The club have clarified the situation surrounding George McCartney's move to Sunderland
04.09.2008
West Ham United have responded to the claims made on Thursday by George McCartney that he did not hand in a written transfer request.
Having previously declared their interest, Sunderland approached West Ham United at the end of last week with a renewed offer to sign the player. Both McCartney and his agent were made aware of this development. However, as was demonstrated by the rejection of a previous bid and with the subsequent agreement of a new five-year contract, West Ham United had no intention of selling McCartney.
Following this offer from Sunderland, McCartney handed in a signed written transfer request on Monday 1 September which stated "due to private, family reasons I wish to accept the offer to move back to Sunderland AFC".
West Ham United are astonished by the claims made subsequently by the player that there was no written request to leave with McCartney having also repeatedly spoken of his desire to return to Sunderland to both the manager and senior club officials.
On Sunday 31 August, a senior club official wrote to McCartney stating: "No one wants to sell. If you are happy to stay, great, it ends here. I thought you were unhappy and wanted to go." The player then restated his desire to leave before handing in the written transfer request on Monday.
After the transfer was completed, McCartney spoke via whufc.com to confirm the reasons behind his departure.
He said: "I had two great seasons with West Ham and I'd like to thank them for giving me the opportunity to play for a club with the history they have and their fantastic supporters. But for personal reasons alone, this is the right move for me.
"My wife, Elaine, didn't settle in London and Sunderland have offered me the chance to return to the north-east, where I spent ten years after joining the club as a youngster."
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Di Michele down to business - WHUFC
Italy striker David Di Michele is looking forward to making his debut for West Ham United
04.09.2008
David Di Michele is delighted to be at West Ham United and cannot wait to get his first taste of the Premier League.
The Italy striker arrived at the club's training ground for the first time on Thursday to meet up with his new team-mates. While some of the players are still away on international duty, Di Michele was able to get settled in and take part in his first training session.
Speaking at Chadwell Heath, Di Michele - who will wear the No32 shirt - described his excitement at joining the club. He said: "I am very happy to be here, everyone has made me feel very welcome and it was good to be here for training and get started."
Di Michele has already experienced what it is like to play in front of the West Ham United fans at the Boleyn Ground, back in the UEFA Cup first round in 2006. Now he will be pulling on the claret and blue shirt and is looking forward to showing the supporters what he can do.
"I have heard much about the club and the fans - I remember playing at the stadium before and am now excited to be playing in front of the West Ham fans for their club," he said. "It is a good move for me and I can't wait to get started and go out and play my best for the team."
Di Michele, who is on a season-long loan with West Ham United with a view to a possible permanent transfer, arrives in east London from Serie A club Torino. As well as Palermo, he previously played for Udinese and Reggina and has been capped six times by the World Cup holders.
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Keen impressed with Di Michele - WHUFC
A lively first session at Chadwell Heath has already seen David Di Michele 'looking sharp'
04.09.2008
Caretaker manager Kevin Keen has spoken positively about his first training session in charge of West Ham United. Among those taking part were new signing David Di Michele, who signed for the club in a deadline-day move from Torino. "David looked very sharp and is very much a West Ham-type of footballer - he will be one the fans will enjoy watching," Keen said. "He has had a lot of experience in Italy and as I say, this morning he showed a lot of good touches and linked up well.
"It was a good session," added Keen. There are players away on international duty but we still had around 24 lads - including the young pros, so it was good. The lads all worked hard and were positive. I am sure they are looking to move on and go forward now."
Keen said the focus was on the trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday week. "It is now all about picking ourselves up, going again and making sure we are training properly and doing the right things to be ready for our next game, which is West Brom away. This will be a tough game but one we are looking forward to."
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Duo eager with England - WHUFC
A busy training schedule has seen Robert Green and Matthew Upson put through their paces
05.09.2008
Robert Green and Matthew Upson have been hard at work with England as they prepare for the start of World Cup qualifying this weekend.
The West Ham United duo have been training with the rest of Fabio Capello's 23-man squad at London Colney ahead of the Group 6 game this Saturday in Barcelona against Andorra. That match, the first on the road to the 2010 finals, will be followed by a tricky trip to Croatia for a match next Wednesday.
Upson, who earned his eighth cap in the 2-1 win against Switzerland in February, will be keeping a close eye on the fitness of fellow defender Rio Ferdinand who has sat out training with a stiff back. The Manchester United defender will travel with the party to Barcelona, though. Should he not be fit enough to make the starting XI, Upson or Joleon Lescott are likely to take his place. Green, meanwhile, has been put through his paces with fellow keepers David James and Paul Robinson under the watchful eye of goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi.
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World Cup weekend preview - WHUFC
A number of West Ham United players are away representing their countries this week and next
05.09.2008
A host of West Ham United players have World Cup fixtures on their minds this this Saturday and next Wednesday - whufc.com rounds up the news.
Switzerland
Summer signing Valon Behrami has been called up by Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for the qualifying matches in Israel and at home to Luxembourg. The Swiss are in Group 2, which also includes Greece, Moldova and Latvia. Behrami played all 90 minutes in a wide right role in last month's 4-1 home friendly win against Cyprus and, at 23, already has 20 caps and two goals to his name.
England
Robert Green, capped once, and Matthew Upson, with eight appearances for his country, were selected in a 23-man pool named by Fabio Capello for the Group 6 matches against Andorra in Barcelona and then away to Croatia in Zagreb the following Wednesday. England have been drawn in Group 12 with Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine the other opponents standing in their way.
Wales
John Toshack originally named Craig Bellamy and James Collins in his squad for their Group 4 qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Russia. However, it was mutually agreed that both men could stay behind at the club to focus on their fitness. Germany, Finland and Liechtenstein round out the group, with Danny Gabbidon and Jack Collison also hopeful of playing a part as the campaign continues over the course of the season.
DR Congo
New recruit Herita Ilunga, signed on deadline day from Toulouse, will be in action for his country at home to Egypt on Saturday before heading to Chadwell Heath. The left-back played in two World Cup matches back in June - including the 2-1 defeat in Egypt when he scored. With four games played by all four teams in Group 12, DR Congo on nine points lead the way from this weekend's opponents by a superior goal difference. This is the penultimate stage of African qualifying.
Australia
Lucas Neill will once again captain the Australian squad for their friendly away to the Netherlands in Eindhoven on Saturday and the subsequent World Cup qualifier in Uzbekistan four days later. The Socceroos began their first qualifying campaign as part of the Asian zone earlier in the summer and have performed impressively to date. Should they finish either first or second in Group A that also contains Japan, Bahrain and Qatar they will be sure of a place in the finals.
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Wembley date excites Noble - WHUFC
Friday night should see Mark Noble line up for England in a decisive Under-21 showdown with Portugal
04.09.2008
Mark Noble is gearing up for a major international date at Wembley this Friday night as he looks to help England Under-21s reach the 2009 Euro play-offs.
A draw for the Young Lions would be good enough to make sure of their spot in the two-legged ties featuring 14 countries next month that will determine which seven will join hosts Sweden in next summer's finals. Portugal are six points behind England in Group 3 but have another game left after this week's contest. As well as making sure of top spot, defeating the always-strong Portugal could also cost the Iberian nation the chance to go through as one of the four best runners-up.
Noble, who is relishing his first taste of the new Wembley after appearing at the old stadium as a schoolboy, is confident in his team's chances on what promises to be a memorable evening at the stunning setting of the rebuilt national stadium. "We have got a good record," he said. "We haven't lost since I have been playing. We have only lost a semi-final on penalties in the [2007] European Championship. I didn't really count that to be honest. It is just the luck of the draw if someone misses, someone misses.
"We are not used to losing at that age group. We have let in two or three goals in the past ten games." One of those goals against was in last month's 2-1 home friendly win against Slovenia in Hull, when Noble took the captain's armband for the second half. The 21-year-old, who has three goals in eleven appearances at this level, pointed to that as an example of how the team will not take anyone for granted, let alone opposition with the pedigree of Portugal.
"We went one-nil down in the friendly against Slovenia but we came back and we won. Going into a major qualifying game against Portugal we will not underestimate what is in front of us. [Not wanting to lose] is born in all of us ... A draw is not the best result but it is a lot better than a loss and I think as U21s we never underestimate the opposition."
