All the team news and background for Wednesday night's return fixture at the
City of Manchester Stadium
15.01.2008
FA Cup third round replay
Manchester City v West Ham United
City of Manchester Stadium
Wednesday 16 January
8.05pm
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
WHUTV - Full audio commentary, plus Anton Ferdinand and Mark Noble speak.
Introduction
After a goalless draw at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 5 January - this
return FA Cup meeting of two of the Premier League's form clubs this season
is sure to be a competitive affair. West Ham United, who sit in tenth place
just three places behind their hosts in the top flight, are three-time cup
winners in 1964, 1975 and 1980. The club also played in the 1923 and 2006
finals - the latter being the most memorable in recent history after a 3-3
draw culminated in a 3-1 win by Liverpool on penalties. City lifted the
trophy in 1904, 1934, 1956 and 1969, while they lost out on four occasions
in 1926, 1933, 1955 and 1981.
The winners of this tie, which has to be settled on the night, will go
forward to play at Sheffield United in the fourth round. The match is set
for a 4pm kick-off on Sunday 27 January - seven days after West Ham United
travel to City again - this time for the league return.
Team news
Alan Curbishley is expecting captain Lucas Neill to be fit after a hamstring
injury caused him to miss out on Saturday's 2-1 win home success against
Fulham - although Jonathan Spector did well in his absence at right-back.
James Collins is also eager to play after twice being an unused substitute.
Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora are both back in training but it is thought
the match will be too soon for them, as it will be for Nolberto Solano who
is perhaps a week away.
Julien Faubert will hope to again figure, at least on the bench, after his
debut as a late substitute last weekend. Lee Bowyer and Luis Boa Morte also
appeared in the second half and could put pressure on Freddie Ljungberg, who
particularly excelled against Fulham, and Matthew Etherington. Jonn Pantsil
and Henri Camara are both away at the African Cup of Nations, which gets
under way this Sunday.
Manchester City have playmaker Elano fit again after he missed the first
match because of sickness. The Brazilian played in the 1-0 weekend defeat at
Everton, although midfielder Michael Johnson is still out with an abdominal
problem. Striker Emile Mpenza has been ordered to sit out training for a
week to shake off a hamstring problem. Valeri Bojinov, who played in City's
2-0 win at the Boleyn Ground on the first day of the season, is still out
with a long-term knee problem.
Background
Having memorably won 2-1 at City in the FA Cup en route to the 2005/06
final, West Ham United will hope for similar this time around. Only Danny
Gabbidon, James Collins, Hayden Mullins, Matthew Etherington, Dean Ashton
and Bobby Zamora of the current squad featured in that quarter-final on 20
March 2006, with Ashton scoring both goals in the 41st and 69th minutes. For
City, current players Micah Richards, Richard Dunne, Sun Jihai, Stephen
Ireland, Darius Vassell all featured - with former midfielder Kiki Musampa
scoring their consolation.
The only other FA Cup meeting between the clubs came in the 1997/98 fourth
round, when goals from Eyal Berkovic (28) and Steve Lomas (76) cancelled out
Georgi Kinkladze's 59th-minute opener.
The 2007/08 league season started with City's trip to the Boleyn Ground and
was the first game in charge for new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Rolando
Bianchi (18) and Geovanni (87) scored both goals. That was followed by the
cup encounter ten days ago when neither side could break the deadlock in a
contest that saw Robert Green and Joe Hart excel.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Neill (Spector 46), Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney,
Pantsil, Noble, Mullins (Bowyer 75), Etherington (Reid 69), Ashton, Cole
Subs not used: Wright, Collins
Manchester City: Hart, Onuoha, Dunne, Richards, Ball, Ireland (Etuhu 66),
Corluka, Hamann, Petrov, Castillo (Gelson 72), Vassell (Bianchi 79)
Subs not used: Schmeichel, Garrido
Curbishley's current side are in fine league form, with six wins and four
draws from the last 13 fixtures. The only three reverses came against strong
opposition in the form of Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal.
The Hammers have still not lost in all nine league games this season when
they have taken the lead while three of the last five league games have seen
the side come from behind to win 2-1. George McCartney, who is on four
cautions, is bidding to make his 27th 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 - who celebrates his 28th birthday on Friday - and Upson
have played every minute of the 21 matches. Ashton, with six goals, five in
the league, is the club's leading scorer.
For City, only Martin Petrov has started every top-flight game this season,
although Vedran Corluka has appeared in each fixture. Elano with six goals,
five in the league, is the club's top scorer. The 2-0 win on the opening day
was one of only two away wins in the league this season. Prior to the
Everton reverse, City had not lost in the previous five league games - three
of which had been drawn - since 9 December.
It is at the CIty of Manchester Stadium, where City are particularly
impressive. They have won nine and drawn two of their eleven league games
there this season and conceded just seven goals. Only Manchester United and
Arsenal have a better record. City did lose 2-0 at home to Tottenham
Hotspur, however, in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on 18 December.
Head to head (last six meetings, league unless stated)
5 January 2008 - West Ham United 0-0 Manchester City (FA Cup)
11 August 2007 - West Ham United 0-2 Manchester City
30 December 2006 - West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City
23 September 2006 - Manchester City 2-0 West Ham United
15 April 2006 - West Ham United 1-0 Manchester City
20 March 2006 - Manchester City 1-2 West Ham United (FA Cup)
Overall record v Manchester City (all competitions): W 34, D 13, L 37
Third-round replay fixtures
Wednesday 16 January (all 7.45pm)
Havant and Waterlooville v Swansea City
Hereford United v Tranmere Rovers
Newcastle United v Stoke City
Key FA Cup dates
Fourth round: 26/27 January
Fifth round: 16/17 February
Sixth round: 8/9 March
Semi-finals: 5 April
Final: 17 May (Wembley)
General information
For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to the City of
Manchester Stadium, click here
Weather: The forecast is for rain and a chilly evening in Manchester. The
temperature is set to peak at around 5C.
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Replay gives food for thought - WHUFC
Two trips to Manchester inside five days has left Alan Curbishley with
choices to make over his squad
15.01.2008
Alan Curbishley has plenty to ponder as he considers his options before the
FA Cup replay at Manchester City on Wednesday night.
