17/09/2007 10:00
Sixth-placed Hammers are sitting in their highest Premier League position
for two years, while their current unbeaten five-match league and cup run
represents the team's best sequence since he arrived at the club. And with
ten points on the board already, it certainly all adds up to a great start
to the season for Alan Curbishley, who has seen his side hit double-figures
in the overall goal charts, too. "It was an important win for us but we
won't be getting carried away," cautioned Curbs following Saturday's 3-0
victory over Middlesbrough at Upton Park. "Boro were only one place behind
us in the Premier League and it was vital to get three points because we
knew that would make it a good start to the year, compared to a defeat that
could have left us in the bottom six or seven. "After four helter-skelter
years at Upton Park, we're looking to have a good, solid season that will
help us to lay the foundations with the players we've brought in so that we
can, hopefully, continue building this club. "Although I thought that we
looked leggy at times, against Middlesbrough we again showed that we've got
the squad that we need and people have come into the team and done a good
job for us. "We're in a similar position to England insofar as injuries are
concerned but we've just had to step up to the plate and get on with things.
"The new boys - Henri Camara and Nolberto Solano - had both only just
returned from international week, while Scott Parker has only had 80 minutes
for the reserves in a friendly against Colchester United and he'll need
another game during the course of the coming week. "Without being
disrespectful to my present team, you also have to remember that I've got
£20million-worth of players - Parker, Julien Faubert and Kieron Dyer - out
injured, while I might also have lost Craig Bellamy, who had been
complaining about his groin before he returned from international duty for
Wales feeling shattered. "When you consider that Boro' had some good
chances, too, then I'll happily take the result because sometimes things
like that can spin around and work against you. "We got lucky on occasions
and, afterwards, I said to Gareth Southgate that it was all about chances.
Robert Green's saves weren't lucky, though, they were great stops and,
fortunately, we took our opportunities, while Boro didn't take the ones that
came their way."
Indeed, as Turkish substitute Tuncay saw a frustrating combination of Robert
Green's agility and the Upton Park woodwork thwart him, there were no such
problems for Lee Bowyer and Dean Ashton, while Luke Young's own goal only
compounded Middlesbrough's misery during 15 minutes of second half mayhem.
"Lee gave us the perfect start with the sort of goal that he always
threatens to get and wants to get," observed Curbs, who saw his midfielder
net at Upton Park for the second successive match, just 20 seconds after the
restart. "During the first-half, he'd had a thankless task chasing around
after Stewart Downing, who was constantly looking to break out, but I said
to him at half time that something would give. "I've known Lee since he was
13-years-old and he's always thrived on getting into the box but it just
hadn't happened for him since he's been at West Ham. It was a great finish
for a great goal and let's hope that there's more to come from him now. "For
quite a few weeks I've been saying that Dean Ashton has needed games of
football and, after he started at Reading, I think that he realised that,
too. But he's pushed himself during the past two weeks and has also played
in two reserve games against Reading and Colchester. "Deano got his rewards
today but I'm sure that he'll still be the first to admit that he knows that
he's got to keep going from here," concluded Curbs ahead of Sunday's trip to
Newcastle United, former home of Bowyer, Solano, Parker and the injured
Kieron Dyer. "The whole team worked hard, though, and now we can only hope
that one or two of the others can get fit during the next few weeks."
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Bowyer in top form - WHUFC
17/09/2007 13:02
Lee Bowyer scored within the first minute of the second-half on Saturday to
set the Hammers on their way to another 3-0 victory and the midfielder
believes it was all about who took their chances on the day. "I think in the
first-half, both sides had chances that neither of us were taking so it was
a bit scrappy but we had a chat at half-time and knew we had to come out the
blocks quick for the second-half which we did and once we got the goal, we
killed them off a bit and it was quite a comfortable victory in the end.
That is two goals in two for Bowyer at Upton Park and he is certainly
enjoying the feeling of finding the back of the net again. "I am getting a
lot more chances now, balls are getting laid in front of me as I am making
runs and I wasn't really getting that kind of service last year, I was
making runs but no one was really seeing them. I had one chance today and I
took it and it turned the game for us. It is a great feeling to be scoring
again as it is a big part of my game, I am pleased for Deano as well getting
his first goal as that has been a long time coming for him so hopefully that
will inject a bit confidence into him and he can start scoring more goals as
well."
