Luton Town 2-1 Dev Squad - FT
WHUFC.com
Live text commentary of the Development Squad's match against Luton Town
05.11.2013
LUTON TOWN v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
FRIENDLY MATCH
KENILWORTH ROAD
TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.00PM
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Full-time: Thats it. The referee blows his whistle and the young Hammers
have suffered a 2-1 defeat against Luton Town. Two first half goals from
Stevenson did the damage before Turgott pulled one back for the visitors.
The winger was in superb form but missed the chance to equalise from the
penalty spot after Ruddock had been felled in the box. They tried their best
but came up just short against a strong Luton Town side.
90 mins: Free-kick on the halfway line. Spiegel takes Ruddock heads but the
flag is up.
89 mins: Last knockings for the Hammers now and it looks like they may just
come up a little short.
87 mins: Spiegel is down smartly to save from Cullen.
86 mins: Turgott didn't deserve to miss that penalty. The winger has been
the game's outstanding player.
84 mins: Ruddock goes down in the box after Mendy's challenge and a penalty
is given. Turgott steps up and strikes low to the keepers right but Justham
is there to make a good save.
83 mins: I've lost count of how many times poor Maguire has been fouled,
this time Taiwo is the offender.
81 mins: Into the last ten minutes with the Hammers still attacking in
search of that elusive equaliser.
79 mins: Bywater comes onto replace Sadlier.
77 mins: Turgott again skins his man and moves into the box but a tame shot
ends up in the keeper's arms.
75 mins: Tombides drags an effort wide after a defensive mix-up. 15 minutes
to go, big effort needed.
73 mins: Uproar in the stands as Sadlier nudges the ball out of throw but
the referee gives the throw West Ham's way.
71 mins: Sadlier should level the scores with a volley after the ball
ricochets to him in the box. Instead he puts his effort wide of the post.
70 mins: Turgott has a strike which keeps low and nearly catches out Justham
but the keeper is able to hold the ball.
68 mins: Stevenson can't continue and is replaced by Mendy.
66 mins: Spiegel does well to hold a low shot from Robinson.
64 mins: Stevenson is on the turf receiving treatment after a big collision
with Ruddock. A collision which would leave most people needing medical
treatment.
63 mins: Luton deliver a dangerous ball in from a corner and that man
Stevenson should be celebrating a hat-trick but somehow manages to miss the
ball.
62 mins: Whitehead, Makasi, Tombides and Knoyle are on for Nasha, Diarra,
Miles and Fanimo.
61 mins: Haycock is preparing some changes on the touchline with four
players stripped and ready to come on.
59 mins: Turgott again beats a couple of players before winning a corner.
Fanimo takes it short but the defence snuffs it out and clears.
57 mins: Sadlier beautifully turns Pisani who charges in and fouls the
winger. Shaw delivers and Maguire works a shot but Justham is able to save
low to his right.
55 mins: Cullen recieves the ball on the edge of the box and turns to set-up
Robinson who side foots over the bar.
53 mins: Pisani delivers a deep cross for Cullen who's header is wide of the
target.
51 mins GOAL: Turgott taps home! Maguire plays in Sadlier whose cross isn't
dealt with and Turgott is there to tap home. Game on!
50 mins: He whips a good looking ball in but Robinson gets up to head clear.
49 mins: Fanimo plays in Turgott who is able to win a corner. Fanimo
delivers, Justham punches back to him, Fanimo wins a corner.
47 mins: Maguire again bought down and wins a free-kick on the right-hand
touchline. The ball whipped in by Fanimo but it's over everyone.
46 mins: We're back underway for the second half with the Hammers needing to
find their shooting boots to turn this one around. Frazer Shaw is on
McCartney for the visitors with Viana on for O'Donell.
Half-time: That close shave was the last action of a very even first half as
Luton take a two goal lead into the break. Stevenson opened the scoring
against the run of play after 16 minutes before he doubled the lead with a
brilliant strike after half an hour. Turgott and Fanimo have been the bright
sparks for the Hammers on a so far disappointing night.
45 mins: Ruddock plays a long ball and Sadlier is in down the line. He gets
to the byline and delivers a cross which is deflected by Parry and onto the
post with Justham just about able to stop the ball crossing the line! Close!
43 mins: Maguire is again the victim of a hefty tackle and wins a free-kick.
Sadlier shoots from miles out and fires it straight into the midrift of a
Luton player. On a cold night like this that's gonna hurt.
42 mins: Fanimo finds space for another attempt from range, he hits it well
but over the top it goes.
40 mins: Turgott wins a corner. Fanimo delivers but scuffs it low and it's
hoofed to safety.
38 mins: Potts has the ball in the net but his header is ruled out for
offside.
37 mins: Fanimo, fresh from an excellent goal against Chelsea last Friday,
tries his luck from distance with a thunderous drive forcing Justham into
evasive action.
35 mins: Luton cannot handle Turgott tonight. The winger has been a great
outlet for his team and they need to find him more often.
34 mins: O'Donnell limps away from a challenge with Nasha as some rowdy fans
appeal for a card. No chance.
32 mins: The Hammers have a corner after Fanimo's free-kick is deflected out
of play. Ball in is a poor one and easily cleared.
30 mins GOAL: From Justham's clearance Robinson controls the ball and feeds
Stevenson who hits a beauty of a shot past Spiegel and into the corner of
the net.
29 mins: Sadlier delivers the resulting free-kick but it's too close to
Justham and he easily collects.
28 mins: Fanimo plays the ball down the left for Maguire who knocks it past
Longden before the full-back brings him down with a hard sliding tackle.
27 mins: The game is turning into a midfield battle with both sides keen to
impress their stamp on the game.
25 mins: Great work by Fanimo as he beats three before trying to play in
Turgott, his pass is intercepted however.
23 mins: Robinson chips the ball over to Cullen who turns and fires his shot
off Diarra and out for a corner. Maduako gets his head to the corner but
Ruddock clears.
21 mins: The corner goes to the near post and appears to hit Sadlier before
hitting the post and going wide. The resulting corner is over-hit and goes
out of play.
20 mins: Miles gives the ball away and Ahoua drives towards the box before a
deflected shot goes wide. Corner.
18 mins: That was the ultimate sucker punch from the home side who've been
on the back foot for most of this game.
16 mins GOAL: A ball over the top isn't dealt with by Ruddock and Robinson
tees up Stevenson who buries a side footed shot past Spiegel from the edge
of the box.
15 mins: Miles feeds Maguire in the left-hand channel. The Irishman turns it
inside to Turgott who fires left-footed over the bar.
14 mins: Cullen has Luton's first attempt, striking first time as the ball
rolled loose. His effort was however straight at Spiegel.
13 mins: Turgott is involved again, this time picking the ball up on the
halfway line, turning his man and gliding past two more before firing a shot
just wide of the post.
11 mins: Fanimo swings the ball out to thr right for Turgott to run onto.
This time his cross finds Sadlier but the winger can only mis-kick the ball.
9 mins: Turgott's looking a threat early on, this time he beats three
players before delivering a low cross from the right which is easily
cleared.
7 mins: Turgott finds himself with a shooting opportunity in the box. He
drives hard from a tight angle but hits it straight at the keeper.
5 mins: Diarra is crowded out in the middle of the park and Stevenson
decides to try his luck but pulls his shot well wide.
4 mins: Indeed Wall is replaced, Ahoua comes striding on in his place.
3 mins: It looks like the home side may be forced into an extremely early
change as Alex Wall pulls up after chasing a loose ball. Looks like the
hamstring.
2 mins: Turgott plays it wide down the right for Miles to chase, he gets
there and delivers a low cross but it's easily cleared.
1 min: The Hammers kick us off and are immediately looking to attack down
the left.
6:57pm: The teams are out on the pitch and the Hammers are sporting their
home shirts with change shorts and socks whilst the Hatters sport orange
tops, blue shorts and white socks.
6:55pm: Around five minutes left until kick-off and it's time for me to
remove my gloves and brace the cold! Nick Haycock also well wrapped up heads
across the pitch and into his dugout.
6:50pm: The teams are back in the changing rooms making their final
preperations for this game on a brisk night at Kenilworth Road.
The Development Squad face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road tonight looking to
hand game time to a mix of players during their break in Barclays Under-21
Premier League fixtures. The team are currently top of the league having won
six of their opening nine matches but are not in action again until the 29
November when they face Leicester City at Rush Green. With that in mind Nick
Haycock will hand valuable minutes to his fringe players as well as welcomng
first teamers George McCartney and Alou Diarra into the team as they step-up
their recovery from injury.
Haycock will also take the opportunity to look at several of Steve Potts'
Under-18s against a team who will provide tough opposition. Luton were the
visitors to Rush Green in a behind closed doors friendly just over a month
ago when they produced a strong performance to win 1-0. Sean Maguire will be
handed a chance to impress as the lone front man whilst U18s Kyle Knoyle,
Amos Nasha, Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Kieran Bywater will all be keen to
show they can make the step-up.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Nasha, Ruddock, Potts, McCartney, Diarra, Miles,
Fanimo, Turgott, Sadlier, Maguire
Subs: Knoyle, Howes, Shaw, Tombides, Burke, Bywater, Cullen, Whitehead,
Makasi
Luton Town: Justham, Pisani, Longden, Maduako, Parry, Stevenson, Taiwo,
Cullen, Wall, O'Donell, Robinson
Subs: King, Martin, Viana, Mendy, Ahoua, Mbala
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Reid set for World Cup showdown
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid will captain New Zealand in their World Cup Play-Off later this
month
05.11.2013
Winston Reid has been named in the New Zealand squad for their 2014 FIFA
World Cup Inter-Confederation Play-Off with Mexico. The All Whites take on
the fourth-placed CONCACAF qualifiers for a place in next summer's
tournament in Brazil, with Ricki Herbert's men looking to make a second
successive World Cup finals. They will travel to Mexico City for the first
leg on Wednesday 13 November, with the second leg taking place in Wellington
a week later. New Zealand have made it to this stage by finishing top of the
OFC (Oceania) qualifying phase, while Mexico struggled en route to a fourth
place finish in their North, Central American and Caribbean section. The New
Zealand squad includes two other English-based players in the shape of
Leicester City striker Chris Wood and Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith. All
Whites skipper Reid said: "It's going to be difficult against Mexico because
they've been to a lot of World Cups and we have only been to two. We're
going to go there for the first leg and hopefully we can get a result, then
take them back to New Zealand and do the business there. "Mexico had a tough
time in qualifying, but they are still going to be a good side and we're
going to have to be up for it, give 110 per cent and see how far it takes
us. "We play them at the Azteca Stadium, which is going to be good and
exciting to play there, but the most important thing is for us to get to the
World Cup. We play the first leg away from home, but we'll have to wait and
see if that's an advantage. Either way, it's going to be tough."
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Downing looks for killer instinct
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing admitted the Hammers need to be more ruthless after a 0-0
draw with Aston Villa
05.11.2013
Stewart Downing was left with mixed emotions after West Ham United were held
to a 0-0 draw by Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The former
Villa man was pleased with another solid display from the Hammers, yet
disappointed that they could not force the breakthrough at the other end. It
meant that a sixth clean sheet of the season did not yield the full reward
it could have, but Downing is confident Sam Allardyce's men will soon start
to fire. "The good thing is we didn't lose the game, we got another point
out of it and kept a clean sheet," he said. "We got a lot of balls into the
box, but they are good headers of the ball and we didn't get the luck with
how they dropped. "Carlton Cole is getting fully fit, Joe Cole was back on
Saturday, the bodies are coming back in terms of the attacking players.
We're defending well and we just need to put the ball in the back of the
net. "We created chances, but we didn't have that clinical touch in
finishing them. The goals have got to come from around the team, and
hopefully that'll happen for us next week. "We'll keep plugging away - we're
playing well but not getting the rewards."
On a personal note Downing is loving life at the Boleyn Ground and cannot
wait for Saturday's fixture at Norwich City. He added: "I'm really enjoying
my football. There was a little bit of an injury at the start, but I'm happy
and it has been a good move for me. "The manager is great to play for and
the only thing missing is getting a few wins."
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On the right Page
WHUFC.com
U18s left-back Lewis Page says team spirit is playing an important role in
West Ham United's recent success
05.11.2013
West Ham United U18s left-back Lewis Page says a trip to a theme park has
helped end the Hammers' rollercoaster start to the season. The Academy
youngsters enjoyed a day out at Thorpe Park recently - a trip that has
coincided with a six-match unbeaten run culminating in Saturday's 1-1 home
draw with Newcastle United. Page, who has started ten of West Ham's eleven
Barclays U18 Premier League matches so far, said the good relationship
between the players has fostered a positive atmosphere on and off the pitch.
"We have a really good team chemistry at the club," said the 17-year-old.
"We all socialise together. For example we all went to Thorpe Park, which
was a nice group day out. "Around the training ground it's nice to see
everyone get along and that shows on the pitch when we work hard for each
other."
On Saturday, the Hammers continued their unbeaten run by drawing with a
Newcastle side reduced to ten men before half-time. While Page and company
were disappointed not to win, the defender said it was important that they
did not suffer a first defeat since going down 1-0 at Sunderland on 21
September.
"The result [against Newcastle] wasn't bad because, at the end of the day,
we didn't lose. The early sending off killed the game because they just sat
off and made it hard for us to break through. At times we did it well and at
times we didn't. "Perhaps there were a few chances where we could have done
a better job in front of goal and won the game, but overall, I think we were
unlucky to come away with just a draw."
A number of U18s have already tasted Development Squad action this season,
including Saturday's goalscorer Amos Nasha, and Page is hoping to graduate
to the U21s himself. However, with Dan Potts and Frazer Shaw ahead of him,
the left-back may have to be patient. "Personally, I think I've improved
since the start of the season. I've been trying to improve on my attacking
game like crossing and finishing. I'd like to start scoring more goals. I've
already got one this season but I'd like to add to that. "Of course I'm
always looking up at the Development Squad. There are not many players in my
position who are out on loan at the minute, so they are playing really well
here and it's hard to break into the team. I'd love to push on if I can.
"I'm looking towards Christmas or just after that to try and make it onto
the bench or perhaps even come on. It's the whole experience of being part
of the Development Squad, not just how long you play on the pitch."
The U18s will be looking to continue their impressive run of form when they
host Aston Villa at Little Heath on Saturday 9 November, with kick off at
1pm. Parking and admission are both free of charge.
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New 'perks' welcomed by fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's announcement of further benefits for Season Ticket Holders
have been welcomed by supporters. Last weekend the Club confirmed that a
string of new benefits were being introduced, including a fans' forum
featuring David Gold, Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan; a further event
later in the season featuring Andy Carroll, Mark Noble and Joe Cole; an open
training session; significant discounts on in-store goods; a complimentary
DVD of West Ham's recent 3-0 win at Tottenham and an invitation to attend
next season's first team photoshoot.
Not surprisingly these measures have been welcomed by Season Ticket Holders,
one of whom, KUMB member West Ham Tom, said: "It's really good news and a
nice touch" - thoughts echoed by Kialos, who added, "This is good by the
club, it's a step in the right direction."
However one or two more cynical fans believe that the Club have only acted
in response to criticism that Season Ticket Holders have been given a rough
ride in the last two or three years.
" I think this kind of thing is what they should have been doing as a matter
of course," said Denbighhammer - "not a hastily-cobbled together programme
of exclusives in the wake of a couple of quite serious slaps in the face for
Season Ticket Holders recently."
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Why we need independent representation
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Ali Worth
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to recent posts on the
KUMB.com forum.
Firstly, I am not a group; just an individual life-long Hammers fan who
happens to write for Over Land and Sea (OLAS), is a Season Ticket Holder
and, also, currently a member of the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB).
I started looking into establishing an Independent Supporter Association at
last year's Annual General Meeting of the Football Supporter's Federation -
of which I am a full member - as all the conversations I was having with
fellow West Ham United fans were the same. They felt increasingly alienated
from our wonderful Club for a multitude of reasons.
One of the main reasons for disillusionment that I kept hearing was that
fans felt they were not being listened to. As an SAB member, I do not feel
they are representative enough of the wider fan base and many feel that
their lack of independence hinders the workings and ultimate effectiveness
of the group.
However, I feel that to ensure ALL fans are given a voice there is
absolutely no conflict in having the two groups co-exist and would hope that
the aims of both groups would correspond; to work for the best interests of
the fans and the Club.
