Robert Green showed good humour about his England aspirations with a pair of
specially stitched gloves
11.02.2008
Robert Green has revealed he was sending himself up with having England's
No6 stitched into his gloves in Saturday's game against Birmingham City.
The shot-stopper, who was watched for the first time by new England manager
Fabio Capello, revealed his glove manufacturer came up with the idea of
"having a laugh on my behalf". Fans have been chanting England's No6 this
season in response to Green finding himself down the international pecking
order despite his good form.
Green, who has pledged to "keep playing well and hope" about his
national-team aspirations, added: "[The glovemaker] has been to games, heard
the banter with the crowd and thought that it would be quite funny to have
England's No6 stitched on my gloves. If you can't laugh at yourself, who can
you laugh at? It is not having a go at anybody. It is not against anyone. If
it is anyone, it is against myself."
Saturday's 1-1 draw saw Green largely untroubled, with the keeper only
beaten by James McFadden's 16th-minute spot-kick. It was the first time he
has seen a spot-kick go past him in five attempts this season but he felt
the penalty was harshly awarded against Lucas Neill. The club captain had
been penalised for a foul on McFadden eight minutes after Freddie Ljungberg
had opened the scoring.
"The bounce has done both players but there is minimal contact," Green said.
"The ref said he wrapped around him, but I never saw that. It was
disappointing as it took the winds out of our sails. We started lively and
brightly and looked like we could have scored more. After a decent start, it
put us back to square one.
"They made it difficult for us. It was not pretty. But we have spoken about
teams coming here and making it difficult for us, especially teams in the
lower half. The games v Bolton, Reading and other teams that we have played
here and not won. Sometimes you need special players in those situation, and
as well as the guys are doing, sometimes we need that little bit extra."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Appeal lodged over Bowyer - WHUFC
The FA will meet on Tuesday to consider West Ham United's appeal against Lee
Bowyer's dismissal
11.02.2008
West Ham United have lodged an appeal against Lee Bowyer's dismissal in
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City on Saturday.
The midfielder was shown a straight red card following an 88th-minute
challenge involving visiting captain Damien Johnson. The case will be heard
from 1pm at the Football Association's headquarters in Soho Square, London
on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers challenge Bowyer red card - BBC
West Ham have appealed against the red card shown to Lee Bowyer in
Saturday's Premier League match with Birmingham. Referee Mark Clattenburg
issued a straight red to the midfielder for an alleged two-footed challenge
on Blues captain Damien Johnson. Hammers boss Alan Curbishley said after the
1-1 draw: "We have asked the referee to look at it, and we think he will.
Hopefully he will overturn it." The case will now be heard by the Football
Association on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Third time lucky? - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Craig Bellamy is set to undergo surgery again later this week, according to
the morning's Times. It was revealed here on KUMB.com last week that Bellamy
had suffered a new injury blow following the friendly against QPR on
February 4th, in which the Welsh striker played just over an hour.
Alan Curbishley confirmed last week that Bellamy was 'a bit sore' although
there was no further information from the club to confirm the situation.
However it now appears that the 28-year-old will require surgery on both his
groin and knee in order to cure the problems that have plagued him all
season, with the first op set to take place later this week. Bellamy, who
signed from Liverpool last summer for £7.5 million has made just nine
appearances for United's first team since moving to London. He has had
surgery twice already this season; his first op, to cure an abdominal strain
took place in September whilst a second op occured at the end of last year.
Speaking ahead of the second op back in December, Alan Curbishley said:
"We have to decide whether to continue with the route we are going down
which, if it is successful, will result in a shorter route. "We may have to
go down the surgery route which will be a longer one. If that is the case I
can't put a time-frame on it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bowyer date set - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
West Ham United will find out tomorrow if their appeal against Lee Bowyer's
red card on Saturday will be upheld. The FA will hear Bowyer's case at Soho
Square tomorrow lunchtime (Tuesday), with a result expected later in the
day. The Hammers midfielder was dismissed in the 88th minute of Saturday's
1-1 draw with Birmingham for an alleged two-footed tackle which referee Mark
Clattenburg referee deemed to be dangerous. Curbishley - like nearly
everyone else in the Boleyn Ground - was baffled by the decision and
revealed in Saturday's post-match press conference that the club intended to
appeal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Upson: under pressure - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Matthew Upson is looking forward to keeping his place in the England team
that faces France in Paris next month. The Hammers defender made his first
appearance for England in three years last Wednesday, his eighth cap in all.
