign later this month with a play-off round
tie against Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg. He continued: "It's always
important to get good tests in pre-season. We have to set our sights high,
and playing against the best will stand us in good stead for the start of
the season. "It's been a long wait, the fans and ourselves are ready to go
now and this is our last chance to get the fitness in and get a good
performance at the end of it. "The games in Portugal were different to what
we're used to. The style of refereeing was different, blowing up for fouls
every two minutes. It was an experience for all of us, the fans were quite
crazy too - especially against Sporting Lisbon! "They were good tests for
us. At the end of the day we got the minutes in, and we played well so that
was the important thing."

Finally, whufc.com learned from Jack Collison's blog on Friday that Tomkins
was not the tidiest of room-mates for the Welshman over the Hammers' summer
travels. The defender responded by saying there was a reason for his lack of
room etiquette. He smiled: "He always cleans up after me, but I'm only messy
to see him do the cleaning up. It's like having my Mum with me in the room!"

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Potts ready for final pre-season test
WHUFC.com
Steve Potts' U18s host Crystal Palace in their final pre-season fixture on
Saturday morning
09.08.2013

West Ham United U18s host Crystal Palace in their final pre-season fixture
on Saturday morning, fresh from an impressive fortnight's work. Steve Potts'
youngsters defeated Charlton Athletic 3-2 on Tuesday 30 July before
travelling to Belgium for the prestigous Yale Eurofoot Tournament. There,
the Hammers won their opening four group matches before going on to finish
as overall runners-up to Danish side Nordsjaelland. The U18s manager has
been proud of his players' efforts and has called for another fine showing
when they host the Eagles at Little Heath on Saturday, with kick-off at
10.30am. "We have done well." Potts confirmed. "We went to Charlton and that
was a tough game and we came through that. It was a decent test for them
because Charlton mixed their game up really well and we had to match them
physically. If we hadn't we'd have come unstuck and I thought they did that
side of the game well. "We came out of it with a 3-2 win and then went out
to Belgium and just fell short in the final in the end. Overall, I was
really pleased with them."

In Oostduinkerke, West Ham defeated Belgian quartet Club Brugge, AA Gent,
Anderlecht and KV Oostende to top Group A before being defeated by Dutch
team Utrecht in their final meaningless group fixture. After drawing 1-1 and
defeating Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the semi-finals, the Hammers
came up just short against Nordsjaelland in the final, losing 1-0. On and
off the pitch, Potts said the teenagers were a credit to themselves and to
the Club. "They had a mixture of everything and it was a good effort. I
personally think the boys got a lot out of it and hopefully they will feel
the benefits from it. "I was more than happy with what they did on the pitch
and off the pitch, which for me are equally important. You get to see the
boys close-up for three or four days and how they react to certain things
and how they get on as a group, because it's a team game and you have to all
be pulling in one direction. "I was really, really pleased with the stuff
they did off the pitch as well. Around the hotel, there was no trouble so I
was very pleased."

Crystal Palace will provide another decent challenge. The south London side
may compete in the Barclays U18 Premier League 2 South Division, but the
Eagles have a reputation for producing top players like Wayne Routledge,
Nathaniel Clyne, Jonathan Williams, Ben Watson and Wilfried Zaha. "It will
definitely be another good test for the boys," confirmed Potts. "They are
strong opposition and have quite good record for getting boys into their
first team, so I presume they will be pretty strong again. "It's going to
need another Charlton performance where we'll need to match them in all
departments. We then have the final week before the league starts next
Saturday."

Admission for Saturday's pre-season fixture will be free, as it will be for
the visit of Manchester United for the opening Barclays U18 Premier League
game of 2013/14 on Saturday 17 August.

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Turnstiles open for Pacos visit
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th August 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have announced that supporters currently without tickets
will be able to pay on the door at tomorrow's pre-season friendly against
Pacos de Ferreira. The Hammers take on the Porto-based club in their final
friendly of pre-season before the real action starts eight days from now,
when the 2013/14 Premier League season begins with the visit of Cardiff
City. Entry for those wishing to pay on the gate will cost £20 for adults
and £10 for under 16s. Cash turnstiles will be operating in the following
locations:

Trevor Brooking Stand (Lower): Turnstiles 0, 1 and 2.

West Stand (Lower): Turnstiles 9, 10, 11, 38 and 39.

West Stand (Upper): Turnstiles 16, 17 and 29.

Bobby Moore Stand (Upper): Turnstiles 46 and 49.