The aims of an ISA should, amongst others, be to represent and campaign on
behalf of its members; to help increase the ways in which WHU FC fans can
express their affiliation to, and support of, the Club and to open and
maintain positive and productive channels of communication with the Board.
Of equal import is giving a voice to those who would otherwise be excluded
from any decision or consultation processes.
At the inaugural meeting on the 28th November in the Supporters Club (7pm
for a 7:30pm start), the fans who attend - or who cannot attend but have
emailed consent - will vote on whether the group is established and what
form the Constitution takes.
The draft copies are now available and I would ask that you all request one
from whisa@btinternet.com if you have not already done so, or download them
from the links below. These are meant as starting points only and have been
drafted with FSF guidance, as well as extremely helpful advice and support
from several other ISA's, including the Arsenal Independent Supporters'
Association).
For WHISA to succeed it HAS to be all inclusive and to cover ALL subjects
that affect us as fans. I would like to state in the strongest possible
terms however that this is NOT an anti-OS campaign, although that will
obviously fall under the group's remit, and the only criteria for joining
should be that you bleed Claret and Blue and have the best interests of our
Club at heart.
I look forward to meeting everyone on the 28th November.
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Defoe's 'massive mistake'
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Jermain Defoe has admitted that leaving West Ham in 2003 was "a massive,
massive mistake". The Tottenham striker, who coincidentally happens to be
searching for a new club having fallen down the pecking order at White Hart
Lane told a TV programme that the manner in which he left the Boleyn Ground
was the result of bad advice from his agent at the time. "It was a massive
mistake. I didn't really want to do it," he told ITV4's Sports Life Stories.
"We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the time because
I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there.
They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person who
represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request and
get in early because all the lads are going to leave.' I remember going in
and I was so nervous. It was (Chief Executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him
the letter and he said, 'What's this?' I said, 'It's a transfer request'.
And he looked at me as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was
crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me. To
this day I can imagine West Ham fans look at me and think, 'Who does he
think he is? How can you do that? You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really
because I can honestly say I still love that club."
Defoe's transfer request, which was handed in less than 24 hours after West
Ham were relegated from the Premier League read: "I am very ambitious and
hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and
country. "The club staff and especially the fans are very dear to me and
have been unbelievable in the early part of my career. It will always be a
special place for me to play." Defoe previously apologised for the manner in
which he left the club seven years ago, when he stated, 'I was young, badly
advised and made a mistake. I didn't have enough experience to deal with
what I was being told'.
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Brown shells out
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Terry Brown has finally sanctioned major financial investment into a
football club - seven years after he made millions from the sale of West Ham
United FC.
Lifelong Hammers fan Brown, who was Chairman of the club for some 15 years
until selling to the Icelandic consortium of Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson in 2006 was a figure of hate for many West Ham fans, who blamed
him - amongst other things - for selling the Club's best young players,
increasing his own personal stake via a compulsory 'buy back' share scheme
and consistently failing to invest in the squad.
For those fans, the news that he has lent troubled League One club Sheffield
Wednesday £1.5million will be a case of rubbing salt in the wounds - but
that's precisely what happened last year, according to the club's annual
accounts.
According to Inside Media, Brown's loan is secured over the club's
Hillsborough stadium. It is thought the deal came about as the result of
Brown's friendship with Chairman Milan Mandaric and Paul Aldridge, a
Director at Wednesday who worked under Brown as West Ham's former Managing
Director.
Brown, who still regularly attends West Ham's matches - as he has done week
in, week out for many years - currently holds a position of Honourary Life
President at the Club.
Having initially been granted the role by his Icelandic successors as a
condition of the sale of West Ham, he resigned in February 2007 after it was
revealed that Eggert Magnusson planned to take legal action again him
following the Tevez scandal. In 2010, David Gold and David Sullivan
reinstated Brown as Honourary Life President.
Former MD Paul Aldridge - a rather more popular figure with supporters than
his employer - left West Ham shortly after the Icelandic takeover due, it is
believed, to his close links with Kia Joorabchian who was a main rival to
Eggert Magnusson when West Ham was made available for sale in 2006.
Since then he has been employed by Leicester City (as Chief Executive,
Janury 2008) - alongside Mandaric, who owned Leicester at the time - and
Manchester City (Chief Operating Officer, June 2008) before he teamed up
with Mandaric once again at Wednesday. Aldridge was initially employed as a
consultant to assist in the purchase of the League One club before being
made Chief Executive and Vice Chairman in 2011.
Brown Out! What it took for Terence to go
* The sale of West Ham United (Brown's 36 per cent stake earnt him circa
£30million profit)
* The retention of his £592,000 Chairman's salary for the next three years
* The creation of a new role: Honourary Life President
* Eight seats in the Directors' box (West Stand)
* Eight hospitality spots in the Chairman's suite - for life
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STRIKER INJURY UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 5 Nov 2013 at 17:00
West Ham Till I Die
If like me you were wondering what has happened to Mladen Petric, I
understand he has suffered a calf injury while warming up in the West Ham
Development U21 match against Wolves U21 on 21st October. He is unlikely to
return to full fitness until the end of November.
Ricardo Vaz Te is out with a dislocated shoulder he sustained at the Swansea
away match. Although no estimate has been given for his return he suffered
similar injury last season in the home defeat to Arsenal that kept him out
for three months.
The latest news today is Andy Carroll has suffered a new setback with a
stomach virus. It was hoped Carroll would return for the Chelsea home game
on November 23rd but that now looks in doubt as the virus has delayed his
training back to full fitness. I understand he is possibly targeting a
return against his old club on 7th December.
However in more positive injury news Alou Diarra returns from injury by
playing in the Development U21 team this evening at 7pm against Luton U21's
at Kenilworth Road. George McCartney will also playing along side him.
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Andy Carroll suffers fresh injury setback in blow for West Ham United
5 Nov 2013 11:21
The Mirror
West Ham United's record signing Andy Carroll has been handed a fresh blow
in his attempts to return to fitness. The England striker has yet to feature
for the Hammers this season, having turned a loan deal into a £15 million
permanent signing during the summer, with successive heel problems keeping
him on the sidelines since May. And the 24-year-old, who was thought to be
targetting a long-awaited comeback against Chelsea later this month for Sam
Allardyce's goal-shy side, has been forced to scale back his rehabilitation
plans after suffering a viral infection in his stomach last week. A club
insider told The Sun: "Andy is very depressed about the whole thing. "He is
improving but he has had stabbing pains in his abdomen for the past four or
five days and an extreme stomach upset. "It's a cruel blow as he had been
making steady progress."
The former Liverpool and Newcastle target-man picked up a knock against
Reading in the final game of last season, though West Ham decided to turn
his loan move permanent anyway. He then went down with a new heel injury
just days away from his supposed comeback in September and has since visited
top specialists in both Holland and Belgium in a bid to speed up his
recovery. In Carroll's absence West Ham have failed to score in six of their
10 Premier League games so far this season.
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Wednesday, November 6
Tuesday, November 5
Daily WHUFC News - 5th November 2013
Tonka makes case for the defence
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins played his part in a fourth clean sheet in the last seven
outings on Saturday
04.11.2013
James Tomkins is making the most of his first-team opportunity. After having
to watch on for the first five Barclays Premier League games of the season,
the 24-year-old has re-established himself in Sam Allardyce's team with a
string of commanding performances. The Hammers have kept four clean sheets
in the seven games Tomkins has played, and he was happy with another solid
performance against Aston Villa on Saturday. "It's always nice to test
yourselves against players like that and come out on top," he said. "They
hit the bar, but overall we defended well again and kept a clean sheet, so
we were happy with that side of things. "I'm enjoying playing my football -
it's nice to come into the side and hit the ground running. "Now we just
need to get some wins in the bag. We've kept a lot of clean sheets and you
need just one goal to change the game - we're looking for that one goal to
set the season off."
One moment which had Hammers hearts in mouths on Saturday was when Andreas
Weimann went to ground as he threatened to burst clear from Ravel Morrison
in the opening period. Had referee Howard Webb awarded a foul, a red card
for Morrison could well have followed, but Tomkins believed the official to
have made the correct decision. He explained: "I was looking at it from a
distance and couldn't really see it too clearly. I think it was a bit of a
50-50 tussle and Rav showed a bit of strength."
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Norwich City, who will be smarting from
conceding eleven goals to the two Manchester clubs in the past week. Despite
those porous performances, Tomkins is still wary of their threat. He added:
"Man City are a difficult team to play against, they came here the other
week and played really well. "Norwich will be wanting to bounce back
straight away from that, but it's important for us to get the three points
so that will be our focus next week."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fanimo left with déjà vu
WHUFC.com
Matthias Fanimo had a familiar feeling after a late goal denied them victory
over Chelsea
04.11.2013
Matthias Fanimo was left with a sense of déjà vu after Chelsea equalised in
the last minute to deny the Hammers all three points in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Friday. West Ham were the visitors to Aldershot's
EBB Stadium but received great backing from a large crowd as they built up a
two-goal cushion in the space of three first half minutes. Pelly Ruddock
slotted home the first after 25 minutes before Fanimo scored a screamer just
three minutes later, rounding off a brisk counter-attack with a thunderous
strike. Blair Turgott also got on the scoresheet with a long-range goal of
his own to put the Hammers 3-2 up with ten minutes to play but they couldn't
hold on, leaving Fanimo with the feeling he'd seen it all before. Watch the
Dev Squad take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night. Kick-off
is at 7pm and admission is priced at £5 adults and £2 concessions He told
West Ham TV: "It was very disappointing; we worked really hard throughout
the whole game and deserved to win the match. "I've got a feeling of déjà vu
as the same thing happened a few years ago in the FA Youth Cup so it's very
unlucky for us."
The game the wide man was referring to was an FA Youth Cup defeat for West
Ham United U18s against the Blues when the game again ended in a 3-3 draw,
with Nathaniel Chalobah scoring a last minute equaliser as Chelsea went onto
win 5-4 on penalties. Fanimo, whose goal was his first of the season,
believed the Hammers should have also been awarded a penalty moments before
Nathan Ake struck the 94th minute equaliser. Dylan Tombides was through on
goal when a Chelsea defender clearly clipped his heels and sent the striker
tumbling. The referee waved play on, despite the protestations of the
visitors, and moments later Chelsea had the ball in the back of Raphael
Spiegel's net. "Definitely, it was 100 per cent a definite penalty. He
clipped him on the way past and there's no doubt about that. "We deserved to
be in front, their goal wasn't one of their best goals and we were playing
very well at the time so it was important for us to stay in front."
Nick Haycock made five changes as he showed the strength in depth of his
squad which included a league debut for Under-18s centre-back Reece Burke,
and midfield trio Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Amos Nasha. Fanimo was
delighted with the impact the young quartet made in the absence of regular
starters Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur and Elliot Lee. He said: "All
three of them [Lletget, Moncur and Lee] were our main starters. They always
bought something to the team every week and tried really hard so they were
definitely missed but the boys who played tonight were excellent. "The young
lads did really well, especially Reece Burke at the back. I thought he dealt
with all their threat really well for a young centre-back and he's doing
really well at the moment."
Whilst Fanimo's stunning strike left most people short of words, the man
himself had two to describe it when asked what he made of his goal. "Wonder
goal" he exclaimed, with the beaming smile of a player who is getting back
to his best after injury delayed his start to the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee nets first senior goal
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee scored a dramatic late equaliser for Colchester United on
Saturday
04.11.2013
West Ham United youngster Elliot Lee notched his first senior goal in
dramatic circumstances for his loan club Colchester United on Saturday.
Trailing 2-1 to Rotherham United at the New York Stadium as the game reached
the fifth minute of stoppage time, Lee crashed a header against the
underside of the crossbar and in, to rescue a point for the Sky Bet League
One side. Eighteen-year-old striker Lee has notched five goals for the
Development Squad in the Barclays U21 Premier League this term and made his
top-flight debut when he was introduced as a substitute against Stoke City
in August. Now he has taken his goalscoring talents to senior level, with
his goal keeping Colchester 14th in the table.
Also on target at the weekend was Paul McCallum, who notched the first two
goals of his loan spell at Torquay United as Alan Knill's men triumphed 3-1
at Bury in League Two. The Gulls took an early lead at Gigg Lane through
Aaron Downes, but Nathan Cameron soon equalised for the hosts. However,
McCallum then struck twice, heading home from a corner for his first, before
slamming into the net following an Elliot Benyon cut back to seal the three
points. See Elliot Lee's Developement Squad goals on West Ham TV here
Meanwhile, Jordan Spence played the 90 minutes for Milton Keynes Dons as
they recorded a 1-0 win over Walsall in League One. The Dons currently sit
just outside the play-off spots, a point and two positions below Bradford
City in sixth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll may need shock therapy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th November 2013
By: David Meagher
As Hammers fans wait patiently for the Andy Carroll return, we decided to
get down with the medical evidence and examine what his injury really means
in terms of prognosis for the future. So what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis,
and what does it really mean for our current predicament?
Of course, many fans are worried that we may be dealing with another cruel
Dean Ashton-like injury. In addition, folk are keen to know if this is
likely to be a recurring problem – fans leaving Upton Park yesterday after
another goalless performance by the Hammers will be wanting us to make sure
we have other options from the blunt 4-6-0 formation we have had to endure
in Carroll's absence!
First up, we know that he is suffering from a condition called plantar
fasciitis – an annoying problem that affects as much as 10 per cent of the
population but especially those who engage in activities that place strain
upon the sole of the foot – runners, ballet dancers, basketball players as
well as the overweight and the elderly.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous band that runs along the base of the foot
from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot that serves to provide
stability and support for the arches. Plantar fasciitis classically refers
to inflammation of the band that can involve small 'micro' tears. However,
other studies have highlighted that it is also an overuse injury and
reflects wear of the band that is significant as it is thus likely to pose
recurring problems. Hmmm.
So the condition presents with pain (especially at the heel) and with
problems weight bearing on the arches. This is because the band is at its
thinnest as it passes over the heel and especially prone to wear and tear at
that point. Sufferers typically complain of intense pain through the heel
after periods of rest (e.g. first steps of the day) as well as with
activities that require landing on one's feet - such as jumping for a header
in football.
The prognosis for plantar fasciitis is disturbingly variable – although most
sufferers recover over 6-12 months, with the condition disappearing as
mysteriously as it appeared, a significant number experience chronic
problems. However, perhaps the most worrying aspect is that in addition to
this unpredictability, the evidence for effective treatments is poor.
There is anecdotal evidence for short-term relief from rest, ice, heat, and
massage but these seem best for temporary relief and have clearly not worked
for our Andy. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) can provide some
temporary symptom relief but do not affect the longer term course of the
condition. There is slightly better evidence to support the use of
strengthening exercises with foot orthotics that provide foot support as
well as night splints that stretch the band by pulling the big toe upwards.
A variety of injectable remedies exist ranging from anaesthetic agents,
blood products and botox, but these are experimental and the best evidence
is for steroid injections as a short to medium term remedy but these can
also aggravate the condition and actually weaken the band.
For cases that prove resistant to the above treatments, typically after six
months the options of shock wave therapy (to stimulate blood flow to the
area) or fasciotomy (surgically remove the band) are considered. The former
is still experimental but evidence is encouraging while the latter more
extreme intervention is very effective in relieving pain but can affect the
stability of the foot in the long term and is not readily reversible.
Andy spent much of September and October in the care of Lieven Maesschalck,
director of the Move to Cure clinic in Antwerp, Belgium - a physical
therapist who specialises in this type of injury. The subsequent utterances
from the Boleyn have been cautiously optimistic in suggesting that Andy can
return to action in the near future but without any clear date (read: he's
still having symptoms!)
Unfortunately, the medical evidence is far from reassuring and although this
is entirely different circumstance from the horrific traumatic injury that
Dean Ashton experienced, it clearly is a problem that may pose a recurring
challenge for the Hammers squad to work around and we cannot presume upon
Andy's consistent availability. Sadly, the £15million outlay is not looking
such a wise move at this stage as even if he recovers we find ourselves
having to work around an unpredictable injury.
In addition to being a Hammers fanatic, David Meagher is a doctor and
provides occasional medical cover for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland.
He is patiently waiting for the call up from the medical team at the Boleyn!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs' Jermain Defoe: West Ham fans call me a Judas but I still love that
club
4 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Jermain Defoe says he still loves West Ham – just eight weeks before the
opening of the January transfer window. The Tottenham striker is desperate
to make the England World Cup squad next summer but has started only one
Premier League game for the north Londoners this season. And the Hammers
will be seeking reinforcements with Andy Carroll out injured. Defoe grew up
not far from Upton Park, in Stratford, and was adored by the Hammers
faithful until he asked for a transfer less than 24 hours after they went
down in 2003. But he admits: "It was a massive mistake. I didn't really want
to do it. "We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the
time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved
me there. They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person
who represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request
and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.'
