Preview - Southampton
WHUFC.com
Everything you need to know about Wednesday's trip to Southampton
10.02.2015
SOUTHAMPTON v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
ST MARY'S STADIUM
WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2015
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: CRAIG PAWSON
In brief
West Ham United travel to the south coast to face in form Southampton just
four days after drawing with Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground. Earlier
in the season, the Saints won 3-1 in the reverse fixture and Sam Allardyce's
men will be looking for revenge come Wednesday eveing. Ronald Koeman's
Southampton have defied all the odds and proved the doubters wrong as they
currently sit in third, having taken 45 points from 24 games. However, the
Saints have lost their last two home league games, a 3-2 defeat by Crystal
Palace and a 1-0 defeat by Swansea City.
Who are they?
Southampton were formed in 1885 and have been known as the Saints ever since
due to their history as a church side, being known as St Mary's YMA in their
early days. Their high point was winning the FA Cup in 1976, famously
beating Manchester United in the final, while they also reached the final in
1900, 1902 and 2003 - when they were defeated by Arsenal. The Saints'
highest ever league finish is second in 1983/84 and, like the Hammers, they
are in their third season back in the top flight after being promoted from
the Championship in 2012. Other honours include the Football League Trophy,
which they won at Wembley in 2010, and the Southern League - which they won
six times around the turn of the 20th century prior to becoming a Football
League club.
Team news
West Ham United
The Hammers will still be without defenders James Collins and Winston Reid
who missed Sunday's draw with Manchester United. Likewise, Diego Poyet and
Doneil Henry are also likely to miss out. Captain Kevin Nolan faces a race
against time to overcome a foot injury sustained against Manchester United.
England international Andy Carroll faces a late fitness test to determine
whether is able to feature or not.
Southampton
Toby Alderweireld (hamstring) and Matt Targett (concussion) are unlikely to
feature as are Shane Long and Lloyd Isgrove. Jay Rodriguez is Southampton's
long term absentee while Ryan Bertrand is suspended.
Referee
The man in the middle for Wednesday's fixture is Craig Pawson. The Sheffield
based official has been in charge of one West Ham game this season - the
Hammers' 3-1 win over Liverpool in September. The 35-year-old referee also
refereed the Saints' 2-0 New Year's Day victory over Arsenal. The assistant
referees are Ian Hussin and Adrian Holmes, Neil Swarbrick is the fourth
official.
One to watch
West Ham United
Following his terrific display at centre-back against Manchester United
Cheikhou Kouyate has somewhat eased Sam Allardyce's defensive injury
problems. The Senegalese international was unfazed at the prospect of
marking Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, capping an excellent
performance with a quality goal which almost gave the Hammers a deserved
win.
Southampton Kouyate's Senegalese teammate Sadio Mane has been in impressive
form for the Saints this season, scoring six goals, most recently in the 1-0
away win at Queens Park Rangers. The Saints have never lost when Mane scores
so the Hammers will need to stop him in order to get a result at St. Mary's
Stadium.
Tickets
All Standard Tickets for this fixture have SOLD OUT. Wheelchair/Carer
Tickets are available but must be purchased in advance of the fixture.
Travel
For all your travel information on how to get to and from St Mary's please
click here.
Weather
Wednesday evening is set to be a cloudy night with a chance of rain starting
into the night. Temperatures at kick-off of are forecast to be 5C (41F).
Last away meeting
Southampton 0-0 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 September 2013
Southampton: Boruc, Clyne, Lovren, Fonte, Shaw (Chambers 77), Schneiderlin,
Wanyama, Lallana (Ward-Prowse 72), Lambert, Rodriguez, Osvaldo
Subs: Davis, Hooiveld, Davis, Ramirez, Do Prado
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, O'Brien, Collins, Demel (Rat 61) Nolan,
Jarvis, Morrison (Taylor 77) Noble, Diame, Maiga (Vaz Te 68)
Subs: Adrian, Tomkins, Collison, Lee
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Adrian keen to overcome late blow
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian says the Hammers will take inspiration
from Sunday's performance
09.02.2015
Adrian may have been beaten late on by Manchester United's Daley Blind on
Sunday as Louis van Gaal's team snatched a point at the Boleyn Ground, but
the Spanish stopper will be focusing on the many positive aspects of the
Hammers' performance as they build towards Southampton. Sam Allardyce's men
travel to the South Coast on Wednesday looking for the maximum point haul
which eluded them at the weekend, despite taking the lead through Cheikhou
Kouyate and holding it right up until the final minute. While admitting that
came as a blow, Adrian said observers only had to look at how much busier
his opposite number was to show who should have won. "It was a good
challenge between Spanish keepers," he explained. "De Gea made some very
good saves on Sunday - he saved them really. "We absolutely deserved the
three points. "We played well and showed a good performance, but this is
football. "We didn't score the second goal to kill the game. They have good
players and scored in the last minute. "Of course it was difficult to come
off the pitch with a 1-1 draw after they scored in the 92nd minute, but we
felt good and deserved the three points. "We need to take that into the next
game against Southampton now because that will be a tough game."
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Big Sam on: Southampton
WHUFC.com
The manager talks to the press ahead of Wednesday's trip to Southampton
10.02.2015
Sam Allardyce faced the media on Tuesday ahead of West Ham United's Barclays
Premier League trip to Southampton. The Hammers are looking for maximum
points after only being denied at the death by Manchester United at the
weekend. Big Sam provided an update on injury news, his team's prospects at
St Mary's and more.
Hi Sam, is there any news on the injured players who weren't available for
United on Sunday?
SA: "The possibility would be Andy Carroll. He may be fit but it'll be touch
and go right up until we leave tomorrow morning. Kevin Nolan has a bruised
instep which is causing us some concern, at the moment we don't know if
he'll be able to but his boots on or not. That's obviously a blow to us and
the rest who were unavailable are still out. We're short on numbers but very
high on confidence."
James Tomkins took a bit of a bashing, and was talking about Robin van
Persie perhaps getting a red card for an elbow. What did you think of that
argument?
SA: "He broke his nose but it's not serious enough to keep him out. From a
challenge point of view I thought it was pretty naughty, he had a look to
see where the defender was and then took him out basically. The assistant
referee gave a foul but he didn't think it was more serious. Tomkins should
be fit to play tomorrow night which is the most important thing for us."
Your comments about long ball Manchester United have certainly created a
buzz. Are you surprised at how much of a fuss has been made out of it?
SA: "No. The media love a bit of a tale, something to write about. It was a
fact and everyone loves facts. On Sunday it was Man United playing direct
football to try and overcome a defeat and it paid off for them. That's how
they got back into the game and sadly for us there wasn't time for us to
react."
Playing Southampton on Wednesday tonight. West Ham have never won at St.
Mary's, what would a win do for your season?
SA: "I think for us, it's just trying to take each game as it comes. With 14
games left we're coming to the end of the season, we've done so well and
come far. We want to get more wins than draws because we've slipped down the
table a little bit. Southampton have managed to keep on winning, but we've
let leads slip and ended up drawing too many times. They've lost their last
league game against Swansea City which we've studied."
Is there any more news about your contract situation?
SA: "Not yet. There's still a way to go but we'll talk when the time is
right."
Would you like to be here next season?
SA: "We'll have to see what the contract says! But seriously, there's a lot
of work to be done here and the potential of the squad is very exciting. The
way the club is going with the new stadium round the corner it is an
exciting time."
Lassana Diarra has been training with you for a few weeks, what is the
situation with Diarra at the moment?
SA: "I'm not sure what the state of negotiations are but he has been
training with us recently. As soon as he is fit and ready he'll be a great
addition to our squad."
He's a vastly experienced player and he's played at several big clubs, what
is his state of fitness at the moment?
SA: "He's not ready to be involved in first team but hopefully he's not too
far away. We're not in any rush but he would be a good addition if and when
it happens."
A disappointing result in the end, but plenty of positives to take from
Sunday games?
SA: "Exactly, and we have to pick up from where we left against United. They
gave everything they possibly had and we want to maintain that level in
every game for the rest of the season. The main difficulty is recovery,
because we haven't had much time. Southampton playing on Saturday have also
had an extra day to recover. So Wednesday night is all about our attitude
and determination. We're going to
need to push ourselves in order to win. We had a bit of a lull in our
performances recently but to see us back to near our best was a big
boost. We don't want our season to fade away."
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Hammers to honour Peters
WHUFC.com
Martin Peters MBE will become the third recipient of the Club's Lifetime
Achievement Award at the annual Player Awards
10.02.2015
West Ham United are pleased to announce that Martin Peters MBE will become
the third recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 1966 World Cup winner will be honoured at the annual Player Awards
brought to you by Betway and in aid of the Academy, which this year take
place on Wednesday 6 May at the London Hilton on Park Lane. 71-year-old
Peters came through the famed Academy at West Ham to play a pivotal role in
the golden period of the 1960s, even though he missed out on an involvement
in the 1964 FA Cup winning effort. The following year he played a full role
as the Hammers lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup and then returned to
Wembley a year later to win the World Cup with England. He would go on to
score exactly 100 goals for the Hammers in 364 appearances - a fine record
for a midfielder - before enjoying further success with Tottenham Hotspur
and Norwich City, ending a remarkable 22-year professional career with
Sheffield United. The complete midfielder, Peters' versatility was such that
he played in every position for the Hammers - including in goal when
replacing the injured Brian Rhodes in just his third game for the Club.
Peters was made an MBE in 1978 and follows in the footsteps of Billy Bonds
MBE and Sir Trevor Brooking in receiving the Hammers' Lifetime Achievement
Award. Born in Plaistow on 8 November 1943, Peters came through the ranks at
his local Club to sign as an apprentice under manager Ted Fenton in 1959. He
would make his first team debut on Good Friday 1962 in a 4-1 home victory
against Cardiff City. Peters' first goal for the Club would follow in
September of that year.
Peters made 36 League appearances in 1962/63 and 32 in 1963/64, but would
not be involved as the Hammers won their first FA Cup that year. He would
not miss out twelve months later as West Ham defeated TSV 1860 Munich to win
the European Cup Winners' Cup. A further chance for Hammers silverware
arrived in 1966 when they reached the League Cup final, in those days played
over two legs. Peters scored in the second game, but West Bromwich Albion
triumphed 5-3 on aggregate. However, Peters, Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst
bounced back from that disappointment to lead England to World Cup glory.
The 1968/69 season would be Peters' most prolific for the Hammers, as he
knocked in 24 goals from 48 matches, and a year later he was on the move to
north London, as Tottenham Hotspur paid £200,000 for his services.
Peters' run of success would continue at White Hart Lane as he won the
League Cup in 1971 and 1973 and the UEFA Cup in 1972. Five-and-a-half years
with Norwich and a half-season at Sheffield United followed, before he
ventured into a brief foray in management with the Blades. In total he made
882 appearances in professional football, scoring 220 goals and adding a
further 20 to that in 67 England caps.
Following football, he moved into the insurance business and still works as
a matchday host to this day with the Hammers.
Martin Peters' Lifetime Achievement Award will be one of a host of
prestigious trophies awarded at the 2014/15 Player Awards, bought to you by
Betway, in Aid of the Academy.
Who will take the honours this season? You can be there at the Hilton London
on Park Lane on Wednesday 6 May to find out!
Our annual Player Awards night promises a night of fine dining and Hammers
entertainment as we look back at the highlights of the year.
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Tomkins signs new contract
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins has signed a new long-term contract with West Ham United
10.02.2015
West Ham United are delighted to announce that James Tomkins has signed a
new contract with the Club until summer 2020. The new deal will take the
Academy of Football graduate past 20 years of service to the Hammers, who he
joined as a seven-year-old schoolboy in 1996.
The Basildon-born centre-back has been in outstanding form this season,
helping the Hammers to a record-breaking Barclays Premier League start and
the FA Cup fifth round. "I think it's brilliant that the Club has shown
faith in me and offered me this deal and I'm delighted to sign it," said the
25-year-old, who made his first-team debut at 18 in March 2008. "I've been
here since I was seven and this is a long-term deal which is going to take
me up until I'm in my thirties, so it's nice to commit my future here. "It's
been a good season, but it's still got a little way to go yet and the job is
not done. We've had a good year so far and we want to continue it. I feel
like my performances have come along a lot this year and I am just enjoying
playing really."
While in previous decades West Ham might have allowed a home-grown hero like
Tomkins to leave the Club, the Hammers are now committed to keeping their
best players for the future. With excitement growing around the move to the
Club's 54,000-capacity new home in 2016, the defender says it is a great
time to be part of West Ham United. "Being a West Ham fan, I want to spend
my future here as it is exciting times with the Olympic Stadium move coming
up in 2016," continued Tomkins, who has played 205 times in Claret and Blue.
"The Club is going in the direction I wanted it to go and I want to be
involved in. It's exciting all-round, for the Club and for me. "It's a good
time and this year has been a great step forward. Now we just need to see it
out. I look back at all the times I've been in the team, from when I made my
debut at 18-years-old, and this is as well as we've done. Now we need to
keep it going until the end of the season, because we have a lot of hard
games coming up. "What the Board and everyone at the Club has done to get
the new Stadium shows the direction we want to be taking - we want to be
going forwards and not backwards and that's certainly where we're heading.
It's a great time for us. We want to leave Upton Park on a high, so it's
important we do the very best we can over the next 18 months leading up to
the move."
Looking to the more immediate future, West Ham face two exciting and
challenging fixtures on the back of Sunday's thrilling draw with Manchester
United. On Wednesday, the Hammers go to Southampton in the Barclays Premier
League ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie at West Bromwich Albion. "Southampton
are doing really well at the moment and they're obviously a great team,
which they are proving week in, week out with their consistency," Tomkins
observed. "It's a hard place to go as they don't concede many goals, but
it's a game we're all looking forward to on the back of a good performance
against Manchester United. "We showed signs of where we are at the minute by
competing against such a good team, and now we face another one in
Southampton and we need to approach it in the right way. "It's hard to focus
on the FA Cup just yet because of the game on Wednesday, but it's exciting
being involved in an FA Cup run. West Brom will be hard to beat with Tony
Pulis in charge and you know his teams don't give away much. It's going to
be tough but hopefully we can get a win. If we get to a quarter-final, who
knows how far we can go?"
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James Tomkins: West Ham defender signs new deal until 2020
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United defender James Tomkins has signed a new contract at the
club, which will keep him at Upton Park until 2020. The 25-year-old joined
West Ham as a schoolboy in 1996 and is a graduate of the club's academy.
"It's brilliant that the club has shown faith in me and I'm delighted to
sign [this contract]," Tomkins said. Tomkins, whose new deal will take him
past 20 years of service at West Ham, has made 205 appearances for the club.
He suffered a broken nose in Sunday's draw against Manchester United.
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Louis van Gaal uses diagrams to defend Man Utd 'long-ball' claims
BBC.co.uk
Louis van Gaal displayed a series of diagrams to journalists as he hit back
at Sam Allardyce's claim that Manchester United are a long-ball team. West
Ham boss Allardyce described Van Gaal's side as "long-ball United" after the
teams drew 1-1 at Upton Park.
But Van Gaal disputed the assertion. "Because I expected this question, I
have made an interpretation of the data for this game and then I have to say
that it is not a good interpretation from Big Sam," said the Dutchman. "You
have to look at the data and then you will see that we did play long balls,
but long balls wide rather than to the striker."
The statistics, contained in four A4 sheets of paper, were put together by
Van Gaal's analysis team. They claim West Ham sent a higher percentage of
their long passes forward than the visitors. According to the figures, West
Ham attempted a total of 200 passes during the game and United 343. Of those
passes, 45 (22.5%) of West Ham's were long - more than 25 metres - compared
to 83 (24.2%) of United's.
However, United claim fewer than half of their 83 long passes went forward
(49.9%), compared to almost three-quarters (71.1%) of West Ham's 45.
Diagrams generated by United showed that many of the visitors' passes went
sideways or diagonally, rather than forward. Van Gaal insisted his team only
started playing long balls forward after 6ft 4in Marouane Fellaini came on
in the 76th minute of the draw at Upton Park. Daley Blind rescued a point
with a 93rd-minute equaliser after Cheikhou Kouyate's volley put West Ham
ahead. According to Opta, Van Gaal's United do play more long balls - under
their definition "launches of the ball by a team that have no clear aim" -
than the sides of David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson during the previous two
seasons.
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West Ham: Lassana Diarra close to Hammers deal - Sam Allardyce
BBc.co.uk
Former Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra is training with West Ham and
close to signing a deal with them. The Frenchman, 29, has been without a
club since being released by Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow in August 2014.
"He is training with us," said Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. "The deal is very
close to being finalised. "Once fit he will be a good addition. I hope, with
a good few days' training, he will be close in seven to 10 days - if he
finally signs the contract." Diarra has previously had spells at Arsenal,
Chelsea and Portsmouth during spells in England. "He won't be in any good
shape in terms of being on the bench on Wednesday or on the bench on
Saturday against West Brom," added Allardyce.
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Southampton v West Ham
KO 19:45
10 February 2015
Last updated at 12:46
By Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: St Mary's Stadium Date: Wednesday, 11 February
TEAM NEWS
Southampton have problems at left-back with Ryan Bertrand still suspended
and Matt Targett out with a head injury. Morgan Schneiderlin is an injury
doubt, but new signing Filip Djuricic could play after receiving his work
permit.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says Andy Carroll is "touch and go" to return
from a knee injury, while Kevin Nolan could miss out with a foot problem.
James Tomkins is available despite breaking his nose on Sunday as Winston
Reid and James Collins remain absent.
MATCH PREVIEW
Whatever happens at St Mary's, it's highly unlikely we'll hear Sam Allardyce
talking about any long-ball tactics from Southampton in his post-match
interviews. He was left lamenting how Manchester United had found a
93rd-minute equaliser on Sunday but was right to feel so positive about how
his team had played. Injuries and the Africa Cup of Nations haven't helped
lately, but this was a timely return to form for West Ham, who haven't
performed at quite the same level since Christmas.
Lawro's prediction
"Southampton were not great against QPR at the weekend but they still won.
They have key players like Morgan Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama coming
back to full fitness too, and it will make a big difference when they get
the heartbeat of their team back."
Predictions: Lawro v Arsenal Ladies star Kelly Smith I've seen them on the
road twice in the last three weeks and felt they were professional in
overcoming a potentially awkward fixture at Bristol City in the FA Cup, but
struggled in a 2-0 league defeat against Liverpool.
After winning only one of their last seven in the Premier League, the
Hammers go looking for a first win at Southampton in nearly 15 years. They
weren't the only team to concede in the 93rd minute at the weekend - QPR did
too against Southampton . Sadio Mane's late goal secured all three points
and he's a man in form in front of goal, having scored in his last four
Premier League starts. Saturday's result moved Ronald Koeman's team up to
third in the table and they've now won six of the last eight in the league,
which has left their pre-Christmas blip firmly in the rearview mirror.
Southampton strolled to a 3-1 victory when the teams last met at the end of
August, giving Koeman his first league win as manager. West Ham's campaign
hadn't made it out of first gear at the time, with defeat by Saints meaning
they had started the season with three in a row at home in all competitions.
Things have clearly moved on and, while Southampton have the meanest defence
in the Premier League and are in fine form, this could be a really good game
if West Ham can play as well as they did against Manchester United on
Sunday.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham have gone five games without a win at Southampton since a 3-2
victory in November 2000.
