Daily WHUFC News - 5th January 2014

Sam confirms Cole talks
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce revealed that West Ham United are in negotiations to extend Carlton Cole's stay
04.01.2014

Sam Allardyce has revealed that West Ham United are in negotiations to extend Carlton Cole's stay with the Club. The England striker returned to the Boleyn Ground for a second spell in October 2013 and, after returning to full match-fitness, has scored three times in nine Barclays Premier League appearances.
The 30-year-old has bagged against Fulham, Manchester United and Arsenal and, with his short-term deal set to run out on 13 January, the manager said the Club are moving to secure Cole's future. "We've got that in mind and are talking about that as quickly as we possibly can because obviously it needs to be addressed," confirmed Big Sam. "Carlton will be dealt with very shortly."

Cole's three goals this season have taken him up to 17th on West Ham's all-time list of goalscorers, ahead of Julian Dicks, Bill Robinson and Frank McAvennie.
Capped seven times by his country, the Croydon-born frontman has netted 62 goals for the Hammers and could make his 250th appearance for the Club in Sunday's FA Cup with Budweiser third-round tie at Nottingham Forest. Cole scored on his most-recent visit to the City Ground in a 4-1 Championship success in August 2011. After scoring just seconds into his initial debut against Charlton Athletic in August 2006, he finished as West Ham's leading scorer in four consecutive seasons between 2008 and 2012 and also scored the opening goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley.
Meanwhile, the Club has exercised an option in Play-Off final match-winner Ricardo Vaz Te's contract that will extend his stay at the Club until summer 2015.
The 27-year-old, who is closing in on a return to action after three months out with a dislocated shoulder, has scored 19 goals in 55 appearances since his arrival from Barnsley in January 2012. A versatile forward, the former Bolton Wanderers and Hibernian man became a cult hero among the Claret and Blue Army when his late goal secured promotion at the Home of Football in May 2012. While Vaz Te's future has been secured and Cole could be set to stay at the Boleyn Ground, Big Sam also confirmed that Croatia striker Mladen Petric has departed by mutual consent. The forward, who turned 33 on New Year's Day, made four substitute appearances after joining the Club as an unattached free agent in September 2013. However, a calf injury restricted Petric's availability.
"Mladen Petric has been released on the fact the unfortunately, for whatever reason, he never recovered from his [calf] injury that he picked up, so that was another one who everybody seems to forget about who sadly wasn't able to make an impact for us," Big Sam confirmed. West Ham United would like to thank Mladen for his efforts and wish him luck in his future career.

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'It's a massive opportunity'
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing is urging his young team-mates to make the most of Sunday's cup tie at Nottingham Forest
04.01.2014

Stewart Downing insists Sunday's FA Cup with Budweiser third round tie at Nottingham Forest presents West Ham United's Academy prospects the perfect opportunity to stake a claim for first-team football. With two cup ties in the space of just four days, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is expected to shuffle his pack at the City Ground, thereby handing the Club's latest crop of youngsters the chance to shine. Twenty-nine-year-old Downing, meanwhile, is backing those selected to produce the goods, adamant that the Barclays Premier League is by no means out of their reach should they impress. "It's a massive opportunity [for the younger players]," he told West Ham TV. "When I was younger your chances mostly come in the cup, and if the manager sees a performance on Sunday, he might stick him in for the league game, you just don't know. "We have got a good group of younger players here, but it's been difficult to put them in a team that's not been winning. You need experienced players out there to start. There are some really good players and if they come in on Sunday and do really well they could take a senior player's place."

The Hammers winger concedes that it has, until now, been tough for Big Sam to blood the youngsters this term, with the Club finding the going tough in the Premier League. But opportunity now knocks and Downing reckons a cup outing will stand the Development Squad boys in good stead for future league football. He continued: "Winning any game breeds confidence. If young players get a chance then, when they need to play in the league, it gives them experience and confidence to go into a winning team. "That has been difficult for them as well, coming into a team that has not been getting results. But whether it's a league or a cup game, it's a chance to win a game and build confidence."

For Downing too, Sunday's cup tie is handily timed. The England international made his return from injury in the New Year's Day defeat by Fulham and is now in need of minutes under his belt. Though his return provides a considerable boost, the Club's list of absentees remains a lengthy one and unlike anything that Downing has ever previously experienced. He continued: "No, [I've never known anything like it] and strange injuries too. I had two, probably from bad tackles that went unpunished. Andy [Carroll] has had an injury in the same place twice, Vaz Te falls awkwardly and his shoulder pops out. It has been a bit strange but it's part and parcel of football. "Other clubs have probably got injuries as well, it's about how you deal with them. For us, we just need to stay positive and try to get a result as quickly as we can. "Getting eleven out at times has been difficult for the manager. In that sense it was always going to be tough for us. I think we've played quite well in a lot of the games and not killed teams off. Fulham was probably the biggest one. We had three or four chances at 1-0 and didn't see Fulham off and then we lose the game. That has probably been the story of our season."

