Daily WHUFC News - 10th February 2013

Aston Villa match preview
WHUFC.com
Your comprehensive guide to Sunday's lunchtime Barclays Premier League clash
at Villa Park
09.02.2013

ASTON VILLA v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2013
KICK-OFF: 1.30PM
REFEREE: MARK CLATTENBURG
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United make the trip to Villa Park buoyed by Saturday's 1-0
Barclays Premier League win over Swansea City, their first success in seven
fixtures in all competitions.
• The Hammers are in the hunt for a first double of the 2012/13 campaign,
courtesy of a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture on the opening day. While
Sunday's meeting also presents an opportunity to record back-to-back league
wins for the first time this season.
• Sam Allardyce's side go in search of a first away win since 11 November
2012, when Kevin Nolan's first-half goal earned them all three points at
Newcastle United. The Hammers have endured a tough time on the road ever
since, taking just a solitary point from the next 21 available.
• The Hammers' last away win against Aston Villa was on 14 January 2006,
when Bobby Zamora cancelled out Lee Hendrie's opener, before Marlon Harewood
settled the contest from the penalty spot. In their five subsequent visits
to Villa Park, West Ham have lost three and drawn twice, scoring just once
in the process.
• Aston Villa, meanwhile, are enduring a turbulent time in the Premier
League, as they languish in 19th place, with just 21 points. The Villans
have not won any of their last eight league contests, five of which ended in
defeat.
• Paul Lambert's side have not fared well at Villa Park this term, recording
just two league wins and netting only nine goals in a dozen home fixtures.
Last time out

• West Ham United continued their impressive form at the Boleyn Ground, as
they saw off Captital One Cup finalists Swansea City. Despite goalkeeper
Gerhard Tremmel's heroics, the visitor's resistance was broken with 12
minutes to play, when Andy Carroll rose to convert Mark Noble's corner.
Michael Laudrup's side launched a late surge for a point, but the Hammers
stood firm to seal a first win since New Year's Day.
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 2 February 2013
West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Reid, Tomkins, Taylor, Vaz Te,
Noble, Nolan (Pogatetz 90), Diame (O'Neil 86), Jarvis (J.Cole 62), Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, Collison, C.Cole, Chamakh
Goal: Carroll 78
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 2 February 2013
Everton 3-3 Aston Villa
Aston Villa: Guzan, Vlaar, Clark, Clark, Bennett, Lowton, El Ahmadi (Holman
82), N'Zogbia (Sylla 79), Westwood, Agbonlahor (Baker 90), Benteke, Weimann
Subs not used: Given, Dawkins, Bent, Bowery
Goals: Benteke 2, 61, Agbonlahor 24

Previous meeting
• The sides last met on the opening day of the 2012/13 Barclays Premier
League campaign, as the Hammers marked their return to the top flight with a
1-0 win at the Boleyn Ground. Sam Allardyce's side netted the winner five
minutes before the interval, when skipper Kevin Nolan turned home Ricardo
Vaz Te's cross.
• The teams that day were:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, McCartney (O'Brien 71),
Noble, Nolan (Tomkins 73), Diame, Vaz Te, Cole (Maiga 81), Taylor
Subs not used: Henderson, Diarra, O'Neil, Maynard
Goal: Nolan 40
Aston Villa: Given, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Lowton, Ireland, El Ahmadi,
N'Zogbia (Gardner 74), Delph (Bannan 77, Bent, Holman (Weimann 61)
Subs not used: Guzan, Lichaj, Herd, Gardner, Burke

Background
• West Ham United and Aston Villa have met in a total of 106 competitive
fixtures, of which the Hammers have won 38, Villa 37 and 31 have ended in
draws.
• The first-ever meeting between the two clubs proved to be a forgettable
one for West Ham United, who were beaten 5-0 at Villa Park in the FA Cup
second round on 1 February 1913.
• West Ham United's largest victory over Aston Villa came in Division One on
30 August 1958, when the newly-promoted Hammers won 7-2 at the Boleyn
Ground. A 30,506-strong crowd saw John Dick, Vic Keeble and Malcolm Musgrove
score twice apiece and Bill Lansdowne once.
• Sam Allardyce faced Aston Villa five times as a manager during the 2009/10
season, when his Blackburn Rovers side were eliminated from the FA Cup and
League Cup by the Villans.
• West Ham United's all-time record goalscorer Vic Watson netted 18 goals in
15 appearances against Aston Villa, including three hat-tricks in November
1926, December 1929 and April 1930.
• Marlon Harewood scored West Ham United's most-recent Premier League
hat-trick when he bagged three times in a 4-0 home win over Aston Villa on
12 September 2005. He later went on to play for Villa.
• A total of 15 West Ham United players have made their debuts against
today's opponents Aston Villa - Alfred Earl, Ernest England, Alvin Martin,
Carlos Tevez, Winston Reid, Pablo Barrera, Frederic Piquionne, Archibald
Macauley, Ian Crawford, Bill Green, Craig Forrest, Paulo Alves, Matthew
Upson, Mohamed Diame and Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
18 August 2012 - West Ham United 1-0 Aston Villa
16 April 2011 - West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa
14 August 2010 - Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham United
17 January 2010 - Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
4 November 2009 - West Ham United 2-1 Aston Villa
18 April 2009 - Aston Villa 1-1 West Ham United
Overall record v Aston Villa (all competitions) W 38 D 31 L 37

Ten-year record
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Aston Villa
2011/12 Premier League 16th (38 points)
2010/11 Premier League 9th (48 points)
2009/10 Premier League 6th (64 points)
2008/09 Premier League 6th (62 points)
2007/08 Premier League 6th (60 points)
2006/07 Premier League 11th (50 points)
2005/06 Premier League 16th (42 points)
2004/05 Premier League 10th (47 points)
2003/04 Premier League 6th (56 points)
2002/03 Premier League 16th (45 points)

Referee
• Sunday's referee is Mark Clattenburg, whose last West Ham United game was
the 2-1 home win over Norwich City on New Year's Day.
• Clattenburg was the man with the whistle for the stunning 4-0 win against
Manchester United in the League Cup fifth round back in November 2010
• The 37-year-old was the man in the middle for the Championship Play-Off
semi-final first leg in May 2004 when Ipswich Town won 1-0 against the
visiting West Ham.
• Clattenburg has been on the Select List since 2004, the same year he took
charge of the Division Three Play-Off final between Mansfield Town and
Huddersfield Town at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
• After becoming a FIFA official in 2006 at the age of 31, Clattenburg has
taken control of a number of international and UEFA Champions League
matches.
• Clattenburg will be assisted by Steve Child and Simon Beck, while Michael
Oliver will be the fourth official at Villa Park.

Team news

West Ham United

• Sam Allardyce has almost a full complement to choose from with Jack
Collison, Emanuel Pogatetz and Mohamed Diame among those to have returned
unscathed from international duty.

• Defensive duo James Collins (hamstring) and George McCartney (knee) are
West Ham's only absentees, while Wellington Paulista is still plying his
trade in the Development Squad for the time being.

Aston Villa

• Paul Lambert may be without former Crewe Alexandra midfielder Ashley
Westwood, who has been suffering with a bug this week.
• Midfielders Karim El Ahmadi (knee) and Fabian Delph (ankle) are both
expected to be fit.
• Centre-back Richard Dunne (hip and groin) is still out:

Old boys
• James Collins swapped east London for Birmingham on 1 September 2009 for
an undisclosed fee after making 65 appearances in all competitions for West
Ham United, scoring two goals. The Wales centre-back returned to West Ham on
1 August 2012, having scored six goals in 109 games for the Villans.
• Carlton Cole would be playing against the team where he spent the 2004/05
season on loan. Cole scored three goals in 30 league and cup appearances for
Aston Villa.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Billy Askew,
Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day, Marlon Harewood, Thomas Hitzlsperger, Ray
Houghton, David James, Fred Norris, Nigel Reo-Coker, Tony Scott, Les Sealey,
Nolberto Solano, Tommy Southren, David Unsworth and Phil Woosnam.


General information

• Tickets are now on General Sale and can only be purchased on the day of
the fixture from Aston Villa. Tickets will be available from midday, from
the the Away Ticket Kiosk on Witton Lane. For full ticket information, click
here.

• Sunday is set for a cold and wet afternoon, with heavy rain forecast and
temperatures likely to be hovering at around 3C (38F).

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Tomkins targets Villa victory
WHUFC.com
Defender James Tomkins is a happy Hammer and prepared for Sunday's visit to
Villa Park
10.02.2013

James Tomkins feels very much at home at West Ham United after coming
through the Academy ranks to become an established member of Sam Allardyce's
first team. Having already completed his first century of league starts at
just 23 years of age, the defender can draw upon a bank of experience
unavailable to many of his contemporaries. With a trip to a relatively
inexperienced Aston Villa side next up on Sunday, Tomkins is keen to build
on last week's Barclays Premier League victory by improving the Hammers'
away form, which has seen them take only eight of their 30 points this
campaign on the road. "I've been here since I was eight years old and it's
hard to see myself anywhere else," he told whufc.com. "I'm enjoying it here
and my objective is to go places with West Ham. I feel very much settled
here, I'm still enjoying it as much as I did when I was a kid. My family are
all local so it's very much a West Ham family.
"It was an important win last week. We had been conceding more goals than we
deserved to in the previous few games. It showed at Arsenal that if you have
a bad couple of minutes they can stick four past you, then at Fulham they
didn't deserve the win they got, not 3-1 anyway, so it was nice to come back
and get the result against Swansea, which was very much needed. "People were
talking after losing a couple in a row about being dragged into a dogfight
at the bottom, but we've proved that we can do it under pressure and we got
the victory we needed. Hopefully we can go on from there really with another
win on Sunday."

Much has been made of Aston Villa's lack of experience this season, but
Tomkins believes his game has developed by being thrown in at the deep end,
and having played with the likes of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Marc Albrighton and
Fabian Delph with England at age-group level, he is sure his Villa
counterparts will come out of their trials and tribulations stronger. He
continued: "It is a hard situation that they're in with all the young lads
they have throughout the team. I remember here under Gianfranco Zola when we
were in a relegation fight and I was a young lad growing up and still
learning my trade. "It's hard and all the experienced players are important
to you. Personally, I felt I thrived off the pressure, and it was good for
me really growing up. It's made me more ready for the harder times which
follow. After that and a year in the Championship last season I feel much
more experienced and happier with my game."

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Reid ready for Villa return
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is aiming to put a difficult debut behind him when West Ham
United visit Aston Villa
09.02.2013

Winston Reid had been a West Ham United player for just nine days when he
was handed his debut at Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2010/11
season.
Having recently returned to action with Danish club FC Midtjylland after
representing New Zealand at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Reid was thrown in at
the deep end at Villa Park. Picked as a right-back, the central defender
endured a difficult maiden appearance in claret and blue and was substituted
with West Ham trailing 2-0 at half-time. Since then, the 24-year-old has
established himself as a first-choice centre-back at the Boleyn Ground,
making more than 70 appearances and producing some outstanding performances
as West Ham stormed back to the Barclays Premier League at the first
attempt. On Sunday, Reid and his team-mates return to Villa Park hoping to
pick up a victory that would strengthen West Ham's position in the Barclays
Premier League. "I had actually forgotten about it, to be honest!" joked
Reid, referring to his debut. "Last time we obviously didn't have the best
of games but we are hoping to win this time and I'm sure we are going to
Villa in a positive frame of mind. "Obviously it wasn't the greatest debut
in the world but I don't really remember that much about the game. It's all
a blur but I do know they scored three and we didn't score any."

