Daily WHUFC News - 21st November 2012

The Big Interview - Joey O'Brien
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's No17 was delighted to net his first-ever Barclays Premier
League goal on Monday night
20.11.2012

West Ham United right-back Joey O'Brien was wearing the biggest smile of
anyone inside the Boleyn Ground after scoring the first Barclays Premier
League of his career on Monday evening. The Republic of Ireland
international ghosted into the Stoke City penalty area three minutes after
half-time to smash home Gary O'Neil's powerful cross and secure a
hard-earned 1-1 draw. The 26-year-old, whose only previous Hammers goal came
in the npower Championship at Watford in August 2011, was naturally happy to
talk about his strike, as well as the club's forthcoming trip to Tottenham
Hotspur on Sunday.

Joey, you got the goal on Monday that secured a point, so why don't you
start off by talking us through it?

JOB: "I picked up the ball and tried to play a one-two with Momo Diame but
it did not come back to me, as it went wide to Gaz O'Neil instead. He has a
lot of quality on the ball and his delivery is very good so I continued my
run and took a chance. He smashed it across goal and I was in the right
place at the right time and the ball was just where I wanted it."

It was somewhat of a pile-on celebration after the goal. Does that underline
how much that goal meant and how close you are as a team?

JOB: "It was a great bit of banter between the lads and I do not often score
goals so it was great because I pretty much celebrated with every single one
of them. I score goals like that in training every day (laughs), but really
it was very enjoyable because it will probably be another two or three years
until it happens again. I think, at the moment, I am averaging one goal a
season."

Do you feel that the goal came at the perfect time because the team
struggled to gain a foothold in the game in the first half?

JOB: "I think so. They are a very hard team to play against and an even
harder team to beat. They have been in the Premier League for a while now
and their players are very experienced so it was a difficult game. They got
what they wanted in a set-piece goal but I think in the second half we
showed just how good we can be."

What did Sam Allardyce say to the team during the break, you really changed
the tide of the game after half-time?

JOB: "The manager did not have to say a lot at half-time because we knew we
had to improve. We talked and he gave use a fresh game plan that changed how
we did a couple of things and we really benefitted from it. The midfield
also worked very hard and got around a lot. Momo, Nobby and Mark put them
under a lot of pressure, which forced them into making mistakes and limited
the time they had on the ball."

Do you feel you did enough in the second half to come away with all three
points?

JOB: "Yeah, of course. We played really well in the second half and
dominated it in terms of chances, so it is a little disappointing we did not
win the game. We were by far the better team and we played some very good
football particularly down the left where George (McCartney) had a lot of
joy."

Guy Demel has returned to full fitness in recent weeks but you kept your
place and scored a goal which must be very pleasing?

JOB: "Yeah I think I have done alright but I do not think it mattered that
another player was fit again. It would have been hard to change the team who
won 1-0 at Newcastle and I do not think the manager would have wanted to
make any changes unless he had too. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to
perform and so does the manager. It is essential that we do because, if you
do not, somebody will be ready to step in and take your place."

Next up is a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Will you go into that game
full of confidence after three games unbeaten?

JOB: "We will go there to get at least a point, but we know it is going to
be a very tough game because they a top team. We have shown in recent weeks
how well we can defend against Manchester City and Newcastle United. Nobody
expected those results so we know, if we play well, we can take something
from the game."

Providing you keep your place for that game you will come up against
Tottenham's speedy left winger Gareth Bale. How much of a test will that be
for you?

JOB: "He is a super player but, at the end of the day, he is just a
footballer so hopefully I can keep him quiet. He is a millions times better
than me so hopefully he does not have a good day, let's leave it at that!"

Looking ahead a little further, you then face Manchester United, Chelsea and
Liverpool. Just how important has this excellent start been for you in the
light of that run of fixtures?

JOB: "Of course they are going to be very tough games but what a development
from playing in the Championship last year. The main reason we wanted to be
promoted last season was so that we could play against the likes of
Manchester United, so it is great for the players and for the the football
club. I am really looking forward to it and hopefully we can cause a shock
or two."

Finally, have your aims as a team changed after what we have already said is
a very good start to the season?

JOB: "I do not think so. It is first and foremost all about staying in the
league and that is our main aim at the moment. If we reach that target and
rack up the points to ensure our safety sooner than originally thought, we
can start to look at a top-half finish. Until then it is all about
survival."

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Nobby's Hammers hat-trick
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for the third
successive month
19.11.2012

Kevin Nolan has again been voted as the SBOBET Player of the Month after
earning 37.3 per cent of the public vote. Captain Nolan has already been
voted as the SBOBET Player of the Month for August and September and the
former Newcastle United man has now got his hat-trick after collecting the
October award. His midfield partner Mark Noble finished a close runner-up
with 32.7 per cent of the vote after another stellar run of games. October
began with a bang as the Hammers picked up their first away win of the
campaign beating QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road. A Boleyn return followed and a
shock looked on the cards with Big Sam's side pushing Arsenal every step of
the way before losing 3-1 late on.

Following the international break, the Hammers returned to the Boleyn Ground
once more to face Southampton, who they put to the sword in a stunning 4-1
win. Runner-up Noble scored twice but it was captain Nolan who sent the
Hammers on their way, putting them in front after 48 minutes at the back
post.
Winston Reid completed the top three with 13.9 per cent of the vote,
followed by Momo Diame in fourth on 10.6 per cent, Jussi Jaaskelainen came
fifth on 4.3 per cent and Ricardo Vaz Te wrapped up the voting on 1.2 per
cent.

With all still to play for in November it remains to be seen who will be
crowed as the next SBOBET Player of the Month, but you would not back
against the captain after inspirational displays against Newcastle United
and Stoke City already.

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Pulis on... West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th November 2012
By: Staff Writer

Barely had he sat down before a reasonably content Tony Pulis was off again.
Here's his (brief) post-match press conference, exclusively in full...

Tony: pleased with the point?

I thought we played well in the first half and created the better
opportunities buit we needed that second goal. The worst thing that happened
to us was half time, because that took the momentum away from us.

We started the second half very sloppy; the number of times we gave the ball
away in the first ten minutes, quarter-of-an-hour. Then we just invited West
Ham on to us and they scored their goal. From that point onwards we had to
show a lot of resiliance and determination as a group not to concede a
second.

So I was very pleased first half and a little bit disappointed second half -
but not with their commitment and their effort.

How long have you been working on that little routine that led to the goal?

We've worked on it for the past three days, we've done it about five or six
times. John Walters has never scored a goal from it s oit was lovely that he
saved it for today.

Was that something that you targeted West Ham specifically for?

No. I spend a lot of time watching videos and watching teams play. I just
felt that if we could do this it would come off. You work on it millions of
times in training; all my career I've always looked for little angles,
little areas that we can exploit from set plays and it's lovely when it
comes off.

There was a question off offside to West Ham's goal; was that something
you...

Massively offside! [laughs]

It's a decision that went against us and we have to take it on the chin, you
can't change it. There were two decisions; that one and when John Walters
went through second half that looked very contentious as well. But they've
given it to West Ham and you just get on with it.

Thank you.

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Allardyce on... Stoke City
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th November 2012
By: Staff Writer

A disappointed Sam Allardyce respects the point - even though he felt it
should have been three. His post-match press conference for you exclusively
in full...

Sam: Did that feel like a missed chance for you today?

In the end we were disappointed that we didn't win it based on our second
half performance, but when you put that much pressure on the opposition
you've got to try and be a little more ruthless in front of goal. With a
little bit more quality and composure we probably could have won, but at the
end of the day it's another point and I can't be too critical of the
players.

They took the game to Stoke in the second half, completely dominated them
and penned them back, but sadly we couldn't quite find the winning touch in
front of goal.

It's a really good come back for us; like I said, we're disappointed we
haven't won it but we've got another point and it's a real good start with a
third of the season gone. We're what, seventh in the Premier League? So we
can't be too disappointed even though we know we should have won that one.
But we move on and face another difficult fixture on Sunday at Tottenham -
just as this was a very difficult fixture, as we found out in the first
half.

Are you going to be frustrated tomorrow morning when you see you're not
fifth [in the table]?

I don't know if I'll be frustrated; I'm a bit disappointed at the moment
that we didn't win it. In the end, finishing in the box and creating chances
is hard but scoring chances is the most difficult thing in this league. The
quality of player needed is hugely expensive if you want to buy the top
ones, so you pay £50million for a Torres or £24million on a Van Persie in
the last year of his contract. It shows you how expensive it is to find the
one who will put the ball in the back of the net for you.

At the moment we've only really got Kevin Nolan doing it on a regular basis
- and he was particularly disappointed that he didn't score with that chance
at the start of the second half. But we created chances and our second half
performance was very good, with the full backs pushing on and getting behind
a stubborn Stoke defensive unit which has been very stubborn all season.
Yes, we created chances - but we couldn't find the finishing touch.

Is it a bit incongruous that you're flying so high in the table and yet Andy
Carroll hasn't scored? Is it almost as if opposition defenders are
concentrating on him?

Yes; he's going to attract attention as his hold up play is very good, as is
his heading ability. People are going to need to pay particular attention to
him, so he's going to attract one or two defenders which creates space
elsewhere. Andy's not to get too frustrated at the fact that he's not
scoring at the moment. Today he didn't really get too much of a chance to
score either but sooner or later, if we continue to work on him making runs
into the box and on the service that we give, then eventually he will score.

He didn't seem too pleased when he came off? Does that show the desire he's
got?

Yes it does. He wants to score a goal and he wants me to leave him on for 90
minutes, but he put that much effort in - like all the players - and there's
some fresh players on the bench like Carlton Cole who's bursting to get on
and do something. There's also Matthew Taylor and there's Guy Demel who came
on and continued to give us a bit more energy to find the winner.

