Matthew Upson made a good return to the international fold with a solid
display at Wembley on Wednesday
06.02.2008
Matthew Upson played the full 90 minutes as England ran out 2-1 winners
against Switzerland at Wembley in Fabio Capello's first game in charge.
The 28-year-old, winning his eighth cap, partnered former Hammers
centre-back Rio Ferdinand in central defence and turned in a solid
performance in keeping with his progress for Alan Curbishley's in-form West
Ham United this season. Reflecting after the game, Upson said he had enjoyed
the whole experience of linking up with the Italian manager's squad - and
not just the game itself.
"To get the call was really pleasing," he told Sky Sports, admitting that he
had been "optimistic" it would come. "I have enjoyed my time and I am really
happy to be here. The manager has an idea of what type of player he wants
and how he wants to play. International football is different to the
Premiership - it is at a slower pace and more technical. [Capello's
approach] is very detailed and positionally [you have to] be immaculate."
In a first half of few incidents, Upson found himself with an opportunity to
head for goal in the 40th minute, rising high to meet an inswinging corner.
Moments later, England were in front when Joe Cole's skill allowed Jermaine
Jenas to tap in. Switzerland kept going, however, and substitute Eren
Derdiyok levelled matters with a neat finish in the 58th minute.
On the hour, Upson had the chance to restore England's lead only to go down
under pressure from a Swiss defender just as he seemed certain to connect.
Barely had the protests died down than Steven Gerrard's precise pass found
Shaun Wright-Phillips, on for Jenas, in front of goal and he slotted into
the net. Upson then had to be alert in the final seconds to block a
scrambled shot.
Over in Belfast, George McCartney played the first 45 minutes for Northern
Ireland in their 1-0 defeat by Bulgaria. Like Upson, McCartney has been an
ever-present for his club this season. Earlier on Wednesday, Lucas Neill
helped Australia to a 3-0 victory against Qatar in Melbourne, the first
match in their bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Jonathan Spector,
Freddie Ljungberg and Nolberto Solano were all focusing on club commitments
this week while Danny Gabbidon and Craig Bellamy were withdrawn from the
Wales squad to face Norway.
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Neill skippers Australia to success - WHUFC
Lucas Neill played a captain's role as the Socceroos began their bid to
reach the 2010 World Cup in style
06.02.2008
Lucas Neill led from the back as Australia recorded a solid 3-0 victory
against Qatar on Wednesday.
The match in Melbourne was the opening game of Australia's qualification
programme for the 2010 World Cup. The Socceroos are now based in the Asian
continental zone and have been drawn in qualifying Group 1 - along with Iraq
and China in a tough four-nation section. Iraq are the reigning Asian
champions while China reached the 2002 World Cup.
After today's contest - which saw Josh Kennedy, Tim Cahill and Mark
Bresciano all score inside 32 minutes - Australia are next in action on 2
June when they welcome Iraq before the reverse fixture is played just five
days later. If Australia finish in first or second, they will progress to
the next stage which will see two groups of five teams. The top two teams
from both pools will then go automatically to the World Cup in South Africa
- a fifth team will play-off against a nation from the Oceania zone for
another spot.
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International round up - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 6th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
There were mixed fortunes for West Ham players involved in internationals
tonight. Matthew Upson won his eighth cap for England in their 2-1 win over
Switzerland at Wembley, playing the entire 90 minutes. However George
McCartney ended up on the losing side as Northern Ireland went down 1-0 at
home to Bulgaria. Goals from Tottenham's Jermaine Jenas and Chelsea's Shaun
Wright-Phillips gave the new-look England side a narrow victory in their
first game under Fabio Capello. England - who also featured former Hammers
David James, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole - took the lead five minutes ahead
of the break through Jenas before the Swiss equalised 13 minutes into the
second half through Eren Derdiyok. However Switzerland enjoyed parity for
just three minutes before Wright-Phillips scored the winning goal from close
range. Meanwhile Nigel Worthington's reign as manager of Northern Ireland
got off to a losing start thanks to Martin Petrov's 38th minute winner at
Windsor Park. Petrov's effort hit the back of the net after taking a
deflection off Ireland's Jonny Evans; West Ham's George McCartney, like team
mate Upson, played the full 90 minutes.