Should England progress to the 2009 finals, it could be vital experience for those who make the step up - should the senior side qualify - for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Noble is under no doubts that Fabio Capello's men will make it - "I firmly believe we are going to qualify" - and added that once there those selected could make an impact. "Hopefully the adrenalin will kick in with the players and let them show what we have really got."
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Italian trio on Hammers shortlist - BBC
By John Sinnott and Russell Barder
Three Italian coaches have been shortlisted for the managerial vacancy at West Ham, BBC Sport understands. Ex-Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has thrown his hat into the ring to succeed Alan Curbishley, with Roberto Mancini and Gianfranco Zola on the shortlist. Donadoni's agent has told BBC Sport that the 44-year-old coach would be keen to work in the Premier League. Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, now technical director of France, is also under consideration. The agent of the 40-year-old Italian Paolo Di Canio, who played for West Ham for four years, has also said his client would "love to be considered" for the job. Early bookmakers' favourite Slaven Bilic is thought to be reluctant to quit as Croatia coach before the start of 2009. The 43-year-old Mancini, who briefly played for Leicester City in 2001, was sacked by Inter Milan in May despite guiding the club to its third consecutive Serie A title. Donadoni guided Italy to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals but lost his job after the tournament as the Italian Football Federation re-appointed Marcello Lippi. Donadoni, who has coached Serie A sides Livorno and Genoa, speaks English after spending two seasons playing in the MLS. West Ham already have an Italian influence after Gianluca Nani was appointed as technical director in March. His compatriot Davide Ballardini had been touted for the vacant manager's job, but was confirmed as new coach of Serie A side Palermo on Thursday. In January Houllier was linked with the Newcastle job after Sam Allardyce was sacked, but the Frenchman quickly ruled himself out of the running. "We have made moves to talk to West Ham and advised them that he wants to be considered," his agent Phil Spencer told BBC Sport. "He wouldn't be putting himself up for the job if he didn't think he was capable of doing it. "He just wants the opportunity to sit in front of the decision makers at West Ham to tell them what he would do and how he would take them forward.
"Unfortunately he can't do that unless they invite him to do so."
Bilic refused to comment about the West Ham vacancy ahead of his country's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan. "The players asked about it - they read it on the internet or the papers or whatever," said Bilic. "But we are playing Kazakhstan on Saturday and are just concentrating on that game."
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp, who had been linked with a return to West Ham, has ruled himself out of the running as has England Under-21 manager and ex-Hammer Stuart Pearce.
Di Canio was a popular player during his time in east London after signing from Sheffield Wednesday in 1999 and made 118 appearances for the club. "He's had lots of support from fans that would like to see him, I think he is the fans' favourite for the job," added Spencer. "But that doesn't always mean anything so we're hopeful that we will get the opportunity to at least speak to West Ham."
West Ham's vice chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson told BBC Sport that they hope to narrow the shortlist down to in the region of five to seven names as early as next week, but Spencer said he was unsure whether or not Di Canio was on it. "We haven't heard from the club yet, so we don't know whether Paolo is on that shortlist," said Spencer. "I don't know what West Ham are thinking and I don't know what manager they are going to bring in. "It seems the ones they initially wanted have ruled themselves out of the job. "You don't always get what you want, but the situation is they have to do the right thing for West Ham and Paolo loves West Ham, he's doing his coaching badges and he's very serious about managing."
During his career Di Canio courted controversy both on and off the pitch. In 1998 he was handed an eight-match ban after pushing referee Paul Alcock, though three years later he won the Fifa fair play award after opting not to score because Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was injured. In his autobiography Di Canio said he was "fascinated" by Italy's former fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
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West Ham board upsets McCartney - BBC
George McCartney says the West Ham board went behind former manager Alan Curbishley's back and covered up the reasons for his sale to Sunderland. The sale of defenders McCartney and Anton Ferdinand to Sunderland is said to have triggered Curbishley walking out of Upton Park on Wednesday. "Curbishley's views were that Anton and I weren't going anywhere," McCartney told BBC Radio 5 Live. "But the club went behind his back and accepted the fees." Ferdinand was sold to Sunderland last Wednesday for £8m with McCartney following him to the Stadium of Light for around £6m five days later. Curbishley then dramatically stood down as West Ham manager on Wednesday, citing a lack of control over transfer policy. The former Charlton boss, who had taken over from Alan Pardew in 2006, claimed decisions had been made "without involving me". And McCartney's revelations support Curbishley's view that the West Ham board had overruled him. "What's gone on with Alan Curbishley is very disappointing," McCartney told the BBC. "I was disappointed when he said that mine and Anton's sales were the main reasons [for his departure] but I understand fully that he wasn't getting the backing from the board or the club. "Over those two years, he's taken the club forward, staved off relegation and finished 10th last year - that was a great achievement. "But the board had different feelings; they spent a lot of money and were probably looking for more success.
"He hasn't had any money to spend to strengthen the team and those at the club are selling the players behind his back. "I couldn't see why he was under so much pressure. He's a great guy and I've never had any problems with him."
McCartney also rubbished West Ham's claim that his departure was triggered when he handed in a written transfer. A club statement issued at the time of Curbishley's departure said: "McCartney handed in a formal written transfer request after failing to resolve his personal reasons for wanting a move away."
However, the 27-year-old Northern Ireland international insisted he would have been happy to stay at Upton Park. "Sunderland made a bid [for me] last week but I know West Ham turned it down," explained McCartney. "I had a meeting with the manager and said that my family were quite unsettled in London so I was hoping to move back up north. "But the manager said no, in no uncertain terms, I was staying at West Ham and the club wouldn't be accepting any fees. "Then I got a call Sunday that the fee had been accepted so I had to make my way up north. "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. "I never did anything of the sort. It was purely a family issue and I never handed in a written transfer request. "The state that the club's in at the minute they are just trying to cover their tracks with the supporters. "These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."
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Six on the shortlist: who's who - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 4th September 2008
By: Staff Writer
A shortlist of six candidates has been drawn up for the vacant manager's position at West Ham United, according to reports.
And according to the list, Paolo Di Canio - who recently reiterated his desire to one day return to United as manager - has been ruled out, presumably due to his lack of experience. Also ruled out is Sam Allardyce, who had been eyeing the vacancy.
Five of the six names - the sixth remaining confidential at present - are all foreign, and are as follows:
Slaven Bilic: The Croatian national team boss is the hot favourite to succeed Alan Curbishley and was extremly coy on the subject when questioned by reporters earlier today. Although he has virtually no experience of running a club his appointment would be welcomed by the majority of supporters, giving the board some vital breathing space.
Gerard Houllier: The former French national coach led Liverpool to an incredible four trophies within 12 months back in 2000/01 before ill-health led to the end of his career at Anfield. Most recently he had spent time with Lyon, where he managed for two years before a fall-out with the club's board (!) led to him tendering his resignation last October.
Gianfranco Zola: Possibly the surprise package of the bunch, Zola was a hero as a player at Chelsea where he played during the late 90s before returning to Italy to see out his playing career. His only managerial experience is with the Italian under 21s, whom he currently coaches alongside Pierluigi Casiraghi.
Roberto Donadoni: One of the stars of the all-conquering Milan team of the early 90s Donadoni turned his hand to management in 2001 when he was appointed by Lega Pro outfit Lecco. He went on to manage Livorno (twice) and Genoa before taking the national job following the departure of World Cup winning Marcello Lippi in 2006. However his time in charge of the Azurri ended abruptly this summer when he was fired following the Italian's poor showing at Euro 2008.
Roberto Mancini: The Italian coach enjoyed a hugely successful 20-year playing career which, bizarrely perhaps, ended at Leicester CIty. He took his first steps into management when he was appointed assistant manager at Lazio in 2000, before taking the head coach role at Fiorentina (where he occasionally played). A year later, he returned to Lazio as head coach before being named manager of one of Italy's biggest clubs, Inter, in 2004. He went on to become the club's most successful manager in the last 30 years, winning four cups and the Scudetti three years in a row. In May of this year Mancini was sacked following the club's poor Champions League performance, and is currently a free agent.
West Ham will begin interviewing potential candidates from tomorrow, with a decision expected ahead of the first team's trip to West Bromwich Albion eight days from now.
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Club dispute McCartney claims - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 4th September 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have reiterated that George McCartney DID hand in a transfer request, after the defender accused the club of lying. McCartney, speaking earlier this week had claimed that he had not submitted an official notice declaring his wish to leave, stating: "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. I never did anything of the sort. Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks."
