Loanee round-up
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for their respective loan clubs on
Tuesday evening
23.10.2013
Young West Ham United forwards Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for
their respective loan clubs on Tuesday evening. Lee, 18, played for 73
minutes for Colchester United in their 1-1 Sky Bet League One draw at
Shrewsbury Town, having joined the Essex club on a month's loan earlier in
the day.
It took just eight minutes for Lee to show his threat in front of goal, but
his first effort in Colchester colours flew wide of the post. Former West
Ham team-mate Freddie Sears also went close for the U's before being forced
off with a hamstring injury. After half-time, Lee continued to show his
promise by seeing one shot flash wide, another deflected for a corner and a
third blocked. The teenager was replaced with 17 minutes to go by Jeffrey
Monakana. Colchester fell behind to a Cristian Lopez header on four minutes
but secured a draw through Marcus Bean's low shot just before half-time. Lee
is hoping to have another chance to impress when Colchester welcome
second-place Peterborough United to the Weston Homes Community Stadium on
Saturday. "I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead and I hope I
can help Colchester with a few goals," said Lee. "It's really good and I'm
really excited about this loan spell.
"The Barclays U21 Premier League is a great league, but you're not getting
challenged at your physical peak [because you are playing against a majority
of younger players], so I hope I can really challenge myself and score some
goals like I have done for the Under-21s. "Playing in the U21s is like
playing with my mates, but this means I've got to meet some new people now,
get on and play well with them and hopefully get some points on the board. I
was buzzing to see Searsy again because he is friends with both myself and
my brother [Olly], so hopefully we can play well together."
Elsewhere, McCallum pulled on a Torquay United shirt for the first time in
their 2-0 Sky Bet League Two defeat at Burton Albion, having signed for the
Gulls on a month's loan earlier in the day. The 20-year-old started the game
on the bench, but was called upon five minutes before half-time when Billy
Bodin was forced off with an injury. The Hammers loanee came close to
marking his debut with the game's opening goal, only to be denied by an
outstanding save by Brewers goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Burton took
advantage and won the game through goals from Jimmy Phillips and Adam McGurk
in the final 20 minutes. Defeat left Torquay 22nd in the table ahead of
Saturday's home game with Portsmouth, where McCallum could come up against
former Hammers centre-back Bondz N'Gala.
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Cole eager for first team chance
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is looking forward to first team involvement after playing for
the Development Squad
23.10.2013
Carlton Cole is eager to return to first team action with West Ham United
after getting some vital minutes under his belt for the Club's Development
Squad.
The striker who began his second spell with the Hammers was substituted in
the final moments of a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Monday evening. Cole is working hard to regain
match fitness and is hopeful he will soon be appearing for Sam Allardyce's
side once again. He told West Ham TV: "I want to get back into the thick of
things now. I had a taste of the bench on Saturday against Manchester City
and I just wanted to get on so much. "The manager felt it was best not to
throw me in at the deep end so fast, to try and get this game under my belt
and be available for selection in the other first team games."
Big Sam hinted after Saturday's defeat to Manchester City that Cole and
fellow striker Mladen Petric may well be given a chance with Sunday's trip
to Swansea City followed by a Capital One Cup clash at Burnley two days
later. With that in mind, the big forward was sent with Nick Haycock's team
to give the No24 some more playing time ahead of any potential first team
involvement. "Obviously I've come in and played with the young boys who are
developing into Premier League players. I've just wanted to act as a good
influence upon them and at the same time get some minutes under my belt,
which the manager has asked me to do. "I need the minutes under my belt and
I've now played two 90 minutes so, hopefully, I can convince the manager to
get me in the squad, coming on as a sub or even starting a game sometime
soon. Conditions for Cole's first match with the Under-21s were far from
ideal as torrential rain provided a boggy surface and would occasionally
affect the run of the ball. The Hammers coped with the conditions better
than their opponents however and were rewarded with goals from Kieran
Sadlier and Dan Potts. The striker admitted conditions were not ideal but
was pleased with how the team coped with the situation. He said: "It was
difficult for both teams and we had no excuses as both teams had the same
conditions and it came down to who could handle them better. We came in and
dominated the whole game and dealt with the conditions how we were supposed
to."
Cole was also impressed by the talent amongst the Club's youth ranks and
believes they are in good hands. "There are some brilliant, very promising
players. In all positions they're very solid, strong and hopefully they can
go on to be good players for the Club. "That's the main aim, to develop them
in these conditions and Nick's doing a brilliant job with that. The players
just have to listen to him, trust him and he'll make sure they come
through."
After being aided in his quest for match fitness with a strong performance
for the Development Squad, Cole is now keen to make his mark for West Ham
once again. "It looked like I was leaving and now I'm back, so hopefully I
can make a good impression in my time here."
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Players turn out for Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Gold was joined by three first-team players at the
Club's Disabled Supporters' Forum
23.10.2013
Joint-Chairman David Gold, Stewart Downing, Jussi Jaaskelainen and James
Collins all took part in an entertaining disabled fans' forum at the Boleyn
Ground on Tuesday evening. The Club's loyal supporters were invited to the
special night at the home of the Hammers, where they had the opportunity to
quiz the Joint-Chairman and the first-team stars. Jaaskelainen and Downing,
together with Mr Gold, were involved in a lively question and answer
session, where the fans in attendance asked the pair a range of questions,
from matters on the pitch to the prospective move to Stratford. The trio
amused supporters with all manner of anecdotes, before posing for photos and
signing autographs. Guests were also treated to an Olympic Stadium
presentation from Marketing Director Tara Warren, outlining how they will be
catered for at the Hammers' new home as of 2016. West Ham stopper
Jaaskelainen thoroughly enjoyed his evening spent with the Hammers faithful,
insisting that occasions such as these are opportunities to reward the fans'
exceptional support of the Club.
"It was good to be here to interact with our fans, answer their questions
and hear their opinions on lots of issues," Jaaskelainen told West Ham TV.
"They are a passionate set of fans and they love their Club. "We know how
great their support is for us and in return it is great for us, as players,
to meet with them like this. It is nice to get the chance to let them know
we appreciate their support and I hope they got the same amount of enjoyment
from the event as we did."
Meanwhile, the event was certainly well received by the supporters in
attendance, as they made the most of the opportunity to rub shoulders with
Mr Gold and the players. "It's good, it's great that we can get involved
and have things like this. Come up to the Club, meet the players and David
Gold," said Zak Patmore.
"It feels different, of course, [meeting the players in person]. It's weird
seeing them on TV and then coming here. But it's nice to be invited here and
to talk to them. Those sentiments were echoed by fellow life-long Hammer
Bernie Munro. He said: "My highlight of the evening was obviously meeting
the players and listening to the questions put forward. "There were lots of
funny parts, they had a laugh and a joke, and all that, which was good."
It was a similar story for Hammers winger Stewart Downing, who continues to
be impressed by the Club's supporters since his summer switch from
Liverpool.
"Since I arrived at the Club, they have been brilliant," Downing explained.
"On Saturday, even though we lost, they still gave us a cheer when the game
finished, as they saw that we had given 100 per cent to try and win the
game. "We have an away trip to Swansea this Sunday and we know the support
will follow us and they will be there in big numbers to get behind us.
Events like these bring the Club, us as players and the fans closer together
and that can only be a good thing."
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The Big Interview - James Tomkins
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins says West Ham United can bounce back strongly at Swansea City
on Sunday
23.10.2013
West Ham United defender James Tomkins refused to be downcast after
Saturday's defeat by Manchester City. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by Manuel
Pellegrini's men as they went down to a third home loss in a row, but the
centre-back said the performance pointed to brighter results ahead. West Ham
travel to Swansea City next with a point to prove, having suffered an
early-season defeat there last season, and Tomkins is keen to play his part.
James, Saturday was a tough game against a good side, wasn't it?
JT: "It was. They've got quality throughout their side and going 2-0 down
made it tough. It's not a case of doom and gloom, though, and we're looking
forward to trying to get back on track at Swansea.
At 2-1, it looked like you might get back in the game?
JT: "Exactly. We got the goal, the crowd got behind us but there was the
risk that as we were pushing for the second goal we might leave ourselves
open at the back. That's what happened and they punished us. But it could
have been a different scoreline and we were disappointed to lose."
Was it difficult against the movement of the Manchester City strikers -
they're so quick to get into that space, aren't they?
JT: "They've got clever players with good movement and that's why they cost
the money that they do. From our point of view we'll look at it and it's a
good learning curve to play against a team like that, and we'll take from it
what we can."
We certainly weren't outclassed by them on Saturday...
JT: "There were periods of the game in which we were very much on top. We
started a bit slowly, but had a good period in the second half and there
were some good points to take. We didn't get completely outplayed and maybe
3-1 flattered them a little bit. There's nothing to get down about."
On a personal note, you must be delighted to be back starting for West Ham?
JT: "Of course. It can be frustrating at times when you're sitting on the
bench, but I'm growing in confidence with this run of games that I'm
getting. I love playing for West Ham and hopefully I can help us bounce back
at Swansea."
The manager said that you played so well against Cardiff City in the Capital
One Cup, that he had to keep you in the team for the league games, and that
win at Tottenham was magnificent for West Ham...
JT: "It was a while back now when you think about it, but that will
obviously stay in the memory for a while. We wanted to build on that against
Manchester City. That wasn't to be, but there's always Swansea on Sunday."
It didn't go so well for us there last season in our first away game, when
we lost 3-0, but do you feel there are possibilities there to get something
this time around?
JT: "Definitely. We proved against Spurs that we're always confident going
into any game and that we can get a result anywhere. The Premier League is a
funny league this season. There have been a lot of unexpected scores and on
our day we can beat anybody. Swansea are good technically, but if we can
play how we can, then we can get a result."
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THE KEVIN NOLAN PROBLEM
By Tony Hanna 23 Oct 2013 at 07:57
West Ham Till I Die
Depending on what you read, Andy Carroll will be back in the first team
within one or two months. With Andy back in the side it will give Big Sam a
selection headache that he won't mind having. Two wingers in Jarvis and
Downing knocking the ball into the area with sharp crosses and a certain Mr
Nolan ready for any scraps that big Andy will provide. All sounds good,
after all, that is why Big Sam bought Downing in the pre-season instead of a
proper back up for the injured Carroll. Now, we don't need to be Einstein to
work out from this scenario that this leaves just two other midfield spots
to be filled unless Sam changes to a highly unlikely three at the back.
Recent form suggests Noble can't be dropped and the power Diame brings to
the side makes dropping him highly improbable as well. But then we have
Ravel and Joe Cole amongst others to consider as well? Now I am sure
injuries and suspensions will at times make Sam's team selection fairly
straight forward, and at least having all players to choose from will allow
him to pick a side to "suit" the opposition or rotate the squad. The past
two games against top drawer teams have seen West Ham play a passing game
with a 4-6-0 formation. Flooding the midfield and using alternate players
from the six to break forward has worked at Spurs but failed at home to
City. One fact that is hard to ignore is that in both games we only secured
around 40% of the possession despite having six midfield players. In other
words we allowed the opposition in both cases to come at us as we tried to
hit them on the break or via a set piece.
In both these games, our captain Kevin Nolan was found wanting in terms of
speed and stamina. Playing off a striker is much more to his liking and with
Andy back he will probably be allowed to do this. However, as we have seen
before, when Sam plays this formation our midfield gets over run far too
often. Kevin just does not have the motor to help the midfield out
efficiently and stay close to Andy when required. We do however, have a
player who can do both and to much greater affect. Ravel. His work rate is
outstanding and he can get forward and score goals. He also adds another
dimension to West Ham's play with his speed and dribbling as we saw at
Spurs. Whilst Nolan top scored with ten last season, three of them came in
the last game of the season against already relegated Reading. Morrison has
already scored four goals with thus far limited games.
If you read about Ravel's rise, at least some part of the players turn
around from problem boy to hero boy can be attributed to Kevin Nolan. The
man has also played a huge part in turning around West Ham's dressing room
since the murky days of Avram Grant. You rarely see West Ham going down
without a fight nowadays and Sam attributes much of this to Nolan's presence
both on and off the field. However, it is not just this season that our
captains on field performances have not measured up. Until the Reading game
last season, his form had been poor since the start of the year. So far Sam
has not even looked like dropping Nolan but will Andy's return force his arm
- or will it cement Nolan's place in the side even further?
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 24
Wednesday, October 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd October 2013
AC on the mend
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to cheer on his West
Ham United team-mates
22.10.2013
Andy Carroll was back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to cheer on his West
Ham United team-mates. The England centre-forward has been working hard to
regain his fitness at the Move to Cure clinic in Belgium, after suffering a
serious plantar fascia injury on the final day of last season. Having
watched the Hammers lose out 3-1 to Manchester City in their most recent
Barclays Premier League fixture, Carroll told West Ham TV he has even more
motivation to return to action. "I thought we played well and there were a
few balls coming into the box that I thought I could get on the end of if
I'd been playing," he confirmed. "We did get a few balls in the box and I
think the lads were disappointed not to get on the end of a couple of them.
Stewie [Downing] put some great balls in. "We played well but it wasn't to
be and obviously I'd like to have been out there getting my head on the end
of them."
While Carroll would love to be out there terrorising defenders, for now he
has to make do with the friendlier confines of the Move to Cure clinic in
Antwerp, where he is working on his fitness on a daily basis with
world-renowned therapist Lieven Maesschalck and his team. As a photo gallery
and video published last week illustrated, the 24-year-old is slowly but
surely working his way towards a return to competitive action. "I'm doing
well over in Belgium and I'm enjoying working out there with Lieven and it's
going great," he confirmed. "I am working hard every day and if I keep doing
that then it shouldn't be too much longer. "I've kicked on a bit from when I
first went over there [three weeks ago]. I was in a boot and on crutches but
it's obviously feeling a lot better and I'm starting to do heavier work,
rather than just balancing. I'm starting to use weights and squatting a bit
more, which is putting more pressure on my foot, which is a positive.
"Lieven has done a lot of things and had good things said about him, so it's
brilliant for me to be working with someone like that. Hopefully, he can do
with me the same as he has done with everyone else."
The father-of-two has had little free time to himself in between his
gruelling sessions at Move to Cure, but the No9 has found time to entertain
his children and hone his FIFA14 skills. "I went to the cinema and I was the
only one in there, which was nice because I had the place to myself! I also
had my kids over there and took them to the zoo and to the theme park, so
that was all right, but other than that I'm just sitting and playing with my
Xbox. I'm good at FIFA14 now, but my thumbs are a bit sore!"
While a date for his return has yet to be pencilled in, Carroll has
ambitions on forcing his way into Roy Hodgson's thoughts ahead of England's
appearance at next summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Respected Daily
Telegraph journalist Henry Winter named both Carroll and Ravel Morrison in
his 23-man squad, much to the striker's delight. "I didn't know that he had
done that [about Winter], but I like to hear it," he added. "I've just got
to get back and play for West Ham and score some goals and force myself back
into the England squad. "For now, I'm back off to Belgium and it all starts
again for another week."
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Development Squad march on
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was forced into last minute changes ahead of a 2-0 win for the
Development Squad
22.10.2013
Nick Haycock's Development Squad reclaimed top spot in the Barclays Under-21
Premier League after an eventful trip to the Midlands ended with a 2-0 win
over Wolverhampton Wanderers. A goal after just six minutes from Kieran
Sadlier set the Hammers on their way in the pouring rain before Dan Potts
turned in a corner midway through the second half to seal another impressive
win. Sadlier grabbed the opener but would have found himself amongst the
substitutes were it not for the withdrawal of striker Elliot Lee. The change
didn't serve to disrupt the team though as Haycock explained to West Ham TV:
"In view of what happened before the game I was wondering what else people
could throw at me. "I got a few phone calls tonight and one or two will be
going out on loan this week so I pulled one or two out the team at the last
minute and we had to show the strength of the squad tonight. "Then Callum
Driver goes down in the first minute and we thought he'd dislocated his
shoulder. So we thought to ourselves then what else was going to happen?"
The win also owed much to goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel, who produced a
magnificent save from Jamie O'Hara's penalty minutes before half-time to
keep the score at 1-0, and earn praise from his coach. "I thought he was
excellent today, he's a top, top young man and he's got a great future in
the game," Haycock added. "I'll be surprised if one or two of these scouts
don't have a look at him because of his presence and his professionalism
through the week. He's a great character to have around the dressing room.
"Rapha's handling was superb and obviously he's made a great penalty save
which kept the game 1-0 at half-time and had it been 1-1 it might have been
a different story because they were definitely up for it tonight playing
against the top of the league."
The win made it four wins from four away games for the team who coped better
on a soaked surface to overcome Wolves. Another three points took them back
to top of the league and Haycock is happy that player development is
coinciding with good results for the Hammers. He said: "Developing a winning
team is a good habit to get into. "You'll hear me from the sidelines where
I'm quite an aggressive person and I demand that from my players and I think
that should run through the football club. "Sometimes Academy football can
be too nice. Yes, it's about development but it's [also about] developing a
style of play to win football matches."
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McCallum loaned to Gulls
WHUFC.com
Paul McCallum has joined League Two club Torquay United on loan until
Saturday 23 November
22.10.2013
West Ham United centre-forward Paul McCallum has joined Sky Bet League Two
club Torquay United on loan until Saturday 23 November. The 20-year-old will
hope to boost the Gulls, who sit 22nd in the table, just one point and one
place above the relegation zone. McCallum enjoyed a fine pre-season that saw
him score in the first-team's 6-2 victory at Cork City and make further
appearances against Boreham Wood and AFC Bournemouth. The former Dulwich
Hamlet youngster also scored four times in five pre-season matches for the
Development Squad and has featured three times for the Barclays U21 Premier
League leaders. McCallum enjoyed two loan spells with League Two clubs last
season, scoring seven goals in 18 matches combined for AFC Wimbledon and
Aldershot Town. The forward will look to assist a Torquay attack that has
scored 13 goals in 12 league matches so far. The Streatham-born player
becomes the fourth West Ham player out on loan at present, joining AFC
Bournemouth pair Stephen Henderson and Jack Collison, and fellow Development
Squad forward Elliot Lee at Colchester United.
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Elliott Lee: West Ham youngster joins Colchester United on loan
BBC.co.uk
Colchester United have signed West Ham striker Elliott Lee on an initial
month's youth loan. The 18-year-old has scored five times in six Premier
League Under-21 games for the Hammers this season. And he also made his
first-team debut when he came on as a late substitute in the 1-0 defeat by
Stoke City in August. He is available for Tuesday's game at Shrewsbury and
his loan period at the U's will run until the match against Preston on 23
November.
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Elliot's an Essex boy
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd October 2013
By: Staff Writer
Hammers forward Elliot Lee has joined Colchester United on a month's loan.
The highly-rated young striker completed a move to the League One club this
morning and is set to go straight into the side to face Shrewsbury later
this evening. 18-year-old Lee, the son of former Hammer Rob, made his first
team debut for West Ham in the 1-0 home defeat against Stoke back in August
as an 88th minute substitute for Mo Diame. He has also been in scintillating
form for the Under 21s, scoring five times in just six appearances.
Elliot Lee: the games ahead
Tues, 22 Oct: Shrewsbury v Colchester (League One)
Sat, 26th Oct: Colchester v Peterborough (League One)
Sat, 2nd Nov: Rotherham v Colchester (League One)
Sat, 16th Nov: Colchester v Swindon (League One)
Sat, 23rd Nov: Preston v Colchester (League One)
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U's land Hammers teenager
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 11:50am
SSN
Colchester have completed the signing of West Ham teenager Elliot Lee on a
youth loan deal. The 18-year-old will remain with the U's until after their
clash with Preston on November 23. He is expected to be involved on Tuesday
night as Joe Dunne's men face Shrewsbury in League One. Lee has scored five
times in six games for the Hammers' under-21 side this campaign and made his
Barclays Premier League bow as a substitute during the club's defeat to
Stoke in August. The Durham-born forward made his first-team debut in last
season's FA Cup third-round replay defeat to Manchester United.
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yan Allsop praises the impact Stephen Henderson had at Bournemouth
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 8:49pm
SSN
Bournemouth goalkeeper Ryan Allsop has praised the impact West Ham loanee
Stephen Henderson had on the Cherries before he returned to Upton Park for
treatment on a shoulder injury. Allsop replaced Henderson in the early
stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest after the Irishman
clashed with Simon Cox, dislocating his shoulder in the process. The former
Bristol City keeper could be sidelined for up to six months and Allsop is
confident he can help the team in Henderson's absence. "Stephen was good to
have in and around the place," Allsop told the club's official website. "He
was good in training and I like to think I pick up little things off
everyone I work with. You can always learn off everyone. "He was away for a
week on international duty, which was brilliant for him, but when he was
around the place he was really good to work with. "It was a shock. I didn't
expect the injury to happen but my job was to prepare in the right way and
expect the worst to happen. "You have to prepare for everything; no one
expects that sort of thing to happen but I have to be ready for anything and
to come on and do my job." "It has been tough, getting sent off at Leeds,
being banned for the Millwall game and then seeing Stephen coming in. But I
just had to work hard, train as I always do and challenge Stephen for his
place. "It's unfortunate for him that he's picked up the injury as he has
done, but I have to work hard and go in with the right attitude and do
everything I've been doing. "It's up to the gaffer to pick the team but I
have to get my head down and keep working hard, and hopefully I can keep
improving and do well."
