WHUFC.com
Young Hammers Matthias Fanimo and Blair Turgott combined to give England
Under-16s a good win
05.11.2009
West Ham United were well represented as England Under-16s won 2-0 against
Northern Ireland on Thursday night at the Deva Stadium in Chester. Blair
Turgott, on his international debut, scored the opening goal of the game in
the 50th minute thanks to an assist from club-mate Matthias Fanimo, who then
wrapped up the win with a clinical strike in the closing seconds. Fititngly
the duo were watched by the FA's Director of Football Development, Sir
Trevor Brooking.
It was the Young Lions' second triumph of this season's Victory Shield that
also features Scotland and leaves them on track for a successful defence of
a competition they have won in every one of the last eight years. Each of
the home nations plays each other once.
The young Hammers pair, who both regularly feature in the Academy Under-16
side at Little Heath, were a constant menace to the Northern Irish
defence.The decisive moment came when Fanimo picked the ball up on the right
flank and spun the ball into the penalty area for Turgott to loop the ball
beyond the visiting goalkeeper. The goalscorer understandably left the field
to good acclaim when he was substituted in the 62nd minute. Fanimo then
raced through late on before smashing the ball into the corner of the net.
The comprehensive victory was no more than Kenny Swain's men deserved and
followed their 1-0 success against Wales on 15 October, when Fanimo was
named man of the match. The Young Lions will complete their Victory Shield
campaign with a winner-takes-all decider away to Scotland on 26 November.
The Scots have also won their first two fixtures.
Fanimo and Turgott's involvement means West Ham have already been
represented at every England level this season. The others have been U17
(Robert Hall), U19 (Frank Nouble), U21 (James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas,
Zavon Hines and Freddie Sears) and at full senior level (Robert Green,
Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole).
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Everton match preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background ahead of Sunday's home match with
Everton at the Boleyn Ground
05.11.2009
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United v Everton
Boleyn Ground
Sunday 8 November 2009
3pm
Referee: Alan Wiley
• West Ham United welcome David Moyes' Everton to the Boleyn Ground for
their sixth home Barclays Premier League fixture of the season. The Hammers
will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to four matches, having drawn
2-2 with both Arsenal and Sunderland before overcoming Aston Villa 2-1 on
Wednesday evening. It is still too early to say whether Herita Ilunga and
Carlton Cole, who both limped off early against Villa, will be involved.
• Gianfranco Zola, whose team are unbeaten in three matches at home, said:
"We are on the right way but we have to keep doing things properly if we
want to move up the table. When we win we must celebrate but we then have to
quickly get back to work. That is the only way to be if we want to
experience the feeling again and again."
• The Hammers will be eager to score their first success over the Toffees
since Bobby Zamora's 25-yard special earned a 1-0 victory for the home side
on 21 April 2007.
• Everton won both league meetings last season, coming from a goal down to
win 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground on 8 November 2008 before triumphing by the
same scoreline at Goodison Park on 16 May.
• Everton have failed to win any of their last four Barclays Premier League
matches, .
• West Ham went into the weekend 16th in the Barclays Premier League table,
having collected ten points from eleven matches. Everton began the current
round of fixtures in 13th spot with 12 points from ten games.
• This is the 109th league meeting between the two sides. West Ham have won
32, Everton have won 54 and there have been 22 draws.
Last time out
Wednesday 4 November 2009
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-1 Aston Villa
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Da Costa, Upson, Ilunga (Spector 8),
Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Franco (Jimenez 89), Cole (Hines 32)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Tomkins, Diamanti, Stanislas
Goals: Noble 45 (pen), Hines 90
Booked: Parker, Franco
Thursday 5 November 2009
UEFA Europa League Group I
Everton 0-2 Benfica
Everton: Howard, Yobo, Baines, Distin, Hibbert, Bilyaletdinov, Cahill,
Gosling (Jo 69) , Fellaini, Rodwell, Yakubu (Agard 81)
Subs not used: Nash,Baxter,Wallace,Coleman,Duffy
Booked: Hibbert, Rodwell, Yakubu
Last meeting
In the clubs' last Barclays Premier League meeting, West Ham United were
defeated 3-1 at Everton on 16 May this year. Radoslav Kovac put the Hammers
ahead with a long-range shot before James Tomkins was sent-off and Louis
Saha netted a penalty seven minutes before the break. Joseph Yobo and Saha,
again, added second-half goals for the Toffees.
