George McCartney knows Liverpool are determined to perform in midweek - but
so are West Ham United
03.03.2008
West Ham United may be in for another difficult test when they head up to
Merseyside on Wednesday night but George McCartney is expecting maximum
effort from the tenth-placed club.
The left-back is looking for a reaction after a 4-0 weekend defeat by a
Chelsea side he described as "probably the best team we have faced this
year". The consistent Northern Ireland international was well placed to
judge the west London's side credentials as he has been a league and cup
ever-present this season and also not missed any first-team match since
sitting out the 4-3 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur exactly a year ago - a run
of 42 games.
Looking to the midweek game when Alan Curbishley's men will have the chance
to achieve a famous double over the Reds, he said: "We have to forget about
[Chelsea] and move on to Liverpool. It is not going to be easy at Anfield,
they are under a bit of pressure themselves and they will be up for the game
and looking to take the three points. It has been a long season and we have
got eleven left. We have got to try and take as many points as we can. We
want to try and get in Europe."
While things did not go to plan against Chelsea, a draw or victory at the
Reds would set the club up nicely for Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
After that, West Ham United will have nine games left and Alan Curbishley
will be keen to get his players thinking of last year's seven wins from that
number of fixtures. Also, with home fixtures against seventh-placed
Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth, in eighth, on the horizon there is no
reason why the club cannot look to move up.
Certainly, the ever-reliable McCartney will not be wanting a rest. "It does
begin to catch up on you coming towards the last couple of months but it is
the same for everyone," he said. "We have got a big enough squad to cope. It
is just a matter of everyone digging in for the rest of the season." For all
the disappointment at the weekend display, he also knows West Ham United
traditionally "lift our game when the big teams come along" and equally
acknowledged that "football is a crazy game at times".
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Academy aces extend advantage - WHUFC
Tony Carr saw Junior Stanislas make both goals as West Ham United's U18s
pushed ahead in Group A
03.03.2008
Tony Carr was satisfied with his youngsters' efforts at the weekend after
they moved five points clear at the top of Group A of the Premier Academy
League.
A 2-0 home win against Ipswich Town - secured after goals inside the first
five minutes from Josh Payne and Freddie Sears - moved the Under-18s out of
the reach of Southampton who went down by the same scoreline at home to
Crystal Palace. Both clubs have played 24 games but the biggest threat to
West Ham United are probably Arsenal, who are eight points adrift but have
four games in hand after a 0-0 draw at Norwich City.
"We got off to a storming start," said a delighted Carr after the sixth win
in seven unbeaten matches that saw Sears make it 25 goals in 24 U18 and
reserve-team matches this campaign. "Josh Payne scored a spectacular
overhead kick from Junior Stanislas's free-kick. It was a really good goal
and we followed that up when Freddie scored. Junior's cross from the right.
dropped into his path, he controlled it and then drilled it in from close
range.
"It was two assists for Junior, two good goals and we were off to a great
start," Carr added, although he felt the team could have made more of their
advantage at a windswept Chadwell Heath. "We should really have gone on from
there. Although we were never in any danger of losing the game, it just
disintegrated into a bit of a scrappy game to be honest. The wind was
playing havoc with everything and the ball was doing all sorts of tricks."
Carr was also pleased that Adam Street, who has come into the team for the
injured Marek Stech (ankle), was again not beaten, with the help of
defenders like Ashley Miller and Bondz N'Gala. The academy director said:
"It is another clean sheet and that is a real plus for us. We ended up
grateful for the 2-0 win. You couldn't call it a flowing performance but you
don't get that every week unfortunately."
With each Group A club playing 28 games, West Ham United have four
inter-group fixtures remaining. Each of these will be against teams from
Group B, starting with the Friday 14 March trip to Bristol City, getting
under way at 1pm. That is followed by the visit of Reading on 29 March, a
trip to Leicester City, the 2006/07 Premier Academy League champions, on 5
April and the final-day arrival of Birmingham City on 12 April. Ultimately,
the Group A, B, C and D winners will go forward to contest semi-finals and
final to see who takes on Leicester's mantle.
