KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st October 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have put tickets for this weekend's London derby with
Arsenal on general sale. For the first time in years tickets for the clash
have reached general sale - an unprecedented situation for a game of such
magnitude. West Ham supporters have hit back at the club's decision to
increase ticket prices at the end of last season by turning away in their
droves. Barely a single game has been a sell-out so far this season, whilst
the attendance for the recent Macclesfield Carling Cup game was one of the
lowest in United's recent history. The high cost of attending Premier League
fixtures, combined with the uncertain finacial situation has led many fans
to tighten their belts accordingly - with football one of the first luxuries
to go. Those hoping to pick up tickets for the game will have to pay up to
£63 for the pleasure - or nearly £200 for a family of four.
What can I get for 63 quid? Alternative ways to spend your Saturday
afternoons
1. Purchase 20 day passes for one of the web's most popular football
streaming channels.
2. Watch around 10 films at your local cinema.
3. Take the missus food shopping and buy enough grub to see you through til
the following Saturday.
4. Get tickets for the forthcoming Kenny Thomas, Alexander O'Neal and Jimmy
Jones gigs at the Circus Tavern and still have enough left over for a few
beers.
5. Buy eight new albums you've had your eye on.
6. Spend the day roughing it watching Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House
(with enough left over for a glass or two of chablis).
7. Fly to Rome and take in a game featuring either - or both - of the city's
two main clubs.
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Zola for the chop?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st October 2008
By: Staff Writer
Gianfranco Zola is second favourite to be the next Premier League manager to
be sacked. SkyBet list the Italian - who has been in charge at West Ham for
just a month - at 8/1 for the chop, behind just Juande Ramos of Tottenham
(8/11) whose side have picked up just two points from their opening eight
games. Zola - who has overseen five games since succeeding Alan Curbishley
has two wins under his belt (Newcastle and Fulham) but also three defeats -
to Watford, Bolton and Hull, all games which would normally be considered
winnable. Although the Hammers currently sit eighth in the table most
supporters have been disappointed with that tally from one of the easiest
opening runs of any Premier League season. That good fortune is about to end
as the Hammers prepare to face Arsenal and Manchester United in the next
fortnight - with the likes of Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea to follow ahead
of Christmas.
Full Skybet odds - top ten for the chop
1. Juande Ramos 8/11
2. Gianfranco Zola 8/1
3. Gary Megson 10/1
4. Paul Ince 12/1
4. Harry Redknapp 12/1
6. Roy Keane 14/1
7. Steve Bruce 16/1
7. Tony Mowbray 16/1
7. Tony Pulis 16/1
7. Gareth Southgate 16/1
* Elsewhere Betfair are listing Carlton Cole - who missed a sitter at Hull
on Sunday - at 99/1 to be the top scoring Englishman in this season's
Premier League.
Dean Ashton - recently injured and not set to return until 2009 - is still
listed at 35/1 ...
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Neill eyes new deal
SSN
Hammers captain wants to stay
Last updated: 21st October 2008
Lucas Neill has reiterated his desire to earn a new contract at West Ham.
The Hammers' long-term future appears anything but secure given the
off-field difficulties that chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has encountered.
West Ham are insistent that the club are on a sound-footing, although talk
of new contracts is unlikely to be at the top of their current agenda. But
Neill - widely acknowledged as one of the club's biggest earners - is
looking to extend his deal which expires next summer. "My contract runs out
next summer and I am open to them giving me a few more years at the club,"
Neill said. "If it doesn't work out, so be it, but I'd love a long-term
commitment."
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Appiah Juventus-Bound As Arsenal & West Ham Interest Over?
PremiershipLatest.com
Submitted by Niraj Prabhu on Tue, 2008-10-21 12:56.
