Web Digest [ West Ham United ] - II 14th January 2008

Noble going for goals - WHUFC
Having become a key man with assists of late, Mark Noble wants to start
finding the net himself
14.01.2008

Mark Noble has pledged to keep plugging away in front of goal at Manchester
City on Wednesday night after continually seeing others taking the scoring
glory this season.

The homegrown midfielder made both goals for Anton Ferdinand and Matthew
Upson in the 2-1 win against Manchester United on 29 December and followed
that up against Fulham on Saturday with the decisive moment as the match
entered its final stages. Dean Ashton had already equalised when Noble,
refusing to let a wayward pass run out of play, chased the ball down before
knocking it back for Ferdinand to secure another 2-1 triumph.

"I want some of Anton's win bonus because I keep setting him up," joked
Noble to WHUTV. "That's what I want to add to my game - assists and goals.
The assists are coming, I just need to get some goals. It seems that every
time I have a shot now, it looks like it is going in until someone blocks
it. I will keep persevering and they will come soon."

As has been the story of this season with the entire squad stepping up when
needed, Noble has made the most of Scott Parker's absence to re-establish
himself. He began the campaign as first-choice in midfield, scoring from the
penalty spot back on 18 August at Birmingham City, before a hernia problem
took its toll. Fit again, firing on all cylinders and ready for the midweek
cup challenge, the England Under-21 midfielder said: "I am pleased with the
way I am playing.

"Fulham started really sharp but we finally got a foothold in the game.
Freddie [Ljungberg] put in a great cross for Deano and we really started to
play and we could have had three or four goals in that first half. The
keeper pulled off some great saves and in the second half we had two cleared
off the line - finally Anton got the win for us. It was a hard game for us
but we deserved it."

While another hard game is in store on Wednesday, Noble is also keen to push
on in the league. The Hammers go to City again on Sunday afternoon and the
20-year-old was pleased the club would make the trip secure in tenth
place."It was important that we won on Saturday. There is a six-point gap
between us and Newcastle," he said. "We can really push on and catch some
other teams up."

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Ticket update for City replay - WHUFC
The ticket office has released updated information for fans wishing to
travel for Wednesday night's game
14.01.2008

Fans travelling to the FA Cup third-round replay at Manchester City have
until 5pm on Tuesday to purchase their seats in person from the West Ham
United ticket office.

More than 2,000 supporters are expected to head to the City of Manchester
Stadium for Wednesday's tie, which gets under way at 8.05pm and has to be
played to a finish on the night. The replay became necessary after a
goalless draw at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 5 January. The club has happy
memories of the last cup date away to City as two Dean Ashton goals in March
2006 paved the way for a 2-1 quarter-final victory en route to the final.

Manchester City have also confirmed this morning that the match is not
all-ticket and supporters who do not pre-purchase will be able to buy
tickets from the South Box Office on the evening of the match. Tickets cost
£15 for adults and £5 for Under-16s - although adult season-ticket holders
can obtain a £5 discount when purchasing in person from the ticket office.
Please note this offer will not be available on the night of the game.

Coach travel is also available and will depart the Boleyn Ground at 12.15pm,
with the deadline for booking places also at 5pm on Tuesday.

The prices are as follows:

Season ticket holders & members - £24 Adults & £22 Concessions

Clubcard holders - £28 Adults & £26 Seniors & Under 16's

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Defender makes Weymouth loan move - BBC

Weymouth have signed West Ham United defender Bondz Ngala on loan for the
rest of the season. The centre-back has come through the Hammers' academy
and has made a number of appearances for their reserves. Ngala made his
Weymouth debut in the goalless draw against Kidderminster in the second
round of the FA Trophy. He is the fifth player to arrive at the Wessex
Stadium this month, following David Roberts, Adam Gross, Michael Malcolm and
Wilfried Domoraud.

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Hammers eye the new Yossi - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 14th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel

Israel's Channel Five are linking the Hammers with a move for Israeli
starlet Maor Bouzaglo. The young attacking midfielder, 20 today, is
currently on loan at Ligat ha'Al side Bnei Sakhnin from Maccabi Haifa - the
former club of both Eyal Berkovic and Yossi Benayoun, and home to former
Hammer Yaniv Katan. Bouzaglo spent time with both Juventus and Lyon as a
youth team player before returning to his native Israel in 2005 whereupon he
signed his first professional contract. He has thus far made two appearances
for the Israeli national side, making his international debut in the 2-1 win
over Russia last November that gave England brief hope of qualifying for the
European Championships. TV station Channel Five claimed last night that West
Ham have contacted Maccabi with view to a permanent deal.

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No deals likely in tranzzzfer window - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 14th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel

A year ago a £17m transfer window spending spree went a long way towards
helping the Hammers avoid relegation. But 12 months on it is unlikely that
Alan Curbishley will be spending a single penny on new players ahead of the
end of the current window, which ends on January 31st.

That tightening of the purse strings by owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has
been mainly attributed to United's massive losses of some £18m over the last
financial year, thanks to a 25% wage bill increase (up from £31m to £42m) -
although big contracts for new players (such as Freddie Ljungberg) have also
seen Alan Curbishley's spending power harnessed.

Whilst many supporters believe the team needs at least one striker - and
possibly another left-back plus a creative force in midfield - Curbishley
has gone to great lengths in recent days to suggest otherwise, citing the
number of players returning from injury as a reason not to extend the
payroll further (even though he has been playing the entire season thus far
with no more than two fit strikers).

Rather, it is likely that any movement in East London this January will see
players leaving the club in an attempt to arrest that extanding wage bill.
Calum Davenport, Nigel Quashie and the club's longest serving player,
Christian Dailly, all look set to move on ahead of February 1st if reports
are to be believed.

The Hammers are known to be in the market for a striker, although this is
likely to be a loan deal only - meaning that reports of the imminent arrival
of Derby's Giles Barnes, which originally surfaced last October, are wide of
the mark.

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West Ham United 2 Fulham 1 - KUMB
By Gordon Thrower

Game of two halves? This was more of a game of four quarters and we weren't
all that good in all of them.
There were a few changes this week caused by the non-availability of players
such as Pantsil (African Cup Of Nations) and Neill (another flipping
injury). Thankfully there was better news on the positive side of the injury
balance sheet as the starting line-up included Ljungberg whilst the bench
contained the likes of Boa Morte, Bowyer and pre-season signing Faubert of
whom much was expected. Line up: Green, Spector, McCartney, Upson,
Ferdinand, Ljungberg, Mullins, Noble, Etherington, Ashton and Cole.

I'd like announce that the first 25 minutes or so of this match were amongst
the worst I've seen at the Boleyn. I mentioned this to the lovely girlfriend
on my return home post-match just so she realises that I'm not always out
enjoying myself. There was a strange lethargy about the place – both on and
off the pitch. This manifested itself on the pitch by the strange reluctance
of either Ferdinand or Upson to get a challenge in early on to allow Dempsey
to volley a Healey lay-off about ten yards over.

Off the pitch it was as if everyone was exhausted following a hard first
week back at work. The somewhat slapdash approach of the defence did not
bode well and on 7 minutes the worst of our fears were realised. A supposed
foul by Spector on Healey (who, as we know from past encounters, likes a
dive) was given by ref Riley. Davis curled it in and Green appeared
bamboozled firstly by the acres of space that Bocanegra had to run into, and
secondly, by the fact that Bocanegra failed to get so much of a touch on the
ball which carried straight on its way uninterrupted past Green's far too
late dive to put the visitors one up.

This was not in the script and for the next 20 minutes the most notable
thing to happen was Ljungberg's doomed bid to head a ball that was quite
happy being kicked by an opponent at the time. This resulted in Freddie
trying an ill-advised Leslie Ash impersonation – though to be fair he did
get the lips spot on. For a moment Fulham looked as if they might start to
play and Konchesky linked up well with Healey, Green thankfully being equal
to the task. The keeper's first instinct was to send Etherington on a run
down the left. Matty took on and beat two opponents – including a Baird
nutmeg – before succumbing to the team's perennial failing, that of being
unable to deliver a decent cross.

The spell of play was poor. Neither side seemed to have it in them to string
any passes together and giving the ball away was par for the course. Mullins
in particular seemed to have some aversion to passing to anyone in claret &
blue – though I suppose he may have been confused by the lack of a number on
Ljungberg's back,. The Swede had been forced into a change of kit by the
fact that he'd got a different type of claret down the front of his shirt.

So, playing poorly, and with no sight of a goal, we got a goal. And it was a
good one too. There seemed to be little on as Ljungberg received the ball
out on the Chicken Run touchline. However, once Freddie had sorted his feet
out he went past Konchesky like he was, well, Konchesky and put over a
superb cross. Ashton, with a move of anticipation that has been lacking from
his game since his return to injury, got across his marker to direct a
superb glancing header into the bottom corner. Coming as it did from the
first bit of football either side had been able to muster all afternoon, the
goal seemed out of place – as if the director had reviewed the first cut of
his film and edited in some stock footage of a really good game to make the
final cut more interesting.

The game improved no end from this point. Ferdinand got on the end of a
corner but the required save barely tested Niemi. We'd spoken pre-match
about the Finnish 'keeper's habit of playing a blinder whenever he plays
against us and so it proved once more. A clever header from Cole saw Ashton
bring Etherington into play. Matty's first low cross was low and blocked.
His second effort found Ashton who had the time and space to chest the ball
down and volley goalwards only for him to find Niemi in fine form, the
'keeper's tip onto the bar being well worth the generous applause it got
from all four sides of the ground. Damn him!

We started to play fairly well and, for once, we were actually looking to
use the flanks and both Etheringon and Ljungberg were getting involved. Cole
& Ashton were beginning to link well as well. A Cole flick on sent Ashton
wide of the goal. There didn't seem to be too much danger as Ashton
manoeuvred himself back to the corner of the box but suddenly he found the
space to send a curling effort that brought another fine save from Niemi who
tipped the goalbound shot over the bar. Damn him! The resulting corner from
Noble caused a few problems but Fulham scrambled clear.

Etheringon then went on another storming run down the left, leaving Volz
behind as if he were, well, Konchesky. Once more the final ball into the box
lacked quality and was cleared away. Then Cole should have put us into the
lead. A Spector pass took a flick off a defender and Cole was able to muscle
Hughes out of the way – not that it took much muscle to be honest. However
the forward shot straight at Niemi whose save was infinitely easier than it
ought to have been.

Well for all the fact that on clear chances we should have been 4-1 up the
close of the half saw a defensive slip that could have seen us go into the
break 2-1 down. It was as if the mythical film director had said – "this
picture needs a comedy moment here" and Ljungberg was the man to provide it.
Ten out of ten for coming back to help out the defence but minus several
million Freddie for deciding to bring the ball back into your own box
instead of putting it into the Chicken Run. Healey got the block on and the
ball ran agonisingly across the face of the goal, Ferdinand finally sorting
it out for a corner, which was comfortably dealt with for the last
meaningful action of the half.

After the welcome return of the Kit-Kats (and, more importantly the
confectioner) the second half started quietly with Noble getting away with a
bit of a petulant shove on Dempsey having shepherded a hopeful ball out for
a goal-kick. Noble then went up the other end and had a powerful, but
possibly wayward effort blocked for a corner. Noble took the corner himself
and found McCartney at the back stick but Linda's goal-bound header was
rightly ruled-out due to the Irishman's use of a defender to give him a
lift-up.