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Carlsberg backing the Beamback - WHUFC
Adults coming along to the Boleyn Ground for the Spurs game this Sunday will
be able to get a free pint
03.03.2008
West Ham United are delighted to have teamed up with Carlsberg to offer a
free pint for all fans attending next Sunday's beamback of the Tottenham
Hotspur trip.
This special offer of a pint of Carlsberg or Tetley is available to anyone
over the age of 18 attending the Boleyn Ground event. That's not all,
either, with each adult receiving a free pint automatically entered into a
prize draw to win 'beer for a year' - thanks to Carlsberg, the club's
official beer. One lucky fan will be chosen at random on the day.
For all supporters wanting to attend on Sunday, two packages are on offer
featuring your choice of meal and a programme - plus all the action from the
3pm kick-off at White Hart Lane. The teams drew 1-1 when they last met on 25
November with the drama continuing to the final whistle and Robert Green's
last-gasp penalty save.
This time around, Alan Curbishley's men know victory could move them eleven
or 14 points clear of their north London rivals - depending on the midweek
match against Liverpool - and also get them back on track for a strong
finish to the league season. Both sides suffered setbacks at the weekend but
normal service is expected to be resumed when they go head to head at White
Hart Lane. See the Barclays Premier League encounter in warmth and style
with two mouth-watering packages running from 12pm to 5pm at the Boleyn
Ground.
# Pie and mash, and a matchday programme in the Premier Suite (pay-bar
available). Prices are £20 for adults, £18 for senior citizens/disabled and
£15 for children under 16.
# Three-course carvery meal and a matchday programme in the Castle Suite
(pay-bar available). Prices are £35 for adults, £22.50 for senior
citizens/disabled and £17.50 for children under 16.
Derby games against Tottenham Hotspur are always must-see encounters, with
many a classic game over the years. Make sure you are at the Boleyn Ground
to soak up all the atmosphere and get your free pint on Sunday 9 March.
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Manager on Monday - WHUFC
Having won the last two home encounters with 'top four clubs', Alan
Curbishley had hoped for better
03.03.2008
Alan Curbishley accepts there was little to be drawn from the weekend and
said his West Ham United team had come up against a side firmly back in the
title race.
The manager may have seen Bobby Zamora get 25 minutes of first-team football
after being out with a persistent knee problem since 28 August and also had
Julien Faubert making his first home start but admitted highlights were few
and far between in the 4-0 home reverse. He said: "We can't take too much
from the game and obviously it is not nice when you have to sit there and
watch that."
"The fans had to," Curbishley added, mindful that expectancy was high after
an excellent 1-0 away win at Fulham the previous weekend and that the
tenth-placed club had a chance to close on the two or three teams above -
especially with Wednesday's game in hand at Liverpool. "They have come in
with great hopes. We picked up a result last week and we desperately need to
put two [wins] together to try and climb up the league but it hasn't
happened again."
Curbishley knows his side are capable of competing with the best - as shown
by the 2-1 and 1-0 home wins against Manchester United and Liverpool
respectively, and even the 1-0 away defeat at the hands of Chelsea back on 1
December when defeat was harsh on his team. The only other 'top-four' game
that had disappointed in a similar manner was the 2-0 loss at Arsenal on New
Year's Day when the leaders were able to take a quickfire lead.
"In the previous games against the top four perhaps we have made the save or
we have made the block," the manager said. "[The top-four teams] are going
to create chances and we went two down very early at the Emirates and that
is massively difficult to come back from. One-nought [then] after a minute
and, after 20 minutes [on Saturday], three goals in five minutes - you are
on to a hiding."
