05/08/2007 10:25
Alan Curbishley was left satisfied after his team fought back from a goal
down to round off their pre-season plans with a 2-1 victory over AS Roma on
Saturday afternoon. Goals from George McCartney and Dean Ashton earned
Hammers an impressive win against the Italians, who had taken an early lead
through Ludovic Giuly and dictated much of the first-half play - a fact the
Hammers boss acknowledged but didn't allow to distract from his aim of
preparing for next week's Barclays Premier League opener against Manchester
City. "If you look at the game, we played against top class opposition, who
showed at times what they were capable of with some terrific play," said
Curbs. "We took the decision that we would not change the way we went about
it just to accommodate them. The Italian sides all play a similar way, with
somebody in the hole, but we did nothing about it. "The reason was because I
wanted to give everybody a game in their normal positions, and I am pleased
with the way we handled it. Everybody came through it okay and we can now
spend a complete week preparing for the visit of Manchester City."
Those final preparations will of course include Ashton, who appeared as a
second half substitute against Roma and almost lifted the roof off Upton
Park with a stunning 63rd minute winner - almost a year to the day since he
suffered that devastating broken ankle while on international duty with
England. With new signing Craig Bellamy looking sharp and Bobby Zamora also
in impressive form this pre-season, the Hammers boss has a big decision to
make in the days ahead, and admits that Ashton's return has certainly
presented him with a selection dilemma. "We haven't nursed Dean along
through the pre-season, but we did today," said Curbs. "I wanted to give him
half a game to see how he was, and he wanted to be playing. "He has worked
ever so hard, perhaps two months more than the others, and has come back
fully fit. I had never seen him train before, not close-up anyway. The last
two to three weeks has been an insight for me. "Dean must be so happy with
the way it has gone. It has been a long year for him, but he will come in
tomorrow morning and say: 'Right, I have thrown a marker down, it is up to
you to decide what you want to do'. "Bellamy and Zamora are the competition
and I have something to think about now. I wanted to get to Monday morning,
to get through pre-season, and then see what is available to me."
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League learns lesson over Tevez - BBC
Chief executive Richard Scudamore says the Premier League has learned
lessons from the Carlos Tevez saga. Tevez, 23, completed a protracted move
from West Ham to Manchester United on Friday after a dispute over the
economic rights to the Argentine. "West Ham have admitted that they were not
clean and open with us last August when they signed Tevez," Scudamore told
BBC Five Live's Sportsweek programme. "We will have to be more circumspect
when dealing with clubs from now on."
West Ham were fined £5.5m in April over the signings in August 2006 of Tevez
and Javier Mascherano, who has since joined Liverpool. The club was found
guilty of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation over the
duo's ownership. West Ham said they had torn up the third-party agreement
with the Tevez camp and re-registered Tevez for their last few games of the
season, during which he helped keep the club in the Premier League. His move
to Old Trafford took so long because Media Sports Investment (MSI) and Just
Sports Inc, who own the player's economic rights, and West Ham, who held his
registration, fell out over how much compensation the club would need to
release him. They agreed on Friday that West Ham will receive a £2m fee for
Tevez's registration - a move that was approved by the Premier League.
Scudamore says the League has tightened its rules and is working closely
with the clubs to make sure problems do not arise again. We run a league,
not the country. There is a place where our job ends and the government's
job starts
Richard Scudamore on the 'fit and proper person' test He added: "We work
with all the clubs to make sure deals comply and sit within the rules.
"We've changed the rules this summer so that the clubs are in no doubt that
they must send any documentation surrounding any deal whether they think
it's relevant or not. "We want them to let the people who guard the rules
make the decisions and decide what they need. "We have also said that within
that player's contract registration section that we will be taking into
account rule U18 - the offending rule in the West Ham case - and rule U6 -
another dual interest rule."
Meanwhile, Scudamore has defended the League after Manchester City owner
Thaksin Shinawatra passed its 'fit and proper person' test. Leading human
rights organisations Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International expressed
grave concerns about Thaksin in a BBC Five Live investigation, aired on
Tuesday. But Scudamore said: "We run a league, not the country. There is a
reasonable place where our job ends and the government's job starts. "If the
UK government tells us that there is no problem then I don't think it is for
us to go around second-guessing. "If they tell us that x or y or z is not
suitable to have investment in this country then they would stop the flow of
money and we would work with them on that basis. "Until then, you have to go
along and administer the rulebook as described."
