All the action from the Boleyn Ground for this afternoon's Bobby Moore Cup
09.08.2008
Bobby Moore Cup
3pm
Referee: Rob Styles
Final score: 1-1
FULL TIME - The Bobby Moore Cup will be shared between both sides.
90min - Faubert takes it. Upson meets it - but it goes wide. Could have been
a dream ending to the day.
90min - Ibagaza takes the free-kick but Green saves. A burst by Reid on the
counter finishes with a low cross into the box. Hines was waiting. Corner to
West Ham United.
90min - We are playing two minutes of added time.
90min - We are into the last minute. A chant of Bobby Moore's name fills the
stadium from the Centenary Stand lower.
88min - Reid tricks his way past his man and again gets down the left. The
defender recovered well.
87min - Behrami has worked hard on his first taste of the Boleyn Ground. He
has kept going from start to finish and weighed in with some good
challenges.
86min -Well played Faubert. Good skill on the right but his cross was cut
out.
84min - It has been a rousing contest but will there be a winner? The trophy
will be shared if no one else scores before full-time.
83min - Eguren is off and Josico is on.
82min - Sears had the ball in the net from Davenport's header down. Offside
- looked a close one though.
81min - What a great move. Davenport played a tremendous 40-yard ball that
just dropped well for Reid. He found room and crossed from the left. It
reached Hines who took control, held it up and touched off for Sears. Diego
Lopez did well to save from close range.
80min - Noble is going off to be replaced by Zavon Hines, who has been
scoring goals for fun during pre-season.
79min - Well played Upson. He heads away just as Villarreal were building up
a head of steam.
78min - Godin is going off and on comes Pascal Cygan.
77min - Bowyer, Faubert and Reid all combine well. Eventually Villarreal do
enough to win back possession.
75min - A booking for Diego Godin. He upended Behrami as he raced through.
Cani also got a card there for protesting.
74min - Cani edges into the penalty box and then hits one. It goes straight
at Green. Cole goes off to a good reception for Freddie Sears.
73min - Still the rain keeps coming down. The players are doing well to keep
their footing. Faubert tries to feed one through to Cole but it is just
over-hit.
71min - Well done Davenport again. A good sliding tackle on the edge of the
area. It is then Behrami who tides up after Soriano found room. Good
pressure by the visitors.
70min - Reid is penalised for a foul on Pires. Villarreal take the free-kick
quickly and Davenport heads behind.
69min - Freddie Sears is waiting to come on.
68min - Booking for Eguren. Bowyer is down after his challenge but soon
picks himself up.
67min - Two more changes. Franco is off for Joseba Llorente and Javi Venta
has made way for Angel .
66min - Green does well to claim after Pires had jinked his way into the
penalty area before standing up a cross to the far post.
64min - Reid crosses from the left. It reaches Cole who holds it up before
laying it across goal. Faubert was coming in but just couldn't get there.
Corner but it comes to nothing.
63min - The referee is talking to the two captains. The temperature has been
rising in this one.
62min - Bowyer is penalised for a foul on Edmilson. Kyel Reid is coming on
for Etherington. He is getting a great response as he goes on.
60min - Parker concedes the corner after Pires tried to cross into the box.
58min - Lucas Neill lofts one for Cole to chase. The No12 gets there and
hits a half-volley just wide.
57min - Etherington is having a great game. Another surging run on the left
leaves visiting defenders behind. His cross is deep but Lopez comes and
claims.
56min - Davenport chests back to Green to end a Villarrealy foray forward.
The centre-back has done well today.
55min - Faubert takes it. His fierce shot is only parried by Diego Lopez in
goal but no West Ham United player is on hand to follow up.
53min - Cole has worked hard in a lone strikers' role this half. He just
beat three men before going down. Noble then picked up the ball but was
upended. A few words are being exchanged. Free-kick to West Ham United on
the edge of the area.
52min - Edmilson hits one from range but it smashes against Bowyer.
51min - Ibagaza does well but is dispossesed by Bowyer.