The players who started the game were beginning to feel the pace, especially
in the second half, so fresh players with fresh legs came on and continued
to press the opposition to try and get the goal. He's disappointed but in
the end you make the substitutions for the benefit of everybody to try and
win the game. I wanted to try and win the game and I felt that was the best
way forward after the effort he, Modibo and Joey O'Brien had put in.
Fresh legs, desperate to get on might have got us the winner. It didn't
quite, but it could have done.

You were forced to change things with [Matt] Jarvis and [Yossi] Benayoun
out. How pleased were you with the players who came in?

I was very pleased with the second half performance and the fact that the
squad has performed very well yet again. Whilst our numbers are not great,
our quality seems to be pretty good.

Again, our defensive unit was very good - apart from the corner. I have to
say I thought the corner was undefendable - and if the referee had eyes in
the back of his head he would have given a foul on the block from Adam on
George McCartney who was marking Johnny Walters. But Walters had to finish
that first time - and it was a brilliant finish.

But you nearly got one yourself?

Nearly, yes; Gary O'Neil worked a great one which caught them by surprise
but that went two inches past the post instead of inside [it]. Like I said,
we weren't quite clinical enough in front of goal but at least we created a
second half performance with a lot of chances.

Have you been doing some work on that corner on the training ground?

I didn't, Wally Downes did. Wally has been working on that for a couple of
weeks. As we were live on Sky we probably won't be able to do it again as
everyone's seen it! It was two inches away from paying off; theirs paid off
and now they won't be able to use theirs either! You bring one or two
changes in now and again and you hope that they work for you. Theirs did,
ours nearly did.

Towards the end the fans seemed a bit frustrated because you weren't lumping
the ball forward quickly enough?

Ha! You can't push the ball down the middle, even with Andy Carroll, with
Stoke City because Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross are so strong so we had to
get the ball in wide areas and then into the box. On several occasions we
got in behind the back four which is what we wanted. Sometimes we couldn't
find the final ball - and we couldn't find the final finish, unfortunately.

It's a sign that you're playing a bit of football now though, isn't it?

I think everybody's enjoying what they're seeing at the moment, particularly
at Upton Park. I could hear the fans willing the lads on to get that goal.

Thank you.

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Terry Mcdermott is tipping Ravel Morrison to make it to the top
Last Updated: November 20, 2012 3:52pm
SSN

Birmingham assistant manager Terry McDermott believes Ravel Morrison has the
potential to play at the very highest level. The 19-year-old joined Blues on
a season-long loan from West Ham and has quickly made an impression in the
Championship. Morrison scored his first senior goal on Saturday, a superb
volley against Hull, and McDermott says he has what it takes to cut it with
the very best. "He's a great talent," he said. "I know he's got a reputation
but he's a great kid and he wants to do well here. He loves being here and
wants to be involved. "He's got the ability to go right to the top and he
will do if he listens to the right people, like the manager and the coaching
staff. We've all helped him but we know there's more to come. "He is
thriving on the pressure. He should score more goals with the ability he's
got. He scored a fantastic goal Saturday and long may that continue."

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Sam Allardyce says West Ham can go and win at Tottenham on Sunday
Last Updated: November 20, 2012 3:25pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has told his West Ham team they are in a good position to pull
off their first victory at Tottenham in 13 years on Sunday. The Hammers,
promoted as Championship play-off winners, have surpassed all expectations
so far this season and currently sit in joint sixth position in the Premier
League after 12 matches. The Londoners last week earned a creditable win at
Newcastle,but they now embark on a difficult run of fixtures that includes
games at Spurs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. West Ham have not
won at White Hart Lane since Ian Wright and Marc Keller guided them to
victory in 1999, but Allardyce thinks his team are shaping up well ahead of
the short trip across London. He told the club website: "We go to Tottenham
full of confidence and hope to get some of the injured players back. We'll
need to be as good if not even better than we were in our away wins at
Queens Park Rangers and Newcastle as an attacking force. "We've got to rely
on our superb defensive qualities and then we've got to try to work on the
areas that Tottenham leave exposed, particularly when we get got hold of the
ball. If we can marry those two together then hopefully we can give a
performance similar to our recent ones and try to get a result. "We'll have
to be on top of our game, as we had to be against Stoke. We played our top
game in the second half and deserved to beat them but couldn't quite do it."

Right-back Joey O'Brien was the unlikely goalscorer in the 1-1 draw with
Stoke and the 26-year-old is also feeling positive ahead of the game at
Spurs.
He added: "I picked up the ball and tried to play a one-two with Momo Diame
but it did not come back to me, as it went wide to Gaz O'Neil instead. He
has a lot of quality on the ball and his delivery is very good so I
continued my run and took a chance. "He smashed it across goal and I was in
the right place at the right time and the ball was just where I wanted it.
"We will go (to Tottenham) to get at least a point, but we know it is going
to be a very tough game because they are a top team. We have shown in recent
weeks how well we can defend against Manchester City and Newcastle United.
Nobody expected those results so we know, if we play well, we can take
something from the game."

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Any old Irons: West Ham want to sign Beckham to help Olympic Stadium bid
The Mirror
20 Nov 2012 22:31
Harry How

West Ham want David Beckham to bring the curtain down on his career by
coming home to his East End roots. Beckham fired the starting gun on the
last scramble for his signature when he announced that the MLS final on
December 1 would be his farewell appearance for Los Angeles Galaxy after
five years as a football missionary in the States. Despite the reservations
of the likes of Andy Dawson, Twitter's Profanity Swan, suitors are queuing
up. The Irons' co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan are ready to offer
the former England captain, now 37, an encore in the Premier League. A
clutch of Australian A-League clubs, including Melbourne Heart and Perth
Glory, have already launched bids, while Paris Saint-Germain – bankrolled by
super-rich Qatari royalty – are intrigued by the celebrity circus that
develops wherever brand Beckham pitches its big top. Melbourne will offer
him £1.2million for just 10 games at the start of next year, but there is an
open ­invitation for Beckham to end his career with the Hammers - who regard
him as a statesman who will deliver them to the Olympic Stadium. The Hammers
tried to lure local boy Beckham to Upton Park two years ago and Gold said:
"He was an ambassador for the London 2012 bid and it would be a fantastic
statement if he came to us. "He's an East end boy and it would be a fitting
end to his career. We've also been mindful of his value as an ambassador to
help us secure the Olympic stadium."

As bookies William Hill installed the Hammers as second favourites to land
Beckham on his last crusade, ex-West Ham captain Alvin Martin insisted he
would be a perfect fit - not least for struggling on-loan Liverpool striker
Andy Carroll. England centre-forward Carroll has not scored in 630 minutes
of club football after again firing blanks in Monday night's draw with
Stoke, and Martin said: "Becks would be perfect at delivering crosses for
Andy Carroll. "He's still got another year or two left in him because he's
not all about pace and athleticism. He should go to West Ham - if they are
doing as well towards the end of the season as they are now, then why not?"

Beckham has won league titles in three different countries with Manchester
United, Real Madrid and the Galaxy. Since he left Madrid in 2007, after
helping clinch the La Liga in his last appearance at the Bernabeu, he has
scored 18 goals and provided 40 assists in 98 regular-season games for the
Galaxy. The family home in Beverley Hills is valued at £14 million and he
has earned £29m in 2012, making him the highest-paid footballer in the
world. According to the Sunday Times' Rich List, Beckham's net worth is now
estimated around £190m. All this after watching the Spice Girls perform on
TV during an England World Cup qualifying excursion to Georgia in 1996 and
announcing, "I'm going to marry the one with the legs".

The inquest can now begin.

Where did it all go wrong, Goldenballs?

In truth, Beckham has frittered away the last five years of his career in an
irrelevant league when he was still good enough to embarrass Steve McClaren
for shovelling him towards the knackers' yard with England and to play in
the Champions League for AC Milan. His decision to chase fistfuls of dollars
in the California and District Sunday League turned him from the
standard-bearer of English football's 'golden generation' into a long-haul
missionary. Beckham's record tally of 115 England caps, more than any
outfield player in Three Lions history, was bloated towards the end of Fabio
Capello's reign by walk-on parts as a substitute. And the last time we saw
Beckham on the bench, he was wearing his three-piece M&S England suit in
South Africa as a celebrity cheerleader on Capello's ill-fated World Cup
campaign. That said, Don Fabio's ham-fisted treatment of a patriot who
served England in three World Cup tournaments, branding Beckham "a little
bit too old" and offering him a farewell appearance at Wembley when he had
no intention of retiring, was a travesty.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 20th November 2012

Big Sam boosted by second-half show
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce felt West Ham United deserved more than a point after a 1-1
draw with Stoke City
20.11.2012

Sam Allardyce was encouraged by West Ham United's second-half performance as
they came back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Stoke City on Monday night.
Joey O'Brien was the unlikely goalscoring hero as he grabbed his first-ever
Barclays Premier League goal in front of the Bobby Moore Stand to level the
scores three minutes after half time. The strike helped launch a stirring 45
minutes from the hosts after Stoke had taken the lead when Jonathan Walters
finished a well-worked corner routine on 13 minutes. "It was a tough first
half for us and their main threat was set plays," Allardyce said. "They
build up in open play and once they get a few set plays around your box they
are very dangerous. Unexpectedly though the goal was from John Walters
rather than a header from one of their taller players. It was a great move
from them and a great finish. "We were a little disappointed at half time
that we were getting in to the final third but our balls into their box were
not good enough. We were doing it from the wrong areas rather than the wide
positions pushed out towards the touchline.
"We pushed our full-backs on in the second half and told them to get forward
and we started to change play from left to right and right to left rather
than just down the middle. We wanted to get the ball behind their defence
and right from kick-off in the second half, Kevin Nolan should have scored
and then Joey O'Brien did score before we had several other chances to get
that winner. "We worked a brilliant corner ourselves and Gary O'Neil hit it
just wide, their keeper made some good saves and there were some scrambles
in the box. "Sadly we couldn't find the ultimate winner that we deserved on
the second-half performance. We've got 19 points from 12 games with nearly a
third of the season gone. "We can say it's a really good start - if you're
five or six games in and you're fifth of six in the league that can happen,
but when you're 12 games in and you're seventh in the league then you know
it's a good start."

