Kevin Keen will take charge of first-team matters at West Ham United until a
new manager is appointed
03.09.2008
Kevin Keen has been confirmed as caretaker manager of West Ham United until
a new manager is appointed and will take charge of all first-team matters.
The process to find a replacement for Alan Curbishley is already under way
with the club beginning to draw up an initial shortlist of potential
candidates.
The club is also able to confirm that the Premier League has registered
Italy striker David Di Michele and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga and
both players will join up with the rest of the first-team squad shortly.
Kevin Keen profile
After ten years serving the club as a player, Kevin Keen returned to West
Ham United in a coaching capacity in 2002. He had originally played for the
club between 1983 and 1993, having come through the academy ranks. A wide
midfielder, he made his debut in September 1986 and went on to make 263
appearances, scoring 27 goals. Later in his career, Keen represented
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Stoke City and Macclesfield Town, combining his
playing duties at the latter club with a coaching role. He then returned to
the Boleyn Ground six years ago as a youth-team coach before stepping up to
work with the first team. Now 41, he also has responsibility for the
reserves.
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Curbishley 'made transfer errors' - BBC
Alan Curbishley has been accused of contributing to his own downfall at West
Ham after making costly mistakes in the transfer market. Curbishley resigned
as the club's manager, complaining transfer policy had been taken out of his
control. But agent Kia Joorabchian, a transfer adviser at Upton Park, said
Curbishley had made life difficult for himself. "The board left it in the
hands of someone they assumed was capable, things went wrong," he told BBC
Sport.
Curbishley was particularly annoyed by the sale of George McCartney and
Anton Ferdinand before the close of the transfer window and said it had
amounted to "a breach of trust and confidence" giving him "no option but to
leave". Ferdinand and McCartney were sold to Sunderland for about £8m and
£6m respectively but Joorabchian described the fees as "tough numbers to
reject". Joorabchian, who helped West Ham sign Argentine duo Carlos Tevez
and Javier Mascherano in 2006, said the club had to trim the wage bill and
sell players before bringing in new recruits. Curbishley, who spent 15 years
in charge of Charlton before joining the Hammers, signed the likes of
Freddie Ljungberg, Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy but injuries meant the trio
featured only sporadically. Ljungberg joined the Hammers for a fee
approaching £3m but received a significant sum to end his contract after
only one year of a lucrative four-year deal.
Joorabchian said Curbishley and former chairman Eggert Magnusson were both
culpable. "I think from the day Curbishley entered the club, he made most of
the decisions with regard to the incomings of Luis Boa Morte, Nigel Quashie,
Dyer and Ljungberg," added Joorabchian. "I wasn't deeply involved at that
time but it was pretty clear cut that he was very much involved in those. "I
think the board realised that there were a lot of mistakes made during that
period when Mr Magnusson was in charge. "Not to put blame on either of them
but the salaries that were being given and the players that were being
brought in were probably not the board's idea of taking the club forward."
Towards the end of last season West Ham had a wage bill approaching £50m a
year, which left the board, according to Joorabchian, with a "difficult
task" to buy new players. ""Your wage structure has to be able to cope with
the players coming in and if you have a lot of players on your books with
high salaries, who are probably not very productive on a day-to-day basis,"
he stated. "Your first stage is to release some of that wage structure to
get into the transfer market again. "I think it's very sad what happened to
West Ham in the last year, with the players and the direction which they
went. "I do feel for Curbishley because he's a manager who has resigned
under pressure but, unfortunately, the game has become so competitive that I
think every manager understands that there are three major issues. "You have
to succeed in the transfer window; you have to make sure you have a winning
side; and - when you're at a club like West Ham - you have to play good
football."
"Curbishley's exit leaves West Ham searching for their fifth manager in
seven years, with Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, Portsmouth manager Harry
Redknapp and former Hammers forward Paolo Di Canio all linked with the role.
However, despite the recent upheaval at the club, chairman Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson maintains there are positive times ahead. "In my first full
season as chairman of this great football club, I can assure our loyal
supporters that we are working hard to bring sustained success to West Ham
United," he insisted "Everyone, including the chief executive and board, is
committed to this common goal. "We have a long-term strategy that takes into
account all aspects of West Ham United's past, present and future and we
will not be deterred. "Our fans can look forward to many positive years on
and off the pitch."
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Statements on Curbishley's departure - BBC
Alan Curbishley resigned as manager of West Ham United on Wednesday, ending
a spell of almost two years at Upton Park. The first Premier League
managerial casualty of the new season, the 50-year-old Curbishley says he
decided to step down over a lack of control over transfers, as West Ham sold
Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney in the final days of the transfer
window.
BBC Sport details West Ham's explanation for the departure of their manager,
Curbishley's reaction, and the response from the League Managers'
Association, the body that represents English managers.
WEST HAM UNITED STATEMENT
"We can confirm that we have accepted Alan Curbishley's resignation as we
feel it is in the best interests of both parties. We wish Alan all the
success in the future.
"A shortlist of candidates is being drawn up and an announcement will be
made in due course about the new West Ham United manager. "In the past week,
agreement could not be reached with Ferdinand on a new contract to replace
his original deal that had just two years left to run. "McCartney handed in
a formal written transfer request after failing to resolve his personal
reasons for wanting a move away."
ALAN CURBISHLEY STATEMENT
"I started my West Ham United career when I left school in 1974 and have
remained a lifelong fan. I have been incredibly proud to manage such a great
club and my decision to resign has been very tough. "The selection of
players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an agreement with
the club that I alone would determine the composition of the squad.
"However, the club continued to make significant player decisions without
involving me. In the end such a breach of trust and confidence meant that I
had no option but to leave. "Nevertheless, I wish the club and the players
every success in the future."
LEAGUE MANAGERS' ASSOCIATION STATEMENT
"Alan Curbishley has today resigned as manager of West Ham United, a
position he had held since December 2006. "The club's unilateral actions
around player transfers, without reference to their manager, have created
irreparable damage to Alan's working relationship with the directors. "The
LMA has been working with Alan Curbishley over the past few days in an
attempt to resolve his grievances with his employers. Sadly for West Ham
United and Alan, reconciliation was not possible in the circumstances."
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Harry out, Bilic too? - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 4th September 2008
By: Staff Writer
Harry Redknapp has ruled himself out of a return to Upton Park - whilst
bookies favourite Slaven Bilic is also rumoured to be out of the running.
Former United boss Redknapp, sacked by West Ham United in 2001 confirmed
that he would not be interested in returning to the club for whom he both
played and managed.
Talking in today's Sun, he said: "Alan Curbishley may have gone - but
there's no way I'll replace him. Curbs quit because he feels he has been
undermined and shown a lack of trust by the owner. I take my hat off to him
for sticking to his principles. "Don't get me wrong, West Ham is a
fantastic club, with fantastic fans and - having gone there aged 15 - it has
a special place in my heart. But I love it at Portsmouth and I've got an
owner who lets the manager manage."
Redknapp slammed the current Hammers board for undermining Alan Curbishley
by excluding him from decisions regarding the sale of players, adding:
"Players are bought and sold without the manager's consent - and even
knowledge in some cases. How can you do the job like that? These days owners
sign whoever they think is a sexy name - and they sell whoever they want.
The days of managing as I know it are coming to end."
Meanwhile Bilic, according to the Times is understood to have told
colleagues that he has no intention of entertaining an offer to succeed
Curbishley, should one arise - although further speculation suggests that
the United board have already been in touch with the 39-year-old former
Hammer's representatives. Bilic remains the bookies' odds-on favourite to
become United's 12th full-time manager.
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Curbishley: I'm absolutely gutted - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd September 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley has revealed that the sale of George McCartney to Sunderland
was the final straw that prompted him to submit his resignation. Former
Hammers manager Curbishley, talking to Sky Sports this afternoon about his
decision to walk away from United after less than two years in charge
confirmed that it was the board's decision to sell left-back McCartney -
plus their refusal to allow him to bring any loans in - that gave him no
option but to resign. His full interview with Sky Sports, first aired late
this afternoon was as follows: "It was a culmination of events over the
weekend. The transfer of George McCartney, which I was vehemently against -
not because I think he's such a good player, and I happen to think that
George McCartney is one of the best full-backs in the Premier League - but
because of the situation that we found ourselves in with injuries to other
defenders. "I was looking at that - along with the sale of Anton Ferdinand -
and the fact that we've got James Collins, James Tomkins, Jon Spector all
out injured at the moment and we're quite stretched. It was that that got to
me more than anything. "On Sunday morning I went into a meeting at Upton
Park with Scott Duxbury to discuss perhaps bringing some loans in and I was
told that we wouldn't be in that position unless someone left the club. I
straight away said 'well let's all go home then because I don't want anyone
to leave, I'm quite happy just getting on with it as we are.'
"I've had an agonising couple of days, i can't dispute that. Everybody I
know, except for a couple of people - West Ham fans who live by their club,
it's their passion and I understand their feelings. I've got some real good
friends who let me know in a polite way what's what! I just felt that I
couldn't stand by and let what happened [go], escpecially at the weekend. I
just couldn't do it - so I made a decision [to leave]. "The criticism I've
received from the press and from the fans, I'm responsible for the team and
I'm responsible for the performances and results. I think the criticism that
come in I took in a dignified manner. But I do know the West Ham fans, if we
get it right, are second to none as they showed in the run-in when we stayed
up. "So I was taking that on the chin, if you like, and trying my best to
turn that around - and I'm absolutely gutted that I've had to come to this
decision."
