12/09/2007 13:38
Mark Noble scored his first goal for the Under-21s yesterday evening in
their 2-0 away victory in Bulgaria. He grabbed the second of the match in
England's Euro 2009 Championship qualifier. The 20-year-old midfielder was
delighted to complete a successful trip away with the national team by
finding the back of the net. "I got the ball on the edge of the box, let it
run then turned the defender and found myself one-on-one with the 'keeper
and just slotted it in," he said. "It was a great feeling and sealed a
second great victory for us. I felt I should have scored in the game against
Montenegro on the Friday so it was good to get one against Bulgaria. "It
has been a great start to the tournament, we came away determined to get six
points which we did and also got two clean sheets and scored five goals so
we couldn't have asked for more really, it has been a really successful
trip. "I am unfortunately suspended for the next game at home to Montenegro
but will be back in the squad for the match against the Republic of Ireland
which I am already really looking forward to."
Hammers Captain, Lucas Neill was also in action yesterday for Australia in a
friendly at home to a full strength Argentinian side that included former
Hammer Carlos Tevez. The Soceroos narrowly lost the game 1-0 but put in a
good solid performance and Lucas, who is also Captain for his national side,
said after the game: "It was a great game despite the result, they are
ranked number 2 in the world after all and we held our own against them, it
definitely exorcised the ghosts of the Asian Cup where we didn't play to the
best of our abilities."
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Moore voted Player of the Century - WHUFC
12/09/2007 15:56
Player of the Century: Bobby Moore
Over the last few months, as part of the PFA's Centenary celebrations,
givemefootball readers have been voting for their teams of the century
across three different eras and, ultimately, the overall Player of the
Century. And now, after taking into account the thousands and thousands of
votes received, we can reveal that England's one and only World Cup-winning
captain, the great Bobby Moore, has been named as the greatest player ever.
The West Ham United legend was certainly one of the finest players ever to
have graced a football field, anywhere in the world. Not only was he the
perfect pro, he was also the perfect gentleman respected by all. Bobby
finished just ahead of George Best and Jimmy Greaves, who were second and
third respectively, in the unique voting poll. Bobby was born in Barking,
Essex, on the 12th of April 1941 and began his football career playing for
local boys' teams before joining West Ham and making his debut in September,
1958. An essentially quiet, modest man, Bobby played his football with a
calm authority that oozed class. He made defending an art, timing tackles to
perfection or, more often than not, simply winning the ball by his
intelligent positional sense and uncanny reading of the game which enabled
him to make so many clever interceptions. With the Hammers he won the FA Cup
in 1964 followed by the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. Bobby made his
debut for England in 1962 and the climax of his international career was, of
course, the 1966 World Cup Finals when he led England to a 4-2 victory
against West Germany and won the Player of Players award for a series of
impeccable performances. Perhaps his finest match came during the 1970 World
Cup in Mexico when, against Brazil, he and Pele provided a master-class in
top class defending and attacking play respectively. Both Pele and Franz
Beckenbauer rated Bobby as the best defender the world had ever seen.
Bobby's England career ended in 1973, his 108 caps being a record for an
outfield player and, in 1974, he joined Fulham. When he finally retired in
1978 he had played over 1,000 games. At just 23, he was voted the
youngest-ever winner of the Football Writers'Award. He was awarded the Order
of the British Empire in 1967.
By Dave Smith
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QPR extend Ephraim's loan spell - BBC
QPR have extended the loan spell of West Ham midfielder Hogan Ephraim for a
second month. The 19-year-old has so far made three appearances for the
Championship side. QPR boss John Gregory told the club's website: "Hogan is
a quality player. He's a versatile and has a good footballing brain for one
so young. "He's come in at a hugely difficult time for everyone connected to
the club, but I'm sure we'll see the best of him over the next month."