Ljungberg, being one of the lucky few to actually find a shirt of the
correct size in the club shop, had now got one with name and number on the
back, and thus no longer resembled the bloke in every Sunday pub team that
has a shirt that is almost, but not quite, totally different from those worn
by his team mates. Armed with the new shirt, he then proceeded to ensure
that as many of the Fulham left-hand side got a good view of the name and
number on the back as he went down the right flank. A clever early ball
found Ashton in between two defenders only for his hook on to drift wide,
Cole not having got far enough forward to get on the end of the shot or pass
depending on your point of view.

The pressure started to slowly build up as Cole fed Etherington whose
attempted cross was blocked for a corner. Noble's corner was cleverly nodded
towards goal by Cole only for Knochesky to clear off the line. Fulham didn't
clear properly and Etherington's lofted cross found Upson who glanced wide.

Just after the hour Boa-Morte replaced Cole who had seemed a bit out of
sorts. Fulham hadn't created much and were relying on being given the ball –
Noble being the culprit on one occasion by dwelling on the ball for a move
that saw Healey force a corner – LBM's first action being to head clear.

Such forays into opposition territory were rare for the visitors and even
when they did cross the half-way line we looked pretty dangerous on the
break. Ljungberg and Spector combined to rob Davies and Spector sent Freddie
down the line on the overlap. The cross found LBM who made enough room for
the shot which was blocked. The ball fell out to Matty whose shot was also
blocked.

Ljungberg then combined with LBM to force yet another corner. The corner was
cleared as far as Mullins whose header wide looked like it a bit too much on
it. Well it looked that way to everyone but Noble who managed to not only
keep the ball in but, in doing so, provided the perfect pull back to
Ferdinand to bury a first time effort from 12 yards out into the roof of the
net to send us 2-1 up with about 20 minutes to play. Another fine goal.

The heads were up now. Ljungberg cut inside to have another shot blocked and
each time the ball came out of the Fulham defence it went straight back in.
Clearances into the Chicken Run of the sort that Freddie had earlier failed
to use were the order of the day. A long ball from Mullins was headed back
across goal by Ljungberg where only a last-ditch tackle by Stefanovic
prevented Ashton from doubling his tally. Riley, of course, called it a
goal-kick. Bald refs called Mike. The theory holds.

Of course winning 2-1 in a game we could have been 5 or 6-1 up in always
raises the possibility that something stupid will happen. Healey was given
far too much time and space on the right and Upson was forced to clear with
Green stranded. This prompted a couple of corners, the first of which was
cleared by Mullins. The second found Dempsey whose free header fortunately
found Noble on the post to clear. Upson then gave away another free-kick for
a foul on Healey who threw himself unconvincingly to the ground with minimal
contact. Old habits die hard I suppose. Murphy's free-kick found Baird
totally unmarked in the box but thankfully the header was well over.
Etherington left with ten minutes to go to be replaced by Bowyer on his
return from injury.

LBM then got a free-kick given against him for being fouled by an opponent –
one of a number of baffling decisions by Riley. Former Hammer Bullard teed
up the shot, but, ever-thankful towards the club that gave him his football
education, he wisely elected to plant the ball into the back reaches of the
Centenary Stand.

With two minutes left on the clock Ljungberg, who had probably played his
best game in claret and blue was replaced by Faubert, both receiving
generous applause – the latter also receiving the accolade of the newly
resurrected "Julien" chant not heard since the retirement of the
similarly-named Mr Dicks.

Two minutes of stoppage were added during which Ashton had a lazy volley
from a Green clearance go wide, and Bullard had a shot blocked right at the
death. The resulting corner was the last action of a match that had started
poorly and improved into a surprisingly entertaining match. It was pleasing
to see us get through 90 minutes without seeing three players hobbling off
towards the overflow section of the physiotherapy department. It was also
good to see some of the recent casualties return to action, even if, in
Faubert's case, it was just a case of popping on to the pitch for a couple
of minutes as he was passing!

So a 2-1 win and another three points. Whisper it quietly but it would
appear that we're now only 8 points away from the magical 40-point mark
which is generally taken to be the first target for any club aspiring to
safety. That's two wins and a couple of draws. I reckon we'd have settled
for our current position this time last year – I know my blood pressure is
well down on 12 months ago. Now if we can just get a few more players back…

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Freddie's cracked his back - SSN
Physio resolves midfielder's back problem
By James Dall Last updated: 14th January 2008

West Ham United's Freddie Ljungberg believes his injury woes have finally
come to an end after an appointment with a physio. The Sweden international
has endured a frustrating start to his Hammers career following his
£3million move from Arsenal last summer. A number of injuries have
restricted Ljungberg to just nine Premier League starts so far this
campaign. The 30-year-old's most recent issue has been a back problem, but
after a visit to a physio, Ljungberg is sure that his season is back on
track. "My problem was that I played so many games and my back tightened up
and wasn't dealt with straightaway," he said in the Daily Mirror "But we've
sorted it now and it should be fine. The physio cracked my back - that did
the trick." Ljungberg demonstrated his return to fitness with an excellent
display in the 2-1 win over Fulham at the weekend It was the midfielder's
teasing cross that enabled Dean Ashton to head home West Ham's equaliser.

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Captain Neill expected to feature against City - Daily Mail
Last updated at 14:02pm on 14th January 2008

West Ham skipper Lucas Neill, who missed Saturday's 2-1 win over struggling
Fulham with hamstring trouble, is expected to be fit for the Hammers' FA Cup
third-round replay against Manchester City on Wednesday. Meanwhile West
Ham's new chairman and owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is battening down the
financial hatches in an effort to reduce the club's increased debt. The
Hammers, who made a profit of just under £4m the previous year, lost more
than £20m last season as they battled against relegation. Boss Alan
Curbishley saw his side beat Fulham 2-1 on Saturday and said: "The problem
is that, if we bring players into the club now and everyone gets fit, then
we may well end up with too many."

NEXT FIVE GAMES: Wednesday: Man City (a) (FAC R3R); Sunday: Man City (a); 30
Jan: Liverpool (h); 2 Feb: Wigan (a); 9 Feb: Birmingham (h).

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Hammers chief to tighten the purse strings - Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:12am on 14th January 2008

West Ham's new chairman and owner billionaire Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson will
batten down the financial hatches in an effort to reduce the club's
increased debt. The Upton Park club, who made a profit of just under
£4million the previous year, lost more than £20m last season as they fought
desperately to avoid relegation. Then chairman Eggert Magnusson sanctioned
the signing of more than £16m worth of players in the January transfer
window and more big money signings last summer meant that the wage bill
soared to over £44m. The gamble paid off, though, and West Ham somehow
managed to avoid the relegation which could have brought the club to its
knees. Now though, Magnusson has gone and Gudmundsson, the second richest
man in Iceland after his son, is keen for the club to be more
self-financing. Despite horrendous injury problems, Curbishley has guided
the team to a comfortable mid-table position in the Premier League and with
some of those injured players ready to return, could go even higher in the
second half of the season. Curbishley has already said that, apart from a
possible lone striker signing, he will not be active in this transfer
window, although players like long-serving Christian Dailly, wanted by
Norwich, and Calum Davenport, could go. "The problem is that, if we bring
players into the club now and everyone gets fit, then we may well end up
with too many," said Curbishley. Anton Ferdinand, who scored West Ham's
winner against Fulham on Saturday, believes their London rivals can avoid
relegation. The 2-1 defeat at Upton Park means that Fulham are in dire
trouble, second-from-bottom and five points away from safety. Ferdinand who,
together with central defensive partner Matthew Upson, was on the receiving
end of Alan Curbishley's own brand of 'hairdryer' treatment at half-time
following a sloppy start, has some sympathy for Fulham. He and his West Ham
team-mates were in a similar situation a year ago but managed to pull off
the great escape. "Fulham have just got to keep battling away and keep that
heart," said Ferdinand. "When you are down there you do have a lot of
setbacks, things don't go for you, but you have to take it on the chin and
work even harder."

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West Ham United Transfer Window Round-Up Week 2 - SquareFootball
Mark Carlton
14/01/2008 09:00:00.

It was mid-week before any new rumours surfaced from Upton Park. Transfer
rumours are like buses, you wait all week for one and then three come along
at once.

Not the greatest analogy really, but rumour has it that Alan Curbishley has
enquired about the availability of Nicky Shorey of Reading, El Hadji Diouf
of Bolton Wanderers and David Nugent of Portsmouth (Daily Mirror).

All these targets seem extremely doubtful with all the respective clubs
needing these players to play an important role over the next few months.
Nicolas Anelka's departure from Bolton Wanderers will hamper the Hammers
efforts to lure Diouf from the Reebok Stadium as Gary Megson will rely on
him to fill Anelka's boots.

David Nugent is in a similar situation with Portsmouth's threadbare squad
and is likely to feature heavily for Pompey during January and February with
so many players missing due to African Cup of Nations duty.

Steve Coppell is unwilling to let Nicky Shorey leave the Madjeski in the
near future. The 26-year old left back, who has made 2 senior appearances
for England is a player Coppell is keen to keep hold of.

Curbishley has apparently tried to entice the Reading manager with a swap
deal involving Bobby Zamora, a target for the Royals; however Coppell is
adamant that Shorey will not be going in the opposite direction. Zamora has
featured only 4 times for West Ham this season but has been injured for the
majority of the campaign since playing in the second round of the Carling
cup against Bristol Rovers in August.

Former Liverpool forward Djibril Cisse has also been linked with a move back
to England from French club Marseille (Daily Mirror). West Ham have been
linked with a move for him, but they will face competition for the 26-year
olds signature from Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham. The
striker, who has scored 3 goals all season, will command a figure of around
£6.5 million.

As reported last week Robert Green may well be on his way from Upton Park,
but this week he is rumoured to not be joining Arsenal, but their north
London rivals Tottenham Hotspur (The Sun). With Paul Robinson falling out of
favour at White Hart Lane in recent games, Spurs will be looking to
strengthen in this department and Green would be available for about £6
million.

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Ray Winstone inspired West Ham victory over Man Utd
tribalfooball.com - January 14, 2008

Ray Winstone was the secret weapon behind West Ham United's shock victory
over Manchester United earlier this season. The Daily Star Sunday says a
teamtalk from film star Winstone inspired West Ham's players to stun
Manchester United last month.

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West Ham 2-1 Fulham - The Mirror
By Neil McLeman 14/01/2008

Freddie Ljungberg reckons he can finally put his back into playing for West
Ham after a physio cracked his vertebrae into shape. Due to a series of
niggling injuries, the former Arsenal star has failed to live up to his
big-money reputation since his £3million summer move to Upton Park. But the
30-year-old Swede was back to his brilliant best against Fulham as the
Hammers played the kind of attacking, passing game long associated with the
academy of football.
Operating down the right flank, Ljungberg provided the perfect cross for
Dean Ashton to level the scores after Fulham had dominated the early
exchanges.
And after the break he continued to provide the spark as Hammers
consolidated their position in the top half of the table. And with the West
Ham injury list shortening and competition for places increasing, Ljungberg
reckons he and his teammates are now showing the West Ham faithful their
true talents. "When we get the ball down we can play and we created a lot of
chances in the second half," he said. "My problem was that I played so many
games and my back tightened up and wasn't dealt with straightaway. But we've
sorted it now and it should be fine. The physio cracked my back - that did
the trick." Hammers boss Alan Curbishley has been left frustrated that
playmakers like Ljungberg have been missing from his side this season. "The
reason I brought Freddie into the club was for games like today," said the
Irons manager, whose side now sit six points ahead of Newcastle and eight in
front of Tottenham. "I needed someone who could open the games up, players
like Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker. They are people who can
make a difference when you play at home."
Like Ljungberg, Ashton also appears to have recaptured his old form and the
England hopeful was only denied a firsthalf hat-trick by two super saves
from Antti Niemi. But West Ham also showed old habits die hard when Simon
Davies's eighth-minute free-kick curled past the unmarked Carlos Bocanegra
and into the net. "The boss had a go at half-time about that goal and the
way we started," said Hammers centre-half Anton Ferdinand. "We started
sloppy and very slow. He had a go at me and Mattie (Upson) at half-time and
it was definitely deserved."
Ferdinand made amends after the break with his 69th-minute winner from a
fine Mark Noble cut-back to follow up his winner against Manchester United
in their last home win.

