Scott Parker has enjoyed a consistent run of games - and form - of late and
is eager to sign off in style
08.05.2008
Scott Parker has spoken of his desire to end the season on a winning note
this weekend as well as his personal satisfaction at an extended run of
games in the West Ham United first team.
Should the England midfielder figure against Aston Villa, it will be his
tenth consecutive appearance and 20th of the season overall - not bad
considering his fortunes in the summer and the first half of the season when
he was blighted by knee problems. "I am pleased with how things have been
going," he said. "Obviously coming back from long-term injury, a long time
out, it has been very disappointing but I feel that I've turned a corner
regarding my injury.
"I just need games now. The season's coming to an end now but I'm glad I'm
getting through the games. I feel I'm getting stronger with every one,"
added the 27-year-old. Parker, who played 41 times for Newcastle United last
season and 32 games in the previous campaign, is used to being a regular and
has enjoyed the chance to "get into my stride" for the run-in - experience
which will stand him in good stead for next season's renewed challenge.
Before looking ahead to the next campaign, Parker knows there is work to be
done this Sunday against Aston Villa to secure a finish in the top half of
the table - especially after the defeat at Manchester United. "We need to
draw a line under this result and carry on the way were going," he said. "We
need to go into the Villa game and try and pick up three points. We need to
get tenth and that's what we're going to do. We're going to go into that
game fully focused and hopefully get all three points."
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Ticket office notice for fans - WHUFC
The introduction of new ticketing software means the ticket office will not
be open early next week
08.05.2008
Supporters are advised that the ticket office will be closed next Monday and
Tuesday.
The closure on 12-13 May will allow for the installation of new computer
hardware and the introduction of the new Seethreesixty ticketing software.
Click here for more information about this innovation for the 2008/09
campaign.
Season ticket renewals will commence from Wednesday 14 May with renewal
packs expected to arrive on existing season ticket holders' doormats from
this Saturday. Prices for the 2008/09 season will also be announced via
whufc.com.
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Day unsure of future - SSN
Assistant manager aware of speculation
By Lewis Rutledge Last updated: 8th May 2008
West Ham assistant manager Mervyn Day has admitted he does not know whether
he and Alan Curbishley will still be at the club next season. Curbishley and
Day have guided The Hammers to a mid-table position despite having to
contend with a number of injuries to key players. There has been speculation
that the pair could be shown the exit door at Upton Park in the summer and
Day is not sure whether to read anything into the reports. "Who knows, who
knows, you can't help speculation," said Day. "Everybody in football, you
speak to any manager or coach, and they acknowledge what a decent job we've
done so far in the circumstances. "Whether people in our position think that
speculation has got some foundation or whether it's justified is another
matter."
West Ham have been in poor form of late and were hammered 4-1 by Premier
League leaders Manchester United on Saturday. They face Aston Villa in their
final game of the season and Day insists there is plenty to play for as they
aim to hang on to 10th place. "For personal pride, it doesn't matter if it's
Spurs or Newcastle, we want to finish in the top 10," he explained. "That's
been the goal ever since the start of the season. We wanted to be in the top
half of the table." "If we achieve that, given the amount of injuries we've
had, I think we'll have done reasonably well."
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Henry lined up for shock move to West Ham - West Ham Online
West Side Story - Thu May 8 2008
Thierry Henry could be back in London next season but playing for West Ham
rather than Arsenal. Arsene Wenger has declined the chance to re-sign the
former Gunner and West Ham are putting together a financial package that
will shatter their wage structure. The Hammers will attempt to clear the
decks of fringe players to enable them to get a world class striker in to
play alongside Dean Ashton. A Barcelona spokesman said preliminary
negotiations had taken place at board level and " things should be concluded
quickly once the season ends"
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Time To Show Some Support! - West Ham Online
Alex V - Thu May 8 2008
I'll be proudly applauding the players and staff at West Ham on Sunday - I
hope the majority of fans will share my sentiments and will support the
club. It's been a weird season, hard to fully appraise - in a strange way
it's one that you want to sweep under the carpet and move on. But there's no
doubt that the club has done largely what it set out to do.
Let's set this season in its proper context. Last Summer we lost 3 of our
highest-profile players - Benayoun and Tevez, in particular, were key
players for us but Reo Coker was also our captain and pretty much an
ever-present since promotion. These are big gaps to fill. Curbishley claims
his actual spend last Summer was only 3 million, so to rebuild a squad that
narrowly escaped relegation, while losing its best players, on such a small
outlay is no easy proposition.