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Bellamy back to inspire Wales - TeamTalk
Craig Bellamy scored twice to help Wales sink Slovakia 5-2, but thought he
should have wrapped up his hat-trick in Trnava on Wednesday. Bellamy ended
last season in despair, restricted to a bit-part role on the bench in the
Champions League final on what he believed would be the greatest night of
his life. Since then he has left Liverpool for a new career at West Ham,
where he has started on fire, clearly with something to prove. Bellamy, who
missed Saturday's defeat to Germany after his newborn daughter contracted an
illness, moved level with Wales boss John Toshack with 15 goals for his
country. However, the skipper admitted he was not completely satisfied with
his evening's work. He said: "Yes, I enjoyed that, but I just wished I could
have scored three. I have hit two a few times for Wales, but I just couldn't
get the third. "It was a great performance by the whole team. Slovakia
played a high defensive line and that suited us because we are a
counter-attacking side." Toshack hailed Bellamy's match-winning display as
"unbelievable" as Wales wiped away the bitter memory of a 5-1 defeat to the
same opponents in Cardiff last year. Freddy Eastwood, Simon Davies and a Jan
Durica own goal completed the rout. Marek Mintal replied with two for
Slovakia, who were destroyed by Bellamy's pace from start to finish as Wales
chalked up their biggest competitive away victory since 1996. Toshack said:
"Craig had a few problems ahead of the Germany game, and he couldn't play.
But he is our captain, our inspiration, even if no one really expected a
performance like that. He was terrific. "You normally have 22 players
battling away out there, pretty evenly matched. "This game saw 21 players,
and one who was just unbelievable, it was a scintillating performance. "I
cannot recall the last time I saw such an individual performance from a
player that had so much influence on the outcome of the result. "Craig gave
us that result. His pace and willingness to run was stunning. The goals were
very special and came after the team had gone behind early on. "But that was
an equally outstanding team performance. Overall, I was very pleased with
the outcome." And the Wales boss believes the result will silence those who
criticised his side's defeat to Germany. He said: "Coming after a very
disappointing display and defeat by Germany on Saturday, in which we had
plenty of problems against a very good side, that was the perfect response.
"We do not often score five goals away from home, very few away teams in
international football do. "But we remember how we felt after losing to
Slovakia 5-1 in Cardiff. We felt we played pretty well that day but the
harder we tried, the worse it got. It was an accident, we felt." "But this
was all about Bellamy and his attributes. He has blinding pace and he used
it, although I did feel he got a little tired in the last two minutes when
they had thrown in the towel."
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Upson: West Ham must improve home form
tribalfooball.com - September 12, 2007
Matthew Upson admits West Ham must improve their home form. "At home we
probably haven't performed as well as we would have liked to have done."
said the defender. "Definitely looking at the first game, and against Wigan,
we have a long way to go to really get in at teams and stamp our authority
on them at home. "Away from home I've been impressed with our performances.
We've set up well, defended well and showed we can hit teams on the break
with the pace we have."
He believes the high expectations of the West Ham crowd may be part of the
problem, but he said it is the team's job to respond the right way on
Saturday.
"Usually you find it easier to play at home, but this is a club that comes
with a high level of pressure. It is just a case of dealing with that in a
healthy way. I think maybe we can improve on that and just go out there and
relax, get on autopilot, enjoy the game and let what happens come naturally.
"If we do that, we've got enough talent and ability in the side to really
hurt teams at Upton Park. "This is a season of building on something
positive and our home form is crucial."
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Cardiff chairman: West Ham won't release Collins
tribalfooball.com - September 12, 2007
Cardiff City chairman Peter Ridsdale has revealed they've tried to prise
James Collins away from West Ham. "We did enquire about James three weeks
ago regarding the possibility of bringing him in on loan," he said. "But
West Ham told us there was not a cat in hell's chance of doing it."
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Dailly set for West Ham comeback
tribalfooball.com - September 12, 2007
Defender Christian Dailly is on the verge of a comeback at West Ham United.
