WHUFc.com
Alex Dyer was delighted with the attitude shown by his young squad at Arka
Gdynia
27.10.2009
Alex Dyer has declared West Ham United reserves trip to Poland an
unqualified success on and off the pitch. The Hammers, who fielded a
starting XI containing no fewer than nine teenagers, stormed into a 2-0 lead
against hosts Arka Gdynia through goals from Terry Dixon and Switzerland
Under-19 defender Fabio Daprela. Arka, who sit eleventh in Poland's
top-flight, named a strong team for the specially-arranged friendly fixture,
which was held to mark the club's 80th birthday and the 30th anniversary of
their one and only Polish Cup win in 1979. However, it was only when both
managers made a series of substitutions in the closing stages that the home
side's greater experience enabled them to fight back and level the score at
2-2 late on. Dyer said he, his staff and his players had thoroughly enjoyed
their three-day stay in Eastern Pomerania. "We came away on Monday and
everything we have experienced has been good," said the reserve-team
manager. "The people out here have looked after us and the game itself was
good. "We made a few changes by the end of the game but, before that, the
young boys did very well. They have come over and done West Ham United
proud. "It was a hard game but they did well. There was a good crowd of
around 5,000 in the ground and the atmosphere was different from anything
many of them have experienced before."
Dyer was pleased with his whole squad, with Dixon catching the eye with a
neatly taken goal on what was his longest run-out for West Ham since his
recovery from a long-term knee injury. "Terry did well. He played for an
hour or so and he took his goal very well, so I was pleased. His football
was very controlled and it was nice to see him play for so long. "As a
group, the lads came out here with the right approach and they wanted to do
well, which they did."
Dyer concluded by suggesting that the trip to Gdynia could become a regular
fixture for his reserve squad. "I said in the press conference after the
game that we had thoroughly enjoyed every minute we had spent in Poland.
Maybe we can come out here regularly. It was a nice. We needed some
confidence and a lot of the lads will have taken that from this trip. We'd
love to come back if we get the chance."
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Dixon scores in draw
WHUFc.com
Terry Dixon and Fabio Daprela scored their first goals for the club in a
friendly in Poland
27.10.2009
Arka Gdynia 2-2 West Ham United XI
Terry Dixon scored his first goal for West Ham United as Alex Dyer's
reserves drew 2-2 in a specially arranged friendly in Poland with top-flight
side Arka Gdynia. The match was held to mark the 80th anniversary of Arka,
who also lifted the Polish Cup for the only time in their history 30 years
ago and is the club which provided the Hammers with Academy right-back Filip
Modelski. Dyer's men took the lead on nine minutes when Nigel Quashie's
free-kick was not properly cleared by the hosts and, after Georg Grasser's
header, Dixon pounced to score with a neat low left-foot finish into the
corner from eight yards out. Fabio Daprela then pounced from close range to
make it 2-0 just after the hour, with Quashie again involved, before the
home side, who are eleventh in the 16-team Ekstraklasa, battled back in a
last 20 minutes dominated by a host of substitutions by both teams. Dixon
had partnered Frank Nouble up front for the first hour, while Bondz N'Gala
had the honour of captaining the side. It was the second match against
continental opposition for the club in recent weeks after a home friendly
against French top-flight side Valenciennes. The young Hammers will return
home on Wednesday with the Under-18s set to play Arsenal in the FA Premier
Academy League this coming weekend.
West Ham United: Stech, Brookes, Brown, N'Gala, Daprela, Quashie, Grasser,
Wearen, Kearns, Nouble, Dixon
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Modelski in Poland picture
WHUFC.com
The 17-year-old Polish right-back Filip Modelski had good reason for missing
a friendly against his old club
27.10.2009
Filip Modelski had good reason for missing out on a trip to face his old
club Arka Gdynia this week because of a return to international duty. The
17-year-old Hammers right-back left Arka for east London two years ago, but
was sadly absent in the 2-2 draw between the clubs on Tuesday night because
of his country's call. Modelski was instead with the Poland Under-18s,
preparing for a Wednesday friendly in Bulgaria. Nevertheless, he was eager
to tell all his club-mates all about his old club and the warm reception
they and Alex Dyer's coaching staff would receive. "It will be really good
for us to have a different experience," he said. "A lot of people are
excited about this match in Poland and there should be a good crowd. "It is
a shame that I don't get to play against my local team. It would have been
nice to play against my old mates and in front of my friends and family.
Quite a few people will come to watch the game. They are really excited to
have West Ham coming over. "There are a lot of West Ham supporters. They
love the club and follow how we do every week on TV. A lot of them come over
as well to watch West Ham games. They are very interested to see us live in
Poland."
While Arka's 12,000-capacity stadium provided a different experience from
playing at the Boleyn Ground, Modelski explained his club-mates will have
other Polish customs to get used to, such as the cuisine. "Our players will
be surprised by the food. It is quite different to English food, I can't
even describe what it will be like for them. I am sure they will like it if
they try it, Polish cooking is nice."
Modelski said there is an increasing buzz back home because of the 2012 UEFA
European Championship, to be jointly hosted with Ukraine. Although he has
missed out on this chance to play in his homeland this time, he does harbour
ambitions of returning for the finals as a West Ham first-team player. "That
would be a dream. I will only be 20 but who knows in three years I could be
playing. I have a lot of hard work to do though. The excitement is growing
for 2012. The fans in Poland like international football and it is going to
get bigger."
