All the team news and background for Saturday's visit of the champions
28.12.2007
West Ham United v Manchester United
Barclays Premier League
3pm
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
WHUTV - Full audio commentary, plus see Alan Curbishley's pre-match press
conference, along with a review of the year by Tony Gale and Tony Cottee.
You can also check out the Premier Class Search channel as well to relive
last season's two memorable games with United.
Team news
Anton Ferdinand, fit again after a hamstring injury, is in contention for a
starting place after being an unused substitute in the 1-1 draw against
Reading on Boxing Day, although Jonathan Spector has impressed in the last
two games at centre-back alongside Matthew Upson. Carlton Cole and Dean
Ashton could continue in attack, although the former had to come off against
Reading and had been struggling before that game with illness.
Curbishley has also reported positive progress on Julien Faubert, Calum
Davenport, Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington with all back in full
training, although it is thought Saturday's game and the trip to Arsenal on
New Year's Day could be too soon. Danny Gabbidon and James Collins are also
in light training after overcoming groin troubles. Bobby Zamora (knee) and
Craig Bellamy (abdominal strain) are still working hard with their
respective rehabilitations.
United have Ji-sung Park fit again after nine months out with a knee injury.
Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to continue with Tomasz Kuszczak in goal because
of Edwin van der Sar's groin injury. Owen Hargreaves is also available after
a back problem. Patrice Evra, Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs and Anderson were
rested for the 4-0 victory at Sunderland on 26 December. Sir Alex also
expects Wayne Rooney, who struck his first goal in that midweek win since an
ankle injury, to get back in the scoring groove.
Background
Having memorably won both games against Manchester United 1-0 last season,
the Hammers are hopeful of repeating the trick this time around. The Boleyn
Ground fixture on 17 December 2006 was Curbishley's first game in charge and
saw Nigel Reo-Coker score a 75th-minute winner.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Spector, Ferdinand, Collins, Konchesky, Bowyer,
Reo-Coker, Mullins (Benayoun 71), Etherington (McCartney 77), Harewood,
Zamora (Sheringham 59)
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze (Park 88),
Ronaldo, Carrick (O'Shea 84), Scholes, Giggs (Solskjaer 73), Rooney, Saha.
Curbishley's current side are in fine league form, with four wins and four
draws from the last ten fixtures. The only two reverses came against strong
opposition in the form of Chelsea and Everton, while the club have taken
four points from their last two fixtures. A 2-1 win at Middlesbrough last
Saturday was followed by the draw against Reading.
The Hammers have still not lost in all nine league games this season when
they have taken the lead while the Boro success was the first comeback win
of the campaign. Victory could take the club up to ninth in the table with
Blackburn Rovers not playing until Sunday's trip to Derby County. Leaders
United are out to end the year as they started it - in first place. The Red
Devils have won their last two away fixtures without conceding - namely the
4-0 and 1-0 successes at Sunderland and Liverpool.
George McCartney is bidding to make his 23rd appearance this season in all
competitions - and is the only West Ham United player who has featured in
every game to date, starting in each one. In terms of the Premier League,
only Robert Green and Upson have played every minute of the 18 matches.
Ashton, with five goals, is the club's leading scorer in all competitions.
Ronaldo is United's leading marksman this season, with 17 goals, of which 12
have come in the top flight.
As a teenage prospect, Jonathan Spector made three appearances for United
between 2003 and 2006. United have three players hoping to play against
their former club in the shape of Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and, of
course, Tevez. Ferdinand played 127 league matches in claret and blue
between 1995 and 2001 after coming through the ranks, while another Academy
graduate Carrick figured in 136 league outings between 1999 and 2004. Tevez
scored seven goals in 26 league games last season, of which he started 19.
Last six league meetings
13 May 2007 - Manchester United 0-1 West Ham United
17 December 2006 - West Ham United 1-0 Manchester United
29 March 2006 - Manchester United 1-0 West Ham United
27 November 2005 - West Ham United 1-2 Manchester United
14 December 2002 - Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United
17 November 2002 - West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United
All-time record v Manchester United (all competitions) - W40 D24 L49
Other Saturday fixtures (all 3pm unless stated)
Birmingham City v Fulham
Chelsea v Newcastle United
Everton v Arsenal (5.15pm)
Portsmouth v Middlesbrough
Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur v Reading
Wigan Athletic v Aston Villa
General information
Please note this game is SOLD OUT. For more information about ticketing,
click here and for details of getting to the Boleyn Ground, click here
Weather: The forecast is for an overcast day in east London with rain
expected. The temperature is set to peak at around 10C.
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Upson keeps level head - WHUFC
Matthew Upson will not get carried away by the prospect of facing Manchester
United
29.12.2007
The arrival of the reigning champions may be seen as the highlight of the
season for most but for Matthew Upson it is just one of 38 big games.
The reliable 28-year-old stalwart of the West Ham United defence will
approach the visit of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and, of course, Carlos
Tevez with the same focus and commitment that he gives to each West Ham
United fixture. "For me, I think every game is a big game - whether or not
you are playing Chelsea or Derby," he said.
"Every game is only worth three points, so they are all the same. The only
thing surrounding Manchester United is there will be a lot more hype because
it is Manchester United. I think it is wrong in a way if players just want
to get up for those kinds of games, because that is not really the bread and
butter of the whole season."
Upson knows the Hammers need to get their home performances going along the
same lines as the impressive away displays - especially if the club wants to
push on from a respectable tenth-placed position at the halfway point of the
season."It is the only thing missing at the moment," the seven-times capped
England defender said.
While last Wednesday's 1-1 home draw against Reading was evidence of the
need for better at the Boleyn Ground, it will not be a case of special
treatment or preparation this afternoon - regardless of the opposition. "We
need to approach every game with the same focus, the same mentality and play
as well and work as hard against Manchester United as what we would have
done against Reading."
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United challenge fires Ferdinand - WHUFC
Anton Ferdinand is hoping to be involved again when Manchester United arrive
28.12.2007
Anton Ferdinand is eager to make his long-awaited comeback against
Manchester United on Saturday having already felt the "buzz" of the Boleyn
Ground this week.
While the Boxing Day draw against Reading may not have set too many pulses
racing following the euphoria of a last-gasp win at Middlesbrough, Ferdinand
was delighted to be involved again in the matchday 16. Even though he did
not get called upon from the bench, his positivity stems from just being in
the frame after a frustrating muscle injury. "The hamstring is better. I am
feeling good and back in contention," he said.
"It is just great to be back involved with the boys, back involved at Upton
Park and getting back out there on the pitch with the fans. Even if it was
just for the warm-up against Reading, the buzz feels good." As a homegrown
talent, Ferdinand is well aware of what the club means to so many and he
took great pleasure in acknowledging the home support on Wednesday.
"I felt good. I got a good reception. To get a little clap from the fans
brings a bit of life back into you. I think this is the longest I have ever
been out, seven or eight weeks. I am just glad to be back in training and
back involved with the team."
Ferdinand began the season as first-choice in central defence alongside
Matthew Upson, having won many plaudits for helping the Hammers survive the
previous campaign and then being key to England reaching the European
Under-21 Championship semi-finals. However, all that progress was halted
when injured towards the end of September and he has been absent since
limping out of the Carling Cup win at Coventry City on 30 October.
Fit again after working hard with the club's medical staff, there would be
no better game to make his comeback than the visit of Manchester United,
with his brother Rio along with former team-mates Michael Carrick and Carlos
Tevez also heading to east London this weekend. In particular, Argentina
superstar Tevez is sure to get a warm welcome and Ferdinand would relish
taking on his old mate.
"You love playing against great players and he is definitely one that you
put in that category. If I do play, I would be looking forward to playing
well against him," he said. That said, do not be fooled into thinking that
Ferdinand would let the pleasantries linger, should he be in action from the
off.