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Neill enjoys comfortable win - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 6th February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Lucas Neill's Socceroos got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a
flyer in Melbourne this morning. The Australians, captained by West Ham's
29-year-old full-back strolled to victory against Qatar in the first Group A
fixture of their journey to the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa,
running out 3-0 winners. The victory was never in doubt as the Aussies,
under the charge of new manager Pim Verbeek completely controlled the game
against the weakest team in their qualifying section with goals coming from
Karlsruhe's Josh Kennedy, Everton's Tim Cahill and Palermo's Mark Bresciano
- all inside the opening 33 minutes. So enthused by the win was one Aussie
journalist that he likened the 'Roos attacking play to 'slicing the Qatari
defence apart like a Japanese chef preparing blowfish.' Hammers captain
Neill - who played the full 90 minutes - is already on his way back to
London in order to return in time for Saturday's Premier League fixture
against Birmingham.
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Faubert attacks Curbs' tactics - SSN
French winger stunned at training sessions
By Chris Burton Last updated: 7th February 2008
Julien Faubert has criticised West Ham boss Alan Curbishley for his lack of
tactical knowledge. The French international, who joined the Hammers from
Bordeaux over the summer, has only recently recovered from a long-term
injury but still feels that he has seen enough to pass judgement on his
coach.
The winger has been left stunned by how little time is dedicated to tactical
preparation before matches and feels that it is an issue which is hindering
the club's progress. "We have gaps in that area of the game, our tactics and
on the defending and positional aspects," Faubert said in the Daily Star.
"We rarely speak tactics at training, and since I've been here we have done
just two tactical training sessions. "Instead we just do games, try to play
in little spaces with everybody in the front. The mentality here is
different. "Players kick you, then you kick them, but nobody complains, it's
just part of the game."
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Upson's World Cup aim - SSN
Defender looks to cement England spot
Last updated: 6th February 2008
Matthew Upson says he has a 'huge hunger' to be part of an England squad
which qualifies for the World Cup. The West Ham United defender has been
included in Fabio Capello's squad for the new coach's first game in charge
against Switzerland. The centre-half is tipped to start alongside Rio
Ferdinand at Wembley in what would be his first international appearance for
over three years. "I've never been to a major championship," said Upson in
The Sun. "I've got a huge hunger to do that. "If I perform at the level
which I know I can, then I want to start putting myself in a position where,
hopefully, the England coach will be thinking about picking me. "Playing for
England is a massive target and is the one personal achievement I would love
to achieve again. "I am pleased with my form and how things are going. I am
working hard and being as consistent as I can be. I am getting better and
working on things I must improve. "I have some targets that I want to meet
and I am working hard to achieve those."
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Hammers ready to open Trap door - teamTalk
West Ham winger Julien Faubert claims Giovanni Trapattoni has emerged as a
possible candidate to fill the club's director of football vacancy. The
French winger put the Italian coach's name firmly in the frame after being
questioned on a French radio programme. Trapattoni has also been linked with
the Republic of Ireland vacancy, with Billy Davies and Terry Venables also
thought to be in the running. Trapattoni, who is 68, is currently the coach
at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, but for a man who has been coaching
teams since 1974, he may well jump at the chance to act as a director of
football.
Faubert revealed a French-speaking Italian West Ham employee, who helps the
midfielder with translation, told the £6million summer signing that the
68-year-old's arrival is a possibility. Faubert said: "Trapattoni would be a
huge boost for our tactics because we have gaps in that area of the game, on
the defending and position aspects."
Hammers manager Alan Curbishley may not be too pleased to hear that last
remark, but the possibility of bringing someone with Trapattoni's experience
to the club, is not one to dismiss lightly. The Italian is Italy's most
successful club coach ever, having won seven league titles with Juventus and
Internazionale, though his last Scudetto was in 1989. He was the Juventus
coach in 1985 when they beat Liverpool to win the European Cup in the Heysel
Stadium and in 1997 he became the first Italian coach to win a league title
abroad with Bayern Munich. In fact 'Il Trap' is one of only two managers to
win the domestic league in four different countries after also guiding
Benfica and Red Bull to their respective titles. However his spell in charge
of the Italian national team was a disappointing one. The Azzurri bowed out
of the 2002 World Cup with an extra-time defeat to South Korea in the last
16 and they failed to advance beyond the group stage at Euro 2004. The only
other man that has been linked with the job has been Dutch coach Stan
Valckx, who is currently the director of football at PSV Eindhoven.