Slaven Bilic remains the bookies' favourite to replace Curbishley although
former Brescia manager Davide Ballardini has received strong backing
tonight.
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Why Alan Curbed my enthusiasm - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd September 2008
By: Joe Cridland
Following the events of the past few days I felt compelled to make the
fallout at Upton Park and the subsequent resignation of manager Alan
Curbishley my first article for kumb.com. For the record it is important for
me to state my feelings about Alan's tenure at the club first before
analysing my own reasons why I felt this way about his stewardship. Any
comments (whether disagreement to the point, comments on the writing style
or otherwise) would be very welcome.
For starters I don't hate Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day, Gianluca Nani, Scott
Duxbury or Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson. I, as I'm sure like most others, have
little knowledge of the exact workings of the behind the scenes issues and
rely upon newspapers, internet sites and forum posts to inform me of any
potential developments (whether substantiated or not). Therefore I have
based my opinion purely on what I have seen and heard reported, seen and
heard from my West Ham supporting friends and seen and heard on the pitch.
And it seems, by popular opinion, that it is the latter that ultimately
meant that Curbishley started the season as favourite to win "The Sack
Race". Of course we now know that Curbishley has stated that he resigned
because he feels transfer policy was taken out of hands and that this was a
breach of contract and trust. However, at the start of the season it was
widely believed that West Ham fans had little trust in Curbishley's ability
to play the kind of football we "demanded" at Upton Park. Simply put I don't
believe this is the case. To my mind there is only one main reason that Alan
Curbishley has led to polarising of opinion - and it is his fault.
Curbishley could not unite West Ham because, simply, they had become a
tedious side to support. Not necessarily because of the style of football we
played, when even during our finest days has still been turgid, but because
for one of the few times in West Ham's history we lacked a true talismanic
figure the club could get behind. Of course Curbishley was never going to be
that man. Alan Curbishley is a seriously knowledgeable football man, a man
of integrity and a good football manager but what he is not is a charismatic
enigma. Look throughout West Ham history and you'll see what I'm talking
about.
We are a 'pedestal' kind of club and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Whether
it's through sheer force of talent and pride that they may be at the club
(Bobby Moore, Alan Devonshire or Trevor Brooking), their determination to
succeed at all costs (Julian Dicks, Carlos Tevez) or even their
eccentricities (Harry Redknapp, Paolo Di Canio) the club has had that figure
either at the helm or on the pitch and we demand that they do something to
excite us. It made West Ham a great, fun team to support and, especially in
the 90s and the slightly insane days of Harry Redknapp's weekly transfer
merry-go-round, a lot of people's second club to look out for.
This is something that I think Curbishley really failed to address.
Obviously Tevez was taken out of his hands but you look at the signings that
he made and you can really see that he never tried to sign that figure:
Davenport, Faubert, Boa Morte, Parker, Dyer, Bellamy. Perhaps Craig Bellamy
has the skills to become a club legend in the talent/determination stakes
but his distasteful personality means I doubt he'll ever be able to endear
himself in this way. And whilst we also have very talented, and respected,
players like Green, Upson and Ashton we also have a number of players that
have turned the casual fan away from Upton Park.
Take a look at characters such as club captain Lucas Neill, Lee Bowyer,
Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer and the regrettable trialling of Ben Thatcher.
These players neither engender the fans to the club, distance that would be
compounded by the season ticket price rises; they also make enemies of the
general football fan. And you shouldn't underestimate how important other
fans' perception of your club can be to the future of a manager.
I believe that these reports of Curbishley's lack of support amongst Hammers
fans were so widespread because they were allowed to perpetuate by the one
thing I never thought West Ham fans would become: indifferent. Whilst the
latest kumb.com poll shows that most said to support Curbishley I think that
this is mainly a rebuttal to the board at the shoddy treatment of someone
who was seen as a decent and honourable man. Now he's not our manager, I ask
only one thing of the man that is brought in.
Excite me. Entertain me. It doesn't have to be Dutch Total Football circa
1974 nor do we have to acquire the best talent in the world to form some
sort of Fantasy Football XI. I also appreciate I won't ever get back to the
frantically-buying-Panini-stickers-to-get-a-shiny-Paulo-Futre days. I just
want a smiling football club and a vibrant feel. I want characters like
Lucas Neill replaced with characters like Jimmy Bullard. I want a crazy
Paolo di Canio or a lovable Carlos Tevez. I want to fall in love with the
club all over again.
I don't agree that it was Alan's poor tactics, ridiculous salaries or
mediocre transfer window that made me indifferent to the team but the lack
of a rogue/character that did for him. I sincerely hope the board heed this
indifference alarm and appoint someone who can repair this damage to the
club because over the past few months, and for the love of a good pun, Alan
definitely Curbed my Enthusiasm.
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Bilic remains tight-lipped - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd September 2008
By: Staff Writer
Bookies' favourite Slaven Bilic has refused to rule himself out of the
running for the vacant managerial position at West Ham United. The post
became available earlier today after Alan Curbishley resigned after less
than two years in charge due to board interference in transfer policy. And
the former United centre-half has refused to rule himself out of the running
to become United's 12th full-time manager. "I get calls from England all the
time but I can say nothing about West Ham United," he said this afternoon. I
signed a new contract to coach Croatia, that's all I can say. I will
continue as national team coach until the end of the 2010 World Cup."
Meanwhile another former Hammer, Tony Gale told Talksport that he was
'gutted' to see the back of Curbishley. "He's a good man and good men are
few and far between," said Gale. "I'm absolutely gutted that it ended like
this. "He has two wins in his first three games, one of the club's best
start in years. They finished 10th last season which aint bad. "We keep
hearing that they aren't playing an exciting brand of football - but it's no
worse than anywhere else. Sometimes football isn't as exciting as it used to
be. "If Curbishley has said he wanted to manage in a particular way and be
in on player sales then he's going to get out because he's a man of honour
who's paying for the excesses of the last Chairman."
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There's only one man who can save West Ham - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd September 2008
By: Ironball
On the topic of the new commercial realities that are arising in English and
European football with the arrival of sovereign wealth funds into the
game...
My conclusion is that, just as the arrival of Sky created a Big Bang that
brought about the Premier League, the arrival of the wealth funds, or more
specifically the disequilibrium they will cause to English football and
thence to European football, will bring about a Second Big Bang and the
result, whether instigated by domestic clubs shut out of the Champions
League or as likely, European clubs shut out of English football, all oiled
by UEFA's likely response, will be a European superleague.
There are probably only one, two or three other sovereign wealth funds that
may be ready to take the plunge. All are likely much, much more capitalised
than Roman Abramovich, and they are likely all Arab. One is waiting for
Liverpool (Dubai International Capital), and the other one or two (the
Qataris are probable), well those are the scarce golden tickets which are
about to be bestowed on a lucky club or two, offering salvation from The
Great Lock-Out that will occur when the superleague plans crystallise.
Only a handful of clubs have the status to be considered for salvation from
The Great Lock-Out. They are Spurs, Everton, Newcastle, Aston Villa, West
Ham and maybe a dark horse like Cardiff City or somewhere else
geographically opportune. Only one or two of these clubs have a future in
top level football. The rest will end up as true feeder clubs, locked
permanently in the equivalent of NFL Europe. The top line clubs like Man
City, Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and maybe one or two more, will
enter into the footballing equivalent of the NFL.
I understand that plenty of fans would rather see West Ham as a structural
feeder club, permanently in a lower league system than the clubs which have
the money, the players and the best football. They would prefer to see West
Ham atrophy rather than compete. I know where they are coming from, but this
article is based on the desire to see West Ham not getting locked out, but
rather surviving and competing with the other top English clubs.
The only way that is going to happen is if Gudmundsson sells the club to a
wealth fund. The race is on, one senses; the likes of Mike Ashley and Bill
Kenwright are probably already checking out Doha on their atlases. There are
rumours that Gudmundsson may wish to sell, that Icelandic banking is in
trouble, just as Shinawatra was in trouble, just as Chelsea were in trouble
after Matthew Harding died. In my view he should sell, given that the new
commercial realities entering the game are likely not just to thwart his
ambitions to take West Ham into Europe, but also to destroy the value of his
asset once The Great Lock-Out transpires.
But even if Gudmundsson does want to sell, that is just half the battle.
The rest of the battle is simply, getting picked by the remaining wealth
fund or two that are going to enter English football this season. The Abu
Dhabi mob did not even look at West Ham; they looked at Arsenal, Newcastle
and Liverpool as well as Man City.
So, how to get the Qataris or whoever to look at West Ham and identify the
catchment, the fanbase, the location, the opportunity? The answer is simple.
We have one massive unique selling point. West Ham is the natural football
club to occupy the 2012 Olympic Stadium. With all the attendant status,
development opportunities and capacitisation.
The Olympic stadium issue looked like a dead dodo a while back, when the
incompetent politicians failed to move swiftly and identify a way to
accommodate West Ham United. Possibly, the Icelandic takeover happened a
year too late. Surely with more time a Stade de France type coverable
running track design could have been implemented. Whether it was cost, time,
incompetence or Sebastian Coe's Chelsea supporting temperament, it was
declared a non-runner. Promises had been made to the IOC and IAAF that there
would be an athletics track legacy.