Looking at my season preview from last August, I am happy to say that I got
most of it right. I predicted that we'd be in the pack of clubs, along with
Spurs, Newcastle, Villa, Man City and Portsmouth. I predicted that we might
struggle to replace Benayoun and Tevez, and could at times lack ideas. I
predicted Lucas Neill might struggle after non-stop football due to his
International commitments. And I predicted Boa Morte would surprise us with
his qualities - I got that one half-right :).
West Ham will finish either 10th or 11th, and I defy anyone to make a case
for why we should expect any more from the club at this stage. We're clearly
still behind the likes of Everton and Portsmouth who lead this mini-league
outside the top 4, but not that far behind. Most pundits seem fairly
convinced that we aren't in a false position, and are entrenched now in that
middle group, and that, for us this season, is success.
Short of some Shinawatra-inspired madness from the board, Alan Curbishley is
utterly secure in his job as West Ham manager this Summer. Regardless of
personal objections from some fans, he has delivered exactly what he
promised last Summer, and he and his staff deserve a huge amount of praise
for that. This time last year West Ham were firmly established as a yo-yo
club - in the space of one season we now look just as firmly established in
the second tier of secure Premiership clubs. It has been amazing how
expectations have changed, in the space of such a few months - in a way
Curbishley is a victim of his own success in that regard.
So let's kill right now this ludicrous idea that Curbishley's job is not
safe - the implications of sacking him at this stage would be enormous, and
might well destroy the club as it stands. You simply cannot sack a manager
of his standing who has delivered on his promises - where does that leave
the next man coming in? We would introduce that dreaded air of instability
that saw clubs like Newcastle and Spurs change their manager far too often
and spend years (and maybe decades) simply treading water. The media outcry
would be huge, it would be a PR own-goal, and would destroy West Ham's
credibility at a time where off-pitch scandals have already damaged it. It
shames and embarrasses our club to even be talking about Curbishley's
position as manager in my opinion.
And while we're at it, let's remind ourselves that this is the silly season
- rumours are already floating around that should, for all useful purposes,
be ignored. Curbishley to be sacked is one of those. Also Ashton to Man Utd?
- I think they might settle for Berbatov instead, don't you? Ljungberg to be
paid to leave? - say goodbye to arguably our most creative midfielder, in
whose universe does that make sense? The one rumour that doesn't go away is
the idea that the financial situation in Iceland may affect our Summer
transfer budget - whether true or not I don't see it as a big factor. The
idea that our transfer budgets come from an Icelandic injection of cash is
slightly false - the fact is that TV money has bolstered every club's
transfer budget. Look around the league and you will see that every club is
spending the same sort of money as West Ham these days - I don't see too
much reason to worry unduly.
Hammer Of The Year? Upson for me. The lynchpin of one of the meanest-looking
back fives I've ever seen at the club, our defensive record until March was
the chief reason for our success this season. Upson plays the footballing
equivalent of the missionary position - straightforward, pretty effective,
not too flash, no-frills performances but not without a fair share of
finesse at times. An England call-up says that Capello agrees, it's only a
shame that injury has blighted the end of his season again.
The other contenders for me are Robert Green and Carlton Cole - both have
been steadily impressive this season. Green seems like a steady character, a
solid keeper, and a likable presence at the club - more of the same, please.
Cole has rescued his reputation as one of the more formidable English
talents at his age, and I would be both gutted and shocked if rumours
surrounding his possible departure were true - why would you ship out a
player who has shown such consistent good form for the club? A bit more
direct goal threat and Cole will be a genuine top class Premiership player.
I think our best performance was probably Man Utd at home - it was far from
a smash and grab win. Although we needed set-piece headers to eventually
break down the opposition, I felt we actually outplayed the champions for
long periods of the game, which was very satisfying. Also Chelsea away, a
game we eventually lost, was a very good showing I felt. Unfortunately there
were quite a few 'nearly' performances - double-headers against Everton and
Man City were the big disappointments, but on the bright side both of those
clubs are clearly in advance of West Ham in terms of their development, and
we did just about match them over the games played.
But it's impossible to look back over the season without admitting that it's
been short on inspiration and genuine entertainment. There's always a
pleasure in watching a team out there on the pitch, and certainly in terms
of commitment there can be few complaints - what we lack is the sort of
inspirational football that Carlos Tevez brought us late last season.
