Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has hailed Jack Collison's professionalism after his winner at
Stoke City
03.03.2013
Sam Allardyce heaped praise on matchwinner Jack Collison and the diligent
medical team that work with him on a daily basis, following Saturday's
superb 1-0 win away at Stoke City. Big Sam was understandably delighted with
Collison after his strike just before half-time inflicted only the second
home defeat of Stoke's season and pushed West Ham up to joint-tenth in the
Barclays Premier League. The high-profile nature of the Wales
international's winner is in stark contrast to the careful and often
unpublicised work that he has to go through to manage an ongoing knee issue,
which has affected the 24-year-old's participation in first-team affairs
over the past few years. "It's an unfortunate injury that he has to live
with and he manages it extremely well as a young professional," Allardyce
explained. "It's a great shame when such a young man has to be burdened with
that and he knows the knee is never going to be 100% so the management of
that knee is great credit to him and the medical staff. "He does a lot of
his own training and rarely trains with us. He has to get himself ready and
prepared for a game and then after that he has to have that bit longer to
rest and recover than everybody else. "He can live with it. It is going to
restrict him somewhat but he is a very talented young man. Because of his
professionalism and the fact the medical staff have told him exactly what he
has to do week in, week out he will be able to play the game he loves for as
long as he can even with that restriction."
Big Sam feels that Collison's determination and dedication to the
micro-management of his right knee both before and after the game are the
reason that he is able to still make such meaningful impacts at the highest
level. Last season was a case in point, as the West Ham No10 hit form at
just the right time to play a decisive role in the Hammers' run-in, not
least his two crucial goals in the Play-Off semi-final away leg at Cardiff
City before the promotion-earning Wembley win against Blackpool. Allardyce
added: "He's lived with the situation since I've been here and he made a
massive contribution last year. This season he had a small clean out and we
had to wait for the recovery but he is back now with a bang. "The
professional and highly-qualified medical staff make sure they get the right
prevention and do not let the knee get any worse so it is kept it in a
stable condition. That's a big dedication from him as he has to be
relatively bored most of the time in the week when everybody is training.
"It's important he does his rehab and prehab work and making sure his
muscles are strong enough around the area to help with the condition of the
knee. He has to continue to do that and it's a credit to him that he's able
to."
Collison only entered the fray at the Britannia Stadium as an eleventh-minte
substitute for the injured Matt Taylor and he was set up by fellow early
substitute Ricardo Vaz Te, who came on for the injured Joe Cole, to roll the
ball into the bottom corner on the stroke of half-time. Big Sam revelled in
a rare away win at the Potters and joked about how his inspired
substitutions had made the difference. "The contribution off the bench was
the difference for us. It would be a bit much to claim it was tactical when
we had two players who went off injured - I would claim it was a tactical
masterstroke but it was only about ten minutes in!
"I haven't had too many results there, so when you get one that's as good as
this one we should really appreciate it as it's the timing that is so good.
It was a big, big game for us as we try to deliver results as well as
performances. We delivered a really great performance against Tottenham last
Monday night but didn't get a point and that put extra pressure on us.
"We've relied on our home form a huge amount this year and when you get
beaten by a wonder goal as we were in our last game you've got to come and
try to pick up some points and get yourself back on track. To do it at Stoke
City is a challenge in itself and we mastered that challenge very well and
deserved to get that 1-0 win."
The result will leave the Hammers looking up the table rather than down and
Big Sam feels that just seven more points will mean the Hammers can
confidently start planning for life in the Barclays Premier League next
season. With the Manchester United game that was set for next weekend now
postponed, the West Ham United manager will use the break to ensure his
injured players are restored to full match fitness ahead of a trip to
Chelsea on Sunday 17 March. "It was a great result for us and put us back in
the middle of the pack on 33 points and ever closer to that big 40 that we
all look for. We've now got a couple of weeks to get everybody ready for a
big day at Chelsea. Our defensive quality needed to be in really good order
on Saturday and it was. "We only play twice more in March. It's frustrating
but having said that we went into the game last week with almost a full
squad and then after this one I've now got five injured so the extra week
gives them enough time to recover for a big away game at Chelsea."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believes Premier League survival will secure him
a new deal
Last Updated: March 3, 2013 7:56pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hoping his side's end-of-season push will
be enough to secure him a new contract at Upton Park. Allardyce, who was
appointed as West Ham manager in the summer of 2011, is out of contract at
the end of the season. The former Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn boss has
reportedly been promised a new deal once the club's survival in the top
flight has been secured. "Staying in the Premier League is everything about
my future - that is all I have had to say over the last few weeks. "It is
where I want to be and where I want to apply my skills because I like the
euphoria, excitement and pressure that it brings. "It is the best league in
the world and the most entertaining, so plying your trade in it is what you
want to do."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Colli's never gonna be 100%
But Jack still has right old knees-up despite long-term injury
The Sun
By GRAEME BRYCE
Published: 6 hrs ago
SAM ALLARYDYCE admits Jack Collison will never operate at 100 per cent of
his ability - due to the severity his long-term knee injury. That is a
staggering thought considering the flawless performance the midfielder put
in to cut down Stoke. Like Ledley King and Paul McGrath before him,
Collison, 24, has to meticulously manage his training and rest between
games. Today marks the fourth anniversary of the day the Watford-born Welsh
international dislocated his right kneecap at Wigan. Since then, he has been
plagued by setbacks and the regular routine of fluid flooding into his knee,
forcing it to balloon up after every game. Yet you would never have guessed
it as the energetic midfielder bombed from box to box against a Stoke side
who buckled on the stroke of half-time when he slotted in the Hammers'
winner. From the moment Collison replaced a hamstrung Joe Cole on 10
minutes, he seemed hell-bent on making up for the frustration he suffers on
a daily basis. Boss Allardyce said: "His management of it is a great credit
to himself and the medical staff. "He does his own training and very rarely
trains with us. He has to get himself ready for a game. "He has to be bored
most of the time when everyone else is doing their training and he is doing
his rehab work. Afterwards he has to have that extra bit of rest and
recovery to everyone else until the swelling goes down. "He can live with
that and prosper but it is not going to give him the full extent his
ability. It is going to restrict him "It's a great shame when such a young
man has to be burdened with the fact that his knee is never going to be 100
per cent."
Collison has only completed 90 minutes twice this term and Saturday was only
his ninth game of the season, which made his contribution all the more
remarkable. His willingness to plough through the centre of the Potters
midfield and engage the makeshift defensive partnership of Ryan Shawcross
and Marc Wilson, turned the game. Moments before half-time his fellow sub
and sidekick Ricardo Vaz Te's persistence paid off when he retrieved a
blocked pass before setting Collison up with a cute reverse ball. Collison
made the most of the space inside the Potters box and drilled a low shot
beyond Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic. Allardyce is hopeful Collison has now
cleared a significant hurdle in the rehabilitation process. He revealed: "In
the early part of this season he had his knee cleaned out. He's had to wait
for his recovery but now he is back. "His contribution today was the
difference in the end."
Collison confessed he was relieved to get 80 minutes under his belt and is
ready to ditch the loneliness of the long-distance midfielder by training
with his pals for a change. He said: "It's up to me to take my chances when
they come. Hopefully the goal will help. Physically, I feel superb and
knee-wise it's the best I've felt for years. "The last few weeks I've been
training most days and working on my fitness and trying to force my way in.
But if you look at our squad it's hard to nail down a regular position
anywhere." But West Ham took a giant leap towards nailing down their Premier
League place. And Collison added: "Chelsea are the only team to have won
here in the past 13 months so hopefully we can look forward, rather than
behind us now."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, March 4
Sunday, March 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd March 2013
Collison's delight at 'massive' win
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder thrilled with winning goal at Stoke City on Saturday
03.03.2013
Jack Collison climbed off the bench to land a massive three points for the Hammers on Saturday as they inflicted just a second home defeat of the season on Stoke City. Collison entered the fray early as a substitute for the injured Matt Taylor and made his mark before the break, slotting past Asmir Begovic after being fed by Ricardo Vaz Te. It sealed a first away win of 2013 for the Hammers and got them back to within striking distance of the top ten. A delighted Collison spoke to West Ham TV at the final whistle.He said: "It's a massive three points for us. It's a clean sheet and it pushes us back up the table so we can look forward rather than behind us again. "The boys at the back were magnificent on Saturday. Jussi dealt with everything very well and that gives confidence to the players in front of him to dig in and work hard, because we knew that if we got a chance we'd take it. "Thankfully we did today, it's a great win, a big three points and lots of positives to take. "Obviously we know what Stoke are like, the manager's prepped us on it all week. We had a game plan, we dug in, and kept a clean sheet, which was the main thing because we wanted to come away with something. Thankfully we came away with the three points."
Collison's strike was his second of the season and the 24-year-old Welshman was delighted to play his part. He continued: "It was nice to get on the pitch. Any minutes I get at the moment I'm just enjoying, and trying to do my best to stake a claim in the starting XI. "Hopefully today helped my cause a little bit and put me in the manager's thoughts for the upcoming games between now and the end of the season. "We know what sort of player Vaz is, he does some great stuff at times, and obviously he did magnificently to find me [for the goal]. I managed to turn and find the bottom corner, and the rest is history. "The boys dug in for the second half, kept it tight. We got a 1-0 win and we're buzzing."
The Hammers have only three games in March so Collison felt it was vital to get off to a good start at Stoke. He added: "It's a little bit of a funny month for us, March, with only three games, but we'll be working hard in training with the extra time we have. It also gives us a chance to get a few more bodies back.
"So we'll go into the Chelsea game full of confidence and hopefully with a fully fit squad, but it was massive to get the win on Saturday. "We've struggled a little bit on our travels so it's a big positive for us to get the points on the board and what will be even more pleasing for the manager I'd imagine is the clean sheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam salutes Stoke success
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was rightly proud of West Ham United's 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory at Stoke City
02.03.2013
Sam Allardyce could not hide his pride after West Ham United secured a morale-boosting 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory at Stoke City. Big Sam's side ended a run of five consecutive away league defeats with a thoroughly deserved win at the Britannia Stadium, with Jack Collison netting the all-important goal on the stroke of half-time. Collison was one of two substitutes - the other being Ricardo Vaz Te - who were introduced after just eleven minutes when Matt Taylor was left concussed and Joe Cole went off with a tight hamstring. Despite the disruption, West Ham regrouped to produce a superb performance on the road. Indeed the only moment of real concern came late on, when Charlie Adam threatened to re-create Gareth Bale's wonder-strike, only for his last-minute volley to cannon back off the crossbar. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV, the manager said his team had shown the organisation, spirit and determination to secure a vital three-point haul that lifted them two places to 12th in the table. "We all know it is not an easy place to come and the way we mastered Stoke City, from their attacking point of view, was the basis to our success," said Big Sam. "Even having suffered the blow to losing Matt Taylor to severe concussion and Joe Cole to a hamstring injury, it turned out that the two substitutes who came on so early ended up being our main players from an attacking point of view. "Because of that, we got the goal just before half-time. It was a great little pass from Vaz Te to Collison and Jack slides it into the bottom corner.
"We were really very comfortable at that stage and, although we knew Stoke would throw everything at us, we broke out and Jack and Vaz Te should have finished it off. Jack messed it up first and then it went to Vaz and he messed it up as well! I hoped that wouldn't be a big moment and gladly it wasn't.
"The only thing that worried me was when Charlie Adam volleyed that ball and I thought 'Oh, not again! Surely we can't suffer another wonder goal!' but this one hit the bar and we had that little bit of luck that we deserved. "This was a win we deserved and a victory we're very pleased with. It's come when we have been under a lot of pressure recently and this has eased that pressure. "We put in a huge performance last Monday [against Tottenham Hotspur] and got a hugely disappointing result, but this time we got another huge performance and a fantastic win."
Psychologically, the success at Stoke and the resulting climb up the table will give the squad a massive boost ahead of a two-week break before the trip to Chelsea on Sunday 17 March. "We have got ten games to go and three points seems to make so much more of a difference, or appears to at this time of the season. "Everyone comes rushing in looking to see what the other results are and if they have gone our way and made the distance between us and the bottom three greater. It has with the three points we have picked up. "Our third away win of the season came at the right time. We couldn't have asked for it to come at a better time and it takes the pressure off us that we hadn't really deserved. "We put ourselves under pressure by performing well in recent weeks but not picking up enough points. On Saturday, we gained a very valuable three points."
Stoke had lost just one of their previous 13 home league matches this season, putting into perspective just how good a result Saturday's victory was. For Big Sam, turning over a team who have been very hard to beat on their own patch was hugely gratifying for everyone of a claret and blue persuasion. "Stoke don't let you play and they stop you playing at their stadium. They do the other side of the game very well - the grafting side - and stop your flair players getting on the ball and playing. "You have to wait to create your opportunities, which we did, but once they tired we got through them and down the side of them and got our flair players on the ball. "I think Gary O'Neil needs a mention because he stepped up to the plate in the holding midfield role and he showed quite considerably in how we wanted to attack. He was the focus of starting our attacks off by being composed on the ball and playing little passes to Mo Diame, Jack and Vaz Te. That's what got us in behind Stoke's midfield and at their back four."
The manager also pointed to the ability to introduce senior players from the bench as a major contributory factor in Saturday's success. "It showed the importance of a strong bench. Going through December and January with eight or nine injuries, I was struggling to get a bench up. We had kids on the bench.
"At Stoke, the substitutes gave us the opportunity to help us win, which was important."
As it has turned out, West Ham now have a two-week break to nurse the likes of Taylor, Cole, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, James Tomkins and George McCartney back to fitness. While he recently complained about the lack of fixtures in March, Big Sam is now pleased to have more time to get to work in the treatment room. "A couple of weeks ago I was bragging about how the squad is back together and it's a good thing apart from us not having enough games.
"Two weeks later, we have five injured again, so perhaps missing the Manchester United game next week and having two weeks to get them ready again is a good thing now. "We have got to see how Joe is going to be, but we hope it won't be too long. Kevin, we think won't be too long. Mark Noble we don't know when it will settle down. George should start training very shortly and the two weeks should mean we have more players available. "Saturday showed the importance of having your squad available by the contribution made by Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te."
Finally, Big Sam thanked the Claret and Blue Army for their typically vociferous support at a ground that has become synonymous with its atmosphere in recent seasons. "Our fans were very vocal. They never stop from start to finish, because they saw the players committed and wanting to give them something. "They have travelled away a lot this season without seeing the result they wanted. Too many times we've gone away from home and they've gone home disappointed, but on Saturday they were very happy like we all are."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collison goal breaks 2013 away duck
WHUFC.com
Midfielder strikes to give West Ham United a priceless 1-0 win at Stoke City
02.03.2013
Jack Collison struck in first half stoppage time to fire the Hammers to a priceless three points at Stoke City on Saturday. Collison, on as an early substitute for the injured Matt Taylor, finished following a slick pass from his fellow sub Ricardo Vaz Te. The Hammers held Stoke at arm's length for the vast majority of the Britannia Stadium contest and only Charlie Adam's final minute volley, which thudded against the bar, caused them any alarm. It was the Hammers' first away win of 2013 and provided the perfect tonic following the heartbreak of last minute defeat earlier in the week. Having already lost skipper Kevin Nolan to injury in the week, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was forced into a major reshuffle of his midfield with just 11 minutes played at the Britannia Stadium. Taylor, Nolan's replacement in the starting XI, was forced off with a head injury after receiving a boot to the head when Peter Crouch went for an overhead kick, while Joe Cole limped out of the action after the same phase of play. With 25 minutes on the clock the Hammers were a mere whisker away from taking the lead when Gary O'Neil's left wing corner was only cleared back to him, and his second cross was flicked onto the top of the crossbar by James Collins with Asmir Begovic struggling.
Collison then had a half chance as the away side again picked up the second ball from a set piece, but his right-footed shot from 25 yards was directed straight at Begovic. EIght minutes before the break the best piece of football in the half produced the best chance thus far but Andy Carroll couldn't get the right contact on his header from a Guy Demel cross and the ball dribbled wide. Stoke were barely able to create anything in the first 45 minutes and Michael Kightly's harmless drive from the edge of the box on 43 was the best they could muster. By contrast, the Hammers gave themselves the perfect lift in first half stoppage time when Vaz Te picked up the pieces after Carroll was dragged down on the edge of the box by Ryan Shawcross and fed Collison, who finished unerringly into the bottom left hand corner. Vaz Te was involved again at the start of the second period, collecting a flick-on from Carroll before threading a ball to Matt Jarvis, whose shot was blocked by the legs of Begovic. Stoke broke from the resulting corner and Jussi Jaaskelainen was called into action for the first time, diving to his left to cling onto a Crouch shot.
Stoke looked to their subs Brek Shea, Kenwyne Jones and Adam as they tried to wrestle some attacking impetus, but 12 minutes from time it was the Hammers who had the chance to wrap it up when Vaz Te exchanged passes with Collison and tip-toed around goalkeeper Begovic only for a challenge to come in from a defender to save the day for the hosts. Stoke struggled to attack with any penetration, yet they were still only inches away from levelling up in the final minute when Adam's super 25-yard shot cannonned off the crossbar and away to safety, much to the Hammers' relief. West Ham survived that moment of panic, giving their travelling band of over 2,000 fans a very happy journey home.
Stoke City: Begovic; Shotton, Shawcross, Wilson, Wilkinson; Walters (Jones 74), Nzonzi, Whelan (Adam 77), Kightly (Shea 66); Jerome, Crouch
Subs: Sorensen (GK), Cameron, Palacios, Whitehead
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien; O'Neil; J.Cole (Vaz Te 11), Taylor (Collison 11), Jarvis (Pogatetz 83); Carroll
Subs: Spiegel (GK), C.Cole, Maiga, Chamakh
Goal: Collison 45+3
Booked: Collins, Carroll
Referee: Jonathan Moss
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s suffer Spurs setback
WHUFC.com
West Ham United slipped to a 3-0 Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One defeat by Tottenham Hotspur
02.03.2013
West Ham United's Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One hopes took another dent as Tottenham Hotspur stormed to a 3-0 victory at the Spurs Training Centre on Saturday. Nathan Oduwa was Spurs' main threat in the first half and gave the home side the lead, before second half goals from Ruben Lameiras and Darren McQueen ended the contest. The game started fairly evenly, with both teams spending long periods in possession on the ball, moving the ball around the pitch with some excellent pass and move football. After 15 minutes, Spurs began to control of the game, using their wide players to put pressure on the Hammers' back four. The hosts took the lead after 23 minutes from a set piece routine. The home side used a short corner to work the ball to Roman Michael-Percil on the corner of the penalty area, who arrowed a cross towards the back post. The cross got a deflection off the head of Hammers right-back Cheye Alexander, with the ball falling to an unmarked Oduwa in the box. He slid the ball past Sam Baxter to put the home side ahead. Oduwa almost doubled Tottenham's lead just minutes later, as the ball found the tricky attacker on the left wing, from where he stepped inside Alexander and curled his shot onto the top of the crossbar, with Baxter beaten in the Hammers goal. Spurs' dominance in the first half continued, with Oduwa at the heart of the majority of Tottenham's attacking moves. With 40 minutes on the clock, Oduwa set up his striking colleague Daniel Akindayini, but the latter couldn't find a way past West Ham's Baxter.
West Ham managed to put together a clear effort on goal in the run up to half time when a low cross from the left found Jerry Amoo in the box, who layed the ball into the path of Marcio Martins, but Spurs' keeper Luke McGee was even to the Hammers striker's effort. Half time bought around a much-needed break for Potts' young Hammers, and his side started the second period well. West Ham came out quick in the second half and pushed on looking for the goal they needed. Marcio Martins almost had an opportunity to break through the Spurs back line, but Moses Makasi just mistimed his attempted through ball and the home side cleared the danger. Within ten minutes of the second half starting, Spurs dominance returned and lasted until the end of the game. Firstly, Michael-Percil broke through the Hammers defence and was bundled over by Emmanuel Onariase, but Spurs couldn't make anything of the resulting set piece.
Then, on 70 minutes, Oduwa cut inside from the left wing and beat Baxter with a shot, only to see his effort cleared off the line by Hammers substitute Moses Makasi. Just a minute later, Tottenham did double their lead. After winning the ball back on the right wing, the ball found its way into the feet of Lameiras, who turned quickly to beat Taylor Miles and struck a low stinging shot past Baxter into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. The pressure got worse for West Ham and Tottenham managed to raise their performance even higher once two in front, with both Nathan Oduwe and Harry Winks testing Baxter. It was finally game over for West Ham on 85 minutes when Spurs substitute McQueen added a third goal, rounding Baxter to finish after left-back Connor Ogilivie reacted quickest to take a free kick on the break.
West Ham welcome Stoke City to Little Heath for their next Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One fixture on Saturday 9 March.
West Ham United U18s: Baxter, Alexander, Burke, Onariase, Page (Makasi), Marlow, Miles (Girdlestone), Amoo, Mavila, Sadlier, Martins (Boakye-Yiadom) Subs not used: Howes, Homans.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
JJ proud of Dev Squad defending
WHUFC.com
Jerome John saluted a sound defensive display as West Ham United U21s shut out Manchester United
02.03.2013
Academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John was delighted to see the Development Squad keep it clean against Manchester United, as West Ham United defended valiantly to earn a valuable Barclays Under-21 Premier League goalless draw. Returning to action just three days after a fruitless trip to Telford, where they lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Hammers had the better of it early on at the Boleyn Ground, as Sebastian Lletget and Wellington Paulista both went close to breaking the deadlock. Though Tuesday's exploits would take their toll in the latter stages, Nick Haycock's resilient youngsters held firm to record an impressive third clean sheet in only six Elite Group outings. John - known as 'JJ' by everyone at the club - was suitably impressed with the shutout, as stopper Jake Larkins was only once called upon to keep the visitors at bay. "The boys in front of Jake have done very well," he told West Ham TV. "He just had the one save to make and he did that well. Overall, the defensive display, including Jake, was very good. "It was a very good game. I thought we played better in the first half, than we did in the second. Because of the game on Tuesday, the boys were a little bit tired for the last 15 minutes. But both sides had their chances and I thought we deserved at least a point. "I think a few of the players learned a few lessons on Tuesday [against Wolverhampton Wanderers] and dealt with the various situations that arose on Friday night. They've done well in front of their home crowd."