"I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was (then Hammers chief
executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, 'What's
this?' And I said, 'It's a transfer request'. "And he looked at me as if to
say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own
and people were absolutely abusing me. "To this day I can imagine West Ham
fans look at me and think, 'Who does he think he is? How can you do that?
You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really because I can honestly say I
still love that club."
The Spurs favourite had posters of Ian Wright in an Arsenal shirt on his
bedroom wall. And he also hero-worshipped Paolo Di Canio. Defoe recalls in
Sports Life Stories on ITV4: "The first thing I noticed about Paolo was how
tight his shorts were. "I am not lying – he had size small. If you go to the
West Ham shop, it is the kiddies' size. "I said, 'Paolo, why is your kit so
tight?' He said it was because when his kit is tight and he gets in certain
situations in the game and players try to pull his shirt, because it is so
tight to him, they cannot pull it and he can get away from people.
"Unbelievable player. Someone who always looked after himself. Always
tanned. Legs always smooth. "Genius. Every game, he was the best player on
the pitch. I am not going to lie. I ordered small shorts."
Defoe was eventually sold to Tottenham in January 2004, then moved on to
Portsmouth in January 2008 so was cup-tied for Pompey's FA Cup triumph – and
missed Spurs winning the League Cup. He has still to win a major trophy, and
reckons his career will be a failure if that does not change. "Yeah, because
I think especially playing for a top club, a club where you should win
trophies it would be disappointing," he admitted. "At the end of your career
you want to sit back and say I won this or I won that because that's what
it's all about. You want to win things and you want to be the best. "Spurs
is a great club with a great history. That is why this year is a big year. I
believe we can win something and I believe that once the first one comes,
more come after that."
Defoe's brother Gavin died in 2009 and last year he lost his father Jimmy to
cancer while his cousin Hannah died in an accident. The tragedy moved him to
set up the Jermain Defoe Foundation to help children back on his
grandparents' island of St Lucia. He admitted: "I'm sitting there thinking,
'am I dreaming? This can't be happening, not again. Is there a jinx on the
family. It doesn't make any sense burying my younger cousin weeks after
burying my dad.' "It changes your mentality completely. The things you think
are important are not. The things you make a big deal about you shouldn't.
You can only play football for so long and I believe there is more to me
than that. "
Defoe at West Ham and Spurs
West Ham Tottenham
Appearances 74 269
Starts 43 180
Subs on 31 89
Subs off 5 69
Minutes played 4450 16922
Goals 18 90
Minutes per goal 247.22 188.02
Yellow cards 3 25
Red cards 0 2
Defoe on... his love life
Jermain Defoe has claimed no-one would bother about his eventful love life
if he worked in Nando's. The England star has been dubbed a love rat after
his romantic liaisons with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Celebrity Big
Brother winner Chantelle Houghton and models Danielle Lloyd, Imogen Thomas,
Charlotte Mears and Laura Brown. But Defoe, 31, said: "I know in my heart
I'm not a bad person. I know my family love me. If you go on Google and see
pictures of course you're going to read (things) into pictures. "But at the
same time if I worked in Nando's and I went out with those same girls, for
one, it wouldn't be on Google, and for two, it wouldn't matter because
no-one cares. "You're young, you're successful, you earn a lot of money, you
attract girls. Your life changes. "If someone says they don't like the
attention they're lying. How can you not like the attention from girls? It's
normal. I am a young boy. I'm only human. "I am still the same person who
grew up in East London with his family. If you show me love, I will show
love back."
Defoe on... his debt to mum Sandra
Without the strict upbringing from his mother Sandra, Jermain Defoe reckons
he would never have become a professional footballer. The Tottenham star,
who still goes home for Sunday dinner every week, said: "My mum used to
stress the importance of not being on the streets. Not doing things my mates
were doing really – partying, drinking, smoking. "I was at home in bed, it
is as simple as that. Of course I was tempted to join in – I was a lively
character. There were times when I didn't understand but I trusted my mum
and listened to her and she was right. "If you want to do something special
in life, you can't be doing things like that. You can't be drinking or
smoking at a young age."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
James Tomkins played his part in a fourth clean sheet in the last seven
outings on Saturday
04.11.2013
James Tomkins is making the most of his first-team opportunity. After having
to watch on for the first five Barclays Premier League games of the season,
the 24-year-old has re-established himself in Sam Allardyce's team with a
string of commanding performances. The Hammers have kept four clean sheets
in the seven games Tomkins has played, and he was happy with another solid
performance against Aston Villa on Saturday. "It's always nice to test
yourselves against players like that and come out on top," he said. "They
hit the bar, but overall we defended well again and kept a clean sheet, so
we were happy with that side of things. "I'm enjoying playing my football -
it's nice to come into the side and hit the ground running. "Now we just
need to get some wins in the bag. We've kept a lot of clean sheets and you
need just one goal to change the game - we're looking for that one goal to
set the season off."
One moment which had Hammers hearts in mouths on Saturday was when Andreas
Weimann went to ground as he threatened to burst clear from Ravel Morrison
in the opening period. Had referee Howard Webb awarded a foul, a red card
for Morrison could well have followed, but Tomkins believed the official to
have made the correct decision. He explained: "I was looking at it from a
distance and couldn't really see it too clearly. I think it was a bit of a
50-50 tussle and Rav showed a bit of strength."
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Norwich City, who will be smarting from
conceding eleven goals to the two Manchester clubs in the past week. Despite
those porous performances, Tomkins is still wary of their threat. He added:
"Man City are a difficult team to play against, they came here the other
week and played really well. "Norwich will be wanting to bounce back
straight away from that, but it's important for us to get the three points
so that will be our focus next week."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fanimo left with déjà vu
WHUFC.com
Matthias Fanimo had a familiar feeling after a late goal denied them victory
over Chelsea
04.11.2013
Matthias Fanimo was left with a sense of déjà vu after Chelsea equalised in
the last minute to deny the Hammers all three points in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Friday. West Ham were the visitors to Aldershot's
EBB Stadium but received great backing from a large crowd as they built up a
two-goal cushion in the space of three first half minutes. Pelly Ruddock
slotted home the first after 25 minutes before Fanimo scored a screamer just
three minutes later, rounding off a brisk counter-attack with a thunderous
strike. Blair Turgott also got on the scoresheet with a long-range goal of
his own to put the Hammers 3-2 up with ten minutes to play but they couldn't
hold on, leaving Fanimo with the feeling he'd seen it all before. Watch the
Dev Squad take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night. Kick-off
is at 7pm and admission is priced at £5 adults and £2 concessions He told
West Ham TV: "It was very disappointing; we worked really hard throughout
the whole game and deserved to win the match. "I've got a feeling of déjà vu
as the same thing happened a few years ago in the FA Youth Cup so it's very
unlucky for us."
The game the wide man was referring to was an FA Youth Cup defeat for West
Ham United U18s against the Blues when the game again ended in a 3-3 draw,
with Nathaniel Chalobah scoring a last minute equaliser as Chelsea went onto
win 5-4 on penalties. Fanimo, whose goal was his first of the season,
believed the Hammers should have also been awarded a penalty moments before
Nathan Ake struck the 94th minute equaliser. Dylan Tombides was through on
goal when a Chelsea defender clearly clipped his heels and sent the striker
tumbling. The referee waved play on, despite the protestations of the
visitors, and moments later Chelsea had the ball in the back of Raphael
Spiegel's net. "Definitely, it was 100 per cent a definite penalty. He
clipped him on the way past and there's no doubt about that. "We deserved to
be in front, their goal wasn't one of their best goals and we were playing
very well at the time so it was important for us to stay in front."
Nick Haycock made five changes as he showed the strength in depth of his
squad which included a league debut for Under-18s centre-back Reece Burke,
and midfield trio Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Amos Nasha. Fanimo was
delighted with the impact the young quartet made in the absence of regular
starters Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur and Elliot Lee. He said: "All
three of them [Lletget, Moncur and Lee] were our main starters. They always
bought something to the team every week and tried really hard so they were
definitely missed but the boys who played tonight were excellent. "The young
lads did really well, especially Reece Burke at the back. I thought he dealt
with all their threat really well for a young centre-back and he's doing
really well at the moment."
Whilst Fanimo's stunning strike left most people short of words, the man
himself had two to describe it when asked what he made of his goal. "Wonder
goal" he exclaimed, with the beaming smile of a player who is getting back
to his best after injury delayed his start to the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee nets first senior goal
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee scored a dramatic late equaliser for Colchester United on
Saturday
04.11.2013
West Ham United youngster Elliot Lee notched his first senior goal in
dramatic circumstances for his loan club Colchester United on Saturday.
Trailing 2-1 to Rotherham United at the New York Stadium as the game reached
the fifth minute of stoppage time, Lee crashed a header against the
underside of the crossbar and in, to rescue a point for the Sky Bet League
One side. Eighteen-year-old striker Lee has notched five goals for the
Development Squad in the Barclays U21 Premier League this term and made his
top-flight debut when he was introduced as a substitute against Stoke City
in August. Now he has taken his goalscoring talents to senior level, with
his goal keeping Colchester 14th in the table.
Also on target at the weekend was Paul McCallum, who notched the first two
goals of his loan spell at Torquay United as Alan Knill's men triumphed 3-1
at Bury in League Two. The Gulls took an early lead at Gigg Lane through
Aaron Downes, but Nathan Cameron soon equalised for the hosts. However,
McCallum then struck twice, heading home from a corner for his first, before
slamming into the net following an Elliot Benyon cut back to seal the three
points. See Elliot Lee's Developement Squad goals on West Ham TV here
Meanwhile, Jordan Spence played the 90 minutes for Milton Keynes Dons as
they recorded a 1-0 win over Walsall in League One. The Dons currently sit
just outside the play-off spots, a point and two positions below Bradford
City in sixth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll may need shock therapy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th November 2013
By: David Meagher
As Hammers fans wait patiently for the Andy Carroll return, we decided to
get down with the medical evidence and examine what his injury really means
in terms of prognosis for the future. So what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis,
and what does it really mean for our current predicament?
Of course, many fans are worried that we may be dealing with another cruel
Dean Ashton-like injury. In addition, folk are keen to know if this is
likely to be a recurring problem – fans leaving Upton Park yesterday after
another goalless performance by the Hammers will be wanting us to make sure
we have other options from the blunt 4-6-0 formation we have had to endure
in Carroll's absence!
First up, we know that he is suffering from a condition called plantar
fasciitis – an annoying problem that affects as much as 10 per cent of the
population but especially those who engage in activities that place strain
upon the sole of the foot – runners, ballet dancers, basketball players as
well as the overweight and the elderly.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous band that runs along the base of the foot
from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot that serves to provide
stability and support for the arches. Plantar fasciitis classically refers
to inflammation of the band that can involve small 'micro' tears. However,
other studies have highlighted that it is also an overuse injury and
reflects wear of the band that is significant as it is thus likely to pose
recurring problems. Hmmm.
So the condition presents with pain (especially at the heel) and with
problems weight bearing on the arches. This is because the band is at its
thinnest as it passes over the heel and especially prone to wear and tear at
that point. Sufferers typically complain of intense pain through the heel
after periods of rest (e.g. first steps of the day) as well as with
activities that require landing on one's feet - such as jumping for a header
in football.
The prognosis for plantar fasciitis is disturbingly variable – although most
sufferers recover over 6-12 months, with the condition disappearing as
mysteriously as it appeared, a significant number experience chronic
problems. However, perhaps the most worrying aspect is that in addition to
this unpredictability, the evidence for effective treatments is poor.
There is anecdotal evidence for short-term relief from rest, ice, heat, and
massage but these seem best for temporary relief and have clearly not worked
for our Andy. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) can provide some
temporary symptom relief but do not affect the longer term course of the
condition. There is slightly better evidence to support the use of
strengthening exercises with foot orthotics that provide foot support as
well as night splints that stretch the band by pulling the big toe upwards.
A variety of injectable remedies exist ranging from anaesthetic agents,
blood products and botox, but these are experimental and the best evidence
is for steroid injections as a short to medium term remedy but these can
also aggravate the condition and actually weaken the band.
For cases that prove resistant to the above treatments, typically after six
months the options of shock wave therapy (to stimulate blood flow to the
area) or fasciotomy (surgically remove the band) are considered. The former
is still experimental but evidence is encouraging while the latter more
extreme intervention is very effective in relieving pain but can affect the
stability of the foot in the long term and is not readily reversible.
Andy spent much of September and October in the care of Lieven Maesschalck,
director of the Move to Cure clinic in Antwerp, Belgium - a physical
therapist who specialises in this type of injury. The subsequent utterances
from the Boleyn have been cautiously optimistic in suggesting that Andy can
return to action in the near future but without any clear date (read: he's
still having symptoms!)
Unfortunately, the medical evidence is far from reassuring and although this
is entirely different circumstance from the horrific traumatic injury that
Dean Ashton experienced, it clearly is a problem that may pose a recurring
challenge for the Hammers squad to work around and we cannot presume upon
Andy's consistent availability. Sadly, the £15million outlay is not looking
such a wise move at this stage as even if he recovers we find ourselves
having to work around an unpredictable injury.
In addition to being a Hammers fanatic, David Meagher is a doctor and
provides occasional medical cover for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland.
He is patiently waiting for the call up from the medical team at the Boleyn!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs' Jermain Defoe: West Ham fans call me a Judas but I still love that
club
4 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Jermain Defoe says he still loves West Ham – just eight weeks before the
opening of the January transfer window. The Tottenham striker is desperate
to make the England World Cup squad next summer but has started only one
Premier League game for the north Londoners this season. And the Hammers
will be seeking reinforcements with Andy Carroll out injured. Defoe grew up
not far from Upton Park, in Stratford, and was adored by the Hammers
faithful until he asked for a transfer less than 24 hours after they went
down in 2003. But he admits: "It was a massive mistake. I didn't really want
to do it. "We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the
time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved
me there. They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person
who represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request
and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.'
"I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was (then Hammers chief
executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, 'What's
this?' And I said, 'It's a transfer request'. "And he looked at me as if to
say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own
and people were absolutely abusing me. "To this day I can imagine West Ham
fans look at me and think, 'Who does he think he is? How can you do that?
You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really because I can honestly say I
still love that club."
The Spurs favourite had posters of Ian Wright in an Arsenal shirt on his
bedroom wall. And he also hero-worshipped Paolo Di Canio. Defoe recalls in
Sports Life Stories on ITV4: "The first thing I noticed about Paolo was how
tight his shorts were. "I am not lying – he had size small. If you go to the
West Ham shop, it is the kiddies' size. "I said, 'Paolo, why is your kit so
tight?' He said it was because when his kit is tight and he gets in certain
situations in the game and players try to pull his shirt, because it is so
tight to him, they cannot pull it and he can get away from people.
"Unbelievable player. Someone who always looked after himself. Always
tanned. Legs always smooth. "Genius. Every game, he was the best player on
the pitch. I am not going to lie. I ordered small shorts."
Defoe was eventually sold to Tottenham in January 2004, then moved on to
Portsmouth in January 2008 so was cup-tied for Pompey's FA Cup triumph – and
missed Spurs winning the League Cup. He has still to win a major trophy, and
reckons his career will be a failure if that does not change. "Yeah, because
I think especially playing for a top club, a club where you should win
trophies it would be disappointing," he admitted. "At the end of your career
you want to sit back and say I won this or I won that because that's what
it's all about. You want to win things and you want to be the best. "Spurs
is a great club with a great history. That is why this year is a big year. I
believe we can win something and I believe that once the first one comes,
more come after that."
Defoe's brother Gavin died in 2009 and last year he lost his father Jimmy to
cancer while his cousin Hannah died in an accident. The tragedy moved him to
set up the Jermain Defoe Foundation to help children back on his
grandparents' island of St Lucia. He admitted: "I'm sitting there thinking,
'am I dreaming? This can't be happening, not again. Is there a jinx on the
family. It doesn't make any sense burying my younger cousin weeks after
burying my dad.' "It changes your mentality completely. The things you think
are important are not. The things you make a big deal about you shouldn't.