Reid's positivity comes from a 1-0 home win over Swansea City last weekend -
a match that saw the Hammers keep their first clean sheet in ten games and
Andy Carroll mark his return to the starting XI with a towering winner. "It
was very important that we kept a clean sheet and even more important that
we got a win," he confirmed. "Hopefully we can pick up from there and go on
for the rest of the season. "The return of players like Andy improves the
quality of the squad. It's good for the rest of us and we're all hoping to
push on together."

While Villa go into Sunday's game inside the relegation zone, Paul Lambert's
side have scored six goals in their previous three Barclays Premier League
matches and came within a whisker of winning at Everton last weekend. With
that in mind, Reid knows West Ham will not have it easy in the West
Midlands.
"They are still a good side and we have to give them a lot of respect. We'll
go there with a gameplan and hopefully bring some points home."

If Villa are to score against Reid and company on Sunday, the man most
likely to do so is Belgium striker Christian Benteke. The 22-year-old has
banged in 14 goals in all competitions since arriving from Genk last summer.
"I think he is a good striker and he has scored quite a few goals already in
his first year in England," confirmed the No2. "We have to give him respect
but we relish the opportunity as defenders to make sure they don't score."

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Haycock salutes brilliant back line
WHUFC.com
Development Squad coach delighted with a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over
West Bromwich Albion
09.02.2013

Nick Haycock paid tribute to a fine rearguard display as the Development
Squad returned to winning ways in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League,
courtesy of a stylish 2-0 success against West Bromwich Albion at Rush
Green. Haycock's side were unusually charitable in Monday's 3-2 defeat at
Tottenham Hotspur, but there was no such generosity on show this time round,
as West Ham United recorded a second clean sheet in only three Elite Group
outings. As well as keeping the Baggies at bay, the Hammers were equally
impressive at the other end, as Elliot Lee and Wellington Paulista struck
either side of the interval, just as they did at Spurs. The duo now have
five between them in the Elite Group and Haycock heaped praise on his
quickly maturing squad. "I'm delighted with the lads," he told West Ham TV.
"To come here, back to Rush Green, the surface didn't play too badly and the
boys did what I asked. I said I wanted a high intensity performance, play
the game in the opposition's half and to make sure that we got a clean
sheet. I thought we gave a few loose goals away against Tottenham. "I
thought the back four were outstanding. I think Pelly Ruddock, who came to
the club as a midfield player, dropped into centre back and with the
experience of Jordan Spence alongside him, we looked assured at the back. As
for Dan Potts, it was a great delivery for the goal and great character. He
goes back into a game, having just had a period out with concussion.
Terrific. But I wouldn't expect any less of him. Callum Driver, again, I
think complemented him at right back. "We had two under-17s playing in the
game with Amos Nasha composed in midfield, and I think Kieran Bywater,
again, has got great character and commitment up and down the right-hand
side. There were some good performances right through the team."

Turning his attention to the goalscorers, Haycock was suitably impressed by
Lee's contribution. The U21s coach explained that Lee has long been on his
radar and insists that a healthy blend of dedication and ability gives the
forward every chance of a bright future in the game. "Two great goals, two
good finishes by two good goalscorers," he added. "I think Elliot's showing
another side to his game. We're playing him in a wider role, but he's got
the licence to drift along that frontline and he looks a threat at the
minute. "He always has been [lethal in front of goal]. I remember Elliot
being a nine-year-old at the club, I've been here seven years and he has
been with me quite a long time. So I know what Elliot's about. I've got a
good relationship with him and I think he's got a chance. If he keeps
playing like that, he's going to catch the manager's eye. "Being only an
under-18, he has still got plenty of time and he's enjoying his football.
The work he has been doing with the Sport Science team, he has done a lot of
extra work in the gym and physically he looks a lot better at the moment. I
think it's showing and he looks like a stronger player and obviously the
goals will always come with Elliot, he's a finisher."

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U18s suffer late disappointment
WHUFC.com
Wolverhampton Wanderers struck late to defeat the Hammers on Saturday
09.02.2013

West Ham United Under-18s suffered late disappointment as a 2-1 lead was
overhauled by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays U18 Premier League
Tier One on Saturday. Kieran Sadlier returned from a week with the Republic
of Ireland Under-19s to score twice for Steve Potts' side, but Wolves
finished strongly to take the result away from the visitors. Despite the 3-2
final scoreline, Potts was pleased with the performance from the Hammers. He
said: "We went 1-0 and 2-1 up, and looked quite comfortable at that stage,
but Wolves came on strongly to get the win. We played well though, and
speaking to their coach afterwards, they had a team full of second years
while we were the opposite. "We had a 15-year-old goalkeeper with us, and
plenty of first years, but we coped with the challenge really well.
Physically we matched them and football-wise we played some good stuff. "I'm
disappointed to get nothing from the game but pleased with the performance
because it deserved better than a defeat. "We should have more points on the
board, but with performances like this we'll get the results too."

Sadlier was the man on target with both Hammers goals, striking to twice
give the visitors the lead and take his tally of league goals this season to
eight.
West Ham held a 1-0 advantage at the break, but Wolves came back strongly to
eventually send the Hammers home empty handed.

West Ham United: Howes, Alexander (Gogo), Page, Marlow, Onariase,
Girdlestone, Mavila (Harney), Miles, Boakye-Yiadom (T.Tombides), Cullen,
Sadlier

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Loanee round-up
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's loanees were in action in the npower Football League on
Saturday afternoon
09.02.2013

West Ham United's loanees were in action in the npower Football League on
Saturday afternoon, with differing results. In the npower Championship,
Stephen Henderson returned to the Ipswich Town starting XI after heading
back for his second loan spell with the Tractor Boys this season. However,
the Irishman had a day to forget as his own-goal saw Ipswich beaten 1-0 at
Blackburn Rovers. Defeat at Ewood Park saw Mick McCarthy's side drop to 20th
in the table, just a point above the relegation zone.

Elsewhere in the same division, Rob Hall played for 73 minutes as Birmingham
City snatched a 1-1 draw at Charlton Athletic. The forward had been replaced
by Nathan Redmond before Yann Kermorgant seemed to have handed the Addicks
victory with an 88th-minute goal. However, Wade Elliott headed in Chris
Burke's last-minute cross to secure a draw that leaves the Blues 16th. Ravel
Morrison was not involved.

In npower League Two, Paul McCallum played for 21 minutes as a substitute
for bottom club AFC Wimbledon, but could not prevent the Dons from losing
2-0 at Rotherham. Blair Turgott was not involved in Bradford City's 1-0 home
defeat by Gillingham. The Capital One Cup finalists stand 12th.

In France, Alou Diarra will hope to add to the assist he chalked up in Stade
Rennais' 2-2 draw at L'Orient last weekend when his team host Toulouse on
Sunday.

Finally, Academy youngster Marcio Martins helped Portugal U17s to recover
from a goal down to snatch a 1-1 draw with Netherlands at their opening
match at the Algarve Tournament. Portugal take on England on Sunday and
Germany on Tuesday.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce worried by new Premier League proposals
Last Updated: February 9, 2013 1:18pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claims that the Premier League's new spending
proposals could force his players to move elsewhere for a better earning.
The Hammers were one of the clubs in favour of the proposals agreed on
Thursday, whereby clubs will not be permitted to rack up losses of more than
£105million over three years. Top-flight clubs will also face limits on the
amount by which they can increase their total player wage bills, but
Allardyce believes the new system may leave to an exodus of star players. He
told The Times: "If other countries take up the same process that we do,
then it won't be a problem. But if that process is left for three or four
seasons, then I fear it might be a problem for us in the Premier League.
"Players today will travel anywhere. If it's not the same financial
restrictions somewhere else and money is greater somewhere else, then the
best players will move to foreign fields. "We have seen top players moving
to Russia and China and that's a concern because that is not about the
football there - that is about the money."

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Did Avram Grant Turn Down Jack Wilshere?
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

This is what Karren Brady wrote in her Sun column this mornng...

Watching Wilshere (against Brazil) reminded me of a manager who refused to
take him on the loan I had arranged because he said he wasn't good enough.
Is it any wonder he was sacked?

I am pretty sure i remember Wilshere being linked with us when he eventually
went to Bolton on loan. If Avram Grant really did turn him down he is even
more of a prat than I thought he was. And that's going some...

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Dozy boss who didn't want Jack
The Sun
By KARREN BRADY
Published: 08th February 2013

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2

THE sight of Andy Carroll rising to head the winner against Swansea sends my
optimism soaring. I have had too many seasons on the edge of the precipice
to be complacent about remaining in the Premier League but I have to say
West Ham at home are wonderfully encouraging. Swansea directors seemed
mightily upset after the game. One director's suit and tie must have fallen
off in rage at losing. We guessed they have got too used to winning.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3
SOON after I started at Birmingham, we were bitterly criticised for selling
Simon Sturridge to Stoke for £75,000. The Sturridges are a Brummie
institution. Daniel, still only 22, is bigger, cleverer and just as quick as
the brothers Dean and Simon and family pride will be high today as he
ransacks Man City's defence, scoring with a low, scorching drive. I hope
this is the end of the lad's restless travels because his need for a stable
role is even greater than Liverpool's for such a talented star.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4
THE simple truth is Champions League players in England cannot afford to be
bribed. Only a madman would risk £1million a year or more for a backhander
that could land him in jail for years. This is a long way from saying
match-fixing does not exist. But when I read that Europol suspect bribery at
Liverpool's game with Debrecen, you can be sure the offender was not from
the home team.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
FANS who cheer new foreign owners in the belief the bank vaults are going to
be opened in pursuit of better players are learning this is often far from
the truth. Today Alex McLeish walks out on Forest because he believes the
Al-Hasawi family don't seem to understand that if you want a manager to
perform miracles, you have to buy him a few disciples.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
NO England performance in years has given as much pleasure as tonight's. Roy
Hodgson, the friendliest England boss I've met, has started to prove we can
play modern international football. He is a great believer in structured
progress for young players, which is why I urge him to allow Stuart Pearce
to select the best of them — including Jack Wilshere — for the Under-21
Euros next June. Watching Wilshere reminded me of a manager who refused to
take him on the loan I'd arranged because he said he wasn't good enough. Is
it any wonder he was sacked?

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
A 13 v 6 vote at the PL meeting means the principles of Financial Fair Play
have been agreed and the rule changes next season. Against were Swansea, Man
City, Fulham, WBA, QPR and Villa. The rule is you need a two-thirds majority
of those who vote to get a positive outcome so 13 out of 19 reached over
this. I have to admit I thought the vote was lost but Reading abstaining was
crucial.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
MY team heads for Birmingham where they plan to add to the agonies of Aston
Villa. I return today from a few days at a health clinic in Austria, forced
to miss every treat known to woman. I once sent a player here to lose
weight. He did, too. One whole pound. He must have toured the local cafes
savouring weinersnitchel. I wonder where he is now? In a Cape Town pie shop
perhaps.