Big Sam was forced into two changes as both Matt Jarvis and Yossi Benayoun
failed to recover from injuries picked up at Newcastle United, meaning Gary
O'Neil and Modibo Maiga were handed starting places. Understandably, the
Hammers took a little time to gel and the Potters took full advantage by
edging the better of the first half. "I was particularly pleased with the
squad as we didn't have Matt Jarvis, Yossi Benayoun, Alou Diarra, Ricardo
Vaz Te or Jack Collison. There are a lot of players missing but we still put
a performance together like we did in the second half and I thought the
crowd went home a little disappointed that we didn't win it on the way we
played in the second half."

O'Brien featured on the front of the matchday programme under a feature
entitled 'Unsung hero', but there is no doubt who would be taking the
plaudits in Tuesday morning's press. His manager took particular pleasure in
seeing his long-term servant tap in Gary O'Neil's cross after snapping him
up from an uncertain future in the game last summer. "He's playing better
and better," Allardyce said of O'Brien. "This lad was a brilliant player at
19 in the Premier League at Bolton and then got lost in the wilderness of
injuries and got forgotten about by everyone. I knew the potential so what
he needed was for someone to show some belief in him again. "Slowly but
surely he's made his way forward and has proven that he's over his injuries
that caused him all those problems. He's had a few niggles here and there
but this season he has come on and we've seen the best of him and long may
that last."

The Hammers squad will be in at Chadwell Heath early on Tuesday morning for
a warm-down session and thoughts will immediately turn to Sunday's trip to
Tottenham Hotspur. The fourth-consecutive Boleyn Ground crowd were once
again in fine voice on Monday and a similar atmosphere is bound to greet Big
Sam's side as they exit the White Hart Lane tunnel. "We go to Tottenham full
of confidence and hope to get some of the injured players back. We'll need
to be as good if not even better than we were in our away wins at Queens
Park Rangers and Newcastle as an attacking force. "We've got to rely on our
superb defensive qualities and then we've got to try to work on the areas
that Tottenham leave exposed, particularly when we get got hold of the ball.
If we can marry those two together then hopefully we can give a performance
similar to our recent ones and try to get a result. "We'll have to be on top
of our game, as we had to be against Stoke. We played our top game in the
second half and deserved to beat them but couldn't quite do it."

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Moncur hails young Hammers
WHUFC.com
George Moncur believes West Ham United's Under-21 side have become a force
to be reckoned with
18.11.2012

George Moncur has hailed the Development Squad's consistency as the main
reason why they have taken the Barclay Under-21 Premier League by storm.
West Ham United's Under-21 side clinched a place in the post-Christmas Elite
Group Stage by defeating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 at Rush Green on Friday
evening - their ninth victory in 12 Group 1 fixtures. The midfielder has
started all 12 matches, scoring one goal, and has played an influential role
in a successful season so far for Ian Hendon's side. Concentrating on
Friday's win, Moncur was proud to play a part in another hard-fought
victory. "It was one of those games that is not necessarily the most easy on
the eye but the type that I love playing in," said the 19-year-old. "The
important thing was to get the job done and we have done just that by
qualifying for the Elite Group Stage."

Moncur is now relishing the opportunity to test himself against England's
top Under-21 teams, including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and
Liverpool.
"It is brilliant to qualify because it allows us to progress and play
against a higher level of opposition after Christmas. That is no disrespect
to the teams in the league we are in right now but we will be competing
against the top clubs in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League, which will be
a great test for us."

Despite his relative youth, as a player with npower Football League
experience on loan at AFC Wimbledon last season, Moncur has taken on a
leadership role within the Development Squad. With scholars like Leo
Chambers - currently sidelined with a thigh injury - Frazer Shaw and Sam
Baxter all featuring this season, the midfielder is relishing the extra
responsibility. "You have to get the lads going sometimes and as a senior
player I feel it is my responsibility to help do that. We have a very young
team and sometimes you need to put an arm round the younger lads and help
them out. "The younger lads who have made the step up have done
exceptionally well. Leo Chambers in particular has done really well for us.
He is great to play with and despite only being 17-years-old he reads the
game really well so he will be a big loss for us after Christmas and we wish
him all the best in his recovery."

Many could forgive Moncur and his team-mates for relaxing in their final two
Group 1 fixtures before the Christmas break, but he insists that will not be
the case. The Development Squad travel to Norwich City on 26 November before
rounding off the opening stage at home to Blackburn Rovers at Rush Green on
30 November. "Even though we have qualified, we will not lose focus and we
will go back into training as we always do and work hard.
"West Brom gave us a tough game and Norwich will be looking to get three
points off us next week. We want to continue our form and hopefully we can
get another win."

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West Ham 1 Stoke 1
FT 90 +5
HT 0-1
19 November 2012
Last updated at 22:37
By Mike Henson
BBC Sport

Joey O'Brien scored his first Premier League goal as West Ham fought back
from a limp first-half performance to earn a point against Stoke. The
Hammers were fortunate to only trail to Jonathan Walters' stinging drive at
the break, with Steven Nzonzi rattling the bar for the visitors. Kevin Nolan
went close after the interval before O'Brien steered in Gary O'Neil's low
cross from the right. Modibo Maiga almost poked home before Stoke recovered
to secure a point. West Ham began the evening in the knowledge that victory
would send them into fifth place and mark their best start to a league
campaign since 1986. Stoke's draw sets a new club record of 16 away Premier
League matches without a win. Fulham hold the Premier League record with a
run of 33 away matches without victory.

The history that Stoke were attempting to make was more short term - a first
away win in the league since beating Blackburn on 2 January. The Potters
would have been optimistic of ending their search for three points on the
road after comfortably containing West Ham before the interval, but had to
settle for just one after being hounded through a barnstorming second half
that defied cynics' expectations. Both Sam Allardyce and Tony Pulis have
been irritated by attempts to characterise their teams' style as
uncomplicated and direct but neither did much to dispel that impression
early on. Stoke's attempts to send long balls towards the head of Peter
Crouch proved more promising than West Ham's crosses towards Andy Carroll at
the opposite end. Charlie Adam shanked a volley over the top from a
knock-down before Crouch himself could only direct a tame nod into the
gloves of Jussi Jaaskelainen. A reputation for well-worked set-piece
routines is something that Pulis has been happier to earn and a perfectly
executed training-ground move delivered the opener.

West Ham play a top-eight side in six of their next seven games.

25 Nov: Tottenham (A)
28 Nov: Man Utd (A)
1 Dec: Chelsea (H)
9 Dec: Liverpool (H)
16 Dec: West Brom (A)
22 Dec: Everton (H)
26 Dec: Arsenal (A)

With their attention drawn by Crouch and Ryan Shawcross's runs to the near
post, the Hammers defenders failed to track Walters who appeared in a pocket
of space to swipe home Glenn Whelan's precise corner. Reverting to a more
patient build-up, West Ham had glimpses of goal - Mohamed Diame missing his
kick after a cute backheel from Kevin Nolan before the skipper himself fired
straight at Asmir Begovic - but Stoke finished in the ascendancy with Nzonzi
crashing a half-volley against the bar. Stoke emerged early for the second
half, but West Ham swarmed all over them from the first whistle. Nolan had
already failed to apply a telling touch from two yards when O'Brien stole in
front of Shawcross to stab O'Neil's low cross into the roof of the net. The
Stoke rearguard was flustered and was almost breached again soon after as
Maiga side-footed against the legs of Begovic from Carroll's knockdown. With
his side reeling, Pulis introduced Wilson Palacios at the expense of Whelan
to apply the brakes to a rampant West Ham. The switch, combined with some
streetwise delays over goalkicks, succeeded in stabilising the visitors and
drawing the sting from the hosts' attacks out wide. West Ham were unable to
rediscover the penetration over the final quarter as Stoke dug in and
defended stoutly to close out the game.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "I thought we deserved three points in the end.
"Stoke were slightly better than us in the first half and we had to recover
from what was an extremely good goal. "Having to come from 1-0 down in any
game in the Premier League is difficult. "It's another point on the board,
we move on reasonably happy. "Andy Carroll is not to be frustrated by the
fact that he is not scoring at the moment and in fact today he didn't get
much of a chance to score. "He wants to score a goal and he wants me to
leave him on for 90 minutes but at the end of the day he put that much
effort in, there are a lot of fresh players on the bench."

Stoke boss Tony Pulis: "First half I thought we played well and created the
better opportunities and really we needed that second goal. "The worst thing
that happened to us was half-time. That took the momentum away from us. "We
started very sloppy in the second half, we invited West Ham onto us and they
scored a goal and from that point onwards we need to show a lot of
resilience and determination. "We have worked on it for the past three
days, we tried it five or six times and Jonathan Walters has never scored
from it so I'm glad he saved it for today. "All of my career I have always
looked for little angles and little areas that we could exploit from
set-plays and it is lovely when it comes off."

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West Ham Utd 1 Stoke City 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th November 2012
By: Staff Writer

It's a measure of how far West Ham have come in such a short space of time
that tonight's 1-1 draw with Stoke City will be considered a slightly
disappointing result.

Despite extending their unbeaten run to three games Sam Allardyce's side
will have left the Boleyn Ground with a deep feeling of frustration having
failed to take all three points against a team now firmly established in the
top flight.

After falling behind early on and surviving a scare when the visitors were
the width of a crossbar from doubling their lead, United never looked back
and can consider themselves unfortunate not to have secured a fourth home
win of the campaign.

Jonathan Walters had given the Potters an early lead when he fired home from
the edge of the penalty area having escaped his marker at a corner.

Whilst it cannot be argued that the goal arose from a well-worked move, West
Ham - who went into the game with only Manchester City having conceded fewer
goals in the league - uncharacteristically switched off to allow Walters the
opportunity to score.