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Gulls snap up Hammers youngster
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 6:57pm
SSN
Torquay have completed the signing of West Ham forward Paul McCallum on a
one-month loan deal. The 20-year-old has yet to feature for the Hammers so
far this campaign and heads to Plainmoor in search of first-team football.
During loan spells at Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon last season McCallum
netted seven goals in 18 appearances and Gulls boss Alan Knill, whose side
have lost five of their last seven games, is looking for the young forward
to boost his misfiring side. "We hope he is the missing jigsaw piece and you
don't have to be a football genius to know we're missing a little bit at the
top end of the pitch," Knill told the club's official website. "Paul is
something different. He scored goals last year for Aldershot and Wimbledon,
and actually scored here for Wimbledon, and we're very thankful to West Ham
for letting him out. "He's been injured and now his fitness is good, but
just needs games. He is a physical presence and an alternative option
because you can't always pass it a round people in the box. "On Saturday
against Mansfield, we put a lot of good balls into the box but it was quite
difficult for our players to get on the end of it, so a bit more size always
helps."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to cheer on his West
Ham United team-mates
22.10.2013
Andy Carroll was back at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday to cheer on his West
Ham United team-mates. The England centre-forward has been working hard to
regain his fitness at the Move to Cure clinic in Belgium, after suffering a
serious plantar fascia injury on the final day of last season. Having
watched the Hammers lose out 3-1 to Manchester City in their most recent
Barclays Premier League fixture, Carroll told West Ham TV he has even more
motivation to return to action. "I thought we played well and there were a
few balls coming into the box that I thought I could get on the end of if
I'd been playing," he confirmed. "We did get a few balls in the box and I
think the lads were disappointed not to get on the end of a couple of them.
Stewie [Downing] put some great balls in. "We played well but it wasn't to
be and obviously I'd like to have been out there getting my head on the end
of them."
While Carroll would love to be out there terrorising defenders, for now he
has to make do with the friendlier confines of the Move to Cure clinic in
Antwerp, where he is working on his fitness on a daily basis with
world-renowned therapist Lieven Maesschalck and his team. As a photo gallery
and video published last week illustrated, the 24-year-old is slowly but
surely working his way towards a return to competitive action. "I'm doing
well over in Belgium and I'm enjoying working out there with Lieven and it's
going great," he confirmed. "I am working hard every day and if I keep doing
that then it shouldn't be too much longer. "I've kicked on a bit from when I
first went over there [three weeks ago]. I was in a boot and on crutches but
it's obviously feeling a lot better and I'm starting to do heavier work,
rather than just balancing. I'm starting to use weights and squatting a bit
more, which is putting more pressure on my foot, which is a positive.
"Lieven has done a lot of things and had good things said about him, so it's
brilliant for me to be working with someone like that. Hopefully, he can do
with me the same as he has done with everyone else."
The father-of-two has had little free time to himself in between his
gruelling sessions at Move to Cure, but the No9 has found time to entertain
his children and hone his FIFA14 skills. "I went to the cinema and I was the
only one in there, which was nice because I had the place to myself! I also
had my kids over there and took them to the zoo and to the theme park, so
that was all right, but other than that I'm just sitting and playing with my
Xbox. I'm good at FIFA14 now, but my thumbs are a bit sore!"
While a date for his return has yet to be pencilled in, Carroll has
ambitions on forcing his way into Roy Hodgson's thoughts ahead of England's
appearance at next summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Respected Daily
Telegraph journalist Henry Winter named both Carroll and Ravel Morrison in
his 23-man squad, much to the striker's delight. "I didn't know that he had
done that [about Winter], but I like to hear it," he added. "I've just got
to get back and play for West Ham and score some goals and force myself back
into the England squad. "For now, I'm back off to Belgium and it all starts
again for another week."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Development Squad march on
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was forced into last minute changes ahead of a 2-0 win for the
Development Squad
22.10.2013
Nick Haycock's Development Squad reclaimed top spot in the Barclays Under-21
Premier League after an eventful trip to the Midlands ended with a 2-0 win
over Wolverhampton Wanderers. A goal after just six minutes from Kieran
Sadlier set the Hammers on their way in the pouring rain before Dan Potts
turned in a corner midway through the second half to seal another impressive
win. Sadlier grabbed the opener but would have found himself amongst the
substitutes were it not for the withdrawal of striker Elliot Lee. The change
didn't serve to disrupt the team though as Haycock explained to West Ham TV:
"In view of what happened before the game I was wondering what else people
could throw at me. "I got a few phone calls tonight and one or two will be
going out on loan this week so I pulled one or two out the team at the last
minute and we had to show the strength of the squad tonight. "Then Callum
Driver goes down in the first minute and we thought he'd dislocated his
shoulder. So we thought to ourselves then what else was going to happen?"
The win also owed much to goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel, who produced a
magnificent save from Jamie O'Hara's penalty minutes before half-time to
keep the score at 1-0, and earn praise from his coach. "I thought he was
excellent today, he's a top, top young man and he's got a great future in
the game," Haycock added. "I'll be surprised if one or two of these scouts
don't have a look at him because of his presence and his professionalism
through the week. He's a great character to have around the dressing room.
"Rapha's handling was superb and obviously he's made a great penalty save
which kept the game 1-0 at half-time and had it been 1-1 it might have been
a different story because they were definitely up for it tonight playing
against the top of the league."
The win made it four wins from four away games for the team who coped better
on a soaked surface to overcome Wolves. Another three points took them back
to top of the league and Haycock is happy that player development is
coinciding with good results for the Hammers. He said: "Developing a winning
team is a good habit to get into. "You'll hear me from the sidelines where
I'm quite an aggressive person and I demand that from my players and I think
that should run through the football club. "Sometimes Academy football can
be too nice. Yes, it's about development but it's [also about] developing a
style of play to win football matches."
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McCallum loaned to Gulls
WHUFC.com
Paul McCallum has joined League Two club Torquay United on loan until
Saturday 23 November
22.10.2013
West Ham United centre-forward Paul McCallum has joined Sky Bet League Two
club Torquay United on loan until Saturday 23 November. The 20-year-old will
hope to boost the Gulls, who sit 22nd in the table, just one point and one
place above the relegation zone. McCallum enjoyed a fine pre-season that saw
him score in the first-team's 6-2 victory at Cork City and make further
appearances against Boreham Wood and AFC Bournemouth. The former Dulwich
Hamlet youngster also scored four times in five pre-season matches for the
Development Squad and has featured three times for the Barclays U21 Premier
League leaders. McCallum enjoyed two loan spells with League Two clubs last
season, scoring seven goals in 18 matches combined for AFC Wimbledon and
Aldershot Town. The forward will look to assist a Torquay attack that has
scored 13 goals in 12 league matches so far. The Streatham-born player
becomes the fourth West Ham player out on loan at present, joining AFC
Bournemouth pair Stephen Henderson and Jack Collison, and fellow Development
Squad forward Elliot Lee at Colchester United.
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Elliott Lee: West Ham youngster joins Colchester United on loan
BBC.co.uk
Colchester United have signed West Ham striker Elliott Lee on an initial
month's youth loan. The 18-year-old has scored five times in six Premier
League Under-21 games for the Hammers this season. And he also made his
first-team debut when he came on as a late substitute in the 1-0 defeat by
Stoke City in August. He is available for Tuesday's game at Shrewsbury and
his loan period at the U's will run until the match against Preston on 23
November.
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Elliot's an Essex boy
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 22nd October 2013
By: Staff Writer
Hammers forward Elliot Lee has joined Colchester United on a month's loan.
The highly-rated young striker completed a move to the League One club this
morning and is set to go straight into the side to face Shrewsbury later
this evening. 18-year-old Lee, the son of former Hammer Rob, made his first
team debut for West Ham in the 1-0 home defeat against Stoke back in August
as an 88th minute substitute for Mo Diame. He has also been in scintillating
form for the Under 21s, scoring five times in just six appearances.
Elliot Lee: the games ahead
Tues, 22 Oct: Shrewsbury v Colchester (League One)
Sat, 26th Oct: Colchester v Peterborough (League One)
Sat, 2nd Nov: Rotherham v Colchester (League One)
Sat, 16th Nov: Colchester v Swindon (League One)
Sat, 23rd Nov: Preston v Colchester (League One)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U's land Hammers teenager
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 11:50am
SSN
Colchester have completed the signing of West Ham teenager Elliot Lee on a
youth loan deal. The 18-year-old will remain with the U's until after their
clash with Preston on November 23. He is expected to be involved on Tuesday
night as Joe Dunne's men face Shrewsbury in League One. Lee has scored five
times in six games for the Hammers' under-21 side this campaign and made his
Barclays Premier League bow as a substitute during the club's defeat to
Stoke in August. The Durham-born forward made his first-team debut in last
season's FA Cup third-round replay defeat to Manchester United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
yan Allsop praises the impact Stephen Henderson had at Bournemouth
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 8:49pm
SSN
Bournemouth goalkeeper Ryan Allsop has praised the impact West Ham loanee
Stephen Henderson had on the Cherries before he returned to Upton Park for
treatment on a shoulder injury. Allsop replaced Henderson in the early
stages of Saturday's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest after the Irishman
clashed with Simon Cox, dislocating his shoulder in the process. The former
Bristol City keeper could be sidelined for up to six months and Allsop is
confident he can help the team in Henderson's absence. "Stephen was good to
have in and around the place," Allsop told the club's official website. "He
was good in training and I like to think I pick up little things off
everyone I work with. You can always learn off everyone. "He was away for a
week on international duty, which was brilliant for him, but when he was
around the place he was really good to work with. "It was a shock. I didn't
expect the injury to happen but my job was to prepare in the right way and
expect the worst to happen. "You have to prepare for everything; no one
expects that sort of thing to happen but I have to be ready for anything and
to come on and do my job." "It has been tough, getting sent off at Leeds,
being banned for the Millwall game and then seeing Stephen coming in. But I
just had to work hard, train as I always do and challenge Stephen for his
place. "It's unfortunate for him that he's picked up the injury as he has
done, but I have to work hard and go in with the right attitude and do
everything I've been doing. "It's up to the gaffer to pick the team but I
have to get my head down and keep working hard, and hopefully I can keep
improving and do well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gulls snap up Hammers youngster
Last Updated: October 22, 2013 6:57pm
SSN
Torquay have completed the signing of West Ham forward Paul McCallum on a
one-month loan deal. The 20-year-old has yet to feature for the Hammers so
far this campaign and heads to Plainmoor in search of first-team football.
During loan spells at Aldershot and AFC Wimbledon last season McCallum
netted seven goals in 18 appearances and Gulls boss Alan Knill, whose side
have lost five of their last seven games, is looking for the young forward
to boost his misfiring side. "We hope he is the missing jigsaw piece and you
don't have to be a football genius to know we're missing a little bit at the
top end of the pitch," Knill told the club's official website. "Paul is
something different. He scored goals last year for Aldershot and Wimbledon,
and actually scored here for Wimbledon, and we're very thankful to West Ham
for letting him out. "He's been injured and now his fitness is good, but
just needs games. He is a physical presence and an alternative option
because you can't always pass it a round people in the box. "On Saturday
against Mansfield, we put a lot of good balls into the box but it was quite
difficult for our players to get on the end of it, so a bit more size always
helps."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 22
Daily WHUFC News - 22nd October 2013
Potts delighted as winning run continues
WHUFC.com
Under-18s boss Steve Potts was pleased to see his team come through a stern
test against Norwich
21.10.2013
Under-18s manager Steve Potts felt his team deserved the points after
beating Norwich City U18 2-0 at Little Heath on Saturday morning. The
Hammers were made to work hard for the opening 70 minutes, before young
Portuguese striker Marcio Martins capped a rare start with a well taken
goal. Kieran Bywater then grabbed his tenth goal in as many games from the
penalty spot in the final minute. After a true footballing battle against
Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend, Potts knew that Norwich would test
his squad in a completely different way and his team stepped up to the
challenge and got their rewards. "I said to the boys straight after the game
that Norwich bought a completely different test for us compared to the
Tottenham game, but they did really well," said Potts. "Norwich had a game
plan and they were solid, which made it hard for us. "At Tottenham, it was a
free-flowing game that was all about the football, whereas against Norwich
we had to change and mix up our game a little. I think we were definitely
the better team and deserved to win."
Going into the match, the Hammers boss made several changes to the winning
starting eleven against Tottenham in an attempt to rotate the team.
"I just wanted to give some of the other boys a chance and rotate the team,"
he continued. "Marcio came into the side and worked really hard up front and
deservedly capped it with a well taken goal so that was very pleasing. "Ben
Marlow has not long been back from injury and after playing a whole game at
Spurs and a full week's training, he was a little stiff so we decided to
take him off late in the second half, put Josh Cullen in Ben's position and
throw Jerry [Amoo] in. Jerry has the pace to cause problems and did really
well to win the penalty at the end."
Saturday's result took the Hammers' recent winning streak to four games, but
Potts isn't getting carried away and wants his team to continue
concentrating on their performances to give Development Squad manager Nick
Haycock selection problems. "I don't think our recent run changes our
targets for the season at all because I just want the lads to concentrate on
their performance every single week," he added. "Throughout this season, I
have been impressed with the team so they just have to keep it going and the
results will continue to come. "Nick has got the Development Squad going
really well this season and they are raising the bar for us at the moment,
so I am hoping to get some of my boys into that squad."
Back when Potts was a player at West Ham, he recalled seeing a young Mark
Noble performing at a high standard in the Hammers Academy and believes his
players need to look no further that the current first teamer for
inspiration. "If the boys don't want to push on to the next level then there
isn't much point them trying to make a career out of football. The
Development Squad is the next step that they should be looking to then even
onto the first team after that. "I still remember seeing Mark Noble here at
the same age as these lads are now and I think there is no greater example
for the boys to follow than what Mark has done. "They have all made their
starts, so now they have to be looking to push on."
One player looking to take that next step is Under-18s captain Kieran
Bywater, who netted an injury time spot kick on Saturday to take his tally
to ten goals for the season. He is delighted with the way the team is
performing, and as an individual, he hopes to earn his space in Nick
Haycock's Development Squad by the end of the season. He explained:
"Everyone worked hard and the whole team is really happy to win our fourth
game in a row. I'm really happy to get my tenth goal for the season, but
goals are a bonus and everyone played really well and deserved to win.
"Obviously everyone is aiming to play well as a squad every week in the
Under-18s, but as an individual, you're always looking to improve and push
towards the Development Squad. "Last season I played a few games in the
Development Squad and that's where I'm looking at getting to again.
Hopefully by the end of the season I may feature a few times for them."
The Under-18s travel north for their next Barclays U18 Premier League
fixture when they face Middlesbrough on Saturday 26 October.
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Hammers' community spirit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Community Sports Trust's outreach programme continues to
prove successful
21.10.2013
West Ham United Community Sports Trust's long-established outreach programme
is proving hugely successful. The Trust has partnered with a number of
leading groups and programmes throughout east London to support campaigns
that tackle anti-social behaviour, promote inclusion and inspire
participation through access to elite sport. As part of that long-term and
multi-faceted commitment to prominent community groups, the Trust has the
provision to offer West Ham United tickets at a discounted rate, to enable
individuals allied to those schemes to see top-level football in person.
Flagship inclusion programme Premier League Kicks, Premier League 4 Sport
and Tower Hamlets' Stifford Centre were each invited to take up the offer
for the visit of Manchester City as part of the wider commitment to making
football more accessible to all. This comprises just one element of
long-standing relationships with these initiatives and only participants
were eligible for the discounted tickets. As per the terms of the contracts
with said partners, the tickets were offered at a discounted rate, but
absolutely no tickets were provided free of charge and fans from all
locations, background, race and religion were included.
Stifford Centre manager Salman Alam explained: "This is extremely important
and useful for us to be able to reach out to our members. The partnership
with the Club gives us access that we would not normally be able to offer to
our local community. Football is a powerful tool and we use this to further
engage and inspire our young people and adult members."
Head of West Ham United Community Sports Trust. Joe Lyons, said: "I am
delighted with the success of our community outreach programme and it is
fantastic that West Ham United are leading the way in supporting programmes
that tackle anti-social behaviour and the other issues that affect our
Borough and beyond.
"Our focus is on engaging with our community and making football more
accessible to all and we want everyone from the local area to feel included
at the Club. We are rightly proud of the positive feedback we've received
from the campaign, which is essential for the Club to remain at the heart of
the community. I look forward to welcoming more groups at the selected games
throughout the season."
In addition to this key partnership agreement with Stifford, the Trust has
also joined forces with the Bangladesh Football Association UK. Together, an
agreement has been put in place to sustain a football strategy in Tower
Hamlets, one that comprises of establishing a West Ham United programme of
Bengali and Asian coaching education. This scheme, however, extends far
beyond traditional sport, by harnessing the power of football to engage
individuals through education and employment. Similarly, West Ham United
have relationships with numerous local schools and clubs, as they have done
for many years, that rewards their fantastic support with admission to
certain home fixtures.
Elsewhere, the Premier League Kicks programme continues to thrive, with
their work having proven most successful through the combination of coaching
and access to elite sport. Therefore, the Trust offers sports sessions
across a number of venues across east London at no cost to participants,
alongside the provision for match-day experiences for the young people and
their families at selected games throughout the season. Such schemes are
commonplace among other Premier League clubs and West Ham United are proud
of their work in this area and the outstanding results it produces.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wolves 0-2 Development Squad FT
WHUFC.com
Kieran Sadlier and Dan Potts scored the goals as West Ham United's U21s beat
Wolves on Monday
21.10.2013
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
BARCLAYS UNDER-21 PREMIER LEAGUE
NEW BUCKS HEAD STADIUM
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
90 mins: It's all over here at AFC Telford and West Ham United have
triumphed 2-0. Apologies for the technical problems in the final 20 minutes
of the game, we'll have fuller updates on whufc.com shortly.
68 mins: Driver heads forward and it looks for a second as though Lletget
could be in. The keeper is smartly off his line though to smother the ball.
66 mins GOAL: From the resulting corner Potts is able to turn it home! Not
sure where it hit him but i'm sure that's the last of his worries!
65 mins: Potts brings the ball out of defence and with no one in a hurry to
close him down he decides to strike. His shot looks to be going over before
a deflection takes it for a corner.
63 mins: In the absence of Moncur, Sadlier steps up to stirke and just
misses the target with a bullet of a strike.
62 mins: Excellent piece of skill from Cole as he turns away from three
defenders before being hacked down and winning a free-kick on the edge of
the box.
60 mins: Indeed he can't continue and Reid is replaced by Ibrahim Keita.
59 mins: A good spell of possession yields nothing for the Hammers and on
the resulting counter attack the Wolves No9 looks to have pulled a muscle as
he chased down the ball.
57 mins: Spiegel's long clearance has Tombides racing through, the striker
checks back and strikes but his curling effort is just wide.
55 mins: Driver is having a battle on the left side with a pacy winger. This
time he wins the battle and a free-kick to boot.
53 mins: The home side are up in arms screaming for another penalty as Potts
looks as though he took down Reid in the box. Lucky escape.
50 mins: First change of the night for West Ham with Danny Whitehead
replacing George Moncur.
49 mins: It's been a slow start to the half by the visitors with Wolves
clearly keen to impress themselves upon the game more in the second half.
47 mins: Wolves are on the attack straight away and work the ball well
before Whittall strikes. Luckily for the Hammers Ruddock throws himself in
the way of the shot.
46 mins: The Hammers kick us off for the second half looking to secure the
win that would send them back to the top of the league.
Half-time: The corner comes to nothing and the referee ends the first half!
A good showing in atrocious conditions by the young Hammers so far and they
have the lead thanks to a Kieran Sadlier goal after just six minutes. The
left winger turned home a Moncur cross to give his side the perfect start.
Spiegel then came to the visitors rescue with a top class save from an
O'Hara penalty on 29 minutes. The big man got down well to his left to keep
out a good strike. So far, so good.
45+2 mins: An outrageous piece of skill from Tombides sees him pluck the
ball from the heavens and turn to run all in one motion. His skill earns the
Hammers a corner with just seconds remaining.
45 mins: And defend they do as Whittall tries his luck from range.
Fortunately for Spiegel it slams the hoarding just to the left of the goal.
44 mins: The ball boy managed to dodge the wayward shot and now with just a
minute until half-time the Hammers are content to defend.
43 mins: The former Tottenham man does strike it but his shot forces a ball
boy high up in the stand into evasive action as it flies toward him.
42 mins: Sadlier concedes a free-kick in a dangerous position with O'Hara on
the field.
40 mins: Cole nods down and releases Turgott who breaks into the box and
fires his shot just wide of the post.