Goalkeeping coach John was also glad to see Blair Turgott and Paul McCallum back in claret and blue, after their respective loan spells at Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon. Though neither were able to conjure up a winner on this occasion, JJ expects them to have a significant say in the Hammers' fortunes from hereon in. "It's good to have them back," he continued. "Blair did very well, considering he hasn't played 90 minutes in over five or six weeks, he's just had 15 or 20 minute spells. So he did great just to last the game. With Paul coming back from his adventure at AFC Wimbledon, it was good to get him back on the pitch as well and hopefully they'll contribute even more to the games coming up."
After an early-season postponement, West Ham's next trip sees them travel to Altrincham on Wednesday to take on Manchester United for a second time in just six days. It's a trip, however, that holds little fear for JJ, who sees no reason why West Ham cannot go there and claim all three points this time.
"Manchester United have quite a few players, so they can rotate and freshen things up, whereas generally, we will be looking to use the same group.
"The pitch at Altrincham doesn't look in the best condition at the moment. Obviously, not like Upton Park, so it's going to be a different game. But, having played at Rush Green, we're used to the smaller non-league grounds. So hopefully we shouldn't need to adjust too much. Hopefully we can go one better on Wednesday and can get a win. "We're still pushing to try and get second or third place, because Tottenham seem to be running away with it at the moment. But with our squad, our very young squad, they're doing very well, and the players are responding well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Setford looks for Lewes victory
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford is targeting a valuable home win on Sunday
02.03.2013
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford is targeting a valuable home FA Women's Premier League Southern Division win over Lewes on Sunday. The Hammers welcome their opponents to Thurrock FC's Ship Lane ground this weekend, just seven days after the reverse fixture in Sussex was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Setford will be without star striker Hannah Gowland, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured tibia and torn ankle ligaments in the recent Essex FA County Cup semi-final defeat by Colchester United. However, the Ladies manager has urged her players to make up for Gowland's absence by scoring the goals needed to help the Hammers to climb the table. "Hannah had hurt one of her ankles in training the week before the Colchester game, but she passed a fitness test and we strapped her up," said Setford. "Unfortunately, she was tackled by one of the Colchester players and went over on her other ankle. "She was taken to hospital and scans revealed that she had torn three of her ankle ligaments and also fractured her fibia, so she is out for the season. It's rubbish news for Hannah, obviously, and also for us as a club because we had got the prolific striker we needed when we signed her from Colchester in November. "We are going to have a look at a couple of the young girls who have been in the reserves this week, while Zoe Lipley-Hinton has worked really hard and Sam Rowland will also be given an opportunity to impress. It's up to them all to take their chances."
Gowland, who had scored seven goals in six appearances prior to her injury, is the second important forward to suffer a serious injury this season. In September, Kelley Blanchflower suffered a broken collarbone that required surgery and ruled her out until the New Year. Despite those setbacks and a succession of recent postponements, West Ham remain in with a chance of making up ground on the leaders and winning the Southern Division title. However, the postponements mean Setford may be without some players when those matches are re-arranged later this season. "Last Sunday's match at Lewes being called-off means we will now have a midweek game if any of our other matches are postponed because there are no free weekends left between now and the end of the season in May. "We have ten league games to go and, if any more are postponed, we'll have to play on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, when some of the girls might not be available due to work commitments. "On the flip side, we would still have matches to play when the other teams have finished, so we can make up ground and hopefully overtake them in the table."
The Ladies welcome Lewes to Ship Lane for a 2pm kick-off this Sunday. It is the first of three consecutive home league matches, with second-place Millwall Lionesses and local rivals Colchester visiting on Sunday 10 March and Sunday 17 March respectively.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
2 March 2013
Last updated at 17:34
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
Jack Collison fired West Ham to their first Premier League away win since November to stun Stoke and lift them nine points clear of the drop zone. Substitute Collison latched on to a Ricardo Vaz Te pass before angling the winner past home keeper Asmir Begovic. Begovic kept out a Matt Jarvis strike, while Stoke went close through a long-range Peter Crouch effort. Charlie Adam almost equalised with a 22-yard shot which hit the crossbar for a labouring Stoke. An injury-time Gareth Bale goal had inflicted a painful defeat for the Hammers against Tottenham on Monday but, to their credit, they resolutely held on at the Britannia Stadium, albeit with the help of the woodwork. Stoke suffered only a second home defeat of the season and, despite manager Tony Pulis throwing on plenty of his attacking players in search of a goal, they were constantly repelled by the visitors. The victory moved West Ham level on points with Stoke who have now lost six out of their last eight league matches. The Hammers had been forced into some early readjustments, with midfielder Matt Taylor and playmaker Joe Cole having to go off injured in the first 11 minutes. "What a way to end a run of five away defeats in the league. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce must be so proud of his players. After having to make two early substitutions, the Hammers inflicted a only a second home defeat in the league for Stoke this season."
Taylor was helped off in a daze after being caught flush in the face by Crouch's foot when the striker was attempting an overhead kick while Joe Cole's involvement was ended by a hamstring problem. Collison and Vaz Te replaced the stricken Hammers duo. West Ham showed the greater endeavour and energy, with defender James Collins going close when his glancing header from Gary O'Neil's cross grazed the top of the crossbar. Stoke have relied on their home form for all but nine of their 33 points this season but they posed little threat and might have conceded a penalty for Ryan Shotton's clumsy challenge on Mohamed Diame. West Ham won it when their two early substitutes combined. Vaz Te was the provider, playing in Collison after his initial pass came back to him off Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who had fallen to the ground as he tussled with Andy Carroll.
The Potters showed more urgency after the break but their appeals for a penalty were correctly ignored by referee Jon Moss after Cameron Jerome went down under a challenge by Joey O'Brien with the West Ham defender appearing to get a toe to the ball. Hammers winger Matt Jarvis had a left-foot shot saved by Begovic and, at the other end, Crouch had a long-range effort kept out by visiting keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Vaz Te could have given West Ham some breathing space but he dallied too long when given a sight of goal from Collison's pass. Stoke again felt they should have had a penalty but Hammers defender Guy Demel survived a handball shout before Adam hit a powerful shot which crashed back off the crossbar.
West Ham's goal was only their ninth away league strike of the season. Only hosts Stoke (8) have scored fewer on the road. West Ham held out for a crucial win to give them some breathing space ahead of the trip to Chelsea in a fortnight while Stoke will wonder why their season has faded away since Christmas.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis: "We are disappointed with their goal because Andy Carroll drags Ryan Shawcross in the build up and I thought we should have got a free-kick. "I thought we huffed and puffed and didn't get enough quality into the box. People will criticise the forwards for not scoring goals but they need the service. "We have gone a bit flat. We missed Matthew Etherington and Robert Huth. We need them back, we need our best players."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "We had to overcome the blow to losing Matt Taylor and Joe Cole early on. "It is a fantastic and we deserved victory for us. "When I saw Charlie Adam's shot - because of the number of wonder goals that have gone in against us - I thought not again but we got a bit of luck and the win."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke City 0-1 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd March 2013
By: Staff Writer
It may have been a case of 'winning ugly', but Jack Collison's first half goal was enough to secure West Ham's first win away from home since last November.
The Britannia Stadium has never been a venue of choice for football purists thanks to Stoke's tactical and mental approach - and there would have been few disappointed to miss today's game, which United edged thanks to the Welsh international's goal in first half injury time.
West Ham, who have traditionally crumbled at such venues are however made of different stuff these days and whilst there may not have been too much free-flowing football on display, Allardyce's side were more than a match for their opponents physically and fully deserved the three points - United's first win on the road since last November.
Despite the hosts resorting to their usual array of off-the-ball fouls and wanton acts of blatant cheating - as exemplified by Peter Crouch's atrocious dive and subsequent penalty appeal early on in the second half - West Ham were not to be undone as they were in the corresponding fixture earlier this season.
Fortunately the Hammers had an ally today in referee Jon Moss who wasn't going to be hoodwinked into giving a penalty, despite City's blatant attempts to buy one. Four times the Potters appealed in the second half, of which only one was potentially contentious.
Moss was also alert enough to allow play to continue when Andy Carroll was felled on the edge of the box in the fourth minute of added-on time at the end of the first half - and it was from the same attack that West Ham scored the only goal of the game.
Having seen James Collins go close with a header earlier in the half that had clipped the crossbar - and Andy Carroll subsequently fail to find the target despite having a free header just ten yards from goal - it was no surprise when United eventually took the lead, even if they had to wait until the fourth minute of first half added-on time to score it.
An attack through the centre was allowed to continue after Carroll was brought down by Ryan Shawcross and substitute Ricardo Vaz Te collected the resulting ball before finding Collison, lurking on the edge of the box, with a clever reverse pass.
The Welsh international had time to compose himself before firing into the bottom corner, to give United a lead that they were to hold onto until the final whistle.
Until that point the first half had been a slight disappointment for West Ham due in no small part to the loss of both Matt Taylor and Joe Cole, who were withdrawn with suspected concussion and a hamstring pull respectively inside the opening ten minutes of the game.
However replacements Vaz Te and Collison proved to be the eventual match winners; was this finally evidence of the luck that the Hammers had been missing in recent weeks?
Despite huffing and puffing after the break, a woeful Stoke - who had been beaten just once at home this season prior to today - failed to test Jussi Jaaskelainen until the 93rd minutes of the game when Charlie Adam's looping volley beat the Fin, but not his crossbar.
And although the home side may feel hard done by that, City simply hadn't done enough to deserve a share of the spoils in a game in which their attacking threat has been nullified by West Ham's defence, superbly marshalled by stand-in captain Winston Reid.
The win takes West Ham's Premier League tally to 33 points but, most importantly, increases the distance from the relegation zone to nine points.
And with only ten games of the season left to play, two more wins will almost certainly be enough to allow Sam Allardyce and his squad to begin contemplating a second successive season in the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jack Collison scored West Ham's winner at Stoke
Last Updated: March 2, 2013 6:19pm
SSN
Jack Collison came off the bench to score the winner as West Ham beat Stoke 1-0 at the Britannia. Collison was a tenth minute replacement for Matt Taylor after he had been caught by Peter Crouch attempting a scissor-kick in the box. He scored deep into first-half injury time after being found by fellow substitute Ricardo Vaz Te, who had come on for the injured Joe Cole in the 11th minute. Soon after the break, Cameron Jerome had a penalty shout turned down after a challenge by Joey O'Brien in the box.
Best of the match
Man of the match: Ricardo Vaz Te. Came off the bench to provide the goal assist and was a constant threat
Shot of the match: Charlie Adam hit a great volley late on but it crashed off the crossbar
Save of the match: Asmir Begovic saved low from close range from Matt Jarvis
Talking point: Stoke were denied a penalty late on when the ball hit Guy Demel's hand in the box
Vaz Te then found Matt Jarvis to the left side of the box whose shot at goal from close range saw Asmir Begovic save. At the other end, Peter Crouch shot from just outside the area but Jussi Jaaskelainen saved low down. Collison saw a shot from the edge of the box blocked by Marc Wilson and Stoke then cleared after Vaz Te had run onto the loose ball. Charlie Adam came on for Glenn Whelan and almost earned the Potters a point when he chested a ball down and then volleyed at goal, but his shot from 25 yards hit the crossbar and West Ham scrambled away. Then deep into injury time, substitute Brek Shea thought he had won a penalty when the ball hit Guy Demel on the hand in the box but his appeals were waved away by referee Jonathan Moss as West Ham held on for the win. The victory halted a run of five successive league away defeats and lifts the Hammers onto 33 points and further clear of the drop zone. The result - only the second home league loss for Stoke this season - saw West Ham move up to 12th, level on points with the Staffordshire side, who are now 11th.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce hails West Ham's win over Stoke in the Premier League
Last Updated: March 2, 2013 8:12pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce hailed his side's 'biggest win' of the season after West Ham beat Stoke 1-0 at the Britannia. Jack Collison came off the bench to score the winner deep into first-half injury time after being found by fellow substitute Ricardo Vaz Te. The victory halted a run of five successive away league defeats and lifted the Hammers onto 33 points and further away from the drop zone. Allardyce told Sky Sports: "It was the biggest one (victory in the season) without a doubt.
"I think we've played well enough the last few away games but not got any points and certainly the disappointment on Monday night having played so well against Tottenham and being in the lead and not getting anything out of that was a big pressure on us today and we've come up trumps." Allardyce added it was a well deserved victory by his side, who limited Stoke to just a few chances. He said: "It puts us back in the middle of the pack in the middle of the table again. "(We are on) 33 points, ever closer to that big 40 that we all look for, but especially the first year (back) in (the Premier League)."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Three Points, But Will the Lack of Games in March Be a Worry?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Well, we did it! A win at the Potteries is always an achievement and it needed discipline, physical strength, application and a crucial dash of skill to deliver it. The result means that we are on 33 points, and in 12th position, with 10 matches still to play. We should now have no trouble accruing the c.7 points, necessary for safety, over the remainder of the season. If results pick up, from this point, then we could even resurrect our former ambitions of a top 10 PL finish.
However, I would have preferred to have had a match next weekend to maintain the winning momentum, arising from this important and timely away victory. Unfortunately, we now only have two matches over the rest of March. The counter argument is, of course, is that the next sheduled match was Man Utd at home (a tough challenge with an injury depleted squad) and that the forhcoming, enforced 2 week break will give the club's fitness and medical teams the time to get Joe Cole, Mark Noble, etc, fit before the Chelsea match. Its remarkable that we returned from Dubai with virtually a fully fit squad and we have since lost the likes of James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole. Still, that's the fortunes of war (as the French say) and the reason why we must strive for strength in-depth in our first team squad!
We should now target a minimum of three points from the two matches in March. In all probability the priority will be to take three points against WBA at home and any points secured, away to Chelsea, will be a nice, added bonus. If we can take a minimum of another three points in March 2013, that will put us on 36 points, and on the cusp of securing our top tier status, in this vital first season back in the PL.
Ian Ridley, chief Football writer of the Sports Mail, referred to the Stoke Vs West Ham fixture as the 'Battle of the Brutes.' an absolutely absurd formulation. Especially when you consider the neat passing movements West Ham executed in and around the box in this match. Collison scored the winning goal, running on to a slide rule forward pass in the box and firing past the keeper, from an angle. West Ham should have had a second when Vaz Te played a similar ball forward for Jarvis, only for him to fire directly at the Stoke City keeper. Collins clipped the cross bar with a looping header from an O'Neill Cross and Collison played in Vaz Te, only for the Portugese striker to delay his shot too long and waste the goal scoring opportunity. Stoke City could have scored a late, undeserved equalizer, when Adams fired against the cross bar, but that just proved that 'lightening does not strike twice' after Bale's last minute pile driver in the 90th minute, on Monday evening.
There were three penalty claims (one for West Ham and two for Stoke City) but the referee did well to wave them away. So, well done to the official for a change. We criticize them soon enough when they are inconsistent or make glaring mistakes, so it was good to see the oficial get the key decisions 100% right! This was largely a dour and hard fought affair, in which the two teams cancelled each other out. It was the two West Ham substitutes, Vaz Te and Collison, who brought the stand out, and ultimately decisive, moments of guile in the match. As Sam Allardyce admitted, post-match, the misfortune of losing Cole and Taylor to injury led to the good fortune of bringing this talented duo in to the game.
Man Utd's continued involvement in the FA Cup means that we have no fixture next weekend and a international break follows that. So, while the emphasis will be upon getting the injured players back, surely Vaz Te and Collison have done themselves a power of good, in terms of their first team selection opportunities. Vaz Te has natural ability, that is undeniable. The issue is whether he has the work rate and application to bring it to bear in the PL? While Collison has the making of a good goal scoring midfielder and, in a 4-3-3, could be well deployed in the Kevin Nolan role. As stated, the duo certainly created the main examples of quality in the match and, as such, deserve their places vs Chelsea.
Are West Ham really 'Brutes' ? When will people stop deploying these crude and lazy stereotypical assertions about the way that we play. Were we 'brutes' against Spurs, when we passed the ball very well over the whole 90 minutes? Is that a fair discription of touch players Collison, Vaz Te, Cole and Jarvis? Were our smart passing movements in and around the box, brutish? Piffle, in my opinion. But as they say, 'give a dog a bad name' and 'mud' invariably sticks!
Still, onwards and upwards. I look forward to achieving 40 points as soon as possible, so that Sam Allardyce relax his selection policy a bit and give the youngsters and players like Paulista and Maiga first team chances. I would like to see young players like Potts, Spence, Chambers, Famino, Turgott, Hall and Lee get into the first team frame before the end of the season, results and the points tally allowing. Where Paulista is concerned, I think that there is a case for putting him on the bench at Stamford Bridge. While, why not give either Spence or Potts a run out in that fixture?
Can we put another one over Rafa Benitez's Chelsea? No one gives us much of a chance, so try something different and see if we can confound the odds to land another victory! If not, we must give a good account of ourselves, and move, full speed ahead to the contest against WBA. That definitely is winnable, although Steve Clarke's WBA will undoubtedly present a stiff challenge, so we must be at our best to ensure that we secure another absolutely vital win.
SJ.Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
The Sun
By GRAEME BRYCE
Published: 02nd March 2013
BENCH-BUDDIES Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te combined to sink Stoke — as they proved to be far from sub-standard. The West Ham pair were not first-picks at 3pm. But by half-time they had teamed up to inspire the Hammers' first away win since November 11. The homesick Irons had only taken one point from a possible 24 on the road when they arrived at the Britannia. But they joined Chelsea to become only the second side to win here in the league this season as they edged ever closer to the 36 points that boss Allardyce has targeted for Premier safety. Apart from a few frantic penalty claims and a late scare when Charlie Adam's stunning volley crashed off the crossbar, the Hammers rarely looked like losing this one.
Big Sam said: "It's a very big victory for us. Our misfortune ended up being our good fortune. "Our misfortune was Matt Taylor going off with concussion and then straight after that Joe Cole coming off with a hamstring. "But obviously the winning goal was scored by one of our subs after Vaz Te's through ball to Collison. They came on and helped us to win the game."
Allardyce was put through the ringer early on as Jussi Jaaskelainen gifted Stoke a cheap corner within 90 seconds, allowing a backpass to bobble off his foot.
The Hammers then switched off completely as Glenn Whelan rolled a short corner to Mark Walters — but the Republic of Ireland striker slashed his effort wide of the target.
Allardyce's problems really piled up following a sickening clash between Peter Crouch and Matty Taylor after 10 minutes. Crouch attempted a spectacular overhead kick and his swinging boot caught poor Matty Taylor flush in the face. The midfielder had to be led groggily off, suffering from concussion and it turned into a double whammy for West Ham as Joe Cole signalled to the bench that he had a hamstring problem. Allardyce said: "We were a little desperate after five minutes when you see two players coming off injured. But it shows you the strength in depth of our squad." Gatecrashers Collison and Vaz Te went on to exert a huge influence on the game and James Collins came within inches of breaking the deadlock after 25 minutes when he got his head to Gary O'Neil's inswinging cross. But with keeper Asmir Begovic scrambling, the defender's attempt flew over from 12 yards. Then Andy Carroll fluffed a free header when Ryan Shawcross slipped tying to clear a cross.
The Hammers finally broke the deadlock two minutes into first-half injury time with a quality move Allardyce's team were not supposed to be capable of!
Vaz Te broke at speed and, although his initial pass was blocked by Shawcross, he persevered to pick out Collison with a sublime reverse pass. With the Stoke defence wrong-footed, the midfielder drilled his shot beyond Begovic. Potters boss Tony Pulis said: "Their goal was hard to take.Andy Carroll pulled Ryan Shawcross down in the build-up." It was not his only gripe as his side were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty four minutes after the restart. Cameron Jerome was sandwiched by Collins and Joey O'Brien, who appeared to trip him as he attempted to shoot. But, not for the first time, referee Jonathan Moss refused to be influenced by a furious home crowd.
Stoke: Begovic, Shotton, Shawcross, Wilson, Wilkinson, Walters (Jones 74), Whelan (Adam 77), Nzonzi, Kightly (Shea 66), Jerome, Crouch Subs Not Used: Sorensen, Cameron, Palacios, Whitehead.
Booked: Nzonzi.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, Jarvis (Pogatetz 83), Joe Cole (Vaz Te 11), O'Neil, Diame, Taylor (Collison 10), Carroll Subs Not Used: Spiegel, Carlton Cole, Maiga, Chamakh.
Booked: Collins, Carroll.
Goals: Collison 45.
Att: 22,690
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam wants to Iron out a deal
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
The Sun
By GRAEME BRYCE
Published: 02nd March 2013
WEST HAM boss Sam Allardyce hammered out a defiant message to the Irons' fans and powerbrokers after a vital 1-0 win at Stoke. Big Sam — who has had an uneasy relationship with supporters — gave a crossed-arms Hammers salute to the away end after seeing his side move nine points clear of the drop zone.
