All the team news and action as it happened as Alex Dyer's reserves drew 1-1 with Portsmouth
20.01.2010
West Ham United reserves v Portsmouth reserves
Barclays Premier Reserve League South
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Woodside Park, Bishop's Stortford FC
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: M.McLaughlin
Final score - West Ham United reserves 1-1 Portsmouth reserves
93 mins - The game is over. A point for Alex Dyer's side, who will return to action with a home fixture against Chelsea on Tuesday 23 February. Just a reminder that the U18s travel to Chelsea on Saturday morning. With the first team not in action, supporters can travel to the Blues' training ground to watch the fixture, with kick-off at 11am. A point lifts the reserves above Birmingham City into sixth in the table, while Portsmouth have closed the gap on second-placed Arsenal to three points with a game in-hand still to play. That's all from Woodside Park tonight, but keep a close eye on whufc.com for Alex Dyer's exclusive reaction to Wednesday's game.
91 mins - We're going to have at least two added minutes for West Ham to find a winning goal. Pompey look like they have settled for a draw. So close from Olly Lee, who got the ball on to his right foot before testing O'Brien. The goalkeeper had to be at his best to turn that ball around the post. From the resulting corner, Da Costa rises high, but the Portsmouth defence holds firm.
90 mins - West Ham are in the ascendancy as the game enters its final minute. Kearns wins another corner. He takes the kick himself, and again Pompey head clear. West Ham pick up possession again, and Edgar shoots into the side-netting.
88 mins - Ferrari gets forward again and wins a corner. Kearns's delivery to the near post is easily headed clear.
86 mins - That was probably West Ham's chance to win the game. Sears got free down the left, latching on to Edgar's pass before crossing towards the unmarked Lee. The midfielder arrived late, but could only plant his header firmly into the midriff of O'Brien. Either side of him and it would have been a goal. Pompey break quickly and Ritchie forces Kurucz into a save low down.
85 mins - Good from Ferrari again as he beats two men to get deep inside the Portsmouth penalty area, only for his cross towards Subuola to be cleared.
83 mins - West Ham make their second substitution, with Spence being replaced by Tony Brookes.
81 mins - Pompey make their third and final change. No16 Carl Walshe is on for No4 Billy Goddard. Walshe will play up front.
80 mins - Nlundulu again. This time, Spence had vacated his right-back berth to go on the attack before West Ham lost possession. Nlundulu again cut on to his left foot before forcing a smart low save from Kurucz.
76 mins - Sowah has recovered from his knock and scampers down the left before finding Nlundulu. The goalscorer cuts inside on to his left foot and shoots, but it slices well wide of the far post. It actually seems to be getting warmer here, either that or my hands are getting used to the cold!
74 mins - Good run from Spence down the right, but his cross is just too high for Sears to get his head to. Portsmouth break, but Daprela does well to snuff out the danger.
69 mins - Very close to a second goal for West Ham. Sears latches on to a pass from Subuola before appearing to lose possession inside the penalty area. He pokes the ball out to Kearns, though, but the winger can only shoot over under pressure from the sliding Sowah. The left-back appears to be injured in making his tackle and needs some attention.
68 mins - Nadir Ciftci and Ellis Martin are on for Subotic and Williamson.
67 mins - Portsmouth are going to make some changes here. They've only named three substitutes, and it looks like two of them are going to be in action soon.
66 mins - A second booking for a Hammers player. Edgar loses possession and, seconds later, brings down Matt Ritchie near the corner flag. He is then shown a yellow card for his troubles. Bopp crosses and Kurucz gets up well to punch the ball well clear of the danger area.
65 mins - West Ham win another corner. Edgar takes it in Stanislas's absence, but Daprela can only head his dipping delivery over the crossbar.
64 mins - It's all got a bit lively out there, with some challenges flying in from both sets of players. West Ham make their first change, bringing on U18 forward Danny Subuola for Stanislas.
60 mins - West Ham have really upped their game here. First, Kearns tests O'Brien with a well-struck shot, then Stanislas launches a low drive inches wide from about 25 yards out. They look the favourites to nick a winner, do Alex Dyer's team.
59 mins - The general concensus is that Spence DID score that goal! If he did, his reaction was very understated, indeed.
58 mins - GOAL! The ball is whipped in by Stanislas and appears to hit Portsmouth defender Ryan before flying into the top corner. There is some confusion over the identity of the scorer, as no West Ham player seems to celebrate. The stadium announcer gives the goal to Spence, who raises his arm in reaction. I don't think it was the Hammer who got the decisive touch, though.