However in a surprise statement released tonight the club said they were 'astonished' by McCartney's statement and wholly rejected the Irish international's versions of events, accusing HIM of lying over the affair. "Having previously declared their interest, Sunderland approached West Ham United at the end of last week with a renewed offer to sign the player," it read. "Both McCartney and his agent were made aware of this development. "However, as was demonstrated by the rejection of a previous bid and with the subsequent agreement of a new five-year contract, West Ham United had no intention of selling McCartney. "Following this offer from Sunderland, McCartney handed in a signed written transfer request on Monday 1 September which stated 'due to private, family reasons I wish to accept the offer to move back to Sunderland AFC'."
The club also gave details of what appeared to be an informal communication, possibly by email, sent to McCartney last Sunday evening. "A senior club official wrote to McCartney stating: 'No one wants to sell. If you are happy to stay, great, it ends here. I thought you were unhappy and wanted to go.' The player then restated his desire to leave before handing in the written transfer request on Monday."
Regardless of who is telling the truth the whole affair casts yet another shadow over West Ham United, who have been criticised by supporters, pundits and the media alike for their summer transfer policy and the departure of Alan Curbishley yesterday.
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Liars - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 4th September 2008
By: Staff Writer
George McCartney has refuted claims by the board of West Ham United that he handed in a transfer request. McCartney was sold to Sunderland at the weekend - despite having signed a new five-year deal with West Ham a month earlier. West Ham, justifying their decision to part with last season's Hammer of the Year runner-up claimed that McCartney had handed in a transfer request. But no so accoring to the Irish full-back - who told the BBC earlier today: "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. I never did anything of the sort. Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks. "I did propose that for family reasons I would like to move back North. But the manager said 'no' I wasn't leaving and just to concentrate on West Ham. "I was happy to stay. That was on the Friday and I played my part in the Blackburn game on the Saturday. The thought of leaving was finished as far as I was concerned but then something changed. I got on an indication on Sunday that I could be on my way. "These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level. They have not been behind Alan Curbishley since the start of the season. It was a difficult time for him - they did not trust him with any money to spend. "I cannot understand how a manager can be under so much pressure. He saved us from relegation and we finished 10th last year. This season has been the club's best start for years. "I loved my time under Alan Curbishley, got on well with him and never had any problems with him. West Ham was the place to be and I loved my two years there."
Anton Ferdinand, the first player sold to Sunderland in the transfer window also refuted West Ham United's version of events regarding his sale.
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Croatia - Bilic won't go - SSN
Hammers warned off approach for former defender
Last updated: 5th September 2008
Croatian FA president Vlatko Markovic says West Ham United will face 'mission impossible', if they try to appoint Slaven Bilic. Former Hammers defender Bilic is a leading contender to take over at Upton Park following Alan Curbishley's resignation earlier this week. Bilic has already insisted that he is committed to taking Croatia to the 2010 World Cup after reports suggested West Ham want to appoint him after next week's qualifier with England. And Markovic has warned the Premier League club that an approach would be futile after saying Bilic's departure would create a 'big political problem'. "It will be mission impossible," said Markovic in the Daily Express. "Bilic can't go because there will be a big political problem with Croatia. This is the usual speculation. "Bilic can't go and, even if he loses against England, he is not going to leave as we are very happy with him. "They might have money, but so do we and the Croatian FA has enough money to buy West Ham."
Meanwhile, Hammers midfielder Mark Noble believes the team were heading in the right direction under Curbishley, who quit due to the club's transfer dealings. Noble said: "Without the injuries last year and if a couple of results had gone our way we could have changed things. "We finished 10th, but we always said that last season was going to be a stepping stone. "Alan is a proud man, but I don't know what is going on. He resigned and it was his decision."
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Noble focussed on Under 21s - SSN
Hammers midfielder more concerned with England U21 Qualifier
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 4th September 2008
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble insists he is only focussing on playing for his country despite the unsettlement at Upton Park. Alan Curbishley resigned as the West Ham manager on Wednesday and sources at Upton Park suggest they have a list of 30 candidates to replace the former Charlton manager within the next week.
The England under-21 international only found out about the situation from watching Sky Sports News, but local-born Noble maintains his focus is on Friday's European Under-21 Championship Qualifier against Portugal and not the ongoing speculation at Upton Park. "I was eating lunch and it popped up on Sky Sports News and that's the first I've heard of it," the 21-year-old said. "I'll just see what happens on Sky Sports News, and put that behind me until Monday when I go back to West Ham.
"We've got an important game to look forward to on Friday and that's all that matters at the minute. "As I say, it's not important to me at the minute, it will be important Monday."
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McCartney unhappy with Hammers - SSN
Defender pays tribute to Curbishley
Last updated: 4th September 2008
George McCartney has defended Alan Curbishley and criticised the West Ham board following his move to Sunderland. Curbishley resigned as manager at Upton Park this week as he was dismayed by the club's transfer policy. The sale of McCartney appeared to be the final straw for Curbishley and the Northern Ireland international admits he would have been happy to stay. McCartney helped West Ham defeat Blackburn on Saturday before sealing a switch to the Stadium of Light 48 hours later.
"I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request," said McCartney. "I never did anything of the sort. Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks. "I did propose that for family reasons I would like to move back north. But the manager said 'no' I wasn't leaving and just to concentrate on West Ham. "I was happy to stay. That was on the Friday and I played my part in the Blackburn game on the Saturday. "The thought of leaving was finished as far as I was concerned but then something changed. I got on an indication on Sunday that I could be on my way. "These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."
McCartney has paid tribute to Curbishley and slammed his bosses for piling so much pressure on him. "They (the board) have not been behind Alan Curbishley since the start of the season," explained the 27-year-old. "It was a difficult time for him - they did not trust him with any money to spend. "I cannot understand how a manager can be under so much pressure. He saved us from relegation and we finished 10th last year. This season has been the club's best start for years.
"I loved my time under Alan Curbishley, got on well with him and never had any problems with him. West Ham was the place to be and I loved my two years there."
Despite being disappointed with the manner of his departure, McCartney is looking forward to playing under Roy Keane at Sunderland. "Maybe I can help get Sunderland to a higher level. Certainly that is the challenge and one I am looking forward to," said the full-back. "Roy Keane did a good job getting the team promoted and then establishing them in the Premier League. "He asks for 100 per cent effort and commitment but that is not something I am afraid of. I am looking forward to getting started."
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Irons man needed - SSN
Cottee's Soccer Saturday blog reflects on the West Ham turmoil
Posted: 04th September 2008 12:49
Email Soccer Saturday
Wednesday was definitely a disappointing day in the history of West Ham United. I was playing golf when the news broke and there was 16 missed calls and countless text messages on my mobile phone when I got off the course. The first text I saw said 'Curbs resigns' and even though there have been rumblings about it for some time, I was initially surprised by the news. After that there was a feeling of disappointment because Alan was a genuine West Ham man and I think he's done a very good job at the club in difficult circumstances. It's such a shame it has come to this. The fact that major transfer decisions have been taken out of his hands was obviously the reason for his resignation. If that's the case it's very disappointing because if you have a manager you should let him manage. He should have been allowed to buy and sell players and if the club's looking to go in a different direction then it was always going to lead to problems. I fully sympathise with Curbs and if he feels he's been undermined then I admire him for standing by his principles. It is the right decision for him because he's got to do what's right for his career and make a call in the circumstances. However, it's not a good decision for the club because I felt he was the right man for the job. I'd like to wish him all the best for the future because I like him as a man and I think he's done a fine job for West Ham.
I don't think the transfer situation will put other people off taking the job, providing they know where they stand from the very start. If they know who is in charge of buying and selling players when they take the job then they can get on with it and work with it. I don't know what the policy is at the club right now, but whoever goes into the manager's position will want to know exactly where they stand so there can't be any arguments about it later. The roles have to be clear so that both the manager and club know what is expected.
Harry Redknapp and Slaven Bilic appear to have ruled themselves out already and the media will be full of stories, as always happens when a manager leaves a club.
Personally I would love to see Slaven get the job and I think he's be the right man to take it on. However, I don't think anything's going to happen this side of the Croatia v England game. We may have to be patient and let Kevin Keen get on with things in the meantime. Fortunately, this has happened during an international break and once that game is out of the way I think we might see things start to unravel.
