Kevin Keen has reflected on an encouraging campaign for his team that saw
them challenge all the way
07.05.2008
West Ham United finished the 2007/08 Barclays Premier Reserve League South
campaign in third place - level on points with second-placed Arsenal and
just four adrift of champions Aston Villa.
Kevin Keen can look back with pride on a promising season that saw the team
challenging for the top spot right until the end of the campaign. In the
end, the two head to head results with Villa proved crucial. The first match
of the campaign back on 29 August saw the midlands club edge a 2-1 victory
with an 89th-minute winner. It looked like revenge was secured on 7 January
in the return meeting when United were 1-0 up with just three minutes to
play only for Villa to get two goals in the final three minutes.
Reflecting to the matchday programme on the season, that concluded with
Portsmouth's 1-0 win against Fulham on Tuesday night, Keen said: "After
several years near the bottom end of the table, it's good to have a young
reserve squad again which can hold its own and compete near the top end of
the table. More importantly the reserve squad, along with the academy has
helped produce three young players capable of appearing in our first team
and with bright futures ahead of them in Jack Collison, James Tomkins and
Freddie Sears.
"Highlights from this year include a record 8-0 win at Derby, where a senior
side played some of the best football I've seen in recent seasons, and our
2-1 win against Reading last month, where a young Hammers side defeated an
extremely strong Royals team with a great performance. Many thanks to all
who have come and supported us this year and also to Bishop's Stortford for
their hospitality and a wonderful pitch."
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Ashton leads the way
Dean Ashton is looking forward to Aston Villa after another fine goal and
being named player of the month
07.05.2008
Dean Ashton has been voted the West Ham United player of the month for the
second time in a row following a poll of whufc.com readers.
The 24-year-old was singled out in March as well and already looks a
contender to take the plaudits for May after his superb goal at Manchester
United last Saturday - his fourth in seven matches. This latest honour was
for his contribution in April, when he produced hardworking displays in the
1-0 defeats by Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers at home and away respectively
before a superb goal and all-round display in the 2-2 home draw with
Newcastle United. That came after a bout of tonsillitis that caused him to
miss the 2-1 win against Derby County.
Ashton, who was followed closely by Robert Green in the poll, said:
"Obviously it's great that the fans think I deserve to win it again and to
get it two months on the trot hopefully means people think I am on a good
run of form and not being affected by my injury any more." The No9 was
certainly moving freely when he unleashed a superb overhead kick late to
score past Edwin van der Sar on Saturday although he did later feel a
problem with his groin as a result of the acrobatic attempt.
It was worth the discomfort and the subsequent enforced substitution as he
felt it was the most spectacular strike he had ever scored. "The goal on
Saturday was the best of my career," he said. "It was made more special by
the fact I did it at Old Trafford against Man Utd which is the team my
family support and where I dreamt of scoring growing up as a boy. It is just
a shame we couldn't put on a better performance as a team but we are looking
to end the season on a high on Sunday at home to Aston Villa."
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The Ferd degree - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2008
By: Staff Writer
The Sun report today that Tottenham are set to renew their interest in West
Ham United's Anton Ferdinand. The paper claim that Tottenham are set to make
a new bid worth around £6 million for the centre-half having had an initial
£4 million offer rejected earlier in the season. Alan Curbishley currently
has seven central defenders on his books and is set to part company with at
least one this summer. Also linked with a move elsewhere this week has been
Danny Gabbidon, who is thought to be interesting newly-promoted West Brom.
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Roy keen on Cole - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2008
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland have made a £2 million bid for West Ham United's Carlton Cole,
according to the Daily Mirror. The 24-year-old striker, who is also thought
to be interesting Celtic and Middlesbrough moved to West Ham United two
years ago when Alan Pardew paid Chelsea £2 million for his services. Despite
making 36 appearances for the Hammers this season Alan Curbishley is thought
to be willing to listen to offers for the striker. Black Cats boss Roy
Keane, who has money to spend this summer is looking to expand his strike
force and provide an alternative to main target man Kenwyne Jones.