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It's a real downer
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 09th February 2013

JAMES TOMKINS has told Aston Villa's kids: You will know what heartbreak is
if you fail to beat the drop. The West Ham centre-half steps out at Villa
Park today with Paul Lambert's young team in a tailspin and second from
bottom. Tomkins knows how teams can crack with so much pressure heaped on
young shoulders as he suffered relegation with West Ham when he had not long
turned 21. The former England Under-21 star, now 23, admitted: "Its
heartbreaking to go down. "That season we went down in 2011, I'll never
forget. It took me longer than the summer break to get over our relegation.
"I was in a tough situation when I made my first-team debut at 19 under
Gianfranco Zola, so I know how hard it can be. It has surprised me how it
has gone for Villa. You have to look at how big the club is and their
stature. "When you look at their team it is very, very inexperienced. We can
hopefully make the most of it. "I believe when teams are down there, you
need experienced heads among you. "The experienced lads are important to
Villa but it's about handling the situation you are in. "Personally, I
thrive off pressure. "Relegation was a tough experience for me as I was
growing up as a player. "I have to say I had a good year in the
Championship, it helped me with my game. Now when the going gets hard now, I
am ready for it. "It was vital West Ham came back straight away. We managed
it even though it's tough when you look at the quality of the teams in the
Championship these days. It gets harder every year."

Villa boss Paul Lambert stuck to his pre-season brief of using young players
coming through. But it has backfired and Tomkins added: "It's a hard
situation for all the young lads in the Villa team. "But I am surprised when
I look at their position because when I was growing up Aston Villa was
always one of the big clubs. I am sure they are fighting hard to stay up —
but we want to make the most of their current position." After spending time
on loan at Derby, Tomkins has fought hard to establish himself as
first-choice centre half and insists he wants to do a 'Carragher' and stay
at one club for his entire career — as the Liverpool legend has done. He
explained: "I'd like to think I can stay just here. I have been at Upton
Park since I was eight years old. I enjoy it here — I want to go places with
West Ham."

Newcastle made a strong enquiry to buy Tomkins but the Toon were seen off
when the Hammers gave him a new contract. He explained: "There was a bit of
fuss last year when my contract needed sorting out. But I have never grown
up thinking about the money, I have grown up just loving the game. "I am
very much settled here, it's very much a family club, all my family are West
Ham."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Delays expected: West Ham in no hurry to offer Sam Allardyce a new deal
The Mirror
9 Feb 2013 22:28

West Ham are in no hurry to hand boss Sam Allardyce a new contract. Any
delay will inevitably lead to speculation about the manager's long-term
future. His current deal expires in the ­summer and opinion around the club
is widely divided. Allardyce, who steered the Hammers back to the Premier
League last May to crown his first campaign in charge, has always maintained
he would walk rather than be pushed if he failed to deliver. Yet, despite
embarking on a lavish spending spree the Hammers have endured some winter
wobbles on their return to top flight football. Co-owners David Sullivan and
David Gold are not prepared to open contract negotiations with ­Allardyce
until the club are safe from relegation. In fact, there is a growing belief
­inside the club that it would come as no surprise if Allardyce left at the
end of the current campaign and a new manager was brought in to replace him,
even if they stay in the Premier League. Allardyce's style of football has
not always appealed to die-hard Hammers supporters. That is a source of
frustration to Big Sam who believes his team are ­entertaining as well as
effective. But the ­criticism won't go away and last ­season he was
constantly forced to ­defend his tactics in the face of growing criticism.
Although the co-owners refuse to publicly criticise Allardyce, and have
­frequently been forced to defend him, it's fair to say their expectations
have not been met so far this season.

The biggest problem facing Sullivan and Gold is who to bring in if they
decide against renewing ­Allardyce's contract. Prior to his ­appointment at
QPR, ex-Hammers boss Harry Redknapp had been touted as a possible
replacement. But even he has ­enemies inside the club and would not be a
universally popular appointment. One man who would find favour with the
fans, and was interviewed for the post prior to Allardyce's ­appointment, is
Paolo Di Canio. Sullivan is aware the Italian would have delighted
supporters, but he felt the ex-Hammers striker needed to gain experience at
another club. Since then Di Canio has excelled at Swindon, leading them to
promotion from League Two in his first season. They are currently flying
high in League One with back-to-back ­promotions a ­distinct possibility. Di
Canio's future at the Wiltshire club is currently in doubt amid debates over
their long-term ­finances. He could yet prove a viable solution if West Ham
and Allardyce do part company.

Meanwhile, defender James Tomkins admits the Hammers have needed some
rollickings from the club's old heads to keep clear of the ­relegation
battle.
West Ham visit struggling Aston Villa today with Premier League safety now
in sight. And Tomkins, 23, said: "It's a hard situation Villa are in with
all the young lads throughout the team. "I remember being a young lad
growing up in a relegation fight under Gianfranco Zola and still learning my
trade, and going down under Avram Grant. It's a hard thing. "The experienced
lads are important in that situation. When you are down there, you need
experienced heads around you. Kevin Nolan has been a very good captain for
us and that's what we needed when he came in. "His leadership has been very
important. You need somebody having a go at you sometimes, it can be good
for the team. "It shows you all care and that you're all fighting for the
same thing. If he feels somebody is not doing what they should, then he's
going to speak up. "It is important for all of us that he stands up and says
that sort of stuff."

Meanwhile, Allardyce toasted the end of the transfer window on Thursday with
a glass of brandy – after he avoided having to sell Mohamed Diame on the
cheap.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
JACK COLLISON WANTS TO BE A HAMMER FOR LIFE
The Star
10th February 2013 By Tony Stenson

WEST HAM midfield star Jack Collison wants to follow in the footsteps of
Liverpool's Jamie Carragher and be a one-club man. The Kop idol announced
last week he will retire at the end of the season after a trophy-laden
career spanning more than 720 games. Wales international Collison shares
the same passion about the Hammers as Carragher does for Liverpool.His
statement of intent is music to the ears of boss Sam Allardyce who is
acutely aware that Newcastle have chased him all ­season. Collison, 24,
can't forget how the Hammers rescued him as a 17-year-old after his old club
Cambridge ­United disbanded their youth set-up due to ­financial problems
following their ­relegation from the Football League. He was offered a trial
at Upton Park and impressed academy director Tony Carr enough to be offered
a first-year scholarship. Then they stood by him through a long-term knee
injury. The club closed ranks again when, in August 2009, Collison's dad Ian
was killed in a ­motorbike accident on his way to watch the ­Hammers play
Spurs at Upton Park. Collison doesn't forget. He said: "I have been here
since I was eight and I don't want to go anywhere else. "I have always
wanted to be a West Ham player. "It is like family to me and we're all
local here. Everything I know is round here and I just don't see myself
­anywhere else." The Hammers beat Swansea last Saturday to steady a rocking
ship and now they have to beat Aston Villa ­today to forge forward once
more. Collison said: "The Swansea win was very important. We have ­conceded
more than anyone away from home and we had been coming up against the
pressure and fear that we could end up in a relegation dogfight."
Villa have relied on youth this ­season and have slipped into the drop zone.
Collison added: "I remember ­coming into the side when we were struggling
under Gianfranco Zola. "It was tough, so I know how Villa will be feeling
right now."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Villa must not let West Ham and Carroll exploit our set-piece frailties,
insists Vlaar
By JOHN CURTIS, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 00:26, 10 February 2013 | UPDATED: 00:26, 10 February 2013
Daily Mail

Skipper Ron Vlaar admits Aston Villa have to conquer their frailty at
defending set-pieces as they prepare for another searching examination from
Andy Carroll into tomorrow's home game with West Ham. Vlaar held his hand up
and took responsibility for Everton striker Marouane Fellaini's late
equaliser in last weekend's 3-3 draw at Goodison Park. It was the latest
blow to hurt Villa from a dead-ball situation which has become their
Achilles heel this season - in the Barclays Premier League and also their
Capital One Cup semi-final setback against Bradford. Vlaar knows West Ham
will look to exploit their weakness in that area although the Dutch
international, who has played five games in 15 days since returning from
injury, can see signs of improvement. Vlaar said: 'Are teams beginning to
target Villa? People will know our struggles (at set pieces). I bet they do.
That's what I would have done. 'West Ham have a very strong team and play a
lot of long balls. We know that so we have to be ready for that. 'It's
something we have to take care of and focus on. We know the situation, I'm
not afraid of that. We have to stand up and be counted, be brave enough.'
Equaliser: Vlaar fails to contend with Everton's Marouane Fellaini from a
corner kick
Vlaar is aware of the threat that Carroll, on loan at the Hammers from
Liverpool, will pose after his return from injury. He said: 'He's a very
good player. I remember his goal for England in the Euros against Sweden. It
was top class. That's his quality. 'We have to face that and deal with it
and make sure he cannot come in that position. We also have to stop the
crosses. 'He scored a lot of goals for Newcastle, it was not easy for him at
Liverpool, I guess, and now he is playing at West Ham. He was injured as
well for a while. 'But I think he has the ability to play at the highest
level and he has quality, that is for sure. If you score goals like that
(against Sweden), it says something.'

Vlaar, signed from Feyenoord last summer, believes Villa are coming to terms
with what is required to stem the flood of goals from corners and
free-kicks.
He said: 'I think we have improved on that. If you look at the last game at
Everton, they had 20 corners and free-kicks all game. I think they all went
well except one. 'It's too bad that it cost us the three points. That's
something we work really hard on. It's getting better, but we still need to
be even better. 'For everybody it was frustrating when the equaliser went in
but also for me. I know my responsibility so that moment was bad.' Vlaar
believes the negatives should not be allowed to outweigh the positives from
the performances in the second half against Newcastle - where they were
beaten 2-1 - and for long spells at Goodison Park. He said: 'You think about
that moment of course (when Everton equalised) but I think there also were a
lot of good moments in the game, for me but also for the team. 'I think we
have to hold onto the things that went well and we played very well as a
team. 'The second half against Newcastle and the 90 minutes against Everton,
that's something we can build on and that's the most important thing. 'We
believe in each other, that's the most important thing for now and we
definitely need a result now.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United midfielder Joe Cole reveals desire that drives him and his
determination to make England return
Joe Cole is back where his career began, with West Ham United 14 years ago,
but his passion and self-belief have not diminished over the years.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jason Burt, Football Correspondent11:59PM GMT 09 Feb 2013

"My first game back at Upton Park and the weather was bad," Joe Cole recalls
of his debut for West Ham United following his move from Liverpool during
the January transfer window. "It only takes me 25 minutes to get from my
house to Upton Park but the Met Office had said leave treble-time for your
journey so I set off really early – and it still only takes me 25 minutes.
"There's nobody else there and it's freezing, minus two, and I'm trying to
force the stadium gates open to get my car in. It made me chuckle. There's
me, on my return to West Ham, and I can't get in."

