Big Sam on: Sunderland
WHUFC.com
The manager has spoken to the media ahead of West Ham United's visit to the
Stadium of Light
10.01.2013
Sam Allardyce wants West Ham United to extend their unbeaten start to 2013
when they travel to Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
The Hammers opened the New Year by overcoming Norwich City 2-1 before
holding Manchester United to a thrilling 2-2 FA Cup with Budweiser
third-round draw at the Boleyn Ground last weekend. Now, Big Sam is hoping
his team can overcome the absence of a number of important players through
injury by scoring a positive result against Martin O'Neill's men at the
Stadium of Light.
Sam, could you start by giving us your team news ahead of Saturday's trip to
the Stadium of Light?
SA: "We've got the same squad as last week and we've added Marouane Chamakh
on loan from Arsenal, who we obviously hope will play a big part in us
getting some good results between now and the end of the season. He is also
cover for Modibo Maiga, who went off to the Africa Cup of Nations last week.
Other than that, we've got the same squad as Andy Carroll, George McCartney,
Mo Diame and Joey O'Brien are not fit yet. Dan Potts is with us and he did a
great job last week and hopefully he'll continue in that position, continue
to improve and perform as he did against Manchester United."
How much longer do you expect Andy to be out for?
SA: "It's difficult to put an actual timescale on it. I would expect it
would be no longer than a couple of weeks now. He is doing some
straight-line running and has been doing that for a few days. If he doesn't
feel anything, then we'll progress onto interval running and some change of
direction work and then introduce the ball. Then, he'll hopefully come back
with the other players as quickly as possible. It could be a few days or it
could be a bit longer than that, depending on his progression. We're
assessing him day-by-day now."
What do you expect Marouane Chamakh to contribute to the cause?
SA: "We have got a lot of games coming up. He won't be able to play in the
FA Cup replay at Manchester United because he wasn't registered in time for
the first game. From there on and from this Saturday, he'll be available."
How will you manage Joe Cole's workload between now and the end of the
season?
SA: "We will take it game-by-game. Part of every manager's job is managing
players for their sake. It's not always about joining in training every day
and every week for me, and it hasn't been for many years for me. Lots of
players don't come together in the squad until Thursday and Friday and then
play on the Saturday because they need to do other things during the week to
maintain their level of fitness. I have a prevention policy rather than a
cure policy which has obviously been tested to the hilt recently with the
number of injuries we've had. Saying that, they have been more trauma
injuries than muscle tears, so we'll do what is needed with Joe as we do
with many players."
Do you have a message for Joint-Chairman David Gold, who has been taken ill
this week?
SA: "All the players wish him well. We found out on Wednesday that he is
poorly so we'll get a message to him and we obviously wish him a speedy
recovery."
The transfer window is open. What can you update us on in terms of possible
targets?
SA: "In terms as what we're doing at the moment, we're as active as everyone
else. If there is a player there who we feel will improve the squad, we'll
try to move for him. If I was strengthening anywhere at the moment, it would
be in the left-back position because of our injury problems in that area.
We're only looking at that position at the minute."
Are you surprised with how Sunderland have performed this season?
SA: "I don't know why they haven't kicked on after last season, but I do
know they have improved over Christmas and that has given their team a lot
more confidence. It has been results rather than performances that have not
come because they have not converted the chances they have created. They
have not got too many goalscorers apart from Steven Fletcher and they have
sort of paid a price for that in result terms. Performances, particularly at
home, have been very good according to our reports, so it'll be a tough game
away from home. We want to play as well as we did against Manchester United
to achieve a result at Sunderland - anything less than that will make it
difficult for us."
Steven Fletcher has been a success story for Sunderland since joining them
last summer. What have you made of his impact?
SA: "He's been tremendous. When you see where Sunderland would be if he
hadn't scored the goals he scored, his goals have been like gold in terms of
the results they have brought Sunderland this season. Without those goals,
they'd have struggled more than they already have. The importance of a
goalscorer is massive. If you've got that goalscorer, then it's a massive
bonus for you."
Finally, you have started 2013 well. Are you happy with how things are
going?
SA: "I'm happy that we've recovered well from a disappointing Christmas
based on results and the loss of lots of players to injury, which has made
life difficult for us. I think we've performed exceptionally well against
Norwich and Manchester United in our last two games, so I hope we will
continue to produce displays like that on a consistent basis in the New
Year."
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Club to raise £50k for Bobby Moore Fund
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are targeting to raise 50,000 pounds for the Bobby Moore
Fund for Cancer Research UK this season
08.01.2013
West Ham United are delighted to announce a target to raise £50,000 for the
Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK this season. Since being established
in memory of the legendary West Ham and England captain by his widow
Stephanie Moore MBE in 1993, the charity has raised nearly £19million for
research and to raise awareness of bowel cancer - the disease which took the
life of the great centre-back at the age of 51. In the two decades since
Moore's passing, more than 300,000 people have lost their lives to bowel
cancer in the UK alone. The club, which has worked closely with the charity
for many years, has already raised more than £20,000.
To kick-start the initiative, Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has made a
generous personal donation of £10,000. Manager Sam Allardyce followed suit
by has kindly agreeing to donate the fee he receives for his weekly Evening
Standard column to the Fund over the course of the 2012/13 season, raising
more than £5,000 so far.
The club's Principal Partner SBOBET also got behind the initiative by
marking the fourth anniversary of their partnership activity by donating
£5,000.
Two home fixtures have also been designated as Bobby Moore Fund Awareness
Matches - the Barclays Premier League visits of Tottenham Hotspur and
Manchester United on 25 February and 9 March 2013 respectively. The Spurs
fixture will mark 20 years since Moore's tragic and untimely passing and the
club is planning a fitting tribute to the great defender involving
supporters and members of the Moore family.
Ricardo Vaz Te has also got in on the act, donating the boots in which he
scored his unforgettable npower Championship Play-Off final winner for
auction. The No12 has signed the footwear, and supporters should keep a
close eye on the official website - whufc.com - for details of how and where
to bid for a unique piece of Hammers memorabilia.
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said the club was delighted to
be working closely with a charity that is close to the hearts of everyone
associated with the Hammers. "I am very proud that West Ham United and the
Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK will once again be working in
partnership. Everyone at the club holds Bobby in the highest esteem and is
committed to fighting the disease which robbed England of its finest-ever
defender and captain. "The work the Fund does is tremendous and for such an
important cause and there is no doubt that It helps to save lives every
single year. While raising the profile of such a worthy cause, we will be
able to ensure Bobby's legacy lives on at the heart of his club."
Bobby Moore Fund Senior Manager Ali Cleveland welcomed the club's
announcement, saying: "The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is
grateful to be the beneficiary of West Ham's target to raise £50,000 for
vital bowel cancer research and looks forward to working with the club this
season."
You can also get involved by taking part in one of the many fundraising
events and projects organised by the club.
Earlier this month, the Hammers further boosted their fundraising total by
purchasing a table at the Bobby Moore Fund Celebrity Sports Quiz enabling
assistant
manager Neil McDonald, first-team squad members George Moncur, Sebastian
Lletget and Matthias Fanimo as well Hammers fan and Olympic rowing Gold
medallist Mark Hunter to attend the high-profile event. The event, which
attracted around 500 people and was hosted by ITV football commentator Clive
Tyldesley and Sky Sports presenters Jeff Stelling, Clare Tomlinson and Max
Rushden and BBC Sport presenter Hazel Irvine, raised £224,202 for the
charity.
In January, manager Sam Allardyce will be among the diners at a Dining With
The Stars evening at the Grade I listed Gibson Hall in the heart of the City
of London, when an exquisite five-course meal will be cooked by a group of
Michelin starred chefs. Prices start from £250 per ticket, with VIP tickets
and Chef's table tickets also available. To book tickets, or to discuss
sponsorship opportunities, please email davina.yanful@cancer.org.uk
If you would like to help West Ham to reach their £50,000 fundraising target
and raise valuable funds for the Bobby Moore Fund, please email
officialcharitiesBMF@westhamunited.co.uk
For more information about the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK,
click here.
About the Bobby Moore Fund
• The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK raises vital funds for
research into bowel cancer and increases public awareness of the disease
• The Fund was set up by Stephanie Moore MBE in memory of her husband,
footballer Bobby Moore, after his death from the disease in 1993, at just 51
• Since it was set up, the Fund has gone from strength to strength and now
raises over £1.5 million every year through a variety of fundraising events
with over £18.8 million pounds raised in total
• The charity also raises awareness through hard hitting campaigns such as
'There is Moore to know' featuring members of the England football team and
delivered in partnership with the England Footballers Foundation
• For more information click here or visit the Bobby Moore Fund Facebook
page here.
About Cancer Research UK
• Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to
saving lives through research
• The charity's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment
of cancer has helped save millions of lives
• Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving
research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound
donated
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already
seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through
the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is
to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.
For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how
to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1861,
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Not strictly WHU , but you gotta love Paolo!
Paolo Di Canio on hand of Suarez, paying for players and tiramisu
BBC.co.uk
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio, one of football's most controversial and
colourful characters, gives his views in his latest column for BBC Sport.
Sportsmanship is a dying art
Luis Suarez has received a lot of criticism for handling the ball before
scoring Liverpool's second against Mansfield in the FA Cup. For me, a
player has to be genuine at all times. If, after one second, a player
realised what he had done was dishonest, then he should tell the referee. It
is not fair to take advantage of such a situation. So if Suarez did it
intentionally and realised he was wrong, then in my opinion he should have
confessed. But we are all different. Would I act if one of my players did
something that was seen as bad sportsmanship? It depends on the seriousness
of the situation, but obviously if it is something really wrong and is far
from the idea of good sportsmanship, I would consider taking action. I won
the Fifa Fair Play award in 2001 when I decided to catch the ball rather
than shoot while then Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was injured, but sadly
I don't think we will see that kind of act often in the future. It seems to
me that the new generation has grown up with the idea that you are
intelligent and more clever than others if you benefit from a bad action or
situation. You see it on reality television shows, where some people become
famous just for acting in a bad way. In football, we are seeing more
players diving at minimal contact. Of course, not every player is dishonest,
but I don't think we will see many acts of good sportsmanship in the future.
Maybe when a team is winning 3-0 and players do it to receive praise, but
otherwise I cannot see it.
Less money, more glory
Last weekend, I said I would use my money to keep players at Swindon. I was
very serious when I said that. If using my own money helps Swindon achieve
promotion, then it is something I will do. Money has never been a priority
for me. Obviously, I still need to be paid, but it is more important for me
to live my life with a bit less money and have more glory. This is my view
in football and also in life. Anything I can do to achieve this I will do.
Already this season I donated my image rights to Villa Stuart - a sport
clinic in Rome that is one of the best in Europe - in exchange for free
treatment and rehabilitation for my injured players. We only pay for the
surgery, but the use of expertise, machinery and accommodation is all free
and all thanks to Paolo Di Canio. I do this because I want success for
myself and my players, so I don't mind having a little less money to do
this. I would feel ashamed to know that something could be achieved if I
invest some money, but I didn't. Football can be greedy. That is typical in
an industry where there is a chance to make lots of money. But I would
rather be paid one pound to manage a team that has a good plan to achieve
success than be paid lots of money to manage a club where the team and plan
is not very good. I have to confess, though, I have not always been like
this. When I was a boy, I stole my brother's bike and sold it to buy some
pick-and-mix sweets for me and my friend. I did share the sweets, so it was
one bad action and one good action.
Barthez tried to confuse me
I would love to see West Ham get a result at Manchester United in their FA
Cup replay on Wednesday because it would be great to see their fans
celebrating at Old Trafford again. The game will bring back very good
memories for me because I scored the winning goal there for West Ham, also
in the FA Cup in 2001, when Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez
stood with his hand in the air, claiming I was offside. He tried to stop me
and confuse me by putting his hand up like directors do in theatre when
actors are auditioning, but my view in life is always to act first, then
discuss the consequences. I brought this into my football career, so my
only thought at the time was to put the ball in the net and then check what
the linesman was doing.
One of my team-mates in that game was Joe Cole, and I am delighted to see he
has gone back to West Ham. I played alongside Roberto Baggio. For me, Cole
was as good as him at 16. He was an amazing talent and the fact he did very
well at West Ham and moved to Chelsea proved that he was a very good player.
He was one of the most talented players at West Ham and the fact his
development was while Paolo Di Canio was there I am sure helped him. He
will probably say it didn't, but a lot of young players, like Michael
Carrick for instance, have said that Paolo Di Canio helped them, so I am
happy to think that in their achievements there is a little bit of Paolo Di
Canio in them.
Paolo cooks the best
I like tradition in England, so on Christmas Day I tried to mix a
traditional turkey dinner with Italian food. I cooked a roast, which was
beautiful, and also a Tiramisu, which I make a lot because it is the best. I
tried not to eat too much, though, because I am on a diet. Before
Christmas, I also went to Stonehenge for the winter solstice. Swindon had
just beaten Tranmere 5-0 and I waited until 4am before going there to see
the sunrise. It was raining and I didn't see anything, so I left and went
straight to training.
Paolo Di Canio was speaking to BBC Sport's Gary Rose.
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Chairman David Gold's condition improving
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
The daughter of co-Chairman David Gold, who is in hospital suffering with
pneumonia, has revealed that her father's condition is slowly improving.
Jacqueline Gold, the eldest of David Gold's two daughters has revealed that
her father's condition has stabalised and that there has been some
improvement since he was first admitted 48 hours ago. Speaking via Twitter
today, Ms Gold said: "I have spoken to my dad who sounds much better after a
good night. He continues to sound better in himself. Thank you to everyone
for your support." Ms Gold's younger sister Vanessa also took to the social
network to thank well-wishers for their messages of support.
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Di Canio backing West Ham for Old Trafford surprise
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Paolo Di Canio hopes that West Ham can defy the odds and win
their FA Cup replay against Manchester United - just as Harry Redknapp's
underdogs did 12 years ago. 12 years ago this month, Di Canio struck in the
76th minute to score the only goal of a tightly-fought fourth round contest
in front of 10,000 delirious Hammers fans. And the Italian forward, now
exceeding all expectations as manager of Swindon hopes that history can
repeat itself when the current West Ham side attempt to emulate that famous
victory. "I would love to see West Ham get a result at Manchester United in
their FA Cup replay on Wednesday because it would be great to see their fans
celebrating at Old Trafford again," he told the BBC i nhis weekly column.
"The game will bring back very good memories for me because I scored the
winning goal there when Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez stood
with his hand in the air, claiming I was offside. "He tried to stop me and
confuse me by putting his hand up like directors do in theatre when actors
are auditioning, but my view in life is always to act first, then discuss
the consequences. "I brought this into my football career, so my only
thought at the time was to put the ball in the net and then check what the
linesman was doing."
And key to West Ham's chances, says Di Canio, is former team mate Joe Cole
who is the only player from Sam Allardyce's squad who was involved on that
historic day. "I am delighted to see he has gone back to West Ham," said Di
Canio. "I played alongside Roberto Baggio and for me, Cole was as good as
him at 16. He was an amazing talent and the fact he did very well at West
Ham and moved to Chelsea proved that he was a very good player."
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Andy Carroll: return imminent
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
Andy Carroll should be back in action within "a couple of weeks", according
to Sam Allardyce. The England striker has been out of action since the end
of November and was initially expected to be sidelined until the beginning
of February. However according to Allardyce, the 23-year-old - who is on
loan at the Boleyn Ground until the end of the season - should be back in
contention for a first team spot within a fortnight. "It's difficult to put
an actual timescale on it, but I would expect it would be no longer than a
couple of weeks now," Allardyce, speaking to the press ahead of the trip to
Sunderland, said. "He is doing some straight-line running and has been doing
that for a few days. If he doesn't feel anything, then we'll progress onto
interval running and some change of direction work and then introduce the
ball. "Then he'll hopefully come back, with the other players, as quickly
as possible. It could be a few days or it could be a bit longer than that,
depending on his progression. We're assessing him day-by-day now."
Allardyce also revealed that there were no set dates for the return of Mo
Diame, George McCartney or Joey O'Brien - although the former is also
expected to challenge for a first team place within the next two weeks.
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Sam Allardyce confirms interest in Blackburn's Martin Olsson
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has revealed that negotiations with Blackburn Rovers over
defender Martin Olsson are continuing, despite the Championship club placing
a £7million price tag on the Swedish defender. It was revealed earlier this
week that West Ham had bid around £2million for the 24-year-old, an offer
that was immediately rejected by the Ewood Park-based club. However
Allardyce, speaking to the press this morning ahead of this weekend's trip
to Sunderland, admitted that he was still interested in acquiring the
services of the Swedish international. "We have made an enquiry.
Negotiations are ongoing at the moment," he said. "I think that if I was
strengthening anywhere at the moment it would be in the left back position
because of our injury problems in that area."
However Allardyce denied reports that he was looking to strengthen in other
areas - such as in goal, a position with which Olsson's team mate at
Blackburn, Paul Robison, has been heavily linked with. "We are only looking
at that position at the minute," he said.
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Blackburn considering bid from West Ham for defender Martin Olsson
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 10,
2013 2:09pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed the club are chasing the
signature of Sweden defender Martin Olsson from Blackburn Rovers. The
Hammers have long been linked with a move for Olsson as Allardyce knows him
well from his time in charge at Ewood Park. The 24-year-old has never hidden
his desire to move back to the Premier League following Rovers' relegation
and the east Londoners believe a deal can be done. A figure of around
£7million has been reported in the media but Allardyce dismissed that number
and said: "I don't think that's true, no. "Negotiations are ongoing."
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West Ham forward Andy Carroll could be fit again by the end of the month
Last Updated: January 10, 2013 4:21pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hopeful of having Andy Carroll back in
full training in the next few weeks. The England striker is on loan from
Liverpool but has not featured since the defeat to Manchester United in
November due to a knee problem. Allardyce is optimistic that Carroll will be
involved again soon, although his progress is being monitored day by day.
"It's a bit difficult to put an actual time on it but I would expect it will
be no longer than a couple of weeks now," said the Hammers boss. "He's doing
some straight line running, has been doing that for a few days. "If he
doesn't feel anything then we'll progress on to interval running and change
of direction, then introduce the ball, then hopefully come back with the
players as soon as possible. "It could be a few days. It could be a bit
longer than that just depending on his progression day by day now."