Man Of The Match: Ljungberg

TEAMS AND RATINGS:
West Ham: Green 7, Spector 6, Ferdinand 7, Upson 6, McCartney 7, Ljungberg 8
(Faubert 89), Mullins 6, Noble 6, Etherington 7 (Bowyer 83), Ashton 8, Cole
6 (Boa Morte 65, 5).

Fulham: Niemi 8, Baird 4, Stefanovic 5, Bocanegra 4 (Hughes 14, 6),
Konchesky 5, Volz 5 (Bullard 77, 4), Davis 6, Murphy 7, Davies 7, Healy 5
(Smertin 78, 3), Dempsey 5.

Referee: Mike Riley

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Web Digest [ West Ham United ] - 14th January 2008

West Ham United 2-1 Fulham FT - WHUFC
All the updates as they happened from Saturday afternoon's home league
victory
12.01.2008

Barclays Premier League
Boleyn Ground
3pm
Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire)

Live audio commentary I Live text commentary I Match preview

Final score - West Ham United 2-1 Fulham

Lineups

West Ham United: Green, Spector, Ferdinand, Upson (C), McCartney, Ljungberg
(Faubert 89), Mullins, Noble, Etherington (Bowyer 83), Ashton, Cole (Boa
Morte 65)
Subs: Wright, Collins

Fulham: Niemi, Volz (Bullard 77), Bocanegra (Hughes 14), Stefanovic (C),
Konchesky, Baird, Davis, Murphy, Davies, Dempsey, Healy (Smertin 77)
Subs: Warner, Seol

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Curbs cheered by comeback win - WHUFC
'We will see what the second half of the season brings', said Alan
Curbishley after a fine home fightback
12.01.2008

Alan Curbishley has revealed his satisfaction at the spirit within the West
Ham United camp that saw them come from behind to take the points for the
third time in five league matches.

Saturday's visit of Fulham was the first league encounter at the Boleyn
Ground since the 2-1 fightback against the champions on 29 December. That
Manchester United triumph came after the same scoreline was secured away to
Middlesbrough seven days before. "The Man United result was a similar
thing," Curbishley acknowledged of his team's 'never say die' attitude. "We
have gone one down and had to battle back.

With the tenth-placed club six points ahead of the bottom half of the table
and boasting a game in hand, Curbishley admitted "we could have an
interesting run-in"at the Boleyn Ground. He added: "I am just pleased we got
the result. It was a big result for us. We spoke about it before the game -
cementing our position in the top half. We will see what the second half of
the season brings."

As well as the boost of Julien Faubert's late debut, the presence of Freddie
Ljungberg and Matthew Etherington on either wings and the substitute
appearances of Luis Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer underlined the clearing
treatment room. The manager also confirmed Craig Bellamy was back in full
training and Bobby Zamora was due to join in completely from Monday.

Looking back to Saturday's contest, the manager was though disappointed with
the circumstances that led to Simon Davies' eighth-minute free-kick that
eluded everyone in the box including goalkeeper Robert Green. "I didn't
think we started so well and it was totally against what we were saying
before the game - 'get a fast start and get going'.

"They scored a really soft goal. It was great delivery from Davies but when
you see the marking again it is a dreadful goal. But we got back in it. It
was a tough game and I think it was always going to be a tough game. There
are no gimmies in the Premier League. Fulham are having a tough time and are
down the bottom - they are all difficult."

The comeback was kick-started by Dean Ashton who scored a superb headed
equaliser in the 28th minute from Ljungberg's cross. On another day, the
hard-working No9 could have had a hat-trick with goalkeeper Antti Niemi
producing one memorable stop in particular. "We feel that if we can give
Dean the chances, he will take them," said Curbishley. "He is a really good
finisher. Niemi has made a fantastic save from another one of his efforts.
It is just a question of him getting a bit sharper and us playing a bit
better to create some chances."

The winner came in the 69th minute from Anton Ferdinand, after Mark Noble
refused to give up on a ball that appeared to be going out. The midfielder
pulled the ball back for Ferdinand, who headed the equaliser against United
a fortnight ago, to fire past Niemi. It was a welcome goal for Curbishley,
not least because "Anton was the one that copped it at half-time". Focusing
on the defence's early approach as a whole, he added: "I wasn't happy with
the way we started. They came out second half determined to put it right.

"I am more pleased that Mark Noble realised the ball was staying in as
opposed to going out and he carried on and got it. We felt if we could get
some balls in the box we could cause a few problems from set plays. I think
they have cleared one off the line. Antti Niemi has made a couple of saves
so perhaps overall we have created the chances. I am delighted."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sears cannot stop scoring - WHUFC
Young striker Freddie Sears may not be too far away from first-team
contention after another fine display
12.01.2008

West Ham United Under-18s 2-0 Millwall Under-18s

Freddie Sears was the hero with two goals in the space of five second-half
minutes to give the Academy side a deserved home win against Millwall on
Saturday.

The striker - who hit a hat-trick in the 7-3 away win against the same
opponents back in October - is firmly back to his best after suffering a
broken foot towards the end of 2007. His first at Little Heath came in the
70th minute when he pounced on a weak defensive clearance to tuck a shot
into the corner of the net. With a quarter-of-an hour to play he doubled the
Hammers' advantage. Fellow forward Ben Hunt was unlucky not to score with a
high shot that struck the woodwork, and again Sears was in the right place
at the right time.

According to youth academy director Tony Carr, Sears is not too far off
gaining the attention of first-team manager Alan Curbishley. "I think
Freddie has got what it takes to do what Jack [Collison] has done and force
himself into reckoning with the first team. You can never determine these
things for sure, nothing is guaranteed, but on Freddie's goals and
performances, hopefully he will have caught the eye. The manager is aware of
his talents and has seen him in games and in training."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Debut delight for flying Faubert - WHUFC
A delighted Julien Faubert was pleased to finally get a taste of the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday
12.01.2008

Julien Faubert was thrilled to finally make his debut for West Ham United
after a late substitute appearance in the victory against Fulham

"I am very happy," said the France winger in English after getting a brief
taste of the Boleyn Ground with his first fully competitive action since
suffering an achilles injury in pre-season on 17 July. "I want to give
pleasure to the fans and to do that I have to be on the pitch."

The 24-year-old was particularly moved by the chants of 'Julien, Julien'
that greeted him. It began when he started warming-up on the sidelines and
then again as he waited in the closing stages to come on as a replacement
for Freddie Ljungberg. "I heard them supporting me and I am very happy.
There was a big cheer when I was preparing. I just played two minutes but
for me, and for my mind, it was good"

Having had a taste of Premier League football, the summer signing from
Bordeaux is itching to get another run-out in Wednesday's FA Cup third-round
replay at Manchester City. "I hope I can play maybe 25 minutes or 45 minutes
in the FA Cup. For my body, it is good to play. I want to be in contention
for the next match."

Whether Faubert gets that midweek call will be up to his manager, and Alan
Curbishley said it was important to still tread carefully. "To be honest, it
is too early for Faubert," he said. "He has played half a game in the
reserves on Monday. He is still going through a pre-season situation but
Freddie Ljungberg came off injured against Arsenal so I didn't know if he
was going to last. Lee Bowyer has been out for eight weeks so I didn't know
if he was going to last.

"I spoke to Julian yesterday and he was so keen. He said he felt really good
but I am not too sure how long he would have lasted. I didn't want to expose
him. We have waited so long to get him fit and we have still got to wait a
little longer. It was good to get him out there, the fans have seen him for
a minute."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ljungberg relishes chance to shine - WHUFC
A lively display by Freddie Ljungberg was instrumental in West Ham United
recording yet another win
13.01.2008

Freddie Ljungberg had to suffer for the cause on Saturday but turned in
perhaps his best performance to date for West Ham United.

The midfielder, who needed stitches in a cut lip after an early challenge,
was back in the side after hamstring trouble caused him to miss out on the
FA Cup tie with Manchester City last week. Against Fulham, he was a
perpetual menace going forward and a constant outlet. Occupying a position
on the right side of midfield after a run of five games up to the 1 January
defeat at Arsenal on the left, Ljungberg gave former Hammers defender Paul
Konchesky a torrid time.

"It felt great," said Ljungberg, who rightly got a rapturous reception when
making way for Julien Faubert in the dying minutes. "We got the ball down a
bit on the floor, especially in the second half, and I could go at their
left-back. It was probably one of the first times [this season]. It felt
great and we won the game - I can't complain."

One such attack down the flank saw him combine well with Jonathan Spector
before whipping in a precise cross for Dean Ashton to head in the equaliser.
It was a particularly decisive moment as prior to that the side had
struggled to fashion many real opportunities. "When we got the ball down and
played, it happened for us," he added. "We started to create a few chances
after that and probably should have scored a few more to be honest."

Having played such a pivotal part including plenty of tracking back in
defence, Ljungberg is keen to figure in the midweek cup replay at City and
will not let his facial injury get in the way. "It is just a cut, and it has
been stitched a bit," he said. "We will see - what hurts the most is the
teeth. They have been knocked in a bit so I will probably have to go to the
dentist."

Adding that his hamstring was "a bit stiff after the game but it should be
fine", Ljungberg preferred to focus on what it might take for the club to
win through to a FA Cup fourth-round tie away to Sheffield United. A
three-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, including a goal in the 2002 final,
his experience of the famous old competition should not be ignored.

"You have to be sharp on the day. It is not like a league situation where
you can have a bad day and maybe make up for it later on. We have to be
focused from the beginning. If you concede an early goal in the FA Cup,
normally you are done. It is going to be hard for us to get a result. They
have been a bit shaky away, they haven't won too many games, but at home
they almost always win. It is going to be hard but we are getting into form
and we can go there and win."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ferdinand tells all on WHUTV - WHUFC
Check out Anton Ferdinand speaking to WHUTV about his latest crucial goal at
the Boleyn Ground
13.01.2008

Anton Ferdinand has spoken of the "special" feeling he got after scoring the
winning goal in the 2-1 home success against Fulham.

The homegrown defender is making a habit of crucial strikes - having hit the
equaliser a fortnight ago against Manchester United - and showed plenty of
composure when this latest opportunity came his way on Saturday. "Scoring at
Upton Park is special, to hear the roar is unreal," he told WHUTV. "To score
the winner in a game we deserved to win was very good."

Whereas his effort in the 2-1 win against the champions was a powerful
header, this time he met Mark Noble's cross with with a fierce shot that
just nicked a defender on its way past goalkeeper Antti Niemi. Ferdinand
said: "Nobes said afterwards that he was going to leave it but it is good he
went after it. He pulled back a great ball and that was the only place that
he could really pull it back to.

"I held my ground and I am just lucky to get that little deflection and it
went in," he added, before claiming "I am not the best in training with
shooting from the floor". That said, Fulham and Niemi will know all about
the defender's eye for goal - having been on the receiving end as well
almost exactly two years ago - that time from a sublime volley as the
Hammers also won 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground.

