WHUFC.com
A superb start to the new season for club and country has left Robert Green optimistic for the road ahead
21.08.2009
Robert Green will look to make it two clean sheets out of two against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon - his 90th consecutive top-flight appearance for the club. The England No1 had a fine start to the season, after helping his country to a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands ten days ago and then playing a key role as West Ham United won 2-0 at Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday. "It's been a fantastic few months for myself and I am really enjoying it," he said. "You know, you work hard and hope to get those rewards, with West Ham and now, England, it has been the icing on the cake."
When asked about his chances of appearing at the FIFA World Cup, Green was in cautious mood despite his outstanding form. "We'll have to wait and see, I just want to keep going and keep playing and help to take West Ham as far as we can."
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy singled Green out for special praise last weekend and he will need to be at his best to deny a free-scoring Spurs side led by Jermain Defoe. The 29-year-old said there was plenty of confidence gained from the victory at Molineux. "It was good performance and a good win. From the chances we had in the first half, we could have been a few more up, but on the whole we felt fairly comfortable in the match. We are creating chances, we certainly showed we can score from them and all in all, it was a good win for us. "All the boys who were here last season and are still here, know what we can do as we proved last season. It's a case of hopefully adding to that if we can but the manager has great faith that what he has got and is good enough, so it is about getting points on the board early and seeing where that takes us. "We want to improve on last season, build on from there. We have made a good start and want to go on from there. We've given ourselves a little platform."
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Tottenham Hotspur preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for Sunday's visit of the early Premier League pace-setters
21.08.2009
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Premier League
Boleyn Ground
Sunday 23 August
1.30pm
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
WHUTV - LIVE COMMENTARY I whufc.com - Live text updates
Introduction
• West Ham United kick-off the 2009/10 Barclay Premier League home campaign with a visit of Tottenham Hotspur after an opening-day 2-0 win at newly-promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers last Saturday.
• Unlike their visitors, West Ham were not in action in midweek because their proposed opponents Aston Villa were in European action.
• Supporters should note that Upton Park station is open as normal after Transport for London delayed proposed engineering work that would have led to the closure of the station.
• Gianfranco Zola's side are in good form but so are Tottenham, after their 2-1 and 5-1 wins against Liverpool and away to Hull City last Sunday and Wednesday respectively. West Ham are next in league action on Saturday 29 August at Blackburn Rovers when Tottenham welcome newcomers Birmingham City.
• The clubs met as recently as 29 July at the Barclays Asia Trophy in Beijing. Tottenham won 1-0 thanks to a Jermain Defoe strike in the 75th minute.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Upson, Collins, Ilunga, Boa Morte (Noble 14), Dyer (Parker 46), Collison (Spector 81), Jimenez (Hines 81), Stanislas (Savio 66), Cole
Subs: Stech, Kurucz, Spence, N'Gala, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Payne
Tottenham Hotspur: Cudicini, Hutton, Huddlestone, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Naughton (Lennon 70), Palacios (Livermore 82), Modric, O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko (Keane 46), Defoe
Subs: Gomes, Chimbonda, Dervite, Jenas, Bostock, Rose
• Gianfranco Zola is calling on his team to avoid complacency. He said: "We have to say 'OK, it was good to win at Wolves' but we must move on and think only about Tottenham. Now is already another chapter in the season and Harry Redknapp will make sure his team are a difficult side to play against. They have won their first two games and last season Tottenham caused us a lot of problems."
• Harry Redknapp has a welcome headache of four strikers to choose from. He said: "We've got four top strikers. It's difficult when you have top players like Peter and Roman Pavlyuchenko. They are not used to not playing and I understand that. They will play. It is a long season and at times we may change and play three forwards. They give me options."
• This is the 115nd league meeting between the two sides. Tottenham have won 46, West Ham have won 39 and there have been 29 draws.
West Ham United
• West Ham were in pretty good form in pre-season after just two defeats in seven matches. Unbeaten in their first four warm-up games, the Hammers then lost that game to Tottenham in the semi-final of the Barclays Asia Trophy before beating Beijing Guoan in the third/fourth play-off. Their final warm-up match last Saturday saw SCC Napoli leave the Boleyn Ground with the Bobby Moore Cup after a 1-0 win.
• Following Sunday's match, West Ham have a mouth-watering home game against local rivals Millwall in the Carling Cup. Two away trips in the league follow with Blackburn Rovers on 29 August and Wigan Athletic on 12 September.
• West Ham started last season strongly, winning four of their first six games in the league including an opening-day 2-1 win against Wigan Athletic, with Dean Ashton getting both of the goals.
• West Ham have not won their first two top-flight fixtures in a season since the 1997/98 campaign when they beat Barnsley and then Tottenham.
• The Hammers finished last season in ninth in the Barclays Premier League with 51 points, a place and two points higher than they managed in the previous season. They were level on points with eight-placed Tottenham.
• Carlton Cole was West Ham's leading scorer last season with ten Premier League goals, one in the FA Cup and one in the League Cup.
• Robert Green topped the appearance charts for the last campaign, playing every minute of every Premier League game. After his impressive display at Wolves, he has played 89 consecutive top-flight matches.
• James Collins is celebrating his 26th birthday on Sunday.