Southampton can do the double over West Ham in the Premier League for the
first time since 1997-98.
Southampton
Following five successive wins, Southampton have lost three of their last
six Premier League home matches (W2, D1, L3).
Southampton have conceded the fewest Premier League goals this season (17)
and no side has kept more clean sheets. Both Saints and league leaders
Chelsea have 11.
Ronald Koeman's side have dropped just two points from a winning position
this season, the fewest in the Premier League.
Saints have hit the woodwork 14 times in the league this season, more than
any other team. Graziano Pelle is responsible for six of these.
Top scorer Pelle has not found the net in seven league games.
West Ham United
The Hammers have won just one of their last seven Premier League away games
(W1, D3, L3).
They haven't kept a clean sheet away from home in 17 league games.
West Ham have 37 points from 24 matches, their best tally at this stage of a
top-flight season since 1985-86 (48pts), when they finished third.
They have scored a league-high 14 headed goals this season. Diafra Sakho has
scored five of those - two more than any other player in the league.
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Five more years for James Tomkins
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's James Tomkins has signed a new five-year deal with West
Ham. The 25-year-old Basildon born defender has been at the club since the
age of seven and has since made 205 first team appearances for the club -
the same as legendary sixties striker Johhny 'Budgie' Byrne (205) and more
than eighties legend Frank McAvennie (191). His existing four year deal was
set to expire next summer (2016) and whilst West Ham had the option of
triggering a further 12 months, they opted instead to secure Tomkins' future
with a new five-year deal that potentially keeps him at the club until 2020.
"I think it's brilliant that the Club has shown faith in me and offered me
this deal - and I'm delighted to sign it," Tomkins told whufc.com this
afternoon. "I've been here since I was seven and this is a long-term deal
which is going to take me up until I'm in my thirties, so it's nice to
commit my future. "Being a West Ham fan, I want to spend my future here as
it is exciting times with the Olympic Stadium move coming up in 2016. The
club is going in the direction I wanted it to go and I want to be involved
in. It's exciting all-round, for the club and for me. "It's a good time and
this year has been a great step forward. Now we just need to see it out. I
look back at all the times I've been in the team, from when I made my debut
at 18-years-old, and this is as well as we've done. Now we need to keep it
going until the end of the season, because we have a lot of hard games
coming up. "We want to be going forwards, not backwards - and that's
certainly where we're heading. It's a great time for us. We want to leave
Upton Park on a high, so it's important we do the very best we can over the
next 18 months leading up to the move."
James Tomkins: season stats
2007/08: Pld 6 Bkd 0 Red 0 Gls 0
2008/09: Pld 15 Bkd 0 Red 1 Gls 1 (Derby Pld 8 Bkd 1 Red 1 Gls 0)
2009/10: Pld 26 Bkd 0 Red 0 Gls 0
2010/11: Pld 28 Bkd 3 Red 0 Gls 1
2011/12: Pld 47 Bkd 6 Red 0 Gls 4
2012/13: Pld 29 Bkd 5 Red 0 Gls 1
2013/14: Pld 35 Bkd 6 Red 1 Gls 0
2014/15: Pld 19 Bkd 5 Red 0 Gls 1
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Koeman cool on Carroll threat
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Ronald Koeman admits his tactical approach to Wednesday's clash with West
Ham depends much upon the potential inclusion of one player.
Southampton's 51-year-old Dutch manager admitted today that if Andy Carroll
plays at St Mary's on Wednesday, his entire game plan will change - due to
the distinct styles which he believes West Ham employ when either with or
without the big target man. According to Koeman, whose team are currently
third in the Premier League having enjoyed a fantastic season so far, the
Hammers are far more likely to play direct should Carroll feature in the
side. However he admitted that Sam Allardyce's side have the ability to mix
it up and play more possession-based football - as was the case against
Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on Sunday afternoon. "It'll be a
difficult game. I watched the game last Sunday and I think they played very
well and were physically strong," he said during this morning's pre-match
press conference. "Much depends on whether they start with [Andy] Carroll,
as with him they can play a little bit more direct. [On Sunday] they showed
they can play good football without him. It was difficult but they had very
good opportunities to kill the game and very a little bit unlucky to only
get one point. "West Ham always have options to play in a different style.
What you have to do as a manager is to play with the best qualities the
players have. The easiest way to attack is a long ball - like we do.
Sometimes we play a long ball to [Graziano] Pelle because in one pass,
you're close to the opponent's box. Then you can begin pressing your
opponent. "I always prefer to play football but sometimes it's a good
option, if you have a player like [Andy] Carroll or [Marouane] Fellaini at
Manchester United, to do something different. To try a different way to
score goals is allowed."
With specific regard to Carroll - who failed a late-fitness test before
Sunday's game but is expected to be available tomorrow - and the threat
posed by the England international -Koeman plans to keep him as far away
from goal as possible. "We'll try to keep him out of the box. We know we
have to prepare ourselves for that," he surmised. "If he is playing then we
have to press the goalkeeper, we have to press the defenders and try to keep
out the long ball they like to play. "If he's not playing that means a
different style with Sakho and Valencia. They are very fast; good players,
good attackers. That means we'll need to defend against our opponents a
different way. "It's two different styles of playing. With Carroll it's more
long ball and second ball, without it's much more about ball possession and
much more movement from the two fast attackers. That means we have to defend
differently, but it's no so difficult [to change]."
* West Ham face Southampton at St Mary's tomorrow night (Wednesday). 7.45pm
(GMT) kick off.
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Press officer gives the game away
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
There was a priceless moment at this morning's Manchester United press
conference when the club's Media Officer presented documents relating to
Sunday's game with West Ham to the press. Red Devils boss Louis Van Gaal had
insisted that a series of documents, setting out why Manchester United
should not be hailed as a 'long ball' team be distributed to journalists
present at a club press conference this morning. However his media officer
appeared to inadvertently expose her true feelings about the matter when she
grimaced visibly when handing the documents from Van Gaal to the press - as
you may see in the video below! West Ham manager Sam Allardyce referred to
last weekend's opponents as 'long ball United' during his post-match press
conference on Sunday evening (which you may read exclusively in full here).
West Ham took the lead in Sunday's Premier League clash against Manchester
United through Cheik Kouyate four minutes into the second half - before the
visitors snatched a point they barely deserved thorough a 93rd-minute Daley
Blind effort.
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Did we touch a nerve? Van Gaal takes umbrage to 'long ball' claim
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce's cheeky reference to last weekend's opponents as 'long ball
United' may have raised a few smiles amongst Hammers fans - although
Manchester United's Louis Van Gaal was far from impressed by the tag. The
under-pressure Dutch manager was so incensed by Allardyce's jibe that he
arrived at a press conference today armed with sheets of data designed to
counter Big Sam's claims - which were the subject of the first question
asked of the 63-year-old. "When a colleague of mine is saying this kind of
thing then you have to put the data in the right context," he said. "I think
the media is also coming to the match and you have a lot of opinions about
me. "You have to look at the data and then you will see that we did play
long balls, but long balls wide, rather than to the striker. A ball to the
forward striker is mainly caused by long-ball play. "Because I expected
this question, I have made an interpretation of the data for this game and
then I have to say that it is not a good interpretation from Big Sam. "I am
sorry, but we are playing ball possession play and after 70 minutes we did
not succeed, in spite of many chances in the second half, so I changed my
playing style. Then, of course, with the quality of Fellaini we played more
forward balls and we scored from that, so I think it was a very good
decision of the manager.
"But, when you see the overall long ball percentage, West Ham have played 71
per cent of their long balls to the forwards and we 49. When you have 60 per
cent ball possession you cannot play long balls. "So again, they did it 71
and we 49, and I give it you, you can copy it and then maybe you can go to
Big Sam and he will get a good interpretation."
According to stats site Who Scored, Manchester United enjoyed 57 per cent
possession to West Ham's 43 per cent during Sunday's match, which ended 1-1
- making a total of 414 passes to the Hammers' 284. Whilst West Ham made 57
long passes, Manchester United made 86 - regardless of the direction.
Additionally 49 of West Ham's passes were played aerially, compared to 65
from Manchester United.
West Ham made a total of 226 forward passes compared to the Red Devils' 316
- playing the ball back 105 times, in contract to the visitors' 152 passes
toward their own goal.
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Poyet learning his trade, happy as back-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Diego Poyet has revealed he is happy being a squad member at West Ham - for
now. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who would no doubt be banging down
the manager's door demanding a place in the first team, the 19-year-old
midfielder displayed a refreshing attitude to life as a Premier League
footballer. And instead of complaining about his lack of opportunities -
Poyet has featured on just five occasions for West Ham so far - the
youngster insists that he is enjoying his time learning from his peers. "I'm
really enjoying it at West Ham," he told kicca.com. "People sometimes think
I'm not enjoying it as I'm not playing as much as I was last year at
Charlton, but I'm part of a great team and a great club who are doing well
in the Premier League and the FA Cup.
"I'm very, very happy here and happy to be a squad player for now and wait
for my chance. If I need game time I play for the club's Under-21 side so it
keeps me ticking over, get minutes under my belt and then I'll be ready
should my chance come. "I'm only 19 and there a lot of quality players in
front of me, but I'll just keep training and be prepared when I get my
chance. Quality-wise it's been a big step up from Charlton but now I've got
used to it. It was quite tough as a new player at the start but now I really
feel part of it."
The Zaragoza-born Poyet, who learnt to speak both English and Spanish as a
child - the result of his father Gus' Uruguayan roots - also revealed that
he has developed a close relationship with fellow Spanish speaker Enner
Valencia, who along wih Diafra Sakho "have been on fire".
But it is another Spanish speaker in the squad - on loan Barca star Alex
Song - who he feels mostly connected to as a player. "He's a fantastic
person as well as a fantastic player," added Poyet. "Although he plays in
the same position as me and limits my chances I learn so much off him.
"When I watch the games I just watch him as that can only help me. He
assists more than people think, has got a great pass on him and is so
comfortable on the ball. He's a very important player for us."
Poyet's five appearances for West Ham since making the switch from Charlton
last summer have included three in the Premier League (at Crystal Palace,
Manchester United and Swansea), one in the FA Cup (Everton away) and just
the one appearance in front of the Boleyn faithful (Sheffield United in the
Capital One Cup). He also featured twice for Huddersfield during a
month-long loan spell last November.
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West Ham closing in on former Chelsea star Lassana Diarra
Last Updated: 10/02/15 11:39am
SSN
Former Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra is training with West Ham with
a view to earning a short-term contract. Diarra is a free agent after having
his contract at Lokomotiv Moscow terminated last August following a fall-out
with coach Leonid Kuchuk. The 29-year-old has been linked with Newcastle,
Queens Park Rangers and Celtic in the last few months. But the former
Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth player hopes to secure a deal at West Ham
until the end of the campaign. Upton Park boss Sam Allardyce confirmed the
news at his press conference ahead of Wednesday's Premier League match at
Southampton. "He is training with us," he said. "I'm not so sure whether
we've finalised a deal yet but he has been doing a little bit of training
with us. "I think the deal is very close to being finalised and I think on
the basis of where we are at the minute with our squad and the injuries, as
soon as we get him fit he'll be a really good addition based on his previous
record as a footballer. "He won't be on the bench on Wednesday or Saturday
against West Brom but I certainly hope with a few good days training with
the lads he'll be close in seven or 10 days... if he signs the contract."
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High-flying Southampton take on West Ham at St Mary's Stadium
Last Updated: 10/02/15 4:20pm
SSN
High-flying Southampton will look to maintain their challenge for Champions
League football when they host West Ham at St Mary's Stadium.
Saints needed a stoppage-time goal from Sadio Mane to beat Queens Park
Rangers 1-0 at Loftus Road at the weekend and are now third in the Premier
League table with 14 matches remaining after Manchester United, Arsenal and
Liverpool all dropped points over the weekend.
The Hammers will hope to respond from a result which felt like a loss after
they were denied maximum points when Daley Blind cancelled out Cheikhou
Kouyate's opener at Upton Park on Super Sunday. Sam Allardyce's side have
been hit by a spate of injuries over the last few weeks and have slipped
from fourth spot in late December to eighth in the table with just one win
in their last seven league games.
United will also face Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal before the middle of
March, but the Hammers will take heart from their display against United as
they head to the south coast.
Team news
Southampton will be once again be without Ryan Bertrand (suspension) and
Toby Alderweireld (hamstring). Matt Targett deputised for Bertrand at QPR,
but is doubtful after suffering a first-half head injury, even though
manager Ronald Koeman confirmed the youngster had escaped serious damage.
Sam Allardyce will be forced to field James Tomkins, despite the defender
suffering from a broken nose. Tomkins was caught by Robin van Persie's arm
in Sunday's draw with Manchester United but, with fellow central defenders
Winston Reid and James Collins (both hamstring) still missing, he will again
partner stand-in Cheikhou Kouyate at St Mary's. Allardyce was full of praise
for the Senegal international's performance, which he crowned with a
delightful goal that saw him juggle the ball twice before volleying home.
Allardyce is hopeful Andy Carroll may be available after recovering from an
ankle injury but captain Kevin Nolan (foot) is a doubt whilst Diego Poyet
and Doneil Henry are missing with unspecified problems. Former Real Madrid
midfielder Lassana Diarra is training with the club who are considering
offering the Frenchman a short-term deal until the end of the season.
Opta stats
Southampton have won only one of their last seven home Premier League
matches where the opposition has scored.
The Hammers have won just one of their last seven Premier League away games
(W1 D3 L3).
Following five successive wins, Southampton have lost three of their last
six Premier League home matches (W2 D1 L3).
Southampton have hit the woodwork 14 times in the Premier League this
season; more often than any other team. Graziano Pelle is responsible for
six of these.
West Ham's next Premier League defeat will be their 300th in the
competition.
Merson's prediction
There's not a lot between these two teams. Southampton are still up there,
playing well, and they've had a bit of luck at the same time, but the games
are reeling off now. Before you know it, we'll be down to single-figure
games, and if they're up there, they have a big chance. This is a test for
both teams, who have been surprise packages this term. PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1
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Sam Allardyce backs James Tomkins' claim Robin van Persie deliberately
elbowed him
14:35, 10 February 2015 By Darren Lewis
The Hammers boss has come out to support his player, while he has also
confirmed that the club are close to landing Lassana Diarra on a free
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has has backed James Tomkins' claim that he was deliberately
elbowed by Robin van Persie and accused the Dutchman of trying to "take him
out". Mirror Sport revealed earlier on Tuesday that Tomkins has been left
annoyed by the challenge - which took place in West Ham's 1-1 draw at home
to Manchester United on Sunday. Tomkins, 25, had his nose accidentally
broken by Reds midfielder Marouane Fellaini during the match. But he was
left more incensed by what he described as a "malicious" act by Van Persie.
Allardyce said: "I thought it was pretty naughty. The old: 'Have a little
look see where the defender is' then take him out. "But the assistant
referee decided to flag for a foul and I thought it was much more than
that."
Tomkins had said: "It is tough to say he does it deliberately. But with the
Van Persie one, I think he has a look at me first then he has gone for me."
The Hammers are also frustrated by the lack of action taken by the officials
over the incident. The FA have already confirmed there will be no
retrospective punishment as it was seen by the assistant referee. Allardyce
revealed Tomkins remains in line to play in tomorrow night's crunch clash at
Southampton with both clubs pushing for the top four. He added: "He has
broken his nose but I dont think its severe enough to concern us abut
leaving him out. So that's okay. "As long as he is fit and available to play
on Wednesday that's the most important thing for us."
Meanwhile Allardyce is hopeful of signing ex-Real Madrid midfielder Lassana
Diarra on a free transfer after confirming the France international is
training with the Hammers. Diarra, 29, has been without a club since a
bust-up saw him quit Lokomotiv Moscow in August. He was close to signing for
QPR last summer but the deal was blocked by the Russian club who still held
his registration. Once that situation was resolved West Ham tried to do a
deal with the ex-Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth star. But they balked at
his wage demands and turned their attentions to Manchester United's Darren
Fletcher. With that deal breaking down, however, the Hammers have turned
back to Diarra who has worked hard to impress in training and is close to
match fitness. A deal is expected to be completed in the coming days.
Allardyce said: "He is training with us. "I'm not so sure whether we have
finalised a deal yet but he is doing a little bit of training with us. The
deal is very close to being finalised and on the basis of where we are with
our squad and the injuries, once we have him fit he will be a very good
addition based on his previous record as a footballer." "He won't be in any
good shape in terms of being on the bench on Wednesday or on the bench on
Saturday against West Brom," added Allardyce. "But I certainly hope that,
with a good few days training with the lads, he will be close in seven to 10
days if he finally signs the contract."
If the move comes off, it could be seen as something of a coup for the
Hammers as Diarra brings experience and has also tasted trophy success,
winning the FA Cup with both Chelsea and Portsmouth and the Spanish title at
Madrid.
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Robin van Persie deserved FA ban for his elbow on James Tomkins, claims Jose
Mourinho
14:20, 10 February 2015 By Adrian Kajumba
Chelsea boss says Manchester United striker should have been punished for
clash with West Ham defender during Sunday's 1-1 draw at Upton Park
The Mirror
Jose Mourinho believes Robin van Persie deserved to be hit with an FA ban -
just like his star striker Diego Costa was. Chelsea boss Mourinho was
stunned Manchester United frontman Van Persie escaped punishment for
catching West Ham defender James Tomkins with a flailing arm in Sunday's 1-1
draw. Mourinho hit out at the inconsistency after seeing Costa receive a
retrospective three-game ban for stamping on Liverpool midfielder Emre Can
last month Referee Mark Clattenburg saw Van Persie's clash with Tomkins and
decided to only award West Ham a free-kick. Mourinho said: "I need a little
bit more time to forget why my player was suspended, to understand why some
people are punished and others aren't. "I need a little bit more time to
process that. I was with (had) lots of attention this weekend.
The same people who suspended my player didn't want to suspend a player this
weekend, and a player could have been suspended this weekend and he wasn't.
"I'm still processing that information."
Mourinho didn't name Van Persie but when asked who he was referring to, the
Blues boss mimicked the Dutchman's action at Upton Park by swinging his arm
in the air. The Special One said: "Somebody who did this in the face of
somebody, and nothing happened. I know that if it was one of mine…" And
Mourinho brought up two more cases from last season to back up his claims of
double standards when it comes to Chelsea and the punishments dished out.
That came after Manchester City's Yaya Toure was let off despite being
caught on camera kicking Norwich's Ricky van Wolfswinkel in another incident
missed by the officials. Mourinho said: "Last season, the same thing
happened when Ramires was suspended but a Man City player kicked a player at
Norwich who was on the floor and nothing happened. I'm used to it."
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West Ham set for multi million windfall
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 10, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
It has just been announced that Premier League TV Rights have been sold for
£5.136 billion for 2016-2019 up from £3.018 billion for the current deal
with Sky and BT. Sky will pay £4.176 billion – £11.04m per game while BT
will pay £960m – £7.6m per game The extra £2.1 billion will be shared by the
20 Premier League clubs meaning each club could receive as much as £33
million per season. Although a formula is yet to be worked out the money
will be divided according to an equal share, facility fees depending on the
number of games shown on TV plus a merit payment based on your final league
position. Last season the Hammers earned £21,631,444 in an equal share,
£11,584,228 in facility fees and £9,888,664 in a merit payment for finishing
13th in UK rights plus another £26,295,817 for overseas rights and
£4,270,850 from commercial rights. The total of £73,671,003 for last season
will be completely blown away by the new TV rights deal and as long as we
can stay in the Premier League for the 2016/2017 in the Olympic Stadium we
could be in line for as much as £150m of TV rights money for that season,
maybe more!