"Saturday is going to be a special occasion but it is about us and not about
them or it being a special day. It is about us and we need to try and do
what we did to them last year." That fixture a year ago was Alan
Curbishley's first in charge and not many gave the Hammers much hope. With
Tevez an unused substitute, the home rearguard - marshalled by Ferdinand and
James Collins - soaked up the pressure before Nigel Reo-Coker slotted in the
only goal.
There have been changes since that memorable match, but Ferdinand says the
togetherness in the camp is a constant - even with many of the first-team
squad havng had to cope with injuries. "The banter and the spirit at this
club is very good," he said. "It never changes and it never will." Proof of
that comes with Ferdinand accepting that Upson and Jonathan Spector - the
two men in possession at centre-back - are both in fine form.
"Spector and Matty played very well [against Reading]. They didn't have a
lot to do but when they did it, they did it well. All I can do is sit tight
and wait for my opportunity. Hopefully when I get that opportunity I will
take it with both hands. I would love to be involved against Manchester
United. All I can do is keep doing well in training."
This time of year is a special for fans with the games coming thick and
fast, but you will not hear Ferdinand moaning about the players having to
spend a lot of time away from loved ones. "That is part of being a
footballer and it happens throughout the English league. We can't complain."
Ferdinand also will not be complaining if he has to sit it out again this
weekend but, should the call come against the champions, he will be ready
and willing to pull on the claret and blue with pride again.
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Tevez takes centre stage again - WHUFC
The return of Carlos Tevez will be a key feature of Saturday's game at the
Boleyn Ground
28.12.2007
Carlos Tevez is sure to get a rapturous response at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday when the Argentina striker returns with Manchester United.
It will be Tevez's first visit since leaving for Old Trafford in the summer,
having played a key role alongside others in West Ham United securing
top-flight status - not least with his goal in the 1-0 away victory against
his future employers on the final day of the campaign. As such, in much the
way Rio Ferdinand has always been greeted positively, he will undoubtedly
get a rousing reception.
"I am sure the West Ham fans are going to show their appreciation," said
Alan Curbishley, recognising that Tevez "ignited something within them" in a
survival fight that brought the best out of the whole squad - for example
Robert Green's match-winning display at Arsenal and Bobby Zamora's
outstanding winner against Everton. He added: "If the fans can find someone
like that, they will support them. I think the biggest attribute he had was
that he kept the crowd [in the run-in]. They were still there and he kept
them.
"The one game that stands out was the Bolton game which if we hadn't won,
would have made the Old Trafford one irrelevant. What stands out is how he
tried to get fit that week. He did everything he could to start that game.
We trained on the Tuesday and that afternoon he phoned up the physio and
said my ankle's sore. He came back in here and had treatment - and on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday he went in the oxygen chamber. He was
desperate to play."
Having done all he could to feature, Tevez showed his appreciation by
scoring from a free-kick and then running to the bench to celebrate with the
medical staff. Of that 3-1 win in the last home game of the season,
Curbishley added: "He was desperate to play, desperate to do well and
desperate to keep us up. That was the game which we had to win to take us
into the last week."
The rest as they say is history and Curbishley will particularly relish a
few quiet words with his former charge again. "No one really got a chance to
say goodbye to him really. We played on the Sunday at Old Trafford and he
turned up here early on Monday morning to pick his stuff up. I was one of
the only people here - he had a smile on his face.
"I had a little chat with him. He was delighted. He felt as if he had
achieved something for us. I had a little bit of an affinity with him. My
brother's married to an Argentinian girl and whenever I had five minutes
with him we talked about Buenos Aires and Argentina."
Although Tevez's early days in east London were problematic because of
injury, Curbishley said he saw nothing but hunger from the 23-year-old
forward. "A month into my arriving at the club, he just decided that he
didn't want to leave, he wanted to tough it out. He was happy at the club
and he was going to do his best to help keep us up and that's how it turned
out.
"What endeared him to the fans was that in actual terms of mileage he didn't
do that much but it was concentrated in a certain area that gives people a
lift - in the final third. For me, his biggest asset was he kept the crowd
up. The way the fans were at the time was that if he was on the team-sheet
we had a chance."
The manager added that Tevez was a popular figure among players, especially
for the way he attacked training and life at Chadwell Heath. "He was trying
all the time in the canteen to mix and everything." As such and because of
his rapid rise in Argentina, Curbishley knew Tevez would have no
difficulties in settling in at Old Trafford, where the lure of Champions
League football proved too much to resist.
"He is playing on a stage which he has had no problem in handling. That
crowd and that arena, because that is what he has been brought up in." His
home may be Old Trafford now rather than the Boleyn Ground, but when Tevez
steps out on to the pitch again on Saturday afternoon, it will be like he
has never been away. At least until kick-off that is.
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Captain's Blog - Confident for champions - WHUFC
In his final column of 2007, the West Ham United skipper has a warm welcome
for Carlos Tevez
28.12.2007
Lucas Neill sees no reason why the Hammers cannot repeat last season's
heroics against Manchester United, featuring Carlos Tevez, and Arsenal over
the coming days, while he also looks back to the Middlesbrough and Reading
games.
I hope that everybody has had a safe and enjoyable Christmas. As you are
probably well aware it's a difficult time as a player to enjoy the festive
season when there are such important games to prepare for in close
succession but it comes with the territory and I wouldn't swap it for the
world.
Our Christmas week started so positive with a fantastic away win at
Middlesbrough. It wasn't the prettiest of games but it was the first time
this season we had fallen behind and produced a comeback to win. It showed
great character and epitomised the unity and spirit in the team. I said last
week this would be a huge result in difficult circumstances and it was
exactly that.
That set us up perfectly for the home game against Reading and after 30
minutes when Reading were reduced to ten men I think both players and
supporters thought a victory looked likely. To finish the game 1-1 was
bitterly disappointing and definitely two points dropped.
I do urge the supporters to stick by us. I understand that our home form is
frustrating but we need the fans more than ever tomorrow to cheer us on to a
result. What better way to get our home form back on track than with the
Upton Park crowd behind us spurring us on to a victory over the Premier
League champions. We did the double over them last season under much more
pressure so why can't we repeat that again this time round?
Tomorrow, I welcome the staff, fans and players of Manchester United and in
particular of course the much-loved Carlos Tevez. I am sure the fans will
give him a deserved warm welcome as will the players, but let's hope that's
the last bit of enjoyment he has for the day!
Here's hoping we start the New Year off with a bang and be the only team to
win not once but twice at the Emirates. Last season was truly amazing when
Bobby Zamora and Robert Green's heroics stunned the Premier League by
getting a historic win against all the odds and injected the belief we
needed that we could beat anyone on our day.
I wish a very Happy New Year to all our supporters, and thank you for your
continued support over the last 12 months. I look forward to continuing our
progress with you in 2008.
Lucas Neill
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West Ham v Man Utd - BBC
Upton Park
Saturday, 29 December
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match
of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is expected to start after
missing two games with a back injury. Striker Carlos Tevez will start
against his former club but keeper Edwin van der Sar (groin) is still out.
West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand is pushing for a starting place after two
months out with a hamstring injury Striker Carlton Cole (illness) should be
fit, while Julien Faubert, Matthew Etherington and Lee Bowyer are back in
training but not yet available.
West Ham (from): Green, Neill, McCartney, Ferdinand, Upson, Ljungberg,
Parker, Mullins, Solano, Ashton, Cole, Wright, Pantsil, Noble, Reid,
Spector, Dailly, Camara.
Man Utd (from): Kuszczak, Heaton, Brown, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique,
Evra, O'Shea, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Anderson, Carrick, Hargreaves, Nani, Giggs,
Park, Rooney, Tevez, Saha.
West Ham boss Alan Cubishley: "The pressure is on Man Utd as they have to
win it. "The fans should be looking forward to seeing some great players,
getting behind us and hoping we can produce the same result as we did last
year when we beat them."