Unfortunately if we think we are obliged to see talent like that on the
pitch every week we are likely to be disappointed on a fairly regular basis.
The real shame is that the talented ball players that Curbishley undoubtedly
brought to the club last Summer just haven't featured on the pitch. I don't
think it's really anything to do with Curbs' credentials as a safety-first
campaigner, it's just all to do with the injury list. What else can you say?
Of course we're all fed up of talking about injuries, but there's no doubt
that everything this season has revolved around them. You can look at just
about every other team in the league and see that consistency in selection
is just about everything in terms of finding genuine form. And like it or
not, Curbishley's West Ham just haven't been at that stage at any point this
season. I suppose if you look at the defence, that was largely untouched for
a few months this season, and we all saw how impressive that was for most of
the campaign.
The idea that Curbishley takes all the blame for our injuries is ludicrous
beyond belief. Of course he bears some responsibility for the players at the
club and presumably appoints the medical staff that tend to them, but
contrary to accepted popular belief you cannot just 'sack' your medical team
mid-season. It seems like the reaction has been the right one - experts have
been consulted and a thorough investigation is ongoing, and Curbs will have
to take decisions based on that evidence over the Summer. If he makes no
changes and the problems continue into next season, then maybe you have a
case for questioning the manager's judgement on it. And if he spent all the
Summer transfer budget on Michael Owen I think he might well be culpable for
the consequences. But nobody predicted the extent of the injury crisis, and
a good proportion of it comes down to bad luck - you shouldn't be blaming
managers for bad luck.
The club will hopefully sort out any intrinsic problems that could be
causing extra injuries over the Summer. Curbishley has already hinted that
top 8 is the next aim - he will be ducking and diving in the transfer
market, hoping to unearth a few gems and hopefully not lose as many key
players as we did last Summer. I'll have a look at the squad next week in an
article - let's spend this week giving the staff and players a bit of
support, encouragement for our ongoing progress. Get behind West Ham!
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End of big spending at West Ham - BBC
By Simon Austin
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley will be transformed from big spender to
penny pincher when the summer transfer window reopens next month. The
Hammers became synonymous with spiralling wages last summer. Blackburn
defender Lucas Neill chose to move to Upton Park instead of Anfield after
Liverpool baulked at the £50,000-a-week salary the Hammers agreed to pay,
while Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer arrived on salaries of about £80,000
a week. Darren Bent was offered a similar sum before instead choosing to
move to Spurs for half that amount. This recruiting spree has resulted in
West Ham boasting a first-team squad of 40 players - one of the biggest in
the Premier League - and a wage bill approaching £50m a year. When you
consider that their turnover for the 2006/7 season was £57.3m, you can see
that the Hammers are some distance from achieving chairman Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson's target of being "self sustaining".
So this summer will be very different from those heady days of last year. A
senior source at the club has told BBC Sport that Curbishley, who was
appointed in December 2006, will still be in charge at the start of next
season. But the 50-year-old will be charged with trimming the wage bill and
selling players before he buys new ones. "Mr Gudmundsson is used to looking
at long-term factors and knows you don't judge a manager in any business
after 18 months," the source said. "Now is a time to stabilise, because we
are convinced that success comes through stability. The ratio between wages
and turnover is too high at the moment. "We have probably the biggest
first-team squad in the Premiership and our transfer strategy has to be
carefully planned going forward. "West Ham have a first-team squad of 40, so
there is considerable room for manoeuvre. The last thing you should do when
you have a problem is to throw money at it."
The source insists this new frugality is not the result of Gudmundsson
facing financial difficulties of his own. The 67-year-old is the owner of
Iceland's biggest bank, Landsbanki, and the country is facing severe
economic problems, with a collapsing currency, rising inflation,
double-digit interest rates and predictions of its first recession since
1992. "Lansbanki is still running with considerable, healthy profits," the
source insisted. "Gudmundsson also has interests in several other companies
and they are doing well. In the Forbes rich list last April he was the
second wealthiest man in Iceland (behind his son) and one of the 1,000
richest men in the world. "We finalised the financial arrangements of West
Ham before the credit crisis hit and the club is on a very stable footing.
That financial framework hasn't changed a bit."