And he then made it clear to co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan that his future should be at Upton Park. Allardyce, whose contract runs out in the summer, has been told talks on his future are on hold until West Ham's top-flight status is secured. He said: "Staying in the Premier League is EVERYTHING about my future. "I think that's all I've had to say over the last few weeks. "It's the best league in the world. It's where I want to be, it's where I want to ply the skills of my trade. "If you're plying your trade in the best domestic league in the world then that's what you want to do." West Ham are on 33 points after Jack Collison's goal KO'd Stoke — and Allardyce believes they are close to safety. He said: "Our great start to the season has kept us away from real problems."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0-1 West Ham: Collison finds perfect cure for Hammers' travel sickness
The Mirror
2 Mar 2013 20:14
West Ham are three points closer to the day when they have to confront the great Big Sam debate. Manager Sam Allardyce is out of contract in the summer and owners David Sullivan and David Gold have said they won't discuss a new one until the club's Premier League survival is secured. But Jack Collison's winner has opened up a gap of nine points to the drop zone and decision day is coming. There are two camps of Hammers fans. The first see a manager who will pretty much guarantee them top flight survival. Then there are the others – and you suspect Gold is among them – who don't like his style of football and have never quite forgiven Big Sam for suggesting that anybody who thought Upton Park had a tradition for passing football was "deluded". This game backed up the arguments of the pragmatists who say Premier League football is a must for a move to the Olympic Stadium in two years' time. It wasn't especially pretty. It leaned heavily on the physical strength of James Collins at the heart of a defence that stood up bravely to Stoke's aerial assaults. But ultimately it delivered the first away win after eight previous outings that had brought only one point. Allardyce said: "It was a very big victory for us. Our disappointment recently has been not so much the performances as that we've ended up with nothing. It was good to come here and really get everything right tactically.
"We frustrated Stoke in terms of how they wanted to play, then played round and through them and down the sides."
But things could hardly have started worse for Hammers. In 10 minutes they saw Matt Taylor laid out when he got smacked in the face as Peter Crouch attempted an overhead kick, and then Joe Cole pulled a hamstring. But the two quick changes actually helped Allardyce as his side took control, Collins putting a header on top of the bar and Collison volleying straight at Asmir Begovic. Andy Carroll was troubling a Stoke defence missing their suspended giant Robert Huth, and he helped create the goal in first-half injury time. He and Ryan Shawcross clashed on the edge of the area and Ricardo Vaz Te reacted quickest to feed a pass through to Collison, who slotted it into the far corner. Stoke's Charlie Adam hit the bar with a 90th-minute volley and referee Moss turned down a penalty appeal when the ball hit Guy Demel's hand. Potters boss Tony Pulis said: "The ball definitely hit his hand, and inside the box, but there is a lot of debate about what is deliberate or not. "I'd have just liked that or another possible penalty decision to have gone our way. "It was disappointing because after a bright start, we petered out and didn't create enough."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder thrilled with winning goal at Stoke City on Saturday
03.03.2013
Jack Collison climbed off the bench to land a massive three points for the Hammers on Saturday as they inflicted just a second home defeat of the season on Stoke City. Collison entered the fray early as a substitute for the injured Matt Taylor and made his mark before the break, slotting past Asmir Begovic after being fed by Ricardo Vaz Te. It sealed a first away win of 2013 for the Hammers and got them back to within striking distance of the top ten. A delighted Collison spoke to West Ham TV at the final whistle.He said: "It's a massive three points for us. It's a clean sheet and it pushes us back up the table so we can look forward rather than behind us again. "The boys at the back were magnificent on Saturday. Jussi dealt with everything very well and that gives confidence to the players in front of him to dig in and work hard, because we knew that if we got a chance we'd take it. "Thankfully we did today, it's a great win, a big three points and lots of positives to take. "Obviously we know what Stoke are like, the manager's prepped us on it all week. We had a game plan, we dug in, and kept a clean sheet, which was the main thing because we wanted to come away with something. Thankfully we came away with the three points."
Collison's strike was his second of the season and the 24-year-old Welshman was delighted to play his part. He continued: "It was nice to get on the pitch. Any minutes I get at the moment I'm just enjoying, and trying to do my best to stake a claim in the starting XI. "Hopefully today helped my cause a little bit and put me in the manager's thoughts for the upcoming games between now and the end of the season. "We know what sort of player Vaz is, he does some great stuff at times, and obviously he did magnificently to find me [for the goal]. I managed to turn and find the bottom corner, and the rest is history. "The boys dug in for the second half, kept it tight. We got a 1-0 win and we're buzzing."
The Hammers have only three games in March so Collison felt it was vital to get off to a good start at Stoke. He added: "It's a little bit of a funny month for us, March, with only three games, but we'll be working hard in training with the extra time we have. It also gives us a chance to get a few more bodies back.
"So we'll go into the Chelsea game full of confidence and hopefully with a fully fit squad, but it was massive to get the win on Saturday. "We've struggled a little bit on our travels so it's a big positive for us to get the points on the board and what will be even more pleasing for the manager I'd imagine is the clean sheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam salutes Stoke success
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was rightly proud of West Ham United's 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory at Stoke City
02.03.2013
Sam Allardyce could not hide his pride after West Ham United secured a morale-boosting 1-0 Barclays Premier League victory at Stoke City. Big Sam's side ended a run of five consecutive away league defeats with a thoroughly deserved win at the Britannia Stadium, with Jack Collison netting the all-important goal on the stroke of half-time. Collison was one of two substitutes - the other being Ricardo Vaz Te - who were introduced after just eleven minutes when Matt Taylor was left concussed and Joe Cole went off with a tight hamstring. Despite the disruption, West Ham regrouped to produce a superb performance on the road. Indeed the only moment of real concern came late on, when Charlie Adam threatened to re-create Gareth Bale's wonder-strike, only for his last-minute volley to cannon back off the crossbar. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV, the manager said his team had shown the organisation, spirit and determination to secure a vital three-point haul that lifted them two places to 12th in the table. "We all know it is not an easy place to come and the way we mastered Stoke City, from their attacking point of view, was the basis to our success," said Big Sam. "Even having suffered the blow to losing Matt Taylor to severe concussion and Joe Cole to a hamstring injury, it turned out that the two substitutes who came on so early ended up being our main players from an attacking point of view. "Because of that, we got the goal just before half-time. It was a great little pass from Vaz Te to Collison and Jack slides it into the bottom corner.
"We were really very comfortable at that stage and, although we knew Stoke would throw everything at us, we broke out and Jack and Vaz Te should have finished it off. Jack messed it up first and then it went to Vaz and he messed it up as well! I hoped that wouldn't be a big moment and gladly it wasn't.
"The only thing that worried me was when Charlie Adam volleyed that ball and I thought 'Oh, not again! Surely we can't suffer another wonder goal!' but this one hit the bar and we had that little bit of luck that we deserved. "This was a win we deserved and a victory we're very pleased with. It's come when we have been under a lot of pressure recently and this has eased that pressure. "We put in a huge performance last Monday [against Tottenham Hotspur] and got a hugely disappointing result, but this time we got another huge performance and a fantastic win."
Psychologically, the success at Stoke and the resulting climb up the table will give the squad a massive boost ahead of a two-week break before the trip to Chelsea on Sunday 17 March. "We have got ten games to go and three points seems to make so much more of a difference, or appears to at this time of the season. "Everyone comes rushing in looking to see what the other results are and if they have gone our way and made the distance between us and the bottom three greater. It has with the three points we have picked up. "Our third away win of the season came at the right time. We couldn't have asked for it to come at a better time and it takes the pressure off us that we hadn't really deserved. "We put ourselves under pressure by performing well in recent weeks but not picking up enough points. On Saturday, we gained a very valuable three points."
Stoke had lost just one of their previous 13 home league matches this season, putting into perspective just how good a result Saturday's victory was. For Big Sam, turning over a team who have been very hard to beat on their own patch was hugely gratifying for everyone of a claret and blue persuasion. "Stoke don't let you play and they stop you playing at their stadium. They do the other side of the game very well - the grafting side - and stop your flair players getting on the ball and playing. "You have to wait to create your opportunities, which we did, but once they tired we got through them and down the side of them and got our flair players on the ball. "I think Gary O'Neil needs a mention because he stepped up to the plate in the holding midfield role and he showed quite considerably in how we wanted to attack. He was the focus of starting our attacks off by being composed on the ball and playing little passes to Mo Diame, Jack and Vaz Te. That's what got us in behind Stoke's midfield and at their back four."
The manager also pointed to the ability to introduce senior players from the bench as a major contributory factor in Saturday's success. "It showed the importance of a strong bench. Going through December and January with eight or nine injuries, I was struggling to get a bench up. We had kids on the bench.
"At Stoke, the substitutes gave us the opportunity to help us win, which was important."
As it has turned out, West Ham now have a two-week break to nurse the likes of Taylor, Cole, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, James Tomkins and George McCartney back to fitness. While he recently complained about the lack of fixtures in March, Big Sam is now pleased to have more time to get to work in the treatment room. "A couple of weeks ago I was bragging about how the squad is back together and it's a good thing apart from us not having enough games.
"Two weeks later, we have five injured again, so perhaps missing the Manchester United game next week and having two weeks to get them ready again is a good thing now. "We have got to see how Joe is going to be, but we hope it won't be too long. Kevin, we think won't be too long. Mark Noble we don't know when it will settle down. George should start training very shortly and the two weeks should mean we have more players available. "Saturday showed the importance of having your squad available by the contribution made by Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te."
Finally, Big Sam thanked the Claret and Blue Army for their typically vociferous support at a ground that has become synonymous with its atmosphere in recent seasons. "Our fans were very vocal. They never stop from start to finish, because they saw the players committed and wanting to give them something. "They have travelled away a lot this season without seeing the result they wanted. Too many times we've gone away from home and they've gone home disappointed, but on Saturday they were very happy like we all are."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collison goal breaks 2013 away duck
WHUFC.com
Midfielder strikes to give West Ham United a priceless 1-0 win at Stoke City
02.03.2013
Jack Collison struck in first half stoppage time to fire the Hammers to a priceless three points at Stoke City on Saturday. Collison, on as an early substitute for the injured Matt Taylor, finished following a slick pass from his fellow sub Ricardo Vaz Te. The Hammers held Stoke at arm's length for the vast majority of the Britannia Stadium contest and only Charlie Adam's final minute volley, which thudded against the bar, caused them any alarm. It was the Hammers' first away win of 2013 and provided the perfect tonic following the heartbreak of last minute defeat earlier in the week. Having already lost skipper Kevin Nolan to injury in the week, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was forced into a major reshuffle of his midfield with just 11 minutes played at the Britannia Stadium. Taylor, Nolan's replacement in the starting XI, was forced off with a head injury after receiving a boot to the head when Peter Crouch went for an overhead kick, while Joe Cole limped out of the action after the same phase of play. With 25 minutes on the clock the Hammers were a mere whisker away from taking the lead when Gary O'Neil's left wing corner was only cleared back to him, and his second cross was flicked onto the top of the crossbar by James Collins with Asmir Begovic struggling.
Collison then had a half chance as the away side again picked up the second ball from a set piece, but his right-footed shot from 25 yards was directed straight at Begovic. EIght minutes before the break the best piece of football in the half produced the best chance thus far but Andy Carroll couldn't get the right contact on his header from a Guy Demel cross and the ball dribbled wide. Stoke were barely able to create anything in the first 45 minutes and Michael Kightly's harmless drive from the edge of the box on 43 was the best they could muster. By contrast, the Hammers gave themselves the perfect lift in first half stoppage time when Vaz Te picked up the pieces after Carroll was dragged down on the edge of the box by Ryan Shawcross and fed Collison, who finished unerringly into the bottom left hand corner. Vaz Te was involved again at the start of the second period, collecting a flick-on from Carroll before threading a ball to Matt Jarvis, whose shot was blocked by the legs of Begovic. Stoke broke from the resulting corner and Jussi Jaaskelainen was called into action for the first time, diving to his left to cling onto a Crouch shot.
Stoke looked to their subs Brek Shea, Kenwyne Jones and Adam as they tried to wrestle some attacking impetus, but 12 minutes from time it was the Hammers who had the chance to wrap it up when Vaz Te exchanged passes with Collison and tip-toed around goalkeeper Begovic only for a challenge to come in from a defender to save the day for the hosts. Stoke struggled to attack with any penetration, yet they were still only inches away from levelling up in the final minute when Adam's super 25-yard shot cannonned off the crossbar and away to safety, much to the Hammers' relief. West Ham survived that moment of panic, giving their travelling band of over 2,000 fans a very happy journey home.
Stoke City: Begovic; Shotton, Shawcross, Wilson, Wilkinson; Walters (Jones 74), Nzonzi, Whelan (Adam 77), Kightly (Shea 66); Jerome, Crouch
Subs: Sorensen (GK), Cameron, Palacios, Whitehead
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien; O'Neil; J.Cole (Vaz Te 11), Taylor (Collison 11), Jarvis (Pogatetz 83); Carroll
Subs: Spiegel (GK), C.Cole, Maiga, Chamakh
Goal: Collison 45+3
Booked: Collins, Carroll
Referee: Jonathan Moss
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s suffer Spurs setback
WHUFC.com
West Ham United slipped to a 3-0 Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One defeat by Tottenham Hotspur
02.03.2013
West Ham United's Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One hopes took another dent as Tottenham Hotspur stormed to a 3-0 victory at the Spurs Training Centre on Saturday. Nathan Oduwa was Spurs' main threat in the first half and gave the home side the lead, before second half goals from Ruben Lameiras and Darren McQueen ended the contest. The game started fairly evenly, with both teams spending long periods in possession on the ball, moving the ball around the pitch with some excellent pass and move football. After 15 minutes, Spurs began to control of the game, using their wide players to put pressure on the Hammers' back four. The hosts took the lead after 23 minutes from a set piece routine. The home side used a short corner to work the ball to Roman Michael-Percil on the corner of the penalty area, who arrowed a cross towards the back post. The cross got a deflection off the head of Hammers right-back Cheye Alexander, with the ball falling to an unmarked Oduwa in the box. He slid the ball past Sam Baxter to put the home side ahead. Oduwa almost doubled Tottenham's lead just minutes later, as the ball found the tricky attacker on the left wing, from where he stepped inside Alexander and curled his shot onto the top of the crossbar, with Baxter beaten in the Hammers goal. Spurs' dominance in the first half continued, with Oduwa at the heart of the majority of Tottenham's attacking moves. With 40 minutes on the clock, Oduwa set up his striking colleague Daniel Akindayini, but the latter couldn't find a way past West Ham's Baxter.
West Ham managed to put together a clear effort on goal in the run up to half time when a low cross from the left found Jerry Amoo in the box, who layed the ball into the path of Marcio Martins, but Spurs' keeper Luke McGee was even to the Hammers striker's effort. Half time bought around a much-needed break for Potts' young Hammers, and his side started the second period well. West Ham came out quick in the second half and pushed on looking for the goal they needed. Marcio Martins almost had an opportunity to break through the Spurs back line, but Moses Makasi just mistimed his attempted through ball and the home side cleared the danger. Within ten minutes of the second half starting, Spurs dominance returned and lasted until the end of the game. Firstly, Michael-Percil broke through the Hammers defence and was bundled over by Emmanuel Onariase, but Spurs couldn't make anything of the resulting set piece.
Then, on 70 minutes, Oduwa cut inside from the left wing and beat Baxter with a shot, only to see his effort cleared off the line by Hammers substitute Moses Makasi. Just a minute later, Tottenham did double their lead. After winning the ball back on the right wing, the ball found its way into the feet of Lameiras, who turned quickly to beat Taylor Miles and struck a low stinging shot past Baxter into the bottom left hand corner of the goal. The pressure got worse for West Ham and Tottenham managed to raise their performance even higher once two in front, with both Nathan Oduwe and Harry Winks testing Baxter. It was finally game over for West Ham on 85 minutes when Spurs substitute McQueen added a third goal, rounding Baxter to finish after left-back Connor Ogilivie reacted quickest to take a free kick on the break.
West Ham welcome Stoke City to Little Heath for their next Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One fixture on Saturday 9 March.
West Ham United U18s: Baxter, Alexander, Burke, Onariase, Page (Makasi), Marlow, Miles (Girdlestone), Amoo, Mavila, Sadlier, Martins (Boakye-Yiadom) Subs not used: Howes, Homans.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
JJ proud of Dev Squad defending
WHUFC.com
Jerome John saluted a sound defensive display as West Ham United U21s shut out Manchester United
02.03.2013
Academy goalkeeping coach Jerome John was delighted to see the Development Squad keep it clean against Manchester United, as West Ham United defended valiantly to earn a valuable Barclays Under-21 Premier League goalless draw. Returning to action just three days after a fruitless trip to Telford, where they lost 2-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Hammers had the better of it early on at the Boleyn Ground, as Sebastian Lletget and Wellington Paulista both went close to breaking the deadlock. Though Tuesday's exploits would take their toll in the latter stages, Nick Haycock's resilient youngsters held firm to record an impressive third clean sheet in only six Elite Group outings. John - known as 'JJ' by everyone at the club - was suitably impressed with the shutout, as stopper Jake Larkins was only once called upon to keep the visitors at bay. "The boys in front of Jake have done very well," he told West Ham TV. "He just had the one save to make and he did that well. Overall, the defensive display, including Jake, was very good. "It was a very good game. I thought we played better in the first half, than we did in the second. Because of the game on Tuesday, the boys were a little bit tired for the last 15 minutes. But both sides had their chances and I thought we deserved at least a point. "I think a few of the players learned a few lessons on Tuesday [against Wolverhampton Wanderers] and dealt with the various situations that arose on Friday night. They've done well in front of their home crowd."
Goalkeeping coach John was also glad to see Blair Turgott and Paul McCallum back in claret and blue, after their respective loan spells at Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon. Though neither were able to conjure up a winner on this occasion, JJ expects them to have a significant say in the Hammers' fortunes from hereon in. "It's good to have them back," he continued. "Blair did very well, considering he hasn't played 90 minutes in over five or six weeks, he's just had 15 or 20 minute spells. So he did great just to last the game. With Paul coming back from his adventure at AFC Wimbledon, it was good to get him back on the pitch as well and hopefully they'll contribute even more to the games coming up."
After an early-season postponement, West Ham's next trip sees them travel to Altrincham on Wednesday to take on Manchester United for a second time in just six days. It's a trip, however, that holds little fear for JJ, who sees no reason why West Ham cannot go there and claim all three points this time.
"Manchester United have quite a few players, so they can rotate and freshen things up, whereas generally, we will be looking to use the same group.
"The pitch at Altrincham doesn't look in the best condition at the moment. Obviously, not like Upton Park, so it's going to be a different game. But, having played at Rush Green, we're used to the smaller non-league grounds. So hopefully we shouldn't need to adjust too much. Hopefully we can go one better on Wednesday and can get a win. "We're still pushing to try and get second or third place, because Tottenham seem to be running away with it at the moment. But with our squad, our very young squad, they're doing very well, and the players are responding well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Setford looks for Lewes victory
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford is targeting a valuable home win on Sunday
02.03.2013
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford is targeting a valuable home FA Women's Premier League Southern Division win over Lewes on Sunday. The Hammers welcome their opponents to Thurrock FC's Ship Lane ground this weekend, just seven days after the reverse fixture in Sussex was postponed due to a frozen pitch. Setford will be without star striker Hannah Gowland, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured tibia and torn ankle ligaments in the recent Essex FA County Cup semi-final defeat by Colchester United. However, the Ladies manager has urged her players to make up for Gowland's absence by scoring the goals needed to help the Hammers to climb the table. "Hannah had hurt one of her ankles in training the week before the Colchester game, but she passed a fitness test and we strapped her up," said Setford. "Unfortunately, she was tackled by one of the Colchester players and went over on her other ankle. "She was taken to hospital and scans revealed that she had torn three of her ankle ligaments and also fractured her fibia, so she is out for the season. It's rubbish news for Hannah, obviously, and also for us as a club because we had got the prolific striker we needed when we signed her from Colchester in November. "We are going to have a look at a couple of the young girls who have been in the reserves this week, while Zoe Lipley-Hinton has worked really hard and Sam Rowland will also be given an opportunity to impress. It's up to them all to take their chances."
Gowland, who had scored seven goals in six appearances prior to her injury, is the second important forward to suffer a serious injury this season. In September, Kelley Blanchflower suffered a broken collarbone that required surgery and ruled her out until the New Year. Despite those setbacks and a succession of recent postponements, West Ham remain in with a chance of making up ground on the leaders and winning the Southern Division title. However, the postponements mean Setford may be without some players when those matches are re-arranged later this season. "Last Sunday's match at Lewes being called-off means we will now have a midweek game if any of our other matches are postponed because there are no free weekends left between now and the end of the season in May. "We have ten league games to go and, if any more are postponed, we'll have to play on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, when some of the girls might not be available due to work commitments. "On the flip side, we would still have matches to play when the other teams have finished, so we can make up ground and hopefully overtake them in the table."