Ghana captain Stephen Appiah's dream of playing for a Premiership club seems
like remaining unfulfilled as of now as reports in Italy claim that the
free-agent midfielder is heading to Serie A giants Juventus. The 27-year-old
had been linked to Arsenal, Portsmouth and West Ham United, but apparently
the English clubs were turned off by the former Fenerbahce player's high
wage demands. Appiah is now reportedly close to agreeing terms with Claudio
Ranieri's side and could soon be back to the Turin side where he earlier
played from 2003 to 2005 before moving to Turkey
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HATCHET MAN: Moneybags Hammer Neill is likely to get one last pay day but
will it be at Upton Park?
Daily Mail
Last updated at 1:00 PM on 21st October 2008
Lucas Neill, who turned down Liverpool for West Ham because of the pay
packet, wants a new contract at Upton Park. No kidding. On £60,000-a-week
for being a tough but slow and unrefined physical presence at the back, who
wouldn't. But what are the chances of the hard-nosed Aussie defender
extending his deal on the current terms when the club's owner has just lost
hundreds of millions of pounds in the credit crunch? Neill, 30, will be a
free agent in the summer and may just be able to secure one last big pay day
and Hatchet Man is betting that's what he does. Providing another club is
prepared to splash out silly money for a 'hardman', of course.
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West Ham planning new January signings
The Mirror
21/10/2008
Technical director Gianluca Nani has told West Ham fans not to fear a player
sell-off - because he is already preparing new signings. Manager Gianfranco
Zola has been told he must sell before he can buy in January. But Nani, 46,
who was appointed earlier this year to oversee transfer policy, insists he
is ready to bring in strong replacements and aims to copy the success of
Arsenal and Ajax in recruiting young talent. He said: "They sell players,
but they are always able to replace. "We want to build that sort of
organisation."
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Our Christmas tree will light up soon, insist Hammers
10:33am Tuesday 21st October 2008
Echo
By Rob Pritchard »
WEST Ham United's Christmas Tree formation will light up the Premier League
soon, according to the Irons' Gianfranco Zola and Mark Noble. While the
Londonders have played a more entertaining brand of football since the
system was introduced by new manager Zola last month, an inability to turn
possession into goals has led to back-to-back defeats to Bolton Wanderers
and Hull City. But, despite their recent frustrations, both Zola and
midfielder Noble insist 4-3-2-1 will add up to a successful future for the
Hammers. "The new system is working. Obviously it's going to be a slow
process though. It's not going to work over months, it's going to be a
couple of years when he finally gets it going," admitted Noble, one of three
central midfielders in Zola's innovative line-up. "I'm really enjoying it.
Then again, it's only enjoyable if you're winning. We haven't in the last
two games so you can't laugh and smile."
Zola himself insists his players will start reaping the benefits of his
tactical acumen. "First of all it's a system that I know very well and one
that can allow the team to play good football," said the former Parma,
Chelsea and Italy forward, who has preached a philosophy of attacking
football since arriving at Upton Park six weeks ago.
"I trust it, plus I saw the players training and playing and I think this
system suits this team very well. That's why I chose it. "That's my idea
about the football. We will see whether I'm right or not."
For now it would appear Zola has not got it totally correct and Noble is
aware that, with Arsenal and Manchester United next up, he and his
team-mates need to start converting their chances if they are not to
free-fall down the Premier League table. "12 points from our opening eight
matches is not enough," said the England Under-21 star. "We thought we
should have won last week (against Bolton) as well, although it was a bit of
bad luck with (Robert) Greeny dropping the first one. It's unlike him.
"Again at Hull we felt we should have taken the three points as well. "But
it hasn't happened and now we've got Arsenal and Man Utd in the next two
games so we've got a big job to try and do our best to get some points out
of them."
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Nani follows Arsenal way
Andrew Hodgson
Evening Standard
West Ham technical director Gianluca Nani wants to use Arsenal as a model
for improving the club's youth development, writes Andrew Hodgson. Hammers
boss Gianfranco Zola has been told he must sell before he can buy when the
transfer window reopens in January, but Nani already has his eye on
potential replacements.
The Italian said: "Clubs like Arsenal and Ajax sell players, but they are
always able to replace them. We want to build that kind of organisation."