Injuries aside, the No23 remains as confident as ever that the Hammers will recover in good time to climb the table, convinced that the squad is plenty strong enough to turn the tide. "A few of us have been in this situation before and I think it's easy to sulk and point and blame. But at the end of the day, you've got to go out and get results. The main thing at the minute is to win games. "There are obviously things going about in the press, who's to blame, this and that, but behind closed doors we stay strong. We play for a really good manager who has been in these situations before and gradually we'll get our players back fit, and from suspension, we'll kick on."

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Turgott up for the cup
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is hoping to play a part in the FA Cup third round against Nottingham Forest on Sunday
04.01.2014

Blair Turgott is ready to make his mark in the FA Cup with Budweiser third round, if selected, when West Ham United meet Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday. The winger has recently returned from a month-long loan spell at Sky Bet League One side Colchester United and is among a young squad that Sam Allardyce has selected for the game against Billy Davies' team amid a backdrop of injuries and suspension. Turgott played four times while with the U's, scoring once, and is eager to impress the manager if given the chance on Sunday. He told West Ham TV: "It's good that the manager is playing a lot of the young boys and we've just got to repay him now by putting in a good, solid performance. "No matter what happens we've just got to come off the pitch proud, show what we're about and show the manager we can play at that level. "I definitely think that it's a chance for everyone to show what they're good at in front of a big crowd, in front of other professionals, just do what you do and don't be nervous."

An appearance on Sunday would mark the 19-year-old's debut for the Club and complete a great few weeks for the youngster, who scored his first league goal in the U's 4-0 defeat of Stevenage on Boxing Day. The wide man enjoyed his time at the Weston Homes Community Stadium and felt he did himself justice while with Joe Dunne's side. "The manager was great with me; the way he wanted me to play was the way I want to play in the team. He tried to play to my strengths, he wanted me to be free and try and get on the ball, which is good. "He said he knows what I'm about so don't be nervous. It's good that they've got a young team down there as well and basically just said do what you do. "I enjoyed it because there was a good morale within the team, a good spirit and when I came in everybody took to me well. I thought that when I got going I could show what I was about and I enjoyed it."

With the first team squad stretched at present due to a mounting injury list, it is possible that Turgott and his Development Squad teammates could be seeing more competitive action over the coming weeks. Another competition where some of the U21s may feature is in the Capital One Cup, a tournament that the winger is familiar with having been present for Bradford City in their run to last year's final. The Hammers are now only two games away from reaching Wembley with Manchester City the team standing in their way and Turgott believes that success will be dependent on the team not being out of sight after the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. "We've got to be patient and not try and win it in the first leg but also not to go all out and lose it in the first leg either. "The key is to leave it open for the second leg so when it comes to it you've got a massive chance. It's also good for us that the second leg's at home. Hopefully we can give the crowd something to shout about and take it to the last game. "The first game, playing away, we just have to stay in the tie so that going into the second leg it will be all to play for."

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Frustrating time for West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: 04/01/14 11:31am
SSN

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce believes he faces a 'nearly impossible' challenge during the winter transfer window. The Hammers are in the market for fresh faces, and need them in their battle to preserve their Premier League status. A new frontman is considered to be a top priority, but proven marksmen are not easy to find - especially in January. Allardyce acknowledges as much, with a vastly-experienced coach aware that prices tend to inflate in the New Year and players become pickier about where they end up. "As always, the window is an impossible scenario to deal with. To have to work in it under the circumstances we have makes it even more difficult." He said in the Daily Mirror: "I knew it was going to be nearly impossible anyway in this window. "As always, the window is an impossible scenario to deal with. To have to work in it under the circumstances we have makes it even more difficult. "You've got players who will look around and say, 'Do I want to go to a team in the bottom three? Do I want to go for that fight?' "Perhaps some of them will say, 'No, I might as well stay and play the odd game'. You just keep searching and looking." One of those to have already said 'no' to Allardyce is Everton defender Johnny Heitinga, with the Dutchman having pulled out of a proposed switch to Upton Park at the last minute. On the collapse of that deal, Allardyce said: "I don't know what changed his mind. "By the following morning, he'd had a change of heart and decided it wasn't for him. Did he call me direct? No. "But we are still talking about bringing in new players."