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Van Persie hits back at Ljungberg - BBC
Robin van Persie has hit back at former Arsenal team-mate Freddie
Ljungberg's criticism of the club. Ljungberg, who joined West Ham in July,
accused the Gunners of lacking ambition for selling Thierry Henry to
Barcelona. However, striker Van Persie told the News of the World: "I was
disappointed and a few others were as well. "If you're coming up with
excuses about Thierry's departure and promises from the club it's weak. He
had a fantastic period here, so say nice things." Van Persie added: "Freddie
had a fantastic period, he was once the best player in England. If you play
nine years at a club like Arsenal you can say some nice words."
Van Persie was carried off after netting a late winner as Arsenal beat hosts
Ajax 1-0 to win the Amsterdam Tournament on Saturday. The Dutchman will be
closely monitored ahead of Arsenal's opening Premier League match with
Fulham next Sunday following a crunching challenge from his Holland
team-mate John Heitinga. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: "I was very
disappointed by the tackle but he looks all right at the moment." Meanwhile,
Arsenal striker Carlos Vela, 18, is relishing his year-long loan spell at
Spanish side Osasuna. The young Mexican has joined last year's Uefa Cup
semi-finalists Vela, having spent last term on loan at second division side
Salamanca. "This level does not frighten me," he said. "I face a new
challenge and Osasuna is a good place to show my ability."
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Big Sam upset with Hammers - SSN
Dyer back with Magpies after move falls through
By Mark Buckingham Last updated: 06th August 2007
Sam Allardyce has called on West Ham United to increase their offer for
Kieron Dyer. The Newcastle United midfielder appeared to be on his way to
Upton Park after Alan Curbishley claimed terms had been agreed for a
transfer. But, speaking on Saturday, Curbishley revealed that Newcastle had
'pulled' the deal at the 11th hour and did not expect it to be revived.
Allardyce has confirmed the switch is currently off, but is open to an
improved bid from West Ham. The Magpies manager was also unhappy with
Curbishley's comments about the situation and says Newcastle have more right
to feel aggrieved than The Hammers do. "In the end we decided he was
under-valued and escalated it and West Ham didn't want to roll with us over
what we thought was realistic," said Allardyce after Newcastle's win over
Sampdoria. "So he is back with us - a top player with a squad that is
growing. "It's life isn't it? He has got a contract. You can go back and get
on with it. It is not a hard life is it? It is pressurised, but it is not a
hard life. He will come back and do his best and go forward. "If anything
happens in terms of West Ham increasing their offer then great, but if they
don't, they clearly don't value him as highly as we do. "They're not as
upset as we are with West Ham. That is private and confidential, but if
Curbs started it then we are more upset than they are and that is a fact."
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Vinny's Roma Report - West Ham Online
Vinny - Sun Aug 5 2007
West Ham United 2 A.S Roma 1
West Ham's final pre season game resulted in a win over Italian side Roma
with goals coming from George McCartney and Dean Ashton.
It was a glorious sunny day at Upton Park where an official crowd of 26,425
piled into the Boleyn to get a glimpse of some of the summer signings. I
don't know about anyone else but they must have got that crowd figure wrong.
I couldn't see that many empty seats and there was definitely not ten
thousand spare.
The kick off way delayed about 20 minutes due to the amount of crowd
congestion outside. Most people had turned up on the day looking to get in
but as usual the West Ham organisation for this event was lacking to say the
least.
So into the ground and nothing much had changed although I did notice an
increase in the price for a pint which is now £3.40 for the watery tripe.
The big screens were missing, so presumably they will be replaced soon.
Lots of anticipation surrounded the starting line up and we got to see two
of them in the starting eleven. Robert Green was of course in goal, with new
captain Lucas Neill at right back, Upson and Ferdinand in the center and
George McCartney at left back.
In midfield Freddie Ljungberg took his place on the right hand side, with
Noble and Bowyer in the middle. Luis Boa Morte was on the left wing. Up
front was Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy with Dean Ashton having to settle
for a place on the bench.
We looked lively as the game kicked off but Roma broke up our attacks with
ease and were able to counter themselves as some of our players looked a
little off the pace. Totti was obviously the player everyone knew on the
Roma side. His quality was evident even early on as he was obviously their
focal point. The ball was often fed into him and it would be him who picked
the pass to create an attacking chance.
A ball into the Roma box caused them a few problems and it looked as though
one of our players was going to get a shot in on goal but Roma defended well
and made sure they got the ball clear. In the process Luis Boa Morte took a
wack on the head which saw him go down for a couple of minutes. Although he
would stay on the pitch for a little while longer he never recovered from
that incident and would eventually be taken off.