58 mins - Sears wins a corner down the right flank. No sign of any changes for either side just yet.
55 mins - Portsmouth come within a lick of paint of doubling their advantage. Subotic robs Da Costa before beating the Portugal defender and Spence and cutting the ball into the six-yard box where Daprela controls and appears to kick the ball against his own post before Kurucz pounces on it.
54 mins - West Ham have been better since the interval. Their passing and movement have been much more incisive and it is paying dividends. Sears goes close, clipping a cross over the head of the scrambling O'Brien, only for the ball to float wide of the far post.
50 mins - That would have been a truly outstanding goal from Ferrari, who literally carried the ball 40 yards into the Portsmouth penalty area before seeing his shot blocked by O'Brien. The Italian is a threat going forward, with two good feet and the ability to beat his man, as was illustrated there.
48 mins - Subotic has good feet for a big man, and forces Da Costa into conceding a corner. Bopp curls the ball in and Da Costa heads clear.
47 mins - It was the same at the Boleyn Ground last night, when the likes of Stanislas, Frank Nouble, Mark Noble and James Tomkins all watched Tony Carr's U18s reach the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup. A date for their home tie against Newcastle United has yet to be set. Keep an eye on whufc.com for details.
46 mins - Zavon Hines is among the few brave souls who have turned out to support the reserves this evening. Good work, sir. He is wrapped up warm against the cold. Sensible lad.
No changes from either manager at the break. Portsmouth will get us back underway.
Half-time score - West Ham United reserves 0-1 Portsmouth reserves
46 mins - So close to a second for Portsmouth as Subotic dances around Kurucz, only to see his shot miraculously deflected behind for a corner. The flag-kick is cleared and, soon after, the half-time whistle is blown. Join us again for the second half in around 15 minutes.
45 mins - Edgar finds Stanislas rampaging through the middle, only for the winger to be flagged for offside. It would not have mattered, as Stanislas screws his shot out of the stadium. We're going to have one minute of added time.
43 mins - Payne starts a move deep inside his own half before spreading the play wide to Kearns. He finds Spence, who curls in a cross from deep, but O'Brien is there to claim the high ball ahead of Sears.
41 mins - GOAL! Absolutely out of nowhere, Portsmouth take the lead through Nlundulu. The midfielder took the ball and got free of Da Costa before slotting past Kurucz from just inside the penalty area. Edgar is shown the yellow card before the Hammers re-start the game, presumably for dissent.
37 mins - Thomas Kilbey strides forward through the midfield for the away team, only to slice his left-foot shot well wide from 25 yards.
36 mins - Payne wins the ball well in midfield and tries to lift a clever pass over the top for Stanislas - who has swapped flanks with Edgar, incidentally - but it is cut out. Seconds later, Payne shoots from long range and the ball takes a nick off Sears, only to roll into the arms of O'Brien.
33 mins - A chance for Portsmouth in the shape of a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Referee McLaughlin tried to play an advantage when Lennard Sowah was fouled, but brought play back when none resulted. From the set piece, Billy Goddard got his head to the ball for the visitors, but could only send the ball looping gently into the hands of Kurucz.
31 mins - West Ham's centre-backs have enjoyed a fairly comfortable evening so far, as most of Pompey's attacking play has come down the flanks.
28 mins - Both sides are really cancelling each other out here. If West Ham are to break the deadlock, Edgar looks the likeliest creator.
24 mins - It really is eerily quiet here at the moment, with only the sound of plans arriving at nearby Stansted Airport breaking the silence. To use a well-worn cliche, this game needs a goal. Badly.
21 mins - Good patient build-up play from the home side sees them work the ball from one side of the pitch to the other before winning a throw-in deep in Portsmouth territory. West Ham keep the pressure on and Ferrari looks to have got in behind the defence, only to be denied by the assistant referee's flag for offside.
19 mins - Aside from that flurry of shots early on, we have not seen much goalmouth action to warm us up here. Just as I type, Edgar curls in a dipping shot from 20 yards straight at O'Brien.
15 mins - Edgar wins a free-kick five yards outside the Pompey penalty area wide on the right. Stanislas lifts the ball in but it is too close to O'Brien.
12 mins - Sears looks really lively up front. The forward is running the channels well and looking to latch on to any through balls that are sent his way. Sears was all smiles after notching two penalties against Arsenal last week, on what was his first reserve-team appearance of the season.
11 mins - First-team coach Steve Clarke, Academy Director Tony Carr and goalkeeper coach Ludek Miklosko are all here to watch the game. A number of the players on view will be hoping to be involved when the Hammers travel to Fratton Park to take on the same opposition in the Barclays Premier League in six days' time.
