Alan Curbishley is ready for the run-in already as he steels his side to
finish as strongly as they can
19.01.2008
Alan Curbishley is expecting West Ham United to push on for the rest of the
season.
The trip to Manchester City sees the club looking to build on a run of six
wins and four draws from the last 13 league games - with only defeats
against Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton in that run, all of whom are top five
sides. "We can all see where we can get to," said the manager. "If we can
get a result on Sunday, we may catch one of the teams above us. We are
pushing, we are looking to the games, and looking to try and get in that top
six, seven or eight.
"We are quite pleased with how the results went last weekend. The people
behind us didn't pick any points up and we can see a couple of teams above
us. Going to Man City, if we get the result we can see them as well." While
a win would move the tenth-placed Hammers to within four points of City in
seventh with a game in hand, they are also just two points adrift of
Portsmouth and four behind Blackburn Rovers. "Portsmouth are catchable and
it is something that we have got to be looking at now. Looking upwards as
opposed to looking downwards."
"We feel that we have given ourselves a base. We have given ourselves a bit
of a chance to push on so let's see where it takes us. We have got two games
coming up against top opposition and we need to come out the other end of
it. If we can get anything out of Man City we then face Liverpool [on 30
January] which should be a great game for everybody and we will see where we
are."
The manager has already reported promising news on the injury front and soon
expects to be in a position to have headaches in choosing his first eleven.
"Most weeks, the team selection has been quite easy and I was hoping it was
going to be a little bit more difficult. I am hoping that in the run-in that
will be the case.
He also expects the fixture programme to give his side every chance of
sustaining a challenge on the leading contenders. "We looked at the run-in
and we feel it is an even run-in for us, in terms of each month is sprinkled
with perhaps one of the top four but the rest of them are games that we
should attack. I know it is a little bit early to be talking about the
run-in but we are on the way home and let's see what it brings."
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Manager happy with 'unsung hero' - WHUFC
George McCartney has excelled for West Ham United this season - much to Alan
Curbishley's delight
19.01.2008
George McCartney has been singled out for praise by Alan Curbishley as the
defender looks to continue his unique run of appearing in every league and
cup game this season.
Sunday's trip to Manchester City promises to be the Northern Ireland
left-back's 28th consecutive outing and he has been a consistent performer
in each one - although a one-game suspension will be due if he is cautioned
again before 29 February. "He has been a bit of an unsung hero in some
respects," said the manager. "He plays every week, touch wood, and just gets
on with it.
"He is one of those players that just gets through the game, has his shower,
goes home and comes back in the next morning. He decided to go back to play
for Northern Ireland and resurrect his international career - he is happy
with life at the moment. He is probably someone that goes unrecognised a
little bit."
For his part, the unassuming No3 would rather focus on the team's fortunes
than his own achievements this season - and he expects the side to bounce
back this weekend from the disappointment of losing 1-0 at City in the FA
Cup on Wednesday. "We won't approach the game any differently," he told
WHUTV. "We were probably the better team.
"Come Sunday hopefully we can take one or two of our chances and it will be
a better outcome. We were looking to have a good run in the FA Cup but it
wasn't to be this year. We can just concentrate on the league - we are back
in Manchester on Sunday and looking for revenge."
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Bellamy and Zamora getting closer - WHUFC
Alan Curbishley has more good news about the strike duo while Kieron Dyer is
also doing well
18.01.2008
Alan Curbishley is expecting Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora to be back in
contention soon while there is also positive news on Kieron Dyer.
Bellamy and Zamora began the season as the focal point of the West Ham
United attack and played the first four games together before injury
problems began to take their toll. Because of knee trouble, Zamora has not
figured since the 28 August trip to Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup - when
Dyer suffered his double leg break - while Bellamy last featured on 27
October at Portsmouth as a result of his abdominal injury.
Curbishley said: "Craig Bellamy is in full training and has been training
very hard this week. Hopefully that will continue. He is looking sharper. He
has obviously been out some time and we are holding him back a little bit. I
should imagine that by next week he will be huffing and puffing for a game.
"Bobby Zamora is back out on the grass and happy as can be. It is quite
amazing - he's been out four and a half months." The manager, who revealed
Dyer was running again at the training ground, will not have either striker
available for Sunday's league trip to Manchester City, with a similar
selection expected to the one that narrowly lost there in midweek FA Cup
action.
"We have got the same squad as we had on Wednesday. I don't think that is
going to change for a couple of weeks. It may well change with Zamora and
Bellamy and one or two others coming back." Curbishley added that the extra
competition for Carlton Cole and Dean Ashton could only help and said he
wanted to see a more clinical approach from the whole team in forward
positions.
"[On Wednesday] we dominated for long periods but we didn't score. The back
four or five have been terrific all season for us. Our defensive record
stands up. I am just asking the other players now to help us out a bit. Give
us something that we can hold on to. Because when we do get in that
position, we do look a good side. We have got to take our chances.