Chelsea's victory owed much to clinical finishing and the depth of a
"massively talented squad", with Avram Grant able to pick from a full
complement again after two months or so without that luxury. After Frank
Lampard's penalty, Joe Cole and Michael Ballack, two players left out in the
Carling Cup final, then put the game out of reach. "When you play against
these sides you know they have got players that if they get in certain
positions, they may finish," Curbishley added.
The visitors added a fourth through Ashley Cole, also left out in the cup
final, after the break, just when the home side had tried to get something
going and nearly scored with a clever Carlton Cole effort that was hooked
away at the last moment. The manager said the interval message had been to
try and make the most of the man-advantage after Lampard's dismissal,
telling his players "We have got to go out there and, if we can get going
for ten minutes, then we will have a go.
"Obviously they had ten men and we were hoping to break them down but we
couldn't do it. The one time we did, John Terry got back and cleared it off
the line so that may have been a change in the situation if we had scored
that but we have played against a top side with a top squad. If you see the
people they had on the bench it is massive - that result and Arsenal's one
has pushed them back in [the title race]."
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Youngsters get valuable minutes - WHUFC
Joe Widdowson and Jack Jeffery each played at the weekend as they continued
their respective loan spells
03.03.2008
Academy defender Joe Widdowson has made debut for Rotherham United at the
weekend while young striker Jack Jeffery featured in a win for Cambridge
United.
The 18-year-old left-back Widdowson was making his first start for the
League Two promotion contenders after joining on a month's loan and was
singled out by Rotherham manager Mark Robins for his "solid first-half
performance" before the team as a whole lost their way in the second half
and lost 1-0 to Accrington Stanley.
Meanwhile, Jeffery, also on a month's loan, featured as a late substitute as
Conference outfit Cambridge kept their bid for promotion to the Football
League alive with a 2-0 win against York City, with both goals scored by
former Hammers striker Lee Boylan. Jeffery, 18, said: "I've been impressed
by the players here. I'm really looking forward to playing some games and
helping Cambridge if I can." Meanwhile, 18-year-old full-back Robbie
Blackwell has joined Grays Athletic on work experience after a similar spell
at Colchester United.
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Where have the real men gone? - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 3rd March 2008
By: Paul Scanlan
I don't like to complain, I don't like to moan and I really do hope that
next week something happens to make me write a positive article. Having just
started my journey into the world of blog writing, I had already found Pete
Doherty, NME Magazine and the American media as potential subjects for
venting.
That was until I took my seat at Upton Park and watched West Ham against
Chelsea. During the ninety minutes of that match, I saw things that served
to back up my fury against the big teams in England's most popular sport.
The things that I saw made me ask, where have the real men of British
football gone?
I have spoken before about the responsibility that players and managers in
the British game have when it comes to their role in sport. Football is a
passionate environment and the one place where fans can vent feelings and
frustrations that they can't during their regular lives. Young fans treat
the players as heroes to be worshipped and adored while older supporters
like myself, like to see commitment and passion from those who are blessed
with an opportunity that so many of us will never have. In the main, those
players are deserving of our appreciation until you reach the very upper
echelons of the football world, where egotism, narcissism and greed take
over.
My fiancée who supports Manchester United finds it quite frustrating at
times that a non Manchester United fan cheers her team in the title race.
Last week, I slammed Arsenal and their code of conduct and this week, I have
seen Chelsea behave in ways that serve as a disgrace and insult to the game
we love to watch.
While in the nineties it was fashionable to hate a United side that were
dominating England and beyond, never at any time can I remember them playing
in such a black hearted way. Now we watch as they put together a new young
generation centred around the skills of Rooney, Tevez and the world class
Ronaldo for whom the crime of occasional diving is nothing compared to what
we have to endure from the top teams in London. Manchester United play
football the right way while Chelsea, like Arsenal, continue to abuse and
ruin it.
