Daily WHUFC News - II 3rd September 2008

West Ham United statement - WHUFC
West Ham United have issued a statement clarifying the club's activities
this summer
03.09.2008

West Ham United are looking to a bright future after a summer of
consolidation and a positive start to the new season at the Boleyn Ground.

The club is fully committed to a high-quality first-team squad based on
solid financial foundations that will challenge at the top end of the
Premier League and in the cup competitions. This is mirrored by the efforts
being made off the field, with the club not only investing in playing
personnel but dedicating significant resources to support staff around the
squad and also the new training ground project. These investments will make
major contributions to the long-term future of the club.

Only last December, the chairman demonstrated his commitment to a long-term
strategy for success by investing a further £30.5m to bolster the club's
financial base. This came as he assumed full control 12 months after the
initial takeover. In the 18 months since the takeover the club invested a
net £40m in transfer fees and the annual player wage bill has increased by
£25m.

As stated before and during the close-season, our intention was always to
hone the size of the playing staff with several key performers returning to
fitness and the emergence of homegrown talent. This has now been achieved
with seven players sold or released and four recruited. Along with the
importance of adding quality new signings with bright futures, a key aim has
been to secure important players on long-term contracts.

Such investment has ensured the club can keep together its strong spine of
England internationals Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Kieron
Dyer and Dean Ashton along with players with proven international pedigree
like Lucas Neill, Valon Behrami, Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy, who are
vastly experienced in top-level UEFA competitions including the Champions
League.

Unsurprisingly, this summer we received a number of significant bids for
leading players - in itself emphasising the high number of quality
internationals at Alan Curbishley's disposal - and all were rejected.

However, in particular, 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. 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.

West Ham United Chairman and Owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson said: "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. Everyone, including the CEO 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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Curbs, Jesus, John the Baptist, the board and Arbitration - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 3rd September 2008
By: Stephen Gracey

Popular Christian belief is that Jesus was born about 2000 years ago as the
son of god and died on the cross, as the one true messiah, in order that we
were forgiven for all our sins. It has realised since that it was not as
simple as that and that there we many others recognized as messiahs. Years
after Jesus' death there were 'christians' in Crete still worshipping John
the Baptist as the messiah.

I know this all sounds a bit weird on a football site but what I am driving
at is that I don't believe that Alan is THE West Ham messiah any more than
Alan Pardew - but he is A messiah. Pardew was panned as being lucky to get
us out of the championship but it remains that he still did it and kept us
up for the difficult first season. Curbs (miraculously) kept us up during a
difficult second season - he too has been slated as lucky.

I feel that some of us on both sides of the argument need to get off our
high horses hoping as we do that he fails or succeeds in order that our
points are proven. Curbs is an East London boy, former West Ham Youth and
first team player - this does not make him right but please have faith that
his heart is with the club! I am not from East London or even England but we
are all aware of West Ham traditions - surely so is Curbs.

The truth is that his initial signing took place at the height of a crisis
and during the worse period possible to sign a player the January transfer
window. His next attempt at signing players (summer 2007) was hijacked by
the issues raised by Sheffield Utd – this ongoing case must dissuade most
from wanting to go to a club undergoing legal action and having just avoided
relegation – we didn't have the cream of the crop to pick from. The football
was dire due mainly to injuries but we held 10th spot.

Some of the accusations levelled against him and the board have been
ill-thought through – people were scrolling through old newspaper reports
just to find injury lists for Curbs' time at Charlton and spreading stories
of discontent among players. Please look at Man Utd's current injury list or
Arsenal's last year and as for discontent of players this has always been
the case at every club; it's just that info (true or false) is easier to get
your hands on in this technological era.

Rate him or not Curbs is old school, a classy bloke who is typical East
London and not prone to sound bites. The behaviour of players has been
quietly deal with – Konch, Teddy, Marlon, Bobby, Reo-Coker, Carroll, etc –
some may say of those most recently sold it was necessity but if he had the
money to bring in new players the same players would have gone anyway.
Now this summer we again appeared to be unable to sign players - accusations
have been levelled at him and the board.

