Wednesday, June 27

Web Digest [ West Ham United ] - 27th June 2007

Curbishley brings in coach Snodin - BBC Sport

Curbishley worked with Snodin at Charlton
Glynn Snodin has been appointed West Ham's first-team coach.
Snodin, 47, worked with Hammers boss Alan Curbishley at Charlton before
joining Southampton as their first-team coach just over a year ago.
Saints boss George Burley said: "It's very disappointing to lose Glynn who
is a smashing lad. He was very popular and will be a big miss for us.
"But he has the opportunity to go to the Premiership and feels this is an
opportunity he could not turn down."
Burley added: "He has done well for us but this is a chance for him to work
with a first-team in the Premiership and he felt the offer was right for him
and his family." West Ham have agreed a compensation package for Snodin, who
recently greed to take a part-time role to coach the Northern Ireland side
alongside Nigel Worthington.

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Sno-din! - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 26th June 2007
By: Gordon Thrower

United have announced the arrival of Glyn Snodin as first team coach.
The 47 year-old, whose playing career encompassed spells at the top level
with Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United, has joined the club from
Southampton, though Alan Curbishley will be more familiar with the former
defender's work from the six year spell they spent together at Charlton,
where Snodin was Reserve team boss. It is believed that Snodin will continue
in his part-time role as Northern Ireland coach as assistant to new boss
Nigel Worthington.
It appears that major changes may be afoot amongst the coaching and
technical staff as the Club today promised that "further announcements"
would follow "in due course".

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Harry eyes Harewood swoop - The Sun
By MIKE ANSTEAD
June 27, 2007


PORTSMOUTH have emerged as frontrunners for wantaway West Ham striker Marlon
Harewood.
Pompey boss Harry Redknapp has revealed he is eyeing a swoop for the Hammers
hitman, who is ready to leave Upton Park after four years.
Redknapp is desperate for more firepower up front with Kanu yet to commit
his future to the club.
David Nugent remains a top target for Pompey but £3.5million-rated Harewood,
27, is now on their wanted list.
Redknapp said: "I've been keeping an eye on Marlon. I like him - he's
strong, quick and powerful.
"He's a real handful on his day and most of all, can definitely get you
goals in the Premier League. If he could get 15 goals again, he'd be a snip.
"He's not really expensive, just above £3m is not crazy money. It looks real
value. I'm just looking everywhere at the moment."
Birmingham recently had a £2m bid for Harewood rejected by Hammers boss Alan
Curbishley. Manchester City, Fulham and Aston Villa are also keeping an eye
on the situation.

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Shorey set for Royals talks - The Sun
By MIKE ANSTEAD
June 27, 2007

NICKY SHOREY has revealed he is ready to commit his future to Reading
despite "flattering" interest from Newcastle and West Ham.
The £5million-rated England left-back is set to discuss a new contract as
the Royals attempt to stave off big money bids.
Shorey was instrumental in Reading's superb debut season in the Premier
League and earned an international call-up for friendly with Brazil earlier
this month.
He said: "I've been happy at Reading for a long time now but we'll just have
to see what happens.
"I'm going into the talks wanting to sort out my future with the club
because I've done well at Reading.
"I've gone through the divisions with them and my time here really couldn't
have gone better. Reading will always be special to me no matter what
happens.
"I'll always think of them as my club and in my time here it has just been
success after success and hopefully that will continue.
"I got my opportunity with England by playing at Reading and that's a credit
to the club.
"It also shows that you can play for a so-called smaller club and still get
recognised for England."
Shorey has admitted that interest from Newcastle and West Ham has caught his
eye.
He added: "Interest from those clubs is definitely flattering.
"I've always wanted to do as well as I can and when you do well, speculation
will always be there.
"To be honest, though, I can never say never. Football is one of those
sports where people move around all the time but you just can't know if
rumours like that are true or not."

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Tevez: I'd love to join Inter - The Sun
By MARK IRWIN
June 27, 2007

CARLOS TEVEZ has made it clear he wants to sign for Italian champions Inter
Milan.
The West Ham striker is plotting his exit from the Hammers and is eager to
complete a deal quickly.
Argentine international Tevez, 23, said: "There is a very good chance I will
be playing in Italy next season.
"I am also wanted by Real Madrid and some other clubs in England but I have
already made my decision and I prefer Inter.
"My agent knows how I feel and hopefully he can sort something out."
Now Tevez hopes Inter will match the £20million compensation demands of his
owner Kia Joorabchian.