As in the first meeting between the sides back on 5 January at the Boleyn
Ground, the manager will again be out to treat the competition with the
respect it deserves. That said, he is also conscious that the likes of
Robert Green, Matthew Upson and George McCartney have featured in every one
of the club's 21 league games - with the latter also playing all five cup
games to date as well.
"I have got a bit of thinking to do about the cup game," Curbishley said.
"The back five have played all the football. I will have to look at that."
Also in his thinking will be his confidence that Lucas Neill is available
after hamstring trouble caused him to miss the weekend win against Fulham
while James Collins was again an unused substitute and will be hungry to get
a game.
"I keep going on week in, week out and saying how well the defence have been
doing - not many clubs could have sustained the injury list we have had. We
have been in double figures on a lot of occasions and they have stood firm.
Robert Green, Lucas Neill, Matthew Upson and George McCartney have stayed
quite strong and the other centre-halves have fitted in there."
Mindful of a league trip to the City of Manchester Stadium as well on
Sunday, the manager added: "We are playing them again on Sunday so I have
got to shake it up a bit and see where we come out. We are going to have a
go and we do feel that the cup is a competition we can attack." The prospect
of a fourth-round tie at Sheffield United on 27 January will also give both
sides the incentive to go all out for victory.
Hoping to figure again will be Julien Faubert, with the manager still keen
to take things slowly with a player who had been out for six months before
Saturday's brief run-out but aware also of the potential the winger offers
with his "tremendous pace". He added: "He has been out for a long while but
we will see what this week brings.
"He has joined in training the last couple of weeks and some of the players
hadn't seen him. He's come into training and they have had a good look at
him and they have all been asking 'when's he going to be fit?' It was
probably a little bit too early on Saturday but I decided to give it a go
because I felt if he got 20 minutes he could change the game. I have got to
be a little bit careful with him."
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Man City v West Ham - BBC
Eastlands
Wednesday 16 January
Third round replay
Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
Fourth Round: Winners away to Sheffield United
BBC coverage: Live on BBC One, BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live &
highlights on Match of the Day.
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could be tempted to freshen up
his stuttering side. Michael Johnson (abdominal strain) and Emile Mpenza
(hamstring) are both ruled out through injury.
West Ham captain Lucas Neill is expected to be available after a hamstring
injury. However, Scott Parker (knee), Nolberto Solano (groin), Bobby Zamora
(knee) and Craig Bellamy (abdominal) are all out still out for the Hammers.
BIG-MATCH FACTS
This match will see another Premier League club fall by the wayside. West
Ham and Manchester City drew the original tie 0-0.
West Ham are one of the most successful clubs as far as negotiating the
third round is concerned. They have fallen at this hurdle just four times in
24 years.
Manchester City last met the Hammers in the cup at Eastlands two seasons
ago, when they failed to halt the Eastenders on their way to the final.
The League ladder
Manchester City are three places higher than West Ham in the top half of the
Premier League table.
FA CUP RECORDS AND BEST PERFORMANCES
MANCHESTER CITY
Current form
Defeat away to Everton on Saturday, ended a five-match unbeaten run.
Recent FA Cup performance
Quarter-finalists in each of the last two seasons.
The Manager
Sven-Goran Eriksson has won five domestic cups in three different countries
as a coach. He guided IFK Gothenburg to the Swedish Cup in 1979 and Benfica
to the Portuguese Cup in 1983, as well as winning the Italian Cup with AS
Roma in 1986, Sampdoria in 1994 and Lazio in 1998.
FA Cup fact
It's 39 years since City last won the cup for the fourth time in their
history.
WEST HAM UNITED
Current form
Lost one of the last six (all comps).
Recent FA Cup performance
Not been knocked out in the third round since 1999-2000.
FA Cup fact
The second of West Ham's three cup final winning line-ups in 1975 was the
last to be comprised entirely of English born players.
HEAD to HEAD
All competitions
Manchester City are unbeaten in four meetings with West Ham; won three and
drawn one.
FA Cup
Manchester City have never knocked West Ham out of the FA Cup.
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United we Stan - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
West Ham United are set to announce the appointment of a new technical
director, according to reports. Today's Times claims that the Hammers are
ready to appoint PSV's Stan Valckx as the club's first full time technical
manager. However Valckx - whose full name is Stanislaus Henricus Christina
Valckx - was remaining tight-lipped about the situation when quizzed by Elf
Voetbal last night. "Will I become the new technical director of West Ham?
At this moment that is not the situation," he said, before later admitting
that he was present at West Ham's win over Fulham at the weekend.
West Ham had previously courted Franco Baldini for the role, but the former
Italian international preferred instead to join up with Fabio Capello's
England set-up. 44-year-old former defender Valckx made 20 appearances for
Holland in the 1980s and 1990s and was a member of the squad that appeared
in the 1994 World Cup Finals. During his career he played for the likes of
PSV (twice) and Sporting Lisbon before being hired by PSV as their technical
manager after retiring from the game in 2000.
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Brown: I let Bonzo down - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Former Hammers Chairman Terry Brown has admitted that he let club legend
Billy Bonds down when removing him from his managerial position in 1994.
Brown - who is currently 'persona non grata' at The Boleyn Ground after
being held responsible by the club's new owners for the £5.5m fine incurred
as a result of the Carlos Tevez and Javi Mascherano transfers - reveals in
Brian Belton's new book, 'Brown Out', that he should have approached the
situation differently when offering Bonds the role of General Manager in
1994.
It had been suggested previously that Brown decided to offer Bonds' position
to Harry Redknapp in order to avoid losing the latter, who was said to be
interested in returning to former club Bournemouth.
However Brown claims in the book that it was Peter Storrie, a close
confidante of Redknapp's who was on the board of West Ham at the time who
told him Redknapp was going to return to Bournemouth if not offered Bonds'
position - and that if Redknapp left the club, so would Bonds.