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Green wants England chance - SSN
West Ham keeper eager to impress Capello
Last updated: 7th May 2008
Robert Green has spoken of his desire to catch the eye of Fabio Capello and
establish himself as an England regular. The West Ham goalkeeper has enjoyed
an excellent campaign between the posts at Upton Park but has yet to
convince England's management that he is worthy of regular inclusion.
It was a similar tale of disappointment during Steve McClaren's tenure, with
Green winning his solitary cap against Colombia three years ago. While he
accepts it is a frustration to be continually overlooked, Green also feels
it is testimony to the fact English football is in safe hands - with a
number of candidates vying to be Capello's first choice. "It's a difficult
situation to be in but there is a lot of good guys," he told Sky Sports
News. "A few years ago people were bemoaning the fact there weren't any
quality keepers. "You look now and I'd like to think I'm up there with them
(the best) but I can't get in the squad. "It's a difficult situation with
regards to England but it's something I have to deal with. "I just have to
keep working hard and hope to get that chance."
Green remains hopeful that the appointment of Capello wipes the slate clean
for all those players previously overlooked by McClaren. He added: "You'd
hope to think so, it's a clean slate. It's a new chance to impress. I came
in at the last minute, in the last squad, and hopefully in the two training
sessions I did something to stick in his mind. "You have to wait and see.
You can only do as much as you can do and if that doesn't earn you a chance
then so be it."
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Sunderland boss Roy Keane in £2m bid for West Ham striker Carlton Cole -
Daily Mail
Last updated at 10:24am on 7th May 2008
Sunderland manager Roy Keane has made a move for West Ham striker Carlton
Cole. The Daily Mirror reports Keane has bid £2m for the former England
under-21 man - but Celtic and Middlesbrough are also believed to be
interested in the ex-Chelsea forward who looks to be part of an Upton Park
summer clear-out. Cole has struggled to hold down a place this season and
could be offloaded along with big earners Lucan Neill, Freddie Ljungberg and
Kieron Dyer. Keane has been told he has cash to spend and needs to provide
backup for Kenwyne Jones and 24-year-old Cole could be his man.
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West Ham offer Fredrik Ljungberg £3m to tear up contract - The Times
Gary Jacob
West Ham United have offered Fredrik Ljungberg £3million to leave Upton Park
after one season. The Barclays Premier League club decided to rein in their
transfer spending earlier in the season and are keen to reduce their wage
bill. The Sweden midfield player has three years remaining on the four-year
contract he signed when he joined the club from Arsenal last summer. The
compensation package is less than his salary of about £3.9million a year -
£75,000 a week.
Ljungberg, 31, has made 25 league appearances this season but has not been
able to recapture the goalscoring knack he had several seasons ago. The loss
of some of his pace, the lack of a creative midfield player and West Ham's
regimented style have contributed to him scoring only twice this season. He
suffered a cracked rib in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle United two weeks
ago.
West Ham could make similar compensation offers to Lucas Neill and Luís Boa
Morte, the forward, who are among the higher-earning players. The club have
been looking for a new right back to replace Neill, the Australia player who
earns about £65,000 a week and has a year left on his contract. West Ham
released Roy Carroll, the goalkeeper, in similar fashion last summer.
The offer of payoffs to players is not unusual, but it is extraordinary
after only one year. Players are not obliged to accept the proposal, but if
they do so they can move as a free agent to another club. Winston Bogarde
sat out his four-year contract at Chelsea, where he earned £40,000 a week,
and refused to accept compensation to leave. The former Holland defender
made 12 appearances, only four of them starts, effectively earning £693,000
per appearance. He spent much of his time training with the youth team.
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Hammers assistant admits future is unclear - Guardian Series
MERVYN Day admits that he hasn't a clue if or boss Alan Curbishley will
still be at West Ham next season. Despite being hampered by a season-long
injury crisis and leading the club to a creditable midtable finish, the
Hammers' management team have come in for some heavy criticism. Sections of
fans have grown restless with the team's perceived lack of attacking flair,
and a dismal end of season showing by the players has only served to fuel
the flames.