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce confirms Carlton Cole talks
Last Updated: 04/01/14 2:55pm
SSN

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed that the Premier League club are in talks with striker Carlton Cole over an extended contract. The 30-year-old, who was released in the summer before being re-signed by Allardyce earlier in October, has featured 12 times for the Hammers so far this season.
Cole's short-term deal at Upton Park is due to expire on January 13, but Allardyce says that he is now looking to increase the striker's stay. "We've got that in mind and are talking about that as quickly as we possibly can because obviously it needs to be addressed," he told West Ham's official website. "Carlton will be dealt with very shortly."

Meanwhile, another striker whose stay at West Ham has been increased is Ricardo Vaz Te, with the 27-year-old's contract being extended until 2015.
However, Allardyce confirmed that Croatian forward Mladen Petric has left the club due to injury problems after making just four appearances this campaign.
"Mladen Petric has been released on the fact that unfortunately, for whatever reason, he never recovered from his injury that he picked up, so that was another one who everybody seems to forget about who sadly wasn't able to make an impact for us," he said.

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WHY WE SHOULD BE UP FOR THE CUPS
By Tony McDonald 4 Jan 2014 at 19:53
West Ham Till I Die

IT obviously won't happen, but wouldn't it be nice if Big Sham actually fielded his best available XI for both the Nottingham Forest and Man City cup games and vowed to have a real go at taking West Ham as far as possible in the League Cup and FA Cup – as all clubs set out to do back in the day.

Fans will be paying lots of hard earned money to travel to both Forest and The Etihad in the next week, not to mention the cost of watching the home leg of the City tie, but for what? To see an understrength side put out by a manager who couldn't care less about the cup competitions. OK, so City are a mortgage job to do us over two legs, but at least let's go down having a go and fighting. Let's at least give chance a chance, no matter how slim our prospects seem to be.

After all, who are Nottingham Forest? An average team who often struggle to score goals, chasing a place in the Championship play-offs. Even with our current injury crisis, we should still have enough to beat them – if not at the City Ground, then via a replay.

The credibility of both domestic cup competitions has sadly been lacking for a number of years, a sad state of affairs exacerbated by the FA actually allowing – no, actively encouraging – Manchester United to opt out of the FA Cup completely one year so that they could play in the World Club Cup on the other side of the world instead. If the game's governing body doesn't take the world's oldest and once greatest competition too seriously, then it is any surprise that very few Premier League clubs do either?

Of course, we all know that money is at the root of this problem, as it is with many of the game's ills.

But why wouldn't a club like, say, Newcastle United – who have won nothing since 1969 – not go all out to win the cups? They are not going to challenge for the Champions League places this season and neither are they in danger of being relegated, so wouldn't it be nice to give their fans a trophy to cheer? Yet they have played a weakened team again, lost at home to Cardiff today and have now gone out at the third round stage in two consecutive seasons.

To be fair to Pardew, he was the last Hammers manager to take us close to emulating what John Lyall achieved 33 years ago, but let's not punish ourselves any more by reflecting upon how the 2006 Cup Final panned out in the closing stages.

Of course, managers of teams tangled up in a relegation battle will try and justify putting out fringe and inexperienced young players by saying 'it's the league that counts' and 'we can't afford any more injuries to first team regulars'. As it happens, this year, our ongoing injury problems will largely dictate the teams BS puts out at Forest and against City, although he – along with far too many other managers – has been treating the cups with contempt for too long. Even if Carroll, Downing and other injury victims had been available, there is no way BS would have put out his first choice team in cup games this season.

And yet the fans are expected to carry on turning up, paying their hard-earned (is it £49 for a ticket to the City home leg of the semi later this month?) and put up with watching what are effectively reserve team line-ups. Unconditional love and devotion. Or, as I see it, taking the piss.

The cynic in me has also noted a disturbing trend that is another blight on the game. Rather than set out to win League Cup and FA Cup ties, Premier League clubs (and others in the lower divisions) now routinely use these games as a convenient opportunity to manipulate the disciplinary totting up process. Clock how many players commit inexplicably ridiculous fouls to deliberately bring about a suspension that will preclude them from (in their eyes) a meaningless cup tie and leave them free to play in forthcoming league matches. You can imagine the dialogue in the dressing room 15 minutes before kick-off…

Manager: "Now remember (insert player's name), make sure you get booked before the end because we need you to be suspended for next week's cup game so that you will be back for the league game after that…"

Player: "Ok boss, leave it to me, no problem."