38 mins: Turgott comes sliding back to try and help clear but insted sends
the ball towards his own goal. Spiegel is there again however and able to
clear.
36 mins: The rain is coming down hard and fast again making it even trickier
to keep control of the ball which so far both teams have managed well.
34 mins: Moncur and Turgott combine to win a corner. The ball in is good but
well cleared and allows the hosts to counter. They go down the right and
deliver a ball in but Turgott is back defending and able to clear.
32 mins: Cole has his first chance of the game as the ball is delivered into
the box but he can only stab it into the ground and watch it trickle wide.
29 mins: Wolves have a chance to equalise from the spot after Driver trips
his winger. O'Hara steps up and thunders it left but Spiegel produces a
magnificent one-handed save to deny him!
28 mins: It's taken short and allows Moncur to hit one, it's hard and low
but the keeper is able to deal with it easily enough.
27 mins: Tombides is set free down the right by a Turgott flick and his
cross is deflected out for a corner.
25 mins: Spiegel is snappy off his line to thwart Reid who's running in
behindand able to win a throw in the process.
24 mins: Turgott again has the chance to run and does so before firing low
across the box but no one is there to meet it.
23 mins: Potts throws himself in the way of a Jakobsson shot to keep the
Hammers ahead. Great defending.
21 mins: Moncur is looking on his game today and when that's the case it
usually spells trouble for his opponents.
20 mins: The rain has finally halted! And it may just prove to be a blessing
as this pitch couldn't take much more.
18 mins: Ruddock shepards the ball out for what he thinks will be a
goal-kick but the linesman has different ideas. From the resulting corner
O'Hara finds Whittall who heads straight at Spiegel.
16 mins: Conditions have made it hard going in the early stages althouh the
away side have coped better and could have been two up with Sadlier again
involved. The left winger can't put his header on target this time after a
chipped cross from Turgott.
14 mins: Carlton Cole looks to be enjoying himself in a West Ham shirt and
has already looked dangerous whilst also letting the keeper know of his
presence with a late challenge.
12 mins: Cranston fires in a shot at the near post and Spiegel puts it
behind from the corner. Turgott then clears off the line after a scramble in
the box, his clearance releases Moncur who is able to burst into the Wolves
half and set-up Tombides who can only sky the ball over the bar.
10 mins: The pitch does Moncur no favours as Sadlier looks to put him in
behind the Wolves defence. He would be clear but for the roll of the ball
which holds in the damp surface.
8 mins: The home side have responded well to going behind and forced Spiegel
into his first save of the evening. O'Hara strikes a right footed curler but
the keeper is equal to it.
6 mins GOAL: Sadlier has got the Hammers off to an absolute flyer! Moncur
breaks into the box and feeds Sadlier who fires home first time to score.
What a start!
5 mins: Turgott gets his first touches down the right side and decides to
cross from deep. The ball in is easy for the defenders to clear however.
3 mins: Driver is back on his feet and looks like he may be able to
continue. Good news for the visitors.
1 min: Callum Driver is on the ground and in need of medical attention after
making a committed challenge on the right midfielder.
Kick-off: Wolves kick us off as the rain continues to fall in the midlands.
6:57 pm: The players have emerged from the tunnel and now undertake the
pre-match formalities before we get this one underway.
6:52 pm: The players are in their respective changing rooms gearing up for
the game as some dance music gets the couple of hundred people in the ground
fired up for the match.
6:45 pm: The rain has eased up slightly as the teams prepare to head to
shelter for their final match preperations. There are plenty of scouts in
attendance keen to cast their eye's over the talent on show.
6:30 pm: Half an hour to go until kick-off and the Hammers are ramping up
their warm-up amidst a back drop of heavy rain which is already having an
affect on the roll of the ball on a very soggy surface. On the up side there
is a lovely waft of chips floating across the ground as the fans drift in.
6:05 pm: The team news is in. A strong line-up for the Hammers tonight as
they look to hand crucial game time to the forward pair of Carlton Cole and
Mladen Petric. Just under an hour to kick off but some pretty dreadful
country music can already be heard ringing out around the New Bucks Head
Stadium.
The Development Squad resume Barclays Under-21 Premier League action tonight
as they travel up to the home of AFC Telford to take on Wolverhampton
Wanderers. The young Hammers have kept themselves busy during the
international break with games against Conference National opposition in the
shape of Luton Town and Cambridge United as they geared up for this clash.
Nick Haycock's side are top of the league having won five of their opening
seven matches suffering only one defeat whilst their opponents occupy eighth
place in the table with three wins, three defeats and one draw to show from
their league matches thus far.
There are some big names on show tonight with a couple of familiar faces on
show for the Hammers. The Wolves backline should be in for a busy night with
Mladen Petirc and Carlton Cole both stepping up their quest for match
fitness with some valuable game time here tonight. The home side will be
looking towards the talents of former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara who
has found himself surplus to requirements of Kenny Jackett's first team.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Chambers, Driver, Potts, Ruddock, Lletget,
Turgott, Moncur, Tombides, Sadlier, Cole
Subs: Fanimo, Baxter, Petric, Whitehead, Lee
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Flatt, Kostrna, Ihiekwe, Tank, Cranston, Bancessi,
Whittall, Jakobsson, Parry, O'Hara, Reid
Subs: Dutton, Kellerman, Keita, Iorfa, Carter, Erdei
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Downing encouraged by second half
WHUFC.com
Hammers winger Stewart Downing took heart from the second half of Saturday's
game against Man City
21.10.2013
Stewart Downing felt that West Ham United could have got something out of
their clash with Manchester City on Saturday, had they performed in the
first half as they did in the second. The Hammers trailed to Sergio Aguero's
16th-minute strike at the break, and only really came to life after the
forward had doubled both his and City's tally six minutes after the restart.
Ricardo Vaz Te's overhead kick kept the game alive and it was not until ten
minutes from time that David Silva made the game safe for Manuel
Pellegrini's me n and Downing was encouraged by the second half performance.
"First and foremost, Man City are a top team," he said. "I thought that in
the first half we maybe showed them a little too much respect, although you
could see in the goal the quality that they have.
"In the second half, we probably left it a bit late, but after the second
goal we started to play and believe in ourselves. That's what will frustrate
the mananger and the players, that we left it too late on Saturday. "We got
plenty of balls into the box in the second half, got a good goal back and I
thought we had the momentum. But then Man City hit us on the break and
scored a quality goal to wrap it up."
Aguero had a hand in all three goals, scoring the first two before laying on
the third for David Silva and Downing thought the attacking pair made the
difference for the visitors. He added: "Aguero is certainly a top player.
Silva was very good too and you can go throughout the team, they're strong.
Look at the bench and the players they can bring on. "We held our own in the
second half and could maybe have got a draw out of it."
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Bonds: Redknapp was 'disrespectful'
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st October 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE has broken a 19-year silence to
express his disappointment at comments made by Harry Redknapp in his new
autobiography.
Bonds, West Ham's record appearance holder - and a man who remains revered
by Hammers supporters - decided to set the record straight after Redknapp
accused his former best friend of being "a man out of time" and of
overseeing "a shambles" during his spell as manager of West Ham in the early
1990s.
West Ham's seventh full-time manager, who was in the post from 1990 to 1994
has never before spoken to the media about Redknapp, who many believe
undermined him in order to secure the managerial position.
But in an exclusive interview with KUMB.com - which you may hear in its
entirely from tomorrow morning - Bonds finally reveals what he truly thinks
about his former best friend and his new book.
"For him to come out with what he said was disrespectful to the players and
one or two of the staff who were over there," Bonds told KUMB.com. "I think
he's been very liberal with the truth - but that's much as I expected
really.
"I haven't spoken to him for 20 years; I find it quite pathetic that he
comes out with stuff [like that] really, to be quite honest with you."
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'Keeper set for six-month layoff
KUM<B.com
Filed: Monday, 21st October 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's Stephen Henderson will be out of action until Spring 2014
after dislocating a shoulder at the weekend. 25-year-old Henderson, who is
currently on loan at Championship side Bournemouth was substituted after
just 13 minutes of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest after colliding
with Forest forward Simon Cox. "When I ran on to the pitch, I knew straight
away it was his shoulder and he was in agony," Cherries physio Steve Hard
told the Daily Echo. "Andrew Balderston, the Nottingham Forest physio, came
on and helped me give him gas and air to get him settled. "We couldn't put
him on a stretcher until he had had some pain relief. The paramedics
supported us and it was a good team effort. Everybody worked together to
help put Stephen at ease. "
Henderson, who made just two appearances for Bournemouth is now set to
return to West Ham where he will recive treatment for the injury - and
possibly surgery too. Talking about the incident, Cherries boss Eddie Howe
said: "Our thoughts are with Stephen. It is a real shame because he has had
to be patient and wait for his chance to come out on loan and get some
football. "He did really well for us against Millwall, so it is a big blow
for him and us." Henderson joined West Ham from Portsmouth in March 2012 for
a nominal fee, but since then has made just two appearances - both in the
League Cup - for Sam Allardyce's first team.
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce waiting on Andy Carroll's return
Last Updated: October 21, 2013 10:18am
SSN
Sam Allardyce is hoping for an update on Andy Carroll's fitness after a
frustrating start to the season for West Ham United in front of goal.
Carroll has yet to play for the Hammers this term due to a heel injury after
sealing a permanent transfer from Liverpool to Upton Park in the summer.
Allardyce has struggled to replace Carroll and was forced to go into the
game against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break without a
recognised striker. West Ham managed to come away from White Hart Lane with
a surprise 3-0 victory but they lacked an attacking threat in Saturday's 3-1
defeat by Manchester City as Ricardo Vaz Te's goal was one of only two shots
on target. A return date for Carroll has yet to be given but Allardyce
understands he is making good progress and is waiting for further news this
week. "I will be speaking to the specialist on Monday to see whether he can
give us at least a date when he thinks he will be able to come back to us,"
said Allardyce. "He is still improving week by week and is probably due back
with us I would hope. It is very important we get him back as quickly as we
can as I don't want to be continuing to play with no front man."
Allardyce added: "Having got strikers who were not scoring was the only
reason we played that system against Tottenham. "Andy won't play in it. We
bought him to be our leader of the front line. Once he gets fit and up and
running, he will not only score goals but he will create opportunities for
lots of other players to score goals."
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Stephen Henderson could miss six months with dislocated shoulder
Last Updated: October 21, 2013 12:06pm
SSN
Bournemouth's on-loan keeper Stephen Henderson could miss most of the rest
of the season after dislocating his shoulder in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham
Forest on Saturday. Henderson, on loan at the Sky Bet Championship club from
West Ham, was stretchered off inside the opening 10 minutes after an
accidental collision w ith Forest striker Simon Cox. The Irishman was taken
to hospital where a fracture was ruled out by X-rays, but he may still need
surgery and could miss up to six months - he has returned to Upton Park for
further treatment. Cherries physio Steve Hard paid tribute to the medical
staff who aided Henderson in the immediate aftermath of the incident. "When
I ran on to the pitch, I knew straight away it was his shoulder and he was
in agony," Hard told the Daily Echo. "We have a signal we give to the dugout
when we know it is serious and that means I need back up. Andrew Balderston,
the Nottingham Forest physio, came on and helped me give him gas and air to
get him settled. We couldn't put him on a stretcher until he had had some
pain relief. "The paramedics supported us and it was a good team effort.
Everybody worked together to help put Stephen at ease. "I thought the
situation was dealt with very well and, under the circumstances, everything
ran smoothly. I would like to thank everybody who helped."
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Billy Bonds says 'pathetic' Harry Redknapp has been 'very liberal with the
truth' over their West Ham feud
21 Oct 2013 16:46
The Mirror
Billy Bonds has branded Harry Redknapp "pathetic" and "liberal with the
truth" after reigniting their 20-year-old feud. Former West Ham boss and
fans' idol Bonds has not spoken to Redknapp for almost two decades after he
claimed 'Arry had stabbed him in the back. Bonds left the Upton Park club,
after 27 years as a player and manager, in 1994 when Redknapp - who had been
his assistant - took charge of the first team. In his autobiography,
serialised earlier this month Redknapp claimed he was offered Bonds' job
after being approached to return to his old club Bournemouth as boss.
According to Redknapp, Bonds was offered a role as the West Ham director of
football but walked out - and they have not spoken since. But after waiting
20 years to speak his mind, the Hammers legend has broken his silence on
their troubled relationship. Redknapp's memoirs accused 'Bonzo', now 67, of
being a "man out of time" and presiding over a "shambles" - but the QPR
manager will be stung by his former best mate's response. Bonds said: "For
him to come out with what he said was disrespectful to the players and one
or two of the staff who were there. He has been very liberal with the truth
but that's much as I expected. "I haven't spoken to him for 20 years. I find
it quite pathetic that he comes out with stuff like that really."
Such bitterness - in an interview on Hammers fans website Knees Up Mother
Brown (www.kumb.com) - will shatter Redknapp's hopes of patching up their
friendship. Redknapp's book has already put him at odds with players, past
and present, over his recollection of events. 'Arry claimed several senior
England players including Steve Gerrard sent him text messages backing him
to take over as Three Lions coach. Gerrard denies sending Redknapp such a
text. And former Hammers skipper Julian Dicks has also rejected Redknapp's
version of his timekeeping and conforming to dress code.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Under-18s boss Steve Potts was pleased to see his team come through a stern
test against Norwich
21.10.2013
Under-18s manager Steve Potts felt his team deserved the points after
beating Norwich City U18 2-0 at Little Heath on Saturday morning. The
Hammers were made to work hard for the opening 70 minutes, before young
Portuguese striker Marcio Martins capped a rare start with a well taken
goal. Kieran Bywater then grabbed his tenth goal in as many games from the
penalty spot in the final minute. After a true footballing battle against
Tottenham Hotspur the previous weekend, Potts knew that Norwich would test
his squad in a completely different way and his team stepped up to the
challenge and got their rewards. "I said to the boys straight after the game
that Norwich bought a completely different test for us compared to the
Tottenham game, but they did really well," said Potts. "Norwich had a game
plan and they were solid, which made it hard for us. "At Tottenham, it was a
free-flowing game that was all about the football, whereas against Norwich
we had to change and mix up our game a little. I think we were definitely
the better team and deserved to win."
Going into the match, the Hammers boss made several changes to the winning
starting eleven against Tottenham in an attempt to rotate the team.
"I just wanted to give some of the other boys a chance and rotate the team,"
he continued. "Marcio came into the side and worked really hard up front and
deservedly capped it with a well taken goal so that was very pleasing. "Ben
Marlow has not long been back from injury and after playing a whole game at
Spurs and a full week's training, he was a little stiff so we decided to
take him off late in the second half, put Josh Cullen in Ben's position and
throw Jerry [Amoo] in. Jerry has the pace to cause problems and did really
well to win the penalty at the end."
Saturday's result took the Hammers' recent winning streak to four games, but
Potts isn't getting carried away and wants his team to continue
concentrating on their performances to give Development Squad manager Nick
Haycock selection problems. "I don't think our recent run changes our
targets for the season at all because I just want the lads to concentrate on
their performance every single week," he added. "Throughout this season, I
have been impressed with the team so they just have to keep it going and the
results will continue to come. "Nick has got the Development Squad going
really well this season and they are raising the bar for us at the moment,
so I am hoping to get some of my boys into that squad."
Back when Potts was a player at West Ham, he recalled seeing a young Mark
Noble performing at a high standard in the Hammers Academy and believes his
players need to look no further that the current first teamer for
inspiration. "If the boys don't want to push on to the next level then there
isn't much point them trying to make a career out of football. The
Development Squad is the next step that they should be looking to then even
onto the first team after that. "I still remember seeing Mark Noble here at
the same age as these lads are now and I think there is no greater example
for the boys to follow than what Mark has done. "They have all made their
starts, so now they have to be looking to push on."
One player looking to take that next step is Under-18s captain Kieran
Bywater, who netted an injury time spot kick on Saturday to take his tally
to ten goals for the season. He is delighted with the way the team is
performing, and as an individual, he hopes to earn his space in Nick
Haycock's Development Squad by the end of the season. He explained:
"Everyone worked hard and the whole team is really happy to win our fourth
game in a row. I'm really happy to get my tenth goal for the season, but
goals are a bonus and everyone played really well and deserved to win.
"Obviously everyone is aiming to play well as a squad every week in the
Under-18s, but as an individual, you're always looking to improve and push
towards the Development Squad. "Last season I played a few games in the
Development Squad and that's where I'm looking at getting to again.
Hopefully by the end of the season I may feature a few times for them."
The Under-18s travel north for their next Barclays U18 Premier League
fixture when they face Middlesbrough on Saturday 26 October.
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Hammers' community spirit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Community Sports Trust's outreach programme continues to
prove successful
21.10.2013
West Ham United Community Sports Trust's long-established outreach programme
is proving hugely successful. The Trust has partnered with a number of
leading groups and programmes throughout east London to support campaigns
that tackle anti-social behaviour, promote inclusion and inspire
participation through access to elite sport. As part of that long-term and
multi-faceted commitment to prominent community groups, the Trust has the
provision to offer West Ham United tickets at a discounted rate, to enable
individuals allied to those schemes to see top-level football in person.
Flagship inclusion programme Premier League Kicks, Premier League 4 Sport
and Tower Hamlets' Stifford Centre were each invited to take up the offer
for the visit of Manchester City as part of the wider commitment to making
football more accessible to all. This comprises just one element of
long-standing relationships with these initiatives and only participants
were eligible for the discounted tickets. As per the terms of the contracts
with said partners, the tickets were offered at a discounted rate, but
absolutely no tickets were provided free of charge and fans from all
locations, background, race and religion were included.
Stifford Centre manager Salman Alam explained: "This is extremely important
and useful for us to be able to reach out to our members. The partnership
with the Club gives us access that we would not normally be able to offer to
our local community. Football is a powerful tool and we use this to further
engage and inspire our young people and adult members."
Head of West Ham United Community Sports Trust. Joe Lyons, said: "I am
delighted with the success of our community outreach programme and it is
fantastic that West Ham United are leading the way in supporting programmes
that tackle anti-social behaviour and the other issues that affect our
Borough and beyond.
"Our focus is on engaging with our community and making football more
accessible to all and we want everyone from the local area to feel included
at the Club. We are rightly proud of the positive feedback we've received
from the campaign, which is essential for the Club to remain at the heart of
the community. I look forward to welcoming more groups at the selected games
throughout the season."
In addition to this key partnership agreement with Stifford, the Trust has
also joined forces with the Bangladesh Football Association UK. Together, an
agreement has been put in place to sustain a football strategy in Tower
Hamlets, one that comprises of establishing a West Ham United programme of
Bengali and Asian coaching education. This scheme, however, extends far
beyond traditional sport, by harnessing the power of football to engage
individuals through education and employment. Similarly, West Ham United
have relationships with numerous local schools and clubs, as they have done
for many years, that rewards their fantastic support with admission to
certain home fixtures.
Elsewhere, the Premier League Kicks programme continues to thrive, with
their work having proven most successful through the combination of coaching
and access to elite sport. Therefore, the Trust offers sports sessions
across a number of venues across east London at no cost to participants,
alongside the provision for match-day experiences for the young people and
their families at selected games throughout the season. Such schemes are
commonplace among other Premier League clubs and West Ham United are proud
of their work in this area and the outstanding results it produces.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wolves 0-2 Development Squad FT
WHUFC.com
Kieran Sadlier and Dan Potts scored the goals as West Ham United's U21s beat
Wolves on Monday
21.10.2013
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
BARCLAYS UNDER-21 PREMIER LEAGUE
NEW BUCKS HEAD STADIUM
MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
90 mins: It's all over here at AFC Telford and West Ham United have
triumphed 2-0. Apologies for the technical problems in the final 20 minutes
of the game, we'll have fuller updates on whufc.com shortly.
68 mins: Driver heads forward and it looks for a second as though Lletget
could be in. The keeper is smartly off his line though to smother the ball.
66 mins GOAL: From the resulting corner Potts is able to turn it home! Not
sure where it hit him but i'm sure that's the last of his worries!
65 mins: Potts brings the ball out of defence and with no one in a hurry to
close him down he decides to strike. His shot looks to be going over before
a deflection takes it for a corner.
63 mins: In the absence of Moncur, Sadlier steps up to stirke and just
misses the target with a bullet of a strike.
62 mins: Excellent piece of skill from Cole as he turns away from three
defenders before being hacked down and winning a free-kick on the edge of
the box.
60 mins: Indeed he can't continue and Reid is replaced by Ibrahim Keita.
59 mins: A good spell of possession yields nothing for the Hammers and on
the resulting counter attack the Wolves No9 looks to have pulled a muscle as
he chased down the ball.
57 mins: Spiegel's long clearance has Tombides racing through, the striker
checks back and strikes but his curling effort is just wide.
55 mins: Driver is having a battle on the left side with a pacy winger. This
time he wins the battle and a free-kick to boot.
53 mins: The home side are up in arms screaming for another penalty as Potts
looks as though he took down Reid in the box. Lucky escape.