Dailly played 90 minutes of a closed-doors friendly against Colchester
United on Tuesday. He is now in line to return to the squad for Saturday's
Premiership clash against Middlesbrough. Dailly, 33, is the longest-serving
player at the club having moved from Blackburn Rovers in 2001. West Ham
manager Alan Curbishley watched Dailly in action in the friendly and is
ready to call him up to face Boro.
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Determined James Collins spurns chance of loan deal - Times Online and
Agencies
James Collins, the West Ham United defender, has vowed to fight for his
place at the club and ruled out any thoughts of a loan deal. The Wales
player has been with the national team this week for the Euro 2008
qualifying matches with Germany and Slovakia. Although he won his 20th cap
in the 2-0 defeat by Germany on Saturday, it was the first full senior match
the 24-year-old had played this season. Having produced outstanding
performances last season to help West Ham avoid relegation, he has played
only once for the club this season, in the Carling Cup, after suffering a
calf injury at the beginning of pre-season training. With Alan Curbishley,
the West Ham manager, now having five centre backs to choose from, there has
been speculation that Collins would leave on loan, a suggestion that the
player rejected. "I am not interested in a loan at the moment," Collins
said. "I want to prove myself at West Ham and win my place back."
Curbishley has so far chosen Matthew Upson and Anton Ferdinand as his
first-choice central defenders, leaving Collins and Danny Gabbidon, his
Wales team-mate who has struggled to overcome a hernia operation, struggling
for recognition. "I can do with any minutes on the pitch I can get at the
moment, it has been a very unlucky start to the season for me after how well
last season finished," Collins said. "I was in the side that avoided
relegation and just wanted to start this season the way the last one had
ended, but I picked up a calf injury right at the beginning of pre-season
training and it has held me back. "It has kept me out of the West Ham team,
and now they are playing well at the back it is going to be a fight for me
to get myself into the side. That is what football is all about, you must
enjoy the challenge of such things."
Collins has only praise for Craig Bellamy, the Wales captain, who moved to
Upton Park from Liverpool during the summer. "Craig has been fantastic from
the day he joined West Ham," Collins said. "Me and Gabbs knew how good he is
and the boys at West Ham are seeing the real Craig Bellamy. He's scoring
goals, setting up goals and doing everything me and Gabbs knew he could.
"He's the main man at West Ham, maybe he was only a squad player at
Liverpool. He is an influential player on and off the pitch. He is a big
character and it is great to have him in our squad. West Ham are reaping the
benefits of paying £8million for him."
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Parkes gets the nod as top stopper - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
Nobody knows more about post-war West Ham and their players than former
Recorder Hammers correspondent Trevor Smith.
We have asked him to pick his favourite team of Boleyn Boys, beginning with:
THE GOALKEEPERS
SETTLING on a 'best I saw' West Ham goalkeeper wasn't easy, despite swiftly
reducing the field to just three candidates. The problem was separating that
trio. Ernie Gregory, Phil Parkes and ludek Miklosko collectively played over
1,200 games and it's hard to recall a soft goal getting past any of them.
The one quality they had in common was their sheer reliability. Such a short
list regrettably sidelines some not half-bad Hammers goalies such as Lawrie
Leslie, Peter Grotier, Jim Standen, Bobby Ferguson, Mervyn Day and Tom
McAlister - although do I hear some fellow old-timers ask 'what about the
outrageously spectacular Noel Dwyer?' What indeed!