With six goals and two clean sheets in the last two games, things are
already looking a lot different to last season but Bowyer is quick to remind
everyone that it is a marathon rather than a sprint so the team are keeping
their feet firmly on the ground. "Things already feel and look different to
last season, it is a cliché but it is all about confidence in football and
that is what winning brings which you take into the next game. But there is
a long way to go so we are not getting too carried away yet. I think it is
very important to get points on the board early doors which we are doing and
to just take each game as it comes."
Bowyer believes the key to this season's positive start is all down to the
depth of the squad. "We have got a very strong squad now thanks to the
chairman and the manager spending very wisely in the Summer and bringing in
good established Premiership players that are hungry for success. To be
getting the results we are and still have the likes of Kieron, Freddie and
Scotty Parker still to come back just shows you where we are now and how we
are clearly going in the right direction."
Bowyer will be up against his former side Newcastle next weekend as the
Hammers aim to keep up their 100% away record but the ex-magpie knows it
will be no easy ride. "It will be a tough game up there next week, Sam
Allardyce is in charge now and he has made his mark on the team. They will
probably play 4,3,3 and will be hard to break down. They have great support
up there and it can be quite intimidating for the visiting team but I am
sure our support will be in full voice as normal too and we will come away
with a good result."
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Ashton on recovery - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 17th September 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Dean Ashton has expressed his delight after scoring against Middlesbrough -
but concedes he is far from fully fit yet. The 23-year-old striker scored
the last of West Ham's goals in their 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on
Saturday, making it his first competitive strike since scoring in the 2006
FA Cup Final. Yet he openly admits that it could take several months for his
to feel fully fit once again - despite the close attention of former Hammers
physio John Green, who had been working extensively with Ashton during his
rehabilitation. "It's been a long, long time since I scored a Premiership
goal so there were a lot of emotions when that one went in," he said. "Even
though it was only from three yards out, it meant a lot. "I just need to
play games to improve the sharpness but there is more I can do in terms of
the ankle. But it's not something which is just going to go away. "I need to
work for anything up to a year before I see that it is back to where it was.
They are only little things but I have to keep working on it. I still see
John Green regularly and work with him."
So whilst calls for Ashton's inclusion in Steve McClaren's next England
squad may be a little premature, there is no doubt that the former Crewe and
Norwich striker is well on the road to recovery. However he may have to do
without first choice striker partner Craig Bellamy for the next few weeks
after the Welsh striker sustained a groin injury during Saturday's 3-0 win;
new signing Henri Camara is likely to be the replacement.
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Ashton: Ankle will take time -SSN
Striker hoping to regain full fitness
By Lewis Rutledge Last updated: 17th September 2007
West Ham striker Dean Ashton has admitted it could be up to a year before he
is fully recovered from his ankle injury. Ashton broke his ankle in training
for England in August 2006 and was forced to miss the whole of last season.
He has built up his fitness over the last few weeks and scored his first
Premier League goal for 18 months in the 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough on
Saturday. Ashton is looking to return to top form as quickly as possible but
accepts that it could be a long road back. "There are still improvements I
can make. I feel fit, while you have to play games to get sharpness," he
said in The Sun. "But the ankle is not something that will go away and
players around the country with similar injuries will say the same. "I've
got to work for six months to a year to eradicate that." Ashton added that
he was still confident of having a successful campaign, explaining: "I could
set myself targets for the season but I expect to score in every game. That
is the aim."
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Bowyer: Hammers camp has changed - TeamTalk
West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer believes there is a "different feel" to
things at the club this season. Bowyer netted the opening goal in Saturday's
3-0 win over Middlesbrough and although he is not getting carried away, the
former Newcastle man insists confidence is high at the club. He told the
club's official website: "Things already feel and look different to last
season, it is a clichi but it is all about confidence in football and that
is what winning brings which you take into the next game. "But there is a
long way to go so we are not getting too carried away yet. I think it is
very important to get points on the board early doors which we are doing and
to just take each game as it comes. "We have got a very strong squad now
thanks to the chairman and the manager spending very wisely in the summer
and bringing in good established Premiership players that are hungry for
success. "To be getting the results we are and still have the likes of
Kieron (Dyer), Freddie (Ljungberg) and Scotty Parker still to come back just
shows you where we are now and how we are clearly going in the right
direction."