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Faubert slams Curbishley over his management style - Daily Mail
By SIMON JONES - More by this author »
Last updated at 23:06pm on 6th February 2008
Julien Faubert is on a collision course with Alan Curbishley after attacking
the West Ham boss's management style. The French winger, signed from
Bordeaux for £6million last summer, said: 'We rarely speak tactics at
training. Since I've been here we have done just two tactical training
sessions.
'Instead we just do games, try to play in little spaces with everybody in
the front. Players kick you, then you kick them, but nobody complains, it's
just part of the game.' Faubert, who has missed most of the season with an
Achilles injury, added that former Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni was
being lined up as director of football — a claim denied by the club.
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Faubert Wants Trapattoni At Upton Park - goal.com
West Ham midfielder Julien Faubert could be in trouble with Alan Curbishley
after suggesting that he would like Giovanni Trapattoni to take over at the
club. French international Faubert claims that the Italian coach, who is
also in the frame for the Republic of Ireland national job, would be the
ideal man to sort out what he thinks are tactical deficiencies at Upton
Park. "He would be a huge boost for our tactics because we have gaps in that
area of the game, on the defending and positioning aspects," Faubert told
Radio Monte Carlo. "His arrival is possible, it is up in the air. I don't
know if it will happen or not.
"I have a person at the club who speaks French and helps me with the
translation and he is Italian and speaks to me (about Trapattoni's possible
arrival)," added the 24-year-old. The Frenchman also spoke about his
difficultly in adapting to English football. "They do everything upside down
and everything is different here and the league can't be compared to the
French one," said the former Cannes and Bordeaux player. "They fight for
every ball and the refs don't whistle often. Then, the games are much
quicker, they are not focused on tactics at all, there is no time to rest.
Faubert also said he was surprised by the lack of tactical training sessions
since he joined the east London club for £6 million last summer. "We rarely
speak tactics at training," he revealed. "It's only based on little games
and since I've been here we have just done two tactical training sessions,
we just do games, try to play in little spaces with everybody in the front."
Faubert still hasn't recovered from the serious Achilles injury that has
kept him out for most of the season. He did, however, play in a recent
practice match against QPR and hopes to return soon.
Gil Gillespie
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West Ham face new £7m lawsuit over Tevez deal - The Independent
Thursday, 7 February 2008
The saga surrounding Carlos Tevez's controversial season at West Ham United
is set to rumble on for up to another nine months with the player's
representative Kia Joorabchian suing the Premier League club for £7m.
West Ham said yesterday they will contest vigorously the claim by
Joorabchian, which relates to alleged unpaid fees and costs, while the
businessman himself is understood to be bullish about his chances and is
also prepared for the issue to go to court.
Events will also be monitored closely by Sheffield United, who were
relegated to the Championship last season but have tried to get West Ham
demoted for fielding Tevez after being found guilty of breaching the rules
on third-party ownership. A Football Association arbitration panel is due to
rule next month on their claim.
Joorabchian has filed a writ at the Chancery Division of the High Court
although it may take several weeks for the particulars of claim to be lodged
and a further nine months for it to come to court – although it's highly
unlikely, given the potential for embarrassment on all sides, that events
will go that far. According to the writ, Joorabchian is seeking an
outstanding sum of £4.5m, plus a further £2.6m which, he alleges, was due to
be paid to him by West Ham on 31 January.
Joorabchian is claiming he has documentary and taped evidence to back his
case. He is not seeking any money on behalf of Tevez but is claiming he is
entitled to payments relating to loan fees, insurance for the player and
other agents' fees he believes he was contractually entitled to.
The first part of the claim is understood to be linked to promises made by
the club's former chairman, Terry Brown, and managing director, Paul
Aldridge, who negotiated the original loan deal which took Tevez and
Argentine team-mate Javier Mascherano to West Ham in August 2006.
The £2.6m is understood to relate to a verbal agreement Joorabchian says he
had with Eggert Magnusson – the club's former chairman and frontman for the
Icelandic takeover by billionaire Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson in November 2006 –
who has since sold his stake and left the club.