Last time out
Barclays Premier League, Saturday 15 August
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Upson, Collins, Ilunga (Spector 65), Parker, Noble, Collison, Dyer (Stanislas 73), Jimenez, Cole (Nouble 90)
Subs unused: Kurucz, Gabbidon, Spector, Payne, Hines
Goals: Noble 22, Upson 69
Tottenham Hotspur
• Tottenham go into the match at the top of the Barclays Premier League after an excellent start to the season.
• Spurs are traditionally slow starters but are enjoying their best opening to a campaign since 1965. Jerman Defoe has summed up the confidence in the camp with five goals in his last three outings for Spurs and England.
• Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp made 175 appearances for West Ham between August 1965 and April 1972, scoring eight goals. Redknapp served as assistant manager under Billy Bonds before taking charge in August 1994. He remained as manager until May 2001, overseeing 327 matches.
• Tottenham have only lost twice in the last 15 meetings with West Ham and did the double over the Hammers last season for the first time since 1994/95.
• After this match, Tottenham travel to take on Doncaster in the Carling Cup second round on Wednesday.
Last time out
Barclays Premier League, 19 August 2009
Hull City 1-5 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham: Gomes (Cudicini 16), Hutton, Corluka, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric (Bentley 85), Keane (Crouch 81), Defoe
Subs not used: Pavlyuchenko, Naughton, Chimbonda, O'Hara
Goals: Defoe 10, 45, 90, Palacios 14, Keane 78
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Mark Clattenburg. The 34-year-old was the man in the middle for the Championship play-off semi-final first leg in May 2004 when Ipswich Town won 1-0 against the visiting Hammers. He has been on the Premier League list since 2004.
Head to head
• West Ham United have not won in the last six competitive meetings between the clubs. The last time the Hammers tasted success was the 2-1 home defeat of Spurs on 7 May 2005 when goals from Carl Fletcher and Yossi Benayon sandwiched Jermain Defoe's goal. That victory stopped Tottenham earning a UEFA Champions League place.
• Tottenham have also won on two of their past three visits with last season's closely-fought contest ending in a 2-0 success for the visitors. Roman Pavyluchenko scoed the only goal in the 65th minute. The lineups were:
Tottenham Hotspur: Gomes, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Huddlestone, Jenas (Zokora 46), Modric, Bent (Pavlyuchenko 56), Keane
Subs not used: Cudicini, Bale, Bentley, Dawson, Chimbonda.
West Ham United: Green, Collins, Tomkins (Nsereko 81), Upson, Ilunga, Stanislas, Neill, Noble, Boa Morte (Dyer 71), Tristan (Sears 85), Di Michele
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Payne, N'Gala.
• West Ham defender Calum Davenport, who is on loan at Sunderland, made 20 appearances for Tottenham between August 2004 and January 2007, scoring one goal.
• Spurs striker Jermain Defoe came through the ranks at West Ham before scoring 29 goals in 93 league appearances between 1999 and 2004. He is in his second spell at White Hart Lane after returning in January 2009
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Ilie Dumitrescu, Dave Dunmore, Matty Etherington, Les Ferdinand, Jimmy Greaves, Fred Griffiths, Pat Holland, Chris Hughton, Bill Joyce, Bill Kaine, Frederic Kanoute, Kenny McKay, Fred Massey, Fred Milnes, John Moncur, Jimmy Neighbour, Tony Parks, Martin Peters, Sergei Rebrov, Mark Robson, Peter Shearing, Teddy Sheringham, Mauricio Taricco, Mitchell Thomas and Bobby Zamora.
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
11 April 2009 - Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Ham United
8 December 2008 - West Ham United 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur
9 March 2008 - Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 West Ham United
25 November 2007 - West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
4 March 2008 - West Ham United 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur
22 October 2006 - Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Tottenham Hotspur (all competitions) W 43 D 34 L 55
Team news
• Gianfranco Zola will be without Herita Ilunga because of a fractured jaw. The left-back was initially thought to have escaped relatively unhurt from a clash of heads at Wolves but subsequent examination by club doctors and further tests revealed the extent of his problem.
• Zola has several choices to replace him including Jonathan Spector who replaced Ilunga at Molineux. The 18-year-old Fabio Daprela, a Swiss Under-19 international, is also standing by while Danny Gabbidon could also get his first Premier League appearance for 18 months by moving over from his usual centre-back berth.
• Luis Jimenez is set to get his first taste of Premier League football at the Boleyn Ground since arriving on a season-long loan deal from Internazionale.
• Frank Nouble made his West Ham debut in the closing stages against Wolves. The striker then featured in a midweek behind closed doors game at Watford. Radoslav Kovac and Daprela, both yet to figure this season since their transfers, also played while the goals came from Josh Payne's penalty and a Zavon Hines strike.
• Long-term absentees Valon Behrami, Luis Boa Morte, Terry Dixon and Dean Ashton will miss out.
• Switzerland midfielder Behrami has been working hard at Chadwell Heath as he continues his recovery from the cruciate knee ligament injury he suffered against Manchester City on 1 March. Such is his progress that he could be back in full training next week.
• Dixon is also progressing well and has started full training with the reserves.
• Boa Morte is recovering after undergoing knee surgery in Portugal and is yet to begin his rehabilitation work. He is not expected to return much before the end of the season.
• Ashton continues to work on his fitness as he recovers from an ankle injury.
• Carlo Cudicini is expected to start as Spurs are set to be without Heurelho Gomes after the goalkeeper suffered a groin injury at Hull City in midweek. David Button has been recalled from his loan at Crewe.
