All the action as it happened from Old Trafford on Saturday in the club's
last away game of the season
01.05.2008
Barclays Premier League
Old Trafford
12.45pm
Referee: Mike Riley
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Brown, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani,
Carrick, Scholes (O'Shea 72), Park (Giggs 61), Ronaldo (Fletcher 64), Tevez.
Subs not used: Anderson, Kuszczak.
West Ham United: Green, Pantsil, Tomkins, Neill, McCartney, Noble, Parker,
Mullins (Sears 75), Boa Morte (Solano 52), Ashton (Cole 56), Zamora.
Subs not used: Walker, Collison.
West Ham United were unable to continue their recent run of form against
Premier League champions Manchester United as they were beaten 4-1 by the
determined title-contenders in an early kick-off at Old Trafford.
Four of the goals came in the opening half an hour and the home side took
the lead inside the first five minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo capitalised when
Hammers captain Lucas Neill lost his balance. The Portuguese winger skipped
into the box and fired past Robert Green, the ball taking a slight
deflection off George McCartney as it flew into the net.
Bobby Zamora came within inches of equalising minutes later but his looping
header was cleared off the line by Patrice Evra. Neill was on hand to clear
Owen Hargreaves' testing ball into the box moments later as United
threatened to double their lead and James Tomkins provided an equally timely
clearance to head clear as Ji-sung Park threatened to take aim.
Just after a quarter of an hour, referee Mike Riley waved away West Ham
United's claims for a seemingly clear-cut penalty as United defender Wes
Brown scooped the ball away from Bobby Zamora in the penalty area with his
hand.
Tomkins kept his composure after 18 minutes to blast Carlos Tevez's shot
across goal clear of danger. Fellow centre-back Neill then dispossessed
Ronaldo moments later as he dribbled dangerously through the penalty area.
United doubled their lead in the 25th minute as Hargreaves' cross to the far
post bounced off Ronaldo's thigh and in. Tevez added a third a minute later
with a sublime strike from 25 yards, which glided effortlessly into the roof
of the net.
But West Ham United's response was instant and emphatic. Dean Ashton pulled
a goal back with an outstanding overhead kick as Brown's misplaced header
fell to him in the area.
The incident-packed first half continued in the same vein as it began. With
less than ten minutes to go before the break United were a man down as Nani
was sent off for a headbutt on Neill. George McCartney was booked moments
later for a late challenge on Ronaldo as the game took a tempestuous turn.
The second half evolved into a more languid affair. Just after the break
John Pantsil carved out an opening for the visitors as he dummied Park and
fizzed the ball across the box but Rio Ferdinand cleared. Alan Curbishley
brought Nolberto Solano on in the 52nd minute for Luis Boa Morte, who
appeared to be struggling and signalling to the bench.
Carlton Cole came on for Dean Ashton with just over half an hour left to
play but within minutes United had scored a fourth. Former Hammer Michael
Carrick let fly with a long-range effort which deflected off Neill and into
the net.
In the 68th minute Zamora was also added to the book for an alleged handball
in the penalty area after he controlled Solano's long ball with his chest
and took aim at Edwin van der Sar's goal. United came close to scoring a
fifth three minutes later when substitute Darren Fletcher's shot smashed
back off the post.
Freddie Sears came into the mix in front of the 76, 000-strong crowd with
fifteen minutes left, replacing Hayden Mullins, but the young striker
struggled to break through United's steadfast defence.
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Day reflects on Old Trafford trip - WHUFC
Mervyn Day summed up the mood in the camp after a 4-1 loss at title-chasing
Manchester United
03.05.2008
West Ham United assistant manager Mervyn Day admitted everyone was "very
disappointed" at the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United but paid tribute to the
effort shown.
Two goals from Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo and a further strike
from Carlos Tevez did the early damage, although Dean Ashton did pull one
back just before the half-hour with a spectacular overhead kick. Day was
particularly rueful of the early setbacks, especially Ronaldo's opener
inside three minutes. "The first one was unfortunate because Lucas Neill
slips, it gets a deflection off George McCartney, and you have let a goal in
at Old Trafford against the exact side that played Barcelona on Tuesday and
it is one uphill battle after that."
Manchester United went into the game knowing two wins from their final two
fixtures would guarantee the league title and the Champions League finalists
were in determined mood. That said the away side were equally eager to make
it four straight wins against Sir Alex Ferguson and also looking to confirm
a tenth-place finish. Alan Curbishley's hopes were hampered though by having
to replace Ashton and Luis Boa Morte, who started with Freddie Ljungberg now
out for the remainder of the season, early in the second half just before
Michael Carrick added a deflected fourth.
Day said: "Dean Ashton was going to come off five minutes before half-time.
He tweaked his groin when he scored. He got to half-time and then said he
would like to keep going but he was not particularly mobile and couldn't get
around the pitch. We thought we would protect him a little bit as we have
got another game next weekend. Luis Boa Morte got a whack on the hip which
was impinging on his running style."
Even though the hosts had to play with ten men after Nani's sending off on
37 minutes with the score at 3-1, Day said he could not fault the commitment
of the travelling team. "If you go in our dressing room they are absolutely
shattered," he added. "They might not have been good enough on the day but
they have worked their socks off. One thing I will defend them on totally is
their effort. They might have got caught in possession, they might not have
passed it particularly well in certain areas but you go in there now there
is an awful lot of tired bodies."
He also paid tribute to the youngsters like James Tomkins, who continues to
show his potential after getting his chance with the absence of six injured
centre-backs at the club. Day described the England Under-19 international's
showing against Ronaldo and Tevez as another "great learning experience"
while Freddie Sears also furthered his football education with a late
run-out.
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Loanees enjoy good weekend - WHUFC
Richard Wright, Zavon Hines and Kyel Reid can all be cheerful after success
for their Championship clubs
04.05.2008
Richard Wright and Zavon Hines have seen their loan spells at Southampton
and Coventry City end on a high after both Championship clubs avoided
relegation.
Wright proved a hero for Southampton as they came from behind to win 3-2 at
home against Sheffield United. The on-loan goalkeeper produced a fantastic
stop from Matthew Kilgallon moments before Saints equalised and from there
they went on to secure all three points that kept them two points ahead of
relegated Leicester City. Coventry, who used forward Hines as a 73rd-minute
substitute, lost 4-1 at Charlton Athletic but because of Leicester's 0-0
draw at promoted Stoke City, stayed up by a point.
In total, the 30-year-old Wright made seven appearances for Southampton
while Hines had the same number of games for Coventry but all came off the
bench. He scored one goal - which earned a 1-1 draw away to Sheffield
Wednesday on 1 April. Club-mate Kyel Reid also had reason to celebrate on
Saturday after Crystal Palace, the club he joined on loan at the end of
March, sealed a place in the promotion play-offs. The 20-year-old winger did
not figure in the 5-0 home win against Burnley but has seen his loan
extended to cover the semi-finals and potential final.
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Tomka looks back on WHUTV - WHUFC
The 19-year-old James Tomkins played his fifth game for West Ham United away
to Manchester United
05.05.2008
James Tomkins was delighted to get the "unbelievable" experience of playing
at Old Trafford but speaking to WHUTV could not hide his overall
disappointment.
In Saturday's 4-1 reverse against title-chasing Manchester United, the
19-year-old defender continued at centre-back in the absence of key
defenders like Matthew Upson and Anton Ferdinand. The ever-willing Tomkins
gave an admirable display on a day when Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez
were in scintillating form. That said, the England Under-19 international
refused to make excuses.