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson on Wayne Rooney: "Strikers do go on
little runs. Against Sunderland it was his first goal for six games, but
his goals have come in waves. "When he got his recent injury, he was out for
nearly a month and since then, he has been gradually getting towards what we
saw of him against Sunderland."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
Manchester United visit West Ham looking for the victory that will guarantee
they go out of 2007 where they came in, on top of the Barclays Premier
League table.
But it's just over a year since United last visited Upton Park, when the
Hammers pulled off their first ever home Premier League victory over the Red
Devils on Alan Curbishley's debut in charge.
Sir Alex Ferguson will not want a repeat of that just two days before his
66th birthday.
Manchester United have won twice as many league games as West Ham this term
(14 to seven), including the last five; the Hammers are striving for a first
win in five on home soil.
Over Christmas, the champions won 2-1 home to Everton and 0-4 away to
Sunderland; the Hammers won 1-2 at Middlesbrough and were held to a 1-1 draw
by Reading at Upton Park.
West Ham have conceded more Premier League goals to Manchester United (49),
than to any other club in the Premier League. That's despite doing the
double with two 1-0 victories last season.
CLUB FORM
WEST HAM UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 9th
Lowest could fall: 11th
1. Only two of their seven league wins have been secured in front of the
home faithful, against Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
2. Need to score once to total 3,000 goals in top-flight football.
3. Their 18 matches this season have produced just 39 goals (23 for, 16
against); at 2.17 it's the lowest goals per game average in the Premier
League.
4. A stronger second half side, with 15 of their 23 league goals scored
after the break (65%).
5. Own the third weakest home form in the highest league with 10 of their 26
points picked up in east London; only Derby (five points) and Middlesbrough
(nine) have poorer form in front of their own supporters.
6. Top six clubs, Manchester City, Arsenal and Everton, are the only ones to
have left Upton Park this season with maximum points.
7. Managed just one league clean sheet at Upton Park; the 3-0 eclipse of
Middlesbrough on 15 September.
8. The New Year's Day fixture is a London derby, away to Arsenal.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 2nd
1. Won 19 of 23 in all competitions, and lost one of 17.
2. The only club to have won 14 Premier League matches this season; but lost
twice as many league games as Arsenal (two to the Gunners' one).
3. Boasting the tightest defence in the highest league; just nine goals
shipped in 19 outings, at one every 190 minutes (three hours nine minutes)
of Premier League football played on average.
4. Won 14 of the last 16 Premier League matches, losing just one of the 16.
5. Kept clean sheets in 10 and failed to score in one of the last 16 league
outings; the blank being the 1-0 loss, away to Bolton on 24 November.
6. Not lost in any league game this term in which they have scored; won 14
and drawn two of 16.
7. Scored first in an unequalled 15 Premier League matches; won 13 and drawn
two.
8. Conceded only two goals in the last 15 minutes of Premier League matches
this term; only Arsenal and Liverpool can match that.
9. Beaten Everton, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Sunderland on
their league travels, and been beaten by Manchester City and Bolton on the
road.
10. The New Year's Day fixture is home to Birmingham.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
WEST HAM UNITED
Dean ASHTON is West Ham's top scorer with five goals.
ASHTON and BOWYER are the Hammers' joint top Premier League marksmen as four
goals a piece.
Robert GREEN has saved all three penalties awarded against the Hammers in
the Premier League this season.
Matthew UPSON and GREEN are the only remaining players to have been on the
field for every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches
this season.
BOWYER is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Leeds, Newcastle
and West Ham).
Nol SOLANO needs a hat-trick to total 50 Premier League goals (Newcastle,
Aston Villa and West Ham).
If selected:-
James COLLINS will be making his 100th career league appearance (Cardiff and
West Ham).
Jonathan SPECTOR will be facing the club where he was a trainee.
If on the field from the outset:-
Hayden MULLINS will be making his 350th career league start (Crystal Palace
and West Ham).
MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano RONALDO is Manchester United's top scorer with 17 goals.
RONALDO is also their leading Premier League marksman with 12, and leads the
race for the Barclays Golden Boot.
RONALDO, who has scored three times in two games and is the only United
scorer in double figures, is a hat-trick shy of 50 Premier League goals -
all for Manchester United.
If selected:-
Darren FLETCHER will be making his 100th Premier League appearance - all for
the Red Devils.
Michael CARRICK, Rio FERDINAND and Carlos TEVEZ will all be facing their
former club; the first two started their professional careers with the
Hammers.
If on the field from the outset:-
Louis SAHA will be making his 50th Premier League start for Manchester
United.
Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th club league start (Manchester United,
Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).
Long term injury, Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start
for Manchester United.
HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester United are one of three clubs West Ham did the double over last
season; Blackburn and Arsenal were the others.
West Ham were one of two clubs to do the double over United last term.
Arsenal was the other.
The victory in this fixture last December was West Ham's first in 12 home
league games against the Red Devils since another 1-0 triumph on 22 April
1992 in the old First Division.
Home and away
League (inc PL): West Ham 36 wins, Man United 45, Draws 23
Prem: West Ham 3 wins, Man United 14, Draws 7
at West Ham only
League (inc PL): West Ham 24 wins, Man United 11, Draws 17
Prem: West Ham 1 win, Man United 4, Draws 7
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
West Ham United 1-0 Manchester United
17 December 2006 - Ref: Phil Dowd
West Ham scorer: Reo-Coker 75
REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)
Premier League referees' table
Mike Dean's 2007-08 Premier League card count
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Curbs - Fans appreciate Tevez - SSN
Hammers boss pays tribute to striker
By Lewis Rutledge Last updated: 28th December 2007
Alan Curbishley expects the West Ham supporters to give Carlos Tevez a good
reception on his return to Upton Park. The likes of Paul Ince, Frank Lampard
and Jermain Defoe have come in for huge amounts of abuse from their former
fans but Curbishley thinks it will be different for Tevez when he turns out
for Manchester United on Saturday. The Argentine was the inspiration behind
West Ham's miraculous escape last season and Curbishley insists he should be
welcomed back with open arms. "We tried as much as we could to keep Carlos
Tevez but it was not to be," said Curbishley. "It will be nice for the
players to see him again and the fans as well. He left us at Old Trafford,
which was a grand occasion and I'm sure the West Ham fans will show their
appreciation. "I think a month after he came here, he had already decided to
tough it out with us, that he was going to stay. "He was happy at the club
and he had decided he was going to do his best to keep us up - which he did.
"Tevez has got that hunger and that's what endeared him to the fans. His
biggest asset for me was that Tevez kept the crowd up, even when we weren't
winning."
Curbishley left Tevez out of the side when he first took over at West Ham
but he admits he was quickly won over by the striker's attitude. "He was
always aggressive in training, not trying to impress, it was just the way he
was," said Curbishley. "There was one game that epitomised his attitude. We
played Bolton and had to win to go into the last week with a chance of
staying up. "On the Tuesday afternoon, he phoned the physio up and said his
ankle was swollen and came back for treatment straight away. "Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday he went into the oxygen chamber because he was that
desperate to play."
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Ferdinand glad to be back - SSN
Defender frustrated by spell on the sidelines
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 28th December 2007
Anton Ferdinand has revealed he is 'buzzing' ahead of his return to West
Ham's first team. The defender has been out of action for two months with a
hamstring injury, but he could make his comeback in Saturday's match with
Manchester United at Upton Park. Ferdinand was named as a substitute in
Boxing Day's draw with Reading and he has admitted he has found his spell on
the sidelines hard to take. "It's been very frustrating," Ferdinand told Sky
Sports News. "It is the longest I have ever been out with an injury and I'm
not one that likes to watch. I get more nervous watching the boys than I do
when I'm playing. "But the time is over for me to sit back and now I'm back
involved and I'm buzzing really."