50 mins: First change of the night for West Ham with Danny Whitehead
replacing George Moncur.
49 mins: It's been a slow start to the half by the visitors with Wolves
clearly keen to impress themselves upon the game more in the second half.
47 mins: Wolves are on the attack straight away and work the ball well
before Whittall strikes. Luckily for the Hammers Ruddock throws himself in
the way of the shot.
46 mins: The Hammers kick us off for the second half looking to secure the
win that would send them back to the top of the league.
Half-time: The corner comes to nothing and the referee ends the first half!
A good showing in atrocious conditions by the young Hammers so far and they
have the lead thanks to a Kieran Sadlier goal after just six minutes. The
left winger turned home a Moncur cross to give his side the perfect start.
Spiegel then came to the visitors rescue with a top class save from an
O'Hara penalty on 29 minutes. The big man got down well to his left to keep
out a good strike. So far, so good.
45+2 mins: An outrageous piece of skill from Tombides sees him pluck the
ball from the heavens and turn to run all in one motion. His skill earns the
Hammers a corner with just seconds remaining.
45 mins: And defend they do as Whittall tries his luck from range.
Fortunately for Spiegel it slams the hoarding just to the left of the goal.
44 mins: The ball boy managed to dodge the wayward shot and now with just a
minute until half-time the Hammers are content to defend.
43 mins: The former Tottenham man does strike it but his shot forces a ball
boy high up in the stand into evasive action as it flies toward him.
42 mins: Sadlier concedes a free-kick in a dangerous position with O'Hara on
the field.
40 mins: Cole nods down and releases Turgott who breaks into the box and
fires his shot just wide of the post.
38 mins: Turgott comes sliding back to try and help clear but insted sends
the ball towards his own goal. Spiegel is there again however and able to
clear.
36 mins: The rain is coming down hard and fast again making it even trickier
to keep control of the ball which so far both teams have managed well.
34 mins: Moncur and Turgott combine to win a corner. The ball in is good but
well cleared and allows the hosts to counter. They go down the right and
deliver a ball in but Turgott is back defending and able to clear.
32 mins: Cole has his first chance of the game as the ball is delivered into
the box but he can only stab it into the ground and watch it trickle wide.
29 mins: Wolves have a chance to equalise from the spot after Driver trips
his winger. O'Hara steps up and thunders it left but Spiegel produces a
magnificent one-handed save to deny him!
28 mins: It's taken short and allows Moncur to hit one, it's hard and low
but the keeper is able to deal with it easily enough.
27 mins: Tombides is set free down the right by a Turgott flick and his
cross is deflected out for a corner.
25 mins: Spiegel is snappy off his line to thwart Reid who's running in
behindand able to win a throw in the process.
24 mins: Turgott again has the chance to run and does so before firing low
across the box but no one is there to meet it.
23 mins: Potts throws himself in the way of a Jakobsson shot to keep the
Hammers ahead. Great defending.
21 mins: Moncur is looking on his game today and when that's the case it
usually spells trouble for his opponents.
20 mins: The rain has finally halted! And it may just prove to be a blessing
as this pitch couldn't take much more.
18 mins: Ruddock shepards the ball out for what he thinks will be a
goal-kick but the linesman has different ideas. From the resulting corner
O'Hara finds Whittall who heads straight at Spiegel.
16 mins: Conditions have made it hard going in the early stages althouh the
away side have coped better and could have been two up with Sadlier again
involved. The left winger can't put his header on target this time after a
chipped cross from Turgott.
14 mins: Carlton Cole looks to be enjoying himself in a West Ham shirt and
has already looked dangerous whilst also letting the keeper know of his
presence with a late challenge.
12 mins: Cranston fires in a shot at the near post and Spiegel puts it
behind from the corner. Turgott then clears off the line after a scramble in
the box, his clearance releases Moncur who is able to burst into the Wolves
half and set-up Tombides who can only sky the ball over the bar.
10 mins: The pitch does Moncur no favours as Sadlier looks to put him in
behind the Wolves defence. He would be clear but for the roll of the ball
which holds in the damp surface.
8 mins: The home side have responded well to going behind and forced Spiegel
into his first save of the evening. O'Hara strikes a right footed curler but
the keeper is equal to it.
6 mins GOAL: Sadlier has got the Hammers off to an absolute flyer! Moncur
breaks into the box and feeds Sadlier who fires home first time to score.
What a start!
5 mins: Turgott gets his first touches down the right side and decides to
cross from deep. The ball in is easy for the defenders to clear however.
3 mins: Driver is back on his feet and looks like he may be able to
continue. Good news for the visitors.
1 min: Callum Driver is on the ground and in need of medical attention after
making a committed challenge on the right midfielder.
Kick-off: Wolves kick us off as the rain continues to fall in the midlands.
6:57 pm: The players have emerged from the tunnel and now undertake the
pre-match formalities before we get this one underway.
6:52 pm: The players are in their respective changing rooms gearing up for
the game as some dance music gets the couple of hundred people in the ground
fired up for the match.
6:45 pm: The rain has eased up slightly as the teams prepare to head to
shelter for their final match preperations. There are plenty of scouts in
attendance keen to cast their eye's over the talent on show.
6:30 pm: Half an hour to go until kick-off and the Hammers are ramping up
their warm-up amidst a back drop of heavy rain which is already having an
affect on the roll of the ball on a very soggy surface. On the up side there
is a lovely waft of chips floating across the ground as the fans drift in.
6:05 pm: The team news is in. A strong line-up for the Hammers tonight as
they look to hand crucial game time to the forward pair of Carlton Cole and
Mladen Petric. Just under an hour to kick off but some pretty dreadful
country music can already be heard ringing out around the New Bucks Head
Stadium.
The Development Squad resume Barclays Under-21 Premier League action tonight
as they travel up to the home of AFC Telford to take on Wolverhampton
Wanderers. The young Hammers have kept themselves busy during the
international break with games against Conference National opposition in the
shape of Luton Town and Cambridge United as they geared up for this clash.
Nick Haycock's side are top of the league having won five of their opening
seven matches suffering only one defeat whilst their opponents occupy eighth
place in the table with three wins, three defeats and one draw to show from
their league matches thus far.
There are some big names on show tonight with a couple of familiar faces on
show for the Hammers. The Wolves backline should be in for a busy night with
Mladen Petirc and Carlton Cole both stepping up their quest for match
fitness with some valuable game time here tonight. The home side will be
looking towards the talents of former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara who
has found himself surplus to requirements of Kenny Jackett's first team.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Chambers, Driver, Potts, Ruddock, Lletget,
Turgott, Moncur, Tombides, Sadlier, Cole
Subs: Fanimo, Baxter, Petric, Whitehead, Lee
Wolverhampton Wanderers: Flatt, Kostrna, Ihiekwe, Tank, Cranston, Bancessi,
Whittall, Jakobsson, Parry, O'Hara, Reid
Subs: Dutton, Kellerman, Keita, Iorfa, Carter, Erdei
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Downing encouraged by second half
WHUFC.com
Hammers winger Stewart Downing took heart from the second half of Saturday's
game against Man City
21.10.2013
Stewart Downing felt that West Ham United could have got something out of
their clash with Manchester City on Saturday, had they performed in the
first half as they did in the second. The Hammers trailed to Sergio Aguero's
16th-minute strike at the break, and only really came to life after the
forward had doubled both his and City's tally six minutes after the restart.
Ricardo Vaz Te's overhead kick kept the game alive and it was not until ten
minutes from time that David Silva made the game safe for Manuel
Pellegrini's me n and Downing was encouraged by the second half performance.
"First and foremost, Man City are a top team," he said. "I thought that in
the first half we maybe showed them a little too much respect, although you
could see in the goal the quality that they have.
"In the second half, we probably left it a bit late, but after the second
goal we started to play and believe in ourselves. That's what will frustrate
the mananger and the players, that we left it too late on Saturday. "We got
plenty of balls into the box in the second half, got a good goal back and I
thought we had the momentum. But then Man City hit us on the break and
scored a quality goal to wrap it up."
Aguero had a hand in all three goals, scoring the first two before laying on
the third for David Silva and Downing thought the attacking pair made the
difference for the visitors. He added: "Aguero is certainly a top player.
Silva was very good too and you can go throughout the team, they're strong.
Look at the bench and the players they can bring on. "We held our own in the
second half and could maybe have got a draw out of it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds: Redknapp was 'disrespectful'
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st October 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE has broken a 19-year silence to
express his disappointment at comments made by Harry Redknapp in his new
autobiography.
Bonds, West Ham's record appearance holder - and a man who remains revered
by Hammers supporters - decided to set the record straight after Redknapp
accused his former best friend of being "a man out of time" and of
overseeing "a shambles" during his spell as manager of West Ham in the early
1990s.
West Ham's seventh full-time manager, who was in the post from 1990 to 1994
has never before spoken to the media about Redknapp, who many believe
undermined him in order to secure the managerial position.
But in an exclusive interview with KUMB.com - which you may hear in its
entirely from tomorrow morning - Bonds finally reveals what he truly thinks
about his former best friend and his new book.
"For him to come out with what he said was disrespectful to the players and
one or two of the staff who were over there," Bonds told KUMB.com. "I think
he's been very liberal with the truth - but that's much as I expected
really.
"I haven't spoken to him for 20 years; I find it quite pathetic that he
comes out with stuff [like that] really, to be quite honest with you."
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'Keeper set for six-month layoff
KUM<B.com
Filed: Monday, 21st October 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's Stephen Henderson will be out of action until Spring 2014
after dislocating a shoulder at the weekend. 25-year-old Henderson, who is
currently on loan at Championship side Bournemouth was substituted after
just 13 minutes of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest after colliding
with Forest forward Simon Cox. "When I ran on to the pitch, I knew straight
away it was his shoulder and he was in agony," Cherries physio Steve Hard
told the Daily Echo. "Andrew Balderston, the Nottingham Forest physio, came
on and helped me give him gas and air to get him settled. "We couldn't put
him on a stretcher until he had had some pain relief. The paramedics
supported us and it was a good team effort. Everybody worked together to
help put Stephen at ease. "
Henderson, who made just two appearances for Bournemouth is now set to
return to West Ham where he will recive treatment for the injury - and
possibly surgery too. Talking about the incident, Cherries boss Eddie Howe
said: "Our thoughts are with Stephen. It is a real shame because he has had
to be patient and wait for his chance to come out on loan and get some
football. "He did really well for us against Millwall, so it is a big blow
for him and us." Henderson joined West Ham from Portsmouth in March 2012 for
a nominal fee, but since then has made just two appearances - both in the
League Cup - for Sam Allardyce's first team.
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce waiting on Andy Carroll's return
Last Updated: October 21, 2013 10:18am
SSN
Sam Allardyce is hoping for an update on Andy Carroll's fitness after a
frustrating start to the season for West Ham United in front of goal.
Carroll has yet to play for the Hammers this term due to a heel injury after
sealing a permanent transfer from Liverpool to Upton Park in the summer.
Allardyce has struggled to replace Carroll and was forced to go into the
game against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break without a
recognised striker. West Ham managed to come away from White Hart Lane with
a surprise 3-0 victory but they lacked an attacking threat in Saturday's 3-1
defeat by Manchester City as Ricardo Vaz Te's goal was one of only two shots
on target. A return date for Carroll has yet to be given but Allardyce
understands he is making good progress and is waiting for further news this
week. "I will be speaking to the specialist on Monday to see whether he can
give us at least a date when he thinks he will be able to come back to us,"
said Allardyce. "He is still improving week by week and is probably due back
with us I would hope. It is very important we get him back as quickly as we
can as I don't want to be continuing to play with no front man."
Allardyce added: "Having got strikers who were not scoring was the only
reason we played that system against Tottenham. "Andy won't play in it. We
bought him to be our leader of the front line. Once he gets fit and up and
running, he will not only score goals but he will create opportunities for
lots of other players to score goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stephen Henderson could miss six months with dislocated shoulder
Last Updated: October 21, 2013 12:06pm
SSN
Bournemouth's on-loan keeper Stephen Henderson could miss most of the rest
of the season after dislocating his shoulder in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham
Forest on Saturday. Henderson, on loan at the Sky Bet Championship club from
West Ham, was stretchered off inside the opening 10 minutes after an
accidental collision w ith Forest striker Simon Cox. The Irishman was taken
to hospital where a fracture was ruled out by X-rays, but he may still need
surgery and could miss up to six months - he has returned to Upton Park for
further treatment. Cherries physio Steve Hard paid tribute to the medical
staff who aided Henderson in the immediate aftermath of the incident. "When
I ran on to the pitch, I knew straight away it was his shoulder and he was
in agony," Hard told the Daily Echo. "We have a signal we give to the dugout
when we know it is serious and that means I need back up. Andrew Balderston,
the Nottingham Forest physio, came on and helped me give him gas and air to
get him settled. We couldn't put him on a stretcher until he had had some
pain relief. "The paramedics supported us and it was a good team effort.
Everybody worked together to help put Stephen at ease. "I thought the
situation was dealt with very well and, under the circumstances, everything
ran smoothly. I would like to thank everybody who helped."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Billy Bonds says 'pathetic' Harry Redknapp has been 'very liberal with the
truth' over their West Ham feud
21 Oct 2013 16:46
The Mirror
Billy Bonds has branded Harry Redknapp "pathetic" and "liberal with the
truth" after reigniting their 20-year-old feud. Former West Ham boss and
fans' idol Bonds has not spoken to Redknapp for almost two decades after he
claimed 'Arry had stabbed him in the back. Bonds left the Upton Park club,
after 27 years as a player and manager, in 1994 when Redknapp - who had been
his assistant - took charge of the first team. In his autobiography,
serialised earlier this month Redknapp claimed he was offered Bonds' job
after being approached to return to his old club Bournemouth as boss.
According to Redknapp, Bonds was offered a role as the West Ham director of
football but walked out - and they have not spoken since. But after waiting
20 years to speak his mind, the Hammers legend has broken his silence on
their troubled relationship. Redknapp's memoirs accused 'Bonzo', now 67, of
being a "man out of time" and presiding over a "shambles" - but the QPR
manager will be stung by his former best mate's response. Bonds said: "For
him to come out with what he said was disrespectful to the players and one
or two of the staff who were there. He has been very liberal with the truth
but that's much as I expected. "I haven't spoken to him for 20 years. I find
it quite pathetic that he comes out with stuff like that really."
Such bitterness - in an interview on Hammers fans website Knees Up Mother
Brown (www.kumb.com) - will shatter Redknapp's hopes of patching up their
friendship. Redknapp's book has already put him at odds with players, past
and present, over his recollection of events. 'Arry claimed several senior
England players including Steve Gerrard sent him text messages backing him
to take over as Three Lions coach. Gerrard denies sending Redknapp such a
text. And former Hammers skipper Julian Dicks has also rejected Redknapp's
version of his timekeeping and conforming to dress code.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, October 21
Daily WHUFC News - 21st October 2013
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is hopeful he will have more attacking options in the coming
weeks
20.10.2013
Sam Allardyce is hopeful his attacking options will be bolstered in the
coming weeks with the return to fitness of Carlton Cole. The striker, who
re-signed with the Club last week, is still some way short of full fitness
but was able to sit on the bench for Saturday's 3-1 defeat at home to
Manchester City. Cole has been training hard in his bid to regain match
fitness and Allardyce revealed the striker will be playing a part for the
Development Squad later today when they travel to AFC Telford's ground to
play Wolverhampton Wanderers. He said: "Carlton's had one game, we started
pre-season training on July 1 and spent seven-and-a-half weeks building up
to Cardiff, Carlton's been training with us for three weeks and played one
game behind closed doors. "In pre-season terms he's still four weeks off but
we have to bring that forward as quickly as we possibly can. He'll be
playing in the Under-21s on Monday to get another game. "He's fit now but
he's not match fit and he'll certainly come into the equation for when we
play Burnley because we play Swansea on Sunday and then Burnley on Tuesday."
Big Sam has employed a 4-6-0 formation to good effect in the last two
matches with his tactics yielding a 3-0 at White Hart Lane before putting
Manchester City under pressure for long periods of Saturday's game. Playing
without a front man has worked well in the past two fixtures but the manager
admits that a change of tactic is needed for the forthcoming matches amidst
praise for his players performance against Manuel Pellegrini's team. "I
don't want to continue playing without a front man," Allardyce said.
"Certainly not in games when it's more important to play with a front man.
"It suited us in the last two games but Man City spent £100 million this
summer, Tottenham spent the same, we spent around £20 million and I've got
five free transfers on the pitch and that's the difference at the end of the
day. "We tried our best, the players tried their best but today their best
wasn't good enough against that team and that quality."
Cole is not the only forward who Big Sam hopes will be available in the near
future with Mladen Petric likely to get an opportunity, while Andy Carroll
is recuperating and getting stronger with every passing week. The summer
signing has been a big miss for the Hammers this season and whilst there has
been no timescale put on his return, Allardyce is confident he will have a
big part to play when he does. "He's still in Belgium and improving week by
week," said the manager. "We hope to speak to the specialist on Monday and
hopefully he'll be able to give us a date of when he'll be back with us.
It's very important that we get him back as quick as we can. "Andy is the
main man we bought in the summer to be our leader on the front line, once he
gets fit and up and running again he will not only score goals but also
create opportunities for lots of other players to score goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pellegrini on...West ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 20th October 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini shares his thoughts on his side's
first away win of the season...
Manuel, how happy are you at getting your first away win?
Very pleased. The most important thing today was to win the game. We
continued to play in the same was as for other away games. We knew if we
played the same as we did at Villa we would win away. That was the important
thing for me today, To get the win and to play the same way.
How important was it to get that win away today?
Very important! 1 from 9 is not a good average for us. Before we started the
game Chelsea, Arsenal & Everton won their games. We could have lost more
points playing away so three points is vey good important for us.
Aguero's performance was the catalyst for this evening...
Yes he's a top player. He makes an important difference. It was importat for
the team that he didn't play in the second game this week for Aregentina. He
was fresh and that was important.
How did you find it against West Ham's six in the middle this evening...
Well we knew West Ham would try to play in the same way as they did against
Tottenham..They played very well. I told the players to be patient and to
move the ball around until we found the space. We did it very well. West
Ham's goalkeeper was, I think, their best player. He made at least four or
five important saves.
To use that space you need someone like Silva. I thought he was magnificent.
There was nobody near him. He seemed to find that space.
Well he's another top player. He played very well. It is not easy for other
teams to mark Silva. He has the quality to lose that marker. He was another
player that was fresh. That was my first thought about the eleven that
started. To have the maximum amount who were fresh from the international
break.
When west ham got their goal back were you worried at all that nerves might
play a part?
Well of course it's difficult when it's 2-1 and you're playing away. West
Ham had that moment when they had a lot of possession. But when we got the
third goal – all finished.
You've got an important Champions League match coming up on an artificial
pitch. Are you concerned at all bearing in mind what happened in Hong Kong?
We don't know about the condition of the pitch. We hoe that because UEFA are
allowing the game to be played there it is a good pitch. We've just been
thinking about the game we played today. About West Ham. Tomorrow we'll
think about the Champions League.
You changed your whole back four today. Does that show that you won't be
afraid to make changes for the [Champions League] game?
[following a long pause for the interpreter] No today had nothing to do with
the Champions League match. It was as I said Micah Richards was fresh,
Garcia was fresh, Clichy was fresh – he didn't play in the second
international match for France. I'm sorry to repeat myself but that was the
most important reason.
It shows the depth you've got in the squad. That you can leave other players
on the bench.
[Further interpreter pause] Maybe. It's more important that I trust in the
players. At the beginning of the season I spoke with the owners and told
them that we needed a squad with two important players for each position. We
have a lot of matches and we need to have the same quality.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham lining up a bid for prolific Icelandic striker Alfred Finnbogason
20 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is ready to shop at Iceland – and bid for
hot-shot striker Alfred Finnbogason. Allardyce sent his chief scout to watch
the prolific marksman notch again for Dutch side Heerenveen against Vitesse
Arnhem on Saturday. Finnbogason has now scored 11 times for his club this
season and has also helped Iceland to the World Cup play-off stage. The
highly-rated forward has been linked with several moves but the Hammers hope
to raise the funds to land him in January. Allardyce has been working
without a top-flight striker all season in the absence of Andy Carroll.
Finnbogason, who grew up in Scotland and has also interested Newcastle, fits
the bill perfectly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AFC Bournemouth: Henderson injury could spell premature end to Cherries loan
Daily Echo
6:00am Monday 21st October 2013 in Cherries News Photograph of the Author By
Neil Perrett
LUCKLESS Stephen Henderson looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines
after dislocating his shoulder during Cherries' clash at Nottingham Forest
on Saturday. The goalkeeper, just minutes into his second game of a
three-month loan spell with Cherries, sustained the injury during an
accidental collision with Forest's Simon Cox.
Cox followed in and caught the West Ham man on the left shoulder as the two
players challenged for a loose ball after Henderson had parried a shot from
Djamal Abdoun.