8 mins - A long punt forward is mis-controlled by Da Costa as he attempts to help it back to Kurucz. The goalkeeper rushes out smartly to smash the ball upfield.
7 mins - It's all happening here. Ferrari gives the ball away deep in West Ham territory and it is fed to the towering Daniel Subotic. The big striker gets the ball on to his left foot and forces Kurucz into a diving save.
5 mins - Oooh! Close to the opening goal for Sears, who worked himself a shooting chance and stung O'Brien's palms with a well-struck shot that the goalkeeper could only help over the top. From the resulting Stanislas corner, Daprela heads powerfully over from six yards.
3 mins - Gael Nlundulu works a bit of space inside the penalty area, but his shot is weak and an easy catch for Kurucz.
2 mins - The home side have possession in the early stages, with Stanislas spreading play wide right to Edgar. He finds Ferrari, whose low cross hits Perry Ryan and loops into the arms of goalkeeper Liam O'Brien.
7pm - We're off and running here at Woodside Park as West Ham kick-off...
6.57pm - Here come the two sides. Portsmouth are in white shirts, blue shirts and blue socks. West Ham are sporting claret shirts, white shorts and claret socks.
6.55pm - Both teams are back in their respective dressing rooms here at Woodside Park, with kick-off rapidly approaching. Following last night's FA Youth Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers, West Ham are looking for a second win in the space of 24 hours.
Good evening and welcome to a chilly Woodside Park, Bishop's Stortford, for what should be an exciting Barclays Premier Reserve League South fixture. Tonight's game will see West Ham United go for their first victory of 2010 against an inexperienced Portsmouth.
While Alex Dyer has named seven players with Barclays Premier League playing time under their belts in his starting XI, Pompey boss Guy Whittingham has a team without a single first-team appearance for the south coast club between them.
The Hammers have Hungary Under-21 goalkeeper Peter Kurucz between the sticks, with a multi-national back-four of former England U19 captain Jordan Spence, Portugal U23 Manuel da Costa, Switzerland U19 and Italian Davide Ferrari at left-back.
Northern Ireland U17 winger Daniel Kearns is joined by first-year professional Olly Lee and Josh Payne in midfield, with the lively Junior Stanislas and Anthony Edgar supporting striker Freddie Sears up front. Sears will be looking to carry on where he left off eight days ago, when he scored twice in a 4-2 reserve-team defeat by Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground.
For Portsmouth, Frenchman Gael Nlundulu scored in the reverse fixture in September, which ended in a 3-0 win for Whittingham's men. Centre-back Mike Williamson joined the club from Watford last summer.
Seventh-placed West Ham can close the gap on third-placed Portsmouth to a single point with victory on a chilly evening on the Essex/Herts border.
West Ham United reserves: Kurucz, Spence (Brookes 83), Da Costa, Daprela, Ferrari, Kearns, Lee, Payne, Edgar, Stanislas (Subuola 64), Sears
Subs: Mehmet, McNaughton, Purdy
Portsmouth reserves: O'Brien, Gregory, Ryan, Williamson (Martin 68), Sowah, Bopp, Kilbey, Goddard (Walshe 81), Nlundulu, Subotic (Ciftci 68) Ritchie
Unused subs: None
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Good day at Chadwell Heath
WHUFC.com
David Gold and David Sullivan have been to Chadwell Heath for the first time since taking charge
20.01.2010
Gianfranco Zola has welcomed joint chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan to West Ham United after they paid a visit to Chadwell Heath to meet the first-team squad. The club's new owners received a warm response from the playing and coaching staff when they gathered after training on Wednesday. Captain Matthew Upson led the squad into the meeting and was able to renew acquaintances first forged at Birmingham City during the informal introductions. For Mr Gold it was a return to familiar surroundings, having been to Chadwell Heath as a young player himself. While Tuesday's confirmation at the Boleyn Ground of his joint ownership of the club he has supported all his life was a memorable day, Wednesday's trip to the training ground was equally satisfying. "I am hugely excited still," said the joint chairman. "Part of that was getting to meet everyone down here today and getting a feel for the place. It is good to meet the players, I think that it is important that they can put faces to names and have contact when needed. It is about bringing everybody together. "The relationship between the board and the management is vital. Then it branches out to the rest of the staff. I was very impressed with the manager, he is measured, charming to work with and I am sure I am going to get along with him just fine. "Also when we talk about ownership, we have to remind ourselves that it is the fans that own the heart and soul of this club. It is not just them but it is their fathers and grandfathers before them. "
Having had another positive meeting with the joint chairmen, Zola explained how pleased he was to have the club's ownership situation resolved. He and Steve Clarke had also had two hours of talks the previous evening and came away from them in an upbeat mood. "I welcome the new chairmen to the club," the manager said. "It has been a good day. They have been very positive straight away and we have already begun working on what we need. We are going to find the players we need to help us. They know what the difficulties are and are working hard to sort them out. "We have spoken for so long about stability and the possibility of keeping our players so it has been very good to get things sorted out. The meeting last night went well and I am looking forward to the next match. "The players are positive as well and it was a good meeting with them today. They are really happy that we have what we have been looking for and now it is down to us to do our jobs."