West Ham fans know the importance of playing against Chelsea. It's a London
derby and the arrival of Frank Lampard to his old stomping ground always
serves up bad feeling and anger towards a man who quite happily punished the
fans for actions that they did not commit. It wasn't the supporters who
sacked Frank's father and it wasn't the supporters who treated Frank's
uncle, Harry, badly either. Sadly Mr Lampard Junior does not have the
maturity to differentiate between these events and continues to badmouth the
team he grew up with.
At twenty eight years old however, you would think that the England
International has grown up enough to realise that he carries a certain
responsibility to keep a low profile in such a highly strung atmosphere. By
all means contribute to your teams' success and play a good game but keep
your mouth closed and your tackles and physicality to a minimum. That would
be the mature and responsible thing to do right? So what does the
experienced International do?
He starts a fight.
We all have our hatred for Lampard and the relationship between us and the
player will never be healed. However, for how much longer will he continue
to behave in such an irresponsible way when it comes to dealing with West
Ham United? He knows what a pressure cooker environment he is walking into
each season when he comes to Upton Park, yet he continues to fuel those
flames and then decides to stoke them up further by getting into a fracas
with Luis Boa Morte.
Lampard was blatantly looking for trouble and that is the truth, no matter
how much his manager may deny that. Why? Why risk turning a game of football
into something even more volatile and potentially dangerous? Is Frank not
mature enough to read a situation and realise that he should keep a low
profile rather than make things worse? He was in an environment of
passionate hatred and all it would have taken was for a couple of enraged
individuals to try and get onto the pitch in order for things to really
break down.
While I don't condone fans running on the pitch or looking for trouble, I do
believe that an England international like Lampard should have the
intelligence and maturity to ensure that he acts in a way that will keep
things under control. As it stands, he risked a major incident by his
behaviour yesterday and it is time that the Football Association looked at
these situations in more detail.
While the link between Lampard's behaviour and West Ham United is more
obvious, it did not end there. Ashley Cole, who received no more stick than
anyone else (despite his now weekly appearances in women's magazines for his
treatment of wife Cheryl Tweedy) decided that he would attempt to rile the
crowd by performing a quite frankly ridiculous plane like celebration upon
scoring his first goal. His loving fans were in fact closer to him but
instead of celebrating with them, he decided it would be much more
entertaining to see how many West Ham fans he could incite by showing his
arrogance in his truest form.
There I was thinking that Ashley had been suffering trauma and heartbreak?
He certainly didn't look like a broken man with that big smile on his face
as he pranced around with his arms outstretched. Again, why risk it? What
does it get you? I know this though, had a West Ham fan reacted, I would bet
all the money that I have (or don't as the case may be) that the Chelsea
player would get away with it. How much longer do we have put up with this
arrogant and irresponsible attitude from those at the top?
Add to these incidents, John Terry cupping his ear to the opposition fans
and lauding it around the pitch as if he owned it and you have yet more
evidence of top flight teams being out of control. While I don't wish to
paint a holier-than-thou picture of Manchester United and I do still hate
some of their supporters, there are many reasons why we as football fans
should be longing for the trophy to remain at Old Trafford.
The FA has no control over Chelsea or Arsenal and if they are to win the
Premiership, it won't be done by playing silky football, wowing the crowds
and displaying exemplary fair play. It will be done by bullying,
manipulation and with a smug grin as they look down at the rest of the
Premiership with contempt. What will it take for the governing bodies to
examine the conduct of these sides and finally put an end to their actions?
If the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal are allowed to play the game with such a
disgusting attitude, then the game of football as a whole will continue to
suffer and the only ones to be punished will be the fans for reacting, not
the apparently untouchables.
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Referee's admission boosts Lampard's appeal against red card
Dominic Fifield
Tuesday March 4, 2008
guardian.co.uk
Chelsea are optimistic that the red card and three-game suspension Frank
Lampard picked up at West Ham United on Saturday will be rescinded at a
meeting of a Football Association regulatory commission today after the
match referee, Peter Walton, privately admitted to making an error in
sending off the midfielder.