49min - Faubert lets fly with a great effort from 30 yards. He is playing
wide right. Behrami has gone to right-back and Lucas Neill is over at
left-back.
48min - Etherington breaks again. This time he is closed out of it just as
he gets near the penalty area.
46min - Ashton and Thatcher have been replaced by Julien Faubert and Lee
Bowyer. Villarreal have introduced Bruno Soriano , Ariel Ibagaza, Cani and
Edmilson. Marcos Senna, Santi Cazorla, Matias Fernandez and Joan Capedvila
have made way.
HALF-TIME
44min - A great ball out by Upson sets Etherington away. The ball just runs
out of play, though.
43min - Now Parker throws himself in front of Robert Pires' shot. Capdevila
then finds Franco but Upson deals with it well.
42min - Parker blocks Senna's shot. Joan Capevila looks to make space on the
left but Noble is there this time. The midfield are working very hard.
41min - Behrami does well to get away from Senna. Villarreal soon regain
posession though and look to break again.
37min - Franco is booked for a late challenge on Neill who was getting away
from him.
36min - GOAL! - Santi Cazorla nets from eight yards out after another
attack. There was nothing Green could do about that.
36min - A combination of Green and Parker deny Franco from close range.
34min - Sublime play by the home team. Thatcher started it off before Noble
burst over midfield and set Etherington away. He played in Ashton and he fed
the ball across goal for the on-rushing Cole. Just as the striker thought he
had his second, Villarreal manage to block.
33min - Noble takes it but cannot keep the set-piece on target.
32min - Sebastian Eguren fouls Noble on the edge of the area. Another
shooting opportunity?
31min - Noble heads behind for another Villarreal corner. The Yellow
Submarine are getting stronger. This time Behrami clears the danger and
Parker races away on the counter attack. Javi Venta's sliding tackle averts
the danger.
30min - A spectacular clearance from Diego Godin. Behrami is tricked in
midfield by Franco and Villarreal get another free-kick.
29min - Parker shows great bravery to charge down a Villarreal free-kick.
Upson then sorts out the danger from the follow-up.
27min - Cole is booked for a challenge on Gonzalo Rodriguez.
26min - Ashton goes down under pressure from Gonzalo Rodriguez. No free-kick
awarded.
25min - Green slips as he makes a clearance but no danger.
24min - The game has settled down now after the fast start.
22min - Marcos Senna tries his luck from distance but cannot direct the shot
on target.
21min - A terrific run by Etherington leaves three defenders in his wake
before eventually being stopped. The No11 is looking lively.
20min - A lovely leave by Guillermo Franco nearly tees up a shot at goal but
Scott Parker had read the danger and tracked back superbly. Calum Davenports
gets the resulting corner away.
18min - Robert Green claims a lofted ball forward and looks to start a
counterattack. The rain is coming down pretty heavily now at the Boleyn
Ground but the fans are in good voice.
17min - The corner comes to nothing but West Ham United keep up the
pressure. A very good game so far.
17min - Valon Behrami playing out wide does well on the right-hand side and
wins a corner. Mark Noble will take it.
15min - It is an entertaining encounter so far. The West Ham United
substitutes get a good reception as they warm up.
14min - Great save by Green denies Gonazlo Rodgriguez who had met a corner
with a header from close range.
13min - Robert Pires finds space on the right of the penalty area but Upson
is quickly across to cut out the danger.
12min - Marcos Senna is seeing lots of the ball as Villarreal look to build
from the back. The Euro 2008 winner is the visiting captain.
9min - Marcos Senna plays in a corner from the right-hand side but Upson
heads clear.
7min - Etherington pops one forward for Dean Ashton but the No9 just fails
to get there before Diego Lopez
1min - GOAL! Carlton Cole scores from close range on 53 seconds after good
work by Matthew Upson and Matthew Etherington.
