All the team news and background for Saturday afternoon's return to
top-flight action at the JJB Stadium
01.02.2008
Barclays Premier League
Wigan Athletic v West Ham United
JJB Stadium
Saturday 2 February
3pm
Referee: Martin Atkinson
WHUTV - Full pre-match press conference to come including the manager's
thoughts on Julien Faubert, Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy.
Team news
Tenth-placed West Ham United will look to follow up Wednesday's 1-0 win
against Liverpool - thanks to Mark Noble's last-gasp penalty winner - with
another league success at Wigan Athletic. The JJB Stadium is a happy hunting
ground for the Hammers who have not lost in all five of their previous
visits, winning four of those trips north. Wigan sit 18th in the top-flight
after their 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
Alan Curbishley could have Danny Gabbidon, Nolberto Solano and Craig Bellamy
in contention, with the manager set to assess his options after training
today. Bobby Zamora will play in a practice game on Monday. Julien Faubert
is also back in full training after a calf strain kept him out in midweek.
Matthew Etherington and Dean Ashton will hope to have done enough in their
substitute appearances last time out to earn a starting berth. Kieron Dyer
has reported good progress from his double leg-break while Scott Parker, out
with a knee injury, is thought to be a month away.
James Collins' cruciate ligament damage will keep him out for at least six
months, with Nigel Quashie (knee) and Calum Davenport (neck) also sidelined.
John Pantsil is still on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Ghana, who will
play Nigeria in the quarter-finals on Sunday, although Henri Camara, on loan
from Wigan, is due back at the club after Senegal's elimination but is
ineligible.
Wigan were busy before the transfer window shut on Thursday, signing striker
Marlon King from Watford, experienced Norway defender Erik Hagen on loan
from Zenit St Petersburg, Sweden left-back Erik Edman and Honduras duo
Manyor Figueroa and Wilson Palacios, a left-back and midfielder
respectively. Wigan have no real injury problems, aside from concerns about
King (knee) and Edman (calf).
Last time out
West Ham United v Liverpool: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney,
Ljungberg, Noble, Mullins, Bowyer (Etherington 58), Boa Morte (Ashton 58),
Cole (Spector 81)
Subs not used: Wright, Solano
Wigan Athletic v Middlesbrough: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner,
Kilbane, Valencia, Brown, Palacios, King (Koumas 53), Heskey, Bent
(Sibierski 75).
Subs not used: Pollitt, Taylor, Boyce
Background
Curbishley's side are in fine league form, with seven wins and five draws
from the last 15 fixtures. The only three reverses came against strong
opposition in the form of Chelsea, Everton and Arsenal. Victory could take
the Hammers up to eighth - depending on Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers, who
begin the weekend one and two points ahead respectively. The club are eight
points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in eleventh, with a game in hand.
The teams' last met on 25 August at the Boleyn Ground, the second home
fixture of the season. After a close-fought encounter, Paul Scharner put
Wigan ahead on 78 minutes before Lee Bowyer equalised two minutes later and
it finished 1-1.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Dyer, Noble,
Mullins (Bowyer 65 ), Etherington, Zamora (Ashton 61 ),Bellamy (Boa Morte
75)
Subs not used: Walker, Spector
Wigan Athletic: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Granqvist, Kilbane, Valencia
(Brown 77 ), Scharner, Landzaat, Koumas, Sibierski (Aghahowa 38 ), Heskey
Subs not used: Pollitt, Hall, Folan
The Hammers have still not lost in all eleven league games this season when
they have taken the lead. George McCartney - who like Mark Noble and Luis
Boa Morte is on four cautions and would earn a one-match ban if
yellow-carded again before the trip to Fulham on 23 February - is bidding to
make his 30th appearance this season in all competitions. He 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 Green and Upson have played every
minute of the 23 matches. No other top-flight club still has two league
ever-presents while Upson, along with Stephen Kelly of Birmingham City, is
one of only two outfield players in the whole division to have achieved that
feat. Ashton, with six goals, five in the league, is the club's leading
scorer.
Wigan have lost their last three league and cup games but know a win could
potentially lift them to 14th in the table. They have not won any of their
last 15 meetings with London clubs, although have Marcus Bent in good form
with seven top-flight goals. Similarly, Chris Kirkland and Emile Heskey have
been called up by England for next week's friendly.
Head to head (last six league meetings)
25 August 2007 - West Ham United 1-1 Wigan Athletic
28 April 2007 - Wigan Athletic 0-3 West Ham United
6 December 2006 - West Ham United 0-2 Wigan Athletic
25 March 2006 - Wigan Athletic 1-2 West Ham United
28 December 2005 - West Ham United 0-2 Wigan Athletic
2 April 2005 - Wigan Athletic 1-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Wigan Athletic (all competitions): W 6, D 2, L 3
Barclays Premier League fixtures (all 3pm unless stated)
Saturday 2 February
Birmingham City v Derby County
Blackburn Rovers v Everton
Liverpool v Sunderland (5.15pm)
Manchester City v Arsenal (12.45pm)
Portsmouth v Chelsea
Reading v Bolton Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United
Sunday 3 February
Fulham v Aston Villa (4pm)
Newcastle United v Middlesbrough (1.30pm)
General information
For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to the JJB
Stadium, click here
Weather: The forecast is for a chilly afternoon, with the threat of
sleet/snow. The temperature is set to peak at around 4C.