It only took thirteen minutes for Roma to take the lead as our defence stood
still and were very slow to react. It was over on the left hand side where
Taddei found some space and found the unmarked Giuly who got his shot in
before any of our defenders could close him down. The ball whistled past
Green to put the Italians one up.
Roma has a spell of dominance there after and nearly increased there lead
when Giuly easily got down the right and clipped the cross back for Esposito
who did well to shape himself to get a shot in on goal which hit the bar and
went over.
Its fair to say Roma looked like a class outfit. They found it easy to snuff
out any attack we tried to muster and it was them who looked more likely to
get the next goal.
Boa Morte was replaced by Matthew Etherington who surprisingly to me got a
very good reception.
Robert Green was called into action on multiple occasions before the half
was up. Twice from Taddei and once from Esposito when it looked as though
Roma would get that killer second goal. Lapses in defence from Ferdinand
especially were a little worrying.
Referee Howard Webb decided that despite a number of sending off offences,
he would keep his cards in his pocket. The most farcical one was when Lee
Bowyer put in a horror tackle on (I think it was) Giuly. Bowyer didn't make
complete contact but Giuly kicked out at him for everyone too see. Bowyer
should have gone as should have Giuly. I understand it was a friendly
neither of them would have attempted what they did in a normal game. Shortly
after Zamora got involved in an incident which the Roma players were
claiming he had used his elbow.
Most expected a number of changes at half time but Alan Curbishley only made
two. Off came Robert Green and he was replaced by another summer signing -
Richard Wright. The other change was Dean Ashton coming on for Zamora
With Ashton on the pitch we finally had something to aim at and we had a
style of play which was lacking in the first period. With only a few minutes
into the half Ashton hit a shot which went well wide and on the hour mark he
had our first shot on target in the entire game and he hit a left foot shot
at goal which was tipped over.
Not long after that we got ourselves an equaliser through an unlikely
source, Ljungberg hit a corner into the box and George McCartney met the
ball with a thumping header which the Roma keeper couldn't keep out.
The game was there for the taking now and it was us who had the upper hand
and with Dean Ashton it is clear that we have that something extra.
It was Mark Noble who played a neat pass down the right hand side for Ashton
who surged towards goal, brilliantly beat the defender and hit a low hard
shot through the keepers legs to make it 2-1. It may have been a friendly
but with the roar when that goal went in, you wouldn't have known it.
Shortly after that goal both sides made multiple substitutions with Pantsil,
Mullins, Cole and Gabbidon all getting a run out.
2-1 it finished and a perfect end to out pre season campaign.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
Although we have signed Richard Wright, there is no doubt that Robert Green
is our number one keeper and will play most of the coming campaign without
much competition. Nothing he could do about the goal, and kept us in it with
a few good saves.
Lucas Neill
The new club captain had a decent game today and although he looked a little
rusty at times he didn't make too many mistakes which would be cause for
concern.
Anton Ferdinand
Can't say I was overly impressed with Anton today. We all know that as a
Ferdinand he will be prone to the odd lapse in concentration but it is
something he needs to eradicate from his game pretty sharpish. One minute he
will show signs of a classy defender as he wins the ball, turns a player and
plays a nice pass. But then on too many occasions he will fail to play the
ball to a West Ham player or try too much and end up losing the ball. The
potential remains there - reaching it is another matter.
Matthew Upson
One of the big positives from today. Although here since January, it is like
having a new signing and he is surely going to be our first choice center
half this season with Gabbidon, Collins and Ferdinand fighting it out for
the other place. Upson showed us his qualities today - he is excellent in
the air, strong in the tackle, reads the game well and is a calming
influence.
George McCartney
I think it is fair to say that of all our players he is the least
fashionable. You won't see anyone with McCartney on the back of their shirt,
you won't get many people talking about his performances but as our only
recognised left back it is evident that he will be playing many many times
this season and be one of the first names on the team sheet. If you want to
talk about players who give there all look no further than McCartney. There
is little fear evident in him and it was nice for him to get a goal today
and let everyone know that he is going to be a big part of the side this
season.
Freddie Ljungberg
We know that we have got a bit of class here. If he can stay clear of injury
then we will have signed a player who will push the side on further. Has a
wonderful ability of being able to keep hold of the ball when in possession.
The ball seems to stick to his feet and only being clattered by an
opposition player will stop him from progressing. Looks as though he is also
our corner taker (from the right at least) and although one of them was poor
the next one landed on McCartney's head.