Speaking to WHUTV after his fourth start for the senior side and fifth
appearance overall, Tomkins said: "They have got quality players all the way
through their team but obviously our errors don't help. There is not a doubt
about how good these players are and we gave it a good go at the end but
overall we are disappointed. When you are 3-0 down in the opening half-hour
against teams like this it is a long way back."
Alan Curbishley's men believed they had been given a lifeline with Dean
Ashton's "very good goal" back that made the score 3-1 with an hour still to
play. Those hopes were raised further when Nani was sent off for violent
conduct before half-time. Tomkins, who was joined by fellow Academy graduate
Freddie Sears off the bench late in the contest, added: "Second half we came
out fairly strongly and thought we were back in it, but when we conceded the
fourth goal it knocked us down a bit."
Even though it was a tough weekend, this homegrown Hammer will not be bowed
by the experience of a heavy reverse away to one of Europe's best teams and
can take heart from some timely tackles and well-judged blocks. He said:
"Obviously there is a lot of room for improvement. I was fairly pleased with
my performance. Playing at Old Trafford is just unbelievable and I am fairly
happy but I am still disappointed to lose."
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Hopes for defensive duo - WHUFC
There are signs that Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson could be fit to
return for the final game
05.05.2008
Mervyn Day has revealed Matthew Upson and Anton Ferdinand could be fit for
the season finale against Aston Villa next Sunday.
Both central defenders have missed the last three games, meaning captain
Lucas Neill and young James Tomkins have filled in at centre-back. Assistant
manager Day said: "Ferdinand was running on the pitch before the [Manchester
United] game so we're hopeful that he might have a chance of being fit.
Matty did some running on Friday so we're hopeful but we've been hopeful of
a few of them for three or four weeks."
The weekend loss to Manchester United saw Luis Boa Morte and Dean Ashton go
off with knocks while both Julien Faubert and Freddie Ljungberg were missing
from the starting lineup having featured the previous week. Day said such
setbacks underlined the progress made this campaign. "Given the players
we've used, asked to play out of position and do jobs they're not used to
doing, that the club has done very well to be in the top ten most of the
season.
"If you turn it round to this time last year, with one game to go, and you
said to West Ham fans you'll be tenth next year, no problems with relegation
and have a solid season looking forward to the year after, most of them
would have accepted that." Day is well aware though that there is still work
to be done as a home win may well be necessary against Villa to ensure that
finish in the top half of the table.
"For personal pride, it doesn't matter if it's Spurs or Newcastle, we want
to finish in the top ten. That's been the goal ever since the start of the
season. We wanted to be in the top half of the table. And if we achieve that
given the amount of injuries we've had I think we'll have done reasonably
well. Obviously we want to get all our players back and have a real go next
year, but this year I think the players must take enormous credit for
putting their all in and really grafting for us."
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Man Utd 4-1 West Ham - BBC
By Phil McNulty
Manchester United moved to within one win of the Premier League title with a
comfortable victory against West Ham. Cristiano Ronaldo scored from 12 yards
after three minutes and bundled home his 40th goal of the season from close
range in the 24th minute. Carlos Tevez added a brilliant third from 25 yards
before Nani was sent off for head-butting Lucas Neill. Dean Ashton pulled
one back with an overhead kick, but Michael Carrick drove in a fourth after
58 minutes. The victory means United will retain the title with victory at
Wigan next Sunday, thanks to their vastly-superior goal difference compared
to rivals Chelsea. United were helped by a desperately listless West Ham
side that never gave the slightest hint they would repeat last season's win
at Old Trafford that preserved their Premier League status. And any fears
boss Sir Alex Ferguson may have had about a hangover following their
Champions League semi-final victory against Barcelona on Tuesday were
dispelled by a vibrant performance. If United were craving a fast start and
an early goal, they could not have wished for more generous defending on the
part of West Ham that gave them the lead after three minutes. Ronaldo
escaped the attentions of Neill, and the rest of the Hammers' defence stood
off as he raced into the area and beat Robert Green with a deflected shot.
West Ham were almost allowed a route back into the game three minutes later
when United keeper Edwin van der Sar was uncertain and Patrice Evra had to
clear off the line from Bobby Zamora. And the visitors had appeals for a
penalty waved away when Wes Brown handled under pressure from Zamora, but
referee Mike Riley gave a foul against the West Ham striker. United doubled
their lead after 24 minutes when West Ham failed to deal with Owen
Hargreaves' long cross and the ball went into the net off Ronaldo's thigh at
the far post for his 40th goal of the season.
Tevez made it three against his former club two minutes later when he sent a
vicious swerving drive high past Green from 25 yards. West Ham looked
dejected and beaten, but Ashton gave them a measure of hope with a
spectacular overhead kick after 28 minutes. And the lifeline was extended
further 10 minutes before the interval when Nani inexplicably head-butted
Neill after a minor fracas - an offence made worse by the Manchester United
winger hitting the ground holding his head in a desperate attempt to avoid
punishment. Ashton injured a muscle in scoring his spectacular goal and it
was no surprise when he went off early in the second half, to be replaced by
Carlton Cole. West Ham were in no mood to take advantage, however, and
desperate defending allowed Carrick to stride forward unopposed to send in a
deflected shot from 25 yards for United's fourth after 58 minutes. It was
now damage limitation for Alan Curbishley's side and an opportunity for
United to improve their goal difference even further. And United substitute
Darren Fletcher almost added a fifth with 20 minutes left, only to see his
angled drive come back off an upright. The rest of the game was played out
in a carnival atmosphere as Old Trafford anticipated another title triumph.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Brown, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Carrick,
Scholes (O'Shea 72), Park (Giggs 61), Ronaldo (Fletcher 64), Tevez.
Subs Not Used: Anderson, Kuszczak.
Sent Off: Nani (37).
Booked: Ronaldo.
Goals: Ronaldo 3, 24, Tevez 26, Carrick 59.
West Ham: Green, Pantsil, Tomkins, Neill, McCartney, Noble, Parker, Mullins
(Sears 75), Boa Morte (Solano 52), Ashton (Cole 56), Zamora.
Subs Not Used: Walker, Collison.
Booked: Neill, McCartney, Zamora.
Goals: Ashton 28.
Att: 76,013
Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).
BBC Sport Player Rater man of the match: Manchester United's Cristiano
Ronaldo 8.77 (on 90 minutes).
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Red-hot Ron routs Hammers - SSN
United on course for Premier League glory
By Rob Parrish Last updated: 3rd May 2008
The unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo helped 10-man Manchester United take
another stride towards the Premier League crown with two goals in the 4-1
thrashing of West Ham. The peerless Portugal international took his tally to
an astonishing 40 for the season, 30 of them in the Premier League, with
goals in the third and 24th minutes as the Red Devils moved three points
clear of Chelsea again. Carlos Tevez, whose goals saved the Hammers from the
drop last season, drilled home a spectacular third from 25 yards in the 26th
minute as Sir Alex Ferguson's side threatened to run riot. But Dean Ashton's
instant response with a superb overhead kick after Wes Brown failed to deal
with Bobby Zamora's cross was swiftly followed by a needless red card for
Nani.
The United midfielder head-butted Lucas Neill as the duo tangled on the edge
of the West Ham box, before falling to the ground holding his own face in a
bid to avoid punishment, but referee Mike Riley and his assistant were not
fooled. Any hopes Chelsea had of United capitulating after the break were
erased on the hour mark when another former Upton Park favourite Michael
Carrick was allowed all the time and space he needed to advance and fire a
deflected fourth beyond Rob Green.