Brown claims to have accepted Storrie's version of events without
approaching either Bonds or Redknapp - and paid the ultimate price when
Bonds resigned after refusing to accept the move 'upstairs' in order to
facilitate the appointment of Redknapp, who the Hammers legend has not
spoken to since.
'Brown Out' goes on sale this weekend at all good bookstores, priced £16.99.
We'll have a full review here on KUMB later this week.
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Magilton: no Haynes bid - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton has refuted claims that West Ham have made
bid for winger Danny Haynes. Some of this morning's papers carried a story
claiming that the Hammers have made a £1.5m bid for the winger, who has been
earning rave reviews for the Suffolk club this season. But Magilton has
dismissed the reports, stating that "we've had no contact at all with West
Ham". Despite this, 19-year-old right-winger Haynes believes he has the
capacity to cope in the top flight. "I think I have showed I have the
ability to play at Premiership level," he said. "Against Portsmouth I coped
with playing against a team from the top level. "But I have learned not to
take any notice of the speculation. It is nice to be linked with Premier
clubs but I'm not taking any notice."
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The Academy: a fan's dream - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 15th January 2008
By: Tross
As a story breaks regarding us showing interest in a young foreign talent so
close to the recent media attention surrounding the failure of the English
national team to qualify to the final stages under Mclaren, I thought I'd
chip in with my first KUMB contribution of the year.
Let's get the easy part out of the way: The whole 'English players vs
Continental counterparts, who gets the chances who doesn't' - has only a
tiny little bit to do with the problems faced by our national team. There
are a lot of English born footballers in the Premier League, which is
certainly the most watched and arguably the best league in the world, who
don't play for their country, have never had a call up, and probably never
will.
Grass roots footballling issues are however hugely responsible for the lack
of development of our young talents. From the time a kid puts on his boots
he is programmed to play at pace in this country, and basic passing and ball
control is sadly sacrificed so that (under 7s) ABC Colts can beat XYZ
Rangers 17-2.
I don't think that our children are born of inferior stock, if that were
true, the Gerrards and Beckhams of this world wouldn't be with us. I do
believe however that to much is coached out of our players rather than
taught to them. There is also a huge problem that so many of us are far to
keen to overlook. Our children are not as hungry as their foreign
counterparts, and that can often be taken quite literally as a statement. I
hear very few stories of young English wanabees hitchiking hundreds of miles
so that they could follow their dream. The sacrifices made by their foreign
counterparts are often much greater, and often their desire to be a
professional footballer is not as intense as the overwhelming majority of
the foreign youth who are available and more willing.
For many of our own poorer kids, who perhaps would emulate the desire of
thier foreign counterparts the opportunity is often hindered by a series of
obstacles; their parents may not drive, or have to work, and so cannot run
them around to training, others sadly cannot be bothered to help little
Johnny to realise his dream or being from a single parent family, Mum or Dad
just do not have the resources available.
Their are also a huge stock of kids who refuse to take responsibility for
themselves in the manner previous generations had. After all, a generation
ago, the only parents that went to watch kids play football were the ones
who were bothered to run the team and wash the kits. It's a scenario
depicted perfectly in self-help guru Ken Blanchard's book "The One Minute
Manager Meets The Monkey". Today the expectation of parents to entertain
their children has never been higher. If you speak to the Redknapps and
Greavsies or Venables of this world, they will freely tell you that all they
did was kick a ball around. With Wiis, PSPs, Gameboys, xBoxes, PC games,
chat rooms, mobiles and a series of activities available to kids, "Ye Olde
Football" doesn't seem to hold the same appeal with todays generation of
kids as it once did. And all too often modern kids do not show the tenacity
required to take that final step.
Although many a West Ham fan will demonstrate little interest in the England
set-up due to the overlooking of Rob Green and the injury incurred by Dean
Ashton, they will no doubt quickly remonstrate and correct you, advising you
that it was in fact their club who won the World Cup for this country in
1966, not England when you talk about the national side in any detail.
Taking into account further that this is "The Academy" of football, the
youth development system of which has heralded millions of pounds-worth of
quality English talent over the years, of all the clubs that should be
leading the way it should be us. Paired with the fact that one of its most
famous sons is an FA Cup winner, former England international and East End
Hero in Sir Trevor Brooking, whom the FA have entrusted with this great
responsibility to improve our game, surely of all of the 92 clubs in our
league, we should be the ones to set an example.
The problem of course is very understandable if you compare the signing or
farming of players and then their development, or refinement if you like to
that of a mineral. In simple terms you can farm a much larger number of
Continental players than you can English players, therefore increasing the
chances of unearthing that gem who will make it to the highest level. The
cost of farming an "average" English player is conservatively estimated to
farming half a dozen of his foreign counterparts. If you take into account
the associated costs for travel and scouts and initial transfer fees and the
like, it really presents a plausible argument against producing "home-grown"
talent at all. If you further take into account The Arsenal's development
policy over the past decade, and their reflected League and financial
status, the argument really does gather pace.
It is therefore more important that ever before that investment into our
Youth Academy is made. It has been very encouraging to see West Ham United's
new Icelandic owners splash the cash (as it were) on improving the team in
line with their five year plan to establish the Hammers as genuine
competitors in the Champions League. How much more of a statement would it
be if an increased and complete overhaul of the investment programme
surrounding the Youth development policy was carried out and not a stone
left unturned as West Ham pioneered a new Academy, building on the fantastic
acheivements of its predecessors. A second-to-none scouting network, and
real support systems put in place to ensure that under priveleged kids with
talent were given the support neccesary to ensure that they too had that
"one shot".
There can be little doubt that for every Nicolas Anelka brought into the
Premier League there has been another Michael Owen who was undiscovered. For
each Makele draughted in, there is another Lampard overlooked (although to
overlook a player of such size a trip to Specsavers should surely be
arranged forthwith). For every Agger, there is another Ferdinand or Terry
who's chance has gone a begging.
In Tony Carr, West Ham have the most respected youth coach in the English
game. I for one would like to see a genuine investment into The Academy, and
for West Ham to buck the trend of buying big, and encouraging the chances of
seeing home grown or acquired youth talent being coached, developed and
breaking through to the Nirvana of the first team.