Mark Noble
His performances at the back end of last season has save his West Ham career
and he has been catapulted into one of the first choice players. His
performance was patchy with him and Bowyer cancelling each other out at
times. Although Noble is known for his full blooded tackling the boy has
shown his technical ability and his pass to set Ashton through down the
right was excellent. He is going to play a big part in this season.
Lee Bowyer
With Scott Parker unavailable, Bowyer got an opportunity to play in a
position he hasn't been given since being at West Ham which is center
midfield. Can't say I was too impressed though. Gave the ball away far too
many times for my liking, and his awful attempted tackle on Giuly was not
called for. His lack of pace will be a problem up against certain sides.
With Parker only 50/50 for the Manchester City game, it would seem that Lee
Bowyer is next in line for a midfield place.
Luis Boa Morte
Took a clattering in the first few minutes and never recovered. Gave the
ball to a Roma player every time he got the ball and was eventually taken
off just before the half hour mark.
Craig Bellamy
I've read some comments that he played well. I think that's going a bit far.
Of course this is just a friendly and he cannot be judged until the season
starts but this Craig Bellamy performance is one which I remember seeing so
many times for Newcastle, Blackburn and Liverpool - anonymous. This has been
my worry since we signed him and I hope he can go on to have a major impact,
but over the years I've seen so little from him. His pace is an asset and
hopefully he and Ashton can strike up a goal scoring partnership.
Bobby Zamora
He must know that he is third choice and needs to make an impact every time
he gets a chance, and although his effort will never be called into question
he didn't do enough today to warrant a first team place next week and he
will be watching from the bench.
Subs Used
Matthew Etherington (on for Boa Morte 28 mins)
Got more of a run out than he expected and did well I thought for the
majority. Got down the line well and linked up with McCartney to an
acceptable standered. Often delayed putting the cross in to the box and when
he did it was often poor. He is good back up for Boa Morte and does give us
a more direct option when needed.
Richard Wright (on for Green 45 mins)
Not too much to do on his first appearance for the club at Upton Park. Will
be good enough back up.
Dean Ashton (on for Zamora 45 mins)
We were able to attack when he came on. We could play the ball into his feet
or drop it onto his head - and nine times out of ten he would win the ball.
His goal was sublime and a finish that we have come to expect from this
talented 23 year old. He will be a success this season - I am that confident
about him that I expect him to be going to Euro 2008. Maybe I'm jumping the
gun but this guy has bags of talent and he will be the main man this season.
You read it here last.
John Pantsil (on for Ljungberg 74 mins)
Hayden Mullins (on for Bellamy 78 mins)
Carlton Cole (on for Bowyer 86 mins)
Danny Gabbidon (on for Ferdinand 86 mins)
Overall
Positives - Matthew Upson looks solid at the back and will hopefully see us
make less defensive mistakes this season. Freddie Ljungberg looks as though
he is going to have a big say in our attacking and creative play. Dean
Ashton gives us a player whom we can play around and feed off. We can play
the ball to him at any point and something that a certain Argentinean gave
us last season.
Negatives - We need to stop teams from getting into our area so quickly when
it was us who were just attacking. We were caught out quite a lot yesterday
when we had corners - Roma would clear and a few seconds later they were in
our area. Ferdinand needs to cut out his constant lack of concentration, Lee
Bowyer is not great back up in center midfield. There is no cover for
Ljungberg who himself is not a natural right winger. On this evidence we are
going to rely on Ashton far too much. Our entire style of play is about him
and an injury or suspension will really hinder our performances. We need our
midfield to have much more of an impact.
As I have said, pre season friendlies essentially mean little, but a win is
a win and can only breed confidence, and confidence is something I am
feeling about the up coming campaign.
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Davenport off to Norwich? - West Ham Till I Die
August 6th, 2007
Norwich City are rumoured to be after Calum Davenport. We paid £3 million
for him in January. No way would they offer more than £1 million. We should
hang on to him.
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Royals to cash in on rebel Shorey - TeamTalk
West Ham will reportedly lodge a £5million bid for Nicky Shorey this week -
and Steve Coppell is ready to cash in on the England left-back. Shorey has
refused to sign a new contract with the Royals - and only has two years left
to run on his current deal. Coppell would be loathe to lose one of his key
players - but wants to avoid a repeat of the situation which saw star
midfielder Steve Sidwell join Chelsea on a free transfer this summer.