Problems
Joe Cole is another arrival from Liverpool who has had his injury problems
and his new manager is keen not to push the midfielder too hard despite his
starring role against United on Saturday. "We'll take that game by game,"
added Allardyce. "A part of everybody's management is about managing your
players for their sake. It's not always about joining in training every day
of every week for me and it hasn't been for many years now. "Lots of players
don't come together in our squad till Thursday or Friday then play on the
Saturday because they need to do other things in the week to make sure they
maintain their level of fitness. "We try to have a prevention policy rather
than a cure policy."
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Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore keen on making a move to the Premier
League
By Giscard Gourizro. Last Updated: January 10, 2013 1:24pm
SSN
Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore has declared that he would welcome the
opportunity to complete a switch to England. Premier League clubs have been
credited with holding an interest in Kabore in the past, and speculation
suggests Stoke and West Ham could be tempted to make a move. The Burkina
Faso international is currently away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, but a
deal could be put in place which will allow him to link up with a new
employer upon his return to Europe. A move to Turkey has been touted, but
Kabore admits his preference would be to head for English shores. The
24-year-old still has over two years left to run on his current contract at
Marseille, but reports suggest he could be bought out of that agreement for
around £2million. "I have a contract with Marseille until June 2015 so I can
hold out for a move to England," said Kabore. "I love English football. I
have contacts with some clubs in other leagues, but my priority is to play
in the best league in the world."
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Fortress Upton Park - a vital cliché
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Lucy Woolford
Cast your eye back 12 months to January 2012, when West Ham United were
kicking off the second half of their nPower Championship season.
We were coming off the back of a poor December consisting of four points
from five games. January saw us gain a positive nine points out of a
possible 12. But we were about to enter a period that would see us crowned
'draw specialists' at our very own Upton Park, which saw the pressure mount
on Sam Allardyce and co.
In February and March 2012, we drew five home games in a row followed by a
loss and another draw. In fact, after beating Millwall during a lunch-time
kick off on February 4th, we didn't win another game at the Boleyn until
April 14th when we thumped Brighton 6-0. It does pose the question of what
could have been, and how we could have showed that league who was boss, but
as it was at the time, Upton Park just wasn't as daunting to traveling teams
as it should have been. It was a good opportunity for them to come at us and
we just didn't deal with that pressure.
Now we find ourselves doing reasonably well in the Premier League. I accept
we've had a dip in form after what was a fantastic start to a season from
which we expected little, but that's no surprise with the long list of
injuries and suspensions we have been plagued by. We have however, managed
to turn around this negativity that surrounded our home ground last season,
and on many occasions before that. Whilst it's great to win away league
fixtures, they key to an all round season is to be consistent at your home
ground.
If, like me, you find that commentators referring to Upton Park as a
"fortress" is a bit of a habit, then maybe it's about time it returned to
its previous glory. It's not far off it now.
This season we have picked up 15 points out of the 33 available to us at
home (45 per cent). That doesn't sound brilliant as a statistic, I know, but
compare it to the eight we have taken from 27 available at away grounds (30
per cent) and it's not bad. It is understandable that during a time when we
couldn't win at home for love nor money, home fans got frustrated,
questioned why they paid x-amount every other week to watch a former Premier
League side draw against Championship level opponents - but now our home
matches are drawing more positivity.
Unfortunately I don't get to many home games these days, but I've attended
three away games this season; two were terrible games (Wigan and West Brom)
but the trip to St James' Park was much better. Luckily for me a lot of our
home matches have been broadcast on television, and some of the games I have
watched at Upton Park have produced the best football I think I've ever seen
us play.
I think I am still in disbelief about the way we played against Fulham back
in September. I have never been stunned into silence at half time, but I
was. We may have caught Fulham on a bad day, but still, I've seen us catch
teams on bad days and not capitalise the way we did on that day. The
passing, movement and brains on show that day were pure class and the Boleyn
Ground had the atmosphere to match. That captured what our ground stands for
and how players and crowd feed off each other.
I fully support the call to sing Sam Allardyce's name (however we manage to
fit it into a chant!). I have heard murmurs coming through the speakers, but
I want more. We've found a man who can actually turn this club around (with
the help of decent financial backing) and who seems to be enjoying himself.
I see him as a good long term investment, not the usual interim that we have
had in the last few years. He has installed belief in the players and staff
and introduced a more relaxed way about the side, encouraging them to enjoy
their football in front of their own 30,000 supporters.
Maybe the term "fortress" won't be applied to the Olympic Stadium, so we
should absolutely make the most of what so many teams see as a difficult
ground to come to. We need to make it intimidating, because if our away form
keeps dipping then home points will be vital in holding a decent league
position.
We've hosted a lot of "big" teams already this season so in theory we should
have an easier home run to the end of the season. However, the team must not
take that for granted as they so often do. It seems as though our ability to
gain points (or at least put in a performance) against bigger clubs is
there, it's just against teams who we should beat that we struggle.
I definitely believe that the Boleyn Ground holds the keys to a good season,
whether that be this one or the next. "Fortress Upton Park" may be a cheesy
cliché, but it's a phrase that we'd like to keep. For years to come, even
after we have (maybe) moved, let us say: "I used to go to the fortress".
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David Gold illness will not affect West Ham's January transfer business
insists Sam Allardyce
Co-chairman is in hospital recovering from pneumonia
MARK BRYANS THURSDAY 10 JANUARY 2013
Independent
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce does not believe the illness of the club's
co-chairman David Gold will affect business in the January transfer window.
Gold, 76, is in hospital recovering from pneumonia after being taken ill
following the FA Cup third-round clash with Manchester United. Allardyce
said he had yet to speak to Gold, who also needed hospital treatment for
cholangitis and septicaemia in March 2011, but wished him well and moved to
assure supporters the club's recruitment drive will not falter in his
absence. "Myself and all the players will be wishing him well today. I only
found out yesterday that he was poorly," Allardyce said. "We will get a
message to him in the very near future and wish him a speedy recovery. "I
think that there's always a communication line to him if David needs to (be
contacted). In terms of what we're doing at the moment, we're as active as
everybody else. "If there's a player there that we think can improve the
squad we'll try to move on him."
One player who is certainly a target for the Hammers is Blackburn left-back
Martin Olsson. Reports earlier in the week had suggested Rovers wanted at
least £7million for the 24-year-old Sweden international but Allardyce
reckons that is wide of the mark. "I don't think that's true, no, but we
have made an enquiry," he said. Allardyce said there were "ongoing
negotiations" and added: "I think that if I was strengthening anywhere at
the moment it would be in the left-back position because of our injury
problems in that area at the moment. We are only looking at that position at
the minute."
Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh completed a loan move to Upton Park earlier
this week and Allardyce confirmed he will go straight into his squad for
this weekend's Barclays Premier League clash at Sunderland. Fellow loanee
Andy Carroll remains sidelined through injury but Allardyce is hopeful to
have the England forward back by the end of the month. "It's a bit difficult
to put an actual time on it but I would expect it will be no longer than a
couple of weeks now," Allardyce said. "He's doing some straight line
running, has been doing that for a few days. If he doesn't feel anything
then we'll progress on to interval running and change of direction, then
introduce the ball, then hopefully come back with the players as soon as
possible. "It could be a few days. It could be a bit longer than that just
depending on his progression day by day now."
Chamakh signed a week after Allardyce secured a deal to take Joe Cole back
to West Ham, with the former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder making an
impressive return in the FA Cup draw with United. The 31-year-old has
struggled with injuries in recent years and could not break into the
Liverpool side on a regular basis after spending last season on loan at
French Ligue 1 outfit Lille. Cole scored for the Reds in their 3-2 win at
Upton Park last month but Allardyce is keen not to push the England
international too much. "We'll take that game by game," he said. "A part of
everybody's management is about managing your players for their sake. It's
not always about joining in training every day of every week for me and it
hasn't been for many years now. "Lots of players don't come together in our
squad till Thursday or Friday then play on the Saturday because they need to
do other things in the week to make sure they maintain their level of
fitness. "We try to have a prevention policy rather than a cure policy."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Can West Ham Get the Best Out of Marouane Chamakh?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Sam Allardyce has been reported as stating that he feels that Arsenal did
not, perhaps, make best use of Marouane Chamakh's strengths as a striker. He
pointed out that Chamakh is a striker, who excels at getting between
defenders to win and convert balls crossed in from the wide areas. That was
a feature of his play during his prior successful spell in French football,
yet Arsenal did not play to his strengths by getting the pre-requisite
crosses in to him. And this is something that Allardyce will look to put
right during Chamakh's time at West Ham!
Another encouraging point made recently by the West Ham manager is that, in
effect, a meritocracy will govern the selection of our strikers. Carroll,
Cole and Chamakh will each be given their opportunities to lead the line.
The player who retains the position will be the one who performs
consistantly well. If standards slip then that player is out and one of the
other two will get their chance and then the same criteria will apply to
them and so on. This is what West Ham have lacked far too often in the past,
genuine competition for places that drives up overall performance levels.
it's great to see it in place at long last. Presumably, the same stringent
selection criteria will also apply to the other ten first team positions as
well?
Talking of performance levels, the club have confirmed that Joe Cole will
have a tailored fitness regime to meet his specific needs as a player, with
a prior history of injury absence. This could mean that during the week, he
follows a separate fitness programme and joins the rest of the squad for
full training on the Thursday before a match. It is a sensible approach and
one designed to reduce the risk of wear and tear and unnecessary stress on
the player's joints and soft tissue. Joe Cole needs to be fit to play
matches, he is no good to us marooned on the sidelines with reccurring,
niggling injuries. It does, however, beg the question whether he will be
able to play two full 90 minute matches a week in future, if required to do
so? Or, maybe, it is just a matter of structuring and managing the training
sessions? Whatever the case, lets manage Joe Cole carefully to secure the
best possible outputs from him on the field of play. He is a key player that
can make a big difference to the quality of our play and the club must do
whatever it takes to maximize his number of competitive matches during the
course of the season..
With rumours of Paul Robinson possibly signing for the club, what of,
Stephen Henderson, our keeper out on loan?. Well, he has returned to West
Ham this week for treatment to a foot injury. However, the Ipswich Town
Manager, Mick McCarthy, has stated his intention to try to get Henderson
back on loan at Portman Road, once he has recovered from injury. Apparently,
Henderson is also keen to return there, so could his days be numbered at
Upton Park. If so, expect a new keeper to sign fo sign for us in the January
window. Will it be Robinson, from Blackburn Rovers, quite possibly? In which
case, the predicted double signing from Rovers could materialise, if the
current negotiations over a deal for Martin Olsson are successfully
concluded?
Elsewhere, in terms of the ongoing flow of transfer speculation, we were
linked with a fresh name yesterday. This time it was 24 year old, defensive
midfielder, Charles Kabore, of Marsailles. Apparently, Marsailles are open
to selling the player, who they are keen to move off the books because of
his relatively high salary. He has certainly had a good season so far with
Marsailles. But is there a genuine interest in the player from Upton Park?
It's another one of those wait and see situations?
Finally, Paolo Di Canio has predicted that the current West Ham side could
emulate the achievements of the Hammers side 12 years ago, which went to Old
Trafford and won a famous Third Round FA Cup Tie. That match has gone down
in Hammers folklore for the nature of the victory and, more particularly,
the winning goal by the magical Di Canio. Lets hope that Di Canio is right
that a repeat could be on the cards this coming Wednesday evening!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll's back for Hammers
Exclusive
By CHARLIE WYETT and PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
ANDY CARROLL is set to return for West Ham on Saturday week. The on-loan
striker has made a quicker recovery than expected after being sidelined
since November 28 with a knee injury. West Ham feared Carroll, 24, could be
out until early February but he has responded to treatment. While the FA Cup
replay at Manchester United next Wednesday will come too early, he will be
ready for the home Premier League clash with QPR. Carroll has scored just
once for West Ham since being farmed out on loan by Liverpool. Fellow
Hammers strike ace Marouane Chamakh is set to make his debut at Sunderland
on Saturday on loan from Arsenal. And boss Sam Allardyce reckons he will get
more out of the striker than Arsene Wenger — despite being written off as a
flop. But Big Sam said: "It's about him proving to himself and helping us by
scoring more goals and producing performances we can get excited about.
"He's good in the air and getting between defenders from crosses. We can
provide the materials and ammunition for him to get a few goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
You're missing a trick with Chamakh, Arsene! Big Sam backs Arsenal flop to
shine at West Ham
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 10 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:30, 10 January 2013
Daily Mail
Arsenal missed a trick with Marouane Chamakh by failing to give him the
right type of chances. That is the view of Sam Allardyce, who believes the
Moroccan striker can rediscover the form which fired Bordeaux to the French
title at West Ham. Chamakh scored 56 goals in Ligue 1 as well as netting
five times in the Champions League in 2009/10. But after moving to the
Emirates on a free transfer three years ago he has failed to spark, scoring
just one goal all last season.
He has two in four appearances this campaign and signed a six-month loan
deal at Upton Park. Allardyce said: 'He's itching and hungry to get back
and show what he can do. We'll try and get him to be that goal threat that
he was ultimately at Bordeaux. Obviously he's been very disappointed with
his lack of involvement at Arsenal. 'I think Arsene Wenger must've thought
he's good enough for Arsenal and we'll play to his strengths. With Emmanuel
Adebayor they used to cross balls so I don' t know why they didn't for
Chamakh. Now with Olivier Giroud, they will cross balls for him. Obviously
it hasn't worked there but hopefully it will work for us. 'We'll give him
the platform by feeding him the right type of balls. You provide the service
he needs in terms of how he plays. He's exceptionally good in the air and
he's really good at getting between defenders from crosses. We can provide
the ammunition for him to hopefully get a few goals.' Chamakh, who could
make his debut on Saturday at Sunderland, will battle Carlton Cole and Andy
Carroll, when he is fit, for the sole striking spot.
'For all three of them there's a challenge for places,' he said. 'Play your
best and keep the shirt. If you don't play your best you lose the shirt. All
three of them will get the chance to play and whoever plays the best will
stay in for me.'
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, January 11
Thursday, January 10
Daily WHUFC News - 10th January 2012
Nolan aiming to tame Black Cats
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan is hoping West Ham United can maintain their unbeaten start to
2013 when they face Sunderland on Saturday
09.01.2013
Kevin Nolan says West Ham United will be looking for another strong
performance when they take on Sunderland on Saturday. The Hammers skipper is
confident the players can produce more of the same after a top-drawer
display against Manchester United in the FA Cup with Budweiser third round
produced a thrilling 2-2 draw. Nolan knows Martin O'Neill's men will provide
a similar stern test, but will be aiming to continue his own good run of
form against them, which includes the equalising goal in the 1-1 draw the
teams played out at the Boleyn Ground back in November. "We're looking
forward to playing Sunderland. I myself have had some good times scoring
against them. I scored at home here at the Boleyn Ground for West Ham
earlier this season and during my Newcastle days, scored a hat-trick against
them and had some good results. So hopefully that will continue. "It will be
a tough match. It is never an easy game for anyone at the Stadium of Light,
but we are delighted with how we have started the year. That included the
win over Norwich on New Year's Day and then against Manchester United on
Saturday, when we were not far away from winning. We have a few more bodies
and injured players hopefully on the way back, so that will be good."
Nolan was full of praise for his team-mates' stoic performances against the
Red Devils, which included a second club debut for Joe Cole and a start for
Academy graduate Dan Potts, who had literally just returned from his loan
spell at Colchester United. "Pottsy [Dan Potts] had gone out to Colchester
on loan to give him a bit more experience and he did well, which will stand
him in good stead despite some tough results while he was there. But he came
back, came straight into the team and was great. "He is a fantastic lad to
have around, on and off the pitch. He's a real credit to the club, a lad you
can rely on and his attitude is first-class. He belongs here with us and so
hopefully he can only get better and better. "Joe [Cole] speaks for himself.
He hasn't had the luck with playing games of late but you can see the
quality he has, which he showed in the game against Manchester United. He
set up the two goals and he's loving being back home already. "We want to
push on from this part of the season and hopefully if we can perform like we
have done in the last couple of games, we can bring something back from
Sunderland on Saturday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s start with Spurs test
WHUFC.com
Steve Potts begins his role as West Ham United U18s coach with the visit of
Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday
09.01.2013
Steve Potts begins his role as West Ham United Under-18s coach with the
visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The Hammers legend has been promoted
from his previous job as U16s coach after Ian Hendon and Nick Haycock moved
up to first-team coach and Development Squad coach respectively before
Christmas. The U18s have returned from their Christmas break ahead of the
start of Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage on 12 January, when
Tottenham Hotspur will visit Little Heath for an 11am kick-off.
West Ham will also face Liverpool, Stoke City, Sunderland, West Bromwich
Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers home and away in the seven-team Tier One
Stage, with the group winners having the opportunity to play for the overall
title at the season's end. The Tier One and Tier Two winners will play-off
to meet the winners of the Elite Group in one semi-final, while the second
and third-place Elite Group finishers will contest the other. The winners of
the two semi-finals will contest the final. Admission and parking for all
Barclays U18 Premier League home fixtures are both free of charge. Potts'
Hammers youngsters will also host Tottenham in the FA Youth Cup fourth round
at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday 22 January, with kick-off at 7pm. Admission
on the night will be charged at £3 for Adults and £1 for Concessions.
2012/13 Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage fixtures
(Home matches in Bold/West Ham United score first/All matches 11am kick-off
unless otherwise stated)
Sat 12 Jan Tottenham Hotspur
Sat 19 Jan Stoke City (12noon)
Sat 2 Feb West Bromwich Albion
Sat 9 Feb Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sat 16 Feb Sunderland
Sat 2 Mar Tottenham Hotspur
Sat 9 Mar Stoke City (12noon)
Sat 16 Mar Liverpool
30 Mar Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sat 6 Apr West Bromwich Albion
Sat 13 Apr Sunderland
Sat 27 Apr Liverpool
Wed 8 May Play-Off
Sat 11 May Semi Final
Sat 18 May Final
Home matches will kick-off at 11am at the West Ham United Academy, Little
Heath, Hainault Road, Romford, Essex, RM6 5RX unless otherwise stated.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham co-chairman David Gold in hospital with pneumonia
BBC.co.uk
West Ham co-chairman David Gold is in hospital suffering from pneumonia. The
76-year-old, who spent several days in hospital in 2011 with septicaemia, is
on strong antibiotics, said his daughter Jacqueline. "My dad had a good
night but is still on strong medication for his condition," she said on
Twitter. "He is still very poorly but in good hands and obviously won't be
at the game [at Sunderland] on Saturday."