As he did back in January 2006, Ferdinand celebrated in fitting fashion.
This time he shared a dance with a few of the celebrating supporters in the
Bobby Moore Stand. Yet for all his delight, he was also a relieved man
because he claimed he was at fault for Fulham's opener from Simon Davies -
losing Carlos Bocanegra which in turn allowed the American to distract
Robert Green.

"I was caught out for the first goal. I was the wrong side but to come back
and score the winner - that makes up for it. I am going to analyse my game,
see the things I didn't do right and put them right. It is just nice to get
the three points and well done to the boys."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manager on Monday - WHUFC
Alan Curbishley is expecting the togetherness of his squad to continue to
pay dividends this season
14.01.2008

"All of them have dug in, which is great testament to them and there is a
little bit of a different spirit here than we had last year."

So said Alan Curbishley of his squad as the manager looked back to yet
another West Ham United win on Saturday which consolidated the club firmly
in the top half of the Premier League table. That "spirit" showed itself in
the way the team fought back from a rare defensive mix-up to score two good
goals through Dean Ashton and Anton Ferdinand and win 2-1 against Fulham.

The west London visitors struck first in the eighth minute, as a Simon
Davies free-kick went all the way through beyond Robert Green, thanks in
large part to Carlos Bocanegra distracting the West Ham United No1.
Curbishley said: "We started off too deep. Bocanegra's got the other side of
Anton Ferdinand, and once the ball has gone behind us, Greeny has got to
wait for Bocanegra to do something. As it happened he's done nothing and
that's the most dangerous thing.

"Ferdinand should have been marking, he should have been the other side of
him. He has redeemed himself with the goal and his second-half performance,"
the manager added, aware that a half-time word with his promising young
centre-back had achieved the desired impact. With a smile, the manager
added: "As James Collins said to him: 'I'm just waiting, I'm just waiting'.
That's nice, that's what we have got at the moment. We have got one or two
people putting pressure on."

The appearance of France winger Julien Faubert for a brief cameo suggests he
will also soon be pushing for a start - but Freddie Ljungberg may have
something to say about that after an outstanding weekend display on the
right. "The reason I brought Freddie into the club was for days like
Saturday," said Curbishley. "Someone who could perhaps make a difference
when you are playing at home."

With Craig Bellamy and Bobby Zamora back in training, there will soon be
intense competition on Ashton and Carlton Cole in the forward positions as
well. Curbishley added that he can also play Luis Boa Morte in attack and
will have Henri Camara as well after the African Cup of Nations. As such,
and with the success of the 4-5-1 system this season, it promises to be a
quiet January.

"I have decided that unless something really critical happens, we won't be
doing too much. The players that have been playing have been done
fantastically well and the players that are coming back are desperate to get
back."

With the expectation that captain Lucas Neill will be fit again after his
hamstring trouble for Wednesday's cup replay at Manchester City, and
Nolberto Solano not too far away, Curbishley is more than content.
"Hopefully they will all get themselves fit and I won't have any sleepless
nights at all regarding the injuries - but team selection may be a little
bit difficult. That would be a nice thing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Ladies on a high for Sunday - WHUFC
The visit of Keynsham Town could prove pivotal to hopes of a strong league
finish this season
12.01.2008

West Ham United Ladies are looking for their first double of the season when
they welcome Keynsham Town in the Women's Premier League on Sunday.

Confidence will be high for the 2pm kick-off at Harlow Town as the Hammers
are coming off the back of a 7-0 win against Colchester United in the FA Cup
fourth round. That victory set Tony Marshall's side up for a glamour
fifth-round tie away to European champions Arsenal on 27 January.

Assistant manager Alex Bonner said: "Obviously everyone is excited about the
prospect of facing Arsenal in the last 16 of the cup, but we have to take
our minds off of that for a few weeks and get back to consolidating our
league position." The club are in eighth place, on 18 points, in the 12-team
second tier of women's football but victory could move them above Keynsham
and into fifth place.

"I cannot see anybody catching [leaders] Fulham to be honest; they are
already six points clear of the second placed team and sixteen points ahead
of us," said Bonner. "However, with only five points separating six clubs we
can still top that little group which would see us in the top four come the
end of the season.

"Contemplating that at the beginning of this campaign would have been out of
the question. It just goes to show what a special and talented group of
players we have here, and with the element of youth coming through as well.
The future does look healthy." The previous meeting with Keynsham on 11
November saw West Ham United win 2-0 thanks to goals from Katy Ling and Sam
Pittuck.

# West Ham United Ladies play all their home fixtures at the home of Harlow
Town FC. To get there go to Barrows Farm Stadium, off Elizabeth Way, The
Pinnacles, Harlow, Essex, CM19 5BL.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-1 Fulham - BBC

Anton Ferdinand struck a second-half winner as West Ham heaped more misery
on relegation-threatened Fulham. Simon Davies put the visitors ahead when
his direct free-kick evaded the Hammers defence to creep home. Dean Ashton
levelled before the break when he headed home Freddie Ljungberg's teasing
right-wing cross. And despite an heroic display by keeper Antti Niemi,
Fulham were unable to hold out as Ferdinand lashed home Mark Noble's cross
for a deserved win. West Ham started brightly and worked hard to shut down
the Fulham back four but were dealt a blow when the Cottagers took a shock
lead.
Davies was fouled by Jonathan Spector out wide and the Welshman himself
curled in the right-footed free-kick which the home defence failed to clear
and let bounce past the helpless Robert Green. Green seemed distracted by
the presence of Carlos Bocanegra, and there were suggestions the American
full-back had even made the faintest of connections. But Bocanegra was
forced off minutes later after taking a blow to the face that left a nasty
cut under his eye, with Aaron Hughes replacing him in defence. Hodgson had
called on his players to "fight like tigers" in their remaining matches and
the former Inter Milan and Switzerland manager would have been delighted
with his side's response.
But against the run of play, West Ham drew level on 28 minutes when
Ljungberg raced down the right and rifled over a cross which curled away
from Niemi and was met firmly by Ashton for his sixth goal of the season.
Ashton almost struck again when he chested down Matthew Etherington's pass
from the left before his drive was spectacularly tipped on to the crossbar
by Niemi. The duel between Ashton and Niemi continued when the ex-Norwich
striker cut in from the left and saw his bullet-like shot saved, before
Carlton Cole's close-range shot was also well blocked by the Finnish
stopper. West Ham again looked dangerous after the break and Noble's drilled
shot from 20 yards was well blocked Dejan Stefanovic. But the visitors'
defence finally buckled when defender Ferdinand arrived late to fire home
Noble's cross in the 67th-minute.
Fulham should have equalised when Danny Murphy's cross fell to the unmarked
Chris Baird but he could only head over from point-blank range. Midfielder
Jimmy Bullard ended 16 months of injury hell after coming on as a late
substitute for Fulham. But the west London side, who are without an away win
in 28 matches, were unable to carve out the equaliser as they slumped to
their 11th defeat of the season to remain in the bottom three.

West Ham manager Alan Curbishley: "We didn't start well and (match winner)
Anton Ferdinand copped it at half-time. I wasn't happy with him or Matthew
Upson. "But both came out to put it right. We wanted to cement our position
in the top half and it was a big result for us. "It was never going to be
easy but we got the result and with players coming back from injury things
look good."

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson: "There are enough games left. It won't be easy
for us or many of the others around the relegation zone either. I believe we
can do it. "We had chances at the end and it was difficult to see a point
disappear. "I can't complain about the effort but our balance is not right
and we will have to work to bring new players in."

West Ham: Green, Spector, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg (Faubert
89), Mullins, Noble, Etherington (Bowyer 83), Ashton, Cole (Boa Morte 65).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Collins.
Goals: Ashton 28, Ferdinand 69.

Fulham: Niemi, Baird, Stefanovic, Bocanegra (Hughes 14), Konchesky, Volz
(Bullard 77), Davis, Murphy, Davies, Healy (Smertin 78), Dempsey.
Subs Not Used: Warner, Ki-Hyeon.
Booked: Konchesky.
Goal: Davies 8.

Att: 34,947
Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: West Ham's Dean Ashton 8.23 (on 90
minutes).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Upson: if the Cap fits - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 13th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel

Matthew Upson has been talking about his chances of an England recall under
new national manager Fabio Capello. The Hammers centre-half has been in
sparkling form this season, earning a string of rave reviews for his
performances at the heart of one of the meanest United defences in years.
With John Terry out of action and Jamie Carragher still refusing to play for
his country a vacancy exists for somebody to partner former-Hammer Rio
Ferdinand, whose place at the heart of England's defence is virtually
assured. Last week Hammers legend Alvin Martin suggested that Upson - whose
last call-up for the national squad was nearly three years ago - should be
one of the players Capello should consider. And the 28-year-old, who has
played more games than anyone for West Ham United this season, also feels
that he is on top of his game. "I'm pretty pleased with my form at the
moment," he said. "I'm very focused and enjoying my football at West Ham.
I've been very consistent and feel that I'm improving, getting stronger and
feel that there's more to come still. "Of course England's at the back of my
mind. I hope everyone gets a clean slate and I'm sure they will with Mr
Capello coming in from a whole different perspective. "It's a great chance
for English players that are playing well to really put themselves in a
position to be part of the squad."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A big result - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 13th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel

Alan Curbishley breathed a sigh of relief as his side recorded their fourth
home win of the season - despite having to come from behind to do so. Goals
from Dean Ashton and Anton Ferdinand gave the Hammers their first home win
of 2008 and leaves United in a position which, according to Curbishley, now
has them looking at the teams above rather than below. However he admitted
that it looked like being a very different story after the first quarter of
the game.
"We started off ever so slowly for a home team," Curbishley told the BBC's
Match of the Day*. "We're quite aware of our home record, and that we've got
to do better, and I was so disappointed with the first 25 minutes. "I was
very disappointed with my back four as I don't think they got to grips with
it early on. We were unsettled, and it was a really soft goal that we let
in. But I was so pleased that we got ourselves back in the game as it could
have been a tougher afternoon."
Fortunately for Curbishley Fulham's early lead lasted for just 20 minutes -
something which he felt was vital to them going on to win the game. "We saw
all the stats saying that Fulham haven't won away from home for so long so
you come into the game waiting for a banana skin," he added. "The
expectation level was on us today so it was always going to be tough. "We
did say that if we could get some decent balls in the box that we would have
a chance with Ashton and Cole - and that's exactly what happened. It was a
great cross from Freddie and Dean's got across the back four and got his
head on it. "The keeper's made a few saves and they cleared a couple of the
line. But we managed to get the result, and it was a big result becasue it's
put us firmly in the top ten and gives up the opportunity to start looking
up."