West Ham have been badly hit by injuries this season and they remain without
the likes of Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert, Matthew Etherington,
Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy for the visit of United. And Ferdinand admits
he feels sympathy for his manager Alan Curbishley, but he has praised the
strength of the Hammers squad who have steered the club to 10th place in the
Premier League despite the ongoing injury woes. "A lot of the players that
are injured now are key players to the team and that is hard for the
manager," Ferdinand added. But credit to the boys that have stepped in. That
shows that the squad has got depth and the players in the squad are good
enough. "To be fair we haven't had a full strength side for a long time, but
they are still doing well and pulling out the results."
Manchester United 4/9, Draw 11/4, West Ham 11/2
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West Ham v Man Utd preview - SSN
Tevez goes back to Upton Park
Last updated: 28th December 2007
Carlos Tevez returns to Upton Park as Manchester United aim to ring in the
New Year top of the Premier League table. Argentine striker Tevez was
instrumental in keeping West Ham United in the top flight last season,
scoring the winner at Old Trafford on the final day of the campaign. He is
expected to receive a hero's welcome on Saturday and will be hoping to be
recalled to the United starting line-up. Tevez was left on the bench for the
Boxing Day stroll at Sunderland and could dislodge either Louis Saha or
Wayne Rooney depending upon how much Sir Alex Ferguson wants to freshen up
his team. The likes of John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Nani were all given
a run-out in the 4-0 success at the Stadium of Light and will hope to keep
their places. But Anderson and Ryan Giggs were both rested for that game,
and could return to the team at the expense of Fletcher and Nani. Owen
Hargreaves has yet to feature over the Christmas period due to a back
complaint, while Gary Neville and Paul Scholes are still sidelined. Edwin
van der Sar is carrying a groin injury, so Tomasz Kuszczak should start in
goal for the third game in a row. Park Ji-sung made his first appearance of
the season as a substitute against Sunderland after a knee injury and is
likely to be involved in some capacity.
West Ham news
West Ham marked Alan Curbishley's first game as manager with victory in this
fixture 12 months ago, but the London club have not won at home since
October. The goalscorer from last season - Nigel Reo-Coker - has left Upton
Park, while Curbishley is missing several members of his current squad.
Midfielders Lee Bowyer (groin), Kieron Dyer (broken leg), Julien Faubert
(Achilles) and Matthew Etherington (groin) are all absent, leaving
Curbishley with little scope to change his team around. The Hammers boss may
have to stick with the XI who started the disappointing 1-1 draw at home to
Reading on Boxing Day. Anton Ferdinand took up a place on the bench against
Reading after a hamstring injury, but Curbishley could continue with Matthew
Upson and former United defender Jonathan Spector in the centre. James
Collins, Daniel Gabbidon and Calum Davenport are still out, while Curbishley
is also short of options in attack. Bobby Zamora (knee) and Craig Bellamy
(stomach) are missing, while Luis Boa Morte has been struggling with a thigh
complaint.
West Ham v Man Utd First Goalscorer: Tevez 5/1
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'I've had bad headlines and I know I've done wrong'
Anton Ferdinand is more concerned with fighting racism than with the party
life, he tells Daniel Taylor
Saturday December 29, 2007
The Guardian
'The best advice Rio has given me is, you have to learn from your mistakes.
If you don't you're a fool.' Photograph: Felix Clay
Anton Ferdinand tells a nice story about a game at Chelsea a couple of years
ago when he was out injured and decided to turn down his ticket in the "posh
seats" to take his chances in the West Ham end. His brother, Rio, once did a
similar thing with Manchester United's fans at Anfield and can remember
Liverpool supporters showering them with urine and coins from the upper
tier. Ferdinand Jr did not have it quite so bad but it was still a tribal,
eye-opening experience - one that ended with him nursing a sore throat
because of all the shouting.
"I could have had a 'complementary' but I wanted to get in the mix and watch
it with the fans," he says, stretching out on a sofa at West Ham's training
ground. "I was joining in the songs, bellowing 'I'm forever blowing
bubbles', hands in the air, shouting for the team, having a go at the ref,
giving it some to the Chelsea fans. They rumbled me and were giving me all
sorts of abuse. I was giving some back and the West Ham fans were loving it.
I just wanted to be a proper fan because that, essentially, is what I am.
People might think I'm something else. But I'm not."
In other words, Ferdinand does not appreciate the image that has attached
itself to him - that he is a bit flash, a bit too cocky for his own good,
and that he is too detached from the normal bloke on the street - with a
collection of fast cars and bling jewellery that, no kidding, could write
off several mortgages around Upton Park.
Those who know him best say it is unfair, and they are probably entitled to
defend him given the prodigious amount of work he does for West Ham's
community schemes and the fact that he is one of the more proactive
campaigners for Kick Racism Out of Football. Ferdinand is one of the
organisation's ambassadors and argues passionately and eloquently that not
enough is being done to educate those countries where prejudice is still
rife.
"If they are truly serious about kicking racism out of the game the
authorities have to start imposing bigger bans," he says, reflecting on his
experiences with the England Under-21s and, specifically, with Germany's
Aaron Hunt, who was charged with using racist language but later had his
two-game ban overturned on appeal. "It can't be right that an international
footballer can call another player a monkey and get away with it. We've
moved on from the days when bananas were thrown at black players, or they
were spat at when they went to take a throw-in, but there is still more to
be done."
Contrary to the Baby Bentley stereotype, he comes across as thoughtful and
reflective, generous with his time and, like his brother, far more grounded
than some realise. Yet, just like Rio again, there are times when he does
himself few favours. This is the man who told his manager, Alan Curbishley,
he was visiting his sick granny on the Isle of Wight when he was actually on
his way to an all-nighter at the Knock Knock nightclub in South Carolina.
Ferdinand was fined two weeks' wages for that one. Then, last month, he
stood trial for actual bodily harm at London's Snaresbrook crown court after
punching someone outside Faces nightclub in Ilford. He was acquitted on the
grounds of self-defence (he claimed he was scared he was going to be mugged
for his £64,000 watch) but the problem is that getting a bad name has always
been easier than losing one.
"I'm not an aggressive person," he says. "You just have to look at my
performances on the pitch to see that. In fact, some people say it is a
failure of mine and that I could do with being more aggressive. But it's not
my way. Even when I've been racially abused I have never reacted in an
aggressive fashion. I've experienced racism from fans and from players. I've
been called a monkey to my face and I didn't react. If someone used those
words where I am from in Peckham they wouldn't get out without getting a
slapping. But that's not my way."
It is not the first time Ferdinand mentions Peckham and it says a lot about
him - and, indeed, his brother - that they still go back whenever they can
to Gisburn House, the block of flats where they were brought up on the
Friary estate, in classic Only Fools and Horses territory. "The only people
who missed Peckham were the Luftwaffe," Del Boy Trotter once declared, but
Ferdinand loved growing up on the estate and playing football on a piece of
concrete known as the Adventure. "People are too quick to run it down," he
says. "You've got Peckham, Brixton and Woolwich and they're easy targets but
I can guarantee the same sort of things happen in Chelsea and Knightsbridge.
People just look for it more in Peckham."
His mum, Janice, and dad, Julian, a tailor and former doorman, encouraged
them to try new things. "I used to love horses and I worked at a stables in
Mottingham," says Ferdinand. "I'm not allowed to ride any more because of
insurance reasons but I'd love to own my own horses one day and start riding
again. I used to do gymnastics as well. And Rio had ballet lessons. He was
13 and I used to copy him at home. It's the sort of thing footballers
slaughter each other for, but it has definitely helped him. Just look at his
balance."
In many ways, Ferdinand is strikingly similar to his older brother, both in
the way they play and their occasional habit of embroiling themselves in
controversy. Rio even has a double-page montage of tabloid headlines -
"Rio's Hotel Rampage", "Rio's Binge" etc - in his autobiography and, to
nobody's great surprise, the England player was organiser-in-chief for
Manchester United's now-infamous Christmas party.