(I'm not sure what was said between Big Sham and Nolan at Anfield or Craven Cottage, but perhaps the skipper misheard the instructions….)

The FA should take a seriously close look at this widespread abuse of the system and introduce a new rule that would see player suspensions apply to league matches only.

It wasn't always this way.

Many of us doubtless recall those memorable floodlit games in the thrilling 1971-72 League Cup run that ended famously with a 2-3 defeat by Stoke on the Old Trafford mud. It was heart-breaking to lose in such unfortunate circumstances when Bobby Ferguson got injured and Mooro had to replace him between the sticks, especially after having overcome Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield United in style in the build up to the semi-final saga. Chelsea had already reached the final and we had the Twin Towers in our sights.

At the age of 12, I was overjoyed to see Bryan Robson put Sheffield United to the sword in a 5-0 victory, Pop and Hurstie score the goals that sent Liverpool packing and Clyde Best notch a shock headed winner in an away replay at Leeds. This, at a time when Leeds and Liverpool were among the top sides in the country. There was never any suggestion that Leeds, under the ruthless Revie, would send out a lesser team against us. Look at the quality of their line-up on the night we won 1-0 at Elland Road: Harvey, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Hunter, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles, Madeley, Gray.

Many of you will recall that gut-wrenching experience when Hurst's thunderbolt penalty was somehow diverted over the bar at the North Bank end by his England team-mate Gordon Banks in the second leg of the semi-final against Stoke. Those agonising replays that followed at Hillsborough and Old Trafford should have been unnecessary.

But when we inevitably lose to Man City over two legs this month (and there will certainly be no shame in that), no-one apart from us sad, old romantics will give a toss. By the next morning, all thoughts will turn again to the desperate battle for precious league points. It's all about money now.

There is, however, one obvious way the English football's governing authorities of the could change clubs' attitude towards the cups for the better… simply award Champions League places to the winners of those trophies, instead of the top four in the league. In the event of a team winning the cup double, give the CL place to the losing finalists.

*The latest issue of our retro EX magazine includes a rare, in-depth and exclusive interview with Frank Lampard, whose diving header winner against Everton in the 1980 FA Cup semi-final is etched in West Ham folklore. A year's (UK) subscription costs as little as £12 at www.ex-hammers.com

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BIG SAM POLL RESULT: 2,000 VOTES & IT DOESN'T MAKE HAPPY READING FOR BIG SAM
By Iain Dale 3 Jan 2014 at 21:36
West Ham Till I Die

This site has a bit of a reputation among other West Ham sites for being, well, a bit loyalist and not wishing to rock the boat. I've never quite understood why that is. Well tonight I don't think anyone can accuse us of that. Over the last 24 hours we have been conducting a poll asking the same question as KUMB is asking…

Do you believe West Ham United FC should retain the services of Sam Allardyce as manager?

This poll has had the biggest response of any poll ever carried out on the site. More than 2,000 of you voted. Here is the result

Yes – he should stay 32% (639 votes)
No – he should go 68% (1370 votes)

That's a fairly emphatic result. However, KUMB have been asking exactly the same question and have got a somewhat different result. 964 fans have voted in their poll.

Yes – he should stay 53% (515 votes)
No – he should go 46% (449 votes)

Put the two polls together and you have the views of 2,973 Hammers fans…

Yes – 39%
No – 61%

As I have stated before, I believe the board needs to make a decision and make it quickly. If Sam is to be axed, it should be done within the next few days. If they decide to stick with him, they need to make that clear both to him and to us to prevent speculation getting out of control.

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REMEMBERING ANDY MALCOLM (RIP); 1933-2013
By Tony Hanna 4 Jan 2014 at 12:22
West Ham Til I Die

Sadly, news has come through that former Hammer, Andy Malcolm, passed away on Boxing Day at the age of 80.

Andy made his debut for the club, aged 20, in a home loss to Notts County in December 1953. He went on to play over 300 times for the Hammers with his last game in October 1961 against Sheffield Wednesday. Andy Malcolm was typical of so many players of that generation, in that he was born a stones throw from the Boleyn ground. He was a tough tackling wing half, no nonsense, and tough as teak himself – only missing a handful of games in his career. He was ever present in the promotion winning side of the 1957/58 season, winning a Division Two champions medal along with being named Hammer of the Year for his contribution to the side. Andy Malcolm was the very first recipient of the award. This was no mean feat and highlights the importance of the man in a team that included Gregory, Bond, Brown, Allison, Cantwell, Musgrove and prolific goal scorers Vic Keeble and John Dick. Andy was not renown for his goal scoring, but he scored three of his four goals for the club in that one season.