Not that it relieved the stomach-knotting tension he felt. "There was a lot
of attention on me," Cole says. "The cameras follow you around. Some players
love it but I've never enjoyed debuts. I don't like the fuss, really. "You
want to get off to a good start. I didn't enjoy it as much as I I did
afterwards because it went well and it was good to be back."

Indeed, it felt very good. Remarkably, Cole rates that FA Cup third-round
tie against Manchester United on Jan 5, which ended in a 2-2 draw with
United eventually winning the replay, as one of the three most "emotional"
games of his career – even more emotional than when he made his 'first'
debut for West Ham 14 years ago as a fresh-faced 17-year-old with the ball,
and the world, at his feet. "I'd say there have been three games in my
career when I've got a bit choked up. One was when we won the first [Premier
League] title at Chelsea [2004-05] and we came home and played Charlton.
Those moments you don't know why but the final whistle went, we won the game
1-0 and it kind of caught me off-guard. "I looked at where I used to sit as
a young lad [Cole grew up a Chelsea fan] and I thought of all the things I
went through to reach that pinnacle. The other time was a World Cup game
against Paraguay. The first game in the 2006 finals and the national anthem
was playing. "I caught sight of my family in the crowd and that was a big
moment. And then this game, right at the end, once the pressure had gone and
I looked round and saw people giving me a standing ovation. It chokes you up
a little bit."

Cole's return to West Ham, whom he left in 2003 to join the Roman Abramovich
revolution at Stamford Bridge, has dripped with emotion. Even going to
training has the memories rushing back, thick and fast and evocative. "The
gym there, the pitches there," Cole says, as he takes a break from preparing
for Sunday's Premier League match at Aston Villa, pointing to the facilities
at West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground. "That's where I learnt
football, learnt my trade. All the good things I've done, all the mistakes I
made – I can picture it all. There are so many memories around the place.
I'm out there training and my mind will go back to, maybe, a goal I scored
when I was under-12. It really gets you thinking about your career and what
you've done."

Undoubtedly Cole has achieved a lot. Three Premier League titles, two FA
Cups, a Champions League final and 56 caps for England represent astonishing
success – and yet Cole has spent much of his career being told what kind of
footballer he should have been rather than simply being embraced for the
exceptional one he is. "I made my peace long ago with that because not
everyone can love you, in whatever walk of life. Football is about
expectations and perspectives. I certainly know when I put on my boots that
I give everything. "But people's expectations might have been for more from
me. Also, what do you perceive as success? How do you judge a player? Is it
how many caps he's won, how many medals, how many goals? How well loved he
is at a club? How do you, for example, compare someone like Paoli Di Canio
with someone like Gary Neville?"

There is one measure that Cole himself treasures. "The proudest thing I've
achieved in football is the love of the fans. That's the best thing you can
take out of your football career. The way I see it, pundits only watch you a
few times a season. The fans are there every week and they pay their money."

It is why, when it came to leaving Chelsea in 2010, when his contract
expired and he was not offered a new deal, he chose Liverpool over Tottenham
Hotspur.
"The reason I didn't go to Tottenham was having played for West Ham and
Chelsea, the fans think so much of me at both clubs that I couldn't do it to
them. For my family, Champions League football and with Harry [Redknapp]
there then it would have been sensible to go to Tottenham and it had nothing
to do with finance. I'm no mercenary. It was just because of the fans of
West Ham and Chelsea." His career at Liverpool did not work out, of course.
"I went in every day and gave it my all at Liverpool and probably the reason
why I stayed there so long was my stubbornness," Cole explains. "I wanted to
make it work. "But when there is so much against you it becomes difficult. I
wouldn't knock anyone at the club because they treated me with respect, as I
did them, but sometimes people want to go in a different direction and you
are swimming against the tide and I just wasn't in the plans. I just had to
go in the end."

A successful loan spell at Lille, then returning to Liverpool, was followed
by a straight choice last month between West Ham and Redknapp's new club
Queens Park Rangers. Despite Redknapp's influence it was, Cole admits, an
"easy decision". "People say never go back but I'm not one to worry about
what people think," he adds. "People said 'don't go to Lille, you'll be out
of sight' but I had a great time there, I loved it." Cole will also cherish
every minute at West Ham. He is no longer that fresh-faced kid but there is
still much to achieve and much to play for. "The good moments are sometimes
few and far between so you have to enjoy them," he says. "When you are
younger you don't realise what you are doing, sometimes. "When I scored the
goal in the World Cup [in 2006] against Sweden, a goal that's gone down as
one of the great goals, afterwards I just gave my shirt to one of the
Swedish players. And JT [John Terry] said to me 'what are you doing? With
that goal you scored you can't just give your shirt away!' and I'm like 'oh,
no' and went and got the shirt back. "I hadn't thought of it as a
career-defining moment but now when people think of me in an England shirt
they think of that goal. Like Michael Owen against Argentina, [Steven]
Gerrard against Germany. But as you get older you learn to appreciate what
you've done."

Cole was at Wembley Stadium last Wednesday, an interested spectator as
England beat Brazil 2-1. He has not given up hope of playing for his country
again especially as, with players such as Jack Wilshere and Tom Cleverley,
he sees kindred spirits. "They are fantastic players," he says. "Wilshere is
top-drawer, world-class I was thinking 'how am I going to get in this team?'
Because I still want to play for England. It's a long time since I played
and I know the odds are against me because I've been away for so long. But I
enjoy the challenge. That's the masochist in me!"

But the primary task is to establish West Ham in the Premier League. "If my
career stopped tomorrow then I would be happy with everything that I've
achieved but I've still got the desire to do more, play more games, score
more goals, win more trophies. We can win the League Cup, FA Cup and
[manager] Sam Allardyce is an ambitious man. "He has come here because he
wants to do well and maybe one day get the England job. You can feel that
everything's pointing in the right direction for the club."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 9th February 2013

Big Sam on: Aston Villa
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United manager talks to the press ahead of Sunday's game at
Aston Villa
08.02.2013

Sam Allardyce is looking for an end to the Hammers' 'Jekyll and Hyde' form
when they travel to Aston Villa on Sunday. West Ham have produced the goods
at the Boleyn Ground all season but have only picked up eight of their 30
points on the road and the boss says that has to change. Big Sam believes
the first goal at Villa Park could prove to be crucial so he will be looking
for a strong start from his side.

Sam, have you noticed more of a spring in the step in training this week,
more confidence?

SA - "Everyone's fit and well and everyone's looking forward to the Villa
game. Everyone knows the responsibility of turning around our away results -
they must get better and we've got a fantastic opportunity to change the
results we've had recently away from home on Sunday, given that we had a big
boost in confidence with a well deserved win against Swansea last week."

It's one point from 21 away from home, can you put your finger on why you've
struggled away?

SA - "Not scoring at the right time mostly. The fact of the matter is that
we've always had opportunities to score, but when we've failed to take them
we've allowed the opposition to take advantage by scoring themselves. We
then haven't managed to retrieve that position. It's always a difficult task
to win a game of football when you go a goal down and much more difficult
still when you're away from home. It's rare as a side playing in the Premier
League for the first season to turn around a result when you lose the first
goal. It can be done but it's rare. We have to focus on keeping on a level
playing field with Aston Villa and we have to try to be the team that scores
the first goal."

Conversely you're playing a side on Sunday that's really struggled at home,
so are they there for the taking?

SA - "I think they're up and at you, and there's nothing wrong with the
effort and the will to try and win at Aston Villa. I think what has cost
them on occasion is perhaps a lapse of concentration at certain times
probably due to the inexperience of the team. You can see that Paul
[Lambert} has introduced more experienced players again now. Agbonlahor,
Ireland, players like that, so it is a mixture of both now but if we can
take advantage of anything that is a weakness we'll try to do that. For us,
it's an opportunity to get a result and try to get some points on the board
away from home after what was a very good win and a very good performance
against Swansea. We are Jekyll and Hyde, there's no doubt about it. It does
niggle me that we can't quite find the same type of form away from home that
we've been producing all season at home."

You say you're a bit Jekyll and Hyde and the same can be said of Villa. A
team who can beat Liverpool 3-1 and nearly beat Everton last weekend, but
lose to Bradford City and Millwall.

SA - "The danger of Aston Villa is that if we allow them to get 3-1 up, I
don't think we'll come back from that. We can't afford that. Having the
lowest goalscoring ratio away from home in the Premier League is why we
haven't picked the results up. We can ill afford to let Aston Villa get off
the the sort of start they did against Everton. We've got to avoid that at
all costs and play our way into the game, making sure we don't give them any
opportunities to score. If we can do that and then start to create the
chances we always get - and put one or two in the back of the net - that's
what we're looking for."

How big a threat is Christian Benteke going to be?

SA - "He's the biggest threat. He's the man who scores the goals for Aston
Villa on a regular basis, he's the focal point for their attacks in that he
not only scores goals, but he holds the ball up, he's strong. He's had a
fantastic start in what must have been a very disappointing season so far
for Aston Villa. It says a lot for what he is as a player when he's
producing what he is in a team that's been struggling for results."

Sam, could you tell us injury or team news?

SA - "Our international players are all back fit and well, which is good
news for us. From an injury point of view, James Collins and George
McCartney are the only two players who are missing out of our squad at the
moment, which is good news for us at this stage of the season. Emanuel
Pogatetz was away but only in Wales, Mo Diame played in Paris and only
played 45 minutes, so nobody's had a long journey. Playing on the Sunday too
we've had an extra day's rest so we've got no problems from that point of
view."

People have been praising Andy Carroll after his performance against Swansea
weekend.

SA - "I would say that he was a lot better than we all expected. I expected
him to be a bit rusty maybe, a bit off the pace, but still a very poignant
figure in our attack. But he was even better than that, which is why I left
him on for 90 minutes. Not only did he play very well, but his fitness
looked very, very good as well. He's set a standard to hit and hopefully
improve on over the next few weeks and over the rest of the season."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa v West Ham
KO 13:30
8 February 2013
Last updated at 13:40
By Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Villa Park Date: Sunday, 10 February

TEAM NEWS

Aston Villa midfielder Ashley Westwood has a virus and could miss Sunday's
game with West Ham. Karim El Ahmadi and Fabian Delph have overcome knee
injuries, while recent signing Yacouba Sylla could make his first start.

West Ham have no new injury concerns after their players returned from
international duty unscathed. Modibo Maiga remains on Africa Cup of Nations
duty, and James Collins and George McCartney are still out.

MATCH PREVIEW

I have two images in my head as I think about this game. Firstly, how good
Andy Carroll looked for West Ham last week against Swansea when he crashed
home the winner with his head from a corner. Secondly, how Aston Villa's
defenders failed yet again to deal with a corner in conceding the equaliser
at Everton deep into stoppage time. "Set-pieces are Aston Villa's biggest
issue, which is a particular problem when you play the Hammers because they
thrive on set-pieces and organisation - you may as well call their manager
Sam Allardyce 'set-piece Sam'. Richard Dunne's absence through injury is a
particular blow for Villa on that front but maybe they are due a little bit
of luck, and you have to remember West Ham's away form is pretty dire."