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is in the market for a new left-back having
sold Paul Konchesky to Fulham - and Irons chairman Eggert Magnusson is ready
to stump up the cash for Shorey, according to the Sunday Mirror. The
26-year-old feels a move to Upton Park will enhance his chances of securing
a regular spot in Steve McClaren's England plans. And it is unlikely the
Hammers will have any trouble agreeing personal terms with the full-back if
the Royals accept their bid.
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Big Sam blames Curbishley - The Sun
By STEVE BRENNER
August 06, 2007
SAM ALLARDYCE last night hit back in his war of words with Alan Curbishley
by saying: It's your fault not ours. Hammers boss Curbs was furious
Newcastle upped their price for Kieron Dyer from £6million to £8m at the
last minute. But Toon boss Big Sam said: "We decided he was undervalued and
we escalated the valuation to what we thought was realistic. "If Alan
Curbishley is upset that is nothing like how upset we are with West Ham.
Why? It's private and confidential. "They didn't want to roll with it so
Kieron is back with us. "That's life. If West Ham don't up the offer, they
don't value him as highly as we do."
Dyer's house and car were vandalised last week by angry Magpies fans.
Allardyce added: "The attacks on his car were out of order but he has to put
that behind him."
The tit-for-tat row overshadowed an impressive debut by Alan Smith in this
friendly yesterday. The £6m signing from Manchester United powered home an
unstoppable header from a Geremi corner on 58 minutes. But Toon suffered an
injury scare when Shay Given was forced off with a groin problem. The Irish
keeper will undergo a scan this morning. Spanish left-back Jose Enrique, 21,
will seal a £6m switch from Villarreal to Newcastle today.
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Take a Luc at Hammers now - The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
August 06, 2007
LUCAS NEILL admits West Ham are still haunted by the hair-raising brush with
relegation last season. But the latest Hammers captain reckons fear of a
repeat performance will inspire his squad to highs not lows. Aussie defender
Neill has won over the fans and boss Alan Curbishley with his commitment and
plain talking. The honest Hammer says he and his team-mates are still in
shock at beating the drop on the last day. Neill said: "We had a sense of
being in a no-lose situation last season because a lot of people had well
and truly written us off. "Yet we rolled up our sleeves and got the job done
— miraculously. We still look back on it now with a sense of disbelief. "But
the momentum we gained and the fear of not being in that situation again
will drive us on. "It's horrible. Driving into training every day, trying
to win over the fans, trying to get performances going again and raise
confidence levels. "We don't want to grind the season out, we want to play
good football and not have to be looking over our shoulders. We want to
play, knowing another three points could take us to the dizzy heights."
West Ham clung on to a Premier League place by the skin of their teeth with
a shock 1-0 win at Manchester United in the final game. The Carlos Tevez
affair had rumbled on all season with West Ham fined £5.5million for
fielding the Argentinian after giving him an illegal contract. Boss Alan
Pardew was sacked halfway through the season and replaced by Curbishley as
Icelandic biscuit baron Eggert Magnusson took over the reins with a £108m
buy-out. Neill was part of the drama as one of Curbishley's first signings —
but the fans at first viewed him as a £1.5m panic buy from Blackburn. The
right-back, who worked as a landscape gardener in his hometown of Sydney
before cracking it as a footballer, is now immensely proud to wear a
skipper's armband previously the property of Hammers legends Bobby Moore,
Billy Bonds, Julian Dicks and Paolo Di Canio. Among the squad are Sweden
skipper Freddie Ljungberg, Wales captain Craig Bellamy and former Newcastle
leader Scott Parker. Neill, 29, said: "It's great to have plenty of leaders
on the pitch. There are more captains with Matty Upson having had experience
at his club and Scotty Parker at his. "It means they try to set a higher
standard for others to follow. When you have six or seven doing that every
day in training and in a game, it makes mine and the manager's job easier.
Personality, commitment, passion — people who are hungry to do well. "As
soon as I came back this summer from the Asia Cup, I noticed there's so much
hunger and ambition. "They are desperate to hit the ground running and keep
up the momentum we had at the end of last season."