New England boss Fabio Capello was at Upton Park on Saturday to check up on
Upson, as well as a number of other possible candidates for his next squad.
Upson, as always, gave an assured performance - and talking to whufc.com,
revealed that he was enjoying the new-found pressure being part of the
England team brings. "Part and parcel of being in an international team is
having the spotlight on you every week," he said. "It's another aspect to
cope with and you have to be mentally strong. "It's happened to me a bit
sooner than I'd thought, it's just a sign of how far I've come in the last
six months really. I've got myself fit and on a good run of form - and it
was a fantastic opportunity for me."
With regard to the two days spent with the England camp last week, he added:
"I enjoyed every minute; everything had a real structure to it. The
discipline was there, a real emphasis on training, the high intensity. I
learnt a lot in the training sessions. The trip was a complete success for
me because I improved and learnt a lot."
On the game itself, Upson revealed that he was proud as punch to represent
his country. "The stadium is magnificent as is the whole occasion of playing
for England," he said. "There's no better feeling than walking out of the
tunnel and signing the anthem and being part of the game. "It's the
pinnacle of your career and something I'm hungry to do agan and again. It's
now a case of maintaining what I'm doing and improving the areas I need to
and hopefully maintain my place in the squad."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs calls for patience - SSN
West Ham boss defends Ashton
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 11th February 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley has urged frustrated supporters to 'be
patient' as Dean Ashton eases his way back to full fitness. Ashton suffered
a broken ankle during England training after receiving his first senior
international call-up for the friendly with Greece in August 2006 and the
24-year-old has yet to fully recover. The striker has come under criticism
from Hammers fans for his lacklustre performances over recent weeks and the
substitution of Carlton Cole, instead of Ashton, in Saturday's 1-1 draw with
Birmingham was met with disapproval at Upton Park. Curbishley, though, is
asking the West Ham faithful to support Ashton, who earned rave reviews for
the Hammers as he terrorised the Liverpool defence in a narrow penalty
shoot-out defeat in the 2006 FA Cup final. "The fans have been impatient for
the past couple of weeks," Curbishley told The Sun. "At home especially, the
expectation level has changed a little bit but I would say to them, 'you
have got to be patient'. "They can all see the situation isn't 100 per cent
and we're all working hard at it. "I had to bring a forward off (against
Birmingham). If a chance fell to us I wanted it to be to Ashton. "I don't
know if the fans are frustrated because they know what he's capable of -
you'll have to ask them. "He had the injury and it took him a year to
recover from it. He had another setback once he got himself going and I
think you can see that he has a bit to do. "He needs a goal and so does
Carlton Cole - confidence is a massive thing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers appeal Bowyer red - SSN
Curbishley keen to have late dismissal overturned
By Rob Parrish Last updated: 11th February 2008
West Ham have appealed against Lee Bowyer's late dismissal in the 1-1 draw
with Birmingham at Upton Park on Saturday. The former Leeds midfielder was
shown a straight red card by referee Mark Clattenburg for what he felt was a
two-footed challenge on Blues captain Damien Johnson. Hammers manager Alan
Curbishley revealed his unhappiness with the decision after the game and the
club lodged their appeal to the Football Association on Monday morning. The
case will now be heard at Soho Square at 1pm on Tuesday. Curbishley said at
the weekend: "We have asked Mark to look at it, and we think he will.
Hopefully he will overturn it. "When it happened I did not think it was that
serious, but on the spot, the referee sees it differently. "I think Johnson
has come in and both of his feet have connected with the ball, so I don't
know if Bowyer has gone above it. We will have to wait and see. "If he is
suspended, it is a bit tough and we could do with a suspension least of all
with the injuries we have got."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Micky Smith - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Author Micky Smith has passed away after a long illness. Smith, a long-term
West Ham United supporter grew up in Mile End before moving to Australia in
the mid 1970s to start a new life. Since the mid-1990s he penned a series
of books - including 'For The Claret and Blue' - based upon his and others
experiences of being a West Ham supporter in the 1960s/1970s. Micky was also
a long-term member of KUMB's mailing list, although illness and failing
eyesight severely restricted his appearances in recent years. KUMB.com
would like to offer our sincere condolences to Micky's wife Annette.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers to fight Bowyer dismissal
Monday February 11, 2008
guardian.co.uk
West Ham have appealed against the red card shown to midfielder Lee Bowyer
in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City at Upton Park. Referee Mark
Clattenburg issued a straight red to Bowyer for an alleged two-footed
challenge on the Birmingham captain Damien Johnson in the 88th minute.
