WHUFC.com
Having to watch on from the sidelines because of injury has left Valon
Behrami eager to play his part again
13.11.2008
Valon Behrami is back in training and eager to play his part once again for
West Ham United and help the team get back on track this Saturday.
The 23-year-old midfielder has made an instant impact this season after
arriving in a £5m transfer from Lazio. He started the first nine Barclays
Premier League games but has missed out on the last two with a calf injury
suffered away to Manchester United at the end of October. It has meant a
watching brief of late, not something that comes easily to the Swiss
international.
"It has been very hard to watch the last games and not play because I want
to help my team," he said. "It is tough to be out and to have to watch when
you can't do anything for the team. It was very hard. It is much harder when
the situation is like it is rather than when the team are getting the
results."
Having been put through his paces with an intense personal programme,
Behrami will hope to earn a recall by Gianfranco Zola for the weekend visit
of Portsmouth. "We are looking forward to the game and we will give
everything to get the victory on Saturday." The manager has plenty of
options with the likes of James Tomkins and Calum Davenport in full
training, plus Carlton Cole back from suspension.
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Ticket latest for Portsmouth
WHUFC.com
There are a limited number of tickets remaining for the much-anticipated
visit of Portsmouth this Saturday
13.11.2008
There is still time for fans who have yet to get their tickets for
Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter at the Boleyn Ground.
Gianfranco Zola will pit his wits against newly-appointed Portsmouth
manager, Tony Adams - an opponent he knows well from his playing days. With
the fluent football of recent matches and the performances of youngsters
Jack Collison and Freddie Sears, the players will hope to start picking up
the points the displays deserve. The contest will also feature a trio of
ex-Hammers in David James, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe.
The tickets still available start from £35 for adults and £17 for
under-16's, with further discounts available for Young Adult and Youth
Academy members. Any remaining tickets can be purchased either in person
from the Dr Martens Ticket Office, by calling 0871 222 2700 via Option 1 or
online by clicking here. (https://www.whufcboxoffice.com/ )
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Hammers star supports Zola
Collison says Hammers squad is behind manager
Last updated: 12th November 2008
West Ham youngster Jack Collison insists the whole squad are firmly behind
Gianfranco Zola. Zola admits he is under pressure at Upton Park after going
six games without a win. The diminutive Italian has only recorded two wins
since replacing Alan Curbishley at the helm, but Collison is a big admirer
of Zola's methods and is confident things will soon turn around. "People can
see that we are playing good football and that all the players are being
encouraged to play with freedom, but results do count, of course they do,"
Collison told the club's official website. "All the boys have complete faith
in what the manager is getting us to do and if we can keep performing like
we have been, the results will come, we are confident of that."
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West Ham defender James Collins in wrongful arrest row
The Mirror
By Darren Lewis 13/11/2008
Angry James Collins was last night considering legal action - after being
HANDCUFFED in a case of mistaken identity outside a London nightclub. The
West Ham defender, 25, was leaving trendy Japanese restaurant Nobu with his
wife on Tuesday night when he was accused of taking part in a brawl outside
the Funky Buddha club, in nearby Berkeley Square. Police swooped on Collins,
pinned his arms behind his back and slapped on the cuffs. But they released
him just as swiftly when it was pointed out that he was innocent. Collins is
now considering his options.
The West Ham players had been given the day off and the club confirmed last
night that Collins had not been breaking any curfew. A West Ham spokesman
said: "We have received a full explanation from the player of the events of
Tuesday evening. We accept the explanation he has given." A Metropolitan
Police spokesman said last night: "The Met can confirm that a man was
arrested then subsequently de-arrested in Berkeley Square."
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Distin admits to Pompey unrest ahead of Hammers trip
7:33am Thursday 13th November 2008
Echo
PORTSMOUTH defender Sylvain Distin has admitted that there is unrest in the
Pompey dressing room ahead of Saturday's trip to West Ham. The Hampshire
club has already seen manager Harry Redknapp depart for Tottenham Hotspur
this season, while owner Sacha Gaydamak has admitted that he is ready to
sell the club. First-team coach Joe Jordan has also left Fratton Park, with
Tony Adams installed as the new boss and former Netherlands international
Johnny Metgod assisting the former Arsenal and England defender. All that
has, according to Frenchman Distin, left him and his team-mates feeling
uncertain. "I came here and the club had a plan. Right now I do not know
what that plan is," the ex-Manchester City man told BBC Sport. "Every day
you think 'what is going to happen today?'." "You can read in the newspaper
every day that the club has some financial problem. I don't know if it's the
truth or not."