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Captain's Blog - Confidence at a high - WHUFC
Lucas Neill updates on the latest within the squad in his regular weekly
column exclusively for whufc.com
01.02.2008
Lucas Neill looks back to Liverpool and has praise for Robert Green, Anton
Ferdinand and Mark Noble. He is also delighted for Matthew Upson, has words
of support for Luis Boa Morte and touches on his own busy schedule.
I was confident going into the Liverpool game on Wednesday night that a
positive result would set us up nicely for the run-in for European
qualification. A hard-fought 0-0 draw would have been a great result and
well-deserved, but to win the game in the dying seconds was truly amazing.
It is another big scalp for us and a result that has given an already
confident team an injection of added self-belief.
As a team, I think we defended extremely well and yet again kept Greeny's
work to a minimum. As a back five it is always nice to keep a clean sheet
and a special mention must go to Anton Ferdinand who I thought was
outstanding in everything he did. Liverpool showed us a lot of respect by
getting ten men behind the ball and making it hard for us to play. As a
result we didn't get the open flowing game that the fans were probably
hoping for but great credit to the boys, who kept going to the last whistle
and manufactured a great counterattack which ended in the penalty.
I have touched on the ability of Mark Noble before but yet again I have to
say that he is one of the most exiting young talents in England and a
massive part of the future of this club. I had every faith in him when he
ran and got the ball for the penalty but it still took huge character and
great composure to take his chance and send the home faithful into raptures.
The only low point of the game came when Luis Boa Morte was substituted. I
was a little bit stunned as to why he received a negative reaction from a
minority of the crowd. Luis is suffering with his confidence at the moment
but the one thing he will always give you is commitment and an unselfish
workrate for the team. I use Coley's situation as an example that once he
gets his confidence back he will be an integral part of the squad. So please
keep the faith that the rest of the team have in him and get behind him.
The next three games are a great opportunity for us to climb the table but
as the old cliché goes it is one game at a time and we start with a very
testing trip to Wigan. We all remember last year's amazing trip to the JJB
when we took an army of 6,000 fans. It was a fantastic atmosphere, a huge
result and an achievement we will be looking to emulate this weekend.
A massive congratulations to Matty Upson who was included in the 30-man
England squad this week, I think it is well deserved for a fantastic season
to date and I am surprised that he is the only one in this team that was
called upon. It's a biased opinion but Robert Green has got to feel very
hard done by - again! As he has been one of the stand-out keepers in the
Premier League this season, it can only be a matter of time before his
performances, along with Anton Ferdinand, Dean Ashton and Mark Noble, will
warrant a call-up.
On a personal note, this is going to be a very tough week for me. Straight
after the Wigan game I will be flying to Australia to play a World Cup
qualifier against Qatar on Wednesday night. Then it is straight back on the
plane to be ready for Birmingham at home on the Saturday. Physically it is
going to be tough but with the break in matches that follows I know I will
have a chance to recuperate. My desire to want to qualify for the World Cup
coupled with the FIFA ruling means it's a game I must attend. However, I
realise this is a very important time for me and the West Ham team as every
win is crucial to achieving our European dream so I wish the timing could
have been better.
Thank you for the continued support that helped us beat Liverpool on
Wednesday and thank you in advance for what we hope will be an important
result away to Wigan this weekend.
Lucas Neill
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Ljungberg urges forward thinking - WHUFC
Freddie Ljungberg expects West Ham United to keep a level head as they head
to Wigan Athletic on Saturday
01.02.2008
Freddie Ljungberg believes West Ham United are "getting there" as they look
to mount a serious challenge on the top eight.
Having won league and cup winners' medals in a distinguished career with
Arsenal, Ljungberg is fully focused on bringing success to the Boleyn
Ground. He has seen signs in recent weeks that West Ham United are a team
going places. "I joined because I thought we were going to build something.
That's the goal. We have had a lot of injuries but we are still up there and
we are so close now. We are playing really well, so we just have to keep on
going."
Settling into new surroundings can take time but the Sweden captain has
shown great adaptability by playing on either wing and in both advanced and
withdrawn roles - whatever is required for the team. "Maybe I don't get the
ball as much as I am used to but we are getting there," he said. "For me
personally I have felt really good in the last month or so and we are
starting to play the ball more on the floor as well. That suits me and we
are getting the results as well. We will keep on going."
Having played a major role in the 1-0 win against Liverpool in midweek, with
his trickery deceiving Jamie Carragher and earning the decisive penalty in
the process, Ljungberg knows the team have to take that same application to
the weekend trip to Wigan Athletic. "The important thing for us is to
remember this and take it to teams who are not as big or famous to win those
games as well. We looked at the table and there are not that many points up
there. If we can just keep that going it looks quite good for us but we
shouldn't get a big head, just keep on going."