The West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admitted after the game that he was
unhappy with the decision. "Hopefully he [Clattenburg] will overturn it,"
said Curbishley. "When it happened I did not think it was that serious, but
on the spot the referee sees it differently. I think Johnson has come in and
both of his feet have connected with the ball, so I don't know if Bowyer has
gone above it. We will have to wait and see. "If he is suspended, it is a
bit tough and we could do with a suspension least of all with the injuries
we have got." Bowyer's case will be heard at Soho Square at 1pm on Tuesday.
The Hammers have had a season-long injury crisis, with Bobby Zamora, Kieron
Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker all still sidelined. Summer signing
Julien Faubert came on as a substitute on Saturday, having played in a
practice game last week, but Bellamy's fitness is to be assessed after the
striker said he was still feeling his abdominal strain after last Monday's
friendly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs: Parker three weeks away
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 11 February 2008
Scot Parker could return to action for West Ham in as little as three weeks'
time, Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has claimed. Following recent speculation
the East London club were covering up the true extent of a knee injury,
which some reports speculated would rule the former Newcastle and Chelsea
midfielder out for the rest of the season, Curbishley says the 27-year-old
is aiming for a comeback at the start of March. Parker is about three weeks
away, contrary to opinions. He's in full running and doing as well as we
think he should be doing," said Curbishley. Parker has been out of action
since December 29 when he sustained the injury in The Hammers' 2-1 win over
Manchester United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Surgery could rule Craig Bellamy out for season - The Times
Striker to have first of two operations this week
George Caulkin
West Ham United have suffered another significant injury blow with the news
that Craig Bellamy requires surgery and could miss the rest of the season.
The Wales forward is to undergo two procedures on a knee and his groin,
robbing Alan Curbishley of a formidable presence in attack and undermining
further the club's challenge for European football.
Bellamy has made only seven league starts for West Ham after his £7.5
million transfer from Liverpool in the summer and his possible
unavailability for the remainder of the campaign represents another setback
for Curbishley. The manager's stint at Upton Park has been marked by a long
series of medical mishaps, leaving him routinely unable to name his
first-choice team.
While Curbishley will be heartened by the prospect of Kieron Dyer
unexpectedly returning ahead of schedule from the broken leg that he
suffered against Bristol Rovers in a Carling Cup tie in August, Bellamy's
absence is a desperate blow. West Ham already have Nigel Quashie, Calum
Davenport, James Collins, Scott Parker, Nolberto Solano and Dyer on the
treatment table.
Bellamy moved to London in the expectation of playing first-team football
more regularly than he did at Anfield, but that has not been fulfilled. The
28-year-old is not a stranger to injury, having suffered from a number of
serious knee problems. In 2003, during his ill-fated time at Newcastle
United, he travelled to the United States to be operated on by Dr Richard
Steadman, a move that he subsequently admitted saved his career. He returned
only recently from a long-term absence with an abdominal injury.
Bellamy is expected to have surgery for the first time this week, more than
three months after he was first operated on in Germany. Laser surgery
appeared to have cleared up his problem, but the forward suffered a
recurrence and was out until ten days ago, when he appeared as a substitute
against Wigan Athletic. He played in a friendly match two days later, but
felt uncomfortable despite scoring.
Better news is that Dyer may now be available for selection. The midfield
player has not ruled out some involvement when Newcastle United, his former
club, travel to Upton Park at the end of April. In turn, that may give him
scope to be selected for England's close-season friendly internationals.
Curbishley must feel that Upton Park has been the setting for Casualty this
season, but very soon West Ham may be screening a television programme on
alternative remedies. Fredrik Ljungberg performs yoga before matches to
alleviate persistent niggles, Matthew Upson uses torn-up pages from a
telephone directory to solve his calf problem and now the England defender
is seeing a sports psychologist to clear his head during matches.
Upson felt that psychology was the type of thing that Tiger Woods or Lewis
Hamilton employed, but not football players. His preparation now begins two
days before a match, when he tunes into thinking only about positive things
and runs over the match in his mind.
"That is an important factor for players, to be able to visualise what they
are going to do before they do it," Upson said. "I am mentally preparing
myself for the games and knowing that even if some days you go in and you
don't feel great at the start of a game, it is a case of mentally adapting
and making sure you put in a good performance. If I start to have a poor
spell you can get back on track and turn things around."