People ask me if the next manager needs to play attractive football to please the West Ham fans, but I feel Alan always wanted to do that. He's a West Ham fan and he knows what the supporters want. Unfortunately he's been hampered by injuries to key players and that's one of the reason's I feel sorry for him. I hope that the next manager will be somebody with a West Ham connection. Somebody like Redknapp or Bilic would be ideal because they understand what the supporters want.
But you can only play attractive football if you've got your best players on the pitch and sadly for Curbs he never got to play his best team. He saved the team from relegation which was so important from both a football and a financial point of view and then he took the team to 10th last year. It might not have been an exciting season, but it was a huge improvement on the year before and the playing staff is better now than it was when he arrived. I think he'll be remembered as sombody who did a good job for the football club he loved.
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The Road To Resignation... - West Ham Online
Alex V - Thu Sep 4 2008
With conspiracy theories flying around and a lot of confusion still surrounding events at the club this week, I thought it would be worth attempting to clarify what has gone on at the club, for those who missed it or simply don't understand it. This is the course of events over the last year leading up to Curbs' departure, as accurately as I can establish.
Last Summer, a bunch of Curbishley's targets were brought in by then-chairman Eggert Magnusson at huge expense. Whether these players were value for money or not is debatable, but they were certainly some of the highest profile targets available last Summer.
Obviously at some date after last Summer the majority owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, has been made aware of what has been going on and seems to have decided that it was a costly mistake. Either that or he was aware of it all along and simply changed his mind on the strategy. The net result was that Magnusson was quietly removed from the club, and a shake-up of the way the club should be run was planned.
Gudmundsson is not a hands-on owner - he turns up on matchdays and that's pretty much it. So to protect his investment he seems to have decided that rather than hire a new chairman and put his trust in another one man, he will build the sort of infrastructure at the club familiar from some clubs on the continent - a framework basically designed to make the club accountable to its owner.
It could be that by this time there were people at the club who were already suspicious about Curbishley's ability to pick an affordable transfer target. Parker, Dyer and Bellamy were just about the most conspicuous and high-profile transfer targets in the country after all - there was no real skill in identifying them as good players on paper.
Certainly the hiring of Gianluca Nani to identify potential transfers (among other things) could be seen as an attempt to undermine the manager, but actually I don't think that was the intention - the club merely wanted to improve their ability to get affordable quality players, and Curbs acknowledged that need himself. And I think they also wanted more expertise around to filter the decisions that were being made 'for the good of the club'.
Was Curbs' position ever in doubt leading up to his departure? The thing is that behind closed doors every board of every club probably spend all their spare time debating the merits of their manager. Presumably some of the people at West Ham were as disappointed as some of the fans at the lack of entertainment last season, and also presumably some of the others supported the manager. It's largely irrelevant now, because he has gone - my gut feeling is that Curbs was safe for another year.
It has been revealed today that in April Curbs sat down at a meeting where strategy was discussed, and agreed in principle to the ideas put forward. It seems that basically the plan was to reduce the size and expense of the squad over the Summer, using Nani to replace outgoing players with cheaper replacements. All good in principle - anyone looking at that squad over the Summer could see it was overstuffed.
But clearly come last week it was all behind schedule, and this is where the questions begin. How desperate were West Ham for money? Desperate enough to sell any player for whom a bid arrived? My opinion is that the club were hoping to move on the dead wood from the squad this Summer, only to find that a lot of the dead wood is still injured - rather than move the goalposts and delay dealing with the squad until January, more drastic measures were taken.
Perhaps these measures were simply taken because the opportunities arose. It's slightly unfair to say that we bit Sunderland's hand off in terms of the Ferdinand sale, but clearly the money and wage savings were not unwelcome - I think that was a bad football decision but there you go. Then McCartney mentioned a move back North and a bid was either sought or coincided with it - again circumstances arose which gave West Ham the opportunity to reduce the squad.
Let's be clear here - we did not sell our players at cut-price. £6 million is a damned good price. If Sunderland had offered £2 million for McCartney, the player would still be at West Ham I'm almost certain. This suggests to me that we were not desperate, but simply open to enticing offers.
This business of the written transfer request is the most disappointing aspect of the whole week - McCartney seems pretty adamant that no written request was ever offered. Either McCartney or West Ham are lying about this, or a hugely embarrassing error has been made by the club in announcing this to the public. The club just seem to have no defence for this one - stop making things up and people might start taking you seriously.
But on a brighter note, let's nail a few of the conspiracy theories at this point. I highly doubt that key players were called into the club and asked who would like to leave. Dean Ashton did not have a medical at Spurs and no bid for him was accepted. There was no major falling out between players or manager on Saturday after the game. There is no inhuman evil or satanic cult in charge at West Ham - they are just a bunch of professional people who all care passionately about the club and want it to succeed.
Certainly the last thing the club heirarchy needed was for Curbishley to walk out on them right now. He left citing the George McCartney sale specifically as his reason - he says he was not directly consulted about the transfer and nobody from the club has denied that. West Ham's line seems to be that as Curbishley accepted the general thrust of the need to cut the squad in April, that he cannot complain now. That is a lame excuse I'm afraid.
Why was Curbishley not consulted about the sale, as stipulated in his contract and apparently done for every other sale? Was it a simple mistake? An attempt to simply avoid a row? An attempt to further undermine him? My gut feeling is that things moved quickly, those involved knew that Curbishley would react badly, and an attempt was made to sell the player and deal with the consequences with the manager afterwards.
I am almost certain that nobody at the club wanted Curbishley to leave at this stage - not least because it totally undermines the attempt to reduce costs at the club, because Curbs will get his payoff plus a new manager will have to be enticed. Whatever the plan was this Summer it has backfired for the club now. I'm not saying that Curbishley was the most popular manager there has ever been at the club, but he was a safe pair of hands in charge, and I am certain that suited the club down to the ground. Come next Summer the situation might have been different.
Perhaps Curbs knew that himself - the situation of the last few days may well have suited him down to the ground. Surely he knew as well of any of us that a probable mid-table finish wouldn't save him long-term at the club, and here's a chance to leave with reputation intact, contract paid up, and be in prime position for the next job to come up. Perhaps deep down he felt it was in West Ham's best interests too - I'd like to think so.
But one big question still remains, and it is crucially important...
If Curbishley wasn't making the decision over the McCartney sale, who did? Who is deciding whether a football player is worth having at West Ham or not? In an attempt to make the manager accountable for the transfer policy, have the club simply created a new layer of 'unaccountables' making football decisions they have no real expertise in and expecting the manager to carry the can in public for those decisions? That is a very dangerous road to start travelling down - whoever the manager is, they must have an influence and must be kept in the loop.
There is a question mark over the number of different influences at the club. Kia Joorabchian is a paid adviser and voiced the sort of opinions about Curbishley in the media today that presumably have undermined the manager behind the scenes in recent months. GianLuca Nani has been conspicuously silent since Curbs left. Christian Lattanzio, the motivational guru, is a key football man behind the scenes at West Ham these days. CEO Scott Duxbury was clearly the chief catalyst in terms of enforcing the chairman's strategy over the Summer. Vice-chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson emerged today sounding off about the search for the new manager and sounding very much like Eggert-lite! Are all these people bending the ear of the chairman at various times? Are they all smiles like The Waltons, or at each others' throats like Dallas?
But, misgivings aside, the good news is that the club seems basically in a pretty good state, regardless of any short-term disasters. We do have some good players, some decent prospects in the league this season, and the excitement of seeing a new manager arrive. The principles of running a tight ship, and having a sustainable squad, and people people behind the scenes who have some expertise in their areas, is appealing in theory.
What we have seen over the last few days is some rather embarrassing and incompetently-handled housekeeping performed by the club. Nobody died. Situations which could have been difficult but bearable have become painful, and quite probably mistakes have been made. Whether the club will benefit or suffer from the consequences nobody can say with certainty, but we can at least be optimistic...
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By George! - West Ham Online
Billy Blagg - Thu Sep 4 2008
I've been lurking about the offices of WHO and its predecessor, the Ironworks, for over ten years now and, during that time, in my own amateurish and bumbling way, I've tried to avoid - 'at the end of the day' - too much football cliché.
But this week, in another momentous week in the history of this amazing, but seriously maddening club, I've been forced to admit that football really is 'a funny old game'. No, seriously, it really is, isn't it?