He attended West Ham's 2-2 home draw with Manchester United on Saturday but
was taken to hospital by his daughter on Tuesday night. She tweeted on
Tuesday: "I think he's learnt a very harsh lesson - not to go to football
with bronchitis, he now has pneumonia. He is being assessed." Gold and
co-chairman David Sullivan, who had previously been owners of Birmingham
City, took over the east London club in January 2010. Gold was in hospital
in February 2011 with septicaemia and cholangitis - inflammation of the bile
duct - but made a full recovery.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
DG 'very poorly', says daughter Jacqueline
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-chairman David Gold is in a stable condition today after
being admitted to hospital suffering with pneumonia. The 76-year-old
co-owner was taken to hospital last night, just 72 hours after he watched
the Hammers come within minutes of knocking Premier League leaders
Manchester United out of the FA Cup. And according to his daughter
Jacqueline, whilst Mr Gold had a comfortable night he is still being closely
monitored. Speaking via her Twitter account, Ms Gold said: "My dad had a
good night but is still on strong medication for his condition. He is on
very strong antibiotics. "Hopefully tests will reveal more tomorrow. He is
still very poorly but in good hands - and obviously won't be at the game on
Saturday."
It is the second time within the space of two years that Gold has been
admitted to hospital; in March 2011 he underwent surgery after being
diagnosed with cholangitis and septicemia. Gold, who travels around the
country to watch West Ham both home and away has barely missed a game since
buying into the club three years ago this month. You may leave a 'get well
soon' message for Mr Gold on the KUMB forum. You must be logged in to post.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
And here's to you, Mr Robinson
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is considering a bid for Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Allardyce, who worked with the former England number one during his spell at
Ewood Park is said to be mulling over making an offer for the 33-year-old
goalkeeper, who is currently out of favour at the Championship club. With
only youngster Raphael Spiegal and Stephen Henderson, who has failed to
impress, behind current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen in the pecking order
at the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce is keen to improve his options. And should
Big Sam move for Robinson, it could represent a double swoop on his former
club with left back Martin Olsson still an option, despite Rovers having
rejected West Ham's opening bid of around £2million. In other player news,
Rob Hall has extended his loan at Championship club Birmingham City for a
further month - that's despite West Ham's Premier League under 21s programme
starting next week. Development squad manager Nick Haycock will also be
without Blair Turgott for the first few weeks of the Elite Group campaign,
with the young forward opting to remain with Carling Cup giantkillers
Bradford City until mid-February.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham co-chairman David Gold taken to hospital with pneumonia
Last Updated: January 9, 2013 1:39pm
SSN
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has been taken to hospital with pneumonia,
according to his daughter Jaqueline. Gold, who together with fellow
businessman David Sullivan took a controlling share of the club three years
ago, fell ill following their FA Cup game at Upton Park against Manchester
United on Saturday. Daughter Jaqueline tweeted: "Have taken my father into
hospital. "I think he's learnt a very harsh lesson not to go to football
with bronchitis. Now has pneumonia and being assessed." She added that her
father was on 'very strong antibiotics.' In March 2011, 76-year-old Gold
needed hospital treatment for cholangitis and septicemia.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United have taken American international Graham Zusi on trial
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 9,
2013 11:44am
SSN
Sky Sports understands that West Ham United have taken American
international Graham Zusi on trial. The 26-year-old midfielder is currently
playing in Major League Soccer for Sporting Kansas City. Highly-rated Zusi
is considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, and was
named third in the MLS' Player of the Year awards recently. A number of
European clubs were understood to be trailing Zusi, but now he has agreed to
link up with the Hammers.
Zusi, who has three years left on his current contract, is now set to spend
the next week with West Ham with a view to him earning a move to Upton Park.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Flirty Dozen: David Beckham has 12 solid contract offers and will choose
this week
The Mirror
9 Jan 2013 15:06
With a wand in each foot and a golden goose laying eggs in his underpants,
no wonder David Beckham isn't short of suitors for what is likely to be his
final playing contract. The former Preston North End star - who also
represented Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, La Galaxy and England
- is mulling over 12 solid offers for his last hurrah, according to a Press
Association report, and will make his decision this week. There's been
plenty of interest in Becks from clubs in the Premier League, but the PA
report argues that a return to Blighty for a top-flight also-ran is not how
the former England captain wants to bow out.
The PA report states: David Beckham will make a decision on his future next
week after receiving 12 formal offers from around the globe - but the former
England captain is not expected to return to the Barclays Premier League.
Beckham has been made offers from Europe, South America, North America,
South Africa, Russia, China and the Middle East - though it is understood
not from Qatar. It is expected that Beckham, whose contract with Los Angeles
Galaxy ended before Christmas, will sit down with his advisors next week and
go through the offers in detail. The 37-year-old is viewing his next move as
potentially his last as a player and those close to Beckham say he is
attracted by the prospect of playing at a high level or in an environment
where his presence would have a similar impact as when he first moved from
Real Madrid to the Galaxy.
For those reasons, the chances of him joining a club involved in a
relegation fight or one mired in mid-table appear remote, and would rule him
out of joining QPR or West Ham, who have both been linked with the
midfielder. A report today said an offer of a two-year deal had been made by
Qatari officials, but it is understood that has not been received by
Beckham's representatives. There could be some Qatar involvement via Paris
St Germain, however, as the French club are effectively owned by the Qatari
government. They are also still in the Champions League, which would be
attractive to Beckham. Other options would be for Beckham to take a
big-money move to China or Russia, as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and
Nicolas Anelka have all done in recent months.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An Interesting Rumour!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
As supporters, much of our experience of the transfer window relates to
rumour and speculation. Most fans love it and some absolutely hate it. But
it is largely harmless fun (to those fans whose clubs are not in the midst
of in a dire relegation struggle!) as long as it is not taken too seriously.
In that spirit, there was an interesting reference to a possible West Ham
transfer move on the gooners blog site, Arsenal Latest! They have suggested
that West Ham are interested in signing Toulouse's Etienne Capoue.
The reason for Arsenal Latest's interest, in this particular Hammers
transfer story, is that Capoue has allegedly been a long-term target for
Arsene Wenger. Yet, it looks like the Hammers might be about to beat the
gooners to the punch, or are they? It is suggested that their failure to
make a move may be because Wenger is, instead, targeting West Ham's very own
Mo Diame! And, in turn, West Ham's interest in Capoue is being fuelled by
the need to find a top quality replacement. Both players are described as
powerful, box to box midfielders and it is argued that Capoue is probably
the better player. It is an interesting rumour, but is it a case of making 2
+ 2 = 5? Probably, but I thought I would share it with you as it has a
certain viable rationale underpinning it.
Now to a rumour of the opposite variety. There is speculation that Newcastle
Utd are interested in James Tomkins (which could be true?) and we are
looking to replace him with Everton's veteran centre half, Sylvain Distin! I
really do not believe that Sam Allardyce would willingly allow a young
centre back of Tomkins ability to leave. Yes, Collins-Reid has been the
first choice selection at centre-back for most of this season, although
Tomkins has still played regularly in midfield or at right-back. However, I
maintain that Tomkins-Reid is the future, in terms of West Ham's central
defensive partnership. I also do not believe that Tomkins is as unsettled as
some sources would have us believe. Yes, he will not be totally happy at not
playing consistantly in his favoured position, but he is far more likely to
get his head down, work hard at his game and wait for his chance to reclaim
the centre-back spot. And, in addtion, would Tomkins really fancy joining a
struggling Newcastle Utd outfit, under a manager whose position must be
subject to some doubt?
While I find it hard to believe that Sam Allardyce would allow Tomkins to
leave, I find it even harder to believe that he would replace him with
Distin. That is a move that is arguably a better fit with Harry Redknapp,
QPR and their current desperate relegation struggle. Distin would be a good
stop gap signing for QPR in their current situation. Redknapp also knows the
player, having managed Distin before at Pompey. So, that is a move that
makes more sense. At least, that is the way that it seems to me! But as
always, the unfolding of actual events will ultimately prove or disprove
that point of view.
Elsewhere, it is being reported that West Ham target, Nicolas Anelka, is
training with former club, PSG, whilst he seeks to confirm his free agent
status, following his move away from the Chinese League. Sam Allardyce is a
long time admirer of Anelka and he is definitely a striker that he would
like to bring to Upton Park. The obstacle to a move is whether we can reach
an accommodation on Anelka's wage demands. One club that can definitely do
that is the wealthy PSG! So, it begs the question whether Anelka training at
the French club has a deeper significance?
It seems that there is a growing trend to critize the signing of Wellington
Paulista, before we have even completed his six month loan deal. It appears
that this is being fuelled by ultra-critical internet comments by Brazilian
football fans, who obviously do not rate the player. Come on Hammers fans,
do not jump on their bandwagon, make your own assessment! At least Wait
until the player has actually appeared for the club, before making a
judgement. If the deal does not work out, so be it, but give the player a
chance. Who knows, he might prove to be a better signing than some suppose.
Finally, everyone at WHTID was very sorry to learn of club co-Chairman,
David Gold's illness. Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to
convey our best wishes for Mr Gold's speedy recovery.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Too rich me Olsson
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM have been scared off by Blackburn's £7million price tag for Martin
Olsson. SunSport revealed last Friday Hammers were in for the Sweden
left-back. But a Hammers insider said: "That sort of money is just not
realistic. If Rovers don't drop the price then a deal won't be happening.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan is hoping West Ham United can maintain their unbeaten start to
2013 when they face Sunderland on Saturday
09.01.2013
Kevin Nolan says West Ham United will be looking for another strong
performance when they take on Sunderland on Saturday. The Hammers skipper is
confident the players can produce more of the same after a top-drawer
display against Manchester United in the FA Cup with Budweiser third round
produced a thrilling 2-2 draw. Nolan knows Martin O'Neill's men will provide
a similar stern test, but will be aiming to continue his own good run of
form against them, which includes the equalising goal in the 1-1 draw the
teams played out at the Boleyn Ground back in November. "We're looking
forward to playing Sunderland. I myself have had some good times scoring
against them. I scored at home here at the Boleyn Ground for West Ham
earlier this season and during my Newcastle days, scored a hat-trick against
them and had some good results. So hopefully that will continue. "It will be
a tough match. It is never an easy game for anyone at the Stadium of Light,
but we are delighted with how we have started the year. That included the
win over Norwich on New Year's Day and then against Manchester United on
Saturday, when we were not far away from winning. We have a few more bodies
and injured players hopefully on the way back, so that will be good."
Nolan was full of praise for his team-mates' stoic performances against the
Red Devils, which included a second club debut for Joe Cole and a start for
Academy graduate Dan Potts, who had literally just returned from his loan
spell at Colchester United. "Pottsy [Dan Potts] had gone out to Colchester
on loan to give him a bit more experience and he did well, which will stand
him in good stead despite some tough results while he was there. But he came
back, came straight into the team and was great. "He is a fantastic lad to
have around, on and off the pitch. He's a real credit to the club, a lad you
can rely on and his attitude is first-class. He belongs here with us and so
hopefully he can only get better and better. "Joe [Cole] speaks for himself.
He hasn't had the luck with playing games of late but you can see the
quality he has, which he showed in the game against Manchester United. He
set up the two goals and he's loving being back home already. "We want to
push on from this part of the season and hopefully if we can perform like we
have done in the last couple of games, we can bring something back from
Sunderland on Saturday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s start with Spurs test
WHUFC.com
Steve Potts begins his role as West Ham United U18s coach with the visit of
Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday
09.01.2013
Steve Potts begins his role as West Ham United Under-18s coach with the
visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The Hammers legend has been promoted
from his previous job as U16s coach after Ian Hendon and Nick Haycock moved
up to first-team coach and Development Squad coach respectively before
Christmas. The U18s have returned from their Christmas break ahead of the
start of Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage on 12 January, when
Tottenham Hotspur will visit Little Heath for an 11am kick-off.
West Ham will also face Liverpool, Stoke City, Sunderland, West Bromwich
Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers home and away in the seven-team Tier One
Stage, with the group winners having the opportunity to play for the overall
title at the season's end. The Tier One and Tier Two winners will play-off
to meet the winners of the Elite Group in one semi-final, while the second
and third-place Elite Group finishers will contest the other. The winners of
the two semi-finals will contest the final. Admission and parking for all
Barclays U18 Premier League home fixtures are both free of charge. Potts'
Hammers youngsters will also host Tottenham in the FA Youth Cup fourth round
at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday 22 January, with kick-off at 7pm. Admission
on the night will be charged at £3 for Adults and £1 for Concessions.
2012/13 Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage fixtures
(Home matches in Bold/West Ham United score first/All matches 11am kick-off
unless otherwise stated)
Sat 12 Jan Tottenham Hotspur
Sat 19 Jan Stoke City (12noon)
Sat 2 Feb West Bromwich Albion
Sat 9 Feb Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sat 16 Feb Sunderland
Sat 2 Mar Tottenham Hotspur
Sat 9 Mar Stoke City (12noon)
Sat 16 Mar Liverpool
30 Mar Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sat 6 Apr West Bromwich Albion
Sat 13 Apr Sunderland
Sat 27 Apr Liverpool
Wed 8 May Play-Off
Sat 11 May Semi Final
Sat 18 May Final
Home matches will kick-off at 11am at the West Ham United Academy, Little
Heath, Hainault Road, Romford, Essex, RM6 5RX unless otherwise stated.
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West Ham co-chairman David Gold in hospital with pneumonia
BBC.co.uk
West Ham co-chairman David Gold is in hospital suffering from pneumonia. The
76-year-old, who spent several days in hospital in 2011 with septicaemia, is
on strong antibiotics, said his daughter Jacqueline. "My dad had a good
night but is still on strong medication for his condition," she said on
Twitter. "He is still very poorly but in good hands and obviously won't be
at the game [at Sunderland] on Saturday."
He attended West Ham's 2-2 home draw with Manchester United on Saturday but
was taken to hospital by his daughter on Tuesday night. She tweeted on
Tuesday: "I think he's learnt a very harsh lesson - not to go to football
with bronchitis, he now has pneumonia. He is being assessed." Gold and
co-chairman David Sullivan, who had previously been owners of Birmingham
City, took over the east London club in January 2010. Gold was in hospital
in February 2011 with septicaemia and cholangitis - inflammation of the bile
duct - but made a full recovery.
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DG 'very poorly', says daughter Jacqueline
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-chairman David Gold is in a stable condition today after
being admitted to hospital suffering with pneumonia. The 76-year-old
co-owner was taken to hospital last night, just 72 hours after he watched
the Hammers come within minutes of knocking Premier League leaders
Manchester United out of the FA Cup. And according to his daughter
Jacqueline, whilst Mr Gold had a comfortable night he is still being closely
monitored. Speaking via her Twitter account, Ms Gold said: "My dad had a
good night but is still on strong medication for his condition. He is on
very strong antibiotics. "Hopefully tests will reveal more tomorrow. He is
still very poorly but in good hands - and obviously won't be at the game on
Saturday."
It is the second time within the space of two years that Gold has been
admitted to hospital; in March 2011 he underwent surgery after being
diagnosed with cholangitis and septicemia. Gold, who travels around the
country to watch West Ham both home and away has barely missed a game since
buying into the club three years ago this month. You may leave a 'get well
soon' message for Mr Gold on the KUMB forum. You must be logged in to post.
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And here's to you, Mr Robinson
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is considering a bid for Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
Allardyce, who worked with the former England number one during his spell at
Ewood Park is said to be mulling over making an offer for the 33-year-old
goalkeeper, who is currently out of favour at the Championship club. With
only youngster Raphael Spiegal and Stephen Henderson, who has failed to
impress, behind current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen in the pecking order
at the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce is keen to improve his options. And should
Big Sam move for Robinson, it could represent a double swoop on his former
club with left back Martin Olsson still an option, despite Rovers having
rejected West Ham's opening bid of around £2million. In other player news,
Rob Hall has extended his loan at Championship club Birmingham City for a
further month - that's despite West Ham's Premier League under 21s programme
starting next week. Development squad manager Nick Haycock will also be
without Blair Turgott for the first few weeks of the Elite Group campaign,
with the young forward opting to remain with Carling Cup giantkillers
Bradford City until mid-February.
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West Ham co-chairman David Gold taken to hospital with pneumonia
Last Updated: January 9, 2013 1:39pm
SSN
West Ham co-chairman David Gold has been taken to hospital with pneumonia,
according to his daughter Jaqueline. Gold, who together with fellow
businessman David Sullivan took a controlling share of the club three years
ago, fell ill following their FA Cup game at Upton Park against Manchester
United on Saturday. Daughter Jaqueline tweeted: "Have taken my father into
hospital. "I think he's learnt a very harsh lesson not to go to football
with bronchitis. Now has pneumonia and being assessed." She added that her
father was on 'very strong antibiotics.' In March 2011, 76-year-old Gold
needed hospital treatment for cholangitis and septicemia.
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West Ham United have taken American international Graham Zusi on trial
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 9,
2013 11:44am
SSN
Sky Sports understands that West Ham United have taken American
international Graham Zusi on trial. The 26-year-old midfielder is currently
playing in Major League Soccer for Sporting Kansas City. Highly-rated Zusi
is considered one of the best attacking midfielders in the league, and was
named third in the MLS' Player of the Year awards recently. A number of
European clubs were understood to be trailing Zusi, but now he has agreed to
link up with the Hammers.
Zusi, who has three years left on his current contract, is now set to spend
the next week with West Ham with a view to him earning a move to Upton Park.