You can only play football for so long and I believe there is more to me
than that. "
Defoe at West Ham and Spurs
West Ham Tottenham
Appearances 74 269
Starts 43 180
Subs on 31 89
Subs off 5 69
Minutes played 4450 16922
Goals 18 90
Minutes per goal 247.22 188.02
Yellow cards 3 25
Red cards 0 2
Defoe on... his love life
Jermain Defoe has claimed no-one would bother about his eventful love life
if he worked in Nando's. The England star has been dubbed a love rat after
his romantic liaisons with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Celebrity Big
Brother winner Chantelle Houghton and models Danielle Lloyd, Imogen Thomas,
Charlotte Mears and Laura Brown. But Defoe, 31, said: "I know in my heart
I'm not a bad person. I know my family love me. If you go on Google and see
pictures of course you're going to read (things) into pictures. "But at the
same time if I worked in Nando's and I went out with those same girls, for
one, it wouldn't be on Google, and for two, it wouldn't matter because
no-one cares. "You're young, you're successful, you earn a lot of money, you
attract girls. Your life changes. "If someone says they don't like the
attention they're lying. How can you not like the attention from girls? It's
normal. I am a young boy. I'm only human. "I am still the same person who
grew up in East London with his family. If you show me love, I will show
love back."
Defoe on... his debt to mum Sandra
Without the strict upbringing from his mother Sandra, Jermain Defoe reckons
he would never have become a professional footballer. The Tottenham star,
who still goes home for Sunday dinner every week, said: "My mum used to
stress the importance of not being on the streets. Not doing things my mates
were doing really – partying, drinking, smoking. "I was at home in bed, it
is as simple as that. Of course I was tempted to join in – I was a lively
character. There were times when I didn't understand but I trusted my mum
and listened to her and she was right. "If you want to do something special
in life, you can't be doing things like that. You can't be drinking or
smoking at a young age."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Monday, November 4
Daily WHUFC News - 4th November 2013
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Big Sam discusses his attacking options ahead of Saturday's trip to Norwich
City
04.11.2013
Sam Allardyce is busy pondering his attacking options ahead of this
Saturday's teatime trip to Norwich City. The West Ham United manager saw his
side register their second consecutive 0-0 draw in the Barclays Premier
League against Aston Villa on Saturday, a result that provided an impressive
sixth clean sheet in ten league games at one end, but also one that
frustrated at times at the other. Norwich go into this Saturday's game on
the back of a heavy 7-0 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and Big Sam
will undoubtedly be hoping to put those striking concerns to bed in the
5.30pm kick-off at Carrow Road.
"We've stopped a three home defeats on the trot run, so we've picked up a
point, we're playing well enough and we've got to believe, like we did last
weekend at Swansea, that we can go and play like that, and make the chances
we made at Swansea and this time score one," Big Sam said. "You've just got
to be composed and clinical when it comes to whoever the chance falls to.
Whether it be Reidy's header, Tomkins' header, Ravel Morrison outside the
box, Mark Noble, Joe Cole coming in off the line, or Stewart Downing.
"They've got to try and make one count and we couldn't get any out of the
players we used on Saturday, so it's ended up with a frustrating 0-0."
Allardyce opted to play his captain Kevin Nolan in the most advanced role
against the Villains and the move bore some fruit through his tenacity and
hard work. Although he too could not find the finishing touch when well
placed in the 72nd minute, his ten goals last season mean his manager is
happy for him help cover for the injured Andy Carroll. "Kevin can hold it
up, he can bring other people into play. We haven't got anybody that can
play up front at the moment that can start a game of football, until we get
them fitter. "In that case, when you've delivered as many opportunities as
we delivered, it's about people getting on the end of it. "Kevin scored a
good goal against Cardiff. In the end, like I said, it's not just about
Kevin, or Andy, it's about all the others taking responsibility to score as
we set out at the start of the season. "If a player scored one last season,
try to score at least one this year and then try to better it. Get the one
as quick as you can and then try to make it two. If you do all that then
instead of finishing tenth, you end up finishing above tenth."
Carlton Cole continued his build-up to full fitness with another lively
substitute display when he came on for Jack Collison in the 62nd minute. The
England international added some extra presence to the Hammers' attack but
sadly no clear-cut chances fell his way. "Carlton Cole got on on Saturday,
and he's played in the Premier League many, many times. Unfortunately, he
couldn't get a chance to score a goal. "Joe Cole got in a couple of good
positions, Kevin got in a couple of good positions on the edge of the box.
Unfortunately, when we hit a shot, or had a header, either the keeper saves
it, it was blocked, or we're just putting it wide at the minute. "At the
moment we're way down on our goal-scoring averages compared to what we
achieved last season. That's why we've only got ten points, instead of at
this stage last season, after eleven games we'd got probably 16 points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole keen to make an impression
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is hoping to offer the Hammers some much-needed firepower in
the coming weeks
03.11.2013
Goalless draws are hardly the currency that Carlton Cole is keen to deal in,
but the fit-again frontman reckons West Ham United are very close to
rediscovering their goalscoring touch. As he did at Swansea City's Liberty
Stadium six days earlier, Cole joined the fray shortly after the hour mark
against Aston Villa on Saturday, with the Hammers drawing a blank for a
second successive Barclays Premier League outing. On reflection, Cole
conceded the stalemate was probably about fair on the day, while insisting
that it is up to him and his colleagues to make more of their possession in
the final third. Read Big Sam's take on Saturday's draw here He told West
Ham TV: "We had so many crosses in the box, we just need a little bit of
presence in there to make things happen. It wasn't to be in the first half,
I think we got something like 18 crosses in the box, a crazy statistic. Then
in the second we had 20, so we're disappointed that we couldn't get the
bodies in the box to finish off the chances or cause a little bit of mayhem.
"The gaffer has addressed that with us, not just blaming those not getting
in the box, but the quality of crosses as well. It goes both ways, but at
least we're overloading those positions and hopefully we can push on from
there. As soon as we notch one or two we'll be alright, because we're
getting in the right positions and doing the right things. It's just about
the quality in the final third, that's all it is. "[Christian] Benteke had a
great, great chance which could have buried us and all our efforts, but we
did OK to hang in there. But we did more than hang in there, because we had
most of the ball, I think. Next time we've just got to finish off the
chances that are presented to us. I didn't see any clear-cut chances against
Villa anyway, so that's why it was a stalemate. I think a draw's a fair
result."
Saturday's appearance from the bench was, curiously, his first at the Boleyn
Ground since 19 January 2013 and Cole was thrilled with his rapturous
reception from the Hammers faithful. "I was buzzing when I came on," he
confirmed. "The fans showed me a lot of love, which I always appreciate. I
just want to reward them and try my best for them to get us higher up the
league as much as possible."
As for his own contribution, the 30-year-old is pragmatic in his assessment
of things, acknowledging that his return has to be carefully managed. Having
missed the entirety of pre-season, Cole is quickly finding his feet once
more, with 120 minutes in his legs in the last week alone. He continued:
"I'm fit now, I think. It's just up to the manager to make a decision. I've
obviously had to do a fast-track training [programme] to get up to match
speed. I'm nearly there now and it's up to the manager to put me in when he
wants. I'm a fit lad anyway, so I adapted quite quickly. I'm raring to go
now. I want to get my head down, progress and get even fitter. "He [Sam
Allardyce] knows his own mind and he thinks I need a little bit more. I've
never really had a hamstring injury or a pull before and I don't want to
start now. You've got to manage your body. The medical team obviously know
me very well, having been here for almost eight years. So they know exactly
how to manage me."
Cole will likely have a part to play at Carrow Road next Saturday, where the
Hammers, ironically, were held to a goalless draw last season. The West Ham
No24 is desperate to buck that trend, not least to reward the Hammers'
outstanding defensive efforts. Norwich City, meanwhile, were on the
receiving end of a 7-0 thumping at Manchester City on Saturday and Cole
wants West Ham to exploit those deficiencies in next weekend's teatime
kick-off. It's six clean sheets in ten, so imagine if we'd just scored one
goal in each of those! We'd be way up the table, but that's how it goes.
Hopefully next time we can do more to just get that one goal and then we can
build from there. "Last year, when we went there, [to Norwich], we played
quite well. Hopefully we can try to take advantage of what Manchester City
have done to them on Saturday and we'll see what happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lambert on.....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd November 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is happy with his side's point. Here's his
thoughts from the post-match press conference in full.....
You probably had the best two chances of the game?
Yeah I thought so. Andy [Weimann]in the first half the goalkeeper made a
good save. Christian [Benteke]'s header and shot in the second half they're
the three best chances of the game. Another day they go in.
Is it a worry that you've gone so long without a goal?
No no. I can't be too hard. We're creating chances. If we weren't creating
them maybe. Benteke's always been a threat. So has Weimann. To be fair
Jaaskalainen's made a terrific save from that one. On clear-cut chances -
it's a difficult place to come to at the best of times. I've got no worries
about us not taking chances.
The formation they went out with - the 4-6-0 - is that difficult to play
against?
We just play our own way. We have our own philosophy. We set up with a back
three. We went to win the game with two up top. You can't get over-worried
about someone else's way they play. You respect Sam's way of playing. From
our own point of view we went out to win the game.
From your own point of view you're happy that the you're creating chances
despite the lack of goals?
Yeah no worries. None whatsoever.
Was that a sending off in the first half?
I spoke to Howard [Webb]. I respect his view and see where he's coming from.
I just think it's a difficult ball to win if it's safe side. I respect his
decision and the way that he saw it. From my point of view I just thought it
might have been. What he's said to me I have to respect that answer. I've
just aired my view. That's the game - sometimes you get them sometimes you
don't.
You now haven't conceded in your last three away games. Do you draw some
encouragement from that?
Oh no doubt. It was a big performance because we lost a couple of big
players for us during the week. I don't think West Ham had any chances. The
lads at the back put their heads in when it mattered. They blocked things
when it mattered. Along with Brad [Guzan] I thought they were excellent.
This is the sort of game you might not have got something out of last year.
Can you see the progression?
Oh yes absolutely. Huge. The resiliance is a lot stronger. This is a game we
lost last year - we could still be playing that one and not look like
scoring. This year we certainly looked a threat
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hoffenheim's new signing Jiloan Hamad claims talks with Sunderland and West
Ham
By Kent Hedlundh | Last Updated: November 3, 2013 9:53pm
SSN
Sweden international Jiloan Hamad claims he attracted interest from
Sunderland and West Ham United before agreeing to join Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga club Hoffenheim confirmed earlier this week that winger Hamad
will join the club from Malmo during the winter break. The 22-year-old had
been linked with several clubs across Europe, but he is confident he has
made the right decision to sign for Hoffenheim. "Everything felt right
immediately," Hamad told Fotbollskanalen.se regarding his deal with
Hoffenheim. "It was Hoffenheim who contacted us. They have scouted me
thoroughly, and their coach and sporting director have got big confidence in
me. That feels good. "I have been negotiating with many clubs from Russia,
Italy, France and England. West Ham and Sunderland were among them, but none
of them felt as good as Hoffenheim when their sporting director came. "It
was not a difficult choice, and my agents Nenad and Ferhat have done a
fantastic job."
Hamad is confident he will be suited by Hoffenheim's style of play and he
aims to be a first-team regular before the end of the season. He added: "I
will get the chance when I am ready. "The team plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation,
it is an offensive set-up where they want to recover the ball quickly. That
suits me well and the club also think that. "The target is to be a regular
starter by the summer, if not earlier. "I want to move on in my career, play
for a better team where I get to play tougher and tougher matches at a
higher pace."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
Big Sam discusses his attacking options ahead of Saturday's trip to Norwich
City
04.11.2013
Sam Allardyce is busy pondering his attacking options ahead of this
Saturday's teatime trip to Norwich City. The West Ham United manager saw his
side register their second consecutive 0-0 draw in the Barclays Premier
League against Aston Villa on Saturday, a result that provided an impressive
sixth clean sheet in ten league games at one end, but also one that
frustrated at times at the other. Norwich go into this Saturday's game on
the back of a heavy 7-0 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and Big Sam
will undoubtedly be hoping to put those striking concerns to bed in the
5.30pm kick-off at Carrow Road.
"We've stopped a three home defeats on the trot run, so we've picked up a
point, we're playing well enough and we've got to believe, like we did last
weekend at Swansea, that we can go and play like that, and make the chances
we made at Swansea and this time score one," Big Sam said. "You've just got
to be composed and clinical when it comes to whoever the chance falls to.
Whether it be Reidy's header, Tomkins' header, Ravel Morrison outside the
box, Mark Noble, Joe Cole coming in off the line, or Stewart Downing.
"They've got to try and make one count and we couldn't get any out of the
players we used on Saturday, so it's ended up with a frustrating 0-0."
Allardyce opted to play his captain Kevin Nolan in the most advanced role
against the Villains and the move bore some fruit through his tenacity and
hard work. Although he too could not find the finishing touch when well
placed in the 72nd minute, his ten goals last season mean his manager is
happy for him help cover for the injured Andy Carroll. "Kevin can hold it
up, he can bring other people into play. We haven't got anybody that can
play up front at the moment that can start a game of football, until we get
them fitter. "In that case, when you've delivered as many opportunities as
we delivered, it's about people getting on the end of it. "Kevin scored a
good goal against Cardiff. In the end, like I said, it's not just about
Kevin, or Andy, it's about all the others taking responsibility to score as
we set out at the start of the season. "If a player scored one last season,
try to score at least one this year and then try to better it. Get the one
as quick as you can and then try to make it two. If you do all that then
instead of finishing tenth, you end up finishing above tenth."
Carlton Cole continued his build-up to full fitness with another lively
substitute display when he came on for Jack Collison in the 62nd minute. The
England international added some extra presence to the Hammers' attack but
sadly no clear-cut chances fell his way. "Carlton Cole got on on Saturday,
and he's played in the Premier League many, many times. Unfortunately, he
couldn't get a chance to score a goal. "Joe Cole got in a couple of good
positions, Kevin got in a couple of good positions on the edge of the box.
Unfortunately, when we hit a shot, or had a header, either the keeper saves
it, it was blocked, or we're just putting it wide at the minute. "At the
moment we're way down on our goal-scoring averages compared to what we
achieved last season. That's why we've only got ten points, instead of at
this stage last season, after eleven games we'd got probably 16 points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole keen to make an impression
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is hoping to offer the Hammers some much-needed firepower in
the coming weeks
03.11.2013
Goalless draws are hardly the currency that Carlton Cole is keen to deal in,
but the fit-again frontman reckons West Ham United are very close to
rediscovering their goalscoring touch. As he did at Swansea City's Liberty
Stadium six days earlier, Cole joined the fray shortly after the hour mark
against Aston Villa on Saturday, with the Hammers drawing a blank for a
second successive Barclays Premier League outing. On reflection, Cole
conceded the stalemate was probably about fair on the day, while insisting
that it is up to him and his colleagues to make more of their possession in
the final third. Read Big Sam's take on Saturday's draw here He told West
Ham TV: "We had so many crosses in the box, we just need a little bit of
presence in there to make things happen. It wasn't to be in the first half,
I think we got something like 18 crosses in the box, a crazy statistic. Then
in the second we had 20, so we're disappointed that we couldn't get the
bodies in the box to finish off the chances or cause a little bit of mayhem.
"The gaffer has addressed that with us, not just blaming those not getting
in the box, but the quality of crosses as well. It goes both ways, but at
least we're overloading those positions and hopefully we can push on from
there. As soon as we notch one or two we'll be alright, because we're
getting in the right positions and doing the right things. It's just about
the quality in the final third, that's all it is. "[Christian] Benteke had a
great, great chance which could have buried us and all our efforts, but we
did OK to hang in there. But we did more than hang in there, because we had
most of the ball, I think. Next time we've just got to finish off the
chances that are presented to us. I didn't see any clear-cut chances against
Villa anyway, so that's why it was a stalemate. I think a draw's a fair
result."
Saturday's appearance from the bench was, curiously, his first at the Boleyn
Ground since 19 January 2013 and Cole was thrilled with his rapturous
reception from the Hammers faithful. "I was buzzing when I came on," he
confirmed. "The fans showed me a lot of love, which I always appreciate. I
just want to reward them and try my best for them to get us higher up the
league as much as possible."