I mean, take George McCartney, for instance, (Not that you can, as Sunderland have already done that – but you know what I mean...). Who'd have thought such a player would cause consternation and upset throughout the whole club?
I remember when we signed George and I bristled with misplaced indignation at such a low profile purchase. I mean, I like to think I'm up on the squads of most clubs, but I really don't think I'd even heard of McCartney. We spent a good deal of money on a player who'd not so much as flown in under the radar but one who's undercarriage had barely left the tarmac. As West Ham was on the brink of another march on Europe shouldn't we be signing Argentinean or Italian World Cup players? Who was this McCartney bloke?
And yet, I came to like old George; he was solid, dependable and, although I wasn't always sure what he added to the team, we seemed better balanced with him around and strangely lop-sided when he went missing. After an initial setback he rarely seemed injured, and I admired his stoical, unruffled way of going about things. I didn't even know I liked him that much until I was discussing with a friend last season, the expected £5m WHU bid for Reading's Nicky Storey. "A waste of money", I argued, "We have George and we'd better off spending that money on a creative midfielder" (You've got to admire my naivety, haven't you? Six months later and we have none of them!). Another football cliché: 'You know he was doing a good job as you never noticed him'. Only last Saturday in the East Stand I heard someone behind me say 'we'll look better when McCartney returns; we play better when he is in the team'. So I know it wasn't only me who likes to see this type of dependable player in the side and I like to feel we, as fans, appreciated his efforts.
So, I was pretty upset again, following the sale of Anton, that McCartney had left as well. Unsettled wife notwithstanding, I was doubly upset that he'd seen fit to further his career back at the Black Cats. (The Good Lady B hails from Tyneside but if she wanted to go back to the North East she'd be doing it without me) Particularly, as it seems we have no recognisable left-back and will need to limp through to January playing people out of position.
If, as we suspect and Alan Curbishley alleges, the sale was made without reference to the Manager, then I can imagine that Bluebottle was upset and a resignation was probably the right way forward even if only as a point of principle. I'm big on principles, me. If, as the board insist, McCartney asked for a transfer and money was on the table then I can understand that the Icelandic mob may well be less than enamoured with Curbs throwing his toys about. But who do we believe? Doesn't this resonate with the sale of Rio and Glen Johnson?
The parallels between Redknapp and Brown are starting to worry me. An owner asset-stripping the club for his own gain while telling us that books need to be balanced or a manager who seems to have been undermined and 'lost the dressing room'? (Another football cliché I hate). You pays your money and takes your choice.
As ever with these things much will depend on how you feel about the people concerned. I went into print many years ago on how I perceived Alan Curbishley and, as it subsequently appeared in 'Nightmare' I could hardly go back with it. Essentially though, I thought the man was someone who would probably get the best from a smaller club but I didn't see AC as a good replacement for Redknapp. I wanted bigger – although I'll admit I eventually got much, much smaller – as I reasoned Bluebottle's style wasn't suited to big names with bigger egos at a place where expectation was high and where his stock as a player had been undermined by a bad tempered exit to Birmingham.
However, there's a terrible irony here. Had Curbishley taken over back then, we probably wouldn't have had the trauma of relegation and the subsequent fire sale, but I suspect neither would we have had a couple of seat-of-the–pants play off's and a Cup Final either. Cloud Cuckoo Land, I know, but could Curbishley have built around Carrick, Johnson and Defoe? Was Curbishley actually the right man at the wrong time? I genuinely suspect he was.
It goes further though. Working in Leeds earlier in the week, I woke at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep and, sans laptop, I was formulating what I could write about the sale of McCartney for a WHO article and I decided eventually that, in many ways, it actually played into Curbishley's hands.
My argument went that, without a recognisable left-back and the loss of a first choice centre back, a relegation battle might ensue if anyone else had been in charge but, with Curbishley's….errrrr….. rather more dour and pragmatic style of football, we would probably barely miss them and would cope in the same way we managed without Bellamy, Bobby Zee and Ashton last season. In fact, we could probably grind out another mid-table position and that might be, comparatively in view of what had happened, a 'good' season.
I hadn't even committed these random thoughts to a Word document before Curbishley had resigned and the 'benefit' of his strengths was lost. I'm now genuinely confused as to what we had, what we do, where we go from here and if, Curbishley was indeed the last of a long line of ex-players who – cliché time again – 'took the club as far as they could'. Did Curbishley, hamstrung by injuries last season, do well getting us to tenth because his style and demeanour suited the situation? I suppose we may never really know for certain.
Ultimately though, would I be foolish in being quite upbeat about finding someone with a little more pizzazz and panache about them? Someone I find I don't want to shake every time I see them on TV; someone who – heads down for a flying cliché again – could just 'take us to the next level'. Or am I missing the point yet again and relying on another Chairman whose surname begins with a B who lies and lines his long pockets? I mean it would be keeping in line with previous Hammers escapades if we're the only club bought out by rich owners who subsequently go broke.
Whatever the answer, at least many Hammers fans got their wish as this season - only three garmes in, don't forget! - already looks to be a little more interesting than last season.
Dogs bark and the West Ham saga just keeps rolling on…
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Bid to halt West Ham United managerial sideshow - The Times
Gianluca Nani
Tom Dart
About 100 kilometres east of Milan, villages dot the mountains surrounding the town of Brescia. Keen to celebrate local customs and preserve their character, these villages often hold fairs. If in the 1990s you wanted yours to be a success, you might have called on the organisational skills of Gianluca Nani.
Local celebrities would be invited along and, naturally, Gino Corioni, the president of Brescia's football club, was a popular choice as a VIP guest. The story goes that Nani met Corioni's daughter, Silvia, charmed her, married her and was soon working for his father-in-law, first as Brescia's spokesman, then as sporting director. In March this year he was appointed West Ham United's first technical director and now, after the departure of Alan Curbishley on Wednesday, Nani is tasked with drawing up a shortlist of potential successors.
Given his background, West Ham fans may be wondering whether Nani would be better off running the half-time raffle at Upton Park than the club's search for a new manager. But that tale shows how far the 45-year-old has come in a short time. In truth, he was not a football novice. He had a business in Spain that helped clubs seeking warm-weather training camps. This enabled him to make contacts, as did a stint as an independent scout.
Aside from Corioni, he does not benefit from the favour of a powerful patron. Those who know Nani say that he tries to maintain fair and equal relations with his contacts, a detached stance that has not allowed him to cultivate deep friendships with many influential figures in the game. But because he never played professionally, plenty would view him as an outsider, regardless of his personality or methods, which makes his rise more impressive.
The Italian press dubbed him "Count Nani", apparently because he has a distant connection to nobility. In fact, he was a law student who grew up in a working-class district of Rome and is humble and deferential in company, being smart enough to know his limits and willing to learn from others. While Curbishley cited clashes over transfers as a key reason for his resignation, he is thought to have got on well enough with Nani, although they did not always agree about which players to target.
If the story that he discovered Kaká in Brazil, only for Brescia to be unable to afford him, does not convince, the club did make astute signings under Nani's stewardship. Marek Hamsik, a Slovakia midfield player, was signed as a teenager for €500,000 and sold to Napoli for €6 million three years later. In 2000 Roberto Baggio, who was 33 at the time and was presumed to be washed up, joined and was a huge hit. Josep Guardiola, the former Spain and Barcelona midfield player who is now the Barcelona coach, also arrived and Andrea Pirlo and Luca Toni blossomed. "He did a lot of the groundwork bringing people on board," a source who has worked with Nani said.
Even the man himself admitted last month that his arrival in East London is a "gamble". But West Ham's Icelandic owners are believed to be impressed with his negotiating skills — £8 million for Anton Ferdinand from Sunderland is thought to be twice as much as was expected — and have detailed him to instil a more professional and modern approach behind the scenes while identifying and bringing in future stars from the world's leagues.
Nani started by overhauling the club's medical department after last season's spate of injuries, but his most important role is to help to identify a manager who can shape a club in cost-cutting mode into a serious force, not the sideshow they threaten to become.
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Gianfranco Zola on West Ham United shortlist - The Times
Gary Jacob
Gianfranco Zola and Gérard Houllier are the relatively young and old managers being considered by West Ham United to succeed Alan Curbishley, who resigned on Wednesday. No Englishmen figure on their six-man shortlist, so the club are set to appoint a foreigner for the first time.