"He has been there and done it, and I suppose he has got the headlines to
prove it," says Anton, seven years Rio's junior. "The best advice he has
given me is that you have to learn from your mistakes. If you don't, he
says, then you're a fool. Which is so true. Everyone's entitled to make
mistakes and, yeah, I have definitely made a few. But I have learned from
them, and I will continue to learn from them. I'm still young. I'm on a
learning curve and, in this line of work, if I make a mistake it's going to
be highlighted and everyone is going to know about it. I've had some bad
headlines as well and I know what I have done wrong. But Rio's right - it's
about learning and making sure you appreciate what you have."
Ferdinand has now recovered from a hamstring strain and hopes to line up
against his brother when United visit Upton Park today. Beyond that, says
the 22-year-old, his ambition is to break into the England side. "It's a
family dream to see me playing alongside Rio," he says. "That's when my mum
and dad can sit down and say, 'Our boys have made it'."
He is proud, he says, to be related to "one of the world's best players" but
it has not always been easy. "I've been compared to Rio all my life and when
I was younger it used to get to me. I'd go to take a throw-in and someone
would shout, 'You'll never be as good as your bro' or 'You're not half the
player he is'. I was 11 or 12 and it would upset me but, looking back, I
think it probably made me a stronger person.
"In football, you have to be strong and do it on your own so maybe it was a
blessing in disguise when he left West Ham for Leeds. I was devastated at
the time. I can remember him coming in one day and telling me that he was
going and it felt like the end of the world. But I'm not in his shadow any
more. I do feel I've made a name for myself now. And I've done it on my
own."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hero Carlos Tevez welcomed at West Ham - The Times
By Clive Tyldesley
Last Updated: 12:30am GMT 29/12/2007
Carlos Tevez will be welcomed back to Upton Park today. Not 'welcomed' like
Jermain Defoe and Frank Lampard are 'welcomed', he will be applauded and
maybe even serenaded. Dirty Den's East End homecoming was happier than that
of some former West Ham players, but Manchester United may not have been
visiting the Boleyn Ground at all this afternoon if it wasn't for Tevez.
Fans don't forget things like that. Well, not at first.
They certainly won't forget it if Tevez scores and celebrates wildly. There
are certain ground rules that returning heroes must follow if they are to
retain a place in the hearts of lost loves. There is no such thing as
undying loyalty in football any more. As one Tottenham supporter said
following Sol Campbell's defection to Arsenal: "We hate him so much now
because we once loved him so much." Joining Manchester United is nearly as
difficult for a West Ham fan to stomach.
Red carpets are not often rolled out for red shirts at Upton Park. Ask Paul
Ince. Or David Beckham, for that matter. But it is a misconception that
'forgiveness' is beyond the supporters there. Rio Ferdinand and Michael
Carrick will be afforded respectful receptions today too. They have done
nothing 'wrong'. Ferdinand once scored for Leeds at West Ham and kept his
feelings to himself. Such 'credits' are set against the 'debits' of jumping
ship. Tevez, the Hammers' Player of the Year last season, still has a
healthy balance on his West Ham account.
The notion that he single-handedly steered them clear of relegation last
spring is harsh on the likes of Mark Noble and Robert Green. But the seven
goals Tevez scored in the closing weeks of the season made the difference.
The fact that they were scored amid headlines questioning his very right to
wear a West Ham shirt just served to make him even more popular. He filled
that shirt with sweat after filling it with shrugs for his first six months
in England. He didn't have to.
This time last year Tevez was a forlorn and forgotten figure on the West Ham
bench. His travelling companion, Javier Mascherano, was tunnelling out,
while Bobby Zamora and Marlon Harewood were keeping him out. I remember
seeing him looking lost and bemused during a conversation with an
interpreter before the 6-0 hiding at Reading on New Year's Day. Tevez didn't
even get on that afternoon. It wasn't until the end of February that he
really got his chance.
Good advice has not been a feature of Tevez's career, so one can only assume
that the hunger and commitment he gave to the relegation dogfight came from
within. He didn't ask for a transfer and has never said a bad word about
West Ham, two cardinal rules that Defoe and Lampard broke. The fact that
Tevez mysteriously turned up at the Manchester United end-of-season
celebration party will be overlooked at five to three this afternoon.
advertisementFootball fans are like starry-eyed lovers. There is little
rhyme or reason behind our feelings, but we can't help ourselves from
venting them openly. Campbell has recently made an issue of the plummeting
depth of the abuse suffered by players. Banter has given way to bile. The
lyrics of the song that greeted Defoe as a Spurs substitute at Upton Park
last month could not be reproduced in this or any other publication. And yet
they were sung to the rafters by man and boy.
Joe Cole's gleeful celebration after scoring the winner against West Ham
recently was viewed as an act of intimidation by some. It was directly in
front of Chelsea fans, at the opposite end from the visitors' section, but
it was still out of order. When Peter Brabrook, the West Ham winger of the
1960s, required replacement knee surgery that he couldn't afford recently,
his former protege, Cole, paid for it. Good deeds, bad form, they all count
for and against an ex-player's acceptability rating, but he never knows
exactly where it stands until he runs out in front of old admirers.
The Upton Park jury will almost certainly return a verdict of 'not guilty'
when Tevez appears before them today. The West Ham fans will applaud him,
and he will clap back. He should enjoy the moment, but be wary. Two years
ago Steve Bruce gratefully recognised the appreciation of visiting United
fans and was roundly criticised by a large number of Birmingham supporters
for fraternising with the enemy. Pleasing all of the people, all of the time
is not an option in football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tevez: I won't celebrate if I score today - This Is London
Last updated at 10:13am on 29.12.07
Carlos Tevez, whose goals kept West Ham in the Barclays Premiership last
season, will get a hero's welcome at Upton Park today and says he will not
celebrate if he scores. The Manchester United striker will lead the attack
for the champions, the first time in his career that he has faced a former
club.
West Ham supporters are known for their ferocious reaction to former
players, especially Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Paul Ince, who also left for
Old Trafford, but such hostilities will not extend to Tevez. The Argentine,
who joined United on loan in the summer after ending his West Ham contract,
told Sportsmail: "I am a Manchester United player and my heart is here, but
I will never forget the treatment from the West Ham fans and I will not
celebrate if I score. How can I? "This is a strange feeling for me, going
back to my old club. It is the first time in my career that this has
happened and I am not sure how I will feel. Manchester United and their fans
have made me feel at home. I want to stay for a long time, possibly for the
rest of my career, but I will always have a place for West Ham and their
supporters in my heart."
After a Premier League investigation into his thirdparty loan transfer to
English football, Tevez was allowed to continue playing for West Ham despite
objections from relegation rivals, especially Sheffield United. He
subsequently scored the goals that saved the club, including the winner on
the last day of the season at Manchester United. Tevez is idolised by West
Ham supporters for scoring seven goals in the run-in, but has settled
quickly at United after his transfer was delayed by red tape and the Upton
Park board dragging their heels. It threatened his dream move but there is
no bitterness. The striker said: "The club stayed up and I am happy for the
part I could play in that. West Ham beat United twice last season, both 1-0.
I'm not sure that will be the case this time! "I hope the West Ham fans
welcome me and understand why I had to leave. I will not forget them, their
knowledge and their passion. I hope they will have a good season, even if I
hope for three points for United from this game. "It is a different West
Ham. Myself, Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun are not there, so they
play in a different way. I never had the chance to play with Dean Ashton,
because he was out injured. I am certain they will not struggle like last
season and I wish them well. "I have different challenges now, but I will
forever remember the great support from West Ham fans. They never doubted
me, showed me great respect and believed in me. "Things have been going very
well for me at United, and since I first saw the fixtures I have been
looking forward to this game at Upton Park."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Curbishley expects a show of gratitude for returning Carlos Tevez - The
Times
West Ham's saviour is back at Upton Park
Gary Jacob, James Ducker
Many former West Ham United players have been verbally abused on their
return to Upton Park. Paul Ince and Frank Lampard will always be guaranteed
a particularly hostile reception, but Carlos Tévez may be spared such a
welcoming committee when he walks out for Manchester United today. On what
will be an afternoon of reacquaintances - Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick
will also return - only one homecoming will really matter.