East Stand: Turnstile 69.

Pacos de Ferreira, athough long established as a Primeira Liga club
surprised all when finishing third behind Benfica and champions Porto last
season.

Despite ending the campaign some 24 points behind the champions - and 23
behind runners-up Benfica - Pacos defied the odds by beating Braga, who West
Ham lost 1-0 to in this week's Torneio do Guadiana match, to third place in
the final league table.

Also below de Ferreira were more established Portuguese names, such as
Estoril and Sporting (who also faced the Hammers earlier this week, losing
3-2 thanks to a brace from Ravel Morrison).

As a result of their final league position, Pacos have also qualified for
the Champions League for the first time in their history and face Zenit
Saint Petersburg in a two legged Play-Off encounter later this month.

Os Castores have brought the following squad to London for tomorrow's
fixture:

Matias Degra, António Filipe; Grégory, Nuno Santos, Ricardo, Hélder Lopes;
Romeu, Rúben, André Leão, Rui Miguel, Sérgio Oliveira, Rodrigo António,
Filipe Anunciação; Christian, Jaime Poulson, Hurtado, Fernando, Caetano,
Manuel José.


West Ham Utd vs Pacos Ferreira, Top Trump Style

Year Formed: WHUFC 1895; PdF 1950

Highest Domestic League Position: WHUFC 3rd (1985/86); PdF 3rd (2012/13)

Consecutive Seasons In The Top Flight: WHUFC 2; PdF 9

Ground Capacity: WHUFC 35,016; PdF 5,255

Domestic Cup Wins: WHUFC 4; PdF 1

European Cup Wins: WHUFC 1; PdF 0

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Downing to West Ham rumours gain momentum
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th August 2013
By: Staff Writer

The odds of West Ham signing Stewart Downing from Liverpool were slashed
tonight after a string of Twitter sources claimed that the England winger
was on the verge of completing a move to east London. SkyBet slashed their
odds on Downing joining West Ham to 1/3 late on Friday after Twitter ran
awash with rumours suggesting that the former Middlesbrough man had agreed a
permanent contract. 29-year-old Downing has been linked with a move south
all summer, although club sources inside of West Ham have always insisted
that the rumours were wide of the mark. However with the start of the new
season drawing closer - and with Sam Allardyce apparently no closer to
signing the wide player he desires - Downing, who is available at a
knockdown price of around £5million would perhaps be the perfect solution to
the manager's problem. Having made his name at Middlesbrough, Downing left
Teeside for the first time in his career in 2009 when he joined Aston Villa
following Middlesbrough's relegation from the Premier League in a £12million
deal (£10million + add-ons).

Two years later, having become something of an England regular, Downing was
lured to Anfield for an undisclosed fee widely thought to be worth around
£20million. However it was a figure that was to hang heavy upon his
shoulders and a disappointing first season on Merseyside saw Downing end the
campaign with no goals and no assists. Despite being criticised heavily by
'Pool fans, Downing still managed to make 45 appearances for the Reds in
2012/13 where he fared marginally better on the goalscoring front with five
to his name. Still, his days at Anfield have appeared numbered for some
time and, should rumours prove correct, Downing could be set to embark on a
new journey following former Liverpool team mate Andy Carroll to London.

SkyBet Current Odds: Downing to...

West Ham Utd 1/3
Newcastle Utd 5/1
Aston Villa, Sunderland 20/1
Celtic 25/1
Swansea 28/1
Everton, Norwich 33/1
Middlesbrough 40/1

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Hammers linked with Danish striker
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th August 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are being linked with a move for Copenhagen striker Nicolai
Jorgensen. The 22-year-old forward is firmly in the sights of Sam Allardyce
according to Tipsbladet, who claims this afternoon that representatives of
both parties are set to hold exploratory talsk with view to a permanent
transfer next week. Hailing from Ballerup, Jorgensen has been with the
reigning Danish Superligaen champions since 2012. He began his career with
local league club Skovlunde IF before moving to Copenhagen-based Akademisk
Boldklub. Having impressed scouts of German Bundesliga side Bayer
Leverkusen, Jorgensen signed a five-year contract with the Werkself in 2010
and made his debut in the German top flight at the age of 19. But within two
years he was on his way back to Denmark, where Copenhagen snapped him up on
the cheap.