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Specs sets sights on success - WHUFC
Having yet again responded to the manager's call, Jonathan Spector is
targeting big things for the run-in
01.02.2008
Jonathan Spector sees no reason why West Ham United cannot maintain their
charge and secure a European spot.
"That was a target at the start of the season - at the very least a top-ten
finish and then push for European place," claimed the 21-year-old American
international who could feature for his country in a major friendly against
Mexico next week in Texas. "We are closing the gap on the teams above us. I
don't think there is any quality difference between us and those that are
ahead."
Recent long-term injuries for Calum Davenport and James Collins have
increased the likelihood of Spector getting more chances to play his part -
including at Wigan Athletic on Saturday - but he summed up the togetherness
in the squad, which sees team put before individual, with words of sympathy
for the luckless duo. "All the boys are disappointed for Calum and James but
it will mean certainly mean more opportunities for me. I will just have to
make the most of them."
The versatile performer once again made his mark off the bench in midweek.
This time being charged by Alan Curbishley to nullify the threat of Steven
Gerrard who was "running riot" for visitors Liverpool. With Spector's
arrival, the manager changed the system back to a 4-5-1 and the extra
solidity in midfield allowed the team to go on and win the game 1-0 thanks
to Mark Noble's late penalty - which came about after a Matthew Etherington
and Freddie Ljungberg counterattack.
"He [Gerrard] was getting free and in some dangerous positions, so that was
my task," Spector said. "It was difficult coming on as a sub - especially
when you are meant to cancel out one of their players who is having a good
game. I stuck to it, we broke really well on a few occasions and in the end
Matt played a great ball into Freddie and it paid off for us."
Spector revealed the team always believed they could get all three points
against Liverpool to keep up the pressure on the teams above them. He added;
"The very least we were expecting was a draw because we were fairly solid at
the back. We didn't give them too many opportunities, but we certainly knew
that we could get them on the break which we did.
"They have a number of world-class players. It wasn't just Gerrard that was
a threat for us. Everyone did their part defensively from the front to the
back four all the way to Greeny in goal. We knew if we kept it tight at the
back, we would create a few chances."
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Bellamy pushing hard for return - WHUFC
Alan Curbishley could hand Craig Bellamy a recall on Saturday or wait until
a practice game on Monday
01.02.2008
Alan Curbishley will leave it as late as possible to decide whether to hand
Craig Bellamy his first-team return on Saturday afternoon at Wigan Athletic.
The manager has lined up a practice game behind closed doors on Monday and
could instead bring the Wales captain back for that fixture, which has also
been earmarked for Bobby Zamora's return from a knee injury for the first
time since 28 August. Bellamy has been out since the end of October with an
abdominal problem although he did get a full run-out in a reserve-team game
at Portsmouth ten days ago.
Acknowledging that Bellamy is eager to get back and would travel with the
squad to the JJB Stadium, Curbishley said: "He trained fully again this week
and he trained hard yesterday. But, as I have been saying consistently, he
has had one game in ten weeks so it is very difficult for the boys getting
fit in the first team. It does take a lot out of them.
"I have had to do that in recent weeks with [Luis] Boa Morte, [Matthew]
Etherington, [Lee] Bowyer and Nobby Solano to be fair. I have got to be a
little bit careful. I don't want to put them under too much pressure but
obviously we want him back." The manager will also exercise caution over
Julien Faubert, who missed out on the midweek 1-0 victory against Liverpool
having come on as substitute twice against Manchester City following his
debut cameo versus Fulham.
"Julien Faubert is back in training," he said. "He trained fully yesterday
so we will see how he goes. He has come a long way [after an achilles
injury] - then he took this slight calf strain so I have got to make sure
now that he doesn't have any more mishaps. We will see, I might leave him
another week. We have arranged a reserve game for Monday to get one or two
people a game."
Curbishley confirmed that James Collins had suffered cruciate damage to his
right knee and is going to be out for "at least six months", joining fellow
long-term absentees Calum Davenport (knee) and Nigel Quashie (foot). While
Kieron Dyer (double leg break) himself reported positive progress on WHUTV
this week, the manager also revealed there are hopes Scott Parker (knee)
could be back in four weeks.
The manager had a final word for Luis Boa Morte, himself not long back from
injury, who received some criticism on Wednesday night from a small section
of the crowd. "I was very disappointed with that and the rest of the players
were," he said. "You don't like to hear that and let's hope it is a one-off.
I would ask the fans to get behind the players because they can all surely
see that everybody is committed at the moment here at the club. They are
giving everything."
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Curbs baffled by Green omission - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 1st February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Alan Curbishley has said that Rob Green may have to 'dye his hair' in order
to receive an international call up. The Hammers keeper has been the most
consistent English goalkeeper in the top flight this season but was been
overlooked by new England boss Fabio Capello for his first English squad.