Curbishley has appealed against the red card shown to Lee Bowyer during the
1-1 draw with Birmingham City on Saturday. The midfield player was dismissed
for a two-footed challenge on Damien Johnson two minutes from time. The FA
will consider the appeal today.
Missing in action
Dec 1998 (Norwich City): Two months out; injures knee.
July 1999 (Norwich): Nine months out; injures knee.
Sep 2000 (Wales): Two-match ban; sent off against Belarus.
Feb 2002 (Newcastle United): Two months out; knee injury, tendinitis.
Aug 2002 (Newcastle): One month out; recovers from knee surgery.
Sep 2002 (Newcastle): Three-match ban; head-butts Dynamo Kiev player.
Oct 2002 (Newcastle): One month out; hamstring injury.
Nov 2002 (Newcastle): Three-match ban; hits Inter Milan player, dismissed.
Oct 2003 (Newcastle): Three months out; knee surgery.
Apr 2004 (Newcastle): One month out; hamstring injury.
Aug 2005 (Blackburn Rovers): One month out; thigh injury.
Dec 2005 (Blackburn): One month out; hamstring injury.
Oct 2006 (Liverpool): One month out; calf injury.
Oct 2007 (West Ham United): Three months out; abdominal injury.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Surgery sidelines Craig Bellamy for two weeks - the Times
Gary Jacob
Craig Bellamy has had an operation on his groin and is expected to be out
for about two weeks. The West Ham United forward visited Dr Ulrike
Muschaweck in Munich yesterday, the surgeon who operated on Michael Owen
last week, and was scheduled to return to London last night.
Bellamy has missed the past three matches since limping off during the 3-0
victory over Middlesbrough nearly three weeks ago. There were fears that he
would be out for longer, but Muschaweck said that the type of operation he
had would mean that he could return after the international break, which
begins next week.
"He has got the minimal repair technique, which allows a quick return to
full activity; within eight to 12 days he should be back to full activity
without any restriction," Muschaweck said. "The operation technique has been
the same which I carried out on Michael Owen."
Bellamy is expected to withdraw from the Wales squad to play Cyprus and San
Marino in European Championship qualifying matches on October 13 and 17.
"We will be very happy if Craig is back in eight to 12 days," Mervyn Day,
the West Ham assistant manager, said. The forward had been in outstanding
form, scoring three times in his last two matches for West Ham before the
injury and two goals for Wales away to Slovakia. His loss leaves West Ham
with three fit forwards for the match against Aston Villa tomorrow, when
they will be pitted against two former players, Nigel Reo-Coker and Marlon
Harewood.
Bobby Zamora, the West Ham forward. is out for another three weeks after a
knee operation and Dean Ash-ton will probably be partnered by Hen-ri Camara
in attack. "The people who have come in have done really well for us," Day
said. "We've played some of the top four teams and it's disappointing not to
be able to put out your strongest team. We're looking forward to the game
against Villa and we're hopeful that we can get a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bellamy out for rest of season but Dyer recovery softens blow to West Ham
Simon Williams and Paul Weaver
Tuesday February 12, 2008
The Guardian
West Ham United will be forced to plan for the rest of the season without
Craig Bellamy as the striker has been told he needs two operations but the
Hammers could unexpectedly have Kieron Dyer back before May.
The loss of Bellamy, who requires surgery on his knee and groin, is another
setback for West Ham's manager, Alan Curbishley. The club had hoped to
challenge for a European place this season after investing heavily in the
summer but Curbishley has rarely been able to pick a full- strength side
because of a crippling injury list. Saturday's 1-1 home draw against
Birmingham City left West Ham seven points behind Aston Villa in sixth place
with an inferior goal difference.
It is another cruel blow for Bellamy who has managed only nine appearances
for the Hammers since a £7.5m move from Liverpool last July because of
injury, a move he made chiefly because he wanted to play regular first-team
football. The return of Dyer has come sooner than expected after the
midfielder broke his leg in a Carling Cup game with Bristol Rovers on August
28.
Dyer, a £6m signing from Newcastle United a fortnight before the ill-fated
clash at the Memorial Ground, is running at West Ham's training ground and
confident he will add to his three appearances for the club before the end
of the season. Sources at Upton Park have suggested he could be involved
when his former club visit east London on April 26.