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West Ham Win, Tottenham Lose, What More Can You Ask For? -caughtoffside.com
Posted on Monday, September 17th, 2007
No West Ham fan should get carried away with our lofty position in the
table. After all we have played none of the big four, only Manchester City
have put in a decent performance against us, and our game in hand is at
Anfield. Portsmouth, by contrast have only four fewer points having already
played all the top clubs and taken two points off them. We also seriously
rode our luck on Saturday.
Playing offside that incompetently - whether thanks to Lucas Neill's jetlag
or James Collins' desire to wave his arms rather than follow his man, I am
not sure - could have led to complete embarrassment. Yet somehow after a
weekend in which we lost our best striker within the first 15 minutes, saw
once again that Dean Ashton is some way off match fitness, had our
fifth-choice striker provide two assists, and our fourth choice right-sided
midfield player score the first goal, we are for the moment up to 5th. Even
more perversely, our most effective players this season, Rob Green aside,
have all been players at least half of Upton Park had written off, or never
wanted in the first place.
Craig Bellamy was hardly most fans' idea of a replacement for Tevez, we all
thought Bowyer's legs had gone after some dreadful performances at the end
of last season and a shocking one at the start of this against Manchester
City, and we assumed Matty Etherington was on Curbishley's summer-chop list
with his old gambling buddies. Best of all though is Haydon Mullin's
resurgence. Seriously under-appreciated by most fans during our 2005-6
adventure through dream world, he was probably the only one of the Bentley
Boys whose form held up reasonably well through the last days of Pardew's
descent into the abyss, only to lose his way completely immediately
Curbishley arrived.
Yet on Saturday, playing because yet another of our big-money signings is on
the treatment table, he was the best player on the pitch, breaking things up
and passing it on intelligently. Think about it. If everything had gone to
the letter of Magnusson's master plan last July, we would today have
misfiring Darren Bent, not bothered with Bellamy, and packed Mullins off for
a reunion with Pardew at Charlton.
And we would have been £10 million worse off. That our fortune is a small
part of the story of Spurs' problems, just makes it all that much more
sweeter.
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West Ham have a Dream - Sportigo
Mon, Sep 17, 07 13:10
Mark Apostolou
West Ham, in a rich vein of form at present, are on the way up and just how
far up they can hope for is something that boss Alan Curbishley has been
pondering since their 3-0 win over Middlesbrough. Curbs said: "Before the
game I was thinking that if we win, it becomes a good start, and if we lose,
we're in the bottom five or six. All I've said since we've been back is that
I want a solid season. In the last four seasons West Ham have lost a
play-off final, won a play-off final, lost an FA Cup final and won a
relegation battle.So I said to Eggert in the summer that we want a nice,
solid season, and he said 'Yeah, Europe!' But we want to put some
foundations in to start building the club."
Wise words indeed from the former Charlton boss. Given the highs and lows
that Hammers fans have experienced in recent years a season of consolidation
will go down just fine and will ease the high blood pressure of the East
London faithful. Mind you, if the Hammers continue to pick up impressive
wins then don't be surprised if they look hopefully towards a UEFA Cup spot
as requested by their Icelandic owners.
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Forget Fabregas, Taarabrt and Babel. Mark Noble is the hottest prospect in
the Premier League - sportigo
Mon, Sep 17, 07 12:26
George Miller
He's playing some great stuff at West Ham, but why is everybody so slow to
pick up on the quality of the West Ham lad from Canning Town?
'Noble is the type of player that a fan really loves to see; the kind of
player who gives his all and seems honoured and ecstatic to be playing for
his hometown club' Forget allegiances. I may be a West Ham fan, but for me
of all the great young talents plying their trade in the Premier League
there is one above all others that I value, and not just because he wears
the claret and blue colours.
Mark Noble is making a name for himself, but for some reason he is not
getting the attention that I feel he deserves. He doesn't collect the
plaudits that players like Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, Spurs' Adel Taarabrt and
Liverpool's Ryan Babel, who are all great players in the making, and in fact
in the Spaniard's case, already a world class talent.