Within three minutes the Red Devils were ahead as Lucas Neill's ill-timed
slip allowed Ronaldo to collect Nani's flick and charge into the box before
unleashing a shot which flicked off George McCartney and flew in. There was
no sense of nerves around the ground but any remaining apprehension was
dispelled as United assumed total control and 20 minutes later they had a
second. In amassing 40 goals this season, Ronaldo has scored some amazing
efforts. His latest was not among them as Owen Hargreaves swung a
left-footed cross to the far post which the entire Hammers defence failed to
cut out.
It still needed scoring though and a quick swivel of the hips ensured the
ball bounced past Green. Ronaldo has not been overshadowed very often this
season but Tevez did exactly that as he picked up his young team-mate's
lay-off, then blasted an absolute rocket into the roof of Green's net, the
West Ham goalkeeper left grasping thin air.
But Ashton's smart overhead kick completed a remarkable spell of three goals
in six minutes, Nani lost his head. Neill hardly reacted in the most calm
manner after Nani had tried and failed to connect with an ambitious overhead
kick but the Portugal winger had no excuse for responding the way he did by
butting Neill and dismissal was automatic. The red card threw unnecessary
doubt over United's charge towards the title, although they received
assistance from West Ham's woeful attempt to make the extra man count. It
was not lack of desire which kept them from toppling their hosts, who
Hammers boss Alan Curbishley feels deserve the win the title, more a lack of
ability. Carrick was offered more room to run into than he could believe
before firing home his second goal of the campaign, with Neill again
providing the accidental deflection. The unconnected arrival of Ryan Giggs
and departure of Ronaldo were significant in that it took the Welshman to
within one game of equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's revised appearance record
of 758. Ronaldo's replacement, Fletcher, struck a post with his precise shot
from Giggs' pass, although by then it hardly mattered. United thanked their
supporters for a season of effort with a lap of the pitch at the end and in
eight days' time they could be celebrating for real with victory at Wigan.
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Curbs quiet as Hammers beaten - SSN
Red Devils cruise to Old Trafford victory
Last updated: 3rd May 2008
Alan Curbishley refused to speak to the press after West Ham suffered a 4-1
defeat at 10-man Manchester United. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice with
Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick also on target for the rampant home side.
Dean Ashton scored for the Hammers with a superb overhead kick, while Nani
was dismissed after head-butting Lucas Neill in the first half. Assistant
boss Mervyn Day attempted to play down comments from Curbishley earlier in
the week which seemed to suggest the Hammers boss wanted United to win the
league in preference to Chelsea. "He tried to qualify some of his comments,"
said Day. "He felt Manchester United would be unlucky if they did not win
the league, given they have been so dominant. "I don't think he said he
wanted them to win. I know Alan thinks a lot of Sir Alex but that goes out
the window when you cross the white line."
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Man Utd 4-1 West Ham - Soccernet
Updated: May 3, 2008, 9:58 AM ET
Ten-man Manchester United powered towards the Premier League title with a
clinical 4-1 destruction of West Ham at Old Trafford. Victory at Wigan next
Sunday will confirm Sir Alex Ferguson's men as champions, but the coronation
may come even earlier as Chelsea now need to get something - and almost
certainly win - at Newcastle to fight on until the final day. Not even the
first-half dismissal of Nani could shake United from their stride as
Cristiano Ronaldo's double took his tally for the campaign to 40 and was
quickly followed by a Carlos Tevez thunderbolt. Michael Carrick wrapped up
victory after the interval to keep United on course for the double and place
all the pressure on Champions League final opponents Chelsea, who are now
three points adrift, with a far worse goal difference and two matches to do
something about it. A veteran of nine successful title quests - and a few
failures as well - Ferguson would have known what benefit an early goal
would bring. After seeing his team reach the Champions League final on
Tuesday, then cheer his beloved Rangers into the UEFA Cup final two days
later, Ferguson might have wondered if enough wishes had been granted for
one week. Yet, within three minutes the Red Devils were ahead. The familiar
frame of Ronaldo would have been capable of causing some damage anyway as he
collected Nani's flick, but Lucas Neill's ill-timed slip merely allowed the
double Footballer of the Year to charge into the box and unleash a shot
which flicked off George McCartney and flew in. There was no sense of nerves
around the ground, but any remaining apprehension was dispelled as United
assumed total control and 20 minutes later they had a second. In amassing 40
goals this season Ronaldo has scored some amazing efforts. His latest was
not among them as Owen Hargreaves swung a left-footed cross to the far post
which the entire Hammers defence failed to cut out. It still needed scoring,
though, and a quick swivel of the hips ensured the ball bounced past Robert
Green. Ronaldo has not been overshadowed very often this season, but Tevez
did exactly that as he picked up his young team-mate's lay-off, then blasted
a 30-yard rocket into the roof of Green's net, the West Ham goalkeeper
powerless to resist. On this ground last season, the Hammers fans hailed
Tevez a hero and they still revere the Argentinian now for keeping them up.
Yet instead of applause, the visiting contingent could only wonder what fate
lay ahead as their team threatened to be submerged, even against a side
lacking Wayne Rooney, whose hip problem has been reported in some quarters
as a far more worrying hernia complaint. The Hammers need not have worried,
for, after Dean Ashton's smart overhead kick completed a remarkable spell of
three goals in six minutes, Nani lost his head. Neill hardly reacted in the
most calm manner after Nani had tried and failed to connect with an
ambitious overhead kick, but the Portugal winger had no excuse for
responding the way he did by butting Neill and dismissal was automatic. The
red card threw unnecessary doubt over United's charge towards the title,
although they received assistance from West Ham's woeful attempt to make the
extra man count. It was not lack of desire which kept them from toppling
their hosts, who Hammers boss Alan Curbishley feels deserve to win the
title, more a lack of ability. Carrick was offered more room to run into
than he could believe before firing home his second goal of the campaign,
with Neill again providing the accidental deflection. The unconnected
arrival of Ryan Giggs and departure of Ronaldo were significant in that it
took the Welshman to within one game of equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's
revised appearance record of 758. It also suggested some element of doubt
over Rooney returning, as it offered United's major attacking force a rest,
even though he remained on a hat-trick and apparently full of energy.
Ronaldo's replacement, Darren Fletcher, struck a post with his precise shot,
although by then it hardly mattered. United thanked their supporters for a
season of effort with a lap of the pitch at the end. In eight days' time
they could be celebrating for real.
Ferguson told Sky Sports afterwards: 'It's been a great day for us and we've
got a big chance. 'Our players have been absolutely fantastic this season.
We were down to 10 men today and I said to try to run the clock down, keep
possession and be patient in the second half and I'm very pleased because
there was a bit of tiredness.' The Scot had no complaints about Nani's
foolish sending-off for butting Lucas Neill, vowing to 'deal with it'. On
Monday's clash at St James' Park, Ferguson said: 'The way Chelsea have been
talking is that it'll be easy up there - but we know that's not the case.
'Look at Dean Ashton today. He was a United fan as a kid but scored a goal
which could kill our hopes.' On Ronaldo he added: 'Cristiano has had a
fantastic season and he develops all the time. 'There was a terrible tackle
on him today but he keeps getting up and playing with courage and you've got
to applaud that.' Ryan Giggs came on as a substitute to move within one game
of equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's revised appearance record of 758. It means
he would break the record if he plays at Wigan and also in the Champions
League final, and Ferguson said there was a 'good chance, a very good
chance' of it happening. The Welshman himself said: 'It would mean more to
win the Champions League and the Premier League. 'Personal records are
things to look back on when you finish you career.
