Daily WHUFC News - II 21st November 2008

Bellamy backs Jack
WHUFC.com
Craig Bellamy has been impressed by the emergence of Jack Collison for both
club and country
21.11.2008

Jack Collison has made a big impact since being brought in to the side by
Gianfranco Zola and has received some warm words of encouragement from his
national captain.

That captain does, of course, happen to be West Ham United team-mate Craig
Bellamy, but the 20-year-old midfielder seems to have done enough for both
club and country to earn the praise of the forward. "Jack has been doing
very well with West Ham of late," Bellamy said. "We benefitted from that
with Wales. He has really stepped up in the last six weeks and he can still
push on as well. He is a talented lad. To make predictions on players is
very difficult. Fingers crossed, but Jack has the attitude to do well and
attitude is the key."

Indeed, it seems that it is not just in the Barclays Premier League and
international games that Collison is giving the West Ham United No10 reasons
for optimism. "I've seen him every afternoon at West Ham and he does extra
training. If you want to give this career a good go then you get the rewards
and that seems to be how Jack is looking at it," said Bellamy.

"When you come in from the youth system you can play with no fear because
the crowd are not going to get on your back. You are one of them. If Jack
works hard and conducts himself in the right manner, which he does, then he
will be fine."

Bellamy scored the winner as the duo, along with James Collins, helped Wales
to an notable 1-0 over Denmark in Copenhagen on Wednesday night. It was all
the more impressive as the team was mainly made up of players under the age
of 21. "My goal was a bit scruffy but I needed it. Putting them away has
been a bit of a problem recently so to get a goal, at international level
too, is a big bonus for me."

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Club matters for Collison
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison is training hard back at Chadwell Heath and looking forward to
the trip to Sunderland
21.11.2008

Jack Collison is buoyant for the trip to Sunderland after an excellent week
away with Wales that culminated in another senior international appearance.

The 20-year-old has established himself in the first team of late with two
starts and two substitute appearances and bagged his first Barclays Premier
League goal on his home debut against Everton. He is looking to build on
that this weekend although he knows competition is fierce for places in
midfield. That has led to a vibrant atmosphere at Chadwell Heath and
Collison believes the team are up for challenge.

"It is going to be a massive match but it is a match we know we can win," he
said. "We all said that as soon as we got in the changing room after
Portsmouth. Everyone is already focused on the match and we want nothing
less than the three points."

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Sunderland v West Ham Utd: preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 21st November 2008
By: Preview Percy

We next have a long trip up to the North East to the Stadium of Light where
the football authorities and the TV companies have showed exactly the
contempt they have for us supporters by decreeing that we will have to play
at a travel-unfriendly 4.00pm on a Sunday. Still, as we all know, we're the
last ones that matter to the powers that be.

Sunderland currently lie three places above us in 11th place though, given
the currently concertina-ed state of the league table at present, the more
important statistic is probably the fact that they are one point ahead of us
and, for what it's worth, they are the only side above us that has an
inferior goal difference (-7 to our -6). Like us their results have been
mixed. Their last home victory came against Newcastle about a month ago,
since when they have been beaten 1-0 at Stoke, thumped 5-0 at Chelsea and
were unfortunate to go down to a late Defoe penalty in a 2-1 home defeat to
Portsmouth.

A measure of their inconsistency an be gleaned by the fact that their last
two matches saw them go down 2-1 at home to Blackburn in the League Cup
before going over to Ewood Park and beating them 2-1 to halt a run of four
league & cup defeats in a row. Reports suggest that the result against
Rovers came at the end of the proverbial "game of two halves" where they
ought to have been more than just the one goal behind at the interval, only
for them to have a much better second half - assisted by yet another error
by the inexplicably England-bound Paul Robinson, whose error let them back
into the match early in the second half.

In goal up at Ewood was Marton Fulop, a name which sounds like it ought to
be a service area on the M4. Fulop has been standing in of late for Craig
Gordon, the Scottish no.1 who has been missing of late with a sprained
ankle. However, the extra day's recovery will probably see him available for
selection on Sunday.

There are some familiar faces in amongst the usual back four. George
McCartney had a very consistent spell at the Boleyn before letting down men
everywhere by moving back up to the North-East 'because his wife told him
to.' Confusion reigned at the time of his transfer, not least because the
club claimed that Linda had submitted a written transfer request whilst the
man himself denied ever having done so. Linda has been missing with an ankle
problem but is listed as available for the weekend.

Expect Danny Collins to continue at left-back should Keane decide not to
disrupt a winning side. The other ex-Hammer in the side has been Anton
Ferdinand. Sunderland fans appear to have been more impressed by Ferdinand
than by McCartney - though what little I've seen of him since his move
wouldn't necessarily indicate any major improvements to his game. It seemed
a strange move for Ferdinand - though any rumours that he was convinced it
would be a good move if he wanted to be near his unwell grandmother on the
Isle of Wight are of course scurrilous. Probably.

The back four has lately been completed by right-back Nyron Nosworthy, whose
name sounds like a small village somewhere off the M4, not far from the
Marton Fulop service area, and sometime right-back Phil Bardsley who has
been playing in the middle alongside Ferdinand.

In the centre of midfield is summer signing Timo Tainio who arrived during
the summer from feeder club Spurs for an undisclosed fee alongside Pascal
Chimbonda, who appears to be out of favour at the moment, and fellow
midfielder Steed Malbranque. Another ex-Spud in the squad is Andy Reid -
though he did at least have a spell at Charlton first. Reid was on the bench
last week, Keane preferring to complete his midfield quartet with skipper
Dean Whitehead and former Hammer's youth midfielder Kieran Richardson.
Winger Carlos Edwards may feature in the squad having been recalled from a
loan spell at Wolves.