The 20-year-old battling midfielder from Canning Town has been a favourite
of mine since he first came to the fore in the Championship days. Now his
determination and guile have begun to make people take notice and he finally
got his Under-21 call-up last summer which, when you consider his consistent
performances for the Hammers, was well overdue.
I don't think the reason that he has been somewhat off the radar in terms of
the attention and respect from the so-called pundits and footballing experts
has anything to do with the fact that he is English. But I do think that
because he is playing with a supposedly lesser team, that he has been
overlooked by many who claim to know the game inside out. Noble is the type
of player that a fan really loves to see; the kind of player who gives his
all and seems honoured and ecstatic to be playing for his hometown club.
There is a great deal of promising young talent in the English league at the
moment and this has helped produce and maintain the Premier League as
undoubtedly the best league in the world. There was a lot of press attention
when Alan Curbishley managed to keep the Upton Park side above the
perforated relegation line and many claimed, quite rightly, that this was
due in the main to Carlos Tevez. However I think that the East London man's
return to the side in March was also a catalyst in the survival. The 10
games that he took part in once he was put back in the mix after his spell
at Portman Road produced seven wins. Coincidence? I think not.
England also has a lot to look forward to, with players like Noble, Steven
Taylor, Nedum Onouha, Tom Huddlestone, Matt Derbyshire and Theo Walcott all
beginning to make a name for themselves.
I would love 'Nobes' to get the attention and admiration that he has earned
and most definitely deserves, but on the other hand if we can keep him a
secret then at least we won't have him stolen away from the Boleyn like so
many young players in the past like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael
Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and i could go on and on . . .
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Dean Ashton raises the roof at Upton Park - The Times
West Ham United 3 Middlesbrough 0: the striker scores his first league goal
in 18 months after recovering from a broken ankle
Alyson Rudd
Steve McClaren probably never imagined that he would curse the news that
Emile Heskey is injured, but at the same time as England's unlikely hero was
nursing a fractured foot, an obvious replacement was proving a point at
Upton Park. Dean Ashton scored his first league goal since March last year
and said that he wanted "to fight for that place" alongside Michael Owen for
England.
In the meantime, Alan Curbishley, the West Ham United manager, is just
pleased to have available a striker whose absence through a broken ankle
seemed to be central to the club's problems last season.
"When we had that bad run last year, I started looking back at the tapes of
the games from the previous year and I saw the impact he had in bringing
other people into the game," Curbishley said. "I've been as desperate as
everyone else to have him back."
Ashton said that he remained optimistic by watching footage of himself
scoring goals, while the club has hired a sports psychologist, Roberto
Forzoni, who has recently worked with Andy Murray, the British No 1 tennis
player. "I speak to him [Forzoni] when I need to," Ashton said. "He is a
good man to have around the place."
Gareth Southgate must be wondering if West Ham also use the services of a
witch doctor. His team made a mockery of the home side's offside trap but
failed to take their chances, with Tuncay Sanli the man who squandered so
many that he apologised afterwards to his teammates.
A dull first half was only enlivened by a shot from Jérémie Aliadière that
hit a post. The second period, however, opened at a blistering pace with Lee
Bowyer scoring almost immediately. Luke Young then put the ball in his own
net before Ashton latched on to Matthew Etherington's pass to score West
Ham's third. The home team's fans rejoiced at the third goal; they, too,
have missed Ashton.
"All I've said is that I want a solid season so we can build," Curbishley
said. "The last four years at West Ham, they have got to a play-off final
and lost, got to a play-off final and won, got to an FA Cup Final and lost
and had a relegation battle they won. It's been helter-skelter and I sat
down with Eggert [Magnússon, the chairman] in the summer and said we need a
nice solid season. He said, 'Yes, Europe.' "
And who could blame Magnússon for ignoring a plea for a dull campaign? As
Curbishley pointed out, he had £20 million of talent missing on Saturday in
Julien Faubert, Scott Parker and Kieron Dyer. West Ham do not have a squad
built for anything other than adventure.