'Yes, it would be a proud moment if I do it but the main thing now is
trophies.'
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Vinny's Manchester United Report - West Ham Online
Vinny - Sun May 4 2008
Manchester United 4 West Ham United 1
There is no denying that Manchester United are an awesome team and will
surely win the Premiership title this season. There is also no denying that
they are far superior team to ours and boast a number of world class
players, but I still can't help but feel very disappointed by the result and
our gutless second half performance.
My problem with Alan Curbishley this season has simply been his tactics and
his strange decisions to omit certain players and play others in incorrect
positions. This game was no different as he tried to contain the opposition
only for that plan to be ruined within the first few minutes.
But what angered me the most (and I am sure many others) was the decision
not to attack Manchester United in the second half, despite having an extra
man and with nothing really to lose from our point of view. The shocking
thing was we actually became more negative in the second half when we had
ended the first period looking dangerous every time we were in an attacking
position.
I don't mind losing to a better team, but like most West Ham fans, I just
want to see us compete, and Dean Ashton's wonderful goal gave us slight hope
that we could maybe get back into the game and with Nani's sending off that
hope became a bit more of a reality. Why we didn't give it a go I really
don't know, but the accusation that Alan Curbishley was trying to do Alex
Ferguson a favour does seem to carry some weight.
As usual, the starting line up was different to the previous game with
injuries again playing their part. In midfield, Freddie Ljungberg was out
injured and he was replaced by Luis Boa Morte who took up his position on
the left hand side.
The other change was also in midfield with Julian Faubert out injured yet
again, but instead of going with a right winger in Nolberto Solano,
Curbishley replaced Faubert with Hayden Mullins. It seems as though we were
going to five men in midfield with the left footed striker Bobby Zamora
playing as a right winger. People can excuse Curbishley for all the injuries
but like many other times this season, there were better options available.
We began the game brightly with Dean Ashton linking up with Bobby Zamora who
was released down the right hand side. The cross was poor from Zamora when
Ashton had made a great run into the area and a better pass would have seen
a very good opportunity come our way.
Brightly we may have begun but any game plan we had in place was thrown into
disarray when Manchester United took the lead with just two minutes on the
clock.
The ball was released to Ronaldo in the right hand side where he was closed
down by Lucas Neill – but the captain slipped at the vital moment and
Ronaldo raced into the area unopposed and hit a low right foot shot which
took a slight deflection off George McCartney as it flew past Robert Green.
Moments later we nearly had an equaliser when a corner from Noble found the
head of Tomkins who head towards goal and Bobby Zamora got up ahead of Van
Der Sar to knock towards goal only for Patrice Evra to clear off the line.
The game was developing into a very end to end affair with both teams
looking dangerous every time they went forward. Of course, the home side
looked more threatening in the final third and only a last ditch clearance
from Tomkins denied Sung Park (DVD) an easy tap in.
A big talking point was a certain penalty which was turned down by the clown
referee Mike Riley. After looking at the replays it seems total madness that
a penalty was not given as Bobby Zamora put pressure on Wes Brown only for
the defender to raise his arms and punch the ball away. A free kick was
actually awarded to the hosts for what only Riley knows.
The only way you will get anything against sides such as Manchester United
is if you defend well and do the simple things such as clearing the ball and
marking the players who sneak into the area.
What we did for their second goal was the complete opposite and such a
frustrating sight to watch. A cross into the area from the excellent Owen
Hargreaves was totally missed by James Tomkins and with John Pantsil ball
watching and keeping everyone onside, the ball dropped for Ronaldo who
shifted his body to let the ball hit off his thigh and into the back of the
net from just a few yards out.
Tomkins continues to make that fatal mistake during his performances and was
at fault yet again.
Just as we were getting over the horrible second goal we conceded, we found
ourselves a third goal down as the game looked to drift into cricket score
territory.
The goal came from last season's Hammer of the Year, Carlos Tevez who had
been given a very good reception from our support before the game kicked
off. Tevez had responded by applauding our support and then he went and
scored a simply stunning goal to make it 3-0.
Tevez picked the ball up midway in our half, and he made some space and hit
a 30 yard stunner which flew past Green to effectively end the game.
If that goal had come out of the blue, the majority of our supporters
deciding to applaud the goal from Tevez was equally surprising. I wasn't one
of those who clapped and I was actually pissed off that my team were 3-0
down within a half hour.
I felt my applause for Tevez before the game was enough, and I would rather
he would have been taken out and injured than score against West Ham – the
same goes for any opposition player.
Our fans responded with the chant of "We're going to win 4-3" (this of
course after the Tevez love-in), and this had a little bit more about it as
we scored.
A ball into the area poorly dealt with by Wes Brown as his header took the
all further into the area, but the way Dean Ashton turned his body and
connected with an overhead kick was simply stunning and arguably our goal of
the season.
With Manchester United twitching ever so slightly it seemed that things were
swinging out way as this exciting first half took another twist as Nani was
sent off for a stupid head butt on Lucas Neill.
Nani showed just how gutless he was by going down like he was the victim but
the linesman saw the whole incident and Nani was shown a straight red card.
The chant of "We're gonna win 4-3" bellowed out again from our excellent
support and we all knew that just one more goal would see us back into the
this game.
At half time the general sense was that we just wanted to see us give it a
go in the second half but as news of Ashton carrying an injury and needing
to be replaced some of that confidence was beginning to wane.
But how disappointing was the second half?
We were more defensive and Hayden Mullins looked lost as he became the
attacking midfielder with Mark Noble pushed so far back he became anonymous.
Zamora was quite clearly struggling on the right hand side and a change was
needed either tactically or the introduction of some fresh legs.
This change did happen, but it did very little. Luis Boa Morte was the fall
guy and he was replaced by Nolberto Solano. Boa Morte had actually done
quite well and was finding himself in a lot of space to run into.
With the introduction of Solano this saw the Peruvian go the right wing with
Bobby Zamora moving to the left hand side but still not up front where he
should have been.
Dean Ashton quite clearly struggling was eventually replaced by Carlton Cole
but this did not change the way had set out our stall with many supporters
screaming at Curbishley to change things and try and actually attack a
Manchester United side who were just happy to keep possession and knock the
ball around.
We failed to test Van Der Sar and apart from a few tame efforts, the hosts
found it all too easy and it was them who killed the game off and scored a
fourth goal which like their earlier goals was very frustrating to watch.
Ex Hammer Michael Carrick received the ball just inside our half and he ran
through the middle unopposed with no one thinking to go towards him. As the
home support screamed for him to shoot he did just this and it took a wicked
deflection off Lucas Neill and past Robert Green.
They should have had a fifth goal when Ryan Giggs put Darren Fletcher
through on goal but the Scot's shot cannoned off the post to save us further
embarrassment.
Freddie Sears was finally introduced for the passenger Mullins but he had
little impact as he was easily shrugged off the ball time and time again.
4-1 it finished and although it was never a game I thought we would get much
out of, with pulling a goal back and gaining an extra man advantage, I
believed we could have done a lot more to change the outcome.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
Nothing he could do about any of the goal as he was let down by his
defenders time and time again and no keeper in the world would have saved
the shot from Carlos Tevez.
John Pantsil
Going forward he looks a decent player with a couple of runs and a few
pieces of skill, which made him look very good. But defensively he is poor
and has been throughout his time at the club.
