WHUFC Web Item - SVL Flavia Solva match preview

SVL Flavia Solva match preview
WHUFC.com
West Ham United kick-off their pre-season tour in Austria on Wednesday
evening
15.07.2009

Steve Clarke is looking forward to West Ham United's first continental
challenge of the pre-season when they play Austrian side SVL Flavia Solva in
Wagna.

The Hammers got their domestic pre-season campaign off to a winning start on
Sunday with a 2-1 win at Grays Athletic and it is expected that they will
name a similar line-up for Wednesday's game, with kick-off at the Roman
stadium set for 6.30pm local time.

"We're not going to play any of the boys who missed the first week of
training," Clarke said. "We played two teams at Grays but we haven't brought
enough players with us to do a similar exercise here, so some of the players
will play a little bit longer.

"It will be a mixture of the experienced and not so experienced. It will be
a compilation of the players that played at Grays."

That means that the likes of new arrival Luis Jimenez, with two days of
training with his new team-mates behind him, Robert Green, Carlton Cole,
Matthew Upson and Luis Boa Morte - who joined the squad following Sunday's
game - are likely to have to wait until Saturday's game with Werder Bremen
for their first taste of action on the tour.

"Come Saturday the international players that joined us late should be in a
position to play 45 minutes so that would be the plan then," confirmed
Clarke. "We will look to integrate them into the team for 45 minutes
alongside the players that will have been there for two weeks."

The internationals' absence means youngsters Ollie Lee, Anthony Edgar and
Georg Grasser may get another chance to impress against Flavia Solva, who
won promotion to the Austrian Third Division last season.

"The selection process for the young players we have brought on tour was
that we knew the senior players we were bringing and then we picked the
younger players to fit in around them to make the training exercises work
properly.

"We need certain players for certain positions. That is the process, and
anyone who catches the eye you have to bring along."

Although keen to put in some competitive performances while on the tour,
Clarke believes the intensive nature of the team's training means that
positive results are not necessarily the first priority.

"By next Saturday the players will be very tired anyway. They will have
played two pre-season games with fatigue in their legs so the objective is
not really the result, but obviously it is nice to win.

"We're not aiming to lose the games but we know the games will be difficult
due to the level of fatigue that will be in the players' legs."

Clarke, alongside Gianfranco Zola, reserve team manager Alex Dyer and
fitness coach Antonio Pintus, have been pushing the squad hard, with tough
training sessions during the mornings and afternoons of non-match days.
Although the tour is still in its early stages, the first-team coach is
pleased with how the players have responded to the schedule.

"They are working very hard in training. The heat is making it a bit more
difficult for them but they are working well and so far all of the
objectives have been achieved.

"Out aim is to get them as fit as possible so they are ready for a long hard
season in the Premier League."

Daily WHUFC News - 15th July 2009

Tough training in Austria
WHUFC.com
The players are being worked hard on the second day of their pre-season
training camp
14.07.2009

West Ham United's players continued their pre-season training in the
Austrian village of Bad Radkersburg on Tuesday.

The whole first-team squad travelled to the training facility one kilometre
from the hotel, with the majority of the group opting to make use of the
free bike hire for the short trip. Once there, only Valon Behrami and Scott
Parker missed the session. Instead, the pair worked intensively on their own
programmes with the fitness and conditioning coaches.

Luis Jimenez looked sharp in his second training session with his new
team-mates, playing an influential role during the practice match at the
end. Experienced heads like Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer also looked in
good shape as they trained alongside youngsters Oliver Lee, Anthony Edgar
and Georg Grasser.

Tuesday's training began with fitness coach Antonio Pintus leading the squad
through a thorough warm-up with stretching and strength exercises for the
core muscle groups.

Then, for the main part of the session, the squad was split in two.
Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke worked on an advanced passing and moving
routine that concluded with the players taking shots at goal - with the
manager filling the slightly unfamiliar role of goalkeeper!

Elsewhere, reserve team manager Alex Dyer worked mainly on a passing and
moving routine with the players in his half of the pitch.

The coaching staff will put the players through their paces once more on
Tuesday afternoon as they step up preparations for the first game of the
tour - a friendly with Austrian Regionalliga side SV Flavia Solva in Wagna
on Wednesday evening.

That fixture could to see Jimenez make his debut for the Hammers, while
Matthew Upson, Robert Green, Carlton Cole, Savio and Luis Boa Morte could
all make their first appearances of the pre-season campaign.

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Sears scores on debut
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears began his loan spell at Crystal Palace with a goal in their
opening US tour match
14.07.2009

Freddie Sears made a goalscoring debut to his season-long loan spell at
Crystal Palace on Monday. The 19-year-old striker, who linked up with the
Coca-Cola Championship side last month, was among the scorers in a 5-2
pre-season friendly victory over Crystal Palace USA in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fellow forward Alan Lee scored the Eagles' first goal before Sears netted
the second. Two own-goals and an Alesanne N'Diaye strike completed the
scoring for the tourists. The teenager also scored on his West Ham United
debut, netting a late winner in the 2-1 Barclays Premier League victory over
Blackburn Rovers at the Boleyn Ground on 15 March 2008.
Sears could make his second Palace appearance in the club's fixture against
United Soccer League outfit Harrisburg City Islanders at the Lancaster's
Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Thursday evening.
Palace open their Championship campaign at home to Plymouth Argyle on
Saturday 8 August.