The job Andy was good at was man marking. Many claim that he has been the best that West Ham have ever had in this role. In the 1958/59 season back in the top flight, he played players like Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law and Johnny Haynes out of the game. These were three of the giants of the game at the time. About ten years ago Andy bumped into Johnny Haynes at an airport, to which Johnny remarked – "you are still following me around after all these years". Some players nicknamed him "Shadow", as they were more likely to get a kick from Andy than a kick of the ball.

Andy also had the honour of being West Ham's first England youth international, although he did not go on to win a full England cap. He did represent the Football League in a fixture against the Scottish League in 1958. When Ron Greenwood took over from Ted Fenton as club manager in 1961, Andy lost his place in the team. Perhaps his style was not suited to Ron's philosophy? So he was transferred to Chelsea in 1962 before later joining QPR. He was to have a brief spell in South Africa before returning to England. Like many retired professional footballers of the time he went on to become landlord at Essex pubs, The Ship and Anchor in Malden and The Lion in Latchingdon. In 1986 Andy Malcolm returned to South Africa where he would spend the rest of his life.

Everyone at WHTID would like to pass on their sincere condolences to Andy Malcolm's family and friends at this sad time.

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Big Sam is West Ham's best hope to avoid the drop, says Hammers winger Stewart Downing
Jan 04, 2014 22:30 By Mirror Football 0 Comments
The Mirror

Stewart Downing insists under-fire manager Sam Allardyce is the best man for the job to save West Ham from the drop. The winger, who experienced relegation with his hometown club Middlesbrough in 2009, admits it has been a tough season at Upton Park. But he doesn't plan on adding a second relegation to his CV. Former Liverpool midfielder Downing said: "Sam picks the team and it's up to us to go out and get results, and that's what we've not done. "It's easy to blame the manager because he's at the top. "He does very well at taking a lot of pressure off of the players. "Sam was one of the reasons I came to play here, to play for a good manager like him. "No one wants a relegation on their CV. I've been through that and it's difficult. "You're living in the area and people are asking questions all the time. "When Middlesbrough went down, we were a young team. But when I look at this West Ham team it's a lot stronger."

An endless list of Hammers on the treatment table has not helped but Downing refused to offer injury problems as an excuse for the club's woeful form – three wins in the league all season. He added: "It's easy to sulk and point and blame, but at the end of the day you've got to go out and get results. "Getting 11 out at times has been difficult for the manager. "In that sense it was always going to be tough for us. But I think we've played quite well in a lot of the games,. but just not killed off teams."

West Ham's threadbare resources will be stretched again today when they come up against Nottingham Forest. Allardyce revealed he will have only 14 senior players available for selection. The Hammers can forget about their position near the foot of the Premier League table for the next four days at least. They make the daunting trip to the Etihad Stadium for the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final tie against Manchester City on Wednesday, before renewing their survival fight in the Premier League against Cardiff. Downing says Premier League survival is the priority, but two consecutive cup fixtures have come as a welcome breather. He added: "I look at the positives. "I look at the players coming back from injury like myself, and the cup games are games to get fit.
"If you play a quick succession of games you obviously get fit quicker."

West Ham could field as many as eight young players at the County Ground today due to the injury crisis. Downing, 29, said: "When I was younger most of my chances came in the cup, and if the manager sees a good performance against Forest he might stick the kid in for the league game."

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West Ham bid for giant Italian defender with law degree
HITC.com
Paul Watson

West Ham have approached Guglielmo Stendardo - a towering centre back with a law degree and a massive list of former clubs. West Ham have tabled a bid for Atalanta's Guglielmo Stendardo and are waiting for a response from the Bergamo club, Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport has reported. The Hammers sit second bottom of the Premier League and face a relegation dogfight in the second half of the season. Manager Sam Allardyce has often admitted that his defence isn't as strong as it should be and is expected to bring in some new faces to steady the ship. One of those could be experienced Naples-born defender Stendardo, who is currently plying his trade for Atalanta, who are also facing a battle to stay afloat in Serie A. Former Lazio man Stendardo is an interesting figure off the football field - he has a law degree and runs an agriturismo farm where guests can stay near Salerno. The 32-year-old is a towering six foot three and is noted for his prowess in the air but he is regarded as something of a journeyman in Italy. Stendardo has played for Napoli, Sampdoria, Salernitana, Perugia, Catania, Lazio, Juventus, Lecce and Atalanta. His most successful spell came at Lazio where he played 85 games between 2005 and 2012 despite not always having the best relationship with coaches.