Also on the bench last week is the obnoxious El Hadj Diouf whose habit of
spitting at opposition fans first came to light against us at Anfield a few
years back. Diouf is capable of playing either as a wide midfielder or up
front. First choice in the striking berths has been Kenwyne Kones. The
Trinidad & Tobago international arrived from Southampton in 2007, presumably
to save a few bob in buying new kit. He proved quite a handful in last
season's match at the Boleyn and is in good recent form having missed the
earlier part of the season in the treatment room. He was on the scoresheet
last week, as was his striking partner Djibril Cisse. Other options up front
include the veteran Dwight Yorke though "Angry Ant" David Connolly (it seems
so very long ago doesn't it) won't be around thanks to injury.

As for us, Robert Green will thankfully be 100% fit having watched the Terry
& Carson Comedy Capers like the rest of us from the safety of his sofa.
"Cheri" Ilunga looks to have recovered from the knock that curtailed his
participation against Pompey. The Pysio Room lists both Mark Noble and
Jonathan Spector as available, though I'm not holding my breath in
anticipation. Similarly some guy called Tristran is listed as potentially
available, but frankly I'll believe he actually exists only when I see him
with my own eyes. Otherwise I wouldn't expect there to be too much in the
way of changes from last week.

Predictions? - well frankly they will be futile for this one. Partly because
we have two teams for whom the only consistent factor is their
inconsistency, but mainly because once more the authorities have yet again
shown their contempt for the paying fan by giving a live TV match to the
worryingly stupid Mike Dean. Dean is a bad enough referee at the best of
times, but give him a live TV match and he plumbs new depths time after time
after time. I'll plump for a 2-2 draw for this one but given the identity of
the man in charge I'll be happy to see the match decided on the merits of
the two teams involved - after all there is a first time for everything I
suppose.

Enjoy the game!

Last Season: lost 2-1 Andy Reid's winner comes bafflingly in the 7th minute
of the 5 added on by ref Marriner and boosts the relegation-threatened home
side's chances of staying up.

Danger Man: Kenwyne Jones Caused major problems at the Boleyn last season -
mind you Anton won't be marking him this time!

Look out for: The Statue of Bob Stokoe.

The statue commemorates the 1973 Cup Final win over Leeds. It is an accurate
depiction of the manager's run across the Wembley turf to hug match-saving
'keeper Jim Montgomery. However a Sunderland fan once described it to me as
being reminiscent of a 'Benny Hill character chasing an unseen bird in a
desperate attempt to get a grope' and I've never been able to look at it in
quite the same light again!

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Big job for little Zola
Hammers won't go down, so let Zola learn his trade
Posted: 21st November 2008 13:34
SSN

It was interesting when he came in that he said he wanted his players to
always have smiles on their faces. Well, results dictate whether you're
smiling or not in this game and it has been noticeable in the last few weeks
that there's been a lot more seriousness about Gianfranco Zola. - Andy Gray

West Ham may not have won any of their last seven league games, but I don't
think the supporters should be too concerned about the start that Gianfranco
Zola has made to life at Upton Park. He is one of those young guys
determined to make his way in the coaching game; he was looking for somebody
to give him a chance and West Ham did that. He knows it's a big job and he
knows there isn't a lot of money available to him - but what he does have is
an awful lot of players to choose from. He now has to find out what his best
team is, what his best system is and go from there. That is not something
you can do overnight. This is not like Harry Redknapp walking into Spurs;
Harry's been in this league for a long time and will have known Tottenham's
players and formed an opinion on them before he got there. For Gianfranco
things are a little different. He's been out of the English game for a
little while now and I'm sure his knowledge of West Ham will have been
limited in that respect. Therefore it's going to take him a little longer.
He's learning as he goes along and I don't think he'd have a problem with me
saying that. Obviously he has the experience of being a top-level footballer
and he will have learned a lot coaching the Italian Under-21s, but he will
also know that this is a totally different ball game. I still believe the
Premier League is the toughest both to play in and to manage in and he is
finding that out the hard way. He still needs to figure out which players he
wants to keep and which he wants to dispose of. We might see some movement
in and out of West Ham during the transfer window and that will be testimony
to what Gianfranco has learned in the period he has been in the job.

Deserves

I think Gianfranco deserves time to go through that process. People might
say his appointment was a risk, but there are 10 teams who could potentially
be involved in a relegation battle this season and you could argue that
keeping any of those managers is risky. I just believe that if they were
confident in him when they gave him the job then they should leave the job
with him, even if he has to spend a year learning the ropes. That is part
and parcel of giving a young manager the job and if they give him time to
mature he will be much stronger in the second season. Would I be panicking
if I was a West Ham fan after their poor run of form? Absolutely not. The
one thing Gianfranco Zola knows is that he has quality players in his squad.
Perhaps they're not always fit - as is the case with the likes of Dean
Ashton and Kieron Dyer - and that doesn't help, but I still think there's
enough good players there for them not to worry too much about relegation.
Of course, he needs to get his tactics right and we'll see him experimenting
with the players he has over the next few months. He played a 4-3-3 against
Portsmouth last week, but I'm sure we'd see him adopting a different system
if he had the likes of Dyer and Ashton available. I guess there will always
be pressure on him to play attacking football because West Ham was built on
the tradition of giving their fans entertainment. The fans want to see their
team playing in a certain way and if that's the case then they've got the
right man to do that. He was a complete footballer in his playing days and
if he coaches the game in the same way as he played it, then West Ham fans
can have no worries about their team not playing wonderful, attractive
football.