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From United to United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th August 2013
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Rio Ferdinand celebrates a decade at Manchester United this
evening with a star-studded, testimonial event. Ferdinand's current club
take on Spanish giants Seville at Old Trafford this evening to commemorate
the central defender's ten years with the club, who he joined in a
record-breaking £29million move from Leeds United in 2002. It's nearly 13
years since the 34-year-old left Upton Park, when following weeks of
uncertainty he moved to Leeds United in a £19million switch. Then manager
Harry Redkapp publicly bemoaned the loss of the young starlet, whilst
pocketing a £300,000 bonus payment from the sale. The decision to sell
Ferdinand was almost universally condemned by Hammers fans at the time and
the popular view that it would signal the beginning of the end for the
so-called 'Golden Generation' at the Boleyn Ground proved to be correct, as
the likes of Cole, Lampard, Carrick and Defoe were also sold.

Just 22 when he left West Ham, Ferdinand had been at the club since his
mid-teens. Speaking to KUMB in a 2010 exclusive interview, Tony Carr - who
guided the Peckham-born youngster's development - revealed the circumstances
in which he first found his way to Chadwell Heath. "Rio's mentor was a guy
named Dave Goodwin. We worked hard on Dave to persuade him to come and look
at our club," told Carr. "Once Rio was here he decided this is what he
liked. He liked the people and the way we did things - and fortunately, he
signed for us and stayed."

Ferdinand, who went on to represent his country 81 times as a central
defender first came to West Ham as a striker, before signing scholarship
terms as a midfielder. But in 1998, Academy Director Carr was to change his
career forever. "I went on a [UEFA] coaching seminar that was run by Andy
Roxburgh, who based it on the Germans who were very successful at the time,"
said Carr. "He said the German philosophy was that you should have your most
talented midfield player playing at the back of three defenders, ready to
break out. "We were trying to develop more stylish players and to be
successful you should have players that are comfortable with the ball - and
I saw Rio as this player, or one of these players. He gave it a try and
obviously it worked, it worked very well."

Although he was always destined to be a top player, Carr revealed that
Ferdinand's path to success was smoothed by the formation of a strong bond
with another Chadwell Heath youngster who also eventually left the club in a
multi-million pound deal. "He became friends with Frank Lampard (Jnr); they
were very close," said Carr. "They were alike in terms of how they loved the
game and loved to train - and because you couldn't get them off the pitch!
"They were always together and because Frank lived locally, Rio would always
end up round Frank's house in the afternoon for a cup of tea and a chat.
Maybe he'd stay there at weekends and so on. So they built up a bond and a
friendship and they developed together as players. They were good for each
other."

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QPR close in on West Ham target Duvan Zapata
Daily Star

QPR are on the verge of signing former West Ham target Duvan Zapata after
agreeing a £6.4m fee with Argentine club Estundiantes. Harry Redknapp is
eager to add to his attacking options after the loan departures of Loic Remy
to Newcastle and Adel Taarabt to Fulham this week. Zapata is expected to
undergo a medical and discuss personal terms with the west London club. West
Ham pulled out of a deal to sign the 22-year-old last month over fears he
would not be granted a work permit on a 'special talent' exception. Zapata
had been set for a £6.7m move to Upton Park, before Sam Allardyce decided to
look elsewhere in his chase for a new forward. The Colombian impressed last
season scoring 14 goals as he helped his side to finish ninth in the
Argentine Primera Division. The move would represent a huge coup for QPR
with Lyon, Benfica, Porto and Udinese all keen on the frontman.

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You lucky beggar! Carroll hands out £50 to tramp on the streets of Soho
By JOHN DRAYTON
PUBLISHED: 08:32, 9 August 2013 | UPDATED: 08:32, 9 August 2013
Daily mail

Andy Carroll showed his generous side by handing a beggar £50 while out and
about in Soho on Thursday night. The £15million West Ham United striker, who
is battling to overcome a heel injury before the start of the new Premier
League season, handed over the £50 note when approached by the man in
central London. After scoring seven goals during his season-long loan spell
at Upton Park, the Hammers moved quickly to secure the England international
on a permanent basis, shelling out a club record fee. And having signed a
six-year deal, he shouldn't be short of money for the foreseeable future.
However, he picked up a heel injury in May, limiting his involvement in the
team's pre-season trips to Germany and Portugal, and possibly ruling him out
until the middle of next month. He posted a picture of his lean physique on
Twitter this week as he lifted weights in the gym with the club's strength
and conditioning coach Mathew Monte-Colmbo, who is aiding his recovery.