Despite the win West Ham United remain in tenth spot but with a six point
cushion over Newcastle in eleventh - and just seven points away from fourth
place.
With several players now either back or set to return from injury,
Curbishley may now finally have the selection problems that he has been
craving all season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
High praise indeed - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 13th January 2008
By: Matthew O'Greel

Tony Carr has identified Freddie Sears as the next youth team starlet most
likely to make his way into West Ham's first team. Academy boss Carr, who
has masterminded the emergence of some of England's finest players in recent
years, told whufc.com that Sears - who scored both goals for the youths as
they beat Millwall 2-0 at Little Heath yesterday - could be set for a first
team debut before too long. "I think Freddie has got what it takes to force
himself into the reckoning," said Carr. "You can never determine these
things for sure, nothing is guaranteed. But on Freddie's goals and
performances, hopefully he will have caught the eye."
17-year-old Sears, a striker by trade, has seen his chances of making the
first team squad rise in recent weeks due to the departure of Hogan Ephraim
(to QPR) and on-loan Henri Camara, who is likely to miss the next month due
to his involvement in the African Nations Cup. With both Bobby Zamora and
Craig Bellamy out for three weeks at least Sears is behind just Dean Ashton
and Carlton Cole in the forward's pecking order - although Alan Curbishley
has a number of players who can also fill in up front, such as Luis Boa
Morte and Freddie Ljungberg.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs happy after tough game - SSN
Europe still the aim for Hammers
By Chris Burton Last updated: 12th January 2008

Alan Curbishley was delighted with the way his side recovered from a goal
down to grab all three points in the 2-1 win against Fulham. West Ham had
fallen behind to an early Simon Davies goal, but an equaliser from Dean
Ashton and a rare goal from Anton Ferdinand saw the Hammers pick up their
fourth home win of the season. Curbishley admitted that he was disappointed
at his side's slow start, but thought that they did enough throughout the
course of the match to merit the victory. "We started so badly, we looked
lethargic and it didn't quite happen for us," he told Sky Sports. "We then
conceded a soft goal and had to claw ourselves back into the game. We did
that, but it was a tough afternoon. "We got stronger as the game went on;
got our goals, but it doesn't matter who you play in the Premier League you
have to go for 90 minutes. "There are no 'gimmes' in this division and today
was a tough game, an important game. "I thought we created the best and the
most clear cut chances though and deserved to win."
The win keeps West Ham in the hunt for a European place, and Curbishley
believes that is a realistic target if they can build on their results so
far. "We've given ourselves a good base, which is what I asked for at the
start of the season," he said, "but we will have to see what happens in the
second-half of the season."
Hammers defender Matthew Upson also feels that a place in Europe is
achievable given the fact that the club has so many top players still to
return from injury. "It is a big target for us," he said. "I think we would
need to kick-on another gear to make the top six, but with the players we
have got coming back we really don't know what this squad is capable of."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers too strong for Fulham - SSN
West Ham come from behind to grab three points.
By Chris Burton Last updated: 12th January 2008

Anton Ferdinand grabbed the winner for West Ham in their 2-1 victory over
Fulham at Upton Park to stretch the Cottagers' winless streak to 10. The
game was brought to life on seven minutes when, after a quiet start, Simon
Davies gave Fulham the lead with a fortuitous free-kick. An unmarked Carlos
Bocanegra attempted to get his head to the Welsh winger's delivery, but the
ball flashed straight past his face and past a stranded Robert Green. West
Ham then took control of the game and equalised after 28 minutes through
Dean Ashton. Freddie Ljungberg put in a great cross from the right and
Ashton got in front of his marker to flick his header across Antti Niemi
into the far corner. The Fulham keeper then produced two outstanding saves
from the Hammers striker to keep the scores level at the break. West Ham
again looked positive after the break, and grabbed a winner through
Ferdinand on 69 minutes. Mark Noble did well to stop the ball going out of
play down the right and his sliding cross was crashed home by Ferdinand.
Fulham had their chances to steal a point, most notably through Chris
Baird's free header, but West Ham held on for all three points.

Bullard

There was a welcome return to football for Jimmy Bullard, who was included
on the Fulham bench for the first time in 16 months after recovering from a
horrific knee injury. Bullard came on late in the day and saw an injury-time
strike deflected wide but it was almost enough for the Fulham fans just to
see him back in action. It had all started so brightly at Upton Park after
Davies curled in a wicked free-kick from the left flank which flew in at the
back post - only Fulham's seventh goal on their league travels all season.
Fulham had to replace Carlos Bocanegra with Aaron Hughes after the American
suffered a clash of heads with Freddie Ljungberg but they were making life
difficult for West Ham, squeezing them for time and space. But when
Ljungberg found half a yard outside Paul Konchesky, on his return to Upton
Park following a summer move to Fulham, West Ham found the telling
breakthrough.

Glanced

Ljungberg's pinpoint delivery picked out Ashton, who had escaped Hughes on
an angled run towards the near post and the England prospect glanced his
header past Niemi. The goal injected some confidence into the West Ham side
and after Carlton Cole escaped the Fulham defence to earn a corner Niemi
needed to be alert to hold onto Ferdinand's header. West Ham had their tails
up and controlled the last 15 minutes of the first half - but found Niemi in
inspirational form.

Spectacular

The Finn produced a spectacular save from Ashton, whose left-foot volley
from 15-yards seemed a certain goal until it was deflected up and onto the
bar. Cole's flick then found Ashton who checked, cut back inside and curled
a left-foot strike which forced Niemi into an acrobatic one-handed stop.
Cole worked a golden chance for himself, holding off Hughes to find himself
one-on-one with Niemi but only managed to poke his shot straight at the
keeper. West Ham started the second half with verve as Ashton latched onto
Ljungberg's clipped ball into the box but could only divert it wide. Davies
embarked on a determined run forward as Fulham looked for an attacking spark
but he was checked by Mark Noble and West Ham counter-attacked, with
Ljungberg almost picking out Cole with another dangerous cross. West Ham
came again. Matthew Etherington cut in from the left and teed up Noble,
whose fierce drive collected a Fulham defender on the way and deflected
wide.

Fizzed

Clint Dempsey came close to re-establishing the lead for Fulham with a low
drive which had Green stretching but fizzed just wide of the near post.
Fulham then had Konchesky to thank for a goal-line clearance after Cole had
risen to meet Etherington's corner from the left with a powerful header.
Ljungberg, in easily his best game since moving to West Ham, set up a chance
for Luis Boa Morte moments after the Portuguese forward came off the bench
and then won a corner with another testing cross. Noble's initial delivery
was cleared - but he cut back a low ball to Ferdinand whose first time
strike into the roof of the net earned West Ham the lead. Fulham upped the
tempo in search of an equaliser and Chris Baird missed a golden opportunity
to level after Upson had fouled Healy on the edge of the West Ham box. He
escaped Ashton to meet Danny Murphy's free-kick but, unmarked and just six
yards out, his header flew over the bar.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-1 Fulham: Hammers comeback - Soccernet

Fulham's search for their first away win of the season goes on despite the
best efforts of goalkeeper Antti Niemi, after Dean Ashton and Anton
Ferdinand helped West Ham come from a goal behind to triumph 2-1 at Upton
Park. Carlos Bocanegra hot on Dean Ashton's heelsSimon Davies had put Fulham
ahead when his eighth-minute free-kick evaded everyone in the West Ham box
and crept inside the far post. Ashton headed the Hammers level but was then
twice denied by acrobatic saves from Niemi, who brilliantly deflected one
close-range strike onto the bar and then dived to palm away another. But
there was nothing the Finnish keeper could do to stop Ferdinand's first-time
shot into the roof of the net which sealed a valuable home win for West Ham.
There was a welcome return to football for Jimmy Bullard, who was included
on the Fulham bench for the first time in 16 months after recovering from a
horrific knee injury. Bullard came on late in the day and saw an injury-time
strike deflected wide, but it was almost enough for the Fulham fans just to
see him back in action. It had all started so brightly at Upton Park after
Davies curled in a wicked free-kick from the left flank which flew in at the
back post - only Fulham's seventh goal on their league travels all season.
Fulham had to replace Carlos Bocanegra with Aaron Hughes after the American
suffered a clash of heads with Freddie Ljungberg, but they were making life
difficult for West Ham, squeezing them for time and space. However, when
Ljungberg found half a yard outside Paul Konchesky, on his return to Upton
Park following a summer move to Fulham, West Ham found the telling
breakthrough. Ljungberg's pinpoint delivery picked out Ashton, who had
escaped Hughes on an angled run towards the near post and the England
prospect glanced his header past Niemi. The goal injected some confidence
into the West Ham side and after Carlton Cole escaped the Fulham defence to
earn a corner Niemi needed to be alert to hold onto Ferdinand's header. West
Ham had their tails up and controlled the last 15 minutes of the first half
- but found Niemi in inspirational form. The Finn produced a spectacular
save from Ashton, whose left-foot volley from 15-yards seemed a certain goal
until it was deflected up and onto the bar. Cole's flick then found Ashton,
who checked, cut back inside and curled a left-foot strike which forced
Niemi into an acrobatic one-handed stop. Cole worked a golden chance for
himself, holding off Hughes to find himself one-on-one with Niemi but only
managed to poke his shot straight at the keeper.
West Ham started the second half with verve as Ashton latched onto
Ljungberg's clipped ball into the box but could only divert it wide. Davies
embarked on a determined run forward as Fulham looked for an attacking
spark, but he was checked by Mark Noble and West Ham counter-attacked, with
Ljungberg almost picking out Cole with another dangerous cross. West Ham
came again. Matthew Etherington cut in from the left and teed up Noble,
whose fierce drive hit a Fulham defender on the way and deflected wide.
Clint Dempsey came close to re-establishing the lead for Fulham with a low
drive which had Green stretching but fizzed just wide of the near post.
Fulham then had Konchesky to thank for a goal-line clearance after Cole had
risen to meet Etherington's corner from the left with a powerful header.
Ljungberg, in easily his best game since moving to West Ham, set up a chance
for Luis Boa Morte moments after the Portuguese forward came off the bench
and then won a corner with another testing cross. Noble's initial delivery
was cleared - but he cut back a low ball to Ferdinand, whose first-time
strike into the roof of the net earned West Ham the lead. Fulham upped the
tempo in search of an equaliser and Chris Baird missed a golden opportunity
to level after Upson had fouled Healy on the edge of the West Ham box. He
escaped Ashton to meet Danny Murphy's free-kick but, unmarked and just six
yards out, his header flew over the bar.
Anton Ferdinand responded to a half-time ear-bashing to score the winner as
West Ham came from a goal down to plunge Fulham deeper into the Barclays
Premier League relegation mire. The Hammers' home results have picked up in
recent weeks and the win over Fulham follows an FA Cup third-round draw with
high-flying Manchester City last week and a league win over Manchester
United. Manager Alan Curbishley said: 'We didn't start so well and Anton
copped it at half-time. I wasn't happy with how he and Matthew Upson
started. 'But they came out to put it right. We wanted to cement our
position in the top half and this was a big result for us.' Once West Ham
settled and began playing a faster brand of attacking football - rather than
relying on long balls forward - Ashton looked increasingly dangerous. And
Freddie Ljungberg enjoyed arguably his best game for West Ham, testing the
Fulham rear-guard with a series of excellent crosses from the right. 'We
feel if we can give Ashton the chances he will take them. Niemi made a
fantastic save to deny him,' said Curbishley. 'He is trying to get fit in
the first team and it is a case of him getting a bit sharper and us playing
better to give him the chances. 'Today we felt that if we could get the ball
into the box we would cause them problems. 'We had one cleared off the line
from Carlton Cole and Niemi has made a couple of saves. I think we created
the better chances.'
Defeat was doubly tough for Fulham because relegation rivals Wigan won at
Derby while fellow strugglers Middlesbrough drew with Liverpool and
Birmingham earned a point at Arsenal. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said:
'There are enough games left. It will not be easy but it won't be easy for
many of the other teams around the relegation zone either. I believe we can
do it.' But that will involve some successful raids in the transfer market.
Hodgson would not expand on Fulham's attempts to sign Watford striker Marlon
King. He said: 'We had chances at the end and it was difficult to see a
point disappear. 'I can't complain about the discipline, the work rate and
the effort but the balance in our team is not right at the moment and we
will have to work to bring those types of players in.'