I believe the board are not wanting to force him out (although if the could
get a bright and shiny new manager with a great reputation for success they
would take him – most boards would do the same). I believe the board aren't
purely investors, as has been suggested; nor looking for a way out. I do
think that they are worried about the outcome of the arbitration, or even
worse, know the outcome and are trying to secure our stability as well as
getting rid of the overpaid underachievers within the squad.

With the verdict to come of course signings, training pitches and moving
from grounds is on hold but they have, I'm glad to say, got in some good
loans to keep us afloat till Christmas. This board has known about the
arbitration for quite some time but has invested in Nani and a new medical
team. I believe that their will is still good and that the situation they
find themselves in would have been a nightmare for any group of wise heads –
I believe that no one could have predicted this situation or any negative
outcome and that those would have us believe that the board should have
known are only giving the board credit in order that they can shoot them
down - Our own ITKs and legal-whizzes on the fourm can't even agree!

If the result is good, or even if not, by Christmas we will be spending or
at least have paid our debt. We get £50 million a year from Sky - our
players' wages bill was around £19 million last year – surely takings at the
ground cover this (19 games X 30000 fans X £30 a head) and this doesn't
cover sponsorship, sales at the club shop, food, etc. This board spent
£28million up to the beginning of last season but recouped £21million now
with all the recent sales West Ham's board have taken more than spent and
cut the wages bill dramatically. If the upcoming news is good expect a very
bright future and a lot more comings and goings.

It takes 19 muscles to smile and 41 to frown – cheer up guys and lets hope
for the best.

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Where has the love gone? - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd September 2008
By: Stuart James

I reached the point recently where I can no longer invest emotionally in
West Ham United football club. It's just too infuriating. Having followed
West Ham for my entire life, I'm used to utter incompetence and shooting
ourselves in the foot but the situation the club is currently in is making
it hard for me to justify the pain and emotional strain of following the
love of my life.

This is not a knee-jerk response to the toothless, gutless display against
Manchester City. I've sat through similar or worse, but it seemed indicative
of the direction in which the club is going. It's the first time for a long
time I've sat there thinking we deserve to get absolutely slaughtered here,
and it probably wouldn't be a bad thing if we do.

It was the first time down the pub for a game with my two-week-old nephew,
and we've been constantly badgering my brother-in-law (who supports
Liverpool) that we will make sure he grows up to be a Hammer. After the
game, both my old man and myself could find nothing to say that would
suggest the wee nipper should become a Hammer. There was little on display
of that which captured my imagination at a young age and made me a lifelong
Hammer

I've been sat on the fence during the length of Curbs' time as manager, but
in the last couple of weeks I've found myself firmly dragged to one side of
it. Something is seriously wrong with my club, and on so many levels it
would seem. From the football being played (in the loosest sense of the
word), to the players we have signed, and more to the point, the players we
are allowing to leave.

Not, it would seem, as part of a bigger picture to improve the squad
overall. But to cash in where we can, even though it is of massive detriment
to the team. The ruthless corporate fleecing of some of the most loyal fans
in the country is also very hard to stomach. And with the combination of the
two I'm struggling to find anything positive to say about West Ham at the
moment - and I'm normally very much a glass-half-full kind of guy.

The quality of the football has been shocking for some time. Sure, we've had
unbelievably bad luck with injuries, but that's only half the picture. Some
journo mentioned over the weekend that Curbs's default view is the opposite
of the West Ham fans. That is he was saying that a lot of our fans would
prefer to lose an exciting game of excellent football 3-2 or 4-3, than grind
out dour 1-0 victories, yet Curbs made a career at Charlton of doing the
latter. A case in point against Manchester City. When down to 10 men, a
manager's decisions are magnified and need to be decisive. So after Nobes
had been sent off, Curbs did … not much really. Got Sears to fill in on the
right, and moved Faubert inside. Hardly inspiring.