Mark Noble and Anton Ferdinand are the latest Academy products to break into
that first team at Upton Park, combining to produce the winning goals
against the Fulham and the mighty Manchester United of late.
The West Ham way of playing football is something that this club has become
reknowned for over the years, and the absence of silverware in the trophy
room at Upton Park has been testament to that cause, which ultimately has
seen many of the Academy's finest sons go on to pastures new in an effort to
win silverware and medals in what is generally a lucrative yet short career.
I'd like to see this club build itself as a global brand over the next five
years, but unlike Chelsea who have done it by throwing money at established
and in general foreign players (although they have acquired a number of our
Academy stars of late) or like Arsenal, who are famed for their
French-managed 'Foreign Legion'. I'd like us to be the club that puts
English football and footballers back on the world map.
Some of you may believe that I am a dreamer ... well you would be right. But
the dream of an Academy with a genuine catalyst of the best of young English
talent, being supported, developed and nurtured, is one that I would truly
love to see. More than most I would love to see a West Ham United team made
up soley of players who have come through our Academy win a major honour.
That may to some seem like pie (and mash) in the sky, but for once, it would
be nice to have a dream that didn't fade and die.
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Sven wary of penalties as City prepare for Hammers - Daily Mail
By JEREMY BUTLER - More by this author »
Last updated at 20:52pm on 15th January 2008
Sven Goran Eriksson is dreading another penalty shoot-out in Wednesday's FA
Cup clash with West Ham after admitting the last one was his worst moment in
football. The Manchester City manager is still wounded by England's
quarter-final exit on spot-kicks to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup — the
second time England had gone out of a major tournament on penalties in his
reign. The agony was etched on his face as he talked about the possibility
of a repeat. Eriksson said: "It was my worst defeat ever. It meant
everything with England was finished. "Penalties are not easy and when it's
a World Cup, the distance from the half-way line to the area is a long way.
The player has many thoughts. "If it's on the training ground everyone
scores but it's very different out there and it's all about pressure. Now
it's not the World Cup, it's the FA Cup but it's still very important."
The chances of City beating West Ham in 90 minutes look to have been
improved by the return to form of midfield talisman Elano. Eriksson added:
"After he came back from playing for Brazil in October he wasn't the real
Elano. He got injured, then he got sick so he never trained regularly. But
he's better now."
West Ham striker Dean Ashton is another player returning to form after
injuries and Eriksson added: "I looked at him when I was with England and he
played for the Under 21s. "Today that's Fabio Capello's headache. He looks
good when he's fit. Strong and skilful with both feet."
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Hot Cole Thanks Curbs For Chance - Goal.com
West Ham striker Carlton Cole says he is finally beginning to live up to his
potential and owes it all to Alan Curbishley. The West Ham manager has given
Cole an extended run in the side this season and the grateful striker wants
to ensure he repays his boss' faith in him. "This is the first time ever
I've had 15 games back to back in my whole career," said the 24-year-old,
who has had unproductive spells at Chelsea, Charlton, Aston Villa and
Wolves. "I have never been given a great chance to fulfil my potential,"
added Cole, who has become first choice at the club because of injuries to
Dean Ashton, Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora. "I'm so happy right now and I
couldn't be in a better place, and I'm going to try and do more for the
manager over the coming months."
He will make his 21st appearance of the season when West Ham play Manchester
City away in an FA Cup fourth round replay on Wednesday. It is a crunch tie
for Cole, who believes his team did enough to win the first leg. "It's going
to be vital for us and the club to give everyone a boost," admitted the
striker, clearly aware of the Hammers FA Cup legacy: "I've heard people say
if we can win it could change our season." Whatever happens on Wednesday
night, Cole is committed to continuing the progress he has made under
Curbishley. "I realise I have a chance to fulfil my dream...this is my
chance to establish myself."
Gil Gillespie
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Cole fired up for West Ham - The Independent
By Alex Lowe
Published: 16 January 2008
Carlton Cole's nomadic existence is finally over and the West Ham striker is
determined to repay manager, Alan Curbishley – starting in tonight's FA Cup
third-round replay against Manchester City. Cole found his path blocked at
Chelsea by the arrival of signings like Didier Drogba, and loan moves to
Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa did not work out. Even his early days at
Upton Park brought little more than frustration for the former England
Under-21 as he was restricted to a fringe role. But injuries to Dean Ashton,
Bobby Zamora and Craig Bellamy during the first half of this season, finally
gave Cole the chance to lay roots in the first team. He may have accrued
more yellow cards than goals this season – seven to four – but Cole has
worked tirelessly up front for West Ham, often on his own in front of a
five-man midfield. Tonight at Eastlands, Cole is likely to continue his
burgeoning partnership with Ashton. The two are not naturally suited
together, but began to show signs of a decent understanding in last
Saturday's 2-1 win over Fulham. "This is the first time ever I've had 15
games back to back in my whole career. Curbs has given me the opportunity to
do so. I'm so happy right now and I couldn't be in a better place," Cole
said. "Everyone needs a manager who will stick by them through thick and
thin, and usually players do find that a manager like Curbs is like that.
"Curbs was saying to me after I missed a chance against Fulham: 'Don't
forget what you've done. I know you're disappointed, but you can't let that
affect you. What you've done for the last three months has been good'. "I
took that with a bit of pride. Deano linked up well against Fulham. It's not
been like that in past games, but we were linking up. Right now it's
exciting times for us and hopefully we can progress."
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Matthew Upson eyes England return - Telegraph
By Julian Bennetts
Last Updated: 12:43am GMT 16/01/2008
Matthew Upson is desperate to make up for lost time by forcing himself into
the mind of England manager Fabio Capello, starting with West Ham's FA Cup
third round replay against Manchester City at Eastlands tonight. Upson
picked up seven caps between May 2003 and November 2004 and was named on
standby for Euro 2004. But the 28-year-old has not been considered for
international duty since and is welcoming the Italian's fresh outlook. The
centre-half insists he is in the form of his life and is determined to show
Capello what he can do against Sven-Goran Eriksson's City side, who drew 0-0
at Upton Park 11 days ago. "I've got personal goals I want to get to and
international honours is certainly on that list," Upson said. "It's a level
playing field now, and Capello appears to be a manager who will take
everything at face value. He seems to go on form, so it would be nice to get
a fresh look and emphasis on the set-up. "I think my form's been very
consistent. and I'm working as hard as I've ever worked. I'm as focused as
I've ever been."