Lucas Neill
His slip cost us the first goal and his attempt to close Carrick down only
led to the ball deflecting off him and going into the goal. Often caught out
of position as he tried to go for tackles that was never going to make.
James Tomkins
It is against the rules to say anything about young players but so far I
have no been too impressed with James Tomkins simply because he makes too
many mistakes which cost us goals, such as the mistake against Everton and
the mistake against Newcastle. Another missed header cost us a goal as
Ronaldo scored his second.
George McCartney
The task of containing Ronaldo is not something I would envy anyone, but
McCartney although a safe player is very ordinary and this was very ordinary
performance.
Hayden Mullins
Simply awful. He should not have been playing and his performance was just
plain shit. Looked very silly up against the Manchester United midfield and
never seemed to know where he was playing. Spent most of the game chasing
shadows and I cannot believe he stayed on the pitch a long as he did.
Mark Noble
Looked way out of his depth for the majority of the game although he did try
hard to make an impact in an attacking sense, nothing he did came off.
Scott Parker
A player who I expected to be our main man if we were to do anything of note
in this game, but he found it tough to get on the ball and make any telling
passes as the hosts closed him down whenever he was on the ball.
Luis Boa Morte
Found a lot of space in the first half and was never afraid to take on his
man. His final ball was often poor but he whenever he got the ball he looked
as though he could make something happen. His performance was decent and
unless he was injured, he should have never have come off because brining on
Solano for him only made us less attacking that we already were.
Bobby Zamora
People have often questioned his ability as a striker never mind an right
winger (first half) or left winger (second half). What Alan Curbishley is
thinking playing him in these positions (considering he was our top scorer
last season) is a mystery to me. Regardless of his position though, when on
the ball he was generally poor and I believe Carlton Cole should be starting
ahead of him.
Dean Ashton
Up against some high quality defenders, he caused them lots of problems,
using his movement and strength to compete. His goal was stunning and
another glimpse of what type of quality this man possesses. Scoring his 9th
goal of the season, we all know there is a lot more to come from this very
talented player.
Subs Used
Nolberto Solano (on for Boa Morte 52 mins)
Came on for the wrong player and was very poor on the ball.
Carlton Cole (on for Ashton 56 mins)
Seemed to be trying to hard as he held onto the ball for too long. Still
deserves to start next game though.
Freddie Sears (on for Mullins 75 mins)
Tried his best but easily dealt with by Rio Ferdinand.
Overall
I did not expect to beat Manchester United and do not mistake my
disappointment for misguided expectation. My disappointment is that with
nothing to lose and in front of a very vocal away support we could not try
to attack them in the second half with that extra man advantage.
This was nothing to do with our injury list – this was to do with Alan
Curbishley and his poor tactics which he has shown time and time again this
season. There was simply no excuse not to attack them in the second half and
with Carlton Cole and Freddie Sears on the bench as well as Luis Boa Morte,
Dean Ashton and Bobby Zamora on the pitch, we had enough to do so.
Next week is the last game of the season with a home tie against Aston Villa
– a side who have played the type of football I would have loved to see us
play this season. If the game reflects this season it will be largely
disappointing and boring.
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Chelsea boss Grant heads for Newcastle with Curbishley apology - Daily Mail
By NEIL ASHTON - More by this author »
Last updated at 11:06am on 5th May 2008
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has received an apology from Alan Curbishley for
claiming he 'would raise a glass' if Manchester United won the title.
The West Ham manager spoke at length to Grant at the funeral of Frank
Lampard's mother Pat last Friday in a belated attempt to clarify his
comments.
It is understood that Grant, whose side must win at Newcastle to keep alive
their pursuit of Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League title
race, reluctantly accepted Curbishley's version of events, having initially
insisted he had been wrong to align himself with United and Sir Alex
Ferguson. Curbishley is also believed to have spoken to some of the Chelsea
players at the funeral to explain his words in a newspaper column. At a
press conference early on Friday, Grant criticised the West Ham manager
after his gushing tribute to Ferguson in which he said: "It would be a great
injustice if Manchester United were to lose the Premier League title. "The
general feeling among most managers is that they would like to see them
crowned again. That is why I would raise a glass if United win the title. It
would, of course, be a toast to Sir Alex Ferguson, the best there is, the
best there may ever be."
Grant and his PR team seemed oblivious to Curbishley's comments when they
were made but Chelsea were alerted to them in the 48 hours before West Ham's
trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. Incredibly, Curbishley told Grant he had
been misquoted — a common claim by the West Ham manager. He attempted to
qualify his comments by saying: "My team is not going to roll over at Old
Trafford."
But West Ham did not put up much resistance and contributed little, aside
from Dean Ashton's overhead kick for their goal, as they crashed 4-1.
United's win took them three points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table
and Grant's team must win at St James' Park this afternoon. Chelsea have the
best away record in the League — they have won 12 of their 18 games — but
they drew 0-0 at St James' Park in April last year and Newcastle boss Kevin
Keegan says his side are ready to upset the odds. Newcastle are unbeaten in
their last seven games and they have won their last three home matches with
three clean sheets. Keegan said: "It is great to be involved in games at the
end of the season that mean something. We are not thinking 'Let's just get
this season over with and then start thinking about next year'. We are
thinking 'How can we test ourselves in the best way possible against this
team?'. "If we play to our best and they do it will probably be a great game
and they will beat us. They are a better team than us and the league tells
you that. "But if we play to our best and they feel, wow, this is another
big game after two big games against Liverpool and Manchester United then
who knows? That is the fascination of the Premier League. "We will make a
contribution to the title race this season, one way or the other. I think it
will be a great game and we will have a fantastic atmosphere in our
stadium."
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole, who admits he has been struggling for form,
knows it is win or bust today. He said: "We had a bad result at Newcastle
last season. We lost Michael Ballack injured as well so it wasn't a good
day. This year we will keep going and try to take it to the last day. "Then
it is squeaky bum time, as the famous man once said. It is a final push for
me. I have played a lot of football and I haven't been at my best in my last
few games but I want to come back to my best in this game and get the
points. "We have good resilience and we find it easy to play when teams come
out at us. Hopefully, with the position Newcastle are in they will come at
us and it will be a high-scoring game and another three points for us. "In
front of their own fans they are going to want to play and there are a
couple of old Manchester United players in there who are going want to do
their mates some favours but we just have to get the job done."
Cole, along with skipper John Terry, have launched public defences of
Grant's record since replacing Jose Mourinho, and the League Managers'
Association claim the Israeli's job is safe. Despite deep internal
misgivings among the players over Grant's ability, LMA chief executive
Richard Bevan claims he will be in charge next season. Bevan said: "I've
spoken to a couple of people and I don't believe Avram will lose his job.
Roman Abramovich is close to Avram. They're friends and similar characters
in many ways. "I think we'll see a closer relationship between the two next
year — and bigger signings."
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Manchester United 4 West Ham United 1: Ferguson refuses to join lap of
honour after deceptive romp
Independent.co.uk
By Ian Herbert
Monday, 5 May 2008
"The dourest and most dependable defender to play for me." That's how Sir
Alex Ferguson once summed up Steve Bruce, the man who now stands between him
and a 10th League title.
Dependable enough, with his own survival secured, to stand aside when his
old mentor brings his team to Wigan in six days for the game which, if
Chelsea prevail on Tyneside today, United might need to win? Or too dour to
be sentimental? Time will tell soon enough, but those who enjoy the
marvellous symmetries football can provide may remember that it was Bruce
who had Ferguson and Brian Kidd performing one of Old Trafford's most
ridiculous pitch-side dances together 15 years ago after all but delivering
United's first title in 26 years with an injury-time winner against
Sheffield Wednesday. Now comes Bruce's walk-on role in what, should United
take the double in the European Cup, might quite conceivably be Ferguson's
swansong.