Like many before him, Tévez had the temerity to leave the East London club
but, in his case, only after playing a huge role in rescuing the team from
relegation, a cause that culminated with the Argentina forward scoring at
Old Trafford on the final day of last season to keep West Ham in the top
flight. Soon after, he was entangled in a complex and protracted transfer
saga, which required a legion of lawyers and ended in his move to United,
but despite his departure, a debt of gratitude remains among many at Upton
Park.
"Tévez ignited something, he had the hunger, that will always endear him,"
Alan Curbishley, who began his tenure as manager at West Ham a year ago with
victory against United, said. "I'm sure the fans will show their
appreciation."
There were emotional scenes in the dressing-room at Old Trafford in May, but
the next morning, Tévez emptied his locker at West Ham's training ground in
Essex, where Curbishley was among the few staff present. "He turned up here
in an outrageous tracksuit which he was never shy in wearing," Curbishley
said. "It was a little pink number, which was not that flattering. But he
had a smile on his face. I had a little chat with him - he was delighted
with what he had helped the club achieve. That was it.
Ferguson dreads presence of title pursuers
"It will be nice for the players and fans to see him again. He left us at a
grand occasion, we said some goodbyes at the airport, but he disappeared the
next morning and no one got a chance to properly say goodbye to him."
Eight months earlier, his contentious arrival at West Ham, along with that
of Javier Mascherano, his Argentina teammate, had had an unsettling effect
on the club and also led to a fine of £5.5 million for breaking Premier
League transfer rules. He failed to score in his first 19 games for the
club, but ended the campaign with seven goals, which were largely
responsible for West Ham winning seven of their last nine matches and
climbing from ten points adrift of safety to ensure their survival.
Always determined and courageous, he spent three days in an oxygen chamber
to be fit for the penultimate match after suffering an ankle injury. "That
moment stood out for me," Curbishley said. "His biggest asset was that he
kept the crowd up, even when we weren't winning. If he was on the
team-sheet, then we had a chance. He concentrated in a certain area in the
final third [of the pitch] that gave people a lift. Suddenly things started
to snowball. One of the big problems with moving to Manchester United is,
can a player handle the stage? [Sir Alex] Ferguson had no problems with
Tévez handling it - because that's what he has been brought up in."
Tévez's performances captured the attention of Ferguson and he twice asked
Curbishley, his friend, about the character of the forward, who has scored
nine goals for United so far this season. "What impressed me the most was
his energy and enthusiasm to play," Ferguson said. "Every time the West Ham
players had the ball, he was on the move. He was fantastic.
When players leave a club and go back, they don't always get the reception
you think they should get. So it will be interesting to see what reception
he gets. There will be a grudging admiration for what he achieved.
"He's strong and brave. You can't kick him out of a game. He gets a few
knocks in games, which is partly due to the fact he's always willing to take
the ball. I'm delighted with the way he has settled here."
Targets
Men who returned to a hostile reception at Upton Park:
Paul Ince Posed for a newspaper photograph in a Manchester United kit - only
he was at West Ham United at the time, prompting "Judas" tag.
Jermain Defoe Asked for a transfer the day after relegation in 2003. Nine
months later, the forward moved to Tottenham Hotspur. The cry became:
"You're just a short Paul Ince."
Glenn Roeder In charge when the club went down in 2003, he claimed he was
called "tumour boy" on his return as manager of Newcastle United three years
later.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham fans will welcome Carlos Tevez back - telegraph
By Tim Rich
Last Updated: 1:52am GMT 29/12/2007
Despite the famous and probably long-gone sense of community in east London,
Upton Park has never given much of a welcome to its lost boys. Jermain Defoe
has been howled down on his return to West Ham with Tottenham, and Frank
Lampard found himself supporting Liverpool rather than West Ham in last
year's FA Cup final. Paul Ince was reviled from the day he left Upton Park
for Manchester United in 1989.
However, when Carlos Tevez steps back on to the Upton Park pitch in a
Manchester United shirt today, they might just offer him a round of
applause. "When players leave a club and go back, they don't always get the
reception you think they deserve," the United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson,
reflected. "But, deep down, they must be really thankful for him, because I
think he kept them up. In a way there will be grudging admiration for what
he achieved at West Ham."
When Ferguson was reminded that his counterpart at West Ham, Alan
Curbishley, had pointed out that their survival, based on seven victories in
their last nine fixtures, was down to others as much as Tevez, Ferguson
replied: "I know what league they would be in if Tevez wasn't there."
Even though Tevez scored the goal at Old Trafford that, combined with
Wigan's win at Sheffield United, guaranteed West Ham's survival, it owed as
much to Bobby Zamora's efforts as to the Argentine.
But for Zamora's goals, West Ham would not have beaten Arsenal or Everton,
and both Zamora and Tevez combined to overcome Blackburn and Middlesbrough.
What is now too often forgotten is that the arrival of Tevez and Javier
Mascherano triggered a steep decline in West Ham's results that saw them
take one point from nine games.
When Tevez was controversially touted around the Premier League by his agent
and 'owner' Kia Joorabchian in the summer of 2006, United were interested,
but withdrew when the complications surrounding his registration emerged,
for which West Ham would be fined £5 million.
Ferguson told friends that, if United had taken on Tevez at the time, the
Premier League "would have relegated us to the Conference", though he did
follow his progress in London. "I thought he was fantastic - we saw him so
many times." Tevez can be a headstrong individual. At Corinthians he was an
Argentine paid vastly more than the Brazilians around him and he became
embroiled in training-ground fights. At West Ham he confessed to being
amazed Alan Pardew had not yet been sacked. He has found Manchester United
an altogether calmer place.
"Before we won the league for the first time, it was difficult for players
coming here, because they were always looked on as the final part of the
jigsaw, the one that was going to win the title for us. Now there are no
concerns about that," Ferguson said.
"Tevez's English is getting better, but he still does communicate mainly
through Carlos Queiroz, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gerard Pique. But he proves
his football intelligence is more important, such as the way he links with
Rooney. Good football brains can react without using the tongue. What Tevez
has shown is great enthusiasm. If he does lose the ball, he is like a
terrier going after it again. He doesn't like making mistakes, which is a
great thing to see in a player. He is a strong lad, a brave lad. You can't
kick him out of a game; he's up and bouncing away, looking for the ball
again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hero Carlos Tevez welcomed at West Ham - Telegraph
By Clive Tyldesley
Last Updated: 12:30am GMT 29/12/2007
Carlos Tevez will be welcomed back to Upton Park today. Not 'welcomed' like
Jermain Defoe and Frank Lampard are 'welcomed', he will be applauded and
maybe even serenaded. Dirty Den's East End homecoming was happier than that
of some former West Ham players, but Manchester United may not have been
visiting the Boleyn Ground at all this afternoon if it wasn't for Tevez.
Fans don't forget things like that. Well, not at first.
They certainly won't forget it if Tevez scores and celebrates wildly. There
are certain ground rules that returning heroes must follow if they are to
retain a place in the hearts of lost loves. There is no such thing as
undying loyalty in football any more. As one Tottenham supporter said
following Sol Campbell's defection to Arsenal: "We hate him so much now
because we once loved him so much." Joining Manchester United is nearly as
difficult for a West Ham fan to stomach.