Upson is slightly unfortunate that the centre-back position is one of the
few in which England are well stocked, but the former Arsenal and Birmingham
City man is unfazed by the competition. "It would just make my achievement
even greater if I do get into the squad, so whether or not we've got a lot
of good centre-halves it's up to me to produce my best form and be as good
as everyone else," he explained. West Ham striker Carlton Cole admits that
victory, with the winner travelling to Sheffield United in the fourth round,
could transform the season of Alan Curbishley's mid-table side. "The next
game is going to be vital for us and the club as a whole," Cole said. "It
will give everyone a boost."
Eriksson was dismayed at the way the team lost to fellow high-fliers Everton
at Goodison Park at the weekend and is demanding a return to their roots and
a more expansive game. He said: "We have to start playing the football we
are capable of from the first minute against West Ham. It is important we
learn from the Everton game. You have to try to play the right way. We did
not play football. We kicked it long all the time." Eriksson is keen to
bolster his squad, but says he is finding it hard to complete deals during
the transfer window. "We are working on several targets and I hope that we
can do some business in the two weeks left," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eriksson calls for improved showing from 'awful' City
Daniel Taylor
Wednesday January 16, 2008
The Guardian
Sven-Goran Eriksson is demanding an improvement from Manchester City in
tonight's FA Cup third-round replay against West Ham United after what, by
his standards, amounts to some forthright criticism of his team, describing
their last performance as "awful" and accusing certain players of "not
trying".
Eriksson rarely has anything bad to say about his own side but the former
England manager was unhappy with Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Everton and
particularly the frequency with which his players resorted to long punts out
of defence. "We kicked it long 18 times in the first 45 minutes and I have
told the players that's not our style of play," he said. "I told them, 'We
need to play football.' It was awful watching that first half. We didn't
even try."
Famous for never raising his voice in the dressing room, Eriksson's
criticisms could stem from the fact that the club's owner, Thaksin
Shinawatra, was at Goodison Park and made no secret of his own displeasure.
"He had the same opinion as all of us - that it was awful," said Eriksson.
"When I spoke to him the first thing he said was, 'I'm recovering from the
shock'. Nobody liked it and, if you asked the players, they would say the
same. It wasn't one or two or three players, it was all of them."
City have slipped to seventh in the Premier League and, having already been
knocked out of the Carling Cup, they are under pressure for the first time
this season. Eriksson, however, was encouraged by the goalless draw at Upton
Park 11 days ago. "I think we were the better team," he said. His failure to
bring in anyone during the transfer window, apart from the Mexican forward
Nery Castillo, has been a source of frustration to supporters. It has since
become apparent that Shinawatra's funds are not endless but Eriksson still
hopes to do some business.
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Squeeze means no new pay deal for Neill
Matt Scott
Wednesday January 16, 2008
The Guardian
West Ham United this week declared their financial results for 2007 and the
figures, which included a £20m loss, have prompted the club's new board to
insist on a period of fiscal prudence. The owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson,
put his money where that message is with an injection of £30.5m in capital
late last year. But certain players have different ideas about how the club
should spread that wealth. Leading the queue of players to request a pay
rise this month was - some might say inevitably - the captain, Lucas Neill.
On signing for West Ham 12 months ago the Australian insisted financial
considerations had not figured in his chosing the Londoners over Liverpool
but that appears to have changed since he is now not content with his
breathtaking £55,000-a-week salary. Although he is approaching 30 years old
and has been far from being the club's outstanding performer this season,
Neill believes he is owed at least parity with the former Arsenal midfielder
Freddie Ljungberg's £70,000 a week and has asked for a contract extension.
His request was understandably dismissed.
One who is perhaps unlucky to be confronted with the belt-tightening at
Upton Park is the club's No9, Dean Ashton. Having hit eight goals in his 18
Premier League starts during an injury-ravaged career at the Hammers he had
hoped to see his fortunes rise from his £20,000-a-week position this year.
But Neill, Ashton et al have been told that only if they achieve
on-the-pitch success will the money begin to flow again.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CURBISHLEY TAKING TIME OVER FAUBERT
By Jim van Wijk, PA Sport
West Ham's players cannot wait to see more of French winger Julien Faubert -
but manager Alan Curbishley will not rush him back into action too soon. The
£6.1million summer signing from Bordeaux could make only his second
appearance of the campaign in Wednesday night's FA Cup third-round replay at
Manchester City following a ruptured Achilles suffered during pre-season.
However, after seeing the highly-rated French international slowly work his
way back into first-team contention, Curbishley does not want to take any
risks after handing Faubert a brief run-out as a late substitute against
Fulham last weekend.
"He has joined in training the last couple of weeks and some of the players
hadn't seen him," said the West Ham boss. "He's come into training and they
have had a good look at him and they have all been asking 'when's he going
to be fit'?"
Curbishley added on the club's official website, www.whufc.com: "It was
probably a little bit too early on Saturday, but I decided to give it a go
because I felt if he got 20 minutes, he could change the game - but I have
got to be a little bit careful with him." Hammers skipper Lucas Neill is
expected to be available again following a hamstring injury, but Scott
Parker, Nolberto Solano, Bobby Zamora and Wales striker Craig Bellamy are
all still out. In a quirk of the fixture list, the Hammers will play at
Eastlands twice in the space of four days, with their televised Barclays
Premier League encounter coming up this weekend.
Curbishley knows some of his men, particularly in defence, have clocked up
more than their fare share of action this season. While in now way intending
to disrespect the competition which West Ham were minutes away from winning
against Liverpool in 2006, Curbishley - already hampered by a long injury
list - realises something has to give if his team are to avoid burnout.