As such, speculation has been mounting that the club is lining up a
replacement for Curbishley and his Day, his assistant. And, speaking after
the Irons' 4-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday, Day (pictured)
conceded he is unsure if either will still be around at Upton Park next
season. He said: "Who knows. Who knows. You can't help speculation.
"Everybody in football, you speak to any manager or coach and they
acknowledge what a decent job we've done so far in the circumstances.
"Whether people in our position think that speculation has got some
foundation or whether it's justified is another matter." Ex-Hammers Slaven
Bilic and Paolo Di Canio have both been linked with taking up the manager's
role at Upton Park should Curbishley's reign be brought to an end, although
the former has since signed a new contract with the Croatia national team.
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Keen delighted with the progress of young Hammers - Guardian Series
WEST Ham's reserve team coach Kevin Keen has expressed his pleasure at the
progress the club's young players have made this season. The Irons' young
second-stringers have enjoyed a successful season, finishing the Barclays
Prmier Reserve League South season in third place, level on points with
second-place Arsenal and four points adrift of champions Aston Villa. The
achievement marks a turnaround in the fortunes of a team that has struggled
near the foot of the table in recent years. Perhaps more significantly, the
season has also seen the emergence of youngsters Jack Collison, James
Tomkins and Freddie Sears, who have all made the step-up to the first team
this year. Others, such as Junior Stanislas, Bondz N'Gala and Marek Stech,
have also made big strides. Keen, for certain, can look back with pride on a
promising campaign. "After several years near the bottom end of the table,
it's good to have a young reserve squad again which can hold its own and
compete near the top of the table," he said in the matchday programme of the
club's Premier League clash with Newcastle. "More importantly the reserve
squad, along with the academy, has helped produce three young players
capable of appearing in our first team and with bright futures ahead of
them."
The Hammers' reserves have delivered some impressive performances and
results this season, but Keen (pictured) could pick out two that stuck in
the mind. He added: "Highlights from this year include a record 8-0 win at
Derby, where a senior side played some of the best football I've seen in
recent seasons, and our 2-1 win against Reading last month, where a young
Hammers side defeated an extremely strong Royals team with a great
performance."
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Sunderland sound out West Ham for Cole
tribalfootball.com - May 07, 2008
Sunderland boss Roy Keane is moving for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. The
Mirror says Keane has made a £2million inquiry for the former England
Under-21 striker. But Celtic boss Gordon Strachan and Middlesbrough's Gareth
Southgate have also been in contact with the Hammers, who are ready to sell
Cole as part of a big clear-out this summer.
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West Ham's season Curb'd by crock stars Upson, Dyer, Ferdinand, Bellamy and
Ashton - Sportigo
Wed, May 07, 08 13:14 Alex Alsworth
Forget disappointing performances, West Ham's mediocre season is all down to
a staggeringly long list of players stuck on the sidelines. But is it more
than just plain bad luck that's keeping them out of action?
'You have to ask yourself whether players earning huge amounts of money at a
club with no major aspirations this season really have the urge to get
themselves fit to fight for a place'With the heavy investment of Eggert
Magnusson and Co, West Ham were expected to make a real impression this
season. Whether this was a realistic hope after their miracle relegation
escape last year, their season slowly faded out and saw them stranded in
tenth for most of 2008.
It is always said you cannot blame injuries, but West Ham's treatment room
has read like a team sheet this season, with lengthy lay-offs for Matthew
Upson, Julien Faubert, Kieron Dyer, Anton Ferdinand, Danny Gabbidon, Freddie
Ljungberg, Dean Ashton and Craig Bellamy.
Physioroom.com lists FIFTY-FIVE separate injuries to West Ham players this
season. Can this simply be put down to horrible bad luck, or is there
something more seriously wrong?