However there was little they could do about Steven Nzonzi's 20-yard effort
that came crashing back off Jussi Jaaskelainen's crossbar eight minutes
ahead of the break; had that found the back of the net it may have been a
very different story come full time.

As it was West Ham - who were missing half-a-dozen key squad members - had
the opportunity to consolidate and take stock at the break.

Having done that, they got off to the perfect start in the second half by
wiping out Stoke's single-goal advantage just three minutes after the
restart when man-of-the-moment Joey O'Brien slammed Gary O'Neil's low cross
from the right into the roof of the net.

O'Brien - who has been the recipient of some glowing praise from both
supporters and his manager in recent weeks - gambled by staying forward
during an early second half attack and got his reward when O'Neil's driven
cross across the face of the six-yard box was perfectly placed for the Irish
full back to pounce on.

From that moment on the visitors spent most of the game in their own half
fighting off wave after wave of West Ham attacks. Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan
and Mo Diame all went close but the Irons just couldn't find that
all-important second goal that would have taken them to fifth in the table -
and in the end, it was Stoke who eere probably happiest with the point.

West Ham Utd: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, McCartney, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Diame,
Nolan, O'Neil, Maiga, Carroll.

Subs: Spiegel, Collins, Taylor, Cole, Hall, Spence, Demel.

Stoke City: Begovic, Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilkinson, Whelan, N'Zonzi,
Adam, Etherington, Crouch, Walters.

Subs: Sorensen, Palacios, Jones, Upson, Kightly, Shotton, Jerome.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce after a 1-1 draw with Stoke
Last Updated: November 19, 2012 11:30pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claims his side deserved more than a 1-1 draw
with Stoke at Upton Park. The hosts were outplayed by their visitors
throughout the first period as a neat corner routine allowed Jon Walters to
fire Stoke ahead, but came back strongly in the second period to earn a
point through Joey O'Brien's effort. Allardyce told Sky Sports afterwards:
"I thought we deserved three (points) in the end, over the 90 minutes. I
thought Stoke were better than us in the first half. "We had to recover from
an extremely good goal from Jon Walters. It was well-worked and an extremely
good finish. Having to come from 1-0 down in any Premier League game is
difficult. "The way we said to the full-backs at half-time: 'Let's get
forward more' was key. Kevin Nolan had a great chance from George McCartney
and that set the stall out for us. Then we scored from another chance.
"There were several other chances that we had. We needed to finish them off
because we created enough chances to win it, but we move on with another
point on the board reasonably happy. "You can see ours (corner routine) too
when Gary (O'Neil) was about five or six inches wide of the far post. It
nearly resulted in a goal - theirs did and I guess that ended up being the
difference today between winning and draw. "There were other chances. We
rarely let them out of their own half and that really pleased me after the
knock-back of going 1-0 down. I'm really pleased with the spirit and the
belief."

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Joey O'Brien sealed a 1-1 draw for West Ham at home to Stoke
Last Updated: November 20, 2012 12:29am
SSN

Joey O'Brien scored his first Premier League goal to cancel out Jonathan
Walters' opener and hand West Ham a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw with
Stoke at Upton Park. The Potters went ahead in the first half thanks to a
brilliant set-piece which saw Walters make a perfectly-timed run from the
far post to greet Glenn Whelan's ball with a clinical finish. But Sam
Allardyce's men came out fighting after the break and O'Brien proved the
unlikely hero as he prodded home Gary O'Neil's cross after some solid work
from Mohamed Diame. The hosts saw more of the ball in the opening 10 minutes
but Stoke showed their usual aerial threat on a couple of occasions, most
notably when Ryan Shawcross angled a long ball forward which Peter Crouch
knocked down into the path of the onrushing Charlie Adam, who could not keep
his shot down.

Best of the match:

Man of the match: James Tomkins gets the nod after contributing a dedicated,
diligent display at the back for the Hammers, working hard to help inspire
their comeback.
Goal of the match: Stoke's perfectly-executed opener from a corner was a
delight to watch as the set-piece unfolded like clockwork.
Moment of the match: Whatever Sam Allardyce said to his West Ham side at
half-time obviously did the trick as they came out with renewed purpose and
O'Brien's goal was the deserved result of their revival.
Attempt of the match: A lively Steven N'Zonzi was unlucky to see his
well-taken shot crash off the underside of the crossbar.
Talking point: West Ham missed a chance to go fifth in the table but can
they still keep climbing after another spirited display?

Unsurprisingly Stoke's opening goal came from a set-piece but it was not
scored in the manner usually associated with Tony Pulis' side. George
McCartney cleared the ball behind after 12 minutes and Whelan rolled the
corner across the ground and into the area where a clever run from the far
post allowed Walters to convert with a thumping effort past Jussi
Jaaskelainen. West Ham were struggling to break down a resolute Stoke
defence that had been given something to protect thanks to Walters' early
goal. The visitors came within inches of doubling their lead seven minutes
before half-time as Steven N'Zonzi fired in a shot from 25 yards that
crashed off the crossbar and bounced just in front of the goalline with
Jaaskelainen well beaten. West Ham should have equalised within a minute of
the start of the second half as Diame combined well with Modibo Maiga down
the left flank to free McCartney. The left-back's cross was perfect for
Nolan but the Hammers' skipper put his header too close to Asmir Begovic.
The leveller did come only moments later as Diame's shot was charged down
and O'Neil delivered from the right for O'Brien to convert from the middle
of the goal. West Ham may have missed out on the chance to move up to fifth
in the table but will have been pleased to take a deserved point after a
revived second-half display, while Stoke remain 14th.

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West Ham midfielder Kevin Nolan reflects on 1-1 draw with Stoke
Last Updated: November 19, 2012 10:50pm
SSN

West Ham midfielder Kevin Nolan had mixed feelings after a 1-1 draw with
Stoke at Upton Park. The Hammers, who could have gone fifth with victory
over Tony Pulis' side, fell behind to a slick finish from Jon Walters and
had to produce a spirited second-half display to claim a point. Nolan told
Sky Sports afterwards: "We were unlucky in the end. I was guilty of two
missed opportunities but it was a great result after going 1-0 down. "These
lads make it tough for you and I thought they played well tonight and I
thought we did too. It was a good game. We're a bit gutted that we could
have gone fifth, but it was a good point in the end." The equaliser came
early in the second period when defender Joey O'Brien popped up in the box
to turn a Gary O'Neil cross into the roof of the net with the aplomb of a
striker. "Joey had a tough two years out with a bad knee injury but he's
come back fantastic," added Nolan. "He keeps getting stronger and stronger.
"I'm absolutely delighted for him to get his first goal in the Premier
League. He's a good friend of mine. You could see we were buzzing - there's
great camaraderie. "We were a bit gutted not to go on and win the game but
as I said, these boys are a tough nut to crack and it was a good point in
the end."

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West Ham 1 Stoke 1
The Sun
By ANTONY KASTRINAKIS
Last Updated: 20th November 2012

WE expected a drab draw but this was a thriller. Full of guile, guts and
some moments of set-piece genius. This was not at all the hoof-it-up to Andy
Carroll and Peter Crouch tale of two long-ball teams. Joey O'Brien's first
Premier League goal just after the restart cancelled out Jon Walters' well
worked first-half opener. Although West Ham edged it and yet could not find
the winner, boss Sam Allardyce must be a happy bunny this morning. Who would
have thought his side would be level on points with Arsenal in late
November?

And that, even though Carroll has yet to score a goal for the Hammers. It is
now five months since he scored his last goal, for England against Sweden in
the Euros. But West Ham are doing fine, without his goals, thank you very
much. On the other hand for all the derision and criticism Potters boss Tony
Pulis gets for Stoke's percentage football, they are at times a joy to
watch. The visitors went in front in embarrassingly simple fashion after 13
minutes. Or so it seemed.
Glenn Whelan took a corner short and Walters appeared as if out of nowhere
to smash it home. The simplicity of the goal must have left Allardyce
fuming.
But give credit where it's due.Walters ran around the entire pack just as
Whelan was about to strike.

George McCartney bumped into a barrage of bodies and could not go with him,
giving the Stoke star time and space to execute. It shows the kind of
thinking that goes into Stoke's game. Yes, the ball is punted up an awful
lot but there is clearly method in the madness. The visitors are quite happy
with the 'long-ball' tag and mock their rivals with passionate renditions of
'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' a song they adopted after they were dubbed a rugby
team. West Ham would have gone fifth with victory here - quite a start then
for a team most people expected to flirt with trouble. If Carroll starts
scoring, they could be battling the likes of West Brom for a top-four spot.

Carroll drifted one header wide at 1-0 before Jussi Jaaskelainen tipped away
a Robert Huth header. The Hammers began to turn the screw and skipper Kevin
Nolan was denied by a smart Asmir Begovic block after 28 minutes. Potters'
midfielder Steven Nzonzi then almost broke the bar with a corker and it
bounced down a yard the wrong side of the line. Seconds after the restart,
Begovic was at it again as he pulled off a another great save when Nolan
looked certain to score. But the Hammers were not to be denied and after 48
minutes Stoke were flat-footed as Gary O'Neil squared and O'Brien got in
ahead of England centre-back Ryan Shawcross to force home the leveller from
close range. Now the Potters were on the back foot as Allardyce's men went
for the jugular.