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More Portsmouth tickets available
WHUFC.com
The club have been handed an additional 400 tickets for Tuesday's game at Portsmouth
20.01.2010
West Ham United have been allocated an extra 400 tickets for Tuesday evening's Barclays Premier League away game at Portsmouth.
The Hammers had sold all of their 1900 tickets but an extra 400 will now be available on general sale. Please note that the deadline for postal bookings is 3pm on Friday 22 January. These can be made by calling 0871 222 2700 and choosing option 3. After this time, tickets will be available from the West Stand ticket office until Monday 25 January at 5pm.
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Eggy passes the buck
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 21st January 2010
By: Staff Writer
Eggert Magnusson has hit back at claims made by David Sullivan after West Ham's new owner suggested he was largely responsible for the clubs £110million debts. Sullivan blasted Magnusson - who he referred to as Mr Egbertsson - during yesterday's press conference at the Boleyn Ground, when he criticised the former Chairman for the reckless spending spree that cost the club millions. But Magnusson - who, despite the criticism, fully supports Sullivan and Gold's acquisition of the club - refused to accept responsibility, blaming instead his former partner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson who held the purse strings.
"Maybe I wasn't told the right things about the club when I went there," he told the Sun. "Maybe I was led to believe there was more money available than there was; I was told that there was a lot of money to do things. And everybody was aware of the deals we were doing, it wasn't just down to me. "Does anyone honestly think I did that on my own? That I did it without the full knowledge and support of the owner, the chief executive and the manager Alan Curbishley? Of course not. If people are blaming me, so be it. But I know better and am still proud of my time at West Ham United."
Magnusson, a fans' favourite during his two-year stint in East London, added: "I love the club. They are real football people and they have real football fans," before wishing his successors the best of luck in turning around the club's fortunes. "I know David Gold and I really like him," he said. ""I even sent him a text message last Friday wishing good luck with his bid to buy West Ham. I really believe that he and Sullivan are the best people to be in control of West Ham right now. "They have their own money - it's not loans from banks."
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Hammers target McCarthy
Gold hints at move for Rovers ace
Last updated: 20th January 2010
SSN
Sky Sports News understands West Ham are hoping to sign Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy to bolster their attacking options. The Hammers are keen to add to their forward ranks with the club short of options in attack and McCarthy is the latest name on their radar McCarthy's future at Blackburn has been the subject of intense speculation for some time with the player failing to hold down a regular spot in the side under Sam Allardyce. The 32-year-old is thought to be keen on a move away from Ewood Park as he searches for regular first-team action to boost his chances of playing in this summer's World Cup with South Africa. West Ham joint-chairman David Gold has admitted McCarthy is one of their targets to bring to Upton Park before the close of the transfer window. Asked about the club's interest in McCarthy, Gold told Sky Sports News: "Yeah I think that he would be a good acquisition if that can be achieved. "It is possible but all strikers that are available as we speak are possible. "It is a question of can we do business."
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Busy, busy, busy
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 21st January 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are being linked with a whole host of strikers just 48 hours after new owners David Sullivan and David Gold revealed their plans to spend during transfer window.
Since the two Davids sat down with the managerial team of Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clark on Monday evening speculation regarding possible targets has been, understandably, rife. With the club understood to be prioritising the striker, right back and back-up goalkeeper roles it's no surprise West Ham are this morning being linked to practically every Premier League striker not an automatic starter for their club. The Mirror run with a story hinting at a move for Manchester City's Benjani, although that one seems unlikely as the player rejected a deadline day move to East London in the last transfer window. Benni McCarthy is mentioned just about everywhere, as you would expect following David Gold's admission yesterday lunchtime that he is a player that would 'be of interest'. The Express have dipped their hand in the tombola and drawn Tottenham's Robbie Keane, calling an alleged approach 'audacious business'... West Ham are said to have offered to take the Irish striker on loan for the remainder of the season, an offer it is further claimed that Tottenham rebuffed. Right back Alan Hutton is also mooted as a possible target by the same source. We told you last night about a rumour that emerged here on the KUMB.com forums claiming that Eidur Gudjohnsen was set to sign on loan for the rest of the season. Since that revelation the story has been repeated in the Icelandic press and in passing by today's Daily Mirror and Express. Elsewhere on the forums a Northern-based source cited Everton-via-Manchester City's Brazilian forward Jo, which just about covers all possible angles for this particular round-up.
