Daily WHUFC News: 05/19/09

Tuesday, May 19

Daily WHUFC News - 19th May 2009

Case for defence
WHUFC.com
Robert Green has narrowed his choice down to three for Hammer of the Year
2008/09
18.05.2009

Hammer of the Year Robert Green has made a case for the defence as
supporters cast their vote for this season's winner.

The goalkeeper, who scooped the award 12 months ago, is a strong candidate
to be crowned Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Vantis, again following
Sunday's Barclays Premier League fixture against Middlesbrough at the Boleyn
Ground.

There has been a huge response thus far, with over 8,000 votes cast and just
150 votes separating the top three players.

Green himself, however, believes defenders Matthew Upson and Herita Ilunga
are the hot favourites to battle it out for the title, with midfielder Scott
Parker also in the running.

West Ham have conceded just 40 goals in the 34 Barclays Premier League
matches they have played since Ilunga arrived from French club Toulouse last
August. The DR Congo left-back has played all 34, while Upson has missed
just one league match, sitting out the trip to Blackburn Rovers in late
March through injury.

Green believes the pair's consistency makes them leading candidates to
follow in his footsteps.

"There are obvious candidates but personally, being the goalkeeper, I feel
that barring the last two games we've had a good season at the back," said
Green, who became the fifth goalkeeper to be named Hammer of the Year.

"I'd be looking at someone like Matthew Upson who has played all but one of
the [Barclays Premier League] games and been tremendous and Herita as well.

"It's a difficult one because Matthew is obviously experienced within the
Premier League but Rita has come in and stepped straight into the team and
played every Premier League game since his arrival. For someone to do that
is fantastic because it is such a hard league to come into. If either of
those two wins it then I think that would be right because they've both had
tremendous seasons.

"The other player who is in the running is Scotty, but the fact that he's
missed a quarter of the season goes against him. He has been tremendous this
season too, breaking teams down, so either him or either of the two guys at
the back would be worthy winners."

Voting for Hammer of the Year closes at 10am on Thursday 21 May and there is
strictly one vote per fan. Any additional votes will be discredited before
the results are finalised.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers learn HK fate
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have been drawn in Group B at this summer's Hong Kong FC IP
Global Soccer Sevens
18.05.2009

West Ham United have been drawn in Group B at this summer's Hong Kong FC IP
Global Soccer Sevens tournament.

Reserve-team manager Alex Dyer will lead an eleven-strong squad to the
tournament, which will be held at Hong Kong FC in Happy Valley, between 29
and 31 May.

Marek Stech, Bondz N'Gala, Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, Georg Grasser, Josh Payne,
Junior Stanislas, Oliver Lee, Daniel Kearns, Anthony Edgar, Zavon Hines and
Freddie Sears will represent the Hammers at the prestigious tournament.

West Ham will not be in action on the opening day of competition, but will
begin their challenge with a fixture against Hong Kong FC Captain's Select
at 9.48am local time on Saturday 30 May.

Dyer's young squad will take on Sheffield FC at 12.12pm before completing
their group stage fixtures against the Australian Institute of Sport
Under-18s at 2.18pm.

Group A contains Glasgow Rangers, Chinese side Chengdu Blades and Hong Kong
First Division outfit Tuen Mun Pro Goal.

Group C will see Aston Villa, Citizens, Birmingham City and Singapore
Cricket Club do battle, while Group D consists of Glasgow Celtic Yau Yee
Select (Hong Kong), Eastleigh FC and Kitchee Invitational.

Cup and plate competitions will follow on Sunday 31 May.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Europe may no longer be an option for next season but Gianfranco Zola is
still in a positive frame of mind
18.05.2009

A big week is expected at Chadwell Heath as West Ham United regroup for the
final match of the season and the chance to finish on a high.

A fine first season for Gianfranco Zola and his staff will culminate with
the visit of relegation-threatened Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon. Having
seen his men lose out 3-1 at Everton on Saturday, a victory would confirm a
likely ninth-placed finish on 51 points, both of which would be an
improvement on the previous campaign.

Already though, Zola is aiming higher. He is eager to make the most of his
forthcoming first pre-season at the club to ensure his men are able to
better last the pace next time around. Europe is "certainly" the target in
2009/10 and there will be no dwelling on what might have been - even if the
sending off of James Tomkins at the weekend with his team one-nil up was
harsh.