After 56 minutes O'Neil swung in a corner, Carroll won the header that fell
to Modibo Maiga whose shot was hacked off the line. Maiga then crossed for
O'Neil who smashed it across the face of the goal but it came off Huth for
another flag-kick. After 64 minutes West Ham showed they have their own
mind-boggling corner routine. O'Neil took one short to Noble, he squared to
Maiga on the edge of the box and he slotted through back to O'Neil - who
curled a beauty just wide. It was brilliant and full credit to Big Sam too
for coming up with this one. Chances came and went for the home side and
with three minutes left, left-back McCartney was clear down the flank and
squared to Nolan. But Begovic kept up his record against the midfielder to
deny the Hammers again. And the Stoke keeper was there again to hold Winston
Reid's header in injury-time.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 7, O'Brien 7, Tomkins 8 (STAR MAN), Reid 6, McCartney
7, Noble 7, Diame 6, O'Neil 7, Nolan 7, Maiga 6, Carroll 6
STOKE: Begovic 8, Wilkinson 6, Huth 7, Shawcross 7, Cameron 6, Whelan 6,
Walters 7, Nzonzi 7, Adam 6, Etherington 6, Crouch 6
Substitutes
WEST HAM - Demel (O'Brien 77) 5, Cole (Carroll 85) 5, Taylor (Maiga 85) 5.
Not used: Spiegel, Collins, Spence, Hall. Booked: Noble.
STOKE - Shotton (Wilkinson 32) 5, Palacios (Whelan 62) 6, Kightly
(Etherington 74) 5. Not used: Sorensen, Jones, Upson, Jerome.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 19th November 2012

Noble not getting carried away
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble insists West Ham United will not lose focus ahead of Monday's
visit of Stoke City
18.11.2012

Mark Noble believes West Ham United's team spirit will again will be key if
the Hammers are to overcome Stoke City on Monday evening. The midfielder is
enjoying life in the top half of the Barclays Premier League table following
last weekend's fantastic 1-0 win at Newcastle United, but Noble says nobody
at the club is looking past the visit of the Potters. "It is good to be in
the position we are in, as you can imagine," said the reigning Hammer of the
Year. "It is good coming into training every day, but we are keen not to get
too carried away as there is long way to go in the season. "We need to keep
our feet on the ground and keep working hard. That is why we are getting
results at the minute, because everyone is pulling their weight in the team
and throughout the squad."

Noble said everyone was looking forward to the sell-out visit of Stoke but
said the Hammers are more than aware of the threat Tony Pulis and his men
will present, including former Hammers Matty Etherington and Matthew Upson.
One of the keys to the Hammers making such a solid start is that the bulk of
the team have been together for more than a year under Sam Allardyce. Noble
feels that the quality additions made over the summer have further boosted
the squad. "We had a long season together last year, playing over 50-odd
games, and enjoyed the thrill of getting promoted as a team. "Everyone is
still buzzing from coming up and I think the players that we had in the
squad from last season and the players we have brought in the summer,like
Yossi Benayoun, Ginge [James Collins], Andy Carroll, Matt Jarvis, Van
[Modibo Maiga] and Mo [Diame] have come in and become part of the squad
straight off. "We had Premier League players already in the squad and that
helps when you get promoted. Then the lads I mentioned are all top players
and have made a difference."

West Ham have collected four points from their last two Barclays Premier
League fixtures at home to champions Manchester City and at Newcastle United
- results Noble puts down to the way manager Sam Allardyce and his staff
have prepared the players for each and every match. The No16 said Big Sam's
influence has paid massive dividends in terms of his own personal form -
form that has seen him championed for a senior England call-up in recent
weeks.
"The Gaffer's man-management is second to none and that is important in
football these days. He allows us to express ourselves as a team. I do think
I am playing some of the best football in my career at the moment. "The
manager likes us to be organised. Every detail is spot-on and I think that
is making a difference for us as a team. We are keeping more clean sheets,
which is a big key in trying to win games. We are working really hard and
are harder to break down. "With some of the football we are playing - the
way we passed it about against Newcastle last weekend and the way we played
against Manchester City, - it is enjoyable to be playing out there. "The
Gaffer tells me every game to get on the ball, make us play and then I can
bring the qualities of the other lads into it. I have never been told by the
Gaffer to boot the ball and all of that! "Winning games is important and we
are doing that more often than not, while playing some really good football,
and it is a joy to be involved."

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West Ham v Stoke
KO 20:00
18 November 2012
Last updated at 14:46
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Monday, 19 November
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (0) & SUBSTITUTIONS (0)

TEAM NEWS

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce may restore defender James Collins to his
starting XI. Matthew Taylor has returned to training following a calf
injury, but Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te are long-term absentees.

Stoke are monitoring the fitness of Glenn Whelan after he limped out of the
Republic of Ireland's match with Greece in midweek with a hamstring injury.
Dean Whitehead is suspended, while Jon Walters and Charlie Adam are doubts.

MATCH PREVIEW

A look at this season's results suggests a glut of goals is unlikely to
materialise at Upton Park as West Ham and Stoke City put two of the Premier
League's best defensive records on the line. They have conceded a miserly 21
goals between them in a combined 22 games played so far this season.

The Hammers are proving to be extremely hard to break down, as proven by
clean sheets against Manchester City and Newcastle in their last two games.
Stoke, although solid at the back, have scored just nine goals in their 11
league games so far and they are without an away win for 15 matches. It's a
run of form that has baffled Potters' boss Tony Pulis. "The disappointing
thing is that if you look at the performances this season away from home, we
have probably been better than we have at home," he said. "We have played
well - we just haven't turned it into wins. If you are asking me the reason
why, I just can't work it out."

Pulis's side have come under fire yet again for their brand of defensive
football. Not, though, from Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, who is himself a
firm advocate of building from the back. "Tony has suffered his fair share
of criticism down the years for the way his teams play - but not from me",
says Allardyce. "I believe the art of good defending is the catalyst to your
team's success - or otherwise."

Comparisons have been made between the style of West Ham's play under
Allardyce and Pulis's Stoke, but the Hammers boss is having none of it.
"They are not the same", he said. "Mine are not the same as Tony's. I'm an
individual. Nobody copies Sam Allardyce. I don't copy anybody else." Stoke
have played out three goalless draws in the Premier League this season,
while West Ham are one of four sides to have played in two - odds on a 0-0
anyone?

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham have won four and lost one of their last five home games against
Stoke in all competitions.
The Hammers were unbeaten in both Premier League meetings between the clubs
in the 2010-11 season. They drew 1-1 at the Britannia Stadium and won 3-0 at
Upton Park.
Both sides have kept five clean sheets in the league this season - the joint
highest in the top flight prior to the weekend.

West Ham
A Sam Allardyce-managed team has failed to beat or even score a goal against
Stoke in the last four attempts.
West Ham have won three and lost just one of their six home games in the
league this season.
Eighteen points from 11 matches is their equal-best points total at this
stage of a Premier League season.

Stoke City
Stoke are winless in their last 15 Premier League away matches (D6, L9),
scoring just eight goals in those games.
The Potters have averaged 40.8% possession in top-flight matches this
season, which is the lowest in the league.
Their total of 12 points is the same as at the same stage of last season.

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West Ham United interested in Nicolas Anelka - Sam Allardyce
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has said he is keen on re-signing Shanghai
Shenhua striker Nicolas Anelka. Allardyce, 58, bought the player for Bolton
for a then-club record fee in 2006 and could move to work with the
33-year-old again in January. "It could interest me, of course it could," he
said. "It would be of interest if that is a possibility financially and he
wanted to come. "I have had no conversations with Nicolas's agent at this
time." West Ham have enjoyed an impressive return to the Premier League this
season and currently sit in seventh spot, in front of sides such as
Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle, ahead of Monday night's game at home to
Stoke at Upton Park.

After initially struggling at the Reebok Stadium, goes on to score 12 goals
in his debut season before Allardyce agrees switch to Newcastle in May 2007
The team already boasts England international centre forward Andy Carroll in
attack, although he has yet to score for the London side following his loan
move from Liverpool. Anelka, who scored 123 top flight goals during spells
at Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and Chelsea, joined the
Chinese Super League outfit in January. The former France international is
thought to have signed a £250,000-a-week, two-year contract with Shenhua -
where he is a team-mate of former Chelsea star Didier Drogba - and that
could prove an obstacle to any deal. But Allardyce hoped his former charge
would be prepared to take a wage-cut to be near to his family home. "He had
a girlfriend, who is now his wife, and his family and I think that has
matured him - I think Nicolas has still got his family here in London, I
don't think they moved out to China," Allardyce said. Question marks have
often been raised about Anelka's attitude throughout a career where he
previously earned the nickname "Le Sulk". When asked about his questionable
temperament, Allardyce insisted he had not had any problems with the ex-Real
Madrid and Paris St-Germain star. "He never was like that in his entire time
I had him," he replied. "He was disappointed I left, when he came and played
for me I had him at a very, very good time - probably at the height of his
career, I would think, because he had matured into a dedicated professional.
"I think he has always been dedicated but he got sidetracked by certain
situations through his younger days but he learnt from that, his experience
across Europe."

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West Ham: What's going right for Sam Allardyce's team?
By Frank Keogh
BBC Sport

West Ham co-chairman David Gold takes a deep breath as he ponders the
question - what was the club like when he and business partner David
Sullivan took over nearly three years ago? "I dread to think back. We had
serious debt issues, the club was close to administration. Had we not done
the deal the incumbent owners would have had nothing else to do than sell
three of their best players," he said. Last Sunday seemed a world away as
victory at Newcastle pushed the Hammers to sixth in the Premier League in
their first season since promotion via the play-offs. Gold said West Ham's
debts, which stood at £110m when they took over in January 2010, will be
down to nearer £70m by the end of the season.

West Ham league finishing positions
2011-12: 3rd Championship, promoted via play-offs
2010-11 : 20th Premier League, relegated
2009-10: 17th Premier League
2008-09: 9th Premier League
2007-08: 10th Premier League
2006-07: 15th Premier League
2005-06: 9th Premier League
2004-05: 6th Championship, promoted via play-offs
2003-04: 4th Championship, beaten in play-off final
2002-03: 18th Premier League, relegated

"I have to confess we would not have taken on any other football club in
that financial state," said lifelong Hammers fan Gold. "If you have got a
serious debt that is harming the club and you are making cuts all around,
it's a negative. "The performance on the pitch helps the financial
situation, and the financial situation helps what happens on the pitch."
Midfielder Mark Noble, who has been at the club since he was 11, says there
is a happier feel now. "It was sort of all over the place. They've come in,
settled the place down and brought in a top experienced manager in Sam
Allardyce. The place needed a bit of stability and the club are seeing the
benefits on the pitch," he said.