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Hammers linked with Gudjohnsen - again
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 20th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are once again being linked with a move for Monaco striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. The Icelandic striker was close to joining the Hammers under the Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson regime but opted instead to remain in Barcelona, for whom he was playing at the time. However fresh speculation suggests that the Hammers are looking to take Gudjohnsen on loan for the remainder of the season - with sources in Iceland claiming that the 31-year-old will be flying to London tomorrow morning in order to enter talks with West Ham. Any such deal is likely to be on a loan basis with view to a permanent deal at the end of the season. Gudjohnsen, who joined Monaco on a two-year deal from Barca last summer has failed to make an impact at the Stade Louis II and has been linked with a number of clubs in recent weeks - including fellow Premier League side Blackburn, from whom West Ham are currently looking to sign Benni McCarthy.
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Davids Gold and Sullivan delight in Hammers horror
Self-styled Stanley Baldwin has taken on the West Ham messiah role and seems to have introduced his own dress code
Guardian.co.uk
West Ham United's new joint owner David Sullivan arrives at Upton Park in a blue Rolls-Royce and dons his claret smoking jacket. Photograph: Adam Davy/Empics
It makes no commercial sense for anyone to buy this club, explained David Sullivan of West Ham on Tuesday, having done just that with his chum David Gold – a man who has long pulled off the staggering feat of partnering with someone to whom he could be compared as "the nice one". As if to underline his descent into ostentatious insanity, Sullivan swept into Upton Park wearing what appeared to be Ian Wright's smoking jacket from the Chicken Tonight advert (YouTube it), although inevitably his status as one of our premier jazz mag-nates saw the garment draw comparisons with Hugh Hefner.
Somehow, though, the echo of that other smoking jacket aficionado Noël Coward feels most appropriate. It's not so much Sullivan's debonair charm – though that is undisputed – more his decision to use the pair's first press conference to position himself as an engaging raconteur. His tale was of the sensationally dire straits in which he and Gold had found West Ham.
"It's amazing that two other people wanted to buy it," he told hacks. "Every stone you turn is a negative to the cash flow and viability of the club …" On and on it went, till you could be forgiven for thinking Sullivan was talking dahn the pahnd, as our Cardiff-born Cockney would doubtless have it.
Clearly the 16 years at Birmingham prevent us from seeing the two Davids as naive plonkers in the Mike Ashley mould. And yet the mad altruist pose they seem to have adopted is similarly unconvincing. Or rather, unconvincing to most. It never ceases to amaze how willingly some people will accept whatever a new owner promises in the aftermath of purchase, in contravention of all logic. When Sven‑Goran Eriksson took charge at Notts County he immediately spoke not just of taking the club to the Champions League, but winning the thing, and there will have been those this week who swallowed Sullivan's and Gold's "Champions League in seven years" line, despite the fact they had just painstakingly itemised a financial dystopia, and offered no glimpse of how they could possibly ever compete with the breed of Premier League owners spending money on which they expect no cash return. Rather like hypnosis, this sort of schtick only works if you want it to happen to you. The only people who succumb are those irrationally conditioned to suspend their disbelief rather than to consider the worst. Which is to say, most of us, were it our football club.
Only in such a delirious atmosphere could Sullivan possibly dare to style himself as a slightly eccentric, twinkly uncle. "I've got a dodgy heart and David's 73," he declared. "But … maybe we'll beat the odds." God bless you, Tiny Tim. But let's not forget this is the same chap who was once caught on camera attempting to solicit an interview with Cilla Black, whose husband was suffering from what turned out to be terminal cancer, and when Cilla declined the then Sport proprietor left an answerphone message saying he would be forced "to resort to things which aren't very nice for you and aren't very nice for us".
Inevitably, the Sullivan-Gold ability to engage the public is not to all tastes. As the Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan, once memorably observed: "If I see another David Gold interview on the poor East End Jewish boy done good I'll impale myself on one of his dildos." I trust Simon has an arsenal of the things to hand, then, as we look to be in for a run of them.
