Three games in a week may lead to changes but George McCartney is happy to
keep playing
15.01.2008
George McCartney is the only player to have featured in every single one of
West Ham United's 26 games this season and the defender is eager to keep
that run going against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
"There's no chance of me asking for a rest," he said about the FA Cup
third-round replay at the City of Manchester Stadium, which could see
manager Alan Curbishley make some changes - especially with a league game
against the same opposition four days later. "It has been a long season so
far and I have played every game but I will be happy come the end of the
season if I have played every game from now until the end as well."
The Northern Irish international said he did not expect the manager to
change things around too much although was aware that several players are
coming back into contention - particularly defensive colleagues like Danny
Gabbidon, James Collins and Lucas Neill. "I think he will keep the same team
if he can," he said. "It is going to be a tough game. I don't mind playing
every game. I just want to be part of playing as many games as I can and
doing my best. It is nice to have competition for places."
The left-back has not just been a constant this season, he has been
consistent with it. He turned in another reliable display last Saturday, on
his 100th Premier League outing, as the team battled back gamely from
conceding an early goal to win 2-1 against Fulham. "Having beaten Manchester
United at home [on 29 December], it would have been disappointing not to
beat Fulham," he recalled. "It wasn't the best of starts but we picked up as
the game went on and got the three points at the end of the day - that's the
most important thing."
The No3 was particularly pleased to have fit-again Matthew Etherington back
in front of him, as he did for the first cup meeting with City on 5 January.
"Me and Matty have a very good understanding," he said. "He is probably the
only real out and out winger we have at the club. You give him the ball and
he will just run at the full-back. He makes a big difference to the team
because he is always creating chances and scoring the odd goal here and
there. It was important to get him back in the team."
Another player that McCartney has been happy to have around is French
international Julien Faubert following his late cameo on Saturday. The
26-year-old has been more than impressed with what he has seen at close hand
in recent weeks. "He has looked very good. Obviously he had a real bad
injury, he has come back from that and he looks sharp in training. I am sure
he will give the fans what they have been waiting for."
As a left-back, McCartney knows all about dealing with right-sided attackers
but has not had to come up against his speedy team-mate too much on the
training ground. "Thankfully Julien has been on my team so I haven't really
had to deal with that pace yet," he said with a smile. "I will just leave it
to the left-back on the other side to worry about that."
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Always look on the bright side of life… - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
By: Tony Watson
If you had said at the start of the season that in mid January that we would
have been 8 points above Spurs I would have been very happy. However, to be
above them with the setbacks we have faced shows just what a great job Curbs
and co are doing.
I love our tradition of free flowing attacking football, however, this
season that football has faded and that is down to our extensive injury list
that at one point left us with just 16 players fit (that's the basic 11
players and 5 subs) if that isn't down to the bare bones I don't know what
is. To our credit we have weathered the storm and slowly but surely our
injuries are coming back with the team in a healthy looking 10th place.
Is their a point to any of the above? Well, yes. I find it astounding that a
lot of supporters still appear to seem sceptical. On the terraces there is
still a kind of negative feeling about Curbs, Do you know what I mean? The
crowd still doesn't seem to have warmed to him. Yet the man has done a great
job in steering us out of relegation and now in mid January we are in
touching distance of an UEFA cup spot and he has done all that with near
enough our second string playing staff.
Carlton Cole has been our main striker this season, yet by choice he would
have been 4th in the pecking order. Jonathan Spector is our second choice
right back, yet he has played in centre midfield more than what he has
played in his normal position, and then there is Pantsil (he's better than
Kaka) he has played right midfield and as done an OK job there despite again
being played out of position - So with what we have had we have done well
and Curbs deserves a bit more credit than he is getting. At times the
football has been mundane but when we have been in the position we have been
in this season we just have to grit our teeth and grind out them results.
Don't get me wrong, I'm of the opinion that Curbishley will not be able to
take us on to the next level but he has stabilised the ship and we finds
ourselves with the best points tally that we have had at this stage of the
season since our return to the premiership and to be able to manage that
with the problems we have had is an absolute credit.