"We are a very young team, the players will have more experience and might
be able to improve the team for next season and so I am really pleased," the
manager said as he contemplated Saturday's 3-1 loss at Everton. "I am
absolutely positive that we will be much better next season."

The manager is expecting to take his time to consider his summer options,
hoping to have everyone including Danny Gabbidon and Dean Ashton available
when the squad regroups in July. Only Valon Behrami will definitely miss out
on the first day back and Zola has plenty to ponder in terms of his squad
for next season.

He said: "I have a rough idea but it is too early to say and things might go
in one way or another. Even without anybody, I am sure that the team will be
better and don't forget that we will have Ashton back and that will be a big
thing for us. Plus all the players will be better next season."

There may be difficult decisions ahead but he will not be afraid to make
them. "Obviously the club pays me for those moments and I have to take the
decision and I will do that with the interest of the club to take the club
forward. When the moment comes I will make it.

"It is no problem to make the decision. I am motivated by the fact that I
want to make the team and club better and I will take the decisions bearing
that in mind. I will be all right, I know it is part of the job."

With the manager, knowing "if we need to buy a player we can" he reiterated
that he will look to continue with his philosophy of a smaller squad of
21/22 players backed up by a youthful reserve outfit. There will also not be
the need to factor in extra Europa League games, much as that was a problem
he had hoped to face.

"We have to make certain considerations now. The aim is still to improve the
team. We don't need a bigger squad than we thought." More pressing though is
this coming weekend and the need to finish the job started when Zola arrived
last September - especially given the strong backing he and his players have
received.

"It would be a pity not to end the season with a victory on Sunday and I
have told the players. We want to make sure it happens."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mixed day for Cole
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole was happy to be back in action after injury, but disappointed
to taste defeat at Everton
18.05.2009

Carlton Cole admitted to having mixed emotions after making his return after
seven weeks out with a groin injury in Saturday's Barclays Premier League
defeat by Everton.

The West Ham United striker, who was hurt in England's 4-0 international
friendly win over Slovakia at Wembley on 28 March, returned as a half-time
substitute at Goodison Park.

Cole, the Hammers' top scorer with eleven goals in 2008/09, had one
gilt-edged opportunity to add to his tally with the score poised at 2-1 in
the Toffees' favour, but a momentary pause allowed Everton goalkeeper Tim
Howard to snatch the ball off his toe.

"Obviously the manager decided not to start me but it was a good call
because, when I came on, it was a bit hard for me to get straight into the
game and be as influential as I wanted to be," said the 25-year-old.

"I had one good opportunity to score, but I wasn't as sharp as I wanted to
be. If I'd been a bit more aggressive with it and taken it on first-time and
tried to dink it over the goalkeeper, maybe I would have scored and it would
have turned the game a bit, but it wasn't to be."

Despite the twin disappointments of missing his chance and losing the match,
and with it the chance of reaching next season's UEFA Europa League, Cole
was still feeling positive after returning from injury a month ahead of
schedule.

"I'm feeling good. The medical staff here, [physiotherapist] George Cooper
and the Doc [medical officer] Nikos [Tzouroudis], have done a really good
job to get me back to where I am. I am four weeks ahead of schedule and I am
very grateful to the medical staff. They've got me here and I wasn't even
looking to be playing this season, so I am grateful."

Cole admitted that he and his team-mates were feeling down after seeing
their dreams of European football evaporate on Merseyside, but said manager
Gianfranco Zola had told the squad they should be proud of their efforts.

With key players such as Valon Behrami, Scott Parker, Dean Ashton and Cole
himself missing large chunks of the season, the striker revealed that Zola
had heaped praise on those called upon in their absences.

"The boys are really disheartened. We've worked so hard this season. A lot
of the boys have really stepped up to the plate when they've been asked to
play because a few of the players who have been playing regularly have got
injured. The players who have come in have done a brilliant job. I am so
proud of them. The manager said that in the changing room after the game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David James surgery leaves England in keeper crisis
England No1 faces shoulder surgery tomorrow
Robert Green set for call-up to World Cup qualifiers
Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 19 May 2009 00.41

The England goalkeeper David James has been ruled out of next month's World
Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra after Portsmouth announced
that the veteran will undergo surgery on a shoulder injury tomorrow. With
Manchester United's Ben Foster also unavailable because of injury, Fabio
Capello will most likely turn to the third choice, West Ham's Robert Green,
for the summer internationals.