Even for the serial optimists, the alarm bells might have rung at the point Sullivan announced that they'd be asking investors including Tony Fernandes, whose bid for West Ham they beat, to take on a minority stake in the club. "If you imagine a government of national unity in national crisis," football's Stanley Baldwin explained, by now presumably just floating this stuff for a dare, "this is the board equivalent of that."
Mm. It is worth remembering that Sullivan once said of the acquisition of Birmingham that "what was pleasing was that everything was so badly run that we could only improve it", and he seems to be encouraging people to think of West Ham in similar terms. Eventually, of course, that messiah complex modulated to an open distaste for Birmingham supporters' aspirations. "It's like when you've been with the same bird for years but you think Miss World is around the corner," he came to rail. "Well, she isn't." Come come, David. That smoking jacket was clearly the evening-wear round. We await the swimwear with interest.
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BRADY AND CO WILL RULE WITH AN IRON HAND
Daily Express
Thursday January 21,2010
By Graham Taylor
SO David Sullivan and David Gold have made their dreams come true by forking out £50million to take control of debt-ridden West Ham United. Some dream.
But if you compare Birmingham now with the same club 16 years ago when they and Karren Brady became involved, there may be some justification for believing that West Ham have been rescued. It might be worth Gianfranco Zola contacting the many Birmingham managers who were employed during their reign at St Andrews to get some indication of what daily life was like working with Brady, a woman who entered what was – and still is – a predominately male world, but who can more than hold her own.
She is vice-chairman and I expect redundancies in many parts of the club, with cost-cutting a high priority.
Both Sullivan and Gold have long admitted their love for West Ham. On taking over, Sullivan said: "No one in their right mind would buy this club, but even though we are not in our right minds, we are fans." But that should not belie the fact that they are business people. Sullivan has also been quoted as saying: "We are going to have to wheel and deal, which we are good at."
I expect all player transfers to be conducted by all or one of the governing three of Sullivan, Gold and Brady. It is the way the game has moved.
Managers have become more like head coaches as wealthy, powerful owners take charge and want the final say in many aspects of their business. The advantage that West Ham have is that the new owners are English, they have experience of running a professional club and understand the culture of football in this country and what it means to the ordinary man in the street, who over the last decade feels the game has been taken from him.
I have yet to witness a club takeover where the new owners state that the interests of the supporters will be at the top of the agenda. And by that I mean the cost of tickets, the cost of food and drink in the stadiums, the state of the toilets and whatever else it takes to make the supporter feel that he belongs to that club and that the club cares about him.
Most foreign owners have little or no understanding of what the heartbeat of our game is all about. Surely that accusation cannot be levelled now at West Ham. Naturally, winning games has to be at the top of the agenda, and holding on to Premier League status.
But the business of paying transfer fees, players' salaries and agents' commissions for what can in many cases turn out to be average players has to be handled with care. Do not under-estimate Brady's role in this. She is good and keen, but she is also capable of being bad and mean – attributes you must have in today's financially motivated football world.
Rumours were circulating that one Premier League club would go bust and that it wasn't Portsmouth. Most people would have opted for West Ham. That is not the case – for now. It rests with Sullivan, Gold and Brady to deliver the goods.
They and the club are made for one another.
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GIANFRANCO ZOLA MOVES FOR ROBBIE KEANE
Daily Express
Thursday January 21,2010
By Gideon Brooks
WEST Ham have attempted some audacious business in what remains of the transfer window with an initial inquiry to lure Tottenham's Robbie Keane to Upton Park. The Hammers' new owners David Gold and David Sullivan met manager Gianfranco Zola and assistant Steve Clarke at Sullivan's Essex home on Tuesday night to discuss squad reinforcements. While the inquiry for Keane, to bring him on loan until the end of the season, is said to have been rebuffed by Spurs, Zola is believed to have been given an £8million kitty to bolster his squad which is bulging with midfielders and short up front. The club have identified two strikers and a defender on their wish-list. While Keane looks to have been priced out of their early calculations, sifting through an enormous number of players who were offered to the club is going to be no easy task. On taking over control on Tuesday, Sullivan indicated that loan deals would be the order of the day. One name is Blackburn's Benni McCarthy, who is struggling to get into Sam Allardyce's calculations but could be available for a cut-price figure of around £1.7million. Gold said: "He would be a good acquisition if that could be achieved. So it's a possibility, but all strikers that are available are possibilities."