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HAMMERS TALK: Irons back in the race for Ghana star
3:21pm Wednesday 12th November 2008
Guardian Series
WEST Ham could move for Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah after the player was
finally confirmed as a free agent. The 27-year-old has been embroiled in a
dispute with his club Fenerbahce but FIFA have intervened and have ruled
that Appiah is no longer tied to the Turkish club, opening the door for the
Hammers to swoop, having been linked with the player in recent months. A
statement from football's governing body read: "It should be noted that FIFA
received no less than three requests, claims and counter-claims from the
club and the player between January 31 and April 28. "After giving the
parties time to present their positions on the matter, FIFA advised both
parties to consider their relationship terminated."
The announcement means Irons boss Gianfranco Zola is free to pursue the
player before the January transfer window. However he is likely to face
competition from Tottenham and Fulham for the powerful central midfielder.
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Aussie rules for Lucas Neill as he looks to quit West Ham to star in his own
team
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 3:52 AM on 13th November 2008
Daily Mail
West Ham defender Lucas Neill says he will quit the Barclays Premier League
if his bid to set up an Australian football team is successful. The
Australia international wants to establish an A-League club in Western
Sydney and admits he would be better placed to offer his experience to them
on the pitch rather than in the boardroom. 'Some players have got involved
in running football clubs before but if I am being honest I don't want to be
involved in that,' he said. 'I want to come back and play for the team if
the franchise is granted. I want to possibly pursue a coaching role or go to
the grassroots and try and teach and coach young kids. 'Being a Sydney boy,
I thought it would be good to start a legacy and start at the top and work
my way back down to the grassroots. ' I want to build a structure and
inspire the young people of Australia, give them something to dream about,
give them some heroes that they want to emulate.' The 30-year-old is up
against rival bids from the South Coast of New South Wales, Canberra, and
Tasmania for the franchise place, but Western Sydney is seen as the
favourite to take the place in 2010-2011.
'As a sportsman, I'm confident,' he said. 'I hate losing. I am in this to
win it.'
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Barclays Premier League West Ham United v Portsmouth
Sat Nov 15Boleyn Ground, Green St, E13 9AZ
Time Out
At last, a coach with less top-flight experience than Gianfranco Zola comes
to Upton Park to pit his wits against the Italian. Tony Adams is the new man
in charge of Portsmouth, and the defender regularly got the better of Zola
in their playing days: in seven seasons and 17 games, the Italian only
scored three times against Arsenal. Zola should have no problem motivating
his players for this one, as the fans will have reminded him that Pompey's
David James, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson were all part of the Hammers
side that were relegated in 2003. It's Portsmouth who are on a downward
spiral at the moment after losing Harry Redknapp, another former West Ham
hero, to Tottenham – and with teams at the bottom taking points off each
other, no-one is safe. West Ham's recent run of four straight defeats did
not stop Zola smiling and fans are showing patience as the team have started
playing better football than under predecessor Alan Curbishley. 'We are
playing well and just need some luck on our side,' says in-form midfielder
Hayden Mullins. This would be a good time for that luck to start. Ben
Lyttleton
Details
Boleyn Ground,Green St, E13 9AZ
, UK
Geo: 51.531699, 0.038343
0870 112 2700
www.whufc.com
Category: Football: Men
Times: Sat, 3pm
Price: £35-£51
Travel: Upton Park
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Argentina international is Spainish transfer target
Published Date: 13 November 2008
Former West Ham star Carlos Tevez - now with Manchester United - is a
surprise transfer target for Real Madrid, according to reports. The Daily
Mirror report that the Spanish giants are expected to launch an aggressive
bid for the Argentine hitman in January. Real want Tevez to replace former
United ace Ruud van Nistelrooy who is injured and expected to be out for two
months with knee problems. A source close to Tevez told The Daily Mirror:
"Carlos would prefer to stay at United, but the interest from Real is
genuine - and there are other clubs interested, too."