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Flirty Dozen: David Beckham has 12 solid contract offers and will choose
this week
The Mirror
9 Jan 2013 15:06
With a wand in each foot and a golden goose laying eggs in his underpants,
no wonder David Beckham isn't short of suitors for what is likely to be his
final playing contract. The former Preston North End star - who also
represented Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, La Galaxy and England
- is mulling over 12 solid offers for his last hurrah, according to a Press
Association report, and will make his decision this week. There's been
plenty of interest in Becks from clubs in the Premier League, but the PA
report argues that a return to Blighty for a top-flight also-ran is not how
the former England captain wants to bow out.
The PA report states: David Beckham will make a decision on his future next
week after receiving 12 formal offers from around the globe - but the former
England captain is not expected to return to the Barclays Premier League.
Beckham has been made offers from Europe, South America, North America,
South Africa, Russia, China and the Middle East - though it is understood
not from Qatar. It is expected that Beckham, whose contract with Los Angeles
Galaxy ended before Christmas, will sit down with his advisors next week and
go through the offers in detail. The 37-year-old is viewing his next move as
potentially his last as a player and those close to Beckham say he is
attracted by the prospect of playing at a high level or in an environment
where his presence would have a similar impact as when he first moved from
Real Madrid to the Galaxy.
For those reasons, the chances of him joining a club involved in a
relegation fight or one mired in mid-table appear remote, and would rule him
out of joining QPR or West Ham, who have both been linked with the
midfielder. A report today said an offer of a two-year deal had been made by
Qatari officials, but it is understood that has not been received by
Beckham's representatives. There could be some Qatar involvement via Paris
St Germain, however, as the French club are effectively owned by the Qatari
government. They are also still in the Champions League, which would be
attractive to Beckham. Other options would be for Beckham to take a
big-money move to China or Russia, as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and
Nicolas Anelka have all done in recent months.
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An Interesting Rumour!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
As supporters, much of our experience of the transfer window relates to
rumour and speculation. Most fans love it and some absolutely hate it. But
it is largely harmless fun (to those fans whose clubs are not in the midst
of in a dire relegation struggle!) as long as it is not taken too seriously.
In that spirit, there was an interesting reference to a possible West Ham
transfer move on the gooners blog site, Arsenal Latest! They have suggested
that West Ham are interested in signing Toulouse's Etienne Capoue.
The reason for Arsenal Latest's interest, in this particular Hammers
transfer story, is that Capoue has allegedly been a long-term target for
Arsene Wenger. Yet, it looks like the Hammers might be about to beat the
gooners to the punch, or are they? It is suggested that their failure to
make a move may be because Wenger is, instead, targeting West Ham's very own
Mo Diame! And, in turn, West Ham's interest in Capoue is being fuelled by
the need to find a top quality replacement. Both players are described as
powerful, box to box midfielders and it is argued that Capoue is probably
the better player. It is an interesting rumour, but is it a case of making 2
+ 2 = 5? Probably, but I thought I would share it with you as it has a
certain viable rationale underpinning it.
Now to a rumour of the opposite variety. There is speculation that Newcastle
Utd are interested in James Tomkins (which could be true?) and we are
looking to replace him with Everton's veteran centre half, Sylvain Distin! I
really do not believe that Sam Allardyce would willingly allow a young
centre back of Tomkins ability to leave. Yes, Collins-Reid has been the
first choice selection at centre-back for most of this season, although
Tomkins has still played regularly in midfield or at right-back. However, I
maintain that Tomkins-Reid is the future, in terms of West Ham's central
defensive partnership. I also do not believe that Tomkins is as unsettled as
some sources would have us believe. Yes, he will not be totally happy at not
playing consistantly in his favoured position, but he is far more likely to
get his head down, work hard at his game and wait for his chance to reclaim
the centre-back spot. And, in addtion, would Tomkins really fancy joining a
struggling Newcastle Utd outfit, under a manager whose position must be
subject to some doubt?
While I find it hard to believe that Sam Allardyce would allow Tomkins to
leave, I find it even harder to believe that he would replace him with
Distin. That is a move that is arguably a better fit with Harry Redknapp,
QPR and their current desperate relegation struggle. Distin would be a good
stop gap signing for QPR in their current situation. Redknapp also knows the
player, having managed Distin before at Pompey. So, that is a move that
makes more sense. At least, that is the way that it seems to me! But as
always, the unfolding of actual events will ultimately prove or disprove
that point of view.
Elsewhere, it is being reported that West Ham target, Nicolas Anelka, is
training with former club, PSG, whilst he seeks to confirm his free agent
status, following his move away from the Chinese League. Sam Allardyce is a
long time admirer of Anelka and he is definitely a striker that he would
like to bring to Upton Park. The obstacle to a move is whether we can reach
an accommodation on Anelka's wage demands. One club that can definitely do
that is the wealthy PSG! So, it begs the question whether Anelka training at
the French club has a deeper significance?
It seems that there is a growing trend to critize the signing of Wellington
Paulista, before we have even completed his six month loan deal. It appears
that this is being fuelled by ultra-critical internet comments by Brazilian
football fans, who obviously do not rate the player. Come on Hammers fans,
do not jump on their bandwagon, make your own assessment! At least Wait
until the player has actually appeared for the club, before making a
judgement. If the deal does not work out, so be it, but give the player a
chance. Who knows, he might prove to be a better signing than some suppose.
Finally, everyone at WHTID was very sorry to learn of club co-Chairman,
David Gold's illness. Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to
convey our best wishes for Mr Gold's speedy recovery.
SJ. Chandos.
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Too rich me Olsson
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM have been scared off by Blackburn's £7million price tag for Martin
Olsson. SunSport revealed last Friday Hammers were in for the Sweden
left-back. But a Hammers insider said: "That sort of money is just not
realistic. If Rovers don't drop the price then a deal won't be happening.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, January 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th January 2013
Sam Allardyce: An apology
Posted: Tue 08 Jan 2013
http://www.rovers.co.uk/
During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this Club's manager and
accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour of the Far
East.
Whilst in Hong Kong, Mr Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam
Allardyce, our previous manager, was sacked by us because he was a crook.
This is completely false and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the
embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean.
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Reid scoops SBOBET award
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for December by West
Ham United supporters.
08.01.2013
Winston Reid has been voted as December's SBOBET Player of the Month by
users of whufc.com. The New Zealand international defender, who gained 52.5%
of the vote, put in some sterling performances at the heart of the West Ham
United defence during five matches home and away last month, which began
with the 3-1 Barclays Premier League win over Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground.
During December, Reid also helped Hammers to a clean sheet away at West
Bromwich Albion and has played his part in helping the team achieve a good
position - eleventh - in the league table as the New Year began. Reid
received his award from SBOBET representative Russell Grant, ahead of
Saturday's FA Cup tie with Manchester United. Carlton Cole was in second
place with 26.6% of the votes, after starting the month with a strike
against his old club Chelsea and then following up with a number of gutsy
displays up front. The previous month's winner for November, Jussi
Jaaskelainen, was in third place with 11% of the votes, after some solid
performances between the posts for the Hammers, and one of Reid's defensive
partners, James Collins, was in third place with 5% of the votes. Joey
O'Brien once again took a share of the votes, coming in fourth place with
4.1%.
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The Big Interview - Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The teenage left-back returned to action with a fine display against
Manchester United on Saturday
08.01.2013
On New Year's Day, Dan Potts was part of the Colchester United side beaten
3-0 at Crawley Town in npower League One - the U's fifth defeat in
succession.
Five days later, the 18-year-old had been recalled from his loan spell at
the Essex club and drafted into West Ham United's starting line-up for the
FA Cup with Budweiser third-round visit of Manchester United. Some might
have expected the left-back to be low on confidence or nervous at the
prospect of facing the Barclays Premier League leaders, but Potts was made
of sterner stuff, producing an assured and impressive performance in the
thrilling 2-2 draw.
Crawley away to Manchester United at home - that's some difference and you
must be proud of the way you performed on your return to the team?
DP - "Obviously it was a massive game against a massive team. I got the
recall from my loan at Colchester and there were little rumours about the
team in the lead up to the game and I didn't really think I'd be starting
until about two hours before kick-off. It sank in and I went and got ready
to play against one of the best teams in Europe."
If you were nervous, it certainly didn't show, because you looked
comfortable out there?
DP - "With those sort of games against those teams, you cannot afford to be
off your game and nervous at all - you have to be fully committed and
positive and that's how I like to be and definitely thought I was.
Everything I did, I was positive around it."
What do you think you did well out there against Manchester United?
DP - "It was a great experience playing against Manchester United but that
is where I want to be playing. I took it with both hands and wanted to
impress. I thought the lads, on the night, were terrific and I can't fault
anyone's work ethic. We scored two good goals - it was just a shame we were
playing against world-class opposition and it showed right at the end when
Robin van Persie has plucked the ball out of the air and smashed it into the
bottom corner. When
you are playing against these sorts of teams, that's what you're going to be
up against. It was vital that we stayed mentally switched on through out the
whole
game because one bit of magic like that and the ball was in the back of our
net."
Presumably you would love to be involved in the replay at Old Trafford?
DP - "The replay is there now, but the only thing I am thinking about is the
fact we didn't win the game on Saturday - especially towards the end. I am
still proud of the performance but we had one foot in the next round. The
crowd were terrific - I've never heard anything like it - so it's just a
shame one bit of magic denied us. We've got a replay and we're still in the
tie, so we'll take the positives out of it."
You were nine-years-old last time Joe Cole pulled on a West Ham United
shirt, so how was it to share a pitch with him?
DP - "I spoke to him when he came in and he's obviously been at the club
before and made his debut alongside my Dad, so he said that's how he knows
he is getting on a bit! He's a great player and he showed that on Saturday.
He made two great assists and it's great to have around the place."
Just lastly, how did your loan spell at Colchester go, as the team's results
have not been too good recently?
DP - "We did have a bad run of form, but the main thing for me was to go out
on loan and get some games under my belt and get playing time. At my age,
it's especially important to play first-team football, wherever that is. You
want to be playing so I was just pleased to go there. The gaffer there was
great to me and I got those games under my belt. It was tough but it was a
great experience."
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Blackburn apologise to Sam Allardyce over Steve Kean claims
BBc.co.uk
Blackburn have apologised to former manager Sam Allardyce over alleged
comments by his successor Steve Kean. The West Ham manager is taking legal
action over claims made during a pre-season tour of Hong Kong in 2011. "Mr
Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam Allardyce was sacked because
he was a crook," Blackburn said in a statement. "This is completely false
and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the embarrassment and distress caused."
The matter came to light after a video was uploaded to YouTube in the
summer. It appeared to show Kean making unguarded remarks about Allardyce to
supporters. Allardyce instructed solicitors to take legal action against
both Blackburn and Kean. The case was filed at the High Court in London on
12 July.
Kean's representatives SEM Group said a settlement had now been reached, but
the terms were confidential. SEM added that Kean would also be making a
public statement on the matter. A spokesman for Allardyce said: "The
settlement is confidential and we have all signed to that effect. Therefore,
we are unable to comment." Speaking after West Ham's 2-2 FA Cup third-round
draw with Manchester United on Saturday, Allardyce had said he was close to
an agreement over his damages claim. Kean replaced Allardyce as Blackburn
boss in December 2010, but stepped down in September following the club's
relegation to the Championship after claiming he had been forced to resign.
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West Ham linked with Cameroon defender
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with a move for Cameroon international Gaëtan
Bong. The 24-year-old left back, who currently plays for Valenciennes in
Ligue 1 has already held talks with representatives of West Ham, according
to reports in France tonight with view to a permanent move. Bong started his
pro career in France with Metz in 2006 before being loaned out to Ligue 2
side ours for the 2008/09 season. Upon his return to Les Grenats the
defender was snapped up by Valenciennes with whom he has spent the last
three years. The 6' defender, who was born in Sakbayeme, Cameroon has made
10 appearances for his country, and is also said to have interested
Liverpool. West Ham are also interested in signing Blackburn's Martin
Olsson, for whom they are understood to have made a concrete bid.
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Blackburn: 'Sorry Sam'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th January 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
Championship side Blackburn Rovers have apologised to Sam Allardyce for
comments made by their former manager Steve Kean. The apology appeared on
the Rovers official website and follows comments made by Kean to supporters
in a Hong Kong bar during a pre-season tour. The conversation was captured
on mobile phone video and subsequently appeared on the internet, prompting
legal action from the Irons' boss.
The full apology reads:
"During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this Club's manager and
accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour of the Far
East.
Whilst in Hong Kong, Mr Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam
Allardyce, our previous manager, was sacked by us because he was a crook.
This is completely false and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the
embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean."
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Rob Hall has extended his loan stay with Birmingham by a further month
Last Updated: January 8, 2013 3:44pm
SSN
Rob Hall has extended his loan stay with Championship side Birmingham by a
further month. The West Ham winger will now remain at St Andrew's until at
least Saturday February 16, although his parent club do have the option of a
recall clause. Hall joined Blues in November and has been an instant hit
with both manager Lee Clark and the club's fans. The England Under-19
international has made a total of eight appearances to date.
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Turgott agrees to Bantams stay
Last Updated: January 8, 2013 2:39pm
SSN
West Ham have agreed to extend teenage winger Blair Turgott's loan spell at
Bradford for another month. Turgott, who arrived at Valley Parade at the end
of November, was scheduled to return to his parent club after last
Saturday's league defeat at Barnet. However, the 18-year-old, who has made
three starts for the Bantams and four appearances off the substitutes'
bench, will now stay until February 3. Subject to Football League clearance
he is expected to be included in Phil Parkinson's squad for Tuesday night's
Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg clash at home to Aston Villa.
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Is Danny Simpson a Target?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There have been sugestions today that West Ham might bid for Newcastle Utd
right-back, Danny Simpson. There has been conjecture that Simpson could be
looking for a move in the aftermath of the Toon's signing of French
international, Mathieu Debuchy. Reports state that West Ham are favourites
to land Simpson, although there will be compeitition for his signature from
QPR and Fulham.
How accurate are these reports? Well, Simpson is a player known to Sam
Allardyce from his time at the managerial helm of St James Park (or whatever
it is called these days?). Allardyce was linked with a move for Simpson last
season and it is a rumour that may have substance. On the other side of the
equation, Allardyce appears satisfied with his cover at right-back, as
provided by Demel and O'Brien. As such, it is probable that he will use any
available resources to strengthen cover at left-back, a position where only
young Danny Potts is currently available for selection. Having said that,
could it be that Allardyce likes the idea of pairing Simpson and Olsson in a
new, pacy, full-back partnership? We shall see?
The latest reports suggest that Wellington Paulista was undergoing a medical
today, ahead of a six month loan move, with the option of a permanent 3 year
deal in the summer. Paulista will be a unknown quanity to a lot of Hammers
fans. Apparently, he has scored 19 goals this season and can operate either
as a central striker or out wide. If he does as well as our last Brazilian
loanee then he will be well worth the six month loan deal. However, would it
not be wonderful if we could unearth a real diamond of a striker! Stranger
things have happened, I suppose. The key question is how he will cope with
the physicality, and high paced action, of the PL and how long it will take
him to acclimatize? But if he brings a bit of Brazilian magic to our forward
line, I doubt that there will be many complaints.
Regardless, it looks like we will enter the 2nd half of trhe season with a
strengthened squad. That bodes well and, hopefully, we will clinch a very
creditable top 10 finish as a result of the business done in January.
By way of a post-script, while Danny Potts has returned to the squad, his
fellow U-21 loanees, Hall, McCallum and Turgott have extended their loan
deals with their respective Championship/football league clubs. Robert Hall
is due stay with Birmingham City until 19th February, although there is
provision for an emergency re-call should circumstances at Upton Park
necessitate it. Interestingly, Hall is benefiting from regular first team
football and is receiving good reviews on Brum fans websites. That is
exactly what you to see from a young loanee and, hopefully, Hall will get
one or two PL games in, towards the end of the season, on his return. Then
it is full steam ahead for regular PL football next season!
SJ. Chandos.
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Sorry business: Blackburn Rovers apologise to Sam Allardyce over false
allegations made by former boss Steve Kean
The Mirror
8 Jan 2013 12:28
Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers career acquired a sorry footnote today, as his
former employers issued a public apology to West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
Kean resigned from his position as Blackburn Rovers manager last September -
claiming he was forced to go - but the apology relates to false allegations
Kean made against Allardyce in 2011, which were filmed and posted on
YouTube. According to a Press Association report, the club have acted
following legal moves by Big Sam regarding false allegations made by Kean in
conversation with fans in 2011 - a video of which is still available to see
on YouTube. The PA report states: Blackburn have issued an apology to former
manager Sam Allardyce over false allegations made against the West Ham boss
by his Ewood Park successor Steve Kean. During Rovers' 2011 pre-season tour
of the Far East, Kean was filmed talking to fans and making allegations
about Allardyce. The video was posted on YouTube.
Kean served under Allardyce as first-team coach before the taking over in
the wake of the 58-year-old's surprise sacking in December 2010. Allardyce
initiated legal proceedings against Kean and Blackburn over the remarks and
reached an out-of-court settlement last week. Today, Rovers issued a
statement on their official website under the headline "Sam Allardyce: An
apology". It read: "During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this club's
manager and accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour
of the Far East." The statement went on to say that Kean was filmed in a bar
making false allegations about Allardyce, adding: "We apologise to Mr
Allardyce for the embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean."
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Could Sam Allardyce Complete a Double Raid on Rovers?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
As I have previously reported, West Ham have submitted an initial £2m bid
for Blackburn Rover's Martin Olsson. This has apparently been rejected and
West Ham are in the process of making a second, improved offer for the
Swedish left-back's services. It remains to be seen whether this will meet
Blackburn's evaluation of the player or, indeed, if they will sell in the
current transfer window. But the keeness of the player himself to return to
PL football could ultimately be a decisive factor. The danger now is that we
could potentially be guzumped by another club coming in with a higher bid.
Time will tell !
However, there are other reports this morning that West Ham are also
interested in acquiring goal keeper, Paul Robinson, from the championshp
club. Details are vague, but it is thought that Rovers are keen to get
Robinson off their wage bill. So keen, that it has been suggested that they
may actually consider terminating Robinson's current contract, by mutual
consent, to allow him to join the Hammers as a free agent. Even if that
'free agent' aspect of the story is inaccurate, that is still the
possibility that Rovers may allow Robinson to move to East London for a
nominal fee.