West Ham United (442): R Green 6 – L Neill 5, J Collins 5, M Upson 5, G
McCartney 5 – L Bowyer 7, M Noble 6, H Mullins 6, M Etherington 7 (sub: L
Boa Morte, 78min) – C Bellamy 5 (sub: C Cole, 26 6), D Ashton 7 (sub: F
Ljungberg, 81).Substitutes not used:R Wright, D Gabbi-don. Booked:
Ljungberg, McCartney. Next: Newcastle United (a).
Middlesbrough (4-4-2): M Schwarzer 4 – L Young 4, J Woodgate 4, D Wheater 4,
A Taylor 4 (sub: A Davies, 83) – G Boateng 6, J Arca 6, F Rochemback 5 (sub:
G O'Neil, 68 6), S Downing 5 – J Aliadière 5 (sub: Tuncay Sanli, 30 5) –
Mido 5. Substitutes not used: B Jones, Lee Dong Gook. Booked: Tuncay. Next:
Sunderland (h).
Referee S Bennett
Attendance 34,351
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Ashton: It's a long road to recovery - TeamTalk
West Ham striker Dean Ashton has admitted it could be up to a year before he
is fully recovered from his ankle injury. Ashton broke his ankle in training
for England in August 2006 and was forced to miss the whole of last season.
He has built up his fitness over the last few weeks and scored his first
Premier League goal for 18 months in the 3-0 victory over Middlesbrough on
Saturday. Ashton is looking to return to top form as quickly as possible but
accepts that it could be a long road back. "There are still improvements I
can make. I feel fit, while you have to play games to get sharpness," he
said in The Sun. "But the ankle is not something that will go away and
players around the country with similar injuries will say the same. "I've
got to work for six months to a year to eradicate that." Ashton added that
he was still confident of having a successful campaign, saying: "I could set
myself targets for the season but I expect to score in every game. That is
the aim."
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West Ham midfielder to return against former club - Daily Mail
Last updated at 12:49pm on 17th September 2007
Scott Parker is expected to be fit to face former club Newcastle United on
Sunday. The midfielder is yet to make his debut for the club after injuring
his knee in the summer and was again missing in the 3-0 win against
Middlesbrough. But he has shown no ill-effects since returning to training
and manager Alan Curbishley is set to include him in his squad for the trip
to Tyneside.
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£7.5millin Giles Swoop - The Sunday People
West Ham United expect to sign Derby County whizkid Giles Barnes in January
after agreeing a £7.5million fee. The Rams are resigned to losing midfielder
Barnes, 19, with the Hammers in the driving seat after agreeing on the eve
of last month's transfer deadline to cough up £5.5million with a further
£2million depending on appearances. The move was shelved at the last minute
because of doubts over Barnes short term fitness following an ankle injury .
Spurs are interested but have not come close to the fee Derby County want.
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West Ham to land Derby's Barnes - soccerblg.org
West Ham United are ready to spend big to land Derby County midfielder Giles
Barnes. The People says Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson is prepared to go
as high as £7.5 million for Barnes, whose Dad, Bobby, is a former Upton Park
hero.
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Hammers striker Ashton insists: I'll need a year to get back to full fitness
- Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:11am on 17th September 2007
West Ham striker Dean Ashton believes it could be another year before the
ankle he seriously injured while on England duty, is 100 per cent again.
Ashton, who badly broke the ankle and damaged ligaments in a training ground
collision with Chelsea's Shaun Wright-Phillips before Steve McClaren's first
match as England coach, also wants his international place back, although
next month's European Championship qualifiers will come too soon for the
23-year-old front man. The former Crewe and Norwich striker scored his first
Premiership goal for more than 18 months when he netted the third in West
Ham's 3-0 win over Middlesbrough and said today: "It's been a long, long
time since I scored a Premiership goal so there were a lot of emotions when
that one went in. Even though it was only from three yards out, it meant a
lot."
Ashton has given most of the credit for his return to fitness to freelance
physiotherapist John Green, who has treated him regularly during the year he
was out, but the striker still feels there is more work to be done on the
ankle. "I just need to play games to improve the sharpness but there is more
I can do in terms of the ankle," he said. "It's not something which is just
going to go away, I need to work for anything up to a year before I see that
the ankle is back to where it was. They are only little things but I have to
keep working on it. I still see John Green regularly and work with him."