Everton: Howard, Jacobsen, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Neville, Cahill (Jo
80), Pienaar, Fellaini (Rodwell 69), Saha (Vaughan 80)
Subs not used: Nash, Hibbert, Castillo, Gosling
Booked: Baines
Goals: Saha 38 (pen), 76, Yobo 48
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Noble, Collison,
Kovac (Stanislas 67), Boa Morte (Cole 46), Di Michele (Spector 46)
Subs not used: Lastuvka, Lopez, Payne, Savio
Booked: Boa Morte, Spector
Sent-off: Tomkins
Goal: Kovac 24
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
16 May 2009 Everton 3-1 West Ham United
8 November 2008 West Ham United 1-3 Everton
22 March 2008 Everton 1-1 West Ham United
15 December 2007 West Ham United 0-2 Everton
12 December 2007 West Ham United 1-2 Everton (League Cup fourth round)
21 April 2007 West Ham United 1-0 Everton
Overall record v Everton (all competitions) W 36 D 24 L 60
Next up
Following the international break, West Ham United travel to the KC Stadium
to face Hull City on Saturday 21 November. Everton, meanwhile, travel to
Manchester United on the same date for a game that will be broadcast live by
ESPN.
Referee
• Sunday's referee is Alan Wiley.
• Aged 49, Alan Wiley has been a Premier League referee since 1999. Having
learned his trade in the West Midlands (Alliance) League, Wiley joined the
Football League List of assistant referees in 1991, before being promoted to
the Premier League List three years later.
• In 2000, he was the fourth official at the last FA Cup final at the old
Wembley Stadium, which saw Chelsea beat Aston Villa 1-0.
• Since becoming a Select Group referee ten years ago, Wiley has taken
charge of the 2002 FA Community Shield, the 2006 League Cup final and,
famously, the 2006 FA Cup final between Saturday's combatants.
• Wiley, who also refereed the 2008 Championship Play-Off final between Hull
City and Bristol City, has taken control of just one West Ham fixture so far
this season, the 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Wigan Athletic on 12
September.
• He was also the man in charge when Everton won 1-0 at Portsmouth on 26
September.
West Ham United
• West Ham United will be eager to continue their recent run of form, having
secured their first home Barclays Premier League win of the season in
midweek. A Mark Noble penalty, a Robert Green penalty save and Zavon Hines'
late winner combined to score a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa.
• The Hammers have netted 15 league goals this season - Carlton Cole (six),
Alessandro Diamanti, Mark Noble, Matthew Upson (two), Guille Franco, Zavon
Hines and Junior Stanislas (one) have all been on target.
• West Ham scored in added time at the end of two of their last three home
games.
• Robert Green has played 99 consecutive Barclays Premier League games for
West Ham United. Barring injury, he will reach his century milestone on
Sunday.
• Mark Noble is in line to play his 100th league game for the club.
• England Under-21 defender James Tomkins made his West Ham United debut in
the 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw at Goodison Park on 22 March 2008.
• West Ham United's record home win over Everton came on 11 February 1961,
when Harry Obeney scored twice in a 4-0 success. Malcolm Musgrove and John
Dick were also on target.
Everton
• Everton have failed to win any of their last four Barclays Premier League
matches - a run stretching back to a 1-0 victory at Portsmouth on 26
September. The Toffees were also knocked out of the Carling Cup at Tottenham
Hotspur and suffered a UEFA Europa League defeat by Benfica in the
intervening period.
• The Toffees have scored just three victories in ten league matches to this
point, losing three out of four they have played away from Goodison Park.