• Ledley King is expected to return after sitting out in midweek. Gareth Bale (foot), Jonathan Woodgate (achilles) and Jermaine Jenas (calf) are all unlikely to figure.
Travel information
• For directions for the Boleyn Ground, click here
General information
• For ticket news, click here.
• Sunday's weather forecast is for a sunny day with the temperature expected to be around the 22C mark.
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'Tasty' game in store
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola is looking forward to the visit of Tottenham Hotspur to the Boleyn Ground
21.08.2009
Gianfranco Zola was in an upbeat mood ahead of Sunday's big London derby with Tottenham Hotspur.
An impressive 2-0 opening day win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, combined with several key players making returns from the treatment table have left spirits in the camp high. Zola further endorsed that mood by revealing he has a virtually fully-fit squad to choose from for the visit of Harry Redknapp's north Londoners after James Tomkins' recovery from a minor foot injury and Fabio Daprela and Radoslav Kovac available for selection.
Indeed, that opening day win could not have gone any better for Zola's side. With two goals scored and a clean sheet to boot, the West Ham United manager would also have been pleased to see Kieron Dyer and Scott Parker back in the starting lineup and Danny Gabbidon named in a Premier League 18 for the first time in 18 months.
"It was a very mature performance [against Wolves], " Zola said. I"t was a tricky game, it was the first game of the season in front of their crowd and they had just been promoted so we had to be very careful. But the maturity of the team and the organisation was excellent. What I enjoyed the most was that we scored two goals and we could have scored at least two more so that was encouraging. We said we need to work on scoring more goals in the last 20 metres and it was encouraging."
The only slight blotch on the copy book was the facial injury to Ilunga, which was later confirmed as a fractured cheekbone and will rule the DR Congo international out of Sunday's encounter. His absence could free up room in the back four for Jonathan Spector or Daprela, although it is thought the former would be the more likely to start.
"My back four did an excellent job the other day and I am not concerned about my back four, I'm sure they will be all right."
Despite his confidence in his defensive unit, Zola knows his side must remain focused for the full 90 minutes on Sunday, with the dangers posed by the current table-toppers Tottenham only too clear after seven goals in their first two games.
"The concern is that when you are playing against a team that has a lot of quality you know that you can work hard for a long time and then in a second they can produce some quality necessary to score a goal.
"It is a game where we will need to raise our attention and step up our game. They are a wonderful team and don't forget that Tottenham are as good as the top four and they will be competing with them until the end of the season. They have spent £60m enforcing the team and they have done a wonderful job."
Further good news for Zola is that Switzerland international Valon Behrami could be back in full training next week, while former Tottenham forward Terry Dixon has started training with the reserves this week.
After once again re-affirming the club's commitment to bringing in a new striker, Zola pointedly highlighted how his focus at present is only emerging victorious from Sunday's game.
"We know that we are looking for a couple of strikers. But that is it. I would rather focus on the game on Sunday as there has been too much talking about this.
"So for two days at least, I know I am going to go into this game with the team I've got so let me focus on this. Now it is important to focus on the game we have on Sunday."
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Zola backs Spurs credentials
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Sport.co.uk
Gianfranco Zola Gianfranco Zola is backing Tottenham to challenge the Barclays Premier League top four this season. West Ham host their big-spending London rivals at Upton Park on Sunday when both teams will attempt to build on opening-day victories. "I've been very impressed with Tottenham, they are a wonderful team," said the Hammers boss. "In my opinion they are as good as the top four and they will certainly be competing with them until the end of the season." He added: "But don't forget that they have spent £60million this summer. "I have to congratulate Harry Redknapp, he has done a wonderful, wonderful job. "I watched them against Liverpool live last weekend and I was impressed. It is a tough game for us. "They have improved their quality - when you spend money it's the quality of the players that you improve. "But the organisation of the team has been excellent and there seems to be a good spirit there."
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West Ham v Tottenham
Bbc.co.uk
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Premier League
West Ham v Tottenham 1330
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 23 August 2009 Kick-off: 1330 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on Match of the Day 2 and live on ESPN
TEAM NEWS
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is likely to name the same team that notched an impressive opening-day win at Wolves. The Hammers remain without long-term absentees Dean Ashton, Valon Behrami and Luis Boa Morte.
An MRI scan confirmed Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes suffered a groin injury against Hull so David Button has been recalled from Crewe Alexandra as cover. Boss Harry Redknapp is confident Ledley King will be fit enough to play after being rested for the match with Hull.
West Ham
Suspended: None Doubtful: None
Injured: Ashton (ankle), Behrami & Boa Morte (both knee)
Tottenham
Suspended: None Doubtful: None
Injured: Gomes (thigh), Woodgate (groin), Dawson (Achilles), Jenas (calf), Bale (foot)
MATCH PREVIEW
West Ham did not have a midweek match so they will be champing at the bit to build on their impressive away win at Wolves. And few matches get their fans motivated more than a clash against bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. But beware the Harry Redknapp revolution. Having made their worst-ever start to a season last year, Spurs' 5-1 thumping of Hull on Wednesday gave them their best start since 1965. And they look a side full of goals, with Upton Park hate figure Jermain Defoe bang in form, having scored five goals for club and country in his last three games. Their recent run of results against West Ham have been excellent, suffering only two defeats in their past 15 encounters. It is just a shame for Tottenham fans that one of those defeats denied them a Champions League spot in 2006. But how about this for an interesting omen for Gianfranco Zola's men: the Hammers have not won their opening two Barclays Premier League fixtures since 1997 - when they followed up a win at Barnsley with a home victory against Tottenham.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Tottenham are undefeated in their last three matches at Upton Park, since a 2-1 defeat to West Ham on the last day of the 2005/06 season.