Club manager Curbishley is naturally a massive fan of his number one - but,
like most Hammers fans, cannot understand why Green has been left out in
favour of Wigan's Chris Kirkland and calamity keeper Scott Carson. "I think
Greeny perhaps is not spectacular enough - perhaps he's got to dye his hair
to make himself seem more spectacular," joked Curbishley. "Since I've been
at the club he's been the same throughout. There's been lots of talk that he
should be included but he has been consistent whenever I've spoken to him.
"All he will do is play as well as he can and, if the situation changes, it
changes. I don't think he will see it any other way. His performances
haven't gone unnoticed - we know that - and he just has to keep going. "I
don't think being left out of the squad is going to change his mentality.
He'll just take it on the chin and get on with it. There is no part of his
game he needs to work on, he's just been very, very consistent for us.
"Once he gets the nod from England he will go on from there."
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Boa: I'll keep working hard - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 1st February 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel
Luis Boa Morte has admitted that he was hurt by the boos which followed his
substitution against Liverpool on Wednesday. Some sections of the Boleyn
crowd booed the former Fulham winger as he was substituted midway through
the second half during Wednesday night's 1-0 win over Liverpool. The
Portuguese international had missed two gilt-edged opportunities to score
prior to that. However despite admitting that he was hurt by the negative
reaction, Boa insisted that he will be doing his best to turn around his
recent poor form. "Of course the boos are upsetting," he told Sky Sports
News.
"If they are not happy because I've not scored enough goals, fair enough.
But I don't want them to boo me for the hard work - because I've always
worked hard. "I'm not going to throw in the towel. I'm going to keep working
hard - and go and see a witch to see if she can help with the scoring."
Alan CUrbishley was similarly disappointed by the crowd's reaction, adding:
"Fans should get behind their team's players. Everyone is trying."
The Boleyn crowd, never slow to pick a scapegoat in recent years had
previously booed striker Carlton Cole until the striker found form earlier
his season.
Boo do you think you are? A whingers top 10 ...
1. Nigel Reo-Coker
2. Christian Dailly
3. Lee Bowyer
4. Andy Impey
5. Tomas Repka
6. Jermain Defoe
7. Carlton Cole
8. Luis Boa Morte
9. Iain Dowie
10. Samassi Abou ...
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Wigan Athletic v West Ham Utd - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 1st February 2008
By: Matthew Coker
With what looks to be a mouth-watering February for racking up points, we
start the month at the JJB for the annual beano to Wigan.
The problems that the football side of the town has with getting bums on
seats at the ground has meant that we have the usual generous allocation and
nigh on 5,000 of the Cockney boys (and girls) will be in Wigan for
Saturday's 3pm kick off.
I appreciate that West Ham fans have not had cause to look at the bottom of
the table this season, so you'll be pleased to know that I've done the
legwork for you all. My research shows that Wigan are currently sitting deep
in the brown stuff, on top of the bottom three in 17th place, with goal
difference keeping them from safety. It couldn't happen to a nicer outfit.
They are onto their second manager of the season, as we welcome another
relegation adversary in the less than pretty form of ex-Birmingham boss,
Steve Bruce. He stepped onto the manager-a-go-round last November and to his
credit he has managed a mini turnaround where, under his ten game
tenureship, the side has managed to rack up 12 of their 20 Premier League
points
In respect of home form, they have managed four wins, two early season
efforts against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and more recently they have
enjoyed wins over Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. It has generally
been decent sides that have beaten them at the JJB, Chelsea and Liverpool
from the big four and European qualification hopefuls, Aston Villa,
Portsmouth and Everton and they have drawn 1-1 with both Fulham and Man
City.
It has been their away form that has been the poorest, they have only
enjoyed one win in the current campaign, a 1-0 victory against ten men,
Derby County and the 1-1 draw against us at the Boleyn back in August was
one of our most disappointing performances this season. Their most recent
defeat on the road was mid week one at the Riverside where they went down by
a single goal.
"But we've shown enough fight since I've been here to make sure we've got an
outstanding chance of staying up."
- Steve Bruce after defeat at the Riverside.
Bruce had looked to have shored up a leaky defence in recent weeks, but
having seen how easily Jeremy Aliadiere and Tuncay tore through the back
four on Tuesday night suggests there is more work to be done.
The keeper will be former Liverpool man, Chris Kirkland and in front of him
will be the experienced Mario Melchiot at right back, Paul Scharner back
playing in his natural role as a centre back alongside Titus Bramble and
with the highly susceptible Kevin Kilbane on the left. Bruce has drafted
Erik Edman in from Rennes to help out, but he is yet to start for his new
side.
Titus Bramble has become something of a cult legend amongst football fans
for causing more cock ups than Gemma Atkinson. He added to reputation as a
gaffer with another goal conceding slip against Everton in their last home
fixture. In the interest of balance, he has shown himself to be a decent
defender for large parts of the season and Wigan fans are happy to fight his
corner in respect of his overall play. However, in a similar way to David
James and because his appearances on the highlights tend to be his worst
moments, we are well within our rights to be hoping for a Titus assist at
the weekend.