Noble, 25, and 76-year-old Gold may be half a century apart in years but
they are cut from the same claret and blue cloth. Local lads who grew up
supporting the side. They both point to the influence of Allardyce, an
appointment in the summer of 2011 which was not universally accepted by fans
of the so-called 'Academy of Football' worried about his perceived long-ball
game. "His man management is second to none," said Noble. "Sam likes his
teams to be organised and every detail to be bang on and that's making the
difference. We are keeping clean sheets, we are working hard as a team and
are hard to break down. It's enjoyable to be out there at the moment."

While statistics show West Ham have played a relatively high percentage of
long balls, many fans have warmed to Allardyce.
Long ball game?
Total West Ham passes: 3,798 (ranking 16)
Long passes attempted: 572 (8) Newcastle top
Long passes %: 15.06 (4) 1 Newcastle 2 Reading 3 Stoke
Figures from Opta for 2012-13 Premier League, 16 November. Long passes
defined as +35 yards

"The supporters are generally happy with the progress of the team and the
kind of football being played," said Graeme Howlett, editor of supporters'
website Knees Up Mother Brown. "In the 1966 World Cup final, Bobby Moore
played a 60-yard pass on to Geoff Hurst's toe for England's fourth goal and
I don't recall too many people complaining about that. "Sam Allardyce is
doing a good job with one of the best squads we've had for many, many years,
and he's adaptable, changing tactics when necessary." Noble talks of
Allardyce's attention to detail, analysing opponents' strengths and
weaknesses, and targeting free-kicks, corners and throw-ins as areas to
focus on. "He reminds us every weekend how many goals are scored from
set-plays, free-kicks and corners. He likes to nail them down and it's made
a huge difference to us over the last two seasons," said the club's
longest-serving player. "I know the manager gets labelled with the long
ball. He tells me every game to get on the ball and make us play and he's
never ever told me to just get the ball and boot it. "Some of the passing
against Newcastle, Manchester City, Southampton and QPR was brilliant where
we played on the floor."

West Ham's new owners sacked Gianfranco Zola and Avram Grant as managers in
their first 18 months at the club and Gold said he studied videos of
Allardyce's former sides before appointing him. "Once we were relegated, we
knew Sam was our main target because we knew what was lacking at the
football club, particularly at the training ground, I recognised it, and
that was discipline. There was no discipline, there was a lack of
camaraderie. There was some, but it was fragmented. "You needed a man with a
bit of steel about him. There was a concern, and fans made it clear to us,
that he plays the long ball game. "It was a strange old situation. It was a
surprise to come on and I'd just turned 17 and couldn't even drive. I took
my boots to the game but the kit man took them back to the training ground
so I felt like half a professional. I walked the two miles home in my suit -
it looked like I'd just finished a day's work in London."

"When you looked at the DVDs of when he was at Bolton, Newcastle and
Blackburn, I didn't see this long ball game. What I did see when he was
losing 1-0 with 10 minutes to go was a barrage of long balls, but then I saw
it from Barcelona - they hump it into the box, it's human nature. There's a
lot of great football coming from Sam."

Gold said captain Kevin Nolan, who dropped down a division to team up again
with his former Newcastle boss Allardyce in the Championship, has been the
lynchpin in West Ham's success. "Nolan is probably the best captain I've had
in my 20 years in football. He's certainly as good a captain as Steve Bruce
at Birmingham, if not better," said Gold, who was at St Andrew's for 16
years. "He's not just a captain on the field but also in the dressing room,
on the training ground, in the dining room. He encourages, he leads by
example."

Midfielder Nolan has teamed up with former team-mate Andy Carroll, and West
Ham hope the striker will stay until the end of the season despite a loan
deal which gives Liverpool the option of recalling him in January. "I'm
hoping things stay as they are because there's no doubt the relationship
between Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan is a strong one. Although Andy isn't
scoring the goals, Kevin is. They play off each other and Kevin is
benefiting from Andy's presence," said Gold. "Andy Carroll is a big strong
man, and the relationship between him and Kevin Nolan on and off the pitch
has been really special." Noble wants to see West Ham, who host Stoke City
on Monday night, established as a Premier League fixture. "We've had a great
start. I think the target is not to get sloppy and think we've done enough
already," he said. "Look at the likes of Everton and clubs like that who are
in about eighth, seventh, sixth every season. "We have got the foundations
to be a top eight team and I think that will be the main goal of me being at
the club. To win a cup would be fantastic."

Many of Noble's friends are West Ham supporters and he senses an enthusiasm
among them. "The fans are absolutely buzzing at the minute. There were times
before when I didn't want to answer my phone after games as I didn't want to
answer the questions. The last couple of seasons we have been winning games
and it's been enjoyable."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Stoke City
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 18th November 2012
By: Preview Percy

Next we play host to Stoke City on Monday night. Kick-off for the benefit of
space telly is 8pm, meaning the phrase "don't wait up luv" is one that will
be used quite a lot I imagine. As it's a Monday we'll be spared the spectre
of the usual weekend engineering works, though rush-hour travel on the tubes
is painful enough as it is.

Our visitors arrive in 13th place at the time of writing having amassed 12
points from their eleven fixtures so far. They are what you might call draw
specialists, having picked up single points from six of the 11 matches.
Rather oddly they drew their first four matches of the season, away at
Reading (1-1), home to Arsenal (0-0), away at Wigan (2-2) and at home to Man
City (1-1). The sequence came to an end at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea
prevailed 1-0.

They picked up their first win of the season at home to Swansea (2-0) before
returning to drawing ways with 0-0 draws at Liverpool and at home to
Sunderland, between which they went down 4-2 at Old Trafford. Their last two
matches have both ended up 1-0 – a defeat at Norwich and, most recently a
1-0 home win over QPR. The more observant of you will have noted from all
that that they have yet to win on the road, their six matches away from the
Britannia providing three draws and three defeats.

They are managed by Tony Pulis. Pulis has been raking up the column inches
in recent months, fearlessly speaking out against the evils of diving in the
modern game. Those who made the effort to attend the FA Cup quarter final at
their place the other year will have been amazed by this apparent Damascene
conversion, having seen the sad sight of ex-Hammer Matthew Etherington
throwing himself to the floor to win a penalty. Given the few penalties we
can recall seeing him given while he was with us, we can only presume such
unsteadiness is something he's picked up in the Potteries. Either that or he
did it for a bet.

Meanwhile, since Pulis seems to be such a beacon of fair play we reckon that
local charities are doing very well at the moment as they must be collecting
thousands each week from player fines. Either that or Pulis is a humbug of
the highest order. It certainly seems that he was up to some old tricks
again in the match against Norwich, berating referee Marriner at half-time
over some perceived injustice in the hope that he would even things up in
the second half, a tactic familiar to anyone who witnessed Mike Jones'
disgracefully spineless performance at the Britannia that day.

We have been treated (and I use the word quite wrongly) this week to the
sight of central defender Ryan Shawcross playing international football for
England. Over the years Shawcross has probably put more people in hospital
than the Lamb's Liver at Raymond Blanc's restaurant. He's accompanied in the
centre of defence by Robert Huth, whose "skills" include decking opposition
players off the ball with snidey punches from the blind side.
Matthew Upson was one victim of such a cowardly approach, an assault that
left him dazed and confused. Which meant that, but for the bloodstains,
nobody would have ever known that Huth had hit him. This all means that the
scene is set for a rather tasty battle between Huth and Shawcross on the one
hand and Andy Carroll on the other. Carroll of course is quite capable of
looking after himself so ref Foy may require a lot of help from his
assistants.

Upson, in the meantime, is unlikely to start. In South Africa 2010 he spent
the whole tournament trying to do his own job and that of John Terry, whose
contribution as ever involved much shouting, much pointing and much blaming
of others for his own shortcomings. In fact it was joked at the time that if
he were ever to be pulled over for speeding, John Terry would give Upson's
name to the traffic cops.

Having been Terry's scapegoat at international level Upson is now perennial
bench-warmer for the Potters. He's not much missed around here, his
indifferent form in the Avram Grant "era" making a major contribution to our
relegation. So anonymous was he as captain that every single match report
outside kumb.com seem to contain the phrase "captain Scott Parker" .

In midfield they have Scotsman Charlie Adam. Adam is another who can put it
about a bit – he seems to have some one-man crusade against Gareth Bale for
example. Adam first came to prominence at Rangers where a promising start to
his career seemed to peter out as he piled on the pounds. The less than
spectacular tenure of French manager Paul Le Guen at Ibrox brought forth a
number of changes in the background, including the imposing of a stricter
dietary regime – a brave move at any football club let alone one based in
Glasgow. This brought one of the great football quotes of all time from Adam
who remarked "I'd never thought of eating salads before". The comment caused
a major internet failure in Scotland as thousands of Glaswegians went online
to look up the meaning of the word "salad".

Adam was released by Rangers and ended up at Blackpool where an off-the-ball
stamp on an opponent saw him red-carded on his debut. Blackpool's promotion
to the top flight saw him gain rave reviews but there were signs that the
player was beginning to believe some of the hype about himself. Rather
cheekily he took Blackpool to a tribunal as, having trousered a promotion
bonus thanks to their 3-2 win over Cardiff, he also argued that he was due
another bonus for having avoided relegation. He threw in a "breach of
contract" claim at the same time, suggesting that he might be on the lookout
for a cheap exit. The tribunal awarded him the relegation avoidance bonus
but slung out the "breach" claim.

The victory was somewhat pyrrhic in nature though as the tribunal failed to
award the player costs, the total of which all but wiped out his
non-relegation bonus. A none-too exciting year at Liverpool followed before
Stoke came in for him at the start of this season, the Scousers taking a
reported loss of nearly £3m on the player. His winner against QPR last
weekend was his first goal for the Potters and, for those of you who love
totally meaningless stats, is the only goal scored by Stoke City at home
this season not to be scored by Peter Crouch. (I did warn you it was
meaningless).