Curbishley added: "We are playing City again on Sunday, so I have got to
shake it up a bit and see where we come out. "We are going to have a go and
we do feel that the cup is a competition we can attack."
The West Ham boss added: "The back five have played all the football. I will
have to look at that. "I keep going on week in, week out and saying how well
the defence have been doing - not many clubs could have sustained the injury
list we have had. We have been in double figures on a lot of occasions and
they have stood firm."
Meanwhile, Ipswich Town boss Jim Magilton has rubbished rumours linking the
Hammers with a £1.5million bid for England Under-19 forward Danny Haynes
"We have not had any contact from West Ham regarding Danny or any other
player at this football club. There is nothing in it," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PSV chief Valckx coy on West Ham move
tribalfootball.com - January 15, 2008
PSV Eindhoven football chief Stan Valckx is coy about his chances of moving
to West Ham United. "Are people still guessing that I will become the
technical director of West Ham?" he said. "At this moment, that is not the
situation."
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McCartney delighted for West Ham's fit-again Faubert
tribalfooball.com - January 15, 2008
George McCartney is delighted for West Ham teammate Julien Faubert after his
comeback last week. The defender told whufc.com: "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."
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Man City boss Eriksson admits Ashton admiration
tribalfootball.com - January 15, 2008
Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson admits he's a fan of West Ham
striker Dean Ashton ahead of tonight's FA Cup replay. I looked at him when I
was with England and he played for the Under 21s," said the Swede. "Today
that's Fabio Capello's headache. He looks good when he's fit. Strong and
skilful with both feet."
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Cole feels settled at West Ham
tribalfootball.com - January 15, 2008
Carlton Cole feels he's finally putting down roots at West Ham. The nomadic
striker said: "This is the first time ever I've had 15 games back to back in
my whole career. Curbs has given me the opportunity to do so. I'm so happy
right now and I couldn't be in a better place. "Everyone needs a manager who
will stick by them through thick and thin, and usually players do find that
a manager like Curbs is like that. "Curbs was saying to me after I missed a
good chance against Fulham: 'Don't forget what you've done prior to this. I
know you're disappointed you didn't score but you can't let that affect you.
What you've done for the last three months has been good for us'. "I took
that with a bit of pride and I'm going to try and do more for him now in the
coming months. "Deano linked up well against Fulham. It's not been like that
in prior games but we really were linking up. "Right now it's exciting times
for us and hopefully we can progress. That's all we want to do now."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Bellamy fit to face Liverpool
tribalfooball.com - January 15, 2008
Craig Bellamy could return to action for West Ham against his former club
Liverpool at the end of the month. The Wales striker has been out with
abdominal problems for almost three months but is back in full training and
should be available for the home match against Liverpool on 30 January.
Bellamy has been plagued by a persistent stomach injury since the start of
the season, following his £7.5million move. A hernia operation failed to
solve the problem and it looked as though more surgery was required.
However, specialists made a dramatic U-turn just before Bellamy was due to
be admitted to hospital and decided that prolonged rest would be better.
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley said, "It's been a difficult time for Craig
but hopefully he will be back ready in a couple of weeks. He's raring to
go."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The really interesting business begins if West Ham actually do make an offer
for Haynes - footballwriters.com
Tues 15 Jan 08
We may be about to learn just a little bit more about Town's new owner. Not
because Marcus Evans attended the West Brom match at Portman Road on News
Year's Day but because the new regime is about to face its first genuinely
tricky decision. While the club insist there has been no contact from West
Ham over the availability of Danny Haynes, any future offer from the Hammers
could let everyone know just what Mr Evans' intentions are for the Blues.
The £3m price tag that seems to have been set for the England Under-19
international is reasonable but just what would it cost Town's promotion
prospects?
If Evans has designs on owning a Premier League club sooner rather than
later then Haynes looks like becoming a vital cog in any promotion effort.
Take Haynes out of the Town equation and you arguably take away the one
player that opposition defences are genuinely afraid of. But the decision to
sell or hold on to Haynes will come down to Town's millionaire tycoon. The
new football at the club will have their say but it will be Evans, who has
the last word. If he fancies seeing the coffers boosted by £3m then Haynes
will be on his way. But Town fans must hope that this kind of short-termism
won't find its way into Evans' thinking and, with how the takeover deal was
structured, it looks unlikely. But the handling of the Haynes situation
represents a crossroads for the club. A few months back and if someone had
offered £3m for the youngster then the Blues would have snapped their hands
off. The Evans investment means this may no longer have to be the case
although old habits do die hard – if a Premier League club wants a player
from a Championship side then they are going to get him…end of.
Hopefully for Town fans, Evans would be shrewd enough to realise that the
£3m offered would pale into insignificance at the sums that can be accrued
through top flight football. You also get the feeling that Haynes could be
worth at least double that in a couple of years' time. If Marlon King is
worth £5m at 27, then Haynes should be worth at least that bearing in mind
he is more than seven years his junior. Who is to say that Haynes cannot be
the next Ashley Young? Aston Villa paid Watford £9.65m for the winger's
services and Town could benefit from this kind of windfall in the future
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Man City record transfer bids - Sportigo
Tue, Jan 15, 08 14:44
Mark Apostolou
Tottenham are willing to take around £14m for Darren Bent (The Times). This
has led to speculation that both West Ham and, yes, you've guessed it, Man
City are both willing to break their respective transfer records to sign up
the misfiring striker. Would this be a wise signing? Well, not at that price
– the £16m that was spent on the former Charlton and Ipswich man was a huge
overspend, and a figure of around half that is more reasonable.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Bellamy to return soon - Daily Mail
Last updated at 14:41pm on 15th January 2008
West Ham striker Craig Bellamy is expected to make his long-awaited
first-team return for the Premier League clash with his former club
Liverpool on 30 January. The Welsh forward has been out for three months
with an abdominal strain but has responded well to treatment and is back in
full training. The return of Bellamy is a major lift to manager Alan
Curbishley who is now likely to abandon any attempt to sign a striker this
month. Bellamy scored four goals in eight appearances before suffering the
injury at Portsmouth in October.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA Cup preview: City v West Ham - manchestereveningnews.co.uk
15/ 1/2008
CITY manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could be tempted to freshen up his side for
the FA Cup replay against West Ham at Eastlands. City go into the match on
the back of a defeat by Everton and Eriksson was disappointed at the way
they performed at Goodison Park, especially in the first half. Michael
Johnson (abdominal strain) and Emile Mpenza (hamstring) are both ruled out
through injury, while Stephen Ireland may be pushing for a recall after
coming off the bench against the Toffees.