But, recently, something changed. And that something leads to the one person
who may be able to save West Ham from the Great Lock-Out that will surely
arrive with football's Second Big Bang a few short years from now.
You may all laugh at the thought of writing to the club, of getting
Gudmundsson to listen to you. What's in it for him? How are we going to get
the Qataris to realise what a passionate, historical, fantastic, deserving,
massive club West Ham is? Why would the bigwigs listen to the little people?
There is only one reason why a bigwig would listen to what we have to say.
And that is if that bigwig is in a tight spot, and urgently needs creative
solutions in order to meet expectations he is obliged to meet. Yes, the one
man who may be able to save West Ham from being permanently locked out of
top level football and who may, accidentally, be highly motivated to do so,
is Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson recently declared that in the light of the credit crunch, for
a finite period of time he was going to reopen the issue of whether the
Olympic Stadium might be tenantable by a football club capable of making it
financially worth the while of the LDA. This potentially puts him in
conflict with Seb Coe and the promise to leave an athletics legacy. Johnson
said in respect of the athletics legacy that that promise was made at a time
of plenty, which does not exist now. Johnson has committed publicly,
repeatedly, that the Olympics will come in under budget. He has been out to
Beijing and has been briefed on the continuing income that will arise from
future use of the Bird's Nest.
At present, the only income likely to be forthcoming from the Olympic
Stadium is negligible annual rent from Leyton Orient in a scaled down 25,000
seater athletics stadium. That, is, over time, hundreds of millions of
pounds lost from a prospective freehold sale or tenancy income from the
stadium. There is no other single budgetary saving that measures up to
making a deal with a major football club over the stadium. And yet Johnson
faces serious resistance from Seb Coe; and the practical problem of the
money, way beyond Gudmundsson's available resources, that would be required
to adapt the stadium, to ensure an athletics legacy - either external to or
inside the stadium (moving a football club into a stadium with a permanent
track is a non-starter).
There is a real confluence of opportunity here. Boris Johnson is under huge
pressure to find cost savings for the Olympics, and has publicly said that
he sees a major football club at the Olympic Stadium as a way to tackle the
problem.
The solution to the problem lies with an examination of why the Abu Dhabi
people decided to invest in the Premier League. They did not do it to make
money out of football. They did it as a way to build the grandest global
calling card they could. They did it to declare to the world that Abu Dhabi
is open for business. Yes, Manchester City is a sporting hobby for them, but
more than that it is a way to attract attention, to promote Abu Dhabi as a
global financial, real estate, cultural and sporting hub. And that is why
the Qataris are likely to follow in their footsteps. That's exactly what
they and the Dubaians are trying to do.
When that is your motivation, and when money is no object, how attractive
would it be to become intimately involved with a project integral to the
next Olympic Games? To finance the redevelopment of the new Olympic Stadium
and to install your own club in that stadium? Are the Qataris interested in
the Olympics? You bet your life they are. Check out the list of applicants
to hold the 2016 Olympic Games. Doha is one of the applicants. Qatar won't
get the games because Doha is too hot in summer and the IOC has refused to
consider moving the Olympics to the autumn. The next best thing is to own
the London Olympic Stadium and to own the club that plays there.
This is a global trend at the moment. All the capital resides in the east,
in Arabia and in Asia. Like a bowl that has been tipped to one side, all the
water has run across and there is a capital drought on the other side of the
bowl, in the west. It is happening in all sectors - the orientals are
snapping up western assets and businesses. The latest example: Lehman
Brothers is about to turn South Korean. It's a synergy - the parched west
gets liquidity and the lubricated east gets something and somewhere to apply
its copious liquidity. We've seen it before, with Japanese investment in the
west, but the bowl has never been as out of balance as it is now.
So, this is what I envisage: the Qataris, or whoever has deep enough pockets
and similar intentions as the folk from Abu Dhabi, step in and purchase both
West Ham and the Olympic Stadium, with attendant redevelopment rights in the
Olympic Park and further south. They foot the bill for providing an external
athletics legacy (ideally) or a burrowed-down covered over internal
athletics track. In return, they get their marquee calling card, their
Olympic promotion, their Premier League football club, and massive real
estate development concessions courtesy of the LDA, right slap bang on the
doorstep of Canary Wharf and the City, which are arguably the world's key
financial locations and precisely the places that the likes of Abu Dhabi,
Qatar and Dubai, with their global business ambitions, need to tap into.
Boris Johnson gets hundreds of millions of pounds into the kitty to keep the
Olympic Games under budget, and a quite sensational coup - a creative way to
tie in multiple current trends to ensure that a white elephant becomes a
cash machine. And West Ham ends up surviving and competing with the other
top clubs in England, rather than being forever locked-out.
Ideally, people like Johnson, Gudmundsson and the Qataris would work this
all out for themselves. But West Ham United is not the most obvious target
club. The fact that our fanbase rivals those of Newcastle and Manchester
City is not as well known as the fact that West Ham is a grand and historic
club with passionate fans. And without the sovereign wealth fund element
added into the equation, the Olympic stadium option looks beset by critical
hurdles at the moment: the athletics legacy issue (soluable by a section 106
agreement with the Qataris) and the lack of adequate stadium conversion
resources within West Ham's current ownership.
The Greater London Authority website provides contact details for the London
Mayoralty, and I intend to send this article and some other thoughts to
Boris Johnson at the following address:
By email: mayor@london.gov.uk
Boris Johnson
Mayor of London
Greater London Authority
City Hall
The Queen's Walk
More London
London SE1 2AA
Telephone: 020 7983 4100
Fax: 020 7983 4057
I would be more than happy if other fans wish to send this article or
similar ideas of their own to Boris Johnson and to other relevant parties
such as Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and the major investment institutions, in
order to raise the profile of this cross-sectorial political and economic
synergy proposal, so as to start the ball rolling that will secure West
Ham's future.
Postscript: if you intend to contact Boris Johnson's office I would strongly
recommend referring him to Amanda Staveley, senior partner at PCP Capital
Partners LLP, who brokered the Manchester City deal and advised Dubai
International Capital on the Liverpool negotiations.
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Curbishley: I had no choice - SSN
Departed boss disappointed at defender departures
By James Pearson Last updated: 3rd September 2008
Alan Curbishley says he was forced to walk away from West Ham over the
club's decision to sell two key defenders. Anton Ferdinand and George
McCartney both left for Sunderland before the close of the transfer windows
- deals which left Curbishley fuming. Curbishley had been keen to bolster
his squad with loan deals, but his request was turned down after being
informed players needed to leave before fresh faces could be brought in. The
former Charlton manager had believed there was an agreement in place that
gave him sole responsibility for the make-up of his squad and following the
duo's departures, Curbishley was left with little choice but to leave.
Reserve team coach Kevin Keen has been handed control of first-team affairs
until a long-term successor can be found, with ex-Hammer Slaven Bilic among
the frontrunners to replace Curbishley. "It was a culmination of events over
the weekend," he told Sky Sports News. "I was vehemently against the
transfer of McCartney because of the injuries to other defenders. "I was
looking at that, along with the sale of Anton Ferdinand, and thinking we are
quite stretched. That got to me more than anything. "On Sunday morning I
went into a meeting at Upton Park with [CEO] Scott Duxbury to discuss
perhaps hoping to bring some loans in. "I was told I wouldn't be in that
position unless someone left the club. Straight away I said 'let's all go
home then. I don't want anyone to leave. I am quite happy we just get on
with it as we are'. "It's been an agonising couple of days. I understand the
fans' feelings. But I just felt I couldn't stand by after what had happened
at the weekend.
"I think I took the criticism I received from the press and the fans in a
dignified manner. I am absolutely gutted I have had to come to this
decision."
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Curbs blames 'breach of trust' - SSN
Former Hammers boss sad to leave role
By James Dall Last updated: 3rd September 2008
Alan Curbishley has cited a 'breach of trust and confidence' for his
resignation as manager of West Ham United. Curbishley became the first
managerial departure of the new Premier League season on Wednesday, just
three games into the 2008/09 term. It was believed the former Charlton boss
had grown disillusioned at Upton Park following the club's transfer dealings
over the summer. He had previously stated that Anton Ferdinand's move to
Sunderland would be the final departure before the close of the transfer
window, however, on Monday, George McCartney also headed to Wearside.
Curbishley, who took the role in December 2006, admits it was 'very tough'
to call an end to his time in charge.
In a statement released via the League Managers' Association he said: "I
started my West Ham United career when I left school in 1974 and have
remained a lifelong fan. "I have been incredibly proud to manage such a
great club and my decision to resign has been very tough. "The selection of
players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an agreement with
the club that I alone would determine the composition of the squad.