Red carpets are not often rolled out for red shirts at Upton Park. Ask Paul
Ince. Or David Beckham, for that matter. But it is a misconception that
'forgiveness' is beyond the supporters there. Rio Ferdinand and Michael
Carrick will be afforded respectful receptions today too. They have done
nothing 'wrong'. Ferdinand once scored for Leeds at West Ham and kept his
feelings to himself. Such 'credits' are set against the 'debits' of jumping
ship. Tevez, the Hammers' Player of the Year last season, still has a
healthy balance on his West Ham account.
The notion that he single-handedly steered them clear of relegation last
spring is harsh on the likes of Mark Noble and Robert Green. But the seven
goals Tevez scored in the closing weeks of the season made the difference.
The fact that they were scored amid headlines questioning his very right to
wear a West Ham shirt just served to make him even more popular. He filled
that shirt with sweat after filling it with shrugs for his first six months
in England. He didn't have to.
This time last year Tevez was a forlorn and forgotten figure on the West Ham
bench. His travelling companion, Javier Mascherano, was tunnelling out,
while Bobby Zamora and Marlon Harewood were keeping him out. I remember
seeing him looking lost and bemused during a conversation with an
interpreter before the 6-0 hiding at Reading on New Year's Day. Tevez didn't
even get on that afternoon. It wasn't until the end of February that he
really got his chance.
Good advice has not been a feature of Tevez's career, so one can only assume
that the hunger and commitment he gave to the relegation dogfight came from
within. He didn't ask for a transfer and has never said a bad word about
West Ham, two cardinal rules that Defoe and Lampard broke. The fact that
Tevez mysteriously turned up at the Manchester United end-of-season
celebration party will be overlooked at five to three this afternoon.
Football fans are like starry-eyed lovers. There is little rhyme or reason
behind our feelings, but we can't help ourselves from venting them openly.
Campbell has recently made an issue of the plummeting depth of the abuse
suffered by players. Banter has given way to bile. The lyrics of the song
that greeted Defoe as a Spurs substitute at Upton Park last month could not
be reproduced in this or any other publication. And yet they were sung to
the rafters by man and boy.
Joe Cole's gleeful celebration after scoring the winner against West Ham
recently was viewed as an act of intimidation by some. It was directly in
front of Chelsea fans, at the opposite end from the visitors' section, but
it was still out of order. When Peter Brabrook, the West Ham winger of the
1960s, required replacement knee surgery that he couldn't afford recently,
his former protege, Cole, paid for it. Good deeds, bad form, they all count
for and against an ex-player's acceptability rating, but he never knows
exactly where it stands until he runs out in front of old admirers.
The Upton Park jury will almost certainly return a verdict of 'not guilty'
when Tevez appears before them today. The West Ham fans will applaud him,
and he will clap back. He should enjoy the moment, but be wary. Two years
ago Steve Bruce gratefully recognised the appreciation of visiting United
fans and was roundly criticised by a large number of Birmingham supporters
for fraternising with the enemy. Pleasing all of the people, all of the time
is not an option in football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
You should be nice to Tevez, Ferguson tells Hammers fans
Daniel Taylor
Saturday December 29, 2007
The Guardian
There are not many footballers who leave West Ham United and are rewarded
with a favourable reception when they return to the club but, in the case of
Carlos Tevez, Sir Alex Ferguson believes the Argentinian can buck the trend
at Upton Park today.
Tevez's goals were instrumental in saving West Ham from relegation last
season and, as the striker prepares to face his former club for the first
time since defecting to Manchester United in the summer, Ferguson said he
would be disappointed if there was a hostile reaction from the home
supporters.
"The players we have signed from West Ham don't usually get a good reception
when they go back there," said the United manager. "It's a part of football
we have to accept, that when players go back to their former club they don't
always get the reception you think they should get. And it's one thing we
always pride ourselves on at our club, that if someone has been a great
servant for us they will always get a great ovation when they come back.
"It will be interesting to see what happens with Tevez, though, because the
West Ham fans must be thankful, deep down, for what he did for their club. I
think he kept them up. His performances were fantastic, so the supporters
must have a grudging admiration for what he achieved at the club, even if he
was there for only a short period."
Ferguson's team head for London with a one-point advantage over Arsenal at
the top of the league, seven ahead of Chelsea in third place and nine clear
of Liverpool. Now Ferguson hopes the leaders will benefit from Arsenal and
Chelsea losing players for the African Cup of Nations - in Arsenal's case
Emmanuel Eboué and Kolo Touré, and for Chelsea Mikel John Obi, Didier
Drogba, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou.
"Arsenal and Chelsea are losing players and I hope it will stand in our
favour," said Ferguson, who will be without his goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar
again today. "They can buy players to help them through this period. But
it's not easy. January is difficult because if you're a Champions League
club you want someone who can play in that competition and that is very
difficult because it automatically eliminates 100-odd clubs who have already
played in Europe.
"I certainly don't think the transfer market in January is as good as some
people think but I know some of the other clubs, particularly Chelsea, will
be looking at this window. Chelsea have four players away, whereas Arsenal
are a bit more comfortable because they have only two players away and they
are in a better position than Chelsea in the league."
Along the road to salvation last season West Ham beat Manchester United 1-0
twice in the league, with Tevez scoring at Old Trafford in May.
West Ham, who hope to have Anton Ferdinand fit to face his brother Rio after
a two-month absence with a hamstring injury, lie in 10th place going into
today's game but have won only two of their nine games at home this season.
The Hammers captain, Lucas Neill, urged the club's supporters to stick with
the team.
"What better way to get our home form back on track than with the Upton Park
crowd behind us spurring us on to a victory over the Premier League
champions," the Australian international said. "We did the double over them
last season under much more pressure, so why can't we repeat that again this
time round?" The difference this time around is that Tevez will be playing
for the opposition.
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Tevez: I can't forgive Hammers for blocking move - The Mirror
Exclusive by John Cross 29/12/2007
Carlos Tevez makes an emotional return to his beloved Upton Park today - but
still cannot forgive West Ham for trying to block his dream move to
Manchester United. The Argentine striker is hoping for a "special reunion"
with the West Ham fans who he says he will always hold close to his heart
after an eventful and controversial 12 months at the club. But Tevez is
still upset at the way West Ham's hierarchy tried to stop him from leaving
Upton Park to move to Old Trafford. The deal became the most protracted
transfer of last summer, dragging on for months amid an ugly legal and
contractual dispute between the clubs. "To play at West Ham will be very
special for me," said Tevez who helped the club pull off an unlikely escape
from relegation. "It will be a very special reunion with the fans who I had
a great relationship with. "I lived there for one year and it was like home
for me because the fans were so sensational.
"I hope after everything we went through last season they will give me a
good reception because I feel anything else would be unjust. "I haven't
decided what I will do yet if I score, but it is possible I will not
celebrate out of respect to the West Ham fans. They are incredible. "But my
problems at West Ham was not with the fans but with the directors who
searched for every obstacle to stop me leaving the club. "That was hard for
me because I felt I had done everything for West Ham and yet they would not
let me pursue my dream. I suppose I should be flattered they wanted me to
stay but it was a very hard time for me."
Tevez seemed to be at the centre of every controversy in the Premier League
in 2007. First, he and fellow Argentina World Cup star Javier Mascherano
arrived at West Ham amid great excitement after one of the most amazing
transfer coups in Premier League history. But things quickly went sour for
Mascherano, who was allowed to join Liverpool while Tevez struggled to
recapture his best form as West Ham sunk closer towards relegation under
Alan Curbishley.
West Ham then became embroiled in a bitter legal fight after the Premier
League launched an investigation into third-party ownership of the players.
Tevez's name will always be surrounded by controversy because of the dispute
over his ownership which led to West Ham having the threat of points
deduction hanging over them. But as the dispute reached fever pitch and
became the story of the season, Tevez emerged as West Ham's saviour. He even
scored West Ham's winner at Manchester United on the final day of last
season as they stayed up. "West Ham will always be my club after Manchester
United and Boca Juniors," said Tevez. "I was the saviour of West Ham last
season and now I hope the fans will always remember that I left the club in
a better situation than when I joined. "That will always be important to me
because they could see how much it meant to me to play for the club. "West
Ham will always be a special club for me and that is why it will be so good
to go back there. "But I also know that it will not be easy to gain three
points for Manchester United and so I can't allow my feelings to affect me.