Some blame manager Alan Curbishley for signing serial sicknotes like Keiron
Dyer and Craig Bellamy, but both had been fairly regular for Newcastle and
Liverpool the previous season. Both also had the potential to be great
signings.
Curbishley has also been blamed for bringing a new medical team with him,
and perhaps these guys haven't been giving the players the vitamins they've
needed to recover. This is pretty hard to argue, seeing as virtually the
same team were responsible for having the best injury record in the division
a few years ago with Charlton.
That leaves the horrifically bad luck option - but there's also the
possibility that the players themselves are not doing enough to get
themselves back on the pitch.
The Icelandic takeover has also seemed to bring with it inflated wages.
Lucas Neill is reportedly earning a good £70,000 a week, with Bellamy and
Dyer probably on even more. Ljungberg was also a big-name signing, but also
approaching the twilight years of his career.
You have to ask yourself whether players earning huge amounts of money at a
club with no major aspirations this season really have the urge to get
themselves fit to fight for a place. It would be all too easy to sit back
and watch the cheques roll in when there seems so little at stake.
The blame lies in three places if this is the case. Either the players
themselves need a better attitude, Curbishley needs to inspire them to want
to represent the club more passionately, or wages need to be kept under
control in order to keep players' egos under control.
Whatever the reason, West Ham's stay-away stars have cost them a potential
assault on a European spot this season.
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Neill provoked me, Nani says - news.com.au
May 08, 2008 12:00am
MANCHESTER United winger Nani has apologised for being sent off after
headbutting Socceroo Lucas Neill, but says the West Ham captain provoked
him.
United, favourite to retain its English Premier League title this weekend,
was reduced to 10 men when Nani was dismissed eight minutes before halftime
in Sunday's 4-1 win at Old Trafford. "I recognise that my action was a
thoughtless one but I also have to say I was provoked and attacked," Nani
said. "I know it serves as no excuse but that's exactly what happened."
The Portuguese star was thankful his teammates managed to win without him.
"I want to publicly ask for forgiveness, firstly of my teammates, who were
forced into a greater effort during more than 60 minutes, then secondly of
my manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) and coaches and thirdly of the United fans,
who have given me so much affection," he said. Nani, who may face a club
penalty on top of a three-match ban, left Old Trafford before the end of the
game.
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Should we Cash in on Anton? - West Ham Till I Die
I there's one position we have an embarrassment of riches in, it's central
defence. Sorry, perhaps I used the wrong tense there. We HAD an
embarrassment of riches until they all got injured. It may be a little odd,
therefore, to speculate about the future of one of our best defenders, Anton
Ferdinand. But that's what the papers are doing, so why shouldn't we? The
Sun speculates that Spurs have put in a £6 million bid for him. So what do
we think? Cash in now?
Bearing in mind we have Upson, Gabbidon, Collins, Ferdinand, Davenport and
now also James Tomkins we can certainly afford to sell one of them.
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Sunderland, Boro and Celtic want £2m West Ham man
WEST Ham striker Carlton Cole could be a summer target for Sunderland. Black
Cats boss Roy Keane is looking for a strike partner for Kenwyne Jones.
And reports say he is willing to pay £2m for the former Chelsea forward,
though Celtic and Middlesbrough are also interested. Former England Under-21
star Cole has had a rollercoaster season with the Hammers. He started the
season out of the team, but became a regular thanks to injuries to other
strikers, and won over the crowd with his work rate and dedication. He has
scored six goals in 21 Premier League starts this season.
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Mixed emotions for young Hammers star - Guardian Series
WEST Ham youngster James Tomkins had mixed emotions after playing at Old
Trafford for the first time in his budding career. On the one hand, West Ham
were well beaten 4-1 by Manchester United. On the other, the 19-year-old
centre back (pictured) put in another assured display - on his fifth
appearance - against some of the Premier League's finest at the Theatre of
Dreams. "Obviously there is a lot of room for improvement, but I was fairly
pleased with my performance," Tomkins told whutv. "Playing at Old Trafford
is unbelievable and to give half a decent performance was even more
unbelievable. "I was fairly happy but I was disappointed to end up losing."