"However, the club continued to make significant player decisions without
involving me. In the end such a breach of trust and confidence meant that I
had no option but to leave. "Nevertheless, I wish the club and the players
every success in the future."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Harry - No Hammers return - SSN
Pompey boss Redknapp happy at Fratton Park
Last updated: 4th September 2008
Harry Redknapp insists there is 'no way' he will leave Portsmouth to return
to West Ham in the wake of Alan Curbishley's departure. Curbishley became
the first managerial casualty of the new season when he quit Upton Park
after 21 months in charge. That has led to immediate speculation over who
will replace him in East London, but former Hammers boss Redknapp has
already ruled himself out of the running, as he demands sole charge of team
affairs. The major factor behind Curbishley's decision to walk away was the
fact that key transfer decisions were taken against his wishes, a stance
Redknapp admires. He told The Sun: "Alan Curbishley may have gone as West
Ham boss - but there's no way I'll replace him. "Curbs quit because he feels
he has been undermined and shown a lack of trust by the owner. I take my hat
off to him for sticking to his principles. "Don't get me wrong, West Ham is
a fantastic club, with fantastic fans and - having gone there aged 15 - it
has a special place in my heart. "But I love it at Portsmouth and I have one
big advantage over a lot of Premier League bosses these days: I've got an
owner who lets the manager manage."
Curbishley's resignation came a day after Kevin Keegan was reported to have
left Newcastle following a similar bust-up with the club's owners - although
both sides insist Keegan remains at the club. And Redknapp feels managers
will simply have to get used to a different job description as the trend of
billionaire owners sweeps the Premier League. "The days of managing as I
know it are coming to end - you will basically be given players and told to
get on with it," he continued. "West Ham sold players and it was nothing to
do with Alan - but that will happen more and more. "Let's face it, the way
it's going, every Premier League club will be owned by a foreign
billionaire. "They all want to win the title, they all want to be in the
Champions League and if they don't get it they'll be changing managers like
we change socks. It will be a revolving door that never stops turning. "And
while we're at it, we might as well sack all the scouts too, as there won't
be any need if players are coming and going above managers' heads."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs calls for stability - SSN
Ex-Hammers boss says successor must be in it for the long haul
By James Pearson Last updated: 3rd September 2008
Alan Curbishley believes West Ham need a period of stability following his
decision to call time on his Hammers tenure. The former Charlton Athletic
boss became the first managerial departure of the new Premier League season
on Wednesday, just three games into the 2008/09 campaign. Curbishley
replaced Alan Pardew in December 2006 and following his lengthy tenure at
The Valley, he believes the Boleyn Park outfit need his successor to be in
the post for longer than his reign.
"Perhaps a little word of warning is that I've been there 20 months and West
Ham will now have had three managers and three different chairman if you
like," he told Sky Sports News.
"Stability, as we all know, is the key to success." Despite being out of a
job for less than 24 hours, Curbishley has confirmed he is looking to make a
swift return to Premier League management, if a top-flight job becomes
available. "If anything becomes available I'll be looking for that in the
Premier League," he continued. "That's where I want to be and we'll see if
that materialises." Curbishley's position became untenable following a
meeting with club officials on Sunday, in which he was informed players
would need to be sold in order to fund future signings. However, Curbishley,
who guided West Ham to a 4-1 success over Blackburn just one day earlier,
could not have envisaged the passage of events that would unfold over the
weekend.
"This was the furthest from my mind when I came off the pitch on Saturday.
It all changed on Sunday morning. "I was looking forward to this season. In
the pre-season I was hopeful of one or two players coming back. "I'm a big
boy, I've been around, I'm quite experienced. I just felt that this wasn't
right. In the end I've had to make a stance on it. "I look back at my time
and no matter what people think, I've enjoyed it and I think I've done a
good job."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic ticks all the boxes for West Ham's owners - Telegraph
The more that emerges about who precisely wields the power at West Ham, the
more it appears that Alan Curbishley never stood a chance.
By Oliver Brown
Last Updated: 11:22PM BST 03 Sep 2008
Thee club declared, a little coldly, that Curbishley's departure was "in the
best interests of both parties". Certainly in West Ham's case this seems to
be true, as they set about finding a new manager who satisfies all the
qualities coveted by chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson: tactically sharp,
financially frugal, instantly charismatic. Everything, in short, that they
believed Curbishley was not.
A key figure in this search will be technical director Gianluca Nani, the
very man who could be said to have usurped Curbishley in the first place
with his tight control over transfer policy. Nani has extensive knowledge of
the foreign market for managers as much as players, and as he imparts his
wisdom to Gudmundsson and the West Ham directors, the name being touted most
loudly is that of Slaven Bilic.
Bilic, on the surface, satisfies all the criteria: the youngest manager
Croatia has ever had, at 39, and the youngest manager to lead his side to
the knockout stages of a major tournament, at Euro 2008. He has the crucial
advantage of having played for West Ham before moving into management and
would assuredly be the fans' No 1 choice.
But important doubts remain, not least that it would have been far easier
for Bilic to have joined West Ham in the summer, when his contract was up
for renewal with the Croatian Football Federation and when Curbishley faced
the wrath of his board after a mediocre 10th-place Premier League finish.
Easier, at any rate, than days before Croatia's World Cup 2010 qualifying
campaign opens with crucial games against Kazakhstan and England.
Bilic is a proud nationalist and could perceive abandoning Croatia at this
pivotal juncture as a form of betrayal. Money could be a sweetener in such a
conundrum – Bilic could swell his salary from £100,000 to £1.5 million a
year should he be enticed to Upton Park – but this needs balancing against
the fact that he already has an enviable squad with which to work. Eduardo
and Luka Modric measure up well against Dean Ashton and Craig Bellamy.
So contingencies have to be explored, one of the most intriguing of which
might be the pairing of Paolo Di Canio, once a West Ham idol, with former
Cagliari coach Davide Ballardini. Here Nani's contacts may prove crucial.
The Italian is a great admirer of the hardline Ballardini, who left Serie A
last May, while Di Canio has already been telling his friends how much he
would relish the West Ham challenge in this type of partnership.
A source close to Ballardini said that he was "definitely linked" to West
Ham, and Nani is believed to be pushing for his appointment above that of
Bilic.
The 44-year-old for his part purported to be unaware of any West Ham
interest despite bookmakers installing him as the second favourite behind
Bilic. Ballardini was in London this summer as a guest of Arsene Wenger,
studying Arsenal's training methods at their London Colney complex.
Di Canio arrives in the city as a member of the Rest of the World team
competing in the Soccer Aid 2008 charity game against an England side this
Sunday and was said to be "pushing himself for the job".
A third option would be to re-install Harry Reknapp, seven years after the
Portsmouth manager was sacked from the West Ham post.
Ironically Redknapp is training the England XI which Di Canio will be up
against in the charity match at Wembley and he did not rule out an
extraordinary return."I would not want to say if it is a role I would be
interested in, because I have got a job to do at Portsmouth," he said.
"I only found out about Alan Curbishley's sacking on the television."
Who is likely to be next?
Slaven Bilic (age 39)
Uncompromising defender was crowd favourite when he played at West Ham from
1996-97. Took his native Croatia to Euro 2008 finals, knocking out England
on the way.
Odds: 3-1
Harry Redknapp (61)
Began playing career at Upton Park and made 149 top-flight appearances.
Managed the club from 1994-2001. Won FA Cup with Portsmouth last May.
Odds: 6-1
Paolo Di Canio (40)
True football maverick. Signed for West Ham for £1.7 million and became an
idol after helping them to fifth place in the league and into the Uefa Cup.
Odds: 14-1
Odds from William Hill
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic the favourite as Alan Curbishley quits West Ham
United - Telegraph
Slaven Bilic heads the short-list to become the West Ham's next manager
after Alan Curbishley dramatically resigned, insisting that there had been a
breach of trust over his "unacceptable" exclusion from key transfer
decisions.
By Oliver Brown
Last Updated: 7:51AM BST 04 Sep 2008
Paolo di Canio, speaking just hours before Alan Curbishley's sudden
resignation, admits he wants to be West Ham manager in the future. It is
understood that the trigger for Curbishley to quit came when George
McCartney followed defender Anton Ferdinand to Sunderland on transfer
deadline day. It was also rumoured that striker Dean Ashton had been offered
to Tottenham and fellow forward Craig Bellamy to the new Arab owners at
Manchester City as part of the West Ham fire sale.
Curbishley always maintained that West Ham needed to keep their best players
if he was to meet his board's demands to finish in the top seven of the
Premier League, so the impression that they were sold behind his back meant
he felt his humiliation was complete. West Ham rejected Curbishley's claims
and insisted that the departures of Ferdinand and McCartney were "right for
the club" and "based on our best long-term interests".
Club insiders confirmed last night that Bilic, the Croatia manager and
former West Ham defender, was among the names being considered as the search
began for Curbishley's successor, though Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp
and Paolo di Canio were both linked to possible returns to their old club.
Curbishley said: "I started my West Ham United career when I left school in
1974 and have remained a lifelong fan. I have been incredibly proud to
manage such a great club and my decision to resign has been very tough. The
selection of players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an
agreement with the club that I alone would determine the composition of the
squad.
"However, the club continued to make significant player decisions without
involving me. In the end such a breach of trust and confidence meant that I
had no option but to leave. Nevertheless I wish the club and the players
every success in the future."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's home-grown youngsters will lose out after Alan Curbishley's
departure - Telegraph
Another day, another dollop of nonsense.
By Henry Winter
Last Updated: 10:53PM BST 03 Sep 2008
Alan Curbishley may not be the world's greatest manager, he may have thrown
a hissy-fit when the heat was turned up during his England audition, but
like Kevin Keegan at Newcastle United, this good football man did not
deserve the meddling of owners in team affairs.