His next masterstroke was to bring off Sears (one of a very few who looked
like he had a bit of a spark about him) at half-time and play Mullins and
Parker in the middle (So Deano isolated upfront, a defensive midfield, and
hope Ethers and Faubert, out wide, can support Ashton). Then after being
soundly beaten, Curbs comes out and says he didn't have the personnel to pay
with 10 men. Utter b***ocks, in my opinion. He could have moved Faubert to
right-back, giving us an outlet on the flank, and moved Behrami inside to
offer something going forwards from the middle. Or he could have brought
Bowyer on instead of Mullins to give us some sort of support for Ashton from
the middle. Or he could have played a solid 3 in midfield and kept Sears
between the midfield & Ashton...

Playing Mullins and Parker in the middle was the most conservative thing he
could have done, showed no ambition to get at them and only made it
inevitable that we'd be on the back foot for the entire game/

Then there's the signings, and the way our squad has changed since Pardew.
Incidentally, despite all his faults, and having no links to West Ham,
Pardew somehow managed to encapsulate the West Ham ethos. His side played
with the mindset the fans expect a Hammers side to have. He assembled a
side, which despite having no stars, tried to play the type of attack-minded
football associated with West Ham. Bringing in players who were fans (ie
Zamora, Bowyer, Konchesky etc) and who knew the club and expectations
undoubtedly helped. Despite having a smallish squad, it was very well
balanced.

Since Curbs took over, there has been a steady move away from that ethos to
one of signing safe steady experienced players. Sure, when he took over that
is exactly what we needed to add. But now it seems we're moving towards a
squad with no character, and any quality or creativity being traded in for
whatever we can make.

The striker situation is a prime example. My old man was banging on about
Ashton bringing little to the side. His point was that he's a great
finisher, but little else, so he needs setting up. Yet we have no one to set
him up. Bellamy looks like he could be an excellent player for us, but as
we've barely seen him, we need other options. So we have Cole, a player who
offers little goal-threat, and his only worth is to be a focus for long
hoofs upfield.

Yet it was considered better to move on Zamora, a player who always would
add a lot to the side. It was particularly galling watching Fulham do over
the Arsenal recently with Zamora once again proving a nightmare for Wenger's
backline thanks to his constant running and intelligent movement, in a
display described by Hansen on MOTD as 'outstanding all day long'. Whilst we
have to sit through two strikers who offer no movement, no creativity, one
who offers no threat whatsoever, and the other who receives no service so
cannot influence the game.

Then there's the midfield. Case in point, Scott Parker. Why we signed him
I'll never know. Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad player. But with Noble,
Mullins and a number of others who could play the defensive midfield role,
why did we need another? And a player who is an older (and I'd say, less
talented) version of Noble. I really believe the addition of Parker has
stalled Noble's development. They don't work as a pair, and I'd rather play
Quashie than Parker if it allows Nobes to play to his strengths.

The only players we have who could offer attacking options from the middle
of the park are Dyer and Bowyer. Dyer has been unlucky, and I guess it's
tough on Curbs that both have been out, but he showed at Man City, by
leaving Bowyer on the bench when we were crying out for some drive from
midfield, that he is happy to play with a midfield with no drive and no
creativity so long as they are tidy and safe. A complete lack of creativity
in the middle of the park seems of little concern to Curbs, which is strange
considering the type of striker we have in Ashton

So not only have we chosen whatever Cole brings to the squad ahead of the
movement and goal threat that Zamora brought, we also play it dull and safe
in the middle of the park

Now we're onto the defence. If there was one player amongst all our
defenders I wouldn't want the club to sell it's Anton. I'm not saying he's
our best defender, but there are two reasons why I say the above. Firstly,
he's one of our own. Unless he desperately wanted out, we should have done
everything to hang on to him. Yet it seems we were only too willing to cash
in. But more importantly, it's what he brought to the side, and the fact
that we have no one to replace the qualities he brings. The only defender we
have who comes close to bringing Anton's pace, reading of the game, his last
ditch tackles and interceptions is Gabbidon.