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Landslide could affect fans travel to Hawthorns
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 10, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Following a landslide on the rail route between London and Birmingham,
Chiltern Railways are currently unable to run direct trains from Marylebone
to the West Midlands. Trains are running from London to Banbury, and from
Leamington Spa to the West Midlands. Between Banbury and Leamington Spa a
"step-straight-on" replacement bus operates. Chiltern Railways say they are
aware that this may affect some West Ham fans that are travelling to the
Hawthorns on the 14th February who have already purchased train tickets, and
can provide the following advice below:
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Gold: "Nothing's changed with Sam"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 10, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold has told Tony Cottee there will be no contract talks with Sam
Allardyce until the end of the season! The former Hammers striker had used
this website to blast the two Davids for not getting a deal sorted out now
claiming the manager has done everything that could have been expected of
him. And he believes the end of season is thew wrong time anyway explaining
that it creates a climate of uncertainty throughout the club. But speaking
exclsuively to ClaretandHugh, the co chairman said: "It's the way we do our
business – it's the way things work with us and nothing will change.
"Whether we are top of the league or bottom we talk at the end of the
season. It's very simple and very straightforward and that's how it will be
again. "Sam Allardyce's west Ham future will be sorted out when the campaign
comes to an end – that's the top and bottom of it."
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Cottee blast for owners over Allardyce
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 10, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Tony Cottee has delivered an icy "what are you waiting for" blast at the two
Davids following Sam Allardyce's admission that there has been no contract
offer to him yet! Asked in his morning presser whether there had been any
discussions Allardyce said: "Not yet. There's still a way to go but we'll
talk when the time is right." And Cottee -talking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh admitted: "I don't get it – what are the owners waiting for?
They are playing Russian roulette with the club. "It's not what's right for
them, Karren Brady, Sam Allardyce or anyone else but what's best for West
Ham United. "I really don't know what else Sam and Neil McDonald have to do
to get a new deal. They have done everything required and this idea that the
owners only do business at the end of the season is wrong. "There are
pre-season tours to be organised and why would Sam be interested if he isn't
sure whether he will be here.
"The fact is he is standing there with a fantastic record and nobody has
made a move in his direction – I just don't get it because there are plenty
of clubs who will want Sam Allardyce . "He keeps teams in the division and
it's desperately important we stay up next season and the one after that as
our first in the new stadium. The owners need to get the deal done."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Wednesday, February 11
Tuesday, February 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th February 2015
Kouyate's pride in 'special' strike
WHUFC.com
It was a case of mixed emotions for goalscorer Cheikhou Kouyate on Sunday
evening
09.02.2015
Cheikhou Kouyate's delight at scoring a wonder goal against Manchester
United was tinged with disappointment after West Ham United surrendered two
points in the dying seconds on Sunday. Deployed at centre-half in the
absence of Winston Reid and James Collins, the 25-year-old was supreme at
the back and, somewhat surprisingly, devastating in the opposition box. When
a Mark Noble free-kick had ricocheted into his path, Kouyate, with his back
to goal, showed off his fancy footwork in abundance, twice juggling the ball
before volleying home on the swivel with a stunning third touch. His best
yet, revealed the West Ham No8, and a goal that owed plenty, apparently, to
Diafra Sakho's prophecy! "It's a beautiful goal because yesterday I spoke
with Diafra and he told me, 'tomorrow you're going to score' and I said,
'yes, tomorrow I'm going to score'," he told West Ham TV. "I had a bit of
luck and for me it's magnificent, fantastic but a shame that we weren't able
to win, because had we won on Sunday, it would have been even better."
His 49th minute strike was instinctive, Kouyate insists, even if it had
plenty of artistry about it. And the Senegal man was thrilled at the
prospect of taunting his many Manchester United supporting friends, who had
clearly envisaged an altogether different outcome.
He continued: "I had no choice. I was in the box, you have to shoot. I
controlled it, I turned and I hit it. That was the only thing I could do and
with a bit of luck it's finished up in the back of the net. "It's special
because I've got friends who are Manchester United fans who sent me messages
saying 'tomorrow, you're going to be in trouble'. I know that they watched
the game, that they'll have seen my goal. It's a shame that we've not won,
otherwise I'd have phoned them straight away. But that's how it goes and I'm
still pleased to have scored today against Manchester United."
Goal aside, Kouyate could hardly look beyond the frustration of passing up
two precious points and the opportunity to climb back into the top seven.
The athletic midfielder lamented West Ham's failure to kill off the contest
after the break and says they have learned the hard way. That said, he
believes the Hammers' progress is clear for all to see and feels they should
be proud of their exertions on Sunday. "I'd say it's a disappointment
because we had victory in our grasp and we've just lost two points at home.
It's frustrating, but we make do with it, that's football. We all know that
it's never over until the very end and we'll learn from it for the games to
come.
"We deserved the three points because we had the chances, in the second half
we had one or two, if we'd scored the second goal it would have been
finished. But we well know that it's always the way that you have to the
kill the match when you can. We didn't do it and now we've got to learn from
it. "We continue to progress and had we won we'd have reclaimed seventh
place, because seventh remains the aim. We've missed it, what's done is
done, and tonight we have to rediscover that fight until the end and be
proud of ourselves."
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Cresswell - 'We're still full of confidence'
WHUFC.com
Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will not let Manchester United's
last-gasp equaliser dent confidence
09.02.2015
Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will not let Manchester United's
last-gasp equaliser dent their confidence. The Hammers were denied a
deserved victory over the Red Devils by Daley Blind's added-time volley - a
goal which cancelled out Man of the Match Cheikhou Kouyate's outstanding
49th-minute opener. West Ham return to action at third-place Southampton on
Wednesday evening, when Cresswell expects Sam Allardyce's side to produce
the same level of performance as they did on Sunday. "It feels like we've
lost the game when, in reality, we've got the draw," said the left-back, who
was at his usual consistent best against Louis Van Gaal's team. "We got one
point instead of three, but we're still full of confidence because we
deserved the three points over the 90 minutes, but it wasn't to be.
"We've been there before over the Christmas period when you play
Saturday/Tuesday or Saturday/Wednesday. We'll be full of confidence going to
Southampton on Wednesday and we're all looking forward to it. "Obviously
we've had a good first half to the season, you could say. We're well into
the second half to the season now and we're eighth in the league. "Coming up
against Manchester United we always knew it would be a tough game, but when
we're at home we fancy ourselves against anyone."
On Sunday, West Ham bounced back superbly following their indifferent
display at Liverpool the previous weekend - highlighted by an outstanding
individual goal from stand-in centre-back Kouyate. "We played Liverpool last
week and I don't think we were so good. In the first half we were OK but in
the second half we weren't good enough. Against Man United were we good for
the whole 90 minutes and you could all see that we fully deserved the three
points. "I don't think Cheik quite knew what he was doing! No, it was a
great finish from him. He has come in at centre-half, when he hasn't played
there all season, and he's done an excellent job and got Man of the Match."
Going into the final minutes, West Ham looked secure, despite heavy pressure
from the visitors. After Cresswell himself had blocked Wayne Rooney's fierce
free-kick, a hopeful cross into the box dropped to Blind, who steered his
volley into the bottom corner to break Hammers hearts. "I don't think we
switched off," he explained. "It was more that with ten minutes to go and we
were 1-0 up and they were always going to peg us back. They brought on
Marouane Fellaini, who is a big fella, and the ball fell to Blind on the
edge of the box and to be fair to the lad it was a great finish."
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Allardyce on... Manchester United
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 9th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce was delighted with his team's performance, even if he was less
enthused by the result. Read what he had to say - and what he refused to say
- in his post-match press conference, which we bring to you exclusively in
full here on KUMB...
Sam: That probably felt more like a defeat than a draw. So close to a win -
did you feel you needed a second goal?
I do now! We had many opportunities today and it was a great shame that we
conceded a goal as late as we did. It wasn't the normal sort of goal you
concede against Man United really - it was pumped up the middle and our
player who headed it, so it wasn't from any great play at all.
It was just a great shame that we couldn't hold out. I feel Manchester
United had David De Gea to thank for keeping them in the game that long,
with the amount of saves that he had to make today. It was a fantastic
performance, but not the result we deserved or wanted.
But, we're back to a level that we know we can play at - which has been
difficult to get to over the Christmas and New Year period with injuries,
the African Nations Cup and so on and so forth. We still had our injuries
today but the 11 players plus Matt Jarvis, who was on for a while, did a
terrific job and produced a terrific performance. They really should be
satisfied and very proud with what they've done today.
Louis Van Gaal said it was his Plan B to get Fellaini on and play the ball
up to him. Are you surprised that [Manchester] United...
...What, played the long balls?
Yes.
Oh. [laughs]
Well you might just criticise Louis Van Gaal for playing the long ball as
much as you sometimes criticise me for being direct! In the end it's paid
off for him, so you can't knock it. It only paid off because Carl Jenkinson
didn't head the ball where he wanted to - if it had, perhaps we would have
won 1-0.
I hope we can keep that level of performance up, as I think they were
terrific here today. They showed great energy and quality to get a huge
amount of chances in Manchester United's final third and like I said, I
think they had David De Gea to thank more than Blind, the goalscorer - and
that shows how well we've played today.
At the end of the day that wasn't a bad finish for a centre back, was it?
No, not bad at all. We really restricted Manchester United's quality which
was pleasing for me. I think that was a big part of whether we'd get a
result today. I have to give the players credit for how well they've
defended as well as for how well they played in possession, which was for
us, almost the perfect performance.
What did you think when the goal went in?
I can't repeat it. [laughs]
That was Kouyate's first start for you at centre back. Have you seen him
play there before?
I think he filled in there early on in the season for 10 or 15 minutes but
he's played there for Anderlecht and Senegal. What we didn't know was could
he play with the tactical awareness and discipline you have to possess as a
central defender in the Premier League? Of course, he proved he could.
The icing on the cake for him was the quality of his goal. In such a tight
area, to flick it round and volley it in a small space was a terrific piece
of skill. At that time, it was nothing more than we had deserved.
With the quality you showed today, do you consider the Champions League as
an objective?
I think that would be very difficult for us. When you see the strength and
depth of Manchester United; they can bring Fellaini on when we've got a
couple of young kids on the bench. We get the maximum out of the depth of
our squad, but it's probably not quite big enough to take you into the
Champions League. But we'll keep trying!
How's it looking on the injury front? [James] Collins and [Andy] Carroll,
are they likely to play next week?
Andy had a fitness test today; I think it's only possibly he could make it
on Wednesday. Hopefully - not that I've heard anything today - but certainly
by tomorrow the only problem we've got is recovering these players for
Southampton. We can't really take any more injuries and keep that level of
performance - a fantastic performance today by everybody. We don't want any
more injuries than we've already got.
Can I ask a question about Ravel Morrison?
No.
Sakho and Valencia worked so well together and set the tone for the team,
closing their centre backs down and not letting them play?
Absolutely. The reason behind us doing so well today was that when we
weren't in possession, closing down as a team was key to upsetting
Manchester United. That stopped their service into Falcao, Van Persie,
Rooney and Di Maria - and I think that was a keynote of the game.
We forced Manchester United into more mistakes than you would normally see.
We got at their back four, stretched them and created opportunities to
score. Not only in open play, but we were also very dangerous off set plays
today.
Thank you very much.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins: Fellaini broke my nose
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 9th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has revealed he suffered a broken nose following a second half
challenge by Manchester United substitute Marouane Fellaini.
The tempestuous midfielder left West Ham's only fully fit centre half in
considerable pain after catching him on the hooter during today's 1-1 draw
at the Boleyn, which West Ham led until Daley Blind's stoppage-time
equaliser. Yet according to Tomkins, Fellaini's challenge was far less
spiteful than Robin Van Persie's first half elbow - an infringement that was
punished with nothing more than a free kick by referee Mark Clattenburg
despite being clearly visible from all areas of the ground.
Whilst he ended the game battered, bruised and just a little bit broken, the
25-year-old defender produced an excellent performance alongside stand-in
defender Cheik Kouyate. The pair marshalled Manchester United's expensive
front line superbly with Kouyate's goal being the cherry on the cake.
Tomkins, who was speaking to the Recorder's Dave Evans, added that he
expects to be fine to face Southampton at St Mary's on Wednesday night -
which is more than be said for fellow defenders Winston Reid and James
Collins, neither of whom are expected to recover from injury in time to
feature.
That means Kouyate is likely to partner the Basildon-born defender for a
second successive game, in what is bound to prove another tough test against
one of the division's front-runners.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing admits disappointment at Manchester United draw
Last Updated: 09/02/15 12:47pm
SSN
Stewart Downing admits West Ham are disappointed at not collecting all three
points against Manchester United on Sunday. Danny Blind's stoppage-time
equaliser earned United a share of the spoils at Upton Park as West Ham
missed the chance to move ahead of Liverpool following their Merseyside
derby draw at Everton. "We needed the win to go back above Liverpool, but we
didn't lose the game and got a point, so we can go to Southampton and look
to win," Downing said. "We're frustrated because we thought we were the
better team. They played a lot more direct than I thought they would, but we
dealt with it and it's the only real chance they've had." Left-back Aaron
Cresswell praised midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate who was deployed in defence
against United and scored a superb volley to put the Hammers in front. "I
don't think he quite knew what he was doing," Cresswell joked. "It was a
great finish. He has come into centre-half and he did an excellent job and
deserved man of the match. "We are still full of confidence and we know we
deserved the full three points over the 90 minutes and it was not to be,"
Cresswell added. "We are full of confidence for Southampton on Wednesday and
we are looking forward to it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Tomkins claims "malicious" Robin van Persie deliberately elbowed him
in Upton Park clash
11:54, 9 February 2015 By Darren Lewis
The West Ham centre back had his nose broken by Marouane Fellaini later in
the game but felt the Dutchman's challenge was worse
The Mirror
West Ham defender James Tomkins has accused "malicious" Robin van Persie of
deliberately elbowing him. Tomkins, 25, had his nose broken by midfielder
Marouane Fellani in yesterday's side's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at
Upton Park. But while he believes that act was accidental, he has claimed
Van Persie's was intentional. Tomkins said: "The nose is a bit swollen.
Fellaini was the second time in the match when I broke it. He has always got
that about him when he goes up with his hands a lot." "It is tough to say
that he does it deliberately, but with the Van Persie one, I think he had a
look at me first and then he has gone for me. "I think that was more
malicious than the other one, even though I came out worse the second time."
The centre-back has also admitted to being astonished that the Holland
striker was not even cautioned after the incident by referee Mark
Clattenburg. He added: "I think it was definitely a yellow at least, but I
don't like to say that some should have got sent off. I am sure that there
are challenges that I might make in the future that could be yellow or
something else."
Tomkins was himself castigated earlier this season after an incident in
which he went down holding his face theatrically at Everton. He believes his
decision to get up quickly yesterday saved Van Persie from greater scrutiny.
He added: "Obviously when I went down before it didn't cover me in glory to
be honest, so I tried to get up more quickly, but he did catch me, he caught
me sweet around the jaw. "I was expecting a little bit of physical contact
from strikers, but when someone looks round and then comes for me it is a
bit more malicious."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lassana Diarra continues to train with Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
According to several reliable sources, free agent Lassana Diarra continues
to train with West Ham in hope of securing a permanent contract and to proof
his fitness levels. It is claimed Diarra has been training with Hammer's
head of medicine Stijn Vandenbroucke, whom he previously worked with at
Anzhi Makhachkala. The 29-year-old French man was previously played for
Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid has been linked with a move to Celtic or
QPR.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Euro giants get Irons "hands off" warning
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have tonight knocked back stories that AC Milan have made a bid for
Cheikhou Kouyate. Kouyate, 25, eventually joined the Hammers from Anderlecht
in June at around £7 million fee and according to Calciomercato has been the
subject of an AC approach. But a Hammers source immediately knocked back the
storytelling ClaretandHugh: "That's news to us and Cheik is simply not to
sale – end of story.
The Hammers goalscorer against Manchester United – who was outstanding as an
emergency central defender – is another bargain buy by the club having been
scouted by Sam Allardyce to become the first major signing of last summer.
Kouyate's form has been monitored by AC but the player is very content with
life at the Irons and is locked down until 2018. Calciomercato has reported
the Hammers have been approached about a possible summer move but our source
said: " Cheik was desperate for the move to this club and there's no chance
of him leaving in the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton Cole touched by home coming
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole seemed visibly touched by the response of Hammers fans
welcoming him back to the Boleyn ground on Sunday afternoon. The 31 year
old veteran striker showed his appreciation as he warmed up along the touch
lines close the West and Sir Trevor Brooking stands with 16 year old Reece
Oxford.
Hammers fans broke into spontaneous applause for the loyal Hammer after he
was denied his move at the last minute to West Bromwich Albion on transfer
deadline day. Fans also broke into several choruses of his Cole's Always
believe in your soul, Your indestructible, Always believe in, Carlton Cole
song.
On Friday Allardyce confirmed in his London Standard column "I really did
feel for the boy but it was a necessity based on what hadn't happened
earlier. David Sullivan and I had recognised he needed to go but
circumstances dictated otherwise. It has been reported that Carlton had a
rant at me on the phone and that was right. There's nothing wrong with that
— he was entitled to give us a b*****king. He'd just been offered a
long-term deal at West Brom while his contract with us is up this summer and
he doesn't know whether he will be given another one."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former Hammer joins Chicago Fire
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Former Hammer Alou Diarra has joined Chicago Fire on trial on Sunday, a
team spokesperson confirmed linking the free agent to a permanent move to
the MLS side. According to a report in Lequipe, Diarra also has interest
from Ligue 2 side Sochaux following trials at Brighton & Hove Albion and AS
Nancy. He has been without a club since leaving West Ham in July 2014 after
his contract was mutually terminated. Diarra joined West Ham United on a
three-year contract in August 2012, for a £2.5m fee on £40,000 per week.
Diarra was claimed to be earning £60,000 per week with his previous club
Marseille. Diarra is believed to have been paid off around £1.5m of his £2m
wages to leave West Ham early.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons on Oxford loan chances
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret &Hugh
Reece Oxford will continue to be kept in cotton wool until the end of the
season at least! Despite media pressure suggesting the teenager could
receive his first team debut against Manchester United yesterday, there was
never a real hope of it happening. Manager Sam Allardyce kept him on the
bench to ensure he continues to taste the big match atmosphere but first
team action remains very much in the distance. And despite some speculation,
a source told us this morning that there is no chance even of Reece being
sent out on loan this season as is the preferred Sam Allardyce method of
development for his youngsters. Despite the 16 year old's huge reputation as
the best prospect the club has produced since the days of Rio Ferdinand, the
club are not ready to send him in that direction just yet.