Two of the week's innumerable football stories, chairmen's muscle-flexing
and England's lack of depth (no Steven Gerrard, no hope, so the fans say),
are beginning to merge alarmingly. Foreign owners like West Ham's Icelandic
crew usually prefer foreign managers, and it was little surprise to find the
charismatic Croatian, Slaven Bilic, and two erudite Italians, Roberto
Mancini and Davide Ballardini, leading the list of potential successors to
Curbishley.
Despite representing a stubble-chinned wrecking ball to the Three Lions'
fortunes, Bilic respects English football, having played at Upton Park with
home-grown talent who graduated to England (Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard,
Joe Cole etc). Bilic might keep faith with such prospects as Mark Noble,
Freddie Sears and James Tomkins.
The Italians? Don't hold your breath. If Mancini or Ballardini, the friend
of West Ham's director of football Gianluca Nani, were appointed, they would
doubtless turn to the realm they know best, Serie A, when the transfer
window reopens. At West Ham, the hopes of home-grown youngsters appearing in
the first team have disappeared with Curbishley's exit.
Curbishley's principled stance is admirable. Enough is enough. West Ham's
chairman, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, and his accomplice Nani have hardly proved
themselves adept in transfer dealings. Anton Ferdinand is half the defender
his brother Rio is but selling him to Sunderland was inexplicable,
particularly when internal replacements hardly sprang to mind. Ditto George
McCartney.
Echoing Keegan's stand-off with the St James' Park board, Curbishley was a
victim of directors seeking to dictate transfer policy. That can never work
in English football. Curbishley, like Keegan, deserved better.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Curbishley's exit from West Ham was a principled resignation -
Telegraph
They love a good soap opera in the East End, but few were expecting such a
dramatic and sudden resolution to this particular managerial episode.
By Jeremy Wilson
Last Updated: 7:51AM BST 04 Sep 2008
Whole-hearted: Alan Curbishley gave his all after the Icelandic takeover of
West Ham Photo: Getty Images
A feeling that the job might be too big for Alan Curbishley had certainly
been lingering at Upton Park in recent months, yet the caution of West Ham's
Icelandic owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, was expected to ensure a rather
more slow and painful ending.
Curbishley's decisive action took Gudmundsson by surprise, though the
explanation was refreshingly honest. There was no hiding behind a statement
of "mutual consent". It was a principled resignation.
As manager, Curbishley expected control over the composition of his squad
and had apparently even taken the trouble to ensure that this was in his
contract. Yet he had watched as players left this summer, culminating with
the £6 million sale of George McCartney, barely 24 hours after believing
that he had reassurances from chief executive Scott Duxbury that there would
be no more departures.
With Jonathan Spector, James Collins and James Tomkins injured, and Anton
Ferdinand sold against his wishes, Curbishley was "vehemently opposed" to
the departure of McCartney, a player he rated among the best full-backs in
the Premier League.
West Ham argued that the sale was forced upon them by the player's personal
circumstances and his urgent desire to leave, but the manager simply felt
that his footballing judgment had been ignored. Yet while McCartney's sale
was the straw that broke the camel's back, the warning signs had been
glaring in recent months.
Curbishley had previously enjoyed a good relationship with the former
chairman Eggert Magnusson, but it was not too long before Gudmundsson felt
the need to become more involved.
He eventually replaced Magnusson last December and, despite being a notably
lower profile front-man, his power and influence at West Ham is
unquestioned.
"Bjorgolfur did not become so rich without knowing exactly what is going on
in his companies," one associate said.
After his son, he is only Iceland's second billionaire and has interests in
a range of companies that reach through Europe, Asia and the Americas.
However, at the age of 67, and with a playing background in football, he has
reached a stage in life where he wants to focus on those business interests
that most excite him, notably West Ham.
With an estimated fortune of $1.1 billion, Gudmundsson was placed 1,014th on
this year's list of the world's richest people.
He had concerns about the club's spending and wage structure under
Magnusson, prompting the fundamental aim this summer of bringing greater
financial stability to the club, while keeping the main core of the squad.
Behind the scenes, Gianluca Nani had been brought in with Curbishley's
backing as technical director, though it was the board that instigated a
summer review of the players' physical fitness and injury problems by
independent experts from Roehampton University. Changes were subsequently
made to the backroom staff and it became clear that Curbishley was not in a
position of strength. His claim that he was doing a "decent job" was backed
by the results, but there was also limited backing from the fans. They booed
him against Macclesfield last week. The board already had their doubts and,
when his resignation was offered, there was no attempt to divert Curbishley
from his chosen course of action. Within hours a shortlist had been drawn
up, with Slaven Bilic's name featuring prominently. Given the strength of
Curbishley's comments since departing, some may question whether top
managers will want to work at Upton Park.
The board, though, can point to their success in keeping sought-after
players like Robert Green, Dean Ashton, Matthew Upson and Craig Bellamy, as
well as their plans for a new training ground and stadium. Yet the suspicion
that Curbishley had genuinely lost power is impossible to ignore.
On Tuesday, after selling McCartney, West Ham announced on their website
that they had signed Italian striker David Di Michele and Congolese
left-back Herita Ilunga. The statement concluded with the promise of some
reaction from Curbishley to follow. It was, however, rather telling that the
reaction never came.
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Slaven Bilic ready to reject riches on offer from West Ham - Times
Gary Jacob
Slaven Bilic is believed to have ruled himself out of taking charge of West
Ham United after Alan Curbishley resigned as manager yesterday over a
dispute with the club's board. Bilic, the former West Ham defender and one
of the favourites among supporters to succeed Curbishley, would prefer to
continue coaching Croatia, who take on England in a World Cup qualifier in
Zagreb next Wednesday.
Bilic's stock has risen since he helped to eliminate England en route to
qualifying for the 2008 European Championship finals, but he spurned an
offer from SV Hamburg to sign a new two-year contract, worth about £100,000
a season, with his national side — Curbishley earned in the region of £1.2
million a year. The contract includes escape clauses, but Bilic, 39,
believes that he may receive an offer from a bigger club should he continue
to impress.
Curbishley's decision to step down leaves West Ham looking for their third
permanent manager in five years, having had nine in the previous century.
Their Icelandic owners are not interested in throwing money at quick-fix
solutions, so some of the lesser-known names in the frame cannot be ruled
out. Among them is Davide Ballardini, the former Cagliari head coach, but
the board will meet today to discuss a list of more than 20 candidates,
which will be reduced to about ten for interview.
According to West Ham's job specification, the new manager must be
experienced, have a proven track record in building a club for the longer
term and be comfortable working with Gianluca Nani, the Italian technical
director, under a continental framework. Harry Redknapp, though, will not be
putting his name forward.
The former West Ham manager, now in charge at Portsmouth, said that there
was "no way" he would be replacing Curbishley, blaming the present trend for
rich owners undermining their managers. "I take my hat off to him for
sticking to his principles, [but] I have one big advantage over a lot of
Premier League bosses these days — I've got an owner who lets the manager
manage," Redknapp said.
"There are so many billionaires owning clubs now. They buy and sell who they
want, managers don't come into it. These days owners sign whoever they think
is a sexy name and they sell whoever they want. The days of managing as I
know it are coming to an end."
Curbishley, 50, felt that he was undermined by the sale of George McCartney,
the defender, to Sunderland on the final day of the transfer window. He
claimed that he was given assurances that no other players would be sold
after Anton Ferdinand's departure — also to Sunderland — two weeks ago.
"The selection of players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an
agreement with the club that I alone would determine the composition of the
squad," Curbishley said. "However, the club continued to make significant
player decisions without involving me. In the end, such a breach of trust
and confidence meant that I had no option but to leave. I am absolutely
gutted I have had to come to this decision."
Curbishley's 21-month reign ended in his resignation after a heated argument
with Scott Duxbury, the chief executive, at lunchtime. "We feel it is in the
best interests of both parties," West Ham said in a statement.
There will be some sympathy for Curbishley, who helped West Ham to avoid
relegation on the last day of the 2006-07 season. They finished a creditable
tenth last season, having suffered numerous injuries to influential players.
A 4-1 victory against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday ensured their best league
start for nine years, but playing the "West Ham way" often counts more than
results at Upton Park.
Kevin Keen, the reserve-team coach, has been put in temporary charge for the
second time and could take control of the team for the match away to West
Bromwich Albion a week on Saturday. He was demoted from first-team coach
soon after Curbishley took over.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Two Faces of Harry Redknapp - West Ham Till I Die
"I would not want to say if it is a role I would be interested in, because I
have got a job to do at Portsmouth," Daily Telegraph
"Alan Curbishley may have gone as West Ham boss — but there's no way I'll
replace him." The Sun
And all within a few hours. How to explain it? The Sun article is unlikely
to have been written by Redknapp. It will in all probability have been based
on a two minute conversation with a Sun reporter. Harry will have been paid
around £2-5,000 for it. I doubt he even saw the final version, so I wouldn't
believe a word of it. He's gagging for it.