This inability to defend a lead or to deal with set plays has been a
recurrent theme for Villa which could cost them dearly and, based on what I
saw last week, Carroll will give them all they can handle and maybe a bit
more. He's had a frustrating season interrupted by injury and last weekend's
game saw him start for the first time since the back end of November, but he
looked surprisingly sharp and kept Swansea's back line on their toes
throughout.

Sam Allardyce was visibly relieved to have got the three points against
Swansea, as it brought to an end a rough patch of results that had seen an
over achieving start to the season threaten to unravel completely in the new
year. An up and down first campaign back in the Premier League is
illustrated by the fact that a win here would secure the team's first
back-to-back victories of the season and complete West Ham's first double of
the campaign, having beaten Villa 1-0 back in August.

Having praised Carroll for his efforts last week, it would be remiss not to
mention Aston Villa's leading striker Christian Benteke as well. What a
positive impact he's made in his first season in the Premier League. At 22
years of age you have to think there's more to come, but Villa will surely
find some big vultures circling in the summer, keen to acquire his services.
Paul Lambert knows it and has been quick to point out "they'd better have a
few quid in their pockets" if they want to prise him away from Villa Park.

Aston Villa haven't won any of their last eight Premier League matches, but
Benteke's form is good and he's scored on each of his last four appearances.
Villa badly need a win and are up against a West Ham side with a poor recent
away record. They've taken just one point from the last 21 available and
only scored five goals in the last nine games on the road, but the home team
can hardly be confident after four straight home defeats in the league to
Spurs, Wigan, Southampton and Newcastle.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham are looking to complete the league double over Aston Villa for the
first time since 2005-06. They won the reverse fixture 1-0 on the opening
day thanks to a Kevin Nolan goal - his fifth Premier League goal against the
West Midlands club.
Villa have won seven of their 16 Premier League meetings at home to West
Ham, with another seven matches drawn. West Ham's most win recent came in
January 2006.

Aston Villa
If Villa lose they will equal their top-flight club record five-match home
losing streak set between April to May 1963.
Aston Villa are winless in their last eight league games and without a clean
sheet in their last nine, conceding 26 goals in the process.
The West Midlands club have failed to win in their last 12 league matches
played on a Sunday since a 1-0 home win against Liverpool in May 2011.
Christian Benteke has scored in four successive appearances for Aston Villa
in all competitions (five goals). He has 10 Premier League goals this term
and is the first Villa player to reach double figures in his debut season
since Dion Dublin in 1998-1999 (11 goals).

West Ham
West Ham are searching for back-to-back league wins for the first time this
season. They last won successive Premier League games between February and
March 2011 when the beat Liverpool and Stoke.
Six of West Ham's eight Premier League wins have come against clubs in the
bottom half of the Premier League table.
Sam Allardyce's side have let in 11 goals in their last three away fixtures.
They are also the Premier League's most goal-shy attack on their travels
with just seven to date.
Andy Carroll, who has scored two league goals in his last four league
appearances for the Hammers, fired his only Premier League hat-trick against
Villa - for Newcastle in August 2010.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 8th February 2013
By: Preview Percy

Next up we go up the M1, M6 and down the A38(M) to Villa Park where our
hosts will be Aston Villa.

It's a Sunday 1.30pm kick off. There's engineering works on the Circle line
so if you are travelling via Euston you may need to give yourselves extra
time to get there. Otherwise it's on one of those space tv channels for
which coverage will probably start about four hours before kick-off if you
really have nothing else to do.

By and large it's been a pretty wretched season for the Villains, who have
spent much of the season flirting with the relegation places. As it stands
they're second from bottom with 21 points from 25 games. They're 4 points
clear from QPR who occupy the bottom slot and level on points with Wigan
thanks to an eight goal deficit on the goal-difference front. That'll be the
Chelsea defeat just before Christmas then.

Their last six league matches have seen them draw three (2-2 at Swansea and
West Brom and 3-3 at Everton) and lost three (all at home, 0-3 to Wigan, 1-2
to Newcastle and 0-1 to Southampton). In amongst all that they got knocked
out of the League Cup at the semi-final stage by Bradford and suffered the
ultimate ignominy of being knocked out of the FA Cup by Millwall. Pretty
grim stuff.

The man tasked with handling all this is Paul Lambert. Lambert came in to
replace the never popular Alex McLeish who stuck his head round the door at
Forest for a few days recently. One of the notable features of the Lambert
tenure is that he appears to share my views on the baffling "talents" of
Darren Bent. Regular readers will know that, despite his habit of scoring
against us on an irritatingly frequent basis, I really don't rate Bent. It
seems that Lambert is of similar opinion as he's only been given a handful
of starts in the league this season.

Instead, the first choice striker is near-namesake Christian Benteke.
Benteke (Congolese for "better than Darren Bent" I expect) is the club's top
scorer with 14 this season, of which ten have come in the league. Although
born in the Congo, Benteke qualifies for Belgium at international level and
has 4 goals from his 8 caps thus far. There are murmurings that Benteke
wants out at the end of the season. Whether there's any substance to the
murmurings or they represent some kite-flying from an agent, it's hardly the
sort of thing that they want to be hearing at Villa Park in the middle of a
relegation scrap.

The received wisdom on Villa's season so far is that they've lacked
experience in crucial areas. In defence the "old head" might have been
expected to have been Richard Dunne. The 33 year old Irish international
has, however, been injured all season with that old favourite of this column
"Gilmore's Groin" which, until I started doing these previews, I had
previously assumed to have been a small sheep-farming community somewhere in
the middle of nowhere in Australia. Dunne's had three operations on the
problem this season. Although he has apparently returned to training, he's
still listed as "no return date" by the usual sources.

Right at the time their most experienced defender caught Gilmore's, they
sold another central defender in the shape of James Collins to us. All of
which made the recent two month injury absence of skipper Ron Vlaar more
important. Vlaar's back now to bolster a defence that against Everton
included Matt Lowton, who came in from Sheffield Hypocrisy in the close
season, Ciaran Clark, the 23 year-old former England U18 & U19 skipper who
nailed his colours to the Republic of Ireland mast rather than not be
selected at grown-up level, and left-back Joe Bennett who came in from Boro'
last summer. There's a fair bit of "learning on the job" going on in there
and the defensive resources will be further tested with the news that there
is a doubt over Bennett who has that mysterious ailment of "a knock".

Another notable absentee will be midfielder Stiliyan Petrov. Petrov is
recovering from leukaemia which was discovered when he underwent tests
following Fabrice Muamba's collapse at Spurs last year. So the medics saved
at least two lives that night. Petrov is said to be in remission at the
moment and the general noises coming out from the player suggests that the
prognosis is good. Those of us here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The
Bewildered send our best wishes anyway. They have taken to having a minute's
applause for the player in the 19th minute of matches. A laudable sentiment,
though I'm never quite sure of the etiquette on such occasions. What happens
if there's an incident in the 19th minute – a foul or a goal or something.
Does one just abandon the applause or what. Clearly I need some sort of
handbook to modern living.

They appear to have been playing in 4-2-3-1 formation. The three behind
Benteke last week were Weimann, N'Zogbia and Agbonlahor.

N'Zogbia famously had a falling out in 2009 at Newcastle with the then boss
Joe Kinnear. Kinnear, displaying all the wit and intellect we've come to
expect from him over the years, referred to the player as "insomnia". Whilst
the rest of the world were out having their split sides repaired after the
paroxysms of laughter, for N'Zogbia it was the final straw and, having
already earlier announced that he wanted to move to a club more in line with
his loftier ambitions a move in the January window was inevitable. He ended
up settling for Wigan, indicating the player's fundamental misunderstanding
of the meaning of the word "ambition". He spent much of his time at Wigan
seemingly looking for another club (well you would, wouldn't you) and at one
stage it looked like he might be off to Birmingham until someone had a word
in his ear about that word "ambition". He couldn't agree personal terms (he
wanted paying) and ended up at Villa Park in July 2011 for a reported fee of
£9.5m

It was a quiet window for them. Residing as one does in a rest home, most of
us are a bit mutton in these parts. So when I heard that Cilla had signed
for them I was a bit confused. After all, if you were going to sign an
untalented irritating scouser surely Carragher would be your first choice?
Once I'd replaced the Ever-Readies on the electric ear-trumpet I have to
wear these days I discovered that the player in question was in fact Yacouba
Sylla, a defensive midfielder who has arrived from the splendidly-named
Clermont Foot. He may get his first start on Sunday.

And so to us. That win has released some of the pressure that was building
up in recent weeks and the return of Mr Carroll was paramount in that. Kevin
Nolan looks a much better player with his one time lodger about and he does
bring other players into the game in a manner that Carlton Cole tries to do
but does so without consistency. Now he's fit (hopefully) we need to see him
scoring on a regular basis.

In other news Mr Allardyce has found himself £8,000 lighter in the wallet
for, well you tell me. It's as if the FA have rumbled that our referees are
rubbish but have decreed it to be some sort of a state secret that is not to
be revealed under any circumstances. Surely the FA would be better served
trying to find out why referees are so in thrall to the home side at Old
Trafford. For example, why don't they examine whether it was appropriate for
a referee to give a yellow card for a red card offence calling the player
over with a cheery "come here Scholsey". Why don't they look at certain
referees seem to be immune from sanction no matter how bad their
performances (clue – if you put someone like Riley in charge what exactly do
you expect?) Stop shooting the messengers and look at the real problem.

Rant over. There are no fresh injury worries Collins, McCartney, Demel and
Potts will all miss out, whilst Mo Maiga is still down in South Africa where
Mali will contest the third place playoff with Ghana.

This is an interesting match statistically speaking. Their home form is
about as good as our away form at the moment so that'll be preying on their
minds – and we all know how that feels. They will have felt good for 90 or
so minutes last week but the fact that they played ok but still managed to
throw away a 3-1 lead will also do little for their confidence. Hopefully it
won't have escaped their notice that Carroll scored from a corner –
something that they've not exactly been good at defending of late.

As for us we really need to actually go for it away from home a bit more.
When Mr Allardyce took over he made great play of how he intended to tighten
things up away from home. We saw that on a number of occasions last season
but the problem is that this season we've been conceding early goals, at
which point the sitting deep and attacking on the counter tactic becomes
self defeating. Nobody's saying we should go all gung-ho about things but
whatever we're doing at the moment isn't working – 6 goals on the road all
season would seem to bear that out. And if you can't go for it a little bit
against a team with a home record like Villa's when can you?

With as full a squad as we can hope for to choose from, and with the
confidence boost of last week's win against what was, let's not forget, a
fairly useful Swansea side, behind us I think we can get a rare win from
this one. I'm therefore going to put the Avram Grant Rest Home For The
Bewildered "investment" fund that would otherwise have been placed on
something that would have ended up as a Findus Lasagne (£2.50) on a 2-1 win
to us.

Enjoy the game!


When Last We Met At Villa Park Lost 3-0 (August 2010) First game of the
season, full of optimism, what could possibly go wrong? Well they appointed
Mike Dean as referee for a start and he decided to repeal the offside law.
He needn't have bothered. We were so bad we'd have lost 3-0 without his
usual incompetence helping the home side out.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Has milked the wave of sympathy over the crap
that Chelsea sent his way. Not the most reliable of refs but had a decent
match when last we saw him in the home match against Norwich on New Year's
Day.