The United manager might feel he has used up all his favours. There was
hardly much reassurance for the west London conspiracy theorists on Saturday
when West Ham's fans struck up a rendition of "Chelsea, wherever you may be,
you ain't got no history" and it is hard to imagine Bruce, who helped his
old manager sleep at nights by snatching two point at Chelsea 21 days ago,
will roll over quite like West Ham.
Neither, it should be said, are Ferguson's club in the rudest of health as
they head down the home straight. The debts of the club's holding company,
it emerged at the weekend, have risen from £641m to £765m in the past
financial year, with £152m of borrowings attracting 14.25 per cent annual
interest, and fans fear at least £2 extra on the price of the next season
tickets. On the playing side, Saturday's emphatic scoreline did not entirely
obscure mild concerns for this defining week, either. This was not a display
of the kind which humiliated Liverpool, Aston Villa and Bolton in March and
it comes to something when Ferguson emerges from the dressing room to talk
about using "experience in the second half to run the clock down" when his
side had been 3-0 up in 25 minutes.
His West Ham Counterpart, Alan Curbishley did not emerge at all, which was
not surprising given the cross-examination he could have expected about his
commitment to this game. Instead, Curbishley sent up his erudite assistant
Mervyn Day, who seemed unsure about whether the two managers were enjoying a
claret downstairs and, momentarily, unclear on precisely who had given the
team talk. "I did – I mean Alan did..."
Curbishley's greatest gift to the man from whom he once received airline
tickets to New Zealand arrived before the season started. Carlos Tevez, a
man of extraordinary work rate, has been Ferguson's most outstanding
pre-season signing by a country mile. "He worked so hard again like he did
against Barcelona on Tuesday night," Ryan Giggs said of a player who has
quietly taken his tally to 19 goals, following his 30-yard strike which sent
United 3-0 up.
Tevez, who nicked the 87th-minute equaliser at Blackburn two weeks ago, is
also the man who can be relied on at places like Wigan, too. Wayne Rooney
seems unlikely to appear there, though Ferguson will not discuss suggestions
that a hernia, rather a bruised hip, is afflicting him. Cristiano Ronaldo's
two goals on Saturday invite more comparisons with United's legends, making
him the first United player since Denis Law 34 years ago to score 30 League
goals in a season – but, unlike Law or Best, he does not yet offer in
attritional games on pocked pitches like Wigan's what he does on the Old
Trafford lawn.
United would not have scored as freely as they did without a defensive
generosity Old Trafford has not witnessed in a visiting side this season.
George McCartney was on his backside when a cross was diverted in off
Ronaldo's groin. Michael Carrick was allowed 20 yards of clear space to run
into to dispatch the deflected fourth. Dean Ashton's spectacular overhead
kick from Wes Brown's miscued defensive header moderated Curbishley's
embarrassment but in one sense it was left to Nani to make a game of things,
head-butting Lucas Neill, falling over clutching his temple and justifiably
departing to leave his side a man lighter. "Immaturity. We'll be dealing
with it," muttered Ferguson. Nani, poor at Stamford Bridge and only
marginally better against Barcelona, has something to prove.
Ferguson is just hoping that Saturday's lap of honour at the final whistle
does not come back to haunt him. "Sometimes it's difficult to do [that] when
you haven't won anything," he said. "Hopefully, it was the right thing to do
and, hopefully, we can celebrate properly next Sunday at Wigan."
Goals: Ronaldo (3) 1-0; Ronaldo (24) 2-0; Tevez (26) 3-0; Ashton (28) 3-1;
Carrick (59) 4-1.
Manchester United: (4-4-2) Van der Sar; Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra;
Nani, Scholes (O'Shea, 72), Carrick, Park (Giggs, 60); Tevez, Ronaldo.
Substitutes not used: Anderson, Kuszczak.
West Ham United: (4-4-2) Green; Pantsil, Tomkins, Neill, McCartney; Mullins
(Sears, 74), Parker, Noble, Boa Morte (Solano, 50); Ashton (Cole, 56)
Zamora. Substitutes not used: Walker, Collison.
Booked: Manchester United Ronaldo; West Ham Neill, McCartney, Zamora.
Sent off: Manchester United Nani (37).
Referee: M Riley (Yorkshire).
Man of the match: Tevez.
Attendance: 76, 013.
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Carlos Tevez has West Ham fans applauding - Telegraph
By Alan Smith
Last Updated: 1:46am BST 05/05/2008
With his ability to score goals in the big games, Carlos Tevez has been
compared to Eric Cantona by Sir Alex Ferguson. Now that is the kind of
analogy anyone could stomach, especially when your manager is doing the
talking. If Manchester United's Argentine striker knows his history, he will
be chuffed with the link to a United demi-god.
But the story doesn't end there when it comes to this little street fighter.
In the last two games - against Barcelona last Tuesday in the Champions
League semi-final and against West Ham on Saturday Tevez has proved
absolutely crucial in Wayne Rooney's absence, providing so much energy and
fight, so much determination and heart, not to mention great quality, at a
time when United might easily have suffered without the player who tends to
make them tick.
Actually, there are a lot of similarities between the pair, both in terms of
style and their gutsy characters.
The vital difference at the weekend, though, was that while Rooney sat in
the stand with his hood up, still suffering from a sore hip that may yet
keep him out of the Champions League Final, Tevez was helping to make sure
no slip-ups occurred against his old club.
And even the travelling fans couldn't help but smile and applaud when their
former hero smashed home from distance to put United 3-0 up against pitiful
resistance.
After all, it was only this time last year when this same player, on the
same pitch, kept West Ham in the Premier League. So West Ham fans were not
about to hold this latest strike against Tevez now, not when he had done so
much while wearing claret and blue. By common consent, his outstanding
talent deserved to be showcased at a club like United.
I don't suppose either that those Hammers fans have been too surprised by
what's happened since.
Irrespective of what United go on to achieve, this has been a highly
successful debut season for the man known as 'El Apache'. Nineteen goals on
its own is a highly respectable return but, as mentioned above, it doesn't
tell the whole story of his influence.
As Ferguson says, Tevez has weighed in with some season-defining goals,
managing to pop up at the right time, just when his side was crying out for
a change of luck.
His first goal for United, in fact, came on the stroke of half-time to open
up ten-man Chelsea back in September. More recently, a 94th minute
close-range effort at White Hart Lane stole a precious point, just when it
looked like Tottenham were home and dry.
Following that, another late goal in Lyon to snatch a 1-1 draw made the home
leg in Manchester much more comfortable. Factor in the only goal of the game
at Anfield to defeat Liverpool, a similar contribution at Old Trafford when
Birmingham were proving stubborn, plus the vital equalizer at Blackburn last
month and a picture starts to form of a character who relishes pressure, who
raises his game when it matters most. AR-GEN-TINA! the Stretford End chanted
on Saturday in recognition of a player who can always be relied to give it
his all. Whatever the details of his controversial transfer last summer, no
one can say Tevez wasn't worth the trouble.