West Ham captain Lucas Neill is expected to be available after missing the
victory over Fulham with a hamstring injury. Lee Bowyer and Luis Boa Morte
will both be pushing for places in the side after substitute appearances on
Saturday while James Collins is pressing for a start in the centre of
defence. Julien Faubert made a brief debut late on against Fulham and could
again make the squad as he continues his comeback from a ruptured Achilles,
but Scott Parker (knee), Nolberto Solano (groin), Bobby Zamora (knee) and
Craig Bellamy (abdominal) are all out still out.
Manchester City (from): Hart, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Elano, Ireland,
Petrov, Corluka, Hamann, Fernandes, Vassell, Castillo Bianchi, Isaksson,
Garrido, Jihai, Geovanni, Samaras.
West Ham United (from): Green, Wright, Neill, Spector, Ferdinand, Upson,
Collins, McCartney, Ljungberg, Bowyer, Faubert, Noble, Mullins, Etherington,
Boa Morte, Reid, Ashton, Cole.
Key opponent: Carlton Cole - Powerhouse forward is a handful
Prediction: City 2 West Ham 1 - Home advantage should see City through
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MANCHESTER CITY v West Ham: Sven considers options after Johnson and Mpenza
ruled out - Daily Mail
Last updated at 14:18pm on 15th January 2008
Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson could be tempted to freshen up
his side for the FA Cup replay against West Ham tomorrow. City go into the
match on the back of a defeat by Everton and Eriksson was disappointed at
the way they performed at Goodison Park. Michael Johnson (abdominal strain)
and Emile Mpenza (hamstring) are both ruled out through injury.
Provisional squad: Hart, Onuoha, Richards, Dunne, Ball, Elano, Ireland,
Petrov, Corluka, Hamann, Fernandes, Vassell, Castillo Bianchi, Isaksson,
Garrido, Jihai, Geovanni, Samaras.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs beat West Ham to £9m ace - Sportigo
Tue, Jan 15, 08 14:09
Mark Apostolou
Tottenham's Juande Ramos is reportedly about to trump Man City, West Ham,
Portsmouth and Middlesbrough to the signing of Brazilian front man Fred (The
Sun).
I wouldn't have thought the front line at White Hart Lane needed
strengthening, after all they have managed a total of 65 goals already this
season. And even if Dimitar Berbatov did leave they would still have a handy
set of strikers to call on.
Maybe Tottenham would be better served signing defenders, or is that me
being foolish? However, it could be that Ramos wants to totally change
things and maybe Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent are also on their way out.
Either way, Fred is a good player and ideally suited for the English game -
and £9m seems a decent price for the 24-year-old hitman.
After West Ham's £1.5m bid for Ipswich attacker Danny Haynes was turned
down, it appears that Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers have decided to get
involved in a bidding war to sign the 19-year-old Londoner (various).
Haynes, an England Under-19 international, has been in good form of late and
looks like being the latest in a line of quality youngsters to leave Portman
Road in recent years. A move north of the border could be a good one for
Haynes and it's just a case of which Glasgow rival offers more. A fee of
around £2m would probably do the trick
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Stan's the man for West Ham with Valckx linked with technical director post
- Daily Mail
Last updated at 13:51pm on 15th January 2008
Stan Valckx is in the running to become the club's technical director. The
44-year-old, currently PSV Eindhoven's technical manager, was at Upton Park
for the Hammers' 2-1 win over Fulham last Saturday.
NEXT FIVE GAMES: Tomorrow: Man City (a) (FAC R3R); Sunday: Man City (a); 30
Jan: Liverpool (h); 2 Feb: Wigan (a); 9 Feb: Birmingham (h).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Neill set for Hammers return - news.co.au
January 16, 2008 12:00am
SOCCEROOS defender Lucas Neill is expected to return to West Ham's line-up
for their FA Cup third-round replay against Manchester City on Wednesday
after recovering from a hamstring problem. The injury kept the Hammers
captain out of Saturday's 2-1 win over Fulham but he should make an
immediate return for the trip to Manchester. Lee Bowyer, Luis Boa Morte and
James Collins are also on the comeback trail as West Ham's injury list
shortens. French star Julien Faubert made a brief debut late against Fulham
and could again make the squad as he continues his comeback from a ruptured
Achilles, but manager Alan Curbishley is still having to do without Scott
Parker (knee), Nolberto Solano (groin), Bobby Zamora (knee) and Craig
Bellamy (stomach muscle). City will start Wednesday's replay as marginal
favourites after a goalless draw at Upton Park when the two sides first met
on January 5.
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Valckx in dark over Hammers link - Setanta
by Tom Adams, 15 January 2008
Former Holland international Stan Valckx has reacted with surprise to
reports that he could be installed as West Ham's technical director. Valckx
currently performs the same role at Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven – whom he
represented during his playing career – and rumours were fuelled when he was
spotted at Upton Park during West Ham's 2-1 win over Fulham on Saturday. The
Hammers have been looking to replicate the model established when Tottenham
Hotspur recruited Frank Arnesen, also from PSV, in May 2004, and had
targeted Franco Baldini before he took up a position with Fabio Capello at
England.
Despite reports claiming that Valckx is close to filling the position in
East London, the Dutchman claims at present that he knows nothing of the
interest from The Hammers. "Are they suggesting that I will become the new
technical director of West Ham?" Valckx asked Elf Voetbal. "At this moment
that is not the situation. "It is correct, however, that I was there at the
game. Why? I want to say nothing further concerning that."