Medical staff from both dugouts immediately rushed to the visibly-distressed
stopper's aid and administered gas and air in an attempt to dull the pain
before he was stretchered off.
Henderson received further pain-killing medication in the treatment room at
the City Ground before he was taken by ambulance to the nearby Queen's
Medical Centre.
The 25-year-old Irishman had his shoulder put back in by doctors after an
X-ray had shown no fracture before Henderson was discharged.
He was then driven by Cherries physio Steve Hard to Cherwell Valley services
where Henderson's wife was waiting to take him back to their home in Essex.
Henderson will be assessed and treated by medical staff at Upton Park and
could be out for up to six months should he require surgery, which looks
increasingly likely.
In the event of Henderson not being fit to feature for Cherries before his
loan expires in January, the Dorset club would ask West Ham to officially
recall him.
Speaking to the Daily Echo last night, Cherries physio Hard said: "When I
ran on to the pitch, I knew straight away it was his shoulder and he was in
agony.
"We have a signal we give to the dugout when we know it is serious and that
means I need back up. Andrew Balderstone, the Nottingham Forest physio, came
on and helped me give him gas and air to get him settled. We couldn't put
him on a stretcher until he had had some pain relief.
"The paramedics supported us and it was a good team effort. Everybody
worked together to help put Stephen at ease. I thought the situation was
dealt with very well and everything ran smoothly, under the circumstances. I
would like to thank everybody who helped."
Asked about the incident during his post-match press conference, Cherries
boss Eddie Howe said: "It was a tough moment for us. If you lose your
goalkeeper early in a game away from home, it can rock you. Thankfully, we
dealt with it okay but our thoughts are with Stephen.
"It is a real shame because he has had to be patient and wait for his chance
to come out and get some football. He did really well for us against
Millwall so it is a big blow for him and us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is hopeful he will have more attacking options in the coming
weeks
20.10.2013
Sam Allardyce is hopeful his attacking options will be bolstered in the
coming weeks with the return to fitness of Carlton Cole. The striker, who
re-signed with the Club last week, is still some way short of full fitness
but was able to sit on the bench for Saturday's 3-1 defeat at home to
Manchester City. Cole has been training hard in his bid to regain match
fitness and Allardyce revealed the striker will be playing a part for the
Development Squad later today when they travel to AFC Telford's ground to
play Wolverhampton Wanderers. He said: "Carlton's had one game, we started
pre-season training on July 1 and spent seven-and-a-half weeks building up
to Cardiff, Carlton's been training with us for three weeks and played one
game behind closed doors. "In pre-season terms he's still four weeks off but
we have to bring that forward as quickly as we possibly can. He'll be
playing in the Under-21s on Monday to get another game. "He's fit now but
he's not match fit and he'll certainly come into the equation for when we
play Burnley because we play Swansea on Sunday and then Burnley on Tuesday."
Big Sam has employed a 4-6-0 formation to good effect in the last two
matches with his tactics yielding a 3-0 at White Hart Lane before putting
Manchester City under pressure for long periods of Saturday's game. Playing
without a front man has worked well in the past two fixtures but the manager
admits that a change of tactic is needed for the forthcoming matches amidst
praise for his players performance against Manuel Pellegrini's team. "I
don't want to continue playing without a front man," Allardyce said.
"Certainly not in games when it's more important to play with a front man.
"It suited us in the last two games but Man City spent £100 million this
summer, Tottenham spent the same, we spent around £20 million and I've got
five free transfers on the pitch and that's the difference at the end of the
day. "We tried our best, the players tried their best but today their best
wasn't good enough against that team and that quality."
Cole is not the only forward who Big Sam hopes will be available in the near
future with Mladen Petric likely to get an opportunity, while Andy Carroll
is recuperating and getting stronger with every passing week. The summer
signing has been a big miss for the Hammers this season and whilst there has
been no timescale put on his return, Allardyce is confident he will have a
big part to play when he does. "He's still in Belgium and improving week by
week," said the manager. "We hope to speak to the specialist on Monday and
hopefully he'll be able to give us a date of when he'll be back with us.
It's very important that we get him back as quick as we can. "Andy is the
main man we bought in the summer to be our leader on the front line, once he
gets fit and up and running again he will not only score goals but also
create opportunities for lots of other players to score goals."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pellegrini on...West ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 20th October 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini shares his thoughts on his side's
first away win of the season...
Manuel, how happy are you at getting your first away win?
Very pleased. The most important thing today was to win the game. We
continued to play in the same was as for other away games. We knew if we
played the same as we did at Villa we would win away. That was the important
thing for me today, To get the win and to play the same way.
How important was it to get that win away today?
Very important! 1 from 9 is not a good average for us. Before we started the
game Chelsea, Arsenal & Everton won their games. We could have lost more
points playing away so three points is vey good important for us.
Aguero's performance was the catalyst for this evening...
Yes he's a top player. He makes an important difference. It was importat for
the team that he didn't play in the second game this week for Aregentina. He
was fresh and that was important.
How did you find it against West Ham's six in the middle this evening...
Well we knew West Ham would try to play in the same way as they did against
Tottenham..They played very well. I told the players to be patient and to
move the ball around until we found the space. We did it very well. West
Ham's goalkeeper was, I think, their best player. He made at least four or
five important saves.
To use that space you need someone like Silva. I thought he was magnificent.
There was nobody near him. He seemed to find that space.
Well he's another top player. He played very well. It is not easy for other
teams to mark Silva. He has the quality to lose that marker. He was another
player that was fresh. That was my first thought about the eleven that
started. To have the maximum amount who were fresh from the international
break.
When west ham got their goal back were you worried at all that nerves might
play a part?
Well of course it's difficult when it's 2-1 and you're playing away. West
Ham had that moment when they had a lot of possession. But when we got the
third goal – all finished.
You've got an important Champions League match coming up on an artificial
pitch. Are you concerned at all bearing in mind what happened in Hong Kong?
We don't know about the condition of the pitch. We hoe that because UEFA are
allowing the game to be played there it is a good pitch. We've just been
thinking about the game we played today. About West Ham. Tomorrow we'll
think about the Champions League.
You changed your whole back four today. Does that show that you won't be
afraid to make changes for the [Champions League] game?
[following a long pause for the interpreter] No today had nothing to do with
the Champions League match. It was as I said Micah Richards was fresh,
Garcia was fresh, Clichy was fresh – he didn't play in the second
international match for France. I'm sorry to repeat myself but that was the
most important reason.
It shows the depth you've got in the squad. That you can leave other players
on the bench.
[Further interpreter pause] Maybe. It's more important that I trust in the
players. At the beginning of the season I spoke with the owners and told
them that we needed a squad with two important players for each position. We
have a lot of matches and we need to have the same quality.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham lining up a bid for prolific Icelandic striker Alfred Finnbogason
20 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is ready to shop at Iceland – and bid for
hot-shot striker Alfred Finnbogason. Allardyce sent his chief scout to watch
the prolific marksman notch again for Dutch side Heerenveen against Vitesse
Arnhem on Saturday. Finnbogason has now scored 11 times for his club this
season and has also helped Iceland to the World Cup play-off stage. The
highly-rated forward has been linked with several moves but the Hammers hope
to raise the funds to land him in January. Allardyce has been working
without a top-flight striker all season in the absence of Andy Carroll.
Finnbogason, who grew up in Scotland and has also interested Newcastle, fits
the bill perfectly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AFC Bournemouth: Henderson injury could spell premature end to Cherries loan
Daily Echo
6:00am Monday 21st October 2013 in Cherries News Photograph of the Author By
Neil Perrett
LUCKLESS Stephen Henderson looks set for an extended spell on the sidelines
after dislocating his shoulder during Cherries' clash at Nottingham Forest
on Saturday. The goalkeeper, just minutes into his second game of a
three-month loan spell with Cherries, sustained the injury during an
accidental collision with Forest's Simon Cox.
Cox followed in and caught the West Ham man on the left shoulder as the two
players challenged for a loose ball after Henderson had parried a shot from
Djamal Abdoun.
Medical staff from both dugouts immediately rushed to the visibly-distressed
stopper's aid and administered gas and air in an attempt to dull the pain
before he was stretchered off.
Henderson received further pain-killing medication in the treatment room at
the City Ground before he was taken by ambulance to the nearby Queen's
Medical Centre.
The 25-year-old Irishman had his shoulder put back in by doctors after an
X-ray had shown no fracture before Henderson was discharged.
He was then driven by Cherries physio Steve Hard to Cherwell Valley services
where Henderson's wife was waiting to take him back to their home in Essex.
Henderson will be assessed and treated by medical staff at Upton Park and
could be out for up to six months should he require surgery, which looks
increasingly likely.
In the event of Henderson not being fit to feature for Cherries before his
loan expires in January, the Dorset club would ask West Ham to officially
recall him.
Speaking to the Daily Echo last night, Cherries physio Hard said: "When I
ran on to the pitch, I knew straight away it was his shoulder and he was in
agony.
"We have a signal we give to the dugout when we know it is serious and that
means I need back up. Andrew Balderstone, the Nottingham Forest physio, came
on and helped me give him gas and air to get him settled. We couldn't put
him on a stretcher until he had had some pain relief.
"The paramedics supported us and it was a good team effort. Everybody
worked together to help put Stephen at ease. I thought the situation was
dealt with very well and everything ran smoothly, under the circumstances. I
would like to thank everybody who helped."
Asked about the incident during his post-match press conference, Cherries
boss Eddie Howe said: "It was a tough moment for us. If you lose your
goalkeeper early in a game away from home, it can rock you. Thankfully, we
dealt with it okay but our thoughts are with Stephen.
"It is a real shame because he has had to be patient and wait for his chance
to come out and get some football. He did really well for us against
Millwall so it is a big blow for him and us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, October 20
Daily WHUFC News - 20th October 2013
Aguero double downs Hammers
WHUFC.com
Sergio Aguero's double helped Manchester City defeat West Ham United 3-1 on
Saturday
19.10.2013
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United were unable to prevent Manchester City from recording their
first away Barclays Premier League win of the season on Saturday evening.
Ricardo Vaz Te's 58th minute overhead kick gave them hope of overturning a
two-goal deficit to Sergio Aguero's brace either side of half-time, but City
always seemed to have the edge and sealed a 3-1 victory with a David Silva
goal. There were still positives to take for the Hammers, who did not allow
the game to run away from them as it could have done at 2-0, and forced City
onto the back foot for a spell around Vaz Te's strike.The visitors showed
their strength in seeing off the hosts, however, as they moved into the top
four, Ravel Morrison had the Boleyn Ground crowd on its feet with a spin
away from Yaya Toure on 14 minutes. He laid off to Mark Noble, who found
Mohamed Diame, and his swerving shot faded away and past Joe Hart's far
post. A minute later Manchester City went on the attack and Winston Reid cot
caught on the wrong side of Alvaro Negredo as the ball was played into him
inside the area, but the New Zealander recovered to tackle. However, the
Hammers did not heed the warning and they found themselves behind a minute
later when Negredo cleverly let Fernandinho's pass run through his legs and
into Aguero, who was suddenly in the clear and he kept his calm to roll
beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen and into the far corner. Three minutes later
Augero was presented with a great chance to double the tally when Negredo
leapt highest to nod David Silva's dink into the box back to the
Argentinean, but his shot was directed straight at Jaaskelainen.
City seemed to have a greater intensity about them and Negredo showed huge
desire to dispossess James Tomkins on the edge of his own box on 32 minutes
before dragging a left-footed shot past the far post. West Ham's moments of
threat before the break were limited, although with 40 minutes played Micah
Richards and Javi Garcia combined strongly to block a Vaz Te header
following Stewart Downing's right wing cross. At the other end Jaaskelainen
had to tip a Toure scorcher over the top and City did not have to wait too
long after the interval to stretch their advantage. The simplicity of the
51st minute goal would have annoyed Hammers boss Sam Allardyce as Aguero was
left all alone to nod Silva's left wing free kick into the top left corner
of the net. West Ham found that the best way to stem the tide was to go on
the attack themselves and they were right back in the contest just seven
minutes later. Vaz Te bagged his second goal in as many games, improvising
well to acrobatically volley home after Downing and Ravel Morrison had done
well to keep a Razvan Rat cross alive at the far post.
The game had a great tempo about it at this stage and the lively Negredo
almost restored his team's two-goal advantage just past the hour, but his
angled shot crashed against the bar and to safety. Shortly afterwards
Jaaskelainen was at full stretch to deny Aguero his hat trick, but City
could not be contained as an attacking threat and they made sure of the
points ten minutes from time. Silva was the goalscorer, sidestepping Reid
and firing home after Aguero made the space in the area to back heel to his
teammate. The goal gave the visitors a healthy cushion as they entered the
closing stages and the Hammers were unable to come again.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Deme (O'Brien 65), Tomkins, Reid, Rat; Nolan
(Petric 82), Noble, Diame; Downing, Morrison, Vaz Te (Jarvis 65)
Subs: Adrian, Taylor, C.Cole, J.Cole
Goal: Vaz Te 58
Booked: Noble
Manchester City: Hart; Richards, Garcia, Nastasic, Clichy; Nasri (Milner
74), Toure, Fernandinho, Silva; Negredo (Kolarov 65), Aguero (Jovetic 82)
Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Dzeko
Goals: Aguero 16, 51, Silva 80
Booked: Silva, Nastasic
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 34,907
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Under-18s down Canaries
WHUFC.com
The Hammers' Under-18s bagged a fourth successive league victory with this
2-0 win over Norwich City
19.10.2013
West Ham United Under-18s made it four wins in four in the Barclays U18
Premier League, as they downed Norwich City 2-0 at Little Heath on Saturday.
A tight game for the most-part remained goalless until the 70th minute, when
Portuguese striker Marcio Martins popped up to fire the Hammers in front.
Then, in the final minute, Jerry Amoo's long run, from his own half into the
penalty area, earned the hosts a spot-kick as he was felled. Skipper Kieran
Bywater stepped up, confidently dispatching the penalty to notch his tenth
goal of the season.
Manager Steve Potts made several changes to the side that defeated Tottenham
Hotspur last weekend with Amoo, Sam Baxter, Jordan Brown, Emmanuel Onariase
and Djair Parfitt-Williams the men to drop out, while returning England U18
internationals Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle, along with Martins, Nathan
Mavila and 'keeper Sam Howes earned a recall. The game started slowly and
the closest either side came to a goal in the first quarter of an hour were
two overhead kicks from Martins, neither of which posed a great threat to
Lloyd Thomas in the Norwich goal. Shortly afterwards, West Ham were
appealing for a penalty, when Bywater was upended, only for the referee to
award a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Uncharacteristically for
Bywater, the resulting free-kick was fired straight into the wall. West Ham
continued to press and might have broken the deadlock when Moses Makasi's
effort from 18 yards was parried by Thomas, before Mavila curled his low
strike round the far post. The best chance of the first half, however, fell
to Norwich's Jake Simpson, who found himself one-on-one with Howes, but
snatched at the chance and sliced over the crossbar. After the break, Lewis
Page almost scooped a clearance from a Norwich corner straight into the top
corner of his own net, but 'keeper Howes did brilliantly to claw the ball
away from the top corner. The Hammers, meanwhile, were much improved and
had three strikes on goal, but neither Martins, Knoyle or Mavila could make
the most of promising situations. The deadlock was eventually broken with 70
minutes on the clock, with Martins confidently slotting into the bottom left
corner of the net, having been played in by Bywater. Then, as Norwich looked
to grab an equaliser from a late corner, the ball was cleared into Amoo, who
collected inside his own half and looked to be headed for the corner flag.
Having run in excess of 50 yards, Amoo surged toward goal, prompting
Canaries defender Ben Burgess to concede a last-gasp penalty. It was Bywater
who stepped up to take it and did so confidently, taking his tally for the
season to an astonishing ten goals in ten games. Steve Potts' Academy outfit
will look to stretch their winning streak to five, when they head north to
take on Middlesbrough U18s on Saturday 26 October at 11am.
West Ham United Under-18s: Howes, Knoyle, Girdlestone, Burke, Page, Cullen,
Marlow (Amoo), Makasi, Mavila, Bywater, Martins.
Subs not used: Nemrava, Bailey, Onariase, Brown.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We had a good go'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes West Ham United can hold their heads high, despite
losing at home to Manchester City
20.10.2013
Mark Noble believes West Ham United could not have given any more in
Saturday's 3-1 Barclays Premier League defeat by big-spending Manchester
City.
The Hammers slipped to their third straight league defeat at the Boleyn
Ground courtesy of two goals from Sergio Aguero and an outstanding clincher
from David Silva. Following Aguero's double. West Ham rallied and got back
into the game when Ricardo Vaz Te volleyed in with more than half-an-hour to
go, but Noble conceded that the Londoners had been beaten by the better side
overall. "We had a good go in the second half," Noble told West Ham TV. "We
had a couple of half-chances in the first half, too, where if the ball had
dropped or we could have bundled it in, we could have gone ahead. "They were
a couple of great pieces of skill by Aguero. Against those sort of teams you
have to ride your luck and they scored a couple of great goals and we got
beaten by the better team in the end."
After starting the match in the same 4-6-0 formation that secured a
sensational 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in their previous fixture, the
Hammers were forced to go on the offensive when Aguero put City two goals
clear six minutes after half-time. For the next 20 minutes, with the
full-backs and wingers pushing on and Ravel Morrison, Kevin Nolan and
Mohamed Diame pressuring City's makeshift central defenders, West Ham
repeatedly knocked on the door. However, the ball just wouldn't drop to a
home player inside the City penalty area, allowing Silva to settle matters
at the end of fine move that also involved Yaya Toure and Aguero. "Me and
Nobby said it on the pitch when they scored their second goal that we were
going to push Ravel and Mo up and I think the Gaffer told them to get up and
pressure their back four and it seemed to work a little bit better. "We got
a foothold in the game and got a goal and it could have gone either way. As
it was, it was a great piece of skill from Aguero and David Silva that
finished us off."
In the final analysis, Noble conceded that City's expensively-assembled
squad had just had too much, but pointed out that West Ham supporters
recognised the effort put in by their team. "Manchester City did play well
but that's what you should expect when you spend £300 million. We didn't
embarrass ourselves and the fans could see that because they clapped us off
the pitch and we had a good go. "Sometimes against the top, top teams you
need a bit of luck but we never got that and we got beaten by the better
team."
Looking forward, West Ham will look to continue their fine away form - one
defeat and one goal conceded in four league matches - at Swansea City next
Sunday. There, Noble and company will be eager to erase the memory of last
season's 3-0 reverse at the Liberty Stadium, while also seeking to pick up
much-needed points as the first quarter of the season draws to a close. "The
thing is, we came off a great result against Spurs and although we lost on
Saturday, we can go into the game confident. We've been playing well in all
the games this season, apart from Stoke. "We've given a good account of
ourselves otherwise and we'll give it a good go."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam's birthday blues
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce reflects on Saturday's Barclays Premier League defeat at home
to Manchester City
19.10.2013
Sam Allardyce lamented West Ham United's uncharacteristically charitable
defending as Manchester City ran out 3-1 winners at the Boleyn Ground to
dampen the manager's birthday celebrations. Sergio Aguero twice escaped the
attention of the Hammers' defenders to put the visitors two goals to the
good, and though Ricardo Vaz Te's acrobatic effort halved the deficit, David
Silva's tidy finish wrapped up the points with 80 minutes on the clock.
While Manchester City were excellent on the day, Big Sam was nevertheless
disappointed in the manner of the visitors' first two goals.
He told West Ham TV: "It's a miserable birthday for me, because the only
thing you want for your birthday is a good, positive result. But we didn't
get that and unfortunately, when you play a side of Manchester City's
quality, we need to hit top form.
"I don't think we set the tempo high enough at the beginning, and,
Manchester City, with their quality, got the ball down and kept it, passed
it and passed it until they got through us. It made life very difficult for
us. When we did win it again, we didn't pass it properly ourselves, we gave
it back to them.
"So they were controlling the tempo and then we made, unfortunately, a
howler of an error for the first goal. Just a straight little ball down the
middle and unfortunately neither of our centre-halves dealt with it, which
is very unusual for them. And you don't give Aguero a one-on-one with the
goalie. Very rarely does he miss and he puts it in.
"Not only did we do that, we did exactly the wrong thing on a free-kick six
minutes into the second half. So the first half was very disappointing,
apart from Jussi, who kept us in the game with some outstanding saves."
At the other end of the pitch, Big Sam conceded that his men had failed to
give England stopper Joe Hart enough to worry about, in the knowledge that
the 26-year-old had endured one or two difficult moments in recent weeks.
That said, the Hammers boss could, at least, take some solace in his side's
response to going two goals down.
He continued: "We had a few fleeting moments in the opposition's box, but we
didn't test Joe Hart enough by hitting the target, which I tried to insist
on before the game. He has made one or two errors, as we know, and we needed
to find out whether there was any nervous edge there.
"We certainly didn't hit the target enough to find that out and he did make
one outstanding save at 2-1 when we got through with Mo Diame's one-on-one.