So, could Sam Allardyce engineer a double raid on his former club to sign
both Olsson and Robinson? The need for a new left-back is well documented,
but it is also the case that the recruitment of a third keeper could be a
priority. At present, we only have two keepers, the highly experienced Jussi
and the young Swiss prospect, Raphael Speigel. There is a third keeper on
the books in the shape of Henderson, but he is currently on loan at Ipswich
Town. Could it be the case that Allardyce will take the opportunity to sign
Robinson, in the current window, and then move Henderson on permanently?
If the story is true, then Robinson will probably do a good job for us.
Personally, I would prefer to sign Butland from Birmingham City. Needless to
say, that could prove to be a lot more difficult, with potential competition
from some top clubs, and a whole lot more expensive in terms of the transfer
fee. It would, however, be powerful statement of ambition by the club; and
an effective long-term solution for the goal keeping position!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers and Hull fight for Rovers' Robbo
Published: 08th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM and Hull are in a fight for Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson. Robbo,
33, is a free agent in the summer but can leave this month. The Tigers have
landed on-loan duo Robbie Brady and David Meyler on permanent deals. Winger
Brady cost £2million from Manchester United while Meyler left Sunderland for
£1.5m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR and West Ham set to miss out on Beckham when former England captain
decides future next week
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:28, 8 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:28, 8 January 2013
Daily Mail
David Beckham will make the eagerly anticipated decision on his football
future after crucial talks next week. Beckham will hold a series of crunch
meetings with his advisers from Monday, with the 37-year-old making a
definitive decision concerning his next move. Beckham's representatives are
compiling a dossier from the offers that Beckham has received in recent
weeks. Clubs from England, Europe, China, Australia and the Middle East have
all expressed an interest in Beckham following his decision to leave LA
Galaxy last mont h. The option of retiring from professional football is not
being considered at the moment, though that could be explored if none of the
options excite his interest. Queens Park Rangers and West Ham are both keen
on Beckham - but it is thought highly unlikely that he will join a London
club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Posted: Tue 08 Jan 2013
http://www.rovers.co.uk/
During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this Club's manager and
accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour of the Far
East.
Whilst in Hong Kong, Mr Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam
Allardyce, our previous manager, was sacked by us because he was a crook.
This is completely false and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the
embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid scoops SBOBET award
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for December by West
Ham United supporters.
08.01.2013
Winston Reid has been voted as December's SBOBET Player of the Month by
users of whufc.com. The New Zealand international defender, who gained 52.5%
of the vote, put in some sterling performances at the heart of the West Ham
United defence during five matches home and away last month, which began
with the 3-1 Barclays Premier League win over Chelsea at the Boleyn Ground.
During December, Reid also helped Hammers to a clean sheet away at West
Bromwich Albion and has played his part in helping the team achieve a good
position - eleventh - in the league table as the New Year began. Reid
received his award from SBOBET representative Russell Grant, ahead of
Saturday's FA Cup tie with Manchester United. Carlton Cole was in second
place with 26.6% of the votes, after starting the month with a strike
against his old club Chelsea and then following up with a number of gutsy
displays up front. The previous month's winner for November, Jussi
Jaaskelainen, was in third place with 11% of the votes, after some solid
performances between the posts for the Hammers, and one of Reid's defensive
partners, James Collins, was in third place with 5% of the votes. Joey
O'Brien once again took a share of the votes, coming in fourth place with
4.1%.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The teenage left-back returned to action with a fine display against
Manchester United on Saturday
08.01.2013
On New Year's Day, Dan Potts was part of the Colchester United side beaten
3-0 at Crawley Town in npower League One - the U's fifth defeat in
succession.
Five days later, the 18-year-old had been recalled from his loan spell at
the Essex club and drafted into West Ham United's starting line-up for the
FA Cup with Budweiser third-round visit of Manchester United. Some might
have expected the left-back to be low on confidence or nervous at the
prospect of facing the Barclays Premier League leaders, but Potts was made
of sterner stuff, producing an assured and impressive performance in the
thrilling 2-2 draw.
Crawley away to Manchester United at home - that's some difference and you
must be proud of the way you performed on your return to the team?
DP - "Obviously it was a massive game against a massive team. I got the
recall from my loan at Colchester and there were little rumours about the
team in the lead up to the game and I didn't really think I'd be starting
until about two hours before kick-off. It sank in and I went and got ready
to play against one of the best teams in Europe."
If you were nervous, it certainly didn't show, because you looked
comfortable out there?
DP - "With those sort of games against those teams, you cannot afford to be
off your game and nervous at all - you have to be fully committed and
positive and that's how I like to be and definitely thought I was.
Everything I did, I was positive around it."
What do you think you did well out there against Manchester United?
DP - "It was a great experience playing against Manchester United but that
is where I want to be playing. I took it with both hands and wanted to
impress. I thought the lads, on the night, were terrific and I can't fault
anyone's work ethic. We scored two good goals - it was just a shame we were
playing against world-class opposition and it showed right at the end when
Robin van Persie has plucked the ball out of the air and smashed it into the
bottom corner. When
you are playing against these sorts of teams, that's what you're going to be
up against. It was vital that we stayed mentally switched on through out the
whole
game because one bit of magic like that and the ball was in the back of our
net."
Presumably you would love to be involved in the replay at Old Trafford?
DP - "The replay is there now, but the only thing I am thinking about is the
fact we didn't win the game on Saturday - especially towards the end. I am
still proud of the performance but we had one foot in the next round. The
crowd were terrific - I've never heard anything like it - so it's just a
shame one bit of magic denied us. We've got a replay and we're still in the
tie, so we'll take the positives out of it."
You were nine-years-old last time Joe Cole pulled on a West Ham United
shirt, so how was it to share a pitch with him?
DP - "I spoke to him when he came in and he's obviously been at the club
before and made his debut alongside my Dad, so he said that's how he knows
he is getting on a bit! He's a great player and he showed that on Saturday.
He made two great assists and it's great to have around the place."
Just lastly, how did your loan spell at Colchester go, as the team's results
have not been too good recently?
DP - "We did have a bad run of form, but the main thing for me was to go out
on loan and get some games under my belt and get playing time. At my age,
it's especially important to play first-team football, wherever that is. You
want to be playing so I was just pleased to go there. The gaffer there was
great to me and I got those games under my belt. It was tough but it was a
great experience."
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Blackburn apologise to Sam Allardyce over Steve Kean claims
BBc.co.uk
Blackburn have apologised to former manager Sam Allardyce over alleged
comments by his successor Steve Kean. The West Ham manager is taking legal
action over claims made during a pre-season tour of Hong Kong in 2011. "Mr
Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam Allardyce was sacked because
he was a crook," Blackburn said in a statement. "This is completely false
and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the embarrassment and distress caused."
The matter came to light after a video was uploaded to YouTube in the
summer. It appeared to show Kean making unguarded remarks about Allardyce to
supporters. Allardyce instructed solicitors to take legal action against
both Blackburn and Kean. The case was filed at the High Court in London on
12 July.
Kean's representatives SEM Group said a settlement had now been reached, but
the terms were confidential. SEM added that Kean would also be making a
public statement on the matter. A spokesman for Allardyce said: "The
settlement is confidential and we have all signed to that effect. Therefore,
we are unable to comment." Speaking after West Ham's 2-2 FA Cup third-round
draw with Manchester United on Saturday, Allardyce had said he was close to
an agreement over his damages claim. Kean replaced Allardyce as Blackburn
boss in December 2010, but stepped down in September following the club's
relegation to the Championship after claiming he had been forced to resign.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with Cameroon defender
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with a move for Cameroon international Gaëtan
Bong. The 24-year-old left back, who currently plays for Valenciennes in
Ligue 1 has already held talks with representatives of West Ham, according
to reports in France tonight with view to a permanent move. Bong started his
pro career in France with Metz in 2006 before being loaned out to Ligue 2
side ours for the 2008/09 season. Upon his return to Les Grenats the
defender was snapped up by Valenciennes with whom he has spent the last
three years. The 6' defender, who was born in Sakbayeme, Cameroon has made
10 appearances for his country, and is also said to have interested
Liverpool. West Ham are also interested in signing Blackburn's Martin
Olsson, for whom they are understood to have made a concrete bid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blackburn: 'Sorry Sam'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 8th January 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
Championship side Blackburn Rovers have apologised to Sam Allardyce for
comments made by their former manager Steve Kean. The apology appeared on
the Rovers official website and follows comments made by Kean to supporters
in a Hong Kong bar during a pre-season tour. The conversation was captured
on mobile phone video and subsequently appeared on the internet, prompting
legal action from the Irons' boss.
The full apology reads:
"During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this Club's manager and
accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour of the Far
East.
Whilst in Hong Kong, Mr Kean was in a bar and falsely alleged that Sam
Allardyce, our previous manager, was sacked by us because he was a crook.
This is completely false and we apologise to Mr Allardyce for the
embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rob Hall has extended his loan stay with Birmingham by a further month
Last Updated: January 8, 2013 3:44pm
SSN
Rob Hall has extended his loan stay with Championship side Birmingham by a
further month. The West Ham winger will now remain at St Andrew's until at
least Saturday February 16, although his parent club do have the option of a
recall clause. Hall joined Blues in November and has been an instant hit
with both manager Lee Clark and the club's fans. The England Under-19
international has made a total of eight appearances to date.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Turgott agrees to Bantams stay
Last Updated: January 8, 2013 2:39pm
SSN
West Ham have agreed to extend teenage winger Blair Turgott's loan spell at
Bradford for another month. Turgott, who arrived at Valley Parade at the end
of November, was scheduled to return to his parent club after last
Saturday's league defeat at Barnet. However, the 18-year-old, who has made
three starts for the Bantams and four appearances off the substitutes'
bench, will now stay until February 3. Subject to Football League clearance
he is expected to be included in Phil Parkinson's squad for Tuesday night's
Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg clash at home to Aston Villa.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is Danny Simpson a Target?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There have been sugestions today that West Ham might bid for Newcastle Utd
right-back, Danny Simpson. There has been conjecture that Simpson could be
looking for a move in the aftermath of the Toon's signing of French
international, Mathieu Debuchy. Reports state that West Ham are favourites
to land Simpson, although there will be compeitition for his signature from
QPR and Fulham.
How accurate are these reports? Well, Simpson is a player known to Sam
Allardyce from his time at the managerial helm of St James Park (or whatever
it is called these days?). Allardyce was linked with a move for Simpson last
season and it is a rumour that may have substance. On the other side of the
equation, Allardyce appears satisfied with his cover at right-back, as
provided by Demel and O'Brien. As such, it is probable that he will use any
available resources to strengthen cover at left-back, a position where only
young Danny Potts is currently available for selection. Having said that,
could it be that Allardyce likes the idea of pairing Simpson and Olsson in a
new, pacy, full-back partnership? We shall see?
The latest reports suggest that Wellington Paulista was undergoing a medical
today, ahead of a six month loan move, with the option of a permanent 3 year
deal in the summer. Paulista will be a unknown quanity to a lot of Hammers
fans. Apparently, he has scored 19 goals this season and can operate either
as a central striker or out wide. If he does as well as our last Brazilian
loanee then he will be well worth the six month loan deal. However, would it
not be wonderful if we could unearth a real diamond of a striker! Stranger
things have happened, I suppose. The key question is how he will cope with
the physicality, and high paced action, of the PL and how long it will take
him to acclimatize? But if he brings a bit of Brazilian magic to our forward
line, I doubt that there will be many complaints.
Regardless, it looks like we will enter the 2nd half of trhe season with a
strengthened squad. That bodes well and, hopefully, we will clinch a very
creditable top 10 finish as a result of the business done in January.
By way of a post-script, while Danny Potts has returned to the squad, his
fellow U-21 loanees, Hall, McCallum and Turgott have extended their loan
deals with their respective Championship/football league clubs. Robert Hall
is due stay with Birmingham City until 19th February, although there is
provision for an emergency re-call should circumstances at Upton Park
necessitate it. Interestingly, Hall is benefiting from regular first team
football and is receiving good reviews on Brum fans websites. That is
exactly what you to see from a young loanee and, hopefully, Hall will get
one or two PL games in, towards the end of the season, on his return. Then
it is full steam ahead for regular PL football next season!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sorry business: Blackburn Rovers apologise to Sam Allardyce over false
allegations made by former boss Steve Kean
The Mirror
8 Jan 2013 12:28
Steve Kean's Blackburn Rovers career acquired a sorry footnote today, as his
former employers issued a public apology to West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
Kean resigned from his position as Blackburn Rovers manager last September -
claiming he was forced to go - but the apology relates to false allegations
Kean made against Allardyce in 2011, which were filmed and posted on
YouTube. According to a Press Association report, the club have acted
following legal moves by Big Sam regarding false allegations made by Kean in
conversation with fans in 2011 - a video of which is still available to see
on YouTube. The PA report states: Blackburn have issued an apology to former
manager Sam Allardyce over false allegations made against the West Ham boss
by his Ewood Park successor Steve Kean. During Rovers' 2011 pre-season tour
of the Far East, Kean was filmed talking to fans and making allegations
about Allardyce. The video was posted on YouTube.
Kean served under Allardyce as first-team coach before the taking over in
the wake of the 58-year-old's surprise sacking in December 2010. Allardyce
initiated legal proceedings against Kean and Blackburn over the remarks and
reached an out-of-court settlement last week. Today, Rovers issued a
statement on their official website under the headline "Sam Allardyce: An
apology". It read: "During the summer of 2011, Mr Steve Kean was this club's
manager and accompanied the players of Blackburn Rovers on a pre-season tour
of the Far East." The statement went on to say that Kean was filmed in a bar
making false allegations about Allardyce, adding: "We apologise to Mr
Allardyce for the embarrassment and distress caused to him by Mr Kean."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Could Sam Allardyce Complete a Double Raid on Rovers?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
As I have previously reported, West Ham have submitted an initial £2m bid
for Blackburn Rover's Martin Olsson. This has apparently been rejected and
West Ham are in the process of making a second, improved offer for the
Swedish left-back's services. It remains to be seen whether this will meet
Blackburn's evaluation of the player or, indeed, if they will sell in the
current transfer window. But the keeness of the player himself to return to
PL football could ultimately be a decisive factor. The danger now is that we
could potentially be guzumped by another club coming in with a higher bid.
Time will tell !
However, there are other reports this morning that West Ham are also
interested in acquiring goal keeper, Paul Robinson, from the championshp
club. Details are vague, but it is thought that Rovers are keen to get
Robinson off their wage bill. So keen, that it has been suggested that they
may actually consider terminating Robinson's current contract, by mutual
consent, to allow him to join the Hammers as a free agent. Even if that
'free agent' aspect of the story is inaccurate, that is still the
possibility that Rovers may allow Robinson to move to East London for a
nominal fee.
So, could Sam Allardyce engineer a double raid on his former club to sign
both Olsson and Robinson? The need for a new left-back is well documented,
but it is also the case that the recruitment of a third keeper could be a
priority. At present, we only have two keepers, the highly experienced Jussi
and the young Swiss prospect, Raphael Speigel. There is a third keeper on
the books in the shape of Henderson, but he is currently on loan at Ipswich
Town. Could it be the case that Allardyce will take the opportunity to sign
Robinson, in the current window, and then move Henderson on permanently?
If the story is true, then Robinson will probably do a good job for us.
Personally, I would prefer to sign Butland from Birmingham City. Needless to
say, that could prove to be a lot more difficult, with potential competition
from some top clubs, and a whole lot more expensive in terms of the transfer
fee. It would, however, be powerful statement of ambition by the club; and
an effective long-term solution for the goal keeping position!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers and Hull fight for Rovers' Robbo
Published: 08th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM and Hull are in a fight for Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson. Robbo,
33, is a free agent in the summer but can leave this month. The Tigers have
landed on-loan duo Robbie Brady and David Meyler on permanent deals. Winger
Brady cost £2million from Manchester United while Meyler left Sunderland for
£1.5m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR and West Ham set to miss out on Beckham when former England captain
decides future next week
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:28, 8 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:28, 8 January 2013
Daily Mail
David Beckham will make the eagerly anticipated decision on his football
future after crucial talks next week. Beckham will hold a series of crunch
meetings with his advisers from Monday, with the 37-year-old making a
definitive decision concerning his next move. Beckham's representatives are
compiling a dossier from the offers that Beckham has received in recent
weeks. Clubs from England, Europe, China, Australia and the Middle East have
all expressed an interest in Beckham following his decision to leave LA
Galaxy last mont h. The option of retiring from professional football is not
being considered at the moment, though that could be explored if none of the
options excite his interest. Queens Park Rangers and West Ham are both keen
on Beckham - but it is thought highly unlikely that he will join a London
club.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th January 2013
McCallum signs new contract
WHUFC.com
On-loan AFC Wimbledon centre forward Paul McCallum is fit, scoring goals and
enjoying his football again
07.01.2013
Paul McCallum has been making plenty of headlines this season. After missing
virtually the whole of the 2011/12 campaign due to shin problems, the West
Ham United centre forward has returned to regular action this term.
McCallum's six goals fired the Development Squad to the Barclays Under-21
Premier League Group 1 title before embarking on a loan spell at npower
League Two club AFC Wimbledon. The 19-year-old's joy turned to despair as he
was sent-off for violent conduct on his Dons debut at Morecambe on 24
November - ruling him out of the club's historic FA Cup second-round visit
to MK Dons. Since then, however, McCallum's disappointment has turned to
pride and joy as he was first rewarded with a new contract by the Hammers
until summer 2015, then scored two vital goals in Wimbledon's battle to
avoid relegation out of the npower Football League. "It's been a good few
weeks. I have signed a new contract with West Ham and been doing well and
scoring goals, so I cannot ask for any better. "I feel like I am physically
fit and when I scored two goals in the opening Under-21 game of the season
[in a 3-1 home win over Reading], I felt I was ready and it gave me a lot of
confidence to go out and play my game. "I would like to thank all the staff
at West Ham, particularly the physio Tom Smith, for getting me right for
this season. I only played one game last season, which was frustrating for
me and knocked my confidence. "I had a good pre-season and those two goals
in the opening league game brought my confidence back."