Concede

One area that needs to be addressed is the defence. To be leading 1-0
against Everton with eight minutes left and to concede three goals is simply
not good enough.
They've had to chop and change due to injuries and I don't think he's had
his first-choice back four playing together very often. It is very important
for any team to have stability in that area and the likes of Manchester
United and Chelsea have built their success around that. Gianfranco hasn't
had that yet and that will limit his progress. I would like to think that
will come with time because he'll know how important it is not to concede
cheap and easy goals in the Premier League. It was interesting when he came
in that he said he wanted his players to always have smiles on their faces.
Well, results dictate whether you're smiling or not in this game and it has
been noticeable in the last few weeks that there's been a lot more
seriousness about Gianfranco Zola. That's because he has already felt the
huge pressures of managing a Premier League club. Every team has an
expectation of being the best and West Ham are no different. In fact, the
pressure is perhaps even greater at Upton Park because so many people in the
written press support the club and keep the team in the spotlight. But what
I would say to those West Ham fans who are getting a little bit twitchy is
this - let little Zola get on with things. Let him learn more about the job,
let him learn more about West Ham and let the players learn what he wants
from them. Give him a January transfer window and a close season to shape
the squad in the way he wants it - and then start to judge the man next
year.

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Sunderland v West Ham: Collins warns of Bellamy threat
Sunderland Echo
Published Date: 21 November 2008

Danny Collins is determined to defy old Wales team-mate Craig Bellamy when
Sunderland entertain West Ham on Sunday. And he says he will be best
equipped to deal with the fiery Hammer. Collins has impressed at left-back
since taking over from the injured George McCartney - but he comes under
pressure with the Northern Ireland international fighting back to fitness.
Collins, though, is fired up to keep his place in the side after helping
Sunderland snap a four-match losing streak with a fine victory at Blackburn
last weekend. And he pinpointed former Newcastle and Liverpool striker
Bellamy as the biggest problem for the Black Cats in the televised Stadium
of Light clash. "Craig is probably the loudest man in football," said
Collins of the lively Welsh striker. "He's always moaning and it can be a
bit off-putting.
"Out on the training ground, he works as hard as anyone, and that transfers
into his performance and attitude on a matchday as well. "He's fully focused
on what he does and what he wants to achieve. "I have time for him as a
player. "He moans and whinges constantly, and I think some defenders find
that difficult to deal with, but it can be unsettling if you're not used to
it. "That won't be the case with me, because I'll be expecting it, but it
can be a bit unsettling if you're not used to it. "You just have to turn a
deaf ear to him and let him get on with it. He moans more than any player I
know, but I guess that's just his way of showing he wants to win. He's a top
player."
Sunderland have beaten only Middlesbrough and Newcastle at home this season,
and Collins wants an improvement on that stat. He added: "It's not as though
we've been playing poorly at home - I think we've been playing fairly well -
it's just the results haven't been coming. "It's just about turning that
good play into a couple of goals, because, if we do that, a couple of good
results will follow. If we can manage that at the weekend, I don't see why
we can't do it for the rest of the season."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 21st November 2008

Green excited by away day
WHUFC.com
Robert Green thinks that Sunday's away game at Sunderland could suit the
team's style of play
20.11.2008

Robert Green is confident that West Ham United can build on their solid
showing against Portsmouth when they make the long trip north to face
Sunderland on Sunday.

The West Ham United No1 and the rest of the squad have been working hard at
Chadwell Heath all week as they look to add to the encouraging signs shown
in the last weekend's 0-0 draw. "We are looking on building on a couple of
positive things and maybe going and playing away from home where the
emphasis isn't on us to go and attack so much will help us," he said. "We
can use our pace and play on the break and that may suit us a little bit
more."

Green is under no illusions about the size of the challenge facing the team,
though, as the hosts brought in several new players in the summer, including
the familiar faces of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney. He is
optimistic, however, that the visitors can emerge with a result that could
see them jump as high as tenth in the Barclay Premier League table.

He said: "It is a tough place to go. It is a team that had a lot of money
invested in it and they will be looking to build on that. Playing up there
is difficult but we are capable of holding our own by no stretch of the
imagination."

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Carr upbeat for Fulham
WHUFC.com
Tony Carr thinks the two recent defeats for his Under-18s side will have
helped his player's development
20.11.2008

West Ham United Under-18s go into this weekend's match against Fulham
looking to build on a strong second half performance against Charlton
Athletic that brought positives despite defeat.

Tony Carr's side narrowly lost 2-1 to the team from south London on Saturday
and, while it was the second league loss in a row, the academy director
believes the defeat will have given his young squad vital experience for the
future.

Carr said: "It's been two on the bounce, something new to the boys, but it
is something that they are experiencing and will do so again in the future,
like any team. At the moment, our league form is a bit patchy and
inconsistent, but we have to keep learning."

West Ham United's youngsters found themselves 2-0 down after two goals in
two minutes just before the half hour mark had put the hosts in control. The
visitors fought back after the break, though, and their continued pressure
paid off when an own goal from Callum Christie brought them back into the
game. Although it was not enough for his side to bring anything away from
the match, Carr was pleased at the better performance after the break.

"I can't fault the player's efforts, sometimes the ball doesn't roll for
you, you create good chances, but just can't score from them," he said. "We
have been missing opportunities and making a few mistakes defensively and
getting punished at the moment. So all in all, we are learning to pick
ourselves up off the floor after a defeat."

With an exciting FA Youth Cup tie against Nottingham Forest coming up on
December 2, as well as two more games before the Christmas break, against
Norwich and Chelsea, Carr says there is still a lot to be upbeat about.

"You can take positives from defeats because I always say to enjoy victory,
you have to learn how to lose. Then, when you do get that elusive victory,
it becomes even sweeter."

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Sunderland v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Stadium of Light Date: Sunday, 23 November Kick-off: 1600 GMT
Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live; Updates on BBC Sport website
& highlights on Match of the Day

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BIG-MATCH FACTS
A lower mid-table clash between two sides who are both struggling to string
together a winning sequence.

Roy Keane's Sunderland followed a four-match losing run in league and cup
with last Saturday's 1-2 win at Blackburn. But they have not managed
back-to-back league victories this season. West Ham were one of their
victims when it was last achieved eight months ago.