KICK-OFF
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Upson, Davenport, Thatcher (Bowyer 46),
Behrami, Noble, Parker, Etherington (Reid 62), Cole (Sears 74), Ashton
(Faubert 46)
Substitutes: Stech, Boa Morte, Mullins, Widdowson, Hines, Spence, Stanislas
Villarreal: Lopez, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Diego Godin, Joan Capevila, Robert
Pires, Santi Cazorla, Guillermo Franco, Matias Fernandez, Javi Venta, Marcos
Senna, Sebastian Egurn.
Substitutes: Viera, Edmilson, Josico, Cani, Ariel Ibagaza, Cygan, Llorente,
Angel, Fuentes, Siroiano.
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Plenty of positives for Curbs - WHUFC
The manager saw his team cope well with top-class opposition and was full of
praise for the youngsters
09.08.2008
Alan Curbishley was left "really pleased" after his side returned to Boleyn
Ground action with a creditable 1-1 draw against an excellent Villarreal
side.
Although the visitors are earlier in their pre-season preparations, Manuel
Pellegrini's men showed plenty of the class that saw them comfortably beat
Barcelona to second spot in Spain behind Real Madrid last season. "They are
a terrific side as we know," Curbishley said of a starting eleven that
included three Euro 2008 winners in Joan Capevila, Marcos Senna and Santi
Cazorla. "In the last two seasons they have come on unbelievably well."
It was winger Cazorla who found the net for the club nicknamed the Yellow
Submarine, following a delightful one-two with Mexican international
Guillermo Franco on 36 minutes. It left Robert Green with no chance but the
opening West Ham United goal was a similarly impressive move that finished
with Carlton Cole scoring inside a minute.
Fittingly it began with Matthew Upson - who was wearing the No6 shirt for
the final time before it was substituted permanently at half-time in memory
of Bobby Moore. He found Matthew Etherington with a pass forward. The
on-form winger then got to the byline before crossing for Cole to slam in
from close range. "We got a great start," Curbishley added, but he was
equally delighted with the form of youngsters Kyel Reid, Zavon Hines and
Freddie Sears in the closing stages. The latter thought he had scored the
winner late on but was adjudged to have just strayed offside.
"As the game wore on, especially in the first half, they got comfortable and
knocked it about. In the end, I was really pleased with the young boys that
came on and give us a bit of a lift. They have been playing a bit of the
pre-season. I just wanted to give one or two of them a bit more out there in
front of a big home crowd. I was delighted."
Curbishley also had praise for a "terrific crowd on what was a special day
for us" with more than 20,000 braving the driving rain in east London to
support the side before next Saturday's return to Barclays Premier League
action against Wigan Athletic. The manager added he was "looking to try and
add" to his squad, having given out of contract left-back Ben Thatcher a
run-out in the first half. He also rested Dean Ashton at half-time and
welcomed back Lee Bowyer for a second-half appearance.
While he is considering possible additions, Curbishley added that George
McCartney would be assessed on Monday after his illness while Jonathan
Spector is due back at the club in September to step up his rehabilitation
after hip surgery. James Collins has been in full training all week and is
getting closer to being in contention for his own return to action.
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Statement from the CEO - WHUFC
West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury has issued a statement regarding Fredrik
Ljungberg
08.08.2008
West Ham United has responded to a newspaper article on Friday about the
club parting company with Fredrik Ljungberg this week.
West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "The signing of Fredrik Ljungberg in
July 2007 was negotiated by the former chairman Eggert Magnusson and the
financial discussions relating to the transfer had nothing to do with the
manager Alan Curbishley, who has never been involved in player transfer and
contract negotiations.
"All financial matters are controlled by the Board with the manager playing
a full role in the identification and recommendation of players.
"As stated previously, the termination of Ljungberg's contract was agreed
mutually and was in the best interests of West Ham United and the player.
This was a footballing decision based on the fact the 31-year-old
midfielder's first-team chances would have been limited for the new campaign
and allows the club to redirect the wage-saving elsewhere."
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Wigan Athletic ticket latest - WHUFC
Supporters can now buy tickets for the 16 August season opener
10.08.2008
Anticipation is rising for the start of the Barclays Premier League season
and there is less than a week left to make sure of your seat for the visit
of Wigan Athletic.