Other leading names being considered include Roberto Donadoni, the former Italy coach, and Slaven Bilic, but significant hurdles would need to be overcome for the Croatia coach to be appointed. Bilic has informed West Ham that he would be available only from January because of clauses in his contract and that would be unacceptable to the club's board.
An initial list of more than 20 names was quickly cut down during a conference call yesterday. Gianluca Nani, the technical director, has been given the task of establishing the candidates' interest in taking the position before formal interviews can begin at the weekend. No time-frame has been put on the appointment by the club's Icelandic owners, who appreciate that prising a club manager so early in the season could be difficult.
West Ham will probably want to gauge the fans' reaction to the idea of enlisting Zola, the former Chelsea forward, now a coach of the Italy Under-21 team, but the dignified and diminutive Italian, 42, is held in high regard throughout England.
At the other end of the scale, Houllier would come with a wealth of experience. The 61-year-old has managed France, Liverpool and Lyons and, now the technical director of the French football federation, would meet West Ham's desire for a coach who can develop players from the academy through to the first team.
Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 coach, and Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, ruled themselves out of the running yesterday while Roberto Mancini cannot come under proper consideration until his severance dispute with Inter Milan — from whom he is claiming £20 million in compensation after he left in the summer — is resolved.
After appointing a manager, West Ham will turn their attention to finding a first-team coach, but Paolo Di Canio, their feisty former forward who is not being considered for the manager's position, is unlikely to accept a less senior role.
It has emerged that Curbishley read a resignation statement during a meeting with Scott Duxbury, the chief executive, on Wednesday and in doing so forfeited a guaranteed payoff of up to £2 million. He left for Spain yesterday, having told West Ham that he will lodge a compensation claim for the same amount — the estimated value of the final two years of his contract.
Curbishley believes that he may have a case for breach of contract because of a clause stating that he had control on transfers. He claimed that George McCartney, the left back, was sold to Sunderland without his approval, but the club believe that the board's consideration for their financial position negates such a clause.
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Paper talk: Pardew to return to West Ham - Northampton Chro.co.uk
Alan Pardew is being lined up for a shock return to West Ham as manager, while Gunner Theo Walcott may start for England - all this and more in the national newspapers.
DAILY STAR
Alan Pardew is in the frame for a sensational return to West Ham. Pardew was sacked by the Hammers' Icelandic owners in December 2006 after three years at Upton Park. But after a series of disasters by the club in the transfer market, theADVERTISEMENTEast End club's board have revised their view of the 47-year-old. Also: Kevin Keegan last night quit as Newcastle boss just 233 days after returning to the club...Mark Hughes has set his sights on landing Gianluigi Buffon for £60million after vowing to bring the best players in the world to Manchester City.
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Croatian FA warn Hammers off Bilic - Setanta
by Joseph Caron Dawe, 05 September 2008
Slaven Bilic has distanced himself from the vacant West Ham managerial job while he prepares his Croatia side for their World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan on Saturday, and now the president of the Croatian FA has put the brakes on any hopes The Hammers may have of bringing the former Upton Park defender back to east London. Following Alan Curbishley's departure a host of names have been linked with the managerial role at the Premier League club, with the long list of contenders having now been whittled down to a shortlist of six potential suitors. Bilic shot to the top slots in the list of favourites for the job as soon as Curbishley's exit was announced on Wednesday, but the 39-year-old stated on Thursday he was focused on taking Croatia to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. And now Vlatko Markovic has categorically stated that any attempts The Hammers may make to prise Bilic away from them will prove futile. "It will be mission impossible," said Markovic in the Daily Express. "Bilic can't go because there will be a big political problem with Croatia. This is the usual speculation. "Bilic can't go and, even if he loses against England (in the World Cup qualifier next Wednesday), he is not going to leave as we are very happy with him. "They might have money, but so do we and the Croatian FA has enough money to buy West Ham."
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Arsenal to revive Stephen Appiah interest - Telegraph
Arsenal are reportedly set to the revive their interest in Stephen Appiah, planning a late move to beat West Ham to the signature of the Ghana midfielder.
By Matt Lawless
Last Updated: 8:24AM BST 05 Sep 2008
Appiah, a free agent following his release from Turkish club Fenerbache, had been considering terms to sign at Upton Park. However, the resignation of Alan Curbishley has forced the player to reconsider his options having been said to be close to reaching a £40,000-per week three-year deal. The player is keen to ply his trade in England and it is understood Arsenal could now offer him that opportunity as manager Arsene Wenger contemplates an eleventh hour offer to improve his midfield options. "There are contracts, there are talks – I can't say anything yet," said Appiah, 27, welcoming Wenger's renewed interest. "I am not going to put people off, my agents are talking so I have nothing else to say."
Wenger has been a long-term admirer of Appiah - known as 'The Tornado' - and his instant availability could prompt the Frenchman into entering negotiations with the unattached midfielder, who two years ago revealed he was close to joining the club before a knee injury denied him. But Appiah still harbours hopes of realising his 'dream' to join compatriots Michael Essien, Harminu Dramani and John Pantsil in the Premier League and is confident that he will soon sign for a top flight club. He said: "My dream is to play in the Premier League and with the help of God, I will realise that dream."
Certainly, Wenger's depleted midfield requires urgent strengthening, following the departures of Alexander Hleb, Mathieu Flamini and Gilberto Silva. Reported replacement bids for Gokhan Inler, Xabi Alonso and Gareth Barry all proved to be fruitless although Appiah could provide a sound alternative at The Emirates – much to West Ham's dismay.
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Hammer time for boss Bilic? Not likely, say Croatians - Daily Mail
By Ivan Speck
Last updated at 8:12 AM on 05th September 2008
Panic on the streets of Zagreb? Hardly. Anxiety in the city's bars over the potential departure of Slaven Bilic to West Ham? Nowhere to be found. A destabilising wind sweeping through the Croatian capital ahead of two vital World Cup qualifiers? Not even a whiff. If Bilic is to swap the stewardship of his country for a loose peg over which to drape his coaching badges in the madhouse of Upton Park, it is news to everyone here. Unfinished business: Slaven Bilic is expected to lead Croatia to the 2010 World Cup finals. And that includes Bilic, who turns 40 next Thursday, the day after Croatia face England here. The Croats are as confident of progress to the World Cup finals as they are that their erudite coach will stay. Bilic, a university-educated lawyer, has a job to finish, they tell you. What the end result will be, no one knows, but from Zagreb to Split, Osijek to Dubrovnik, the potential of the Croatia side Bilic has built has the citizens of this country bursting with excitement. They believe Bilic feels it with them, which is why they are convinced he will see out the contract which runs until 2010 - a term which takes in the World Cup in South Africa.
Home ties against Kazakhstan tomorrow and then England dominate the immediate landscape and Bilic was adamant yesterday that no talk about his returning to east London to manage the club he served as a central defender for a season will destabilise his side's preparations. He knew the question was coming. Asked whether the West Ham rumours have had an unsettling effect on his squad, Bilic replied with a knowing smile: 'Not at all, not at all. No-one has asked me about it. 'The players have read it on the internet, maybe, or in the papers. OK, we'll discuss it if they ask me but no, they haven't. We're just concentrating on the game against Kazakhstan.'
Of course, even if Bilic were interested in trading country for club, he is hardly likely to reveal it in his homeland two days before a World Cup qualifier. Well, actually, not quite in his homeland. Croatia's training headquarters lie bizarrely eight miles across the Slovenian border in the spa resort of Cateske Toplice, a sprawling outdoor complex of swimming pools that doubles as a weekend retreat for the people of Zagreb. Historically, it wasn't always across the border. Before the break-up of the old Yugoslavia, Cateske was the preferred base of Dinamo Zagreb ahead of important matches.
One reason that Bilic and his men are holed up here is that they would get no peace if they were based in the capital; besieged by demands from family and friends for tickets, hassled by autograph hunters inside and outside their hotel. Not the ideal preparation for a group of players from whom special deeds are expected. A quarter-final berth in the summer's European Championship in Austria and Switzerland was regarded as an under-achievement that could be partially, but not wholly, excused by the absence of Arsenal striker Eduardo - the man whose goals are supposed to transform Croatia from a side capable of dominating the opposition to beating them.