The aforementioned victory at Portsmouth was their only away league win to
date.
• Sunday's game will be manager David Moyes' 349th in charge of Everton. The
Scot took charge on 15 March 2002, making him the Barclays Premier League's
third longest-serving manager behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
• Everton's leading Barclays Premier League scorer this season is Louis
Saha, who has bagged six in nine appearances this term.
• Everton's biggest win at the Boleyn Ground came in the shape of a 4-1
success on 19 August 1968. John Charles scored West Ham United's consolation
in that game.
Team news
• Gianfranco Zola is awaiting news on Herita Ilunga and Carlton Cole, who
were both forced off with suspected hamstring injuries during Wednesday's
2-1 victory over Aston Villa. Both were still being assessed on Thursday.
• Should either be unavailable, Jonathan Spector and Zavon Hines, who both
did well as substitutes in midweek, are standing by to step into the
starting lineup. Fabio Daprela and Frank Nouble will also take a keen
interest in their progress.
• Radoslav Kovac is available again after he served a one-match suspension
against Aston Villa.
• Long-term absentee Luis Boa Morte (knee) has been back at Chadwell Heath
as steps up his rehab, although he is some months off a comeback. Dean
Ashton (ankle) and Calum Davenport (leg) remain long-term absentees with no
date set for their return.
• Everton have a wealth of injury concerns ahead of Sunday's game, while
Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov is suspended after being sent-off
against Aston Villa last Saturday.
• Spain playmaker Mikel Arteta (knee), captain Phil Neville (knee),
midfielder Leon Osman (ankle), England defender Phil Jagielka (broken leg)
and Nigeria striker Victor Anichebe (knee) are also definitely out.
• Right-back Tony Hibbert is battling a virus, meaning former Hammers
captain Lucas Neill could start the game in his favoured position. Neill has
also been employed in a defensive midfield role since signing a one-year
deal with the Toffees in mid September.
Old boys
• Australia defender Lucas Neill will return to the Boleyn Ground, where he
spent two-and-a-half years as a West Ham United player between January 2007
and July 2009, scoring one goal in 89 league and cup appearances.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Niclas
Alexandersson, Ray Atteveld, Slaven Bilic, Joe Blythe, David Burrows, Tony
Cottee, Charlie Crossley, George Eccles, William Kelly, George Kitchen, Alex
McCartney, John Russell, David Unsworth, William Wildman, Danny Williamson
and Richard Wright.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for light rain showers with a maximum
daytime temperature of 6C
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Cole takes player prize
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for October by users
of whufc.com
05.11.2009
Carlton Cole has capped a fine month by being voted the unanimous winner of
SBOBET Player of the Month for October. More than 3,000 fans voted in the
poll on whufc.com and over 75 per cent of them went for the striker.
Alessandro Diamanti was second with ten per cent, with Jack Collison third
on nine per cent. Cole scored a goal in each of West Ham United's three 2-2
draws during October, against Fulham, Arsenal and Sunderland. Those results,
alongside Wednesday night's vital victory against Aston Villa, meant the
Hammers have lost just once in their last five outings. Cole is still being
assessed for the muscle problem he suffered early in the Villa victory. The
England striker will be presented with his award at an upcoming home game.
Watch out for his reaction to come.
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'Everyone is buzzing'
WHUFC.com
Wednesday's match-winner Zavon Hines was on a high after helping the Hammers
to their first home win
05.11.2009
Zavon Hines had double reason to celebrate on Wednesday evening after
scoring West Ham United's winning goal and his first in the Barclays Premier
League. Hines struck deep in to added time to secure a vital 2-1 win over
Aston Villa after Mark Noble's first-half penalty had been cancelled out by
Ashley Young. The goal, unsurprisingly, cued wild celebrations from Hines,
his team-mates and the vast majority of the Boleyn Ground crowd. In
typically modest fashion, Hines played down his dramatic intervention. I am
delighted. It's my first Premier League goal so it's a good feeling to get
started," Hines said. "Everyone is buzzing to get that first home win. "I'm
not a superstar, it's all about the team. I'm just really glad we got the
win."