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Vinny's Fulham Report - West Ham Online
Vinny - Sun Jan 13 2008

West Ham United 2 Fulham 1

A persistent, hard working performance earned West Ham all three points in
this London derby which had seen the hosts go a goal down within six
minutes.

Fulham never capitalised on their good start and we completely took over the
game and dominated the play. It should have been much more than 2-1, with a
host of chances falling our way but it was left to defender Anton Ferdinand
to get that all important second goal.

Two changes were made to the side which started against Manchester City in
the FA Cup. Jonathan Spector came in at right back for the injured Lucas
Neill. With Neill out of the side the captaincy was given to Matthew Upson.

John Pantsil was away with Ghana at the African Cup of Nations so Freddie
Ljungberg returned from injury to replace him on the right wing.

On the substitute's bench, Julien Faubert was there to the delight of most
of the crowd. Luis Boa Morte had also returned from injury and was also
named on the bench.

It was pleasing to see these players available as in recent weeks when
things haven't been going so well, we have had very little on the bench to
come on and make something happen (unless you count Henri Camera).

On the Fulham team sheet was Paul Konchesky who will be best remembered for
his goal in the FA Cup Final against Liverpool. Try to remember him for
anything else and you will only be disappointed because despite being a
'West Ham boy' he was a truly shocking defender and was rightly bombed out
by Alan Curbishley.

After Konchesky left the club he went onto slag Curbishley off in the press
yet that had all been forgotten as he got a very decent welcome back from
the crowd. This says more about our feelings towards Curbishley than it does
about Konchesky. Any other manager we have had would have been given full
backing and Konchesky would have been given a little bit of stick.

We started very sluggish and after just six minutes Fulham took the lead
with the type of goal I hate seeing in football as I believe it just
shouldn't happen.

Fulham won a free kick on the left hand side which was whipped into the area
by Simon Davies. Players from both sides looked as the cross evaded them all
and flew past Robert Green to give the visitors the lead. A very sloppy goal
to concede and it would make our task much harder.

Lucky for us, Fulham did not seem to want to attack any more which gave us
the freedom to dominate the midfield with Noble, Ljungberg and Etherington
all seeing more of the ball and all starting to impose themselves on the
game.

Apart from a few strong runs from Etherington we were struggling to keep
possession and nothing would stick up front when the long balls were played
into Ashton and Cole.

We needed a moment of magic to get us back into the game and just before the
half hour mark that was produced with Ljungberg and Ashton combining to
provide the equalising goal.

It was an excellent goal that really came out of nothing as Ljungberg showed
a great piece of wing play (for the first time since he signed) beating
Konchesky and whipping in a wonderful pinpoint cross for Dean Ashton to head
past Neimi to make it 1-1.

Ashton was clearly delighted at his goal and rightly so after a run of poor
performances he had lost his marker to score a real goal scorers goal. It
was his sixth goal of the season (fifth in the league).

That goal spurred us into life and we went at Fulham with much more urgency
and should have gone in front when a run and cross from Etherington found
Dean Ashton in the area and the striker controlled the ball with his chest
and hit a powerful left foot volley which was somehow tipped onto the
crossbar by keeper Niemi and then cleared.

Ashton had found that sharpness from somewhere and was looking every bit the
player we all remember and all crave for him to be. His confidence from the
goal was obviously sky high and moments later he cut in from the left and
hit an excellent left foot curler at goal which again was brilliantly saved
by Niemi.

Although those were good attempts, neither were easy but an easy chance did
fall our away but this time the opportunity was given to Carlton Cole who
really should have scored.

A long ball down the middle found Cole who shrugged off his defender and
headed for goal with only the keeper to beat but from close range the
striker hit a poor effort straight into the arms of Niemi. Cole punched the
ground in frustration and he would get no better chance than that.

People can talk about us not playing great football, but I am happy to watch
West Ham dominate the opposition any day, and once we had got that equaliser
we did just that. I had every confidence that in the second half we would go
on to win the game, because we were creating chances.

The second half had barely started when another chance fell our way with
Ashton seeing his hooked shot go just wide.

A number of corners were won and one of them found the head of Cole who had
managed to get his header on target only for Konchesky to clear off the
line.

Cole had worked hard throughout the game but will be disappointed that he
did not get on the score sheet. He was taken off in favour of Luis Boa Morte
who joined Dean Ashton up front.

We had to be patient but the goal did eventually come when Noble somehow
managed to keep the ball from going out of play and he crossed for the
unmarked Anton Ferdinand to smash into the back of the net for his second
consecutive home league goal.

In typical West Ham style we took our foot off the gas for the final fifteen
minutes and Fulham came back into the game and will feel as though they
could and should have equalised.

A corner was met by Clint Dempsey but his header was scrambled off the line
by Noble as panic had set in.

An excellent cross from Danny Murphy was met by Chris Baird but the
midfielder saw his header go just over Robert Green's goal.

Two minutes of stoppage time was seen out easily enough and three precious
points were secured in our second consecutive home victory.

Player Reviews

Robert Green
Apart from picking the ball out of his net he had very little to do in the
way of shot stopping.

Jonathan Spector
Fulham offered little down the flanks and this made Spector's day easier. He
is an awkward defender who often makes his own problems but overall he was
solid and made some good challenges.

Matthew Upson
The captain in Neill's absence and he put in a leaders performance winning
everything in the air and showing some good vision to make countless
inceptions. His reading of the game is one of his best assets and it is
really shining through in his performances over the last few months.

Anton Ferdinand
There are still people who boo him when his name is read out but those boo's
are silenced by his good form. I'm not just talking about his goal (which
was a fantastic finish) but his overall defensive performance was again of
the highest quality.

George McCartney
Like Spector, he was rarely troubled but the Fulham wide men. Tried to
support Etherington going forward when he could although he still looks
nervous and reluctant when he gets high up the pitch.

Freddie Ljungberg
When we signed him I think this is the type of performance that we expected.
Plainly put, he was just involved in the game. He made runs, he took players
on, he showed good skill, and of course he created a goal. He played as a
winger today, and put in a very good performance.

Hayden Mullins
Our midfield two dominated the game and I thought Mullins was excellent.
Gave the ball away a few times, but that is the same for every other player
on the pitch. Made some great challenges and didn't bottle the 50/50.

Mark Noble
Even with players coming back from injury, it will be hard to displace Noble
from the side. His work rate is higher than any other player but his quality
is really starting to shine through which at the end of the day is the most
important thing to me as you can work hard all you want (John Moncur) but if
you have little quality (John Moncur) then you will not progress. Noble's
contribution was excellent and he got himself another assist.

Matthew Etherington
Thought he blew hot and cold throughout this one (as he usually does) and
never really got at them the way he could have. Made some strong runs in the
first half but my frustration at his bottling of challenges still annoys me.
We do look a better attacking force with him in the side as he provides
width and pace going forward and our attacks gather much more momentum.

Carlton Cole
As I said earlier, his work rate was still very high and his hold up play
has got much better but his tendency to do the hard thing and then mess up
the easy bit is becoming frustrating to watch. He should have scored in the
first half and was unlucky in the second. At the moment we have no one else
to come in so Cole has to start every game, but Cole needs to add goals to
his game if he wants to protect his place in the side once Zamora and
Bellamy return.

Dean Ashton
Got himself on the score sheet which is always important for a striker but
most pleasing was the amount of times he was involved in the action. Looked
fitter and much sharper and most important – he looked confident. More of
the same please.

Subs Used

Luis Boa Morte (on for Cole 65 mins)
Ran about like man possessed as he really looked eager to get into the game.
Good to have a player like him back in contention.

Lee Bowyer (on for Etherington 83 mins)
Got fouled a few times as he put himself about but had little impact as we
were defending for the majority of the last five minutes.

Julien Faubert (on for Ljungberg 89 mins)
Got a big cheer from the fans and hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of
him in the future.

Overall

With our recent problems at home we have now recorded back to back victories
in the league which will hopefully install the belief that we can win at
home.

Up until we equalised we were poor and looked very sluggish but it all came
together in the end with our creative players (Ljungberg and Noble) making
our goals.

Next up is a very tricky cup tie in the FA Cup replay at Manchester City
which a win would see us play Sheffield United and that is a game that we
all want to see.

This will be hard but our away form is very good and with players coming
back from injury we have more options on how to play and how to change our
play and that will be a big asset in our attempt to secure victory.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham too strong for Fulham - Telegraph
By Andrew Warshaw at Upton Park
Last Updated: 1:57am GMT 13/01/2008

West Ham United (1) 2 Fulham (1) 1

Roy Hodgson has been touted from Sweden to Switzerland and feted from
Udinese to the United Arab Emirates. Few, if any, coaches have such
cosmopolitan experience, or can boast such a well-respected pedigree.

But as many equally astute and intelligent Premier League managers have
found to their cost, working at the top level of the English club game
brings its own unique pressures. Hodgson discovered this at Blackburn a
decade ago during his only previous flirtation with the English football's
elite division, and now he has to prove he has the nous to succeed in what
is undoubtedly his toughest task to date: preventing Fulham from falling
into the second tier of the domestic game.

Hodgson knows what he has to do - first and foremost, find a reliable
goalscorer - and he was nothing if not realistic after his team again came
away empty-handed, despite having taken the lead. "I can't complain about
their focus, work-rate and effort, but we know the balance is not quite
right and are trying to address that," said Hodgson, who will undoubtedly be
making moves in the transfer window.

"The problem for any manager coming in like I do is one of time, and we are
trying to make up for lost time. I don't find it difficult adapting my
knowledge to this situation, it's just a question of how much work we can
put in, so that what we say to them becomes second nature."

As for West Ham, few clubs have endured as many injuries this season and for
that, Alan Curbishley, who has rarely been able to field the same side two
games running, deserves credit for cementing a top-half place. A case in
point is Julien Faubert, who came on for the last two minutes yesterday -
his first competitive appearance since costing West Ham £6.1 million last
summer.

A fit-again Dean Ashton was a constant menace in the first half, equalising
with a bullet header and then bringing two world-class saves out of Antti
Niemi. Ashton's goal cancelled out a surprise start by Fulham, who went in
front on seven minutes when Simon Davies curled in a free-kick, the unmarked
Carlos Bocanegra deliberately pulled his header away and the ball evaded the
entire West Ham defence before nestling in Robert Green's net.

This may have been the less fashionable of yesterday's two Premier League
London derbies but there was plenty at stake, especially for Fulham, who
have now gone 28 matches without an away victory and 14 months since their
last success against London opposition.

Apart from the first 15 minutes and the last 10, Hodgson's team were mainly
on the back foot, and the game was won halfway through the second half when
Mark Noble chased what seemed like a lost cause, preventing the ball from
running over the goalline, and his cross was swept in by Anton Ferdinand.

"When the line-up changes constantly, it's tough to get the momentum going,"
Curbishley said. "But the players give everything every week, and that's why
we have the points we have."

Man of the match
Dean Ashton (West Ham United) 8

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Solid start but Fulham lose to West Ham - Telegraph
By David Miller
Last Updated: 12:28am GMT 14/01/2008

West Ham United (1) 2 Fulham (1) 1

If Fulham are to survive, which must be highly doubtful, they need to be
taking a point, if not points, against such relatively fragile opposition as
West Ham. They certainly had that opportunity here.

There are few teams in the Premier League who tackle as indecisively as West
Ham, yet after Fulham had been the dominant side for the first half-hour
they slid into anonymity. Roy Hodgson may have been a flying doctor across
in Europe, but the reality of his new job is that the team needs
life-support surgery more than medicine: essentially a goal scorer.