James followed Foster in succumbing to injury last night, the Manchester
United youngster needing an operation to repair a ruptured ligament in his
thumb. Yet it is James' absence that is most troubling for Capello with the
potentially awkward trip to Almaty in mind, given that the 38-year-old has
established himself as the national side's No1 under the Italian.

Portsmouth confirmed James, capped 48 times by his country, would be
admitted to a London hospital for the surgery after their 3-1 win over
Sunderland last night, a game the goalkeeper missed with a stiff neck.
"David complained of an acutely stiff neck on Sunday," said the club's
stand-in manager, Paul Hart. "He woke up with it. We spent the weekend and
on Monday trying to treat it but it was still pretty sore at 5pm ahead of
this game so we decided not to risk it.

"But he's had a long-standing injury in his left shoulder anyway that needs
to be corrected and he goes into hospital on Wednesday to get that sorted
outIf he goes in now, we hope he'll be fit for the start of the season but
he'll definitely be out for the summer. David's a very strong-minded person
and knows what he's doing. He's made a decision so that he can be fit for
next season. A consequence of that, of course, is that he'll miss the
England games but he weighed it up before making his decision. It has to be
done and there has to be a sacrifice for that."

James said: "It's something I've been playing with for 18 months but I have
to look at the bigger picture now. I want to be fit for the start of the
season with Ports-mouth and I trust England to do well without me."

That leaves Green as James' likely replacement. He has yet to feature in a
competitive fixture but has enjoyed a fine season and won his second cap in
February's friendly defeat by Spain. The injury-plagued Foster, who played
against Slovakia in March, has been ruled out for up to nine weeks.

"It is a big blow for Ben as not only will he miss the Champions League
final but also England's summer internationals," said Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Ben has tried to continue the season with this injury, but it got so
critical that an operation was the only way forward. It is disappointing for
him but the important thing was to get this operation done."

Chris Kirkland, another potential -England goalkeeper, has yet to be
selected by Capello and is currently injured at Wigan Athletic having been
substituted early in the defeat to Manchester United last week. Scott Carson
has been overlooked since the win in Germany last November, Joe Hart has
lost his first-team place to Shay Given at Manchester City while Blackburn
Rovers' Paul Robinson, McClaren's first choice, has not played for his
country since the 2-1 defeat by Russia in November 2007.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Feeling sleepy, Faubert? Dozy Hammer relaxes on his Madrid holiday
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 1:57 PM on 18th May 2009
Daily Mail

Julien Faubert's loan spell at Real Madrid has been so predictably
underwhelming that even he appeared to be struggling to stay awake as his
side surrendered the league title at the weekend. The French winger, on loan
from West Ham, was caught by TV cameras seemingly on the verge of nodding
off while on the pitch unfurled a five-goal thriller at Villarreal. The home
side won 3-2 with an injury-time winner from Joan Capdevila and the
virtually horizontal Faubert was luckily not called on to contribute from
the bench. The result confirmed Barcelona as La Liga champions.
Inaction has been a recurring theme for the 25-year-old. He has been used
just twice as a substitute - for a total of 54 minutes - since his shock
move to the Bernabeu in January. Faubert seemed to have expended all his
energy at the weekend laughing and joking with team-mate Royston Drenthe
before taking up a relaxed pose on with his feet up on the comfy-looking
seats at Villarreal's El Madrigal stadium. Reports in Spain criticise him
for appearing to, ahem, rearrange his shorts on several occasions. Then,
once Drenthe was brought on with 17 minutes to play, the former Bordeaux
player had the quiet moments to himself (about 1min 19sec into this
video)...