Danger Man:Christian Benteke – he's their top scorer and will provide their
main threat. Unless they bring on Bent of course. He'll score against us
despite being useless.

Daft Fact Of The Week: Aston is a suburb of Birmingham which, by
coincidence, is also the name of a city in Alabama. You can tell the
difference between the two: one is a city where, due to a limited gene pool
caused by inbreeding, everyone looks like that scary kid with the banjo in
"Deliverance" whilst the other……nah far too easy and obvious!


Stat man John: Northcutt's corner

Head to Head
Pld 104; West Ham Utd 38, Aston Villa 36, Draws 30.

Biggest Win
30th August 1958: West Ham Utd 7-2 Aston Villa (Boleyn Ground, Division One)

Heaviest Defeat
6th September 1930: Aston Villa 6-1 West Ham Utd (Villa Park, Division One)

First Meeting
1t February 1913: Aston Villa 5-0 West Ham Utd (Villa Park, FA Cup)

Last Five Meetings
18th August 2012: West Ham Utd 1-0 Aston Villa (Boleyn Ground, Premier
League)
16th April 2011: West Ham Utd 1-2 Aston Villa (Boleyn Ground, Premier
League)
14h August 2010: Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham Utd (Villa Park, Premier League)
17th January 2010: Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham Utd (Villa Park, Premier League)
4th November 2009: West Ham Utd 2-1 Aston Villa (Boleyn Ground, Premier
League)

Memorable Match
8th March 1980: West Ham Utd 1-0 Aston Villa (Boleyn Ground, FA Cup)

Second division West Ham were huge underdogs in this FA Cup quarter Final
against a first division Aston Villa side who were to be crowned European
Champions within two years. With the game entering the final minute of
normal time Ken McNaught's hand struck Trevor Brooking's corner. Referee
David Richardson had no doubt and pointed immediately to the penalty spot -
to the delight of more than 36,000 fans crammed into the Boleyn Ground.

With several of his team mates unable to watch, 20-year-old full-back Ray
'Tonka' Stewart - at Second Division West Ham for less than a year following
his £400,000 move from Dundee United - stepped up to smash the ball into
Jimmy Rimmer's bottom right corner to send the happy Hammers through to a
semi-final clash with another First Division team, Everton.

Video: http://youtu.be/bmDijc0Oc5U

Seeing Red
4th December 1982: Ray Stewart for body-checking Mark Walters

They Played For Both
William Askew; Carlton Cole; James Collins; Alan Curbishley; Mervyn Day; Ray
Houghton; Thomas Hitzlsperger; David James; Fred Norris; Nigel Reo-Coker;
Tony Scott; Les Sealey; Tommy Southren; Phil Woosnam; John Carew; Frank
McAvennie; Nobby Solano; Marlon Harewood.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alou Diarra claims he never felt part of the set-up at West Ham
By Patrick Haond. Last Updated: February 8, 2013 12:33pm
SSN

Alou Diarra claims to have been given the impression that he was never
wanted by West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce. The France international
appeared to represent something of a coup for the Hammers last summer, with
the highly-rated midfielder having been linked with a move to England for
some time.
Things did not work out as planned for Diarra, though, as he found
first-team football hard to come by. Having aired his frustration, he was
then loaned to Rennes during the January transfer window. Diarra has now
suggested that his move to Upton Park was driven by agents, rather than
Allardyce, and that he was left with no choice but to look for regular game
time elsewhere. He told France Football: "In London, I knew that I had no
guarantee to start games and I knew there would be competition, but I was
not told that I would be a reserve. "The coach did not refuse my arrival,
but he didn't want it either. I was just one additional player. "I never
gave up, but in the end you get fed up of fighting for nothing. "Maybe that
is why the officials granted me a loan. They understood that I was no cheat.
A lot of players could have just waited for their cheques, but I won't do
that."

Cheated

The 31-year-old added: "Should I have spoken to the coach before I signed? I
wanted to but he was always at training. "I was handed a three-year
contract, but he (Allardyce) wanted to work with his own players that have
followed him for years. "It is one of my worst memories because I have been
cheated. I could not accept the situation any longer and went to meet with
my representatives. They understood and I thank them. "I have turned the
West Ham page until the end of the season, because I have been loaned with
no option to buy."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce defiant over FA fine
Last Updated: February 8, 2013 1:52pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes his fine from the Football
Association was for "speaking the truth" following his side's FA Cup
fourth-round replay defeat at Manchester United. The 58-year-old Hammers
boss was fined £8,000 and warned about his future conduct by the FA for
questioning the integrity of the officials in his post-match comments
following the game at Old Trafford. He was unhappy at the awarding of a
penalty to the home team while his side were denied two spot-kicks for what
he felt were clear handballs. Allardyce said he did not intend to suggest
any bias in the officials but stood by his suggestion that they may be
affected by large home crowds. "For me I spoke the truth, so if you like I
have been fined for speaking the truth, but there you go, we move on," he
said. "What I had to do was present my case and give it to the panel and
make sure they understood what I meant and there was no doubt I meant
nothing other than the influence that happens at the big arenas that happens
to everyone when you go there. "Those influences can make people make
decisions that are right or wrong, not just Phil Dowd but players and you as
a manager. "I thought we put an outstanding case forward and I thought I
should have got the benefit of the doubt based on the fact I didn't say
anyone was biased. "It is the implication that people might have thought I
meant the referee was biased and that I may have thought it on my comments,
and that was why I was fined. I tried to choose my words carefully and never
mentioned that word (bias) whatsoever."

In the aftermath of the FA Cup game, Allardyce said: "You see it time and
time again at Old Trafford. There's no doubt about the difference between
Rafael's handball and Jordan Spence's. Spence plays for West Ham and the
away team, while Rafael plays for the home side at Old Trafford." He
confirmed that he would not be appealing the fine.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa v West Ham preview
Last Updated: February 8, 2013 12:19pm
SSN

Aston Villa will aim to take advantage of West Ham's poor away form as they
look to boost their survival bid on Sunday. In the battle of the Claret and
Blue sides, it is the home team most urgently in need of points in front of
the Sky Sports cameras at Villa Park. A run of eight games without a win has
seen the Premier League perennials plummet into the drop zone. Only Queens
Park Rangers sit below Villa in the table and, with pressure mounting on
manager Paul Lambert, three points against dodgy travellers West Ham are
surely a must. The Hammers haven't won away from Upton Park since
mid-November but six home wins have helped ensure that Sam Allardyce's side
are nine points clear of their hosts going into this one. Despite their
questionable form, both these sides enjoyed encouraging results at the
weekend.

West Ham produced a gritty display to see off Swansea at the Boleyn Ground,
while Villa drew 3-3 in an entertaining contest at Everton. But it is the
manner of that draw - after conceding yet another late goal - that will
concern Villa supporters. Their fragile team will need to be strong both
mentally and physically against Allardyce's robust outfit in what could be a
significant afternoon in establishing Villa's survival credentials.

A Villa
Last 6
3-3
1-2
2-1
2-1
2-2
0-1
Villa midfielder Fabian Delph has recovered from an ankle injury after a
two-game absence and is included in the squad. Karim El Ahmadi has also
shaken off a knock to the knee sustained in the draw at Everton last
weekend. Villa boss Paul Lambert will run a fitness check over a third
midfielder in Ashley Westwood, who is currently suffering from illness, but
defender Richard Dunne is still out with a groin problem.

West Ham
Last 6
1-0
3-1
5-1
1-1
1-0
3-0
Sam Allardyce has no fresh injury concerns ahead of his side's trip to face
Villa and is able to welcome Modibo Maiga back to the squad. The forward has
returned to the club following Mali's exit from the Africa Cup of Nations
but is unlikely to feature. Defensive duo James Collins (hamstring) and
George McCartney (knee) are still out but all of the Hammers players on
international duty returned from their midweek exertions unscathed.

Opta Facts:

Aston Villa have recovered fewer points than any other team from matches
they have been trailing this season (two).
Paul Lambert's side are on a run of nine Premier League games without a
clean sheet; only Fulham (11 games) are on a longer current run in the PL.
The Hammers have taken just one point from the last 21 available on the road
and scored just five goals in their last nine games away from home in the
Premier League.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Three Goals in Three Matches, as Paulista Takes Sam Allardyce at His Word!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Wellington Paulista scored another goal in the recent Development Squad
match against WBA. That makes it Three goals in Three appearances. Paulista
has obviously taken Sam Allardyce at his word, when he stated that the
striker faced stiffen competition in wining a first team place, but the way
to force himself in to contention was to just score goals!

You will recall that there was a certain air of negativity surrounding
Paulista's loan signing, mostly created by online criticism by Brazilian
football fans. My attitude from the beginning was that the Paulista was
useful, we should give him a fair chance and then make up our own minds
about his ability. After his clinical finishes for the U-21s, I feel
justified in my view that he could make a positive impact in the final
months of the season. He gives 100% on the pitch and is a bit of a
character, both qualities that will endear him to the Hammers supporters;
additionally, he really looks like he can convert his chance. I have not
seen the travelling squad, for the Villa match, but if he is included then
he might very well be selected for the bench. It may be ill-advised for
Paulista to start the match. Rather, it is better if he is introduced from
the bench, given the opportunity to build up his game time and adapt to the
significantly greater demands of PL football.

Talking of words spoken, it appears that those imparted by Sam Allardyce
with such conviction, after the 3rd Round FA Cup Replay at Old Trafford,
have proven costly. He may very well have spoken the truth, based on all the
available evidence, but in the rarified atmosphere of the FA Disciplinary
rules and procedures, being right is no justification. Rather, it is all
about protecting the integrity of the officials and, through them, that of
the Football Assocation itself. Still, perhaps Sam Allardyce considers it
worthwhile to put the truth on record, even if it comes at a price in terms
of a possible fine/suspension?

Similarly, it seems that Alou Diarra still has plenty of words to bring
forth about his negative experience at West Ham. Following his loan move to
Rennes, Diarra has been reported as criticising an agent and the club for
allegedly making him false promises in order to capture his signature. There
is no apparent reference to the injury that effectively side lined him for
four months, nor the fact that this was a pretty pivotal reason for his
non-selection over that period. Unless, he is actually stating that he was
fit all along and was simply ignored for selection by the manager? I am
fairly sure that was not the case, so why the absence of this one central,
pertinent and inconvenient fact?

Finally, the team can do themselves a massive favour by securing a vital
away victory at Villa Park this weekend. Can they do it? Most certainly,
especially if they dig in, like against Swansea, and Andy Carroll can
faithfully replicate his prior outstanding performance. Of course, there is
still the distinct possibility that we will be victim to the 'fall guy'
tendency, which still so frequently afflicts us. Will we, once again, play
the hapless victims to a team that hitherto could not even buy a win? Or
will we buck the trend, build upon the admirably gritty Swansea victory and
accummulate a healthy looking 33 points total up to that point in the
season?

Villa certainly have some good players and their manager is very well
regarded in the game, so could they choose to launch their PL resurgence
against us? I certainly hope not and I am backing West Ham grind out another
hard fought 0-1 victory. Who knows, perhaps, a certain Welington Paulista
might even figure at some point in the procedings? COYI !