The England Under-21 international was sent on after just 32 minutes as a
replacement for Carlton Cole and was a constant thorn in the side of the
Aston Villa defence. He had gone close with two efforts just minutes earlier
before he collected Scott Parker's pass and calmly lofted the ball over Brad
Friedel into the far corner of the net. "The manager told me to go and do
what I can do and that's what I did. It's just such a good feeling to get
the win."
Although Hines and his team-mates would have enjoyed their evening last
night, their focus on Thursday morning immediately switched to their second
home game in four days as Everton visit the Boleyn Ground on Sunday.
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Catch TC on Sunday
WHUFC.com
Tony Cottee will be signing copies of his new Career Goals DVD at the
Stadium Store on Sunday
05.11.2009
Fans will get the chance to meet Tony Cottee when he signs copies of his new
Career Goals DVD before the Everton match on Sunday.
Cottee, the 1986 PFA Young Player of the Year, netted his first goal for the
Hammers as a 17-year-old in the 3-0 victory over Spurs at the Boleyn Ground
on New Year's Day 1983.
It would be the first of 146 goals he would net in two spells in a claret
and blue shirt, including the 26 he scored when helping West Ham secure
their best-ever league placing of third in the old Division One in 1985/86.
That figure helps him remain fifth in West Ham's all-time scoring list, a
position unlikely to change in the current football climate where players
rarely stay at the same club for more than a few years.
As such, fans will be delighted to learn that nearly 250 of the 306 senior
goals the Hammers great scored during a glittering 18-year career have been
put together for the first time on 'Career Goals', a new DVD showcasing the
very best of the Forest Gate-born striker.
Career Goals is introduced by Russell Brand, who provides an original eulogy
to Cottee's talents. The DVD also features Tony Gale's revelations about the
striker's infamous over-zealous scrapbook keeping and Ray Winstone's
memories of the player he thought was a ball boy when he first saw him in a
Hammers' shirt.
The 44-year-old will be appearing at the Stadium Store on Sunday between
11.30am - 1pm ahead of the Barclays Premier League fixture with another of
his former clubs, Everton. There, he will be signing copies during the
exclusive pre-release fortnight before it hits shops up and down the
country.
Further information about Career Goals can be found at www.tonycottee306.com
* Career Goals, produced by Circa 1 Media Ltd, will retail at £17.99.
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Noble still on a high
WHUFC.com
The visit of Everton has left Mark Noble wanting to experience the
'incredible' noise from the fans again
06.11.2009
Mark Noble is looking to Sunday's match with Everton on a high after "one of
the best moments I have had" as a West Ham United player.
The whole-hearted midfielder was at his best in the midweek victory against
Aston Villa that saw him keep him composure for a pressure penalty before
playing a part in the late push for a winning goal. When it ultimately came
courtesy of Zavon Hines' precise finish deep into added time, Noble was left
mentally exhausted.
"It was just incredible, the noise," he said. "It was so emotionally charged
because e we needed the win so much. It was brilliant and now hopefully we
can kick on. It is an unbelievable feeling when you score a goal like that.
You just feel like crying. I was cuddling Scotty [Parker]and it was
unbelievable to be involved with that.
"We kept going and going. The crowd were unbelievable when they got the
equaliser they still cheered us and they didn't get on our backs. I thought
that is what we need with the moment we are going through.
"I feel I have got a right to say that because I am a West Ham fan myself
and I have been brought up round here. But I thought they were unbelievable
and we won that game partly because of them."
Noble, still only 23, has been back in training at Chadwell Heath and
understandably morale has been high around the place as the squad prepare
for Sunday's chance to make it four matches unbeaten in the Barclays Premier
League. It will be a personal milestone as well as it marks the 100th league
outing for the longest-serving player.