Local boy ERNIE GREGORY'S emergence from gangling groundstaff boy to husky
soldier during war-time football, enabled West Ham to sell to First Division
big fish Chelsea as competent a goalkeeper as Harry Medhurst soon after
normal league action resumed in 1946. He later had the chance of the top
flight himself when Arsenal wanted him after their Welsh star Jack Kelsey
broke an arm. Fortunately, Ernie stayed to remain the cornerstone of the
side that subsequently reached Division One in style. By then, his
experience was as valuable off the field as on it. No surprise, then, that
on retiring, following a then record 406 games, Ernie took his service with
West Ham to over 50 years in various staff capacities. Quite which of those
he was in when Hammers beat Arsenal in the 1980 FA Cup Final I forget now,
but I remember vividly, Ernie stood in the Wembley post-game dressing room
exuberantly leading a stentorian chorus of: "We are the West Ham boys!" I
also recall another, earlier occasion, chewing the fat with Ern in the Upton
Park medical room one afternoon. Taking his ease on the treatment table,
Ernie was telling some yarn when young winger Tony Scott's head came round
the door. "Here, Ern," he said anxiously. "Who's the biggest xxxx, me or
Eddie Bov?"
Without breaking stride in his narrative, Ernie replied: "You!" and Scotty
said: "Thanks, Ern," and closed the door, the matter clearly needing no
further discussion once Ernie had ruled on it.
**********************
IN CONTRAST to Ernie Gregory's 25 shillings a week as a mid-1930s
groundstaff boy, PHIL PARKES arrived at West Ham as the world's costliest
goalkeeper - he spent the next decade showing why. The price tag of £565,000
in 1979 didn't bother him. Neither did his decision to pull out of the
England reckoning when, having won a cap and been regularly called-up for
the squad, he tired of languishing on the bench behind Peter Shilton and Ray
Clemence. Phil's appearance as a Recorder columnist last season is a
reminder for me of the easy relationship we developed during his time as the
paper's main columnist.
Quite often Phil came up with stuff, breaking no confidences, that would
elude the most beaverish of journalists. For instance, that Arsenal FA Cup
Final when his son Scott, not much more than a toddler, missed most of the
game sound asleep in his Wembley seat, despite Mum Lavinia's efforts to keep
him awake!
Phil had few bad moments in West Ham's goal. One however, came when his
urgent 'leave it' shout proved a split-second too late for team-mate Billy
Bonds to get out of the way. The knock Phil accidentally gave 'Bonzo' in
hurtling out to collect a high ball, cost Hammers' skipper an England cap.
Nursing damaged ribs, a rueful Bonds confided later: 'No wonder he's not
challenged much!'
**********************
LUDEK MIKLOSKO had the singular ill-luck to make his West Ham debut on the
very day that the dirt hit the fan over his new manager Lou Macari's part in
some rule-busting while he had been at Swindon. It was by dismal coincidence
that West Ham were the visitors at Swindon's County Ground that day and it
was as well that Ludek's English then left him largely in the dark, though
he must have wondered what he had let himself in for. Almost immediately he
was hugely popular with the faithful, to whom he was swiftly 'Ludo', the
tall Slovakian was admirably consistent. In four out of five of his early
league campaigns he was ever-present and Ludo had one little pre-game
warm-up gambit I loved watching. Holding the ball just above his head, he
dropped it behind his back and then spun round to catch it before it could
hit the ground - easy? You try it! While working hard to integrate himself
and his family here, Ludo didn't forget the less fortunate in his home land,
taking close-season lorry loads of relief supplies overland there.
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Sears towers above Spurs to earn a point - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
West Ham United 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3
FREDDIE SEARS struck the first and the last goals of this Academy League
thriller at Little Heath on Saturday morning as West Ham had to settle for a
well-earned point against a powerful Tottenham side. West Ham grabbed the
lead early on. Ben Hunt dispossessed his marker in midfield and stormed into
the box where he let fly with a shot that was pushed against the post but
came out invitingly for Sears to tap in the rebound. Spurs rapidly levelled
the scores, but West Ham restored their lead with a cleverly-worked move
when Oliver Lee broke quickly, released Sears down the left hand side and
his low cross was thumped in by Junior Stanislas. West Ham controlled the
rest of the half without adding to their tally and, after the break, they
were made to pay for that as Tottenham levelled after the Hammers failed to
clear a corner, before taking the lead. Goalkeeper David Black-more, making
his first start of the campaign, failed to hold on to a ball, and Spurs took
advantage to toe-poke home the loose ball. All was not lost though as West
Ham stormed back to level the scores.