• Tottenham have not conceded a goal in their last three Premier League encounters against West Ham.
• Honours are almost even in the Premier League matches at Upton Park between the two sides - with West Ham winning six times, Tottenham five times and three draws.
West Ham
• West Ham have only won the first two matches of a Premier League season once (1997/98).
• They have won 13 and lost 13 of their 35 PL games under Gianfranco Zola.
• If selected, James Collins will be playing on his 26th birthday and would be making his 150th club career appearance.
Tottenham
• Tottenham claimed the double over West Ham last season for the first time since 1994-95.
• Spurs have never won their first three matches of a Premier League season. Their previous best is two wins and draw which they achieved in 2002 and 2005.
• Harry Redknapp celebrates 300 days in charge of Tottenham on Sunday.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
West Ham
Noble: 1 goal (1 league); Upson: 1 goal (1 league)
Tottenham
Defoe: 3 goals (3 league); Keane, Bassong, Palacios, Assou-Ekotto: 1 goal (1 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Assistant referees: Mike Mullarkey & Martin Yerby
Fourth official: Lee Probert
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
West Ham (W2-0 v Wolves, a): Green, Faubert, Collins, Upson, Ilunga (Spector 65), Noble, Parker, Collison, Dyer (Stanislas 73), Cole (Nouble 90), Jimenez. Subs Not Used: Kurucz, Gabbidon, Payne, Hines.
Tottenham (W5-1 v Hull City a): Gomes (Cudicini 16), Hutton, Bassong, Corluka, Assou-Ekotto, Huddlestone, Lennon, Palacios, Modric (Bentley 85), Keane (Crouch 81), Defoe. Subs not used: Cudicini, Naughton, Chimbonda, O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Tottenham 1-0 West Ham (11 April, 2009)
Tottenham scorer: Pavlyuchenko 65
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West Ham United Vs Tottenham Hotspur - DARE YA!!!
Admiral Lard - Fri Aug 21 2009
West Ham Online
West Ham United Vs Tottenham Hotspur, one of West ham's most played fixtures against one our nearest rivals. The record between us stands slightly in Tottenham's favour but not as much as many Tottenham fans would have you believe. P186 W66 D47 L73 F261 A293 (Courtesy West Ham Stats)
Over the last ten years though the story has been quite different. Tottenham have become something of a bogey team, whilst we were doing the double over man Utd and Arsenal we went to some of the lesser teams and lost, as we have at White Hart Lane. The recent record stands P18 W3 D5 L10 F15 A25
Worse still the last four premiership outings with Tottenham yielded 3 defeats and a draw with 8 conceded to just 1 scored. Something has to Change! This is not, as many "Spuds" like to believe, our cup final, it's just another of the many derbies twixt London premiership clubs, and no one likes to lose a derby!
Tottenham's form going into the new season and their first two games has been mighty impressive, at least on paper. It should be remembered they played a wholly out of sorts Liverpool at the weekend and a very poor Hull City on Wednesday night. Credit to Tottenham, they took what was on offer and dealt with it well.
West Ham's pre season, by comparison appeared very poor indeed, including an embarrassing display in China against Sunday's opponents. In the Napoli game we saw some "Box to Box" improvement but no cutting edge, so it was a surprise to some including me that we played so well against Wolves, winning well with 2 good goals from Midfield and Centre Back.
Sunday will most certainly prove to be a far sterner test for Tottenham. West Ham have to shackle their forwards and keep MJ out of our six yard box where is at his most lethal. I expect Kovac to make our starting line up, though what ever happens with our prospective new striker it will likely come too late for Sunday.
Our formation is likely to be much the same as last weekend, though if Kovac does start it will be interesting to see who drops to the bench. GTHC has predicted a 1-1 draw, so clearly that's not going to happen. I have to be bullish here and in any case I think there is a glimmer of a possibility we could surprise the "Spuds" with a cheeky win
West Ham United 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
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Tottenham Hotspur preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th August 2009
By: Preview Percy
Next up we have an early London derby against Spurs. Of course it's all too easy to laugh at Spurs fans and their obsession with the size of their club. Which is why we'll carry on doing so.
Not nearly as successful as their nearest neighbours and bereft of the class and intelligence that you'd associate with, say, Dagenham & Redbridge, size is just about all they usually have to boast about. Which is why, no doubt, any of you unfortunate to have acquaintances who happen to support them will have had your ear bent about how after all of two games they are top of the league at the time of writing.
Their opening fixture saw them overcome a dreadful Liverpool side 2-1, though had the ref been in the mood to give the sort of penalty that the Scousers take for granted at home they might have got an undeserved point or even three out of the match. Spurs' second win came up at Hull. Whilst five goals away from home is never to be sniffed at, it would appear that Hull have carried on where they left off at the end of last season when they were barely able to muster a point after the turn of the year. The suspicion must be, therefore, that Spurs are unlikely to be the last team to come away from the banks of the Humber having filled their boots.