It is typical of West Ham's luck this season that the good news about Dyer's
recovery has been tempered by Bellamy's misfortune. The Welshman has
regularly suffered with knee problems and needed a career-saving operation
by the renowned American surgeon, Dr Richard Steadman, to repair ligament
damage when he was at Newcastle in 2003.
The injury is not believed to be that serious this time, although it will be
the source of considerable frustration for the player. The 28-year-old had
only recently returned from a four-month lay off with an abdominal injury
but was left out of the squad against Birmingham and is expected to have his
first operation this week.
Bellamy's West Ham team-mate Matthew Upson has revealed that a sports
psychologist had helped him become one of the most consistent players this
season. The England defender is the only West Ham player to have played in
every minute of every Premier League game and he was rewarded for the
quality of his performances when Fabio Capello named him in his first
England XI last week.
"I use someone who I speak to a lot about my performance and we analyse
everything - my behaviour, my training during the week, everything," he
said. "It is now starting to pay off. Mentality is something that, as a
young player, I didn't pay too much attention to because you just don't. It
is a massive part of the game, just as important as physical training, if
not more important."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Matthew Upson says working with a psychologist has turned his career around
- The Mirror
By John Cross 12/02/2008
West Ham defender Matthew Upson last night revealed how sessions with a
sports psychologist have turned his career around. Upson, 28, was the
surprise inclusion in Fabio Capello's first England lineup last week - and
he puts his success down to mental preparation. He said: "I now use someone
who I speak to a lot about my performance and we analyse everything; my
behaviour, my training during the week. It is starting to pay off. "It is a
case of finding the time to sit down and think positively about what you are
doing at the weekend. It is important to visualise what you are going to
do."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1-1 Birmingham: Dean Ashton fails to shine as Fabio Capello watches
on - the Mirror
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
By John Cross 11/02/2008
Dean Ashton left Upton Park in his new West Ham whistle - but probably won't
be getting measured up for an England suit any time soon. West Ham boss Alan
Curbishley has taken a leaf out of England's hardline manager Fabio
Capello's book by insisting that all of his players smarten up their act and
turn up to games wearing club suits. Ashton was left upset at his omission
from Capello's first squad but cannot have too many complaints after his
performance in front of the watching England boss on Saturday. The Hammers
striker is still struggling for form and fitness. It has even reached a
point where the West Ham fans who used to idolise him are losing patience
with his slow recovery and the groans are gradually turning into boos. Mind
you, West Ham's fans did jeer a lot during a frustrating afternoon. They
did not like Curbishley's rather negative substitutions when they were
trying to chase the win and they made their feelings plain at the final
whistle. Ashton is still West Ham's sixgoal top scorer and yet there is no
escaping the fact that he still looks heavy and doesn't carry the same
threat as when he first burst on to the scene. It is clearly a big
frustration for Curbishley who is already without injured strikers Craig
Bellamy and Bobby Zamora and the partnership between Ashton and Carlton Cole
simply did not work against Birmingham. "Deano had the injury and it took a
year to recover from it," said Curbishley. "He had another set-back once he
got himself going and I think you can see that he has a bit to do.
"The way we've handled it, we've given him as much football as we can. He
needs a goal and so does Carlton Cole, confidence is a massive thing. "We've
not had a falling out and for the life of me I think most people who have
been watching us this season will agree I've done well on team selection and
what I've tried to do. "Dean's done well to get where he is after a big
injury. He's worked ever so hard at it. I've got one or two players who are
not quite happy with what they produced and we just have to roll up our
sleeves and get on with it. Deano just has to keep going. The fans have been
impatient with us for the past couple of weeks. Here especially the
expectation level has changed a little bit but I would say to them 'you have
got to be patient.' "They can all see the situation isn't 100 per cent and
we're all working hard at it."
West Ham started brightly and took full advantage of Birmingham's slack
defending as George McCartney's long throw was flicked on by Cole and
Ljungberg hooked home at the far post after just seven minutes. That should
have been the cue for West Ham to go on and win but Birmingham's livewire
forward James McFadden - the best player on the pitch - won and converted a
16th-minute penalty after Lucas Neill's clumsy foul. But West Ham could not
get out of first gear while McFadden's work rate meant Birmingham were
always a threat. Hammers midfielder Lee Bowyer was sent off in the 88th
minute for a foul on Damien Johnson when, in fact, Hayden Mullins' crude
two-footed challenge on David Murphy moments before looked more like a red
card. Blues boss Alex McLeish said: "McFadden did really well, he's got a
great touch and creativity. But what I was really pleased about was when we
were thinking about changing the guys near the end when they looked tired,
McFadden was still chasing lost causes."