A well placed source told ClaretandHugh: "Yes, he has tremendous talent, yes
he is a marvelous prospect but he was only 16 the other day. "To put him out
on loan in the emergency window is premature – he will be handled very
carefully because we believe he's going to the top of his profession with
the correct handling."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
It was a case of mixed emotions for goalscorer Cheikhou Kouyate on Sunday
evening
09.02.2015
Cheikhou Kouyate's delight at scoring a wonder goal against Manchester
United was tinged with disappointment after West Ham United surrendered two
points in the dying seconds on Sunday. Deployed at centre-half in the
absence of Winston Reid and James Collins, the 25-year-old was supreme at
the back and, somewhat surprisingly, devastating in the opposition box. When
a Mark Noble free-kick had ricocheted into his path, Kouyate, with his back
to goal, showed off his fancy footwork in abundance, twice juggling the ball
before volleying home on the swivel with a stunning third touch. His best
yet, revealed the West Ham No8, and a goal that owed plenty, apparently, to
Diafra Sakho's prophecy! "It's a beautiful goal because yesterday I spoke
with Diafra and he told me, 'tomorrow you're going to score' and I said,
'yes, tomorrow I'm going to score'," he told West Ham TV. "I had a bit of
luck and for me it's magnificent, fantastic but a shame that we weren't able
to win, because had we won on Sunday, it would have been even better."
His 49th minute strike was instinctive, Kouyate insists, even if it had
plenty of artistry about it. And the Senegal man was thrilled at the
prospect of taunting his many Manchester United supporting friends, who had
clearly envisaged an altogether different outcome.
He continued: "I had no choice. I was in the box, you have to shoot. I
controlled it, I turned and I hit it. That was the only thing I could do and
with a bit of luck it's finished up in the back of the net. "It's special
because I've got friends who are Manchester United fans who sent me messages
saying 'tomorrow, you're going to be in trouble'. I know that they watched
the game, that they'll have seen my goal. It's a shame that we've not won,
otherwise I'd have phoned them straight away. But that's how it goes and I'm
still pleased to have scored today against Manchester United."
Goal aside, Kouyate could hardly look beyond the frustration of passing up
two precious points and the opportunity to climb back into the top seven.
The athletic midfielder lamented West Ham's failure to kill off the contest
after the break and says they have learned the hard way. That said, he
believes the Hammers' progress is clear for all to see and feels they should
be proud of their exertions on Sunday. "I'd say it's a disappointment
because we had victory in our grasp and we've just lost two points at home.
It's frustrating, but we make do with it, that's football. We all know that
it's never over until the very end and we'll learn from it for the games to
come.
"We deserved the three points because we had the chances, in the second half
we had one or two, if we'd scored the second goal it would have been
finished. But we well know that it's always the way that you have to the
kill the match when you can. We didn't do it and now we've got to learn from
it. "We continue to progress and had we won we'd have reclaimed seventh
place, because seventh remains the aim. We've missed it, what's done is
done, and tonight we have to rediscover that fight until the end and be
proud of ourselves."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell - 'We're still full of confidence'
WHUFC.com
Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will not let Manchester United's
last-gasp equaliser dent confidence
09.02.2015
Aaron Cresswell says West Ham United will not let Manchester United's
last-gasp equaliser dent their confidence. The Hammers were denied a
deserved victory over the Red Devils by Daley Blind's added-time volley - a
goal which cancelled out Man of the Match Cheikhou Kouyate's outstanding
49th-minute opener. West Ham return to action at third-place Southampton on
Wednesday evening, when Cresswell expects Sam Allardyce's side to produce
the same level of performance as they did on Sunday. "It feels like we've
lost the game when, in reality, we've got the draw," said the left-back, who
was at his usual consistent best against Louis Van Gaal's team. "We got one
point instead of three, but we're still full of confidence because we
deserved the three points over the 90 minutes, but it wasn't to be.
"We've been there before over the Christmas period when you play
Saturday/Tuesday or Saturday/Wednesday. We'll be full of confidence going to
Southampton on Wednesday and we're all looking forward to it. "Obviously
we've had a good first half to the season, you could say. We're well into
the second half to the season now and we're eighth in the league. "Coming up
against Manchester United we always knew it would be a tough game, but when
we're at home we fancy ourselves against anyone."
On Sunday, West Ham bounced back superbly following their indifferent
display at Liverpool the previous weekend - highlighted by an outstanding
individual goal from stand-in centre-back Kouyate. "We played Liverpool last
week and I don't think we were so good. In the first half we were OK but in
the second half we weren't good enough. Against Man United were we good for
the whole 90 minutes and you could all see that we fully deserved the three
points. "I don't think Cheik quite knew what he was doing! No, it was a
great finish from him. He has come in at centre-half, when he hasn't played
there all season, and he's done an excellent job and got Man of the Match."
Going into the final minutes, West Ham looked secure, despite heavy pressure
from the visitors. After Cresswell himself had blocked Wayne Rooney's fierce
free-kick, a hopeful cross into the box dropped to Blind, who steered his
volley into the bottom corner to break Hammers hearts. "I don't think we
switched off," he explained. "It was more that with ten minutes to go and we
were 1-0 up and they were always going to peg us back. They brought on
Marouane Fellaini, who is a big fella, and the ball fell to Blind on the
edge of the box and to be fair to the lad it was a great finish."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Manchester United
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 9th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce was delighted with his team's performance, even if he was less
enthused by the result. Read what he had to say - and what he refused to say
- in his post-match press conference, which we bring to you exclusively in
full here on KUMB...
Sam: That probably felt more like a defeat than a draw. So close to a win -
did you feel you needed a second goal?
I do now! We had many opportunities today and it was a great shame that we
conceded a goal as late as we did. It wasn't the normal sort of goal you
concede against Man United really - it was pumped up the middle and our
player who headed it, so it wasn't from any great play at all.
It was just a great shame that we couldn't hold out. I feel Manchester
United had David De Gea to thank for keeping them in the game that long,
with the amount of saves that he had to make today. It was a fantastic
performance, but not the result we deserved or wanted.
But, we're back to a level that we know we can play at - which has been
difficult to get to over the Christmas and New Year period with injuries,
the African Nations Cup and so on and so forth. We still had our injuries
today but the 11 players plus Matt Jarvis, who was on for a while, did a
terrific job and produced a terrific performance. They really should be
satisfied and very proud with what they've done today.
Louis Van Gaal said it was his Plan B to get Fellaini on and play the ball
up to him. Are you surprised that [Manchester] United...
...What, played the long balls?
Yes.
Oh. [laughs]
Well you might just criticise Louis Van Gaal for playing the long ball as
much as you sometimes criticise me for being direct! In the end it's paid
off for him, so you can't knock it. It only paid off because Carl Jenkinson
didn't head the ball where he wanted to - if it had, perhaps we would have
won 1-0.
I hope we can keep that level of performance up, as I think they were
terrific here today. They showed great energy and quality to get a huge
amount of chances in Manchester United's final third and like I said, I
think they had David De Gea to thank more than Blind, the goalscorer - and
that shows how well we've played today.
At the end of the day that wasn't a bad finish for a centre back, was it?
No, not bad at all. We really restricted Manchester United's quality which
was pleasing for me. I think that was a big part of whether we'd get a
result today. I have to give the players credit for how well they've
defended as well as for how well they played in possession, which was for
us, almost the perfect performance.
What did you think when the goal went in?
I can't repeat it. [laughs]
That was Kouyate's first start for you at centre back. Have you seen him
play there before?
I think he filled in there early on in the season for 10 or 15 minutes but
he's played there for Anderlecht and Senegal. What we didn't know was could
he play with the tactical awareness and discipline you have to possess as a
central defender in the Premier League? Of course, he proved he could.
The icing on the cake for him was the quality of his goal. In such a tight
area, to flick it round and volley it in a small space was a terrific piece
of skill. At that time, it was nothing more than we had deserved.
With the quality you showed today, do you consider the Champions League as
an objective?
I think that would be very difficult for us. When you see the strength and
depth of Manchester United; they can bring Fellaini on when we've got a
couple of young kids on the bench. We get the maximum out of the depth of
our squad, but it's probably not quite big enough to take you into the
Champions League. But we'll keep trying!
How's it looking on the injury front? [James] Collins and [Andy] Carroll,
are they likely to play next week?
Andy had a fitness test today; I think it's only possibly he could make it
on Wednesday. Hopefully - not that I've heard anything today - but certainly
by tomorrow the only problem we've got is recovering these players for
Southampton. We can't really take any more injuries and keep that level of
performance - a fantastic performance today by everybody. We don't want any
more injuries than we've already got.
Can I ask a question about Ravel Morrison?
No.
Sakho and Valencia worked so well together and set the tone for the team,
closing their centre backs down and not letting them play?
Absolutely. The reason behind us doing so well today was that when we
weren't in possession, closing down as a team was key to upsetting
Manchester United. That stopped their service into Falcao, Van Persie,
Rooney and Di Maria - and I think that was a keynote of the game.
We forced Manchester United into more mistakes than you would normally see.
We got at their back four, stretched them and created opportunities to
score. Not only in open play, but we were also very dangerous off set plays
today.
Thank you very much.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins: Fellaini broke my nose
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 9th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has revealed he suffered a broken nose following a second half
challenge by Manchester United substitute Marouane Fellaini.
The tempestuous midfielder left West Ham's only fully fit centre half in
considerable pain after catching him on the hooter during today's 1-1 draw
at the Boleyn, which West Ham led until Daley Blind's stoppage-time
equaliser. Yet according to Tomkins, Fellaini's challenge was far less
spiteful than Robin Van Persie's first half elbow - an infringement that was
punished with nothing more than a free kick by referee Mark Clattenburg
despite being clearly visible from all areas of the ground.
Whilst he ended the game battered, bruised and just a little bit broken, the
25-year-old defender produced an excellent performance alongside stand-in
defender Cheik Kouyate. The pair marshalled Manchester United's expensive
front line superbly with Kouyate's goal being the cherry on the cake.
Tomkins, who was speaking to the Recorder's Dave Evans, added that he
expects to be fine to face Southampton at St Mary's on Wednesday night -
which is more than be said for fellow defenders Winston Reid and James
Collins, neither of whom are expected to recover from injury in time to
feature.
That means Kouyate is likely to partner the Basildon-born defender for a
second successive game, in what is bound to prove another tough test against
one of the division's front-runners.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing admits disappointment at Manchester United draw
Last Updated: 09/02/15 12:47pm
SSN
Stewart Downing admits West Ham are disappointed at not collecting all three
points against Manchester United on Sunday. Danny Blind's stoppage-time
equaliser earned United a share of the spoils at Upton Park as West Ham
missed the chance to move ahead of Liverpool following their Merseyside
derby draw at Everton. "We needed the win to go back above Liverpool, but we
didn't lose the game and got a point, so we can go to Southampton and look
to win," Downing said. "We're frustrated because we thought we were the
better team. They played a lot more direct than I thought they would, but we
dealt with it and it's the only real chance they've had." Left-back Aaron
Cresswell praised midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate who was deployed in defence
against United and scored a superb volley to put the Hammers in front. "I
don't think he quite knew what he was doing," Cresswell joked. "It was a
great finish. He has come into centre-half and he did an excellent job and
deserved man of the match. "We are still full of confidence and we know we
deserved the full three points over the 90 minutes and it was not to be,"
Cresswell added. "We are full of confidence for Southampton on Wednesday and
we are looking forward to it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Tomkins claims "malicious" Robin van Persie deliberately elbowed him
in Upton Park clash
11:54, 9 February 2015 By Darren Lewis
The West Ham centre back had his nose broken by Marouane Fellaini later in
the game but felt the Dutchman's challenge was worse
The Mirror
West Ham defender James Tomkins has accused "malicious" Robin van Persie of
deliberately elbowing him. Tomkins, 25, had his nose broken by midfielder
Marouane Fellani in yesterday's side's 1-1 draw with Manchester United at
Upton Park. But while he believes that act was accidental, he has claimed
Van Persie's was intentional. Tomkins said: "The nose is a bit swollen.
Fellaini was the second time in the match when I broke it. He has always got
that about him when he goes up with his hands a lot." "It is tough to say
that he does it deliberately, but with the Van Persie one, I think he had a
look at me first and then he has gone for me. "I think that was more
malicious than the other one, even though I came out worse the second time."
The centre-back has also admitted to being astonished that the Holland
striker was not even cautioned after the incident by referee Mark
Clattenburg. He added: "I think it was definitely a yellow at least, but I
don't like to say that some should have got sent off. I am sure that there
are challenges that I might make in the future that could be yellow or
something else."
Tomkins was himself castigated earlier this season after an incident in
which he went down holding his face theatrically at Everton. He believes his
decision to get up quickly yesterday saved Van Persie from greater scrutiny.
He added: "Obviously when I went down before it didn't cover me in glory to
be honest, so I tried to get up more quickly, but he did catch me, he caught
me sweet around the jaw. "I was expecting a little bit of physical contact
from strikers, but when someone looks round and then comes for me it is a
bit more malicious."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lassana Diarra continues to train with Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
According to several reliable sources, free agent Lassana Diarra continues
to train with West Ham in hope of securing a permanent contract and to proof
his fitness levels. It is claimed Diarra has been training with Hammer's
head of medicine Stijn Vandenbroucke, whom he previously worked with at
Anzhi Makhachkala. The 29-year-old French man was previously played for
Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid has been linked with a move to Celtic or
QPR.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Euro giants get Irons "hands off" warning
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have tonight knocked back stories that AC Milan have made a bid for
Cheikhou Kouyate. Kouyate, 25, eventually joined the Hammers from Anderlecht
in June at around £7 million fee and according to Calciomercato has been the
subject of an AC approach. But a Hammers source immediately knocked back the
storytelling ClaretandHugh: "That's news to us and Cheik is simply not to
sale – end of story.
The Hammers goalscorer against Manchester United – who was outstanding as an
emergency central defender – is another bargain buy by the club having been
scouted by Sam Allardyce to become the first major signing of last summer.
Kouyate's form has been monitored by AC but the player is very content with
life at the Irons and is locked down until 2018. Calciomercato has reported
the Hammers have been approached about a possible summer move but our source
said: " Cheik was desperate for the move to this club and there's no chance
of him leaving in the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton Cole touched by home coming
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole seemed visibly touched by the response of Hammers fans
welcoming him back to the Boleyn ground on Sunday afternoon. The 31 year
old veteran striker showed his appreciation as he warmed up along the touch
lines close the West and Sir Trevor Brooking stands with 16 year old Reece
Oxford.
Hammers fans broke into spontaneous applause for the loyal Hammer after he
was denied his move at the last minute to West Bromwich Albion on transfer
deadline day. Fans also broke into several choruses of his Cole's Always
believe in your soul, Your indestructible, Always believe in, Carlton Cole
song.
On Friday Allardyce confirmed in his London Standard column "I really did
feel for the boy but it was a necessity based on what hadn't happened
earlier. David Sullivan and I had recognised he needed to go but
circumstances dictated otherwise. It has been reported that Carlton had a
rant at me on the phone and that was right. There's nothing wrong with that
— he was entitled to give us a b*****king. He'd just been offered a
long-term deal at West Brom while his contract with us is up this summer and
he doesn't know whether he will be given another one."
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Former Hammer joins Chicago Fire
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Former Hammer Alou Diarra has joined Chicago Fire on trial on Sunday, a
team spokesperson confirmed linking the free agent to a permanent move to
the MLS side. According to a report in Lequipe, Diarra also has interest
from Ligue 2 side Sochaux following trials at Brighton & Hove Albion and AS
Nancy. He has been without a club since leaving West Ham in July 2014 after
his contract was mutually terminated. Diarra joined West Ham United on a
three-year contract in August 2012, for a £2.5m fee on £40,000 per week.
Diarra was claimed to be earning £60,000 per week with his previous club
Marseille. Diarra is believed to have been paid off around £1.5m of his £2m
wages to leave West Ham early.
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Irons on Oxford loan chances
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 9, 2015 in Whispers
Claret &Hugh
Reece Oxford will continue to be kept in cotton wool until the end of the
season at least! Despite media pressure suggesting the teenager could
receive his first team debut against Manchester United yesterday, there was
never a real hope of it happening. Manager Sam Allardyce kept him on the
bench to ensure he continues to taste the big match atmosphere but first
team action remains very much in the distance. And despite some speculation,
a source told us this morning that there is no chance even of Reece being
sent out on loan this season as is the preferred Sam Allardyce method of
development for his youngsters. Despite the 16 year old's huge reputation as
the best prospect the club has produced since the days of Rio Ferdinand, the
club are not ready to send him in that direction just yet.
A well placed source told ClaretandHugh: "Yes, he has tremendous talent, yes
he is a marvelous prospect but he was only 16 the other day. "To put him out
on loan in the emergency window is premature – he will be handled very
carefully because we believe he's going to the top of his profession with
the correct handling."
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Monday, February 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th February 2015
Hammers denied by Blind's late show
WHUFC.com
A stoppage-time Daley Blind strike denies West Ham United all three Barclays Premier League points
08.02.2015
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United
A stoppage-time Daley Blind strike denied West Ham United all three Barclays Premier League points against Manchester United on Sunday, leaving the Hammers to rue missed chances in an outstanding Boleyn Ground display. Cheikhou Kouyate had earlier announced his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with a splendid strike to fire Sam Allardyce's men into a 49th minute lead, before birthday boy Carl Jenkinson and Mark Noble both went close to wrapping up the points. But there was to be a sting in the tail as Blind seized on Jenkinson's header to direct an exquisite half-volley into the bottom right corner and earn Louis van Gaal's side a share of the spoils.
It was arguably more than Manchester United deserved, not least on the balance of chances. They were, however, presented with the first sniff of a goal when Alex Song stroked a careless ball across his own box in the fifth minute. Robin van Persie duly intercepted but was denied by the swift intervention of centre-half for the day Kouyate. At the other end, Marcos Rojo's headed clearance fell kindly for Enner Valencia, who lashed it goalward from 20 yards and forced de Gea into action down low to his left. The Spaniard was again called upon from the resulting corner, this time tipping Valencia's acrobatic volley over the top from point-blank range. The Ecuadorian then led the breakout from a corner and having slipped in strike-partner Sakho, Antonio Valencia slid in to dispossess West Ham's top marksman. With 32 on the clock, Aaron Cresswell's free-kick picked out James Tomkins at the far post, whose downward header was repelled by a de Gea boot. Tomkins' aerial threat by now a recurring theme, having thrice threatened in the visitors' box.
Still West Ham came, once more on the counter. Rojo clumsily bundled into Valencia and then cynically took down Noble. Sakho picked up the pieces and broke away, but his square ball was deflected into the arms of de Gea, while the Argentine collected the afternoon's first caution. As the game ticked towards the interval, Angel Di Maria leathered one straight down Adrian's throat and two late Manchester United corners caused little alarm.
The Hammers were in front inside four second-half minutes and in spectacular fashion. Noble's free-kick ricocheted off Wayne Rooney into the path of Kouyate, who juggled it with his back to goal before slamming home on the volley with a thunderous third touch on the swivel. Quite the way to announce his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. The goal prompted the inevitable response, with Radamel Falcao firstly lashing a drive wide of Adrian's left-hand upright. Then van Persie ominously took aim from the right-hand side of the box, but slammed it straight into the midriff of Adrian. After Tomkins had timed his tackle to perfection to block another van Persie effort, before Jenkinson's right wing cross had de Gea worried as it drifted inches wide of the far post.