Bruce likes to set out with a 4-4-2 formation and generally likes to play
with widemen on both sides. The right winger is the highly rated Luis
Antonio Valencia, who missed large parts of last season through injury, but
has impressed enough to make his loan signing from Villareal a permanent
arrangement. On the right, Wilson Roberto Palacious has made a decent
impression with enthusiastic contributions, though he is not the finished
article.
The central duo had tended to be the combatitive Michael Brown alongside
Dutchman, Denny Landzaat, but with his defection back to the Netherlands to
play for Feyenoord last week, it seems to have left something of a problem
for Bruce. He tried to play an 4-3-3 against Middlesbrough with only one
central midfielder and was unsurprisingly overrun and I think it would be
beyond our expectations to hope that he would repeat this on Saturday.
The change in formation demonstrates how much faith that Bruce has in former
Baggies man, Jason Koumas. The general perception of Koumas at Wigan is that
he is something of an indulgence in a relegation battle, tending to shy away
from the physical aspects of the job, though he is a decent footballer and
adept at dead ball situations.
The club also has deficiencies up front. Emile Heskey has missed chunks of
the season though injury and he has just, somewhat gingerly, returned from
an ankle problem that kept him out of the Christmas programme. His partner
has been Marcus Bent, who is the club's top scorer with seven, three of
which came in a 5-3 win over Blackburn at Christmas. He is more of a
predatory striker who relies on good service, but is not consistent enough
to be a real threat at this level.
The club has also drafted in Marlon King from Watford and he started against
Middlesbrough. However, his failed medical at Fulham seemed to be a fairly
accurate measure of his current status as he looked short of fitness, both
match and generally. Antoine Sibierski is also in the squad but tends to
perform the role of super sub, on occasion to good effect.
"Week in and week out we've put in a lot of effort - the squad have a
fantastic attitude and full credit goes to them. We've lost three games in
the last 16 and that's gone unnoticed."
-Curbs gets excited post beating the Scousers.
After a fantastic night at the Boleyn last night, from which I am still both
happy and hoarse, confidence should be high. You can begin to see how good
the squad could be when you look at our bench and it features players of the
calibre of Ashton, Solano and Etherington outside of the starting eleven.
I can't see that Wigan have much resistance to offer at the weekend and I
can see a repeat of our previous visits to the JJB, one of the happiest
hunting grounds for any travelling Hammers. Put me down for a 2-0 away win.
Enjoy the game.
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Wigan v West Ham - BBC
JJB Stadium
Saturday, 2 February
Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match
of the Day
Wigan boss Steve Bruce will select two from Marlon King, Marcus Bent and
Emile Heskey in attack against West Ham.
Swedish full-back Erik Edman could be out with a calf problem, while
Norwegian defender Erik Hagen is awaiting international clearance.
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley will give late fitness tests to Craig
Bellamy and Julien Faubert.
Nolberto Solano is available and should be included in the squad, but Bobby
Zamora is set to miss out.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Wigan (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble, Scharner, Kilbane, Valencia,
Brown, Palacios, Taylor, Bent, Heskey, King, Aghahowa, Boyce, Edman,
Figueroa, Granqvist, Koumas, Olembe, Cotterill, Sibierski, Skoko, Pollitt.
West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg,
Noble, Mullins, Bowyer, Ashton, Boa Morte, Etherington, Cole, Spector,
Wright, Solano, Faubert, Bellamy.
BIG-MATCH FACTS
Wigan have lost their last three in league and cup and will want to stop the
rot in their 50th home match in the Premier League.
The Latics go into the game sitting in the relegation zone, but the position
just above the bottom three is so tight that a victory could shoot them up
to as high as 14th.
West Ham travel with confidence high from their last ditch penalty victory
over Liverpool on Wednesday might. They are guaranteed to retain their top
half status, whatever the result.
The Hammers have recorded twice as many Premier League victories as Wigan
(10 to five) and half as many defeats (seven to 14). They had registered one
more away victory than Athletic have managed at the JJB (five to four).
Wigan have not won any of their last 15 Premier League matches against
London clubs, since the 0-2 away victory over West Ham at Upton Park on 6
December 2006.
West Ham are aiming to take their Premier League record against Wigan at the
JJB Stadium to three wins out of three.
CLUB FORM
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 14th
Lowest could fall: 18th
1. Managed one win in five Premier League games; 0-1, away to Derby on 12
January.
2. Tuesday's 1-0 defeat, away to Middlesbrough, was the first time they had
failed to score in 12 league and cup games under Steve Bruce.
3. Won three of 10 league matches since Bruce's arrival.
4. Won 30 of the 100 Premier League matches in their history.
5. Lost all eight league games this season in which they have failed to
score.
6. Won all four league games in which a clean sheet has been kept.
7. Gone in at half-time all square in 13 of their 24 league matches; more
than any other club.
8. Lost the last three league and cup games at the JJB.
9. Managed just one clean sheet in the last nine league outings on home
turf; v Newcastle on Boxing Day.
10. A journey to the Stadium of Light to play Sunderland follows this,
before the visit of almost doomed Derby, and a trip to Manchester City.
WEST HAM UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 8th
Lowest could fall: 10th
1. Lost only three of the last 15 Premier League matches; against Chelsea
(a), Everton (h) and Arsenal (a).
