WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola has plenty of options to choose from with Scott Parker back
from suspension this weekend
21.10.2009
Scott Parker has been training fully with the first team again after serving
a one-match suspension for five cautions. Gianfranco Zola and his staff have
been working hard with Parker and the rest of the squad ahead of Sunday
afternoon's visit of Arsenal. The midfielder should be in contention to face
Arsenal this Sunday, and could potentially team up with Valon Behrami and
Jack Collison together for the first time in seven months. The trio are all
seemingly over their respective injury troubles and looking to start a game
together since 1 March, although there is plenty of competition for places.
The likes of Mark Noble, Radoslav Kovac and Luis Jimenez will also be eager
to impress this week.
Collison has paid tribute to the influence of Parker on his development in
the first team. "For me, Scotty Parker is a great professional and someone I
really enjoy learning from in training and in games," said the 21-year-old
Wales midfielder. "The way he approaches everything is great for a young
player like me. He is someone I really look up to and aspire to be like."
Noble, still only 23 himself, has also spoken of the positive impact Parker
has had on his all-round game - describing him as "one of the best
midfielders I have played with". He added: "I enjoy playing with him and I
think we are on the same wavelength. I take a lot from his game and you can
see the way he reads things is second to none. He is a tough player as well
and you can see how many tackles he makes."
Parker's last run-out was in the 2-2 draw with Fulham on Sunday 4 October,
meaning with the international break that he has sat out the last two
weekends.
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Cole sharing his knowledge
WHUFC.com
Frank Nouble has told WHUTV about the big influence Carlton Cole is having
on his career
21.10.2009
Frank Nouble's selfless shift for the reserves at Chelsea was reminiscent of
Carlton Cole's recent performances for the first team and it appears the
similarities are no coincidence. Nouble spoke to WHUTV after the 4-1
reverse, which he had concluded with a stunning left-footed strike in added
time. The 18-year-old explained that his development is being helped by
England international Cole, who is always on hand for some helpful advice.
"He's a massive influence," Nouble said. "It's easy to watch him in training
and to learn from him, like I did at Chelsea when I watched Didier Drogba
and Nicolas Anelka. "He tells me to use my power, height and speed, to use
the attributes I've got and all of the rest will come along with it. All you
can do is learn."
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Arsenal ticket latest
WHUFC.com
There are still a very limited number of tickets left for the home game with
Arsenal
15.10.2009
The ticket office would like to remind fans that time is running out if you
want to see the home game against Arsenal while tickets are also on sale for
the matches against Aston Villa and Everton.
There are just a handful of tickets left for the Gunners' visit to the
Boleyn Ground on Sunday 25 October for what will be the second consecutive
home London derby. Tickets for the game, which kicks-off at 4.15pm, start at
£51 for adults and £31.50 for juniors. Additional discounts are given to
over-65s, Young Adult and Junior members. Villa arrive on Wednesday 4
November and Everton travel to east London on Sunday 8 November.
Any remaining tickets for all three fixtures can be purchased either in
person from the West Stand ticket office, by calling 0871 222 2700 via
Option 1 or by clicking here. Please note calls to 0871 numbers costs 10p a
minute plus network extras.
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Dyer hails Nouble display
WHUFC.com
Frank Nouble put in an impressive performance on an otherwise disappointing
night for the reserves
20.10.2009
Alex Dyer still managed to find some positives in defeat after watching his
reserve side slide to a 4-1 defeat at Chelsea this week. After a relatively
even first half which Chelsea edged by the single goal, the home side upped
the tempo in the second, adding three more goals in a devastating 13-minute
spell. Frank Nouble had the game's final say, though, when he capped off a
tireless 90-minute performance with a superb goal two minutes into added
time. "Bondz N'Gala and Josh Payne both worked hard and I think Frank Nouble
gave the best performance since the season started," reserve-team manager
Dyer said. "His hold up play was good, he battled and he pressed the game
and he deserved his goal. Apart from that it was a disappointing performance
from the side."
With a two week break before the reserves return to Barclays Premier Reserve
League South action with a game at Fulham, Dyer will travel with his squad
to Poland for a friendly game against Arka Gdynia next week.
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Collison salutes Parker effect
Wed, 21 Oct 15:50:41 2009
Yahoo.co.uk
West Ham youngster Jack Collison has hailed the influence of midfielder
Scott Parker. Parker has been out of the Hammers side since early October
following a suspension, but he has served his ban and should be in
contention for Sunday`s daunting looking clash with in-form Arsenal. And
Parker's return will be a massive shot in the arm for West Ham boss
Gianfranco Zola as they look to pull away from the foot of the table, with
Collison only too aware of Parker's importance. "For me, Scotty Parker is a
great professional and someone I really enjoy learning from in training and
in games," 21-year-old Collison. "The way he approaches everything is great
for a young player like me. He is someone I really look up to and aspire to
be like."