His absence through the horrific ankle injury suffered at Birmingham last season has added a new perspective on the 1998 World Cup side which finished third and of which Bilic was a part. One Croatian journalist said: 'It is only now that people realise how fortunate the team of '98 was that they never had injuries. Davor Suker, the main striker, was always fit. The current team is better than that one and we see what happened in Austria as unfinished business. 'Playing for Croatia and being part of success at national level means more than doing well for your club. That's why we believe that Bilic will stay, even if people in England maybe think that they can throw money at him and he will sign.'
As he fielded questions at yesterday's press conference, the quietly-spoken Bilic, an ear-ring in his left lobe, appeared perfectly in tune with his surroundings. His transition from player to coach has been seamless and may be the reason why he will view an approach from West Ham with affection, but perhaps counter it with his own ambition. The feeling in Zagreb is that when his term as Croatia coach comes to an end in two years, the jobs on offer to him will be from clubs whose stature West Ham currently cannot match.
Zagreb v Green Street
Zagreb:
Culture: Arheoloski Muzej - the Archeological Museum whose centrepiece is a mummified body of an Egyptian woman, replete with toenails and hair.
Food and shopping: Dolac market - colourful stalls on a raised outdoor piazza in the old town, selling such delights as Croatian wines, olive oils and truffles.
Place to relax: Maksimir Park, the largest and most beautiful in south-east Europe. Laid out in 1794 and graced by an oak forest, sunny meadows and romantic lakes.
A daily ritual: The 'noon hour chime'. Every day a 75mm mountain howitzer cannon is fired from the Kula Lotrscak - a 13th-century tower.
Green Street
Culture: Local legend has it that Anne Boleyn was courted by Henry VIII at a house which became known as the Boleyn Castle, which used to be next to Upton Park.
Food and shopping: Ken's Cafe serves a mean fry-up, but those seeking the local delicacy of pie and mash will have a short walk to Nathan's in Barking Road. Queens market has a wide array of quality goods from fruit and vegetables to fake designer watches.
Place to relax: Boleyn cinema, a big favourite with Bollywood fans, currently showing Singh is King.
A daily ritual: Pay homage at the West Ham Champions statue. Moore, Hurst, Peters, boys of 66...Nuff said.
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Bilic rules out return as West Ham narrow targets·Croatia coach insists he will not quit national job
·Houllier, Donadoni and Zola feature on shortlist
Dominic Fifield and Jonathan Wilson The Guardian,
Friday September 5 2008
Slaven Bilic, the Croatia coach, has categorically ruled himself out of contention for the vacant manager's job at West Ham United and committed himself to his national side until the 2010 World Cup finals, with a number of other leading candidates also appearing to distance themselves from a move to Upton Park.
Bilic, currently preparing for qualifiers against Kazakhstan and England, followed Harry Redknapp's lead yesterday in ruling out a switch to the Boleyn Ground to succeed Alan Curbishley, who resigned on Wednesday after the breakdown of his relationship with the club's Icelandic owners over transfer dealings. The 39-year-old former West Ham centre-half signed a new two-year deal on improved terms, albeit of about only £81,000 a year, in May and he intends to honour that contract.
His link to the vacant position at West Ham has prompted suggestions in Croatia that this is an attempt to destabilise the national team ahead of next Wednesday's critical qualifying tie in Zagreb. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: I won't go," said Bilic at the national team's training camp in Catez, Slovenia. "It's not a problem for the players because I've told them I'm not going. I haven't changed my mind about this. I want to stay with Croatia."
The West Ham board held a conference call yesterday to discuss an initial list of about 30 names drawn up by the chief executive, Scott Duxbury, and the technical director, Gianluca Nani. That list was whittled down to six or seven names - of which Bilic remains one with whom they are keen to speak - and the club's hierarchy hopes to hold interviews over the weekend with a view to shortening the list of targets next week.
Agents had contacted West Ham to ask whether Bilic might be able to take over late next month, by which time Croatia will have played four qualifiers. But they were told that the club is working within a timescale that would not allow him to continue coaching his national team beyond the imminent round of fixtures. The president of the Croatian Football Federation, Vlatko Markovic, was quick to dismiss even the prospect of securing a hefty compensation package for its manager. "Money doesn't matter," he said. "We have a lot of money. We could buy West Ham if we wanted."
Two other possible candidates fell by the wayside yesterday when the England Under-21 coach, Stuart Pearce, another former West Ham player, reiterated that he was "proud" to manage the junior set-up. "I told the FA when I took this job that I would honour my contract, and that still applies today," he said. The Italian Davide Ballardini, highly rated by Nani, has been appointed as the new manager of the Serie A club Palermo.
West Ham are seeking a manager who boasts "top-class football experience" and leadership qualities and, although it would help if candidates had Premier League experience, that is not considered essential. Roberto Donadoni, Roberto Mancini, Gianfranco Zola, Avram Grant, Gérard Houllier and John Collins are all in contention. The credentials of the former Upton Park manager Alan Pardew, now at Charlton, have been discussed, and the club's former favourite Paolo di Canio has expressed an interest in taking up the reins, though his lack of coaching experience is likely to work against him. "We have made moves to talk to West Ham and advised them that Paolo wants to be considered," said Di Canio's agent, Phil Spencer. "He wants the opportunity to sit in front of the decision-makers at West Ham to tell them what he would do."
The suspicion that the new manager might be handicapped by matters off the pitch re-emerged last night as George McCartney, the full-back whose sale to Sunderland pushed Curbishley to resign, expressed his support for his former manager. "I have seen on the West Ham website that I handed in a written transfer request," he said. "I never did anything of the sort. Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks.
"I did propose that for family reasons I would like to move back north. But the manager said no, I wasn't leaving, and just to concentrate on West Ham. I was happy to stay. It was finished as far as I was concerned, but then something changed. These are strange times at West Ham and no one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."
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Noble: Curbs Was Taking Us Places - Goal.com
Curbishley resigned as West Ham manager earlier in the week after a number of disputes with the board over transfers, particularly the deadline-day sale of George McCartney and the non-purchase of a new full-back. The decision came after the Hammers had put together their best start to a season in nine years, and directly followed their 4-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers at the weekend. Such form was encouraging after an indifferent 2007-08 campaign, and Noble is certain the club was going places under Curbishley. He said in The Sun: "Without the injuries last year and if a couple of results had gone our way, we could have changed things. "We finished 10th but we always said that last season was going to be a stepping stone. "Alan is a proud man but I don't know what was going on. He resigned and it was his decision."
Noble is currently with the England under-21 squad ahead of tonight's clash with Portugal, and he is grateful to be away from Upton Park during this difficult period.
"Perhaps it is better that I am with the England U-21s so I don't have to worry about anything going on at the club," he said. "It is important for us to get it sorted out soon. "We've had our best start in nine years so, hopefully, we can keep that up."
Cecil Braun
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West Ham move swiftly to put Bilic and Zola at top of shortlist
By Jason Burt
Friday, 5 September 2008
Former Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola could take over at Upton Park
Independent.co.uk Web
West Ham United have drawn up a high-calibre shortlist to succeed Alan Curbishley as the club's manager following a board meeting yesterday. The seven-strong list is headed by Croatia coach Slaven Bilic but also includes Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Donadoni, John Collins, Michael Laudrup, Roberto Mancini and Gérard Houllier.
Although Zola and Houllier both have jobs, only Bilic's employment presents a problem. The list has been reduced from a longer list selected by technical director Gianluca Nani. West Ham – who face West Bromwich Albion away on 13 September – hope to have a new manager in place by the time their next Premier League match comes around. Soundings will now take place before the shortlist is whittled down to two or three candidates who will meet the board.
The credentials of those who have put themselves forward should hearten West Ham supporters who have been rocked by the events of the last few days with Curbishley walking, claiming he had been undermined in transfer decisions. The board vehemently deny they have sold players over his head but there had been growing pressure and unhappiness with Curbishley which is why his resignation was accepted.
Bilic is still regarded as the favourite but West Ham need to tread carefully if they are to get their man. It is understood that the 39-year-old is keen on the post but is also acutely aware that, with a World Cup qualification campaign about to start, the timing could not be worse. Croatia play Kazakhstan on Saturday and then England the next Wednesday. It could be that West Ham will have to wait until after that fixture if they are to approach him.
Interviewed ahead of Saturday's match, Bilic refused to discuss whether he would be interested in West Ham. "We are playing Kazakhstan and we are just concentrating on that game," he said yesterday. Asked whether the link was unsettling, he said "no, not at all" before adding that the Croatia players had not questioned him over it. "They have read it on the internet or in the paper but they have not asked me."