Up front we will be spared the prospect of Michael Owen scoring his
statutory goal against us. He may not have scored in every game he's played
against us but it sure feels that way. He's picked up what must be the least
surprising hamstring injury in the history of association football (outside
any that Kieron Dyer may have had over the years). However, there is a
theory that the player is actually 100% fit and Stoke are just keeping him
out of the way due to the embarrassment caused by the ridiculous facial hair
he is currently sporting in the name of charity.

Another who will be missing through injuries is Rory Delap. Although there
have been more than a few words written about his notorious long throws over
the years, the statistics apparently prove that few goals have resulted from
his long-range ballistics, especially over the past few seasons as teams
have worked out how to counter the tactic. Feel free to look the stats up if
you're that fussed. Delap will be missing with something called an "inguinal
hernia". Something to do with lizards I think.

The line will be led by Peter Crouch. With five goals this season Crouch is
their top scorer. It is an oft-repeated statement that he is "much better on
the ground than you'd think for such a tall man" but that has to be tempered
by the fact that he's not nearly as good in the air as he ought to be at
that height.

I have a theory about this – I may have mentioned it before but I can't be
bothered looking through over 160 previous previews to find out. My theory
is this. It may not have escaped your notice that Crouch is taller than your
average footballer. Barring a really late growth spurt it's probably likely
that he's always been much taller than those around him and, while most of
us of a less lofty stature as kids practised our heading by learning to jump
to meet the ball, Mr Crouch never had to learn such skills. The result is
that he often loses out in aerial battles to shorter players.

Ok as theories go it may not have such earth-shattering ramifications as
those currently being looked at by CERN relating to the Higgs Field and
Boson, but you've got to admit that, at a packet of Werthers Originals a
column, I'm a hellofalot cheaper. Meanwhile, whilst CERN continues to mess
about using the Large Hadron Collider for experiments in particle physics,
they continue to dodge the really difficult question of how Crouch has won
quite so many caps for England.

Crouch's usual strike partner is Jonathan Walters. When I was a kid growing
up on the Hawley Harvey Crippen estate there was a kid of that name who was
the snivelly sort who would start a fight then run home to Mum when you hit
him back. Between you and me it's probably not the same person as the Stoke
player is probably some 50 years younger than the person I'm thinking of.
Although Walters picked up the "Sir Stanley Matthews Potteries Footballer Of
The Year" award for 2011/12 he was none too prolific last season and, of the
9 goals to his name in all competitions, five came from the penalty spot. He
did net twice against in a 2-2 draw against Bolton though, a result that
confirmed Bolton's relegation so it's not all bad news. He has been capped
at full level for the Republic of Ireland by virtue of an Irish-born Mum,
who is definitely not the one that the kid I knew used to run back to after
a scrap.

For Crimewatch corner we'll gloss over the tragic (and that word is quite
properly used for once) affair of the former Stoke academy player who is
currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his 15-year-old
girlfriend and move on to the much funnier record of Jermaine Pennant.
Pennant came to fame as the first professional footballer to play wearing an
electronic tag. This followed his release from a 90 day prison sentence
after he'd wrapped his Merc round an Aylesbury lamppost. He'd been serving a
16 month ban for drink driving at the time and his cause wasn't helped by
his response to the question "what is your name" to which he replied "Ashley
Cole". Perhaps he should have said "John Terry".

In 2007 he received a fine for a public order offence having had an
altercation with the glamour model he was stepping out with at the time.
Apparently, she had found CCTV footage that suggested that his
interpretation of the phrase "playing away" did not necessarily involve
football. For the young lady's part (no I can't remember her name) her
revenge involved destroying £200,000 worth of the player's designer
clothing. Prices sure have gone up at Marks & Sparks lately.

As if trying not to be outdone by his son, Pennant's dad copped a 4 stretch
for drug dealing before Pennant Jr returned to the headlines as his Porsche
Turbo with personalised number plate turned up in
Zaragoza weighed down by five months' worth of parking tickets. The player
claimed that he'd forgotten all about owning the car. We've all done it I
suppose.

Back on home shores Pennant continues to have difficulty with one or two of
the more obscure elements of the Road Traffic Acts. However, you'd have
thought he'd have been familiar with the sections dealing with drink
driving, driving without insurance and driving whilst disqualified.
Apparently not. After an accident last April he was convicted of all three
offences leading to a further three-year driving ban and a suspended 8 week
jail sentence. Perhaps he thought that leaving the personalised number plate
on the car in Spain would somehow render him invisible to traffic police in
the UK. In the meantime I'm a bit surprised that nobody has had the idea of
suggesting that it might be a good idea to divert some of his clothes budget
to shelling out for the occasional minicab.

And what of us. That was a good win up on Tyneside wasn't it. Preview
Alastair of the Joe Kinnear Centre for Tourette's Research was moaning
post-match about the lack of a penalty for a dive so lame that even a ref as
useless as Mike Dean wouldn't give it but, treating Preview Alastair's
comment with the distain it deserves, that doesn't cover the fact that we
saw a fine professional performance up there. Yes our opponents seemed to
have developed a strange allergy to putting players into our penalty area
but the fact remains that we kept a clean sheet on a ground where fortunes
have been mixed.

Injuries were a bit worrying of course. Benayoun's collision with Gutierrez
left both players unable to complete the 90 minutes and knocks to Linda and
Jarvis were also cause for concern. On the credit side of that equation we
did see the return of Demel and O'Brien – who is having a fine season –
proved his versatility by shuffling across to accommodate Demel when
McCartney went off. O'Brien has now played on both sides and in the middle
of the back four in recent weeks and his performances have gone beyond the
merely "not letting anyone down" stage.

Winston Reid is also worthy of mention – he's had to adapt to a variety of
partners over the past few games. Eyebrows were raised – I'll admit mine
were amongst them – when he was preferred to Tomkins in the opening games of
the season. In particular the memory of his performance at West Brom away
when we were last in the top flight still makes me shudder. However, his
performances last season in the 2nd division (or whatever it's called) were
superb. Maybe coming up against players of lesser quality at that level
helped rebuild his confidence, maybe it was just a matter of playing week in
week out that's done the trick but what we have here is a completely
different player who looked like a frightened rabbit in headlights up at the
Hawthorns that year. Fair play to Mr Allardyce for having the guts to pick
him I say.

On the injury front, the extra week and extra day mean that both Collins and
Tomkins should be available for selection, whilst Matt Taylor should also be
close to a return from the calf injury that has kept him out of the squad
for a few weeks.

Stoke will be a tough nut to crack and discipline will need to be at its
best – perhaps another quiet word with young Andy Mr Nolan? I'm wavering
between a draw and a home win. They do like a draw and in the past it would
have been typical for us to have followed up a decent win with a rotten
performance in the following match. However the current boss seems to have
quietly dispensed with such time-honoured "traditions" – the win on Tyneside
itself being a case in point. So I'm allowing myself to be swayed by the
feelgood factor of seeing Arsenal and Spurs beneath us in the table. This
week's charity of the week at the Avram Grant Home for The Bewildered is the
Support For Victims Of Undercooked Lamb's Liver in Posh Reastaurants. Worthy
though that cause may be I'm taking the complete collection (£2.50) along to
that nice Mr Winstone and placing it on a narrow win. May I be so bold as to
suggest 2-1 to us?

Enjoy the game!


When last we met (at the Boleyn): March 2011, won 3-0. Bizarrely, having
beaten Liverpool the previous week we managed to win back to back matches
for the first time in aeons, giving us what turned out to be false hope. Ba
– who had failed a medical at Stoke a few months previously – opened the
scoring after a comedy lapse from 'keeper Begovic. Da Costa's towering
header made it two and a late rocket from Hitzlesperger made it three late
on. That was their sixth consecutive away defeat incidentally.

Referee: Chris Foy. Multi Olympic gold winning cyclist, according to Spurs
fans. Makes you wonder how he finds the time to referee at all. Won plaudits
for his fine judgement over a penalty call when last we saw him up at
Norwich.

Danger Man: Peter Crouch. He just is that's all.

Daft Fact of the Week: The city of Stoke on Trent is famously made up of a
confederation of six towns, those being Burslem, Hanley, Barney McGrew,
Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb.


Stat man John: Northcutt's corner

Head to Head
Pld 82; West Ham Utd 33, Stoke City 30, Draws 19.

First Meeting
27th September 1919: Stoke City 2-1 West Ham Utd (Victoria Ground, Division
Two)

Last Meeting
13th March 2011: Stoke City 2-1 West Ham Utd (Britannia Stadium, FA Cup)

Biggest Win(s)
16th November 1957: West Ham Utd 5-0 Stoke City (Boleyn Ground, Division
Two)

Heaviest Defeat(s)
6th November 1982: Stoke City 5-2 West Ham Utd (Victoria Ground, Division
One)

Memorable Match
26th January 1972: Stoke City 3-2 West Ham Utd (Old Trafford, League Cup)

It was the days of endless replays - there were no penalty shoot-outs back
then - and West Ham's epic League Cup semi final tie with Stoke was entering
a FOURTH game. Whilst the original two-legged affair had ended 2-2 after
extra time a first replay, played at Hillsborough, finished goalless (also
after extra time). Old Trafford was the venue for the fourth match in the
series which was taking place SEVEN weeks after the first leg had been held
at the Boleyn Ground. With Hammers 'keeper Bobby Ferguson temporarily off
the field having been concussed following a collision with City's Terry
Conroy, Bobby Moore stepped up to take the number one jersey - and within
minutes, Stoke had been awarded a penalty after a shocking back pass by John
McDowell saw the defender foul John Ritchie. "It must be 100 to 1 against",
commentator Gerald Sinstadt remarked on Moore's prospects of saving Mike
Bernard's spot kick - but that's precisely what he did. Sadly he couldn't
stop the rebound and West Ham eventually went down 3-2 on the night, despite
briefly recovering to lead 2-1 (through Bonds and Brooking) at one stage.

