Alan Curbishley's men could not follow up their opening-day win on a
frustrating afternoon in Manchester
24.08.2008
Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
Ten-man West Ham United were beaten in their first away game of the new
season after Manchester City took advantage of Mark Noble's dismissal to
claim all three points on Sunday.
Daniel Sturridge hit the opener in the 64th minute against a visiting
defence that had stood firm until that point before Elano then added two
more on 71 and 77 minutes. Alan Curbishley's plans had been hampered by the
enforced substitution of Carlton Cole on the half-hour mark and the sending
off of Noble after two yellow cards - one for handball, the other for a
challenge on Michael Johnson - in the 33rd and 39th minutes.
Curbishley had begun with the luxury of an unchanged 18 from the opening-day
win against Wigan Athletic last week with Dean Ashton and Scott Parker fit
after coming off in that 2-1 win. Manchester City's new manager Mark Hughes
handed a debut in midfield to Vincent Kompany in place of Gelson Fernandes.
Michael Ball replaced Javier Garrido at left-back, Stephen Ireland stepped
in to replace Kelvin Etuhu and Sturridge was the fourth change ahead of Ched
Evans up front.
City enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges with 18-year-old Sturridge
- who was in because summer signing Jo was not yet back from Olympics duty
while Valeri Bojinov and Darius Vassell remain injured - threatening to get
in behind. On five minutes, Elano surged forward into the box but was dealt
with by Calum Davenport.
At the other end, Cole was the most lively but City, who lost 4-2 at Aston
Villa last week, were edging it. That was underlined in the 13th minute when
Ireland shot for goal only to see Davenport head off the line. The clearance
went straight to Vedran Corluka and his snap-shot seemed in until Davenport
again got in the way, deflecting the ball up and on to the crossbar before
Scott Parker could lash it to safety.
City thought the deadlock had finally been broken on 22 minutes when Martin
Petrov sent a 25-yard free-kick up and over the wall. Robert Green could
only watch as the ball smacked against the post and away from harm. Petrov
was a menace and his surge down the left a minute later brought a caution
for Valon Behrami. The home side then saw Sturridge twist before flashing a
right-foot shot wide from ten yards.
The hard-working Cole then made way for Freddie Sears, having taken a knock
seemingly to his left thigh in an earlier challenge. The defensive task
became even more difficult when Noble got his marching orders after two
quickfire yellow cards. As a sign of things to come, there was still time
for Johnson to let fly in added time but Green flung himself to his right to
save.
Half-time saw Sears sacrificed for the midfield play of Hayden Mullins and
it was barely eight minutes before City had to make their first change, with
Micah Richards carried off to be replaced by Dietmar Hamann following a
nasty collision with Tal Ben Haim. Kompany dropped back into defence and
City still looked to probe further forward - Elano prodding one into Green's
grasp as the hour approached.
A great move on 63 minutes finished with Faubert sliding one teasingly into
the penalty area for Ashton only for Kompany to snuff out the danger. That
followed some better passing play by the visitors but it was City who broke
the deadlock a minute later though when Sturridge lashed in an unstoppable
shot past Green after Upson's clearance went straight to him ten yards out.
Faubert and Etherington could have levelled almost immediately but got in
each other's way as they burst through and the chance was gone. Curbishley's
side were soon two down when Elano kept his composure from similar range to
the opening goal after Ireland had hooked the ball back into the centre. The
final away change then saw Luis Boa Morte on for Etherington but City had
the ball in the net again just after as Elano slotted in his second after
another Ireland break on the right.
City promptly swapped Etuhu and Evans for Elano and Petrov, knowing the
victory was secured. As Faubert fizzed one in that was just deflected wide
in the closing stages and the fourth official displayed ten minutes of added
time - after the earlier Richards injury - the travelling support kept on
singing Bubbles. Ashton tried his luck with a late free-kick but there was
to be no consolation for the long journey back to London.
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Man City 3-0 West Ham - BBC
By Chris Bevan
Manchester City eased to their first Premier League victory of the season
against 10-man West Ham. City hit the woodwork twice through Tal Ben-Haim's
deflected shot and Martin Petrov's free-kick before West Ham had Mark Noble
sent off for two bookings. The visitors were under the cosh but held out
until Daniel Sturridge rifled into the roof of the net on 65 minutes.