With 13 minutes still to play, Falcao arguably had the Reds' best chance, collecting from van Persie only to stab well wide of the post with just Adrian to beat. But the Spaniard had to be it at his very best moments later to foil van Persie with an outstretched right leg.
The Hammers might have settled it late on, but Noble side-footed straight at de Gea and, from the rebound, Nolan saw his volley tipped around the post. Those spurned chances were to prove costly as the visitors launched a trademark late raid. After Rooney's free-kick had cannonned off Noble's head, the ball was slung back into the box and fell invitingly for Blind, who needed no second invitation to bury a sweet left-foot strike. A second caution for Luke Shaw meant the Reds played out the dying seconds a man light, but the damage had since been done and West Ham were left with just the solitary point to show for their efforts.
West Ham United: Adrian, Cresswell, Nolan, Tomkins, Kouyate, Downing, Sakho, Noble, Jenkinson, Song, Valencia (Jarvis 83)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Amalfitano, Cole, Oxford, Lee
Goal: Kouyate 49
Booked: Song, Adrian
Manchester United: De Gea, Shaw, Jones, Rojo, Di Maria, (Smalling 90+5) Falcao, Rooney, Januzaj (Fellaini 72), Blind, Van Persie, Valencia
Subs: Valdes, Mata, Herrera, McNair, Wilson
Goal: Blind 90+2
Booked: Rojo, Shaw, Rooney
Sent off: Shaw
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
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Downing feels Red Devils frustration
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was disappointed to see two points slip through the Hammers' grasp on Sunday
08.02.2015
Stewart Downing felt a sense of frustration as two points slipped away from West Ham United in stoppage time of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United. The Hammers looked set for maximum points when Cheikhou Kouyate's superb piece of individual skill gave him his second goal of the season. However, Daley Blind hit back at the death leaving Downing to rue the hosts not making the most of a fine performance. "We're frustrated because we thought we were the better team," he admitted. "They played a lot more direct than I thought they would, but we dealt with it and it's the only real chance they've had. We had a good chance at 1-0 when the keeper saved from Mark and obviously you're frustrated to concede in the last minute, but it was a great effort from the lads. "What a great goal for Cheik and I thought he did very well playing at centre half. I didn't know he could play there but I thought he dealt with Falcao very well.
"For the goal it was a great touch and good finish. It gave us a bit of momentum in the game at that time. "The only thing [missing] was that we didn't score the second because if we had I think we'd have won the game."
The Hammers suffered a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier this season when they probably deserved more, so Downing was disappointed to suffer at the hands of the Red Devils again. "It's Manchester United and as long as it's 1-0 they're always in the game with the quality players they have," he explained. "It's two games that we've had against them this season and ended up frustrated. When we played them away we should have beaten them , but on a positive we've played well against a lot of the big teams here. "We needed the win today to go back above Liverpool, but we didn't lose the game and got a point, so we can go to Southampton and look to win."
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Sam hails 'outstanding' West Ham
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce felt pride and disappointment as Manchester United snatched a 1-1 draw at the Boleyn
08.02.2015
Sam Allardyce hailed his 'outstanding' team following Sunday's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw with Manchester United. West Ham United looked on course to beat the Red Devils for the first time since December 2007 when Cheikhou Kouyate volleyed them in front on 49 minutes at the Boleyn Ground. Both before and after the stand-in centre-back's goal, the Hammers were denied repeatedly by goalkeeper David De Gea, who saved well from Enner Valencia, James Tomkins, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan. At the other end, Adrian denied Robin van Persie and Falcao fired wide but, just when it looked like the hosts would secure a fine win, Carl Jenkinson's header dropped to Daley Blind, who volleyed into the bottom corner from 18 yards. "It is disappointing because we were at the level when we beat Liverpool and Manchester City earlier this season and it allowed us to perform so well against Manchester United," the manager began. "The disappointing thing is that they have popped in the equaliser in the 92nd minute, which was nothing to do with any sort of great play you would normally associate with Manchester United, but a long punt down the middle in desperation that they might get half a chance. "Let's face it, it wasn't an easy goal he scored, but they have quality all over their team and they can sniff one out from half a chance, which is what that was. Sadly for us, it ended up as a draw and not another famous win at Upton Park."
Big Sam lamented the display of Spain stopper De Gea who, at times, was the only man standing between West Ham and a comfortable victory.
"You've got a £20m goalkeeper who has kept Man United in the game and he was more responsible for them getting a draw than Blind's late equaliser because he made so many good saves when they needed him," he continued. "He kept the score down to 1-0 and they've finally managed to snatch a draw, but everybody had an outstanding game for us and Cheik Kouyate was a well-deserved Man of the Match - not only for the quality of his goal, but his overall performance at centre-half against Van Persie, Falcao, Rooney and Di Maria. "Everybody played well and I couldn't ask for any more. It's just disappointing for them that they haven't won the game."
West Ham will need to get over any disappointment in double-quick time, with a trip to third-place Southampton up next on Wednesday evening. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by the Saints in the reverse fixture in east London back in August and have conceded just 17 goals in 24 league matches, but Big Sam says West Ham will give it their all to overcome Ronald Koeman's side in midweek. "It's difficult to maintain this level and recover because we've played Man United on Sunday and Southampton played QPR on Saturday, but they've got to take a lot of confidence from how they played and try and lift themselves, starting on Monday morning, to be ready for Southampton," the manager explained. "We know how difficult that game will be. People were surprised they beat us here at the start of the season, but they've now seen what a quality team they are throughout the season. "We've been outstanding as well, but not been quite as consistent as them with the victories that we've gained. They've had one or two more victories, but hopefully we can lift ourselves to the same level of performance on Wednesday. "With where Southampton are, we will need to be at our best to get anything out of the game."
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West Ham 1 Man Utd 1
8 February 2015
Last updated at 18:30
By Neil Johnston
BBC Sport
Daley Blind rescued a point for Manchester United with a 93rd-minute equaliser after Cheikhou Kouyate's sublime volley put West Ham ahead. Kouyate juggled the ball twice, swivelled, and volleyed in, after Mark Noble's free-kick dropped in his path. United looked to be running out of time when Blind volleyed home from 16 yards after Angel Di Maria's cross. The visitors finished with 10 men, defender Luke Shaw sent off for a second yellow card. John Hartson: "With the talent that United manager Louis van Gaal has got in forward positions, I was expecting a lot more from them in front of goal this season. But, as we saw against the Hammers, the dynamic is not working at present."
West Ham, who remain eighth in the table, have not beaten United since 2007 and they will feel they allowed a great opportunity to end that run slip. The Hammers were on top from the early stages - hustling in defence and attacking with pace. In contrast, United lacked creativity and were too easily dispossessed at Upton Park before Blind's dramatic late comeback stretched their unbeaten Premier League away record to seven games. David De Gea rescued the visitors three times in the opening half an hour, twice keeping out Enner Valencia - one a 25-yard drive and the other an acrobatic close range volley - before James Tomkins was denied by the Spaniard's right foot. United omitted Juan Mata yet their midfield struggled to carve out chances. A mistake by Alex Song almost let in Robin van Persie but Hammers keeper Adrian's only serious save of the opening half was a tame effort by Angel Di Maria. West Ham got the breakthrough their play deserved in the 49th minute, Kouyate showing great skill to volley home after United's defence had failed to deal with Noble's set-piece delivery. Noble went close to doubling the Hammers' lead before United came strong in the closing stages. Falcao looked certain to equalise in the 77th minute after combining with van Persie, but the Colombia forward stabbed wide from close range. Van Persie was then denied by Adrian's right leg before the Hammers keeper scrambled across his line to keep out Marouane Fellaini in a frantic finish. It looked to be enough for the hosts - but there was still time for Blind to volley home after West Ham had failed to clear a ball into the area. A dramatic finish was concluded when United were reduced to 10 men following a second bookable offence for Shaw.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "We have to give the players credit for how well they defended as well as how well they played in possession, which was almost the perfect performance. "It's not a result we deserved or wanted, but we're back to a level that we know we can play at. "It was just a great shame we conceded a goal as late as we did, which wasn't the normal goal you concede against Manchester United."
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Ravel Morrison: West Ham terminate midfielder's contract
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have terminated the contract of England Under-21 midfielder Ravel Morrison with immediate effect. The 22-year-old, whose contract was due to expire this summer, joined the Hammers from Manchester United in 2012. But he did not establish a first-team place and after a number of loan spells he travelled to Italy last month for talks with Lazio. A statement from the Premier League club said: "We would like to wish Ravel every success in his future career." Morrison joined West Ham after United manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelled his contract demands "unrealistic" and said he was "better out of Manchester". After just one Championship appearance for the Hammers in the second half of the 2011-12 season Morrison was sent out on a season-long loan to Birmingham City. Subsequent loan spells at QPR and Cardiff City followed as Morrison racked up just 18 league appearances for West Ham in three years. Morrison travelled to Italy with West Ham's consent in order to sign a pre-contract agreement with Lazio last month.
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West Ham Utd 1-1 Manchester Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham were cruelly denied all three points against Manchester Utd at the Boleyn this afternoon by an equaliser deep into added-on time. Earlier in the season United had been denied a share of the spoils at Old Trafford when Kevin Nolan's last minute effort was ruled out for offside. And the Hammers were a mere matter of seconds away from inflicting what would have been a second defeat in 17 games on today's visitors before Daley Blind stole in to snatch a point, with three of the four added minutes having already been played. Despite going into the game with just one recognised centre half, it was the stand-in for James Collins and Winston Reid who was to prove pivotal for West Ham throughout the game. Cheik Kouyate, making his first start since returning from the African Cup of Nations with an ankle injury deputised efficiently at centre half and popped up in the opposition's penalty area to score his second goal for the Irons, four minutes into the second half, to give West Ham a lead they were to hold until the 93rd minute. The goal came from Mark Noble's free kick, drifted into the box. Kouyate, with his back to goal took the ball under control on the edge of the six-yard box before turning adroitly and firing beyond David De Gea to make it 1-0. The goal followed a closely-fought and even first half, in which goalscoring opportunities were at a premium. Still, Enner Valencia managed to test De Gea's reflexes on 14 minutes with a fierce drive and then again a minute later, w with a shinned shot from close range that required a fingertip save.
Following Kouyate's opening goal however, the tables turned as Louis Van Gaal's side began to find their range. Falcao fluffed a good chance two minutes after his side had fallen behind, firing across goal from an acute angle, but it wasn't until the final quarter-of-an-hour that Manchester began to look consistently dangerous. The introduction of Marouane Fellaini saw the Red Devils switch to a rather more direct tactical approach. Di Maria narrowly missed the target with a 25-yard free kick before Falcao missed his side's best chance of the game, poking the ball wide of the goal with only Adrian to beat. With just seven minutes to play, Adrian's foot intervened at the right time to deny Van Persie, whose drilled effort was heading into the far corner. As the match entered added-on time West Ham's Spanish 'keeper flung himself to his right to deny substitute Fellaini. United must have thought they'd clung on to win the game when Rooney's free kick went straight into the wall. However Van Gaal's side had other ideas and as they worked the ball back into West Ham's box, Blind emerged to find Adrian's bottom left corner with a precise effort.
West Ham could - and probably should - have wrapped the game up prior to that point, most notably when Mark Noble has the entire goal at his mercy but failed to find the net thanks to a superb reaction save from De Gea three minutes from time. Matt Jarvis, on as a replacement for the tiring Valencia could also perhaps done better when presented with a golden opportunity from a defensive mix-up, but could only send his header over the bar. It was the sort of chance one suspects the missing Andy Carroll would have gobbled up. The Hammers also ended the game with a man advantage after Luke Shaw saw red for a second bookable offence, according to referee Mark Clattenburg; if anything, it was far worse than that with the England full-back going in to a 50/50 with studs showing, ankle high.
Regardless, West Ham had barely any time to make anything of their numerical superiority and the game ended a stalemate - much to the disappointment of Sam Allardyce and his whole side, who certainly deserved a whole lot more than one point from their two encounters with Manchester this season.
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Ravel Morrison a free agent as West Ham terminate contract
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Ravel Morrison is free to join another club with immediate effect after it was confirmed that West Ham had released the midfielder from his contract. The 21-year-old signed a pre-contact agreement with Serie A club Lazio last month but was due to spend the remainder of the current season at West Ham. However that will not happen after it was confirmed that the club had terminated the troubled Morrison's contract.
West Ham United FC ✔ @whufc_official
NEWS: West Ham United can confirm that Ravel Morrison has left the Club - http://www.whufc.com/articles/20150208/ravel-morrison_2236884_4471767 …
Just 18 months ago Morrison was being valued around the £20million mark after scoring a wonder goal at Tottenham in the Carling Cup quarter final. However his stock fell dramatically in the ensuing months after a series of highly-publicised incidents at the club and in his public life.
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Child's play for Alex Song as he considers future
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Alex Song says he is being implored to remain in London after the end of the current season - by his sons. Song is on loan at West Ham until the end of the current cmpaign, when he is due to return to Barcelona. Sam Allardyce, for one, has hinted that retaining the midfielder's services would prove a huge boost ahead of the final season at the Boleyn Ground. And now the player himself is seriously considering extending his time in the UK - as the result of his boys' wishes! "My boys were saying yesterday, 'Daddy I don't want to leave here any more, you have to stay'," he told the media. "They love London. They are very happy here and for my family, the most important thing is happiness. All they want me to do is perform to make them happy. "The thing that hurt me the most was my kids, because they were seeing me play every single game, every single week at Arsenal. Then when I left my boys were going, 'Daddy why aren't you playing? Is it because the manager doesn't like you?' It was hard for me to explain to them that it isn't easy at Barcelona. "When I wake up in the morning I'm more than happy because I know I have the opportunity to play and I do what I love to do - play football. I enjoy it and make people happy, make the fans happy. If the fans are happy with the way we are playing I'm always happy. "I want to just perform to give them something back. When you come somewhere and people give you the love, what do you want to do? If I'm a football player it is to just perform. "I will put everything together and at the end of the day I will choose what I want to do.I have to continue improving my game, which I was doing before."
Song also confirmed that it was the persistence of Allardyce who sold the club to him last summer. "I didn't want to go to Italy, I wanted to come back [to England]," he added. I have friends here. "One day I spoke with the manager and the gaffer said: 'Would you like to come to West Ham?' He said 'we are playing very well, come and see'. My wife was telling me we had to come to London as well, so I said okay. She is right for telling me to come here."
The chances of Song remaining at West Ham beyond his season-long loan have always been slim at best. However given this latest news, who's to say he can't be swayed? One of the major lures will be the opportunity to play in the Olympic Stadium the season after next. Whether Song hangs around to do so remains to be seen, but the 27-year-old former Cameroon international certainly believes that move will change the face of West Ham. "I am sure in the next five years West Ham will challenge with clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea," he predicted. "Then, when they jump to the new stadium, I think more players will come in and the club will look different.
"I think everything is going well; we just have to continue improving. If we play very well at the end of the season I think more players will come in and the project will get going."
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Daley Blind's injury-time equaliser earns Manchester United a point at West Ham
By Gerard Brand. Last Updated: 08/02/15 8:02pm
SSN
Daley Blind's late equaliser earned Manchester United a point against West Ham in a 1-1 draw dominated by the hosts at Upton Park.
Defender Cheikhou Kouyate's second-half goal gave West Ham the lead, but Blind volleyed home a 92nd-minute leveller from the edge of the area. Luke Shaw was sent off after the equaliser for a second bookable offence, but the result means Louis van Gaal's side have lost just once in 17 games in all competitions. Manchester United had not lost away from home since a 1-0 defeat by neighbours Manchester City in early November, while West Ham had lost just once at Upton Park since August. David de Gea was forced into action by Enner Valencia twice in quick succession, first parrying a 25-yard drive out for a corner, and then denying the Ecuadorian from close-range with an acrobatic save. When James Tomkins lost Phil Jones at the far post from another cross, De Gea had to save well with his feet from the defender's free header from eight yards. West Ham took the lead four minutes into the second half after a fine piece of skill from Kouyate. The Senegal international brought the ball down from a free-kick, turned with another fine touch and fired into the net.
Manchester United then decided to up the ante, and Radamel Falcao had a fine chance to equalise in the 78th minute, but he could not lift the ball over Adrian after being put through on goal by Robin van Persie. Van Persie himself broke through minutes later, but his powerful low drive was blocked well by Adrian as Van Gaal's side pushed for an equaliser. At the other end West Ham should have had the points wrapped up late on only to be denied by the impressive De Gea again from Mark Noble's close-range drive. Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellaini with just under 20 minutes remaining, and the Belgian immediately caused problems for West Ham. First, his shot on the turn was saved turned wide well by Adrian, and then the midfielder was involved in the equaliser. After Fellaini headed the ball down Marcos Rojo's long delivery into the box, Blind finished on the volley from 18 yards with his left foot into the corner through a crowded penalty area. Shaw was deservedly sent off after the equaliser for bringing down Stewart Downing, his second bookable defence.
Player ratings:
West Ham: Adrian (7), Jenkinson (7), Tomkins (7), Kouyate (8), Cresswell (7), Song (7), Noble (7), Nolan (6), Downing (6), Sakho (7), Valencia (7)
Subs: Jarvis (5)
Man Utd: De Gea (8), Valencia (5), Jones (5), Rojo (6), Shaw (4), Blind (7), Rooney (5), Di Maria (3), Januzaj (4), Van Persie (4), Falcao (4)
Subs: Fellaini (7), Smalling (5)
Man of the match: Kouyate
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce in 'long ball' dig at Manchester United after 1-1 draw
Last Updated: 08/02/15 10:18pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce described Manchester United as "long ball" after conceding a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Upton Park on Sunday. Louis van Gaal's visitors brought on Marouane Fellaini for the final stages of the game, and changed their style of play before getting a reward through Daley Blind's 92nd-minute goal. Allardyce, who has received criticism in the past for his side's own style, admitted West Ham struggled to cope with the aerial balls, with Manchester United playing 30 more long passes than their opponents. He told Sky Sports: "We couldn't cope with 'long-ball United', it was 'thump it forward and see what they could get'. In the end it paid off. "When you've got Fellaini up there it was difficult for us, it's not how you normally see Man United play, but it got them a point in the end. The likes of Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria hardly got a look in." The draw leaves West Ham eighth in the Premier League table, still seven points behind their opponents in fourth. Allardyce admitted his side were low in the dressing room, having thoroughly deserved to win the game. "The lads are absolutely gutted in there, and so they should be.
"It was an absolutely fantastic performance and from the point of view where we were at the end, we were going to see it through. It wasn't to be. "I think we needed to find the second goal, we had the chance but we didn't do it."
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Louis van Gaal says he thanked his Manchester United players for their second-half show at West Ham
Last Updated: 08/02/15 7:33pm
SSN
Louis van Gaal said he personally thanked his Manchester United players for their second-half performance in the 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Daley Blind's late equaliser denied West Ham what would have been a deserved win after Cheikhou Kouyate's opener, and despite the hosts having chances to win the game, the Dutchman was pleased with the second-half showing. Van Gaal told Sky Sports: "I think we played very badly in the first half, but we showed a lot of fight and spirit in the second, especially after their goal. "We gave it away, and then we played football, but you have to do it from the first minute. "But I have to say what spirit my team showed after going behind, and I have thanked my players for that." Manchester United introduced Marouane Fellaini for the final stages at Upton Park, and the Belgian provided the assist for Blind's equaliser by winning an aerial ball. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claimed his side could not cope with long ball United", but Van Gaal returned the compliment by insisting he had prepared to face long balls from the hosts themselves.