"The confidence is up for Everton. We will rest well, train well and
hopefully the fans will turn up like they did against Villa. It will be
fantastic if they get behind us and drive us on to another win.
"Wednesday was important. I can say the moments I have been through with
this club that was emotionally one of the best moments I have had. It was so
good to be involved with that. It was a really tough game, really tough, but
in the end I thought we deserved it."
And what of the spot-kick that Noble stepped up to convert just before
half-time? The former England Under-21 captain said there was no way he was
going to let the occasion get the better of him. "I missed my last penalty
and I was gutted about that and I have been waiting that long to make up for
it.
"I thought 'I ain't making no mistake here. This is either going in the top
corner or it is going in the stand.' Thankfully it went in the top corner."
The ball hitting the back of the net prompted a wild celebration from the
local boy, running to the bench and to the manager who he claims has brought
the best out of him this past year.
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Ton-up Green
WHUFc.com
Robert Green is eager to mark his 100th straight league start with victory
over Everton on Sunday
06.11.2009
Robert Green has told the West Ham United matchday programme he is
determined to mark his 100th consecutive Barclays Premier League start with
a win against Everton on Sunday.
England's No1 was at his best in number 99, saving an Ashley Young penalty
and producing a world-class save to deny Stiliyan Petrov in Wednesday's 2-1
victory over Aston Villa.
Having shown the watching Fabio Capello exactly why he is the Italian's
first-choice goalkeeper, Green revealed he wants to seal the Hammers' first
success against the Toffees since April 2007 this weekend. Back then, a
Bobby Zamora 25-yard special saw West Ham continue their survival charge
with a 1-0 victory, but Green has admitted he would take the win any which
way it comes on Sunday.
"We haven't beaten them since Bobby scored a great goal when we won 1-0 in
my first season here, so it would be a nice change to beat them again.
"Both sides have signed a lot of new players since then, but it would
obviously be good to get one over Everton, whether it be with a wonder goal,
a penalty that wasn't a penalty or a goal that should have been ruled out
for offside, we'd take the win any way we it comes.
"It's going to be a tough game and, as they have been in previous years,
they've always been close. There is no need for us to search for
motivation."
The 29-year-old's run began against Watford two months before Zamora's
aforementioned match-winner in February 2007. In a wide-ranging and
insightful interview for Sunday's matchday programme, Green also talks about
the day Gianfranco Zola got him dropped, his old club Norwich City and his
thoughts on next Saturday's friendly international between England and
Brazil.
Sunday's programme also contains information about a special Remembrance
Sunday ceremony being held at the Boleyn Ground to honour the 13th
Battalion, Essex Regiment, who were drawn from east London and became known
as the 'West Ham pals'.
As well as an exclusive interview with Paolo Di Canio, the programme
contains a wealth of other features, including Scott Parker's Dream Team,
Gianfranco Zola's exclusive column and talkSPORT's Ian 'Moose' Abrahams'
interview with pop star Chesney Hawkes.
Tony Cottee gives his views on two of his former clubs, Peter Kurucz is
Talking Football, while Academy midfielder George Moncur is Learning His
Trade.
For this, and much, much, more pick up a copy of Sunday's official matchday
programme, which will be on sale in and around the Boleyn Ground, priced at
£3.50.
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Mehmet marches on
WHUFC.com
Deniz Mehmet's Turkey are through to the Under-17 World Cup quarter-finals
05.11.2009
Academy goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet's fine run of form at the FIFA Under-17
World Cup continued as Turkey progressed to the quarter-finals on Wednesday
evening. The young stopper kept a clean sheet as Turkey held off the
challenge of the United Arab Emirates to secure a 2-0 victory in their
second-round tie in Enugu, Nigeria. Mehmet, who conceded just one goal in
two fixtures in the group stages before being rested for his country's
academic final group match against New Zealand, was again in unbeatable form
against the Emirates. The 18-year-old looked on as Turkey took a
second-minute lead through Furkan Seker before Ufuk Ozbek made the game safe
in the second minute of added time. In between, Mehmet made fine saves from
Fahad Salim and Mohamed Hossain as the Asian nation made life hard for the
UEFA qualifiers. Turkey even survived the 39th-minute sending-off of Ogulkan
Gokce to advance to a last-eight meeting with Colombia, which takes place in
Bauchi at 4pm on Sunday afternoon local time. Should Turkey progress again,
they will face either Switzerland or Italy in the semi-finals in the
Nigerian capital, Lagos, on 12 November. The progress of Mehmet's team has
been impressive, especially when one considers that Turkey have only
qualified for the FIFA U17 World Cup once before, reaching the last-four in
Peru in 2005.