There's been some interesting activity in the transfer market. Darren Bent left for the Stadium of Light having discovered that there was no room for both a twitter and a twitcher at White Hart Lane. Some of the money received was spent on buying up anyone at Bramall Lane called Kyle. Naughton was deemed decent enough to go into the squad whilst Walker was able to stay put as he was immediately loaned back to the Hypocrites.
Also arriving in defence was Sebastien Bassong, whose signing was designed to combat injuries to Michael Dawson, Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King. Bassong's debut had a touch of controversy about it as he had only served one game of a two match ban picked up whilst playing for the Geordies. Even though he had signed for Spurs before Newcastle had played the second of those matches, he was deemed to have served the ban as soon as Newcastle had played the extra game, a match that was conveniently played before the start of the Premiership season. This appeared to defy all logic and common sense, though as we know to our cost there is little point in mentioning common sense in the same breath as the words "football authorities".
The other major signing was the arrival of Peter Crouch from the disintegrating hulk that appears to be Portsmouth at the moment. The move marks a return to the club where Crouch started out as a kid. It's fair to say that the lanky one has his limitations as a top-level striker. Someone that tall ought by rights to be a lot better in the air, though as someone once pointed out to me, that may be because being so much taller than everyone else all his life he has never had to learn to time a jump like shorter mortals. However it's hard not to warm to the geeky charm of someone who, when asked what he would have been if he hadn't become a professional footballer, reportedly gave the answer "a virgin".
Of those players still with the club from last season ' keeper Gomes is a major injury doubt as we speak, having limped off after only 15 minutes of the midweek win at the KC with a thigh muscle problem. Early indications suggest that the injury may leave the Brazilian custodian of the onion bag on the sidelines for quite some time and, whilst former Chelsea net-minder Cudicini is a capable replacement, any prolonged absence for Gomes would leave Spurs short of cover in that department – or "down to the bare bones" as their manager is prone to saying.
Of course they could always enlist defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto to take over the goalkeeping duties with him probably having handled the ball more times in last season's corresponding fixture than Gomes did. B A-E (as we will refer to him) was on the scoresheet alongside Bassong on the opening day and will start on the left with Alan Hutton likely to start on the right.
Key man in the visitors' midfield will be Luka Modric, whose continued presence in the Spurs line-up is said to be being monitored by some of the bigger clubs. The "Croatian Cruyff", as nobody probably calls him, has benefited from a change of emphasis to a more advanced role as his career has progressed in England, and accusations of his being lightweight which surfaced during that hilarious spell when they faced relegation last year seem a long time ago.
David Bentley has been much in the news of late. Premiership footballers, even those who have sunk to the depths of playing for Spurs, are paid an absolute fortune these days. So every time I hear of one being caught drink-driving (yes you Carlton) I question the intelligence that that leads a player to think "I'll save myself £20 on a cab fare and drive home – after all nobody will notice me in my Ferrari/Porsche/insert name of whichever warp-speed buggy is the vehicle of choice for professional footballers these days". I know we all do daft things after a few jars (every time I see my ex-wife I wish I'd sobered up earlier) but really!
Up front they have gone with Defoe & Keane as the starting pair thus far. This has left Pavlyucenko and Crouch on the bench, the former having to date been limited to a few moments of stoppage time against the Scousers on the opening day. Whilst Crouch won't be too put out at this state of affairs, it's hard to see the Russian being overjoyed with the situation if the twitchy one maintains this selection policy rather than rotating his front men.
As for us, well the performance up at Molineux has been described by many observers as "thoroughly professional". It's fair to say that, with the exception of the first ten minutes of the second half when Rob Green was at his busiest, we looked fairly comfortable. In some ways it's a bit of a shame that we were unable to carry that momentum into a midweek match against a shell-shocked Villa, although injuries to Cole and Ilunga will have benefited from the extra recovery time. I was particularly impressed with Noble last weekend – and not just for his (admittedly superb) goal. My worry when we play Spurs is that the young midfielder can often let his natural fan's desire to put one over on them to get the better of him, which can cause him the odd disciplinary issue. However, if he can curb any over-enthusiasm he can be a key man this weekend.
The striker situation isn't any better of course and the sight of CC limping off at the end of the Wolves match last week didn't exactly inspire confidence though we assume he will be available this week. Another who will be there is Ginger Pele who couldn't agree terms with Stoke this week. Collins had a decent game against Wolves and, although we seem blessed in the central defence department, I'm not at all upset to see him stay.
I think this one will be a cracker. Both sides will have confidence after the opening fixtures and I have an inkling that we are in for a treat which, on past experience, will probably mean a 0-0 draw of the very worst kind. I'll therefore plump for an entertaining 2-2 draw this time round which will bring both clubs' 100% records to an end!
Enjoy the game!
Last season: Lost 0-2 - an awful performance not helped by Assou-Ekotto's handball on the line to clear a goalbound header from Cole.
Danger Man: Defoe - you know why.
Look out for: The usual anoraks may be in the wardrobe if the weather is ok, but there will still be shellsuits and dandruff a-plenty in the away end.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg - we didn't get him last season. Few clubs did as he was suspended from duty amid concerns about his business finances.
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WEST HAM V TOTTENHAM
Redknapp returns to Upton Park
By Chris Murphy
ESPN.com
August 21, 2009
ESPN's Sunday lunchtime offering finds two London teams in good form as Harry Redknapp takes high-flying Tottenham back to his former club, West Ham.