Curbishley has mixed and matched his signings with British players and
experienced foreigners. Neill said: "Freddie Ljungberg has been in the
Premier League for nine years and I've been in England for 12. "The manager
and club have done well by buying experienced players who know how to win
things. "We started to create a great bond towards the end of the season
where everyone was thinking the same. "The dressing room was good, a solid
bunch of lads. It's important to take that feeling out on to the pitch. We
have the fans to give us the backing. "The team spirit can change losses
into draws and draws into wins very quickly. We have a nice mix of players
here. Some quiet, some loud, some comedians. I'm a bit of everything. "I try
to do my talking on the pitch as well as in the changing room. "I still
pinch myself every day. I am grateful that thousands of people want to be in
my job. "Last year jolted a few people that we are lucky to be in the
Premier League. We don't want to lose it."
a.dillon@the-sun.co.uk
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Allardyce slams Curbishley over Dyer farce - This Is London
05.08.07
Sam Allardyce has hit back at Alan Curbishley over the breakdown of Kieron
Dyer's move to West Ham. Curbishley criticised Newcastle officials for the
way the deal collapsed at the 11th hour on Friday, insisting he had never
seen anything like it in football after the price for the 28-year-old was
pushed up late in negotiations. Billionaire Newcastle owner Mike Ashley
increased the price for the troubled Dyer because he believed the player had
spoken to West Ham before a fee had been agreed. Allardyce blamed West Ham
officials for the farce. 'If Curbs started it, then we are more upset than
they are, that is a fact,' he said. 'Why? That is confidential. He is not as
upset as we are about West Ham. In the end, we decided he was undervalued.
We escalated the valuation to what we thought was realistic and West Ham did
not want to roll with it. 'Kieron is back with us, a top player with a squad
who are growing. Will it be difficult for Kieron? It's life, isn't it? He
has got a contract. You sign it. The length of the contract means you are
employed by an employer, somethin happens, it doesn't work, you come back
and get on with it. 'If anything else happens in terms of West Ham
increasing their offer, then great. If they don't, then clearly they don't
value him as highly as we do.' But Allardyce condemned the Newcastle
supporters who vandalised Dyer's Tyneside home and attacked his car after
last week's friendly with Juventus. Harry Redknapp last night revealed an
interest from Portsmouth but without a concrete offer for a player the
Newcastle board now value at £8million, Dyer may have to start the season at
St James' Park.
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Ashton muscles in on fresh start with Hammers - Daily Mail
By MATT BARLOW - More by this author »
Last updated at 21:08pm on 5th August 2007
Dean Ashton is the embodiment of a new sunny mood at West Ham with his
surfer's blond rinse, bright eyes of intent and a pre-season goal to remind
25,000 fans what they have been missing. A storm cloud has been whisked from
the skies above Upton Park with the exit of Carlos Tevez, allowing the club
to finally enjoy football once again. And chairman Eggert Magnusson agreed
it was nice to see his team beat Roma 2-1 without worrying about Tevez, who
will join Manchester United this week after severing ties with the Hammers
on Friday. 'Everyone wants a fresh start,' said Ashton. 'It would be very
sad if the fans just carried on singing about Tevez and weren't singing
about the players in the team. We want to put that behind us.' Ashton has
been out for a year after breaking an ankle in an England training session
ahead of what should have been his international debut. He never played
alongside Tevez and his return from injury reinforces the illusion that the
relegation scare, the disciplinary charges by the Premier League,
accusations of conspiracy from Sheffield United and a legal battle with Kia
Joorabchian were merely scenes from a bad dream. The striker came on at
halftime with the Hammers one down. George McCartney equalised with a
powerful header before Ashton collected a ball on the right, skipped past
his marker, forged into the penalty area and fizzed a low shot into the net.
He forced two more acrobatic saves from Roma keeper Gianluca Curci. 'It's a
massive step for me,' he said after the game. 'Back in the dark old days I
was struggling through, not able to walk, and to go out and play in front of
everybody and play well, even for 45 minutes, is really pleasing. 'I had
faith in my ability but when I first came back and was training, I wasn't
the best. It was a case of getting that confidence back. 'I've seen a
different side to football and I'll never, ever take it for granted again. I
appreciate what I've got. I'd play for nothing if it meant getting out there
again. That doesn't matter to me — I just want to play football for years.'
Ashton has honed a more muscular frame after months of gym work to maintain
his fitness levels, but his smooth link-up play suggested he had lost none
of the subtleties that impressed England coach Steve McClaren. He said:
'I've put on a bit of muscle during my recovery but I've lost a lot of fat.
'It's not about how heavy I am or how big I look, it's about how I transfer
it on to the pitch in terms of speed and endurance. 'I feel like I'm a
stronger runner. I'm strong upper bodywise. My legs feel great. I don't feel
particularly sore, so that's a credit to the work I've done. 'It's coming up
to a year since the injury but it doesn't scare me, it's gone. I've
forgotten about it. I feel fine now. I don't cringe when I'm tackled. That
doesn't bother me. It's just that fact that I've had to limp for a year. I
just want to make sure I'm right. 'I really haven't thought about England to
be honest. At the moment, I've got to get back in the West Ham team.'