The Ladies welcome Lewes to Ship Lane for a 2pm kick-off this Sunday. It is the first of three consecutive home league matches, with second-place Millwall Lionesses and local rivals Colchester visiting on Sunday 10 March and Sunday 17 March respectively.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
2 March 2013
Last updated at 17:34
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
Jack Collison fired West Ham to their first Premier League away win since November to stun Stoke and lift them nine points clear of the drop zone. Substitute Collison latched on to a Ricardo Vaz Te pass before angling the winner past home keeper Asmir Begovic. Begovic kept out a Matt Jarvis strike, while Stoke went close through a long-range Peter Crouch effort. Charlie Adam almost equalised with a 22-yard shot which hit the crossbar for a labouring Stoke. An injury-time Gareth Bale goal had inflicted a painful defeat for the Hammers against Tottenham on Monday but, to their credit, they resolutely held on at the Britannia Stadium, albeit with the help of the woodwork. Stoke suffered only a second home defeat of the season and, despite manager Tony Pulis throwing on plenty of his attacking players in search of a goal, they were constantly repelled by the visitors. The victory moved West Ham level on points with Stoke who have now lost six out of their last eight league matches. The Hammers had been forced into some early readjustments, with midfielder Matt Taylor and playmaker Joe Cole having to go off injured in the first 11 minutes. "What a way to end a run of five away defeats in the league. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce must be so proud of his players. After having to make two early substitutions, the Hammers inflicted a only a second home defeat in the league for Stoke this season."
Taylor was helped off in a daze after being caught flush in the face by Crouch's foot when the striker was attempting an overhead kick while Joe Cole's involvement was ended by a hamstring problem. Collison and Vaz Te replaced the stricken Hammers duo. West Ham showed the greater endeavour and energy, with defender James Collins going close when his glancing header from Gary O'Neil's cross grazed the top of the crossbar. Stoke have relied on their home form for all but nine of their 33 points this season but they posed little threat and might have conceded a penalty for Ryan Shotton's clumsy challenge on Mohamed Diame. West Ham won it when their two early substitutes combined. Vaz Te was the provider, playing in Collison after his initial pass came back to him off Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who had fallen to the ground as he tussled with Andy Carroll.
The Potters showed more urgency after the break but their appeals for a penalty were correctly ignored by referee Jon Moss after Cameron Jerome went down under a challenge by Joey O'Brien with the West Ham defender appearing to get a toe to the ball. Hammers winger Matt Jarvis had a left-foot shot saved by Begovic and, at the other end, Crouch had a long-range effort kept out by visiting keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Vaz Te could have given West Ham some breathing space but he dallied too long when given a sight of goal from Collison's pass. Stoke again felt they should have had a penalty but Hammers defender Guy Demel survived a handball shout before Adam hit a powerful shot which crashed back off the crossbar.
West Ham's goal was only their ninth away league strike of the season. Only hosts Stoke (8) have scored fewer on the road. West Ham held out for a crucial win to give them some breathing space ahead of the trip to Chelsea in a fortnight while Stoke will wonder why their season has faded away since Christmas.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis: "We are disappointed with their goal because Andy Carroll drags Ryan Shawcross in the build up and I thought we should have got a free-kick. "I thought we huffed and puffed and didn't get enough quality into the box. People will criticise the forwards for not scoring goals but they need the service. "We have gone a bit flat. We missed Matthew Etherington and Robert Huth. We need them back, we need our best players."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "We had to overcome the blow to losing Matt Taylor and Joe Cole early on. "It is a fantastic and we deserved victory for us. "When I saw Charlie Adam's shot - because of the number of wonder goals that have gone in against us - I thought not again but we got a bit of luck and the win."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke City 0-1 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd March 2013
By: Staff Writer
It may have been a case of 'winning ugly', but Jack Collison's first half goal was enough to secure West Ham's first win away from home since last November.
The Britannia Stadium has never been a venue of choice for football purists thanks to Stoke's tactical and mental approach - and there would have been few disappointed to miss today's game, which United edged thanks to the Welsh international's goal in first half injury time.
West Ham, who have traditionally crumbled at such venues are however made of different stuff these days and whilst there may not have been too much free-flowing football on display, Allardyce's side were more than a match for their opponents physically and fully deserved the three points - United's first win on the road since last November.
Despite the hosts resorting to their usual array of off-the-ball fouls and wanton acts of blatant cheating - as exemplified by Peter Crouch's atrocious dive and subsequent penalty appeal early on in the second half - West Ham were not to be undone as they were in the corresponding fixture earlier this season.
Fortunately the Hammers had an ally today in referee Jon Moss who wasn't going to be hoodwinked into giving a penalty, despite City's blatant attempts to buy one. Four times the Potters appealed in the second half, of which only one was potentially contentious.
Moss was also alert enough to allow play to continue when Andy Carroll was felled on the edge of the box in the fourth minute of added-on time at the end of the first half - and it was from the same attack that West Ham scored the only goal of the game.
Having seen James Collins go close with a header earlier in the half that had clipped the crossbar - and Andy Carroll subsequently fail to find the target despite having a free header just ten yards from goal - it was no surprise when United eventually took the lead, even if they had to wait until the fourth minute of first half added-on time to score it.
An attack through the centre was allowed to continue after Carroll was brought down by Ryan Shawcross and substitute Ricardo Vaz Te collected the resulting ball before finding Collison, lurking on the edge of the box, with a clever reverse pass.
The Welsh international had time to compose himself before firing into the bottom corner, to give United a lead that they were to hold onto until the final whistle.
Until that point the first half had been a slight disappointment for West Ham due in no small part to the loss of both Matt Taylor and Joe Cole, who were withdrawn with suspected concussion and a hamstring pull respectively inside the opening ten minutes of the game.
However replacements Vaz Te and Collison proved to be the eventual match winners; was this finally evidence of the luck that the Hammers had been missing in recent weeks?
Despite huffing and puffing after the break, a woeful Stoke - who had been beaten just once at home this season prior to today - failed to test Jussi Jaaskelainen until the 93rd minutes of the game when Charlie Adam's looping volley beat the Fin, but not his crossbar.
And although the home side may feel hard done by that, City simply hadn't done enough to deserve a share of the spoils in a game in which their attacking threat has been nullified by West Ham's defence, superbly marshalled by stand-in captain Winston Reid.
The win takes West Ham's Premier League tally to 33 points but, most importantly, increases the distance from the relegation zone to nine points.
And with only ten games of the season left to play, two more wins will almost certainly be enough to allow Sam Allardyce and his squad to begin contemplating a second successive season in the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jack Collison scored West Ham's winner at Stoke
Last Updated: March 2, 2013 6:19pm
SSN
Jack Collison came off the bench to score the winner as West Ham beat Stoke 1-0 at the Britannia. Collison was a tenth minute replacement for Matt Taylor after he had been caught by Peter Crouch attempting a scissor-kick in the box. He scored deep into first-half injury time after being found by fellow substitute Ricardo Vaz Te, who had come on for the injured Joe Cole in the 11th minute. Soon after the break, Cameron Jerome had a penalty shout turned down after a challenge by Joey O'Brien in the box.
Best of the match
Man of the match: Ricardo Vaz Te. Came off the bench to provide the goal assist and was a constant threat
Shot of the match: Charlie Adam hit a great volley late on but it crashed off the crossbar
Save of the match: Asmir Begovic saved low from close range from Matt Jarvis
Talking point: Stoke were denied a penalty late on when the ball hit Guy Demel's hand in the box
Vaz Te then found Matt Jarvis to the left side of the box whose shot at goal from close range saw Asmir Begovic save. At the other end, Peter Crouch shot from just outside the area but Jussi Jaaskelainen saved low down. Collison saw a shot from the edge of the box blocked by Marc Wilson and Stoke then cleared after Vaz Te had run onto the loose ball. Charlie Adam came on for Glenn Whelan and almost earned the Potters a point when he chested a ball down and then volleyed at goal, but his shot from 25 yards hit the crossbar and West Ham scrambled away. Then deep into injury time, substitute Brek Shea thought he had won a penalty when the ball hit Guy Demel on the hand in the box but his appeals were waved away by referee Jonathan Moss as West Ham held on for the win. The victory halted a run of five successive league away defeats and lifts the Hammers onto 33 points and further clear of the drop zone. The result - only the second home league loss for Stoke this season - saw West Ham move up to 12th, level on points with the Staffordshire side, who are now 11th.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce hails West Ham's win over Stoke in the Premier League
Last Updated: March 2, 2013 8:12pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce hailed his side's 'biggest win' of the season after West Ham beat Stoke 1-0 at the Britannia. Jack Collison came off the bench to score the winner deep into first-half injury time after being found by fellow substitute Ricardo Vaz Te. The victory halted a run of five successive away league defeats and lifted the Hammers onto 33 points and further away from the drop zone. Allardyce told Sky Sports: "It was the biggest one (victory in the season) without a doubt.
"I think we've played well enough the last few away games but not got any points and certainly the disappointment on Monday night having played so well against Tottenham and being in the lead and not getting anything out of that was a big pressure on us today and we've come up trumps." Allardyce added it was a well deserved victory by his side, who limited Stoke to just a few chances. He said: "It puts us back in the middle of the pack in the middle of the table again. "(We are on) 33 points, ever closer to that big 40 that we all look for, but especially the first year (back) in (the Premier League)."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Three Points, But Will the Lack of Games in March Be a Worry?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Well, we did it! A win at the Potteries is always an achievement and it needed discipline, physical strength, application and a crucial dash of skill to deliver it. The result means that we are on 33 points, and in 12th position, with 10 matches still to play. We should now have no trouble accruing the c.7 points, necessary for safety, over the remainder of the season. If results pick up, from this point, then we could even resurrect our former ambitions of a top 10 PL finish.
However, I would have preferred to have had a match next weekend to maintain the winning momentum, arising from this important and timely away victory. Unfortunately, we now only have two matches over the rest of March. The counter argument is, of course, is that the next sheduled match was Man Utd at home (a tough challenge with an injury depleted squad) and that the forhcoming, enforced 2 week break will give the club's fitness and medical teams the time to get Joe Cole, Mark Noble, etc, fit before the Chelsea match. Its remarkable that we returned from Dubai with virtually a fully fit squad and we have since lost the likes of James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole. Still, that's the fortunes of war (as the French say) and the reason why we must strive for strength in-depth in our first team squad!
We should now target a minimum of three points from the two matches in March. In all probability the priority will be to take three points against WBA at home and any points secured, away to Chelsea, will be a nice, added bonus. If we can take a minimum of another three points in March 2013, that will put us on 36 points, and on the cusp of securing our top tier status, in this vital first season back in the PL.
Ian Ridley, chief Football writer of the Sports Mail, referred to the Stoke Vs West Ham fixture as the 'Battle of the Brutes.' an absolutely absurd formulation. Especially when you consider the neat passing movements West Ham executed in and around the box in this match. Collison scored the winning goal, running on to a slide rule forward pass in the box and firing past the keeper, from an angle. West Ham should have had a second when Vaz Te played a similar ball forward for Jarvis, only for him to fire directly at the Stoke City keeper. Collins clipped the cross bar with a looping header from an O'Neill Cross and Collison played in Vaz Te, only for the Portugese striker to delay his shot too long and waste the goal scoring opportunity. Stoke City could have scored a late, undeserved equalizer, when Adams fired against the cross bar, but that just proved that 'lightening does not strike twice' after Bale's last minute pile driver in the 90th minute, on Monday evening.
There were three penalty claims (one for West Ham and two for Stoke City) but the referee did well to wave them away. So, well done to the official for a change. We criticize them soon enough when they are inconsistent or make glaring mistakes, so it was good to see the oficial get the key decisions 100% right! This was largely a dour and hard fought affair, in which the two teams cancelled each other out. It was the two West Ham substitutes, Vaz Te and Collison, who brought the stand out, and ultimately decisive, moments of guile in the match. As Sam Allardyce admitted, post-match, the misfortune of losing Cole and Taylor to injury led to the good fortune of bringing this talented duo in to the game.
Man Utd's continued involvement in the FA Cup means that we have no fixture next weekend and a international break follows that. So, while the emphasis will be upon getting the injured players back, surely Vaz Te and Collison have done themselves a power of good, in terms of their first team selection opportunities. Vaz Te has natural ability, that is undeniable. The issue is whether he has the work rate and application to bring it to bear in the PL? While Collison has the making of a good goal scoring midfielder and, in a 4-3-3, could be well deployed in the Kevin Nolan role. As stated, the duo certainly created the main examples of quality in the match and, as such, deserve their places vs Chelsea.
Are West Ham really 'Brutes' ? When will people stop deploying these crude and lazy stereotypical assertions about the way that we play. Were we 'brutes' against Spurs, when we passed the ball very well over the whole 90 minutes? Is that a fair discription of touch players Collison, Vaz Te, Cole and Jarvis? Were our smart passing movements in and around the box, brutish? Piffle, in my opinion. But as they say, 'give a dog a bad name' and 'mud' invariably sticks!
Still, onwards and upwards. I look forward to achieving 40 points as soon as possible, so that Sam Allardyce relax his selection policy a bit and give the youngsters and players like Paulista and Maiga first team chances. I would like to see young players like Potts, Spence, Chambers, Famino, Turgott, Hall and Lee get into the first team frame before the end of the season, results and the points tally allowing. Where Paulista is concerned, I think that there is a case for putting him on the bench at Stamford Bridge. While, why not give either Spence or Potts a run out in that fixture?
Can we put another one over Rafa Benitez's Chelsea? No one gives us much of a chance, so try something different and see if we can confound the odds to land another victory! If not, we must give a good account of ourselves, and move, full speed ahead to the contest against WBA. That definitely is winnable, although Steve Clarke's WBA will undoubtedly present a stiff challenge, so we must be at our best to ensure that we secure another absolutely vital win.
SJ.Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
The Sun
By GRAEME BRYCE
Published: 02nd March 2013
BENCH-BUDDIES Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te combined to sink Stoke — as they proved to be far from sub-standard. The West Ham pair were not first-picks at 3pm. But by half-time they had teamed up to inspire the Hammers' first away win since November 11. The homesick Irons had only taken one point from a possible 24 on the road when they arrived at the Britannia. But they joined Chelsea to become only the second side to win here in the league this season as they edged ever closer to the 36 points that boss Allardyce has targeted for Premier safety. Apart from a few frantic penalty claims and a late scare when Charlie Adam's stunning volley crashed off the crossbar, the Hammers rarely looked like losing this one.
Big Sam said: "It's a very big victory for us. Our misfortune ended up being our good fortune. "Our misfortune was Matt Taylor going off with concussion and then straight after that Joe Cole coming off with a hamstring. "But obviously the winning goal was scored by one of our subs after Vaz Te's through ball to Collison. They came on and helped us to win the game."
Allardyce was put through the ringer early on as Jussi Jaaskelainen gifted Stoke a cheap corner within 90 seconds, allowing a backpass to bobble off his foot.
The Hammers then switched off completely as Glenn Whelan rolled a short corner to Mark Walters — but the Republic of Ireland striker slashed his effort wide of the target.
Allardyce's problems really piled up following a sickening clash between Peter Crouch and Matty Taylor after 10 minutes. Crouch attempted a spectacular overhead kick and his swinging boot caught poor Matty Taylor flush in the face. The midfielder had to be led groggily off, suffering from concussion and it turned into a double whammy for West Ham as Joe Cole signalled to the bench that he had a hamstring problem. Allardyce said: "We were a little desperate after five minutes when you see two players coming off injured. But it shows you the strength in depth of our squad." Gatecrashers Collison and Vaz Te went on to exert a huge influence on the game and James Collins came within inches of breaking the deadlock after 25 minutes when he got his head to Gary O'Neil's inswinging cross. But with keeper Asmir Begovic scrambling, the defender's attempt flew over from 12 yards. Then Andy Carroll fluffed a free header when Ryan Shawcross slipped tying to clear a cross.
The Hammers finally broke the deadlock two minutes into first-half injury time with a quality move Allardyce's team were not supposed to be capable of!
Vaz Te broke at speed and, although his initial pass was blocked by Shawcross, he persevered to pick out Collison with a sublime reverse pass. With the Stoke defence wrong-footed, the midfielder drilled his shot beyond Begovic. Potters boss Tony Pulis said: "Their goal was hard to take.Andy Carroll pulled Ryan Shawcross down in the build-up." It was not his only gripe as his side were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty four minutes after the restart. Cameron Jerome was sandwiched by Collins and Joey O'Brien, who appeared to trip him as he attempted to shoot. But, not for the first time, referee Jonathan Moss refused to be influenced by a furious home crowd.
Stoke: Begovic, Shotton, Shawcross, Wilson, Wilkinson, Walters (Jones 74), Whelan (Adam 77), Nzonzi, Kightly (Shea 66), Jerome, Crouch Subs Not Used: Sorensen, Cameron, Palacios, Whitehead.
Booked: Nzonzi.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, Jarvis (Pogatetz 83), Joe Cole (Vaz Te 11), O'Neil, Diame, Taylor (Collison 10), Carroll Subs Not Used: Spiegel, Carlton Cole, Maiga, Chamakh.
Booked: Collins, Carroll.
Goals: Collison 45.
Att: 22,690
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam wants to Iron out a deal
Stoke 0 West Ham 1
The Sun
By GRAEME BRYCE
Published: 02nd March 2013
WEST HAM boss Sam Allardyce hammered out a defiant message to the Irons' fans and powerbrokers after a vital 1-0 win at Stoke. Big Sam — who has had an uneasy relationship with supporters — gave a crossed-arms Hammers salute to the away end after seeing his side move nine points clear of the drop zone.
And he then made it clear to co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan that his future should be at Upton Park. Allardyce, whose contract runs out in the summer, has been told talks on his future are on hold until West Ham's top-flight status is secured. He said: "Staying in the Premier League is EVERYTHING about my future. "I think that's all I've had to say over the last few weeks. "It's the best league in the world. It's where I want to be, it's where I want to ply the skills of my trade. "If you're plying your trade in the best domestic league in the world then that's what you want to do." West Ham are on 33 points after Jack Collison's goal KO'd Stoke — and Allardyce believes they are close to safety. He said: "Our great start to the season has kept us away from real problems."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke 0-1 West Ham: Collison finds perfect cure for Hammers' travel sickness
The Mirror
2 Mar 2013 20:14
West Ham are three points closer to the day when they have to confront the great Big Sam debate. Manager Sam Allardyce is out of contract in the summer and owners David Sullivan and David Gold have said they won't discuss a new one until the club's Premier League survival is secured. But Jack Collison's winner has opened up a gap of nine points to the drop zone and decision day is coming. There are two camps of Hammers fans. The first see a manager who will pretty much guarantee them top flight survival. Then there are the others – and you suspect Gold is among them – who don't like his style of football and have never quite forgiven Big Sam for suggesting that anybody who thought Upton Park had a tradition for passing football was "deluded". This game backed up the arguments of the pragmatists who say Premier League football is a must for a move to the Olympic Stadium in two years' time. It wasn't especially pretty. It leaned heavily on the physical strength of James Collins at the heart of a defence that stood up bravely to Stoke's aerial assaults. But ultimately it delivered the first away win after eight previous outings that had brought only one point. Allardyce said: "It was a very big victory for us. Our disappointment recently has been not so much the performances as that we've ended up with nothing. It was good to come here and really get everything right tactically.
"We frustrated Stoke in terms of how they wanted to play, then played round and through them and down the sides."
But things could hardly have started worse for Hammers. In 10 minutes they saw Matt Taylor laid out when he got smacked in the face as Peter Crouch attempted an overhead kick, and then Joe Cole pulled a hamstring. But the two quick changes actually helped Allardyce as his side took control, Collins putting a header on top of the bar and Collison volleying straight at Asmir Begovic. Andy Carroll was troubling a Stoke defence missing their suspended giant Robert Huth, and he helped create the goal in first-half injury time. He and Ryan Shawcross clashed on the edge of the area and Ricardo Vaz Te reacted quickest to feed a pass through to Collison, who slotted it into the far corner. Stoke's Charlie Adam hit the bar with a 90th-minute volley and referee Moss turned down a penalty appeal when the ball hit Guy Demel's hand. Potters boss Tony Pulis said: "The ball definitely hit his hand, and inside the box, but there is a lot of debate about what is deliberate or not. "I'd have just liked that or another possible penalty decision to have gone our way. "It was disappointing because after a bright start, we petered out and didn't create enough."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, March 2
Daily WHUFC News - 2nd March 2013
Stoke City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the team news and background information ahead of Saturday's trip to the
Britannia Stadium
01.03.2013
STOKE CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 2 MARCH 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: JON MOSS
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Stoke City hoping to end a horrible run of form
on the road in the Barclays Premier League. The Hammers have lost their
previous five away matches since drawing 0-0 at West Bromwich Albion on 16
December. Overall, West Ham have won two, drawn two and lost nine of their
13 previous away league games.
• Stoke's away form has also not been great, with the Potters having lost
their previous four away league matches. However, that will be irrelevant as
their form at the Britannia Stadium has been good this season, where they
have lost just once in 13 league games.
• West Ham start the weekend in 14th - their lowest position of the season.
The Hammers dropped one place following Monday's 3-2 home defeat by
Tottenham Hotspur. Stoke remained tenth, despite going down to a 1-0 defeat
at Fulham on Saturday.
• A 2-0 victory for the Hammers would take them above their hosts on
goals-scored. Fulham, Norwich City and Newcastle United are all away from
home on Saturday and, should results go West Ham's way and they pick up
three points, Sam Allardyce's team could rise to tenth. Should Stoke win,
they would remain tenth.
• The two clubs have met just seven times in the Barclays Premier League,
with West Ham United winning three, Stoke City winning two and two ending in
draws.
Team news
West Ham United
• Big Sam could be without captain Kevin Nolan (toe) and his fellow
midfielder Mark Noble (arm). Nolan was injured in Monday's defeat by Spurs,
while Noble was hurt in training the previous week and missed that fixture.