Jordan Spence, fresh from his exploits with England under-17s at the World
Cup in South Korea, made an excellent run down the right before crossing for
Sears to volley home through a crowd of players. Sears just missed out on
the chance of a hat-trick as his shot right at the death flew wide, but in
the end a draw was probably the fairest result for both teams. This
Saturday, West Ham travel to Coventry City.
West Ham: Blackmore, Miller, Blackwell, Payne, Spence, Harvey, Stanislas,
Lee, Hunt, Hines, Sears. Subs: Ashman, O'Neill, Kearns (Harvey 70), N'Gala
(Miller, 80m), Fry (Lee 75).
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Meet Billy Bonds! - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
THE Boys of '86 are giving Hammers' fans a rare opportunity to spend an
evening in the company of a true West Ham legend - Billy Bonds. This event,
at The Prince Regent Hotel, Chigwell is on Friday, November 30 in the
Regency Suite and will be hosted by Tony Gale and Tony Cottee, with many
other former West Ham players attending. The cost of this very special
evening is £86 per person, which includes a three-course meal and
entertainment, including autograph and photo opportunities. The evening also
includes a raffle and an auction which will give fans the opportunity to buy
some very rare football memorabilia. Tickets can be purchased in tables of
10 or on an individual basis, but there is a very limited supply. They will
be sold strictly on a first come, first served basis. For further details
and a booking form, email: theboysof86@yahoo.co.uk or phone: 07783 704893.
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Bobby Moore makes 'team of the century' - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
IT will come as no surprise to any West Ham fan, and probably not to any
football fan in the land to discover that Bobby Moore has been included in a
'team of the century'! The West Ham and England captain is in the team
selected for the Professional Footballers Association's Centenary
celebrations and looking at the players alongside him, it is one hell of a
team! The team was voted for by the general public on the website www.
givemefootball.com, which perhaps explains why most of the players are from
the past 10 years, but not why there does not appear to be a right back in
the line-up. For the record the team is: Peter Schmeichel, Alan Hansen,
Bobby Moore, Tony Adams, Stuart Pearce, George Best, Roy Keane, Bobby
Charlton, Eric Cantona, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry.
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Parker hands Hammers a boost - TeamTalk
West Ham have been boosted by the return to action of England midfielder
Scott Parker. Parker has been out of action since pre-season with a medial
ligament strain but he played 80 minutes of a specially arranged friendly
match against Championship side Colchester at Upton Park. Also in the side
was defender Calum Davenport, who is recovering from a hernia operation, and
striker Dean Ashton continued his return to full match sharpness by playing
the entire game. Under the watchful eye of manager Alan Curbishley, defender
Christian Dailly proved he was on the brink of a return to action after a
fractured foot by playing in defence. The game ended 2-2 and Parker showed
no ill-effects from his run out, although it is unlikely he will be in the
squad for this weekend's clash with Middlesbrough.
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Parker eyes debut - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
WEST HAM midfielder Scott Parker will look to make his first team debut
against Middlesbrough on Saturday after coming through 80 minutes of
friendly action on Tuesday. The £7million signing from Newcastle has been on
the sidelines since injuring his knee during the pre-season tour of Austria.
However, he returned to full training this week and came through Tuesday's
behind-closed-doors 2-2 draw with Colchester United without any problems.
Dean Ashton also took the chance to play the whole 90 minutes while there
were returns for Christian Dailly and Calum Davenport, who have both been
out all season. In Parker's absence, Mark Noble and Hayden Mullins have
taken their chance in central midfield, but the former England
international's return will be a big boost for manager Alan Curbishley, who
has already lost Julien Faubert and Keiron Dyer with long-term injuries.