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West Ham's Valon Behrami admits players are concerned by form
EastLondonAdvertiser.co.uk
21 October 2009
West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami has admitted he is concerned about the
Hammers terrible recent form. The East End club are one off the bottom of
the Premier League and have collected only five points this season. Hammers
were dealt a blow on Saturday after they were beaten 2-1 by Stoke at the
Britannia Stadium, stretching their winless league streak to seven games.
"We have to be worried. If you play eight games and have just five points,
you have to be worried," Behrami said. "But if the performance is good you
can see something positive. You have to be positive." His boss Gianfranco
Zola seems to be doing that as the Swiss international explained. "To be
honest, he came in after the game and said, 'What can I say? The performance
was good'," Behrami said. "We challenged for every ball, but made some
little mistakes and that's why they scored two goals. But if the spirit of
the team is like this and stays positive and we work hard, we should be
okay, because we have 30 games still to play and have 90 points available."
It was another game where West Ham could have taken something from the
encounter but failed to and that unfortunately is a sign of a side in
trouble, but the former Lazio man once more preferred to stay positive. "We
can talk about the Man City or Fulham performances, when we know they
weren't great performances, but today we can say nothing about the showing.
It is a very unlucky moment for us but we need to push more," he admitted.
"We're very disappointed with the result because compared to the Fulham game
we did very well. We had plenty of the ball. "It is a difficult moment for
us and we need some points. It's difficult when the team starts the season
like this, we know that, but we are working very hard to improve the
situation."
Things could not get much worse for the club at the moment and so a visit
from fourth-placed Arsenal is probably the last thing West Ham need. And
while Behrami admitted it will be hard this Sunday, he feels a London derby
could give the Hammers a great platform to turn their fortunes around.
"Obviously we know the next game against Arsenal is going to be a tough
game," he said. "But anything can happen in a big game like this. "In a big
game like this, the focus is totally changed. We know Arsenal are a great
team and one of the best in Europe, but we believe in what we're doing and
want to win the game.
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Why Robert Huth should question his future in football following Matthew
Upson puncg
By West Ham United Fans Blog
The Mirror
Published 18:17 21/10/09
Luck alone cannot relegate a side, but it can play a big part. For whatever
reason West Ham have not enjoyed much of it this season and poor decisions
have affected them. Against Wigan, for example, Carlton Cole scored just as
the referee, Alan Wiley, blew for half time. Maybe he was just looking for a
breather. Meanwhile in the 3-1 defeat to City, it would have been 2-2 at
half-time had Scott Parker's goal not been ruled out for a non-existent foul
by Cole.
It happened again on Saturday, when after 72 minutes, the Stoke defender
Robert Huth clumped Matthew Upson round the face with a right hook before a
West Ham free-kick. It drew blood, admittedly from the stitches Upson
required from an earlier, accidental kick in the face. The officials can
only have missed it, because it was one of the more blatant red-card
offences you'll see this season.
Huth has since been charged with violent conduct by the FA, and a fat lot of
good that will do West Ham, while Stoke have issued a mealy-mouthed apology,
the sort which even Sir Alex Ferguson might consider to be pushing it a bit.
After saying sorry, here's how the statement continued:
"All players were briefed at the beginning of the season about obstructing
opponents at set-plays and Robert reacted in frustration at being impeded by
Matthew Upson for the second time in the game, stopping him from marking
James Tomkins at set-pieces as instructed."
Being blocked off at a free kick is part and parcel of the game nowadays,
and a defender's job is to overcome it by fair means. If Huth is such a
moronic thug - or maybe just a bad defender - that he cannot react to it
without punching another player in the face, he simply doesn't deserve the
honour of playing professional football.
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Goal debacle ruins season for Crystal Palace star Freddie Sears
Published 23:00 21/10/09 By James Nursey
The Mirror
Neil Warnock reckons Freddie Sears' season has been ruined by his infamous
'goal' at Bristol City being chalked off. Crystal Palace boss Warnock had
high hopes for Sears after signing the striker on loan from West Ham.
Striker Sears, 19, thought he had opened his account at Ashton Gate in his
second appearance for the Eagles. But referee Rob Shoebridge didn't realise
Sears' had scored as his shot bounced out after hitting the back of the net.
And Warnock said: "We have to get Freddie back firing. "The Bristol City
debacle has knocked his confidence. "And he is not really firing on all
cylinders like what we expected. "He was really down after that carry-on.
"He has not scored a goal since and he has to find the back of the net
somehow. "He is waiting for things to happen but when you are playing well
you make things happen. "But he will come back, he is only a young lad."
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US President Barack Obama wavering on West Ham support
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
US President Barack Obama is wavering in his support of West Ham United.