As for his own contribution, the 30-year-old is pragmatic in his assessment
of things, acknowledging that his return has to be carefully managed. Having
missed the entirety of pre-season, Cole is quickly finding his feet once
more, with 120 minutes in his legs in the last week alone. He continued:
"I'm fit now, I think. It's just up to the manager to make a decision. I've
obviously had to do a fast-track training [programme] to get up to match
speed. I'm nearly there now and it's up to the manager to put me in when he
wants. I'm a fit lad anyway, so I adapted quite quickly. I'm raring to go
now. I want to get my head down, progress and get even fitter. "He [Sam
Allardyce] knows his own mind and he thinks I need a little bit more. I've
never really had a hamstring injury or a pull before and I don't want to
start now. You've got to manage your body. The medical team obviously know
me very well, having been here for almost eight years. So they know exactly
how to manage me."
Cole will likely have a part to play at Carrow Road next Saturday, where the
Hammers, ironically, were held to a goalless draw last season. The West Ham
No24 is desperate to buck that trend, not least to reward the Hammers'
outstanding defensive efforts. Norwich City, meanwhile, were on the
receiving end of a 7-0 thumping at Manchester City on Saturday and Cole
wants West Ham to exploit those deficiencies in next weekend's teatime
kick-off. It's six clean sheets in ten, so imagine if we'd just scored one
goal in each of those! We'd be way up the table, but that's how it goes.
Hopefully next time we can do more to just get that one goal and then we can
build from there. "Last year, when we went there, [to Norwich], we played
quite well. Hopefully we can try to take advantage of what Manchester City
have done to them on Saturday and we'll see what happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lambert on.....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd November 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is happy with his side's point. Here's his
thoughts from the post-match press conference in full.....
You probably had the best two chances of the game?
Yeah I thought so. Andy [Weimann]in the first half the goalkeeper made a
good save. Christian [Benteke]'s header and shot in the second half they're
the three best chances of the game. Another day they go in.
Is it a worry that you've gone so long without a goal?
No no. I can't be too hard. We're creating chances. If we weren't creating
them maybe. Benteke's always been a threat. So has Weimann. To be fair
Jaaskalainen's made a terrific save from that one. On clear-cut chances -
it's a difficult place to come to at the best of times. I've got no worries
about us not taking chances.
The formation they went out with - the 4-6-0 - is that difficult to play
against?
We just play our own way. We have our own philosophy. We set up with a back
three. We went to win the game with two up top. You can't get over-worried
about someone else's way they play. You respect Sam's way of playing. From
our own point of view we went out to win the game.
From your own point of view you're happy that the you're creating chances
despite the lack of goals?
Yeah no worries. None whatsoever.
Was that a sending off in the first half?
I spoke to Howard [Webb]. I respect his view and see where he's coming from.
I just think it's a difficult ball to win if it's safe side. I respect his
decision and the way that he saw it. From my point of view I just thought it
might have been. What he's said to me I have to respect that answer. I've
just aired my view. That's the game - sometimes you get them sometimes you
don't.
You now haven't conceded in your last three away games. Do you draw some
encouragement from that?
Oh no doubt. It was a big performance because we lost a couple of big
players for us during the week. I don't think West Ham had any chances. The
lads at the back put their heads in when it mattered. They blocked things
when it mattered. Along with Brad [Guzan] I thought they were excellent.
This is the sort of game you might not have got something out of last year.
Can you see the progression?
Oh yes absolutely. Huge. The resiliance is a lot stronger. This is a game we
lost last year - we could still be playing that one and not look like
scoring. This year we certainly looked a threat
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hoffenheim's new signing Jiloan Hamad claims talks with Sunderland and West
Ham
By Kent Hedlundh | Last Updated: November 3, 2013 9:53pm
SSN
Sweden international Jiloan Hamad claims he attracted interest from
Sunderland and West Ham United before agreeing to join Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga club Hoffenheim confirmed earlier this week that winger Hamad
will join the club from Malmo during the winter break. The 22-year-old had
been linked with several clubs across Europe, but he is confident he has
made the right decision to sign for Hoffenheim. "Everything felt right
immediately," Hamad told Fotbollskanalen.se regarding his deal with
Hoffenheim. "It was Hoffenheim who contacted us. They have scouted me
thoroughly, and their coach and sporting director have got big confidence in
me. That feels good. "I have been negotiating with many clubs from Russia,
Italy, France and England. West Ham and Sunderland were among them, but none
of them felt as good as Hoffenheim when their sporting director came. "It
was not a difficult choice, and my agents Nenad and Ferhat have done a
fantastic job."
Hamad is confident he will be suited by Hoffenheim's style of play and he
aims to be a first-team regular before the end of the season. He added: "I
will get the chance when I am ready. "The team plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation,
it is an offensive set-up where they want to recover the ball quickly. That
suits me well and the club also think that. "The target is to be a regular
starter by the summer, if not earlier. "I want to move on in my career, play
for a better team where I get to play tougher and tougher matches at a
higher pace."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Sunday, November 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd November 2013
Hammers fail to hit the target
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce lamented his West Ham United side's failure to find a way past
Aston Villa on Saturday
02.11.2013
Sam Allardyce said West Ham United's failure to hit the target cost them two
points in Saturday's goalless Barclays Premier League draw with Aston Villa.
The Hammers unleashed 17 shots on Brad Guzan's goal, but only four of them
tested the American, leaving Big Sam lamenting his players' inability to
find the net. At the other end, Villa threatened sporadically but ironically
went closest to breaking the deadlock when Belgium striker Christian Benteke
rattled the crossbar with a second-half header. "Villa had one chance and
that was Benteke's header," said Big Sam, "and our chances came and went
because we didn't hit the target enough. When you have the chances and don't
hit the target, people tend to forget them or dismiss them as not being
chances. Several chances went begging for us to have done better, but they
were either blocked, saved or we failed to hit the target. "We put 38 balls
into the opposition box and Villa had eight in our box in total, so that
shows the dominating factors in our game. Basically, Villa in the final
third got eight balls into our box and we had 38 and everybody's
responsibility to score goals has deserted them at the minute. "Our great
ammunition last year in scoring and winning was everybody scoring and I
don't think we had a player in our first 14 or 15 players who didn't score,
other than Guy Demel. Joey O'Brien, James Tomkins, Winston Reid, James
Collins, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor, Carlton Cole, Andy Carroll,
Ricardo Vaz Te and Matt Jarvis all chipped in with a goal when we needed
them which meant we finished tenth. "Kevin Nolan was our leading goalscorer
with ten and that wouldn't normally get you tenth place, unless one other
player scored at least ten or more, and we didn't. We only had Andy with
seven, which showed how many goals we shared around the team. That
goal-sharing has deserted us at the minute and that is the real reason why
we're not on about 14 or 15 points. "We've had six games when we haven't
conceded a goal, which meant we only needed to score one goal to win the
three points. We scored three at Tottenham and haven't scored a goal in any
of the others [apart from Cardiff City] to get that lovely cushion of a
three-point which we've richly deserved on several occasion but failed
miserably. It's only been our fault, nobody else's."
When asked, Big Sam explained why he felt his team were not scoring enough
goals. "The quality of the creation of the chances, for one, but then on
numbers created balls should drop down to someone who should finish them
off. Occasionally, you want one to get you on your way through a fluke goal
or a penalty or somebody scoring a free-kick. "We wasted a free-kick [taken
short by Mark Noble to Jack Collison] which just wasn't on, so that's the
players' fault. You've got to assess all the free-kicks we practice every
week and assess the right one to use at that particular time, depending on
what the opposition do. We didn't do that, so we wasted it. "We've got to
pull one out of the bag somewhere, no matter how we do it, and make sure we
get three points instead of one. We're OK in terms of performances, we've
got too many injuries - as Villa had - and we've got to get them fit, and
keep playing the way we are and keep believing we're going to turn the
chances we're creating into goals and into victories. "We did it at
Tottenham - one of the hardest places to do it in the Premier League - so I
demand we go and do it again at Norwich next week."
The feeling of disappointment comes at the end of a week when West Ham have
actually kept three clean sheets in seven days, drawn at Swansea City and
won a tricky Capital One Cup fourth-round tie at Burnley. "Like everybody in
the Premier League, visiting teams sit deep and make it hard for you to
break them down. Villa are suffering the same and Swansea have only won once
at home in ten matches, so there are many teams who have had problems
similar to ours this season. "Even if we had been determined enough
defensively to draw two of the defeats we've had, we'd be on 12 points now.
Victories don't always have to be the order of the day - it's making sure
you don't lose - and if we had 12 points, we'd be sitting halfway up or just
above and that keeps the pressure off. Even at this early stage, people talk
about the relegation zone and area and if we had drawn two more games we'd
be much better off. "We haven't but on a positive we have got a result
against Villa and, after three defeats that's pretty big from our point of
view, even if it is disappointing from our point of view that we didn't win
it. At least we have stopped the run of defeats at the Boleyn Ground, which
was very important to do."
West Ham go to Norwich City in their next Barclays Premier League game, with
the Canaries having lost 4-0 at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup and
7-0 at Manchester City on Saturday. Despite those results, Big Sam is not
expecting an easy afternoon at Carrow Road. "Those results will make no
difference to next Saturday whatsoever. It will be about us finding our best
form to beat Norwich. I thought they were hugely unlucky not to win their
last home league game [against Cardiff] listening to it on Sky Sports Soccer
Saturday, where it went to Norwich missing this chance and that chance here,
there and everywhere. "I watched Norwich versus Aston Villa and Norwich
absolutely pelted them, but Villa won 1-0. Norwich are suffering the same
problems as we are - good performances and creating chances, but our
difference is that we're absolutely brilliant at defending at the minute and
Norwich aren't. We're suffering, but not suffering badly at the moment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stalemate at the Boleyn
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw at the Boleyn Ground
on Saturday
02.11.2013
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United played out their second Barclays Premier League 0-0 draw in
succession when Aston Villa proved stubborn opposition on Saturday.
The Hammers' defensive prowess has been almost unmatched in the top flight
this season - this was their sixth clean sheet in ten starts - but they were
unable to force a way through at the other end and so had to settle for a
point. It has been a frustration for Sam Allardyce this season that his side
have not been able to make the most of their defensive solidity and no doubt
he would have felt the same on an afternoon when they could have moved up to
12th in the table with three points. It was an open start to proceedings and
Andreas Weimann was presented with a fine opportunity to open the scoring
with just six minutes on the clock, when Ashley Westwood's clipped through
ball sent him clear. The Austrian was the wrong side of James Tomkins, but
Jussi Jaaskelainen closed the angles down and smothered the danger. At the
other end former Villa man Stewart Downing was looking to impress against
his old club and he cut in from the right flank on 13 minutes before sending
a shot straight down Brad Guzan's throat from the edge of the box.
Four minutes later Hammers hearts were in mouths when a rapid Villa counter
threatened to catch them out directly from their own corner. Weimann was
again the man streaking clear and Ravel Morrison had to track all the way
back. The pair tussled as they reached the cusp of the penalty box and
Weimann went to ground, but referee Howard Webb deemed no foul to have
occured and waved play on. Weimann was bemused, but Morrison deserved praise
for sticking to his task and nullifying the danger. With 20 minutes on the
clock, Kevin Nolan slipped a pass through to Matt Jarvis. He took the ball
round Guzan, but was forced wide and the goalkeeper recovered to block from
an angle before Ron Vlaar hacked clear. Despite, the lively opening, that
was about that as goalmouth action for the first half was concerned, as the
defences gradually got on top and restricted the attacking opportunities.
The second period started in much the same way, and the Hammers looked to
the bench just after the hour by introducing both Coles as they searched for
more penetration. It was Villa who so nearly found it 20 minutes from the
end though when Matthew Lowton crossed from the right and Christian Benteke,
who had been quiet up until that point, crashed a header against the
crossbar. West Ham broke immediately and were not far away themselves when
Downing moved inside from his station and slipped a neat reverse pass to
Nolan, who took the shot on first time but could not direct the ball between
the posts.
Benteke forced a sprawling stop in the final minute when he flashed a shot
towards the far post, then Joe Cole's near post drive needed a save from
Guzan, but neither team could force the breakthrough and 0-0 was how it
ended.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Rat (Diame 90);
Collison (C.Cole 62), Noble, Morrison; Downing, Nolan, Jarvis (J.Cole 62)
Subs: Adrian, Maiga, O'Brien, Potts
Aston Villa: Guzan; Vlaar, Baker, Clark; Lowton, Sylla, Westwood, El Ahmadi,
Bacuna; Weimann (Kozak 57), Benteke
Subs: Steer, Helenius, Herd, Bowery, Tonev, Johnson
Booked: Bacuna, Lowton
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 34,977
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SAB meeting set
WHUFC.com
The Supporter Advisory Board will be meeting on 20 November to discuss a
range of topics
02.11.2013
The Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) will meet at the Boleyn Ground on
Wednesday 20 November to discuss a host of key topics ranging from Stadium
Migration to the Matchday Experience. As the Club's move to the Olympic
Stadium in 2016 draws closer, the input of the supporter group becomes ever
more important and as such the SAB will be holding an initial meeting to
cover the central topics for the season ahead.
These are:
1. Stadium Migration and expanding our fan base
2. Fitting farewell to the Boleyn
3. Matchday Experience (with focus on Olympic Stadium facilities and
products; OS matchday experience; transport etc)
4. Media (primarily new website)
5. Community and Charities
The Club are also delighted to welcome on board a number of new SAB members
for the new campaign, who will bring with them enthusiasm and ideas to match
the quality and passion of our existing members. At the meeting on 20
November, members will be given a full presentation on the topics above,
before breaking into focus groups to express their ideas and suggestions to
key personnel at the Club. In line with the Club's policy of listening to
those who matter most, the SAB was originally established for the 2011/12
campaign, to give fans the opportunity to have their say. To date, the SAB
continues to go from strength to strength and has enjoyed considerable
successes along the way. The passion of SAB members paved the way for the
lucrative adidas deal, while they were instrumental in helping the Club
understand key issues in negotiating with the LLDC, and their input will
continue to prove key to the Club's strategy as it moves forward.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nasha nets in U18s draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United were held to a 1-1 Barclays U18 Premier League draw by
Newcastle United on Saturday
02.11.2013
West Ham United played out a dramatic 1-1 Barclays U18 Premier League draw
with Newcastle United at Little Heath on Saturday morning. Defender Amos
Nasha headed the home side ahead in the opening 20 minutes, but Jonathyn
Quinn's bundled effort meant the sides shared the points, despite the
visitors playing the whole second half with ten men after Oliver Kemen was
given a straight red card. U18 manager Steve Potts named a strong line-up as
he searched for a sixth unbeaten game in a row, with captain Kieran Bywater
and the speedy Jerry Amoo supporting lone striker Jordan Brown in attack.
The unfamiliar partnership of Emmanual Onariase and Nasha started in the
centre of defence, with regular starters Kyle Knoyle and Lewis Page
completing the back four.
The game started quickly with the Hammers looking for the early goal, but
Ben Marlow's effort from 25 yards did not trouble Newcastle goalkeeper
Jonathan Mitchell.
It was then Bywater's turn to fire a long-range shot at goal, but although
the captain went closer with his effort, he again narrowly missed the
target.
West Ham were controlling the first half, with the visitors' efforts on goal
limited. One of them fell to Callum Roberts, but the Toon winger failed to
keep his shot down. The home side's pressure paid off after 18 minutes when
Nasha perfectly headed home Bywater's left-wing free-kick after Page was
knocked to the floor. Nasha's goal appeared to give the Hammers confidence
and they launched several more attacks. None of which caused Mitchell any
problems in the visitors' goal, however. Newcastle came back strong as the
first half wore on and had two chances of goal. First, Ryan McKinnon's free
header from five yards went flying over the bar, before Quinn bundled the
ball over the line to draw the Magpies level. The smiles soon turned to
frowns for the visitors in the closing stages of the first half, however, as
Kemen reacted badly to Marlow's sliding challenge by pushing the Hammers No4
in the face, receiving a straight red card.
Into the second half and the Hammers were denied a goal after the offside
Amoo knocked the ball past Toon goalkeeper Mitchell as he came flying out
from his goal and rolled it into the net.
As the game continued, chances on goal dried up. The closest seemed to be
when Josh Cullen's whipped effort towards the top right-hand corner forced
Mitchell into a smart catch. The Hammers continued to apply pressure to the
Toon back line and had two penalty box scrambles, but the home side failed
to take their chance to go ahead. As the game stretched into the final 20
minutes and changes were made to both teams, West Ham changed their
formation to a more attacking shape, looking for the all-important winning
goal. It was Amoo who was offered the next chance to win the game, but after
Bywater directed a left wing cross towards him in the centre of the six-yard
box, he struggled to jump high enough to control the header. In the final
stages, West Ham had two golden chances to win it, but neither Brown nor
Amoo could bury the chance to grab all three points for West Ham.