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Dean Ashton Needs to Shape Up or Ship Out
West Ham Till I Die

I am at a loss to explain why Dean Ashton hasn't travelled to Austria with
the rest of the squad. He was apparently fit by the end of last season.
There can be only one of two explanations - that he has picked up another
injury, or he has decided his future is away from Upton Park. If that is the
case, his attitude stinks. He is one of the top earners at the club and owes
it to the club to show it the same loyalty it has showed him.

No club should entertain the thought of keeping a player who wants to leave.
I certainly don't want a proven goalscorer to leave us, but if we can get a
good price for him, maybe that is the best option if his mind is not right.
Zola wants a team of players who buy into his vision. I am told that Ashton
wants a guaranteed start but Zola has told him he will have to prove
himself. There's only going to be one winner in that debate and that's the
manager. Ashton needs to shape up or ship out - but not for less than £10
million.

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Tevez surprised by success in England
Reuters - Yesterday, 18:40
FourFourTwo.com

BUENOS AIRES - Carlos Tevez has surprised himself with his success in
English football, Manchester City's new signing said on Tuesday. "The truth
is that when I signed for West Ham I wanted to leave after 10 days," the
Argentina striker said. "I never thought I'd achieve all the good things
I've done in this country," the 25-year-old added in an interview with Radio
del Plata. "At this stage of my life I only think of continuing to grow and
progress. I want to be one of the best players in England," said Tevez, who
had a season at West Ham United, helping them avoid relegation in 2006
before moving to Manchester United. "England is a high quality country, my
wife is very happy and my daughter, who is four, too. This year she starts
school here. I signed a contract for five years and I'm relaxed."

Tevez, who said he was off to South Africa with City for the pre-season,
added: "This season will be very important with very big challenges with the
club and the (Argentine) national team. "So it will be essential to have
good preparation this month for the whole year."

City are trying to buy themselves into the Premier League elite while
Argentina have struggled lately in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in
South Africa. Iranian-born entrepreneur Kia Joorabchian, who sold Tevez's
transfer rights to City after he placed the player on loan at West Ham and
then United, said he had done very good business. He paid Boca Juniors 19.5
million dollars for Tevez in 2004 and City spent a reported 25.5 million
pounds on the player's transfer. "I did very good business...I paid cheaply
for Carlitos," Joorabchian told the Argentine sports daily Ole in an
interview published on Tuesday. "When we bought him for $20 million everyone
said that was too expensive. But he's worth much more. "As a person he's
incredible... For me, Carlitos has no price, not 50 nor 60 million. "It's an
incredible story... He started playing football in a very poor area. He came
out of Fort Apache," said Joorabchian referring to the dangerous shanty in
which Tevez grew up. "We began (our liaison) with a title at Corinthians (in
Brazil), he saved West Ham (from relegation) and won six titles (trophies)
with United. "This is the start of a new project, starting from nothing,
because City has nothing today, but Carlitos is a winner."

Tevez's transfer fee was the second highest for an Argentine player after
former Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo, who joined Lazio from Parma for 35
million pounds in 2000.

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West Ham United Target Eidur Gudjohnsen In Loan Deal
Goal.com
Jul 14, 5:58 am EDT

West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola is set to further compound his
interest in Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen by attempting to sign the
player on a season-long loan. Gudjohnsen, who played alongside Zola at
Chelsea before the Italian returned to his native country, is out of favour
at Camp Nou and looks likely to leave Spain this summer. Zola has been vocal
about his admiration for the Icelandic forward in the past and has admitted
the Hammers need to strengthen their attack for the 2009/10 Premier League.
"We are trying to spot what our ­weaknesses are. Certainly we need to
improve up front and that is the majority of the job." he said, according to
the Daily Star. Gudjohnsen could favour a move back to England after
enjoying a spell at Bolton Wanderers, where he became an established talent,
before arriving at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile West Ham have begun their
transfer activity with the loan signing of Inter midfielder Luis Jiminez.
The Chiliean has joined the Hammers squad for pre-season training after the
deal was confirmed.

Jamie Dunn, Goal.com

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Sunderland linked with West Ham raid
Northumberland Gazette
Published Date: 14 July 2009

The latest player to be linked with Sunderland's desire to strengthen
central defence is West Ham's Wales international James Collins. Collins
would be a more credible target than Arsenal's Philippe Senderos or Spurs'
Michael Dawson – two centre-halves who were said in the Sunday papers to be
interesting the Black Cats. Sunderland have been admirers of Collins's
quality since before Bruce's arrival.

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