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WEST Ham fans deserve better than Curbishley and his dull, dreary, unwinning
Charlton-a-likes - Daily Mail
Last updated at 08:48am on 5th May 2008
Humiliation - it's the only word for how West Ham fans are feeling after the
abject surrender of their team against ten men in Manchester. "Sorry Avram,"
says Alan Curbishley, according to the back page of the Daily Mail. Well
West Ham are one sorry club and their manager is like Humpty Dumpty ... he's
fallen off his wall and there's no way of putting him together again. "West
Ham did not turn up," said Alan Hansen. "They were looking for a beach
somewhere."
This is a club who have been in the same position in the league for 19
weeks. They don't go up, they don't go down. A little bit like the game at
Old Trafford: West Ham did not go forward with any menace, they offered no
threat to Manchester United – they curled up and caved in. Where is their
ambition?
Now, United are the superior team with the better players, but West Ham had
beaten them in each of their previous three encounters. When United strolled
into a 3-0 lead, it was nothing more than anyone expected, especially from
this West Ham team under Curbishley. Then Nani was sent off for his
head-push on Lucas Neil (great pinch to wind him up) and Dean Ashton scored
with a sensational overhead kick and suddenly we had a game. Or we should
have done. Surely, West Ham would send bodies forward, bring on another
striker, attack with relish – they had nothing to lose. Instead, they
collapsed, they gave up. They only played with two up front once they were
4-1 down. This epic title race deserved more than this; it deserved for West
Ham to really go after United and to take the head-to-head between United
and Chelsea down to the last kicks.
Imagine how West Ham fans might have been feeling through the summer. We
beat Man U, their fans would be able to say ... in their own backyard. Or at
least, we gave them a right good chasing. Instead, their supporters stumble
into the summer with a loathing for what Curbishley has turned their team
into - and the dull, Charlton-like, unattractive football they play. What a
sad bunch they are but this club with rich and proud traditions of playing
good football deserve more. A better team and a better manager. He couldn't
even face the cameras after the game. He was right to hide away.
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Hopeful Hammers look to Upson and Ferdinand to bolster defence for final
game - Daily Mail
Last updated at 15:30pm on 5th May 2008
West Ham could have central defensive pairing Matthew Upson and Anton
Ferdinand available for the final Barclays Premier League game of the season
against Aston Villa. Lucas Neill and James Tomkins were teamed together for
the Saturday's defeat at Manchester United but Hammers assistant boss Mervyn
Day is hopeful that Upson (calf) and Ferdinand (hamstring) could feature in
the season finale. "Ferdinand was running on the pitch before the
(Manchester United) game so we're hopeful that he might have a chance of
being fit," Day told the club's official website www.whufc.com. "Matty did
some running on Friday so we're hopeful but we've been hopeful of a few of
them for three or four weeks."
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West Brom move for West Ham's Gabbidon
tribalfootball.com - May 05, 2008
West Brom boss Tony Mowbray is interested in West Ham defender Danny
Gabbidon. After clinching promotion, Mowbray is drawing up plans to boost
his squad and will compete with Wigan for Wales international Gabbidon in
the summer.
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Hammers analysis: Write? Curbishley got it wrong! - Echo News
By Rob Pritchard
HERE'S a question. Just how many public relations gaffes can Alan Curbishley
make before he understands exactly how the national press works?
Earlier this season, the West Ham manager blamed the media for having
"agendas" against the Irons when none existed. Last week, as the whole world
knows, the Hammers boss made a complete faux pas by writing in his weekly
newspaper column that he would "raise a glass" if Manchester United won the
Premier League title. Curbishley went on to label United boss and old pal
Sir Alex Ferguson "Mr Amazing", claiming it would be a "great injustice" if
Fergie's men did not retain the championship. Maybe so, but how naïve must
you be to write such thoughts in a national newspaper just a week before
your own team is taking on the Red Devils in a pivotal title-decider?
Amazingly naïve is the answer, especially for a man who has managed at the
highest level - and therefore dealt with the press - for nearly two decades.
Quite what Curbishley was trying to prove is a mystery. Yes, everyone knows
he has great respect for Fergie, a man he has been close to throughout his
managerial career, but there is absolutely no need to remind everyone of
that fact just days before your team is taking on United. Chelsea manager
Avram Grant, while not questioning Curbishley's integrity, was right to say
that the Irons boss was "wrong" to share such thoughts. Whoever advises
Curbishley should have known full well that the tabloids would get hold of
those comments and rip them - and the man himself - to shreds. To compound
his error, the Irons manager decided to dodge the post-match press
conference at Old Trafford, instead sending assistant Mervyn Day to face the
music following Saturday's 4-1 defeat. Poor Day, a stand-up man, was forced
to field searching questions about Curbishley's column, a column he did not
write. It was completely unfair, but perhaps not surprising when you look at
the manager's track record of blaming the press when things go wrong. Last
January, having seen his team beat Brighton in an FA Cup tie, Curbishley
launched into a two-minute rant against the media. Next came the "agendas"
accusation, and then Saturday's latest debacle. One hopes Curbishley will
learn how to play the media game in time for next season, when more
searching questions will surely be asked if his team do not perform. Sadly I
doubt he will.
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Middlesbrough aim to trump West Ham for Chelsea's Sidwell
tribalfooball.com - May 04, 2008
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is determined to win the race for
Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell. The People says Southgate is ready to bid
£5million for Chelsea's Steve Sidwell - and beat West Ham and Aston Villa to
his signature. Outcast Sidwell was all set to join the Hammers, but cutbacks
are in the pipeline at Upton Park and Alan Curbishley may not be able to
afford the midfielder's fee and £50,000-a-week wages. Villa are dark horses
with Martin O'Neill weighing up potential replacements if Gareth Barry
leaves. But chairman Steve Gibson will bankroll Southgate's bid for Sidwell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pre-season latest - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 5th May 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United will face Blue Square South outfit Thurrock FC in a
pre-season friendly at the end of July. The game, confirmed earlier today by
the non-leaguers takes place on Saturday, 26th July (kick off 3pm) and, if
recent meetings are anything to go by will feature a Hammers second string
guest-starring the odd first team face. Another opponent for the 08/09
pre-season was confirmed last week in the shape of newly-promoted
Peterborough United. West Ham United will visit London Road to face the
League Two runners-up three days after the Thurrock fixture on Tuesday, 29th
July (kick off tbc); the first team squad is expected to feature here. It
was confirmed last month that the Hammers will face an MLS AllStars XI in
Toronto on Thursday, 24th July.
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Turkish delight for Hammers? - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 5th May 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are being linked with a £1m move for Turkish teenage
sensation Muhammed Demir. 17-year-old Demir, who currently plays for
Bursaspor is one of Europe's most promising youngsters and has also been
linked with a number of presitgious clubs such as Barcelona and Seville.
But reports in the Turkish press today suggest that West Ham have beaten off
all competition to land the . Demir played and scored for Turkey in the 3-0
friendly win against Holland yesterday.
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Man Utd No2 Queiroz: No excuses for Nani
tribalfooball.com - May 05, 2008
Manchester United No2 Carlos Queiroz says there are no excuses for Nani
after his dismissal against West Ham. Queiroz commented: "We cannot tolerate
situations that may compromise the player, the team and the image of the
club. "It is strange that the referee has not seen the clip round the ears
that Neill gave him but they must be prepared for these difficult moments
and not react. "It was a response to Neill's aggression but we cannot excuse
it."
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West Ham's Tomkins happy with Man Utd experience
tribalfooball.com - May 05, 2008
West Ham defender James Tomkins took a lot from his first game at Manchester
United. The youngster told WHUTV: "Obviously there is a lot of room for
improvement. I was fairly pleased with my performance. Playing at Old
Trafford is just unbelievable and I am fairly happy but I am still
disappointed to lose."