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Nottingham Forest v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 4th January 2014
By: Preview Percy

Werther's originals, Australian sheep farms and condoms. Must be another Preview Percy, er, preview. There may be some stuff about football in there too if you can be bothered to look. We couldn't......

They're getting their money's worth out of me this week aren't they? Or they would be if they actually paid me. And past sell-by date Werther's Originals don't count. So next up we have to mosey on up the M1 to the City Ground Nottingham where Forest will host us in a third round FA Cup tie. Kick-off is at midday and, should the scores be level at full time, it'll be all back to our place to try and fit a replay in somewhere along the line.

Forest, the world's most hated club with the right amount of syllables in its name to fit the song, sit in 5th place in the Championship at the moment with 40 points from 24 matches. They are seven points off an automatic playoff place and four points clear of Brighton in 7th place.

The spotty work experience kid tells me that they've won three and drawn three of their last six league matches, the wins coming away at Sheffield Wednesday (1-0), and at home to QPR (2-0) and Leeds (2-1). The draws came at home to Ipswich (0-0) and away at Birmingham (0-0) and at Reading (1-1).

They are managed by Billy Davies, who you might recall was in charge of the Preston team that we beat in the 2005 Playoff final. Davies is now in his second spell at Forest having been sacked at the end of 2010/11 having failed in the playoffs. Just under two years later he returned after changes in the composition of the Forest board paved the way for him to take over from Alex McLeish who had left "by mutual consent" (yeah, right). Whilst at Preston, Davies' teams were characterised by a tendency to go down clutching their faces at every opportunity backed by a constant barrage of twaddle being shouted at the ref from Davies and his staff on the touchline. That's one thing we could do without.

The usual first choice 'keeper is a chap called Karl Darlow. Darlow is the grandson of a former Welsh international striker called, wait for it, Ken Leek. So Darlow actually qualifies for Wales by having a granddad called Leek, though he turned down an invitation to join the Welsh squad for a friendly against Austria last February.

There are a couple of ex-Hammers in the squad. Sadly we won't be seeing anything of Academy product Chris Cohen, who is the current club skipper. On his debut for us at 16 Cohen was the youngest outfield player to play for us in over 80 years and he formed part of the 2004/05 promotion squad before leaving for Yeovil (originally on loan) the following season. He's out for the season with cruciate ligament damage. Cruel game football. You do your knee in then get drawn against your old club a few weeks later.

They also have midfielder and occasional 'keeper Henri Lansbury in the team. Lansbury was part of the last promotion squad. His most memorable match was the 4-1 win up at Blackpool where the 5 on the bench rule saw us go up there without a sub 'keeper. When Green was (erroneously) dismissed Lansbury took over between the sticks and kept a clean sheet in the process. Lansbury was a bit of a fringe player during his one season long loan and left for Forest when Arsenal (his parent club) decided to flog him at the end of the season for a reported £1m.

There are a number of familiar faces about the place. These include Andy Reid who is back at the club where he started his English career. He's had some depressing times in his life, having spent time at Spurs. That would be depressing enough for a player, even if he were playing well. Which he wasn't. Things looked up for him a bit when he earned transfer to Charlton. One of his managers described Reid as reminding him of famous Hungarian maestro Ferenc Puskas. Whilst on the face of it, in pure footballing terms this would seem to be a compliment, for those of you not as old as me (ie nearly everyone) I should point out that there is a visual resemblance between the two, both being what you might call on the "portly" side of things.

I've mentioned striker Matt Derbyshire before. Here at the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered a number of us inmates, sorry, residents, like to blame some of our less lucid moments (like this column – Ed) on concussion. Those slaps around the back of the head from Matron carry no little force. However, none of us have ever been able to attribute a Greek Cup Final victory to a bang on the head. Unlike Derbyshire who, when playing for Olympiakos a few years ago, headed a last second equaliser against AEK despite a bang on the noggin which meant that he had no idea he'd scored until he saw the crowd jumping up and down. Olympiakos went on to win 15-14 on penalties.

Striker Darius Henderson is available after suspension for this one. His career includes spells at Reading, Sheffield United and Millwall so he's not one to worry about popularity. He's looking at a third attempt to complete a trial over an alleged assault in a St Albans restaurant a few years back. The first trial collapsed when a key witness declared himself unable to leave his sheep farm in Australia to attend court. The second go last September ended with a hung jury so they're giving it another attempt in February.
The two injury doubts listed are midfielders David Vaughan and Damjel Abdoun. Vaughan is on loan from Sunderland where he provided the icing on the cake to the Di Canio era by netting the third in their 3-0 win over Newcastle.