West Ham maintain no verbal or written agreements exist to back up
Joorabchian's claims. They also believe that any outstanding issues with
Joorabchian or Tevez's owners, Just Sports Inc and Media Sports Investment,
were settled by last August's out-of-court deal which secured the player's
transfer to Manchester United. Then West Ham were paid £2m by the agents for
the release of Tevez's registration. United agreed to pay Just Sport and MSI
a £5m loan fee plus £5m a year to Tevez in wages. The deal avoided a court
battle which could have cost West Ham £35m.
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West Ham's Tomkins wins international praise
tribalfooball.com - February 06, 2008
West Ham defender James Tomkins and Aston Villa's Ciaran Clark won praise
after England U19's friendly victory over Croatia this week. "I thought our
two centre halves Ciaran Clark and James Tomkins were outstanding, really
first class," manager Brian Eastick told theFA.com.
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Heart scare forces ex-Hammer Clarke to quit - Guardian Series
By George Bowstead
FORMER West Ham defender Clive Clarke is set to retire from football after
suffering a heart attack during a game last year. His contract with Premier
League Sunderland will be cancelled by mutual agreement following medical
advice. The 28-year-old signed for the Hammers from Stoke in July 2005,
making three appearances, before moving to Wearside 13 months later. Clarke
suffered a heart attack at half-time during a Carling Cup tie last August
while playing for Leicester City on loan. He has not played since that night
in August when he was taken ill at the City Ground as the Foxes took on
Forest.
The former Republic of Ireland international had to be revived twice by
paramedics after his heart stopped and has since been fitted with a
pacemaker.
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Cahill, Neill pledge allegiance - foxsports.com.au
February 07, 2008 AUSTRALIA stars Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill are willing to
risk angering their English clubs to be part of the Socceroos' World Cup
qualifier in China next month. Neill, Cahill and other European-based
Socceroos have pledged their availability for the next group match against
China at altitude in Kunming on March 26 despite it being a midweek match
sandwiched between club games. The match promises a repeat of the "three
games in a week, across two time zones" schedule the European-based Aussies
confronted and conquered in their 3-0 win over Qatar in this week's opening
World Cup qualifier in Melbourne. Playing at altitude with little time to
adjust and the physical challenges that represents adds a further hurdle to
both the match and recovery. Socceroos skipper Neill said he would continue
to make himself available for his country regardless of any pressure his
English club West Ham and manager Alan Curbishley may put on him to dodge
international duty. "People say `why would you want to go and play for
Australia in the middle of two (Barclays) Premier League games?' (I say)
Because I'm playing for Australia and I want to go to the World Cup," Neill
said. "It's an honour, it's a privilege and I'm sure there are millions and
millions of others who would want to be doing what we are doing. I'm not
taking it for granted. "If it was him (Curbishley) going to represent
England he wouldn't have an argument and that's the only case we have to put
forward to him."
Cahill, who on his performance against Qatar looms as the most important
player in the Socceroos' long World Cup qualification road, said his
participation in the match was never in doubt. Everton club manager David
Moyes had hinted at a hamstring injury, and admitted publicly he didn't want
Cahill to make the trip. Cahill defied the pressure, then produced an
outstanding 65-minute performance including a goal before he and his
teammates departed Melbourne for the long trip home to Europe and their
weekend club matches. "Before I even got here, I was reading things that I
was injured and I wasn't coming and I wasn't getting on the aeroplane. I was
still getting on the areoplane, injured or not injured, just to be part of
the squad," Cahill said. "We just showed our commitment."
While the four games in this qualifying stage following the China match will
be played in the European off-season, the club versus country issue is set
to escalate should the Socceroos advance to the next phase of Asian World
Cup qualifying. That will involve another eight internationals, plus the
prospect of more should Australia find themselves involved in play-offs.
Celtic striker Scott McDonald pointed to the care the Socceroos staff had
given the players in bringing them home and sending them back to their clubs
under medical supervision. Head doctor Jeff Steinweg accompanied the
European-based players to Australia, while head physiotherapist Phil Coles
left with the team for Europe. "The Australian staff have been fantastic. We
had the doctor fly all the way over to London so he could fly back with us
and make sure we were in tip-top shape," McDonald said. "We've got someone
flying over with us tonight as well so hopefully that will hold us in good
stead (to be fit for our weekend matches). "It's important the relationships
between club and country are very good. The new manager (Pim Verbeek) spoke
to all the club managers and there seems to be a good relationship there, so
long may that continue."
AAP
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