2. Their 23 league games have yielded 50 goals (29 for, 21 against); at 2.17
it's the lowest goals per game average in the highest league.
3. Let in 21 goals in their 23 Premier League fixtures; only the 'Big Four'
clubs have conceded fewer.
4. Not lost a league game in which they scored first; won seven and drawn
four of 11.
5. One of five clubs not shown a red card in Premier League competition so
far this season.
6. All four penalties awarded against them in the Premier League have been
missed.
7. Not won a league game on the road since before Christmas; 1-2 against
Middlesbrough at the Riverside on 22 December.
8. Conceded nine goals on their league travels; only Manchester United,
Chelsea and Liverpool have leaked fewer away from home in this division
(eight each).
9. Home to Birmingham after this. Then the Eastenders go to the West End to
play Fulham, before Chelsea visit Upton Park and the reverse fixture to
midweek, at Liverpool.
KEY PLAYER NOTES
WIGAN ATHLETIC
Marcus BENT is Wigan's leading scorer with seven Premier League goals.
If selected:-
Chris KIRKLAND will be making his 50th league appearance in goal for Wigan.
Josip SKOKO will be making his 50th appearance in a Latics shirt.
If on the field from the outset:-
Emile HESKEY will be making his 50th start for Wigan.
Kevin KILBANE will be making his 50th Premier League start for Athletic.
WEST HAM UNITED
Dean ASHTON is West Ham's top scorer with six goals.
ASHTON is also the Hammers' top Premier League marksmen with five.
The club's Premier League goalscorers list is predominately comprised of
English players (eight of 11).
Matthew UPSON and Robert GREEN are the only remaining players to have been
on the field for every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League
matches this season. West Ham are the only club to have as many as two
genuine ever-presents remaining in this Premier League campaign.
Lee BOWYER is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Leeds,
Newcastle and West Ham).
Nol SOLANO needs a hat-trick to total 50 Premier League goals (Newcastle,
Aston Villa and West Ham).
Henri CAMARA is on loan from Wigan and therefore ineligible to play.
If selected:-
Robert GREEN will be making his 50th appearance in goal for the Hammers.
James COLLINS will be making his 100th career league appearance (Cardiff and
West Ham).
If on the field from the outset:-
Fredrik LJUNGBERG will be making his 200th English league start and 300th
start in English club football (Arsenal and West Ham).
HEAD TO HEAD
Wigan have never beaten West Ham on their own territory, in any competition.
The Hammers have won the last three league games, away to Wigan; one at
second league level, the other two in the Premier League.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Wigan 3 wins, West Ham 4, Draws 2
Prem: Wigan 2 wins, West Ham 2, Draws 1
at Wigan only
League (inc PL): Wigan 0 win, West Ham 3, Draws 1
Prem: Wigan 0 wins, West Ham 2, Draws 0
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Wigan Athletic 0-3 west Ham United
28 April 2007 - Ref: Graham Poll
West Ham scorers: Boa Morte 30, Benayoun 57, Harewood 82
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
West Ham United 1-1 Wigan Athletic
25 August 2007 - Ref: Andre Marriner
West Ham scorer: Bowyer 81
Wigan scorer: Scharner 78
REFEREE
Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)
Premier League referees' table
Martin Atkinson's 2007-08 Premier League card count
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Boa Morte blasts boo-boys - SSN
Hammers winger says criticism is harsh
By James Pearson Last updated: 1st February 2008
West Ham's under-fire winger Luis Boa Morte is unhappy Hammers fans have
turned against him. The former Fulham man was booed for his display in West
Ham's midweek win over Liverpool at Upton Park. Boa Morte is surprised he
was targeted as he believes he is working hard for the team, but he has
acknowledged he is disappointed with his goals tally. "Of course the boos
are upsetting. I don't know why," he told Sky Sports News. I agree if they
are not happy because I've not scored enough goals. Okay fair enough. "I
don't want them to boo me for the hard work because every single team I've
had in England I've always worked hard. "I'm not going to throw in the
towel. I'm going to keep working hard and to go and see a witch to see if
she can help with the scoring."
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Ljungberg eyes Europe - SSN
Player believes aim is realistic
By Amanda Cornforth Last updated: 1st February 2008
Freddie Ljungberg is confident West Ham can qualify for Europe if they
remain consistent for the remainder of the season. The Hammers' victory over
Liverpool on Wednesday kept them well placed in 10th and they have found
their form recently having lost just three league games in their last 15.
Ljungberg, who joined West Ham from Arsenal at the beginning of the
campaign, believes that qualifying for Europe is within reach as they
prepare for their next Premier League test at Wigan on Saturday. "I said
from the beginning that Europe is a realistic aim," said Ljungberg. "That's
why I joined the club, to build something. "We looked at the table - I said
it before - there are not that many points (between teams) up there. "If we
can just keep our form going it looks quite good for us. We shouldn't get a
big head - we should just keep going."