Gianfranco Zola v Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp will take Tottenham into their first London derby of the campaign brimming with confidence and beaming with pride after his side's excellent start to the new season. After a lacklustre Liverpool team were vanquished at White Hart Lane, Hull were then dispatched with some aplomb thanks to Jermain Defoe's lethal hat-trick. All parts of Harry's team are firing, with new signing Sebastien Bassong forming a solid partnership with the old warhorse Ledley King. Aaron Lennon looks lively and dangerous while Wilson Palacios has added bite to his midfield - a must-have quality for any capital showdown. Up front, Robbie Keane is getting better with each game and Defoe is on a roll. The Hammers have yet to be tested and Harry will be confident of sniffing out three points on his old stomping ground.
Gianfranco Zola won't be too displeased himself after West Ham's opening day win at newly promoted Wolves. Two goals and a clean sheet is no small feat given the fanfare and fervour surrounding Wanderers' big day back in the top flight. If the first 45 minutes were comfortable, the second half was anything but as Rob Green pulled off a string of superb saves. Zola relies heavily on the defensive solidity provided by the reliable Matthew Upson, and Scott Parker who runs the protective screen in midfield. In the attacking third Zola pins his hopes squarely on Carlton Cole and his good early season form should provide a test for Bassong and King. Despite countless operations and setbacks Kieron Dyer still possesses the pace to trouble any defence, while Jack Collison and Mark Noble are also keen to press and probe. Zola will hope to squeeze the life out of Keane and Defoe and bank on Cole to create openings at the other end.
Scott Parker v Wilson Palacios
Palacios has added the necessary snap to a Tottenham midfield that is more geared towards attacking players like Luka Modric, Lennon and Tom Huddlestone. A tireless runner he can be equally as effective at both ends of the field, as his spoiler-style display against Liverpool and goal against Hull in midweek testify. A tough tackler with a big engine, Palacios will run all day long and embodies the British bulldog spirit - via Honduras - Harry Redknapp is keen to instil at Spurs. The 25-year-old's job, in a nutshell, is to get it and give it.
Scott Parker is a similar player and one Zola puts as much trust in as Redknapp does Palacios. After an injury-hit first season at Upton Park, Parker managed 28 Premier League games last season. He is the vital link man between defence and attack. Together with Mark Noble (usually) he provides the protection in front of the Hammers' back four. The Boleyn crowd loves a tackle and Parker will be expected to make plenty, in the hope of putting Spurs' flair players off their game. His main focus will be shadowing Keane, and providing support to his full-backs, who will be attempting to shackle Lennon and Modric.
Carlton Cole v Ledley King
Ledley King was rested for Wednesday's mauling of Hull City, in line with his one game a week policy. It's a measure of King's class that he can play so many games at such a high level without any training at all - save for a few lengths of his own private swimming pool. There's no question Spurs are a far more cohesive unit with King than without. The same, of course, can be said of Jonathan Woodgate. King and his new partner Sebastien Bassong will have their hands full with Carlton Cole who seems to have morphed into an all-action Premier League centre-forward in the space of a year. King is rarely beaten in the air and his positional sense has always been sound, but his lack of fitness may be an issue as the game - and his knee - wears on.
For all the trumpeting about Cole's excellent form of last season he only scored ten Premier League goals in 26 games. A good return, but not a great one. What is not in doubt is his importance to the side, especially in the continued absence of Dean Ashton. As he proved in his fleeting appearance for England against Holland recently, his strength can prove a handful for any defence. Cole's hold up play has improved immeasurably and he converts more chances than he ever did - given the service he will score goals. If he manages to steer clear of injuries this could finally be the breakthrough season Cole has been threatening for five years.
Matthew Upson v Jermain Defoe
Defoe will always be afforded a spicy reception at Upton Park, largely due to the transfer request he slapped in within 24 hours of West Ham's relegation to the second tier at the end of the 2002-03 season. The best way to silence a vitriolic crowd is with goals, and with the form he is in, the chances of Defoe doing just that are high. In the mood he exhibited against Hull, Defoe will cause problems for any defence. His three goals were clinical, precise and powerful, and he carved enough opportunities to bag himself a double hat-trick. Defoe is hugely reliant on his service from Keane, who drops into the hole, and Tottenham's wingers. He's no mug in the air, but clearly, is more potent with the ball at his feet. His pace will undoubtedly pose Upson and the in-demand James Collins (a target for Aston Villa and Stoke) problems.
Upson is another Hammers defender linked with a move away from east London, with Martin O'Neill and David Moyes recently having made enquiries about him. At 30 he may have missed his chance of one last move, but is still a regular in Fabio Capello's England squad. Upson always manages to appear quietly assured without ever breaking into the totally convincing category. His record so far this season reads played one, scored one, one clean sheet, though keeping Wolves at bay proved a tougher task than many had predicted. Comfortable in the air, Upson's main aerial threat will come from advancing Spurs centre-backs at set pieces, a favour he is sure to return at the other end. He is certain to be tested by Defoe's pace, and the problem created by Keane's roaming role.
STATZONE:
• Spurs did the double over West Ham last season winning 1-0 at White Hart Lane and 2-0 at Upton Park. West Ham's last double over Spurs was in the 1998/99 season.
• Ledley King in the Premier League 08/09: Played: 24, Won: 11, Clean Sheets: 8, Goals: 1.