McCallum, who conveniently lives just ten minutes from Wimbledon's training
ground, has had a down-and-up time since moving to Kingsmeadow. After
suffering the shock of being shown a red card at Morecambe on his maiden
appearance for the club, the teenager has returned to the starting XI in
stunning style, scoring in a 3-2 victory at Torquay United on New Year's Day
before smashing in the only goal of the game in another welcome win at
Rochdale.
"It was probably the worst thing that could have happened. At the time, I
didn't feel like I had done anything wrong. I felt like I had let the
Wimbledon manager down after he had put his faith in me to play. After that,
I just wanted to get back on the pitch and do a job for him. "When I went
back to the dressing room all I could think about was that I would be
suspended for the MK Dons game. It had been a real bonus for me to have a
chance to be involved in that game and West Ham had given me permission to
play, so it was disappointing to miss it. "Our fans were amazing up there
and I thought we were really unlucky to lose."
For the former Dulwich Hamlet forward, scoring at Deepdale helped him to
bury the memory of an unproductive loan spell with Rochdale last season.
"I've scored two goals in two games and we have won both of them, so I could
not have asked for more than that. "Against Torquay, the ball dropped inside
the penalty area and I spun and hit my shot inside the bottom corner. At
Rochdale I scored a header from inside the area, which is the sort of chance
I love. The fans up there were brilliant and were the 12th man for us. "I
was on loan at Rochdale last season but, because of my injury, I didn't get
a chance to play. It was after my first training session that my shin
started playing up and I had to come back to West Ham. McCallum's loan spell
at Wimbledon is scheduled to end on Saturday 19 January and, as things
stand, his short-term future is undecided. After a frustrating time last
season, the striker himself is just happy to be fit and playing regularly,
be it for West Ham or Wimbledon. Should he return to the Boleyn Ground, the
big frontman revealed his ambition to break into Sam Allardyce's first-team
squad - having already been named as an unused substitute for the Capital
One Cup ties with Crewe Alexandra and Wigan Athletic earlier this season.
"As a striker, I have got to keep scoring goals and hopefully I can get my
chance in the first team and score a few goals for them. "When Big Sam came
in, everyone was saying that we'd play route-one, but it's not like that.
The manager does like to play with a big centre forward and I have got to
believe I can be that man - that if I get my chance, I am good enough to
take it. "Whatever happens - if I return to West Ham or stay out on loan - I
want to keep playing well and scoring goals. "If I get the chance to stay
with Wimbledon, then I just want to be playing and making a name for myself
in the Football League. If I come back, obviously I'll do my best for the
Development Squad. "The Under-21 Elite Group Stage is a big thing for the
young players at the club. We won out first-stage group and now we want to
win the Elite Group Stage."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole fired by warm reception
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole enjoyed the East End welcome on his second West Ham United 'debut'
on Saturday
07.01.2013
Joe Cole described his first match back in a West Ham United shirt as
"emotional" and thanked the fans for making it a special occasion against
Manchester United on Saturday. The midfielder did his part by helping to set
up the two goals that James Collins scored and received a rapturous applause
from supporters as he made way off for Matt Taylor in the 78th minute. "The
reception I got was really emotional for me," Cole said. "I was choked, our
fans were fantastic. But the West Ham fans have given me a great welcome
every time I have come back here, with Chelsea and Liverpool, but it was
really special."
Cole made his mark just before the half hour mark when he collected a pass
from Ricardo vaz Te and sent a curling cross that was met by a glancing
header from Collins. That drew the game level after United had gone ahead
through Tom Cleverley. The new No26 was also instrumental when West Ham
grabbed their second strike. He received Jack Collison's corner and sent in
another curling cross that Collins again met with his head to put the
Hammers ahead. Although Robin van Persie scored late on to set up a replay a
week on Wednesday, Cole said everyone was pleased with the performance and
is something he feels can be taken into the clash at Old Trafford. "You
can't point a finger, no one made a mistake. It was literally a case of it
being a world-class ball from Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] and bang, van Persie was
on it and he's a world-class finisher. "We nearly got a third goal right at
the end as well. I thought as well as us going forward, collectively we
defended really well. We will go up there [Old Trafford] and give it a right
go again."
Much has been said about Cole's return to his boyhood club and while the
player embraced it all, he was just happy to be out there on the Boleyn
Ground pitch in claret and blue once again. "There was a lot of focus on me
coming back, but I just couldn't wait for the chance to play. I felt during
the match that I was getting stronger as the match went on and that will
only come with playing. "It was nice to play well. We have good players who
can put balls in the right areas and players who can get on the end of them,
as well as having a solid defence."
Cole also said that in the short time he has been back, he feels already
that the club is in a good place and there is much to look forward to. "The
structure here at the club from top to bottom is just really good, something
I noticed straight away. Hopefully with the Olympic Stadium being just
around the corner for us and the way the manager has got this team together
and wants to build on that, the future looks really bright. "If we, as a
team, can continue to play with the desire we have, then it can only be
onwards and upwards for us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U21s start with Manchester United trip
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad start the Elite Group Stage with a visit to Manchester
United on Monday
07.01.2013
West Ham United will start the Barclays U21 Premier League Elite Group Stage
with a trip to Manchester United on Monday 14 January. Nick Haycock's
Development Squad qualified for the Elite Group by winning the Group 1 title
before Christmas and will now play for the right to be named as the
country's best U21 side. To do so, the Hammers will need to finish in the
top three to reach the end-of-season play-offs. The winners of the Tier One
and Tier Two Stage groups will play-off to meet the winners of the Elite
Group in one semi-final, while the second and third-place Elite Group
finishers will contest the other. The winners of the two semi-finals will
contest the final. Following Monday's trip to Altrincham FC's Moss Rose
ground to face the Red Devils, the Hammers open their home slate of fixtures
with the visit of Group 3 title winners Liverpool to Rush Green on Friday 18
January, kick-off 7pm. The Elite Group also comprises Group 1 runners-up
Arsenal, Southampton, Group 2 winners Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich
Albion - who finished third in Group 1 - and Wolverhampton Wanderers. One
home fixture will be played at the Boleyn Ground - the visit of Tottenham on
Monday 8 April, kick-off 7pm.
2012/13 Barclays U21 Premier League Elite Group Stage fixtures
(Home matches in Bold)
Mon 14 Jan Manchester United 7pm (at Altrincham FC)
Fri 18 Jan Liverpool 7pm (at Rush Green)
Mon 28 Jan Arsenal 1pm (at Colney Training Ground)
Mon 4 Feb Tottenham Hotspur 12noon (THFC Training Ground)
Fri 8 Feb West Bromwich Albion 7pm (Rush Green)
Fri 15 Feb Southampton Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Tue 26 Feb Wolverhampton Wanderers 7pm (AFC Telford United)
Fri 1 Mar Manchester United Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Mon 11 Mar Liverpool Away 2pm (The Academy, Kirby)
Fri 15 Mar Arsenal Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Sun 31 Mar West Bromwich Albion 2pm (WBA Training Ground)
Mon 8 Apr Tottenham Hotspur Home 7pm (Boleyn Ground)
Mon 15 Apr Southampton Away 7pm (Eastleigh FC)
Fri 19 Apr Wolverhampton Wanderers Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Competition notes -
The top two sides and two best third-place teams from three First Group
Stage groups will go forward to the Elite Group Stage.
The other third-place team, fourth and fifth-place teams and best
sixth-place teams will go forward to Tier One Stage. The two other
sixth-place teams, seventh and eighth-place teams will go forward to Tier
Two Stage.
The Tier One and Tier Two winners will play-off to meet the winners of the
Elite Group in one semi-final, while the second and third-place Elite Group
finishers will contest the other. The winners of the two semi-finals will
contest the final.
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Transfer latest
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
No firm news but a lot of speculation is the order of the day as the
transfer window enters its second week.
Reports suggest that striker Wellington Paulista is close to signing a loan
deal. The striker is reported to be due to undergo a medical today, though
some reports, including the official Cruzeiro website, have suggested that
the 28 year-old striker has already completed the move.
However, there's been no official announcement from United as yet, and Sam
Allardyce was tight-lipped when quizzed about the player after Saturday's
draw with Manchester United ("Wellington? The weather's not been THAT
bad!").
Meanwhile, the Lancashire Telegraph is reporting that the Irons have had a
£2m bid for Swedish left-back Martin Olsson rejected by Blackburn Rovers,
though other sources suggest thatthe figure may be as high as £3m. The 28
year-old defender has been linked with a number of clubs this window, though
Rovers currently maintain thatthe player is not for sale.
Elsewhere, a couple of players from US MLS clubs are set to start training
with the Hammers. Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo and Sporting Kansas City
midfielder Graham Zusi are both set to spend some time at Chadwell Heath,
though it is unclear whether the arrangement is by way of a trial or simply
an agreement between the club and MLS to keep the players fit during the
American close season.
The 19 year-old Agudelo had a similar arrangement with Celtic before
Christmas and in the past has also spent training time with Liverpool and
Borussia Dortmund and, like Zusi, is expected to join the US national squad
training camp next week.
Finally, David Gold's twitter account has been a rich source of humour in
previous windows and this one is proving to be no exception. Responding to
someone called "Andy" who had, hopefully with tongue in cheek, whether there
were any plans to re-sign Benni McCarthy, Gold replied: "Are you ok Andy? Is
someone with you?"
We'll bring you more news as it arrives.
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Thieving Northern b*stards
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham supporters hoping to make the trip to Old Trafford to watch the FA
Cup third round replay have reacted furiously to Manchester United's
decision to charge £45 per ticket. The two sides meet again at Old Trafford
on Wednesday, 16th January as a result of the first tie finishing in a
stalemate after the visitors grabbed an injury time equaliser to take the
game to a replay. West Ham were looking to take up to 10,000 fans to
Manchester for the return trip - that was until the Premier League leaders
announced the astonishing decision to charge adults £45 for a ticket.
Speaking on the KUMB.com forum this afternoon, hammer-lad referred to the
decision as "a joke", adding: "I won't pay this for a replay and another day
or two off work. They'll get a half-empty stadium and an even flatter
atmosphere than they had for the league game."
Whilst another supporter, The Gibbins, added: "£45? Robbing b*stards. I
think I'm going to give this a miss and watch it on TV. It will set me back
too much after a hectic Christmas."
The decision will no doubt also anger West Ham, who charged Manchester
United supporters just £20 to watch Sunday's tie at the Boleyn Ground.
Full replay ticket details
Season ticket holder prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20 yrs; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s.
Non-season ticket holder prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20 yrs; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s.
Disabled ticket prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20s; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s + Carer
Complimentary.
Tickets go on sale to Bond Holders from 9am on Tuesday, 8th January, to
season ticket holders at 9am on Wednesday, 9th January and on general sale
from 9am on Friday, 11th January.
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Blackburn considering bid from West Ham for Martin Olsson
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 7,
2013 8:21am
SSN
West Ham United have tabled a bid for Blackburn Rovers defender Martin
Olsson, Sky Sports understands. The Hammers have long been linked with a
move for Olsson, as Sam Allardyce knows him well from his time in charge at
Blackburn. The 24-year-old has never hidden his desire to move back to the
Premier League following Rovers' relegation and now he could get that chance
with the Hammers. Sky Sports understands that after talks, West Ham lodged a
bid over the weekend and now Blackburn are considering the offer. Rovers are
still managerless following Henning Berg's dismissal last month - but the
Hammers are hopeful the Championship club will agree to the deal.
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Rio Ferdinand hopes Joe Cole flourishes on his West Ham return
Last Updated: January 7, 2013 12:38pm
SSN
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand hopes Joe Cole makes a success of
his return to West Ham. Ferdinand watched from the subs bench as Cole set up
both West Ham's goals in the 2-2 draw with United in the FA Cup third round
on Saturday. It was Cole's first game for West Ham since re-joining his
boyhood club from Liverpool last week. Ferdinand and Cole duo know each
other well, having been products of the Hammers' famed academy before going
to play for England together. "I thought Joe did well," Ferdinand told the
London Evening Standard. "Two quality crosses from him and two goals. I'm
sure the West Ham supporters will be happy with that. "I hope the move works
out for him. Joe's been plagued with a lot of injuries over the last few
years. It's been a bit stop-start for him in recent seasons. It will be good
for him and West Ham if he can now play regularly and stay injury-free."
Ferdinand - who has himself been linked with a move back to Upton Park -
says only time will tell if Cole made the correct decision in breaking the
old 'never go back' rule. "Everyone is an individual," he said, "and you
never know how these things will work out until you try. He's come back to
West Ham after a few years and good luck to him. "Joe looked good and it was
a tough cup tie. That's what you expect when you go to West Ham though. It
was nothing different to what we anticipated."
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West Ham's Joe Cole enjoys debut in FA Cup against Manchester United
Last Updated: January 7, 2013 9:19am
SSN
Joe Cole wants to ignore the fuss about his West Ham United debut but admits
it was better than one of his first outings for Liverpool. The midfielder
made his return to his boyhood club last Friday, having first left for
Chelsea in 2003, and he on Saturday starred in the FA Cup draw with
Manchester United. Cole played 78 minutes before being substituted at the
weekend and it was a significantly more enjoyable second debut for West Ham
than his maiden Premier League game for Liverpool.
Allardyce laments missed chance
The 31-year-old was sent off against Arsenal in 2010 by Martin Atkinson, the
same referee who took charge of the game against Manchester United.
"It was a bit better than my Liverpool debut, yeah" said Cole on Saturday in
the Daily Mirror. "Same referee as well. He said to me, 'you lasted
longer!'.
"It was great to play again and I really enjoyed it. There's been a lot of
fuss. I'm not really one for that. I just wanted to get out there and play
football.
"It's nice to play well. All the eyes were on me today but I'm just happy to
be out there playing and getting match minutes in and getting stronger. "I
had a great year out in France last year and I played a lot of football but
this year's not been kind for me. I haven't played a lot of football, only
scraps - 20 minutes here, half-an-hour there. "Individually it was a good
performance and collectively I thought we defended really well." Cole added:
"It was an amazing reception. It really choked me up. It's great to be here.
"The fans, even when I came back here with Chelsea or Liverpool, have always
given me a good reception but today was special. Onwards and upwards."
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Swede dreams: West Ham set to return with improved offer for Blackburn
defender Martin Olsson
The Mirror
7 Jan 2013 22:30
Sam Allardyce is set to go back with an improved offer after having a £2m
bid for Martin Olsson rejected by Blackburn. West Ham boss Allardyce is
desperate to bring in a new left back with George McCartney facing a long
lay-off while Joey O'Brien has had a hamstring problem. Swedish
international Olsson fits the bill and played under Allardyce when he was in
charge at Blackburn but it is clear that Rovers want a bigger fee.
Meanwhile, Allardyce is also poised to seal a deal to take Brazilian striker
Wellington Paulista on loan.
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No red card: Cole relief as he makes Hammers debut and doesn't get sent off!
The Mirror
6 Jan 2013 22:32
Jamie McDonald
Even ref Martin Atkinson joked that Joe Cole's return to Upton Park went
better than his Liverpool debut. The Yorkshire official showed the
midfielder a straight red card after only 46 minutes of his first Premier
League appearance for the Anfield club in August 2010. On his second Hammers
debut, Cole created both of James Collins' goals before getting subbed off
to a standing ovation after 78 minutes. "It was a bit better than my
Liverpool debut, yeah" said Cole, 31. "Same referee as well. He said to me:
'You lasted longer!'. "'It was great to play again and I really enjoyed it.
There's been a lot of fuss. I'm not really one for that. I just wanted to
get out there and play football.
"It's nice to play well. All the eyes were on me today, but I'm just happy
to be out there playing and getting match minutes in and getting stronger.
"I had a great year out in France last year and I played a lot of football,
but this year's not been kind for me. I haven't played a lot of football,
only scraps - 20 minutes here, half an hour there. "Individually it was a
good performance and collectively I thought we defended really well." Cole,
who scored for Liverpool at Upton Park last month, added: "'It was amazing
reception. It really choked me up. It's great to be here. The fans, even
when I came back here with Chelsea or Liverpool, have always given me a good
reception but today was special. Onwards and upwards."
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Always believe in...
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Terry Land
A year to the day before World Trade Centre bombings on September 11th, 2001
and most of Britain was queuing at petrol stations as fuel duty protests
from a few north Wales farmers spread across the nation.
Yet I was engaging my own vigil along with 4,000 other Hammers as we trooped
over to White Hart Lane for a night game with a view to showing our hated
(and I do mean hated) north London rivals what supporting your football team
is all about.
Never mind us being outnumbered ten to one or Sol Campbell scoring the only
goal of the game with a thumping header from a corner, we had a new terrace
chant – and it was very good indeed. To the tune of Spandau Ballet's Gold we
belted out, "Joey Cole, COLE! Always believe in your soul, You got the power
to know, You're indestructible, Always believe in…"
Go back a couple of years and it is my duty to make you aware as a
middle-aged man with no children and a vasectomy I am extremely unlikely to
have any grandchildren. In light of that probability I feel I must reveal to
you, I was at Upton Park the day Joe Cole signed his first professional
contract. Although Matchday Announcer Jeremy Nicholas has maintained a fine
tradition of cringeworthy exclamations over his many years in the job this
particular embarrassment prior to a drab goalless draw with Chelsea barely
registers in a top ten.
It was the 7th of November, 1999, the day before Cole's 18th birthday. I was
also there when Cole made his first-team début as a substitute against
Swansea in the FA Cup, for his Premier League début at Old Trafford, his
first start – against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, first goal – at St Andrews
in the League Cup and first league goal – in a 5-4 thriller against Bradford
at The Boleyn.
I mention all this not to establish any über-fan credentials but to
emphasise just what an exciting period it was being a West Ham supporter.
The club had broken into Europe (albeit through the dubious pathway of the
Intertoto Cup) and even if Frank Lampard was a leaden obstacle clogging up
midfield he did score goals as Paolo Di Canio thrilled us up front, Trevor
Sinclair added pace and skill to the right flank and Rio Ferdinand strolled
about at the back.