The result means Potts' side extended their recent unbeaten run to six games
ahead of the visit of Aston Villa on Saturday 9 November at 1pm.
U18s: Howes, Knoyle, Nasha, Onariase, Page, Cullen (Bailey), Makasi
(Mavila), Marlow (Martins), Bywater, Brown, Amoo
Subs not used: Nemrava, Pask
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Haycock rues refereeing decisions
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was left unhappy after the Development Squad were denied a
penalty against Chelsea
02.11.2013
Nick Haycock was left disappointed with refereeing decisions after a last
minute equaliser saved Chelsea from defeat against the young Hammers. Nathan
Ake was in the right place to fire home after Billy Clifford's shot cannoned
off the cross bar and fell into his path with the last seconds of the four
minutes of stoppage time reached. Moments before, with the Hammers leading
3-2, Dylan Tombides had been wiped out in the penalty area when clean
through on goal. The referee waved away appeals for a penalty and it was
that decision which riled Haycock. He told West Ham TV: "It's disappointing
because in the games going back to Tottenham with the offside goal,
Manchester City with the offside goal and tonight is a clear penalty to go
4-2 up. "The disappointment for me is the Premier League talking about it
being the hardest playground in the world and I'm left disappointed with the
officials for a third time this season. "It was obvious for all to see, the
Chelsea player's reaction gave it away and it's lost us the game. We work
diligently all week to prepare the boys to play in the Barclays Under-21
Premier League and we feel robbed tonight."
The match was a fantastic advert for Under-21 football with both teams
playing their part in entertaining a big crowd who seemed to favour the boys
in Claret and Blue more than the home side, They had plenty to shout about
when Pelly Ruddock put the visitors in front after 25 minutes with a right
footed shot which found the bottom corner. Matthias Fanimo then doubled the
lead with his first goal of the season just three minutes later. Chelsea
managed to draw level after 79 minutes but weren't on terms for long as
Blair Turgott scored a brilliant long-range effort just sixty seconds later;
it was a great game and one which Haycock enjoyed. "The scoreline could have
been ten all with the chances that both sides created and it was an
excellent advert in what is a good league. "It's hard for a manager to
control his emotions in the dressing room after a game like that but I'm
always honest with the players and they're a terrific set. "The West Ham
crowd here tonight were fantastic, it felt like a home game and I thank them
for travelling out on a wet and windy night in Aldershot."
A super team performance was all the more impressive given that the side
were without regulars Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur, Elliot Lee, Leo
Chambers and Dan Potts. Haycock drafted in four of Steve Potts' Under-18s
and he was delighted with how the much-changed team performed. "We made five
changes but it's testament to the squad and the training group every day.
"Sam [Allardyce[ wants the best and when they go in they've got to be ready
to perform at tip-top level to cement a place in his squad. "The selection
that he gave in the Capital One Cup the other night was testament to us as a
Club and him as a manager in that you don't see any other teams with seven
youth players starting or on the bench in the Capital One Cup."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rav takes Player of the Month prize
WHUFC.com
Ravel Morrison is the Club's Player of the Month for October
02.11.2013
Ravel Morrison has been named as the Club's Player of the Month for October
after winning a fan vote on whufc.com The 20-year-old midfielder takes the
award for the second month in succession after bursting onto the Boleyn
Ground scene in style this season. The month started in spectacular fashion
for the England U21 international as he scored a breathtaking solo goal
against Totttenham Hotspur, picking the ball up in his own half, before
driving past both Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen before clipping over
Hugo Lloris in a 3-0 win for the Hammers. He also started the Barclays
Premier League games against Manchester City and Swansea City as Sam
Allardyce's men gained four points from the three league games contested in
October.
He took 40% of the vote to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen into second with 32%. It
was a good month defensively for the Club, with two clean sheets in the
three league fixtures, and another defensive player, James Tomkins, came in
third.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 0 Aston Villa 0
2 November 2013
Last updated at 17:42
By Michael Emons
BBC Sport
West Ham ended a run of three home Premier League defeats as they were held
to a goalless draw by Aston Villa. Christian Benteke came closest to scoring
for the visitors when he headed Matthew Lowton's deep cross against the
crossbar from six yards out. Jack Collison shot wide from a quickly-taken
free-kick for the hosts and Stewart Downing and substitute Joe Cole both had
shots saved by Brad Guzan. But a draw was a fair result as both sides
struggled to create chances. Aston Villa have now failed to score a Premier
League goal in six hours and 15 minutes, and this result leaves them 13th,
only three points above the bottom three. But of greater concern to Villa
boss Paul Lambert will be the hamstring injury sustained by Andreas Weimann,
who limped off early in the second half after he had been his side's most
dangerous player. West Ham, one place below Villa in the league table, also
have attacking problems of their own and their failure to score was their
sixth blank in 10 Premier League games. Despite seeing more possession,
especially down the wings through Matt Jarvis on the left and Downing on the
right, the Hammers frustrated the fans at Upton Park with the final delivery
often being disappointing. With Andy Carroll still two weeks away from a
return to training and Carlton Cole lacking match practice after he
re-signed for the club, West Ham looked short of ideas up front as they
started without a recognised centre-forward for the fourth successive
Premier League game.
Another draw
Nine of the 18 Premier League matches between West Ham and Aston Villa at
Upton Park have ended in draws. Aston Villa, operating in a 3-5-2 formation,
were sitting deep and struggled to provide service for Benteke, but were
still a threat on the counter-attack. After six minutes, Weimann raced on to
a long ball but Jussi Jaaskelainen was well positioned to block the
Austrian's shot. England winger Downing, who spent two seasons at Aston
Villa, is yet to score for the Hammers following a £5m move from Liverpool
in the summer and had the first clear opportunity for the hosts, but shot at
Guzan from 20 yards. But West Ham were nearly caught out when, from their
own corner, Villa counter-attacked. Weimann was through on goal but Ravel
Morrison, the last home player back, recovered and referee Howard Webb
decided the Hammers midfielder won the ball cleanly on the edge of the
penalty area.
West Ham looked more likely to score after the restart but Morrison's
20-yard effort was well blocked by Villa defender Nathan Baker, with Kevin
Nolan firing the rebound over. Substitute Joe Cole shot straight at Guzan,
before Benteke nearly won the points for Villa with his first opportunity
but powered a header against the bar.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said: "After three home defeats on the trot
it was very important we didn't lose. "We tried to win it but we didn't find
the quality to put the ball into the net. We delivered 38 balls into the
box, but it's a spell we are having where we can't find the net. "In the
last two home games we have conceded three in both so it was vital to get
back to keeping clean sheets. "There's only one thing missing, and that's
scoring a goal or two, but we are only a small margin away from being a
three-point team instead of a one-point team."
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert said: "On balance we had the best clear-cut
chances, with Christian hitting the bar and Andreas going through. "It was
always going to be hard here and it was a difficult, physical game, but we
competed brilliantly. "Our counter-attacking is a threat and I'm delighted
with the lads' attitude and I thought our resilience was excellent."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Aston Villa
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Big Sam was once again left disappointed at his team's failure to find the
net - but happy with the performance otherwise. Read his full post-match
press conference here...
Sam: Villa defended very well today?
Well I think you get most teams defending well in the Premier League these
days. That's why there's so many teams playing at home who have found it
difficult to get a result this season. Our opponents today have had a
problem winning at home over the last eight or ten games. Swansea, when we
played them last week had only won one game in ten at home.
We did one thing really right today and that was to attack the opposition
when we got the opportunity whenever we possibly could. To try and create as
many chances and hopefully break their defensive unit down. But at the end
of the day, as we've done on many occasions this time this season, we failed
to convert any opportunities into goals.
Another thing we got right today was to make sure that we didn't concede and
stop the run of defeats that we've suffered, unusually, at home so early on
in the season. So the clean sheet was very important and the opportunities
to win the game were there but not taken.
We have to keep working at it, we have to keep believing and sooner or later
the ball will end up going in the back of the net for a three point victory
instead of a draw. That will be a big relief to us as we all know how big
Premier League wins are when they come along. So, we have to get one as
quickly as we can.
I know you get asked about this all the time, but can you give us any
indication when Andy Carroll will be back?
No. Not really, no. When Andy Carroll gets back to full training then he's
the best part of another four weeks away before he gets on the field in the
first team. He has to start a four-week pre-season, which is the minimum
time for a pre-season we can possibly fit in. We'll try and speed that up if
we possibly can.
We're in a similar position with Carlton Cole at the moment. We have to use
him sparingly because he's still in the middle of a pre-season, trying to
catch up with the rest of the lads. Our other strikers are Modibo Maiga -
who's had several opportunities this season to stake a claim but hasn't
scored - and Mladen Petric.
Unfortunately when Mladen was ready to come and play - and he was ahead of
Carlton - he ends up with a tight calf from a warm-up with the Under 21s.
We've only just got him back fit again. So that's the the problem [we face].
Our goals were shared out last year; all of the first 16 or 17 players in
our team scored, bar perhaps Guy Demel. Kevin [Nolan] got 10, Andy [Carroll]
got eight and everyone else got two or three - or whatever it was - which is
why we finished tenth.
At the moment, none of those players in the team are scoring when they get
the opportunity, like they did last year. So it's not just up front, it's
all the players not contributing in goalscoring terms as much as they did
last season. If we get that right, which I think we eventually will, we'll
start getting three points instead of one.
Is it as a result of the way opposition teams line up you can...
Well not really. Against Everton we were 2-1 up and looking like we'd go on
to win the game. Then Mark Noble got himself sent off - and you've not seen
Leighton Baines put another free kick in since then. He put two in [that
day]!
Jermaine Pennant has hardly played for Stoke since [he scored here] but he
came on as a sub and put another one in. So in that particular area, in
conceding goals, we've been slightly unlucky that opposition players hit the
true ball against us more often than they have done - well, they haven't
done it against any other team since then and we're ten games in already. So
that's a bit of fate that goes against you.
Today we tried our very, very best to get that all important victory - but
one of the most impoprtnt things was making sure we didn't suffer another
defeat. The defensive unit today was magnificent again, apart from one
situation where Benteke got in with the header that hit the bar.
So we've limited Aston Villa to one chance in the entire game, we've limited
them to eight crosses only into our penalty area whereas we've put 38 balls
into their box. It's all about somebody putting the ball in the back of the
net when you get so many opportunities; unfortunately it's our Achilles heel
at the moment.
What's your view of the Morrison and Weimann incident?
Yeah, great wasn't it!? A little tussle between two players. Two players,
one striving to stop a one-on-one for the opposition and one who's striving
to be the hero who scores the goal. Ravel came out on top beautifully!
[laughs]
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa held on for a 0-0 draw against West Ham at Upton Park
Last Updated: November 2, 2013 7:20pm
SSN
West Ham were made to settle for a point in a close Premier League encounter
as they drew 0-0 with Aston Villa at Upton Park. It ended a dismal run of
three straight home league defeats for the Hammers but the West Ham faithful
must be wondering if there is a curse this season at Upton Park. Villa
striker Christian Benteke came closest to breaking the deadlock when his
second-half header struck a post, but that would have been an injustice in a
match during which West Ham proved just how much they are missing injured
striker Andy Carroll. The Hammers have now gone 375 minutes without a goal
at Upton Park and have scored just eight goals in 10 league games.
Best of the match:
Man of the match: Downing pips it ahead of Vlaar, Benteke and Jarvis
Save of the match: Jaaskelainen produced a great low save to deny Benteke
late on
Moment of the match: Debate rages on as to whether Ravel Morrison brought
down Andreas Weimann when the Austrian was clean through
Talking point: Are either of these sides in danger of relegation this
season?
In truth, they have been an enigma so far this season. They have lost once
and conceded just one goal in five matches away from home, the best away
defensive record in the Premier League. This match was supposed to be Sam
Allardyce's line in the sand, the start of the home revival, and he drafted
in midfielder Jack Collison for his first league start of the season in a
bid to deliver some extra verve. Collison formed a midfield triangle with
Mark Noble and Matt Jarvis, and there was no lack of zip or endeavour during
a first half in which West Ham dominated possession and territory without
seriously troubling Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Stewart Downing, playing
against his former club and spraying passes around with some aplomb, jinked
inside with the pace he once showed for England to drill a left-foot shot
straight into the arms of Guzan. And Jarvis went close when his direct
running precipitated a frantic melee in the Villa penalty area, Jarvis
rounding Guzan only for the goalkeeper to scramble back to block the shot.
Villa were content to do what they usually do best, play on the break.
We deserved three points – Allardyce
It nearly paid off when Andreas Weimann broke through, only to have his shot
blocked by the legs of West Ham goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. But it was
clear Villa were missing the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor. They lacked his
searing pace to make their counter-attacking style effective, although Villa
boss Paul Lambert clearly believed West Ham should have been reduced to 10
men after 15 minutes. Ravel Morrison and Weimann tangled in a frantic foot
race which ended with the Villa striker appearing to be hauled down when he
was bearing down on goal. Morrison was clearly the last man and if referee
Howard Webb had not been generous in his judgement then Morrison would have
seen red. One of the main reasons for West Ham's impressive defensive
statistics this season, however, is James Tomkins. He provides composure and
organisation in the Hammers defence, one crunching tackle on Benteke at the
start of the second half perfectly illustrating his worth.
Lambert pleased with point
Just after the hour mark Allardyce attempted to beef up the firepower,
throwing on Joe Cole for Jarvis and Carlton Cole for Collision. It brought a
wave of West Ham attacks but Nolan squandered yet another chance when he
stabbed his right-foot shot wide from eight yards. But it was Villa who had
the best chances, Benteke hitting a post with a header and then seeing a
left-foot shot skew just wide after being deflected by a defender, although
Joe Cole could have snatched it at the death if his shot had not been
smothered by Guzan. In the end, however, the result was probably fair.
Neither side did enough to merit the three
points.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
am Allardyce unhappy after West Ham's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa
Last Updated: November 2, 2013 6:53pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce was left to rue his light forward line as a dominant West Ham
drew 0-0 with Aston Villa at Upton Park. Despite the home side's best
efforts, Villa held on for a point and could even have snatched all three at
the death when Jussi Jaaskelainen saved excellently from Christian Benteke.
West Ham did have the best chances however, with Kevin Nolan, Ravel Morrison
and Joe Cole going close in a relatively even game. Allardyce, while
disappointed to have to settle with the draw at home, was quick to look to
the positives of a long-awaited clean sheet at home, following two
consecutive defeats with three goals conceded in each to Everton and
Manchester City. "The amount of dominating play we had today, you're
disappointed you didn't get three points," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "In
terms of territorial advantage and opportunities in Aston Villa's box we've
absolutely dominated, but at the end of the day we still haven't converted
that into goals. "We're disappointed from that point of view but on the
positive side we've got back to our clean sheet mentality at home."
Villa started the game perhaps the brighter, but the Hammers quickly found
their bearings, to which Allardyce was happy. "I felt we were going to score
today and I think we got a little shaky start," he added. "After 10 minutes
we got settled down though, and we looked like we would get one or two.
"We've got to take the positives about stopping the defeats and getting a
point on the board. "We'll try and move on from there in the hope that,
eventually, in the way we're playing both home and away, we'll convert that
into three points."
With record signing Andy Carroll still in the treatment room with a heel
injury, West Ham's forward line looks decidedly lightweight at the moment,
though Allardyce was more than pleased with his side's forward play so far
this season. "There's enough quality balls in the box, but when we need
somebody on the end of it we can't get it," he said. "What we couldn't find
is the ultimate finish."
Allardyce was left to bemoan his injury-stricken side, however, with Carroll
joined by the likes of Mladen Petric, James Collins, Alou Diarra and Matthew
Taylor on the sidelines. "We've got seven out I think, and a lot of those
players are long-term injuries. "Andy Carroll, we hope, is coming to the end
so we can get him back, but we've got a few too many. "That happens, though,
so what we've got to try and do is get them fit and keep them fit. "There's
eight games in December for us, so we're going to need the squad fit and
hopefully we'll continue playing the way we are at the moment."