They are playing long balls, we know that in advance, but they won all the second balls. "I think with Fellaini you have to change your style, and we did, and because of Fellaini we have created a lot of chances." United remain in fourth place in the Premier League, and have now lost just once in 17 games in all competitions.
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BE PROUD, VERY PROUD
By Iain Dale 8 Feb 2015 at 18:21
West Ham till I Die
As we await with baited breath David Hautzig's full match report, here are ten observations from today's game.
1. We should be proud of this performance. We outplayed a team which cost several hundred million pounds.
2. Our set piece play was superb. We won virtually every duel.
3. Enner Valencia was on fire, especially in the first half. Sakho ran them ragged in the second half.
4. You have to take the chances you get. If Mark Noble or Matt Jarvis had taken their chances things might have been different.
5. Kouyate put in a top performance both as a defender and for his goal.
6. Adrian never looked ruffled. He had a couple of reaction shots to save and did it well.
7. Our commitment was top class.
8. Kevin Nolan wasn't mentioned much in the commentary but he put in some very timely challenges and played a couple of exquisite forward passes.
9. The crowd were superb today. Lots of noise.
10. Hilarious that Man U had to resort to the long ball. Would never happen at Upton Park. No Sirreee.
This somewhat makeshift team proves that we have a squad which can develop into a very good team indeed. This was an outstanding performance in every part of the pitch. It was a real team effort. There was no one player that outshone the others and there was no player that failed to put in a shift. We can go to St Mary's on Wednesday in confident mood.
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WEST HAM 1, MANCHESTER UNITED 1. LIKE IAIN, I'M VERY PROUD.
By David Hautzig 8 Feb 2015 at 20:31
West Ham till I Die
As gargantuan as Manchester United have been, we have had some nice moments against them. Dicanio making Barthez look like an idiot in the FA Cup. Spector of all people running circles around them with Moron Grant in charge. Even Curbs won three in a row against them. Perhaps that history coupled with what is still a pretty good side, recent results notwithstanding, was why both Paul Merson and Lawro picked us to win today. Having said that, we were winless in our last twelve meetings against them.
I wasn't as fixated on the result leading up to the match as I normally am. At the risk of being overly dramatic, I saw today as a watershed moment for Sam Allardyce. With Andy Carroll injured, would Sam go back to the formation that saw us not only win a hatful of matches earlier in the season but saw us play the kind of football that was asked of him? Or would he use the injury crisis at the back to institute a safe, forget the midfield at all costs kind of setup? Would he move Downing out wide again, against all levels of common sense, to accommodate Nolan? I sincerely thought that question would go a long way in determining if Sam would be offered a new deal at the end of the campaign. All things being equal, I think Sam checked most of the right boxes.
Yesterday, the West Ham universe was lifted by the news that Alex Song's kids are threatening him with inhuman levels of torture if he makes them leave London. He may have not said exactly that, but if you're a parent you can read between the lines. But if he makes more mistakes like the one he made in the 5th minute then Sam Allardyce will be the one delivering the torture. Inside the West Ham penalty area, Song attempted a short pass to Kouyate. It was intercepted by Van Persie, but as he was teeing up what should have been an early opening goal Kouyate came to the rescue with a clearing tackle. Liam Spencer of Iron Views put it best when he tweeted "Alex Song needs to learn to just boot it sometimes. It goes against everything in his footballing brain but it has to be done now and then."
One thing Song has done brilliantly time and time again is send laser guided balls, on the carpet, for someone to run onto. A few minutes after his absurd mistake, he sent one of those missiles in for Valencia. Rojo got in the way, but in less than ten minutes we saw glimpses of the kind of football that enthralled us early in the season. Valencia and Sakho ran into space, giving realistic targets to Song and Downing. That kind of pressure led to West Ham's first chance of the game in the 14th minute when Rojo's attempted clearance landed at the feet of our Valencia, who forced de Gea to push his shot out for a corner. The corner found its way back to Valencia but his volley was this time pushed over the bar by de Gea. Two more corners resulted in one attempted header by Sakho that went wide.
Manchester United had a spell of pressure starting in the 23rd minute. Di Maria sent Van Persie in down the left, but his cross was too deep. It was collected by Rooney, who found Falcao in the middle. However, three hundred grand per week didn't buy him a good first touch and it was cleared for a corner, and the resulting kick was handled by Adrian.
West Ham came close to opening the scoring in the 32nd minute when Phil Jones took down Valencia. Aaron Cresswell has shown glimpses of quality when taking free kicks, and this attempt found Tomkins at the far post. However, his header was stopped by de Gea's right leg. Minutes later, Kevin Nolan closed down on Jones and won West Ham another corner.
Yes. I said Nolan. Yes, he pressed high and forced a corner. No, really. It happened. I swear.
It was odd seeing Manchester United as the team that couldn't keep possession, that looked unnerved and uncomfortable on the ball. They were often bypassing the midfield and sending hopeful balls downfield. Roles were certainly reversed.
If Diafra Sakho has elements of his game that need significant improvement, it is his first touch and decision making. When those two are sorted out, he will be an even more frightening specimen to behold. But for now, we will have to see things like we saw in the 40th minute when he led a two on two attack. But instead of either shooting or trying to find Valencia in the box, he rolled the ball towards de Gea. Was it a shot? Was it a pass? It was just a blown chance.
The first half ended with the Red Devils winning a few corners after another ill conceived pass by Song. On the final one before the halftime whistle, Di Maria played a short corner to Rooney. After their version of Valencia had a touch, the ball came back to Di Maria but his cross was cleared by Tomkins.
Halftime. West Ham 0, Manchester United 0.
No matter who plays for Sam Allardyce, they will know how to execute a set piece. The man would insist that Messi get in the box and wait for a flick on. In the 49th minute, Noble was fouled by their Ecuadorian named Valencia and Clattenburg awarded West Ham a free kick from about 35 yards out. For a second, it looked like Cresswell wanted Noble to take it quickly. Tim Howard, who was presenting the game here on NBC, chuckled and said it was silly for Cresswell to be on a Big Sam team and think that was ever going to happen.
Noble lofted the ball into the box. It took a deflection and headed towards Kouyate. He handled it out of the air with his right foot, and turned away from the defenders. He then gave it another little touch with his right foot while swiveling his body to his left. Then, with the ball never touching the ground, he turned into the ball and sent it past de Gea. Replays showed it took a slight deflection, but it wouldn't have mattered if it didn't.
West Ham 1, Manchester United 0.
My feeling at that point was summed up perfectly by The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, who tweeted that he was going to hide behind his couch for the next forty minutes. It wasn't a terrible idea, because the goal slapped Manchester United into action. In the 53rd minute, Di Maria found Van Persie with a pass over the top of the West Ham defense. The Dutchman's half volley tried to beat Adrian to the near post, but to no avail. Minutes later Januzaj linked up with Van Persie only to have Tomkins slide in with a crucial block. West Ham were pinned back and in desperate need of relief. That relief came when Sakho used his strength and persistence to keep the ball deep in the Manchester United end and eventually win a corner.
I used to hate Mark Clattenburg. Intensely, actually. I think it started when he disallowed a perfectly good goal by Picchione for a hand ball that wasn't. To now say that he is one of the better officials in The Premier League says more about the lack of quality down the line than it does about Clattenburg. In the 73rd minute, he gifted Manchester United a free kick from a dangerous position when Song clearly won the ball from an onrushing Wayne Rooney. To add some salt to the open wound, he showed Song a yellow card for telling him how wrong the call was. If Di Maria had scored on the free kick Song should have threatened to pick Clattenburg's wardrobe. Instead it sailed into the crowd.
You know the invisible force field defense systems in pretty much every science fiction movie? When Radamel Falcao won the ball from Kouyate about ten yards in front of Adrian, a goal was the only outcome that seemed possible. But Adrian must have turned on the deflector shields in front of him because the ball looked like it bounced off of it and went harmlessly wide. Minutes later Falcao tried to redeem himself with a lovely pass to Van Persie, but his left footed attempt was saved by our cult hero between the posts.
Mark Noble had a golden opportunity to kill off the game in the 87th minute, and he will likely wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking about it. Matt Jarvis, who had replaced Valencia, worked with Cresswell in the corner to keep possession and eat up some clock. The ball came loose at the top of the box, right in front of Noble. He tried to hit the bottom corner with his strike, but de Gea was there to stop it.
Two minutes later, Manchester United's version of a big hairy guy came close to an equalizer. If he had a pony tail, he would have looked just like AC as he handled a long pass on his chest and tried to turn it into the goal. Adrian pushed it wide to keep the Hammers on top.
But not for long.
With all of the offensive firepower at their disposal, it has to be one hell of a feat to keep a clean sheet against them. God knows we tried, and we were almost over the finish line. But two minutes into added time, a Jenkinson clearance inside the box fell right to Daley Blind and his bouncing volley beat Adrian to the bottom right hand corner.
West Ham 1, Manchester United 1.
Manchester United ended the game on ten men after Luke Shaw became the second Manchester United player to see red for an attempted assault on Stuart Downing. I tried to envision a lofted ball into the box from the resulting free kick that Sakho would slam home. That didn't happen, and the game was over.
Final Score. West Ham 1, Manchester United 1.
When you give up a late goal, either to turn a win into a draw or a draw into a loss, it's difficult to remember what your expectations and hopes were going into the game. And if I weren't sitting down to write, I probably wouldn't have tried to analyze what I saw. But two plus hours after the final whistle, the truth is I got what I wanted.
I wanted Sakho to play up top with Valencia, and I wanted the combination to look dangerous.
It did.
I wanted Downing at the top of the midfield, the position that has seen his career raised from the near dead.
He was.
And I wanted us to play good, attractive football, regardless of the outcome.
I think we did.
West Ham are a work in progress. Today we played more like the team that terrorized opponents in September and October. Today we played better than we had since we beat Swansea at Upton Park. We can only hope that if we saw it that way, Sam did as well, and there will be more of the same for the rest of the season.
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West Ham 1-1 Manchester United: Blind's injury-time strike rescues point for below-par Red Devils
18:11, 8 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
The Dutchman spared his team-mate's blushes when he popped up in stoppage time to cancel out Cheikhou Kouyate's spectacular opener at Upton Park
The Mirror
Manchester United snatched a point from the jaws of defeat at Upton Park, thanks to an injury time Daley Blind strike, to put gloss on another below-par away day showing. Sam Allardyce's side looked on their way to a deserved win thanks to Cheikhou Kouyate's goal just after the break, in a match which saw the Hammers dominate the visitors. Louis van Gaal's starting XI saw the Red Devils set out with four at the back in a diamond formation that saw Daley Blind offering protection in front of the defence. Sam Allardyce had to make do without centre-back pairing Winston Reid and James Collins, meaning that James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate filled in. West Ham were quickest out pf the blocks, with Stewart Downing and Alex Song both putting dangerous balls into the box in the opening five minutes, before Enner Valencia forced two decent saves from David de Gea. The first was a dipping volley from outside the box, which the Spaniard palmed behind the goal, before he again denied the Ecuadorian from the resulting corner, stopping his header at close range. With Valencia and Diafra Sakho looking dangerous up top, the Hammers looked to capitalise on their strong early showing, but as the half went on, Louis van Gaal's side began to weather the storm, without being able to bring their striking duo of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao into the game.
In fact it was - as usual on the Red Devils' travels this season - De Gea that shone for the visitors, as he superbly dealt with two clear-cut headers from James Tomkins as the sides went into the half-time break level pegging. The deadlock was soon broken when the teams were back out, thanks to a moment of superlative skill from Kouyate, who received the ball with his back to goal in a crowded penalty area, did two keep-uppies as he spun himself round and fired past De Gea into the back of the net, albeit with a deflection.
The Red Devils responded to going one down strongly, dominating possession and laying siege to the Hammers goal, but the closest they got was a Van Persie shot that was blocked by Tomkins. The home side almost doubled their lead with 25 minutes to go, when Carl Jenkinson's cross-cum-shot almost caught out De Gea, but the ball floated just wide of the Spaniard's back post. The increasingly anonymous Radamel Falcao spurned a golden opportunity to level the scores with 15 minutes to go, when he sliced the ball well wide with the outside of his right foot with the goal at his mercy after a lovely flick from Van Persie. So bad was the miss that social media immediately went haywire, with Fernando Torres comparisons appearing all over any football fan's Twitter timeline. Falcao's blushes were spared however, when Daley Blind rescued a point in injury-time for the visitors with a low pinpoint finish from outside the box after Jenkinson failed to effectively deal with a Rooney free-kick. Luke Shaw was given his marching orders at the death when he deservedly received a second yellow card for a studs up challenge on Downing, but it came too late to effect the outcome.
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West Ham's bargain-bucket brawlers bossed the million-dollar men of Manchester United
22:30, 8 February 2015
OPINION Neil McLeman BY NEILMCLEMAN
For all the away side's big-name firepower, it was the Hammers who set the agenda in Sunday afternoon's big game
The Mirror
Louis van Gaal sent out an all-star forward line but needed a late equaliser from a midfielder. And the Manchester United defence was run ragged by the bargain buys of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho while an an emergency centre-back scored a blinder on a topsy-turvy afternoon in East London. Cheikhou Kouyate's match should have been all about stopping Robin Van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria. Yet the Senegal midfielder showed the multi-millionaire superstars how to finish while his two forwards displayed the workrate and teamwork lacking in the Dutchman's side. One first-half move summed up the difference between the two sides - and their forwards. Hammers keeper Adrian picked up a cross and rolled the ball out to Sakho. He surged forward, found Valencia and took the return pass in the Manchester United box only for Antonio Valencia to make a goal-saving tackle. It was simple, direct and perfect Premier League football. By contrast, Falcao fluffed his best chance after 77 minutes before getting subbed off looking angry and frustrated. For the £6m loan fee and £18m in wages Manchester United are paying for the Colombian this season, they could have bought Kouyate, Valencia and Sakho and had change to spare. And got more energy and goals. The £12m Ecuadorian and the Senegalese striker, who cost £3.5m, were kept off the scoresheet by the brilliance of David De Gea but their relentless running still contributed to the cause. West Ham's defended from the front. "When we weren't in possession, the closing down of their team as a team was the key to upsetting Man Utd today," said Sam Allardyce." The Hammers have now won only one Premier League game in seven to remain eighth but this performance promises to re-start the momentum in their season. "We're back to a level we know we can play at which has been difficult to get to over the Christmas and New Year period with injuries and the African Nations Cup," Allardyce added. "I have to give the players credit for how well they defended as well as how well they played in possession. It was almost the perfect performance."
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Sam Allardyce says West Ham couldn't cope with "long ball United" after surrendering late equaliser
19:02, 8 February 2015 By Alex Richards
The Hammers conceded a 92nd minute equaliser to Daley Blind having failed to add to their lead, thanks to another inspired showing from David de Gea
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce was disappointed that his side had failed to hold on for all three points after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, believing his side were good value for victory and lamenting their inability to deal with "long ball United".
Cheikhou Kouyate scored a wonderful opening goal five minutes into the second period, and the Hammers looked set for what would have been a deserved three points. But in the 92nd minute, Dutch international Daley Blind cracked home a perfectly-executed volley to hand Louis van Gaal's men a share of the spoils, putting a dent in West Ham's European ambitions. "A win would have been nothing more than we deserved if we had won," declared Allardyce. "The lads are absolutely gutted and so they should be. It was a fantastic performance and I thought we were going to see it through but it wasn't to be. "We just needed to find the second goal and didn't manage to even though we had chances. "In the end, we couldn't cope with long ball United - it was thump it forward and see what happens. It's not how you normally see United play but it worked for them in the end. "If you look at the amount of saves David de Gea made today he is probably just as worthy of them getting the draw as Daley Blind getting the equaliser." Hammers midfielder Mark Noble was similarly unhappy at having failed to land three points. Noble stated: "It's feels like a loss. It shows how far we have come that we are gutted we drew with Manchester United. "In many spells I thought we were the better team and just couldn't hold out until the end. "You can't switch off against these top teams because they will punish you and that's what happened."
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Sakho and Valencia HAS to be way forward
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I have never believed that Sam Allardyce – or come to that, any other manager – picks teams to annoy the fans. Nor do I believe that captain Kevin Nolan is useless and that fans should demand a season ticket rebate every time his name appears on the team sheet.I mention this only because many on the often very petty and silly Twitter seem to believe the manager's sole intention is to annoy them personally by doing the first and including the second along the way! I will never apologise for disliking a brand of football which depends on getting it from back to front as quickly as possible whether it's promoted by the West Ham manager or – as was the case today – Louis van Gaal. And looking at the forums tonight shows that the United fans are as cheesed off with the Dutchman as many Irons fans have been with our manager when he chooses to play that way. Tonight in his press conference Sam said these words: "Our strength was in playing the ball into our front men from the midfielders not by going from back to front." That of course can only happen when Diafra and Enner play together and the Ecuadorian was a revelation today as he returned "at a stroke" to the early season form which had us all drooling. It was no accident that today's was the most enjoyable game at the Boleyn for the many weeks stretching back to Andy Carroll's injury days. Diafra and Enner are a front pairing made in heaven and it seems – from his remarks – that even our often stubborn manager has to accept that our better football is played when they are in harness.
So just what happens when Carroll returns? Do we return to a brand of football which I believe has seen us slip down the table and is nothing like as exciting as most of us want to see? Or do we give the deadly duo a fair crack of the whip with AC being used as an impact sub not unlike Fellaini was for United today. Sam's admission that our strength is in getting the ball into the front pair's feet out of midfield surely only applies to today's front two. He has a decision to make and to be entirely frank it really isn't very difficult – stick with today's pairing Mr Allardyce. It really is the way forward as you have implied yourself.
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WHUFC.com
A stoppage-time Daley Blind strike denies West Ham United all three Barclays Premier League points
08.02.2015
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United
A stoppage-time Daley Blind strike denied West Ham United all three Barclays Premier League points against Manchester United on Sunday, leaving the Hammers to rue missed chances in an outstanding Boleyn Ground display. Cheikhou Kouyate had earlier announced his return from the Africa Cup of Nations with a splendid strike to fire Sam Allardyce's men into a 49th minute lead, before birthday boy Carl Jenkinson and Mark Noble both went close to wrapping up the points. But there was to be a sting in the tail as Blind seized on Jenkinson's header to direct an exquisite half-volley into the bottom right corner and earn Louis van Gaal's side a share of the spoils.
It was arguably more than Manchester United deserved, not least on the balance of chances. They were, however, presented with the first sniff of a goal when Alex Song stroked a careless ball across his own box in the fifth minute. Robin van Persie duly intercepted but was denied by the swift intervention of centre-half for the day Kouyate. At the other end, Marcos Rojo's headed clearance fell kindly for Enner Valencia, who lashed it goalward from 20 yards and forced de Gea into action down low to his left. The Spaniard was again called upon from the resulting corner, this time tipping Valencia's acrobatic volley over the top from point-blank range. The Ecuadorian then led the breakout from a corner and having slipped in strike-partner Sakho, Antonio Valencia slid in to dispossess West Ham's top marksman. With 32 on the clock, Aaron Cresswell's free-kick picked out James Tomkins at the far post, whose downward header was repelled by a de Gea boot. Tomkins' aerial threat by now a recurring theme, having thrice threatened in the visitors' box.