First for Modelski though is proving himself in the Academy under Tony Carr,
and he continues to improve after overcoming a serious knee injury suffered
at the turn of the year. The Under-18s have a "massive game" away to Arsenal
on Saturday morning and the defender is just delighted to be involved. "I am
really happy with how things have gone. I am really pleased for the people
who have worked with me and they have helped me so much. I am playing full
games, I feel fit, stronger than I was. "I feel so strong mentally after
injury. I was coming in every day at 8am to do the best I could with my
rehab and I think it is paying off."
Modelski's international ambitions have been on hold while he was out
injured but he was delighted to be called up again at the first opportunity.
He said his team-mates were all curious about his West Ham experience. "It
is quite nice to be back. I can't wait for it. Most of my team-mates are
playing in Poland, a few are in Germany and one is Holland but most are back
home. "They ask me about West Ham all the time. They ask what it is like in
England and how I am doing. I tell them about the training we do and what
the matches are like. It is a great club and I tell everyone that."
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'We're all together'
WHUFC.com
Matthew Upson believes there is a strong unity in the squad as thoughts turn
to Sunderland
27.10.2009
Matthew Upson has spoken of the togetherness in the camp as the squad look
to Saturday's trip to Sunderland with renewed confidence. The West Ham
United captain said the second-half display last weekend against Arsenal
summed up the belief behind the manager. "We were determined to go out there
and get back into the game. We did that, we ground it out and got back in.
"The team has fighting spirit. We spoke about that at half-time and went
back out there to give it a go, we had nothing to lose at that point. It
shows we're all together, a second-half comeback like that shows we're all
together and behind the manager. "We have been getting penalised for every
mistake, every half mistake of late we have been making. They have cost us
but it was good to get back in there and maybe we could have even won it."
The England international said the squad and in particular the manager
Gianfranco Zola were only concerned about what they did on the pitch, and
not those writing the club off already. "Criticism comes your way in this
job, especially for managers. But I am sure he can deal with it all. "We
will all take the criticism on the chin together, do something about it and
continue to come back from any of it in a positive manner."
Summing up that response was his England team-mate Robert Green who produced
a stunning match-winning save at the death to save a point - and underline
his international credentials when the goalkeeping position is under close
scrutiny. "He's a strong lad, he's been brilliant and anything like that can
only make him stronger."
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Dixon in pole position as Hammers earn draw
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th October 2009
By: Staff Writer
Alex Dyer's reserves earned a creditable draw in their mid-season friendly
against Arka Gdynia in Poland tonight. A young Hammers XI - plus Nigel
Quashie - surged into a 2-0 lead before the Ekstraklasa outfit scored twice
late on to ensure a share of the spoils. Terry Dixon continued his
rehabilitation with a goal inside the opening ten minutes (which you can see
below). The Irish striker pounced inside the six yard box to convert Georg
Grasser's centre. West Ham - who were well-represented on the terraces by a
healthy group of Polish-based Hammers fans - went two ahead on 62 minutes
when Swiss full-back Fabio Daprela scored from close range. But Arka - whose
ground is the northern-most venue of the Polish first division's 16 clubs -
almost immediately reduced the deficit to one again through midfielder Filip
Burkhardt. With just four minutes remaining, and with the Hammers looking as
if they would hold on for a well-deserved win, Arka snatched a dramatic
equaliser through Bartosz Lawa - ensuring the game, arranged as a condition
of the recent transfer of youngster Filip Modelski from Arka to West Ham
ended 2-2. Dixon, who harbours hopes of breaking into Gianfranco Zola's
first team squad this season played 57 minutes before being replaced by
Oliver Lee. Captain for the day was centre half Bondz N'Gala, who made his
first team debut in the 3-1 Carling Cup defeat at Bolton last month.
Arka Gdynia 2 West Ham United 2: match facts
West Ham United XI: Stech (Loveday 77), Brookes, Brown (Barrett 61),
Quashie, N'Gala, Daprela, Kearns (Okus 73), Wearen (Ferrari 73), Nouble
(Adbulla 56), Dixon (Lee 57), Grasser (Zola 64).
Goals: Dixon (9), Daprela (62).
Arka Gdynia: Witkowski, Kowalski (Brodzinski 46), Szmatiuk (Plotka 46),
Siebert (Bialas 46), Wilczynski (Robakowski 46), Karwan (Burkhardt 46),
Mrowiec (Lawa 46), Sulima (Ulanowski 46), Lubenov (Sokolowski 46), Trytko
(Labukas 46), Czoska (Bulka 46).
Goals: Burkhardt (68), Lawa (86).
Referee: Dawid Piasecki.
Attendance: 8,942.
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Bournemouth plead to keep West Ham star
Published 23:00 27/10/09 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Bournemouth have asked the Football League to lift their transfer embargo
and enable them to extend West Ham midfielder Anthony Edgar's loan into a
second month.
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Zola willing to pay price for Italian Cassano
28.10.09 | Ian Ferris
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola is eyeing Italy Antonio Cassano as the man to
drag the Hammers out of trouble, reports the Daily Mail. The Hammers have
been told that the Sampdoria striker is out of their price range, but Zola
will not give up after seeing his side score just 11 goals in nine games.
Cassano has a buyout clause of £14.5million and West Ham would need to
secure new investment to launch a concrete bid for the 27-year-old. Zola
hoped the fighting spirit showed by his team's comeback to get a 2-2 draw
with Arsenal on Sunday will attract new money into Upton Park.
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