Stephen Ireland crossed for Elano to smash in a second before setting up the
Brazilian to volley home City's third. The result was a welcome lift for
City manager Mark Hughes, who had a difficult summer off the pitch at
Eastlands then saw his side collapse at Aston Villa last weekend. More goals
will be the order of the day when City travel to Denmark on Thursday to
attempt to make up a 1-0 deficit from the first leg of their Uefa Cup
qualifying tie with FC Midtjylland. But Hughes's men will approach that game
with added confidence after completely dominating the Hammers. In front of
their owner Thaksin Shinawatra, who was watching his first game since being
hit by charges of charges of corruption and abuse of power in his native
Thailand, City began brightly.
West Ham, who would have gone top of the embryonic table had they won, also
knocked the ball about nicely in the opening stages. But, while they failed
to test home goalkeeper Joe Hart, City were soon creating chances. Their
first near-miss came in an almighty goalmouth scramble when Ireland's shot
was headed off the line by Callum Davenport, who recovered to deflect
Ben-Haim's follow-up shot on to the crossbar. Petrov was the next City
player to hit the woodwork, curling a beautiful 30-yard free-kick on to the
outside of the post with Robert Green stationary. By now, West Ham were
being forced to defend in numbers but their cause was not helped by Noble's
needless dismissal on 38 minutes. The England under-21 midfielder's first
yellow card, for a handball after he slipped, was foolish and he gave
referee Howard Webb no choice but to send him off when he lunged in on
Michael Johnson soon afterwards.
It could have got worse for the Hammers before half-time but Webb ignored
City's claims for a penalty despite a clear handball by Lucas Neill at a
corner.
And Green had to make a stunning save to keep the scores level, pushing
Johnson's shot around the post after Ben-Haim had advanced unchallenged to
the edge of the area. The second half began with a seven-minute delay while
Micah Richards received treatment after a clash of heads with Ben-Haim, and
the defender was taken to hospital with concussion. But, when the game
resumed, it was still City who were well on top. It still took them a while
to find the net, however, but when they did it was with a thumping finish.
Matthew Upson only cleared Petrov's cross as far as Sturridge, who took a
touch before burying the ball past Green. The goal brought relief for Hughes
but it was almost short-lived as West Ham launched a swift attack from the
restart.
Sadly for the visitors, Matthew Etherington and Julien Faubert got in each
others way after running clear and the chance was gone. And City were soon
out of sight - Vedran Corluka and Ireland combining down the right to tee up
Elano on 70 minutes before the same trio linked up to add a third goal seven
minutes later. Both teams ended up with just 10 men on the pitch, as City
substitute Kelvin Etuhu limped off soon after becoming his side's third
replacement of the game. But, despite a mammoth 10 minutes of added time,
West Ham could still not muster a shot on target on a miserable afternoon
for Alan Curbishley's men. Curbishley, who could see defender Anton
Ferdinand sold to Sunderland next week, lost Carlton Cole to injury after
just 31 minutes and the striker becomes the latest name on a lengthy injury
list at Upton Park.
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes:"There have been a lot of negative things
said about the club in the past week and it was nice to get back to
football.
"The response from my players was excellent - right from the start they had
the right attitude and tempo. "Irrespective of West Ham having a man sent
off, I felt we would have won."
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley:"I am desperately disappointed for our fans.
We started quite well but, as the game wore on, City got on top. "We could
not cope with it and when Mark Noble was sent off, it became very, very
difficult for us. "With 10 men, everything has got to go for you and you
have to defend properly and we didn't for their first goal."
Man City: Hart, Corluka, Richards (Hamann 54), Ben-Haim, Michael Ball,
Ireland, Kompany, Johnson, Petrov (Etuhu 77), Elano (Evans 77), Sturridge.
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Garrido, Gelson, Caicedo.
Goals: Sturridge 65, Elano 70, 76.