Still West Ham came, once more on the counter. Rojo clumsily bundled into Valencia and then cynically took down Noble. Sakho picked up the pieces and broke away, but his square ball was deflected into the arms of de Gea, while the Argentine collected the afternoon's first caution. As the game ticked towards the interval, Angel Di Maria leathered one straight down Adrian's throat and two late Manchester United corners caused little alarm.
The Hammers were in front inside four second-half minutes and in spectacular fashion. Noble's free-kick ricocheted off Wayne Rooney into the path of Kouyate, who juggled it with his back to goal before slamming home on the volley with a thunderous third touch on the swivel. Quite the way to announce his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. The goal prompted the inevitable response, with Radamel Falcao firstly lashing a drive wide of Adrian's left-hand upright. Then van Persie ominously took aim from the right-hand side of the box, but slammed it straight into the midriff of Adrian. After Tomkins had timed his tackle to perfection to block another van Persie effort, before Jenkinson's right wing cross had de Gea worried as it drifted inches wide of the far post.
With 13 minutes still to play, Falcao arguably had the Reds' best chance, collecting from van Persie only to stab well wide of the post with just Adrian to beat. But the Spaniard had to be it at his very best moments later to foil van Persie with an outstretched right leg.
The Hammers might have settled it late on, but Noble side-footed straight at de Gea and, from the rebound, Nolan saw his volley tipped around the post. Those spurned chances were to prove costly as the visitors launched a trademark late raid. After Rooney's free-kick had cannonned off Noble's head, the ball was slung back into the box and fell invitingly for Blind, who needed no second invitation to bury a sweet left-foot strike. A second caution for Luke Shaw meant the Reds played out the dying seconds a man light, but the damage had since been done and West Ham were left with just the solitary point to show for their efforts.
West Ham United: Adrian, Cresswell, Nolan, Tomkins, Kouyate, Downing, Sakho, Noble, Jenkinson, Song, Valencia (Jarvis 83)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Amalfitano, Cole, Oxford, Lee
Goal: Kouyate 49
Booked: Song, Adrian
Manchester United: De Gea, Shaw, Jones, Rojo, Di Maria, (Smalling 90+5) Falcao, Rooney, Januzaj (Fellaini 72), Blind, Van Persie, Valencia
Subs: Valdes, Mata, Herrera, McNair, Wilson
Goal: Blind 90+2
Booked: Rojo, Shaw, Rooney
Sent off: Shaw
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
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Downing feels Red Devils frustration
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was disappointed to see two points slip through the Hammers' grasp on Sunday
08.02.2015
Stewart Downing felt a sense of frustration as two points slipped away from West Ham United in stoppage time of Sunday's 1-1 draw with Manchester United. The Hammers looked set for maximum points when Cheikhou Kouyate's superb piece of individual skill gave him his second goal of the season. However, Daley Blind hit back at the death leaving Downing to rue the hosts not making the most of a fine performance. "We're frustrated because we thought we were the better team," he admitted. "They played a lot more direct than I thought they would, but we dealt with it and it's the only real chance they've had. We had a good chance at 1-0 when the keeper saved from Mark and obviously you're frustrated to concede in the last minute, but it was a great effort from the lads. "What a great goal for Cheik and I thought he did very well playing at centre half. I didn't know he could play there but I thought he dealt with Falcao very well.
"For the goal it was a great touch and good finish. It gave us a bit of momentum in the game at that time. "The only thing [missing] was that we didn't score the second because if we had I think we'd have won the game."
The Hammers suffered a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier this season when they probably deserved more, so Downing was disappointed to suffer at the hands of the Red Devils again. "It's Manchester United and as long as it's 1-0 they're always in the game with the quality players they have," he explained. "It's two games that we've had against them this season and ended up frustrated. When we played them away we should have beaten them , but on a positive we've played well against a lot of the big teams here. "We needed the win today to go back above Liverpool, but we didn't lose the game and got a point, so we can go to Southampton and look to win."
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Sam hails 'outstanding' West Ham
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce felt pride and disappointment as Manchester United snatched a 1-1 draw at the Boleyn
08.02.2015
Sam Allardyce hailed his 'outstanding' team following Sunday's 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw with Manchester United. West Ham United looked on course to beat the Red Devils for the first time since December 2007 when Cheikhou Kouyate volleyed them in front on 49 minutes at the Boleyn Ground. Both before and after the stand-in centre-back's goal, the Hammers were denied repeatedly by goalkeeper David De Gea, who saved well from Enner Valencia, James Tomkins, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan. At the other end, Adrian denied Robin van Persie and Falcao fired wide but, just when it looked like the hosts would secure a fine win, Carl Jenkinson's header dropped to Daley Blind, who volleyed into the bottom corner from 18 yards. "It is disappointing because we were at the level when we beat Liverpool and Manchester City earlier this season and it allowed us to perform so well against Manchester United," the manager began. "The disappointing thing is that they have popped in the equaliser in the 92nd minute, which was nothing to do with any sort of great play you would normally associate with Manchester United, but a long punt down the middle in desperation that they might get half a chance. "Let's face it, it wasn't an easy goal he scored, but they have quality all over their team and they can sniff one out from half a chance, which is what that was. Sadly for us, it ended up as a draw and not another famous win at Upton Park."
Big Sam lamented the display of Spain stopper De Gea who, at times, was the only man standing between West Ham and a comfortable victory.
"You've got a £20m goalkeeper who has kept Man United in the game and he was more responsible for them getting a draw than Blind's late equaliser because he made so many good saves when they needed him," he continued. "He kept the score down to 1-0 and they've finally managed to snatch a draw, but everybody had an outstanding game for us and Cheik Kouyate was a well-deserved Man of the Match - not only for the quality of his goal, but his overall performance at centre-half against Van Persie, Falcao, Rooney and Di Maria. "Everybody played well and I couldn't ask for any more. It's just disappointing for them that they haven't won the game."
West Ham will need to get over any disappointment in double-quick time, with a trip to third-place Southampton up next on Wednesday evening. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by the Saints in the reverse fixture in east London back in August and have conceded just 17 goals in 24 league matches, but Big Sam says West Ham will give it their all to overcome Ronald Koeman's side in midweek. "It's difficult to maintain this level and recover because we've played Man United on Sunday and Southampton played QPR on Saturday, but they've got to take a lot of confidence from how they played and try and lift themselves, starting on Monday morning, to be ready for Southampton," the manager explained. "We know how difficult that game will be. People were surprised they beat us here at the start of the season, but they've now seen what a quality team they are throughout the season. "We've been outstanding as well, but not been quite as consistent as them with the victories that we've gained. They've had one or two more victories, but hopefully we can lift ourselves to the same level of performance on Wednesday. "With where Southampton are, we will need to be at our best to get anything out of the game."
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West Ham 1 Man Utd 1
8 February 2015
Last updated at 18:30
By Neil Johnston
BBC Sport
Daley Blind rescued a point for Manchester United with a 93rd-minute equaliser after Cheikhou Kouyate's sublime volley put West Ham ahead. Kouyate juggled the ball twice, swivelled, and volleyed in, after Mark Noble's free-kick dropped in his path. United looked to be running out of time when Blind volleyed home from 16 yards after Angel Di Maria's cross. The visitors finished with 10 men, defender Luke Shaw sent off for a second yellow card. John Hartson: "With the talent that United manager Louis van Gaal has got in forward positions, I was expecting a lot more from them in front of goal this season. But, as we saw against the Hammers, the dynamic is not working at present."
West Ham, who remain eighth in the table, have not beaten United since 2007 and they will feel they allowed a great opportunity to end that run slip. The Hammers were on top from the early stages - hustling in defence and attacking with pace. In contrast, United lacked creativity and were too easily dispossessed at Upton Park before Blind's dramatic late comeback stretched their unbeaten Premier League away record to seven games. David De Gea rescued the visitors three times in the opening half an hour, twice keeping out Enner Valencia - one a 25-yard drive and the other an acrobatic close range volley - before James Tomkins was denied by the Spaniard's right foot. United omitted Juan Mata yet their midfield struggled to carve out chances. A mistake by Alex Song almost let in Robin van Persie but Hammers keeper Adrian's only serious save of the opening half was a tame effort by Angel Di Maria. West Ham got the breakthrough their play deserved in the 49th minute, Kouyate showing great skill to volley home after United's defence had failed to deal with Noble's set-piece delivery. Noble went close to doubling the Hammers' lead before United came strong in the closing stages. Falcao looked certain to equalise in the 77th minute after combining with van Persie, but the Colombia forward stabbed wide from close range. Van Persie was then denied by Adrian's right leg before the Hammers keeper scrambled across his line to keep out Marouane Fellaini in a frantic finish. It looked to be enough for the hosts - but there was still time for Blind to volley home after West Ham had failed to clear a ball into the area. A dramatic finish was concluded when United were reduced to 10 men following a second bookable offence for Shaw.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "We have to give the players credit for how well they defended as well as how well they played in possession, which was almost the perfect performance. "It's not a result we deserved or wanted, but we're back to a level that we know we can play at. "It was just a great shame we conceded a goal as late as we did, which wasn't the normal goal you concede against Manchester United."
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Ravel Morrison: West Ham terminate midfielder's contract
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have terminated the contract of England Under-21 midfielder Ravel Morrison with immediate effect. The 22-year-old, whose contract was due to expire this summer, joined the Hammers from Manchester United in 2012. But he did not establish a first-team place and after a number of loan spells he travelled to Italy last month for talks with Lazio. A statement from the Premier League club said: "We would like to wish Ravel every success in his future career." Morrison joined West Ham after United manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelled his contract demands "unrealistic" and said he was "better out of Manchester". After just one Championship appearance for the Hammers in the second half of the 2011-12 season Morrison was sent out on a season-long loan to Birmingham City. Subsequent loan spells at QPR and Cardiff City followed as Morrison racked up just 18 league appearances for West Ham in three years. Morrison travelled to Italy with West Ham's consent in order to sign a pre-contract agreement with Lazio last month.
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West Ham Utd 1-1 Manchester Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham were cruelly denied all three points against Manchester Utd at the Boleyn this afternoon by an equaliser deep into added-on time. Earlier in the season United had been denied a share of the spoils at Old Trafford when Kevin Nolan's last minute effort was ruled out for offside. And the Hammers were a mere matter of seconds away from inflicting what would have been a second defeat in 17 games on today's visitors before Daley Blind stole in to snatch a point, with three of the four added minutes having already been played. Despite going into the game with just one recognised centre half, it was the stand-in for James Collins and Winston Reid who was to prove pivotal for West Ham throughout the game. Cheik Kouyate, making his first start since returning from the African Cup of Nations with an ankle injury deputised efficiently at centre half and popped up in the opposition's penalty area to score his second goal for the Irons, four minutes into the second half, to give West Ham a lead they were to hold until the 93rd minute. The goal came from Mark Noble's free kick, drifted into the box. Kouyate, with his back to goal took the ball under control on the edge of the six-yard box before turning adroitly and firing beyond David De Gea to make it 1-0. The goal followed a closely-fought and even first half, in which goalscoring opportunities were at a premium. Still, Enner Valencia managed to test De Gea's reflexes on 14 minutes with a fierce drive and then again a minute later, w with a shinned shot from close range that required a fingertip save.
Following Kouyate's opening goal however, the tables turned as Louis Van Gaal's side began to find their range. Falcao fluffed a good chance two minutes after his side had fallen behind, firing across goal from an acute angle, but it wasn't until the final quarter-of-an-hour that Manchester began to look consistently dangerous. The introduction of Marouane Fellaini saw the Red Devils switch to a rather more direct tactical approach. Di Maria narrowly missed the target with a 25-yard free kick before Falcao missed his side's best chance of the game, poking the ball wide of the goal with only Adrian to beat. With just seven minutes to play, Adrian's foot intervened at the right time to deny Van Persie, whose drilled effort was heading into the far corner. As the match entered added-on time West Ham's Spanish 'keeper flung himself to his right to deny substitute Fellaini. United must have thought they'd clung on to win the game when Rooney's free kick went straight into the wall. However Van Gaal's side had other ideas and as they worked the ball back into West Ham's box, Blind emerged to find Adrian's bottom left corner with a precise effort.
West Ham could - and probably should - have wrapped the game up prior to that point, most notably when Mark Noble has the entire goal at his mercy but failed to find the net thanks to a superb reaction save from De Gea three minutes from time. Matt Jarvis, on as a replacement for the tiring Valencia could also perhaps done better when presented with a golden opportunity from a defensive mix-up, but could only send his header over the bar. It was the sort of chance one suspects the missing Andy Carroll would have gobbled up. The Hammers also ended the game with a man advantage after Luke Shaw saw red for a second bookable offence, according to referee Mark Clattenburg; if anything, it was far worse than that with the England full-back going in to a 50/50 with studs showing, ankle high.
Regardless, West Ham had barely any time to make anything of their numerical superiority and the game ended a stalemate - much to the disappointment of Sam Allardyce and his whole side, who certainly deserved a whole lot more than one point from their two encounters with Manchester this season.
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Ravel Morrison a free agent as West Ham terminate contract
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Ravel Morrison is free to join another club with immediate effect after it was confirmed that West Ham had released the midfielder from his contract. The 21-year-old signed a pre-contact agreement with Serie A club Lazio last month but was due to spend the remainder of the current season at West Ham. However that will not happen after it was confirmed that the club had terminated the troubled Morrison's contract.
West Ham United FC ✔ @whufc_official
NEWS: West Ham United can confirm that Ravel Morrison has left the Club - http://www.whufc.com/articles/20150208/ravel-morrison_2236884_4471767 …
Just 18 months ago Morrison was being valued around the £20million mark after scoring a wonder goal at Tottenham in the Carling Cup quarter final. However his stock fell dramatically in the ensuing months after a series of highly-publicised incidents at the club and in his public life.
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Child's play for Alex Song as he considers future
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 8th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Alex Song says he is being implored to remain in London after the end of the current season - by his sons. Song is on loan at West Ham until the end of the current cmpaign, when he is due to return to Barcelona. Sam Allardyce, for one, has hinted that retaining the midfielder's services would prove a huge boost ahead of the final season at the Boleyn Ground. And now the player himself is seriously considering extending his time in the UK - as the result of his boys' wishes! "My boys were saying yesterday, 'Daddy I don't want to leave here any more, you have to stay'," he told the media. "They love London. They are very happy here and for my family, the most important thing is happiness. All they want me to do is perform to make them happy. "The thing that hurt me the most was my kids, because they were seeing me play every single game, every single week at Arsenal. Then when I left my boys were going, 'Daddy why aren't you playing? Is it because the manager doesn't like you?' It was hard for me to explain to them that it isn't easy at Barcelona. "When I wake up in the morning I'm more than happy because I know I have the opportunity to play and I do what I love to do - play football. I enjoy it and make people happy, make the fans happy. If the fans are happy with the way we are playing I'm always happy. "I want to just perform to give them something back. When you come somewhere and people give you the love, what do you want to do? If I'm a football player it is to just perform. "I will put everything together and at the end of the day I will choose what I want to do.I have to continue improving my game, which I was doing before."
Song also confirmed that it was the persistence of Allardyce who sold the club to him last summer. "I didn't want to go to Italy, I wanted to come back [to England]," he added. I have friends here. "One day I spoke with the manager and the gaffer said: 'Would you like to come to West Ham?' He said 'we are playing very well, come and see'. My wife was telling me we had to come to London as well, so I said okay. She is right for telling me to come here."
The chances of Song remaining at West Ham beyond his season-long loan have always been slim at best. However given this latest news, who's to say he can't be swayed? One of the major lures will be the opportunity to play in the Olympic Stadium the season after next. Whether Song hangs around to do so remains to be seen, but the 27-year-old former Cameroon international certainly believes that move will change the face of West Ham. "I am sure in the next five years West Ham will challenge with clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea," he predicted. "Then, when they jump to the new stadium, I think more players will come in and the club will look different.
"I think everything is going well; we just have to continue improving. If we play very well at the end of the season I think more players will come in and the project will get going."
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Daley Blind's injury-time equaliser earns Manchester United a point at West Ham
By Gerard Brand. Last Updated: 08/02/15 8:02pm
SSN
Daley Blind's late equaliser earned Manchester United a point against West Ham in a 1-1 draw dominated by the hosts at Upton Park.
Defender Cheikhou Kouyate's second-half goal gave West Ham the lead, but Blind volleyed home a 92nd-minute leveller from the edge of the area. Luke Shaw was sent off after the equaliser for a second bookable offence, but the result means Louis van Gaal's side have lost just once in 17 games in all competitions. Manchester United had not lost away from home since a 1-0 defeat by neighbours Manchester City in early November, while West Ham had lost just once at Upton Park since August. David de Gea was forced into action by Enner Valencia twice in quick succession, first parrying a 25-yard drive out for a corner, and then denying the Ecuadorian from close-range with an acrobatic save. When James Tomkins lost Phil Jones at the far post from another cross, De Gea had to save well with his feet from the defender's free header from eight yards. West Ham took the lead four minutes into the second half after a fine piece of skill from Kouyate. The Senegal international brought the ball down from a free-kick, turned with another fine touch and fired into the net.
Manchester United then decided to up the ante, and Radamel Falcao had a fine chance to equalise in the 78th minute, but he could not lift the ball over Adrian after being put through on goal by Robin van Persie. Van Persie himself broke through minutes later, but his powerful low drive was blocked well by Adrian as Van Gaal's side pushed for an equaliser. At the other end West Ham should have had the points wrapped up late on only to be denied by the impressive De Gea again from Mark Noble's close-range drive. Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellaini with just under 20 minutes remaining, and the Belgian immediately caused problems for West Ham. First, his shot on the turn was saved turned wide well by Adrian, and then the midfielder was involved in the equaliser. After Fellaini headed the ball down Marcos Rojo's long delivery into the box, Blind finished on the volley from 18 yards with his left foot into the corner through a crowded penalty area. Shaw was deservedly sent off after the equaliser for bringing down Stewart Downing, his second bookable defence.
Player ratings:
West Ham: Adrian (7), Jenkinson (7), Tomkins (7), Kouyate (8), Cresswell (7), Song (7), Noble (7), Nolan (6), Downing (6), Sakho (7), Valencia (7)
Subs: Jarvis (5)
Man Utd: De Gea (8), Valencia (5), Jones (5), Rojo (6), Shaw (4), Blind (7), Rooney (5), Di Maria (3), Januzaj (4), Van Persie (4), Falcao (4)
Subs: Fellaini (7), Smalling (5)
Man of the match: Kouyate
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce in 'long ball' dig at Manchester United after 1-1 draw
Last Updated: 08/02/15 10:18pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce described Manchester United as "long ball" after conceding a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Upton Park on Sunday. Louis van Gaal's visitors brought on Marouane Fellaini for the final stages of the game, and changed their style of play before getting a reward through Daley Blind's 92nd-minute goal. Allardyce, who has received criticism in the past for his side's own style, admitted West Ham struggled to cope with the aerial balls, with Manchester United playing 30 more long passes than their opponents. He told Sky Sports: "We couldn't cope with 'long-ball United', it was 'thump it forward and see what they could get'. In the end it paid off. "When you've got Fellaini up there it was difficult for us, it's not how you normally see Man United play, but it got them a point in the end. The likes of Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Angel Di Maria hardly got a look in." The draw leaves West Ham eighth in the Premier League table, still seven points behind their opponents in fourth. Allardyce admitted his side were low in the dressing room, having thoroughly deserved to win the game. "The lads are absolutely gutted in there, and so they should be.