And the new blond hairdo? 'I'm obviously in the last chance saloon with my
hair, so I thought I might as well do something for a change, for a new
start,' he said.
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Bolton And West Ham Track Cassano - Goal.com
The People newspaper claims that both Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United
are on the trail of Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano. Almost
imperceptible in the coach's plans at the Bernabeu, it's no secret that
president Ramon Calderon wants to get rid of the volatile Italian. However,
such are the club's demands - not to mention the player's wage requirements
- that the Gazzetta dello Sport speculates that only a loan deal would do
for the Premiership clubs, and that's something that Real Madrid may find
unacceptable. The Barinese forward arrived in the Spanish capital in 2006
from AS Roma but has struggled greatly with life in Madrid.
EM
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Tevez must be forgotten here, Ashton tells Hammers fans
John Ashdown
Monday August 6, 2007
The Guardian
Upton Park has finally lost its Argentinian star to Old Trafford but West
Ham United supporters should stop singing Carlos Tevez's praises and embrace
their team, says the Hammers' England international striker Dean Ashton.
"It would be very sad if the fans just carried on singing about Tevez and
weren't singing about the other players in the team," said Ashton. "We want
to put that behind us, start a new season and get the fans excited with
that.
"Everyone wants a fresh start and the players we've brought in have given us
an extra buzz. There has been a lot of changes at the club and it feels like
a decent place to be and that shows."
Ashton showed enough in 45 minutes during West Ham's 2-1 win against Roma on
Saturday to suggest that he is more than capable of filling the void left by
Tevez's move to Manchester United, both as a goalscorer and as something of
a cult hero among Hammers fans.
This was Ashton's first appearance at the Boleyn Ground since April 2006,
his broken ankle having ruled him out of West Ham's entire 2006-07 season,
and he looked sharp, particularly when confounding Philippe Mexès before
thumping home the winner.
Whether the striker will be thrown into the fray against Sven-Goran
Eriksson's Manchester City in their first Premier League match of the season
next weekend remains to be seen.
The Hammers' manager, Alan Curbishley, experimented by deploying the former
Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg in an advanced central role to combat
Roma's formation, and Craig Bellamy, signed in the summer from Liverpool,
and Bobby Zamora started the game. Ashton's determination, though, is not in
doubt.
"I've seen a different side to football since I've been injured and I'll
never ever take it for granted again," he said. "I'd play for nothing if it
meant getting out there again. That doesn't matter to me; I just want to
play football for years. It's made me appreciate that."
Curbishley confirmed after the match that Kieron Dyer's anticipated transfer
from Newcastle United had collapsed.
"We made an offer, had it accepted, agreed personal terms and the player
passed a medical, but it was pulled at the 11th hour by Newcastle and
there's not much we can do about that," said Curbishley. "It has never
happened to me before. We are disappointed and the player is very
disappointed but it's definitely off."
The deal, which was reportedly worth about £6m, would have reunited the
England international with Lee Bowyer, his former team-mate at Newcastle.
Dyer and Bowyer were sent off for brawling with each other during a match
against Aston Villa in 2005.
The Premier League newcomers Derby have an injury scare days before their
season starts, with the defender Claude Davis to be assessed this week after
he suffered a hamstring strain in the friendly match with Espanyol on
Saturday. The £3m signing from Sheffield United left the pitch after 62
minutes of the 2-2 draw.
"We will have to be very careful with him in next week's training," the
Derby manager, Billy Davies, told the Rams' website. "We will see how it
settles down and monitor it over the next three or four days. Hopefully we
can have him right."
Davis was making his first home appearance for the club, after recovering
from a virus that ruled him out of their previous pre-season matches against
Nottingham Forest and Crewe. The defender joined Derby after making 22
senior appearances for Sheffield United last season.
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Ashton: I will be fans' new Tevez - the Mirror
06/08/2007
Dean Ashton is ready to make West Ham's fans forget all about Carlos Tevez.
Ashton missed all last season through injury but underlined his return to
fitness with a stunning winner in West Ham's 2-1 win over Roma on Saturday.
He said: "It would be very sad if the fans just carried on singing about
Tevez and were not singing about other players." Ludovic Guily fired the
Italians ahead but George McCartney equalised and Ashton's classy finish
sealed the win.