Lampard was dismissed after he had grappled with West Ham's Luis Boa Morte
following a tumble, with Walton taking advice from an assistant before
showing the midfielder the second red of his career. The dismissal was for
violent conduct, with the referee allegedly telling Chelsea players at the
time that Lampard had slapped Boa Morte in the face. Television replays of
the incident suggest he pushed the Portuguese in the chest.
Chelsea submitted a formal appeal yesterday, their dossier including a DVD
of footage of the clash and written submissions from player and club. An FA
spokesman confirmed that the club have to prove that the referee made "a
serious and obvious error" when they attend the four-man commission today.
However, it is understood that Walton has written to Soho Square admitting
he made an error and while that evidence is not conclusive, it will carry
weight when it is put to the panel. The sending-off cannot be downgraded to
yellow - it will remain on Lampard's record regardless of whether it is
rescinded or not - leaving the commission with a simple choice.
Chelsea will argue that the push on Boa Morte was not to the player's face
or head, as replays suggest, and therefore does not constitute violent
conduct in the hope that their approach goes the way of Lee Bowyer's
successful appeal against his dismissal against Birmingham this season,
rather than failed recent attempts by the likes of Jérémie Aliadière, Robbie
Keane, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole.
A positive decision would provide Chelsea with a boost for tomorrow's
Champions League tie against Olympiakos, although he is free to play in it
whatever today's outcome. The 4-0 rout of West Ham had restored confidence
damaged by the Carling Cup final defeat, but momentum must now be
maintained.
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Frank Lampard set to win red card appeal - Telegraph
By Jeremy Wilson
Last Updated: 12:28am GMT 04/03/2008
Frank Lampard is today expected to win his appeal against the red card he
received during Chelsea's 4-0 win against West Ham after gaining the
retrospective support of referee Peter Walton.
Walton does not personally have the power to overturn the original decision
but, after studying the video of the match, he has subsequently intimated in
his report that an error was made and the sending-off should be rescinded.
His evidence is certain to carry considerable weight at today's regulatory
commission and is likely to mean that Lampard will escape a three-match ban.
The commission will assess the video evidence and must conclude that "a
serious and obvious error" has been made before overturning a dismissal.
The definition of violent conduct is that the offence has endangered another
player's safety and Chelsea will point out that Lampard's push on Luis Boa
Morte was below head height. It is understood that Walton told Chelsea's
players that he acted on advice from linesman Guy Beale, who believed he saw
the England midfielder push Boa Morte in the face.
Earlier this season, Chelsea manager Avram Grant questioned whether it would
be worth challenging another sending-off after an appeal for Ashley Cole's
dismissal against Aston Villa proved futile. The process came under
criticism last week when an appeal by Middlesbrough against the sending-off
of Jeremie Aliadiere was rejected. It resulted in the French striker
receiving an extra one-game ban after the FA claimed the appeal was
"frivolous".
A successful appeal for Chelsea would give them a lift going into the second
leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie against Olympiakos
tomorrow and also ensure that Lampard is available for the forthcoming FA
Cup quarter-final against Barnsley, as well as league matches against Derby
and Sunderland.
Michael Ballack, meanwhile, has explained why he believes that a woodland
paint-balling trip last week could have put Chelsea back on the path to
success.
Following the 2-1 Carling Cup defeat against Tottenham, Chelsea took part in
a bonding exercise that appeared to help ahead of Saturday's victory against
West Ham. "It is very important," Ballack said. "It comes from John Terry,
our captain. It is a small thing in football but sometimes during the season
you have difficult moments, especially after such a defeat at Wembley, then
you have to do something a little bit different.
"It was not the main key for the victory at West Ham, but at this point we
wanted to do something else to clean our minds and our heads."