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Appiah is back on the Hammers radar
Newham Recorder
12 November 2008
GHANA international midfielder Stephen Appiah has been linked with a move to
West Ham United again this week after finally being declared a free agent.
The Hammers had looked at the prospect of bringing the 27-year-old central
midfielder to Upton Park during the summer transfer window, but a dispute
between the player and his former club Fenerbahce put paid to the
possibility. However, the Ghana captain has now been released from any
obligations in Turkey by FIFA, who released a statement to that effect at
the weekend. The statement read: "It should be noted that FIFA received no
less than three requests, claims and counter-claims from the club and the
player between January 31 and April 28. "After giving the parties time to
present their positions on the matter, FIFA advised both parties to consider
their relationship as terminated."
That opens the way for the experienced player to join a Premier League club
as a free agent before the transfer window reopens in January. But if West
Ham want to strengthen their squad by signing Appiah, they are likely to
face competition from both Tottenham and Fulham. It is certainly true that
West Ham need some fresh blood to stop their march down the Premier League
table, but whether another player undoubtedly lacking match fitness, would
be the ideal candidate, is a matter of opinion. Both David Di Michele and
Diego Tristan have struggled to get themselves fit since joining the club,
and the Hammers may not be prepared to wait for a third player to reach his
peak sometime later in the campaign. On the other hand, he is undoubtedly an
experienced player with a good reputation, and though he has suffered from a
string of injuries in the last couple of years, if West Ham can get him fit
and playing, he could be an important asset for the team. It would seem
something of a gamble.
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Jack's the lad for the future
Newham Recorder
12 November 2008
IT SHOULD have been the greatest moment in his West Ham career so far. Jack
Collison had come on for his first taste of Upton Park in the first team and
seemed to have grabbed all three points with a superbly-taken goal, writes
DAVE EVANS. But football, particularly in the Premier League, so often finds
a way of kicking you in the teeth, and sure enough, a nightmare final 10
minutes and Collison's glory moment was all but forgotten amid another
defeat. "It was nice to get off the mark, but at the end of the day it is
the result that matters and me personally and all the boys are very
disappointed about the way it went," said the 20-year-old Welsh
international, who was brought into the action when Matty Upson was forced
off after just 18 minutes of Saturday's clash with Everton. After such an
impressive performance at Middlesbrough last week though, was the youngster
expecting to start against the Toffees? "I was obviously a little bit
disappointed not to start, but I think if you look at who the boss brought
in - Scott Parker and Lee Bowyer - they are both very experienced players,
and I think that is what you need at times like this. "Any minutes on the
pitch is a bonus for me, and any time I get on there I'm going to try and do
my best for the team, and try and cement a place." His performance against
Everton will surely take him another step towards that ambition. This was
not the Collison we saw against Arsenal and Bolton last season. That was a
nervous, unsure midfielder, but there is a cool class about this season's
vintage of the youngster, illustrated perfectly by his goal on 63 minutes.
"I knew exactly what 'Scotty' was going to do, I don't know why, I just knew
it was going to end up in my path," explained Collison. "It was a great
touch by him, but he does that every day in training, so perhaps that was
why I was expecting it. He's dropped it back to me and it's just opened up
and I've tried to bend it round the keeper."
He did exactly that, and considering the chances he missed at the Riverside
last week, it was a finish of real maturity. "Obviously when the ball was
touched back to me, I was thinking about Middlesbrough a little bit," he
confessed. "I was disappointed last week, and I think it was probably a
harder chance this week, but I think I took it well."
He did, and that is what makes West Ham's late capitulation even more
disappointing, not just for the fans, but for the players as well. "I think
when the boys got into the changing room there was a real sense of
disbelief," said Collison. "To play so well for 80 minutes and then end up
losing 3-1, the boys were just shocked. "But we are going to go back to the
training ground on Monday and everyone is going to get together and work
hard at getting some points and getting us back up the table.
We are going through a sticky patch, but the boys have faith in what the
manager is trying to do. "He is trying to get us playing nice football and
I think if we can perform in the way we are, the results are eventually
going to come and we can get ourselves out of the position we are in." West
Ham fans will hope that he is right, and many of them will be starting to
think that the best way to do just that is to have a certain Jack Collison
at the heart of the midfield.
