England manager offers Hammers striker advice
By James Dall Last updated: 12th August 2008
Fabio Capello has revealed he has advised striker Dean Ashton to 'lose
weight' in order to further his England career. The West Ham United forward
previously spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he broke his ankle
in an England training session in 2006. But Ashton returned to fitness at
the end of last season and made his England bow in the friendly
international win against Trinidad and Tobago. However, head coach Capello
has explained that he has suggested the 24-year-old works on his fitness in
order to maximise his talent. "We followed Dean in a lot of games last
season and he was very good but he had injury problems before that," Capello
said in the Evening Standard. "He has since told me he is fit now. I spoke
with him in Trinidad and I told him he had to lose weight and be better
physically because technically he is good but he is not quick."
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Curbishley facing tricky season at West Ham - SportsIllustrated.com
LONDON (AP) -Alan Curbishley had a tricky first full season at West Ham and
the next one isn't likely to be much better for the former Hammers
midfielder. Player unrest, few new signings and rumors that the club's
owners are struggling for money look like testing the 50-year-old Curbishley
to the full. It wasn't meant to be like this when he took charge of his
former club in December 2006. West Ham let him spend 17 million pounds on
five new players almost immediately and its investment was rewarded when
Curbishley led the Hammers to seven wins from their last nine matches to
avoid relegation from the Premier League. Buoyed by the success, West Ham
then sanctioned another 30 million pounds of acquisitions in the offseason
to fund what was hoped to be an attempt to qualify for European competition
through the league or even a first trophy since 1980. But the judgment, and
luck, of Curbishley and the club was called into question when all the
costly new signings spent long spells out of the team because of injury. The
Hammers stalled in mid table and, following their defeat in the third round
of the FA Cup, spent the last four months of the season turning up for drab
fixtures with little to play for.
The funds for transfers have seemingly dried up, so Curbishley will have to
work with essentially the same squad he had last season. With rivals having
strengthened their lineups, Curbishley's once feted tactical mind could
struggle for results. British bookmaker William Hill rates Curbishley an
11-2 favorite to be the first Premier League manager to lose his job this
season. It marks a frustrating time for Curbishley, who was long recognized
as one of England's brightest young coaches and was even interviewed for the
role of England manager in 2006. Curbishley made his name with 15 years at
Charlton, first as joint manager with Steve Gritt and then on his own from
June 1995. By identifying quality players and signing them cheaply, he
plotted the club's unlikely rise to the Premier League and saved it from
going out of business. Under Curbishley, who built team after team on the
likes of future internationals Mark Kinsella, Chris Powell, Danny Mills, Lee
Bowyer and Scott Parker, the south London club became an established Premier
League side and was only relegated the season after he stepped down
following 729 games in charge.
Curbishley took several months off before stepping in to lead West Ham away
from relegation, since when things have stagnated. Only one major signing
has been made since the end of last season, while now departed striker Bobby
Zamora and first-choice goalkeeper Robert Green have both publicly
complained about their treatment by the club. That leaves Curbishley having
to justify the decision he took a year ago to sign Parker, Craig Bellamy,
Julien Flaubert and Kieron Dyer. If they stay fit, West Ham should stay in
the Premier League and Curbishley in a job. But after the quartet started
just 34 games between them last season, that's a big if.
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Thatcher heading for Ipswich Town - Echo News
1:04am Wednesday 13th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
BEN Thatcher, who made two unpopular appearances on trial for West Ham
United this summer, is set to sign for Championship side Ipswich Town on
Wednesday. Irons boss Alan Curbishley brought in the former Millwall,
Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic man with a view to signing the
32-year-old as experienced cover for injured first-choice left-back George
McCartney. The decision to field Thatcher in last week's reserve team
friendly at Bishop's Stortford and in Saturday's 1-1 Bobby Moore Cup draw
with Villarreal at Upton Park was criticised widely by Hammers fans, who
pointed to the former Wales international's playing career and disciplinary
history. One incident saw Thatcher fined six weeks' wages by Manchester City
and banned for eight matches by the FA after elbowing Portsmouth's Pedro
Mendes in August 2006. However, it now appears that the former England
Under-21 player's future lies at Portman Road. Tractor Boys manager Jim
Magilton is quoted as claiming Thatcher, who underwent a medical with the
club on Tuesday, should complete his move to Suffolk within the next 24
hours. Magilton said: "It's moving forward now and we hope to bring it to a
conclusion on Wednesday."