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Transfer snub spark doubts over Curbishley's future - thisislondon.co.uk
27.06.07

Alan Curbishley's West Ham future is under threat despite last season's
escape from relegation.
Curbishley appeared to have cemented his position at Upton Park after
keeping the Hammers in the Premiership but there is a growing feeling within
the club that he may not be the manager to lead their challenge for top six
honours.

The Daily Star reports that West Ham's Icelandic owners are understood to be
concerned at top players not wanting to join the club.
Main summer target Darren Bent snubbed a move after meeting with Curbishley
and chief executive Scott Duxbury.
And Carlos Tevez, the player who scored the goal at Old Trafford that kept
West Ham in the Premier League, would be happy to stay but reports suggest
he also doubts Curbishley's methods.
Senior players have also voiced their concerns to chairman Eggert Magnusson
and the club look doomed to lose Yossi Benayoun despite agreeing a
£50,000-a-week deal with the Israel international.
Magnusson has backed Curbishley so far this summer but is reported to be
frustrated at the lack of new faces.
Scott Parker has joined but Bent, Mark Viduka and Joey Barton have all opted
for other clubs.
The Hammers return for pre-season training next week with virtually the same
squad Curbishley threatened to axe after spending much of last season
fighting the drop.

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Will West Ham's Bubble Burst Under Magnusson And Curbishley? -
Caughtoffside.com
Posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007

Mr. C casts a doubtful eye at West Ham from the top down, and not just
because he supports Tottenham.
My late father once described West Ham as my old Aunt Mae: "You don't like
her very much but you are forced see her at least twice a year." Whilst my
hatred of West Ham never matched the levels of my dad's I've always wondered
why Tottenham and Hammers' fans care so much about each others' club. Let's
face it, they are hardly in the same ball park when it comes to prestige.
West Ham are a well-supported club and I have a great deal of respect at the
way they follow their side through thick and thin. Like Spurs they have had
to put up with a great deal of mediocrity over the years but having not won
a trophy for 27 years you can hardly blame me for questioning Hammers fans
who try and seek parity with your more illustrious rival, who, despite a
lean spell, have still managed to win five trophies and appear in another
three finals since that famous Trevor Brooking header back in 1980.
West Ham have never really been a threat to my Tottenham in any shape or
form. Yes, they have had their moments back in the league in 1984 and the
2006 Cup Final but in truth, all West Ham have ever had to shout about is
stopping Manchester United winning the title back in 1995, or preventing
Tottenham from achieving a Champions League spot. It reminds me of the days
when a draw against Arsenal was the highlight of our season.
Surely West Ham supporters have deserved better than this?
I don't think any football fan in the country would have experienced the
highs and lows that West Ham fans had in the last 12months. Who could have
foreseen that after witnessing that epic final in Cardiff, that they would
go on to have a season which would see them having to win seven of their
last nine Premiership games in order to save themselves from relegation, a
staggering feat considering all the turmoil that came before it.
Much has been said with regards to where it all went wrong for West Ham last
season. Certain players were criticised,including Nigel Reo Coker, Javier
Mascherano and Carlos Tevez. To be fair to Eggert Magnusson if I had a
manager who thought Marlon Harewood and Hayden Mullins were better than the
Argentinians, I think I would have sacked him too. But I wonder if the
removal of Alan Pardew is the only correct decision that Magnusson has made
since he arrived.
There is no doubt in my mind that the uncertainty surrounding the eventual
takeover was the real reason the club had such a poor season. History has
proved that clubs who are embroiled in high-profile takeovers tend to
struggle on the pitch. Magnusson is very lucky that Alan Curbishley was able
to keep them in the Premiership. Now the club is safe, are Magnusson and
Curbs really the dream ticket to take West Ham to the top? As a Spurs man
should I be worried?
Magnusson has a huge chequebook and is willing to pay crazy money for
players and, despite what he says, crazy wages too. But with the likes of
Yossi Benayoun having his head turned, Darren Bent and others rejecting the
club is there a bit of doubt seeping into that optimism that the club would
now be able to attract top players rather than just a bunch of mercenaries
who only come for the money? I'm not being funny but Matt Upson, Lucas
Neill, Luis Boa Morte and Scott Parker are hardly world beaters and you have
to question whether these types of signings are going to turn West Ham into
a side capable of challenging for major honours. It could be a case of
laying the groundwork and building slowly from last season, or it could be
that Curbishley and Magnusson are only capable of creating a glorified
Charlton.
When Gerry Francis was first appointed manager at Spurs back in 1994 he
inherited a fantastic squad which boasted the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann and
Nicky Barmby who were instrumental in turning round the poor start we had
under Ossie Ardiles into a season which saw us nearly reach Europe on two
fronts. However come the summer of 1995 that squad was decimated with the
likes of Klinsmann moving on and it was up to Francis to replace them. Given
his limited experience in the transfer market during his career at QPR, he
struggled to adapt which ended in us signing woefully average players like
Chris Armstrong, Andy Sinton, Ruel Fox, John Scales, Clive Wilson and most
painfully Ramon Vega. Alan Curbishley seems to be having similar problems in
adapting to the high end of the transfer market, as even his own fans are
doubting his ability to convince transfer targets of the new Hammer dawn.
Curbishley will always be endeared by West Ham fans that rightly look upon
him as one of their own. A self-confessed Hammer fan and player, he was the
easy choice for the new chairman as he tried to appease the disgruntled fans
following Pardew's sacking.
I get the gut feeling that Magnusson, who has already confessed this summer
his frustrations in the transfer market, is not the type of man to be
patient and I see muddy waters ahead if Curbishley has a bad start to the
season.
Curbishley claims that the target for next season will be a mid-table
finish. I'm guessing that Eggert and his moneymen have other ideas - West
Ham fans deserve success but will Magnusson and Curbs be that dream ticket?
I have serious doubts.