Eidur Gudjohnsen, currently at Monaco but well known to Zola from their days at Chelsea, is also a possible target as well as defender Alan Hutton who is struggling to get a regular first-team outing at Spurs. Sullivan stressed to Zola that while he would conduct the transfer business and hopes to have a new striker for the clash at Portsmouth on Tuesday, he will not impose unwanted players on his manager. Both he and Gold are giving their full backing to Zola and Clarke. "I was hugely impressed with Gianfranco and Steve. It's so great to meet a man who wants to work with us and make the team better," said Sullivan. "He has a 'can-do' attitude but with a pragmatic approach. "We agreed we need at least one striker quickly and the second by the end of the window." Sullivan and Gold made it clear to Zola that he has no need to sell anyone before the end of January, including their top stars Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and goalkeeper Robert Green.
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West Ham make Van Nistelrooy approach
January 21, 2010 | Transfer gossip
IMScouting.com
Ruud Van Nistelrooy West Ham have approached Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy over a move to Upton Park, according to Spanish publication AS. Reports in recent days suggested that Tottenham have been in discussions with the Real Madrid striker, while Van Nistelrooy's agent dismissed rumours that he would join Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Now it is claimed in AS, that Van Nistelrooy's agent Rodger Linse has been approached by West Ham whose new co-owner David Sullivan made clear yesterday that signing a striker is his priority for the Hammers. AS reports that West Ham are the third English club to make a move for the 33 year-old striker, the others being Stoke City and Tottenham who they claim do not have sufficient funds to secure a move. Van Nistelrooy, who returned from a long term knee injury in September, has made just two appearances in the Spanish Primera Division and Champions League for Real Madrid this season. His contract at the Bernabeu expires at the end of this season but he is eager for playing time to ensure he secures a place in the Dutch World Cup squad.
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Zola a 'relieved man' after takeover says Gold
Published 23:00 20/01/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
David Gold insists West Ham's takeover has left Gianfranco Zola a "relieved" man after holding crunch talks with the club's manager. Gold and business partner David Sullivan have both invested £25million each for a controlling 50 per cent stake in the Premier League strugglers. The pair's arrival has ended months of uncertainty at the crisis club, which has debts of an astonishing £100million. The Essex-based tycoons have pledged to keep the Hammers' star names like Matthew Upson and support Zola with funds for new players. Sullivan and Gold visited the club's training ground yesterday to meet the squad. And Sullivan also hosted a dinner at his Birch Hall mansion in Theydon Bois on Tuesday night to meet Zola and assistant Steve Clarke. Gold, 73, revealed: "It went very well. It was the first time I have met Franco and Steve. "I was very impressed with both of them. You could see the relief on their faces that at long last they had someone to share their issues. "I said: 'what can we do and how can we help'? "Franco said: 'I am not sure, I have never been asked that question before'. "But you could see Steve Clarke and Franco Zola look at each other and it was clearly a boost for them. "When we left after a couple of hours there was a bounce in everybody's step and we are on our way. "Morale was low - not just with the players and management, but also with the staff at the club. "There have been great difficulties at the football club. They feel like they are on this ship which has no rudder and no captain. "But that is no longer the case and together we can escape relegation."
The Hammers moved out of the drop zone on goal difference with a dogged 0-0 draw at Aston Villa on Sunday. Gold watched the game live on TV before he was confirmed as West Ham's joint-chairman with Sullivan at Tuesday's press conference. And Gold is desperate to help the Hammers - who he grew up supporting and played for as a youngster - avoid relegation. "I feel great, it is daunting but I feel full of optimism," added Gold, who considers Upson "a pal" from their time at Birmingham. "The important thing is the players and the management structure have been completely segregated from the football club. "The first thing we have to do is make sure everybody understands that we are in this together. "That is the owner, the players, the management and the board. "It has been fragmented. I feel sorry for the players and the management. "It has been made very difficult but I hope everyone is looking forward positively now."
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Shelling out gave club belief
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
EGGERT MAGNUSSON has hit back at claims he plunged West Ham into financial meltdown. The former Hammers chairman finally broke his silence more than two years after leaving. New owner David Sullivan labelled Eggy's stint at the helm as "crazy" for shelling out over-the-top wages to over-the-hill players - leaving the club "on its knees". Sullivan has inherited debts of £110million after getting the keys to Upton Park this week. He singled out Magnusson's deal for Freddie Ljungberg, who signed for West Ham on a reported £80,000-a-week deal at the age of 30. But Icelandic biscuit baron Magnusson, 62, said: "There was much criticism about wages when we signed Ljungberg, Matthew Upson, Lucas Neill, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker. "Does anyone honestly think I did that on my own? That I did it without the full knowledge and support of the owner, the chief executive and the manager Alan Curbishley? Of course not. "And people have quickly forgotten we managed to maintain our Premier League status in that first year - and that was a miracle. "Things could have got a lot worse had the club dropped into the Championship. "Most of it was down to the manager and the team but I like to think I played some part in it, giving the club belief. I was always positive and we never gave up. "And everybody was aware of the deals we were doing, it wasn't just down to me.