Anyone else replacing Anton is a big step down, as was obvious to me
watching the City game. For all Davenport's good qualities he is seriously
lacking in certain areas, especially in terms of pace of movement. There
were times when I was expecting our defence to easily deal with a situation,
but were just too slow. Even Upson seemed to be struggling to cope. Selling
Anton - not to mention George McCartney - has made our defence all the
weaker. Much as I'm a fan of Upson, I'd rather sell him as at least we have
a few players who bring similar qualities to the side as him. Whereas what
Anton brought to the table is seriously lacking in the rest of our defensive
pool. But hey, if we can cash in, what does that matter.

I'm certainly not putting all the blame at Curbs's door. Far from it. Curbs
was always going to be the safe option. We probably needed that at the time
he took over. He has been unlucky with injuries, no question, but it's also
starting to look like his hands have been tied somewhat. But it's the
overall picture that worries me. And for that I'm sure we have to look at
those who are running the club. It does seem that the decisions to sell
first Zamora and now Anton and Linda have been made by people with little or
no understanding of football and especially in relation to the squad of
players we have. The same people who expect the fans to cough up each week,
and to buy the massively over-branded merchandise.

It is for that reason, more than anything else, that I'm finding it hard to
feel any love for my dear old West Ham Utd.

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Appiah - Prem is my dream move - SSN
Hammers lead chase for Ghana star
By Giscard Gourizro Last updated: 3rd September 2008

Ghana star Stephen Appiah has admitted moving to the Premier League would be
a 'dream' for him. The 27-year-old former Juventus star is available on a
free transfer after leaving Fenerbahce last month. Appiah is keen to secure
a move to England and has held talks with a number of interested clubs, but
West Ham confirmed they were in negotiations to take him to Upton Park. The
27-year-old former Juventus star is available on a free transfer after
leaving Fenerbahce last month. Appiah is keen to secure a move to England
and has held talks with a number of interested clubs, but West Ham confirmed
they were in negotiations to take him to Upton Park. Arsenal are the latest
club to be linked with Appiah as they look for midfield reinforcements,
while Portsmouth are also believed to be keeping tabs on the powerful
midfielder. Appiah has told skysports.com that talks are ongoing with
interested parties and that he is hoping to win a move to England. "There
are contacts, there are talks - I can't say anything yet," he told
skysports.com. "I am not going to put people off, my agents are talking so I
have nothing else to say. "My dream is to play in the Premier League and
with the help of God, I will realise that dream."

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Bad Egg to blame? - SSN
Criticism from fans was unfair, says Gale
Last updated: 3rd September 2008

Tony Gale feels the "excesses of the previous chairman" are to blame for the
current problems at West Ham. Alan Curbishley walked out on West Ham on
Wednesday afternoon to become the first Premier League manager to depart his
post this season. Sky Sports pundit Gale, who played for the club between
1984 and 1994, admits he is hugely disappointed and shocked by the decision
but feels it is a result of a chain of events which began when previous
Hammers chief Eggert Magnusson blew too much money on wages and transfer
fees. "I'm shocked and a bit gutted because Alan's a very good man and I'm
gutted he's left the club and decided to resign, said Gale on Sky Sports
News. "Obviously he must have thought he wasn't in control of what was
happening. Unfortunately I think the club needed to get some funds in
because of the excesses of the previous chairman Eggert Magnusson. "Not
every club is in a lovely situation like Manchester City at the moment and
are able to splash the millions. "What Eggert did was to give extravagant
wages and had an extravagant transfer policy with the players that came in
and it's obvious that the club have had to try and balance the books.
Unfortunately Alan's in a position where he wants to do the best for the
club on the pitch as well. It hasn't been to his liking and he's decided to
keep his morals and he's gone. "I'm absolutely gutted because he's a real
nice bloke and a good manager."