"It was an absolutely fantastic performance and from the point of view where we were at the end, we were going to see it through. It wasn't to be. "I think we needed to find the second goal, we had the chance but we didn't do it."
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Louis van Gaal says he thanked his Manchester United players for their second-half show at West Ham
Last Updated: 08/02/15 7:33pm
SSN
Louis van Gaal said he personally thanked his Manchester United players for their second-half performance in the 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Daley Blind's late equaliser denied West Ham what would have been a deserved win after Cheikhou Kouyate's opener, and despite the hosts having chances to win the game, the Dutchman was pleased with the second-half showing. Van Gaal told Sky Sports: "I think we played very badly in the first half, but we showed a lot of fight and spirit in the second, especially after their goal. "We gave it away, and then we played football, but you have to do it from the first minute. "But I have to say what spirit my team showed after going behind, and I have thanked my players for that." Manchester United introduced Marouane Fellaini for the final stages at Upton Park, and the Belgian provided the assist for Blind's equaliser by winning an aerial ball. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claimed his side could not cope with long ball United", but Van Gaal returned the compliment by insisting he had prepared to face long balls from the hosts themselves.
They are playing long balls, we know that in advance, but they won all the second balls. "I think with Fellaini you have to change your style, and we did, and because of Fellaini we have created a lot of chances." United remain in fourth place in the Premier League, and have now lost just once in 17 games in all competitions.
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BE PROUD, VERY PROUD
By Iain Dale 8 Feb 2015 at 18:21
West Ham till I Die
As we await with baited breath David Hautzig's full match report, here are ten observations from today's game.
1. We should be proud of this performance. We outplayed a team which cost several hundred million pounds.
2. Our set piece play was superb. We won virtually every duel.
3. Enner Valencia was on fire, especially in the first half. Sakho ran them ragged in the second half.
4. You have to take the chances you get. If Mark Noble or Matt Jarvis had taken their chances things might have been different.
5. Kouyate put in a top performance both as a defender and for his goal.
6. Adrian never looked ruffled. He had a couple of reaction shots to save and did it well.
7. Our commitment was top class.
8. Kevin Nolan wasn't mentioned much in the commentary but he put in some very timely challenges and played a couple of exquisite forward passes.
9. The crowd were superb today. Lots of noise.
10. Hilarious that Man U had to resort to the long ball. Would never happen at Upton Park. No Sirreee.
This somewhat makeshift team proves that we have a squad which can develop into a very good team indeed. This was an outstanding performance in every part of the pitch. It was a real team effort. There was no one player that outshone the others and there was no player that failed to put in a shift. We can go to St Mary's on Wednesday in confident mood.
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WEST HAM 1, MANCHESTER UNITED 1. LIKE IAIN, I'M VERY PROUD.
By David Hautzig 8 Feb 2015 at 20:31
West Ham till I Die
As gargantuan as Manchester United have been, we have had some nice moments against them. Dicanio making Barthez look like an idiot in the FA Cup. Spector of all people running circles around them with Moron Grant in charge. Even Curbs won three in a row against them. Perhaps that history coupled with what is still a pretty good side, recent results notwithstanding, was why both Paul Merson and Lawro picked us to win today. Having said that, we were winless in our last twelve meetings against them.
I wasn't as fixated on the result leading up to the match as I normally am. At the risk of being overly dramatic, I saw today as a watershed moment for Sam Allardyce. With Andy Carroll injured, would Sam go back to the formation that saw us not only win a hatful of matches earlier in the season but saw us play the kind of football that was asked of him? Or would he use the injury crisis at the back to institute a safe, forget the midfield at all costs kind of setup? Would he move Downing out wide again, against all levels of common sense, to accommodate Nolan? I sincerely thought that question would go a long way in determining if Sam would be offered a new deal at the end of the campaign. All things being equal, I think Sam checked most of the right boxes.
Yesterday, the West Ham universe was lifted by the news that Alex Song's kids are threatening him with inhuman levels of torture if he makes them leave London. He may have not said exactly that, but if you're a parent you can read between the lines. But if he makes more mistakes like the one he made in the 5th minute then Sam Allardyce will be the one delivering the torture. Inside the West Ham penalty area, Song attempted a short pass to Kouyate. It was intercepted by Van Persie, but as he was teeing up what should have been an early opening goal Kouyate came to the rescue with a clearing tackle. Liam Spencer of Iron Views put it best when he tweeted "Alex Song needs to learn to just boot it sometimes. It goes against everything in his footballing brain but it has to be done now and then."
One thing Song has done brilliantly time and time again is send laser guided balls, on the carpet, for someone to run onto. A few minutes after his absurd mistake, he sent one of those missiles in for Valencia. Rojo got in the way, but in less than ten minutes we saw glimpses of the kind of football that enthralled us early in the season. Valencia and Sakho ran into space, giving realistic targets to Song and Downing. That kind of pressure led to West Ham's first chance of the game in the 14th minute when Rojo's attempted clearance landed at the feet of our Valencia, who forced de Gea to push his shot out for a corner. The corner found its way back to Valencia but his volley was this time pushed over the bar by de Gea. Two more corners resulted in one attempted header by Sakho that went wide.
Manchester United had a spell of pressure starting in the 23rd minute. Di Maria sent Van Persie in down the left, but his cross was too deep. It was collected by Rooney, who found Falcao in the middle. However, three hundred grand per week didn't buy him a good first touch and it was cleared for a corner, and the resulting kick was handled by Adrian.
West Ham came close to opening the scoring in the 32nd minute when Phil Jones took down Valencia. Aaron Cresswell has shown glimpses of quality when taking free kicks, and this attempt found Tomkins at the far post. However, his header was stopped by de Gea's right leg. Minutes later, Kevin Nolan closed down on Jones and won West Ham another corner.
Yes. I said Nolan. Yes, he pressed high and forced a corner. No, really. It happened. I swear.
It was odd seeing Manchester United as the team that couldn't keep possession, that looked unnerved and uncomfortable on the ball. They were often bypassing the midfield and sending hopeful balls downfield. Roles were certainly reversed.
If Diafra Sakho has elements of his game that need significant improvement, it is his first touch and decision making. When those two are sorted out, he will be an even more frightening specimen to behold. But for now, we will have to see things like we saw in the 40th minute when he led a two on two attack. But instead of either shooting or trying to find Valencia in the box, he rolled the ball towards de Gea. Was it a shot? Was it a pass? It was just a blown chance.
The first half ended with the Red Devils winning a few corners after another ill conceived pass by Song. On the final one before the halftime whistle, Di Maria played a short corner to Rooney. After their version of Valencia had a touch, the ball came back to Di Maria but his cross was cleared by Tomkins.
Halftime. West Ham 0, Manchester United 0.
No matter who plays for Sam Allardyce, they will know how to execute a set piece. The man would insist that Messi get in the box and wait for a flick on. In the 49th minute, Noble was fouled by their Ecuadorian named Valencia and Clattenburg awarded West Ham a free kick from about 35 yards out. For a second, it looked like Cresswell wanted Noble to take it quickly. Tim Howard, who was presenting the game here on NBC, chuckled and said it was silly for Cresswell to be on a Big Sam team and think that was ever going to happen.
Noble lofted the ball into the box. It took a deflection and headed towards Kouyate. He handled it out of the air with his right foot, and turned away from the defenders. He then gave it another little touch with his right foot while swiveling his body to his left. Then, with the ball never touching the ground, he turned into the ball and sent it past de Gea. Replays showed it took a slight deflection, but it wouldn't have mattered if it didn't.
West Ham 1, Manchester United 0.
My feeling at that point was summed up perfectly by The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, who tweeted that he was going to hide behind his couch for the next forty minutes. It wasn't a terrible idea, because the goal slapped Manchester United into action. In the 53rd minute, Di Maria found Van Persie with a pass over the top of the West Ham defense. The Dutchman's half volley tried to beat Adrian to the near post, but to no avail. Minutes later Januzaj linked up with Van Persie only to have Tomkins slide in with a crucial block. West Ham were pinned back and in desperate need of relief. That relief came when Sakho used his strength and persistence to keep the ball deep in the Manchester United end and eventually win a corner.
I used to hate Mark Clattenburg. Intensely, actually. I think it started when he disallowed a perfectly good goal by Picchione for a hand ball that wasn't. To now say that he is one of the better officials in The Premier League says more about the lack of quality down the line than it does about Clattenburg. In the 73rd minute, he gifted Manchester United a free kick from a dangerous position when Song clearly won the ball from an onrushing Wayne Rooney. To add some salt to the open wound, he showed Song a yellow card for telling him how wrong the call was. If Di Maria had scored on the free kick Song should have threatened to pick Clattenburg's wardrobe. Instead it sailed into the crowd.
You know the invisible force field defense systems in pretty much every science fiction movie? When Radamel Falcao won the ball from Kouyate about ten yards in front of Adrian, a goal was the only outcome that seemed possible. But Adrian must have turned on the deflector shields in front of him because the ball looked like it bounced off of it and went harmlessly wide. Minutes later Falcao tried to redeem himself with a lovely pass to Van Persie, but his left footed attempt was saved by our cult hero between the posts.
Mark Noble had a golden opportunity to kill off the game in the 87th minute, and he will likely wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat thinking about it. Matt Jarvis, who had replaced Valencia, worked with Cresswell in the corner to keep possession and eat up some clock. The ball came loose at the top of the box, right in front of Noble. He tried to hit the bottom corner with his strike, but de Gea was there to stop it.
Two minutes later, Manchester United's version of a big hairy guy came close to an equalizer. If he had a pony tail, he would have looked just like AC as he handled a long pass on his chest and tried to turn it into the goal. Adrian pushed it wide to keep the Hammers on top.
But not for long.
With all of the offensive firepower at their disposal, it has to be one hell of a feat to keep a clean sheet against them. God knows we tried, and we were almost over the finish line. But two minutes into added time, a Jenkinson clearance inside the box fell right to Daley Blind and his bouncing volley beat Adrian to the bottom right hand corner.
West Ham 1, Manchester United 1.
Manchester United ended the game on ten men after Luke Shaw became the second Manchester United player to see red for an attempted assault on Stuart Downing. I tried to envision a lofted ball into the box from the resulting free kick that Sakho would slam home. That didn't happen, and the game was over.
Final Score. West Ham 1, Manchester United 1.
When you give up a late goal, either to turn a win into a draw or a draw into a loss, it's difficult to remember what your expectations and hopes were going into the game. And if I weren't sitting down to write, I probably wouldn't have tried to analyze what I saw. But two plus hours after the final whistle, the truth is I got what I wanted.
I wanted Sakho to play up top with Valencia, and I wanted the combination to look dangerous.
It did.
I wanted Downing at the top of the midfield, the position that has seen his career raised from the near dead.
He was.
And I wanted us to play good, attractive football, regardless of the outcome.
I think we did.
West Ham are a work in progress. Today we played more like the team that terrorized opponents in September and October. Today we played better than we had since we beat Swansea at Upton Park. We can only hope that if we saw it that way, Sam did as well, and there will be more of the same for the rest of the season.
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West Ham 1-1 Manchester United: Blind's injury-time strike rescues point for below-par Red Devils
18:11, 8 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
The Dutchman spared his team-mate's blushes when he popped up in stoppage time to cancel out Cheikhou Kouyate's spectacular opener at Upton Park
The Mirror
Manchester United snatched a point from the jaws of defeat at Upton Park, thanks to an injury time Daley Blind strike, to put gloss on another below-par away day showing. Sam Allardyce's side looked on their way to a deserved win thanks to Cheikhou Kouyate's goal just after the break, in a match which saw the Hammers dominate the visitors. Louis van Gaal's starting XI saw the Red Devils set out with four at the back in a diamond formation that saw Daley Blind offering protection in front of the defence. Sam Allardyce had to make do without centre-back pairing Winston Reid and James Collins, meaning that James Tomkins and Cheikhou Kouyate filled in. West Ham were quickest out pf the blocks, with Stewart Downing and Alex Song both putting dangerous balls into the box in the opening five minutes, before Enner Valencia forced two decent saves from David de Gea. The first was a dipping volley from outside the box, which the Spaniard palmed behind the goal, before he again denied the Ecuadorian from the resulting corner, stopping his header at close range. With Valencia and Diafra Sakho looking dangerous up top, the Hammers looked to capitalise on their strong early showing, but as the half went on, Louis van Gaal's side began to weather the storm, without being able to bring their striking duo of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao into the game.
In fact it was - as usual on the Red Devils' travels this season - De Gea that shone for the visitors, as he superbly dealt with two clear-cut headers from James Tomkins as the sides went into the half-time break level pegging. The deadlock was soon broken when the teams were back out, thanks to a moment of superlative skill from Kouyate, who received the ball with his back to goal in a crowded penalty area, did two keep-uppies as he spun himself round and fired past De Gea into the back of the net, albeit with a deflection.
The Red Devils responded to going one down strongly, dominating possession and laying siege to the Hammers goal, but the closest they got was a Van Persie shot that was blocked by Tomkins. The home side almost doubled their lead with 25 minutes to go, when Carl Jenkinson's cross-cum-shot almost caught out De Gea, but the ball floated just wide of the Spaniard's back post. The increasingly anonymous Radamel Falcao spurned a golden opportunity to level the scores with 15 minutes to go, when he sliced the ball well wide with the outside of his right foot with the goal at his mercy after a lovely flick from Van Persie. So bad was the miss that social media immediately went haywire, with Fernando Torres comparisons appearing all over any football fan's Twitter timeline. Falcao's blushes were spared however, when Daley Blind rescued a point in injury-time for the visitors with a low pinpoint finish from outside the box after Jenkinson failed to effectively deal with a Rooney free-kick. Luke Shaw was given his marching orders at the death when he deservedly received a second yellow card for a studs up challenge on Downing, but it came too late to effect the outcome.
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West Ham's bargain-bucket brawlers bossed the million-dollar men of Manchester United
22:30, 8 February 2015
OPINION Neil McLeman BY NEILMCLEMAN
For all the away side's big-name firepower, it was the Hammers who set the agenda in Sunday afternoon's big game
The Mirror
Louis van Gaal sent out an all-star forward line but needed a late equaliser from a midfielder. And the Manchester United defence was run ragged by the bargain buys of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho while an an emergency centre-back scored a blinder on a topsy-turvy afternoon in East London. Cheikhou Kouyate's match should have been all about stopping Robin Van Persie, Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria. Yet the Senegal midfielder showed the multi-millionaire superstars how to finish while his two forwards displayed the workrate and teamwork lacking in the Dutchman's side. One first-half move summed up the difference between the two sides - and their forwards. Hammers keeper Adrian picked up a cross and rolled the ball out to Sakho. He surged forward, found Valencia and took the return pass in the Manchester United box only for Antonio Valencia to make a goal-saving tackle. It was simple, direct and perfect Premier League football. By contrast, Falcao fluffed his best chance after 77 minutes before getting subbed off looking angry and frustrated. For the £6m loan fee and £18m in wages Manchester United are paying for the Colombian this season, they could have bought Kouyate, Valencia and Sakho and had change to spare. And got more energy and goals. The £12m Ecuadorian and the Senegalese striker, who cost £3.5m, were kept off the scoresheet by the brilliance of David De Gea but their relentless running still contributed to the cause. West Ham's defended from the front. "When we weren't in possession, the closing down of their team as a team was the key to upsetting Man Utd today," said Sam Allardyce." The Hammers have now won only one Premier League game in seven to remain eighth but this performance promises to re-start the momentum in their season. "We're back to a level we know we can play at which has been difficult to get to over the Christmas and New Year period with injuries and the African Nations Cup," Allardyce added. "I have to give the players credit for how well they defended as well as how well they played in possession. It was almost the perfect performance."
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Sam Allardyce says West Ham couldn't cope with "long ball United" after surrendering late equaliser
19:02, 8 February 2015 By Alex Richards
The Hammers conceded a 92nd minute equaliser to Daley Blind having failed to add to their lead, thanks to another inspired showing from David de Gea
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce was disappointed that his side had failed to hold on for all three points after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United, believing his side were good value for victory and lamenting their inability to deal with "long ball United".
Cheikhou Kouyate scored a wonderful opening goal five minutes into the second period, and the Hammers looked set for what would have been a deserved three points. But in the 92nd minute, Dutch international Daley Blind cracked home a perfectly-executed volley to hand Louis van Gaal's men a share of the spoils, putting a dent in West Ham's European ambitions. "A win would have been nothing more than we deserved if we had won," declared Allardyce. "The lads are absolutely gutted and so they should be. It was a fantastic performance and I thought we were going to see it through but it wasn't to be. "We just needed to find the second goal and didn't manage to even though we had chances. "In the end, we couldn't cope with long ball United - it was thump it forward and see what happens. It's not how you normally see United play but it worked for them in the end. "If you look at the amount of saves David de Gea made today he is probably just as worthy of them getting the draw as Daley Blind getting the equaliser." Hammers midfielder Mark Noble was similarly unhappy at having failed to land three points. Noble stated: "It's feels like a loss. It shows how far we have come that we are gutted we drew with Manchester United. "In many spells I thought we were the better team and just couldn't hold out until the end. "You can't switch off against these top teams because they will punish you and that's what happened."
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Sakho and Valencia HAS to be way forward
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 8, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I have never believed that Sam Allardyce – or come to that, any other manager – picks teams to annoy the fans. Nor do I believe that captain Kevin Nolan is useless and that fans should demand a season ticket rebate every time his name appears on the team sheet.I mention this only because many on the often very petty and silly Twitter seem to believe the manager's sole intention is to annoy them personally by doing the first and including the second along the way! I will never apologise for disliking a brand of football which depends on getting it from back to front as quickly as possible whether it's promoted by the West Ham manager or – as was the case today – Louis van Gaal. And looking at the forums tonight shows that the United fans are as cheesed off with the Dutchman as many Irons fans have been with our manager when he chooses to play that way. Tonight in his press conference Sam said these words: "Our strength was in playing the ball into our front men from the midfielders not by going from back to front." That of course can only happen when Diafra and Enner play together and the Ecuadorian was a revelation today as he returned "at a stroke" to the early season form which had us all drooling. It was no accident that today's was the most enjoyable game at the Boleyn for the many weeks stretching back to Andy Carroll's injury days. Diafra and Enner are a front pairing made in heaven and it seems – from his remarks – that even our often stubborn manager has to accept that our better football is played when they are in harness.
So just what happens when Carroll returns? Do we return to a brand of football which I believe has seen us slip down the table and is nothing like as exciting as most of us want to see? Or do we give the deadly duo a fair crack of the whip with AC being used as an impact sub not unlike Fellaini was for United today. Sam's admission that our strength is in getting the ball into the front pair's feet out of midfield surely only applies to today's front two. He has a decision to make and to be entirely frank it really isn't very difficult – stick with today's pairing Mr Allardyce. It really is the way forward as you have implied yourself.
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