The return to action at the Boleyn Ground in the 1-1 draw against Villarreal
on Saturday means the next time Alan Curbishley's men take to the field for
a first-team encounter, there will be points as well as pride at stake. Both
teams will be looking to get off to a flying start and set themselves up for
a good season.
Advance booking is strongly recommended by any of the following means.
Online
whufcboxoffice.com
Telephone
0871 222 2700 via option 1
Post
Applications with either cheques, postal orders or credit card payment to be
sent to: Ticket Office, PO BOX 6731, London, E13 9RA
Please note that cheques/postal orders are made payable to West Ham United
FC PLC and all telephone, postal or online bookings are subject to a 50p
booking fee per ticket for members and £1.70 for non-members.
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Curbishley backed over Ljungberg - BBC
West Ham have rejected reports that manager Alan Curbishley was to blame for
the expensive and unsuccessful signing of Freddie Ljungberg. The Swede, 31,
left the club on Wednesday after just one year of a lucrative four-year
deal. And the club insists that former chairman Eggert Magnusson negotiated
Ljungberg's transfer from Arsenal. "The financial discussions relating to
the transfer had nothing to do with Alan Curbishley," said a statement.
"(He) has never been involved in player transfer and contract negotiations."
A report in The Sun newspaper on Friday claimed that the Swede took £6m to
end his contract, and quoted West Ham co-owner, Asgeir Fridgeirsson, saying:
"It's the manager and his management team who are responsible for paying out
the player's salary." Ljungberg joined the Hammers from Arsenal in July 2007
for a fee approaching £3m. He only started 22 of West Ham's 38 Premier
League matches last season after enduring injuries that included a cracked
rib.
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West Ham Utd 1 Villarreal 1 - KUMB
Filed: Saturday, 9th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
A lively encounter saw both teams earn a share of the spoils at The Boleyn
Ground this afternoon. A Carlton Cole strike had given United an early lead
after just 80 seconds. However that was cancelled out shortly before the
half-time whistle by Santi Cazorla. The Hammers - once again featuring
triallist Ben Thatcher - started the game with a side similar to that
expected to start against Wigan in the season opener next week. Back in
after injury were Matthew Etherington and Carlton Cole, whilst Valon Behrami
made his home debut. Alan Curbishley's side made a dream start when Cole
finished an incisive move started by Matthew Upson. The centre-half - who
later handed two replica kits to Stephanie Moore to mark the retirement of
Bobby Moore's number six shirt - sent a ball over the top for Matthew
Etherington to chase. The winger, making his return to first team action
after a lengthy lay-off pulled the ball back for Cole to score from close
range.
Cole had a similar chance to make it 2-0 to the Hammers just after the half
hour mark. It proved to be a costly miss as Villarreal equalised nine
minutes ahead of the break through Cazorla, who played a neat (headed)
one-two before firing past Rob Green from an acute angle. The second half
saw more fouls than goalscoring opportunities and a number of players from
both sides were booked by fussy referee Rob Styles, who appeared to have
forgotten he was officiating a friendly. The Hammers thought they had
snatched a late winner when, just eight minutes from full time, substitute
Freddie Sears converted a Julien Faubert corner which had been nodded on by
Calum Davenport. However Sears' effort was ruled out for offside; a marginal
but probably correct decision. As a result of the draw the Bobby Moore Cup,
the latest incarnation of which was being played for the first time today
will be shared by the two clubs. All in all it was a good workout for
Curbishley's side, although it remains clear that the manager will need to
strengthen his squad before deadline day if the Hammers are to harbour any
hopes of making the European spots come next May.
Match Facts
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Upson, Davenport, Thatcher (Bowyer 46),
Behrami, Noble (Hines 80), Parker, Etherington (Reid 62), Cole (Sears 74),
Ashton (Faubert 46).
Subs not used: Stech, Boa Morte, Mullins, Widdowson, Spence, Stanislas.