Abdoun arrived at West Bridgeford this season from Olympiakos. French-born he's represented the cheese-eating surrender monkeys at a number of levels. However, when it came to full international recognition he switched to the nation of his parents' birth and is now a full cap for Algeria.

Our turn now. New Year's Day was depressing wasn't it. I'd suggest that Kevin Nolan might want to avoid the Swan and Superinjunction for his evening pint for the foreseeable. Surely the only sane reaction to his contribution to proceedings the other day (apart from a hefty fine) would be to lighten the weight of his kit-bag to the tune of one armband. Unless, of course, he's claiming concussion, in which case we'll send Matron over to slap some sense back into him.

Injuries? Everyone is injured. Everyone. It's a good thing that this is away as we'd be struggling to field a fully fit tea lady if we were at the Boleyn. Expect to see the likes of young Pottsy, Chambers, Ruddock-Mpanzu somewhere about the squad, as well as a bit more game time for the likes of Downing, Jarvis and possibly Adrian.
Prediction? Well it's all very well sticking a second string out against rubbish like Spurs but this will be a sterner test. The lack of resources (nobody's arrived at the time of writing) gives us few options. Having said that, a similar XI accounted for the likes of Burnley in the other cup so it's not all Mission Impossible.

Probably the last thing we want/need at this point in proceedings is a replay so, with sod's law uppermost in mind, I'll be putting the collection we had at the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered to buy Kevin Nolan a brain (£2.50) on an unwelcome 1-1 draw.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The City Ground – Won 4-1(Championship August 2011) Noble, Cole C., Chambers (og) and Reid were all on target to give us comfortable three points for what was our third successive away victory in a season where we had yet to win at home.

Referee: Martin Atkinson last seen doing our 3-0 win over Fulham. Gotta be a good omen, hasn't it?

Danger Man: Andy Reid. The chubber has a way with free-kicks. So do we: we concede them.

Daft fact of the week: Boots The Chemists was founded in Nottingham in 1849 by John Boot and transformed by his son Jesse. Between 1920 and the 1960's the chain refused to sell condoms until they realised the profits to be made on selling toothpaste, plasters and all the other stuff that teenage boys buy out of embarrassment when picking up a pack of three. Meanwhile, in 1929 Jesse Boot was elevated to the peerage and took on the name of Baron Trent of Nottingham, partly in recognition of his philantropic services, but mainly so he could avoid walking around Nottingham with the name "Jesse".

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£16m transfer opens the door for Fulham and Crystal Palace in striker hunt
HITC.com
Mathew Nash

West Ham United may be about to benefit from AS Monaco's transfer dealings. Could Inter Milan striker head for Premier League strugglers? Giant Ivory Coast international striker Lacina Traore has finally moved away from crisis club Anzhi Makhachkala - leaving one big spending outfit for another. He joined Anzhi in June 2012 for a fee of €18 million from Kuban Krasnodar - and helped them fight for the title under Guus Hiddink last season. But things have gone sour at Anzhi - and sitting bottom of the Russian Premier League did not appeal to the big Ivorian striker. So he has joined AS Monaco fee for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the £16 million region - although he is not expected to stick around. Initial reports claim Monaco want to loan him out immediately, with West Ham the likely destination. The Hammers need striker cover as Andy Carroll continues to suffer with a serious heel problem. And bringing in the 6ft 8ins striker might just be the perfect option. And it seems the ramifications are already apparent - which could provide good news for Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Reports in Italy suggest that Inter Milan striker Ishak Belfodil could move to either London club on loan in January - now that West Ham are said to have their eyes fixed solely on Traore. The Algerian, who was linked with a Liverpool move this summer, only joined from Parma a few months ago - but first-team football is hard to come by. He was recently informed by his national team coach that despite playing for an illustrious club and being obviously very talented - he will not go to the World Cup in Brazil if he is not playing regular football. That has seen him force permission for a loan move - with Fulham and Palace certainly in need of his services. He has a French passport, so no need for a Work Permit, and is a player playing for a World Cup spot - so should be fired up.
Fulham could lose Dimitar Berbatov this winter - but regardless, another striker is needed. Meanwhile Palace will need all the firepower they can get to survive the drop. The transfer merry-go-round then is in full swing - and it could be a player's switch from Dagestan to the principality of Monaco could have a vital impact on the season of these two relegation fighters.

