The return to domestic matters is the focus for Kevin Keen and the squad at
Chadwell Heath this week
10.09.2008
Kevin Keen said the West Ham United first-team squad are shaping up well for
the return to league action this weekend and the chance of a fourth win in
five games.
The caretaker manager has been hard at work with the rest of the coaching
staff at Chadwell Heath preparing for Saturday's trip to West Bromwich
Albion. Spirits are high with the players on the back of two consecutive 4-1
victories but no one is taking the opposition lightly. "We are working very
hard this week to make sure we are ready for them," Keen said. "Their type
of football is good passing and movement. It will be a good match-up and a
good game."
Keen has been without a few regulars this week because of international duty
but has relished seeing new recruits Walter Lopez, who has already appeared
in a reserves friendly last month, and David Di Michele link up well with
the rest of the squad. Both internationals are in contention for the weekend
after settling into training while Herita Ilunga is also in the frame after
coming back from World Cup duty with Congo DR.
"I have been really impressed this week with the attitude and the tempo in
training and the football that has been played. Walter has done well. He
likes to get forward from left-back and David is showing he will be the type
of creative centre-forward that the crowd will enjoy watching.
"I have tried to make training upbeat and up-tempo. I want players to enjoy
training and hopefully that is what has come over and we are looking forward
to Saturday. The players want to keep our good start to the season going."
The positive mood has been helped by last season's breakthrough trio all
coming through Tuesday's 4-0 reserve-team friendly win against Norwich City.
James Tomkins and Jack Collison are back after medial knee ligament injuries
and Freddie Sears underlined his progress with another goal. "That was
James' first 90 minutes for us this season which is a massive boost.
Hopefully he will have another reserve game on Monday and then be pushing
for contention. Jack Collison played 60 minutes, which was also important."
Saturday will be too soon for the duo but whoever is selected will be fully
focused on the task at hand. "People might look and say 'West Brom? they
have only just come up' but I have watched videos and we are preparing
properly and will make sure we give ourselves a good opportunity for a
result," Keen said. "It is going to be tough. They had a good result at
Bolton before the break and got a nil-nil. We know what to expect."
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Could Irons legend be Zola's assistant at West Ham? - Echo
1:07pm Wednesday 10th September 2008
WITH Gianfranco Zola apparently set to take the hot seat at Upton Park,
speculation continues to surround who his number two will be. The West Ham
board is apparently keen include a former player in the new coaching set up
with Paola Di Canio's name continually coming up. Di Canio is still a huge
favourite at the Boleyn ground and would certainly be a popular appointment.
Zola, who is currently involved with Italy's Under 21 setup, will return to
the Premier League five years after leaving Chelsea. His connections with
the Blues have concerned some Hammers fans so the Di Canio deal is seen as a
possible solution.
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Gianfranco Zola's Claret and Blue Army [OPINION FROM ADAM] - The West Ham
Process
09.10.08
Gianfranco Zola. Who would of thought it. The Ex- Chelsea man is set to take
over and be the main man at upton park. and bring in either Di Canio or
Cazaraghi (who had his football career finshed after a tackle in a west ham
game! HOW IRONIC!!!) as assistant.
Personally I still prefer Billic.
As we all know Zola's Heart is at Chelsea, so when Scolari doesn't win the
league in a couple of seasons time, will we be moulding a fine figure of a
manager, who will learn from his mistakes in the hands of west ham, and be
the feeder club once again. Zola Will Be manager of Chelsea and do we really
want a manager to take control of our team who's heart belongs elsewhere?
BUT then again Curbs Heart was west ham as a player, but his heart as a
manager was at charlton, and could Zolas heart be at West Ham as a manager?
We'll have to wait and see
But this Zola Business has puzzled me. I mean he has Premiership, European
and International experience..as a player, but he's only stint of managerial
experience was through being a player manager for Calagari and being under
21 assistant. "The man with the plan" is what the board are calling him.
What has ZOLA got up his sleeve that Roberto Donadoni and Roberto Mancini
haven't? It must be something spectacular to water the mouths of Nani and
BG.
Let me know what you think as I am not completly sure whether this will be a
good enough decision in the long run.