Attendance: 34,884
Man Of The Match: McFadden
TEAMS AND RATINGS
West Ham: Green 7, Neill 6, Ferdinand 6, Upson 7, McCartney 7, Ljungberg 8,
Bowyer 6, Mullins 7, Etherington 7 (Camara 83), Ashton 6 (Spector 90), Cole
6 (Faubert 62, 5).
Birmingham: Maik Taylor 7, Kelly 5, Martin Taylor 6, Ridgewell 7, Murphy 7,
Larsson 6, Muamba 7, Johnson 6, McSheffrey 6 (Parnaby 87), Forssell 6
(Jerome 76), McFadden 8.
Ref: Mark Clattenburg
The Anorak says ...
Lee Bowyer has been sent off seven times during his professional career.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers keeper Robert Green pokes fun at England job - The Mirror
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
By John Cross 11/02/2008
West Ham keeper Robert Green had a laugh at his own England snub - in front
of Fabio Capello. Green had "England's No.6" stitched on to his gloves for
Saturday's draw with Birmingham which was watched by Capello, although that
was the first time the England boss has watched the Hammers No.1.
Green, left out of the England squad again last week, said: "The
manufacturer was having a laugh on my behalf. He went to a game and heard
the banter with the crowd and thought it would be quite funny to have
England No.6 stitched on my gloves! "If you can't laugh at yourself, who can
you laugh at? "It is not having a go at anybody. If it is anyone, it is
against myself. "I am not sure the other players knew what was going on!
"The crowd are shouting England's No.1, I say No.6, so for the moment I am
closer!"
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Curbishley denies holding back Ashton's ambitions - Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:07am on 11th February 2008
Alan Curbishley has hit back at criticism that he has hindered the
international ambitions of West Ham striker Dean Ashton. England coach Fabio
Capello was at Upton Park to see Ashton struggle in a 1-1 draw with
Birmingham but Curbishley defended his strategy of easing his striker back
to fitness after almost two seasons disrupted by injury. Franco Baldini,
Capello's right-hand man, talked with Ashton following a recent West Ham
match and assured the former Norwich frontman that he is in their plans.
Ashton, who badly broke an ankle training with England back in August 2006,
has suffered some niggling injuries since and Capello will have seen against
Birmingham that he is still way off his best form. Ashton and Curbishley
were reported to have disagreed about the best way back, with the striker
wanting to play in every game while his manager favoured a more cautious
approach. "We haven't had a falling-out," said Curbishley. "But most of the
people who have watched us this season would agree, I think, that I've done
well by Dean. "I don't think I have done such a bad job in terms of bringing
him back and easing him in. I think you can see Dean has a bit to do and I
believe the way we've handled it, giving him as much football as we can, has
been the right way."
Ashton is unlikely to play in England's match against France. Curbishley
said: "We're working hard at it and I don't see what else I can do." West
Ham took an early lead through Freddie Ljungberg but Birmingham equalised
with a James McFadden spot-kick after Lucas Neill was ruled to have pushed
him.
Referee Mark Clattenburg will look at Lee Bowyer's harsh sending-off again.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole expresses Ashton concerns - Setanta
by Ben Blackmore, 11 February 2008
Carlton Cole has admitted he is struggling to play alongside Dean Ashton in
West Ham's attack. After Saturday's draw with Birmingham, the duo have now
failed to fire for four consecutive games, the last two of which both
players have started. Ashton came under particular fire from supporters and
setantasports.com reporters alike for his lacklustre display in the 1-1
draw, and Cole admits work needs to be done. "We will be looking at the
ProZone stats and the videos to see how we can work better together," he
explained in The Daily Star. "We need to look at our movement as sometimes
we find ourselves in the same position and the communication is not up to
scratch. "We will start on the relationship on Monday. We have not actually
looked at it before."
Alan Curbishley has expressed his own fears that the strike pairing cannot
work, but he rubbished reports of a bust-up between himself and Ashton,
claiming the England man just needs to work harder. "The last few games –
apart from Liverpool – we've paired the two of them together, but they're
very similar players," said a concerned Curbishley. "Deano just has to keep
going. It's difficult getting fit in the first team, but there has been no
other way.
"I think you can see that he has a bit to do. We have not had a falling out
and I think most people who have been watching us this season will agree
I've done well on team selection and what I've tried to do."
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