West Ham: Green, Behrami, Davenport, Upson, Neill, Faubert, Noble, Parker,
Etherington (Boa Morte 74), Ashton, Cole (Sears 31), Sears (Mullins 46).
Subs Not Used: Lastuvka, Reid, Bowyer, Spence.
Sent Off: Noble (38).
Booked: Behrami, Noble.
Att: 36,635
Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Manchester City's Martin Petrov
7.58 (on 90 minutes).
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West Ham accept Ferdinand offer - BBC
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley says the club have accepted a bid from
Sunderland for Anton Ferdinand. The 23-year-old defender is mulling over
Sunderland's offer, with the transfer fee reportedly as much as £8m.
Curbishley told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The board have accepted the bid - he's
not renegotiated his contract - and the decision was taken out of my hands.
"I don't know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland but once the
club accept the bid it moves on."
Ferdinand, the younger brother of Manchester United star Rio, signed a
three-year contract extension in July 2005 and his current deal is due to
expire in 2010. Already without a number of injured defenders - Danny
Gabbidon, James Collins, James Tomkins, George McCartney and Jonathan
Spector - Curbishley is hoping to sign a defender before the transfer window
closes at the end of the month. "We are thin on the ground," said
Curbishley. "If we lose another defender we will have to react to that."
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We're a little bit thin ... - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 24th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley responds to the desperately disappointing defeat at
Manchester City ...
The fans that turned up I'm desperately disappointed for. The first ten
minutes we were in it; I think we started quite brightly and got some balls
into our front two in dangerous areas - but nothing came of it. As the game
wore on after that Man City got on top and we couldn't cope with it. The
sending off just added to it.
I was hoping to get to half time with the way we were playing and perhaps
try and do something, chang it around and make some substitutions. But the
sending off happened and it was very, very difficult. We wasn't set up to
play with ten men, that's for sure.
The hand ball, I thought that Mark slipped over and he thought that the
player was going to get away so he dragged the ball back. The challenge I
couldn't quite see; I know he's he's lunged a bit and he's left the ground
and caught the player's ankle. On another day, without the hand ball he'd
have still been on the pitch and we'd have got away with it. But, bad day.
With ten men everything's got to go for you and you've got to defend
properly but I think the first one was the vital one. It was a poor
clearance and it fell straight to one of their players who took it really
well. After that, the personnel we had out there looked as if we weren't
going to score.
We're fed up talking about the injuries but it's a contributing factor -
we've got players out that would make a difference and would make the squad
stronger. But we've just got to get on with it. I've asked for the player's
observations - after a game like that the manager normally talks most of the
time - but I've asked them for something and they've basically said it's
down to them. They've played poorly, not one of them can really look at it
and say I've performed to my ability. We've got to push on to Wednesday
first and change it around.
Sunderland are interested in Anton Ferdinand. He's been trying to get fit
for the last week but I don't know how far it's gone - we'll have to see
tomorrow when we get back to Upton Park but yes, they have been sniffing
around him for the last couple of weeks. If the club accepts the bid then
we'll see what happens.
We're a little bit thin on the ground as you can see. We've got injuries to
Collins, Tomkins, Gabbidon and Jon Spector at the moment, people that can
play in that area. So we're a little bit thin. If the board have decided to
accept the bid we move on and take it from there.
When you're a manager, you manage what you've got. I'm confident - when I
get the people fit - that we've got enough people in the right positions,
we've got cover. But at the moment we haven't. If they're not fit by the
start of the international break I'm sure one or two of them will be back.
Not just the defenders but Craig Bellamy and people like that who we were
hoping were going to start the season.
Man City have taken three injuries today on top of the injuries they had
when they came into the game. We coped last year and we've got to try and
cope this year.
* Alan Curbishley was talking to the BBC.
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Curbishley: blame the board - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 24th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley has revealed that the decision to accept an offer from
Sunderland for Anton Ferdinand was 'out of my hands'.
Only Friday Curbishley told how the 24-year-old defender was still 'part of
his plans', despite it being widely reported than an £8million bid from
Sunderland had already been accepted.
But following United's 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester CIty this
afternoon Curbishley admitted that an £8million bid had been accepted -
although he made it absolutely clear that the decision had nothing to do
with him.