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Paper View: Curbs walking Hammers' tightrope - Daily Telegraph
By Vicki Hodges
Last Updated: 9:52am BST 27/06/2007

Drama at West Ham again and it has nothing to do with the impending result
of the arbitration hearing into the Carlos Tevez affair.

As the mystery concerning where the diminutive striker will be plying his
trade next season gathers pace, fears have been raised concerning another
individual's future at Upton Park.
'CURBS AXE FEAR' cries out the Daily Star's back page which reveals how the
Hammers manager is walking a tightrope just seven months after being brought
to the club by Icelandic owner Eggert Magnusson.
According to the story there is "a growing feeling that he might not be the
man to turn the club into top-six contenders".
Magnusson's fears have reportedly been raised by Alan Curbishley's failure
to attract top players to the club this summer.
Darren Bent turned down the chance to reunite with his former Charlton boss
while Joey Barton and Mark Viduka snubbed moves to London to join Big Sam at
St James's.
If that wasn't bad enough, Wayne Bridge looks likely to become the next
"big" name to reject the chance to become an eastender.
'WAYNE: I'LL BE NO 1 AT BRIDGE' is another story featured in the Star
claiming the England defender will fight for his place at Chelsea rather
than join West Ham in a £6 million deal.
Bridge's team-mate Shaun Wright-Phillips - another player who has caught the
eye of West Ham since the turn of the year - is wanted by former club
Manchester City.
The Sun's 'SHIN WRIGHT-PHILIPS: FRANK PLANS £10M SWOOP' says that
prospective new owner Thaksin Shinawatra, or 'Frank' to his mates, will
launch his "revolution" at City by luring the speedy winger back to
Eastlands.
Over at Premiership new-boys Birmingham and Steve Bruce is ready to launch a
£2m bid to land Juventus' Olivier Kapo, says the Daily Mirror.
Bruce was originally keen on signing the midfielder on loan before interest
from Spanish clubs pushed the Brum boss into making the switch more
permanent.
The story adds that "the news will be a blow to a couple of Premiership
rivals who were hoping to take him on loan too, but Birmingham's swift
action left them for dead".
It remains to be seen which other clubs were keen on the Frenchman. West Ham
perchance?
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West Ham wait on Ashton compensation - VitalFootball

When Dean Ashton was injured on international duty last summer, West Ham
immediately put in a claim for the FA to cover his wages according to the
Guardian. although the FA have made a 'goodwill' payment of £300,000 the
Deano's wages for the year now amount to £1.25million. The Hammers are
looking for another £1million renumeration.