"It was disappointing up until we went 2-0 down and then we showed a bit of
spirit, a bit of fight and a little bit of quality, at last. We scored a
very good goal and looked like we might actually get a result out of it. In
the end, we didn't score again in that spell and Manchester City scored a
very good third goal. I can't criticise the lads too much for that one, but
we'd already gifted them two."
Even in defeat, Big Sam pointed to the stand-out performances of Jussi
Jaaskelainen and Stewart Downing, though he acknowledged that too few of his
men were able to replicate their heroics at White Hart Lane.
"Stewart Downing was very, very good, and, like I said, Jussi too. But the
rest of the team never hit the same heights as they did at Tottenham, and
that's my big disappointment.
"For me, you can talk about systems, but at the end of the day, the players
have to play their best within the system that you pick and then it works.
It would always have to be the best performances from the XI out there to
compete against Manchester City and then see what happens. Unfortunately, we
didn't and Man City, on top of that, were very, very good as well."
Casting an eye toward next Sunday's trip to Swansea City, Big Sam knows
exactly what he expects of his side, namely a performance akin to the one
produced at Tottenham Hotspur.
"Certainly the last away performance at Tottenham is something we have to
try to emulate at Swansea. They've eventually won, having not won at home
for a very long time, against Sunderland.
"So we have to go there with a positive attitude and say to the players, I
want you to perform like you did at Tottenham and if you do that, you're
going to give Swansea a hell of a game and will get the chances to win the
game. Because Swansea, as good as they are, are not as good as Tottenham, so
if we get to that level, we'll get the opportunity. Whether we take it or
not will be a different matter."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
On this day - 20 October
WHUFC.com
The Hammers struck four on a profitable away day for the club in 1984
20.10.2013
Classic match
Stoke City 2-4 West Ham United
Division One
20 October 1984
Four different scorers saw the Hammers record a good away win at the
Victoria Ground on this day in 1984. Paul Allen, Paul Goddard, Tony Cottee
and an own goal from Stoke's George Berry saw the away side to victory in a
six goal thriller. The Hammers went on to finish the season in 16th place
whilst the Potters were relegated after finishing bottom of the league.
Complete record - 20 October
1923 Chelsea 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1928 West Ham United 2-4 Everton (Division One)
1934 West Ham United 2-0 Swansea Town (Division Two)
1951 Birmingham City 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1956 Bristol Rovers 1-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1973 Coventry City 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1971 Leeds United 0-1 West Ham United (League Cup)
1979 West Ham United 1-2 Luton Town (Division Two)
1984 Stoke City 2-4 West Ham United (Division One)
1990 Swindon Town 0-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
2001 West Ham United 2-0 Southampton (Premier League)
2012 West Ham United 4-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Played 12, Won 7, Drawn 2, Lost 3, Scored 20, Conceded 12
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies to make do without Little
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies midfielder Stacey Little has been ruled out with a
long-term ankle injury
19.10.2013
Last weekend, West Ham United Ladies' title hopes took another hit with a
disappointing 4-1 FA Women's Premier League defeat at Keynsham Town Ladies.
One player who unfortunately had to sit out of that game is midfielder
Stacey Little, who suffered an ankle injury during a league meeting with
Spurs a fortnight ago, which could see her ruled out for the rest of the
season. That was tough news for the hard-working and dedicated 26-year-old
to take.
"I took a couple of heavy tackles to my ankle," Little explained. "I played
on after the first tackle in a lot of pain but the second tackle finished me
off. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to play on, I just couldn't. I later
found out I had chipped a bone in my ankle. "When I got the news, I was
fighting back the tears, which will explain how devastated I was. Even more
so, as I feel that I was having one of my best seasons so far."
While Little will not be on the pitch, she will be cheering her team-mates
on when they attempt to return to winning ways at Gillingham on Sunday, with
kick-off at Chatham Town FC at 2pm. Little's footballing career started on
the playground playing against the boys, before she joined her local team
Hatfield Youth.
"I never really started playing football until I joined Hatfield Youth. I
used to play with the boys at primary school at break time but that's as
serious as it got really. "Hatfield Youth were my local team. For me, at
that age, I suppose it was just a way for me to learn more about the basics
of the game."
Before long, Little found herself being advised to take a step up to a
higher level and, despite never being part of an Academy, she joined Queens
Park Rangers. "For years I have been told that I should be playing at a
higher level but I've never had the self-confidence for it. I don't know
that made me take the step, but one day I just thought I'd try it and see if
I was good enough and how I got on. "My inspiration has always been my Dad.
He was always there to drive me to games and is always honest with me
whether I have played well or not. Even now, he is still trying to teach me
a thing or two. "I never went to the Academy of any club as I didn't know
much about them when I was younger. However, I wish I had because I think
that they would have developed me more as a player. "My Dad was working with
a girl at the time that had previously played for QPR and she arranged a
trial for me. It was an easy decision for me to join them as they were at a
decent level of women's football for me to test myself."
Little's time at QPR helped her develop as a player as she was being coached
by more experienced coaches and playing against better teams, but she became
unhappy and decided to move to Charlton Ladies. "The best thing about my
time at QPR was experience at a whole. The level of football was new to me
and it was a chance for me to play with better players and learn new things
from the coaches and players around me to better myself. "I was unhappy at
QPR and was looking for a new club. At the time, Charlton had withdrew all
the funding from their women's team and lost all their players so were
starting from scratch with no players. "When I joined Charlton, they were in
the Women's Premier League playing against the likes of Arsenal, Everton and
Liverpool so again this was another massive step up for me. "Our manager,
Paul Mortimer, was an ex-professional footballer so he was very experienced
when it comes to the tactical side of the game as well as the physical
attributes needed."
In 2010, Little again decided to move on and there was only one team that
she wanted to move to. "I just felt the need to move on from Charlton to a
new team and new challenge and for me, the only team that I had in mind was
West Ham. "It was a little surreal when I joined West Ham Ladies but it was
a very proud moment for me and my family to put on that shirt for the first
time and play for the club I love."
Little is now in her fourth season with West Ham and looking back over her
career, she believes that her main growth as a footballer has been her
self-confidence. "I have developed as a footballer massively over the years.
When I look back from when I started at QPR to where I am now, my confidence
has been the main factor of my growth as a player. "This confidence came
from the start of my time at West Ham. It was Julia Setford that gave me the
opportunity and believed in my ability when I joined and I am forever
grateful to her for that."
Since getting injured during the 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Little
is trying to keep positive, but is taking the news that she may not play
again badly as she was planning for this season to be her last. "Although
the boyfriend is trying to remain positive for me, it's very hard for me to
stay positive in all honesty. "I was planning on this to be my last season
and now it's been cut short and I'm unsure whether I'll feature again at all
this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Man City 3
19 October 2013
Last updated at 19:56
By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport
Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City saw off West Ham to go fourth
in the Premier League. City tore through the middle of the Hammers' defence
for their opener, with Alvaro Negredo leaving Fernandinho's pass for Aguero
to calmly slot home. Aguero made it 2-0 with a header from David Silva's
free-kick but Vaz Te replied with an acrobatic strike. That set up a tense
finish, until Silva found the top corner to seal City's first away league
win of the season.
City's form on the road has been the biggest concern for new manager Manuel
Pellegrini this season, and they badly needed a solid display in the first
of four successive away games in the league, Champions League and League
Cup. This was the third time that Sergio Aguero has scored more than once
away from home in a Premier League away match - he also scored twice in the
2-2 draw at Fulham on 18 September 2011 and 14 April 2012 - when he scored
two in the 6-1 win at Norwich.
They began strongly in east London, establishing a platform in midfield and
controlling that area of the pitch. West Ham were chasing shadows and City's
slick movement and passing saw them take an early lead through Aguero, who
galloped clear unopposed after 16 minutes. That was only the second goal
West Ham have conceded in open play in the Premier League this season, but
Sam Allardyce's side were looking vulnerable every time City came at them.
Aguero made space for another shot that just eluded Silva after squirming
out of Jussi Jaaskelainen's grasp, while the Hammers keeper did well to keep
out a curling Yaya Toure shot after a mistake by Winston Reid. The home
side, who were again operating without an out-and-out striker, did enjoy
spells of pressure too but they lacked a cutting edge when they put the ball
into the box and ended the first half without managing a shot on target.
Things got bleaker for West Ham after the break when Aguero met Silva's
free-kick with a pin-point near-post header - his first in the Premier
League - to double City's lead. But the Hammers responded with their best
spell of the match, culminating with Vaz Te's overhead kick after Ravel
Morrison had hooked the ball back into the danger zone.
City had gone ahead in both of their away Premier League defeats this
season, and their lead looked fragile again as West Ham bombarded their box
with crosses and free-kicks. This time, however, there was a different
outcome.
In contrast to their displays in defeats at Cardiff and Aston Villa,
Pellegrini's side kept their defensive discipline, and got their reward at
the other end too.
Negredo could have settled City's nerves when he slammed an angled shot
against the underside of the bar, while Jaaskelainen had to be alert to keep
out efforts from Aguero and Aleksandar Kolarov. Instead it was down to Silva
to put the game beyond West Ham's reach. He met Aguero's clever backheel on
the edge of the area to curl an unstoppable shot into the top corner and
ensure City embark on their next trip, to CSKA Moscow in the Champions
League on Wednesday, on the back of a win.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "City were very, very good. Because they were
so good we could not get near our best. "The lads had a right go after going
2-0 down. Before that, we were nowhere near our best. We had to be at our
best, and they had to have an off day, for us to beat them. "For the size,
power and money they have, we could not live with them today. It showed at
times. "We could have felt sorry for ourselves and lost 4-0, but we made a
spirited comeback. We did not find the form we had at Tottenham. It did not
work today. The lads did not apply themselves as well."
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: "Winning the game was the most
important thing for us. We played very well, and the best player for West
Ham was their goalkeeper. "We played as well as we did against Aston Villa
[when City lost 3-2]. Someone asked me if I needed to change the way we
played away, and I do not think so. "This team should always play in
attacking way because of the players we have. "We were absolutely sure
playing the way we were, we would win away. We lost against Cardiff and
Aston Villa, but football is like that."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Manchester City
KUMB,com
Filed: Saturday, 19th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
Big Sam was understandably disappointed by a third home defeat of the season
- whilst admitting that his team were distinctly second best...
Sam: I thought you gave it a good go today, especially after the second
goal?
Too late though, wasn't it. That's the problem. Manchester City were better
than us today. If we were to get a result then I've always said that you
have to play your very best - but sometimes the opposition don't allow you
to do that.
We came out of the traps hoping we could set the tempo but what happened is
that Manchster City decided they would, what with the quality of their
players. When you get the front two and Yaya Toure passing the ball like
they did it frightened us a little bit, put us on the back foot.
The sad thing was, even after all of that, when they got through our
goalkeeper was magnificent today - but then we made two basic errors for two
goals, rather than the quality of Aguero, Negredo or Silva putting the ball
in the back of the net with great, fluent moves.
A simple ball down the middle for the first goal and somebody not picking
the smallest man in Man City up on the second goal was really disappointing
for us. So gifting the two to them was something that you don't really
expect to come back from against a team of their quality.
But we gave it a go, and at least I was pleased with the response the lads
showed in not giving up and fighting right until the end. And, of course,
when we got back to 2-1 with a good goal that we scored we showed a little
bit more of the passing qualities that had failed us in the first half.
The constant passing back to our players and the opposition regaining
possession was the reason we didn't look anything like we did at Tottenham
two weeks ago. So really our only contribution from an attacking point of
view was 20, 25 minutes - but that was after Manchester City were already
2-0 up and that was too late.
Was James Collins maybe the most important missing element out there today?
No,
I don't think so. We played with James Tomkins and got a clean sheet against
Tottenham so I think whether it's James Collins or James Tomkins, the
quality of Negredo and Aguero was outstanding. The quality of their runs
with Yaya Toure and David Silva passing it to them. But, even when they
pierced our defence Jussi was there to save us today.
It wasn't the quality of the first goal, it was a huge mistake by our
defence and a good finish. But it wasn't really quality the second goal, it
was a huge mistake by us letting him have a free header seven yards out. To
be fair to him he's put both of them away pretty well but for him they
weren't difficult finishes because he didn't have any pressure on him.
What's the news on Guy Demel, who was substituted in the second half?
He's okay; it's just a dead leg.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sergio Aguero scores two as Manchester City beat West Ham
Last Updated: October 20, 2013 9:13am
SSN
Sergio Aguero scored two and set up a third as Manchester City climbed into
the top four of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory against West Ham at
Upton Park. The opening goal came in the 16th minute when Fernandinho's
slide-rule pass was allowed to run by Alvaro Negredo, putting the West Ham
defence on their heels and giving Aguero the opportunity to ghost into the
box and finish with aplomb beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Best of the match:
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero can be the only winner after scoring two and
setting up David Silva for the third.
Goal of the match: Aguero's opener was excellent. From Fernandinho's
slide-rule pass, to Alvaro Negredo's excellent dummy and the Argentina
international's cool finish.
Moment of the match: West Ham looked as though they could get back into the
match before Aguero and Silva put the game beyond them 10 minutes from time.
Save of the match: Jussi Jaaskelainen could not be blamed for any of the
goals and he produced a fine stop to deny Aguero his hat-trick in the second
half.
Talking points: Can Manchester City reclaim the Premier League crown this
season? How long will Sam Allardyce preserve with his 4-6-0 formation.
The Argentina international then accepted a gift-wrapped second from the
home side early in the second half as he was left unmarked eight yards out
to power a header in at the near post from David Silva's free-kick despite
the best efforts of Jaaskelainen. West Ham responded well and enjoyed their
best period of the match, which culminated in an improvised response as
Stewart Downing's header back across the box was flicked on by Ravel
Morrison for Ricardo Vaz to fire an overhead kick into Joe Hart's bottom
corner in the 58th minute. But City's first away win in the Premier League
this season was sealed with 10 minutes remaining as Aguero turned provider,
setting up Silva with a neat back-heel to curl a powerful left-foot shot
across Jaaskelainen to halt any hopes of a comeback from the home side.
Hopes were high among the home fans at kick-off. With the 3-0 win at
Tottenham still fresh in their minds, rarely-heard chants of "Sam
Allardyce's barmy army" rang out around Upton Park.
Grip
West Ham started with the same purpose and drive they displayed at White
Hart Lane two weeks previously. Mohamed Diame picked the ball up from Razvan
Rat before cutting inside and hitting a swirling shot that flew inches wide
of Joe Hart's goal. Then City started to take a grip of the game. Reid put
in a crucial tackle to deny Aguero but the New Zealand defender switched off
moments later and City's Argentina striker took full advantage. Fernandinho
played a long ball along the floor from the halfway line towards Negredo.
Winston Reid and James Tomkins expected the Spaniard to collect the ball,
but he sold them a dummy, leaving the ball completely. Aguero was in behind
the two defenders and he slotted the ball calmly past Jaaskelainen.
Pellegrini on important win
Aguero could have made it 2-0 two minutes later, but he volleyed straight at
the West Ham goalkeeper while free inside the box. City were playing some
delightful football. Silva was given too much time on the ball and he kept
looking to unlock the home defence with a series of superb incisive passes.
Aguero was looking unstoppable. The striker slalomed his way through the
West Ham back line and drew another save from Jaaskelainen. Silva then
entered the book with a dangerous late tackle on Rat and Michael Oliver also
cautioned Kevin Nolan. West Ham were barely creating anything going forward.
Vaz Te headed weakly into Hart's arms just before half-time. City flew up
the other end and would have doubled their lead had Jaaskelainen not pulled
off a save to deny Yaya Toure.
Shambolic
What Allardyce said to his team at half-time had little effect as the
Hammers fell 2-0 down after another piece of shambolic defending. This time
Vaz Te was the offender. The Portuguese player gave Aguero two yards of free
space in the box and the striker capitalised by nodding Silva's cross past
Jaaskelainen.
But West Ham responded and Rat's cross made its way to the back post where
Downing headed back and Morrison flicked on before Vaz Te, with his back to
goal, acrobatically beat Hart from eight yards. The goal lifted the home
side, but City went back on the attack with Negredo, who struck the bar on a
breakneck counter. West Ham were vulnerable as they pushed for an equaliser
and City capitalised. With 10 minutes left, the visitors went on a lightning
counter-attack. Toure played in Aguero, who back-heeled to Silva and he
curled the ball home after giving Reid the slip.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce admits West Ham errors gifted Manchester City victory
By Rob Parrish - Follow me on Twitter @skysportsrobp | Last Updated: October
19, 2013 8:33pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admitted his side only had themselves to blame
following their 3-1 defeat by Manchester City at Upton Park. Two defensive
blunders allowed Sergio Aguero to put the visitors 2-0 up, with James
Tomkins and Winston Reid falling for Alvaro Negredo's dummy for the opener
in the 16th minute, as Aguero ran onto Fernandinho's excellent pass to beat
Jussi Jaaskelainen. Ricardo Vaz Te then switched off and left Aguero
unmarked to head home David Silva's free kick early in the second half,
although the West Ham man redeemed himself to an extent with an overhead
effort which brought the home side back into the game. But the result was
put beyond doubt 10 minutes from the end when Aguero's neat back-heel set up
Silva to curl a third beyond the helpless Jaaskelainen, who made several
excellent saves throughout the game. Allardyce told Sky Sports: "We gave two
dreadful goals away from our point of view. They have created some very good
chances and our goalkeeper has kept us in the game. "That is what
disappoints me, that Manchester City's goals were given, rather than earned,
and in the end we paid the price for that. "We gave a spirited fight-back
when we got to 2-1. We showed what we could do for a period of time and made
Manchester City's defence look shaky. "But, unfortunately, it was far too
late."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan bemoans lack of England chances for West Ham team-mates
Last Updated: October 19, 2013 12:35pm
SSN
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan has bemoaned the lack of international
chances for his English team-mates. England boss Roy Hodgson was in
attendance for the Hammers' impressive 3-0 win at Tottenham but, despite
having five Englishmen in their starting line-up, not one player received a
call-up for the recent World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland.
Nolan, who has represented England at under-21 level, believes that Sam
Allardyce's side are often ignored by the national team, regardless of how
well they are performing. "There's eight months to go to the World Cup and
West Ham have probably got the biggest, strongest English set of players in
the country. I don't think there's anyone like us," he told the Sun. "It
feels like the England manager doesn't seem to notice us. Hodgson was at our
game at Spurs but that was because everyone had been talking about Jermain
Defoe. "But you can't tell me he went there and Ravel Morrison or Stewart
Downing, James Tomkins and Mark Noble at least didn't catch the eye. He must
be thinking there's at least four lads there he could call up. "It's very
frustrating. We finished 10th last year and the boss has strengthened the
squad in the summer. If those lads were from other European countries, they
would have caps."
Nolan also pointed the finger at the influx of overseas players in the
Premier League as one of the reasons for England's failings in recent years.
"Something must be done about the amount of foreign players. Playing with
the best players makes it best for the Premier League, but does it make it
the best for England?" said Nolan. "Joe Hart is the only Englishman at Man
City getting regular games. Joleon Lescott would get in most Premier League
sides and you have Micah Richards and James Milner. "They have got Champions
League experience and trophies but they are certainly not regulars. Those
boys should be Man City's main men in my eyes."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL FOR WEST HAM
By Sean Whetstone 20 Oct 2013 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
This is the last in a series of financial articles which explain the
financial rewards of the League Cup, FA Cup, Europa league and the Premier
league. This last article will explore the lofty ambitions of the financial
rewards that await us in the UEFA Champions league. Since 2007 successive
owners of West Ham have set the ambition for Champions League football for
West Ham.
"Champions League? No question about that. Give me at least five years and
from then on. No question," Eggert Magnusson,Chairman of West Ham United,
March 29th, 2007.
"We have a seven-year plan to get them into the Champions League" David
Sullivan Joint Chairman, West Ham United January 2010
"We hope to close that gap. Our aim is to finish third or fourth. In five or
six years, once we get the revenues from the stadium, we will be a force to
reckon with." David Sullivan Joint Chairman, West Ham United March 2013
Champions League Money
UEFA's revenue for the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup
comes from TV rights and commercial contracts worth of around £1.135bn.
75% of the total revenue from media rights and commercial contracts
concluded by UEFA, up to a maximum of the first £449m, will go to the clubs,
while the remaining 25% will be reserved for European football, and will
remain with UEFA to cover organisational and administrative costs as well as
solidarity payments to associations, clubs and leagues.
A total of 82% of any revenue received from the same stream in excess of
£449m will go to the clubs, with the other 18% allotted to European football
and remaining with UEFA for the purposes listed above.
£46.6m is assigned to the Champions League play-offs, as was the case in the
2012/13 season. Each of the 20 teams taking part in the play-offs will
receive a fixed amount of £1.77m. After the deduction of the allocation for
the clubs involved in the play-offs, the gross amount available for the UEFA
Champions League and UEFA Super Cup totals £1.088bn
The net amount available to the participating sides is divided into two –
£424.3m in fixed payments (group stage allocations, performance and
qualification bonuses) and £347.1.6m in variable amounts (market pool). The
market pool amount will be distributed according to the proportional value
of each television market represented by the clubs playing in the UEFA
Champions League (group stage onwards), and will be split among those teams
competing from a given association.