Despite guiding the club to Premier League safety in the 2006/07 season and
securing a mid-table finish last season, Curbishley has been widely
criticised by West Ham fans for the style of football he has adopted.
However, Gale feels some of the complaints are unjustified because he feels
Curbishley's record has been impressive. "He was getting a lot of unjust
stick off the fans. They started off with two wins and a defeat and I can't
understand the fans having a go. "They want more exciting football, but I'm
in a lucky position working for Sky Sports and you don't see the kind of
football that all the fans want to see. "They're quite high up in the league
and they finished 10th last season after getting out of relegation problems
the season before so I think they've been very impatient with him and very
unfair."

Thoughts will now turn to Curbishley's replacement with Croatia boss and
former Hammers defender Slaven Bilic among the frontrunners for the post.
But Gale says even though the club will receive a flood of applicants, they
will struggle to replace Curbishley. "I wish he'd have stayed because I
don't think you'll get many better managers than Alan Curbishley," he
concluded. "They're going to find it hard to get one as good and as honest
as he was. "But the search will go on and there'll be no shortage of
applicants because it's a wonderful club. Whoever gets the job is a lucky
person. "There will be fans favourites and the board's favourites, but
they've got to sit down and go through it very carefully because they're
going to find it very difficult to replace a very good man. "I think Slaven
Bilic will definitely be in for the job, there's been a big call for him. "I
think you'll find any manager out of a job at the moment will be applying
for this one because it's one of the top jobs."

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Curbs Out - West Ham Online
Alex V - Wed Sep 3 2008

I'm gutted that Curbs has resigned today. I think it's a dark day - it's not
the end of the World as we know it, but perhaps the final death knell for
the academy-produced managers that we have known over the years.

I took and still take pleasure in the idea of the academy - it gives me a
special pleasure to know that there is a kind of continuity there, and that
those who have been through the system at West Ham have a special connection
with the club, and bear a specific hallmark.

Curbs was one of that special breed, and probably the last we will ever see
at this club. In Brian Belton's latest book he recounts a conversation with
Bobby Moore - clearly Moore felt that Curbishley was the man destined to
lead West Ham forward as a manager at some stage. Apparently even at a young
age Curbs was asking questions of the likes of Moore, trying to work out the
game and develop his understanding.

I think he leaves West Ham with a largely unblemished record - on paper the
results that he has achieved with this club, given the state it was in when
he took over, have been extremely good, and maybe extraordinary. We had
absolutely no right to survive in his first season, nor finish in the top
half in the last campaign. He has done well.

The main reason that Curbs has decided to go is that he clearly lost the
power struggle within the club months ago - all incoming signings seem to be
Nanis, and the final say on outgoings doesn't seem to be down to the manager
either. The landscape in which Curbs took the job has totally changed - from
being backed and trusted by the previous chairman, to being questioned and
undermined by the current one. I can absolutely respect the reasons why
Curbs has decided that enough is enough.

I suppose Curbs achilles heel, if we want to be slightly critical, is that
his outlook is relentlessly domestic. He barely looked abroad for signings,
paid prices and wages in an inflated British market where other operators
were looking at cheaper foreign markets. This weakness resulted in the
technical director coming in which eventually undermined him.

This is where I have mixed feelings, and I'm sure many of you agree. My
loyalty to Curbishley was based on a sense of fairness and quite simply the
quality of his results, but a little part of me was always wondering what
another coach might do with the same squad. We will now get the chance to
find out - gambling with your Premiership status is not always the best
policy for success, but we are left with little choice now.

The question now is who really is in charge here? It looks like it is
Gianluca Nani, the Italian technical director brought in over the Summer.
Transfer policy seems to be dictated by Nani, the suggested changes in the
medical staff and training facilities seem to be dictated by Nani, leaving
whoever is the manager as little more than a glorified first team coach.
It's a system much more common on the continent, and one which suits
billionaire owners down to the ground - they hire a Nani or a Denis Wise or
a Peter Kenyon as a yes man, and are able to influence football matters in a
subtle but effective way without being accused of direct meddling.

The one thing this system does give us is continuity, and that is the real
silver lining here. The new recruit will presumably continue within the same
structure as little more than a coach, leaving Nani to pursue the
longer-term plans of the chairman. It's not altogether satisfying to us
fans, but at least we seem to have a strategy. The eternal problem with
changing your manager was that the club would never have any continuity -
with this system we neatly avoid the problem.