"The board have accepted the bid - he's not renegotiated his contract - and
the decision was taken out of my hands," Curbishley told Radio Five Live.
"I don't know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland but once the
club accept the bid it moves on."
Curbishley's comments once again hint at a major rift between him and the
board - as did his comment last week when, following the win over Wigan he
told the BBC that 'it still won't be enough for some people' - a comment
thought to have been directed at the club's board of directors.
And having already been embarrassed over the Freddie Ljungberg sale
questions must be raised as to the manager's future, with players now
apparently being sold without his knowledge by those at the club more
interested in finances than results on the field.
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Hammers accept Anton bid - SSN
Hammers board accept Sunderland's Ferdinand offer
Last updated: 25th August 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley has confirmed Sunderland's bid for Anton
Ferdinand has been accepted by the club's board. Ferdinand, who was absent
from West Ham's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, is currently on the
sidelines recovering from a hamstring injury. Black Cats boss Roy Keane
stated he was close to adding two new players to his squad in the next week,
one of them is believed to be West Ham stopper Ferdinand.
Curbishley has now stated that with Ferdinand reluctant to renegotiate terms
on a new deal the board have decided it is in the club's best interests if
the 23-year-old departs. "The board have accepted the bid," Curbishley said
of the deal which is believed to be in the £8million region. "Anton has not
renegotiated his contract, and the decision was taken out of my hands. "I
don't know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland but once the
club accept the bid, it moves on."
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City crush 10-man Hammers
Hughes' men make light work of hapless West Ham
By Chris Burton Last updated: 24th August 2008
Moment of the match: Mark Noble was deservedly dismissed by the referee to
give Manchester City the initiative.
Attempt of the match: Johnson's powerful long-range effort in the first-half
nearly beat Green.
Save of the match: Green's acrobatic save from that Johnson shot was as good
as it got for the West Ham goalkeeper.
Talking point: Do West Ham need a complete overhaul of their squad?
Goal of the game: Elano's second goal was a fantastically executed finish.
Man of the match: Elano.
Manchester City made the most of their numerical advantage as they saw off
West Ham 3-0 at Eastlands. Mark Noble saw the first red card of the 2008/09
Premier League season, before Daniel Sturridge and a brace from Elano
allowed Mark Hughes' men to ease home. The Hammers rode their luck during an
eventful first half, with Calum Davenport slicing onto his own crossbar and
Martin Petrov striking the upright with a 25-yard free-kick. However, the
major talking of the opening period came eight minutes before the break when
Noble was given his marching orders. A needless handball saw the midfielder
shown a yellow card just after the half-hour mark, before a reckless
challenge on Michael Johnson saw him dismissed just five minutes later. City
felt hard done by after seeing a decent penalty shout waved away as the half
drew to a close, while the opening to the second 45 minutes did little to
improve their mood. The sight of England international Micah Richards being
carried off on a stretcher will concern all connected with the Blues.
However, their afternoon came good on 65 minutes when Sturridge made Matthew
Upson pay for his sloppy clearance when he fired into the roof of the net.
Brazilian playmaker Elano then doubled the advantage when he found the
bottom corner five minutes later, before wrapping up the points on 76
minutes when he coolly dispatched Stephen Ireland's pinpoint cross from the
right.
City dominated the match from the off and came close to making the
breakthrough in the 13th minute when Ireland's shot was cleared off the line
by Valon Behrami. Then Davenport almost scored an own goal, deflecting Tal
Ben Haim's effort on to his own bar. This was a promising start by City and
they looked to be playing with renewed confidence after a 4-2 defeat to
Aston Villa on the opening day. Petrov came inches away from making the
breakthrough in the 22nd minute, his superb 25-yard free-kick hitting the
outside of the post. Then Sturridge sliced a shot wide in a good spell of
pressure by the home side. West Ham striker Carlton Cole, clearly struggling
with a knock, was replaced by Freddie Sears in the 31st minute. Cole's
injury was not what manager Alan Curbishley wanted as his side were finding
it hard to get going at this stage. City had the momentum and Ireland picked
out Elano in the 37th minute, but his first touch let him down. A minute
later the Hammers suffered another blow when they were reduced to 10 men.