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola has overseen a seven-match winless streak in
which just two points were garnered. If a victory could be secured at the
Stadium of Light, it would take the Hammers' post war points total to
exactly 3,000.

This match pits a side at their most dangerous in the last 15 minutes (when
four of Sunderland's 12 goals have been scored) with one at their most
vulnerable in the closing quarter-hour (eight of the Hammers' 22 goals have
been shipped then).

West Ham last took away maximum points from the Stadium of Light on 19
October 2002, when Trevor Sinclair scored in a 0-1 win.

Distance between the clubs: 276 miles (444 kilometres)

CLUB FORM
SUNDERLAND

Club stats

Going into the weekend: 11th 15 points

Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League
fixtures)

1. Completed 18 Premier League matches since registering successive
victories, Managed three on the spin between 22 March and 5 April 2008,
against Aston Villa (a), West Ham (h), and Fulham (a).

2. The current tally of 15 points after 13 matches is their best Premier
League return to this stage for seven years.

3. This is their fifth Premier League fixture against London opposition this
season; so far only Tottenham have been beaten, 1-2 at White Hart Lane on 23
August.

Fixtures

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WEST HAM UNITED

Club stats

Going into the weekend: 14th 14 points

Best & Worst categories in 2008-09 Premier League
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premier League
fixtures)

1. Gained points from a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough and goalless home clash
with Portsmouth in their last seven outings, since defeating Fulham 1-2 at
Craven Cottage on 27 September.

2. Their only away points this season have come from the Cottage and the
Riverside (1 November).

3. On the joint longest current sequence without a win in the Premier
League. Blackburn have also gone seven without victory.

4. On the longest current streak of seven Premier League matches without
scoring more than a single goal in a game; the 1-2 away win over Fulham
eight weeks ago being the most recent.

5. Not picked up a single point after conceding the opening goal.

6. Also lost three times to bottom-half clubs; Manchester City, West Brom
and Bolton.

7. This is Zola's 10th game in charge - already lost five in his watch.

8. Chasing a first maximum in the North-East since beating Middlesbrough 1-2
on 22 December 2007.

Fixtures

KEY PLAYER NOTES
SUNDERLAND

Squad profiles

Steed MALBRANQUE and Kieran RICHARDSON are the only remaining players to
have started every one of Sunderland's Premier League matches this season.

Djibril CISSE is the only Sunderland player to have scored any first-half
Premier League goals for his club this season (three).

If selected:-

Anton FERDINAND will be making his 100th career Premier League appearance
(West Ham and Sunderland).

Nick COLGAN will be keeping goal in his 250th English and Scottish league
game (Chelsea, Brentford, Reading, Hibernian, Stockport, Barnsley, Dundee
United and Wigan).

FERDINAND will be facing a former club. The 23 year old defender made 163
appearances (138 in the league) and scored five league goals for West Ham
from the start of his professional career until his close season move to the
Stadium of Light.

George McCARTNEY will also be facing former colleagues. The 27 year old
Northern Ireland international defender made 71 appearances (61 in the
league) and scored one league goal in two years with the Hammers from August
2006.

If on the field from the outset:-

Kenwyne JONES will be making his 100th career league start (Southampton,
Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke and Sunderland).

Dean WHITEHEAD will be making his 250th career league start (Oxford United
and Sunderland).

Pascal CHIMBONDA will be making his 150th start for an English club (Wigan,
Tottenham and Sunderland).

WEST HAM UNITED

Squad profiles

Robert GREEN is the only remaining player to have been on the field for
every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.

Lee BOWYER is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Leeds,
Newcastle and West Ham).

If selected:-

BOWYER will be making his 50th appearance in West Ham colours.

If on the field from the outset:-

GREEN will be making his 300th career league start (Norwich and West Ham).

HEAD TO HEAD
Sunderland have only once failed to gain any points from home Premier League
fixtures with West Ham.

Last season's corresponding fixture was a dramatic affair. The Black Cats
had to rely on a 90th minute winner from midfielder Andy Reid against a side
reduced to 10-men by injury, to gain their first win in three home Premier
League games against West Ham.

Home and away
League (inc PL): Sunderland 26 wins, West Ham 23, Draws 17
Prem: Sunderland 4 wins, West Ham 6, Draws 4

at Sunderland only
League (inc PL): Sunderland 18 wins, West Ham 9, Draws 6
Prem: Sunderland 3 wins, West Ham 1, Draws 3

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Sunderland 2-1 West Ham United
29 March 2008 - Ref: Andre Marriner
Sunderland scorers: Jones 29, Reid 90
West Ham scorer: Ljungberg 18

REFEREE
Mike Dean (Wirral)

Premier League referees' table
Mike Dean's 2008-09 Premier League card count

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Zola happy to run the gauntlet
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th November 2008
By: Staff Writer

Gianfranco Zola had admitted that he is having to learn from his mistakes.
The Hammers boss has endured a tough start to his managerial reign, with his
Hammers side having gone seven games without a win and having slid
perilously close to the relegation zone. However he remains confident that
he can turn around the team's fortunes - starting at Sunderland this
weekend. "I know that this is a big risk. I am putting myself on the line,"
Zola admitted. "All the goodness I have done is on the line and I'm going
away from Chelsea to another Premier League club, but I like the challenge.
"The bigger the job the more responsibility and attention you get, so every
mistake is in the spotlight. "I'm not afraid of making mistakes. I became a
better player by missing penalties and crying after that, but it's all part
of the process of becoming better. "I know that there may be a risk but can
you imagine the reception I'm going to get here from the club? It's going to
be fantastic. That's what I am thinking about."