• King's only goal last season came at Upton Park, when Spurs won 2-0.
• West Ham v Spurs in the Premier League: Played: 28, Won: 9, Lost: 13, Drawn: 6.
• Since the 1946/47 season there have only been three 0-0 draws between the sides in 101 league and cup games.
• Biggest wins at Upton Park: 1962/63: West Ham 1-6 Spurs. 1963/64: West Ham 4-0 Spurs.
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West Ham v Spurs: Jermain Defoe buoyant for Upton Park return
Jermain Defoe can expect the hairdryer treatment from 30,000 West Ham fans when he arrives at Upton Park on Sunday.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 6:30AM BST 21 Aug 2009
Having scored a hat-trick at Hull to take Tottenham to the top of the Premier League, Defoe is charged with keeping Tottenham ahead of more fancied clubs. Defoe spent nearly four years at West Ham, scoring 29 league goals before moving to Spurs. A spell at Portsmouth was followed by his unexpected return to White Hart Lane in January, but the West Ham faithful find it hard to accept that he left for one of the club's keenest rivals. Redknapp rules out James move "If you speak to any player who goes back to their old team, especially when they get stick, it makes you want to do well even more," Defoe said. "At the end of the day I loved my time at West Ham. I had a fantastic time there. It does make you play better when you get booed. But it's not a problem. You blank it out anyway and just get on with it. So I look forward to it."
Defoe scored twice after coming on for England in Amsterdam last week, and at Hull he claimed an outstanding hat-trick. He has now scored six goals in only eight league starts in his second Spurs spell and insists that playing so well early on will only help his season. "If you watch someone like Thierry Henry, when he had his great seasons in the Premier League, scoring 25 goals, he always got off to a good start. To get your goals early helps you as a forward. It sets you on your way, confidence wise. "There's no such thing as peaking too early. I don't want to be relaxed and say, well it's a long season. I am getting my chances and I am taking them."
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West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park on Sunday, Aug 23 2009, kick-off 1.30pm BST.
Telegrapah.co.uk
Published: 6:00AM BST 21 Aug 2009
Sunday, August 23
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
Upton Park
Kick-off: 1.30pm
TV: Live, Sky Sports 2.
Highlights, BBC2 MotD2.
Two big London rivals clash at Upton Park, with popular former manager Harry Redknapp returning with Spurs. Redknapp's side arrive unbeaten in six successive Barclays Premier League meetings, with Tottenham enjoying five wins and a draw in the previous three years. Last season, Spurs won 2-0 with goals from Ledley King and Jamie O'Hara at Upton Park. And in the return, at White Hart Lane, a Roman Pavlyuchenko second-half strike allowed Spurs to claim their first double over West Ham for the first time since the 1994-95 season. West Ham's last win over Spurs at Upton Park came in May 2006 when Yossi Benayoun netted the 80th minute winner.
West Ham (Probable, 4-4-2): Green; Faubert, Gabbidon, Upson, Ilunga; Noble, Parker, Collison, Dyer; Cole, Jimenez.
Tottenham (Probable, 4-4-2): Cudicini; Corluka, Bassong, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Modric; Keane, Defoe.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg.
Last season: West Ham 0, Tottenham 2; Tottenham 1, West Ham 0.
Stat of the game: Spurs are unbeaten in six games against West Ham, winning five.
Betting tip: No love lost so take 3-1 on a penalty awarded and scored.
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WEST HAM v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
MATCH PREVIEW
Sporting Preview 21 Aug 2009
Spurs go into the weekend top of the table following their impressive victories over Liverpool and Hull, with Jermain Defoe the star of the show in the latter game as he bagged a hat-trick in a 5-1 demolition at the KC Stadium. Harry Redknapp's side went for the jugular from the off in that match and another open game looks in prospect here between two sides who have been moving in the right direction for a while now. The Hammers' only match so far this season saw them run out 2-0 winners at Wolves but you have to go back to the 2005/6 season for their last victory over Tottenham which partly explains why they are the underdogs in this despite enjoying home advantage.
The bet we like most in this though is over 2.5 goals at evens with Sportingbet because having sorted Spurs' defence out, it's clear there's been a switch in emphasis to their attack from Redknapp (just look at Wilson Palacios' role this season compared to last) and that might not have been fully factored in by the bookies just yet. Another point to bear in mind for those going high on the goals is the injury suffered by Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes on Wednesday which is going to force a key change at the back which the visitors could have done without. Finally, we can't resist backing Defoe to continue where he left off in midweek by scoring anytime at a whopping 2/1 with Coral.
Redknapp himself said of the former West Ham striker after Wednesday's performance: "Defoe looked almost unplayable, his form is absolutely electric. He looks stronger than I have ever seen him and I have known him since he was 14."
Take the hint and the 2/1.
Verdict: West Ham 1 Tottenham 3
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Tottenham striker Defoe tells West Ham fans: Bring it on!
21.08.09 | tribalfootball.com
Tottenham ace Jermain Defoe is ready to run the gauntlet of West Ham United fans in this weekend's big derby. "Getting stick makes you want to do well even more," said Defoe, 26. "I loved my time at West Ham. I had a fantastic time there and I am looking forward to going back. "Hopefully we can win. It does make you play better when you get booed. It happened a lot to Ronaldo and other players and they use that. "I will just blank it out and get on with it. I feel really good at the moment. I am getting my chances and taking them."