There were times, even in a match which West Ham might have won by two or
three times the margin, that they looked every bit as vulnerable as Mr
Fayed's personal luxury. It may take all of Dean Ashton's opportunism in the
goalmouth to keep them clear of trouble, should they continue to be as
defensively innocuous as this.

Alan Curbishley's programme notes dwelt on the rearguard having provided
this season's steadiness. Not this time. To be fair, they can ill-afford to
be without the likes of Lucas Neill at right-back, Nolberto Solano in
midfield and Craig Bellamy as foil to Ashton. To compound Saturday's
problem, Anton Ferdinand was a walking textbook of a coaching manual's
'don'ts'.

Fulham, without anyone up front comparable to Ashton, present Hodgson with a
near-insoluble challenge to enliven his mature years, though for that first
half-hour it did seem as if he might already be finding one of the answers.
In a phrase, true grit.

Pedal cyclists competing with motor-bikes was West Ham's initial experience.
They were a sorry sight, Fulham winning every 50-50 ball, almost anything in
the air, and turning West Ham's back line into revolving doors.

advertisement"This way, sir," indicated Ferdinand as courteously as a hotel
concierge when Carlos Bocanegra dummied past him, simultaneously confusing
Robert Green in goal so as to allow Simon Davies' harmless free kick in the
seventh minute to fly direct into the net.

Had not Green soon bravely dived amid half a dozen flying feet in the
six-yard area, West Ham would have gone further behind, repeatedly reeling
in the face of meaningful but mostly bullet-less runs by Clint Dempsey and
David Healy.

More inert than alert, West Ham were going nowhere, Dejan Stefanovic thus
far subduing Ashton. Then in the 28th minute the man who gives them class
turned the game.

Freddie Ljungberg, though a shadow of his Highbury days, squirmed free of
that angular 'bouncer', Paul Konchesky, struck a diagonal, dipping cross,
and there was Ashton's climbing blond head to glance the equaliser.

Between then and half-time Antti Niemi made memorable saves from Ashton to
keep Fulham afloat, but with Dempsey and Healy missing the slimmest of
half-chances, Ferdinand unexpectedly lifted West Ham into the top half of
the table with a first-time drive in the 69th minute - from Mark Noble's
pass pulled back from the line - which was almost as deft as his brother's
goal 200 miles north against Newcastle.

Chris Baird's unopposed header, just too high, came close to giving Hodgson
some hope where, frankly, there is almost none to be seen.

Man of the match
Dean Ashton (West Ham) 9
• Scored the equaliser, his fifth in the league this season
• Set up another chance for the Hammers
• Made four flick-ons during game

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How Magnusson's spending spree hastened his departure - The Independent
By Jason Burt
Published: 13 January 2008

Eggert Magnusson's departure from West Ham United was partly caused by the
club running up a loss of £18.8 million in the last financial year, The
Independent on Sunday can reveal.

The deficit, compared to a £3.6m profit the year before, can be explained by
the spending spree the Icelandic businessman embarked upon in the last
January transfer window when the club fought against relegation. However,
they also followed that up in the summer with some unwise moves such as
acquiring Freddie Ljungberg on a three-year contract that pays him an
astonishing £85,000 a week.

West Ham spent £23.1m in January 2007, including players who have not made a
significant impression, such as Luis Boa Morte and Calum Davenport. And with
turnover down after a disappointing Premier League season and poor runs in
cup competitions, West Ham saw income drop £2.6m to £49.4m. The figures, to
the year ended 31 May 2007, have been a concern for West Ham's billionaire
owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who installed Magnusson as chairman and chief
executive when he bought the club in December 2006.

The lack of financial control has been cited by sources as one of the major
reasons for Magnusson being deposed a year later. The financial figures
appear to back up that claim although, it could be argued, it is a price
worth paying for staying in the Premier League. At the same time West Ham's
wage bill rose dramatically – up £11.1m to £41.3m. The figures do not take
into account transfers last summer but they do include the compensation paid
to Alan Pardew when he was sacked as manager,plus the £5.5m fine imposed for
a breach of Premier League rules in signing Carlos Tevez.

Given Gudmundsson's wealth – he is pushing ahead with plans to build a £250m
stadium – the results are not a cause for grave concern, especially, as
sources pointed out yesterday, he pumped £30m more into the club in the
autumn. But it has contributed to the lack of transfer activity this month.
That, though, is also explained by the manager, Alan Curbishley, not having
been able to field his best side.

West Ham have also, however, put on hold contract talks with players such as
Lucas Neill and Dean Ashton. Neill, the captain, was seeking parity with the
top earners but has been told he will only be given a year's extension while
Ashton, who has two years left but is now one of the lowest earners, will
have to wait until the summer. West Ham are likely to try to sign an
established striker on loan this month. At the same time they will listen to
offers for Davenport, Bobby Zamora, Nigel Quashie, John Pantsil and
Christian Dailly.

Last night a West Ham spokesman said: "The club is in a sound financial
state but it was necessary last year to invest in players in order to remain
in the Premier League. That strategy was successful but it's also right that
we take a firmer fiscal view as we move forward."

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West Ham United fancy ex-Chelsea man - FansFC.com
06:57 January, 14, 2008

West Ham United Football Club are hoping to land Maniche on loan for the
rest of the season. The former Chelsea midfielder is currently plying his
trade in Spain with Atletico Madrid, where his performances have been akin
to those he produced for former UEFA Champions League winners Porto. Indeed,
Italian champions Inter Milan are known admirer of the Portugal
international ace, yet Alan Curbishley is planning a daring move to bring
the player to Upton Park.
The Hammers manager is thought to be keen to strike a loan deal with
Atletico for Maniche for the rest of the season, with a permanent move in
the region of £5million being mooted for the end of the campaign.

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Curbishley: There's no need to strengthen Hammers - Daily Mail
West Ham 2 Fulham 1
By SIMON CASS - More by this author »
Last updated at 19:16pm on 13th January 2008

Alan Curbishley's dealings in last season's January transfer window were
frenzied as he splashed out £17million. Luis Boa Morte and Matthew Upson
were the most expensive arrivals as West Ham's boss halted a seemingly
inevitable slide into the second tier. Curbishley was rewarded with a
further £29.5m to spend in the summer on the proviso he built a squad
capable of ensuring relegation worries were a thing of the past. Curbishley
now has a squad of 33 players to choose from, so it is no wonder Icelandic
owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is looking for a return on his investment. And
after watching his side earn back-to-back home victories in the league for
the first time this season, Curbishley conceded the players he already has
are those who will be charged with maintaining West Ham's push up the table.
"I've decided that unless something really critical happens then I won't be
doing anything in the transfer window," revealed Curbishley after his side
came from behind to beat struggling Fulham.
Curbishley is relishing the competition for places brought about by the
recovery of the likes of James Collins, Julien Faubert, Craig Bellamy, Scott
Parker and Kieron Dyer. Curbishley admitted he delivered a half-time wake-up
call to Anton Ferdinand after his poor marking allowed Simon Davies's
40-yard free-kick to sail over everyone and past a helpless Robert Green.
The harsh words worked, with Ferdinand recovering to grab West Ham's winner
to add to his goal against Manchester United. Freddie Ljungberg certainly
responded to the renewed competition, turning in his best performance in a
West Ham shirt — even if a cut lip forced him to change it at half-time. The
Swede's running and crossing was a constant threat and his pinpoint centre
was neatly headed home f or the equaliser by Dean Ashton, who, but for two
magnificent stops by Antti Niemi, would have had a hat-trick. Ljungberg
said: "I've been injured and haven't played that much, but that performance
is what I'm about."
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson must try to emulate West Ham's transfer dealings
of the previous transfer window if his side are to ensure a similar act of
escapology. Their pursuit of Watford striker Marlon King is testament to
their need for a focal point in attack, while moves for Stephane Henchoz and
Jean-Alain Boumsong highlight the lack of a physical presence at the back.

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Curbishley: There's no need to strengthen Hammers - Daily Mail
West Ham 2 Fulham 1
By SIMON CASS - More by this author »
Last updated at 19:16pm on 13th January 2008

Alan Curbishley's dealings in last season's January transfer window were
frenzied as he splashed out £17million. Luis Boa Morte and Matthew Upson
were the most expensive arrivals as West Ham's boss halted a seemingly
inevitable slide into the second tier. Curbishley was rewarded with a
further £29.5m to spend in the summer on the proviso he built a squad
capable of ensuring relegation worries were a thing of the past. Curbishley
now has a squad of 33 players to choose from, so it is no wonder Icelandic
owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is looking for a return on his investment. And
after watching his side earn back-to-back home victories in the league for
the first time this season, Curbishley conceded the players he already has
are those who will be charged with maintaining West Ham's push up the table.
"I've decided that unless something really critical happens then I won't be
doing anything in the transfer window," revealed Curbishley after his side
came from behind to beat struggling Fulham.

Curbishley is relishing the competition for places brought about by the
recovery of the likes of James Collins, Julien Faubert, Craig Bellamy, Scott
Parker and Kieron Dyer. Curbishley admitted he delivered a half-time wake-up
call to Anton Ferdinand after his poor marking allowed Simon Davies's
40-yard free-kick to sail over everyone and past a helpless Robert Green.
The harsh words worked, with Ferdinand recovering to grab West Ham's winner
to add to his goal against Manchester United. Freddie Ljungberg certainly
responded to the renewed competition, turning in his best performance in a
West Ham shirt — even if a cut lip forced him to change it at half-time. The
Swede's running and crossing was a constant threat and his pinpoint centre
was neatly headed home f or the equaliser by Dean Ashton, who, but for two
magnificent stops by Antti Niemi, would have had a hat-trick. Ljungberg
said: "I've been injured and haven't played that much, but that performance
is what I'm about."
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson must try to emulate West Ham's transfer dealings
of the previous transfer window if his side are to ensure a similar act of
escapology. Their pursuit of Watford striker Marlon King is testament to
their need for a focal point in attack, while moves for Stephane Henchoz and
Jean-Alain Boumsong highlight the lack of a physical presence at the back.

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Fulham's frailties exposed by Anton Ferdinand - The Times
West Ham 2 Fulham 1
John Aizlewood at Upton Park

IF FULHAM'S latest manager was under any illusions in regard to the size of
his task after a plucky loss at Chelsea and a dismal FA Cup draw against
Bristol Rovers, yesterday's defeat at West Ham United surely concentrated
Roy Hodgson's mind. Yet again Fulham took the lead, yet again the fragile
West Londoners squandered it and once West Ham equalised, only the home
side's tendency to meander mentally looked likely to prevent the points
heading towards East London.

"I'm not particularly dissatisfied," noted Hodgson carefully. "But clearly
the balance is not quite right in our team."

For West Ham, however, things are rarely simple. Eight minutes in, what
should have been yesterday's downhill sla-lom against a team who have not
triumphed on their travels since winning at Newcastle in September 2006
turned into an uphill slog after Jonathan Spector fouled David Healy. Simon
Davies floated the free kick over from the left touchline, Carlos
Bocanegra's run distracted West Ham's slugabed defence and the ball sailed
into the net without anyone adding an extra touch. "Dreadful," sighed
Curbishley. "A really soft goal."

Not unaccustomed to going ahead (had his team clung on after leading
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Middles-brough, Lawrie Sanchez would still
be in employment), Fulham briefly basked and then, with surprising joi de
vivre and with Davies particularly merciless whenever he ran at Spector,
looked to secure a lead which even they could not squander.