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Bowyer excited by Zola tactics
Newham Recorder
12 November 2008
SIX GAMES without a win and a slide down the Premier League table that has
been in direct contrast to Tottenham's rise up it, and you would think that
confidence would be low at West Ham, writes DAVE EVANS. But according to
midfielder Lee Bowyer, the self-belief in the team is still as high as ever
as Gianfranco Zola attempts to put his mark on the squad. "I think if you
look at the way we played against Everton for 80 minutes, I don't think our
confidence is low," said the 32-year-old former England international after
Saturday's 3-1 loss. "At Middlesbrough we should have won and today we
should have won, so I don't think it is our confidence. "Last week it was a
free kick which crept through the wall, so it is not like teams are
outplaying us. Today we outplayed them, but we were just unfortunate not to
get the three points."
Bowyer was drafted back into the starting line-up on Saturday to play
alongside Scott Parker, but it was a potential partnership that once again
was fated to be torn apart when Matty Upson was forced off with a dead leg
and the Hammers were forced to reshuffle. "I don't think me and Scott are
destined to play together," smiled Bowyer. "I think Scott has been here for
two seasons now, and either he's been injured or I've been injured, so this
was our first chance today. "Then we changed the way we played so I went on
the right and we still didn't really get the chance to play together."
Bowyer slotted in at right midfield as youngster Jack Collison came on, and
it seemed to work a treat as West Ham controlled the game for almost 80
minutes against a lacklustre Everton side. "I don't think it was hard to see
that we were dominating that game," confirmed the former Newcastle United
and Leeds United man. "I think we controlled it for 80 minutes, but once we
went into that last 10 minutes, they had a bit of pressure, but we should
have seen it out really."
The defeat signalled 26 competitive games without keeping a clean sheet, but
Bowyer believes that West Ham did have the right tactics in the closing
stages on Saturday, and should have gone on to win by more goals. "I
wouldn't say the clean sheets play on our minds," insisted Bowyer.
"Obviously we are not happy with that statistic because it isn't good enough
and I think every player in the squad will hold their hands up and say the
same. "To go that long without a clean sheet is not good. You should be able
to win games 1-0 and today should have been a 1-0 result at least."
For some teams it probably would have been a 1-0 win. Alan Curbishley would
have undoubtedly brought on Hayden Mullins for a striker and shut up shop,
but for Bowyer that is not the way to play the game. "I don't think like
that," confessed the playmaker. "I thought we could have nicked another one.
"They were the ones chasing the game, so by them pressing forward we were
going to nick one on the break, and it happened a couple of times, but it
never fell for us at the right time," said Bowyer, who is really enjoying
turning out for the new manager. "I think the way we are playing at the
moment is exciting, and as a player it is enjoyable," he said. "Obviously
you don't like losing, but the football we are playing is good. We are
moving the ball well and the movement is really good and we've all got
options.
"We haven't had that for a while, so as an attacking player, I'm enjoying it
and I think a lot of other players are too."
Bowyer was making only his fourth start this season, but slowly he is
beginning to feel his fitness and his form improving. "My fitness is getting
better with each game," he confirmed. "Obviously I missed a lot of last
season, and then came back and did my hamstring this season, but I played
the Arsenal and Manchester United games and got my fitness up a bit," he
laughed. After grabbing four goals last season amid another injury-hit
campaign, Bowyer will now be looking for a long run in the first team and
maybe adding to the goal tally that has been so lacking from the West Ham
midfield this season. But with players like Collison and Valon Behrami
breathing down his neck, he will have to be at his very best to keep his
place in the team and that can only be good for the Hammers.
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Diego Tristan insists West Ham too good to go down
13.11.08 | tribalfootball.com
New signing Diego Tristan has rubbished claims West Ham will be relegated
this season. Tristan, 32, was lured to West Ham last month by boss
Gianfranco Zola. But the Italian is already under pressure after losing five
of his last six games. Tristan said: "I think we have a good enough squad to
stay up this season but every game is difficult. We have to adapt to this
new style of play and that's not easy." The Hammers also have cash worries
and Zola may have to sell key men. But Tristan insisted: "The only reason I
came here was to play for Zola. I am working hard to make sure I'm fit and
ready to help the team."
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