Changes are expected for the visit of Olympiakos in a competition which tops
the club's priority list. Grant rested several players on Saturday including
Didier Drogba, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Juliano Belletti, but the response
at Upton Park was impressive.
"We had a bad performance and we got criticised, but we showed we are a good
team," Ballack said.
"In the end we lost one game so everybody spoke about a big crisis at
Chelsea, but that was not the reality. We have to accept any criticism but
we know we lost one game. It was a big game. That is why the criticism was
more than for a normal league game because it is a final and everybody wants
to win the cup."
Joe Cole, who scored Chelsea's second goal at West Ham, added: "We have got
everyone fit now. This is the right time to go forward. We have two big cup
games coming up. We have been in this situation before, which could help us.
We know what we have got to do, and it will go down to the last few games, I
am certain of that."
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Hammers flop moves on
By Guardian-series
FORMER West Ham flop Sergei Rebrov has moved to Russian outfit Rubin Kazan.
The 33-year-old had an unsuccessful one-season spell with the Hammers during
2005-6 that bought just two goals in 32 appearances. Prior to that he had
joined rivals Tottenham for £11 million after being signed by George Graham
in June 2000. But he failed to ever justify the high price tag, managing in
total just 16 goals in 76 games, and was farmed out on-loan to Fenerbahçe
after being frozen out by Glenn Hoddle. He then moved to Upton Park before
returning to his homeland as a free agent to play for his first club, Dynamo
Kiev. But, despite being named as Player of the Year thanks to his 14 goals
in 34 matches in his first season, he struggled to reach such heights this
term and has decided to try his luck elsewhere. He has agreed a two-year
contract with Rubin.
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Young Hammer joins Grays - Thurrock Gazette
GRAYS Athletic have taken West Ham Scholar, Robbie Blackwell, on work
experience. Blackwell is a promising left back who has been with The Hammers
Academy since 2005, he has recently been on work experience with Colchester
United and played in their reserve game against Northampton Town alongside
ex-Hammer, Teddy Sheringham
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Chelsea launch appeal against Frank Lampard red card
Times Online, agencies and Matt Hughes of The Times
Chelsea have appealed against Frank Lampard's red card in Saturday's 4-0 win
away to West Ham United, the FA have confirmed. The case will be heard by a
regulatory commission tomorrow. The club waited to discover the contents of
the referee's report before making a final decision, as they were wary of
the England midfield player being given an additional suspension for making
a frivolous appeal, as happened to Jérémie Aliadière when Middlesbrough
contested his dismissal for slapping Javier Mascherano, of Liverpool, in the
face. A four-match ban would rule Lampard out of the league match against
Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the month. Chelsea's previous appeals this
season against the red cards shown to John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien and
Ashley Cole have been dismissed but they are confident of winning this time.
The club's players claim that they were told by Peter Walton, the referee,
that Lampard was sent off because the assistant referee told him he had
pushed Luís Boa Morte in the face, which television replays disprove. The
pictures showed Lampard shoving the Portuguese winger in the chest after
they had grappled on the floor in the 33rd minute, an offence that was
supposed to be punished with a yellow card, according to the guidance given
by referees at informal meetings held with clubs at the start of the season.
Chelsea expressed initial caution at fighting the red card as a result of
their experience after John Terry's sending-off against Tottenham Hotspur
last season, when the captain accused Graham Poll of changing his story, an
unfounded allegation for which he was fined £10,000 by the FA. Avram Grant,
the Chelsea first-team coach, expressed frustration that, as with the
penalty awarded against Wayne Bridge in last week's Carling Cup final, a
crucial decision was made by an assistant referee some distance from the
incident.
"I didn't see it and I have no problem with the referee, only the
assistant," Grant said. "The referee was closer to the incident than the
assistant referee and the same again as last week, but the assistant was 20
metres away. The referee said clearly that Lampard touched the face of Boa
Morte. If he did then it's a red card and if not then it's not a red card."