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Zola happy to make mistakes
Hammers boss looking to learn from blunders
Last updated: 20th November 2008
SSN

West Ham's inexperienced manager Gianfranco Zola believes the only way he
will learn about the job is by making mistakes. The Italian legend was the
surprise choice to replace Alan Curbishley at Upton Park in September and it
has been a rollercoaster ride ever since. After a bright start with the
former Chelsea striker at the helm, West Ham have now found themselves
creeping towards the wrong end of the table after going seven matches
without a win. Zola, who missed a crucial penalty in Euro 96, says he
learned more by making mistakes as a player than looking towards the
positives. The 42-year-old knows he has taken a risk by accepting the
Hammers job, but he believes if he does succeed then he will be fondly
remembered. "I know that this is a big risk. I am putting myself on the
line," Zola admitted.
"All the goodness I have done is on the line and I'm going away from Chelsea
to another Premier League club, but I like the challenge. "The bigger the
job the more responsibility and attention you get, so every mistake is in
the spotlight. "I'm not afraid of making mistakes. I became a better player
by missing penalties and crying after that, but it's all part of the process
of becoming better. "I know that there may be a risk but can you imagine the
reception I'm going to get here from the club? It's going to be fantastic.
That's what I am thinking about."

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Tosh praise for Bellamy
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th November 2008
By: Staff Writer

Wales boss John Toshack has praised West Ham striker Craig Bellamy for his
match-winning performance in Copenhagen last night. Toshack, who led his
team to a 1-0 win courtesy of a late Bellamy winner heaped praise on his
captain for an outstanding performance against the Danes - whilst revealing
that he had been asked to play a different role. "We had asked him to play a
bit deeper," said Toshack. "It's funny how you take a striker who hasn't
scored in a long time, drop him down and he pops up with a goal! "He hadn't
scored for us since he's come back [from injury] and he only had one for his
club, and then you're thinking if he will take his chances when he had them
in the first half. "He had easier chances than the one he scored and I
thought the keeper was going to throw his hats and gloves on it, so long did
it take to go in! "But to see it go in will be a weight off his shoulders. I
know he's delighted with it and I'm pleased for him. Apart from the goal he
gave a real captain's performance; a really mature performance in an area of
the field he's not accustomed to."
Bellamy himself was delighted with the goal, adding: "They put us under
pressure in the second half and we rode our luck, but if you look at the 90
minutes we deserved the win."

* You can watch highlights of Wales' 1-0 win here.

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Upson on Germany
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th November 2008
By: Staff Writer

England hero Matthew Upson has revealed that he has been working on scoring
more frequently. Upson - who opened his account at international level by
scoring the first of England's goals in their 2-1 win in Berlin last night
courtesy of a close-range toe-poke - admitted that he had been hoping to be
more of a threat in opposition zones. "It was very important for me to get
off the mark with a goal," he said. "It wasn't the best of strikes but I
need more goals and I have been analysing runs in the box. "It's something
that I have focused on to improve my game. It's important to be a threat in
the opposition box and I think I'm getting better at that. "Playing for
England is very important to me and it's something I've worked very hard to
achieve. I want to keep improving and show I deserve to be here and I'm
capable of playing."
Upson, who was named Man of the Match after an assured display against a
side unbeaten in a year before last night - has only scored once for his
club side since moving from Birmingham in January 2007, that being the
winner against Manchester United at the Boleyn a year ago next month. Whilst
taking plaudits for the goal, it was his all round performance for which he
has received most praise since - and it's something he hopes will help him
towards his ultimate aim - to be part of the England squad at the 2010 World
Cup finals in South Africa. "I was hoping to cement a place in the squad and
to confirm that I'm up to the challenge of playing for England," he said. "I
feel I'm on the way to achieving that. "South Africa is a big goal of mine,
it's something I'm focusing on. Who knows? You've just got to take every
game as it comes and keep improving. "I've enjoyed tonight, I feel we were
very solid as a team. It was nice to get a goal, my first goal; that's
something positive so I'm very happy overall. "People will look at us now
and see we're a difficult team to beat. We have a lot of discipline in our
shape and the way we go about things. We don't need to get too carried away
but we're on the right track. "He [Capello] has got a great problem with
such a big squad. A lot of players proved tonight how well they can do when
they have to step up, so the actual depth of the squad is looking strong."

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Sunderland v West Ham preview
Watch the Wearside clash live on Sky Sports 1 & HD1
Last updated: 21st November 2008

PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com prediction: Sunderland 2 West Ham 2
Sky Bet odds: Sunderland 11/10 Draw 12/5 West Ham 5/2
One to Watch: Kenwyne Jones

Gianfranco Zola's West Ham United head to the North East to take on
Sunderland looking to end a worrying run of form, live on Sky Sports 1 &
HD1. The Hammers are without a win in seven Premier League outings and have
steadily slipped down the table into 14th, a point above the relegation
zone. They did, however, keep their first clean sheet in 25 matches after
drawing 0-0 with Portsmouth last weekend. But a trip to the Stadium of Light
spells danger as they have not won outside London since December last year.
Sunderland, meanwhile, have been hardly watertight at the back, having
managed a single shut-out in their previous 12 home matches. However, Roy
Keane's charges brought an end to three straight losses with success at
Blackburn Rovers and will be looking to build on what was a fine result.
Carlos Edwards could be a surprise inclusion in the Sunderland squad after
the right-winger was recalled from a loan spell at Wolves this week. Black
Cats defender Anton Ferdinand is set to come up against his former club
after he left West Ham in the summer.

Further team news to follow...

Possible starting XIs
Sunderland: Fulop, Bardsley, Ferdinand, Nosworthy, Collins, Richardson,
Whitehead, Reid, Malbranque, Jones, Cisse.

West Ham: Green, Behrami, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert, Parker, Mullins,
Bowyer, Bellamy, Cole.