The England team's insurers have yet to hear the case despite regular
medical updates from West Ham. The reports suggest that the board are
frustrated by the delay.

The FA now have some spare cash as Sven Goran-Eriksson's contract runs out,
a year after leaving his post as national team coach. However, they will
receive a nasty financial shock if Sven's replacement, Steve MacClaren,
fails to guide England to Euro 2008.

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West Ham turn to Bolton skipper Nolan - tribalfootball.com
tribalfooball.com - June 27, 2007

Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Nolan is emerging as a big money target for
West Ham United.

The Bolton Evening News says Nolan could be a transfer target for West Ham
if the Hammers finally decide to cash in on their unsettled skipper, Nigel
Reo-Coker.
Hammers boss, Alan Curbishley, is a known admirer of the Wanderers skipper
and sees him as the ideal candidate to fill the gap if Reo-Coker, as
expected, leaves Upton Park.
That seems increasingly likely with Manchester City joining Aston Villa in
the race for the £10million-rated England U21 international.

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Bridge snubs Hammers - The Daily Mail
27th June 2007

Wayne Bridge is the latest player to disappoint West Ham by insisting he has
no plans to leave Chelsea.
As a result, Hammers boss Alan Curbishley will not sanction the sale of Paul
Konchesky, who is wanted by Birmingham.
Scroll down to read more:
Meanwhile, Glynn Snodin has left Southampton to become first-team coach at
West Ham.
Portsmouth have signed defender Martin Cranie, 20, from Southampton.

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Hammers' cash gripe - The Guardian
Matt Scott
Wednesday June 27, 2007

West Ham United are still waiting for almost £1m in compensation the club
believe they are owed for the broken ankle Dean Ashton suffered while on
England duty last August. The Hammers immediately lodged a claim to the
Football Association seeking payment for Ashton's wages for the duration of
his spell out of the game.
The £7.5m striker was unable to play throughout the Premiership club's
relegation fight last season and the wages paid now amount to £1.25m. The
FA, in what it considers a gesture of goodwill, has made a £300,000 payment
to West Ham in advance of the case's consideration by the England team's
insurers but underwriters, although they have received regular medical
updates from the Hammers, have yet to reach a decision and the east London
club's board is believed to be growing frustrated by the delay.

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Now Gomes Could Be A Go Go For West Ham - westhamfans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon
27 June, 2007 - 10:07.

Of course it is the silly season but West Ham have apparently tabled a bid
for Benfica playmaker Portugese International Nuno Gomes. With Yossi
Benayoun attracting the interest of 'Svensism' as well as Liverpool the need
for a 'crafter' has become vital.. There is a certain irony attached to this
rumour, Hammers attempting to sign an International midfield general,
someone who can play at the highest level and someone who can grace the game
with their guile and intuition, now where does that seem familiar? You see
where this is going, if West Ham were unable to find room in the team to
incorporate Javier Mascherano, choosing to play Hayden Mullins and Nigel
Quashie instead, how on earth is Gomes to slot in?..Given Curbs dislike of
'foreigners' it would seem inappropriate to go for another 'fish out of
water'.. It does take time for any player to adapt, but at £3 Million Gomes
could represent a quick fix in the midfield creativity area, a certain Mark
Noble would do his level best to ensure that the cultured Gomes wasn't
'roughed up' by opposition enforcers.. Supporters of a certain age will
remember when 'Sir Trev' was fouled by the opposition, he would look across
to Bonzo, within a minute or two the 'offender' would be duly dispatched
into the hoardings by a certain Mr Bonds, who would then give his crumpled
victim a look as if to say "how dare you try to crunch our boy?".. Culture
and aggression on the pitch rarely mix, but a good team needs a cerebral
presence in midfield, and who would you rather see, Bowyer or Gomes? - Ed

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