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sign here, pal
Kevin Nolan has urged Andy Carroll to sign for West Ham on a permanent basis
The Sun
Published: 08th February 2013

KEVIN NOLAN has urged Andy Carroll to sign for West Ham on a permanent
basis. But he admits his big £35million pal still has unfinished business at
Liverpool. The England striker, 24, is currently on loan at Upton Park after
failing to fit into the plans of new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. And best
mate Nolan believes Carroll should stay in London and become part of a club
where he is truly wanted and appreciated. The pair played together at
Newcastle before Nolan headed south to the East End for £3m in June 2011.
And former Toon skipper Nolan said: "Everyone at West Ham has really enjoyed
working with Andy — and we all believe there is no better place for him to
be than at our club. "He's in one of the best cities in the world. playing
with lads who want to play with him. "He was probably a bit harshly treated
by Liverpool and I think he feels hard done by with all that's happened
there. "I think most Liverpool fans were shocked by what happened to him in
pre-season, after the way he came into his own with some of his performances
towards the end of last season. "But he still loves Liverpool and he has the
hunger to prove to everyone there that he is good enough to play there. "No
one has spoken about what happens when his loan spell with us is up but
everyone in our dressing-room will want Andy to stay beyond the end of this
season."

Midfielder Nolan, 30, infamously took Carroll into his family home as a
lodger to keep the controversial striker out of trouble when they were
together at Newcastle. And Nolan believes that leaving the North-East was
probably the best thing for Carroll — despite his failure to live up to the
huge price-tag that took him to Anfield. He said: "Moving out of Newcastle
was important for Andy because he was getting himself into a bit too much
trouble. "He was here, there and everywhere but people forget that he has
still only just turned 24 and is a young man. "He's made a few mistakes but
because he's 6ft 4in tall and has long hair, he tends to stand out a bit
more. "Thankfully he's had his hair cut now. I told him I was getting sick
of looking at his greasy image and at least he washes it now! "But I do feel
sorry for him at times. "I tell him I hate going out with him because he
can't step out of the door without someone asking for an autograph. "I can
walk around London for days, go on the Tube and everything, and no one
recognises me. But two minutes next to him and we get mobbed.
"Only time will tell where Andy plays next season. We feel we're a good fit
at West Ham but he's only scored two goals for us so far so he's going to
have to get his finger out or we won't want to buy him."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan: Villa must stick together or face drop
Published: 08th February 2013
The SUn

WEST HAM skipper Kevin Nolan has warned struggling Aston Villa to sort out
the dressing room cliques or risk relegation. Nolan was part of the
Newcastle team which dropped out of the Premier League four years ago and
says that no club is too big to go down. And as the Hammers look to pile on
the problems for boss Paul Lambert at Villa Park tomorrow Nolan says it is
vital everyone is united. The midfielder, 30, said: "When your team is
struggling it's really important you stick together and don't start going
off in your little cliques. If there's a problem you need to all sit round
together and air your feelings. "When the chips are down and there is an
atmosphere about the place, a lot of people start worrying. "We had a lot of
big-name players at Newcastle and people were talking about the situation
escalating and the club going down. "But we stuck together and did what was
right for the club. "It's slightly different at Villa because they have
stopped spending the kind of money they were a few years ago and are
bringing in a lot of youngsters instead. "They have handled things quite
well considering the stick they have come under, but when you play for a big
club you have to expect criticism if results don't go well."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam: We're a Jekyll 'n Hyde team
By PAT SHEEHAN
Last Updated: 09th February 2013
The SUn

SAM ALLARDYCE has branded West Ham a Jekyll and Hyde team. Big Sam takes his
side to relegation-threatened Aston Villa tomorrow worried by his side's
lack of firepower on the road. The Hammers have scored just seven times on
their travels — the worst record in the top flight. They have also taken
just one point from 21 in their last seven away matches. But, at Upton Park,
they have lost just three all season. Allardyce, 58, said: "We are a Jekyll
and Hyde side. It niggles me we can't replicate our home form on our
travels. "Away from home, we have the worst goalscoring ratio — even though
we have been putting the opposition under real pressure." Villa have won
just two at home this term and let in twice as many as the nine they have
scored.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: I've been fined for speaking truth
Published: 08th February 2013
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE believes he has been fined by the FA for "speaking the truth"
after West Ham's defeat to Man United. Allardyce was told to pay £8,000 for
his criticism of the referee. Speaking on January 16, he said: "You see it
time and time again at Old Trafford. "There's no doubt about the difference
between Rafael's handball and Jordan Spence's. Spence plays for West Ham and
the away team, while Rafael plays for the home side at Old Trafford."
Allardyce today claimed his comments did not suggest referee Phil Dowd was
biased. But he stood by his accusation that people are influenced by crowds
in big stadiums. He said: "For me I spoke the truth, so if you like I have
been fined for speaking the truth, but there you go, we move on. "What I had
to do was present my case and give it to the panel and make sure they
understood what I meant. "There was no doubt I meant nothing other than the
influence that happens at the big arenas that happens to everyone when you
go there. "Those influences can make people make decisions that are right or
wrong, not just Phil Dowd but players and you as a manager." Allardyce
added: "I thought we put an outstanding case forward and I thought I should
have got the benefit of the doubt based on the fact I didn't say anyone was
biased. "It is the implication that people might have thought I meant the
referee was biased and that I may have thought it on my comments, and that
was why I was fined. "I tried to choose my words carefully and never
mentioned that word whatsoever." The Hammmers have taken just eight points
away from home this season and Allardyce is desperate for a win at
struggling Aston Villa on Sunday. He said: "Everyone knows the
responsibility of turning around our away results, they must get better. "We
have a fantastic opportunity to change the results we have had recently on
Sunday given we had a big boost of confidence with a well-deserved win
against Swansea last week."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hoodwinked! Alou Diarra claims he was 'conned' into signing for West Ham
The Mirror
8 Feb 2013 12:15

Alou Diarra has claimed he was "conned" into signing for West Ham. The
Hammers midfielder, who has been loaned out to Rennes for the rest of the
season, told France Football: "They were not honest with me. They made me
believe I was the priority of the club but it was not true. "It shows that
at my age you can still be conned. "I wanted (to speak to Sam Allardyce) but
he was always at training camps, travelling left and right. At the same
time, I had the guarantee of a three-year contract. "But he came to West Ham
with his players, who have followed him for several seasons. The manager was
not against my arrival but he was not for it either! "I was an extra player.
It is tough to feel useless. In the end, you have enough of fighting for no
reason."

Diarra, 31, played only two hours in five months. "Yes, essentially because
I was misled. I could not accept this situation any longer and I went to see
the directors. They understood and I thanked them." Former Liverpool
midfielder Diarra, who cost £2m from Marseille, suffered a serious thigh
strain in training in September and has only started one Premier League
match. He made four appearances since returning to fitness in the New Year -
the last against Arsenal on January 23. Allardyce said last month: "It
hasn't quite worked out and he feels a little disgruntled in terms of
playing more. "Because of Alou's long-standing injury he has found it hard
to adjust to what is needed in the Premier League."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan interview: Sometimes I look at Andy Carroll and feel sorry for
him
The Mirror
8 Feb 2013 22:30

It's still not easy Being: Andy Carroll, even away from Liverpool. But West
Ham's Kevin Nolan reckons Carroll, his old Newcastle team-mate, is "perfect"
for the Hammers and should stay and play in London - even if the £35million
striker's fame means he could have his own fly-on-the-wall series following
his colourful life off the pitch. "Sometimes I do look at it and I feel
sorry for him," admitted West Ham captain Nolan, who has scored three times
as many Premier League goals from midfield this season as on-loan Liverpool
frontman Carroll has. "The lad can't walk out of here without somebody
asking for his autograph -I can walk around London for three days and not
get noticed once. "I am with him for two minutes and we get mobbed. I always
tell him I hate going anywhere with him. "I can sit on the Tube for two days
without anybody noticing me, but two minutes next to him and we are being
bothered for photos. It is part and parcel of it. "But, as a lad, I think it
has made him grow up and made him the person he is. He is a top lad - a good
person to know - and everybody who does know him enjoys being in his
company."

After an injury-hit start at Upton Park, the England forward has reformed
his on-field double act with Nolan and scored to give the Hammers a
pressure-relieving win last weekend. But Mrs Nolan will be relieved he is
not a house guest again following his eventful stay in 2010. "I wouldn't let
him anyway," Nolan laughed. "Once is enough." Nolan reckons leaving the
north-east has benefited Britain's most expensive ever player. "Moving out
of Newcastle was important because he was probably tending to get himself
into a bit too much trouble," the 30-year-old recalled. "He was here, there
and everywhere. But that was because he was young. "Everybody forgets he has
just turned 24. He has made a few mistakes but because he is 6ft 3in and has
got long hair, it tends to get out a bit more."

Now, the question is where Carroll will go next. He was last seen in a Reds
kit in Channel 5 documentary series Being: Liverpool - the day before he was
loaned out to West Ham for the season. Even though Kop boss Brendan Rodgers
doesn't want him, Carroll clearly feels he has unfinished Anfield business.
"He loves Liverpool," said Nolan, a born and bred Scouser. "He still wants
to prove to everybody that he is good enough to play there. He has got that
hunger - that is what people don't see. "Andy was probably a bit harshly
treated at Liverpool. I think most Liverpool fans were quite shocked at what
happened to him in pre-season and him getting loaned out, but that's
football. "You just have to take it on the chin. He's big enough and ugly
enough to do that and get on with it. I think he's done that."

Although Carroll's hometown club Newcastle could also be interested this
summer, playing alongside Nolan for Sam Allardyce's Hammers seems the next
best alternative. "I think Andy's perfect for us and we're perfect for him,"
said the Irons skipper. "Sam is definitely the right man to get the best out
of him. "He's in London, one of the best cities in the world. He's playing
for a great club, he's playing with lads who know him, want to play with
him. Only time will tell. "You'll never know what's going to happen in the
next window. We'll just have to wait and see. But he's got to score goals or
we won't want to buy him, will we? He's only scored two for us. "He's got to
start pulling his finger out for us if he wants us to buy him!"

Nolan is the Upton Park shop steward and the go-between for the team and
manager. "Maybe someone's been fined for something that's a bit harsh, I'll
go in and fight his corner for him," he said. "I tend to get them off - I'm
quite good at that." But the future of Allardyce is also not settled as
Nolan's former Bolton boss is out of contract this summer."I don't think
there's any rush," Nolan said. "But hopefully in the next month or so Sam
will be sitting down with the owners and trying to sort out the deal or
seeing if they want him or not." On Sunday, the Hammers face an Aston Villa
side whose torrid season has echoes of Newcastle's relegation season in
2009."What's happened this season has been tough," said Nolan. "They've got
a lot of young lads and they've handled it quite well with the stick they've
come under but when you play for a big club you have to expect the stick.
"I'm sure Paul Lambert will have them fired up and ready to go against us.
We've got to make sure we're up for it."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 8th February 2013

Noble set for Twitter Q&A
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder to answer your questions on Friday
06.02.2013

Got a question that you would love to ask West Ham United midfielder Mark
Noble? Your chance will come later this week, as the Hammers man will be
taking part in a live Q&A session on Twitter on Friday! We'll be sitting
down with the 25-year-old after training and he will be answering the best
of your questions live on the club's Official Twitter page. If you are not
already following us, then make sure you join the 139,000 who are, and keep
looking out for a confirmed time for Noble's Q&A on Friday - use the
#ASKNOBES hashtag to get those questions to us on the day.