The problem now is who would come. Redknapp will be a hot favourite at
first, but he simply will not come to a club where he cannot use his
principal weapon, the transfer market. And neither does he fit the bill -
West Ham need a manager with enough charisma to inspire players and fans,
and enough tactical nouse to train the existing squad to better things. The
usual British stalwarts will not suffice - this club needs new ideas, not
more of what Curbs already offered.

I don't think the club ever really saw Curbs as the long-term answer, and
were trying to use him to stabilise the club while changes were made - that
has backfired. Now they need to move to the next part of the plan, and that
means that their much-lauded technical director must now find us an
inspirational coach.

And this is an area where no penny-pinching will be acceptable - we simply
need the best man available for the job in the World if we want to move
forward. If the stability of Curbs was not good enough for the club or the
supporters, we now need inspiration and quality of a World-class nature.

This is the moment where the club lays its cards on the table - are we
ambitious or aren't we?!!

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Di Canio craves Hammers job - Setanta
by Alex Livie, 03 September 2008

Paolo Di Canio has spoken of his desire to take the reins at West Ham in the
future. The Hammers are in the spotlight following Alan Curbishley's
decision to resign and the club have made it clear the search for a
successor has begun. Croatia boss Slaven Bilic has emerged as the
bookmakers' favourite for the job, but a host of names have been bandied
around. Di Canio is still hero-worshipped at Upton Park and he clearly has a
place in his heart for The Hammers. "One day I would love to be manager of
West Ham," Di Canio said on Setanta Sports News shortly before news of
Curbishley's departure had been announced. "One day it is my dream and I
hope to come back to London and sit on the bench at West Ham."

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HAMMERS TALK: Irons target keen to fufil Premier League 'dream' move -
Guardian Series
3:34pm Wednesday 3rd September 2008

WEST HAM target Stephen Appiah admits it would be a 'dream' to play in the
Premier League. The Hammers have confirmed that they are in talks with the
Ghana skipper about a possible move to Upton Park. The 27-year-old is able
to move after the transfer deadline because he is a free agent after
negotiating his exit from Turkish giants Fernabache. Appiah has attracted
the interest of clubs from across Europe, including the Hammers Premier
League rivals Arsenal and Portsmouth and the player's former club Juventus.
Appiah revealed that he has had contact with a number of talks, but is
remaining tight-lipped about his future. "There have been talks with some
clubs, although I cant say anything yet," Appiah told skysports.com.
"However, with the help of God I will realise my dream of playing in the
Premier League."

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Hammers sign Hungarian starlet - Setanta
by Robin Hackett, 03 September 2008

West Ham have completed the signing of Hungary Under-19 forward Balint
Bajner. The 17-year-old has joined on a season-long loan from Romania side
CF Liberty Oradea and the move could become permanent if he impresses.
Bajner had trials at Lazio and Inter before arriving at West Ham and Hungary
Under-19 coach Tibor Sisa, pictured, believes he will become a major success
in England. "Balint is a very good young player who is heading for the top,"
he told The Sun. "He is technically gifted and developing well. In spring,
his club sent him over to England for a trial. "He did well then and I am
sure he will be a success."

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Hammers snap up Hungarian whizkid - Guardian Series
8:39am Wednesday 3rd September 2008

WEST HAM have confirmed the signing of Hungarian youth international Balint
Bajner on a season-long loan deal. The highly-rated 17-year-old striker was
interesting a number of clubs across Europe after impressing during his
country's participation in this summer's European under-19 Championships.
Bajner, who can also play wide right, signs from Romanian outfit Liberty
Oradea. The transfer is with a view to a permanent move.