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Hines eager to take chance
Youngster ready to replace Cole against Toffees
Last updated: 5th November 2009
SSN
Zavon Hines is eager to seize his chance in West Ham's starting XI should
Carlton Cole require a spell on the sidelines. The England international
limped out of Wednesday's crucial 2-1 home win over Aston Villa, although
the knock is not thought to be too serious. Hines has made nine Premier
League appearances for Gianfranco Zola's side this term, but has made only
three starts for the East Londoners. The Jamaican-born 20-year-old, who
scored a last-gasp winner against Villa, is keen to impress should he get
the nod against Everton this weekend. "I'm a very different player to
Carlton, who's been tremendous for us so far, but I'm ready to do my level
best," he told the Evening Standard.
"It's all about taking your chance when you get it. "I had been plugging
away in the reserves but I've got my opportunity this season and I've tried
to take it."
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Chamakh biding his time
By Giscard Gourizro Last updated: 5th November 2009
Football Betting - West Ham v Everton
SSN
Marouane Chamakh is in no rush to resolve his future at Bordeaux and will
leave any decision until the summer. The Moroccan striker was hot property
during pre-season, with a number of clubs reported to be courting his
services. West Ham and Arsenal led the Premier League hunt, with Sunderland
also believed to be keen. No formal offers were lodged, though, and Chamakh
ended up staying in France. He is set to be out of contract at the end of
the season and will be free to discuss a potential move with any interested
party from January. Chamakh admits he faces a tough decision regarding what
to do next, but he has not ruled out the possibility of prolonging his
association with Bordeaux. "I have decided at the moment that I am not going
to sign a new contract, but that does not mean I will not be at Bordeaux
next year," he told Sud-Ouest. "I have seven to eight months to make the
biggest decision of my life and I don't want to be rushed. "The door is open
for me to stay here and nobody is pushing me out. "I will make sure I do the
right thing for my life and my career."
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JEFF WINTER'S VILLAIN OF THE WEEK - SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM 5-11-09
www.jeffwinterentertainmentmedia.co.uk
What was Kenwyne Jones thinking about?
He raised his hands and pushed the West Ham player in the face, although not
with sufficient force to cause him to throw himself to the ground in the
manner that he did!! RED CARD.
Kovac should have known better, having already been booked, but I thought
that his second card was a bit harsh. A quiet word and final warning would
have sufficed.
This was one of those incidents that the commentators like to describe as
"evening things up". Because of my views on the second card, they may have a
point.
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West Ham v Everton preview
1:22pm Wednesday 4th November 2009
Guardian Series
West Ham v Everton
Upton Park, Sunday November 8, 3pm
Last meeting: Everton 3-1 West Ham (16-05-09). The Hammers were in control
after Radoslav Kovac put them in front midway through the first half, but
the game turned on its head when James Tomkins was sent off after conceding
a penalty. Louis Saha scored and Everton made the man advantage count as
they ran out 3-1 winners.
The opposition: Everton are in the middle of a bad run of form. Three 1-1
draws at home to Aston Villa, Wolves and Stoke have been interspersed with
defeats to Tottenham and Bolton in the league. David Moyes' side lie down in
13th, a far cry from the fifth-place finish they managed last season.