Remember how he said he would never leave Portsmouth for Southampton. Or
Southampton for Portsmouth?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley bares his claude: Boss claims he had veto over transfer deals -
Daily Mail
By MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 12:30 AM on 04th September 2008
One club, two very different stories and what amounts to yet another major
rift between a manager and his employers. For Alan Curbishley see Kevin
Keegan. For West Ham United see Newcastle United. For an explanation, just
think money and major acrimony. It was extraordinary at Upton Park on
Tuesday. While Curbishley says players were being bought and sold without
his knowledge, the club insist he was kept in the loop. But events which
only became apparent to Sportsmail on Tuesday night suggest Curbishley might
win that particular argument once the lawyers get involved. So bad was the
relationship between manager and board that when Curbishley initially
resigned yesterday, they were only to happy to accept. 'Great,' thought a
football club in financial trouble. Because he has quit there will not be
any compensation. But then Curbishley informed them that Scott Duxbury, the
lawyer and chief executive who was heavily implicated in the Carlos Tevez
controversy, had inserted a clause in his employment contract that gave him
a veto on player movement. The financial aspects of any deal did not come
under his authority, but Curbishley had the final say on who was signed or
released.
When Duxbury realised as much, Curbishley got a phone call urging him to
reconsider. 'Forget it,' said Curbishley, who is confident he can prove he
had no knowledge of the deal that secured George McCartney's move to
Sunderland or the signing of certain players. There were other problems.
When Curbishley complained the departure of McCartney left him without a
left back, he will claim he was told to put a right back there instead. West
Ham say they did try to sign Chelsea's Paulo Ferreira, but money proved a
stumbling block. Curbishley says he has been betrayed. He spoke of 'a breach
of trust and confidence' and, by yesterday afternoon, was with lawyers to
discuss what he clearly considers a breach of contract. 'The selection of
players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an agreement with
the club that I alone would determine the composition of the squad,' he went
on to say in his statement. 'However, the club continued to make significant
player decisions without involving me.'
Not so, say West Ham, even if they are reluctant to go public and even if
they did appoint one of those dreaded directors of football earlier this
year. 'We wish Alan all the success in the future,' they declared. Apart
from the legal battle that could now follow, of course. It is understood
Carlton Cole, Dean Ashton and Craig Bellamy were also available on transfer
deadline day. But West Ham refute that allegation and many others, and their
version of events, should it come to an employment tribunal, will go roughly
as follows: The club are in financial trouble after the extravagance of
former chairman Eggert Magnusson, and as much was explained to Curbishley at
a board meeting at the end of last season. They needed to trim the squad.
The wage bill had to be reduced, the kind of thing Curbishley must have
encountered so many times at Charlton and something, according to his now
ex- employers at Upton Park, he seemed prepared to accept. As a club
statement explained yesterday, things had got a bit out of hand. After a net
spend of more than £40million on transfers, the annual wage bill had
increased by £25m. Attempts, the club will insist, were made to keep Anton
Ferdinand. They offered him improved terms on a contract worth around £1m a
year but the player wanted more than double, in the region of £50,000 a
week, and way too much for Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson when the owner and now
chairman was trying to make major financial savings. When Sunderland offered
Ferdinand that money, and £8m to West Ham, the decision was taken to sell,
apparently with Curbishley's knowledge. Likewise, when McCartney returned to
Sunderland for £4.5m, Curbishley was said to have been consulted. The
Northern Ireland left back, who had arrived from Sunderland in August 2006,
had handed in a transfer request citing that his wife was unhappy and
desperate to return to the North-East. The club felt they had little choice
but to let him go.
The club say they were stunned when Curbishley then started to complain that
a fire-sale was taking place without his blessing - that, after nodding in
agreement at that board meeting, he went public and complained. They say
they were also stunned when he resigned, even if it appears to have been
coming for some time.
Yesterday, the club spoke of how, with extra investment from their Icelandic
owner, they had retained the services of the majority of their best players.
At the same time, reports of a dressing- room clash between Lucas Neill and
Curbishley are not being denied. By last night, West Ham were looking to
move on. An approach to Slaven Bilic is about to be made and, for England
anyway, that has to be good news. Unless Bilic takes one look at his old
club and decides he'd rather wait for something less chaotic.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic leads race for West Ham job after angry Curbishley quits·
West Ham board blamed for a 'breach of trust'
Redknapp rules out return to leave Croat as favourite
Dominic Fifield
The Guardian, Thursday September 4 2008
Harry Redknapp will resist the lure of an emotional return to West Ham
United. The Portsmouth manager fears he would suffer the same constraints
that prompted Alan Curbishley to resign yesterday. That has left the Croatia
coach, Slaven Bilic, as the favourite to take up the reins at Upton Park.
Curbishley became the first Premier League manager to leave his club this
season when he walked away from the Boleyn Ground after only 20 months in
charge, his relationship with West Ham's Icelandic owners fractured beyond
repair. The former Charlton Athletic manager claimed that a "breach of trust
and confidence" had left him no option and, although his resignation met
with surprise from the club's hierarchy, it was accepted by the chairman,
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson. West Ham's board met yesterday and agreed upon a
procedure by which "a top-class appointment" will be made.
Redknapp had previously been tempted by the possibility of a return to Upton
Park, where he excelled as a player and spent seven years as manager before
he was sacked in 2001. The 61-year-old has since become alarmed at the
perceived constraints under which Curbishley has worked, with players
apparently sold behind his back, and has made it clear he would not be
prepared to suffer the same restrictions. He expressed concern yesterday
that the art of management was being eroded by "mega-rich owners" and, even
though he has been frustrated at times at Portsmouth, he appreciates that he
alone buys and sells players there.
"There's no way I'll replace [Curbishley]," he told the Sun. "West Ham is a
fantastic club with fantastic fans ... But I love it at Portsmouth and I
have one big advantage over a lot of Premier League bosses these days - I've
got an owner who lets the manager manage."
That leaves Bilic, a former West Ham centre-half who has made no secret of
his desire to manage the club, as the leading candidate to replace
Curbishley. The 39-year-old, whose side face England in Zagreb next
Wednesday, signed a two-year contract in April, up to the 2010 World Cup,
but the compensation payable to the Croatian Football Association would be
minimal and Bilic would certainly offer the London club the charismatic and
dynamic leadership that Gudmundsson wants.
Yesterday Bilic said: "I always said that, if I come back to English
football, I want it to be as manager of West Ham." He added: "I have a
contract with Croatia until 2010 and intend to honour it." But he could
hardly say anything else with the England game looming after Saturday's
opening World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan, and he will be pursued
regardless.
The search will be led by West Ham's recently appointed technical director,
Gianluca Nani, who will consider the credentials of another Italian, Davide
Ballardini, who steered Cagliari to safety in Serie A last season but is now
unemployed.
Their compatriot Paolo Di Canio, a former fans' favourite at Upton Park, has
expressed interest in the job after taking his coaching badges this summer.
"My dream team is West Ham," he said. "I keep the club in my heart."
The West Ham board were startled by Curbishley's decision to quit, because
they had given warning that the wage bill for the playing staff, which has
increased by £25m over the past year, needed reducing. The board felt the
summer sales of Bobby Zamora and John Paintsil to Fulham for £6.3m were good
business, and insisted there was sound reasoning behind the departures of
Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland - no agreement could be
reached with Ferdinand over a new contract and McCartney wished to return to
the north-east and had made a formal transfer request.
Nevertheless, the sale of McCartney convinced Curbishley he was being
undermined, the manager saying he had been assured last week that no more
departures would be required. "I was vehemently against the transfer of
George McCartney," he said. "On Sunday morning I went into a meeting at
Upton Park with [chief executive] Scott Duxbury, hoping to bring some loans
in, and I was told that I wouldn't be in that position unless someone left
the club. Straight away I told them I was quite happy to stick with the
squad.
"But that ended up not being the case. After the result at the weekend I was
just looking forward to the next game. When I came off the pitch at Upton
Park [after beating Blackburn Rovers 4-1 to climb to fifth in the Premier
League table], leaving was the furthest thought from my mind. But Sunday
changed that. I couldn't sit around and do nothing."
West Ham's reserve team manager, Kevin Keen, will take over on a caretaker
basis, with the board expecting a rush of applicants before the trip to West
Bromwich Albion on September 13.
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Curbishley : I was knifed - The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
ALAN CURBISHLEY quit as West Ham manager claiming he was knifed over
transfer dealings at Upton Park. Curbs walked away just three league games
into the new season, insisting he could no longer stomach players being sold
behind his back. Former fans' idol Paolo Di Canio emerged as a shock
contender for the vacancy last night, while favourites for the job - Slaven
Bilic and Harry Redknapp - both ruled themselves out of the running. Curbs
insists he was overruled when defenders Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney
were sold to Sunderland this summer against his wishes. He blasted: "The
selection of players is critical to a manager and I had an agreement with
West Ham that I alone would determine the composition of the Upton Park
squad. "But the club continued to make significant player decisions without
involving me. In the end, such a breach of trust and confidence meant that I
had no option but to leave. "Ferdinand had made it categorically clear to me
that he wanted to stay. "Then I said no other players would be leaving — but
McCartney was sold on Monday."
Former terrace hero Di Canio has made it crystal clear he wants to return as
the new boss. Ex-striker Di Canio has already done his groundwork and has
passed the coaching courses demanded of top-flight managers. The Italian,
40, said: "I took the coaching badges in the summer and I would like to have
a job. "I am waiting for a job in England because my dream is to come back
and I think there are a lot of good things I can bring. "My dream team is
West Ham. I keep the club in my heart. One day I hope to come back to London
and sit on the bench at West Ham."