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Hammers boss DID make transfer signings - Guardian Series
8:32am Wednesday 3rd September 2008

WEST Ham will face an agonising wait to see if two late signings will be
allowed to stand, subject to registration at the Premier League. It had been
thought that the transfer window had slammed shut on Monday without manager
Alan Curbishley signing anyone. But a statement on the club's official
website claims the Hammers have snapped up Italian striker David Di Michele
and Congolese left-back Herita Ilunga on season-long loan deals. It is
thought that the east Londoners failed to make the midnight cut-off point
due to administrative issues concerning the release of international
transfer certificates. Veteran Di Michele arrives from Torino, where he
scored six times in 25 appearances last season. The 32-year-old striker will
already be know to Hammers supporters having scored against them in the UEFA
Cup, as his then side Palermo secured a 4-0 aggregate win in 2006. And
following the news that Curbishley had allowed left-back George McCartney to
return to Sunderland for family reasons, he moved quickly to secure the
services of 26-year-old Ilunga. The defender experienced European football
during Toulouse's UEFA Cup campaign last season, having previously spent
four years at Saint-Étienne. If the deals are granted for the pair, they
will have the chance to try and make their moves permanent if they impress
during their season at Upton Park.

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Di Michele up for Hammers challenge - TeamTalk

Striker David Di Michele is eager to deliver having joined West Ham on a
one-year loan deal from Serie A club Torino. Di Michele, who scored seven
goals for the Turin outfit in 25 league appearances last season, is looking
forward to his first adventure abroad. "I am happy with this move," said Di
Michele. "I believe this is the right decision. "Now I hope to score many
goals for West Ham." The 32-year-old, who joined Toro last summer from
Palermo, had been linked with a move to Roma before deciding to join the
Hammers.

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West Ham still in the hunt for midfielder Stephen Appiah - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 10:05 AM on 03rd September 2008

West Ham were still on the trail of Ghanaian international Stephen Appiah
today following their late twin loan signings of Italian striker David di
Michele and Congolese left-back Herita Llunga. West Ham chief executive
Scott Duxbury, it emerged, was working on both deals until midnight on
transfer deadline day but they are still subject to Premier League
registration. The club are confident of both deals going through and are
also hopeful of signing Appiah, who is a free agent following a dispute with
Turkish club Fenerbahce and, as such, is not bound by the transfer deadline.
The signings may placate manager Alan Curbishley as he wanted to keep
full-back George McCartney who was sold to Sunderland in a £6million deal,
also on deadline day.

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Bellamy: I can't afford to break down - JournalLive.co.uk
Sep 3 2008

Craig Bellamy insists he dare not risk breaking down with injury again at a
crucial time for West Ham and Wales. The Wales skipper has been forced out
of the two World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan on Saturday in Cardiff
and next Wednesday away to Russia in Moscow. "I have to be fully fit, I
cannot risk breaking down again," he said. Bellamy worked hard to recover
from a stomach muscle operation in the summer, and then was hit by a
hamstring injury during a pre-season friendly at Ipswich. He made his return
for the Hammers last Saturday, with a 20-minute run out and a fine goal
against Blackburn. "Me, West Ham and Wales all discussed what was the best
thing to do," he continued. "It was agreed that it would be best for me to
stay behind at West Ham to continue my recovery from the hamstring injury.
"We all shared the same view that I stayed behind for more treatment. "The
hamstring was a little tight on Saturday and that was why I only played for
20 minutes. It still felt tight after the match." He added: "So after
working so hard during the summer to get fit, I did not want to risk
breaking down again because I'd come back and done too much too soon."

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Lucas Neill 'clashes with Hammers boss' - nz.yahoo.sports.com
AAP - September 3, 2008, 10:08 pm
EPA ©

Lucas Neill was reportedly involved in a dressing-room row with West Ham's
embattled manager Alan Curbishley after the club's 4-1 win against Blackburn
Rovers at the weekend. The Hammers' Australian captain is believed to have
told Curbishley that the players had "kept you in a job" by winning
Saturday's match, The Independent newspaper reported. Neill also urged
Curbishley, whose future with the Hammers remains uncertain, to do more to
"inspire" his players. West Ham had opened the scoring but it didn't take
long before Blackburn equalised, leaving the Hammers to rely on two
last-minute injury time goals to clinch victory. After the match, Curbishley
admitted to reporters that it was "a bit lively in the dressing room ...
because we (were) a little frustrated" at letting Blackburn get "back into
it".
Neill was one of the first players signed by Curbishley when he joined the
club in January last year. The Australian, who is one of the club's highest
paid players, was soon promoted to captain.