Terry called for the red card to be rescinded. "It was very harsh," he said.
"It was the linesman who made the decision. Walton is a very clever referee
and very good as well. I'm sure he'll look at it again and the guys who make
these decisions will look at it and hopefully rescind it."
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What Price Mark Noble? - West Ham Till I Die
This week's News of the World is touting Mark Noble as a replacement for
Flamini at Arsenal. The Gunners apparently considered an approach for Noble
in the last transfer window, says the article. We shouldn't be surprised
that Nobes is attracting attention. Even though he's not the finished
article yet, it's clear that he is going to be one of the best midfielders
in the country. I fully expect him to make the England squad within twelve
months. Arsenal apparently value him at £8 million.
Mark Noble is West Ham born and bred. It's now up to the club to make it
clear to him that they intend to build a side ready to challenge for
honours, and that they will build the squad around him. If his head was
turned by a move to one of the big four, it would be a tragedy. If that is
not to happen he needs to be confident about the club's ambition. It still
breaks my heart to think what might have been if we had been able to hold
onto James, Sinclair, Cole, Carrick, Lampard, Kanoute, Di Canio, Johnson and
Defoe. Best not to go there.
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Chelsea ponder whether to appeal Lampard red card - Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:31am on 3rd March 2008
Chelsea were today studying footage of Frank Lampard's red card at West Ham,
before deciding whether to appeal. Lampard was dismissed by referee Peter
Walton in the 34th minute on the advice of a linesman who believed the
England star had shoved Luis Boa Morte in the face. TV pictures suggest that
Lampard only made contact with Boa Morte's chest, although the England
midfield star did appear to aim a kick at the West Ham player, who also
retaliated, when both were on the ground. Chelsea are mindful, however, of
the recent case involving Middlesbrough's Jeremy Aliadiere who was sent off
for a similar seemingly innocuous push on Liverpool's Javier Mascherano and
then, on appeal, had his three-match ban increased to four. A similar result
for Lampard would mean he would miss the crucial clash against fellow title
contenders Arsenal. West Ham remain in 10th spot, despite their heaviest
defeat of the season, and manager Alan Curbishley is determined to put
things right at Liverpool on Wednesday. He said: "We're desperately
disappointed for the fans and ourselves. A result like that hasn't happened
to us all season and now we have to try and bounce back. "The Chelsea game
was the start of a tough week and now we have Liverpool and Tottenham. It
won't be easy but we are determined not to allow the season to fizzle out."
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Reserves v West Ham - Rearranged - arsenalfc.com
Arsenal v West Ham United
Reserve League South
Underhill, Barnet FC
Monday, April 21, 2008
Kick-off: 7pm
Please be aware that our Reserve League South home fixture against West Ham
United (originally scheduled for Monday, March 3, 2008) will now be played
on Monday April 21, 2008.
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Sears closing in on Hammers debut
By Guardian-series
WEST Ham boss Alan Curbishley has dropped a hint that youngster Freddie
Sears could make his first senior appearance before the season is out. The
18-year-old (pictured) has been in red-hot form this season and has made a
seamless transition from Academy to reserve-team football. In all, he has
banged in 25 goals in 24 games. West Ham have 11 games remaining in the
Premier League and Curbishley revealed that the youngster is firmly in his
plans. "I think the natural progression is to get some sort of football and
we'll see if it's in the remaining games," said Curbishley. "He is different
to what we've got available at the moment - he's quick, wants to get in
behind people and goes about his business very quietly when he's around us.
He's a good finisher.
"He's been on the first-team trips for the last couple of months and luckily
enough has been on the bonuses as well, so he's happy."
Meanwhile, the Irons' reserve team Reserve League South fixture with Arsenal
- scheduled for tonight - has been rearranged. The game will now take place
on Monday, April 21 at Barnet FC's Underhill stadium. Kick off is at 7pm.
12:11pm today
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