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No Hammers bid for Haynes, insists Town boss as club takes look at
Portuguese midfielder - footballworter.com
Tues 15 Jan 08
Ipswich Town manager Jim Magilton has knocked back reports in this morning's
tabloid newspapers the club has rejected a £1.5m bid from West Ham. Hammers
boss Alan Curbishley has reportedly been keeping a close eye on the
youngster, who was on target in the 1-1 draw against Stoke City at the
weekend. But it appears speculation that a £1.5m bid has been put to the
club are wide of the mark although it is understood to be only appear a
matter of time before the east enders test the Blues' resolve. West Ham are
willing to go up to £3m for the striker turned winger but this would not be
enough for the club to do business. Magilton has come to view Haynes as a
vital cog in his promotion campaign and selling the 19-year-old would come
as a massive blow and fans are desperate to see Ipswich hold on to their
prized asset. The Northern Irishman has moved to dismiss reports of any bid
being made for the sought after youngster. "There is nothing in it,"
insisted Magilton about his "bottle of pop", who has impressed on the right
wing for the Suffolk outfit. "We've had no contact at all with West Ham
regarding Danny or any other player at this football club."
Haynes believes he has the ability to play in the top flight but says he
sees his future with Town and is fully focused on helping the Blues back
into the big league. "I think I have showed I have the ability to play at
Premiership level," he said. "Against Portsmouth I coped with playing
against a team from the top level and have to move on from there. "But I
have learned not to take any notice of the speculation," he said. "It is
always nice to be linked with Premier clubs but I'm not taking any notice.
It is a boost obviously to be linked with them but I'm not worried about
speculation because that's all it is. All I'm concentrating on is getting
Ipswich Town into the Premier League."
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Hammers step up pursuit of Tractor Boy Haynes - Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:19am on 15th January 2008
Upton Park boss Alan Curbishley last night had a £1.5million offer turned
down by the Championship outfit. The Hammers are willing to go to £3m for
the winger, 19. But Tractor Boys chief Jim Magilton insisted: "Danny is not
going anywhere." Curbs has also had a £1.5m bid for Leicester defender Joe
Mattock, 18, rejected by Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric.
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Town knock down Hammers bid for Haynes - EADT24.com
15 January 2008 | 11:30
IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton today knocked back reports that West Ham
have had a £1.5million bid for speed merchant Danny Haynes turned down by
the Blues. "I can confirm that we have had no contact with West Ham over
Danny," said Magilton, who last week stressed that the 19-year-old 'is going
nowhere'. In October, Haynes signed a contract which will keep him with the
Blues until 2010.
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Shearer should say whether he wants the Newcastle job or not, raps
Curbishley - Sunday Mail
Last updated at 09:57am on 15th January 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley says Alan Shearer must reveal if he wants
to be the next manager of Newcastle. Shearer is among the bookmakers'
favourites for the job, with Mark Hughes, Kevin Keegan and Gerard Houllier
still in the running. But the former striker's silence is making it
difficult for the club to find a successor to Sam Allardyce, claims
Curbishley. The Hammers boss said: "His shadow falls all over the club. If
Shearer doesn't want the job, he should say and let Newcastle get on with
the job of finding a new man."
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My West Ham: Matthew Lorenzo - West Ham Till I Die
Matthew Lorenzo is a presenter on Sky Sports.
How did you become a Hammer?
Inherited. My father was born around the corner from the ground and he
passed it on. I've done the same to my son but he struggles a bit seeing as
we live in Putney and everyone else supports Chelsea or Fulham.
Your first game?
Can't remember a specific match but I was taken to Upton Park regularly from
a very early age. It would have been in the mid sixties. My dad was a
reporter for the Sketch or the Herald. He didn't bother with passes. He made
a point of knowing the commissionaire's names. AND their wife's names.
Doesn't work any more. Sadly.
How many games do you get to?
Only in midweek unfortunately. Sky takes up my weekends. I've never hidden
my favouritism on air though. How can you be interested in football and
claim not to have a team like a few commentators I know try and get away
with? Despite remaining ardently neutral about West Ham in everything I do,
I got reported as a bloody QPR supporter last week.
Most memorable moment?
The FA Cup semi final replay against Everton at Elland Road in 1980.
Probably a wee bit biased but I can't remember ever being as excited by a
game of football in my life. Ed "Stewpot" Stewart, an Evertonian by birth,
was sitting behind us. After the game I turned and asked him for an
autograph for my sister. I could see he'd rather give me a head butt but he
did the deed.
Have you met any Hammers players?
One of the first I met was a new signing from Charlton. We were at the
training ground and he signed my book. He went on to become one our greatest
ever signings, although for the first two years of his reign I thought he
was called Billy Bones because his signature was next to illegible. I worked
on the Walthamstow Guardian for five years so I got to meet a lot of the
team from the early eighties. Alvin Martin was the easiest to talk to then
and remains the same today. My father was great mates with Bobby Moore and
hero worshipped him. I still look forward to seeing Geoff and Martin today.
Favourite current player?
I like Mark Noble because he 's a local lad and was always a Hammers fan.
Not many of them nowadays and not many who combine his talent and appetite
for the game.
Describe last season. How did it affect you?
The worst part was being accused of cheating. Neil Warnock described Tevez
as the football equivalent of a murderer out on parole or something like
that. You can understand it but at the same time it was unfair. Our form at
the end of the season was fantastic. I went to Old Trafford with Eamonn
Holmes, a Man Utd fanatic and my fitness trainer. We deserved to win that
one and we deserved to stay up. I don't know why it had to be such a last
gasp experience, but like all fans, we are only ever kept in the dark while
the money men move in their mysterious ways.
What are your hopes for this season?
Mid table. Well all right not relegated. Be nice to win the Cup after Gerard
stole it from us in Cardiff.
Choose your all time Hammers Eleven
Phil Parkes
Ray Stewart
Frank Lampard
Alvin Martin
Bobby Moore
Billy Bonds
Trevor Brooking
Alan Devonshire
Geoff Hurst
Bryan Robson
Martin Peters
What do your colleagues make of your support for West Ham?
No one feels threatened by West Ham. We still play attractive football, we
still don't win enough games. We still have the best support in London. And
fortune's will always be bleedin hiding.
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