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Phill Jupitus hits the right note at West Ham gala dinner
By Steve Anglesey on May 18, 09 10:54 AM in 3pm
The Mirror

West Ham held their end-of-season gala dinner in London's swanky event and
conference centre The Brewery last week. Host Phill Jupitus opened
proceedings with the words: "It's nice to finally have a board who DO know
how to organise a piss-up in a Brewery."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Widdowson Makes Permanent Switch
Posted on: Tue 19 May 2009
Grimbsy-townfc.com

The 20-year-old left sided defender spent a three month on loan with Town
last season and recently returned to his parent club West Ham to see if he
had a future at Upton Park. "It's very pleasing to sign here permanently,"
he said. "I really enjoyed my time here on loan from January until the end
of the season, so it's good to be here for the next few years. "I've been
back at West Ham for the past couple of weeks and they aren't going to offer
me a contract there. "Having been to Grimsby I know the place I know the
club and it wasn't a difficult decision. "There was a couple of other clubs
that were interested in me but they couldn't really guarantee me regular
football like I was getting at Grimsby."
Meanwhile, Andy Taylor, who had been told that he wasn't part of Mike
Newell's plans for next season, has now left the club by mutual consent. We
would like to wish Andy all the best for the future.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Faubert caught dozing off at Real Madrid
19.05.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United midfielder Julian Faubert was again pilloried by Real Madrid
fans on the weekend. The French winger, on loan from West Ham, was caught by
TV cameras seemingly on the verge of nodding off while on the pitch unfurled
a five-goal thriller at Villarreal. The home side won 3-2 with an
injury-time winner from Joan Capdevila and the virtually horizontal Faubert
was luckily not called on to contribute from the bench.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zola confident West Ham can improve further next season
19.05.09 | Andrew Slevison

West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is confident his team can improve on this
year's top-half finish next season. The Italian tactician has led the
Hammers to a season better than most predicted and despite being in trouble
financially, Zola is adamant the club will continue to get stronger. "We are
a very young team, the players will have more experience and we might be
able to improve the team for next season and so I am really pleased," he
told the club's official website. "I am absolutely positive that we will be
much better next season. "We will have Dean Ashton back and that will be a
big thing for us. Plus all the players will be better next season. "We have
to make certain considerations now. The aim is still to improve the team. We
don't need a bigger squad than we thought. "It would be a pity not to end
the season with a victory on Sunday (against Middlesbrough) and I have told
the players that. We want to make sure it happens."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole satisfied after West Ham comeback
19.05.09 | tribalfootball.com

Carlton Cole was happy to make his West Ham comeback, despite defeat to
Everton. The England striker had been out for seven weeks and told
whufc.com: "Obviously the manager decided not to start me but it was a good
call because, when I came on, it was a bit hard for me to get straight into
the game and be as influential as I wanted to be. "I had one good
opportunity to score, but I wasn't as sharp as I wanted to be. If I'd been a
bit more aggressive with it and taken it on first-time and tried to dink it
over the goalkeeper, maybe I would have scored and it would have turned the
game a bit, but it wasn't to be."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Zola ready to be ruthless in summer market
19.05.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is prepared to be ruthless in his squad
building plans. He told whufc.com: "Obviously the club pays me for those
moments and I have to take the decision and I will do that with the interest
of the club to take the club forward. When the moment comes I will make it.
"It is no problem to make the decision. I am motivated by the fact that I
want to make the team and club better and I will take the decisions bearing
that in mind. I will be all right, I know it is part of the job."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham No1 Green highlights Upson, Ilunga impact
19.05.09 | tribalfootball.com

West Ham United goalkeeper Robert Green says defenders Matthew Upson and
Herita Ilunga should be considered for this season's Hammer of the Year
award.
Green won the trophy last season and told whufc.com: "There are obvious
candidates but personally, being the goalkeeper, I feel that barring the
last two games we've had a good season at the back.
"I'd be looking at someone like Matthew Upson who has played all but one of
the [Barclays Premier League] games and been tremendous and Herita as well.
"It's a difficult one because Matthew is obviously experienced within the
Premier League but Rita has come in and stepped straight into the team and
played every Premier League game since his arrival. For someone to do that
is fantastic because it is such a hard league to come into. If either of
those two wins it then I think that would be right because they've both had
tremendous seasons.
"The other player who is in the running is Scotty (Parker), but the fact
that he's missed a quarter of the season goes against him. He has been
tremendous this season too, breaking teams down, so either him or either of
the two guys at the back would be worthy winners."