He has already helped the Hammers this term — he was instrumental in
persuading 32-year-old Torino strike star David Di Michele to join on loan
for the season.
Former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini is another Italian who has been
talked about as a possibility to replace Curbishley in the hot-seat. But the
bookies' favourite is former Hammer Bilic — even though there are severe
doubts he would break his deal as Croatia national chief.
Bilic is known to honour contracts and is relishing the thought of beating
England again in Wednesday's World Cup Group Six showdown — having already
dumped Steve McClaren's side out of the Euro 2008 qualifiers. Hammers
reserve team coach Kevin Keen has been made caretaker boss.
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Curbishley resigns as West Ham manager after Neill clash - smh.com.au
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font September 4, 2008 -
8:33AM
Alan Curbishley's turbulent spell as West Ham manager came to an abrupt end
Wednesday when he quit following jeers by fans and disagreements with the
club's hierarchy. Curbishley endured a fraught time at the east London club
after saving it from relegation in the 2006-07 season, but became the first
Premier League manager to leave his job this season after reportedly being
denied funds for recent transfers. West Ham had seemingly prepared for
Curbishley's departure on Wednesday by releasing a statement in which it
justified the sale of defenders Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney during
the transfer window. It was these moves that reportedly angered Curbishley
and West Ham followed up with another announcement in which it confirmed the
departure of its former player. "We can confirm that we have accepted Alan
Curbishley's resignation as we feel it is in the best interests of both
parties,'' West Ham said. "A shortlist of candidates is being drawn up and
an announcement will be made in due course about the new West Ham United
manager.''
Croatia manager Slaven Bilic, a former West Ham player, was immediately
rated a 3-1 favorite to succeed Curbishley. Bilic has built an attractive
side - something that West Ham fans have lambasted Curbishley for failing to
do - and led Croatia to a place at the European Championship at England's
expense. However, Bilic may be tempted by the huge increase in salary that
the Hammers could offer him. Curbishley enjoyed initial success at West Ham
after arriving in December 2006 and, with financial backing from the club's
Icelandic owners, brought in players including Lucas Neill, Matthew Upson,
Scott Parker, Julian Faubert, Craig Bellamy, Fredrik Ljungberg and Kieron
Dyer. But a combination of injuries and poor form led to the club stagnating
in 10th place the following year and Curbishley - whose teams at Charlton
were similarly known for fading in the second half of the campaign - was
jeered at the start of this season.
The Independent newspaper reported Wednesday that Curbishley clashed with
Neill in the changing room following Saturday's 4-1 win over Blackburn, with
the West Ham captain having told his manager that the players had just "kept
you in a job.'' Reports have also surfaced that Curbishley was annoyed by
the club's failure to invest in new players and its attempts to reduce the
wage bill by canceling Ljungberg's contract and selling Ferdinand and
McCartney without having signed replacements. "The transfers of Anton
Ferdinand and George McCartney along with the release of Freddie Ljungberg
were right for the club and decisions had to be taken based on our best
long-term interests,'' West Ham said. "In the past week, agreement could not
be reached with Ferdinand on a new contract to replace his original deal
that had just two years left to run, while McCartney handed in a formal
written transfer request after failing to resolve his personal reasons for
wanting a move away.''
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Paolo 'pushing' for vacant job
Independent.ie
Thursday September 04 2008
Former West Ham idol Paolo Di Canio and former Cagliari coach Davide
Ballardini are being lined up as Alan Curbishely's successor if the Hammers
fail to lure Slaven Bilic away from his Croatia post. Bilic's name has been
touted most loudly by the fans but his position as Croatia manager
complicates matters. Di Canio arrives in the city today as a member of the
Rest of the World team competing in the Soccer Aid 2008 charity game and was
said to be "pushing himself for the job''. A source close to Ballardini said
that he was "definitely linked" to West Ham, and some board members are
believed to be pushing for his appointment above that of Bilic.
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Fans' idol linked with West Ham job - blackpoolgazette.com
West Ham United fans' idol Paolo Di Canio emerged as a shock contender for
the vacancy last night, while favourites for the job - Slaven Bilic and
Portsmouth's Harry Redknapp - both ruled themselves out of the running. West
Ham maintain there are "positive" times ahead at Upton Park, despite the
resignation and stinging criticism of manager Alan Curbishley. The Hammers
will now begin the search for a fifth manager in seven years - with former
defender Slaven BilADVERTISEMENTic, the Croatia coach, said to top the
board's shortlist. The position of Curbishley - appointed in December 2006 -
had been under intense scrutiny for some time, although West Ham had opened
the new campaign with two wins from three Barclays Premier League matches,
which went some way to placating the club's supporters.
Hammers chairman and owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson maintains the east London
club are heading in the right direction. "In my first full season as
chairman of this great football club, I can assure our loyal supporters that
we are working hard to bring sustained success to West Ham United," he said
"Everyone, including the chief executive and board, is committed to this
common goal. "We have a long-term strategy that takes into account all
aspects of West Ham United's past, present and future and we will not be
deterred. "Our fans can look forward to many positive years on and off the
pitch."
Curbishley, 50, had presided over what was a remarkable escape from
relegation on the final day of the 2006/2007 campaign with victory at
Manchester United courtesy of a goal from controversial signing Carlos
Tevez, and expectations were raised of rapid improvement backed by
significant investment, but only a 10th-place finish followed last season.
It was, though, eventually matters behind the scenes that proved decisive.
Under the direction of the Icelandic owners and new technical director
Gianluca Nani, high earners such as Freddie Ljungberg departed over the
summer as the squad, and wage bill, was cut down to size with John Pantsil,
Bobby Zamora and keeper Richard Wright all sold off. They were followed by
first Anton Ferdinand and then fellow defender George McCartney, on transfer
deadline day.
Those sales were against Curbishley's long-term plans for the team and there
were suggestions such moves could be made again in the future, whatever the
manager felt was the right course of action. That proved a step too far for
Curbishley, who started his playing career at Upton Park. "I felt I could
just not stand by and let what happened (pass], especially at the weekend,
so I made a decision," Curbishley said. "Some managers may not have taken
this action, but I could not sit around and be silent on it. "I am
absolutely gutted I have had to come to this decision. "On Sunday morning, I
went into a meeting with (chief executive] Scott Duxbury at Upton Park
perhaps hoping to bring some loans in, and I was told I would not be in that
position unless someone left the club. "I said straight away, 'well let's go
home then because I do not want anyone to leave'. "I was just quite happy we
get on with it as we are, especially coming off the back of the result
against Blackburn. "I was quite happy to stick with it, even if it meant I
could not improve it. "The criticism I have had, I took that in a dignified
manner. "But I was taking it all on the chin, and trying to turn things
around. "I think a lot of fans would have seen I was doing a decent job."
Curbishley added: "Staying up and finishing 10th with the injury problems we
had as a team was creditable, but I know they wanted more and I just got a
little glimpse of that at the weekend with one or two more players
returning, we would be on the right road."
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Alan Curbishley: West Ham sold stars against my wishes - I had to go - The
Mirror
By Martin Lipton, Chief Football Writer 4/09/2008
Alan Curbishley left Upton Park last night, undermined from behind and
believing he could no longer trust his paymasters. But the truth about
Curbishley was that he was a dead man walking long before he decided to cut
his own throat. Last night Curbishley told the world that he was forced to
sell Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney against his express wishes and,
unable to do what he wanted, was given no choice but to fall on his sword.
"I'm absolutely gutted that I had to come to this decision," insisted
Curbishley, after beating Kevin Keegan to the unwanted mantle of the first
Premier League managerial casualty of the season. "The culmination was the
events over the weekend. "I was vehemently against the transfer of George
McCartney, not just because he's one of the best left-backs in the country.
I was looking at that, along with the sale of Anton Ferdinand, plus the fact
that with the injuries we were quite stretched. "That got to me more than
anything. On Sunday morning, I went into a meeting with Scott Duxbury, the
chief executive, hoping to bring some loans in. I was told I would not be in
that position unless someone left the club. I said straightaway: 'Well let's
go home then because I do not want anyone to leave'. "When George was sold,
I felt I could just not stand by and let what happened pass, so I made a
decision. It's been an agonising couple of days. Some managers may not have
taken this action, but I could not sit around and be silent on it." The
League Managers ' Association backed Curbishley's claims that Upton Park's
Icelandic owners had caused "irreparable damage" to the manager's
relationship with the club. Yet the speed with which Duxbury accepted
Curbishley's resignation at a brief lunchtime meeting told its own story.
The club was privately delighted after his 20-month reign was punctuated by
dressing-room unrest, fan anger and boardroom dissatisfaction.
Curbishley's departure had been rumoured for months.
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Hammers new boys have their deals agreed - Guardian Series
6:12pm Wednesday 3rd September 2008
WEST Ham have confirmed that new signings David Di Michele and Congolese
left-back Herita Ilunga have had their deals rubber stamped by the Premier
League.
The pair have joined the Hammers on season-long loan deals, but their
arrivals were thought to have been confirmed after the transfer window had
slammed shut on Monday due to administrative issues concerning the release
of international transfer certificates. But it now seems everything is above
board and both Italian striker Di Michele and Congolese left-back Ilunga
will be allowed to play for the Irons this season. A statement on the club's
official website read: "The club is able to confirm that the Premier League
has registered Italy striker David Di Michele and Congolese left-back Herita
Ilunga and both players will join up with the rest of the first-team squad
shortly."