Curbishley is now likely to field captain Lucas Neill at left-back in
Saturday's Premier League opener against Wigan Athletic at Upton Park, with
new £5million signing Valon Behrami or Julien Faubert filling in at
right-back.
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Curbs Is Favourite For the Chop - The Sun
By ANTONY KASTRINAKIS
Published: Today
ALAN CURBISHLEY has five games to keep his job. The Hammers chief is the
bookies' runaway favourite to be the first Premier League boss to get his
P45. Curbs has tried to straight-bat speculation by saying he was up for the
chop for 15 years at Charlton and was used to the pressure. However,
well-informed sources admit that one of the reasons he is still in a job is
that the cash-strapped Hammers did not want to cough up around £5million to
get rid of him. There is of course another reason. The man they would have
made gaffer — Slaven Bilic — decided to stay on as Croatia boss. The writing
is on the wall for Curbishley and questions will be asked as soon as the
first bad result comes. Mercifully, West Ham have a relatively comfortable
programme until mid-October so Curbs might be able to buy some time. It is
of course a double-edged sword. If they fail to collect enough points
against Wigan, West Brom, Fulham, Bolton and Hull they will be in dire
straits. That is the harsh reality facing West Ham. Curbishley seemed to get
his excuses in early last week when he said he feared a spate of injuries
after a hard pre-season. Almost as soon as he said that, Craig Bellamy's
hamstring broke down and now the Welsh striker is out for a month. Kieron
Dyer suffered a setback in the leg he broke last year. Reports suggested the
midfielder could be out for up to four months after a scan showed a hairline
fracture but Curbs insisted it would be five weeks. Injuries particularly to
Dean Ashton but also a string of other players like Bellamy and Dyer had a
big say in the way things went for the Hammers in the last campaign. His
players don't make things any easier of course. Keeper Rob Green publicly
said he felt the club didn't appreciate him enough, provoking an angry
response from the manager. What will worry Curbishley more than anything is
the danger of losing his best players close to the start of the season.
Arsenal have been linked with Green, Newcastle are in for £7million-rated
Anton Ferdinand and Tottenham are after £15m Ashton. Take those players out
of the squad and the Hammers are in trouble before a ball has been kicked in
anger in the new season.
It's undeniable that Curbs has failed to inspire the United of the East End
in the way he steered lowly Charlton. In his defence, he kept them up
against all odds the season before. Despite a string of problems West Ham
finished a respectable 10th last season. It has come at a price however.
Huge contracts were handed out in particular to players Lucas Neil and
Freddie Ljungberg. The Ljungberg fiasco has overshadowed everything else at
Upton Park this week. He made only 25 appearances for the club and
reportedly walked with a £6m pay-off. To wait that long before coming to an
agreement to end his contract is beyond comprehension. These are troubled
times at Upton Park. After a summer of turmoil with the future of several of
the club's key players in the balance only one thing is certain. If it all
goes Pete Tong at the start of the season then for Curbs it could all end in
Britneys.
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Curbishley battling to keep West Ham job
tribalfootball.com - August 12, 2008
Alan Curbishley is facing a battle to stay in charge at West Ham United. The
Sun says Curbishley has five games to keep his job. The writing is on the
wall for Curbishley and questions will be asked as soon as the first bad
result comes. Mercifully, West Ham have a relatively comfortable programme
until mid-October so Curbs might be able to buy some time. It is of course a
double-edged sword. If they fail to collect enough points against Wigan,
West Brom, Fulham, Bolton and Hull they will be in dire straits. That is the
harsh reality facing West Ham.
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