The squad will be given a welcome boost in the run-in to the end of the
term, with several players on the brink of returning from injury. Craig
Bellamy is continuing his recovery from abdominal problems; Julien Faubert
has recovered from his Achilles injury while Dean Ashton and Matthew
Etherington came off the bench against the Reds. Boss Alan Curbishley said:
"We've had to use everything we've got. We've had players playing out of
position - and we've had to change players during games. But we've shown
great character. The fans should be pleased with that attitude."
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Wigan v West Ham preview - SSN
Latics look to beat the drop
By Amanda Cornforth Last updated: 1st February 2008
Skysports.com prediction: Wigan 1 West Ham 2
Sky Bet odds: Wigan 6/4 Draw 11/5 West Ham 6/4
One to watch: Marcus Bent
Wigan will be hoping to turn around a poor home record against West Ham at
the JJB Stadium on Saturday. Out of four meetings between the two sides, the
Latics have claimed just one point but they will be looking to break that
record as they strive to haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
Following the midweek 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough, Steve Bruce's side find
themselves third from bottom and two points adrift of safety. Wigan have
failed to win in their last six games in all competitions and have claimed
just two points in the Premier League. Bruce bolstered his squad by signing
Norwegian defender Erik Hagen on loan from Russian side Zenit St Petersburg
on Thursday for the rest of the season and he could feature in the game. The
manager is also poised to continue with a two-man attack on Saturday after
admitting he 'got it wrong' by choosing to experiment with a three-pronged
attack at the start against Middlesbrough.
Wigan will, however, face a stiff test against West Ham, who head north
buoyed by an injury-time victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night.
Following the win the Hammers are only four points behind the Reds in 10th
place in the table as they continue to push for a European place. West Ham
have only lost three league games in their last 15 and are quietly mounting
their challenge on Europe. Boss Alan Curbishley received a boost midweek
when Dean Ashton and Matthew Etherington came off the bench against
Liverpool following injuries. Julien Faubert may be available after
recovering from his serious Achilles injury; he was only ruled out of the
Liverpool game with a calf strain.
Wigan 6/4, West Ham 6/4, Draw 11/5
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Wigan v West Ham, Saturday, February 2, 3pm.
By Guardian-series
MATCH PREVIEW
LAST MEETING: West Ham 1 Wigan 1 (Barclays Premiership, 25-08-07)
LAST TIME AT THE JJB STADIUM: Wigan 0 West Ham 3 (Barclays Premiership,
28-04-07)
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Wigan 3 wins, West Ham 6 wins, 2 draws
FORM: Relegation favourites Wigan have been a somewhat rejuvinated force
under new boss Steve Bruce, picking up four wins and three draws in the 11
games since he joined the club after leaving his role at Birmingham.
With games against Sunderland and Derby to follow, Wigan will be desparate
to pick up something against the Hammers to go into the crunch relegation
battles with confidence.
ANGER MAN: Marlon King will be desperate to make an impression on his home
debut, the striker having signed from Championship Watford last week.
The 27-year-old (pictured) has been brought in to provide the goals to fire
Wigan to safety and, alongside powerful England forward Emile Heskey, will
be a threat to any Premiership defence.
FUN FACT: Fans' football chants against opposing players and supporters are
an essential part of the game's fabric, at any level.
But Wigan supporters appear to prefer teasing the fans of the town's rugby
league club, Wigan Warriors.
Warriors - who play in red - have long been the most supported club in the
town, but the metoric rise in the past decade of blue-kitted Athletic has
arguably led to a change in perceptions - and, inevitably, chants of
"Wigan's turning blue".
PREDICTION: Wigan 1 West Ham 2
3:18pm today
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Bruce full of praise for West Ham boss
By Guardian-series
WIGAN boss Steve Bruce has congratulated counterpart Alan Curbishley for
turning West Ham around this season. The Irons were stuck in a Premier
League relegation scrap alongside Wigan last season, with both teams
escaping the drop on the final day of the season. However, Curbishley has
steered the east Londoners to tenth in the table this season and on course
for a European push, despite a horrendous injury situation - as many as 14
first team players have been out of action at any one time. Speaking ahead
of his side's clash with the Hammers at the JJB Stadium tomorrow, Bruce
(pictured) said: "I've got huge respect for Alan and what he's done there.
"They've been wracked with big injuries to big players so it just shows you
how strong in depth their squad is. "To be without the likes of Dean Ashton,
Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer for a long time, it's credit to
Alan and his players for keeping the club in the top ten and in a position
to go for a place in Europe." Wigan themselves are locked in another
relegation dogfight this campaign.
The Latics have suffered back to back league defeats in their last two
outings - against Everton and Middlesbrough - but Bruce insisted he will not
be telling his players to sit back. Instead, he believes that attacking
every game is the positive approach to take. "We've got to meet the
relegation scrap head on and take the bull by the horns, I always believe
that," he said. "We have done over the last two or three months, that's for
sure, so I've been delighted."
He added: "We are well aware we have now lost back-to-back Premier League
games, so we need to get ourselves back on a good run. "Although the
performances have been decent, we haven't quite managed to get anything out
of the games - we need to start picking up the three points. "That's what
it's all about now because you can see how tight it is at the bottom and we
must make sure we keep ourselves in touch."