Another positive Allardyce found was the home return of Carlton Cole, who
re-signed with the club in the summer but has had his fitness questioned
more than once since his arrival. "Carlton's getting better and better. We
went for three big strikers in the Premier League on loan but we couldn't
get them, so we've brought Carlton and Petric in," he said. "We are where we
are with the strikers, and it's everybody else's responsibility to score as
well. That's just eluding us at the moment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa: Bore draw at Upton Park as Hammers end run
of home defeats
2 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
When Aston Villa ran out at Upton Park wearing vivid lime-green shirts it
was just the first shocking sight of the afternoon. The passing from both
teams was shocking. The defending was shocking. The shooting was shocking.
The fact that these two teams will very probably stay in the Premier League
come the end of the season is also shocking. That a top-flight side can
start with two wingers but no recognised striker, as West Ham did, is pretty
shocking too. Villa have now not scored for 375 minutes – that's over four
matches – so the fact they didn't find the net was the least surprising
thing of the afternoon. And when Yacouba Sylla's shot landed in the upper
tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, well, it was just in keeping with all
the rubbish that had gone before. In fact, Villa really should have ended
their goal drought in the opening exchanges, but Jussi Jaaskelainen came to
the rescue of James Tomkins when Andreas Weimann outpaced him.
Villa believed that Ravel Morrison was lucky to stay on the pitch a few
minutes later after the Hammers had won a corner but left themselves
completely exposed at the other end. Weimann and the covering Morrison went
stride for stride from inside the Villa half. But when Weimann went down
just outside the West Ham box after he was grabbed across the shoulder,
referee Howard Webb waved play on.
The Hammers have also found goals hard to come by and it was easy to see
why. Stewart Downing was their stand-out performer against his former team,
but with Andy Carroll still injured and the re-signed Carlton Cole on the
bench until the hour-mark, it was left to Kevin Nolan to play as not so much
a false No.9 as a fake one. He has been one of the Hammers' best performers
but an out and out striker he most certainly isn't. Downing's wing play
desperately needed someone who knew what they were doing to benefit, but
there wasn't anyone. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said: "We delivered 38
balls into the box. There's only one thing missing, and that's a goal or
two. We are only a small margin from being a three-point team instead of a
one-point team."
After the break Christian Benteke headed a Matthew Lowton cross against the
bar for Villa, and in the dying seconds West Ham sub Joe Cole forced a good
save from Brad Guzan. Despite their problems in front of goal Villa have
lost just once away and manager Paul Lambert said: "We are creating chances
and had the best chances today, so I have no worries about us scoring. "It
is huge the way that the resilience has improved this season."
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WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce lamented his West Ham United side's failure to find a way past
Aston Villa on Saturday
02.11.2013
Sam Allardyce said West Ham United's failure to hit the target cost them two
points in Saturday's goalless Barclays Premier League draw with Aston Villa.
The Hammers unleashed 17 shots on Brad Guzan's goal, but only four of them
tested the American, leaving Big Sam lamenting his players' inability to
find the net. At the other end, Villa threatened sporadically but ironically
went closest to breaking the deadlock when Belgium striker Christian Benteke
rattled the crossbar with a second-half header. "Villa had one chance and
that was Benteke's header," said Big Sam, "and our chances came and went
because we didn't hit the target enough. When you have the chances and don't
hit the target, people tend to forget them or dismiss them as not being
chances. Several chances went begging for us to have done better, but they
were either blocked, saved or we failed to hit the target. "We put 38 balls
into the opposition box and Villa had eight in our box in total, so that
shows the dominating factors in our game. Basically, Villa in the final
third got eight balls into our box and we had 38 and everybody's
responsibility to score goals has deserted them at the minute. "Our great
ammunition last year in scoring and winning was everybody scoring and I
don't think we had a player in our first 14 or 15 players who didn't score,
other than Guy Demel. Joey O'Brien, James Tomkins, Winston Reid, James
Collins, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor, Carlton Cole, Andy Carroll,
Ricardo Vaz Te and Matt Jarvis all chipped in with a goal when we needed
them which meant we finished tenth. "Kevin Nolan was our leading goalscorer
with ten and that wouldn't normally get you tenth place, unless one other
player scored at least ten or more, and we didn't. We only had Andy with
seven, which showed how many goals we shared around the team. That
goal-sharing has deserted us at the minute and that is the real reason why
we're not on about 14 or 15 points. "We've had six games when we haven't
conceded a goal, which meant we only needed to score one goal to win the
three points. We scored three at Tottenham and haven't scored a goal in any
of the others [apart from Cardiff City] to get that lovely cushion of a
three-point which we've richly deserved on several occasion but failed
miserably. It's only been our fault, nobody else's."
When asked, Big Sam explained why he felt his team were not scoring enough
goals. "The quality of the creation of the chances, for one, but then on
numbers created balls should drop down to someone who should finish them
off. Occasionally, you want one to get you on your way through a fluke goal
or a penalty or somebody scoring a free-kick. "We wasted a free-kick [taken
short by Mark Noble to Jack Collison] which just wasn't on, so that's the
players' fault. You've got to assess all the free-kicks we practice every
week and assess the right one to use at that particular time, depending on
what the opposition do. We didn't do that, so we wasted it. "We've got to
pull one out of the bag somewhere, no matter how we do it, and make sure we
get three points instead of one. We're OK in terms of performances, we've
got too many injuries - as Villa had - and we've got to get them fit, and
keep playing the way we are and keep believing we're going to turn the
chances we're creating into goals and into victories. "We did it at
Tottenham - one of the hardest places to do it in the Premier League - so I
demand we go and do it again at Norwich next week."
The feeling of disappointment comes at the end of a week when West Ham have
actually kept three clean sheets in seven days, drawn at Swansea City and
won a tricky Capital One Cup fourth-round tie at Burnley. "Like everybody in
the Premier League, visiting teams sit deep and make it hard for you to
break them down. Villa are suffering the same and Swansea have only won once
at home in ten matches, so there are many teams who have had problems
similar to ours this season. "Even if we had been determined enough
defensively to draw two of the defeats we've had, we'd be on 12 points now.
Victories don't always have to be the order of the day - it's making sure
you don't lose - and if we had 12 points, we'd be sitting halfway up or just
above and that keeps the pressure off. Even at this early stage, people talk
about the relegation zone and area and if we had drawn two more games we'd
be much better off. "We haven't but on a positive we have got a result
against Villa and, after three defeats that's pretty big from our point of
view, even if it is disappointing from our point of view that we didn't win
it. At least we have stopped the run of defeats at the Boleyn Ground, which
was very important to do."
West Ham go to Norwich City in their next Barclays Premier League game, with
the Canaries having lost 4-0 at Manchester United in the Capital One Cup and
7-0 at Manchester City on Saturday. Despite those results, Big Sam is not
expecting an easy afternoon at Carrow Road. "Those results will make no
difference to next Saturday whatsoever. It will be about us finding our best
form to beat Norwich. I thought they were hugely unlucky not to win their
last home league game [against Cardiff] listening to it on Sky Sports Soccer
Saturday, where it went to Norwich missing this chance and that chance here,
there and everywhere. "I watched Norwich versus Aston Villa and Norwich
absolutely pelted them, but Villa won 1-0. Norwich are suffering the same
problems as we are - good performances and creating chances, but our
difference is that we're absolutely brilliant at defending at the minute and
Norwich aren't. We're suffering, but not suffering badly at the moment."
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Stalemate at the Boleyn
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw at the Boleyn Ground
on Saturday
02.11.2013
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United played out their second Barclays Premier League 0-0 draw in
succession when Aston Villa proved stubborn opposition on Saturday.
The Hammers' defensive prowess has been almost unmatched in the top flight
this season - this was their sixth clean sheet in ten starts - but they were
unable to force a way through at the other end and so had to settle for a
point. It has been a frustration for Sam Allardyce this season that his side
have not been able to make the most of their defensive solidity and no doubt
he would have felt the same on an afternoon when they could have moved up to
12th in the table with three points. It was an open start to proceedings and
Andreas Weimann was presented with a fine opportunity to open the scoring
with just six minutes on the clock, when Ashley Westwood's clipped through
ball sent him clear. The Austrian was the wrong side of James Tomkins, but
Jussi Jaaskelainen closed the angles down and smothered the danger. At the
other end former Villa man Stewart Downing was looking to impress against
his old club and he cut in from the right flank on 13 minutes before sending
a shot straight down Brad Guzan's throat from the edge of the box.
Four minutes later Hammers hearts were in mouths when a rapid Villa counter
threatened to catch them out directly from their own corner. Weimann was
again the man streaking clear and Ravel Morrison had to track all the way
back. The pair tussled as they reached the cusp of the penalty box and
Weimann went to ground, but referee Howard Webb deemed no foul to have
occured and waved play on. Weimann was bemused, but Morrison deserved praise
for sticking to his task and nullifying the danger. With 20 minutes on the
clock, Kevin Nolan slipped a pass through to Matt Jarvis. He took the ball
round Guzan, but was forced wide and the goalkeeper recovered to block from
an angle before Ron Vlaar hacked clear. Despite, the lively opening, that
was about that as goalmouth action for the first half was concerned, as the
defences gradually got on top and restricted the attacking opportunities.
The second period started in much the same way, and the Hammers looked to
the bench just after the hour by introducing both Coles as they searched for
more penetration. It was Villa who so nearly found it 20 minutes from the
end though when Matthew Lowton crossed from the right and Christian Benteke,
who had been quiet up until that point, crashed a header against the
crossbar. West Ham broke immediately and were not far away themselves when
Downing moved inside from his station and slipped a neat reverse pass to
Nolan, who took the shot on first time but could not direct the ball between
the posts.
Benteke forced a sprawling stop in the final minute when he flashed a shot
towards the far post, then Joe Cole's near post drive needed a save from
Guzan, but neither team could force the breakthrough and 0-0 was how it
ended.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Rat (Diame 90);
Collison (C.Cole 62), Noble, Morrison; Downing, Nolan, Jarvis (J.Cole 62)
Subs: Adrian, Maiga, O'Brien, Potts
Aston Villa: Guzan; Vlaar, Baker, Clark; Lowton, Sylla, Westwood, El Ahmadi,
Bacuna; Weimann (Kozak 57), Benteke
Subs: Steer, Helenius, Herd, Bowery, Tonev, Johnson
Booked: Bacuna, Lowton
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 34,977
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SAB meeting set
WHUFC.com
The Supporter Advisory Board will be meeting on 20 November to discuss a
range of topics
02.11.2013
The Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) will meet at the Boleyn Ground on
Wednesday 20 November to discuss a host of key topics ranging from Stadium
Migration to the Matchday Experience. As the Club's move to the Olympic
Stadium in 2016 draws closer, the input of the supporter group becomes ever
more important and as such the SAB will be holding an initial meeting to
cover the central topics for the season ahead.
These are:
1. Stadium Migration and expanding our fan base
2. Fitting farewell to the Boleyn
3. Matchday Experience (with focus on Olympic Stadium facilities and
products; OS matchday experience; transport etc)
4. Media (primarily new website)
5. Community and Charities
The Club are also delighted to welcome on board a number of new SAB members
for the new campaign, who will bring with them enthusiasm and ideas to match
the quality and passion of our existing members. At the meeting on 20
November, members will be given a full presentation on the topics above,
before breaking into focus groups to express their ideas and suggestions to
key personnel at the Club. In line with the Club's policy of listening to
those who matter most, the SAB was originally established for the 2011/12
campaign, to give fans the opportunity to have their say. To date, the SAB
continues to go from strength to strength and has enjoyed considerable
successes along the way. The passion of SAB members paved the way for the
lucrative adidas deal, while they were instrumental in helping the Club
understand key issues in negotiating with the LLDC, and their input will
continue to prove key to the Club's strategy as it moves forward.
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Nasha nets in U18s draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United were held to a 1-1 Barclays U18 Premier League draw by
Newcastle United on Saturday
02.11.2013
West Ham United played out a dramatic 1-1 Barclays U18 Premier League draw
with Newcastle United at Little Heath on Saturday morning. Defender Amos
Nasha headed the home side ahead in the opening 20 minutes, but Jonathyn
Quinn's bundled effort meant the sides shared the points, despite the
visitors playing the whole second half with ten men after Oliver Kemen was
given a straight red card. U18 manager Steve Potts named a strong line-up as
he searched for a sixth unbeaten game in a row, with captain Kieran Bywater
and the speedy Jerry Amoo supporting lone striker Jordan Brown in attack.
The unfamiliar partnership of Emmanual Onariase and Nasha started in the
centre of defence, with regular starters Kyle Knoyle and Lewis Page
completing the back four.
The game started quickly with the Hammers looking for the early goal, but
Ben Marlow's effort from 25 yards did not trouble Newcastle goalkeeper
Jonathan Mitchell.
It was then Bywater's turn to fire a long-range shot at goal, but although
the captain went closer with his effort, he again narrowly missed the
target.
West Ham were controlling the first half, with the visitors' efforts on goal
limited. One of them fell to Callum Roberts, but the Toon winger failed to
keep his shot down. The home side's pressure paid off after 18 minutes when
Nasha perfectly headed home Bywater's left-wing free-kick after Page was
knocked to the floor. Nasha's goal appeared to give the Hammers confidence
and they launched several more attacks. None of which caused Mitchell any
problems in the visitors' goal, however. Newcastle came back strong as the
first half wore on and had two chances of goal. First, Ryan McKinnon's free
header from five yards went flying over the bar, before Quinn bundled the
ball over the line to draw the Magpies level. The smiles soon turned to
frowns for the visitors in the closing stages of the first half, however, as
Kemen reacted badly to Marlow's sliding challenge by pushing the Hammers No4
in the face, receiving a straight red card.
Into the second half and the Hammers were denied a goal after the offside
Amoo knocked the ball past Toon goalkeeper Mitchell as he came flying out
from his goal and rolled it into the net.
As the game continued, chances on goal dried up. The closest seemed to be
when Josh Cullen's whipped effort towards the top right-hand corner forced
Mitchell into a smart catch. The Hammers continued to apply pressure to the
Toon back line and had two penalty box scrambles, but the home side failed
to take their chance to go ahead. As the game stretched into the final 20
minutes and changes were made to both teams, West Ham changed their
formation to a more attacking shape, looking for the all-important winning
goal. It was Amoo who was offered the next chance to win the game, but after
Bywater directed a left wing cross towards him in the centre of the six-yard
box, he struggled to jump high enough to control the header. In the final
stages, West Ham had two golden chances to win it, but neither Brown nor
Amoo could bury the chance to grab all three points for West Ham.
The result means Potts' side extended their recent unbeaten run to six games
ahead of the visit of Aston Villa on Saturday 9 November at 1pm.
U18s: Howes, Knoyle, Nasha, Onariase, Page, Cullen (Bailey), Makasi
(Mavila), Marlow (Martins), Bywater, Brown, Amoo
Subs not used: Nemrava, Pask
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Haycock rues refereeing decisions
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was left unhappy after the Development Squad were denied a
penalty against Chelsea
02.11.2013
Nick Haycock was left disappointed with refereeing decisions after a last
minute equaliser saved Chelsea from defeat against the young Hammers. Nathan
Ake was in the right place to fire home after Billy Clifford's shot cannoned
off the cross bar and fell into his path with the last seconds of the four
minutes of stoppage time reached. Moments before, with the Hammers leading
3-2, Dylan Tombides had been wiped out in the penalty area when clean
through on goal. The referee waved away appeals for a penalty and it was
that decision which riled Haycock. He told West Ham TV: "It's disappointing
because in the games going back to Tottenham with the offside goal,
Manchester City with the offside goal and tonight is a clear penalty to go
4-2 up. "The disappointment for me is the Premier League talking about it
being the hardest playground in the world and I'm left disappointed with the
officials for a third time this season. "It was obvious for all to see, the
Chelsea player's reaction gave it away and it's lost us the game. We work
diligently all week to prepare the boys to play in the Barclays Under-21
Premier League and we feel robbed tonight."
The match was a fantastic advert for Under-21 football with both teams
playing their part in entertaining a big crowd who seemed to favour the boys
in Claret and Blue more than the home side, They had plenty to shout about
when Pelly Ruddock put the visitors in front after 25 minutes with a right
footed shot which found the bottom corner. Matthias Fanimo then doubled the
lead with his first goal of the season just three minutes later. Chelsea
managed to draw level after 79 minutes but weren't on terms for long as
Blair Turgott scored a brilliant long-range effort just sixty seconds later;
it was a great game and one which Haycock enjoyed. "The scoreline could have
been ten all with the chances that both sides created and it was an
excellent advert in what is a good league. "It's hard for a manager to
control his emotions in the dressing room after a game like that but I'm
always honest with the players and they're a terrific set. "The West Ham
crowd here tonight were fantastic, it felt like a home game and I thank them
for travelling out on a wet and windy night in Aldershot."