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Liverpool's Stewart Downing in transfer talks with West Ham.. and Kop will
pay him to go
9 Aug 2013 22:30
The Mirror

West Ham have made a shock £6million move to sign Liverpool winger Stewart
Downing. Former Middlesbrough wideman turned down a switch down south to
Upton Park earlier this summer. But the Hammers have come back in and the
29-year-old - a £20m capture from Aston Villa just two years ago - is set to
cut his losses after failing to establish himself at the Anfield giants. The
transfer fee, which could rise to £6m based his on appearances for the
Londoners, would represent a massive loss for Liverpool who have also
written off £20m in selling Andy Carroll to West Ham this summer. But Reds
boss Brendan Rodgers is staging a clear-out of players deemed to have no
future at the club as he reshapes the squad for a tilt at a Champions League
place over the coming campaign.
Talks between West Ham and Downing are at an advanced stage over terms, with
one of the stumbling blocks being the player's wages of around £80,000 a
week. But Liverpool are prepared to pay up some of his remaining contract to
facilitate the deal, and it could be finalised as early as next week.
Rodgers meanwhile, has moved to end the speculation over the future of
Daniel Agger, by naming him as the new vice-captain of the club. Barcelona
have long been rumoured to be interested in the Danish defender, but
Liverpool insisted this week that they had received no bids or any contact
from the Catalan club.
The Reds boss stated bluntly the centre-half was going nowhere: "Daniel's
loyalty and his passion for Liverpool is second to none. And if you add that
on to his footballing qualities, then I think it's a good choice for
everybody."

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Andy Carroll sued over claims he trashed £2million rented bachelor pad
10 Aug 2013 06:30
The Mirror

Premier League footballer Andy Carroll is being sued for almost £200,000
following claims that he wrecked his former bachelor pad. Jeff and Dawn
Grant, who own the £2million five-bed mansion, allege that he owes them
£68,000 in rent. And their solicitors claim the West Ham striker, 24, left
drink stains on chairs and on the ceiling, scratches on an antique table and
caused the swimming pool to be overrun with potentially toxic algae.
Carroll, who earns £100,000 a week, is believed to have moved all the
furniture – including treadmills, sofas and a grandfather clock – into a
secret lock-up. But the Grants claim it is theirs. Solicitors for the couple
also claim audio visual kit is missing from the mansion, which is thought to
have had £100,000 wiped off its value. Carroll is being chased for £75,000
for the "unlawful removal of furniture" and £48,000 for the "clean-up and
repair operation". Including the rent, that makes £191,000. Manleys
Solicitors, for the Grants, said: "The property was returned to them in an
extremely poor condition and, regrettably, they've had to issue legal
proceedings."

Carroll's solicitors Glinert Davis did not comment last night but it is
believed he is fighting the claims. It is understood the star is demanding
his £15,000 deposit but it is being held back by the Grants. Carroll was
tied into a two-year tenancy on the house in Blundellsands, Liverpool, which
would have ended on May 8.
But payments are alleged to have stopped last autumn when he moved from
Liverpool to West Ham.

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West Ham's Sam Allardyce nets Stewart Downing
WEST HAM are on the verge of agreeing a £6m deal with Liverpool to sign
Stewart Downing
Daily Star
By Dave Lyons/Published 10th August 2013

The Hammers have resurrected their interest in the England winger and are
hoping to complete a transfer early next week. An initial bid of £5m was
rejected, but Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has muscled in front of former side
Newcastle and talks between the clubs are now continuing. Downing rebuffed
the Londoners' advances earlier in the summer but does not want to spend the
season on the sidelines at Anfield. "An initial bid of £5m was rejected, but
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has muscled in front of former side Newcastle"

The England winger was part of the Liverpool squad that flew to Dublin last
night for today's friendly with Celtic and could hold talks with Allardyce
upon his return if a fee is agreed. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is
prepared to offload Downing and the Merseysiders are also willing to take a
huge hit on the £20m fee they paid Aston Villa two summers ago. Downing has
been aware of overtures from Newcastle - despite denials from them - but it
is Allardyce who has firmed up his long-standing interest. Big Sam has
already recruited Andy Carroll from Liverpool this summer in an initial £15m
deal and believes Downing can provide a rich supply line to him as he looks
to implement the master plan Kenny Dalglish believed would work for him at
Anfield. Liverpool have already sold Jay Spearing to Bolton, with whom the
midfielder spent last season on loan, for £1.5m.

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