Meanwhile, Freddie Ljungberg returned to full training yesterday (Wednesday)
and could book himself a place on the bench on Saturday.
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It's no place like home for Curbs - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
ANYONE who has had the pleasure of watching West Ham United away from home
this season is understandably raving at their team's prospects, writes DAVE
EVANS. For those who only see their favourite team on their own turf though,
they must be wondering what all the fuss is about. For West Ham seem to be
two different teams this season. The nervous, tentative one that has picked
up just one point at Upton Park, and the adventurous, exciting one that has
a 100 per cent record on their travels. Certainly victories at Birmingham
and Reading have given the team a lot of confidence, but those sorts of
results can't last forever and it is back at the Boleyn where the Hammers
will be looking to pick up the majority of their points - starting with
Saturday's visit of Middles-brough. So why have West Ham struggled at home
when their away form is so convincing? Some players have suggested that it
is the pressure from an impatient crowd that have not helped their cause,
while winger Matty Etherington concluded: "Away from home we've been sitting
off teams and breaking and I think that's been working very well. "Maybe at
home, teams aren't letting us play our football and they are sitting off
us," he said. "We have got to have a little bit more guile to break them
down. It's something we will address and if we can get our home form right
we should have a good season."
He's right. A little bit more guile is what is needed and manager Alan
Curbishley may well have come up with the answer. Against Wigan Athletic in
the last home game, the manager introduced Luis Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer
with almost immediate effect. Boa Morte in particular seems to make an
instant impact when he comes off the bench, but he is nowhere near as
effective when he starts a match, becoming too isolated on the left wing.
However, Curbishley is toying with the idea of a new formation to try and
make the most of the Portuguese international's talents. A new 4-3-3 system
would enable Boa Morte to get into the area far more frequently as well as
allowing him to pick the ball up deeper and more central to make forward
runs. West Ham's tactics away from Upton Park seem to be spot on at the
moment, and now Curbishley is considering this new system to find the answer
to unlocking stubborn defences at home. Goalkeeper Rob Green is certainly
aware of what needs to be done: "It's difficult to work it out as it's a
completely different type of game," he said. "When you play at home teams
are happy to sit off and will say 'come and beat us' and will attack you on
the break. "Upton Park is a fantastic place to play but it can also be very
a difficult one."
It has certainly proved to be this season, and Curbishley needs to find the
answer quickly before the big boys arrive, starting with Arsenal on
September 29.
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Collins keen to fight for place - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
WEST HAM'S Welsh international defender James Collins has supposedly turned
down the chance to return to his former club Cardiff City on loan, writes
DAVE EVANS. Collins has slipped down the pecking order at Upton Park since
the arrival and eventual fitness of Matty Upson, but it is still a surprise
that such a talented young player may be considered as surplus to
requirements at West Ham. In the inquiry into last season's successful
battle for survival the names of Carlos Tevez, Mark Noble and Rob Green have
been heralded as the most important players in what became known as 'The
Great Escape'. However, many West Ham fans also point to the influence of
the six feet two inch centre half in the shape of Collins. Thinking back to
last season, especially before Christmas, so many goals scored against West
Ham came from set-pieces. Injuries did not help the cause, but the likes of
Anton Ferdinand, Danny Gabbidon, Christian Dailly and Jonathan Spector did
not seem to be able to cope with any aerial bombardment and goals rained in
as a result. Similarly, at the other end, the Hammers did not pose any real
threat when the ball was swung into the opposing area from free kicks and
corners. When Alan Curbishley came into the West Ham hot-seat, he realised
the importance of stopping goals from set-pieces and he employed Collins as
the man who could help him to do just that - it was one of the best
decisions he made all season. Aside from the nightmare at Sheffield United
when West Ham were thumped 3-0, and the very next game which saw Chelsea
score four at Upton Park, it was the lack of goals that the Hammers conceded
that were to prove the basis of their survival. And for that, much of the
credit must go to Collins. The 24-year centre back arrived in the summer of
2005 in a joint deal with fellow Cardiff defender Danny Gabbidon - a move
that set West Ham back around £2million for the pair - a real bargain.