Nani was brought to Upton Park earlier this year, when former manager Alan
Curbishley was still in charge, to take control of the club's transfer
policy.
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Tyne-Wear derby rivals West Ham-Millwall
Sunderlandecho.co.uk
Published Date: 21 October 2008
ANTON Ferdinand believes the fury of meeting Millwall in a local derby will
be the perfect preparation for his first Tyne-Wear clash. The Sunderland
centre-back has been inundated with ticket requests from family who are
eager to sample the atmosphere at this weekend's clash with Newcastle. And
he hopes reality lives up to the legend that every Sunderland fan has been
telling him about since he arrived in the north east from West Ham. "I don't
need telling how big this derby is to the people up here," said the
centre-back, outstanding in the Black Cats' goalless draw at Fulham on
Saturday. "Every derby is important because the result lasts a long time in
the minds and lives of the supporters. "Up here I can see what it means to
the people, and they have told me. "Back in London, perhaps there are other
things in life to distract you, but here it's football, football, football
and I love that. "It plays such a big part in people's lives, and that means
the result of a derby means a lot."
One of Ferdinand's first games for West Ham was an East London derby against
Millwall at Upton Park. Aged only 18, he admits it left a huge mark on him –
David Connolly, now at Sunderland, putting the Hammers in front in the first
half before Tim Cahill levelled 17 minutes from time in the September 2003
clash. Ferdinand said: "I've played in a few London derbies, but the biggest
was probably West Ham-Millwall. That was fierce on and off the pitch. "I was
young, and had just got into the West Ham team. These are experiences that
stay with you. "Going ahead and holding a lead for quite a long time in the
game, we were obviously gutted not to win. "The love-hate relationship that
Sunderland and Newcastle fans have was the same between West Ham and
Millwall supporters. "People say that the main thing is that you don't lose
a derby, but we're at home and after a couple of decent draws against
Arsenal and Fulham, we really want to get a win under our belts."
The Ferdinand family was out in force at Craven Cottage last weekend as
Ferdinand returned to play in London for the first time since joining
Sunderland. And there will be an exodus from the capital this weekend.
"Hopefully I'll get my hands on enough tickets because they've heard all
about the derby and want to experience it.
"I'm putting all that to the back of my mind. It would be great to have
everyone I love at the game, but I need to dedicate myself to being right
for this game."
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Lucas Neill remains hopeful of new West Ham deal
21.10.08 | tribalfootball.com
Lucas Neill has again declared he'd welcome new contract talks at West Ham.
"My contract runs out next summer and I am open to them giving me a few more
years at the club," Neill said. "If it doesn't work out, so be it, but I'd
love a long-term commitment."
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Canizares: I turned down Everton, West Ham in the summer
21.10.08 | tribalfootball.com
Former Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares has revealed he turned down
offers from Everton and West Ham United over the summer. The 39 year-old has
announced his retirement after coming off contract at Valencia last season
and revealed: "I had two offers from England this summer, West Ham and
Everton, and said no. "I felt the need to dedicate myself to my family
after so many years given to football."
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West Ham chief Nani insists they do not need to sell
21.10.08 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham chief Gianluca Nani has assured fans there will be no January fire
sale. Manager Gianfranco Zola has been told he must sell before he can buy
in January. But Nani, 46, who was appointed earlier this year to oversee
transfer policy, insists he is ready to bring in strong replacements and
aims to copy the success of Arsenal and Ajax in recruiting young talent. He
said: "They sell players, but they are always able to replace. "We want to
build that sort of organisation."
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Tottenham go for West Ham pair Parker, Upson
21.10.08 | tribalfootball.com
Tottenham are chasing West Ham United pair Scott Parker and Matthew Upson.
The Mirror says Tottenham believe they may be able to get England defender
Upson and midfielder Parker on the cheap because of West Ham's own financial
problems surrounding owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson. West Ham have already
been warned by the money men that they must sell before they can buy – but
they will not want to lose two of their prized assets.
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