Noble was sent off by referee Howard Webb after getting a second yellow card
for a stiff challenge on Michael Johnson.
City poured forward and Petrov skipped away down the right in the 43rd
minute and delivered a good cross to the back post. However, Upson stood
firm and made a crucial clearance under pressure with Ireland waiting to
pounce on any mistake. Goalkeeper Robert Green then made a superb save from
Johnson in stoppage time. City regrouped after Richards was carried off 10
minutes into the second half and Elano sent a shot into Green's body from
the edge of the area after 59 minutes. They made the breakthrough seven
minutes later after a mistake by Hammers defender Upson. He lost his
concentration following a cross from Petrov and his clearance landed at the
feet of Sturridge. The striker took full advantage, hammering a shot beyond
Green to put his side in the driving seat. City went 2-0 ahead in the 70th
minute with a cool finish from Elano after he had been set up by Ireland,
and it was no more than they deserved. They kept the momentum going and made
it 3-0 in the 76th minute thanks to Elano's second goal of the game. The
Brazil playmaker scored with a superb half-volley after again being set up
by Ireland to seal a comfortable victory against a West Ham side that looked
thoroughly dispirited.
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Curbs concedes defeat
Hammers boss endures disappointing day at Eastlands
By Chris Burton Last updated: 24th August 2008
Alan Curbishley admits that West Ham did not deserve to take anything from
their game at Manchester City. The Hammers went down 3-0 at Eastlands, with
Mark Noble becoming the first man to see red in the Premier League this
season. They were made to pay the price for their poor discipline when City
struck three times in the second half. An opener from Daniel Sturridge on 65
minutes was added to by a brace from Brazilian playmaker Elano. Curbishley
accepts that his side were second best in Manchester and had no complaints
as he prepared to head back to London empty-handed. "We started off okay,
but nothing really came off it and then Manchester City got on top of us and
it was one-way traffic for a little while," the Hammers boss told Sky Sports
News. "The sending off obviously didn't help. If we had kept 11 men on I
was hoping to get to half-time and change it around a bit, because Man City
were a dominant force up to the sending off and afterwards. It's been a bad
day for us."
Curbishley also felt that West Ham contributed to their own downfall by
making uncharacteristic mistakes at the back. "We've just been talking about
our defending, one or two of the goals were avoidable," he added. "Certainly
the first which was a poor clearance and when you're down to 10 men you need
things to go for you and they didn't go for us." Despite enduring a
disappointing Sunday afternoon, Curbishley has challenged his players to
bounce back on Carling Cup duty in midweek. "It's down to them and they must
do better," he said. "We know we can, but we can't talk about we have to do
it.
"We have got to start again on Wednesday when we play Macclesfield."
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Anton Won't be the Last… - West Ham Till I Die
The West Ham Board have accepted a bid of £8 million for Anton Ferdinand. I
don't know why but I feel this event will have far reaching consequences.
Alan Curbishley made clear he did not want the player to go. I feel in my
water that it won't just be Anton Ferdinand heading out of the Upton Park
gates before too long.
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A right Mess - Cmon Yu Irons
24 August 2008
Watching the game against Man city today, what went through my head about
West hams performance was that they were useless,gutless and a total joke.
There's no excuse saying it's because we were ten men down when Noble went
off, because we were rubbish from the start. And no excuses for injuries
either, because we had enough out there today to at least play better, even
if we still lost.
In saying this, it's evident that we need players brought in, in the form of
a forward and at the very least a creative midfielder to make the
difference. But even then will this be enough with Curbs in charge.
Before anyone says I'm one of the Curbs out gang, I just want to say that
I've supported him in the past, even after the dull football we played last
season. But after watching us in the second half of the Wigan game and at
Man city , it seemed eerily like the style of football the hammers played
last season. And even though I am willing to give Curbs a chance, even after
the dull games last season, I don't want to see that style of football at
our beloved club again.