The big striker also revealed that watching video tapes of him scoring
before he was injured, kept him going through the long months of
recuperation. "I've sat there during those long months out and and watched
videos of me scoring," he said. "Sometimes it's the only way to keep
yourself going. "I've watched the 2006 FA Cup Final against Liverpool where
I managed to score and however painful it was to lose, I was really proud of
the team and myself in that game. I'll probably keep on watching it."
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley, meanwhile, admitted it would have been
easy to have put Ashton back into his team before he was ready. "I've been
as desperate as everyone else to have Dean back but you can't force the
issue," said Curbishley. "People wanted to see him back into the team but we
knew the worst thing we could have done was to have rushed it. Now he has to
keep going."
The only problem for Curbishley following the victory over Middlesbrough, is
that he may have to wait a little longer before seeing Ashton and Craig
Bellamy develop their striking partnership. The Welsh international limped
off early in the match with a groin problem and Curbishley said: "I have £20
million of players out at the moment and now Craig Bellamy may be joining
them so I'm pleased we have the points on the board. "After the helter
skelter of the last few seasons, we need a nice solid season this time
around."
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West Ham United 3, Middlesbrough 0
Sep 17 2007
by Jack Pickering, The Journal
THE summer departure of strikers Mark Viduka and Yakubu may return to haunt
Middlesbrough this season. The task of replacing the 35 goals the duo scored
between them last season has seemingly not been solved. Now the loss of
Jeremie Aliadiere for six weeks with a hamstring injury – even though the
Frenchman has yet to score for the Teessiders – will increase Boro's
problems. They had chances to silence the Hammers at Upton Park on Saturday,
but all went begging. The biggest culprit was Tunçay, who replaced Aliadiere
on the half hour. The Turkish international should have scored a second half
hat-trick, but his finishing was poor. Even when they were winning two weeks
ago, Boro failed to score their fair share of goals. They battered
Birmingham City at the Riverside but had to settle for a 2-0 win when it
should have been six or seven. But manager Gareth Southgate said: "You would
worry if we were not creating chances, but we created plenty at West Ham. "I
felt we shaded the first half and had good chances before half-time. Then we
had more chances to score, after they scored. If we had scored first it
would have been a different game. We had the best chances but we lost 3-0."
Midfielder Julio Arca called on his Middlesbrough team-mates to learn
lessons from the defeat, insisting Boro must concentrate more if they are to
win Saturday's Tees-Wear derby against Sunderland. Arca said: "We lost
concentration in the second half. We have been winning and we have been
playing well but we lost concentration for a spell and it cost us. "We
created chances but didn't score and in this league that's got to happen.
This was a punch in the face and we have to learn from it."
It's evident Boro will be relying heavily on Mido. The big Egyptian was
prominent in the first half, and set up a great chance for Aliadiere which
the Frenchman failed to take, striking the right hand post. In the second
half he was never in the action. It was left to Tunçay to get on the end of
Boro's chances, and he wasted all of them. But it was not just about missed
chances. Boro paid a big price for their 15 minutes of madness at the start
of the second half, when they shipped three goals with dreadful defending.
Boro had edged the first period. They came out for the second but were left
waiting for several minutes before the Hammers emerged.
Clearly West Ham had received a half-time rollicking from Alan Curbishley.
The manager's words paid dividends, because the Hammers took the lead within
30 seconds. Boro were ripped apart by a move which ended with Lee Bowyer
going clear to receive a through ball from Carlton Cole before rifling it
into the bottom right-hand corner. Five minutes later Boro right-back Luke
Young stretched to divert a Cole cross past Mark Schwarzer and the rout was
completed when Boro were ripped to shreds down their right as Matthew
Etherington crossed for Dean Ashton to poke the ball home. Southgate said:
"We were strong throughout the first half, after we weathered an early spell
of pressure. We talked about staying strong in the second half but two goals
in five minutes or whatever finished the game off effectively. "We didn't
defend very well but what we don't do is criticise everybody in the dressing
room afterwards. Players know what went wrong and they are disappointed."
Southgate will have to replace Aliadiere for the visit of Sunderland to the
Riverside. He said: "Aliadiere has a hamstring injury. We don't know how
long he will be out. But Tunçay came on and did well. That's as good as
Tunçay has played. We want him to find that goal. It will give him a
fantastic lift. He was one of our bright points. Forwards will get chances
but we didn't lose the game because of them."