"Some players will be a success and others will not, whenever you make a signing. "It happens at every club. Look at Andriy Shevchenko and Chelsea for example. "If people are blaming me, so be it. But I know better and am still proud of my time at West Ham United. "Maybe I wasn't told the right things about the club when I went there. "Maybe I was led to believe there was more money available than there was. I was told that there was a lot of money to do things. "I still think West Ham may have made a mistake letting Neill leave. He was a superb right-back and a great character in the dressing room. "And look at Bellamy. He is playing pretty well at Manchester City and look how much West Ham made as profit out of that transfer."
Eggy served under now-skint Icelandic banker Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson after his £85million Hammers buyout in December 2006. He stepped down just a year later with West Ham in mid-table - but with mounting financial woes at the club and elsewhere in football. Magnusson has been forced to abandon his own action to reclaim around £1m in unpaid wages from Gudmundsson. Swede Ljungberg became the highest-paid player in West Ham's history but played just 25 games, scoring two goals. Parker - on around £50,000- a-week - was voted Hammer of the Year last season. Sullivan has confirmed SunSport's exclusive story that Magnusson tried to get involved with West Ham again and insists he laughed it off. But Magnusson said: "I have never spoken to David Sullivan in my life. "I telephoned David Gold some time ago because I had an investor who I thought might have been interested in the club. "Karren Brady called me back and we had a discussion about it but that was it. But I don't even know David Sullivan. "I know David Gold and I really like him. "I even sent him a text message last Friday wishing good luck with his bid to buy West Ham. "I really believe that he and Sullivan are the best people to be in control of West Ham right now. "They have their own money, it's not paper money or loans from banks."
Magnusson insists he still has a soft spot for West Ham. And he added: "I love the club. They are real football people and they have real football fans."
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Benni to get ball rolling
The Sun
WEST HAM have made a £1.25million bid for Benni McCarthy. The Blackburn and South Africa striker, 32, has made no secret of his desire to leave Ewood Park. And he could become the first signing under new Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold. West Ham are also interested in unsettled Manchester City hitman Benjani and James Beattie, who is keen to leave Stoke. Upton Park chief Gianfranco Zola is desperate for attackers following yesterday's £56.5m takeover. But, in a further development, Tony Fernandes will snub Sullivan's offer to join the board. Malaysian Hammers fan Fernandes was the big loser when his £100m takeover failed. He revealed on his Twitter page: "I've had many offers - but will take a breather from football."
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Time to accentuate the positives at West Ham
The Times Online
Anybody monitoring events at West Ham over the past 18 months would be wise to consider a few basic points.
First, as David Sullivan pointed out yesterday, the club was in dire financial straits (it still is) and reducing the wage bill had to be an imperative. With this in mind, the wage bill was slashed and some £30m profit was made over three transfer windows.
Mistakes were made - Savio Nsereko is one obvious one - but there were many more hits than misses. Think of all the kids from the youth team who made the grade: Jack Collison, Zavon Hines, Freddy Sears, Mark Tomkins, Junior Stanislas ... (And, no, it's not all solely down to Tony Carr and the academy - a brilliant academy can produce great players, it still takes a club with foresight to actually play them in the first team).
Think of some of the guys brought in on the cheap who nevertheless have made big contributions: Herita Ilunga, Radoslav Kovac, Valon Behrami and Guille Franco cost around £10m between them.
Think of the fact that the previous regime had, in their wisdom, agreed to pay nearly half a million pounds a week to Lucas Neill, Luis Boa Morte, Nigel Quashie, Richard Wright, Freddy Ljungberg, Nobby Solano, Julien Faubert and Kieron Dyer.
Think of where this club might have been if the putative starting midfield four of Behrami, Mark Noble, Scott Parker and Collison had - between them - not missed more than a quarter of West Ham's league starts this year.
Think of Carlton Cole, newly minted England centre forward, sidelined for two months. Think of Dean Ashton, forced to retire though injury. Think of Dyer, the highest earner at the club, who has started just four league games for West Ham since joining in the summer of 2007. Think of Calum Davenport, victimised by a senseless knife attack.
The fact of the matter is that West Ham have punched way, way above their weight since June 2008. The new owners would do well to remember that.
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