A super team performance was all the more impressive given that the side
were without regulars Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur, Elliot Lee, Leo
Chambers and Dan Potts. Haycock drafted in four of Steve Potts' Under-18s
and he was delighted with how the much-changed team performed. "We made five
changes but it's testament to the squad and the training group every day.
"Sam [Allardyce[ wants the best and when they go in they've got to be ready
to perform at tip-top level to cement a place in his squad. "The selection
that he gave in the Capital One Cup the other night was testament to us as a
Club and him as a manager in that you don't see any other teams with seven
youth players starting or on the bench in the Capital One Cup."
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Rav takes Player of the Month prize
WHUFC.com
Ravel Morrison is the Club's Player of the Month for October
02.11.2013
Ravel Morrison has been named as the Club's Player of the Month for October
after winning a fan vote on whufc.com The 20-year-old midfielder takes the
award for the second month in succession after bursting onto the Boleyn
Ground scene in style this season. The month started in spectacular fashion
for the England U21 international as he scored a breathtaking solo goal
against Totttenham Hotspur, picking the ball up in his own half, before
driving past both Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen before clipping over
Hugo Lloris in a 3-0 win for the Hammers. He also started the Barclays
Premier League games against Manchester City and Swansea City as Sam
Allardyce's men gained four points from the three league games contested in
October.
He took 40% of the vote to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen into second with 32%. It
was a good month defensively for the Club, with two clean sheets in the
three league fixtures, and another defensive player, James Tomkins, came in
third.
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West Ham 0 Aston Villa 0
2 November 2013
Last updated at 17:42
By Michael Emons
BBC Sport
West Ham ended a run of three home Premier League defeats as they were held
to a goalless draw by Aston Villa. Christian Benteke came closest to scoring
for the visitors when he headed Matthew Lowton's deep cross against the
crossbar from six yards out. Jack Collison shot wide from a quickly-taken
free-kick for the hosts and Stewart Downing and substitute Joe Cole both had
shots saved by Brad Guzan. But a draw was a fair result as both sides
struggled to create chances. Aston Villa have now failed to score a Premier
League goal in six hours and 15 minutes, and this result leaves them 13th,
only three points above the bottom three. But of greater concern to Villa
boss Paul Lambert will be the hamstring injury sustained by Andreas Weimann,
who limped off early in the second half after he had been his side's most
dangerous player. West Ham, one place below Villa in the league table, also
have attacking problems of their own and their failure to score was their
sixth blank in 10 Premier League games. Despite seeing more possession,
especially down the wings through Matt Jarvis on the left and Downing on the
right, the Hammers frustrated the fans at Upton Park with the final delivery
often being disappointing. With Andy Carroll still two weeks away from a
return to training and Carlton Cole lacking match practice after he
re-signed for the club, West Ham looked short of ideas up front as they
started without a recognised centre-forward for the fourth successive
Premier League game.
Another draw
Nine of the 18 Premier League matches between West Ham and Aston Villa at
Upton Park have ended in draws. Aston Villa, operating in a 3-5-2 formation,
were sitting deep and struggled to provide service for Benteke, but were
still a threat on the counter-attack. After six minutes, Weimann raced on to
a long ball but Jussi Jaaskelainen was well positioned to block the
Austrian's shot. England winger Downing, who spent two seasons at Aston
Villa, is yet to score for the Hammers following a £5m move from Liverpool
in the summer and had the first clear opportunity for the hosts, but shot at
Guzan from 20 yards. But West Ham were nearly caught out when, from their
own corner, Villa counter-attacked. Weimann was through on goal but Ravel
Morrison, the last home player back, recovered and referee Howard Webb
decided the Hammers midfielder won the ball cleanly on the edge of the
penalty area.
West Ham looked more likely to score after the restart but Morrison's
20-yard effort was well blocked by Villa defender Nathan Baker, with Kevin
Nolan firing the rebound over. Substitute Joe Cole shot straight at Guzan,
before Benteke nearly won the points for Villa with his first opportunity
but powered a header against the bar.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said: "After three home defeats on the trot
it was very important we didn't lose. "We tried to win it but we didn't find
the quality to put the ball into the net. We delivered 38 balls into the
box, but it's a spell we are having where we can't find the net. "In the
last two home games we have conceded three in both so it was vital to get
back to keeping clean sheets. "There's only one thing missing, and that's
scoring a goal or two, but we are only a small margin away from being a
three-point team instead of a one-point team."
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert said: "On balance we had the best clear-cut
chances, with Christian hitting the bar and Andreas going through. "It was
always going to be hard here and it was a difficult, physical game, but we
competed brilliantly. "Our counter-attacking is a threat and I'm delighted
with the lads' attitude and I thought our resilience was excellent."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Aston Villa
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Big Sam was once again left disappointed at his team's failure to find the
net - but happy with the performance otherwise. Read his full post-match
press conference here...
Sam: Villa defended very well today?
Well I think you get most teams defending well in the Premier League these
days. That's why there's so many teams playing at home who have found it
difficult to get a result this season. Our opponents today have had a
problem winning at home over the last eight or ten games. Swansea, when we
played them last week had only won one game in ten at home.
We did one thing really right today and that was to attack the opposition
when we got the opportunity whenever we possibly could. To try and create as
many chances and hopefully break their defensive unit down. But at the end
of the day, as we've done on many occasions this time this season, we failed
to convert any opportunities into goals.
Another thing we got right today was to make sure that we didn't concede and
stop the run of defeats that we've suffered, unusually, at home so early on
in the season. So the clean sheet was very important and the opportunities
to win the game were there but not taken.
We have to keep working at it, we have to keep believing and sooner or later
the ball will end up going in the back of the net for a three point victory
instead of a draw. That will be a big relief to us as we all know how big
Premier League wins are when they come along. So, we have to get one as
quickly as we can.
I know you get asked about this all the time, but can you give us any
indication when Andy Carroll will be back?
No. Not really, no. When Andy Carroll gets back to full training then he's
the best part of another four weeks away before he gets on the field in the
first team. He has to start a four-week pre-season, which is the minimum
time for a pre-season we can possibly fit in. We'll try and speed that up if
we possibly can.
We're in a similar position with Carlton Cole at the moment. We have to use
him sparingly because he's still in the middle of a pre-season, trying to
catch up with the rest of the lads. Our other strikers are Modibo Maiga -
who's had several opportunities this season to stake a claim but hasn't
scored - and Mladen Petric.
Unfortunately when Mladen was ready to come and play - and he was ahead of
Carlton - he ends up with a tight calf from a warm-up with the Under 21s.
We've only just got him back fit again. So that's the the problem [we face].
Our goals were shared out last year; all of the first 16 or 17 players in
our team scored, bar perhaps Guy Demel. Kevin [Nolan] got 10, Andy [Carroll]
got eight and everyone else got two or three - or whatever it was - which is
why we finished tenth.
At the moment, none of those players in the team are scoring when they get
the opportunity, like they did last year. So it's not just up front, it's
all the players not contributing in goalscoring terms as much as they did
last season. If we get that right, which I think we eventually will, we'll
start getting three points instead of one.
Is it as a result of the way opposition teams line up you can...
Well not really. Against Everton we were 2-1 up and looking like we'd go on
to win the game. Then Mark Noble got himself sent off - and you've not seen
Leighton Baines put another free kick in since then. He put two in [that
day]!
Jermaine Pennant has hardly played for Stoke since [he scored here] but he
came on as a sub and put another one in. So in that particular area, in
conceding goals, we've been slightly unlucky that opposition players hit the
true ball against us more often than they have done - well, they haven't
done it against any other team since then and we're ten games in already. So
that's a bit of fate that goes against you.
Today we tried our very, very best to get that all important victory - but
one of the most impoprtnt things was making sure we didn't suffer another
defeat. The defensive unit today was magnificent again, apart from one
situation where Benteke got in with the header that hit the bar.
So we've limited Aston Villa to one chance in the entire game, we've limited
them to eight crosses only into our penalty area whereas we've put 38 balls
into their box. It's all about somebody putting the ball in the back of the
net when you get so many opportunities; unfortunately it's our Achilles heel
at the moment.
What's your view of the Morrison and Weimann incident?
Yeah, great wasn't it!? A little tussle between two players. Two players,
one striving to stop a one-on-one for the opposition and one who's striving
to be the hero who scores the goal. Ravel came out on top beautifully!
[laughs]
Thank you.
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Aston Villa held on for a 0-0 draw against West Ham at Upton Park
Last Updated: November 2, 2013 7:20pm
SSN
West Ham were made to settle for a point in a close Premier League encounter
as they drew 0-0 with Aston Villa at Upton Park. It ended a dismal run of
three straight home league defeats for the Hammers but the West Ham faithful
must be wondering if there is a curse this season at Upton Park. Villa
striker Christian Benteke came closest to breaking the deadlock when his
second-half header struck a post, but that would have been an injustice in a
match during which West Ham proved just how much they are missing injured
striker Andy Carroll. The Hammers have now gone 375 minutes without a goal
at Upton Park and have scored just eight goals in 10 league games.
Best of the match:
Man of the match: Downing pips it ahead of Vlaar, Benteke and Jarvis
Save of the match: Jaaskelainen produced a great low save to deny Benteke
late on
Moment of the match: Debate rages on as to whether Ravel Morrison brought
down Andreas Weimann when the Austrian was clean through
Talking point: Are either of these sides in danger of relegation this
season?
In truth, they have been an enigma so far this season. They have lost once
and conceded just one goal in five matches away from home, the best away
defensive record in the Premier League. This match was supposed to be Sam
Allardyce's line in the sand, the start of the home revival, and he drafted
in midfielder Jack Collison for his first league start of the season in a
bid to deliver some extra verve. Collison formed a midfield triangle with
Mark Noble and Matt Jarvis, and there was no lack of zip or endeavour during
a first half in which West Ham dominated possession and territory without
seriously troubling Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Stewart Downing, playing
against his former club and spraying passes around with some aplomb, jinked
inside with the pace he once showed for England to drill a left-foot shot
straight into the arms of Guzan. And Jarvis went close when his direct
running precipitated a frantic melee in the Villa penalty area, Jarvis
rounding Guzan only for the goalkeeper to scramble back to block the shot.
Villa were content to do what they usually do best, play on the break.
We deserved three points – Allardyce
It nearly paid off when Andreas Weimann broke through, only to have his shot
blocked by the legs of West Ham goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. But it was
clear Villa were missing the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor. They lacked his
searing pace to make their counter-attacking style effective, although Villa
boss Paul Lambert clearly believed West Ham should have been reduced to 10
men after 15 minutes. Ravel Morrison and Weimann tangled in a frantic foot
race which ended with the Villa striker appearing to be hauled down when he
was bearing down on goal. Morrison was clearly the last man and if referee
Howard Webb had not been generous in his judgement then Morrison would have
seen red. One of the main reasons for West Ham's impressive defensive
statistics this season, however, is James Tomkins. He provides composure and
organisation in the Hammers defence, one crunching tackle on Benteke at the
start of the second half perfectly illustrating his worth.
Lambert pleased with point
Just after the hour mark Allardyce attempted to beef up the firepower,
throwing on Joe Cole for Jarvis and Carlton Cole for Collision. It brought a
wave of West Ham attacks but Nolan squandered yet another chance when he
stabbed his right-foot shot wide from eight yards. But it was Villa who had
the best chances, Benteke hitting a post with a header and then seeing a
left-foot shot skew just wide after being deflected by a defender, although
Joe Cole could have snatched it at the death if his shot had not been
smothered by Guzan. In the end, however, the result was probably fair.
Neither side did enough to merit the three
points.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
am Allardyce unhappy after West Ham's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa
Last Updated: November 2, 2013 6:53pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce was left to rue his light forward line as a dominant West Ham
drew 0-0 with Aston Villa at Upton Park. Despite the home side's best
efforts, Villa held on for a point and could even have snatched all three at
the death when Jussi Jaaskelainen saved excellently from Christian Benteke.
West Ham did have the best chances however, with Kevin Nolan, Ravel Morrison
and Joe Cole going close in a relatively even game. Allardyce, while
disappointed to have to settle with the draw at home, was quick to look to
the positives of a long-awaited clean sheet at home, following two
consecutive defeats with three goals conceded in each to Everton and
Manchester City. "The amount of dominating play we had today, you're
disappointed you didn't get three points," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "In
terms of territorial advantage and opportunities in Aston Villa's box we've
absolutely dominated, but at the end of the day we still haven't converted
that into goals. "We're disappointed from that point of view but on the
positive side we've got back to our clean sheet mentality at home."
Villa started the game perhaps the brighter, but the Hammers quickly found
their bearings, to which Allardyce was happy. "I felt we were going to score
today and I think we got a little shaky start," he added. "After 10 minutes
we got settled down though, and we looked like we would get one or two.
"We've got to take the positives about stopping the defeats and getting a
point on the board. "We'll try and move on from there in the hope that,
eventually, in the way we're playing both home and away, we'll convert that
into three points."
With record signing Andy Carroll still in the treatment room with a heel
injury, West Ham's forward line looks decidedly lightweight at the moment,
though Allardyce was more than pleased with his side's forward play so far
this season. "There's enough quality balls in the box, but when we need
somebody on the end of it we can't get it," he said. "What we couldn't find
is the ultimate finish."
Allardyce was left to bemoan his injury-stricken side, however, with Carroll
joined by the likes of Mladen Petric, James Collins, Alou Diarra and Matthew
Taylor on the sidelines. "We've got seven out I think, and a lot of those
players are long-term injuries. "Andy Carroll, we hope, is coming to the end
so we can get him back, but we've got a few too many. "That happens, though,
so what we've got to try and do is get them fit and keep them fit. "There's
eight games in December for us, so we're going to need the squad fit and
hopefully we'll continue playing the way we are at the moment."
Another positive Allardyce found was the home return of Carlton Cole, who
re-signed with the club in the summer but has had his fitness questioned
more than once since his arrival. "Carlton's getting better and better. We
went for three big strikers in the Premier League on loan but we couldn't
get them, so we've brought Carlton and Petric in," he said. "We are where we
are with the strikers, and it's everybody else's responsibility to score as
well. That's just eluding us at the moment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa: Bore draw at Upton Park as Hammers end run
of home defeats
2 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
When Aston Villa ran out at Upton Park wearing vivid lime-green shirts it
was just the first shocking sight of the afternoon. The passing from both
teams was shocking. The defending was shocking. The shooting was shocking.
The fact that these two teams will very probably stay in the Premier League
come the end of the season is also shocking. That a top-flight side can
start with two wingers but no recognised striker, as West Ham did, is pretty
shocking too. Villa have now not scored for 375 minutes – that's over four
matches – so the fact they didn't find the net was the least surprising
thing of the afternoon. And when Yacouba Sylla's shot landed in the upper
tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand, well, it was just in keeping with all
the rubbish that had gone before. In fact, Villa really should have ended
their goal drought in the opening exchanges, but Jussi Jaaskelainen came to
the rescue of James Tomkins when Andreas Weimann outpaced him.
Villa believed that Ravel Morrison was lucky to stay on the pitch a few
minutes later after the Hammers had won a corner but left themselves
completely exposed at the other end. Weimann and the covering Morrison went
stride for stride from inside the Villa half. But when Weimann went down
just outside the West Ham box after he was grabbed across the shoulder,
referee Howard Webb waved play on.
The Hammers have also found goals hard to come by and it was easy to see
why. Stewart Downing was their stand-out performer against his former team,
but with Andy Carroll still injured and the re-signed Carlton Cole on the
bench until the hour-mark, it was left to Kevin Nolan to play as not so much
a false No.9 as a fake one. He has been one of the Hammers' best performers
but an out and out striker he most certainly isn't. Downing's wing play
desperately needed someone who knew what they were doing to benefit, but
there wasn't anyone. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said: "We delivered 38
balls into the box. There's only one thing missing, and that's a goal or
two. We are only a small margin from being a three-point team instead of a
one-point team."
After the break Christian Benteke headed a Matthew Lowton cross against the
bar for Villa, and in the dying seconds West Ham sub Joe Cole forced a good
save from Brad Guzan. Despite their problems in front of goal Villa have
lost just once away and manager Paul Lambert said: "We are creating chances
and had the best chances today, so I have no worries about us scoring. "It
is huge the way that the resilience has improved this season."
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