Goals: Cole (2).
Booked: Cole (27), Bowyer (62).
Villarreal: Lopez, Rodriguez, Godin (Cygan 78), Capevila (Edmilson 46),
Pires, Cazorla (Ibagaza 46), Franco (Llorente 67), Fernandez (Cani 46),
Venta (Angel 67), Senna (Siroiano 46), Egurn (Josico 83).
Subs not used: Viera, Ariel, Fuentes.
Goals: Cazorla (36).
Booked: Franco (37), Egurn (68), Godin (75), Cani (75).
Referee: Rob Styles.
Attendance: To be confirmed.
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Pass the blame and don't blame me - KUMB
Filed: Saturday, 9th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Scott Duxbury has replied to a report yesterday's Sun in which Alan
Curbishley was blamed for the Freddie Ljungberg fiasco. The paper carried
quotes from West Ham United's Vice-Chairman, Asgeir Fridgeirsson, that were
used to support a damaging story implicating Curbishley for the huge losses
incurred by the Swede's turbulent year at the club.
Yet taken on their own, Fridgeirsson's words appeared mostly innocuous:
"It's the manager and his management team who are responsible for paying out
the player's salary," he was quoted as saying. "It is their judgment about
how to use the money they paid to Ljungberg in a wiser way."
The management team in charge of the financial side of transfers at the time
referred to by Fridgeirsson was Scott Duxbury and Eggert Magnusson. Today
the former accused the latter of being solely responsible for the debacle.
Speaking in a statement on whufc.com, Duxbury contradicted the
Vice-Chairman's earlier statement by absolving Curbishley of any
involvement, before implicating his former boss. "The signing of Ljungberg
was negotiated by the former chairman Eggert Magnusson and the financial
discussions relating to the transfer had nothing to do with Alan Curbishley,
who has never been involved in player transfer and contract negotiations,"
he said. "All financial matters are controlled by the Board with the manager
playing a full role in the identification and recommendation of players."
The conflicting statements from the two directors came only three days after
Alan Curbishley had claimed in an interview with a local newspaper that
Ljungberg was set to return to the club - just hours before it was announced
that the Swede had been released. Added to that the constant rumours
regarding the club's financial situation plus reports of internal divisions
and it has been a week United's Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson will
be happy to see the back of. However there was at least a glimmer of
positive news - Duxbury also confirmed that the salary previously set aside
for the departed Ljungberg will instead be made available to Alan
Curbishley.
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Ljungberg courts Italy interest - SSN
West Ham contacted by Italian clubs
Last updated: 8th August 2008
Recently-released West Ham midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg's future could lie
in Italy, according to the Premier League club. The Hammers technical
director Gianluca Nani has revealed he had fielded a number of calls from
Italy for the former Sweden international, who has been linked with Roma.
Ljungberg left the Hammers on Wednesday after only 12 months, despite having
one year and an option for another to run on his contract. Injuries have
slowed the former Arsenal star's career in recent seasons and he failed to
make much of an impact in 25 appearances with the Hammers last term. But
Nani has hinted that a number of Italian clubs have been in contact, telling
Il Romanista: "I have received calls from every part of Italy - Florence,
Milan - and to be honest I have no idea where he (Ljungberg) will end up. "I
knew Roma liked him, but I don't know whether this has changed. Ljungberg
has a high wage demand and it may be difficult for the Giallorossi to get
him."
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Duxbury dismisses Ljungberg transfer claims - Echo News
7:36pm Friday 8th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
WEST Ham United chief executive Scott Duxbury has absolved manager Alan
Curbishley of any blame for signing £10million flop Freddie Ljungberg.
The Swede joined the Irons on a three-year, £80,000-a-week deal for
£3million from Arsenal a year ago, only to be mutually released from his
contract on Wednesday. On Friday, an article in The Sun quoted Irons
co-owner Asgeir Fridgeirsson as claiming the Ljungberg debacle was
Curbishley's responsibility.