• Right-back Guy Demel was forced off late on in Monday's game with a tight
hamstring, but could be fit to start at the Britannia Stadium.
• Left-back George McCartney has returned to training following a knee
ligament injury.
• James Tomkins missed Monday's defeat with a virus and is struggling to
shake off the effects of his illness in time for the trip to Stoke.
• Alou Diarra (Stade Rennais), Rob Hall, Ravel Morrison (Birmingham City)
and Stephen Henderson (Ipswich Town) are all out on loan.
Stoke City
• Germany defender Robert Huth starts a three-match ban after being found
guilty by the FA of violent conduct in last Saturday's defeat at Fulham.
• Left winger Matthew Etherington is rated as '50-50' to shrug off a back
injury by Stoke manager Tony Pulis.
• Former England striker Michael Owen missed last Saturday's defeat at
Fulham with a thigh strain but could return on Saturday.
• Former Hammers captain Matthew Upson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Danny
Higginbotham (Sheffield United), Matthew Lund (Southend United), Rory Delap
(Barnsley), Florent Cuvelier (Walsall), Jermaine Pennant (Wolverhampton
Wanderers), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor) and Mamady Sidibe (Tranmere Rovers) are
all out on loan.
Last time out
West Ham United
• West Ham United suffered a frustrating evening on Monday, when a late
Gareth Bale rocket secured a 3-2 Barclays Premier League victory for
Tottenham Hotspur at the Boleyn Ground. Bale had earlier given Spurs the
lead before Andy Carroll's well-struck penalty levelled things up before
half-time. Joe Cole then put West Ham ahead on 58 minutes and Matt Taylor
was denied by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris before substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson
bundled in a 76th-minute equaliser. It was then left to Bale to settle
matters, lashing an unstoppable 30-yard shot high into Jussi Jaaskelainen's
top corner.
West Ham United 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Premier League
Monday 25 February 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (Pogatetz 72), O'Brien, Reid, Collins,
Diame (Collison 84), Nolan (Taylor 36), O'Neil, Jarvis, J.Cole, Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, Chamakh, C.Cole, Vaz Te
Goals: Carroll 25 (pen), J.Cole 58
Stoke City
• Stoke City suffered their fourth consecutive away Barclays Premier League
defeat, going down to a 1-0 loss at Fulham on Saturday. Bulgarian forward
Dimitar Berbatov settled matters with a sublime volley into the top corner
on the stroke of half-time. Robert Huth escaped punishment after appearing
to elbow Philippe Senderos, but has since been handed a three-match ban for
violent conduct by the FA.
Last meeting
• West Ham missed out on the opportunity to move up to fifth in the Barclays
Premier League after being held to a draw by Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground
on Monday 19 November 2012. The Potters took a first-half lead when Republic
of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters converted from a well-worked corner
routine on 12 minutes. As the interval approached, Steven N'Zonzi rattled
the crossbar with a long-range shot. West Ham improved after half-time,
though, and deservedly equalised three minutes after the break courtesy of
Joey O'Brien's first ever Premier League goal. The Hammers dominated the
remainder of the game, with Modibo Maiga, Gary O'Neil, Guy Demel and Winston
Reid all coming close to netting a winner.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Demel 77), Reid, Tomkins, McCartney,
Noble, Diame, Maiga (Taylor 86), Nolan, O'Neil, Carroll (C.Cole 86)
Subs not used: Spiegel, Spence, Hall, Collins
Goal: O'Brien 48
Stoke City: Begovic, Huth, Wilkinson (Shotton 32), Shawcross, Cameron,
Whelan (Palacios 62), Walters, Adam, Etherington (Kightly 74), Nzonzi,
Crouch
Subs not used: Sorensen, Jerome, Jones, Upson
Background
• Saturday's game will be the 84th competitive meeting between West Ham
United and Stoke City. West Ham have won 33, Stoke 30 and there have been 20
draws.
• Stoke are considered to be the second-oldest professional football club in
the world behind Notts County. Formed in 1863, the Potters were also one of
the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888.
• West Ham first faced Stoke in a Southern League First Division match at
the Boleyn Ground on 16 December 1911. The Potters won the game 4-3 with
William Kennedy (two) and Tom Randall on target for the Hammers.
• West Ham's biggest home and away wins over Stoke City both occurred during
the 1957/58 season. Vic Keeble bagged a hat-trick in a 5-0 Division Two
victory at the Boleyn Ground on 6 November 1957. Keeble also scored twice in
the reverse fixture - a 4-1 win at the Victoria Ground the following March.
The Hammers would go onto be promoted to Division One at the season's end.
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
19 November 2012 - West Ham United 1-1 Stoke City
13 March 2011 - Stoke City 2-1 West Ham United (FA Cup sixth round)
5 March 2011 - West Ham United 3-0 Stoke City
27 October 2010 - West Ham United 3-1 Stoke City (Carling Cup fourth round)
18 September 2010 - Stoke City 1-1 West Ham United
27 March 2010 - West Ham United 0-1 Stoke City
Overall record v Stoke City (all competitions) W 33 D 20 L 30
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Stoke City
2011/12 Premier League 14th (45 points)
2010/11 Premier League 13th (46 points)
2009/10 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2008/09 Premier League 12th (45 points)
2007/08 Championship 2nd (79 points - promoted to the Premier League)
2006/07 Championship 8th (73 points)
2005/06 Championship 13th (58 points)
2004/05 Championship 12th (61 points)
2003/04 Division One 11th (66 points)
2002/03 Division One 21st (50 points)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Jon Moss.
• Moss will take charge of his second West Ham United fixture of 2012/13,
having previously been the referee for the 2-1 Barclays Premier League
defeat at Wigan Athletic on 27 October last year.
• Headteacher Moss was promoted to the Select Group of Referees in June
2011.
• He initially progressed through the Northern Counties East League and
Northern Premier League before being promoted to the National Group of
Assistant Referees in 2003.
• He took charge of the 2005 Conference Play-Off final between Carlisle
United and Stevenage and was then promoted to the National Group of
Referees.
• In 22 fixtures this season, Moss has shown 61 yellow cards and sent-off
one player.
• On Saturday, Moss will be assisted by Richard West and Peter Bankes, while
the Fourth official will be Stuart Attwell.
Old boys
• Stoke City winger Matthew Etherington made 195 appearances for West Ham
between August 2003 and January 2009, scoring 18 goals. He joined the
Potters on 8 January 2009, having moved to the Boleyn Ground from Tottenham
Hotspur five-and-a-half years previously.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Clive Clarke,
Bob Dixon, Sir Geoff Hurst, Lawrie Leslie, Nicky Morgan, Henri Camara and
Frank Richardson.
General information
• Tickets for the match will be available on the day of the game from away
turnstile 50 (cash only) at the Britannia Stadium. Click here for full
information.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a cloudy day in the Potteries, with the
temperature at 3pm expected to be around 6C (43F).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Baxter back in action
WHUFC.com
U18s goalkeeper Sam Baxter is fit again and hoping to earn his first
professional contact
01.03.2013
Sam Baxter was born to be a goalkeeper. Standing well over six-foot tall at
the age of 18, the Essex-born scholar has the build and frame of a
stereotypical goalkeeper. It would therefore come as no surprise to anyone
that he has always been the one to pull on the gloves, throughout his
career. "I played for Hadleigh Town, a Sunday League team where I live, and
somebody I knew contacted the Academy goalkeeper coach Jerome John and he
watched me play. He was obviously happy with what he saw as I joined West
Ham as an Under-15! "I've always been a goalkeeper. I'm too big and gangly
to play on pitch, so I was stuck in goal! It is good. I enjoy playing in
goal. Being the last line of defence and saving the day is as good as
scoring a goal. I can be the hero in every game."
The stopper will hope to be the hero again when West Ham United head to
Tottenham Hotspur's Enfield Training Centre for a Barclays U18 Premier
League Tier One fixture on Saturday morning. The match will be the third
meeting between the two sides since Christmas, with the Hammers winning the
reverse league fixture on 12 January before going down to an FA Cup
fourth-round defeat at the Boleyn Ground ten days later. Baxter, who labels
Joe Hart and David De Gea as his two favourite senior goalkeepers, was
awarded a two-year scholarship in 2011 and battled Jake Larkins for the No1
jersey in the Under-18s last season. This term, with Larkins now a
professional, he has established himself as the youth team's first-choice
stopper and started the Barclays U21 Premier League Group 1 fixtures against
West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers in November, only for injury to
halt his progress. Baxter snapped a tendon his finger in the warm-up ahead
of the U21 fixture at Norwich City a week before Christmas, ruling him out
for more than two months. "It started really well for me. I went to Russia
and Belgium in pre-season and played well and nailed down the No1 spot in
the youth team. I started a couple of games for the Under-21s and in the FA
Youth Cup at Aldershot, but then a couple of injuries have meant I haven't
played since around Christmas. "I was very pleased with how the start of the
season went. Now I just want to get back and kick-on again. It's all better
now, so hopefully I can start playing again. I dislocated a finger on my
other hand at about the same stage of last season, so I've been a bit
unlucky with them. My fingers are my trade, so I have to look after them and
make sure they are right."
Now he is approaching full fitness, Baxter will not be taking any chances
with his fingers between now and the end of his scholarship. "I strap up
every finger before every game as a precaution. It doesn't stop every injury
from happening, but it does make your hands stronger." The tall teenager is
now targeting regaining his place in the Under-18s and further Development
Squad starts before the end of the season. "I'd like to get back to playing
regularly and, if I do and I am playing well, I want to get back into the
Development Squad like I was before Christmas. I'd also like to keep some
clean sheets as well, as I didn't keep too many before Christmas!"
As a lifelong Hammer, Baxter knows it has been a while since the club
brought through a goalkeeper to the first team. At the age of 18, he knows
his time may still be some way off, but is determined to be the next stopper
to graduate with honours from the Academy of Football. "Usually clubs like
goalkeepers with experience and you don't really see goalies making their
debuts until they are 21 or 22. I'd go out on loan to any club to gain some
experience and then hopefully, if I ever get a chance at West Ham, I can
take it. "My No1 aim is to get another year, at least, and to continue
working hard to improve and see where it takes me. I hope to get some
Development Squad games here or go on loan - whatever the club has got
planned for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We need points on the board'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Joey O'Brien is looking to turn performances into
points at Stoke City
01.03.2013
With just three games ahead of West Ham United in March, defender Joey
O'Brien is keen to make use of each and every opportunity to increase the
east Londoners' points tally. Sam Allardyce's men travel to Stoke City on
Saturday, aiming to record their first away Barclays Premier League victory
of 2013.
The Hammers were denied a hard-fought point by Gareth Bale's final minute
scorcher for Tottenham Hotspur last Monday night and 27-year-old O'Brien
wants to make up for that late sucker punch at the Britannia Stadium. He
told West Ham TV: "It's a massive game for us, especially as we were
disappointed with the result against Spurs, so we're looking to go to Stoke
and get three points. "The performance was alright on Monday night, but it's
a results business we're in and that's what the manager was saying to us
after the game. It doesn't really matter if you're playing well if you're
not getting points on the board. "We have 30 points at the moment and we
need to put more on the board as soon as possible. Saturday gives us the
chance to do that so hopefully we can take some up there."
O'Brien believes the way for the Hammers to improve their away record is to
make sure they remain solid and give nothing away at the back. "It's hard
going away from home in the Premier League and we've found it tough this
year on the road," he continued. "We're going there to get a clean sheet and
from there hopefully we can push on, create chances and get three points.
"We have to improve away from home, and from my point of view as a defender
we want to be as solid as we can be. We've been letting in a lot of goals in
the last few games and that's been disappointing. "We scored two against
Spurs, but we conceded three and if you keep on doing that you'll be in
trouble."
O'Brien broke his top flight scoring duck when he netted the Hammers'
equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Stoke at the Boleyn Ground in November,
although he admits that he would trade that strike for a three-point haul in
the Potteries. He recalled: "Earlier on in the season, in the first half
they did a number on us and played really well. We upped our game after
half-time and probably should have gone on to win the game. It was a good
night for me personally, I scored my first goal in the Premier League, but
hopefully somebody can get a couple of goals on Saturday and we can get
three points - that would be even better! "They have been around in the top
flight a while now. They have some quality players and the manager Tony
Pulis has done a great job with them. The place will be rocking, it's a hard
place to go and play football. The fans give them great support and get the
players up. "The game is always played at a high tempo there, but we're all
up for it and hopefully we can get the result. If we can start well and
maybe get an early goal, make them a little nervous, the crowd might not be
as loud and vocal for them. "We haven't really started well in the last
three games away from home. We need to start well on Saturday, that's
important for us, to get a foothold in the game and create chances from
there."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Development Squad 0-0 Man Utd FT
The Development Squad earn a valauble point in a goalless draw with
Manchester United
WHUFC.com
01.03.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v MANCHESTER UNITED
BARCLAYS U21 PREMIER LEAGUE ELITE GROUP STAGE
FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: CARL FITCH
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Final score - West Ham United U21s 0-0 Manchester United U21s
90+3 - A clumsy challenge from Shaw hands the visitors one final chance to
put a ball in the box. Larkins bustles through the crowd to gather and there
goes the final whistle. A really professional showing from Haycock's young
men, who were resilient when they needed to be and never looked overly
troubled at the back. It's most certainly a valuable point gained and next
up it's off to Altrincham on Wednesday for the reverse fixture.
90 mins - Into the final minute here and West Ham are at least in the
visitors' half, right where they want to be. Spence has it in the corner but
his pass to Turgott drifts out of play. There will be two additional
minutes.
88 mins - McGinty has the beating of Turgott but with a whole host of white
shirts awaiting the cross, the full-back overcooks it and it sails over
everyone. Waste.
86 mins - Neither side are settling for the point here, but after Tuesday's
late collapse at Wolves, the Hammers will surely, at the very least, be
intent on protecting what they have. The visitors win a corner but there are
plenty of West Ham bodies to clear the danger.
83 mins - Here goes Lee down the right. He does brilliantly to cut inside
the full-back before measuring a centre to the back stick. McCallum and
Bywater are both looking to get on the end of it, but it takes a touch of a
Man United head and the chance has gone.
82 mins - It's Manchester United, however, who go close again, as Lingard
curls a free-kick just wide of Larkins' left-hand post. The Hammers stopper
was scrambling for a moment there.
79 mins - There's a double swap here for Haycock's side as Paulista and
Nasha make way for Kieran Bywater and Paul McCallum. An attacking change,
that, from the Hammers boss, who clearly has his eye on all three points.
McCallum was prolific in the competition's first phase, netting six times in
just eleven starts and here's hoping he can make a similarly telling
contribution in this evening's latter stages.
77 mins - Turgott slips it into Moncur who in turn fizzes it into the near
post. Seb Lletget has made the run and slides in, only to be denied by brave
goalkeeping as Amos smothers once more.
74 mins - West Ham look to counter but Lee plays it behind Turgott, who
cannot adjust his feet quickly enough before falling to earth. Manchester
United nearly make the most of the Hammers' carelessness as Lingard does
well to give Schlupp a sight of goal, who unleashes a firm strike which
flies narrowly wide of Larkins' near post.
71 mins - Manchester United are bossing it in terms of possession now, but
are not really making their dominance tell. The visitors make their first
change of the evening, as Tom Lawrence replaces Januzaj.
69 mins - Not much to report at the moment, it looks like the first goal
will settle this one, if indeed it arrives at all.
66 mins - Paulista is putting in a real shift here, but it's largely to no
avail. Full-back Vermijl does well to get to the byline, but the final ball
is a waste as it sails behind Larkins' goal.
63 mins - Meanwhile, Lee, who has barely had a sight of goal thus far, picks
the ball up and tries his luck with a measured drive, some 25 yards from
goal. Amos barely has to move as he makes the regulation stop.
61 mins - Larkins rescues the Hammers here, as McGinty's cross picks out
Lingard at the back post. He volleys goalward and Larkins flings himself to
his right, to palm the bally away from the bottom corner.
59 mins - Schlupp gets away from Ruddock, who then races back to deny him a
shot on goal. It's a strong, if fair challenge and penalty appeals are waved
away by Mr Fitch.
57 mins - Spence is in space again on the right and this time his cross is a
dangerous one. It's ricocheted into the path of Paulista but Amos always
looks favourite and dives off his line to smother.
55 mins - At the other end, Sean McGinty gets his head to a right-wing
corner, but it's rather tame and straight at Larkins.
53 mins - The Hammers enjoy a brief foray into the visitors' half. The ball
eventually comes out to Spence, whose cross hangs high in the night sky
before being gathered by Amos. Confident goalkeeping.
50 mins - Brilliant defending there from the exceptional Ruddock. He throws
himself in front of Januzaj, to block the No10's goal-bound drive. It
cannons off the former Boreham Wood defender and out of harm's way.
48 mins - Manchester United are seeing plenty of the ball but it's all front
of West Ham's back four. The Hammers are disciplined and well organised and
snuff out the danger.
46 mins - We're back underway here at the Boleyn Ground and hoping for a
more eventful second half.
45 mins- There will be one additional minute at the end of a disappointing
half. That minute comes ago without anything of note, as referee Carl Fitch
brings the first 45 to a close. Competitive but perhaps short of quality in
the final third. Goalless.
44 mins - As half-time approaches, it's difficult to see where a goal is
coming from. Turgott takes aim from distance but screws his effort wide. In
truth, neither 'keeper has been tested nearly enough.
41 mins - Turgott shows his pace down the right, but with precious little to
aim for in the middle his cross is easily deal with. Meanwhile, some neat
football comes to an abrupt end as Paulista fails in his attempt to pick out
Moncur.
39 mins - Manchester United having their best spell of the game here.
Larkins comes off his line to collect a left-wing cross, inadvertently
giving Dan Potts a whack in the process.
36 mins - Another opportunity comes and goes for the visitors. This time
it's Schlupp who races down the left and rolls it into the path of Adnan
Januzaj. The No10 should really do better from no more than 12 yards but
skies his effort well over the bar.
35 mins - There's danger here for the hosts, as Veseli squares it to
Lingard. Lingard gets his shot away and Larkins looks worried as it dribbles
wide.
32 mins - Ruddock dispossesses Larnell Cole and then drives purposefully
across the halfway line. He slips it into the path of Wellington, but it's
slightly behind him and he's crowded out on the touchline.
30 mins - Paulista plays it into Lee, who attacks the full-back, before
fizzing it low into the box. Paulista is hovering dangerously, but a
Manchester United boot ensures he doesn't get there.
27 mins - Nick Haycock will, no doubt, be very impressed with what he has
seen thus far. The Hammers are in the final third once more, but Lletget is
unable to get any purchase on his strike from the edge of the box and Amos
gathers.
24 mins - West Ham very nearly ahead. Lee plays it into Paulista, who
controls on his thigh, before driving across the face of goal. Amos is at
full-stretch as the strike goes agonisingly wide of the far post.
23 mins - Elliot Lee turns very neatly before popping it off to Shaw. Sadly,
it comes to nothing, as Shaw's return ball is too strong. At the other end,
a counter attack ends with Schlupp screwing a drive harmlessly wide.
21 mins - Turgott engineers room for a cross, but it's not the best and
behind the West Ham bodies in the box. Still, Nick Haycock's men are
certainly the more threatening.
19 mins - West Ham win yet another free-kick, as Paulista this time is
fouled. It looks to be overhit and the visitors head clear. The Hammers are
knocking on the door here.
16 mins - Jordan Spence making inroads down the Manchester United left.
Turgott volleys it into the path of Lletget who, from an acute angle,
volleys into the side netting. Chance.
14 mins - Sebastian Lletget wins a free-kick out wide and again it's Moncur
standing over the dead ball. His delivery is excellent, as he crashes it
toward the near post. Paulista makes the run, but again it's well defended.
12 mins - Jeffery Schlupp chases a through ball down the left flank. Pelly
Ruddock, however, is on hand to shepherd the ball behind. Quiet start, it
has to be said.
10 mins - West Ham keeping the ball very nicely, until Shaw tries to play it
into Paulista. The Brazilian is unable to control and it rolls through to
Amos.
8 mins - Wellington Paulista tries an ambitious effort from all of 40 yards.
Ben Amos, however, is alive to the danger and collects easily enough.
6 mins - West Ham win a free-kick on the near side. George Moncur whips it
in and the visitors do well to head it clear. There's a scramble in the box,
before Manchester United are awarded a free-kick.
4 mins - Manchester United having marginally the better of the opening
exchanges. Frederic Veseli tries his luck from 20 yards and his drive
flashes past Larkins' left-hand upright.
3 mins - Marnick Vermijl runs at Dan Potts but the Hammers youngster does
well to get in a toe to put it behind for a corner. The resulting corner is
headed up in the air by Frazer Shaw, before West Ham, eventually clear their
lines.
1 mins - It's the Hammers who get us underway, playing towards the Sir
Trevor Brooking Stand in this first half. Larnell Cole crosses from the far
side but it's easily gathered by Jake Larkins.
18:57pm - The players are out and there's a very respectable crowd in this
evening. In the absence of skipper Callum Driver, Jordan Spence will captain
the Hammers.
18:40pm - The teams are in and, as expected, Blair Turgott, on his return
from Bradford City, goes straight back into the first XI. Elsewhere, Frazer
Shaw replaces Ricardo Gardner at left-back.
West Ham United U21s: Larkins, Spence, Shaw, Nasha, Potts, Ruddock, Turgott,
Moncur, Paulista, Lletget, Lee. Subs: Bywater, Baxter, McCallum, Miles,
Onariase.