The Hammers faced an uphill task after falling three goals behind within the
opening 25 minutes, a Cristiano brace and a stunning third from former
Hammer Carlos Tevez putting United into a commanding lead. And, despite Dean
Ashton pulling one back and United winger Nani seeing red for a clash with
Lucas Neill before half time, it was another ex-Iron, Michael Carrick, who
sealed a comfortable Red Devils win with a fourth after the break. "When
you're 3-0 down in the first half-an-hour it's a long way back against teams
like United," added Tomkins. "We dug in but the fourth goal knocked the wind
out of us a little bit, so overall we're a little bit disappointed. "They
have got quality players all through their team and our errors didn't help.
But there is not a doubt how good these players are."
Despite his decent performance, Tomkins may lose his place when Hammers take
to the field for their final game of the season on Sunday. Senior defenders
Matty Upson and Anton Ferdinand are both closing in on full fitness and
could be back for the clash with Aston Villa.
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Sunday's end of season match preview - Newham Recorder
07 May 2008
HAMMERS have a tough last game against a Villa side needing a win to have
any chance at all of making the Uefa Cup. With Everton seemingly out of
their sights, they need to beat West Ham to guarantee their Inter-Toto Cup
place, with Blackburn breathing down their necks. The midlands club were
shocked by Wigan at Villa Park last weekend, going down 2-0 to all but rule
out finishing in fifth place and a guaranteed Uefa spot. However, Hammers
fans must be wary of Villa's form as, apart from that blip, they have won
three of their last four amassing 15 goals in the process. Villa rely
heavily on the width offered on either flank by England hopefuls Gabriel
Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, whose pace could cause all sorts of problems
for West Ham. They will send plenty of crosses to bulldozing forward John
Carew whose strength and aerial abilility have helped him score 13 league
goals this season. Villa's balance is key to their success with Liverpool
target and club captain Gareth Barry marauding forward spraying passes
around the pitch, ably supported by the terrier-like persistence of former
Hammers captain Nigel Reo-Coker whose performances last season will no doubt
spur on the boo boys at Upton Park this Sunday. His battle with old pal
Hayden Mullins in midfield could hold the key to who controls possession and
the game. Defensively, the midlands club are solid and although they have
cumbersome Zat Knight and Scott Carson, they more than make up for it with
Olof Mellberg and one of the Premiership's top defenders Martin Laursen.
West Ham are, as per usual this campaign, injury ravaged and young James
Tomkins will have a difficult time dealing with Carew and with Saturday's
goalscorer Dean Ashton hobbling off with a groin problem it is likely
Carlton Cole will start up front, probably with Bobby Zamora.
Manager Alan Curbishley could stick with the unpopular 4-5-1 formation he
used at Old Trafford on Saturday but could be tempted to throw young starlet
Freddie Sears in to partner Cole, but it is more likely he will have to
settle for a place on the bench.
PROBABLE TEAM: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Barry, Petrov,
Reo-Coker, Agbonlahor, Young, Carew.
Prediction:
West Ham 1 Aston Villa 1
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Day breaks his silence - Newham Recorder
07 May 2008
WEST HAM United assistant manager Mervyn Day has admitted he isn't sure if
either he or boss Alan Curbishley will be at Upton Park next season, writes
MIKE SIMMONDS. Speculation has been mounting in recent weeks that the
management duo could be out of a job in the summer, despite leading the
Hammers to mid-table security this year, something the fans would have been
overjoyed with this time last May. Rumours of Slaven Bilic taking over
appear to have subsided after the former West Ham defender, who made 54
appearances for the club back in 1996-97, signed a two-year extension to his
deal as Croatian coach last week, but Day revealed he is still not entirely
sure where his future lies. "Who knows, who knows, you can't help
speculation," he said. "Everybody in football, you speak to any manager or
coach and they acknowledge what a decent job we've done so far in the
circumstances.