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Hammers put Keen in charge - Guardian Series
5:51pm Wednesday 3rd September 2008
WEST Ham have revealed that Kevin Keen will take temporary charge of first
team matters following the departure of Alan Curbishley today. The new
caretaker boss will take charge of training with immediate effect, although
with no game this weekend because of international matches, it remains to be
seen if he will still be in charge when the Hammers next play West brom on
Saturday September 13. It seems, however that former Charlton boss
Curbishley will be replaced quite quickly.
A statement on the clubs official website read: "The process to find a
replacement for Alan Curbishley is already under way with the club beginning
to draw up an initial shortlist of potential candidates." But for now club
stalwart and reserve team boss Keen will step in to take charge of matters.
The midfielder spent ten years at Upton park as a player between 1983 and
1993, before returning in 2002 as a coach of the youth team. The
41-year-old, who has since stepped up to take charge of the Irons second
string, has no experience of managing at first team level during his career
to-date.
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West Ham Legend Di Canio Would LOVE To Manage Hammers
Posted by Josh on Thursday, September 4th 2008 Digg it
West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio could be set to make a sensational return to
the club as manager after being installed as one of the favourites to
replace Alan Curbishley according to Datasport. Former Charlton chief
Curbishley quit his post at Upton Park today, and while the bookmakers have
installed Croatia national team boss Slaven Bilic as the early favourite,
the former Hammers defender has previously stated he wants to remain in
charge of his country until after the 2010 World Cup. And that could well
pave the way for the likes of Di Canio, who was hero worshipped during his
four year spell with the Irons from 1999. And the fiery and somewhat
controversial Italian would certainly welcome the move, having taken his
coaching badges in March. In fact the 40-year-old former Lazio star even
admitted on Setanta Sports News this morning, shortly before Curbishley's
departure had been announced, that he would love to return to Upton Park as
the club's manager. He said: "One day I would love to be manager of West
Ham. "One day it is my dream and I hope to come back to London and sit on
the bench at West Ham."
[Guardian-Series]
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Martinez Links With West Ham & Newcastle - planetswans.co.uk
September 03 2008 19:22 by Phil Sumbler
The name of Roberto Martinez will be linked with every available job at the
moment - backed by links with Newcastle and West Ham. The links are nothing
more than lists of bookmaker odds but it is testament to the work done by
Roberto at Swansea over the past 18 months where he has transformed a mid
table League One side to one that sits in the top seven of the Championship.
Odds of 33/1 for Newcastle and 25/1 for West Ham suggest that Roberto is
very much an outsider for both jobs and there has been nothing concrete to
link the Swans manager who would be unlikely to take the poison chalice
associated with both positions. However it has been some time since the name
of a Swansea manager was linked on such a regular basis with high profile
roles within the game and backs the fact that Swansea have someone seen in
the game itself as one of the brightest young managers. And I suspect it
won't be the last links of the season either.
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Slaven fits the Bilic - The Sun
By TIM HEMING
THE next West Ham boss looks certain to be a foreigner – if the bookies have
their calculations right. Croatia national team boss Slaven Bilic – a former
Hammers' centre-half – is the 2/1 favourite with SunBET for the role but a
quartet of Italians are queuing up behind him. Former Cagliari boss,
44-year-old Davide Ballardini is the unknown 9/2 second-favourite, with the
equally obscure Francesco Guidolin – axed by Palermo in March - at 8/1.
Former Inter gaffer Roberto Mancini is a more familiar face, also at 8/1,
and another Upton Park old boy, the flamboyant Paolo Di Canio is in at 10/1
having already thrown his hat into the ring. Harry Redknapp is again linked
to relive former glories at 10/1, with Sam Allardyce - and his direct style
of football - at 14/1. And for those that fancy a cheeky punt on an
unsettled manager, Kevin Keegan is a 66/1 chance. Someone give Mike Ashley a
call, that really would make a Soccer Circus.
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Di Canio To Take Over At West Ham? - goal.com
According to Datasport, former West Ham playing legend Paolo Di Canio could
return to the club as manager, following the departure today of Alan
Curbishley.
After months of rumours of boardroom strife, player trouble, and tension
amongst the new management team, Alan Curbishley this morning resigned from
his position as head coach of West Ham United. The search is now on to find
a replacement, and the early favourite with the bookmakers is Croatia
national team boss, and former West Ham defender, Slaven Bilic. Bilic is
remaining tight-lipped on the situation at the moment, but a new name has
now entered the ring as a possible successor to Curbishley. Datasport claims
that the club's former forward Paolo Di Canio, who had a legendary spell at
the club between 1999 and 2003, and is still worshipped like a God by
supporters, has a real chance of getting the job. Di Canio, who also starred
for a host of other clubs including Juventus, Milan, Napoli, Lazio and
Celtic, began taking his coaching badges in March, and has never hidden his
desire to one day manage West Ham.
Indeed the volatile 40-year-old admitted on Setanta Sports News this
morning, shortly before Curbishley's departure had been announced, of this
dream to return to Upton Park. "One day I would love to be manager of West
Ham," the Roman stated. "One day it is my dream and I hope to come back to
London and sit on the bench at West Ham." Di Canio's chances of being
appointed may be boosted by the presence at West Ham of Italian sporting and
football director Gianluca Nani.
Anthony Sormani
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Former Cagliari coach Ballardini tipped as West Ham's potential replacement
for Curbishley - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 6:09 PM on 03rd September 2008
Former Cagliari boss Davide Ballardini has emerged as a surprise contender
to succeed Alan Curbishley as West Ham manager. The 44-year-old Italian has
been named as second favourite to take over at Upton Park, behind Croatian
national team coach and ex-Hammer Slaven Bilic, who is the 3-1 market leader
on Betfair.
Ballardini is currently out of work, but he has a decent recent pedigree in
taking over manager-less, relegation-touted clubs. He enjoyed a second spell
in charge of Cagliari from December 2007 to May 2008, and saved them from
the drop after the previous manager was sacked. He is likely to have been
identified by West Ham's Italian technical director, Gianluca Nani, who
joined the club in the summer from Brescia.
Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin commented: 'It is very early days and Bilic is
the predictable favourite, though his Betfair price suggests he is rather
more unlikely to get the job than some believe. 'Ballardini is a very
interesting candidate to judge from the early Betfair betting.'
Prices as at 4.30pm on Wed, Sep 3 – Betfair bet:
3-1 Slaven Bilic
5-1 Davide Ballardini
11-1 Paolo Di Canio
13-1 Harry Redknapp
14-1 Roberto Mancini
18-1 Sam Allardyce
20-1 Francesco Guidolin, Gianluca Nani
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Di Michele: I'm No Paolo Di Canio - goal.com
New West Ham signing David Di Michele has admitted that it will be difficult
to replicate the heroics of past Italian Hammers legend Paolo Di Canio, but
says he will do his best to win the love of the club's fans. The 32-year-old
surprisingly moved to West Ham from Torino on deadline in a season-long loan
deal, which could be made permanent next summer. Di Michele, who scored
seven goals for the Granata in 25 league appearances last season, has
explained his reasons for accepting the transfer. "The president did not
want to let me leave," Di Michele told Sky Sport Italia. "But I realised
that at Torino I would not have had a lot of space, and I had a great desire
to play. "The idea of a foreign experience has always fascinated me."
Unsurprisingly, Di Michele was then asked whether he hoped to replicate the
last Italian to star for West Ham – Paolo Di Canio – who is regarded as an
absolute legend at Upton Park after four brilliant years there from 1999 to
2003. "It will not be easy to do better than Di Canio, but I hope to also
win the love of my new fans," he noted. "I am happy with this move. I
believe this is the right decision."
Di Michele has won six caps for Italy, but has not played for his country
since the 3-1 Euro 2008 qualifying defeat to France in Paris in September
2006.
Anthony Sormani
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De Biasi Critical With Departed Di Michele - goal.com
Torino coach Gianni De Biasi has mixed feelings about striker David Di
Michele, who left for West Ham United yesterday.
A day after the end of the transfer period, striker David Di Michele made a
surprising move from Torino to West Ham United. After the less than kind
words about him from president Urbano Cairo, today also coach Gianni De
Biasi did not spare some criticism for the player.
"David had told me from the start of the training period that he wanted to
leave," he said, "and in the end we let him go. To be sure, if he had stayed
I would have let him play: with me those who have technique always play and
from that point of view he is great. But he felt a lack of faith in his
regards: he said there were four players for three positions. I know, it's
tough to be a footballer!"
The coach then turned more serious. "Out of 63 training sessions he skipped
31, which is a relevant amount," he continued. "We have many players, but
everyone knows they can find space in my team: [Elvis] Abbruscato decided to
stay because he found a better environment, [Matteo] Rubin was on the stands
against Brescia in the Coppa Italia but played from the first minute against
Lecce. That says enough..."
De Biasi concluded by talking about the transfer market: "We started out
slow, but in the end we brought in some important players. We only missed
out on one: we wanted [Alexander] Tettey for the midfield, but they didn't
give him to us..."
Danilo Pochini
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