Gabbidon was crowned the Hammer of the Year in his first season as West Ham
finished ninth in the Premiership and made the FA Cup Final, but fans and
even manager Alan Pardew were not so convinced by his Welsh international
team-mate. Curbishley though realised just what the defender could do.
Collins played in the final nine games of last season and in that time, West
Ham were to let in just nine goals - seven of those in those two games
against Sheffield United and Chelsea. Collins played with a fearless
attitude. His distribution was never great, but you knew what you had with
the big Welshman. A no-nonsense defender who would get rid of the ball, get
his head in where it hurts and literally bleed for his team. And so the news
that he may be offered to Cardiff in a loan deal comes as something of a
shock to many fans, especially considering the Hammers luck with injuries
during Curbishley's tenure. The Welshman only signed a two-year contract
extension - again alongside Gabbidon - at the start of the season, and
unsurprisingly he is keen to stay at West Ham and fight for his place. "I
need to be in London pushing for a place back in the side and still training
with the first team," insisted Collins when he spoke to the South Wales Post
before Saturday's international clash with Germany at the Millennium
Stadium. "I can't afford to be a couple of hundred miles away, out of the
thick of it."
And surely West Ham can't afford to have him in Wales either. Upson and
Ferdinand have the first team spots at the moment, while Gabbidon seems to
be the back-up man, but Collins showed in his one substitute appearance of
the season at Bristol Rovers that he still has what it takes to make an
impact.
When a team has the money to build a strong squad, one of the secrets for
any manager is how to keep everyone in that squad happy - especially when
their chances of starting matches is restricted. Collins has made 37
appearances in his time at the club, scoring two goals along the way, but
with the defence still susceptible to injury, as well as off the field
problems to solve still, there may well be plenty of opportunities for the
player to show Curbishley exactly what he can do all over again.
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PLANE CRAZY! - Newham Recorder
12 September 2007
WEST HAM captain Lucas Neill will step out for the Hammers against
Middles-brough on Saturday after a round trip of over 21,000 miles from
London to Melbourne for an international friendly match, writes DAVE EVANS.
But whatever the rights or wrongs about the Aussie skipper's decision to
take part in the 1-0 defeat against Argentina, Neill himself is adamant that
he wants to continue to play for his country whenever he can. Neill said:
"I've been looking forward to this game for a while. "For me it's a
no-brainer to be asked to come back and play against Argentina in front of
hopefully 80,000 people. "But even if it was against the Solomon Islands in
front of 15,000 it's the same, you want to play for Australia."
Fine sentiments, and ones that perhaps would not go amiss with a certain
England player, but what it does for his club manager Alan Curbishley as he
prepares for Saturday's clash with Boro is not so helpful. Certainly West
Ham did try to persuade Neill not to make the trip Down Under for a friendly
game.
"As always there is pressure not to play," admitted the 29-year-old, who has
30 international caps to his name, but will be looking to impress following
a disappointing Asian Cup campaign during the summer. "I can understand the
club's feelings, but it is the ultimate goal to play for your country in
games like the Argentina one."
Curbishley will be further rocked by the news that new signing Nolberto
Solano has shown an interest in resuming his international career with Peru
- it is a mere 12,000 mile round trip to Lima. The 32-year-old former
Newcastle United winger, who signed on a free transfer on deadline day, has
been awarded 77 caps, and is now hoping to add to that. Looking at West
Ham's current first team line-up, not too many have been involved in
international call-ups. Rob Green, Matty Upson, Anton Ferdinand, Hayden
Mullins, Matty Etherington, Lee Bowyer and Dean Ashton have all been able to
recharge their batteries.