Respect the West Ham Faith
Adam
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West Ham's bullet points - Hammers didn't get the man they wanted but at
least the fans know how they got him - Daily Mail
Last updated at 9:36 AM on 10th September 2008
Tap the words "John Bond", "Manchester City" and "1981 documentary" into a
YouTube search engine and watch the drama unfold. This is how all football
managers should be appointed. "This isn't Norwich City you know," booms one
of the City directors as Bond fields a series of questions from his
inquisitors seated around a musty boardroom table in a nicotine stained
room. "I'm very honoured to be here," claimed Bond as he adjusts the suit he
probably wore to his wedding. "I know the needs of you gents and the
supporters who pays [sic] the monies. I think I have the ability to go on
and win a few games." A visionary. "I came here wanting to be unimpressed
and yet I'm very impressed," is one of the verdicts as City's directors
continued their deliberations. With that, chairman Peter Swailes, who had
spent the entire interview idly flipping a beer mat off the table, ushered
Bond back into a room full of cigar smoke and offered him the chance to save
the club from relegation to the old Second Division. "I'd be very pleased to
accept," is Bond's immediate response. That insight was part of an ITV
documentary filmed 27 years ago, the first fly-on-the-wall account of life
at a club in the top tier of English football.
Someone at West Ham has clearly been watching.
This week you could pretty much bowl up to the front door of the Boleyn
Ground and share a plate of pie and mash with West Ham's director of
communications Mike Lee to get the full story on the club's search for a new
manager. Forget the East End's infamous wall of silence. Such is the
transparency at Upton Park that if you asked politely you would probably be
able to inspect the mobile phone records of chief executive Scott Duxbury
and technical director Gianluca Nani. So why is it open house at the Hammers
when it is usually open season?
To Lee's immense credit, he has steered the West Ham story away from Alan
Curbishley, who attracted a wave of unexpected sympathy when he walked out
of Upton Park last week citing "an abuse of trust". That was a pretty hefty
statement to make from a departing manager and yet Lee has skilfully
diverted attention away from Curbishley's accusations.
So far so good.
So what of Mike Lee and the Modern World, telling Radio Five's Sportsweek
that "John Collins would eventually make a good manager" and briefing
newspapers, this one included, about the requirements of the job? Saving
themselves a fortune in advertising fees, Lee issued the media with a list
of bullet points.
The candidate must:
be able to make good use of the English language
be aware of the condition and standing of the club
have a commitment to flair
have a long term commitment to youth development
be experienced
be media savvy (interpreted as a direct hit on Curbishley).
There were shades of Brian Hanrahan as Duxbury and Nani, the two men
entrusted with the job of identifying the outstanding candidate, "counted
them all out and counted them all back". Duxbury wanted Bilic, who had made
only 48 appearances for the club, but he identified with the fans in the
stands. Bilic was one of them.
Gudmundsson nodded his head in approval. Nani was unmoved. Bilic had been
sounded out when Curbishley was first on the ropes and the message came back
loud clear. The Croatian wanted to come, but he did not want to work with a
technical director. Nani worked on alternatives as Duxbury worked in the
background to secure Bilic's release. "We really are West Ham United," Lee
declared just as the splits in the camp began to emerge. Italian Nani homed
in on Roberto Donadoni, sacked by the Azzurri after failing to succeed at
Euro 2008, interviewing him at the InterContinental in London's Park Lane.
Tea and biscuits swiftly followed for John Collins, the former manager of
Hibernian, but then Nani began pressing the claims of Gianfranco Zola, so
popular with Chelsea fans that he has been voted the club's best player of
all time.
Zola, assistant coach to Pierluigi Casiraghi's Italy Under 21 team,
impressed during two separate interviews over the weekend, but Bilic had a
decision to make.
West Ham wanted to fly to Zagreb on Monday for talks, 48 hours before
Croatia played England, but Lee was dropping heavy hints that Bilic wanted
to stay with Croatia as the part time coach until January. By Monday night
it was a deal breaker. "The idea of a part-time manager was something no
board could contemplate and it means Bilic is now officially off our list,"
Lee announced.
The club's refreshing attitude meant West Ham supporters were kept abreast
of the situation. They did not get the man they wanted, but at least they
know how they got him.
Phone poll: Paul Jewell
JON GAUNT: So, come on, who should be the next West Ham manager? Call
TalkSport now. Line One...
CALLER: Hi, I just want to say I think Paul Jewell is the man for the West
Ham job.
GAUNT: Er, really, why do you say that? Where are you calling from?
CALLER: Derby.
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Nani: West Ham want to follow Arsenal, Ajax model
Submitted by tribalfootball.com on Wed, 09/10/2008 - 21:52
West Ham chief Gianluca Nani says Arsenal and Ajax are the board's models.
Nani said: "West Ham's target is to grow through a project, as Fiorentina
most recently did, consolidate our position in The Premier League and
establish a system of scouting that can help us find new talent. "Arsenal
and Ajax are famous for playing with great young players and we would
eventually like to get to this."
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