Cole's play was a metaphor for that of the club. Gifted with an exceptional
touch and quick feet the boy from Camden could and did beat players with
ease – before looking up and … nothing. After finishing fifth in season
98-99, the team slumped to 9th and 15th upon Cole's arrival. The player
seldom scored goals, having a Stuart Slater-like ability to scuff the ball
and even more rarely made them – a bigger disappointment as manager Harry
Redknapp's 3-5-2 formation was designed to give him just that role. A final
ball is often the last thing to develop in a player (Cristiano Ronaldo and
Ryan Giggs were both criticised early career for such a lack) but
nonetheless, Cole didn't seem to have a ruthless streak.
Of course, the lack of personality weakness should be never taken as a
criticism (even if there was a half story involving Joe, a Page 3 girl, a
black eye and half naked dash around south London during his Chelsea days)
and the No26 was loved by those in claret and blue as much for his
enthusiasm as skill, even if much of it seemed puppyish rather than
proficient. Or to put it another way, Joe was such a lovely bloke it was
very difficult to dislike him. A perceived lack of football nous –
emphasised by a slack-jawed demeanour while in play – endeared rather than
repelled. Joe's cause was not helped by a manager in Redknapp who could see
no role other than playmaker despite meagre returns but was also happy to
criticise him for perceived lack of professionalism – a rant following a
quarter-final FA Cup loss to Spurs seemed designed to belittle.
Harry departed the club a game or so later to usher in Glenn Roeder, an
outsider in the race for the job and an opposite to his predecessor in
almost every respect. Upstanding of character and blessed with a strong
football brain from his days as a ball playing centre-back, the ex-Newcastle
and QPR man was as uncomfortable in front of the press as "Good Old 'Arry"
welcomed the headlines. Out went the luxury player and for the first time
Cole was asked to play the more disciplined wide position that would these
days be considered his home.
The second season under Roeder was by far Joe's best. Given the captaincy
and a midfield water-carrier role he broke tackles and drove at opponents to
great effect. Unfortunately the metaphor continued, a missed tackle on
Jay-Jay Okocha proved costly as the Bolton man ran on to score for Sam
Allardyce's side and West Ham's more pragmatic play resulted in relegation
despite the 42 points gained. We all knew the player was off and he went to
Chelsea with our best wishes.
Roman Abramovich's revolution at Stamford Bridge didn't help Cole, and
especially not when Claudio Ranieri lost out to Jose Mourinho, a manager who
despite amassing a ferocious pool of talent appears to have a near
pathological fear of playing flair players. Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari and
Guus Hiddink as well as injury niggles came and went until Roy Hodgson
grabbed Cole on a free transfer to Liverpool after seven mostly wasted years
at The Blues. Once again the curse struck as the now England coach was
replaced by first Kenny Dalglish and then Brendan Rodgers. Cole's career
seems blighted by a series of managers who either indulged or ignored him.
My first reaction when I heard Cole might be returning to Upton Park was
weary resignation – another washed-up player with his best years behind him
and ruined by managerial incompetence. Maybe I'm not paying enough credit to
Allardyce, a boss with a track record of finding something from apparently
over-the-hill professionals. If there is a manager in the business capable
of nurturing the best from Cole it's Big Sam. And let's be honest, no player
deserves it more.
*Terry Land hosts a blog at moxycoxy.wordpress.com. He may also be found on
Twitter at twitter.com/#!/AMoCS.
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Hammers' Distin future
Published: 07th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to join the race for Sylvain Distin. The Everton defender,
35, is out of contract this summer and may not get a new deal — alerting
Sunderland, QPR and now the Hammers.
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London calling for Danny
By STEVE PAGE
Published: 07th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM face competition from Fulham and QPR as they move for Newcastle's
Danny Simpson. Defender Simpson, 26, has been strongly linked with a move to
Upton Park. He is believed to want a move to London so he can be closer to
his girlfriend, The X Factor judge Tulisa. And both Martin Jol and Harry
Redknapp are also tracking his progress. But QPR boss Redknapp faces defeat
in the chase for Marseille's Loic Remy, with Newcastle expected to sign the
£8million-rated striker.
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Transfer Activity Bodes Well for the Second Half of the Season!
West Ham Till I Die
I had urged the club to act decisively in the January window and get their
transfer business done nice and early. I have not been disappointed to date,
as the recruitment of Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh has been followed by the
news that the club are close to clinching a six month loan deal for Cruzerio
striker, Wellington Paulista. Furthermore, it has also been reported that
West Ham have submitted an initial £2m bid for Blackburn Rovers left-back,
Martin Olsson. Blackburn have apparently rejected the bid and West Ham are
thought to be preparing a second, increased offer for a player that Sam
Allardyce has managed previously and rates highly..
Sam Allardyce was quite tight lipped about a possible deal for Paulista,
when asked about it during the Man Utd post-match interview. Similiarly, he
refused to rule out speculation that West Ham might be lining up a deal for
37 year old, former MLS, midfielder, David Beckham. Two current US MLS
players are also shortly scheduled to start training with the Hammers. They
are Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo and Sporting Kansas City midfielder
Graham Zusi. At this early stage, it is unclear whether the arrangement is a
trial or simply a training agreement between the club and MLS to keep the
players fit during the American close season? No doubt there will be further
news on this in due course.
Elsewhere, it appears that West Ham are not pursuing a deal for Marsailles
striker, Loic Remy. It is now likely to be a straight fight between PL
strugglers Newcastle Utd and QPR for Remy's signature. However, there are
rumours that Marsailles could still be interested in agreeing a deal for
West Ham striker, Maiga, as a replacement. Yet, it is thought that Sam
Allardyce recognizes the potential of the former Sochaux striker and may be
reluctant to let Maiga move on at this particular juncture.
With the latest transfer speculation out of the way, a few words on the
performance against Man Utd. It was a great display, in which we largely
contained Man Utd's attacking potency and posed their rear guard plenty of
problems. Both Diarra and Collison did well in midfield, after returning
from their long injury lay offs. As for Joe Cole, those two beautifully
flighted balls in for the Collins headers were top class. That is why he is
at the club, to add extra vison and touch to West Ham's forward play. Is it
a coincidence that West Ham's attacking unit looked far more coherent and
linked up with Cole in the side? I do not think so. Joe still has a lot to
offer and a lot to prove. Lets hope that he can stay fit, play himself in to
top form and really make up for lost time.
I also thought that Danny Potts did very well at left-back, defending well
and supporting the attack down the left. I called for Potts and Hall's
recall from their loan deals some time ago, because I am sure that both
players are nearing readiness for regular first team footballer. Potts
arguably demonstrated that my assessment is correct. I welcome the potential
signing of Martin Olsson, but I hope that Potts continues to secure more
first team exposure during the remainder of this season. Demel played well,
as did Tomkins and Collins. While Jarvis is rapidly playing himself in to
form and we should start to see the very best of him in the second half of
the season. He evaded the Man Utd defence to carve out an excellent chance
for Matt Taylor and Carlton Cole to score what should have been the decisive
third goal. When we failed to score, I turned around to my friend and said
prophetically, 'I hope we do not live tro regret that miss.'
And lo and behold, Giggs and Van Persie duly combined to score a 90th minute
equaliser. The only slight grumble that I have is that we were probably a
bit naive. With just over four minutes to play, we should have played the
ball out from the back to try to keep posession and see out extra time.
Instead, we launched a goal kick up the field, Carlton Cole lost possession,
Giggs picked it up and his long pass was expertly converted by the prolific
Dutch marksman. That aside, some times you just have acknowledge the quality
of the opposition play, and this was one of those occasions. Giggs ball
forward was inch perfect and Van Persie showed technique of the highest
order to receive and strike the ball. The skill, technique and, yes,
directness of the move effectively turned our defenders in to spectators!
So, now we face another trip to Old Trafford on Wednesday, 16 January 2013,
to resolve the contest. And a 4th round, home tie, awaits the winner on 27th
January 2013. There is the possiblility that both Carroll and Diame may be
fit to play some role in that match. I know that Man Utd are clear
favourites at Old Trafford, but if we can play as well again in the replay
then it may not be as straightforward a contest as some would have us
believe. Least ways, lets go up there and give it a right go.
Before that, we play Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, this coming
weekend. It is a game that we should definitely be looking to take at least
a point from, possibly all three. As usual, I am going to go for the longer
shot and go for a 1-2 win for the Hammers!
SJ. Chandos.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
On-loan AFC Wimbledon centre forward Paul McCallum is fit, scoring goals and
enjoying his football again
07.01.2013
Paul McCallum has been making plenty of headlines this season. After missing
virtually the whole of the 2011/12 campaign due to shin problems, the West
Ham United centre forward has returned to regular action this term.
McCallum's six goals fired the Development Squad to the Barclays Under-21
Premier League Group 1 title before embarking on a loan spell at npower
League Two club AFC Wimbledon. The 19-year-old's joy turned to despair as he
was sent-off for violent conduct on his Dons debut at Morecambe on 24
November - ruling him out of the club's historic FA Cup second-round visit
to MK Dons. Since then, however, McCallum's disappointment has turned to
pride and joy as he was first rewarded with a new contract by the Hammers
until summer 2015, then scored two vital goals in Wimbledon's battle to
avoid relegation out of the npower Football League. "It's been a good few
weeks. I have signed a new contract with West Ham and been doing well and
scoring goals, so I cannot ask for any better. "I feel like I am physically
fit and when I scored two goals in the opening Under-21 game of the season
[in a 3-1 home win over Reading], I felt I was ready and it gave me a lot of
confidence to go out and play my game. "I would like to thank all the staff
at West Ham, particularly the physio Tom Smith, for getting me right for
this season. I only played one game last season, which was frustrating for
me and knocked my confidence. "I had a good pre-season and those two goals
in the opening league game brought my confidence back."
McCallum, who conveniently lives just ten minutes from Wimbledon's training
ground, has had a down-and-up time since moving to Kingsmeadow. After
suffering the shock of being shown a red card at Morecambe on his maiden
appearance for the club, the teenager has returned to the starting XI in
stunning style, scoring in a 3-2 victory at Torquay United on New Year's Day
before smashing in the only goal of the game in another welcome win at
Rochdale.
"It was probably the worst thing that could have happened. At the time, I
didn't feel like I had done anything wrong. I felt like I had let the
Wimbledon manager down after he had put his faith in me to play. After that,
I just wanted to get back on the pitch and do a job for him. "When I went
back to the dressing room all I could think about was that I would be
suspended for the MK Dons game. It had been a real bonus for me to have a
chance to be involved in that game and West Ham had given me permission to
play, so it was disappointing to miss it. "Our fans were amazing up there
and I thought we were really unlucky to lose."
For the former Dulwich Hamlet forward, scoring at Deepdale helped him to
bury the memory of an unproductive loan spell with Rochdale last season.
"I've scored two goals in two games and we have won both of them, so I could
not have asked for more than that. "Against Torquay, the ball dropped inside
the penalty area and I spun and hit my shot inside the bottom corner. At
Rochdale I scored a header from inside the area, which is the sort of chance
I love. The fans up there were brilliant and were the 12th man for us. "I
was on loan at Rochdale last season but, because of my injury, I didn't get
a chance to play. It was after my first training session that my shin
started playing up and I had to come back to West Ham. McCallum's loan spell
at Wimbledon is scheduled to end on Saturday 19 January and, as things
stand, his short-term future is undecided. After a frustrating time last
season, the striker himself is just happy to be fit and playing regularly,
be it for West Ham or Wimbledon. Should he return to the Boleyn Ground, the
big frontman revealed his ambition to break into Sam Allardyce's first-team
squad - having already been named as an unused substitute for the Capital
One Cup ties with Crewe Alexandra and Wigan Athletic earlier this season.
"As a striker, I have got to keep scoring goals and hopefully I can get my
chance in the first team and score a few goals for them. "When Big Sam came
in, everyone was saying that we'd play route-one, but it's not like that.
The manager does like to play with a big centre forward and I have got to
believe I can be that man - that if I get my chance, I am good enough to
take it. "Whatever happens - if I return to West Ham or stay out on loan - I
want to keep playing well and scoring goals. "If I get the chance to stay
with Wimbledon, then I just want to be playing and making a name for myself
in the Football League. If I come back, obviously I'll do my best for the
Development Squad. "The Under-21 Elite Group Stage is a big thing for the
young players at the club. We won out first-stage group and now we want to
win the Elite Group Stage."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole fired by warm reception
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole enjoyed the East End welcome on his second West Ham United 'debut'
on Saturday
07.01.2013
Joe Cole described his first match back in a West Ham United shirt as
"emotional" and thanked the fans for making it a special occasion against
Manchester United on Saturday. The midfielder did his part by helping to set
up the two goals that James Collins scored and received a rapturous applause
from supporters as he made way off for Matt Taylor in the 78th minute. "The
reception I got was really emotional for me," Cole said. "I was choked, our
fans were fantastic. But the West Ham fans have given me a great welcome
every time I have come back here, with Chelsea and Liverpool, but it was
really special."
Cole made his mark just before the half hour mark when he collected a pass
from Ricardo vaz Te and sent a curling cross that was met by a glancing
header from Collins. That drew the game level after United had gone ahead
through Tom Cleverley. The new No26 was also instrumental when West Ham
grabbed their second strike. He received Jack Collison's corner and sent in
another curling cross that Collins again met with his head to put the
Hammers ahead. Although Robin van Persie scored late on to set up a replay a
week on Wednesday, Cole said everyone was pleased with the performance and
is something he feels can be taken into the clash at Old Trafford. "You
can't point a finger, no one made a mistake. It was literally a case of it
being a world-class ball from Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] and bang, van Persie was
on it and he's a world-class finisher. "We nearly got a third goal right at
the end as well. I thought as well as us going forward, collectively we
defended really well. We will go up there [Old Trafford] and give it a right
go again."
Much has been said about Cole's return to his boyhood club and while the
player embraced it all, he was just happy to be out there on the Boleyn
Ground pitch in claret and blue once again. "There was a lot of focus on me
coming back, but I just couldn't wait for the chance to play. I felt during
the match that I was getting stronger as the match went on and that will
only come with playing. "It was nice to play well. We have good players who
can put balls in the right areas and players who can get on the end of them,
as well as having a solid defence."
Cole also said that in the short time he has been back, he feels already
that the club is in a good place and there is much to look forward to. "The
structure here at the club from top to bottom is just really good, something
I noticed straight away. Hopefully with the Olympic Stadium being just
around the corner for us and the way the manager has got this team together
and wants to build on that, the future looks really bright. "If we, as a
team, can continue to play with the desire we have, then it can only be
onwards and upwards for us."
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U21s start with Manchester United trip
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad start the Elite Group Stage with a visit to Manchester
United on Monday
07.01.2013
West Ham United will start the Barclays U21 Premier League Elite Group Stage
with a trip to Manchester United on Monday 14 January. Nick Haycock's
Development Squad qualified for the Elite Group by winning the Group 1 title
before Christmas and will now play for the right to be named as the
country's best U21 side. To do so, the Hammers will need to finish in the
top three to reach the end-of-season play-offs. The winners of the Tier One
and Tier Two Stage groups will play-off to meet the winners of the Elite
Group in one semi-final, while the second and third-place Elite Group
finishers will contest the other. The winners of the two semi-finals will
contest the final. Following Monday's trip to Altrincham FC's Moss Rose
ground to face the Red Devils, the Hammers open their home slate of fixtures
with the visit of Group 3 title winners Liverpool to Rush Green on Friday 18
January, kick-off 7pm. The Elite Group also comprises Group 1 runners-up
Arsenal, Southampton, Group 2 winners Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich
Albion - who finished third in Group 1 - and Wolverhampton Wanderers. One
home fixture will be played at the Boleyn Ground - the visit of Tottenham on
Monday 8 April, kick-off 7pm.
2012/13 Barclays U21 Premier League Elite Group Stage fixtures
(Home matches in Bold)
Mon 14 Jan Manchester United 7pm (at Altrincham FC)
Fri 18 Jan Liverpool 7pm (at Rush Green)
Mon 28 Jan Arsenal 1pm (at Colney Training Ground)
Mon 4 Feb Tottenham Hotspur 12noon (THFC Training Ground)
Fri 8 Feb West Bromwich Albion 7pm (Rush Green)
Fri 15 Feb Southampton Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Tue 26 Feb Wolverhampton Wanderers 7pm (AFC Telford United)
Fri 1 Mar Manchester United Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Mon 11 Mar Liverpool Away 2pm (The Academy, Kirby)
Fri 15 Mar Arsenal Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Sun 31 Mar West Bromwich Albion 2pm (WBA Training Ground)
Mon 8 Apr Tottenham Hotspur Home 7pm (Boleyn Ground)
Mon 15 Apr Southampton Away 7pm (Eastleigh FC)
Fri 19 Apr Wolverhampton Wanderers Home 7pm (Rush Green)
Competition notes -
The top two sides and two best third-place teams from three First Group
Stage groups will go forward to the Elite Group Stage.
The other third-place team, fourth and fifth-place teams and best
sixth-place teams will go forward to Tier One Stage. The two other
sixth-place teams, seventh and eighth-place teams will go forward to Tier
Two Stage.
The Tier One and Tier Two winners will play-off to meet the winners of the
Elite Group in one semi-final, while the second and third-place Elite Group
finishers will contest the other. The winners of the two semi-finals will
contest the final.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Transfer latest
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
No firm news but a lot of speculation is the order of the day as the
transfer window enters its second week.
Reports suggest that striker Wellington Paulista is close to signing a loan
deal. The striker is reported to be due to undergo a medical today, though
some reports, including the official Cruzeiro website, have suggested that
the 28 year-old striker has already completed the move.
However, there's been no official announcement from United as yet, and Sam
Allardyce was tight-lipped when quizzed about the player after Saturday's
draw with Manchester United ("Wellington? The weather's not been THAT
bad!").
Meanwhile, the Lancashire Telegraph is reporting that the Irons have had a
£2m bid for Swedish left-back Martin Olsson rejected by Blackburn Rovers,
though other sources suggest thatthe figure may be as high as £3m. The 28
year-old defender has been linked with a number of clubs this window, though
Rovers currently maintain thatthe player is not for sale.