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Bellamy relieved to end drought
SSN
Welsh skipper reflects on 'scruffy' strike against Danes
By Chris Burton Last updated: 20th November 2008

Craig Bellamy admits his goal against Denmark on Wednesday came as a welcome
relief. The Wales striker had not scored for his country since 2007 heading
into the Copenhagen contest, and had only found the target once this season
for West Ham. He squandered two golden chances early on in the midweek
friendly encounter, but bounced back to seal a 1-0 win with a low drive 13
minutes from time. He said: "The goal was a weight off my shoulders. "Since
I have been back from my last injury I have been creating chances,
particularly in club matches, but have not had that final little bit of
form. "I needed that goal, even if it was a rather scruffy contact. I have
had a lot of efforts on goal in the last few club games, chances have not
been a problem but putting them away has been. "So to get myself a goal at
this level is a big bonus after all the injury problems I have had. "It is
important that I play well, there is no point giving out advice and putting
an arm around youngsters when you are not doing it on the pitch yourself.
"My aim has been to work as hard as I can, conduct myself in a professional
manner and hope some of that rubs off on the younger players."
Bellamy was once again named captain of his country by national coach John
Toshack, providing an experienced head in a group of talented teenagers.
While that young squad may currently lack the maturity to challenge the
world's best sides, Bellamy believes the astounding progress made by the
likes of Aaron Ramsey and Chris Gunter bodes well for the future. "We have
run top quality teams like Russia and Germany very close in qualifiers, this
was a friendly but it is still an important win," he added. "The lads had a
great attitude. They ran and chased and worked hard for each other. The
performance had quality. "There are a lot of young boys who are starting to
play for their country and trying to make their mark, so this win has been a
real bonus. "We have been trying for this sort of result for a long time.
Our efforts have never been lacklustre, never been lacking in effort, but
for a small nation it is hard. "But many Wales teams better than us over the
years have been searching for top-level victories. "This has been a big
problem, so we all have our fingers crossed and hope we can take it
further."

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ZOLA`S STYLE WILL SEE US RIGHT - GREEN
Football365
Posted 20/11/08 19:44EmailPrintSave

West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green is backing manager Gianfranco Zola's
methods to pull his team out of a tailspin towards the relegation fight,
starting with Sunday's visit to Sunderland. Zola has put a new
quick-passing, attacking style into operation since taking over from Alan
Curbishley in September, since when the Hammers have dropped from fifth in
the table to 14th with just two points from their last seven games. But
Green's optimism comes after a first clean sheet in 27 games against
Portsmouth last Saturday and he insisted: "You've got to be confident that
we will avoid a relegation battle now we've got something to build on. "If
anybody thought it was going to work overnight then they were mistaken. It
was always going to be difficult but the one-touch stuff and the confidence
the players have to move the ball around is getting better and better. "My
right leg is appreciating this style of play a bit more. I don't have to
kick the ball so long every game, or so many times.
"It is something we are working on and I'm sure the manager, his beliefs and
his background are things we'd like to learn from."

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Bardsley: West Ham next as we start our run
Sunderland Echo
Date: 21 November 2008

Phil Bardsley hopes to capitalise on Sunderland's feel-good factor when West
Ham visit Wearside on Sunday. Last week's come-from-behind win at Blackburn
ended a four-match losing run, lifting the Black Cats eight places to 11th
in the extremely tight Premier League table. And right-back Bardsley, hoping
to keep rival Pascal Chimbonda on the sidelines, admitted: "This is a
crucial stage of the season because of the number of games. "I've heard
managers say you can normally tell how the league is going to pan out by the
time you get to Christmas. "We want to put a bit of a run together now and
establish ourselves in the top half of the table. "Of course it's felt a
little better around the place after the Blackburn game. We needed that win
and I think the boys, especially in the second half, worked extremely hard.
"It's a balancing act as a footballer. It can be difficult not to get caught
up in the pressure that's on the team when you lose four games in a row, but
you have to try because things can change very quickly. "If you win a couple
of games, you can't get too carried away, if you lose a few, it's the same.
"A couple of results can transform things, especially when you are in a
league that's as tight as this one. "If we put two wins together against
West Ham, we'll be in a strong position again, but last week we were in the
bottom three and under pressure."

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Cats ace out to give West Ham's Bellamy hell
Sunderland Echo
Targeting team-mate ... Danny Collins.
Published Date: 21 November 2008

DANNY Collins is determined to defy old Wales team-mate Craig Bellamy when
Sunderland entertain West Ham on Sunday. And he says he will be best
equipped to deal with the fiery Hammer. Collins has impressed at left-back
since taking over from the injured George McCartney – but he comes under
pressure with the Northern Ireland international fighting back to fitness.
Collins, though, is fired up to keep his place in the side after helping
Sunderland snap a four-match losing streak with a fine victory at Blackburn
last weekend. And he pinpointed former Newcastle and Liverpool striker
Bellamy as the biggest problem for the Black Cats in the televised Stadium
of Light clash. "Craig is probably the loudest man in football," said
Collins of the lively Welsh striker. "He's always moaning and it can be a
bit off-putting.
"Out on the training ground, he works as hard as anyone, and that transfers
into his performance and attitude on a matchday as well. "He's fully focused
on what he does and what he wants to achieve. "I have time for him as a
player. "He moans and whinges constantly, and I think some defenders find
that difficult to deal with, but it can be settling "That won't be the case
with me, because I'll be expecting it, but it can be a bit unsettling if
you're not used to it. "You just have to turn a deaf ear to him and let him
get on with it. "He moans more than any player I know, but I guess that's
just his way of showing he wants to win. He's a top player." Sunderland have
beaten only Middlesbrough and Newcastle at home this season, and Collins
wants an improvement on that stat. He added: "It's not as though we've been
playing poorly at home – I think we've been playing fairly well – it's just
the results haven't been coming. "It's just about turning that good play
into a couple of goals, because, if we do that, a couple of good results
will follow. "If he can manage that at the weekend, I don't see why we can't
do it for the rest of the season."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ferdinand fired-up for Hammers clash
Sunderland Echo
Published Date: 21 November 2008