Manchester United U21s: Amos, Vermijl, McGinty, Veseli, Thorpe, Fornasier,
Cole, Ekangamene, Schlupp, Januzaj, Lingard. Subs: Blackett, Sutherland,
Lawrence, Van Velsen, James.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for this evening's Barclays
Under-21 Premier League Elite Group clash featuring West Ham United and
Manchester United.
Nick Haycock's Development Squad head into tonight's fixture hoping for an
upturn in fortunes, having been edged out by both Southampton and
Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two outings.
The Hammers welcome back Blair Turgott and Paul McCallum from their loans at
Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon respectively, both of whom are included in
this evening's matchday squad. The pair have netted eight times between them
for the U21s this term, prior to joining their npower League Two clubs.
Turgott helped Bradford City to reach the Capital One Cup final and was on
the bench at Wembley in last Sunday's 5-0 defeat by Aston Villa. McCallum
enjoyed a fine time at Wimbledon, being nominated for the npower League Two
Player of the Month award for January after scoring four goals in four
games.
Manchester United, meanwhile, visit east London on the back of Monday's
hard-fought 1-0 win over ten-man Liverpool at Langtree Park. Italian
defender Michele Fornasier settled an ill-tempered affair, firing home from
close range in second-half injury time.
Warren Joyce's side sit a point above West Ham in fourth, having collected
seven points from their four Elite Group fixtures.
We will have team news for you shortly, while there will be live text
updates from kick-off at 7pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke v West Ham
KO 15:00
1 March 2013
Last updated at 12:40
By Alistair Mann
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 2 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Stoke's Robert Huth begins a three-game ban, while Matthew Etherington and
Michael Owen will undergo fitness tests on respective back and thigh
problems.
Midfielder Steven Nzonzi could play wearing a protective mask, having broken
his nose against Fulham.
West Ham will be without captain Kevin Nolan, who has a broken toe. Mark
Noble is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the Spurs defeat,
but Guy Demel has overcome an injury sustained in that game.
MATCH PREVIEW
This is a meeting of two sides whose impressive work in the first half of
the season has offset their enormous disappointments so far in the second.
At the start of this campaign, both teams will have set themselves the
initial aim of the 40-point safety mark - a target they were well on the way
to achieving at the turn of the year. "West Ham have been very average on
the road and they have had some poor results. The same could be said of
Stoke too, and these are two sides that rely on their home form a lot."
Stoke sat on 28 points after 19 games, the Hammers on 26 points after 20,
and both may have allowed themselves the thought of a readjustment upwards
regarding their ultimate final position - but that was before the recent rot
set in. Both will come into this game having earned just four points from
their last seven matches, accentuating the significance of their duel.
Though neither have genuine relegation concerns, residing nine and six
points above the drop zone respectively, their equally alarming blips do
need arresting - and quickly. Scoring goals has remained an issue for both
managers - only QPR have registered fewer than Stoke, while both West Ham
and the Potters share the unwanted distinction as the least prolific clubs
on their travels with just eight apiece. Stoke will therefore be glad they
have home advantage, particularly so as 24 of their 33 points have so far
been accumulated at the Britannia - a venue at which only Chelsea have
managed to gain three points as a visitor. Only eight of the Hammers' 30
points have come on their travels - they're on a current run of eight games
without victory away from Upton Park, suffering five successive reverses in
the process. Everything would seem to point to a home win, yet historically
West Ham have enjoyed their visits to the Potteries, scoring on their last
13 trips there and losing just once in the last seven. Perhaps the wise
money therefore will be on a draw.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Stoke have won just one of their last seven home league matches against West
Ham (W1, D2, L4).
Stoke's 1-1 draw at West Ham in November set a new club record of 16 away
Premier League matches without a win.
Stoke
Stoke have lost just one league match at the Britannia Stadium this season -
against Chelsea in January.
Only Manchester City and Liverpool have kept more clean sheets than Stoke,
but the Potters have now gone nine matches in a row without one.
Stoke have won just one of their last eight league matches (W1, D2, L5).
Only QPR have scored fewer Premier League goals than Stoke this season. The
Potters have failed to score in 11 league matches this season, the
joint-highest total in the top flight.
West Ham
West Ham haven't won away in the league since 11 November, earning just one
point from the last 24 available on the road. Only QPR and Reading have a
worse away record in this season's Premier League.
The Hammers haven't lost six consecutive away games since a Premier League
record-equalling eight-match losing streak from August to December 2006.
They have scored each of their last nine Premier League penalties.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st March 2013
By: Preview Percy
Next it's up the M1 and whichever of the versions of the M6 you prefer to
the Potteries where our hosts will be Stoke City. Kick-off is the
traditional 3.00pm at the Britannia Stadium.
At the time of writing the Avram Grant Rest Home's for the Bewildered's
resident trainspotter is shaking his head muttering something about
"overhead line problems on the West Coast Main Line. While there's a day to
go before the match these things have a habit of taking time to sort out so
don't be surprised if your locomotive isn't in the right place when you turn
up at Euston tomorrow. Worse still they might have run out of supplies of
Gentleman's Relish in the Dining Car. Check before you leave as usual.
Our opponents sit in 10th spot with 33 points from 27 matches. They've
picked up four points from their last six, courtesy of a home win against
Reading (2-1) and a 2-2 home draw with Wigan. They lost the remaining four
including away defeats at Fulham (1-0), Arsenal (1-0) and Swansea (3-1) and
a home reverse to Chelsea (0-4).
They picked up two players in the winter window, though one of them seems to
have gone missing in the post, or possibly he's using the West Coast Main
Line to get there. Keeper Jack Butland has been signed on a deal rising to a
possible £3.5m but the 19 year-old will see out the season at St Andrews.
All of which means that one of current first choice Begovic or Sorenson is
likely to be seeking pastures new come the summer.
The other new boy was US international Brek Shea. Shea, whose name suggests
one of those macho type actors who appears in one of those innumerable
spin-off spy shows that Sky seems to fill its schedules with (NCIS
Broadstairs cannot be far away), is something of an artist. Not with the
ball as such but in a slightly more literal sense since he is a painter.
Having had a look at his "Left Foot Studio" website his daubings aren't
exactly my cup of tea but if the football thing doesn't work out the Avram
Grant Rest Home for the Bewildered could do with a lick or two of paint.
He'd have to bring his own ladders though. He's made just the one sub
appearance so far this season since his arrival.
Missing from their defence will be central defender Robert Huth. Huth is a
perennial thug whose recent assault on Fulham's Senderos has bought him a
three match ban. Presumably the disciplinary authorities have mislaid the
details of previous hearings involving, well I hesitate to use the word
"player". Had they looked close enough I'm sure that they will have seen the
words "warned as to his future conduct". Stoke decided not to appeal the ban
for fear of activating the lengthier ban that Huth deserves. "He let himself
down" remarked manager Pulis, presumably referring to Huth's getting caught
on camera rather than the assault itself.
Another one we won't see will be Matt Upson. The ex-Hammer – and another
victim of a cowardly Huth assault – is away at Brighton on loan to the end
of the season whereupon his contract will be up, suggesting that he may
already have played his last game for Stoke.
This will leave Ryan Shawcross as the senior partner in the centre of
defence. Shawcross has the broken legs of at least two opponents on his
record over his career, which, in the eyes of manager Pulis makes him
suitable material for the club captain role. Clearly the concept of
"role-model" is not one that has reached the Potteries then.
Up front, I'm wondering whether Jon Walters has been walking under any of
Brek Shea's ladders or whether it's just the inclusion of the number 13 in
the year. Walters (OG) (to give him his full name) scored twice for Chelsea
in Stoke's 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge and missed a penalty. He also
missed against Fulham last weekend. Still Walters should cheer up – two
goals at Chelsea is better than Torres usually manages. Walters was on
target at the Boleyn earlier this season, though the goal owes more than an
assist to the officials who managed to miss the Potters' usual illegal
tactics at set pieces. Strange that – I mean it's not as if it should come
as a surprise to match officials is it?
Ex-Hammer Matty Etherington is a doubt – a bad back is the word on the
street. That's a "bad back" rather than "backed something bad" as might have
been the case in years gone by. Another doubt is Michael Owen – already a
peripheral player in the Stoke set-up, he has a hip/thigh injury, presumably
gained from poor posture when aiming a punch at Arsenal's Arteta the other
week. Didn't take him long to get the hang of the Stoke way did it?
Us? I thought we were worth a point the other night – only the simian Bale
and the usual lily-livered performance from Howard Webb in refusing to
dismiss Dembele prevented that. We have a number of injury concerns to think
about. Demel has a "knock" which translates as a tight hamstring but might
be ok. Noble's elbow continues to cause concern whilst whatever virus ails
James Tomkins is still bugging him. Notably, Kevin Nolan has a broken toe, a
result of the stamp from Dembele that ought to have seen a straight red on
Monday night. On the brighter side, Linda has been back in training this
week and, if fit, ought to be a better bet than Pogatetz on the left, where
Lennon failed to do anything until the Austrian arrived.
There are two things we need to do here. Firstly (and this is something that
I seem to write for every away game) we need to think about going forward
occasionally. Nobody's saying that we should go out all hell-for-leather and
gung ho, but sitting back and waiting for stuff to happen doesn't work. Ask
Bradford.
The second thing we need to do is keep our composure. There is going to be a
lot going on off the ball and reactions (such as, for example the
understandable but costly kicking of Kebe at Reading last season) will need
to be tempered. The non-appearance of Huth in this respect will be a plus
but they still have a number of players capable of what the tv guys
euphemistically refer to as "the dark arts" so cool heads required all
round.
This is a tough place to get though there is a strange omen – I remember us
getting a late winner up there in the second tier a few years back on the
day that they elected the last Pope. Just as he resigns we play them away
again. Coincidence? Or evidence, perhaps of some strange forces in the
universe beyond the understanding of mere mortals. Coincidence, obviously.
To believe anything else you'd have to be the sort of person who phones up
those hilarious psychic tv channels that some of the old biddies here at the
rest home love to watch (well Marjorie I've spoken with your late departed
Albert and he warns you that you're about to get a really large phone bill
and he hasn't left any money hidden for you to pay it).
Our away form is such that settling for a point at the moment would be an
improvement so, with that in mind I'll be placing the funds that we were
going to bet on that Scottish cardinal to become the next pope (£2.50) on a
1-1 draw.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met at the BritanniaLost 2-1 FA Cup March 2011) The performance
of referee Mike Jones in this one was such a disgrace he ought to have been
banned from football for life. Instead, as usual the FA punished Avram Grant
for mentioning the fact. Meanwhile the dishonest Jones continues to ruin
matches up and down the country.
Referee: Jon Moss. Culture Club drummer last seen handling our 2-1 defeat up
at Wigan. Will need to be a darn sight more aware of his responsibilities
than Webb was on Monday.
Danger Man:Jon Walters – top scorer and if you're ever in the middle of a
bad run we're usually the ones to be playing.
Daft Fact Of The Week: Whilst looking for something vaguely interesting
about the cultural vacuum that is Stoke On Trent I happened across the
following rant from the "knowhere" website (Ed's note: Stoke fans please
note that these views are not necessarily ours before you get all upset –
we're just reprinting them because, well they're funny!):
" Where to start? Me and my girlfriend came to Stoke to study at Uni, and
have spent nearly 2 years here. We are moving (finally!), as far away from
this f***ing shithole as possible. 1st. The people. The majority of the
people in Stoke are stupid, ignorant, illiterate, fat, sweaty, obnoxious
mother f***ers. The rest are just the same but to a lesser degree. They have
no get up and go, other wise they would have gotten their arses out of here
a long time ago. They obsess over oatcakes (taste like shit), pottery (100
years ago, move on), football (both Stoke and Port Vale are fucking wank),
Robbie (twat), and just how good they think the area is. Wake up!! No
business in their right mind would move here, and they don't, the people are
too fucking idle to get of their arses and work.
2nd. The area. Instead of Stoke being the city centre, it is actually
Hanley. What the f***?!!! Stoke is home to some of the biggest slums in
Europe, mainly Burslem (ghost town), Chell Heath (the Marines need to go in
and just massacre everyone there. Every person in that place is a worthless
piece of shit), etc, etc. I have never seen so little green anywhere before.
When you drive back to Stoke from anywhere else, I swear that it actually
gets greyer.
The Council. WORST COUNCIL IN THE U.K. (actually voted the worst council in
the U.K). Absolutely f***ing useless. The people on the end of the phone
struggle to put sentences together, the most unprofessional organization I
have ever dealt with. Actually managed to charge us for two properties at
the same time. Official letters were riddled with spelling mistakes, grammar
f*** ups, etc. They struggle to even empty the bins properly, and they are
one of, if not the only council in the whole of the U.K. not to recycle. The
roads are in a f***ing terrible condition, half paved in some areas. They
got a grant from the government, but instead of spending it actually doing
the area up, they decided to erect shite sculptures everywhere. Idiots. It
is no wonder businesses are leaving here faster than you can say, "f***ing
Stokies".
Services. The bus station is a slum, a prime location for all of the inbred
genetic retards to hang out in. Satuday night in Hanley is shit. It is O.K
on a Monday, but that is because the majority of people up there on Monday
are students (who are not from Stoke). Every other night, it consists of
twats running around, trying to mate with the fat pigs around here they call
women.
Conclusion. Do not move here. Do not visit. If you can drive around it, do.
It may take a bit more time, but it'll be worth it. I would even consider
erecting a fence, 12 foot or above, so that no one can get in, and more
importantly, no Stokies can get out.
Clearly the Stoke On Trent head of tourism isn't that happy in his work. NB
There are replies on the "knowhere" website that were even funnier but 1000
words of semi-literate text speak were just too difficult to post even if we
hadn't been laughing uncontrollably at the time!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald braced for Stoke test
Last Updated: March 1, 2013 1:34pm
SSN
West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald is braced for a tough encounter
against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers, who lost on
Monday night to a last-gasp Gareth Bale strike in the 3-2 defeat by
Tottenham, are looking to bounce back from that disappointment. But Sam
Allardyce's men have just eight points from 13 away games all season and
have lost their last five on the road in the Premier League. And McDonald,
who assumed pre-match media duties in the absence of Allardyce, knows the
visitors will have to be switched on throughout the game. "It's a stern
test," said McDonald. "I think they're very well organised. They're quite
direct with the way they play, into the forwards, then knocking it down and
getting it wide. "We have to deal with crosses, we have to deal with
knock-downs as well. Hopefully with our game and our game plan we can give
them a little bit of a test as well. "We're looking forward to the game and
we're trying to put right what we haven't done over the last four or five
away games." Stoke have one win in five matches and McDonald hopes the
Hammers can extend the hosts' poor run, having pushed high-flying Tottenham
close on Monday night only for Gareth Bale to score twice to seal a 3-2
victory for his side at Upton Park. McDonald added: "You always have to take
something positive. Apart from Gareth Bale on Monday scoring two goals we've
acquitted ourselves really well against a top-four team. "If we do that away
from home, we've got every chance of getting a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke home form provides tough test for poor travellers West Ham
Last Updated: March 1, 2013 12:39pm
SSN
Stoke City will look to exploit their strength at home and West Ham United's
weakness on the road when Sam Allardyce's side visit the Britannia Stadium
on Saturday. Stoke have lost only once on their own patch so far this season
and can be confident of preserving that record against a West Ham team that
have lost nine games and won only twice away from Upton Park in 2012-13.
That includes five consecutive away defeats, in which the Londoners have
conceded 14 goals - almost three per game. However, there are reasons to be
believe they can get a result. Firstly, Allardyce's men looked good for long
periods of their 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night and
would have got a draw, if not a win, had it not been for two individual
goals from Gareth Bale. And the manager can also point to the fact that, on
paper, Stoke are in the same poor form as his own team, with both sides
having lost five of their last seven matches. But he will also be instilling
into his players the fact that they are now only six points above the
relegation zone and while do not appear to be in immediate danger, a
continuation of their poor form could see them dragged into a battle against
the drop. Stoke, on the other hand, have been cut adrift in the chase for
European qualification and will instead be concentrating on collecting
enough points to consolidate their place in the top 10 come the end of the
season. They will also be conscious of the need to turn draws into wins,
having been held in 12 of their 27 league games so far this season.
Stoke City
Last 6
1-0
2-1
1-0
2-2
0-1
3-1
Stoke will be missing Robert Huth as the centre-back begins the three-match
suspension handed to him earlier this week by the FA relating to an incident
in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Fulham, where he caught Philippe Senderos in
the face with his forearm. Marc Wilson or Geoff Cameron will cover in the
middle of defence alongside skipper Ryan Shawcross. Midfielder Steven Nzonzi
will be wearing a protective face mask if he features having broken his nose
at Craven Cottage, while winger Matthew Etherington (back) and striker
Michael Owen (thigh) will undergo late fitness tests.
West Ham
Last 6
2-3
2-1
1-0
3-1
5-1
1-1
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan is out of the game at the Britannia Stadium
with a broken toe. A foot injury was exacerbated in Monday's 3-2 loss to
Tottenham and West Ham hope his absence will be temporary, while his fellow
midfielder Mark Noble is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the
Spurs loss.
Guy Demel is fit despite going off in the latter stages of the loss to
Tottenham, while George McCartney (knee) is continuing his comeback and is
unlikely to feature.
Opta Facts
West Ham's Jussi Jääskeläinen has made more saves in the Premier League than
any other goalkeeper this season (109).
Premier League games between Stoke and West Ham have averaged only 2.1 goals
per game.
Just one of Stoke's 26 league goals this season have been scored from
outside the area; a low for the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam sets Hammers survival target
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 01st March 2013
SAM ALLARDYCE hopes he can discover the joy of six as West Ham make a sprint
for safety. Hammers boss Big Sam believes another six points will guarantee
Premier League survival. But he heads to Stoke today still harbouring
ambitions of breaking into the top half of the table in the club's first
season back in the top flight — even though they are only four places above
the drop zone. Monday's 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham left Hammers in 14th
place on 30 points.
But Allardyce's No 2 Neil McDonald in- sisted: "We might be only six points
away from relegation but we might also be only six points away from being
safe — 36-40 is the magic mark so we are not that far away. "We have still
got plenty of time to get those points. "If we can pick up some points away
from home, along with the form we've shown at home, I am sure we will be
fine."
"There is a positive staff at Upton Park, we are always looking on the up.
If you look back over the years, as a newly promoted team you would still be
happy with West Ham's position. "Publically the objective is to stay in the
league but privately we set a target from which we are not too far away."
West Ham go to the Potteries having lost their last six games away from
Upton Park. But McDonald added: "We've always looked up the table this
season and we've always tried to get into the top 10. "And with a good
result at Stoke we can push ourselves a little bit closer to that. "Our away
form hasn't been as good as we would have liked whereas our home form has
been really, really good — even though we've lost a couple. "We must address
our away form as quickly as we possibly can to pick up points. We need to do
that at Stoke. We've got to be a little tighter and a bit more physical away
from home and make sure we try and keep a clean sheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke v West Ham team news: Huth banned while Nolan's toe keeps him out
The Mirror
1 Mar 2013 11:43
Stoke will be missing Robert Huth in tomorrow's Barclays Premier League home
clash with West Ham as the centre-back begins the three-match suspension
handed to him earlier this week by the Football Association. Huth will serve
the ban after accepting a violent conduct charge from the FA relating to an
incident in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Fulham, where he caught Philippe
Senderos in the face with his forearm. Either Marc Wilson or Geoff Cameron,
both of whom usually play at full-back for the Potters, is set to cover in
the middle of defence alongside skipper Ryan Shawcross. Midfielder Steven
Nzonzi will be wearing a protective face mask if he features having broken
his nose in the match at Craven Cottage, while winger Matthew Etherington
(back) and striker Michael Owen (thigh) will undergo late fitness tests. For
West Ham, captain Kevin Nolan is out of tomorrow's game with a broken toe. A
foot injury was exacerbated in Monday's 3-2 loss to Tottenham and West Ham
hope his absence will be temporary, while his fellow midfielder Mark Noble
is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the Spurs loss. Guy Demel
is fit despite going off in the latter stages of the loss to Tottenham,
while George McCartney (knee) is continuing his comeback and is unlikely to
feature.
Stoke squad : Begovic, Sorensen, Cameron, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Whelan,
Nzonzi, Walters, Kightly, Etherington, Jones, Whitehead, Crouch, Jerome,
Adam, Palacios, Shotton, Shea, Wilson.
West Ham squad : Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, Reid, Tomkins, Collins, Pogatetz,
O'Brien, Demel, Jarvis, J Cole, Noble, Diame, O'Neil, Collison, Taylor,
Diarra, C Cole, Vaz Te, Carroll, Maiga, Chamakh.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
All the team news and background information ahead of Saturday's trip to the
Britannia Stadium
01.03.2013
STOKE CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 2 MARCH 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: JON MOSS
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Stoke City hoping to end a horrible run of form
on the road in the Barclays Premier League. The Hammers have lost their
previous five away matches since drawing 0-0 at West Bromwich Albion on 16
December. Overall, West Ham have won two, drawn two and lost nine of their
13 previous away league games.
• Stoke's away form has also not been great, with the Potters having lost
their previous four away league matches. However, that will be irrelevant as
their form at the Britannia Stadium has been good this season, where they
have lost just once in 13 league games.
• West Ham start the weekend in 14th - their lowest position of the season.
The Hammers dropped one place following Monday's 3-2 home defeat by
Tottenham Hotspur. Stoke remained tenth, despite going down to a 1-0 defeat
at Fulham on Saturday.