In contrast, West Ham were cowed and tentative, the pale outfit who lost
twice in four days at home to Everton rather than the Trojans who sent
Manchester United packing. Their defence was distracted, their midfield
desperately slow to track back, leaving concomitant gaps for Fulham to
exploit and, while Matthew Etherington always had the better of Chris Baird,
the killer final ball his approach play demanded was too-often missing. So,
when Davies ran unopposed through the centre of the home defence before
Healy wasted the opportunity, the mutterings of terrace discontent began.
Then, West Ham remembered who they were playing, snapped out of their
trance, shed their torpor, marched upfield and immediately equalised.
Fred-die Ljungberg sped past erstwhile Hammer Paul Konchesky and crossed
from the right. Dean Ashton ghosted between Dejan Stefanovic and Aaron
Hughes and headed home. Galvanised despite their still-ponderous defending,
West Ham sought a second and almost found it 36 minutes in, when Ashton met
Etherington's first telling cross of the afternoon with a fierce volley
which Antti Niemi tipped brilliantly onto the bar. The Finn was flying again
in the 41st minute, majestically pawing aside another Ashton piledriver
after the England prospect had sauntered around Stefanovic.

West Ham continued in similar vein after the restart. In midfield, Mark
Noble waxed as Fulham waned, Ljungberg was a hive of industry on the right
and only Stefanovic's back deflected wide a fearsome 54th-minute Etherington
rocket. Indeed, so confident of victory were the home support that they
began to chant "going down" at their guests, even after Clint Dempsey had
the otherwise unemployed Robert Green scrambling across his goal in the 58th
minute after doughty work from Moritz Volz.

The traffic, though, was one way. Soon, Konchesky was heading Carlton Cole's
header off the line in the wake of Noble's cross. Cole and Ashton's nascent
partnership bore only fleeting menace and soon Cole was replaced by Fulham
old boy Luis Boa Morte, but still the winner would not come until Fulham
failed to clear Noble's 69th-minute corner. The ball seemed to be drifting
out, but Noble chased the apparently lost cause, charged to the byline and
whipped over a cross which centre-half Anton Ferdinand - singled-out by
Curbishley for a sloppy first period – walloped home with a centre-forward's
eye for goal.

Typically, West Ham lost focus and Fulham finally created a couple of
chances. Dempsey was unlucky to see Noble hack his header off the line, but
Baird was much more culpable when he rose unchallenged to nod a header over
the bar.

Hodgson went for broke, giving former Hammer Jimmy Bull-ard his first
Premiership action since that game at Newcastle, but Baird's miss had broken
Fulham's precarious spirit and, sure of the spoils, Curbishley risked a
late, late run-out for the far from fully fit Julien Faubert.

For them, the season may yet be full of pleasant surprises, but tellingly
Hodgson was careful not to inflate Fulham's expectations. "Don't give me
that 'too good to go down' stuff. It is not going to be easy to retain our
status, but we can take heart that it is not going to be easy for the teams
around us either," he said.

West Ham:Green 6, Spector 5, Ferdinand 6, Upson 6, McCartney 6, Mullins 6,
Ljungberg 7 (Faubert 89min), Noble 7, Etherington 6 (Bowyer 83min), Ashton
6, Cole 5 (Boa Morte 65min)

Fulham: Niemi 7. Baird 4, Stefanovic 5, Bocanegra 5 (Hughes 14min, 5),
Konchesky 5, Volz 7 (Bullard 77min), Davis 5, Murphy 5, Davies 6, Healy 5
(Smertin 78min), Dempsey 5

Star man: Antti Niemi (Fulham)
Scorers: West Ham: Ashton 28, Ferdinand 69 Fulham: Davies 8

Referee: M Riley
Attendance: 34,947

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Hammers rubbish Zamora talk
by Ben Blackmore, 13 January 2008

Alan Curbishley and Bobby Zamora have united in rubbishing claims that the
striker is ready to leave West Ham for Fulham. Zamora has been injured for
nearly the entire season with a knee problem, but reports claim Roy Hodgson
is eyeing the striker as a January signing as he nears full fitness.
Curbishley could barely contain his laughter though when asked about the
situation, while Zamora is adamant he wants to stay at Upton Park. "I can't
imagine anyone contemplating going in for a player who is not fit and has
not even trained for us for four months. It's unbelievable," said
Curbishley. "He was injured on August 28 and we have not seen him since. I
don't see where that story comes from there is nothing to talk about."
Zamora added: "I have got four years left on my current contract and have
been promised a new contract as well, so I know the club want me to stay.
"I certainly want to remain here. As usual it's all paper talk, which can be
a bit unsettling, but you get used to it as a player when the transfer
window comes round. "I'm not even playing at the moment and getting back fit
to play for West Ham is my only priority."

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West Ham United 2 Fulham 1: Fulham's little problems drilled into Hodgson by
Hammers - The Independent
By Glenn Moore
Published: 14 January 2008

It was comeback day at Upton Park with Jimmy Bullard and Julien Faubert
making their first appearances of the season, but little encouragement for
anyone hoping Fulham might return from the relegation mire.

Any punter wishing to recoup the cash lost backing Harry Redknapp's aborted
move to Newcastle might be advised to put a wedge on Fulham for next
season's Championship title. They have the perfect squad, not just not good
enough to stay up, but not good enough to be decimated by the survivors
picking off their best players.

The one ray of light is that Roy Hodgson has quickly worked this out for
himself. When it was suggested his squad was long on quantity, but short on
quality, he argued it was lacking in both areas. As it happens Fulham, after
Lawrie Sanchez's plundering of the Northern Ireland team, have a first-team
squad of 29 players.

"We need to sign players to stay up," Hodgson said. "We have 15 points from
22 games. Of course we need people. But we need the right people, players
who are going to make us better, not just make us bigger in terms of depth.
It's important we get players who balance up our team. A lot of our players
are of a similar height and not very tall, so stature will be a factor."

The big loss, for Sanchez especially, was Brian McBride the warhorse
centre-forward. He is on his way back and Hodgson wants to partner him with
Marlon King, an aspiration Watford are understandably resisting.

Hodgson's a wise head and he needs to be for signing players is an art.
Harry Redknapp makes few mistakes but David Nugent was one being unsuited to
Portsmouth's game. Nor is Ashley Cole, with a preference for dribbling with
the ball rather than crossing it, as integrated at Chelsea as at Arsenal.
Freddie Ljungberg has also struggled to adapt to a new style after leaving
Arsenal but, on Saturday, played his best match for West Ham.

Playing as an old-fashioned wide man, and looking like one after swapping a
bloodied shirt for a jersey with neither name nor number, he set up Dean
Ashton for West Ham's equaliser and made Paul Konchesky's return a misery.
"That's what I'm about," he said. "If the ball is on the ground, I can go at
the defenders and create stuff."

Ashton's deft header nullified a Simon Davies free-kick which Rob Green let
drift in from 30 yards as he was waiting for Carlos Bocanegra's header. The
American deliberately evaded the ball. Anton Ferdinand had lost Bocanegra,
so he was especially delighted to score the winner after Mark Noble refused
to let an over-hit pass run out.

That showed the spirit Hodgson needs in the coming months, that and some
quality reinforcement. As West Ham showed last year, it can be done.

Goals: Davies (8) 0-1; Ashton (28) 1-1; Ferdinand (69) 2-1.

West Ham United (4-4-2): Green; Spector, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney;
Ljungberg (Faubert, 89), Mullins, Noble, Etherington (Bowyer, 83); Ashton,
Cole (Boa Morte, 65). Substitutes not used: Wright (gk), Collins.

Fulham (4-4-2): Niemi; Baird, Stefanovic, Bocanegra (Hughes, 14), Konchesky;
Volz (Bullard, 77), Davis, Murphy, Davies; Healy (Smertin, 78), Dempsey.
Substitutes not used: Warner (gk), Ki-Hyeon.

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

Booked: Fulham: Konchesky.

Man of the match: Ljungberg.

Attendance: 34,947.

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Anton responded to angry Alan - TeamTalk

Anton Ferdinand scored the winner as West Ham came from a goal down to
plunge Fulham deeper into the Premier League relegation mire. Simon Davies
had put Fulham ahead when his early free-kick evaded everyone in the West
Ham box and crept inside the far post. Dean Ashton headed the Hammers level
but was then twice denied by acrobatic saves from Cottagers goalkeeper Antti
Niemi, who brilliantly deflected one close-range strike on to the bar and
then dived to palm away another. But there was nothing the Finnish
goalkeeper could do to stop Ferdinand's first-time shot into the roof of the
net which sealed a valuable home win for West Ham. The Hammers' home results
have picked up in recent weeks and the win over Fulham follows an FA Cup
third-round draw with high-flying Manchester City last week and a league win
over Manchester United. Manager Alan Curbishley said: "We didn't start so
well and Anton copped it at half-time. I wasn't happy with how he and
Matthew Upson started. "But they came out to put it right. We wanted to
cement our position in the top half and this was a big result for us."
Once West Ham settled and began playing a faster brand of attacking football
- rather than relying on long balls forward - Ashton looked increasingly
dangerous. And Freddie Ljungberg enjoyed arguably his best game for West
Ham, testing the Fulham rear-guard with a series of excellent crosses from
the right. "We feel if we can give Ashton the chances he will take them.
Niemi made a fantastic save to deny him," said Curbishley. "He is trying to
get fit in the first team and it is a case of him getting a bit sharper and
us playing better to give him the chances. "We felt that if we could get the
ball into the box we would cause them problems. "We had one cleared off the
line from Carlton Cole and Niemi has made a couple of saves. I think we
created the better chances."
Defeat was doubly tough for Fulham because relegation rivals Wigan won at
Derby while fellow strugglers Middlesbrough drew with Liverpool and
Birmingham earned a point at Arsenal. Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said:
"There are enough games left. It will not be easy but it won't be easy for
many of the other teams around the relegation zone either. I believe we can
do it."
But that will involve some successful raids in the transfer market. Hodgson
would not expand on Fulham's attempts to sign Watford striker Marlon King.
He said: "We had chances at the end and it was difficult to see a point
disappear. "I can't complain about the discipline, the work rate and the
effort but the balance in our team is not right at the moment and we will
have to work to bring those types of players in."

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West Ham boss Curbishley expects quiet January
tribalfootball.com - January 13, 2008

West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley expects a quiet January market. He told
whufc.com: "I have decided that unless something really critical happens, we
won't be doing too much. The players that have been playing have been done
fantastically well and the players that are coming back are desperate to get
back."

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West Ham's Ljungberg delighted with Fulham victory
tribalfootball.com - January 13, 2008

West Ham midfielder Freddie Ljungberg was delighted with his performance in
Saturday's victory over Fulham. "It felt great," said Ljungberg, who rightly
got a rapturous reception when making way for Julien Faubert in the dying
minutes. "We got the ball down a bit on the floor, especially in the second
half, and I could go at their left-back. It was probably one of the first
times [this season]. It felt great and we won the game - I can't complain."
On the result, the Swede also told whufc.com: "When we got the ball down and
played, it happened for us. "We started to create a few chances after that
and probably should have scored a few more to be honest."

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Bolton ahead of Man City, West Ham for Cisse
tribalfootball.com - January 13, 2008

Bolton Wanderers are leading the race for Olympique Marseille's £4
million-rated striker Djibril Cisse. The Sunday Mirror says Wanderers boss
Gary Megson moved immediately for Cisse following Anelka's £15m move to
Chelsea after hearing the 26-year-old was surplus to requirements at
Marseille. The deal could go through in the next 48 hours, though Manchester
City, West Ham, Fulham and Blackburn are also interested

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