The Hammers are now focusing on bringing through their own players, with
Freddie Sears and James Tomkins already having impressed for the first team
this season. And Gudmundsson is determined to improve the club's medical and
training facilities, after being alarmed at the number of injuries suffered
by players like Craig Bellamy, Matthew Upson and Dyer. "The medical and
training facilities are better than those at a lot of other Premier League
clubs but not as good as AC Milan's, which is the level we are aiming for,"
the source said. Work is expected to start on a new training ground midway
through next season, which will replace the ageing facilities at Chadwell
Heath. The club has also changed its management structure, with Gudmundsson
taking sole control of the club as chairman following the enforced departure
of Eggert Magnusson in December. Gudmundsson's trusted lieutenant, Asgeir
Fridgeirsson, has moved onto the board as vice-chairman, chief executive
Scott Duxbury is responsible for the day-to-day running of the club and
technical director Gianluca Nani is charged with recruiting the world's best
young talent. When Gudmundsson bought the Hammers, he laid out a five-year
plan which, he hoped, would ultimately culminate in qualification for the
Champions League. He believes the club is still on course for that ambition
and next season's target will be to challenge for a Uefa Cup spot. But with
his cheque book being put into cold storage, Curbishley has a very different
task on his hands than he did at the start of last summer.
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Hammers fancy £5million Middlesbrough ace - FansFC.com
07:53 May, 9, 2008
West Ham United Football Club are preparing a £5million swoop on the
Riverside Stadium. The Londoners are not expected to be big players in the
transfer market this summer, but Alan Curbishley has been alerted by the
possible availability of midfielder Gary O'Neil. The 24-year-old has failed
to settle on Teesside since a £5million move from Portsmouth last summer,
and the Hammers are willing to pay the same price to take him to Upton Park.
"Until I've spoken to Gary about it I don't know how much is based on fact,"
said Boro manager Gareth Southgate. "He certainly won't walk out the door
without a fight from our end." West Ham fans – is O'Neil the sort of player
you would like to see Curbishley sign in the summer? And what about you
Middlesbrough supporters, do you feel Southgate should stick with the
midfielder.
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We must keep the Deano - CmonYuIrons.com
A smashed ankle, long recuperation, slight bulk, and a long road back sums
up Dean Ashtons season. But this guy is a player we must try and hold onto
if we want to push forward with additional signings coming in this summer.
I've heard, like we all have, of the reasons he has not been up to scratch,
i.e, wants more wages etc, but the fact is injuries to the ankles are more
serious than some might think. I had an injury to my ankle some years back,
and believe me its no laughing matter, and takes time to heal; and i'm not
even a pro footballer. In recent weeks i've seen Deano have a good game and
a bad game, which is not surprising. A season out of the game with this sort
of injury can do this. Lets not forget what he can do and will do if we can
keep him for next season, because some of that style Deano has was evident,
not only in the Man Utd game, but here and there in previous games. If we
can keep him, I think we will see more of the threat up front he can be next
season.
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West Ham's Parker delighted with late season form
tribalfooball.com - May 08, 2008
West Ham United midfielder Scott Parker has been delighted with his late
season form after recovering from knee injury. "I am pleased with how things
have been going," he told whufc.com. "Obviously coming back from long-term
injury, a long time out, it has been very disappointing but I feel that I've
turned a corner regarding my injury. "I just need games now. The season's
coming to an end now but I'm glad I'm getting through the games. I feel I'm
getting stronger with every one."
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Hammers have been steady this time, says Rob - Guardian Series
ROBERT Green believes that West Ham's season has been a "step in the right
direction". A season that promised so much has ground to an uninspiring end.
Just eight points bagged since March and a series of below-par performance
has led to criticism from sections of the fans who feel the team hasn't
achieved as much as it should have. However, Irons keeper Green was keen to
point out the improvement the team has made on last season - when they
escaped relegation on the last day of the season after a shock win against
Manchester United at Old Trafford - and stressed that matters haven't been
helped by an unprecedented amount of injuries to the squad. And, with all
the upheaval at the club in the last 18 months - including new owners, and
change of chairman and manager - Green reckons that this season was always
going to be about settling down and laying foundations for the future.
He said: "As a team, last season we were one fantastic result at Old
Trafford from being relegated. "This season we certainly haven't been in
that sort of position, it's been a lot steadier over the course. "You look
at the squad and the strength of the squad, it's up there, a match for
anyone outside that top four. "Then you look on paper at the team that has
played week in week out and I think there's been some tremendous
performances in there considering.