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Middlesborough, Tottenham, Villa and West Ham chase Bolton veteran?!? -
Talking Soccer
Middlesborough, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and West Ham United are all
believed to be battling to sign Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Jussi
Jaaskelainen. The Sunday Sun are reporting that the Premiership quartet
along with clubs from Spain, Italy and Germany are all hoping to secure a
deal for the Finnish star. "We have had one round of talks with Bolton and
that was some 12 months ago, since then we have heard nothing," said
Jaaskelainen's agent, Peter Harrison. "There are several clubs showing an
interest and we would expect a deal to be tied up soon."
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Craig Bellamy invests £650,000 to help tackle plight of war-torn country -
The Times
Sometimes perceptions can be wide of the mark, in which case we should be
reappraising Craig Bellamy. The Wales and West Ham United forward is
announcing plans today to bring a football structure, an education structure
and millions of pounds of investment into Sierra Leone, the war-ravaged West
African nation.
The project has been received so positively by the President of Sierra
Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, that he has gifted a 25-acre site on which to
start building and has instructed his ministers to jump to Bellamy's
command.
The Craig Bellamy Foundation will soon start the construction of a football
academy in Freetown, the capital, that Bellamy insists will match standards
in the Barclays Premier League. However, his vision for the country extends
way beyond this nascent, elite residential football school.
At the end of last season, he had the whole of June free and decided he
wanted to see Sierra Leone. Because of the dangers in a country only
starting to recover from more than a decade of civil war, Liverpool, his
club at the time, advised him against going and refused to insure him;
nevertheless, he went.
What he found was a country with no football structure whatsoever. The
result is not only this five-star academy, but The Craig Bellamy Foundation
League, which will be up and running in November and will incorporate 14 new
leagues and 68 new boys' teams, thus giving employment to 141 managers and
coaches.
The initial Foundation costs will be approaching £550,000 a year. Of that,
Bellamy has so far budgeted nearly £650,000 of his own money in the first
three years, but adds that he is in it "until I'm a very old man".
There is no financial return for him, either. "I'm not looking to find and
sell players," he said. "I'm not an agent. I want to make it clear that if
any player does make it, any fee goes straight back into the academy."
Sierra Leone is ranked by Unicef as having the worst child mortality figures
in the world and by the United Nations as having the worst record according
to the Human Development Index, which measures life expectancy, literacy,
education and standard of living. Tom Vernon, Manchester United's chief
scout in Africa and a key partner in the project, says that Bellamy quickly
grasped the enormous difficulties in taking boys to live at the academy.
"This will be such a culture shock for these kids," he said. "There will be
kids who have never left their village, who have lost family members in the
war and may well have had an older brother who was a child soldier. We'll
literally be starting by teaching them social behaviour you teach a
three-year-old."
But Bellamy's plans do not simply involve the gift of organised football.
The new coaches in his league will be put through adapted versions of the
FA's coaching courses so that in three years, Sierra Leone will have more
qualified coaches than any other West African nation. Likewise, every year,
the team managers, who will have a responsibility for the boys' pastoral
care, will go on week-long residential courses to improve their education.
This will then be passed on to the boys; in the new leagues, teams will
accrue extra league points for fair play, school attendance and community
projects such as unblocking sewers and health education workshops. After
games, every boy will be asked an HIV/Aids or medical question and will
boost his side's goal difference if he answers correctly. The projections
are that 81,000 children will soon receive health awareness education
through the foundation.
"Because of what's happened over the years with the war," Bellamy said,
"children haven't had any opportunity, they haven't been thrown a football,
they've been thrown a gun. Now we can give them a chance that their fathers
or grandfathers never had. That's the buzz for me."
A cynic with only a thin knowledge of Bellamy's sometimes discordant journey
through football might suggest that the buzz is in fact some good PR. But as
Vernon said: "There are a lot cheaper ways of getting good publicity than
this."
And as Bellamy said straight- forwardly: "I've never been interested in
people's comments anyway, apart from my family and my friends."
He has certainly kept the whole story pretty quiet. It all started when two
of his friends in the timber industry started making business trips there
and telling him about the local popularity of the Premier League.
"I thought, 'I wouldn't mind going to see that for myself,'" Bellamy said.
"I've always been intrigued by Africa's footballers and that's one continent
we don't really get to see."
He thus arrived there unannounced for a week last June with little apart
from the large quantity of footballs he had persuaded Nike, his sponsor, to
provide. "I wanted to see the country my own way, without fanfare or
publicity," he said. "And I made a rule that wherever I saw people playing
football, I would stop, give them a ball and join in. That's where I got the
idea for the academy. I thought, 'I'm in the middle of nowhere and they're
playing with a ball made of rolled-up socks.' And these boys had ability
that I don't see from kids any more."
Bellamy returned with his brainchild: the academy. He monitored the Sierra
Leone general election in August and, when that convinced him that the
country was indeed embracing peace, he commissioned Vernon to conduct a
feasibility study.
Vernon, a 30-year-old from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, has been in
Ghana for nearly ten years and started from scratch his own football academy
called Right To Dream, which not only polishes the best young players he can
find, but educates them, too. He has two boys on Fulham's books and a number
of others at university in America.
Vernon's vision is that the boys who do not make it as professional
footballers - who are the vast majority - will leave equipped to make it in
life elsewhere. This is exactly how Bellamy wants it in Sierra Leone.
But Vernon's ten-day study in Sierra Leone threw up more than Bellamy had
expected. Vernon told him that because the country had no football structure
whatsoever at junior level - no matches, no competition - it would be next
to impossible to scout the best players.
"That was when Tom said we needed not only the academy but a league,"
Bellamy said. "My initial thought was that this was too big for me. But then
Tom went through it with me and I saw the impact it would have and I
decided: 'I'm doing it and I'm going to do it properly.'"
Vernon says he has been "inspired by how quickly Craig understood the
concept". Bellamy is to visit next month to check on its progress.
The next step? "I've thought about doing it in Cape Verde," Bellamy said.
"But for now, it's all Sierra Leone. When you see these people, they do have
an effect on you. There is now no other place I'd rather do something like
this."
More information is available on craigbellamyfoundation.org, which is to be
launched today.
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I Was Provoked, Says Nani - Goal.com
Manchester United winger Nani has apologized for his unmannered action
against West Ham, but said that he was provoked by Hammers stopper Lucas
Neill... The Portuguese international received his marching orders against
West Ham 37 minutes into the first-half after head-butting Lucas Neill in a
game that ended with a 4-1 win for The Red Devils. As a result of his
challenge, Nani will receive a £60,000 fine and will miss Manchester
United's next three Premier League fixtures. And while the 21-year-old
acknowledges that his action against Neill was unreflected, he did not avoid
putting part of the blame on West Ham. "I recognize that my action was
thoughtless, but I also have to say that I was provoked and assaulted," he
told Gestifute Media. "I know that it does not justify what I did, but
that's exactly what happened. "I am sorry about what I did and I can only
thank my team-mates for having secured a win that was very important."
After the game against West Ham, Manchester United's players waved goodbye
to their supporters as it was their last game of the season at Old Trafford.
Nani did not join them. "It was very complicated," he explained. "At that
time, I only wanted to disappear and that's exactly what I did. And for that
too, I want to apologize to the club and supporters. "Since I left right
away, I did not have time to be with my team at the end of the game. But I
will be in the dressing room on Tuesday to fix my mistake, which means, to
personally apologize to my team-mates and my coaches for my action."
Luis Mira
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