They Played For Both
Henri Camara; Clive Clarke; Robert Dixon; Matty Etherington; Kevin Keen;
Lawrie Leslie; Nicky Morgan; Matthew Upson; John Carew; Abdoulaye Faye;
Geoff Hurst.

Bossing It
Our former manager Lou Macari (1989-90) also managed Stoke City (1991-93).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce wary of threat from Stoke
Last Updated: November 18, 2012 2:01pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believes Stoke are currently in a false position
in the Premier League. The Potters are 14th in the table ahead of Monday's
trip to Upton Park with only two wins so far this term but Allardyce expects
them to finish much higher. "Tony Pulis' team are well drilled and
disciplined in the way they want to play," Allardyce said. "I think that
they get the defensive side of it right, as I try to do as well. "I think
the improvement in the quality of their players has made them an established
Premier League side now.

Live on Sky Sports
West Ham v Stoke City
November 19, 2012 7:00pm

"I think Tony probably thinks they are under-achieving a bit at the minute
with the team he has built over the last few years. "He had a more difficult
start to the season in terms of fixtures than we did, so I'm sure they'll
get back to winning ways, but I hope it's not on Monday." After taking a
point against champions Manchester City and beating Newcastle last weekend,
Allardyce is hoping his own side can keep the momentum going. He said: "The
tough phase has already begun for us and, after Stoke we go into a run
against the other big boys. We've coped very well so far and I hope we
continue to cope on Monday night because that's a big game for us. We want
to continue our home form and home results and get a very important three
points against a well-experienced and well-organised team with a really good
manager."

Allardyce also believes the rest of the Premier League are now starting to
sit up and take notice of the Hammers. "I think so. I think that, at the end
of the day, when you continue to get results then people cannot ignore what
you're doing, both as a manager and a group of players and coaching staff,"
he said. "From our point of view, most of us have been here (in the Premier
League) before - certainly I have for a long time and we know the position
we're in is a very good one. "But we know only a quarter of the season has
gone. It's early days and a lot can happen between now and the end of the
season. "If we're around this position going into the last six or seven
games, then that's a great season. At the moment, it's a great start and
that's all it is."

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Big Sam's no hoof and hope merchant
By ALAN SHEARER
Published: 18th November 2012
The Sun

I HOPE West Ham fans are starting to give Sam Allardyce some of the credit
he deserves for what he is doing at Upton Park right now. A look at the
Premier League table going into this weekend's fixtures saw them in sixth
place, ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham. Victory tonight against Stoke would
come on the back of a creditable draw against champions Manchester City and
an impressive win away to Newcastle last time out. I was at that match and
was hugely impressed with the way West Ham played. What Sam has always done
with his teams is organise them well from front to back and get the very
best out of what he has got. Against Newcastle last week he played Andy
Carroll (on loan) with Kevin Nolan (£3million) just behind him and Mohamed
Diame (free) with Mark Noble in the centre of midfield. It was vastly
effective and led to a well-deserved win. I know Carroll is yet to score but
he does a great job up front for the Hammers.

Nolan was an inspired signing and is the team's real leader. Diame is a
great capture for nothing from Wigan while Noble has come on in leaps and
bounds
under Allardyce. He has changed from what some would call a pretty passer
into someone who is determined to get on that ball and start moving it
forward. For years Sam has had the long-ball bullying tag placed on him.
Normally by big clubs who have been outplayed and beaten by his teams. I
remember when he was at Bolton, Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez would moan as
they left the Reebok about the tactics used against them. Well let's look at
those tactics. Sam is no hoof and hope merchant, believe me. Yes, he works
on set-pieces, yes, they get the ball forward quickly. Yes, his team is
physically fit and strong. He concentrates on keeping the ball out and has
one of the best defensive records in the league. Yes, you know when you face
Sam's team you are in for a fight, a battle. This West Ham team is also
physically very fit — a lot stronger than a year ago. What's wrong with all
that?

And I can report that when it came to playing football on the floor, his
side were easily Newcastle's equals. I have laughed down the years with
Hammers fans going on about the 'West Ham way' as if they have a copyright
on pretty football. It was pretty under Avram Grant and led to pretty poor
results and relegation. Sam came in and brought them back up at the first
time of asking, via the play-offs. No, it wasn't automatic promotion but he
still did the job asked of him. He is doing so again — his way — and it is
effective and deserves credit. Those two clubs who came up ahead of him —
Southampton and Reading — are looking in a far more perilous state than West
Ham as they teeter on the relegation trapdoor.

Surely fans want to see their team winning, defying the odds, outfighting
the opposition. And that is what Sam's team do. You want quality as well and
West Ham have got that. From Jussi Jaaskelainen at the back — another free
transfer — through the team. Bolton and Blackburn fans must look misty-eyed
back to the time when Sam was their manager and doing a very similar thing.
Both clubs are now much worse off for his departure and languishing in the
Championship. The one place it did not work out for him, of course, was when
he went up to Newcastle. I felt the fans never really gave him a chance
despite a good start and when Mike Ashley took over he wanted his own man
in. But Sam has bounced back and proved himself again. I understand the West
Ham fans are yet to sing his name. Sometimes you wonder just what people
want.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Seek and destroy, Steve
Published: 18th November 2012
The Sun

STEVEN N'ZONZI is ready to destroy a West Ham midfield tonight he was once
earmarked to marshal. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce tried to snap up the
23-year-old as soon as he took over at Upton Park. But Blackburn refused to
sell N'Zonzi, having fallen out with Big Sam following his sacking. That
left the door open for Tony Pulis to snap him up and Stoke duly grabbed the
enforcer for a bargain £3million in the summer. Pulis said: "Sam said we
should get him if we could. "I'm glad for the advice because he's a top
player. If he keeps improving he can play for any of the top four teams.
He's been outstanding — one of the best signings we've made." Stoke could
lose N'Zonzi for a month in January if he commits to playing for Congo in
the African Nations Cup instead of France, his country of birth. Pulis
added: "I'll leave the international stuff to Steven. But if he picks Congo
I'll never speak to him again!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fans roll with dyce
Published: 18th November 2012
The Sun

WEST HAM gaffer Sam Allardyce reckons his side's flying start is finally
winning round the Upton Park faithful. Last term Big Sam came under fire
from some fans despite guiding them back to the Premier League. Hammers go
into battle tonight with Stoke knowing a win could send them fifth. And
Allardyce said: "I don't suppose you ever win over all the fans, I've never
won over every fan I've worked for. "What really matters is we're selling
out. People are enjoying watching us." Kevin Nolan had a goal wrongly
disallowed against champions Manchester City in the 0-0 draw last time out
at the Boleyn Ground. Allardyce said: "The fans stayed with us against City
because they understood we couldn't be quite as adventurous as we might have
been against Fulham and Sunderland."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sport Football News West Ham United FC
By Jeremy Butler
The Mirror
18 Nov 2012 22:30

Steven N'Zonzi is tonight ready to destroy a West Ham midfield he was once
earmarked to marshal. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce tried to snap up the
Frenchman as soon as he took over at Upton Park. But Blackburn refused to
sell N'Zonzi to the Londoners, having fallen out with Big Sam following his
sacking.
That left the door open for Tony Pulis to snap him up and the Potters
grabbed the enforcer for a bargain-priced £3million in the summer. And now
Pulis believes the 23-year-old is good enough to play for the one of the
Premier League's top four sides. He said: "I spoke to Sam about him a while
ago and he felt Steven will be a top player who hasn't realised his
potential yet. "He had wanted to sign him but I think that was being blocked
because of his ­relationship with Blackburn at the time. But having worked
with him, Sam said we should get him if we could. "I'm glad for the advice
because he's a top player. If he keeps improving he can play for any of the
top four or five teams. "He's very good in the air, his mobility is
­excellent as well and it is just getting him more disciplined in the team
structure. We also feel he can score more goals. "He's that good he should
be scoring goals. He's been outstanding for us – one of the best signings
we've made at this football club. He has real potential to be a top player."

Stoke could lose the midfielder for a month in January if N'Zonzi decides to
commit himself to playing for Congo instead of France, his country of birth.
Tying his flag to the Congo mast would mean N'Zonzi jetting out to South
Africa for the Africa Cup of Nations in January. But surprisingly Pulis is
remarkably cool about letting his star make up his own mind. He added: "I'll
leave the international stuff to Steven. I think when ­nationalities come
into play you have to leave it to the player to decide. But if he picks
Congo I'll never speak to him again!" Wilson Palacios is likely to make a
rare start for Stoke alongside N'Zonzi tonight after Glenn Whelan damaged
his hamstring and Dean Whitehead picked up a ban. The midfielder has
­struggled for form and fitness since turning up at the club from Spurs with
a knee injury a year ago. Pulis said: "Wilson's trained better and it's just
taken him time. He's had a real bad injury that he got over, but then he was
hurt again. "We've had to be patient but he's a great lad around the place."

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Hair apparent: Everton will turn to West Ham's Diame if Chelsea lure away
Fellaini
The Mirror
17 Nov 2012 21:48

Everton boss David Moyes will pounce for West Ham's Momo Diame if Chelsea
lure star midfielder Marouane Fellaini away from the Toffees, writes the
Sunday People. Hammers chief Sam Allardyce does not want to lose Diame but
he has a £6million release clause in his contract. Diame was due to join
Liverpool in Kenny Dalglish's last deal before the Kop chief left – and he
lived in the north west during his Wigan days. Diame, who was born in France
but represents Senegal, joined the Hammers during the summer. Meanwhile,
Allardyce is weighing up a double swoop for Marseille brothers Jordan and
Andre Ayew. Allardyce watched Jordan score in Marseille's 2-2 Europa League
draw with Borussia Monchengladbach last week. Joey Barton, Allardyce's first
signing at Newcastle, scored the first Marseille goal. Born in France, both
Ayew brothers are Ghana internationals.

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