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West Ham to offer £9M for Barcelona's Gudjohnsen
tribalfooball.com - August 05, 2007
West Ham United are set to offer £9 million for Barcelona striker Eidur
Gudjohnsen. Prolonged negotiations aimed at getting permission to talk to
the Barcelona marksman appeared to be faltering as the Spanish giants made
it clear they didn't want to sell. But on Friday evening they performed a
U-turn and decided to cash in on the Iceland international, says the Sunday
Mirror. The deal is far from secured, though, with Gudjohnsen, 28, happy to
stay in Spain until the January transfer window to weigh up whether he has a
future at Barcelona.
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West Ham to bid £5M for Reading's Shorey
tribalfooball.com - August 05, 2007
West Ham are ready to make a £5 million bid for Reading left-back Nicky
Shorey this week. Shorey has refused to sign a new contract with the Royals
- and only has two years left to run on his current deal. Royals boss Steve
Coppell would be loathe to lose one of his key players - but wants to avoid
a repeat of the situation which saw star midfielder Steve Sidwell join
Chelsea on a free transfer this summer. Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is in
the market for a new left-back having sold Paul Konchesky to Fulham - and
Irons chairman Eggert Magnusson is ready to stump up the cash for Shorey,
according to the Sunday Mirror. The 26-year-old feels a move to Upton Park
will enhance his chances of securing a regular spot in Steve McClaren's
England plans. And it is unlikely the Hammers will have any trouble agreeing
personal terms with the full-back if the Royals accept their bid.
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Allardyce happy with Newcastle board
tribalfooball.com - August 05, 2007
Despite the breakdown of Kieron Dyer's move to West Ham, Sam Allardyce is
happy with the way the Newcastle board do business. Allardyce: "Yeah
relations are fine. They are listening, the process is pretty smooth now. "I
compile a dossier, put together the information on a player and give it to
Chris (Mort).
"I then ask them to progress it. I'm talking to Chris once or twice a week
at this stage, we all keep up to speed and we all know what's happening and
what direction we're moving in. "We don't want to miss a transfer by
miscommunication. There is a lot of disruption by people trying to stop a
transfer you're trying to make happen. It was nice to do the Alan Smith deal
in one day - it's a miracle! "It's a difficult period because we have so
many balls in the air. Most fall by the wayside but I think it's better to
have more feelers out there. The more you have, the more success you will
get."
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Barcelona striker set for West Ham - all3points.co.uk
6th August 2007
By Staff Writer
Eidur Gudjohnsen is homing in on a return to the Premiership with West Ham.
The Hammers will this week launch a £9 million bid for the former Chelsea
man who has become unsettled in Spain following the arrival of Thierry
Henry. According to the Sunday Mirror, Barcelona have now resigned
themselves to losing the Icelandic international clearing the way for West
Ham's bid. West Ham view Gudjohnsen as the ideal replacement for Carlos
Tevez but a slight snag to the deal could be Gudjohnsen's apparent readiness
to stay in Spain until the January transfer window to see if his first team
chances improve.
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Hammers in for Premiership defender - all3points.co.uk
6th August 2007
By Staff Writer
West Ham are close to tying up a deal for Reading's £5 million rated
defender Nicky Shorey. The Sunday Mirror claims Reading boss Steve Coppell
has resigned himself to losing Shorey and quotes the manager as saying:
"He's not going to negotiate anymore with us. He's got two years left on his
current deal and whether that sends out a message to other clubs - it
probably does." West Ham have been tracking the discussions between club
and player and now look certain to move in to seal a deal.
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Dyer deal is dead and buried - all3points.co.uk
6th August 2007
By Staff Writer
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has revealed that his bid to sign Kieron Dyer
from Newcastle is dead in the water. Curbishley told the People newspaper
that Newcastle had a late change of heart over the deal: "We made an offer,
had it accepted, agreed personal terms and the player passed a medical. "It
was pulled at the 11th hour by Newcastle. There's not much we can do about
it. "Its never happened to me before that clubs agree a fee and then it is
pulled. So we're disappointed and the player is disappointed." When asked if
there was any chance of the deal being re ignited, Curbishley responded:
"It's off"
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Terms are the obstacle to Madrid deal - all3points.co.uk
6th August 2007
By Staff Writer
West Ham's bid for Real Madrid forward Antonio Cassano is under threat after
the two clubs failed to agree terms. Madrid want to off load Cassano on a
permanent deal but the Hammers are reportedly initially interested in a 1
year loan deal for the 25 year old. West Ham could face competition for
Cassano's signature from fellow Premiership club Bolton Wanderers with the
northerners rumored to be willing to tie up a permanent deal for the player
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