The 32 clubs featuring in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage can
anticipate a minimum £7.2m. The side that eventually wins the UEFA Champions
League title this term could collect £31.7m, not counting the market pool
share.
Each of the 32 teams involved in the group stage will collect a base fee of
£7.3m. Performance bonuses will also see £847,457 paid for a win and £423728
for a draw in the group phase. The sides competing in the round of 16 can
also expect to receive £2.9m each, the eight quarter-finalists £3.3m and the
four semi-finalists £4.1m. The UEFA Champions League winners will pick up
£8.9m and the runners-up £5.5m.
Despite a Premier League club failing to make the last eight for the first
time in 17 years last season. Manchester United came out on top of the
Premier League clubs by collecting £30.5m, while Manchester City received
£24.7m, Chelsea made £26.3m and Arsenal got £26.8m. UEFA says Bayern got
£47.3m in prize money and bonuses, edging beaten finalist Borussia Dortmund
who received £46.4m.
So there you have it! All we have to do now is qualify for Champions league
football.
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Ravel Morrison uses his first-name on his West Ham shirt because of poor
relationship with father
19 Oct 2013 22:31
The Mirror
The West Ham youngster changed the name on the back of his shirt in a bid to
distance himself from his dad, with whom he has a difficult relationship
Ravel Morrison requested special dispensation from the Premier League to
have his first name on the back of his West Ham shirt. And the name change
was down to Ravel's wish to distance himself from his dad after their
relationship had deteriorated. An earlier similar request to the Football
League was turned down on the basis that he had already been named as
Morrison. But the Premier League sanctioned the switch and it appears to be
part of the lad turning over a new leaf.
Morrison's troubled past was one reason why Sir Alex Ferguson finally
decided to let the youngster leave Manchester United in 2012. There were
allegations that Morrison had even gone to the lengths of securing a
restraining order against his parents. And, prior to joining West Ham, he
was living with his grandparents, in Denton, Greater Manchester. It appears
the rift with his mum has now subsided, even though he has a police caution
for assaulting her.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that the club follow Morrison's
twitter account to see what he's up to. He landed himself in trouble in
February last year after posting a homophobic threat and was fined £7,000 by
the FA. But trouble still stalks him, as, last week, he was involved in an
ugly on-field row with Under-21 team-mate Wilfried Zaha that was halted by
the interjection of team-mate Nathan Redmond.
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David Gold praises Ravel Morrison but warns not to follow path of Paul
Gascoigne and George Best
19 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Mike Hewitt
David Gold has told Ravel Morrison he's got the whole world in his hands –
but has warned the young star not to blow it. The West Ham co-owner thinks
Morrison can go from bad boy to poster boy after a man-of-the-match display
for England Under-21s earlier in the week. The 20-year-old has been tipped
to break into Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad after two recent jaw-dropping
goals for the Hammers and the Young Lions. But his bust-up with team-mate
Wilfried Zaha near the end of the European Championship qualifier against
Lithuania on Tuesday revived memories of a career plagued by disciplinary
problems and off-the-pitch issues. Gold said: "It's up to him now. He's 20
years of age and he can be anything. I truly believe we have a young genius
emerging. "He is such an exciting prospect for us. "He's gone past the
stage where people have told him you can be a star and it's now completely
100 per cent in his hands. That happens to a lot of players. "It happened to
Paul Gascoigne and to George Best. It was in their hands. Yes, they need
help in their teens. But once they are in their twenties – with Gascoigne,
Best and now Ravel – it's up to them."
Morrison was booted out of Manchester United last year and looked set to
leave Upton Park this summer. But he got his head down towards the end of a
season-long loan spell at Championship side Birmingham last term. He had a
furious confrontation with Zaha at the Under-21s match at Portman Road, with
Norwich midfielder Nathan Redmond having to act as peacemaker. But Gold
believes Morrison is now a reformed character – especially as he has great
support from his West Ham team-mates. The Hammers co-owner said: "He has,
obviously, had difficulties in the past. I've read that he's had
difficulties.
"But whenever I meet him and I see him, I believe he is a very sensible
young man. I believe all the troubles are behind him. We should stop seeing
him as a problem young man. He's not. He's level-headed, he's sensible, he's
charming. "We've got good people looking after him and out for him at our
club. West Ham United have a great tradition in doing this. "Joe Cole helps
him. He's got Mark Noble, who's come through the ranks. He's got Kevin
Nolan, the best captain in the Premier League in terms of man-management.
"Kevin has embraced him and there is this great camaraderie. He is in this
fantastic place. So it's now up to him."He's got Sam Allardyce and West Ham
is a great club for looking after its players."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Sergio Aguero's double helped Manchester City defeat West Ham United 3-1 on
Saturday
19.10.2013
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United were unable to prevent Manchester City from recording their
first away Barclays Premier League win of the season on Saturday evening.
Ricardo Vaz Te's 58th minute overhead kick gave them hope of overturning a
two-goal deficit to Sergio Aguero's brace either side of half-time, but City
always seemed to have the edge and sealed a 3-1 victory with a David Silva
goal. There were still positives to take for the Hammers, who did not allow
the game to run away from them as it could have done at 2-0, and forced City
onto the back foot for a spell around Vaz Te's strike.The visitors showed
their strength in seeing off the hosts, however, as they moved into the top
four, Ravel Morrison had the Boleyn Ground crowd on its feet with a spin
away from Yaya Toure on 14 minutes. He laid off to Mark Noble, who found
Mohamed Diame, and his swerving shot faded away and past Joe Hart's far
post. A minute later Manchester City went on the attack and Winston Reid cot
caught on the wrong side of Alvaro Negredo as the ball was played into him
inside the area, but the New Zealander recovered to tackle. However, the
Hammers did not heed the warning and they found themselves behind a minute
later when Negredo cleverly let Fernandinho's pass run through his legs and
into Aguero, who was suddenly in the clear and he kept his calm to roll
beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen and into the far corner. Three minutes later
Augero was presented with a great chance to double the tally when Negredo
leapt highest to nod David Silva's dink into the box back to the
Argentinean, but his shot was directed straight at Jaaskelainen.
City seemed to have a greater intensity about them and Negredo showed huge
desire to dispossess James Tomkins on the edge of his own box on 32 minutes
before dragging a left-footed shot past the far post. West Ham's moments of
threat before the break were limited, although with 40 minutes played Micah
Richards and Javi Garcia combined strongly to block a Vaz Te header
following Stewart Downing's right wing cross. At the other end Jaaskelainen
had to tip a Toure scorcher over the top and City did not have to wait too
long after the interval to stretch their advantage. The simplicity of the
51st minute goal would have annoyed Hammers boss Sam Allardyce as Aguero was
left all alone to nod Silva's left wing free kick into the top left corner
of the net. West Ham found that the best way to stem the tide was to go on
the attack themselves and they were right back in the contest just seven
minutes later. Vaz Te bagged his second goal in as many games, improvising
well to acrobatically volley home after Downing and Ravel Morrison had done
well to keep a Razvan Rat cross alive at the far post.
The game had a great tempo about it at this stage and the lively Negredo
almost restored his team's two-goal advantage just past the hour, but his
angled shot crashed against the bar and to safety. Shortly afterwards
Jaaskelainen was at full stretch to deny Aguero his hat trick, but City
could not be contained as an attacking threat and they made sure of the
points ten minutes from time. Silva was the goalscorer, sidestepping Reid
and firing home after Aguero made the space in the area to back heel to his
teammate. The goal gave the visitors a healthy cushion as they entered the
closing stages and the Hammers were unable to come again.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Deme (O'Brien 65), Tomkins, Reid, Rat; Nolan
(Petric 82), Noble, Diame; Downing, Morrison, Vaz Te (Jarvis 65)
Subs: Adrian, Taylor, C.Cole, J.Cole
Goal: Vaz Te 58
Booked: Noble
Manchester City: Hart; Richards, Garcia, Nastasic, Clichy; Nasri (Milner
74), Toure, Fernandinho, Silva; Negredo (Kolarov 65), Aguero (Jovetic 82)
Subs: Pantilimon, Zabaleta, Lescott, Dzeko
Goals: Aguero 16, 51, Silva 80
Booked: Silva, Nastasic
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 34,907
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Under-18s down Canaries
WHUFC.com
The Hammers' Under-18s bagged a fourth successive league victory with this
2-0 win over Norwich City
19.10.2013
West Ham United Under-18s made it four wins in four in the Barclays U18
Premier League, as they downed Norwich City 2-0 at Little Heath on Saturday.
A tight game for the most-part remained goalless until the 70th minute, when
Portuguese striker Marcio Martins popped up to fire the Hammers in front.
Then, in the final minute, Jerry Amoo's long run, from his own half into the
penalty area, earned the hosts a spot-kick as he was felled. Skipper Kieran
Bywater stepped up, confidently dispatching the penalty to notch his tenth
goal of the season.
Manager Steve Potts made several changes to the side that defeated Tottenham
Hotspur last weekend with Amoo, Sam Baxter, Jordan Brown, Emmanuel Onariase
and Djair Parfitt-Williams the men to drop out, while returning England U18
internationals Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle, along with Martins, Nathan
Mavila and 'keeper Sam Howes earned a recall. The game started slowly and
the closest either side came to a goal in the first quarter of an hour were
two overhead kicks from Martins, neither of which posed a great threat to
Lloyd Thomas in the Norwich goal. Shortly afterwards, West Ham were
appealing for a penalty, when Bywater was upended, only for the referee to
award a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Uncharacteristically for
Bywater, the resulting free-kick was fired straight into the wall. West Ham
continued to press and might have broken the deadlock when Moses Makasi's
effort from 18 yards was parried by Thomas, before Mavila curled his low
strike round the far post. The best chance of the first half, however, fell
to Norwich's Jake Simpson, who found himself one-on-one with Howes, but
snatched at the chance and sliced over the crossbar. After the break, Lewis
Page almost scooped a clearance from a Norwich corner straight into the top
corner of his own net, but 'keeper Howes did brilliantly to claw the ball
away from the top corner. The Hammers, meanwhile, were much improved and
had three strikes on goal, but neither Martins, Knoyle or Mavila could make
the most of promising situations. The deadlock was eventually broken with 70
minutes on the clock, with Martins confidently slotting into the bottom left
corner of the net, having been played in by Bywater. Then, as Norwich looked
to grab an equaliser from a late corner, the ball was cleared into Amoo, who
collected inside his own half and looked to be headed for the corner flag.
Having run in excess of 50 yards, Amoo surged toward goal, prompting
Canaries defender Ben Burgess to concede a last-gasp penalty. It was Bywater
who stepped up to take it and did so confidently, taking his tally for the
season to an astonishing ten goals in ten games. Steve Potts' Academy outfit
will look to stretch their winning streak to five, when they head north to
take on Middlesbrough U18s on Saturday 26 October at 11am.
West Ham United Under-18s: Howes, Knoyle, Girdlestone, Burke, Page, Cullen,
Marlow (Amoo), Makasi, Mavila, Bywater, Martins.
Subs not used: Nemrava, Bailey, Onariase, Brown.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We had a good go'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes West Ham United can hold their heads high, despite
losing at home to Manchester City
20.10.2013
Mark Noble believes West Ham United could not have given any more in
Saturday's 3-1 Barclays Premier League defeat by big-spending Manchester
City.
The Hammers slipped to their third straight league defeat at the Boleyn
Ground courtesy of two goals from Sergio Aguero and an outstanding clincher
from David Silva. Following Aguero's double. West Ham rallied and got back
into the game when Ricardo Vaz Te volleyed in with more than half-an-hour to
go, but Noble conceded that the Londoners had been beaten by the better side
overall. "We had a good go in the second half," Noble told West Ham TV. "We
had a couple of half-chances in the first half, too, where if the ball had
dropped or we could have bundled it in, we could have gone ahead. "They were
a couple of great pieces of skill by Aguero. Against those sort of teams you
have to ride your luck and they scored a couple of great goals and we got
beaten by the better team in the end."
After starting the match in the same 4-6-0 formation that secured a
sensational 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur in their previous fixture, the
Hammers were forced to go on the offensive when Aguero put City two goals
clear six minutes after half-time. For the next 20 minutes, with the
full-backs and wingers pushing on and Ravel Morrison, Kevin Nolan and
Mohamed Diame pressuring City's makeshift central defenders, West Ham
repeatedly knocked on the door. However, the ball just wouldn't drop to a
home player inside the City penalty area, allowing Silva to settle matters
at the end of fine move that also involved Yaya Toure and Aguero. "Me and
Nobby said it on the pitch when they scored their second goal that we were
going to push Ravel and Mo up and I think the Gaffer told them to get up and
pressure their back four and it seemed to work a little bit better. "We got
a foothold in the game and got a goal and it could have gone either way. As
it was, it was a great piece of skill from Aguero and David Silva that
finished us off."
In the final analysis, Noble conceded that City's expensively-assembled
squad had just had too much, but pointed out that West Ham supporters
recognised the effort put in by their team. "Manchester City did play well
but that's what you should expect when you spend £300 million. We didn't
embarrass ourselves and the fans could see that because they clapped us off
the pitch and we had a good go. "Sometimes against the top, top teams you
need a bit of luck but we never got that and we got beaten by the better
team."
Looking forward, West Ham will look to continue their fine away form - one
defeat and one goal conceded in four league matches - at Swansea City next
Sunday. There, Noble and company will be eager to erase the memory of last
season's 3-0 reverse at the Liberty Stadium, while also seeking to pick up
much-needed points as the first quarter of the season draws to a close. "The
thing is, we came off a great result against Spurs and although we lost on
Saturday, we can go into the game confident. We've been playing well in all
the games this season, apart from Stoke. "We've given a good account of
ourselves otherwise and we'll give it a good go."
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Big Sam's birthday blues
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce reflects on Saturday's Barclays Premier League defeat at home
to Manchester City
19.10.2013
Sam Allardyce lamented West Ham United's uncharacteristically charitable
defending as Manchester City ran out 3-1 winners at the Boleyn Ground to
dampen the manager's birthday celebrations. Sergio Aguero twice escaped the
attention of the Hammers' defenders to put the visitors two goals to the
good, and though Ricardo Vaz Te's acrobatic effort halved the deficit, David
Silva's tidy finish wrapped up the points with 80 minutes on the clock.
While Manchester City were excellent on the day, Big Sam was nevertheless
disappointed in the manner of the visitors' first two goals.
He told West Ham TV: "It's a miserable birthday for me, because the only
thing you want for your birthday is a good, positive result. But we didn't
get that and unfortunately, when you play a side of Manchester City's
quality, we need to hit top form.
"I don't think we set the tempo high enough at the beginning, and,
Manchester City, with their quality, got the ball down and kept it, passed
it and passed it until they got through us. It made life very difficult for
us. When we did win it again, we didn't pass it properly ourselves, we gave
it back to them.
"So they were controlling the tempo and then we made, unfortunately, a
howler of an error for the first goal. Just a straight little ball down the
middle and unfortunately neither of our centre-halves dealt with it, which
is very unusual for them. And you don't give Aguero a one-on-one with the
goalie. Very rarely does he miss and he puts it in.
"Not only did we do that, we did exactly the wrong thing on a free-kick six
minutes into the second half. So the first half was very disappointing,
apart from Jussi, who kept us in the game with some outstanding saves."
At the other end of the pitch, Big Sam conceded that his men had failed to
give England stopper Joe Hart enough to worry about, in the knowledge that
the 26-year-old had endured one or two difficult moments in recent weeks.
That said, the Hammers boss could, at least, take some solace in his side's
response to going two goals down.
He continued: "We had a few fleeting moments in the opposition's box, but we
didn't test Joe Hart enough by hitting the target, which I tried to insist
on before the game. He has made one or two errors, as we know, and we needed
to find out whether there was any nervous edge there.
"We certainly didn't hit the target enough to find that out and he did make
one outstanding save at 2-1 when we got through with Mo Diame's one-on-one.
"It was disappointing up until we went 2-0 down and then we showed a bit of
spirit, a bit of fight and a little bit of quality, at last. We scored a
very good goal and looked like we might actually get a result out of it. In
the end, we didn't score again in that spell and Manchester City scored a
very good third goal. I can't criticise the lads too much for that one, but
we'd already gifted them two."
Even in defeat, Big Sam pointed to the stand-out performances of Jussi
Jaaskelainen and Stewart Downing, though he acknowledged that too few of his
men were able to replicate their heroics at White Hart Lane.
"Stewart Downing was very, very good, and, like I said, Jussi too. But the
rest of the team never hit the same heights as they did at Tottenham, and
that's my big disappointment.
"For me, you can talk about systems, but at the end of the day, the players
have to play their best within the system that you pick and then it works.
It would always have to be the best performances from the XI out there to
compete against Manchester City and then see what happens. Unfortunately, we
didn't and Man City, on top of that, were very, very good as well."
Casting an eye toward next Sunday's trip to Swansea City, Big Sam knows
exactly what he expects of his side, namely a performance akin to the one
produced at Tottenham Hotspur.
"Certainly the last away performance at Tottenham is something we have to
try to emulate at Swansea. They've eventually won, having not won at home
for a very long time, against Sunderland.
"So we have to go there with a positive attitude and say to the players, I
want you to perform like you did at Tottenham and if you do that, you're
going to give Swansea a hell of a game and will get the chances to win the
game. Because Swansea, as good as they are, are not as good as Tottenham, so
if we get to that level, we'll get the opportunity. Whether we take it or
not will be a different matter."
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On this day - 20 October
WHUFC.com
The Hammers struck four on a profitable away day for the club in 1984
20.10.2013
Classic match
Stoke City 2-4 West Ham United
Division One
20 October 1984
Four different scorers saw the Hammers record a good away win at the
Victoria Ground on this day in 1984. Paul Allen, Paul Goddard, Tony Cottee
and an own goal from Stoke's George Berry saw the away side to victory in a
six goal thriller. The Hammers went on to finish the season in 16th place
whilst the Potters were relegated after finishing bottom of the league.
Complete record - 20 October
1923 Chelsea 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1928 West Ham United 2-4 Everton (Division One)
1934 West Ham United 2-0 Swansea Town (Division Two)
1951 Birmingham City 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1956 Bristol Rovers 1-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1973 Coventry City 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1971 Leeds United 0-1 West Ham United (League Cup)
1979 West Ham United 1-2 Luton Town (Division Two)
1984 Stoke City 2-4 West Ham United (Division One)
1990 Swindon Town 0-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
2001 West Ham United 2-0 Southampton (Premier League)
2012 West Ham United 4-1 Southampton (Premier League)
Played 12, Won 7, Drawn 2, Lost 3, Scored 20, Conceded 12
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Ladies to make do without Little
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies midfielder Stacey Little has been ruled out with a
long-term ankle injury
19.10.2013
Last weekend, West Ham United Ladies' title hopes took another hit with a
disappointing 4-1 FA Women's Premier League defeat at Keynsham Town Ladies.
One player who unfortunately had to sit out of that game is midfielder
Stacey Little, who suffered an ankle injury during a league meeting with
Spurs a fortnight ago, which could see her ruled out for the rest of the
season. That was tough news for the hard-working and dedicated 26-year-old
to take.
"I took a couple of heavy tackles to my ankle," Little explained. "I played
on after the first tackle in a lot of pain but the second tackle finished me
off. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to play on, I just couldn't. I later
found out I had chipped a bone in my ankle. "When I got the news, I was
fighting back the tears, which will explain how devastated I was. Even more
so, as I feel that I was having one of my best seasons so far."
While Little will not be on the pitch, she will be cheering her team-mates
on when they attempt to return to winning ways at Gillingham on Sunday, with
kick-off at Chatham Town FC at 2pm. Little's footballing career started on
the playground playing against the boys, before she joined her local team
Hatfield Youth.
"I never really started playing football until I joined Hatfield Youth. I
used to play with the boys at primary school at break time but that's as
serious as it got really. "Hatfield Youth were my local team. For me, at
that age, I suppose it was just a way for me to learn more about the basics
of the game."
Before long, Little found herself being advised to take a step up to a
higher level and, despite never being part of an Academy, she joined Queens
Park Rangers. "For years I have been told that I should be playing at a
higher level but I've never had the self-confidence for it. I don't know
that made me take the step, but one day I just thought I'd try it and see if
I was good enough and how I got on. "My inspiration has always been my Dad.
He was always there to drive me to games and is always honest with me
whether I have played well or not. Even now, he is still trying to teach me
a thing or two. "I never went to the Academy of any club as I didn't know
much about them when I was younger. However, I wish I had because I think
that they would have developed me more as a player. "My Dad was working with
a girl at the time that had previously played for QPR and she arranged a
trial for me. It was an easy decision for me to join them as they were at a
decent level of women's football for me to test myself."