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Appiah edges towards Hammers deal - Football365.co.za

Ghana captain Stephen Appiah is expected to sign for English side West Ham
United next week. The 27-year-old has been in talks with the London club
since last week and an agreement has been reached. Appiah quit previous club
Fenerbahce for personal reasons around a month ago, leaving him a free
agent. As such, he is not bound by the constraints of the transfer window
which means he can be signed by any club at any point. The Hammers have
confirmed that they are close to singing the inspirational midfielder. "The
club recognise the lateness of this announcement but certain formalities
including the release of international transfer certificates had to be
completed," read a club statement. "West Ham can also confirm discussions
with Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah are ongoing."
Appiah has been out of competitive action since November but resumed
personal training with his former club Brescia last month. He is expected to
play for Ghana when they take on Libya in a World Cup qualifier on Friday
night.

Posted: 03/09/08 09:36

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Anton: I want to be the best - Setanta
by Robin Hackett, 03 September 2008

New Sunderland signing Anton Ferdinand has revealed he left West Ham to take
his football to the next level. Ferdinand, 23, spent five years at West Ham
before completing a move to Sunderland at the end of August. And he says
that he made the decision after his brother, Rio - who left Upton Park under
similar circumstances when he joined Leeds in 2000 - assured him that Roy
Keane and Sunderland could help him to become a top-class defender. "I spoke
to Rio a lot before the move," he told the Sunderland Echo. "He made a
similar move at a similar stage of his career and he told me it was the
making of him. "He's worked with the gaffer before and knows how much he
could help me progress. I spoke to him about this at length and he said
straight away, 'That's a move that could take your football to a totally
different level'. "I don't want to settle for being second-best – I want to
be the best I can possibly be." He added: "I was at West Ham a long time and
sometimes you need to take on a new challenge to enable your career to move
on to the next level." George McCartney also made a late move from West Ham
to Sunderland and, with the Northern Ireland international already having
enjoyed a spell at the Stadium of Light, Ferdinand says his team-mate's
experiences helped convince him to head north. But Ferdinand admits he was
surprised that West Ham were prepared to allow the full back to leave.
"George McCartney told me what a great club this is," he said. "I know
George loves it up here so much, so this is probably going to be like coming
home for him. "To be honest, I was surprised when West Ham let George go.
He's a very consistent player and played just about every game last year for
West Ham. "It was very rare for him to have been below par."

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The Wanderers lose to Freddie Sears - Cmon Yu Irons
3 September 2008 5 views No Comment

A West Ham XI played behind closed doors yesterday in a friendly game
against Wycome Wanderers. Freddie Sears scored the only goals in which West
Ham won 2-0 against Wycombe Wanderers, The West Ham team also played James
Tomkins Nigel Quashie and luis Boa Morte. Sears and Tomkins will be hoping
to get a chance to play some 1st team matches this season and hopefuly next
season to start being regulars for the team. Sears understands that it will
take time and some experience under his belt before he becomes West Ham's
number 1 striker, but with his skills and talent, i could say that would be
very soon.

This post was submitted by James Mitchell.

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HATCHET MAN: A little joke - When is the transfer window never closed? When
you're West Ham United! - Daily Mail
By Hatchet Man Last updated at 11:46 AM on 03rd September 2008

Will West Ham will ever learn? Despite the shambolic, illegal deals to
bring in Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, the club still can't get their
administration in order.
Now they want to sign Italy striker David di Michele from Torino and
Demoratic Republic of Congo left-back Herita Ilunga from Toulouse on
12-month loan deals after the transfer window has closed. The Premier
League are yet to give their approval and who can blame them. They should
turn down the requests for West Ham, who must be out of excuses by now, and
tell them to get their house in order.

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