"It is the manager and his management team who are responsible for paying
out the player's salary," the Icelander reportedly said. "It is their
judgment about how to use the money they paid to Ljungberg in a wiser way."
However, Duxbury dismissed those claims on Friday evening, issuing a
statement on the club's official website. The chief executive instead
suggested Ljungberg's signing had been overseen by former chairman Eggert
Magnusson, who left the club last December. Duxbury also claimed Curbishley
had no involvement in negotiating the transfers and contracts of prospective
new signings. "The signing of Fredrick Ljungberg in July 2007 was negotiated
by the former chairman Eggert Magnusson and the financial discussions
relating to the transfer had nothig to do with the manager Alan Curbishley,
who has never been involved in player transfer and contract negotiations,"
Duxbury stated. "All financial matters are controlled by the board with the
manager playing a full role in the identification and recommendation of
players. "As stated previously, the termination of Ljungberg's contract was
agreed mutually and was in the best interests of the West Ham United and the
player. "This was a footballing decision based on the fact the 31-year-old
midfielder's first-team chances would have been limited for the new campaign
and allows the club to redirect the wage-saving elsewhere."
Meanwhile, Ljungberg himself is attracting interest from Italian clubs.
Hammers technical director Gianluca Nani has been quoted in Rome newspaper
Il Romanista claiming Roma, Milan and Fiorentina are all keen on signing the
player.
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West Ham boss Curbishley: Arsenal don't want Green
tribalfootball.com - August 08, 2008
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has dismissed reports linking Arsenal with
goalkeeper Robert Green. He said: "I was with Arsene Wenger at a meeting on
Wednesday and nothing was said."
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Bland performance leaves little to be excited about! - Bubbles In The Air
Saturday 09 Aug 2008 19:02:45 by Tony Watson
The first ever Bobby Moore Cup ended in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park where the
Hammers met Spanish club Villarreal.
The birth of the new annual event in memory of former West Ham & England
Captain was watched by 20,221 fans - which raised £40,442 for the Bobby
Moore cancer research fund.
That's the impressive part over, now down to the uninspiring football match.
It started well for the home side as they took the lead with just a minute
on the clock. Matthew Etherington's low cross found Carlton Cole who had the
easy task of tapping the ball home into an empty net from close range.
After that, West Ham slowly lost their grip on the game and found it hard to
get into the opponents half at times during the course of the first half.
The Spaniards flowing football was a joy to watch as they convincingly
bossed the game for long spells.
However, their equalizer came from second rate defending when Callum
Davenport failed to keep the line at the back and played Franco onside and
despite Green saving well from Franco the pressure didn't ease and 30
seconds later it was 1-1. Santi Carzola met a good Robert Pires cross field
ball and calmly slotted the ball past a proceeding Robert Green.
Then at half time a historical event for West Ham United took place, the No.
6 shirt was officially retired, again, in memory of the aforementioned Bobby
Moore. Matthew Upson was the last person to wear the shirt, he will now wear
the No.15.
Back to the action - or lack of it. The Hammers reverted to a 4-5-1 system
in a bid to stifle their oppositions effective passing game and to Curbs'
credit it worked. Bowyer entered the fray as did Faubert who was very
effective down the right along with Behrami - that little partnership was
probably the most positive note for the Hammers on the day and I'm sure it
will give Curbishley some food for thought about Lucas Neill's position as a
first team regular.
Substitute Freddy Sears thought he'd scored the second for West Ham 8
minutes from time - the youngster latched onto a downward header from
Davenport and converted past Diego Lopez only for the referee's assistant to
rule it out for offside - a close call, infact from where I was sitting it
was the wrong call.
With the score line being level at the end of the 90 minutes the two team
captains were presented the first ever Bobby Moore Cup by Stephanie Moore
(Bobby's widow) to cap an emotional day.
Despite the magnitude of the day, very little was on show to convince one
that West Ham are going to be a force this season - I hope I'm wrong but
somehow I trust my judgement on this one.