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Defender mulls decison
January 13, 2013. REUTERS/Giampiero Sposito
by Tony Beaker
4th January 2014 6:43pm GMT
Sportsdirectnews.com

West Ham United are reportedly interested in Atalanta defender Guglielmo Stendardo, according to reports in Italy. The Italian centre back is on the January shopping list for Irons boss Sam Allardyce as he looks to bolster an injury ravaged defence. The Hammers have James Collins, James Tomkins and Winston Reid all absent through injury meaning the last few games have had to feature full backs George McCartney and Joey O'Brien at the heart of the defence.
According to Tuttosport, Stendardo's club Atalanta have marked the Hammers as favourite for 32-year-old Stendardo's signature. The defender, who has been capped by Italy, is reportedly out of contract at the end of next season and is mulling over whether to sign an extension. The Hammers have also been linked with a move for Argentine Nicolas Burdisso who is currently playing for Roma. Although former Lazio defender Stendardo remains favourite to make the move.
The Hammers are getting ready to face Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday at the City Ground and Allardyce has already stated he will be forced to play a young side because of the extent of his injury crisis.

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Ricardo Vaz Te pens new West Ham United contract
West Ham's Ricardo Vaz Te celebrates after scoring the winner against Cardiff during their League Cup match on September 24, 2013© Getty Images
By Joe Fish, Reporter
Filed: Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 16:28 UK
Last Updated: Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 18:10 UK
Sportsmole.com

West Ham United forward Ricardo Vaz Te has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2015. The Portuguese handed in a transfer request at Upton Park in the summer after complaining about a lack of regular first-team football. However, there were no suitors for him and he has ended up featuring seven times for them in the Premier League this term, scoring twice before being sidelined with a dislocated shoulder. Vaz Te now seems to be committed to the Hammers' cause and has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract with Sam Allardyce's side, who have released Croatia international Mladen Petric this afternoon. Vaz Te, 27, has scored 19 goals in 55 games for the Hammers since joining them in 2012.

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Traore completes move to Monaco... now giant striker will join West Ham on loan
By DAVID KENT
PUBLISHED: 14:33, 4 January 2014 | UPDATED: 14:35, 4 January 2014
Daily Mail

Lacina Traore has completed his move to Monaco and will be immediately loaned to relegation-threatened West Ham until the end of the season. The 6ft 8in Ivory Coast striker has joined from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala for an undisclosed fee and has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal. As revealed by Sportsmail, Traore will now travel to London for a medical but West Ham must await a work permit hearing before he can be declared officially theirs. Traore has played for FC Cluj, Kuban Krasnodar and Anzhi with clubs spending over £26million in transfer fees on the 23-year-old since he broke onto the scene in 2008 with African side Stade Abidjan. He has figured against Liverpool - against who he scored a superb lob in November 2012 - and Tottenham in European competition over recent seasons and was a target for Mark Hughes while he was manager at Fulham. He scored 13 goals in 29 games for Anzhi and has four in seven internationals for the Ivory Coast. West Ham badly need something to spark their league season into life and manager Sam Allardyce will hope Traore brings goals.

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West Ham will offer Rickie Lambert £65k a week to tempt him away from Southampton
Jan 05, 2014 00:32 By Alan Nixon
The Mirror

West Ham will offer England striker Rickie Lambert a staggering £65,000-a-week contract to tempt him away from Southampton, writes Alan Nixon in the Sunday People. The Hammers want the 31-year-old to save them from relegation and hope to agree a fee with Saints. Lambert will be handed a deal worth twice what he is on to switch to the strugglers. The deal is backed by Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold, who know they need a genuine No.9 to survive. The club currently lie 19th in the Premier League with 15 points from 20 matches.

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West Ham face £5million payout if they sack under pressure manager Sam Allardyce
Jan 04, 2014 22:53 By Alan Nixon 1 Comments
The Mirror

West Ham will have to pay Sam Allardyce a staggering £5million if they sack him, writes the Sunday People's Alan Nixon. Allardyce is under fire from fans and under pressure for results going into today's FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest. But the major stumbling block to his exit is that Allardyce is protected by pay-off clauses in his deal – in the same way he was at Newcastle and Blackburn. The much-travelled manager's future is under review after some bad results and the poor return on the £15m spent on Andy Carroll. Murmurs behind the scenes are growing, with Harry Redknapp and Malky Mackay whispered as potential bosses to save Hammers from the drop. But West Ham's money men know it will cost a fortune to replace him.

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