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Alan Hansen's Premier League Preview: West Ham v Tottenham
Communityfootballpools.com
Top of the league Tottenham make the short trip across London to face West Ham this weekend brimming with confidence after back to back wins. Harry Redknapp's outfit have won plenty of plaudits after impressive displays against both Liverpool and Hull. I'm sure most Spurs fans will be confident that they'll maintain leadership of the Premier League as their record against West Ham is very good.
Tottenham have won five and drawn once in their last 6 meetings with the Hammers, a record that includes a league double last season. In fact, West Ham have failed to score against the North Londoners in the last three clashes. This could be a problem again this season as Gianfranco Zola's team have not been prolific at Upton Park. The Hammers ended last season with just 4 goals in their last 5 at home which will need to be rectified as Tottenham look like they are more than capable of getting goals in East London with Jermain Defoe especially in electric form for club and country.
Defoe's hat-trick against Hull was the first time in his career that he'd scored more than a single goal in an away Premier League game. This may be down to the striker's gym work throughout the summer as he does look far stronger in his hold up play which can only improve his game. The diminutive striker has scored in two of his three visits back to his former club in a Spurs shirt and I wouldn't be surprised if he did so again. In fact, there are plenty of goal threats throughout this Tottenham side that took until October 26th last season so register the 7 goals they've netted already in this campaign.
Zola has made West Ham a strong defensive outfit which is emphasised by the fact that throughout 2009 they've conceded the same amount of goals as notoriously strong defenders Chelsea. I have a feeling the Hammers will prove to be a tough team for Spurs to beat with a draw looking the best bet for me in this one.
The home crowd will be more than up for it and Harry's team won't have it all their own way in midfield with Mark Noble and company ready to mix it. Tottenham have never started a Premier League season with 3 wins on the bounce and I don't think Harry's team will do it this time, so my Premier 10 prediction is an action packed draw.
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WEST HAM v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR - SPURS FAVOURED TO MAKE IT THREE IN A ROW
Joe Dyer: Friday 21st August 2009
C'monSpurs.com
Whoa there Harry! As Spurs fans we are used to flashes of brilliance, but generally not twice in a row! So, can we make it three with what would be a sweet derby day victory over the Hammers? The Betfair odds say yes, and at 2.4 (7-5) we're only half a notch bigger than Wednesday night. The home side are 3.3 (9-4) with the draw marginally longer at 3.4 (12-5). Head-to-heads have been heavily in Spurs' favour in the last three seasons with the Lilywhites lording it over our claret and blue neighbours thanks to five wins in six. And in fact we are unbeaten since 2006, as the other game was a draw. That suggests the win price is a good one especially when you look at West Ham's average Upton Park record last year. As well as Spurs, the Big Four, Aston Villa and Everton were all victorious in E13. Fear of a hex prevents this Lilywhite to advise backing the win and my general preference is for the draw. Over-reaction is common following a big win and West Ham will surely be competitive on their own patch. Goals again must be likely, however, and a punt on over 2.5 goals at evens appeals.
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JERM'S OUT TO HAMMER THE HATERS
The Daily Star
JERMAIN DEFOE is on fire for Harry Redknapp and he is ready to scorch the West Ham boo-boys. Defoe has his heart set on a starting role against Slovenia in England's friendly next month, ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifier against Croatia that could clinch a place at the 2010 World Cup for Fabio Capello's side. His first hat-trick in five years against Hull on Tuesday night made it five goals in less than a week for the Spurs hitman after his England double against Holland. Defoe returns to his old club on Sunday at a career peak – and with his ear plugs at the ready for another assault from angry Hammers fans. He has watched Cristiano Ronaldo feed off the anger of opposition fans and destroy teams out of spite and aims to do the same at Upton Park. "Getting stick makes you want to do well even more," said Defoe, 26. "I loved my time at West Ham. I had a fantastic time there and I am looking forward to going back. "Hopefully we can win. It does make you play better when you get booed. It happened a lot to Ronaldo and other players and they use that. "I will just blank it out and get on with it. I feel really good at the moment. I am getting my chances and taking them."
Defoe (right) has been working closely with coach Les Ferdinand and he keeps in constant touch with Arsenal legend Ian Wright as he goes into one of the most important years of his career. And there is no concern that he has peaked too soon and will fade away when Capello is handing out squad numbers for South Africa. "If you watch someone like Thierry Henry, when he had his great seasons in the Premier League scoring 25 goals, he always got off to a good start. It helps you as a forward to get your goals early. It sets you on your way confidence-wise. "There's no such thing as peaking too early. At the end of the day you've got to perform. I hope I'm making it hard for Harry to drop me. The competition is good for the club. "You can see our depth from the fact that Roman Pavlyuchenko didn't come on against Hull."
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Lawro's predictions
By Mark Lawrenson
BBC Sport football expert
SUNDAY
West Ham v Tottenham (1330)
Some critics expected Wolves to turn West Ham over in the first game of the season, but Gianfranco Zola's side stood up to be counted and pulled off a very good win in impressive fashion. Tottenham, too, have got off to an absolute flier. They were very good against Liverpool and, even though Hull helped them, were good again on Wednesday night. Harry Redknapp returning to West Ham always makes for a good game I feel, and I expect both teams to carry on their good starts with a draw here.
Verdict: 1-1
Match preview
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