Another big plus this season has been Nobby Solano, I didn't realise just
how good he was when he was up at the Toon. I thought he would be a poor
signing but he has turned out to have been a shrewd bit of business on Curbs
part. He has been without doubt our most creative player this season, it's a
shame he is knocking on a bit, he would have been an even better signing a
few years ago.
I really believe we can achieve a top 8 finish if we get everyone fit,
Bellamy and Ashton will be a great partnership, they're like chalk and
cheese which is normally a good thing when it comes to strikers. It's hard
not to imagine where we could have been in the table had those two figured
upfront together a bit more often this season.
Finally, popular belief seems to be that there will not be any activity on
West Ham's part in this transfer window (probably a wise move) but I along
with a lot of other people it seems think that we need to shift a bit of
deadwood in the summer (Davenport, Quashie, Dailly etc). Another priority
has to be bringing in players that will improve the starting 11 if we are to
push on next season.
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Leicester reject West Ham offer for Mattock
tribalfootball.com - January 15, 2008
West Ham United have made an offer for Leicester City left-back Joe Mattock.
The Sun says the Hammers had a £1.5 million bid for the England U21
international rejected.
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West Ham bid for Ipswich's Haynes
tribalfootball.com - January 15, 2008
West Ham United are moving for Ipswich starlet Danny Haynes. Upton Park boss
Alan Curbishley last night had a £1.5million offer turned down by the
Championship outfit, says The Sun. The Hammers are willing to go to £3m for
the winger, 19. But Tractor Boys chief Jim Magilton insisted: "Danny is not
going anywhere."
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PSV chief Valckx in frame for West Ham job
tribalfooball.com - January 15, 2008
Stan Valckx, the PSV Eindhoven technical manager, watched West Ham United's
2-1 victory against Fulham on Saturday. The 44-year-old former Holland
defender is among the candidates to become the club's technical director,
says The Times.
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West Ham Want Haynes? - TWTD
Tuesday 15 Jan 2008 09:00:08 by Phil
West Ham United are ready to pay up to £3 million for Town's Danny Haynes,
according to a tabloid report this morning. Claims of Hammers interest in
the 19-year-old first surfaced earlier in the month. Alan Curbishley is
reported to have had a £1.5 million offer turned down by the Blues but is
said to be willing to pay up to £3 million for the striker or midfielder,
who has also been linked with Everton, Wigan and Birmingham this season. At
the weekend, Town boss Jim Magilton said he was unwilling to sell the
England U19 international: "Danny's not going anywhere."
In October, Haynes signed a contract which will keep him with the Blues
until 2010. Elsewhere, academy striker Liam Barrett has completed his
permanent move to Ryman League side Bury Town having left the Town youth
set-up before Christmas. Town winger Jaime Peters has failed to land the
Canadian U20 Player of the Year award. Peters was amongst those nominated,
but lost out to Portsmouth keeper Asmir Begovic.
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Speculation increases over Haynes - Gazette News
By Matt Plummer
Comment
SPECULATION over the future of Ipswich Town's Danny Haynes intensified today
after reports claimed he was heading to West Ham. An article in a national
newspaper this morning stated that the Hammers have had a £1.5 million bid
rejected by the Coca-Cola Championship outfit. Alan Curbishley's side will
reportedly up their offer to £3 million, but Town boss Jim Magilton has
previously stated that he is not prepared to sell prize asset Haynes.
Magilton was quizzed about Haynes' future at the weekend and said: "Danny's
not going anywhere."
Haynes has previously been linked with Everton.
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Theo Walcott Coming on Loan? - West Ham Till I Die
According to one of our readers, he's seen this on a West Ham site…
Theo Walcott could be making the short move across London from Arsenal to
West Ham on loan for the rest of the season. The move could see Walcott in
Alan Curbishley's depleted squad as soon as Sunday's Premier League
encounter with Manchester City.
The only reason I think there might be something in this is because I reckon
if we go after another striker it will be someone on loan. With four
strikers to choose from if they are all fit I just don't think the board
will stump up the required £10 million for another permanent striker without
shipping someone out. Whether Theo Walcott is the answer, though, is to be
doubted. I don't see him as an out and out goalscorer. He rarely makes the
Arsenal starting lineup. We're not their nursery club. I vote no!
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