The decision to include Zola and Donadoni on the shortlist is no great surprise given that, like Nani, they are Italian. Zola, in particular, is an interesting choice due to his strong links with Chelsea but West Ham believe that he is the kind of universally popular former player who can transcend club loyalties. Most recently he has been assisting another former Chelsea player, Pierluigi Casiraghi, with the Italy squad at the Olympics, and has been honing his coaching skills by working with his country's Under-21 side.
Donadoni is a slightly more curious choice given Italy's poor showing in Euro 2008 which, eventually, cost him his job as the coach of the national team. He is also quite an enigmatic figure. The former Milan midfielder endured a difficult time with some of his squad but he does have more club coaching experience than Zola having worked at Livorno and Genoa before taking charge of Italy in 2006.
Laudrup, the former Danish international who left Spanish club Getafe last season and came close to getting the Blackburn Rovers job, would be a strong contender. He was, at one time, pushed to take over at Chelsea and is committed to entertaining, attacking football. Similarly Collins – the only British contender – launched a promising career at Hibernian and was considered by Fulham, as was Bilic. He would be keen to join West Ham.
The club has not considered including Paolo Di Canio – even though he is desperate for the job – because he lacks experience. There is annoyance at West Ham that others such as Harry Redknapp and Stuart Pearce have ruled themselves out of the running as they were never in the frame in the first place. Others such as Sam Allardyce and David O'Leary have not been considered.
Meanwhile, the fall out from Curbishley's departure continued yesterday with West Ham reacting angrily to claims by their former defender George McCartney that he did not submit a formal transfer request ahead of his £6m deadline-day move to Sunderland. The deal, along with the sale of Anton Ferdinand, also to Sunderland, for £8m, was cited by Curbishley as evidence that transfers were taking place over his head. West Ham deny this claim and last night issued a statement which purported to quote from the transfer request submitted by McCartney on 1 September. It stated that "due to private, family reasons I wish to accept the offer to move back to Sunderland AFC". The club said it was "astonished" at the 27-year-old's claims that he had not asked for a move and also released details of a letter written to McCartney claiming the bid could be rejected and he could stay.
At a press conference yesterday, while on international duty with Northern Ireland, McCartney had accused the board of lying. "I have seen on the West Ham website I handed in a written transfer request. I never did anything of the sort," McCartney said. "Probably the board at West Ham are trying to cover their tracks."
McCartney then admitted that he did want to leave but added: "I did propose that for family reasons I would like to move back north. But the manager said no, I wasn't leaving and just to concentrate on West Ham. I was happy to stay. That was on the Friday and I played my part in the Blackburn game on the Saturday.
"The thought of leaving was finished as far as I was concerned. I got on an indication on Sunday that I could be on my way. These are strange times at West Ham and no-one really knows what is going on at boardroom level."
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Is this for real? If so, Jamie Carragher, you're a disgrace... - West Ham Blog
I've had to read this a number of times :
Lucas Neill's lucky escape after breaking Jamie Carragher's leg - The Mirror (By Jamie Carragher 4/09/2008 )
When my leg was broken in an horrific tackle by Lucas Neill in September 2003, my mates were ready to hunt him down if I gave the go-ahead. A few weeks later I received a phone call. "You won't believe this, Jay. We're in the Trafford Centre and Lucas Neill is walking straight towards us. What do you reckon?" Did I really want Neill to take a crack? "There's only one problem," added the voice. "Little Davey Thommo is with him." That was that. I could hardly let one of my best mates, David Thompson, now a Blackburn player, become a witness to an assault. Besides he'd have recognised the attackers. The impromptu mission was aborted and I sent a text to Thommo telling him Neill should give him a hug of thanks. As word got back to Blackburn about the near miss, or should that be hit, their coach Terry Darracott, a Scouser, appealed to one of my friends to call the boys off. I agreed.
as I can't believe it's not a spoof, but it is apparently real. I cannot believe that a 'professional' footballer is telling this story in this manner. There may be some mitigating circumstances and he may put it in context outside of the extract that is written. But even so, for a player who is looked up to kids and is paid thousands a week to be sporting and professional, this is an absoulute disgrace. It's not as if cities from London to Liverpool do not have enough problems with gangs and street crime, without a footballer giving it the big I am and condoning violence in this way. If this is tongue in cheek, he needs to come out and say so. But it doesn't look that way to me.
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You'll have to be quick if you want the West Ham job, Slaven. - Daily Mail
by NEIL ASHTON
Last updated at 10:11 PM on 04th September 2008
Slaven Bilic must walk out on Croatia after their World Cup qualifier with England on Wednesday if he wants to become West Ham's manager. The club will pile the pressure on Bilic to make a decision by interviewing John Collins and Roberto Donadoni this weekend. The Hammers board met on Thursday to discuss targets and are determined to appoint Alan Curbishley's successor before next weekend's Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion. Donadoni, sacked by world champions Italy following their dismal Euro 2008 performance, is emerging as a powerful alternative in the boardroom. Gianluca Nani, the club's influential technical director, has put forward a continental structure to the board that would include Donadoni as the club's coach and it has been met with a favourable response. Collins, the former Hibs manager, has boardroom support after indicating a willingness to work with a director of football. Roberto Mancini, sacked by Inter after leading them to their third straight league title in May, has also been targeted, but West Ham fear he is out of reach. Although Bilic was originally the choice of Hammers chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and chief executive Scott Duxbury, they have been forced to draw up a short list after he intimated that he is not prepared to quit Croatia during the World Cup qualifiers. He would also be reluctant to work with a director of football. It means alternative options were considered at length by the board yesterday but there was some friction over the short list when Nani's candidates all came from his home country, Italy. Incredibly Paolo Di Canio was one of them, along with former Inter chief Mancini, Italy's highly respected Under 21 coach Gianfanco Zola, the little-known former Udinese manager Serse Cosmi and Donadoni.
Despite Nani's input, former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier, now at the French academy in Clairefontaine, is also a contender. Other Interviews may be conducted over the weekend.
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BIG SAM BACKED FOR WEST HAM JOB - Sporting Life
Sky Bet's Odds Compare All Prices
Sam Allardyce has been the big mover with Betfred in the market for next permanent West Ham manager as sustained support came in for the former Bolton and Newcastle boss. A 16/1 shot early on, Allardyce was backed at all rates down to 8/1 after early favourite Slaven Bilic distanced himself from the job with his former club.
Croatia coach Bilic, who opened up at 11/8 following Alan Curbishley's resignation, drifted out to the best price on the high street of 10/3 after insisting he is focused on his role in charge of his national team.
Italian duo Paolo Di Canio and Roberto Mancini, who were the subject of good money on Wednesday, are next in the market at 5/1 and 6/1 respectively, followed by Allardyce and ex-Chelsea manager Avram Grant, another man to have attracted attention from punters.
Betfred founder and chairman Fred Done said: "Big Sam is a surprise choice as the market springer for he doesn't appear to be a natural fit for the West Ham position.
"All his previous managerial jobs have been in the north and midlands and it's hard to know how the Cockneys would react to him. "But he has been quite active in the media recently, which could be seen as a way of reminding people in football of his availability. I've certainly taken plenty of money from shrewd sources for Sam and, along with Di Canio, he represents the biggest losing result in our book."
Bilic and Mancini are bet365's 7/2 joint favourites, with Di Canio next best at 6/1 and bet365 spokesman Steve Freeth said: "Bilic seemed to be playing his cards close to his chest when quizzed about the vacancy, whilst Italians Mancini and Di Canio have been very popular."
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But... Don't Rule Out Harry - The Sun
By IAN McGARRY
WEST HAM have NOT given up hope of luring Harry Redknapp back to Upton Park. SunSport can reveal that the Hammers board are determined to test the resolve of the club's former boss by making an approach to Portsmouth. Redknapp quickly ruled himself out of the race for the vacant manager's position at his old club. But after taking soundings from close friends of Redknapp, West Ham officials believe he can be persuaded to make a return. Redknapp is understood to be sceptical about the way the club is currently run. He also has a lot of sympathy for the way in which Alan Curbishley felt forced to resign on Wednesday, citing a lack of control over transfer dealings. However, if the board were willing to give Redknapp authority for player recruitment and sales he may consider a dramatic return to the club.
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