Yes we need BG to open his wallet and strengthen the squad, but even so,
there is no excuse for these type of performances. Because if Curbishley
doesn't give this squad a kick up the backside, and this continues
regardless of new players coming in or not…those doors at West Ham will be
opening and shutting at the club, with whispers in the corridors of his head
on the block.
Today was dreadful.
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The ongoing injuries - Cmon Yu Irons
25 August 2008
We were lead to to believe in the summer by experts that were sent in that
they think they had identified the problem for all the injuries. Yet despite
this and having all summer to rectify as much of this as possible the
injuries continue.
A friend of mine who worked in the physiotherapy department at the hammers
sometime ago reckons the problem lies with the surface at the training
ground, I disagree, my belief is it lies with the medical staff that
Curbishley has with him, and training methods. Not all the players at our
club were brought in as injury prone, yet even those with a good injury
record are now getting regularly crocked.
This is not an excuse for team performances as Curbs often states, it's just
a situation that should have been addressed and dealt with in the summer,
and by the looks of it, it hasn't.
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West Ham agree to sell Anton Ferdinand but player undecided - Radio New
Zealand News
Updated at 5:54pm on 25 August 2008
West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand appears to be heading to fellow English
Premier League football club Sunderland. West Ham have accepted a bid for
the player approaching 20 million dollars. The 23-year-old is now
considering the move up to the north east of England after failing to
re-negotiate a contract with the Hammers.
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Sunderland closing in on Anton Ferdinand after West Ham accept bid for the
defender - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 8:32 AM on 25th August 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley claims his club have accepted a bid from
Sunderland for Anton Ferdinand. The 23-year-old defender is reportedly
considering the offer, thought to involve a fee of approaching £8million.
Curbishley, whose team lost 3-0 in the Barclays Premier League at Manchester
City on Sunday, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The board have accepted the bid -
he's not renegotiated his contract - and the decision was taken out of my
hands. West Ham have accepted a bid, thought to be in the region of
£8million, from Sunderland for central-defender Anton Ferdinand "I don't
know where Anton is in terms of signing for Sunderland - but once the club
accept the bid it moves on."
Ferdinand's current contract is set to end in 2010.
Curbishley, meanwhile, is hoping to sign a defender before the transfer
window closes on September 1. "We are thin on the ground," he said. "If we
lose another defender we will have to react to that."
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Manchester City 3 West Ham United 0: City canter past West Ham to ease
crisis talk
By David Instone
Monday, 25 August 2008
Independent.co.uk
Suddenly Manchester City's horizons look several shades brighter after three
goals in quick succession midway through the second half provided an answer
to suggestions that the club are in meltdown. Following defeats against
Midtjylland and Aston Villa, this was a thoroughly deserved victory, one
that sends them to Denmark this week in much better heart.
It being City, there was still a downside, with Micah Richards taken to
hospital with a worrying head injury in front of the England coach Fabio
Capello. But West Ham will also have a king-sized headache after two goals
by Elano and one from Daniel Sturridge took full advantage of Mark Noble's
37th minute sending-off.
City made a major pre-match attempt to present an air of normality – if the
surprise appearance of their chairman Thaksin Shinawatra and members of his
family can be described as such.
The Thai appeared full of smiles as he took his seat despite being ready, in
the words of his executive chairman Garry Cook on Friday, to stand down from
the board following the "indignity" he had brought on City and the Premier
League.
As supporters absorbed newspaper suggestions that an Arab consortium was
considering a takeover bid, Cook was at pains to point out in the match
programme that there was no financial crisis at Eastlands. And the outlook
certainly looked brighter on the field as City did everything but score in
the first half.
With Mark Hughes deciding that central midfield was the correct starting
place for his midweek signing Vincent Kompany, the home side moved the ball
with pace and purpose.
West Ham enjoyed their first major escape when Calum Davenport routinely
headed Stephen Ireland's chip off the line and, in the flurry that
immediately followed, the same defender deflected Tal Ben Haim's shot
against the bar with his thigh.
The woodwork denied City for a second time six minutes later, Robert Green
barely twitching a muscle as Martin Petrov's splendid 30-yard free-kick
curled over a five-man wall and struck the outside of his left-hand post.