New signing Erik Edman is the only doubt for the clash with a calf problem,
while Norway defender Erik Hagen - a deadline-day loan signing from Russian
club Zenit St Petersburg - is awaiting international clearance.
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Wigan look for revenge over the Hammers
By Dominic Gover
WIGAN will be looking for revenge when West Ham visit the JJB Stadium
tomorrow. The Hammers brushed aside the Latics 3-0 in last season's fixture,
part of the impressive run of seven wins in ten games that saw them clear of
relegation. Two of the scorer's that day, Marlon Harewood and Yossi Benayon,
are no longer with the club, while the other, Luis Boa Morte, has hardly
been prolific - it remains the Portugal winger's only goal for the east
Londoners since his move from Fulham in January last year. Wigan themselves
are embroiled in a relegation dog fight once again this season and boss
Steve Bruce has moved to strengthen his squad in the January transfer
window. The most notable sees Marlon King arrive from Championship outfit
Watford for £4.5 million to provide competition for places up front, while
pacy winger Luis Antonio Valencia has made his loan move from Villareal
permanent.
Bruce has also moved to bolster his leaky defence. Former Spurs defender
Erik Edman comes in from French club Rennes, alongside Honduras
international pair Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa, and deadline-day
signing Erik Hagen. Palacios has made his loan move permanent while Figueroa
arrives on loan from Deportivo Olimpia. Tough-tackling 32-year-old Norway
defender Hagen comes in on loan from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg. But
the omens for the Latics do not look good going into the game. Not only are
they are on a run of three straight defeats, they have also never beaten the
Hammers at the JJB.
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Wigan v WEST HAM: Bellamy and Faubert have late fitness tests for Hammers -
Daily Mail
Last updated at 13:25pm on 1st February 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley will give late fitness tests to Craig
Bellamy and Julien Faubert ahead of their Premier League match against Wigan
Athletic tomorrow. Nolberto Solano is available and should be included in
the squad, but Bobby Zamora is set to miss out.
Defender James Collins is ruled out for the rest of the season after
injuring his cruciate ligaments and is joined on the sidelines by long-term
absentees Calum Davenport, Kieron Dyer and Nigel Quashie .
Provisional squad: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg,
Noble, Mullins, Bowyer, Ashton, Boa Morte, Etherington, Cole, Spector,
Wright, Solano, Faubert, Bellamy.
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Bellamy is ready to return for Hammers - Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:58am on 1st February 2008
Striker Craig Bellamy is poised for a recall to the West Ham squad for
tomorrow's trip to Wigan. Bellamy has been sidelined since October with an
abdominal problem and, having just missed out on the midweek clash against
former club Liverpool, he is now set to feature again. West Ham go into the
game buoyed by their 1-0 win over Liverpool but Alan Curbishley is unhappy
that some fans cheered when Luis Boa Morte was substituted in midweek.
Craig Bellamy (left) has been sidelined since October with an abdominal
problem "I was so disappointed to hear that," said the manager. "Fans should
get behind their team's players. Everyone is trying."
Striker Bobby Zamora, who has been out since September with a knee injury,
is expected to play for the reserves on Monday. Midfielder Julien Faubert,
who is also easing his way back following a long lay-off, is also expected
to return in that game following a slight calf strain.
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Robert can't do any more, Curbs admits surprise at Green England snub -
Daily Mail
Last updated at 09:57am on 1st February 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley today admitted he is "surprised" that
in-form goalkeeper Robert Green had not been included in Capello's first
England squad. Green has impressed this season, but Scott Carson, David
James and Chris Kirkland were preferred. Curbishley said: "I'm surprised Rob
isn't in the England squad and a bit disappointed for him to be honest.
There's very little more he can do." Green's mood is in stark contrast to
Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies, who was so stunned to get picked he
initially thought he was the victim of a practical joke. He said: "When I
got the news I thought it was a wind up. I had to check the message several
times before I realised it was genuine."
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Curbishley willing to rely on West Ham youngsters
By Guardian-series
WEST Ham boss Alan Curbishley revealed that the club's talented youngsters
persuaded him not to spend any money on new players in this month's transfer
window. The window shut earlier today and, despite a number of players being
linked with a move to Upton Park, the purse strings have been firmly closed.
But the Irons chief said: "I've got a couple of kids in James Tomkins and
Jack Collison who have done well this season so, if the need arises, why not
give them a game? "I've also got Freddie Sears, who travelled with us to Man
City and Kyel Reid, whose been in and around the squad a lot this season.
"So I will put them in if I need to and have a look at them."
Collison in particular has caught the eye this season. The 19-year-old
reserve team captain made his full debut against Arsenal on New Year's Day
and has made an impression in the Wales U21 side. The box to box midfielder
has certainly grabbed the attention of club and international team mate
Danny Gabbidon. "Jack could easily play in the West Ham first team," said
Gabbidon. "He has been in and around it and deserves to be so. "He prepares
week in, week out in training and in games he is a top player."
10:11am today
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