Little's time at QPR helped her develop as a player as she was being coached
by more experienced coaches and playing against better teams, but she became
unhappy and decided to move to Charlton Ladies. "The best thing about my
time at QPR was experience at a whole. The level of football was new to me
and it was a chance for me to play with better players and learn new things
from the coaches and players around me to better myself. "I was unhappy at
QPR and was looking for a new club. At the time, Charlton had withdrew all
the funding from their women's team and lost all their players so were
starting from scratch with no players. "When I joined Charlton, they were in
the Women's Premier League playing against the likes of Arsenal, Everton and
Liverpool so again this was another massive step up for me. "Our manager,
Paul Mortimer, was an ex-professional footballer so he was very experienced
when it comes to the tactical side of the game as well as the physical
attributes needed."
In 2010, Little again decided to move on and there was only one team that
she wanted to move to. "I just felt the need to move on from Charlton to a
new team and new challenge and for me, the only team that I had in mind was
West Ham. "It was a little surreal when I joined West Ham Ladies but it was
a very proud moment for me and my family to put on that shirt for the first
time and play for the club I love."
Little is now in her fourth season with West Ham and looking back over her
career, she believes that her main growth as a footballer has been her
self-confidence. "I have developed as a footballer massively over the years.
When I look back from when I started at QPR to where I am now, my confidence
has been the main factor of my growth as a player. "This confidence came
from the start of my time at West Ham. It was Julia Setford that gave me the
opportunity and believed in my ability when I joined and I am forever
grateful to her for that."
Since getting injured during the 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Little
is trying to keep positive, but is taking the news that she may not play
again badly as she was planning for this season to be her last. "Although
the boyfriend is trying to remain positive for me, it's very hard for me to
stay positive in all honesty. "I was planning on this to be my last season
and now it's been cut short and I'm unsure whether I'll feature again at all
this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Man City 3
19 October 2013
Last updated at 19:56
By Chris Bevan
BBC Sport
Sergio Aguero scored twice as Manchester City saw off West Ham to go fourth
in the Premier League. City tore through the middle of the Hammers' defence
for their opener, with Alvaro Negredo leaving Fernandinho's pass for Aguero
to calmly slot home. Aguero made it 2-0 with a header from David Silva's
free-kick but Vaz Te replied with an acrobatic strike. That set up a tense
finish, until Silva found the top corner to seal City's first away league
win of the season.
City's form on the road has been the biggest concern for new manager Manuel
Pellegrini this season, and they badly needed a solid display in the first
of four successive away games in the league, Champions League and League
Cup. This was the third time that Sergio Aguero has scored more than once
away from home in a Premier League away match - he also scored twice in the
2-2 draw at Fulham on 18 September 2011 and 14 April 2012 - when he scored
two in the 6-1 win at Norwich.
They began strongly in east London, establishing a platform in midfield and
controlling that area of the pitch. West Ham were chasing shadows and City's
slick movement and passing saw them take an early lead through Aguero, who
galloped clear unopposed after 16 minutes. That was only the second goal
West Ham have conceded in open play in the Premier League this season, but
Sam Allardyce's side were looking vulnerable every time City came at them.
Aguero made space for another shot that just eluded Silva after squirming
out of Jussi Jaaskelainen's grasp, while the Hammers keeper did well to keep
out a curling Yaya Toure shot after a mistake by Winston Reid. The home
side, who were again operating without an out-and-out striker, did enjoy
spells of pressure too but they lacked a cutting edge when they put the ball
into the box and ended the first half without managing a shot on target.
Things got bleaker for West Ham after the break when Aguero met Silva's
free-kick with a pin-point near-post header - his first in the Premier
League - to double City's lead. But the Hammers responded with their best
spell of the match, culminating with Vaz Te's overhead kick after Ravel
Morrison had hooked the ball back into the danger zone.
City had gone ahead in both of their away Premier League defeats this
season, and their lead looked fragile again as West Ham bombarded their box
with crosses and free-kicks. This time, however, there was a different
outcome.
In contrast to their displays in defeats at Cardiff and Aston Villa,
Pellegrini's side kept their defensive discipline, and got their reward at
the other end too.
Negredo could have settled City's nerves when he slammed an angled shot
against the underside of the bar, while Jaaskelainen had to be alert to keep
out efforts from Aguero and Aleksandar Kolarov. Instead it was down to Silva
to put the game beyond West Ham's reach. He met Aguero's clever backheel on
the edge of the area to curl an unstoppable shot into the top corner and
ensure City embark on their next trip, to CSKA Moscow in the Champions
League on Wednesday, on the back of a win.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "City were very, very good. Because they were
so good we could not get near our best. "The lads had a right go after going
2-0 down. Before that, we were nowhere near our best. We had to be at our
best, and they had to have an off day, for us to beat them. "For the size,
power and money they have, we could not live with them today. It showed at
times. "We could have felt sorry for ourselves and lost 4-0, but we made a
spirited comeback. We did not find the form we had at Tottenham. It did not
work today. The lads did not apply themselves as well."
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini: "Winning the game was the most
important thing for us. We played very well, and the best player for West
Ham was their goalkeeper. "We played as well as we did against Aston Villa
[when City lost 3-2]. Someone asked me if I needed to change the way we
played away, and I do not think so. "This team should always play in
attacking way because of the players we have. "We were absolutely sure
playing the way we were, we would win away. We lost against Cardiff and
Aston Villa, but football is like that."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Manchester City
KUMB,com
Filed: Saturday, 19th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
Big Sam was understandably disappointed by a third home defeat of the season
- whilst admitting that his team were distinctly second best...
Sam: I thought you gave it a good go today, especially after the second
goal?
Too late though, wasn't it. That's the problem. Manchester City were better
than us today. If we were to get a result then I've always said that you
have to play your very best - but sometimes the opposition don't allow you
to do that.
We came out of the traps hoping we could set the tempo but what happened is
that Manchster City decided they would, what with the quality of their
players. When you get the front two and Yaya Toure passing the ball like
they did it frightened us a little bit, put us on the back foot.
The sad thing was, even after all of that, when they got through our
goalkeeper was magnificent today - but then we made two basic errors for two
goals, rather than the quality of Aguero, Negredo or Silva putting the ball
in the back of the net with great, fluent moves.
A simple ball down the middle for the first goal and somebody not picking
the smallest man in Man City up on the second goal was really disappointing
for us. So gifting the two to them was something that you don't really
expect to come back from against a team of their quality.
But we gave it a go, and at least I was pleased with the response the lads
showed in not giving up and fighting right until the end. And, of course,
when we got back to 2-1 with a good goal that we scored we showed a little
bit more of the passing qualities that had failed us in the first half.
The constant passing back to our players and the opposition regaining
possession was the reason we didn't look anything like we did at Tottenham
two weeks ago. So really our only contribution from an attacking point of
view was 20, 25 minutes - but that was after Manchester City were already
2-0 up and that was too late.
Was James Collins maybe the most important missing element out there today?
No,
I don't think so. We played with James Tomkins and got a clean sheet against
Tottenham so I think whether it's James Collins or James Tomkins, the
quality of Negredo and Aguero was outstanding. The quality of their runs
with Yaya Toure and David Silva passing it to them. But, even when they
pierced our defence Jussi was there to save us today.
It wasn't the quality of the first goal, it was a huge mistake by our
defence and a good finish. But it wasn't really quality the second goal, it
was a huge mistake by us letting him have a free header seven yards out. To
be fair to him he's put both of them away pretty well but for him they
weren't difficult finishes because he didn't have any pressure on him.
What's the news on Guy Demel, who was substituted in the second half?
He's okay; it's just a dead leg.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sergio Aguero scores two as Manchester City beat West Ham
Last Updated: October 20, 2013 9:13am
SSN
Sergio Aguero scored two and set up a third as Manchester City climbed into
the top four of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory against West Ham at
Upton Park. The opening goal came in the 16th minute when Fernandinho's
slide-rule pass was allowed to run by Alvaro Negredo, putting the West Ham
defence on their heels and giving Aguero the opportunity to ghost into the
box and finish with aplomb beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Best of the match:
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero can be the only winner after scoring two and
setting up David Silva for the third.
Goal of the match: Aguero's opener was excellent. From Fernandinho's
slide-rule pass, to Alvaro Negredo's excellent dummy and the Argentina
international's cool finish.
Moment of the match: West Ham looked as though they could get back into the
match before Aguero and Silva put the game beyond them 10 minutes from time.
Save of the match: Jussi Jaaskelainen could not be blamed for any of the
goals and he produced a fine stop to deny Aguero his hat-trick in the second
half.
Talking points: Can Manchester City reclaim the Premier League crown this
season? How long will Sam Allardyce preserve with his 4-6-0 formation.
The Argentina international then accepted a gift-wrapped second from the
home side early in the second half as he was left unmarked eight yards out
to power a header in at the near post from David Silva's free-kick despite
the best efforts of Jaaskelainen. West Ham responded well and enjoyed their
best period of the match, which culminated in an improvised response as
Stewart Downing's header back across the box was flicked on by Ravel
Morrison for Ricardo Vaz to fire an overhead kick into Joe Hart's bottom
corner in the 58th minute. But City's first away win in the Premier League
this season was sealed with 10 minutes remaining as Aguero turned provider,
setting up Silva with a neat back-heel to curl a powerful left-foot shot
across Jaaskelainen to halt any hopes of a comeback from the home side.
Hopes were high among the home fans at kick-off. With the 3-0 win at
Tottenham still fresh in their minds, rarely-heard chants of "Sam
Allardyce's barmy army" rang out around Upton Park.
Grip
West Ham started with the same purpose and drive they displayed at White
Hart Lane two weeks previously. Mohamed Diame picked the ball up from Razvan
Rat before cutting inside and hitting a swirling shot that flew inches wide
of Joe Hart's goal. Then City started to take a grip of the game. Reid put
in a crucial tackle to deny Aguero but the New Zealand defender switched off
moments later and City's Argentina striker took full advantage. Fernandinho
played a long ball along the floor from the halfway line towards Negredo.
Winston Reid and James Tomkins expected the Spaniard to collect the ball,
but he sold them a dummy, leaving the ball completely. Aguero was in behind
the two defenders and he slotted the ball calmly past Jaaskelainen.
Pellegrini on important win
Aguero could have made it 2-0 two minutes later, but he volleyed straight at
the West Ham goalkeeper while free inside the box. City were playing some
delightful football. Silva was given too much time on the ball and he kept
looking to unlock the home defence with a series of superb incisive passes.
Aguero was looking unstoppable. The striker slalomed his way through the
West Ham back line and drew another save from Jaaskelainen. Silva then
entered the book with a dangerous late tackle on Rat and Michael Oliver also
cautioned Kevin Nolan. West Ham were barely creating anything going forward.
Vaz Te headed weakly into Hart's arms just before half-time. City flew up
the other end and would have doubled their lead had Jaaskelainen not pulled
off a save to deny Yaya Toure.
Shambolic
What Allardyce said to his team at half-time had little effect as the
Hammers fell 2-0 down after another piece of shambolic defending. This time
Vaz Te was the offender. The Portuguese player gave Aguero two yards of free
space in the box and the striker capitalised by nodding Silva's cross past
Jaaskelainen.
But West Ham responded and Rat's cross made its way to the back post where
Downing headed back and Morrison flicked on before Vaz Te, with his back to
goal, acrobatically beat Hart from eight yards. The goal lifted the home
side, but City went back on the attack with Negredo, who struck the bar on a
breakneck counter. West Ham were vulnerable as they pushed for an equaliser
and City capitalised. With 10 minutes left, the visitors went on a lightning
counter-attack. Toure played in Aguero, who back-heeled to Silva and he
curled the ball home after giving Reid the slip.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce admits West Ham errors gifted Manchester City victory
By Rob Parrish - Follow me on Twitter @skysportsrobp | Last Updated: October
19, 2013 8:33pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admitted his side only had themselves to blame
following their 3-1 defeat by Manchester City at Upton Park. Two defensive
blunders allowed Sergio Aguero to put the visitors 2-0 up, with James
Tomkins and Winston Reid falling for Alvaro Negredo's dummy for the opener
in the 16th minute, as Aguero ran onto Fernandinho's excellent pass to beat
Jussi Jaaskelainen. Ricardo Vaz Te then switched off and left Aguero
unmarked to head home David Silva's free kick early in the second half,
although the West Ham man redeemed himself to an extent with an overhead
effort which brought the home side back into the game. But the result was
put beyond doubt 10 minutes from the end when Aguero's neat back-heel set up
Silva to curl a third beyond the helpless Jaaskelainen, who made several
excellent saves throughout the game. Allardyce told Sky Sports: "We gave two
dreadful goals away from our point of view. They have created some very good
chances and our goalkeeper has kept us in the game. "That is what
disappoints me, that Manchester City's goals were given, rather than earned,
and in the end we paid the price for that. "We gave a spirited fight-back
when we got to 2-1. We showed what we could do for a period of time and made
Manchester City's defence look shaky. "But, unfortunately, it was far too
late."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan bemoans lack of England chances for West Ham team-mates
Last Updated: October 19, 2013 12:35pm
SSN
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan has bemoaned the lack of international
chances for his English team-mates. England boss Roy Hodgson was in
attendance for the Hammers' impressive 3-0 win at Tottenham but, despite
having five Englishmen in their starting line-up, not one player received a
call-up for the recent World Cup qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland.
Nolan, who has represented England at under-21 level, believes that Sam
Allardyce's side are often ignored by the national team, regardless of how
well they are performing. "There's eight months to go to the World Cup and
West Ham have probably got the biggest, strongest English set of players in
the country. I don't think there's anyone like us," he told the Sun. "It
feels like the England manager doesn't seem to notice us. Hodgson was at our
game at Spurs but that was because everyone had been talking about Jermain
Defoe. "But you can't tell me he went there and Ravel Morrison or Stewart
Downing, James Tomkins and Mark Noble at least didn't catch the eye. He must
be thinking there's at least four lads there he could call up. "It's very
frustrating. We finished 10th last year and the boss has strengthened the
squad in the summer. If those lads were from other European countries, they
would have caps."
Nolan also pointed the finger at the influx of overseas players in the
Premier League as one of the reasons for England's failings in recent years.
"Something must be done about the amount of foreign players. Playing with
the best players makes it best for the Premier League, but does it make it
the best for England?" said Nolan. "Joe Hart is the only Englishman at Man
City getting regular games. Joleon Lescott would get in most Premier League
sides and you have Micah Richards and James Milner. "They have got Champions
League experience and trophies but they are certainly not regulars. Those
boys should be Man City's main men in my eyes."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOOTBALL FOR WEST HAM
By Sean Whetstone 20 Oct 2013 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
This is the last in a series of financial articles which explain the
financial rewards of the League Cup, FA Cup, Europa league and the Premier
league. This last article will explore the lofty ambitions of the financial
rewards that await us in the UEFA Champions league. Since 2007 successive
owners of West Ham have set the ambition for Champions League football for
West Ham.
"Champions League? No question about that. Give me at least five years and
from then on. No question," Eggert Magnusson,Chairman of West Ham United,
March 29th, 2007.
"We have a seven-year plan to get them into the Champions League" David
Sullivan Joint Chairman, West Ham United January 2010
"We hope to close that gap. Our aim is to finish third or fourth. In five or
six years, once we get the revenues from the stadium, we will be a force to
reckon with." David Sullivan Joint Chairman, West Ham United March 2013
Champions League Money
UEFA's revenue for the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League and UEFA Super Cup
comes from TV rights and commercial contracts worth of around £1.135bn.
75% of the total revenue from media rights and commercial contracts
concluded by UEFA, up to a maximum of the first £449m, will go to the clubs,
while the remaining 25% will be reserved for European football, and will
remain with UEFA to cover organisational and administrative costs as well as
solidarity payments to associations, clubs and leagues.
A total of 82% of any revenue received from the same stream in excess of
£449m will go to the clubs, with the other 18% allotted to European football
and remaining with UEFA for the purposes listed above.
£46.6m is assigned to the Champions League play-offs, as was the case in the
2012/13 season. Each of the 20 teams taking part in the play-offs will
receive a fixed amount of £1.77m. After the deduction of the allocation for
the clubs involved in the play-offs, the gross amount available for the UEFA
Champions League and UEFA Super Cup totals £1.088bn
The net amount available to the participating sides is divided into two –
£424.3m in fixed payments (group stage allocations, performance and
qualification bonuses) and £347.1.6m in variable amounts (market pool). The
market pool amount will be distributed according to the proportional value
of each television market represented by the clubs playing in the UEFA
Champions League (group stage onwards), and will be split among those teams
competing from a given association.
The 32 clubs featuring in the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League group stage can
anticipate a minimum £7.2m. The side that eventually wins the UEFA Champions
League title this term could collect £31.7m, not counting the market pool
share.
Each of the 32 teams involved in the group stage will collect a base fee of
£7.3m. Performance bonuses will also see £847,457 paid for a win and £423728
for a draw in the group phase. The sides competing in the round of 16 can
also expect to receive £2.9m each, the eight quarter-finalists £3.3m and the
four semi-finalists £4.1m. The UEFA Champions League winners will pick up
£8.9m and the runners-up £5.5m.
Despite a Premier League club failing to make the last eight for the first
time in 17 years last season. Manchester United came out on top of the
Premier League clubs by collecting £30.5m, while Manchester City received
£24.7m, Chelsea made £26.3m and Arsenal got £26.8m. UEFA says Bayern got
£47.3m in prize money and bonuses, edging beaten finalist Borussia Dortmund
who received £46.4m.
So there you have it! All we have to do now is qualify for Champions league
football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ravel Morrison uses his first-name on his West Ham shirt because of poor
relationship with father
19 Oct 2013 22:31
The Mirror
The West Ham youngster changed the name on the back of his shirt in a bid to
distance himself from his dad, with whom he has a difficult relationship
Ravel Morrison requested special dispensation from the Premier League to
have his first name on the back of his West Ham shirt. And the name change
was down to Ravel's wish to distance himself from his dad after their
relationship had deteriorated. An earlier similar request to the Football
League was turned down on the basis that he had already been named as
Morrison. But the Premier League sanctioned the switch and it appears to be
part of the lad turning over a new leaf.
Morrison's troubled past was one reason why Sir Alex Ferguson finally
decided to let the youngster leave Manchester United in 2012. There were
allegations that Morrison had even gone to the lengths of securing a
restraining order against his parents. And, prior to joining West Ham, he
was living with his grandparents, in Denton, Greater Manchester. It appears
the rift with his mum has now subsided, even though he has a police caution
for assaulting her.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that the club follow Morrison's
twitter account to see what he's up to. He landed himself in trouble in
February last year after posting a homophobic threat and was fined £7,000 by
the FA. But trouble still stalks him, as, last week, he was involved in an
ugly on-field row with Under-21 team-mate Wilfried Zaha that was halted by
the interjection of team-mate Nathan Redmond.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold praises Ravel Morrison but warns not to follow path of Paul
Gascoigne and George Best
19 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Mike Hewitt
David Gold has told Ravel Morrison he's got the whole world in his hands –
but has warned the young star not to blow it. The West Ham co-owner thinks
Morrison can go from bad boy to poster boy after a man-of-the-match display
for England Under-21s earlier in the week. The 20-year-old has been tipped
to break into Roy Hodgson's World Cup squad after two recent jaw-dropping
goals for the Hammers and the Young Lions. But his bust-up with team-mate
Wilfried Zaha near the end of the European Championship qualifier against
Lithuania on Tuesday revived memories of a career plagued by disciplinary
problems and off-the-pitch issues. Gold said: "It's up to him now. He's 20
years of age and he can be anything. I truly believe we have a young genius
emerging. "He is such an exciting prospect for us. "He's gone past the
stage where people have told him you can be a star and it's now completely
100 per cent in his hands. That happens to a lot of players. "It happened to
Paul Gascoigne and to George Best. It was in their hands. Yes, they need
help in their teens. But once they are in their twenties – with Gascoigne,
Best and now Ravel – it's up to them."
Morrison was booted out of Manchester United last year and looked set to
leave Upton Park this summer. But he got his head down towards the end of a
season-long loan spell at Championship side Birmingham last term. He had a
furious confrontation with Zaha at the Under-21s match at Portman Road, with
Norwich midfielder Nathan Redmond having to act as peacemaker. But Gold
believes Morrison is now a reformed character – especially as he has great
support from his West Ham team-mates. The Hammers co-owner said: "He has,
obviously, had difficulties in the past. I've read that he's had
difficulties.
"But whenever I meet him and I see him, I believe he is a very sensible
young man. I believe all the troubles are behind him. We should stop seeing
him as a problem young man. He's not. He's level-headed, he's sensible, he's
charming. "We've got good people looking after him and out for him at our
club. West Ham United have a great tradition in doing this. "Joe Cole helps
him. He's got Mark Noble, who's come through the ranks. He's got Kevin
Nolan, the best captain in the Premier League in terms of man-management.
"Kevin has embraced him and there is this great camaraderie. He is in this
fantastic place. So it's now up to him."He's got Sam Allardyce and West Ham
is a great club for looking after its players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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