"Now it is my desire to go back to London and as a professional help United
win to stay on top of the Premier League table. "We know we will have to
play at our maximum if we are to beat West Ham."
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Jewell annoyed by Barnes rumours - TeamTalk
Derby boss Paul Jewell has called on Alan Curbishley to end the speculation
linking teenage star Giles Barnes with a move to West Ham. Reports
continually link Barnes with a £5million switch to Upton Park, yet Jewell
has still had no official contact from the London club. That led to Jewell
taking the bull by the horns on Thursday as he telephoned Curbishley to see
if there was any truth in all the rumours. Jewell is now waiting for
Curbishley to return the call as he said: "It's got to the stage where I
called Alan to see if he wants Giles Barnes or not. "It's getting on my
nerves because there's something every few minutes, either on Sky or it's in
the newspapers, yet I haven't heard anything. "Alan hasn't got back to me
yet, so I guess it's newspaper talk or agents being busy because I know him
well enough that he would call me. "The fact is I'm not looking to sell
Giles Barnes, but what I am looking to do is to put all this talk to bed.
"Since the moment I arrived, in fact since the summer because West Ham were
interested then, there's been talk of a deal for Giles, but I know nothing
about it."
It is a distraction Jewell could well do without at a time when his
relegation-threatened squad is stretched to breaking point. Eight players
are out injured for Sunday's Pride Park clash with Blackburn, leaving Jewell
with just 17 available, although Jay McEveley is also struggling through
illness. Jewell, though, is definitely without Stephen Bywater and Stephen
Pearson (both shoulder), Andy Griffin, Rob Earnshaw (both calf), Matt Oakley
(thigh), Andy Todd (back), Claude Davis (knee) and David Jones (groin). It
has led to the recall of striker Jon Macken from his loan spell at Barnsley,
while defender Lewin Nyatanga will follow suit from the same club on January
2. "We've watched Jon and Lewin Nyatanga, all the players on loan," added
Jewell. "With Jon, there was a 24-hour recall, so when Rob Earnshaw picked
up his injury against Liverpool the other day, we had to call him back.
"We've told him that we're so short on bodies he is back in the squad, as
simple as that, and he's in form with three goals in his last two games. "He
didn't have much luck under the previous regime, so I'll have a look at him
and see what happens."
Rooted to the foot of the table and nine points adrift of safety, Jewell
knows Derby's situation is becoming increasingly desperate. "If we're to get
out of this then we need 30 points from somewhere pretty quickly," remarked
Jewell. "Thirty-eight points might do it, so we've to get 30 or 31 points
from somewhere to have half a chance, with only 19 games left. "It means we
need 10 wins from those 19 games, and on current form, we've no chance. "But
you never know in this game, and while there's still a hope we owe it to
ourselves and the supporters to keep fighting."
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Tevez: No goal celebration - The Mirror
By David McDonnell 29/12/2007
Carlos Tevez has revealed he will not celebrate today if he scores for
Manchester United against his former club West Ham. Tevez returns to Upton
Park for the first time since last summer when he left the Hammers to
complete his dream move to play under Sir Alex Ferguson at United. The
Argentina striker almost single-handedly kept West Ham in the Premier League
last season, scoring seven goals in the last 10 games of the season. But
Tevez, who has flourished at Old Trafford with nine goals already this
season, said: "It will feel very odd playing against West Ham. I won't be
able to celebrate if I score against them. "I'll never forget West Ham. They
were the first European club that trusted me. They treated me very well, so
they will always be in my heart.
"I hope I paid them back some of what they gave me. "If we had gone down
last season, it would have been the biggest sadness of my life. Fighting to
stay in the Premier League with West Ham made me stronger, more mature, and
helped me to try to better myself every day."
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Man Utd's Tevez: I won't celebrate scoring against West Ham
tribalfooball.com - December 28, 2007
Carlos Tevez won't celebrate if he scores for Manchester United today
against former club West Ham. He said: "I gave everything for West Ham and
left content I had done all I could for them. "I'm sure the supporters will
appreciate that but I am a United player now and I am a professional. "I
won't think twice about scoring because that's what I'm paid to do. "But I
won't be celebrating as I have such a strong feeling towards the fans and
the club. "The support they gave me is something I'll never forget. During
the first few months in England, my fitness and form was not good but no one
criticised me. I never got any abuse."
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Derby demand answers from West Ham over Barnes bid
tribalfootball.com - December 28, 2007
Derby County boss Paul Jewell is demanding West Ham come clean over their
interest in Giles Barnes. Jewell said: "I have phoned Alan Curbishley and
asked him to clarify their situation. I have had no bids for Giles Barnes.
"If there is any interest from West Ham, I'd expect Curbs to give me a
call."
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Man Utd boss Ferguson: Tevez saved West Ham from drop
tribalfootball.com - December 28, 2007
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has declared Carlos Tevez saved
West Ham from relegation last season. Ferguson said: "Carlos was the one who
turned it round for them. "Others have a different view. I know Alan
Curbishley said it wasn't just Tevez. "But I know what league they would be
in now if Tevez hadn't been there. "Players do not always get the reception
you think they should get when they go back to their old club. "But deep
down, West Ham fans must be really thankful to Carlos so, in a way, there
will be a grudging ovation for him."
Tevez returns to Upton Park for the first time since his summer switch to
Old Trafford with Ferguson's praise and his new tag ringing in his ears.
Ferguson said: "Tevez has shown great enthusiasm. If he does lose the ball,
he's like a Terrier going after it again. "Carlos is a strong lad and a
brave lad. You can't kick him out of a game. He's up and bouncing, looking
for the ball again. "He's got fabulous qualities, the kind people want to
see. "He has a great hunger and desire. And he gets a few knocks in games,
which is partly due to the fact he's always willing to take the ball."
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Curbs: No-one at West Ham had chance to thank Tevez
tribalfooball.com - December 28, 2007
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley admits no-one at the club have had the chance
to say 'thank-you' to Carlos Tevez for his role in saving them from
relegation last season. Tevez returns to Upton Park for the first time today
as Manchester United's new star. And Curbs admits it was the hitman's
attitude as much as his goals that swept the Irons to safety. The Hammers
boss said: "We won at United on the final day of last season and he
disappeared the next morning.
"No one got a chance to say goodbye to him properly. He turned up at the
training ground very early on Monday morning to pick up his training gear. I
was one of the few people there. I was 'lucky' enough to see him in this
outrageous tracksuit which he was never shy of wearing. "It was a little
pink number and he had a huge smile on his face. I had a little chat with
him, Carlos was delighted we had stayed up. And I was pleased for him
because he had demonstrated just how desperate he was to play, how desperate
he was to do well and how desperate he was for West Ham to survive. "The one
game that really epitomised his attitude was against Bolton, as the week
before he was injured at Wigan. On the Tuesday afternoon, he phoned the
physio and said his ankle was swollen and came back for treatment
straightaway. "Wednesday, Thursday and then Friday he went into the oxygen
chamber for hours on end because he was that desperate to play. He scored
from a free-kick - one of two against Bolton - and went straight over to the
physio and jumped all over him.
"That determination demonstrated exactly what his attitude is all about.
Tevez has got that hunger and that's what endeared him to West Ham fans. In
terms of actual mileage he didn't do that much. But he was concentrating on
a defined area and he gave people a lift in the final third, where it
matters most.
"His biggest asset was that he kept the crowd buzzing - even when we weren't
winning. As far as the fans were concerned, if he was on the teamsheet, then
we had a chance. It will be nice for the players to see him again and the
fans, I'm sure, will show him their appreciation - he'll always have mine."
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