City had never lost the opening two games of a Premier League campaign and
they continued to give the impression that they considered the four straight
League defeats they had suffered going back to the spring to be quite
enough.
Daniel Sturridge displayed quick feet before slicing wide after an exchange
of passes with Ireland, and then brought a comfortable save out of Green.
The last thing West Ham needed in their grim battle to stay afloat was the
rush of blood in the dying minutes of the first half that left them with ten
men.
The grounded Noble was booked for thrusting out a hand to stop Kompany
escaping him in the centre circle. He then compounded his brainlessness only
four minutes later by lunging in late on Michael Johnson and earning the
inevitable second yellow from Howard Webb.
The official was less observant when Lucas Neill misjudged his jump and
clearly handled Petrov's corner, and a one-sided half ended with Green
taking off to his right to superbly beat out Johnson's well-struck
25-yarder.
Freddie Sears, on for the injured Carlton Cole, quickly became West Ham's
fall guy when he was in turn replaced by Hayden Mullins. At least Alan
Curbishley had a choice. When Richards and Ben Haim sickeningly clashed
heads in going for the same loose ball, the acting captain came off much
worse. The game was held up for eight minutes as paramedics treated him and
placed him on a stretcher, with a breathing apparatus clearly being used. It
was quickly reported by City that Richards had regained consciousness and
his visit to Manchester Royal Infirmary was precautionary.
The breakthrough finally came, though, and West Ham collapsed by conceding
three times in 13 minutes. First, Sturridge was perfectly placed to lash a
left-foot shot over Green from 15 yards when Petrov's 64th minute cross
brought a poor clearance from Matthew Upson.
With space opening up, City made the game safe. Ireland had ample time to
pull back Vedran Corluka's fine ball for Elano to control and steer past
Green. Elano then smartly tucked away Ireland's cross from the byline to put
the seal on an excellent performance from the home side.
Goals: Sturridge (64) 1-0; Elano (70) 2-0; Elano (76) 3-0.
Manchester City (4-4-2): Hart; Corluka, Ben Haim, Richards (Hamann, 54),
Ball; Ireland, Kompany, Johnson, Petrov (Etuhu, 77); Elano (Evans, 77),
Sturridge. Substitutes not used: Schmeichel (gk), Garrido, Fernandes,
Caicedo.
West Ham United (4-4-2): Green; Behrami, Davenport, Upson, Neill; Faubert,
Parker, Noble, Etherington (Boa Morte, 74); Ashton, Cole (Sears, 31;
Mullins, h-t). Substitutes not used: Lastuvka (gk), Reid, Bowyer, Spence.
Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire).
Booked: West Ham Behrami, Noble.
Sent off: Noble (38).
Man of the match: Ireland.
Attendance: 36,635.
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Wingers leave Ashton without a prayer - Guardian Blogs
Dean Ashton desperately needed more support and was hampered by the
impotence of West Ham's wide players
David PleatAugust 25, 2008 12:01 AM
Dean Ashton must feel a great opportunity was denied to him in front of the
watching England manager, Fabio Capello, yesterday. The West Ham striker
lost his partner Carlton Cole to an early injury, saw Manchester City close
his supply lines in wide areas and became even more isolated after Mark
Noble's red card.
When West Ham were down to 10 men Alan Curbishley desperately needed to give
Ashton more support by conceding one of his midfield four because his team
barely looked like mounting an attack. But even while Ashton had a striker
alongside him, he was hampered by the impotence of West Ham's wide players.
With City's new signing Vincent Kompany sensibly shielding his
centre-halves, Mark Hughes' full-backs, Vedran Corluka and Michael Ball,
were able to sacrifice cover quickly and get extra tight on Matthew
Etherington and Julien Faubert.
West Ham's wide men did not respond to the challenge and the supply route to
Ashton was eroded. With City able to play touch-tight to the wingers and
higher up the field, Ashton was left isolated and it became even harder for
him when Noble gave the referee an easy decision to show the red card.
City will be encouraged by Kompany's debut. A natural centre-back, he
started in midfield and patrolled there effectively, intercepting and
tackling and moving the ball quickly to his playmakers. He retreated to
centre-back after Micah Richards went off and will have much tougher tests
than he did in that position because it was a cakewalk for City in the last
half-hour.