Craig Bellamy was forced to pull out of Saturday's Wales clash against
Germany after complications following the birth of his baby daughter, but
thankfully he was able to return to the squad and play in the clash with
Slovakia last night (Wednesday). Mark Noble played and scored in Bulgaria
for the England under-21s on Tuesday, while George McCartney was due to play
for Northern Ireland in Iceland on Wednesday. When it comes to the life of
an international footballer, the world can be a very small place. But
whether it is possible to give your best on the field at Upton Park after a
21,000 mile round trip and only a couple of days of training remains to be
seen.
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Upson: Our home form is crucial - Harlow Citizen
By Tess McDermott
WEST Ham may be sitting comfortably mid-table, within touching distance of
the top-ten spot Alan Curbishley has set them as a target this season, but
they still have a point - or three - to prove against Middlesbrough on
Saturday. The Hammers have not won at Upton Park this season and, admits
Matt Upson, the players and manager are feeling frustrated. "At home we
probably haven't performed as well as we would have liked to have done."
said the defender. "Definitely looking at the first game, and against Wigan,
we have a long way to go to really get in at teams and stamp our authority
on them at home. "Away from home I've been impressed with our performances.
We've set up well, defended well and showed we can hit teams on the break
with the pace we have."
He believes the high expectations of the West Ham crowd may be part of the
problem, but he said it is the team's job to respond the right way on
Saturday.
"Usually you find it easier to play at home, but this is a club that comes
with a high level of pressure. It is just a case of dealing with that in a
healthy way. I think maybe we can improve on that and just go out there and
relax, get on autopilot, enjoy the game and let what happens come naturally.
"If we do that, we've got enough talent and ability in the side to really
hurt teams at Upton Park. "This is a season of building on something
positive and our home form is crucial."
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Boro handed keeper injury worry - ESS
Last Updated: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 11:48
Keeper Mark Schwarzer is hopeful of playing for Boro at West Ham on Saturday
despite suffering a knee injury playing for Australia. Middlesbrough's
34-year-old first choice custodian hurt his knee when colliding with
Argentina's Lionel Messi in the second half of a friendly clash in
Melbourne, which the South Americans won 1-0. Schwarzer is now flying back
to Teesside to have the injury assessed and hopes it will not sideline him
when the Premiership gets underway at Upton Park this weekend. Following the
game, Schwarzer said: "My leg is a bit sore but hopefully it won't come up
too badly over the next couple of days. "I should be all right to play
against West Ham but we'll have to wait and see what happens."
Whether he plays or is deputised by Brad Jones at West Ham, Schwarzer
insists Boro must carry on where they left off following the 2-0 win against
Birmingham at the Riverside on September 1. He added in the Evening Gazette:
"We need to continue on the good form that we have shown in the last couple
of weeks because it's a big game for us on Saturday. We have to build on the
performances we have had so far and the most important thing is for us to
play well and start to work our way up the table."
Meanwhile Schwarzer has also confirmed that talks over a new contract at
Boro will now be postponed until December. He said: "I have made it clear to
Gareth Southgate that at the moment I am happy to continue the way it is and
we have both agreed to put it off until the end of the year."
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Parker looks fresh on return - Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:15am on 12th September 2007
Scott Parker got a welcome 80 minutes under his belt in a friendly against
Colchester United at Upton Park. The midfielder, out with a knee injury
since his £7m pre-season move from Newcastle, looked close to full fitness
in a behind-closed-doors game with the Championship side which ended 2-2.
Also playing was Callum Davenport, recovering from a hernia op.
NEXT FIVE GAMES: 15 Sept: v Boro (h); 23 Sept: v Newcastle (a); 26 Sept: v
Plymouth (h) (Carling Cup 3rd rnd); 29 Sept: v Arsenal (h); 6 Oct: Aston
Villa (a).
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