Curbishley said after the game he was disappointed with the crowd's reaction
to Ben Thatcher who is currently on trial with the club. Curbs admitted 'I
was disappointed with their reaction and didn't really understand it.
He also conceded that new faces were needed in order to push on 'Were
definitely still looking, at the back we are struggling a bit and I do think
we need a couple more players'
It's Wigan next weekend at Upton Park for the season's opening game, A bit
more guile in the final third will be needed if the Hammers are hit the
ground running in their league campaign.
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Moore remembered as Hammers earn draw with Villarreal - Guardian Series
11:30pm Saturday 9th August 2008
WEST HAM took a share of the Bobby Moore Cup following a 1-1 draw with
Villarreal during an historic day at Upton Park. The match held special
significance for the east London club, who at half time forever retired the
number six shirt to mark the lasting memory of club legend Bobby Moore. And
the Hammers got off to the perfect start when Carlton Cole opened the
scoring after just 53 seconds, the striker turning in Matty Etherington's
cross from point blank range. But last season's La Liga runners-up
Villarreal soon got into their stride and equalised in the 35th minute when
Santi Carzorla played a neat one-two before lashing past Robert Green. The
second half proved to be a tetchy affair, with more niggling fouls than
goalscoring opportunties.
The closest the Hammers came to claiming a winner was when young substitute
Freddie Sears had the ball in the net, only to see it ruled out for offside.
But it was a good test for the Irons, who fielded a strong side - including
triallist Ben Thatcher at left back - ahead of the Premier League opener
with Wigan at Upton Park next Saturday.
West Ham: Green, Neill, Upson, Davenport, Thatcher (Bowyer 45), Behrami,
Noble (Hines 80), Parker, Etherington (Reid 62), Cole (Sears 74), Ashton
(Faubert 45). Subs not used: Stech, Boa Morte, Mullins, Widdowson, Spence,
Stanislas.
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Curbs set for a job in Tank command - The People
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE EXCLUSIVE
By Alan Nixon
West Ham are poised to fire off a £5million bid for Chilean super striker
Sebastian Pinto - the hitman nicknamed The Tank - if Dean Ashton is sold.
The Hammers have watched Pinto, who has just joined Brazilian side Santos,
but is available and keen to come to the Premier League. New technical
director Gianluca Nani is behind the move and boss Alan Curbishley has yet
to see Pinto to give the deal his blessing, which could be a big test of
their working relationship. The powerful Pinto would be an ideal replacement
for Ashton, who is being strongly linked with Tottenham. West Ham would sell
at the right price - about £16million - and the Hammers hierarchy have
worked overtime to check out Pinto. The 22-year-old Pinto (right) quit
Universidad de Chile to join Santos a few months ago, but is tipped to move
to Europe. Pinto has only one cap and might not get a work permit, but the
Hammers think there is a strong case for getting him on appeal. West Ham are
also talking to Paris St Germain about £4million-rated winger Jerome Rothen.
The Hammers are weighing up how much to offer for the French star after PSG
rejected a proposed swap deal involving Freddie Ljungberg tabled before he
had his contract paid up. Rothen, 30, who has 13 France caps, is desperate
to leave after a season in which fans threatened him at his home and damaged
his car. Asource close to the talks said: "West Ham are interested in Rothen
and he's very tempted. He wants to leave because he's never settled in
Paris." Wigan tried to tie-up a £4million deal for ex-Monaco midfielder
Rothen in May. Meanwhile, Nolber to Solano's switch to LA Galaxy has
collapsed after problems with pay and the MLS season dates. Solano, 3 3, was
released by West Ham in May and is training with Watford ahead of a possible
move. A source close to the Peruvian said: "The LA move is unlikely to
happen now. It's a question of timing and other priorities."
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WEST HAM 1-1 VILLAREAL - The People
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE COUNTDOWN TO THE BIG PREM KICK-OFF..JUST SIX DAYS TO
GO Tribute to Bobby-but Hammers slack
By Scott Piecha
West Ham paid tribute to Bobby Moore yesterday by retiring the No.6 shirt.