Elsewhere, a couple of players from US MLS clubs are set to start training
with the Hammers. Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo and Sporting Kansas City
midfielder Graham Zusi are both set to spend some time at Chadwell Heath,
though it is unclear whether the arrangement is by way of a trial or simply
an agreement between the club and MLS to keep the players fit during the
American close season.
The 19 year-old Agudelo had a similar arrangement with Celtic before
Christmas and in the past has also spent training time with Liverpool and
Borussia Dortmund and, like Zusi, is expected to join the US national squad
training camp next week.
Finally, David Gold's twitter account has been a rich source of humour in
previous windows and this one is proving to be no exception. Responding to
someone called "Andy" who had, hopefully with tongue in cheek, whether there
were any plans to re-sign Benni McCarthy, Gold replied: "Are you ok Andy? Is
someone with you?"
We'll bring you more news as it arrives.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Thieving Northern b*stards
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham supporters hoping to make the trip to Old Trafford to watch the FA
Cup third round replay have reacted furiously to Manchester United's
decision to charge £45 per ticket. The two sides meet again at Old Trafford
on Wednesday, 16th January as a result of the first tie finishing in a
stalemate after the visitors grabbed an injury time equaliser to take the
game to a replay. West Ham were looking to take up to 10,000 fans to
Manchester for the return trip - that was until the Premier League leaders
announced the astonishing decision to charge adults £45 for a ticket.
Speaking on the KUMB.com forum this afternoon, hammer-lad referred to the
decision as "a joke", adding: "I won't pay this for a replay and another day
or two off work. They'll get a half-empty stadium and an even flatter
atmosphere than they had for the league game."
Whilst another supporter, The Gibbins, added: "£45? Robbing b*stards. I
think I'm going to give this a miss and watch it on TV. It will set me back
too much after a hectic Christmas."
The decision will no doubt also anger West Ham, who charged Manchester
United supporters just £20 to watch Sunday's tie at the Boleyn Ground.
Full replay ticket details
Season ticket holder prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20 yrs; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s.
Non-season ticket holder prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20 yrs; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s.
Disabled ticket prices
£45 Adults; £35.50 18-20s; £26 Over-65s/16-17s; £12 Under-16s + Carer
Complimentary.
Tickets go on sale to Bond Holders from 9am on Tuesday, 8th January, to
season ticket holders at 9am on Wednesday, 9th January and on general sale
from 9am on Friday, 11th January.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blackburn considering bid from West Ham for Martin Olsson
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 7,
2013 8:21am
SSN
West Ham United have tabled a bid for Blackburn Rovers defender Martin
Olsson, Sky Sports understands. The Hammers have long been linked with a
move for Olsson, as Sam Allardyce knows him well from his time in charge at
Blackburn. The 24-year-old has never hidden his desire to move back to the
Premier League following Rovers' relegation and now he could get that chance
with the Hammers. Sky Sports understands that after talks, West Ham lodged a
bid over the weekend and now Blackburn are considering the offer. Rovers are
still managerless following Henning Berg's dismissal last month - but the
Hammers are hopeful the Championship club will agree to the deal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rio Ferdinand hopes Joe Cole flourishes on his West Ham return
Last Updated: January 7, 2013 12:38pm
SSN
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand hopes Joe Cole makes a success of
his return to West Ham. Ferdinand watched from the subs bench as Cole set up
both West Ham's goals in the 2-2 draw with United in the FA Cup third round
on Saturday. It was Cole's first game for West Ham since re-joining his
boyhood club from Liverpool last week. Ferdinand and Cole duo know each
other well, having been products of the Hammers' famed academy before going
to play for England together. "I thought Joe did well," Ferdinand told the
London Evening Standard. "Two quality crosses from him and two goals. I'm
sure the West Ham supporters will be happy with that. "I hope the move works
out for him. Joe's been plagued with a lot of injuries over the last few
years. It's been a bit stop-start for him in recent seasons. It will be good
for him and West Ham if he can now play regularly and stay injury-free."
Ferdinand - who has himself been linked with a move back to Upton Park -
says only time will tell if Cole made the correct decision in breaking the
old 'never go back' rule. "Everyone is an individual," he said, "and you
never know how these things will work out until you try. He's come back to
West Ham after a few years and good luck to him. "Joe looked good and it was
a tough cup tie. That's what you expect when you go to West Ham though. It
was nothing different to what we anticipated."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Joe Cole enjoys debut in FA Cup against Manchester United
Last Updated: January 7, 2013 9:19am
SSN
Joe Cole wants to ignore the fuss about his West Ham United debut but admits
it was better than one of his first outings for Liverpool. The midfielder
made his return to his boyhood club last Friday, having first left for
Chelsea in 2003, and he on Saturday starred in the FA Cup draw with
Manchester United. Cole played 78 minutes before being substituted at the
weekend and it was a significantly more enjoyable second debut for West Ham
than his maiden Premier League game for Liverpool.
Allardyce laments missed chance
The 31-year-old was sent off against Arsenal in 2010 by Martin Atkinson, the
same referee who took charge of the game against Manchester United.
"It was a bit better than my Liverpool debut, yeah" said Cole on Saturday in
the Daily Mirror. "Same referee as well. He said to me, 'you lasted
longer!'.
"It was great to play again and I really enjoyed it. There's been a lot of
fuss. I'm not really one for that. I just wanted to get out there and play
football.
"It's nice to play well. All the eyes were on me today but I'm just happy to
be out there playing and getting match minutes in and getting stronger. "I
had a great year out in France last year and I played a lot of football but
this year's not been kind for me. I haven't played a lot of football, only
scraps - 20 minutes here, half-an-hour there. "Individually it was a good
performance and collectively I thought we defended really well." Cole added:
"It was an amazing reception. It really choked me up. It's great to be here.
"The fans, even when I came back here with Chelsea or Liverpool, have always
given me a good reception but today was special. Onwards and upwards."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swede dreams: West Ham set to return with improved offer for Blackburn
defender Martin Olsson
The Mirror
7 Jan 2013 22:30
Sam Allardyce is set to go back with an improved offer after having a £2m
bid for Martin Olsson rejected by Blackburn. West Ham boss Allardyce is
desperate to bring in a new left back with George McCartney facing a long
lay-off while Joey O'Brien has had a hamstring problem. Swedish
international Olsson fits the bill and played under Allardyce when he was in
charge at Blackburn but it is clear that Rovers want a bigger fee.
Meanwhile, Allardyce is also poised to seal a deal to take Brazilian striker
Wellington Paulista on loan.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
No red card: Cole relief as he makes Hammers debut and doesn't get sent off!
The Mirror
6 Jan 2013 22:32
Jamie McDonald
Even ref Martin Atkinson joked that Joe Cole's return to Upton Park went
better than his Liverpool debut. The Yorkshire official showed the
midfielder a straight red card after only 46 minutes of his first Premier
League appearance for the Anfield club in August 2010. On his second Hammers
debut, Cole created both of James Collins' goals before getting subbed off
to a standing ovation after 78 minutes. "It was a bit better than my
Liverpool debut, yeah" said Cole, 31. "Same referee as well. He said to me:
'You lasted longer!'. "'It was great to play again and I really enjoyed it.
There's been a lot of fuss. I'm not really one for that. I just wanted to
get out there and play football.
"It's nice to play well. All the eyes were on me today, but I'm just happy
to be out there playing and getting match minutes in and getting stronger.
"I had a great year out in France last year and I played a lot of football,
but this year's not been kind for me. I haven't played a lot of football,
only scraps - 20 minutes here, half an hour there. "Individually it was a
good performance and collectively I thought we defended really well." Cole,
who scored for Liverpool at Upton Park last month, added: "'It was amazing
reception. It really choked me up. It's great to be here. The fans, even
when I came back here with Chelsea or Liverpool, have always given me a good
reception but today was special. Onwards and upwards."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Always believe in...
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 7th January 2013
By: Terry Land
A year to the day before World Trade Centre bombings on September 11th, 2001
and most of Britain was queuing at petrol stations as fuel duty protests
from a few north Wales farmers spread across the nation.
Yet I was engaging my own vigil along with 4,000 other Hammers as we trooped
over to White Hart Lane for a night game with a view to showing our hated
(and I do mean hated) north London rivals what supporting your football team
is all about.
Never mind us being outnumbered ten to one or Sol Campbell scoring the only
goal of the game with a thumping header from a corner, we had a new terrace
chant – and it was very good indeed. To the tune of Spandau Ballet's Gold we
belted out, "Joey Cole, COLE! Always believe in your soul, You got the power
to know, You're indestructible, Always believe in…"
Go back a couple of years and it is my duty to make you aware as a
middle-aged man with no children and a vasectomy I am extremely unlikely to
have any grandchildren. In light of that probability I feel I must reveal to
you, I was at Upton Park the day Joe Cole signed his first professional
contract. Although Matchday Announcer Jeremy Nicholas has maintained a fine
tradition of cringeworthy exclamations over his many years in the job this
particular embarrassment prior to a drab goalless draw with Chelsea barely
registers in a top ten.
It was the 7th of November, 1999, the day before Cole's 18th birthday. I was
also there when Cole made his first-team début as a substitute against
Swansea in the FA Cup, for his Premier League début at Old Trafford, his
first start – against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, first goal – at St Andrews
in the League Cup and first league goal – in a 5-4 thriller against Bradford
at The Boleyn.
I mention all this not to establish any über-fan credentials but to
emphasise just what an exciting period it was being a West Ham supporter.
The club had broken into Europe (albeit through the dubious pathway of the
Intertoto Cup) and even if Frank Lampard was a leaden obstacle clogging up
midfield he did score goals as Paolo Di Canio thrilled us up front, Trevor
Sinclair added pace and skill to the right flank and Rio Ferdinand strolled
about at the back.
Cole's play was a metaphor for that of the club. Gifted with an exceptional
touch and quick feet the boy from Camden could and did beat players with
ease – before looking up and … nothing. After finishing fifth in season
98-99, the team slumped to 9th and 15th upon Cole's arrival. The player
seldom scored goals, having a Stuart Slater-like ability to scuff the ball
and even more rarely made them – a bigger disappointment as manager Harry
Redknapp's 3-5-2 formation was designed to give him just that role. A final
ball is often the last thing to develop in a player (Cristiano Ronaldo and
Ryan Giggs were both criticised early career for such a lack) but
nonetheless, Cole didn't seem to have a ruthless streak.
Of course, the lack of personality weakness should be never taken as a
criticism (even if there was a half story involving Joe, a Page 3 girl, a
black eye and half naked dash around south London during his Chelsea days)
and the No26 was loved by those in claret and blue as much for his
enthusiasm as skill, even if much of it seemed puppyish rather than
proficient. Or to put it another way, Joe was such a lovely bloke it was
very difficult to dislike him. A perceived lack of football nous –
emphasised by a slack-jawed demeanour while in play – endeared rather than
repelled. Joe's cause was not helped by a manager in Redknapp who could see
no role other than playmaker despite meagre returns but was also happy to
criticise him for perceived lack of professionalism – a rant following a
quarter-final FA Cup loss to Spurs seemed designed to belittle.
Harry departed the club a game or so later to usher in Glenn Roeder, an
outsider in the race for the job and an opposite to his predecessor in
almost every respect. Upstanding of character and blessed with a strong
football brain from his days as a ball playing centre-back, the ex-Newcastle
and QPR man was as uncomfortable in front of the press as "Good Old 'Arry"
welcomed the headlines. Out went the luxury player and for the first time
Cole was asked to play the more disciplined wide position that would these
days be considered his home.
The second season under Roeder was by far Joe's best. Given the captaincy
and a midfield water-carrier role he broke tackles and drove at opponents to
great effect. Unfortunately the metaphor continued, a missed tackle on
Jay-Jay Okocha proved costly as the Bolton man ran on to score for Sam
Allardyce's side and West Ham's more pragmatic play resulted in relegation
despite the 42 points gained. We all knew the player was off and he went to
Chelsea with our best wishes.
Roman Abramovich's revolution at Stamford Bridge didn't help Cole, and
especially not when Claudio Ranieri lost out to Jose Mourinho, a manager who
despite amassing a ferocious pool of talent appears to have a near
pathological fear of playing flair players. Avram Grant, Felipe Scolari and
Guus Hiddink as well as injury niggles came and went until Roy Hodgson
grabbed Cole on a free transfer to Liverpool after seven mostly wasted years
at The Blues. Once again the curse struck as the now England coach was
replaced by first Kenny Dalglish and then Brendan Rodgers. Cole's career
seems blighted by a series of managers who either indulged or ignored him.
My first reaction when I heard Cole might be returning to Upton Park was
weary resignation – another washed-up player with his best years behind him
and ruined by managerial incompetence. Maybe I'm not paying enough credit to
Allardyce, a boss with a track record of finding something from apparently
over-the-hill professionals. If there is a manager in the business capable
of nurturing the best from Cole it's Big Sam. And let's be honest, no player
deserves it more.
*Terry Land hosts a blog at moxycoxy.wordpress.com. He may also be found on
Twitter at twitter.com/#!/AMoCS.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers' Distin future
Published: 07th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to join the race for Sylvain Distin. The Everton defender,
35, is out of contract this summer and may not get a new deal — alerting
Sunderland, QPR and now the Hammers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
London calling for Danny
By STEVE PAGE
Published: 07th January 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM face competition from Fulham and QPR as they move for Newcastle's
Danny Simpson. Defender Simpson, 26, has been strongly linked with a move to
Upton Park. He is believed to want a move to London so he can be closer to
his girlfriend, The X Factor judge Tulisa. And both Martin Jol and Harry
Redknapp are also tracking his progress. But QPR boss Redknapp faces defeat
in the chase for Marseille's Loic Remy, with Newcastle expected to sign the
£8million-rated striker.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Transfer Activity Bodes Well for the Second Half of the Season!
West Ham Till I Die
I had urged the club to act decisively in the January window and get their
transfer business done nice and early. I have not been disappointed to date,
as the recruitment of Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh has been followed by the
news that the club are close to clinching a six month loan deal for Cruzerio
striker, Wellington Paulista. Furthermore, it has also been reported that
West Ham have submitted an initial £2m bid for Blackburn Rovers left-back,
Martin Olsson. Blackburn have apparently rejected the bid and West Ham are
thought to be preparing a second, increased offer for a player that Sam
Allardyce has managed previously and rates highly..
Sam Allardyce was quite tight lipped about a possible deal for Paulista,
when asked about it during the Man Utd post-match interview. Similiarly, he
refused to rule out speculation that West Ham might be lining up a deal for
37 year old, former MLS, midfielder, David Beckham. Two current US MLS
players are also shortly scheduled to start training with the Hammers. They
are Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo and Sporting Kansas City midfielder
Graham Zusi. At this early stage, it is unclear whether the arrangement is a
trial or simply a training agreement between the club and MLS to keep the
players fit during the American close season? No doubt there will be further
news on this in due course.
Elsewhere, it appears that West Ham are not pursuing a deal for Marsailles
striker, Loic Remy. It is now likely to be a straight fight between PL
strugglers Newcastle Utd and QPR for Remy's signature. However, there are
rumours that Marsailles could still be interested in agreeing a deal for
West Ham striker, Maiga, as a replacement. Yet, it is thought that Sam
Allardyce recognizes the potential of the former Sochaux striker and may be
reluctant to let Maiga move on at this particular juncture.
With the latest transfer speculation out of the way, a few words on the
performance against Man Utd. It was a great display, in which we largely
contained Man Utd's attacking potency and posed their rear guard plenty of
problems. Both Diarra and Collison did well in midfield, after returning
from their long injury lay offs. As for Joe Cole, those two beautifully
flighted balls in for the Collins headers were top class. That is why he is
at the club, to add extra vison and touch to West Ham's forward play. Is it
a coincidence that West Ham's attacking unit looked far more coherent and
linked up with Cole in the side? I do not think so. Joe still has a lot to
offer and a lot to prove. Lets hope that he can stay fit, play himself in to
top form and really make up for lost time.
I also thought that Danny Potts did very well at left-back, defending well
and supporting the attack down the left. I called for Potts and Hall's
recall from their loan deals some time ago, because I am sure that both
players are nearing readiness for regular first team footballer. Potts
arguably demonstrated that my assessment is correct. I welcome the potential
signing of Martin Olsson, but I hope that Potts continues to secure more
first team exposure during the remainder of this season. Demel played well,
as did Tomkins and Collins. While Jarvis is rapidly playing himself in to
form and we should start to see the very best of him in the second half of
the season. He evaded the Man Utd defence to carve out an excellent chance
for Matt Taylor and Carlton Cole to score what should have been the decisive
third goal. When we failed to score, I turned around to my friend and said
prophetically, 'I hope we do not live tro regret that miss.'
And lo and behold, Giggs and Van Persie duly combined to score a 90th minute
equaliser. The only slight grumble that I have is that we were probably a
bit naive. With just over four minutes to play, we should have played the
ball out from the back to try to keep posession and see out extra time.
Instead, we launched a goal kick up the field, Carlton Cole lost possession,
Giggs picked it up and his long pass was expertly converted by the prolific
Dutch marksman. That aside, some times you just have acknowledge the quality
of the opposition play, and this was one of those occasions. Giggs ball
forward was inch perfect and Van Persie showed technique of the highest
order to receive and strike the ball. The skill, technique and, yes,
directness of the move effectively turned our defenders in to spectators!
So, now we face another trip to Old Trafford on Wednesday, 16 January 2013,
to resolve the contest. And a 4th round, home tie, awaits the winner on 27th
January 2013. There is the possiblility that both Carroll and Diame may be
fit to play some role in that match. I know that Man Utd are clear
favourites at Old Trafford, but if we can play as well again in the replay
then it may not be as straightforward a contest as some would have us
believe. Least ways, lets go up there and give it a right go.
Before that, we play Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, this coming
weekend. It is a game that we should definitely be looking to take at least
a point from, possibly all three. As usual, I am going to go for the longer
shot and go for a 1-2 win for the Hammers!
SJ. Chandos.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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