On this form City can improve on last season's ninth place while West Ham
will need to get injured players fit and show far more appetite in their
work and the courage to play far more ambitiously. I was shocked they did
not give Ashton better support, especially after they went behind, even if
City should always have had the advantage by maximising width with the man
extra and did everything asked of them.
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Man City avert a crisis as West Ham crumble at Eastlands - Telegraph
Manchester City (0) 3 West Ham United (0) 0
By Mark Ogden
Last Updated: 10:59PM BST 24 Aug 2008
So Manchester City avoid the indignity of becoming the Premier League's
first 'team in crisis' this season and Thaksin Shinawatra, City's troubled
owner, was present to see his club dismantle West Ham and bring some
much-needed positivity to Eastlands.
These have been turbulent times at City, on and off the pitch, but two goals
from Elano and one from Daniel Sturridge secured the three points that will
lift the mood at the club and leave somebody else feeling the pressure of
having to find their first points of the season.
Frank Clark, who managed City during their dark days of the late-1990s, once
talked of a mysterious 'fifth column' that specialised in fomenting the
discord rarely far from the surface in the blue half of Manchester.
After fewer than 100 days at the helm, Hughes will know just what Clark was
alluding to with the on-going uncertainty over Shinawatra's future, and
liberty, and unhelpful comments from executive chairman Garry Cook claiming
that Hughes is a manager who does not like leaving his "comfort zone".
The only way that Hughes can ensure that this Cook doesn't spoil his broth
is by delivering results on the pitch. But, after successive defeats against
Uefa Cup opponents FC Midtjylland and Aston Villa, City were as convincing
as they could possibly be against a poor West Ham team weakened even further
by the 38th-minute dismissal of midfielder Mark Noble for two bookable
offences.
Hughes said: "It's always nice to play well in front of the owner! The win
should settle us all down now, but I have been trying to accentuate the
positives for the last few weeks, despite all of the negative aspects, if
there actually are any. There have been a lot of negative things said about
the club in the past week and it was nice to get back to football."
Bullish he may be, but Hughes desperately needed this victory, if only to
divert the attention from the loose cannons in the boardroom back onto the
pitch.
Yet by the time that Noble had been dismissed, Hughes's players had already
suggested that they were ready to deliver three points. City had twice
struck the woodwork and gone close through the promising Sturridge before
Noble departed.
City's momentum was checked early in the second half, though, when defender
Micah Richards was carried off following a clash of heads with team-mate Tal
Ben Haim.
Richards spent seven minutes receiving treatment on the pitch before he was
carried off in a neck brace while receiving oxygen, but he regained
consciousness before being taken to hospital and Hughes admitted that the
England player would now be monitored for "a couple of days", placing in
doubt his participation in the second-leg against Midtjylland on Thursday.
Having overcome the loss of Richards, Sturridge made the breakthrough for
City on 65 minutes when he finished off a move he had instigated moments
earlier.
The teenager, who celebrates his 19th birthday next Monday, laid the ball
off to Martin Petrov in midfield before racing into the penalty area to
score after Matthew Upson had failed to clear Petrov's cross.
Elano doubled City's lead from close range five minutes later and the
Brazilian then gave the home side the winning margin they deserved when he
scored a second, once again from a Stephen Ireland assist, on 76 minutes.
West Ham could have no complaints.
Manager Alan Curbishley said: "I asked for a verbal reaction from the
players after the game, but not one could hold their hands up and say that
they performed. No one held their end up today."
Telegraph Player Rater
Give a rating from 1 to 10 where 1 = What a load of rubbish and 10 =
Football Genius
Manchester City 3 Vs West Ham United 0
24 August 2008 16:00
West Ham United Ratings
Green 6.5
Davenport 5.4
Neill 3.5
Upson 5
Noble 2.15 Y / R
Parker 5.38
Faubert 0
Behrami 4.61 Y
Etherington 4.82
Ashton 5.14
Cole 4.58
Substitutes
Mullins 5.21'
Sears 4.29
Boa Morte 3.5
Manager
Curbishley 2.44
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