Never again will a Hammer step out in the legend's famous shirt after it was
handed over to his second wife, Stephanie, during half-time on the 50th
anniversary since his debut for the club. It is the second time in a week
that the Upton Park board have shelved one of their squad numbers, having
paid off Freddie Ljungberg. The difference being that any Hammers fan would
have crawled over broken glass to just get close enough to shake Moore's
hand whereas Ljungberg is more likely to get a kiss - Glasgow style. His
No.7 shirt cost the club about £5million, which is money Alan Curbishley
could do with to fund a dabble into the transfer market before the season
kicks off next week. Curbishley's side have been stripped this summer to cut
back on the wage bill, with few new names coming in to strengthen a team
that needs quality.
A 10th-place finish was the end to a yo-yo year last season, but to push on
to the next level and try to challenge for a European place looks a long way
off.
During the Bobby Moore Cup yesterday at Upton Park against Villarreal there
was signs of flowing football, but it quickly reverted to the scrapping seen
last season. Carlton Cole had the 20,000-odd fans expecting a great game
with a well-taken goal in the first minute from a Matthew Etherington cross.
There were other chances for Curbishley's side, but they came mostly from a
lucky break rather than a moment of brilliance. Again Curbishley has been
made a favourite to be sacked first, but he said he was ready to beat the
bookies' curse: "The bookmakers put together their predictions and I can't
do anything about that. "There is always a manager put in the position by
the betting firms and it's mine at the minute. It soon goes away and then it
will be on someone else. "I have the backing of the club and the board and,
although I'm a bit miffed, nothing surprises me in football."
A friendly can never tell you everything with all the substitutions, but
having only a week longer to prepare for the season must concern some
Hammers fans. Curbishley is worried, but about the amount of injuries
starting to creep back into his side after last season's treatment-table
nightmare. Craig Bellamy was sidelined last week as was Anton Ferdinand,
with George McCartney and Jonathan Spector already out, leaving West Ham
short in defence.
That has forced Curbishley to bring in Ben Thatcher on trial, but he is
looking to add a couple of names permanently, and said: "I don't want to be
saying it again but we have got a couple of niggles and I'd like to bring a
couple of players in. "I was looking to the summer to have some of the
long-term injuries back, but now we have new players sidelined. I think I
need to add because at the back we are short."
The opener at home to Wigan on Saturday is a big start as it could set an
early pattern. Curbishley admitted: "It's always important to get off to a
good start. When I talk about starts I talk about eight games because then
you can see where you are."
Villarreal were the better side and deserved their goal from Santi Cazorla
before half-time. The Spanish international finished in style before the
game descended into handbags at 10 paces. Lee Bowyer was in the thick of
most altercations, with the only real positive in the second half being the
introduction of Freddie Sears. The boy looks sharp and ready to shine.
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£16m sale to fund £9m West Ham double swoop - FansFC.com
08:07 August, 10, 2008
Sebastian Pinto and Jerome Rothen are being linked with moves to Upton Park
. Chilean striker Pinto is currently playing in Brazil for Santos and has
been identified as a potential replacement for Tottenham target Dean Ashton.
Paris Saint Germain winger Rothen is also on the shopping list and a source
told the Sunday People: "West Ham are interested in Rothen and he's very
tempted. "He wants to leave because he's never settled in Paris."
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Hammers battle Spurs for £6m Ghana star - lep.co.uk
West Ham are considering a £6million bid for Ghana skipper Stephen Appiah -
and could trump Tottenham in the process With Kieron Dyer injured again and
Freddie Ljungberg off the payroll, the Hammers board are ready to sanction a
move for the midfielder. Former Juventus star Appiah, 27, is now with
Fenerbahce but the Turks are ready to cash in. Appiah was kept out of this
year's African Cup of Nations by a blood clot on the knee and would have to
undergo a stringent medical before any move to Upton Park. Spurs were
reported to be monitoring Appiah's situation but could lose out to their
London rivals.
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