WEST HAM: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, McCartney, Bowyer, Mullins, Noble,
Etherington (Boa Morte 78), Bellamy (Cole 26), Ashton (Ljungberg 81). Subs
(not used): Wright, Gabbidon.
Booked: McCartney, Ljungberg.
Goals: Bowyer 46, Young 51 og, Ashton 62.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Young, Woodgate, Wheater, Taylor (Davies 83),
Boateng, Rochemback (O'Neil 68), Arca, Downing, Aliadiere (Sanli 30), Mido.
Subs (not used): Jones, Lee.
Booked: Sanli.
Attendance: 34,351
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent).
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Ashton Key To West Ham Ambitions - squarefootball.com
Hugh Larkin
17/09/2007 09:00:00.
"While Alan Curbishley was spending big time last season to keep the Hammers
up he could only have dreamt of what kind of damage Ashton could have done
playing in tandem with Carlos Tevez"
It was only a coincidence but there is something symbolic that West Ham
moved into 5th spot in the Premiership on the same day that Dean Ashton
scored his first goal since the 2006 FA Cup Final. The former Crewe striker
is the kind of player who can give teams an edge in the congested middle
ranks of the Premiership.
That might be a big statement about a player who has only appeared 20 times
for the Hammers but in his short time at the club he impressed most good
judges and his injury denied him early England recognition.
The broken ankle he suffered was severe enough to wipe out the whole 2006/07
campaign and the Hammers certainly missed his influence on the park.
Ashton had an excellent scoring record at Crewe and bagged a respectable 17
in 44 games for Norwich but it's not just goals that make him a hot
property. He has strength and an eye for goal but his real value is as a
creator as well as goalscorer.
At 6 foot 2 inches the Hammers No 9 can mix it with central defenders and
make a decent fist of the aerial battle. He's made it clear that he'd like
the central target man role with England ahead of Emile Heskey and Peter
Crouch.
The player developed good habits like so many others at Crewe and he made an
outstanding contribution with his vision and ability to knit the play
together, as well as performing the striker's normal task of leading the
line. Ashton looks after the ball and keeps his head up- vital traits in the
hurly burly of the Premiership.
Ironically, the player he probably resembles most is Teddy Sheringham who
was ending his top flight career with West Ham when Ashton arrived at Upton
Park. Both played in the 2006 FA Cup Final.
While Alan Curbishley was spending big time last season to keep the Hammers
up he could only have dreamt of what kind of damage Ashton could have done
playing in tandem with Carlos Tevez.
As it is, the Swindon's man's return to fitness has done much to plug the
hole left by the Argentine. Naturally he's taken time to get back to match
sharpness but Saturday's game with Middlesbrough showed that he's almost
back to his best- the goal was a sharply taken predator's effort.
When Curbishley bought Craig Bellamy he surely had in mind the speedy
Welshmen playing off Ashton's touches and ability to hold the ball up. The
striker can also ease Lee Bowyer and Mark Noble through from the midfield.
West Ham have spent heavily to push the team up the table but they are
highly unlikely to be able to crack the top four places this season.
However, they do have a good chance of topping the pack of clubs chasing the
European slot for 5th ( and probably 6th too if past campaigns are a guide).
Hammers fans will be hoping that the goal against Boro was an indication of
things to come. If Dean Ashton can get near to the form he showed before his
injury West Ham are going to be a major test for most defences. It might be
another boost for Steve McClaren too.
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West Ham agree £7.5 million fee for midfielder - all3points.com
17th September 2007
By Staff Writer
West Ham have agreed a fee of £7.5 million for Derby midfielder Giles Barnes
according to reports over the weekend. The Sunday People claims that Barnes
will move to West Ham in January after the two clubs agreed a fee for the
midfielder. The Hammers were close to sealing a last minute deal for Barnes
on the final day of the last transfer window but that move was put on hold
following concerns about the winger's short term fitness.
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West Ham to offer £7.5M for Derby's Barnes
tribalfooball.com - September 17, 2007
West Ham United are ready to spend big to land Derby County midfielder Giles
Barnes. The People says Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson is prepared to go
as high as £7.5 million for Barnes, whose Dad, Bobby, is a former Upton Park
hero.
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