Danger men: Yakubu has bolstered Everton's frontline by returning from a
lengthy injury lay-off in the last few weeks. His pace and power will keep
the Hammers' backline busy, while they will also have to watch out for the
aerial threat of Tim Cahill.
Did you know? Everton's bitter rivals Liverpool were spawned from an
offshoot of the Toffees back in 1892. Following a dispute, the club's former
president took a few players with him to start afresh elsewhere and they
were to be the building blocks of Liverpool FC. The row also saw Everton
leave their Anfield home, which was subsequently inhabited by their bitter
rivals.
Prediction: West Ham 2 Everton 1.
Betting tip: Jack Collison is hitting form at the right time for the
Hammers. And a win against off-colour Everton looks a good bet. Get odds of
75/1 with Paddy Power for Collison to score first and West Ham to win 2-1.
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West Ham's newest star ready to fill Carlton Cole's boots
Published 23:00 05/11/09 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Last action hero Zavon Hines has revealed he is ready to stand in for
injured Carlton Cole on Sunday against Everton. The young West Ham striker
scored in the final minute of injury time on Wednesday night to seal a 2-1
win over Aston Villa. But the victory was marred by an injury which forced
Cole out after just half an hour. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola insists the
setback is not serious, but Hines maintains he is ready to step into the
breach if Cole is not able to face the men from Goodison on Sunday. He said:
"Yeah, I could stand in for him, but obviously he's a big player for us and
if he's out it will be a massive loss. "I'm not the same type of player as
him but hopefully I could do a job and fill the gap, even if it is with a
different style. "I'm buzzing to be honest. It was my first Premier League
goal so it's just great to get started. "Where can I go from here? I don't
know, I'm just trying to take it a step at a time. Obviously I've got but
ambitions but right now I'm just concentrating on doing well for West Ham."
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Consistency is Key for 'Lift Off'!
West Ham Till I Die
Wednesday evening's 2-1 victory over Villa saw the Hammers rise to 16th in
the PL table. The manner of the victory, particularly the fighting spirit
and togetherness exhibited, bode well for the prospects of salvaging West
Ham's season.
Yet, it has always been clear that this squad has enough quality to carry us
in to the top half of the table. If there is a concern it is probably with
the balance of the squad, with the goal keeper and full-back positions being
covered by inexperienced, but promising youngsters and our true strength in
depth being undermined by the long term injury absentees Ashton, Dyer and
Boa Morte. As long as injuries do not start taking a toll of some of our
key players (i.e. Cole and Illunga in the first instance) then our first
choice XI and bench should enable us to compete.
Of course we would all have liked to have landed that top notch striker in
the summer, but Cole's amazing transformation continues apace, Franco looks
an asset and Hines is shaping up to be an absolute relevation! Plus in
Nouble and Dixon we have potentially two of the best young strikers in the
country. It may be a bit too early for Nouble, but if he or Dixon come good
this season then our striking options could suddenly be multiplied.
However, what we need is consistency. Having put a three match unbeaten run
together it is vital that we follow up with a minium 4 point haul against
Everton and Hull City. Personally, I feel that we could realistically
secure maximum points from those two games. Everton have injury problems
and their form has been chequered this season. While Hull City appear to be
there for the taking with their current abject form. That would set us up
nicely for a tough fought, but ultimately very winnerable home match against
Burnley!
We are arguably at a key juncture in our season. What we need is a
continuation of this run of good results to enable us to pull us away from
the bottom three and adjust our season's PL ambitions upwards to European
quaification. In contrast, a defeat against Everton would push us back
down in to the danger zone and potentially shatter the new found confidence
around the club.
If draws against Arsenal and Sunderland provided the launch pad, the
stunning win against Villa fired the engines and victory over Everton could
provide 'lift off' to recovery and greater ambition! As such, it could
actually prove a pivotal match, much like Portsmouth away was last season.
Personally, I think it will be lift off ! Why? Because I think West Ham
will show the skill, passion and, ultimately, consistency necessary to
continue this current run of positive results!
SJ Chandos.
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