SUNDERLAND defender Anton Ferdinand cannot wait for Sunday's Stadium of
Light game against his former club West Ham United. And the Upton Park youth
product, who supported the London club from the terraces as a boy, says he
will be doing everything in his power to send the Hammers back to the
capital with another defeat on their hands. Ferdinand is aware that his old
club is struggling – with just two points from their last seven Premier
League matches – and they have been on a worse run than Sunderland of late.
But, while he wishes all the best to the boys he left behind at the Boleyn
Ground, the Black Cats' centre-back says there will be no mixed loyalties
this Sunday (4pm kick-off). "I spent years and years at West Ham and the
club will always be special to me," he told the Echo. "I used to stand on
the terraces as a young lad and watch Rio playing for West Ham, so I go back
a long way with the club. "But you move on in life and I'm a Sunderland
player now and couldn't be more committed to the club. "I'm looking forward
to the game on Sunday and afterwards I wish the West Ham lads all the best,
but no-one should be in any doubt that I'm a Sunderland player now and all
I'll be caring about is Sunderland getting the three points." It was
something of a culture shock, Ferdinand swapping the bright lights of London
for life in the North East. But he has bought into the passion of
Sunderland. And his post-match reactions, following the victories over
Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light and Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park,
when he let his emotions pour out at the final whistle, emphasised his
empathy with Black Cats' supporters. He said: "I love it up here and I'm in
the process of getting myself a permanent place in the area. "I love the
backing you get from the fans – the way they were in the recent derby game
and the way they travel in such numbers for games. "They love their football
up here and I can totally relate to that. "Their football matters to them
and I think that's great. When you see them celebrating the way they do at
the final whistle after a win, it's great. "Hopefully we'll see that again
this weekend, because we know what a big three points for us it will be if
we can beat West Ham on Sunday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Gianfranco Zola... In the hotseat
Sudnerland Echo
Published Date: 21 November 2008

TRY imagining troubled West Ham United as a symbol of Britain and its
troubled economy and you can easily imagine Alan Curbishley as Gordon Brown
and his successor, Gianfranco Zola, as David Cameron. "This is no time for a
novice," mutters the established Curbishley/Brown figure, while
voters/supporters rush to welcome the younger, more fashionable man. We're
about to find out whether that "novice" claim is correct – in the case of
West Ham at least.
As a player, Zola remains one of the most admired and liked imports in the
history of the Premier League and his managerial career in the same league
at got off to a flying start as Hammers boss with two wins in a row. But
that has been followed by a run of two points in 21 – a run which is
unlikely to end soon with a raft of games against the top teams coming up in
the run-up to Christmas. It is a slump which will test the coaching
abilities of a man whose previous experience extends only to involvement
with Italy's Under-21 squad. Fans have remained solidly behind him. They
recognise he is working with someone else's team. They approve of the
slicker, passing football he has introduced – almost outlawing the long ball
in the process. To them, it feels like the West Ham way of playing the game.
But how long their understanding lasts, is likely to be entirely dependent
on how long this slump continues.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham ... the story so far
Sunderland Echo
Published Date: 21 November 2008

West Ham United are facing a sea of troubles right now – both on and off the
pitch. The Hammers' Icelandic owners are caught up in the international
credit crunch which has their home country firmly in its pincers. Meanwhile,
plans to relocate to a new stadium – either the 2012 Olympic Stadium or a
purpose-built one – have been shelved. And there are fears of a January
firesale, with many of Alan Curbishley's players following their manager's
early-season example in quitting the Boleyn Ground because they are fed up
with the direction of the club. On the pitch it has been no better, with
West Ham currently in one of the poorest runs of form in the Premiership and
a slide which has taken the club from just outside the top four to just
outside the bottom four in a few short months. The loss of key players, like
Dean Ashton to injury and Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney (both
transferred to Sunderland), have hardly helped the club. And although the
Hammers are playing some pretty football under new boss Gianfranco Zola,
there are plenty who are questioning whether it will prove effective in
getting the club the results they need to stay up this season.
Ashton's absence in particular – in all likelihood for the rest of the
season – is a huge blow. An influx of foreign signings has undoubtedly
helped freshen up the squad and added technique and skill, but more may be
needed and the Hammers hierarchy are expected to offer little in the way of
a transfer budget when the window reopens in January. By then, West Ham
could undoubtedly be in the bottom three, for they face a formidable run of
fixtures which includes not only a London derby against 'Appy 'Arry's Spurs
but matches against Liverpool, Chelsea and Villa before Christmas. All of
which will make this weekend's game against Sunderland, pretty much a
must-win in the eyes of everyone connected with West Ham.

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We won't be selling our best players, West Ham manager Zola warns off
vultures as Hammers linked again with Appiah
By Ken Dyer Last updated at 10:58 AM on 21st November 2008
Daily Mail

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola today said that he will not be forced into
selling his best players in the January transfer window, despite owner and
chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's financial problems. Gudmundsson is
rumoured to have lost more than £200million as a result of the credit crunch
following the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanki but Zola said that: 'We
are absolutely not looking to sell our best players. I have been told that
is the situation.'
Despite their problems, though, West Ham are still being linked with
Ghanaian star Stephen Appiah, who is a free agent after leaving Turkish club
Fenerbahce. Appiah, 27, is currently training at Brescia, West Ham's
technical director Gianluca Nani's previous club in Italy. Zola, meanwhile,
is hoping to build on last weekend's goalless draw with Portsmouth against
Sunderland on Sunday. 'The clean sheet last weekend against Portsmouth was
very important to morale,' he said.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammer Green to draw on experience
10:45pm Thursday 20th November 2008
Echo
By Rob Pritchard »