"There's obviously some individual ones - beating Manchester United and
Liverpool at home - and there's been occasions and disappointments. "But
it's been a lot steadier. As much as you could ask for after last season in
as much as losing a manager gaining a manager, losing a chairman gaining a
chairman - that sort of thing for a year. "It's definitely a step in the
right direction."
With one game now remaining in the 2007/8 season - against Aston Villa at
Upton Park on Sunday - the Hammers have only tenth place to play for.
And, after enduring a relegation, despair in the play-offs, success in the
play-offs, an FA Cup final and then a relegation dogfight in the past five
seasons, Green can quite understand why the fans have been looking for a bit
more this time around. "The fans may see it as a damp squib towards the end
of the season but then the club has been used to having massive climatic
ends to the season over the past five years," he said. "If you look at the
history of the club, each season has had something huge riding on it. "This
is the first season where the biggest thing riding on it is staying in tenth
or trying to move up to ninth. "It happens in football and it will happen
more often that not, which is the one disappointing thing."
On a personal agenda, Green's consistent performances between the sticks
this season has been one of the highlights for the Hammers. Yet, the
28-year-old remains realistic about his England chances and is not
particularly' expecting a call-up to the Three Lions squad for the friendly
with USA later this month. "I wasn't in the first squad under Fabio Capello
and I was brought in after two out of three keepers got injured - it's not
the sort of form or guidance you'd be looking for to get into the squad," he
said. But I'll just carry on enjoying my football."
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Ljungberg on his way? Neill and Boa Morte to follow? - Echo News
By Rob Pritchard
FREDDIE Ljungberg has reportedly been offered £3million to tear up his West
Ham contract and leave Upton Park after just one season. The Sweden captain,
currently battling to recover from a fractured rib in time to lead his
country at the Euro 2008 finals, joined the Irons from Arsenal for a similar
figure last summer. But with new chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson seeking to
cut the club's wage bill, The Times claim Ljungberg could be on his way just
one year into his £75,000-a-week (£3.9million-a-year) four-year contract.
The 31-year-old has suffered a number of niggling injuries this season but,
despite his "sicknote" reputation, he has managed to appear in 28 of West
Ham's 43 league and cup games, scoring twice. The report also suggests that
"similar compensation offers" - like the one paid to goalkeeper Roy Carroll
last year - could be made to captain Lucas Neill and Portuguese winger Luis
Boa Morte. Neill, who turned down a move to Liverpool to move from Blackburn
Rovers for £1.5million in January 2007, excelled during last season's great
escape, but has struggled for consistency this term. Boa Morte, who arrived
from Fulham for £5million a fortnight before Neill, has incurred the wrath
of sections of the Boleyn Ground faithful after scoring just one goal in 47
matches. If the reports are true, both could make their final appearances in
claret and blue in Sunday's Premier League finale against UEFA Cup-chasing
Aston Villa.
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HAMMERS OFFER LJUNGBERG £3m TO LEAVE - REPORTS - Football365
Posted 08/05/08 09:33EmailPrintSave
West Ham's recruitment of Freddie Ljungberg is set to feature prominently in
a list of the most ill-advised transfers in history after it emerged that
the Hammers are ready to pay him £3m to leave the club just a year after his
move to East London.
Since last August's transfer, itself worth £3m, Ljungberg has contributed a
measly three goals - although that is more than the player scored in his
final seasons at Arsenal. Almost as incredible as the bottom line of the
contract Ljungberg signed Upton Park last summer was its longevity. It's one
thing to offer a footballer a £75,000-a week wage, it is quite another to
provide a 30-year-old already in clear decline with a four-year contract.
Yet that is precisely what West Ham are reported to have done and, now
realising the folly of that decision, they are ready to cut their exorbitant
losses. According to The Times, the Hammers have offered Ljungberg £3m to
leave - although even that hefty compensation package does not equate to a
year's salary as per the contract Ljungberg signed nine months ago.
The newspaper also reports that the Hammers are preparing to make similar
offers to Lucas Neill and Luís Boa Morte in a bid to reduce their wage bill.
There's no mention of whether anyone at the club will actually be held
accountable for making these deals in the first place.