"We haven't been prolific in the scoring stakes but we have been quite
solid. I think the performance at Man City summed that up. We looked strong
but we needed to take that opportunity and I am sure if we had taken it, Man
City would have found it very difficult."
While the attack-minded trio of Bellamy, Zamora and Dyer are getting closer,
the manager is due to have Nolberto Solano back soon while Julien Faubert is
also pushing for his first start after two appearances off the bench. "The
ones that have been missing are people that can unlock a few defences. But
we have been in that situation all season so there is not much we can do
about that.
"What I am going to say to the side, certainly the offensive players, is
give us something a little bit more. Let's take our chances and be a little
bit more clinical and we will see where that will take us.
"Our fans understand the position we find ourselves in. We invested heavily
in the summer. People left the club, we replaced them but it has been
unfortunate that we have not had a chance to see them. What it has done is
show our fans that we have got a squad that can compete in this league."
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Curbishley wants response - SSN
Hammers look for City revenge
Last updated: 18th January 2008
Alan Curbishley is looking for his side to put FA Cup disappointment behind
them and concentrate on the league. The Hammers bowed out of the cup to
Manchester City in midweek, but Curbishley is now calling on his team to
make a push for Europe as they prepare to return to the City of Manchester
Stadium just days after losing. "We can all see where we can get to," said
Curbishley. "It was a big disappointment on Wednesday because before the
game we were really up for the Cup and we wanted to do well. "But the talk
afterwards was that if we can get a result on Sunday, we may catch one of
the teams above us.
"We feel we have given ourselves a base, a bit of a chance to push on. We
are looking to get into that top six or seven. "We can see a couple of the
teams above us. I looked at Portsmouth and Blackburn. Portsmouth are
catchable. "If we can get a result at Manchester City we can see them as
well. I am looking at the fixtures thinking 'let's attack the run-in'. "We
have to be looking upwards not downwards."
Curbishley, whose side currently sit tenth, has again bemoaned his injury
situation which has robbed him of the likes of Craig Bellamy, Julien
Faubert, Scott Parker and Kieron Dyer. "I have not had the chance to play
Bellamy, Faubert, Parker and Dyer in the same team," he said. "Anybody would
miss four players like that and we have not been prolific in the scoring
stakes but we have been quite solid. "What I am going to say to the side,
certainty the offensive players, is: 'Give us something a bit more, let's
take our chances and be more clinical'. "We look at the run-in and we feel
it is even for us. Each month is sprinkled with one of the top four,
perhaps, and the rest of the games are those that we should attack."
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West Ham's Dailly mulls over Rangers offer
tribalfootball.com - January 18, 2008
West Ham defender Christian Dailly is mulling over a move to Rangers. The
Scotsman says Dailly is concerned at the amount of time he would have to
spend away from his young family who are settled in the south of England.
The 34-year-old West Ham United player, who does not feature in manager Alan
Curbishley's first team plans at Upton Park, has also attracted interest
from Colchester United.
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West Ham won't panic buy - Curbishley
tribalfooball.com - January 18, 2008
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley insists there'll be no panic buying at
Upton Park. West Ham go back to the scene of their 1-0 defeat when they play
City again at Eastlands on Sunday in the Premier League and Curbishley today
admitted: "If we had been more clinical in the final third of the pitch on
Wednesday, we would have won. "There is certainly no need to panic. We won't
be buying and it's difficult to get real quality on loan. "Craig Bellamy has
been training hard for two weeks now and, with no match the weekend after
next, could be about ready after that." Curbishley gave a strong hint as to
his priorities when he rested regulars Hayden Mullins and Carlton Cole for
the cup tie. They could both be recalled on Sunday. He said: "We wanted to
win the game and we fielded a strong side but I took the opportunity to rest
a couple of players and give others, who have been out, a game."
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Watford land West Ham defender Davenport
tribalfootball.com - January 18, 2008
Championship outfit Watford have signed West Ham defender Calum Davenport on
a month's loan, with a view to a permanent deal. The 25-year-old, 6ft 3"
centre-half began his career at Coventry before joining Tottenham in 2004.
Having been on loan at the Hammers Davenport joined them in 2007 and is now
fit after hernia surgery ruled him out for most of last season. "The manager
seems really positive and I'm itching to get back out there as it's been so
long now," he said.
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Curb the urge to use axe - The Mirror
Lawro 19/01/2008
West Ham's Fa Cup exit leaves them playing only for places in the league and
I fear Alan Curbishley and the club's hierarchy will have different views on
the season. The owners will be looking at all the money spent on transfers
and wages and thinking UEFA Cup football is a minimum requirement.
Curbishley, who I regard as a good Premier League manager, will look at all
the injuries and think a tophalf finish will be a solid achievement. I hope
they stick with him because if they were to replace Curbishley in the
summer, any new manager would want to get rid of half the players which have
just been bought and start again. There would be no sense in that
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