OF all the players in West Ham United's squad, Robert Green knows more than
any of them about the perils of a Premier League relegation battle. In
2005/06, Green was a member of the Norwich City side that slid into the
Championship following a 6-0 last-day humbling at Fulham - a game the
goalkeeper labels the worst of his career. Exactly a season later, the
28-year-old's luck turned as Carlos Tevez's strike at Old Trafford ensured
the Hammers' safety thanks to a 1-0 win over Manchester United. This term,
the bookmakers believe the Irons could be dragged into another dogfight, but
the experienced Green believes his side have enough quality to beat the drop
again. And, following last weekend's goalless home draw with Portsmouth, the
England stopper insisted the East Enders will go to Sunderland on Sunday in
confident mood. "You've got to be confident that we will avoid a relegation
battle now we've got something to build on," said Green, who also had words
of praise for manager Gianfranco Zola's style of patient, passing football.
"If anybody thought it was going to work overnight then they were mistaken.
It was always going to be difficult but the one-touch stuff and the
confidence the players have to move the ball around is getting better and
better. "My right leg is appreciating this style of play a bit more. I don't
have to kick the ball so long every game, or so many times. "It is something
we are working on and I'm sure the manager, his beliefs and his background
are things we'd like to learn from."
And Green believes the Italian's methods will stand the Hammers in good
stead at the Stadium of Light. "We are looking at building on a couple of
positive things and playing away from home where the emphasis isn't on us to
go on the attack so much will help us," he added. "We can use our pace and
play on the break and that may suit us a little bit more." West Ham, who go
to Wearside on a run of seven league games without a win, will have Diego
Tristan and James Tomkins available for the first time this season after
both recovered from injuries. Winger Luis Boa Morte will also be back in
contention after being rested for last weekend's draw with Pompey.

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Carlton Cole ready to sign new West Ham deal By Football Spy 21/11/2008
The Mirror

Carlton Cole is poised to sign a new four-year contract at West Ham. The
Upton Park club are very close to tying up the long-term future of the
highly-rated striker after a string of good early-season displays which
attracted the attention of England boss Fabio Capello. Cole, who joined the
East Enders in July 2006, has scored four goals in eight games this season
despite being hit with a three-game ban after being sent off against Arsenal
on October 26. The forthcoming new deal is a big show of faith in the
striker following his fine for drink-driving back in September. Cole was
stopped and arrested by police while driving in Central London. After being
forgiven and backed by his boss Gianfranco Zola, Cole went on to repay the
faith shown in him by the Italian by scoring in his very next game against
Fulham.
Zola still remains convinced that 25-year-old Cole has the ability to play
for England if his performances on the pitch continue to improve.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola insists no players are leaving
Ken Dyer
This Is London

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola today said that he will not be forced into
selling his best players in the January transfer window, despite owner and
chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's financial problems. Gudmundsson is
rumoured to have lost more than £200million as a result of the credit crunch
following the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanki but Zola said that: "We
are absolutely not looking to sell our best players. I have been told that
is the situation." Despite their problems, though, West Ham are still being
linked with Ghanaian star Stephen Appiah, who is a free agent after leaving
Turkish club Fenerbahce. Appiah, 27, is currently training at Brescia, West
Ham's technical director Gianluca Nani's previous club in Italy. Zola,
meanwhile, is hoping to build on last weekend's goalless draw with
Portsmouth against Sunderland on Sunday. "The clean sheet last weekend
against Portsmouth was very important to morale," he said

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bellamy impressed by West Ham pal Collison
21.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

Craig Bellamy has backed West Ham teammate Jack Collison for a big career.
The striker said: "He is a talented lad. It's difficult for a kid to be in a
struggling team.
"I was in one when I was that age and I got the blame for going down! "But
when you come in from the youth system you can play with no fear."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Birmingham seek new deal for West Ham's Quashie
21.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish admits he wants to sign West Ham
midfielder Nigel Quashie to another loan deal. McLeish told the club's
official website: "We're looking at another month again. Nigel made a good
contribution last weekend apart from his sending off, which was a wee bit
unlucky."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Upson determined to be England regular
21.11.08 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham defender Matthew Upson hopes he's done enough to stay in England
boss Fabio Capello's plans after his scoring performance in Germany on
Wednesday evening. Upson said: "I was hoping to cement a place in the squad
and to confirm I'm up to the challenge of playing for England. I feel I'm on
the way to achieving that. "Establishing myself is something that is very
important to me. It is something I have been working hard to achieve and I
want to keep going and I want to show people I deserve to be here and am
capable of playing. "It is important for me not to be regarded as fill-in
for John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. It is something I want. That is my goal. I
just want to keep improving and keep getting the opportunities to play and
prove myself to people."
Upson knows he will have to stay on top of his form to do so. "It is a
massive challenge - and it probably wouldn't be as much fun if it wasn't
such a big challenge - but I've got to just keep heading in the right
direction and working hard and see what happens," he believes. "I am
approaching it in a different mentality now. You have to approach it in a
way where you feel you deserve to be there - otherwise you won't play very
well. "As a younger player, when I was involved with England squads, I
wasn't as positive. I wasn't as mentally strong as I am now and probably
didn't go into games in the right frame of mind. "That showed in my
performances. I am a few years older now, have made a few more mistakes, and
understand things a bit more - and I feel comfortable and really happy to be
here as part of things."
He accepts it is not just the established stars but emerging players too who
will be targeting a place in the squad for South Africa. "Being part of
things for the World Cup in South Africa is a big goal of mine," he
confirms. "It is something I am focusing on - but who knows? "There is a lot
of good young talent coming through - and, if there are injuries or
suspensions, we still have that depth to field a very strong team."

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