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Hammer Parker going strong - Setanat
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 08 May 2008
West Ham midfielder Scott Parker says he has 'turned a corner' in his battle
with injury and is targeting a strong finish to the campaign. The former
Charlton, Chelsea and Newcastle player was dogged with knee problems for the
early part of the season, but the last day encounter with Aston Villa could
be the 27-year-old's 10th consecutive appearance for The Hammers. "I am
pleased with how things have been going," Parker told the club's official
website. "Obviously coming back from long-term injury, a long time out, it
has been very disappointing but I feel that I've turned a corner regarding
my injury. "I just need games now. The season's coming to an end now but
I'm glad I'm getting through the games. I feel I'm getting stronger with
every one."
The Eastenders were beaten 4-1 by Manchester United last time out and Parker
says it is important to bounce back against Europe-chasing Villa. "We need
to draw a line under this result and carry on the way we're going," he
added. "We need to go into the Villa game and try and pick up three points.
We need to get 10th and that's what we're going to do. We're going to go
into that game fully focused and hopefully get all three points."
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West Ham v Aston Villa - Telegraph
By John Ley
Last Updated: 10:33am BST 08/05/2008
Sunday, May 11 2008
West Ham v Aston Villa, Upton Park, 3pm
Two teams in claret and blue meet at Upton Park and West Ham already have
seven points more than last season. West Ham have more than a team of
players missing through injury and manager Alan Curbishley may have to sell
before he can buy so players like Robert Green and Dean Ashton may wave
goodbye.
Highest Position Possible: 10th
Prize Money: £7.92m
Lowest Position Possible: 11th
Prize Money: £7.2m
Villa need to win and hope that Everton lose at home to Newcastle to finish
fifth and qualify for the Uefa Cup. Villa should be unchanged, though Olof
Mellberg, set to join Juventus, will make his final appearance. And the same
may apply to Gareth Barry, wanted by Liverpool, while Patrik Berger's future
at Villa is over - after he tried to persuade Barry to move to Anfield.
Highest Position Possible: 5th
Prize Money: £11.52m
Lowest Position Possible: 8th
Prize Money: £9.36m
Possible teams:
West Ham 4-4-2: Green, Pantsil, Neill, Tomkins, McCartney, Noble, Mullins,
Parker, Boa Morte, Zamora, Ashton
Aston Villa 4-4-2: Agbonlahor, Carew, Young, Barry, Petrov, Reo-Coker,
Bouma, Laursen, Knight, Mellberg, Carson
Referee: M Dean. Game: 27. Y: 102. R: 9. Ave: 4.11
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It makes no Sense!!Posted by Rooster - CmonYuIrons
Thursday, May 8th 2008 Digg it
would make no sense whatsoever for Ljungberg to tear up his contract for
£3m, when his earnings are £3.9m a year. Even if he accepted and moved on
with a free transfer, what other team would be willing to match anywhere
near his weekly wages which he gets from West Ham. This would send out a bad
image of the Club to potential signings in the summer. Ljungberg could be
worth his wages, as he has proved with Arsenal, OK he is a bit rusty now,
but he still has a lot of skill and given time he could be worth more to us
than a mere £3.9m, and lets not forget, his international knowledge is
better than any player on our team.
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West Ham assistant boss Mervyn Day casts doubt over his and Alan
Curbishley's futures - Daily Mail
Last updated at 09:54am on 8th May 2008
West Ham assistant manager Mervyn Day does not know whether he and boss Alan
Curbishley will be at Upton Park next season. Day said: "Who knows, you
can't help speculation. "But whether that speculation has some foundation or
whether it's justified is another matter."
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How Big Will Summer Clear Out Be At West Ham - WestHamFans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon on 8 May, 2008 - 10:26.
Regular visitors will know that westhamfans.org has never been in the
business of pushing the scurrilous rumor, however there is growing evidence
that this summer's predicted clear out from the Boleyn will be 'extremely
comprehensive' according to reports emanating from Iceland. The red tops
have already picked up on the fact that big earners Freddie Ljungberg, Lucas
Neill and Luis Boa Morte are all being offered to clubs with Hammers having
to offer compensation payments to the players and their respective new
clubs, but it appears that the management team of Alan Curbishley and Mervyn
Day and the entire back room staff 'imported' from Charlton are part of the
clear out! The current chairman is angry and alarmed at how much money
former chairman Eggert Magnusson committed the club to paying in wages,
basically he is happy to bank roll more transfers BUT not before the dead
wood is cut out. The only problem is, that to many fans and observers there
is an awful lot of cutting to be done, or perhaps the fans and owners can't
see the forest for the trees? - Ed
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