• A 2-0 victory for the Hammers would take them above their hosts on
goals-scored. Fulham, Norwich City and Newcastle United are all away from
home on Saturday and, should results go West Ham's way and they pick up
three points, Sam Allardyce's team could rise to tenth. Should Stoke win,
they would remain tenth.
• The two clubs have met just seven times in the Barclays Premier League,
with West Ham United winning three, Stoke City winning two and two ending in
draws.
Team news
West Ham United
• Big Sam could be without captain Kevin Nolan (toe) and his fellow
midfielder Mark Noble (arm). Nolan was injured in Monday's defeat by Spurs,
while Noble was hurt in training the previous week and missed that fixture.
• Right-back Guy Demel was forced off late on in Monday's game with a tight
hamstring, but could be fit to start at the Britannia Stadium.
• Left-back George McCartney has returned to training following a knee
ligament injury.
• James Tomkins missed Monday's defeat with a virus and is struggling to
shake off the effects of his illness in time for the trip to Stoke.
• Alou Diarra (Stade Rennais), Rob Hall, Ravel Morrison (Birmingham City)
and Stephen Henderson (Ipswich Town) are all out on loan.
Stoke City
• Germany defender Robert Huth starts a three-match ban after being found
guilty by the FA of violent conduct in last Saturday's defeat at Fulham.
• Left winger Matthew Etherington is rated as '50-50' to shrug off a back
injury by Stoke manager Tony Pulis.
• Former England striker Michael Owen missed last Saturday's defeat at
Fulham with a thigh strain but could return on Saturday.
• Former Hammers captain Matthew Upson (Brighton and Hove Albion), Danny
Higginbotham (Sheffield United), Matthew Lund (Southend United), Rory Delap
(Barnsley), Florent Cuvelier (Walsall), Jermaine Pennant (Wolverhampton
Wanderers), Maurice Edu (Bursaspor) and Mamady Sidibe (Tranmere Rovers) are
all out on loan.
Last time out
West Ham United
• West Ham United suffered a frustrating evening on Monday, when a late
Gareth Bale rocket secured a 3-2 Barclays Premier League victory for
Tottenham Hotspur at the Boleyn Ground. Bale had earlier given Spurs the
lead before Andy Carroll's well-struck penalty levelled things up before
half-time. Joe Cole then put West Ham ahead on 58 minutes and Matt Taylor
was denied by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris before substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson
bundled in a 76th-minute equaliser. It was then left to Bale to settle
matters, lashing an unstoppable 30-yard shot high into Jussi Jaaskelainen's
top corner.
West Ham United 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Premier League
Monday 25 February 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (Pogatetz 72), O'Brien, Reid, Collins,
Diame (Collison 84), Nolan (Taylor 36), O'Neil, Jarvis, J.Cole, Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, Chamakh, C.Cole, Vaz Te
Goals: Carroll 25 (pen), J.Cole 58
Stoke City
• Stoke City suffered their fourth consecutive away Barclays Premier League
defeat, going down to a 1-0 loss at Fulham on Saturday. Bulgarian forward
Dimitar Berbatov settled matters with a sublime volley into the top corner
on the stroke of half-time. Robert Huth escaped punishment after appearing
to elbow Philippe Senderos, but has since been handed a three-match ban for
violent conduct by the FA.
Last meeting
• West Ham missed out on the opportunity to move up to fifth in the Barclays
Premier League after being held to a draw by Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground
on Monday 19 November 2012. The Potters took a first-half lead when Republic
of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters converted from a well-worked corner
routine on 12 minutes. As the interval approached, Steven N'Zonzi rattled
the crossbar with a long-range shot. West Ham improved after half-time,
though, and deservedly equalised three minutes after the break courtesy of
Joey O'Brien's first ever Premier League goal. The Hammers dominated the
remainder of the game, with Modibo Maiga, Gary O'Neil, Guy Demel and Winston
Reid all coming close to netting a winner.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Demel 77), Reid, Tomkins, McCartney,
Noble, Diame, Maiga (Taylor 86), Nolan, O'Neil, Carroll (C.Cole 86)
Subs not used: Spiegel, Spence, Hall, Collins
Goal: O'Brien 48
Stoke City: Begovic, Huth, Wilkinson (Shotton 32), Shawcross, Cameron,
Whelan (Palacios 62), Walters, Adam, Etherington (Kightly 74), Nzonzi,
Crouch
Subs not used: Sorensen, Jerome, Jones, Upson
Background
• Saturday's game will be the 84th competitive meeting between West Ham
United and Stoke City. West Ham have won 33, Stoke 30 and there have been 20
draws.
• Stoke are considered to be the second-oldest professional football club in
the world behind Notts County. Formed in 1863, the Potters were also one of
the 12 founding members of the Football League in 1888.
• West Ham first faced Stoke in a Southern League First Division match at
the Boleyn Ground on 16 December 1911. The Potters won the game 4-3 with
William Kennedy (two) and Tom Randall on target for the Hammers.
• West Ham's biggest home and away wins over Stoke City both occurred during
the 1957/58 season. Vic Keeble bagged a hat-trick in a 5-0 Division Two
victory at the Boleyn Ground on 6 November 1957. Keeble also scored twice in
the reverse fixture - a 4-1 win at the Victoria Ground the following March.
The Hammers would go onto be promoted to Division One at the season's end.
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
19 November 2012 - West Ham United 1-1 Stoke City
13 March 2011 - Stoke City 2-1 West Ham United (FA Cup sixth round)
5 March 2011 - West Ham United 3-0 Stoke City
27 October 2010 - West Ham United 3-1 Stoke City (Carling Cup fourth round)
18 September 2010 - Stoke City 1-1 West Ham United
27 March 2010 - West Ham United 0-1 Stoke City
Overall record v Stoke City (all competitions) W 33 D 20 L 30
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Stoke City
2011/12 Premier League 14th (45 points)
2010/11 Premier League 13th (46 points)
2009/10 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2008/09 Premier League 12th (45 points)
2007/08 Championship 2nd (79 points - promoted to the Premier League)
2006/07 Championship 8th (73 points)
2005/06 Championship 13th (58 points)
2004/05 Championship 12th (61 points)
2003/04 Division One 11th (66 points)
2002/03 Division One 21st (50 points)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Jon Moss.
• Moss will take charge of his second West Ham United fixture of 2012/13,
having previously been the referee for the 2-1 Barclays Premier League
defeat at Wigan Athletic on 27 October last year.
• Headteacher Moss was promoted to the Select Group of Referees in June
2011.
• He initially progressed through the Northern Counties East League and
Northern Premier League before being promoted to the National Group of
Assistant Referees in 2003.
• He took charge of the 2005 Conference Play-Off final between Carlisle
United and Stevenage and was then promoted to the National Group of
Referees.
• In 22 fixtures this season, Moss has shown 61 yellow cards and sent-off
one player.
• On Saturday, Moss will be assisted by Richard West and Peter Bankes, while
the Fourth official will be Stuart Attwell.
Old boys
• Stoke City winger Matthew Etherington made 195 appearances for West Ham
between August 2003 and January 2009, scoring 18 goals. He joined the
Potters on 8 January 2009, having moved to the Boleyn Ground from Tottenham
Hotspur five-and-a-half years previously.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Clive Clarke,
Bob Dixon, Sir Geoff Hurst, Lawrie Leslie, Nicky Morgan, Henri Camara and
Frank Richardson.
General information
• Tickets for the match will be available on the day of the game from away
turnstile 50 (cash only) at the Britannia Stadium. Click here for full
information.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a cloudy day in the Potteries, with the
temperature at 3pm expected to be around 6C (43F).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Baxter back in action
WHUFC.com
U18s goalkeeper Sam Baxter is fit again and hoping to earn his first
professional contact
01.03.2013
Sam Baxter was born to be a goalkeeper. Standing well over six-foot tall at
the age of 18, the Essex-born scholar has the build and frame of a
stereotypical goalkeeper. It would therefore come as no surprise to anyone
that he has always been the one to pull on the gloves, throughout his
career. "I played for Hadleigh Town, a Sunday League team where I live, and
somebody I knew contacted the Academy goalkeeper coach Jerome John and he
watched me play. He was obviously happy with what he saw as I joined West
Ham as an Under-15! "I've always been a goalkeeper. I'm too big and gangly
to play on pitch, so I was stuck in goal! It is good. I enjoy playing in
goal. Being the last line of defence and saving the day is as good as
scoring a goal. I can be the hero in every game."
The stopper will hope to be the hero again when West Ham United head to
Tottenham Hotspur's Enfield Training Centre for a Barclays U18 Premier
League Tier One fixture on Saturday morning. The match will be the third
meeting between the two sides since Christmas, with the Hammers winning the
reverse league fixture on 12 January before going down to an FA Cup
fourth-round defeat at the Boleyn Ground ten days later. Baxter, who labels
Joe Hart and David De Gea as his two favourite senior goalkeepers, was
awarded a two-year scholarship in 2011 and battled Jake Larkins for the No1
jersey in the Under-18s last season. This term, with Larkins now a
professional, he has established himself as the youth team's first-choice
stopper and started the Barclays U21 Premier League Group 1 fixtures against
West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers in November, only for injury to
halt his progress. Baxter snapped a tendon his finger in the warm-up ahead
of the U21 fixture at Norwich City a week before Christmas, ruling him out
for more than two months. "It started really well for me. I went to Russia
and Belgium in pre-season and played well and nailed down the No1 spot in
the youth team. I started a couple of games for the Under-21s and in the FA
Youth Cup at Aldershot, but then a couple of injuries have meant I haven't
played since around Christmas. "I was very pleased with how the start of the
season went. Now I just want to get back and kick-on again. It's all better
now, so hopefully I can start playing again. I dislocated a finger on my
other hand at about the same stage of last season, so I've been a bit
unlucky with them. My fingers are my trade, so I have to look after them and
make sure they are right."
Now he is approaching full fitness, Baxter will not be taking any chances
with his fingers between now and the end of his scholarship. "I strap up
every finger before every game as a precaution. It doesn't stop every injury
from happening, but it does make your hands stronger." The tall teenager is
now targeting regaining his place in the Under-18s and further Development
Squad starts before the end of the season. "I'd like to get back to playing
regularly and, if I do and I am playing well, I want to get back into the
Development Squad like I was before Christmas. I'd also like to keep some
clean sheets as well, as I didn't keep too many before Christmas!"
As a lifelong Hammer, Baxter knows it has been a while since the club
brought through a goalkeeper to the first team. At the age of 18, he knows
his time may still be some way off, but is determined to be the next stopper
to graduate with honours from the Academy of Football. "Usually clubs like
goalkeepers with experience and you don't really see goalies making their
debuts until they are 21 or 22. I'd go out on loan to any club to gain some
experience and then hopefully, if I ever get a chance at West Ham, I can
take it. "My No1 aim is to get another year, at least, and to continue
working hard to improve and see where it takes me. I hope to get some
Development Squad games here or go on loan - whatever the club has got
planned for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We need points on the board'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Joey O'Brien is looking to turn performances into
points at Stoke City
01.03.2013
With just three games ahead of West Ham United in March, defender Joey
O'Brien is keen to make use of each and every opportunity to increase the
east Londoners' points tally. Sam Allardyce's men travel to Stoke City on
Saturday, aiming to record their first away Barclays Premier League victory
of 2013.
The Hammers were denied a hard-fought point by Gareth Bale's final minute
scorcher for Tottenham Hotspur last Monday night and 27-year-old O'Brien
wants to make up for that late sucker punch at the Britannia Stadium. He
told West Ham TV: "It's a massive game for us, especially as we were
disappointed with the result against Spurs, so we're looking to go to Stoke
and get three points. "The performance was alright on Monday night, but it's
a results business we're in and that's what the manager was saying to us
after the game. It doesn't really matter if you're playing well if you're
not getting points on the board. "We have 30 points at the moment and we
need to put more on the board as soon as possible. Saturday gives us the
chance to do that so hopefully we can take some up there."
O'Brien believes the way for the Hammers to improve their away record is to
make sure they remain solid and give nothing away at the back. "It's hard
going away from home in the Premier League and we've found it tough this
year on the road," he continued. "We're going there to get a clean sheet and
from there hopefully we can push on, create chances and get three points.
"We have to improve away from home, and from my point of view as a defender
we want to be as solid as we can be. We've been letting in a lot of goals in
the last few games and that's been disappointing. "We scored two against
Spurs, but we conceded three and if you keep on doing that you'll be in
trouble."
O'Brien broke his top flight scoring duck when he netted the Hammers'
equaliser in their 1-1 draw with Stoke at the Boleyn Ground in November,
although he admits that he would trade that strike for a three-point haul in
the Potteries. He recalled: "Earlier on in the season, in the first half
they did a number on us and played really well. We upped our game after
half-time and probably should have gone on to win the game. It was a good
night for me personally, I scored my first goal in the Premier League, but
hopefully somebody can get a couple of goals on Saturday and we can get
three points - that would be even better! "They have been around in the top
flight a while now. They have some quality players and the manager Tony
Pulis has done a great job with them. The place will be rocking, it's a hard
place to go and play football. The fans give them great support and get the
players up. "The game is always played at a high tempo there, but we're all
up for it and hopefully we can get the result. If we can start well and
maybe get an early goal, make them a little nervous, the crowd might not be
as loud and vocal for them. "We haven't really started well in the last
three games away from home. We need to start well on Saturday, that's
important for us, to get a foothold in the game and create chances from
there."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Development Squad 0-0 Man Utd FT
The Development Squad earn a valauble point in a goalless draw with
Manchester United
WHUFC.com
01.03.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v MANCHESTER UNITED
BARCLAYS U21 PREMIER LEAGUE ELITE GROUP STAGE
FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: CARL FITCH
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Final score - West Ham United U21s 0-0 Manchester United U21s
90+3 - A clumsy challenge from Shaw hands the visitors one final chance to
put a ball in the box. Larkins bustles through the crowd to gather and there
goes the final whistle. A really professional showing from Haycock's young
men, who were resilient when they needed to be and never looked overly
troubled at the back. It's most certainly a valuable point gained and next
up it's off to Altrincham on Wednesday for the reverse fixture.
90 mins - Into the final minute here and West Ham are at least in the
visitors' half, right where they want to be. Spence has it in the corner but
his pass to Turgott drifts out of play. There will be two additional
minutes.
88 mins - McGinty has the beating of Turgott but with a whole host of white
shirts awaiting the cross, the full-back overcooks it and it sails over
everyone. Waste.
86 mins - Neither side are settling for the point here, but after Tuesday's
late collapse at Wolves, the Hammers will surely, at the very least, be
intent on protecting what they have. The visitors win a corner but there are
plenty of West Ham bodies to clear the danger.
83 mins - Here goes Lee down the right. He does brilliantly to cut inside
the full-back before measuring a centre to the back stick. McCallum and
Bywater are both looking to get on the end of it, but it takes a touch of a
Man United head and the chance has gone.
82 mins - It's Manchester United, however, who go close again, as Lingard
curls a free-kick just wide of Larkins' left-hand post. The Hammers stopper
was scrambling for a moment there.
79 mins - There's a double swap here for Haycock's side as Paulista and
Nasha make way for Kieran Bywater and Paul McCallum. An attacking change,
that, from the Hammers boss, who clearly has his eye on all three points.
McCallum was prolific in the competition's first phase, netting six times in
just eleven starts and here's hoping he can make a similarly telling
contribution in this evening's latter stages.
77 mins - Turgott slips it into Moncur who in turn fizzes it into the near
post. Seb Lletget has made the run and slides in, only to be denied by brave
goalkeeping as Amos smothers once more.
74 mins - West Ham look to counter but Lee plays it behind Turgott, who
cannot adjust his feet quickly enough before falling to earth. Manchester
United nearly make the most of the Hammers' carelessness as Lingard does
well to give Schlupp a sight of goal, who unleashes a firm strike which
flies narrowly wide of Larkins' near post.
71 mins - Manchester United are bossing it in terms of possession now, but
are not really making their dominance tell. The visitors make their first
change of the evening, as Tom Lawrence replaces Januzaj.
69 mins - Not much to report at the moment, it looks like the first goal
will settle this one, if indeed it arrives at all.
66 mins - Paulista is putting in a real shift here, but it's largely to no
avail. Full-back Vermijl does well to get to the byline, but the final ball
is a waste as it sails behind Larkins' goal.
63 mins - Meanwhile, Lee, who has barely had a sight of goal thus far, picks
the ball up and tries his luck with a measured drive, some 25 yards from
goal. Amos barely has to move as he makes the regulation stop.
61 mins - Larkins rescues the Hammers here, as McGinty's cross picks out
Lingard at the back post. He volleys goalward and Larkins flings himself to
his right, to palm the bally away from the bottom corner.
59 mins - Schlupp gets away from Ruddock, who then races back to deny him a
shot on goal. It's a strong, if fair challenge and penalty appeals are waved
away by Mr Fitch.
57 mins - Spence is in space again on the right and this time his cross is a
dangerous one. It's ricocheted into the path of Paulista but Amos always
looks favourite and dives off his line to smother.
55 mins - At the other end, Sean McGinty gets his head to a right-wing
corner, but it's rather tame and straight at Larkins.
53 mins - The Hammers enjoy a brief foray into the visitors' half. The ball
eventually comes out to Spence, whose cross hangs high in the night sky
before being gathered by Amos. Confident goalkeeping.
50 mins - Brilliant defending there from the exceptional Ruddock. He throws
himself in front of Januzaj, to block the No10's goal-bound drive. It
cannons off the former Boreham Wood defender and out of harm's way.
48 mins - Manchester United are seeing plenty of the ball but it's all front
of West Ham's back four. The Hammers are disciplined and well organised and
snuff out the danger.
46 mins - We're back underway here at the Boleyn Ground and hoping for a
more eventful second half.
45 mins- There will be one additional minute at the end of a disappointing
half. That minute comes ago without anything of note, as referee Carl Fitch
brings the first 45 to a close. Competitive but perhaps short of quality in
the final third. Goalless.
44 mins - As half-time approaches, it's difficult to see where a goal is
coming from. Turgott takes aim from distance but screws his effort wide. In
truth, neither 'keeper has been tested nearly enough.
41 mins - Turgott shows his pace down the right, but with precious little to
aim for in the middle his cross is easily deal with. Meanwhile, some neat
football comes to an abrupt end as Paulista fails in his attempt to pick out
Moncur.
39 mins - Manchester United having their best spell of the game here.
Larkins comes off his line to collect a left-wing cross, inadvertently
giving Dan Potts a whack in the process.
36 mins - Another opportunity comes and goes for the visitors. This time
it's Schlupp who races down the left and rolls it into the path of Adnan
Januzaj. The No10 should really do better from no more than 12 yards but
skies his effort well over the bar.
35 mins - There's danger here for the hosts, as Veseli squares it to
Lingard. Lingard gets his shot away and Larkins looks worried as it dribbles
wide.
32 mins - Ruddock dispossesses Larnell Cole and then drives purposefully
across the halfway line. He slips it into the path of Wellington, but it's
slightly behind him and he's crowded out on the touchline.
30 mins - Paulista plays it into Lee, who attacks the full-back, before
fizzing it low into the box. Paulista is hovering dangerously, but a
Manchester United boot ensures he doesn't get there.
27 mins - Nick Haycock will, no doubt, be very impressed with what he has
seen thus far. The Hammers are in the final third once more, but Lletget is
unable to get any purchase on his strike from the edge of the box and Amos
gathers.
24 mins - West Ham very nearly ahead. Lee plays it into Paulista, who
controls on his thigh, before driving across the face of goal. Amos is at
full-stretch as the strike goes agonisingly wide of the far post.
23 mins - Elliot Lee turns very neatly before popping it off to Shaw. Sadly,
it comes to nothing, as Shaw's return ball is too strong. At the other end,
a counter attack ends with Schlupp screwing a drive harmlessly wide.
21 mins - Turgott engineers room for a cross, but it's not the best and
behind the West Ham bodies in the box. Still, Nick Haycock's men are
certainly the more threatening.
19 mins - West Ham win yet another free-kick, as Paulista this time is
fouled. It looks to be overhit and the visitors head clear. The Hammers are
knocking on the door here.
16 mins - Jordan Spence making inroads down the Manchester United left.
Turgott volleys it into the path of Lletget who, from an acute angle,
volleys into the side netting. Chance.
14 mins - Sebastian Lletget wins a free-kick out wide and again it's Moncur
standing over the dead ball. His delivery is excellent, as he crashes it
toward the near post. Paulista makes the run, but again it's well defended.
12 mins - Jeffery Schlupp chases a through ball down the left flank. Pelly
Ruddock, however, is on hand to shepherd the ball behind. Quiet start, it
has to be said.
10 mins - West Ham keeping the ball very nicely, until Shaw tries to play it
into Paulista. The Brazilian is unable to control and it rolls through to
Amos.
8 mins - Wellington Paulista tries an ambitious effort from all of 40 yards.
Ben Amos, however, is alive to the danger and collects easily enough.
6 mins - West Ham win a free-kick on the near side. George Moncur whips it
in and the visitors do well to head it clear. There's a scramble in the box,
before Manchester United are awarded a free-kick.
4 mins - Manchester United having marginally the better of the opening
exchanges. Frederic Veseli tries his luck from 20 yards and his drive
flashes past Larkins' left-hand upright.
3 mins - Marnick Vermijl runs at Dan Potts but the Hammers youngster does
well to get in a toe to put it behind for a corner. The resulting corner is
headed up in the air by Frazer Shaw, before West Ham, eventually clear their
lines.