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Joint-Chairman confident ahead of Villa
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Gold looks ahead to Sunday's Barclays Premier League
clash at Villa Park
07.02.2013

David Gold was thrilled to take his seat in the Directors Box for West Ham
United's Barclays Premier League win over Swansea City, having been laid low
with a bout of pneumonia. Thanks to a brief stay in hospital, the
Joint-Chairman is now fighting fit once more and relieved to be back in the
thick of things at such a crucial stage of the season. With a win under his
belt on his return to the Boleyn Ground, Mr Gold has high hopes for Sunday's
all-important clash against Aston Villa. Speaking exclusively to West Ham
TV, he said: "I'm feeling so much better. It was pneumonia, and luckily my
daughters got me into hospital and within a week or so I was beginning to
feel better. So here I am! "When you're poorly and the team's having a bad
run, you're anxious to get back and be amongst it and do whatever you can.
And because of the transfer window being open as well, it's frustrating,
you're lying there feeling ill, but at the same time desperate to get back."


Looking ahead to the weekend trip to Villa Park, the Joint-Chairman believes
West Ham's squad is stronger than ever, with astute January signings made
and key personnel back from injury. "I'd like to think it's going to go the
way we would like it, which is that we'd go there and win," he said.
"They're going through a terrible time, but you can't believe that's going
to last through the season, at some time they're going to recover. "But I
think we're strong, and we're getting stronger. The squad is not only
strengthened by the incoming players but also by a number of players
returning from injury, in particular, Jack Collison and Andy Carroll. These
are fantastic additions to the squad so we should be in as good a shape as
we have been, if not our best shape going into Aston Villa."
For exclusive access to the full-length interview, in which the
Joint-Chairman shares his views on a busy transfer window and West Ham's
away-day fortunes, login or subscribe to West Ham TV using the link below.

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Taylor expects big things from Carroll
WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor lauds the return of Andy Carroll and expects him to play a big
part in the Hammers' run-in
07.02.2013

Matt Taylor is convinced that Andy Carroll's match-winning performance
against Swansea City is a sign of things to come, now that the England
striker is enjoying a clean bill of health. Carroll's imperious display at
the Boleyn Ground last Saturday will have convinced most that he is already
back to his best, but Taylor insists there is still plenty more to come from
the 6'3 forward. Though injuries have restricted 24-year-old Carroll to just
ten Barclays Premier League starts this season, Taylor is confident Carroll
will have a considerable say in West Ham United's fortunes between now and
the season's end. "I think what you probably saw against Swansea was the tip
of the iceberg," said Taylor. "Hopefully when Andy gets a good run of games
under his belt, he'll start scoring some more goals and prove to be another
vital member of the squad for us. "It's just nice to see him score and I'm
sure he'll be happy first and foremost to play 90 minutes but also to score
a goal and the winning goal, that's fantastic. "He gives us a different
dimension in terms of the way that we can play and utilise his strengths.
He's a very good player, but we need to make sure we keep him fit now.
That's imperative from now until the end of the season. "Injuries are part
and parcel of football. Andy's a very good player but also the other players
that we've got that have come in when Andy hasn't been playing have also
done very well and are also very good players. "It's just one of those
things in football, you get injuries and Andy has been unfortunate. He's
disappointed that he hasn't been fit for the majority of the season, but
hopefully he'll continue to stay fit now until the end of the season."

Meanwhile, Taylor was understandably glad to record another Barclays Premier
League win, though he saw no reason to be relieved after the final whistle
on Saturday. "I wouldn't say relieved, but it's just nice to win a game of
football," he added." I don't think there needs to be a relief, to be
honest, because it's not as if we're sitting at the bottom of the table and
hadn't won for goodness knows how long. "It was just nice to get three
points. But to be brutally honest, our home form has been pretty good, so we
weren't too worried going into the game. Obviously we knew it was going to
be a tough game, they had a lot of possession. I'm pleased for Andy getting
a goal as well. "Let's just continue to build on what's hopefully going to
be a good period from now until the end of the season."

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Driver banking on home comforts
WHUFC.com
Dev Squad skipper Callum Driver is relieved to be homeward bound after two
tough away days
07.02.2013

Callum Driver is setting his sights on Friday's return to 'fortress' Rush
Green, after the Development Squad suffered a first defeat in the Barclays
U21 Premier League Elite Group at Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers won all but
one of their six contests at Rush Green in the competition's first group
phase and entertain West Bromwich Albion on Friday night. It will be a first
home fixture for the U21s since 30 November 2012, which the hosts lost 1-0
to Blackburn Rovers, having already been crowned Group 1 champions.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old skipper Driver, who spent two months last term on
loan at npower League Two side Burton Albion, is hopeful the modest
surroundings will play in to their hands. "We've had good results at Rush
Green, I think we've only lost there once all season," Driver told West Ham
TV. "It's not the greatest place to come to if you're an away team but we
enjoy playing there. I haven't been there [for some time], so I don't know
what the pitch is like, but it'll be good to get back to the fortress."

Driver, the only ever present in this season's Development Squad, revealed
that manager Nick Haycock had some stern words for the players at half-time
in Monday's 3-2 defeat . It had the desired effect, however, as West Ham
piled on the pressure after the break. "Nick was a little bit disappointed
with us," Driver added. "Obviously conceding the goals that we did, he gave
us a kick up the backside to get us going again, and I think it worked. It
showed in the second half which we dominated. "The second-half performance
was a lot better than the first. We started slowly, and then had a good
period in the first half, where our confidence grew and we started playing.
We were unlucky not to get the result. "Conceding just before half-time
didn't help. It's not the greatest time to concede. It's something that
we've tried to avoid in games before, but a lapse of concentration has not
helped us. "We had plenty of chances that on another day we'd probably have
taken and won by three or four. But we were unlucky not to get them, we've
hit the post, George Moncur has had one that's hit the keeper, so we're
unfortunate not to get the result."

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Matt Taylor pays tribute to Andy Carroll after striker scored against
Swansea
Last Updated: February 7, 2013 12:16pm
SSN

Matt Taylor has paid tribute to Andy Carroll after the striker scored the
winner against Swansea on Saturday. Carroll has been plagued by hamstring
and knee injuries since joining on loan from Liverpool last summer but has
recently rediscovered his form. And Taylor is confident the 24-year-old can
play a pivotal role in helping Sam Allardyce's men build on their
11th-placed spot. "I think what you probably saw against Swansea was the tip
of the iceberg" said Taylor. "Hopefully when Andy gets a good run of games
under his belt, he'll start scoring some more goals and prove to be another
vital member of the squad for us.
"It's just nice to see him score and I'm sure he'll be happy first and
foremost to play 90 minutes but also to score a goal and the winning goal,
that's fantastic.
"He gives us a different dimension in terms of the way that we can play and
utilise his strengths. "He's a very good player, but we need to make sure we
keep him fit now. That's imperative from now until the end of the season."

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Financial fair play draws closer as Premier League chairmen vote in favour
Last Updated: February 7, 2013 6:23pm
SSN

Premier League clubs have voted "overwhelmingly" in favour of introducing
financial restrictions, according to West Ham joint-chairman David Gold.
Representatives of the clubs initially met in December to discuss proposals
which would impose short-term limits on wage rises and force clubs to work
towards breaking even. The 20 members agreed to reconvene this week, when 14
votes were required to approve the proposals. Full details of the agreement
are expected to be disclosed later on Thursday, but Gold emerged from the
vote to tell Sky Sports News: "The clubs supported change. "We've all voted
and it was overwhelmingly supported. Some clubs are a little concerned, but
the vast majority voted in favour. "That will now go to the board for
putting into rules, and we'll vote on that in April. "It's not a salary cap,
it's a restraint on over-spending. If clubs increase their revenues then
they can increase their spending. We have got restraint, that's the
important thing." The possibility of regulation has arisen against the
backdrop of UEFA's Financial Fair Play initiative. Under UEFA's new rules
clubs are being forced to minimise losses or risk the possibility of
exclusion from European competition from 2014/15.

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Premier League clubs facing points deduction if they breach new spending
controls
Last Updated: February 7, 2013 7:35pm
SSN

Premier League clubs will face a points deduction if they breach new
spending controls, chief executive Richard Scudamore has confirmed. The 20
club chairmen agreed to two significant controls on Thursday - to limit
players' wage bills from next season and to longer-term measures that will
restrict the amount of losses clubs can make to £105million over three
years. Clubs whose total wage bill is more than £52m will only be allowed to
increase their wages by £4m per season for the next three years, but the cap
does not cover extra money coming in from increases in commercial or
matchday income. Scudamore said: "As all things in our rulebook you will
subject to a disciplinary commission. "The clubs understand that if people
break the £105m we will look for the top-end ultimate sanction range - a
points deduction. "Normally we stay silent on sanctions as the commission
has a free range but clearly if there is a material breach of that rule we
will be asking the commission to consider top-end sanctions."

The vote for financial regulations could hardly have been closer, with only
13 of the 20 clubs voting in favour, with six against and Reading
abstaining. It meant that the 'yes' vote only narrowly achieved the
necessary two-thirds majority of the 19 votes cast. Clubs sources say
Fulham, West Brom, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Swansea and Southampton all
voted against. Scudamore said there would be an "absolute prohibition" on
clubs reporting losses of more than £105m over the next three years with the
first sanctions possible in 2016. Of the 20 clubs in the top flight, only
Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool have reported losses of more than
£105m over the last three years, according to the most up-to-date published
accounts. The regulations have come about against the backdrop of UEFA's
Financial Fair Play (FFP) initiative.

Under UEFA's new rules clubs are being forced to minimise losses or risk the
possibility of exclusion from European competition from 2014/15. Scudamore
admitted that their own FFP measures would mean it will take longer for
benefactor owners to achieve success, but that it would still be possible.
He said: "The balance we have tried to strike is that a new owner can still
invest a decent amount of money to improve their club but they are not going
to be throwing hundreds and hundreds of millions in a very short period of
time. "While it has worked for a couple of clubs in the last 10 years, and I
am not critical of that, if that's going to be done in the future it's going
to have to be over a slightly longer term without the huge losses being
made. "I think at £105m you can still build a very decent club with
substantial owner funding but you have to do it over time, you can't do it
in a season."

Chelsea won the Premier League two years after Roman Abramovich's takeover,
and Manchester City's title success came three years after Sheikh Mansour's
takeover. Any club making any loss of over £5m a year will have guarantee
those losses against the owner's assets. "In some ways that's the most
significant part; this is a three-year rolling system of secure funding -
it's one year at the moment," added Scudamore. The ceiling when the wage
increase restrictions kick in will be £52m next season, £56m the following
year and £60m in 2015-16. Only seven of the current top-flight clubs would
be under that ceiling at the moment.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com