The Daily Mail says Obama, who attended a West Ham game while on a London
visit six years ago, has apparently ditched the Hammers for Dubai-based club
Al Wasl after he received a shirt from a fan. The leader of the free world,
possibly dismayed at the Irons poor performances on the field and the
financial difficulties off it, was delighted to receive the replica kit and
went on to wish the club 'success in all competitions.' The US President,
whose half-sister Auma is married to a West Ham-supporting Englishman, won
the Nobel Peace Prize recently but he will have caused ructions down at the
Boleyn Ground after the locals took the most powerful man in the world to
their hearts when he declared his love for the claret and blues during a
trip to the UK five years ago. To be fair to Obama you can understand why he
has made the switch - the troubled Hammers come nowhere near to matching Al
Wasl's record of seven UAE Premier Division titles and two President Cup
victories.
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Juventus chasing West Ham's Behrami
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
Juventus are chasing West Ham United midfielder Valon Behrami. The Daily
Mail says Ciro Ferrara, the Italian club's boss, has asked for a new right
back and Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco has added the Switzerland
international to his hitlist. Juventus have already been linked with
Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta, Arsenal pair Bacary Sagna and Emmanuel
Eboue, Roma's Marco Motta, Hoffenheim's Andreas Beck and Schalke's Brazil
international Rafinha. Behrami, 24, is an attractive option because he is
already well known and respected in Italy from his days with Lazio. His
versatility is a bonus - he can play on the right wing or in the centre of
midfield - and West Ham's financial difficulties could ease a transfer in
January.
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Clichy warns Arsenal not to take West Ham lightly
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
Gael Clichy has warned Arsenal teammates not to be complacent against West
Ham United this weekend. After their Champions League draw at AZ Alkmaar,
Clichy has told his team-mates more lapses in concentration at Upton Park on
Sunday will prove costly as Arsenal look to continue their four-match
winning streak in the Barclays Premier League.
"West Ham are not doing so well and we are, but we have to be careful," said
the French defender. "We have to be 100% to get the three points. "I thought
defensively as a unit we played well against AZ. We also had some chances to
kill the game, but unfortunately we finished 1-1. "It is a big
disappointment, but we must move on." Clichy added: "We always want to be
the best, but this is a hard competition to win. Barcelona lost at home,
Inter Milan were given a hard time at home by Dynamo Kiev. While we do not
care about the other teams, it shows how in football anything is possible.
"Away from home, you have to keep focused until the last minute and even
with the best players in the world you can lose games sometimes."
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Bordeaux hope to keep West Ham target Chamakh
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
Bordeaux owner Nicolas de Tavernost remains hopeful of securing Marouane
Chamakh to a new contract. He hinted that he was ready for a fresh
challenge, while the likes of Arsenal and West Ham were said to be weighing
up bids. In the end, though, no move materialised and Chamakh remained at
Stade Chaban Delmas. Reports suggest interest could be reignited in January,
with clubs able to talk terms with the 25-year-old in the New Year as his
current deal is set to expire next summer. De Tavernost is refusing to give
up, though, and he believes Chamakh could yet commit to the reigning Ligue 1
champions. "Laurent Blanc said if I big club came in he would let him go,
but a big club did not come in or at least did not show enough interest," he
told Sud Ouest. "Now I am expecting him (Blanc) to have a chat with him, to
talk about the future together. "I hope he will agree to stay for at least
one more year, providing the conditions are acceptable for all parties."
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Nouble sticking close to West Ham star Cole
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
Frank Nouble says he's sticking close to senior West Ham United striker
Carlton Cole. Like Cole, Nouble began his junior career at Chelsea before
moving to West Ham in the summer. The 18-year-old explained that his
development is being helped by England international Cole, who is always on
hand for some helpful advice. "He's a massive influence," Nouble told WHUTV.
"It's easy to watch him in training and to learn from him, like I did at
Chelsea when I watched Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. "He tells me to use
my power, height and speed, to use the attributes I've got and all of the
rest will come along with it. All you can do is learn."
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West Ham's Noble, Collison grateful for Parker influence
22.10.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United's youngsters are grateful for the influence of senior
midfielder Scott Parker. Both Jack Collison and Mark Noble have paid tribute
to Parker for the way he is always available for a chat and to offer advice.
"For me, Scotty Parker is a great professional and someone I really enjoy
learning from in training and in games," said 21-year-old Wales midfielder
Collison. "The way he approaches everything is great for a young player like
me. He is someone I really look up to and aspire to be like." Noble, still
only 23 himself, has also spoken of the positive impact Parker has had on
his all-round game - describing him as "one of the best midfielders I have
played with". He also told whufc.com: "I enjoy playing with him and I think
we are on the same wavelength. I take a lot from his game and you can see
the way he reads things is second to none. He is a tough player as well and
you can see how many tackles he makes."
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