1 mins - It's the Hammers who get us underway, playing towards the Sir
Trevor Brooking Stand in this first half. Larnell Cole crosses from the far
side but it's easily gathered by Jake Larkins.
18:57pm - The players are out and there's a very respectable crowd in this
evening. In the absence of skipper Callum Driver, Jordan Spence will captain
the Hammers.
18:40pm - The teams are in and, as expected, Blair Turgott, on his return
from Bradford City, goes straight back into the first XI. Elsewhere, Frazer
Shaw replaces Ricardo Gardner at left-back.
West Ham United U21s: Larkins, Spence, Shaw, Nasha, Potts, Ruddock, Turgott,
Moncur, Paulista, Lletget, Lee. Subs: Bywater, Baxter, McCallum, Miles,
Onariase.
Manchester United U21s: Amos, Vermijl, McGinty, Veseli, Thorpe, Fornasier,
Cole, Ekangamene, Schlupp, Januzaj, Lingard. Subs: Blackett, Sutherland,
Lawrence, Van Velsen, James.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for this evening's Barclays
Under-21 Premier League Elite Group clash featuring West Ham United and
Manchester United.
Nick Haycock's Development Squad head into tonight's fixture hoping for an
upturn in fortunes, having been edged out by both Southampton and
Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last two outings.
The Hammers welcome back Blair Turgott and Paul McCallum from their loans at
Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon respectively, both of whom are included in
this evening's matchday squad. The pair have netted eight times between them
for the U21s this term, prior to joining their npower League Two clubs.
Turgott helped Bradford City to reach the Capital One Cup final and was on
the bench at Wembley in last Sunday's 5-0 defeat by Aston Villa. McCallum
enjoyed a fine time at Wimbledon, being nominated for the npower League Two
Player of the Month award for January after scoring four goals in four
games.
Manchester United, meanwhile, visit east London on the back of Monday's
hard-fought 1-0 win over ten-man Liverpool at Langtree Park. Italian
defender Michele Fornasier settled an ill-tempered affair, firing home from
close range in second-half injury time.
Warren Joyce's side sit a point above West Ham in fourth, having collected
seven points from their four Elite Group fixtures.
We will have team news for you shortly, while there will be live text
updates from kick-off at 7pm.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke v West Ham
KO 15:00
1 March 2013
Last updated at 12:40
By Alistair Mann
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Britannia Stadium Date: Saturday, 2 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Stoke's Robert Huth begins a three-game ban, while Matthew Etherington and
Michael Owen will undergo fitness tests on respective back and thigh
problems.
Midfielder Steven Nzonzi could play wearing a protective mask, having broken
his nose against Fulham.
West Ham will be without captain Kevin Nolan, who has a broken toe. Mark
Noble is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the Spurs defeat,
but Guy Demel has overcome an injury sustained in that game.
MATCH PREVIEW
This is a meeting of two sides whose impressive work in the first half of
the season has offset their enormous disappointments so far in the second.
At the start of this campaign, both teams will have set themselves the
initial aim of the 40-point safety mark - a target they were well on the way
to achieving at the turn of the year. "West Ham have been very average on
the road and they have had some poor results. The same could be said of
Stoke too, and these are two sides that rely on their home form a lot."
Stoke sat on 28 points after 19 games, the Hammers on 26 points after 20,
and both may have allowed themselves the thought of a readjustment upwards
regarding their ultimate final position - but that was before the recent rot
set in. Both will come into this game having earned just four points from
their last seven matches, accentuating the significance of their duel.
Though neither have genuine relegation concerns, residing nine and six
points above the drop zone respectively, their equally alarming blips do
need arresting - and quickly. Scoring goals has remained an issue for both
managers - only QPR have registered fewer than Stoke, while both West Ham
and the Potters share the unwanted distinction as the least prolific clubs
on their travels with just eight apiece. Stoke will therefore be glad they
have home advantage, particularly so as 24 of their 33 points have so far
been accumulated at the Britannia - a venue at which only Chelsea have
managed to gain three points as a visitor. Only eight of the Hammers' 30
points have come on their travels - they're on a current run of eight games
without victory away from Upton Park, suffering five successive reverses in
the process. Everything would seem to point to a home win, yet historically
West Ham have enjoyed their visits to the Potteries, scoring on their last
13 trips there and losing just once in the last seven. Perhaps the wise
money therefore will be on a draw.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Stoke have won just one of their last seven home league matches against West
Ham (W1, D2, L4).
Stoke's 1-1 draw at West Ham in November set a new club record of 16 away
Premier League matches without a win.
Stoke
Stoke have lost just one league match at the Britannia Stadium this season -
against Chelsea in January.
Only Manchester City and Liverpool have kept more clean sheets than Stoke,
but the Potters have now gone nine matches in a row without one.
Stoke have won just one of their last eight league matches (W1, D2, L5).
Only QPR have scored fewer Premier League goals than Stoke this season. The
Potters have failed to score in 11 league matches this season, the
joint-highest total in the top flight.
West Ham
West Ham haven't won away in the league since 11 November, earning just one
point from the last 24 available on the road. Only QPR and Reading have a
worse away record in this season's Premier League.
The Hammers haven't lost six consecutive away games since a Premier League
record-equalling eight-match losing streak from August to December 2006.
They have scored each of their last nine Premier League penalties.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st March 2013
By: Preview Percy
Next it's up the M1 and whichever of the versions of the M6 you prefer to
the Potteries where our hosts will be Stoke City. Kick-off is the
traditional 3.00pm at the Britannia Stadium.
At the time of writing the Avram Grant Rest Home's for the Bewildered's
resident trainspotter is shaking his head muttering something about
"overhead line problems on the West Coast Main Line. While there's a day to
go before the match these things have a habit of taking time to sort out so
don't be surprised if your locomotive isn't in the right place when you turn
up at Euston tomorrow. Worse still they might have run out of supplies of
Gentleman's Relish in the Dining Car. Check before you leave as usual.
Our opponents sit in 10th spot with 33 points from 27 matches. They've
picked up four points from their last six, courtesy of a home win against
Reading (2-1) and a 2-2 home draw with Wigan. They lost the remaining four
including away defeats at Fulham (1-0), Arsenal (1-0) and Swansea (3-1) and
a home reverse to Chelsea (0-4).
They picked up two players in the winter window, though one of them seems to
have gone missing in the post, or possibly he's using the West Coast Main
Line to get there. Keeper Jack Butland has been signed on a deal rising to a
possible £3.5m but the 19 year-old will see out the season at St Andrews.
All of which means that one of current first choice Begovic or Sorenson is
likely to be seeking pastures new come the summer.
The other new boy was US international Brek Shea. Shea, whose name suggests
one of those macho type actors who appears in one of those innumerable
spin-off spy shows that Sky seems to fill its schedules with (NCIS
Broadstairs cannot be far away), is something of an artist. Not with the
ball as such but in a slightly more literal sense since he is a painter.
Having had a look at his "Left Foot Studio" website his daubings aren't
exactly my cup of tea but if the football thing doesn't work out the Avram
Grant Rest Home for the Bewildered could do with a lick or two of paint.
He'd have to bring his own ladders though. He's made just the one sub
appearance so far this season since his arrival.
Missing from their defence will be central defender Robert Huth. Huth is a
perennial thug whose recent assault on Fulham's Senderos has bought him a
three match ban. Presumably the disciplinary authorities have mislaid the
details of previous hearings involving, well I hesitate to use the word
"player". Had they looked close enough I'm sure that they will have seen the
words "warned as to his future conduct". Stoke decided not to appeal the ban
for fear of activating the lengthier ban that Huth deserves. "He let himself
down" remarked manager Pulis, presumably referring to Huth's getting caught
on camera rather than the assault itself.
Another one we won't see will be Matt Upson. The ex-Hammer – and another
victim of a cowardly Huth assault – is away at Brighton on loan to the end
of the season whereupon his contract will be up, suggesting that he may
already have played his last game for Stoke.
This will leave Ryan Shawcross as the senior partner in the centre of
defence. Shawcross has the broken legs of at least two opponents on his
record over his career, which, in the eyes of manager Pulis makes him
suitable material for the club captain role. Clearly the concept of
"role-model" is not one that has reached the Potteries then.
Up front, I'm wondering whether Jon Walters has been walking under any of
Brek Shea's ladders or whether it's just the inclusion of the number 13 in
the year. Walters (OG) (to give him his full name) scored twice for Chelsea
in Stoke's 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge and missed a penalty. He also
missed against Fulham last weekend. Still Walters should cheer up – two
goals at Chelsea is better than Torres usually manages. Walters was on
target at the Boleyn earlier this season, though the goal owes more than an
assist to the officials who managed to miss the Potters' usual illegal
tactics at set pieces. Strange that – I mean it's not as if it should come
as a surprise to match officials is it?
Ex-Hammer Matty Etherington is a doubt – a bad back is the word on the
street. That's a "bad back" rather than "backed something bad" as might have
been the case in years gone by. Another doubt is Michael Owen – already a
peripheral player in the Stoke set-up, he has a hip/thigh injury, presumably
gained from poor posture when aiming a punch at Arsenal's Arteta the other
week. Didn't take him long to get the hang of the Stoke way did it?
Us? I thought we were worth a point the other night – only the simian Bale
and the usual lily-livered performance from Howard Webb in refusing to
dismiss Dembele prevented that. We have a number of injury concerns to think
about. Demel has a "knock" which translates as a tight hamstring but might
be ok. Noble's elbow continues to cause concern whilst whatever virus ails
James Tomkins is still bugging him. Notably, Kevin Nolan has a broken toe, a
result of the stamp from Dembele that ought to have seen a straight red on
Monday night. On the brighter side, Linda has been back in training this
week and, if fit, ought to be a better bet than Pogatetz on the left, where
Lennon failed to do anything until the Austrian arrived.
There are two things we need to do here. Firstly (and this is something that
I seem to write for every away game) we need to think about going forward
occasionally. Nobody's saying that we should go out all hell-for-leather and
gung ho, but sitting back and waiting for stuff to happen doesn't work. Ask
Bradford.
The second thing we need to do is keep our composure. There is going to be a
lot going on off the ball and reactions (such as, for example the
understandable but costly kicking of Kebe at Reading last season) will need
to be tempered. The non-appearance of Huth in this respect will be a plus
but they still have a number of players capable of what the tv guys
euphemistically refer to as "the dark arts" so cool heads required all
round.
This is a tough place to get though there is a strange omen – I remember us
getting a late winner up there in the second tier a few years back on the
day that they elected the last Pope. Just as he resigns we play them away
again. Coincidence? Or evidence, perhaps of some strange forces in the
universe beyond the understanding of mere mortals. Coincidence, obviously.
To believe anything else you'd have to be the sort of person who phones up
those hilarious psychic tv channels that some of the old biddies here at the
rest home love to watch (well Marjorie I've spoken with your late departed
Albert and he warns you that you're about to get a really large phone bill
and he hasn't left any money hidden for you to pay it).
Our away form is such that settling for a point at the moment would be an
improvement so, with that in mind I'll be placing the funds that we were
going to bet on that Scottish cardinal to become the next pope (£2.50) on a
1-1 draw.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met at the BritanniaLost 2-1 FA Cup March 2011) The performance
of referee Mike Jones in this one was such a disgrace he ought to have been
banned from football for life. Instead, as usual the FA punished Avram Grant
for mentioning the fact. Meanwhile the dishonest Jones continues to ruin
matches up and down the country.
Referee: Jon Moss. Culture Club drummer last seen handling our 2-1 defeat up
at Wigan. Will need to be a darn sight more aware of his responsibilities
than Webb was on Monday.
Danger Man:Jon Walters – top scorer and if you're ever in the middle of a
bad run we're usually the ones to be playing.
Daft Fact Of The Week: Whilst looking for something vaguely interesting
about the cultural vacuum that is Stoke On Trent I happened across the
following rant from the "knowhere" website (Ed's note: Stoke fans please
note that these views are not necessarily ours before you get all upset –
we're just reprinting them because, well they're funny!):
" Where to start? Me and my girlfriend came to Stoke to study at Uni, and
have spent nearly 2 years here. We are moving (finally!), as far away from
this f***ing shithole as possible. 1st. The people. The majority of the
people in Stoke are stupid, ignorant, illiterate, fat, sweaty, obnoxious
mother f***ers. The rest are just the same but to a lesser degree. They have
no get up and go, other wise they would have gotten their arses out of here
a long time ago. They obsess over oatcakes (taste like shit), pottery (100
years ago, move on), football (both Stoke and Port Vale are fucking wank),
Robbie (twat), and just how good they think the area is. Wake up!! No
business in their right mind would move here, and they don't, the people are
too fucking idle to get of their arses and work.
2nd. The area. Instead of Stoke being the city centre, it is actually
Hanley. What the f***?!!! Stoke is home to some of the biggest slums in
Europe, mainly Burslem (ghost town), Chell Heath (the Marines need to go in
and just massacre everyone there. Every person in that place is a worthless
piece of shit), etc, etc. I have never seen so little green anywhere before.
When you drive back to Stoke from anywhere else, I swear that it actually
gets greyer.
The Council. WORST COUNCIL IN THE U.K. (actually voted the worst council in
the U.K). Absolutely f***ing useless. The people on the end of the phone
struggle to put sentences together, the most unprofessional organization I
have ever dealt with. Actually managed to charge us for two properties at
the same time. Official letters were riddled with spelling mistakes, grammar
f*** ups, etc. They struggle to even empty the bins properly, and they are
one of, if not the only council in the whole of the U.K. not to recycle. The
roads are in a f***ing terrible condition, half paved in some areas. They
got a grant from the government, but instead of spending it actually doing
the area up, they decided to erect shite sculptures everywhere. Idiots. It
is no wonder businesses are leaving here faster than you can say, "f***ing
Stokies".
Services. The bus station is a slum, a prime location for all of the inbred
genetic retards to hang out in. Satuday night in Hanley is shit. It is O.K
on a Monday, but that is because the majority of people up there on Monday
are students (who are not from Stoke). Every other night, it consists of
twats running around, trying to mate with the fat pigs around here they call
women.
Conclusion. Do not move here. Do not visit. If you can drive around it, do.
It may take a bit more time, but it'll be worth it. I would even consider
erecting a fence, 12 foot or above, so that no one can get in, and more
importantly, no Stokies can get out.
Clearly the Stoke On Trent head of tourism isn't that happy in his work. NB
There are replies on the "knowhere" website that were even funnier but 1000
words of semi-literate text speak were just too difficult to post even if we
hadn't been laughing uncontrollably at the time!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald braced for Stoke test
Last Updated: March 1, 2013 1:34pm
SSN
West Ham assistant manager Neil McDonald is braced for a tough encounter
against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers, who lost on
Monday night to a last-gasp Gareth Bale strike in the 3-2 defeat by
Tottenham, are looking to bounce back from that disappointment. But Sam
Allardyce's men have just eight points from 13 away games all season and
have lost their last five on the road in the Premier League. And McDonald,
who assumed pre-match media duties in the absence of Allardyce, knows the
visitors will have to be switched on throughout the game. "It's a stern
test," said McDonald. "I think they're very well organised. They're quite
direct with the way they play, into the forwards, then knocking it down and
getting it wide. "We have to deal with crosses, we have to deal with
knock-downs as well. Hopefully with our game and our game plan we can give
them a little bit of a test as well. "We're looking forward to the game and
we're trying to put right what we haven't done over the last four or five
away games." Stoke have one win in five matches and McDonald hopes the
Hammers can extend the hosts' poor run, having pushed high-flying Tottenham
close on Monday night only for Gareth Bale to score twice to seal a 3-2
victory for his side at Upton Park. McDonald added: "You always have to take
something positive. Apart from Gareth Bale on Monday scoring two goals we've
acquitted ourselves really well against a top-four team. "If we do that away
from home, we've got every chance of getting a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke home form provides tough test for poor travellers West Ham
Last Updated: March 1, 2013 12:39pm
SSN
Stoke City will look to exploit their strength at home and West Ham United's
weakness on the road when Sam Allardyce's side visit the Britannia Stadium
on Saturday. Stoke have lost only once on their own patch so far this season
and can be confident of preserving that record against a West Ham team that
have lost nine games and won only twice away from Upton Park in 2012-13.
That includes five consecutive away defeats, in which the Londoners have
conceded 14 goals - almost three per game. However, there are reasons to be
believe they can get a result. Firstly, Allardyce's men looked good for long
periods of their 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night and
would have got a draw, if not a win, had it not been for two individual
goals from Gareth Bale. And the manager can also point to the fact that, on
paper, Stoke are in the same poor form as his own team, with both sides
having lost five of their last seven matches. But he will also be instilling
into his players the fact that they are now only six points above the
relegation zone and while do not appear to be in immediate danger, a
continuation of their poor form could see them dragged into a battle against
the drop. Stoke, on the other hand, have been cut adrift in the chase for
European qualification and will instead be concentrating on collecting
enough points to consolidate their place in the top 10 come the end of the
season. They will also be conscious of the need to turn draws into wins,
having been held in 12 of their 27 league games so far this season.
Stoke City
Last 6
1-0
2-1
1-0
2-2
0-1
3-1
Stoke will be missing Robert Huth as the centre-back begins the three-match
suspension handed to him earlier this week by the FA relating to an incident
in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Fulham, where he caught Philippe Senderos in
the face with his forearm. Marc Wilson or Geoff Cameron will cover in the
middle of defence alongside skipper Ryan Shawcross. Midfielder Steven Nzonzi
will be wearing a protective face mask if he features having broken his nose
at Craven Cottage, while winger Matthew Etherington (back) and striker
Michael Owen (thigh) will undergo late fitness tests.
West Ham
Last 6
2-3
2-1
1-0
3-1
5-1
1-1
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan is out of the game at the Britannia Stadium
with a broken toe. A foot injury was exacerbated in Monday's 3-2 loss to
Tottenham and West Ham hope his absence will be temporary, while his fellow
midfielder Mark Noble is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the
Spurs loss.
Guy Demel is fit despite going off in the latter stages of the loss to
Tottenham, while George McCartney (knee) is continuing his comeback and is
unlikely to feature.
Opta Facts
West Ham's Jussi Jääskeläinen has made more saves in the Premier League than
any other goalkeeper this season (109).
Premier League games between Stoke and West Ham have averaged only 2.1 goals
per game.
Just one of Stoke's 26 league goals this season have been scored from
outside the area; a low for the Premier League.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam sets Hammers survival target
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 01st March 2013
SAM ALLARDYCE hopes he can discover the joy of six as West Ham make a sprint
for safety. Hammers boss Big Sam believes another six points will guarantee
Premier League survival. But he heads to Stoke today still harbouring
ambitions of breaking into the top half of the table in the club's first
season back in the top flight — even though they are only four places above
the drop zone. Monday's 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham left Hammers in 14th
place on 30 points.
But Allardyce's No 2 Neil McDonald in- sisted: "We might be only six points
away from relegation but we might also be only six points away from being
safe — 36-40 is the magic mark so we are not that far away. "We have still
got plenty of time to get those points. "If we can pick up some points away
from home, along with the form we've shown at home, I am sure we will be
fine."
"There is a positive staff at Upton Park, we are always looking on the up.
If you look back over the years, as a newly promoted team you would still be
happy with West Ham's position. "Publically the objective is to stay in the
league but privately we set a target from which we are not too far away."
West Ham go to the Potteries having lost their last six games away from
Upton Park. But McDonald added: "We've always looked up the table this
season and we've always tried to get into the top 10. "And with a good
result at Stoke we can push ourselves a little bit closer to that. "Our away
form hasn't been as good as we would have liked whereas our home form has
been really, really good — even though we've lost a couple. "We must address
our away form as quickly as we possibly can to pick up points. We need to do
that at Stoke. We've got to be a little tighter and a bit more physical away
from home and make sure we try and keep a clean sheet."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke v West Ham team news: Huth banned while Nolan's toe keeps him out
The Mirror
1 Mar 2013 11:43
Stoke will be missing Robert Huth in tomorrow's Barclays Premier League home
clash with West Ham as the centre-back begins the three-match suspension
handed to him earlier this week by the Football Association. Huth will serve
the ban after accepting a violent conduct charge from the FA relating to an
incident in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Fulham, where he caught Philippe
Senderos in the face with his forearm. Either Marc Wilson or Geoff Cameron,
both of whom usually play at full-back for the Potters, is set to cover in
the middle of defence alongside skipper Ryan Shawcross. Midfielder Steven
Nzonzi will be wearing a protective face mask if he features having broken
his nose in the match at Craven Cottage, while winger Matthew Etherington
(back) and striker Michael Owen (thigh) will undergo late fitness tests. For
West Ham, captain Kevin Nolan is out of tomorrow's game with a broken toe. A
foot injury was exacerbated in Monday's 3-2 loss to Tottenham and West Ham
hope his absence will be temporary, while his fellow midfielder Mark Noble
is doubtful with an arm problem which saw him miss the Spurs loss. Guy Demel
is fit despite going off in the latter stages of the loss to Tottenham,
while George McCartney (knee) is continuing his comeback and is unlikely to
feature.
Stoke squad : Begovic, Sorensen, Cameron, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Whelan,
Nzonzi, Walters, Kightly, Etherington, Jones, Whitehead, Crouch, Jerome,
Adam, Palacios, Shotton, Shea, Wilson.
West Ham squad : Jaaskelainen, Spiegel, Reid, Tomkins, Collins, Pogatetz,
O'Brien, Demel, Jarvis, J Cole, Noble, Diame, O'Neil, Collison, Taylor,
Diarra, C Cole, Vaz Te, Carroll, Maiga, Chamakh.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