"Whether people in our position think that speculation has got some
foundation or whether it's justified is another matter."
Any calls for a change would have been intensified after the Hammers were
crushed 4-1 by champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, a
game in which West Ham found themselves 3-0 down after just 26 minutes. Day,
however, felt that his side's lack of defensive options played a major part
in the defeat, especially against a side who can call upon the likes of
Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. "We've basically got a very
inexperienced back four, we've got six centre halves out and that's caused a
massive problem for us defensively," he said. "Manchester United were very
economical at times. They break very, very quickly and when they run at you
it's a massive problem. "You can't concede two goals like the first two we
conceded, which Man United didn't need to work too hard to score. "If you
let a goal in against the exact Man United side who went out against
Barcelona you have an uphill battle after that."
Despite the injuries that West Ham have suffered at the back, Day still felt
his side should have done better. "It was poor defending. We've backed off
too much instead of confronting people," he said. "When you get someone like
Ronaldo running at you, it's very easy to say 'go out and confront him' but
you're always wary of a little stepover beating you and creating a shooting
angle. We defended too deep on the first goal, we acknowledge that, but it
still took a deflection. "The Carrick goal we might have come out and
pressed the ball a little quicker but it still took a deflection. "It's very
difficult to come here and for them to score goals like that and to try and
quantify it by saying we didn't do this or didn't do that.
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Tee-time for the Hammers on club's first golf day - Newham Recorder
07 May 2008
WEST HAM staged their first official golf day at the impressive London Golf
Club, Kent, recently - a corporate event staged by former Hammers' star Tony
Cottee. The competition was made up of 20 teams of four, each including a
current or former Hammers player in their ranks. Following days of rain, the
weather was kind to the teams as they played out 18 holes on the club's
Heritage Course. Individual winners on the day included Dean Ashton with 39
points for Top Hammer, with runner-up spot going to Robert Green. Scott
Parker took the prize for closest to the pin, while organiser Tony Cottee
received plenty of stick from the players for his shortest drive award.
Overall team prize went to former Hammer John Moncur - a scratch golfer -
with Jimmy Walker's foursome in second place. Worst Hammer award went to
Mark Noble, with 17 points. The event raised over £2,000 for charity,
divided between the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research and the Richard
House Hospice. Cottee said after the presentation dinner which followed: "It
was great to see so many current and former players turning out and mixing
with our guests, I am so delighted with how it went, and look forward to
arranging another event next season.
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Plenty to play for in season's finale - Newham Recorder
07 May 2008
WEST HAM assistant boss Mervyn Day insists mid-table Hammers have plenty to
play for as they head into their season's finale against Aston Villa on
Sunday, writes MATT DINER. Hammers take on a Villa side, still chasing
Europe, at the weekend and Day admits his side are desperate to hold on to
the 10th place West Ham have occupied since November last year. "For
personal pride, it doesn't matter if it's Spurs or Newcastle, we want to
finish in the top-10," he exclaimed. "That's been the goal ever since the
start of the season. We wanted to be in the top half of the table."
Day was also keen to point out their achievement despite the busy treatment
room which has been far from helpful. "If we achieve that (finishing 10th),
given the amount of injuries we've had, I think we'll have done reasonably
well. Realistically I've never known at any club I've been at, and I've been
in this game at least 35 years, the number of injuries we've sustained this
year," he said. "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. "We can't have
any complaints about that."
Two players who could be back for the weekend are first choice centre halves
Anton Ferdinand and England international Matt Upson. "Ferdinand was running
on the pitch before the game, so we're hopeful that he might have a chance
of being fit," Day said. "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." Day is,
however, adamant that no matter how the Villa game pans out it has been a
successful season for the east London club after last season's dogfight at
the wrong end of the table. "I think, given the players we've 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-10 most of the season," Day said. "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 10th next year, no problems with relegation and have
a solid season looking forward to the year after, most of them would have
accepted that.
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