WHUFC.com
All of the team news and stats ahead of Tuesday's Barclays Premier League
trip to Fratton Park
25.01.2010
Barclays Premier League
Portsmouth v West Ham United
Fratton Park
Tuesday 26 January
7.45pm
Referee: Andre Marriner
• West Ham United travel to Portsmouth to play their second Premier League
game of the decade. They will be hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to
it following the battling 0-0 draw at Aston Villa last time out.
• It will be West Ham's first match since joint chairmen David Sullivan and
David Gold acquired a 50 per cent stake in the club.
• The Hammers last met Portsmouth on Boxing Day 2009, when they won 2-0
through goals from Alessandro Diamanti and Radoslav Kovac.
• West Ham will be hoping for a repeat of last season's corresponding
fixture when they recorded an emphatic 4-1 victory at Fratton Park. That
match was also on Boxing Day 2008
• Those two victories have helped the London side remain unbeaten in three
games against the team from the south coast.
• The point at Villa Park on 17 January moved Gianfranco Zola's side up to
16th in the Barclays Premier League standings. A victory at Fratton Park
could lift them up two places. Portsmouth prop up the table at present but a
three-point return could move them to within a point of 19th-placed Bolton
Wanderers.
• This will be the 34th meeting between the two clubs. West Ham United have
13 wins, with five draws.
Last time out
Sunday 17 January 2009
Barclays Premier League
Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Kovac (Stanislas
62), Behrami, Parker (Diamanti 57), Noble, Collison, Nouble (Da Costa 90)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Daprela, Jimenez, Sears
Saturday 23 January 2009
FA Cup fourth round
Portsmouth 2-1 Sunderland
Portsmouth: Begovic, Vanden Borre, Hreidarsson, Kaboul, Brown (Basinas 9),
Diop (Mullins 68), Mokoena, Utaka, Boateng, Wilson, Piquionne (Webber 89)
Subs not used: Ashdown, Sowah
Goals: Utaka 42, 57
Last meeting
The teams last met at the Boleyn Ground on Boxing Day 2009 when a
23rd-minute penalty from Alessandro Diamanti was added to by Radoslav
Kovac's 89th-minute header to secure a 2-0 win for the hosts.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Ilunga, Collison, Kovac,
Parker, Noble (Jimenez 16), Diamanti (Behrami 72), Franco (Nouble 90)
Subs not used: Stech, Spector, da Costa, Stanislas
Goals: Diamanti 23, Kovac 89
Portsmouth: Begovic, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Kaboul, Belhadj (Boateng 46),
Hreidarsson, Mullins, Brown (Utaka 79), O'Hara, Piquionne, Dindane (Kanu 53)
Subs not used: Ashdown, Wilson, Diop, Yebda
Head to head
(Last six meetings, league unless stated)
26 December 2009 - West Ham United 2-0 Portsmouth
26 December 2008 - Portsmouth 1-4 West Ham United
15 November 2008 - West Ham United 0-0 Portsmouth
8 April 2008 - West Ham United 0-1 Portsmouth
27 October 2007 - Portsmouth 0-0 West Ham United
26 December 2006 - West Ham United 1-2 Portsmouth
Overall record v Portsmouth (all competitions): W 13, D 5, L 14
Next up
• West Ham play their first home Barclays Premier League game of 2010 when
Blackburn Rovers visit the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. Portsmouth have a
tricky-looking trip to Manchester City the following day.
Referee
• Tuesday's referee is Andre Marriner, who was the man in the middle for the
Barclays Asia Trophy defeat by Tottenham Hotspur in Beijing on 29 July. He
also took charge of the 3-2 defeat by Liverpool on 19 September, the 2-2
draw with Sunderland on 31 October, when Radoslav Kovac and Kenwyne Jones
were both sent off, and the 3-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday 15
December.
• Marriner began refereeing in 1992, progressing through the Birmingham
Amateur Football League and Southern League to take his place as a Football
League assistant referee in 2000.
• Marriner became a Football League referee in 2003, before taking charge of
his first Premier League fixture, Charlton Athletic versus Norwich City, the
following year.
• The official joined the Select Group of officials in 2005 and is now on
the list of FIFA international referees.
West Ham United
• Victory at Fratton Park would complete West Ham's first 'double' of the
season.
• Last season's win at Fratton Park was the Hammers' first victory on the
south coast in eight attempts. The previous maximum was back in 1993.
• West Ham have not won away from home since their opening-day 2-0 victory
at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
• The Hammers have scored all seven of the penalties they have been awarded
this season, a Barclays Premier League high.
• West Ham have scored 28 goals this season in the league with eleven
different scorers on target. Carlton Cole leads the way (seven), with
Alessandro Diamanti (five) and Guille Franco (three) next in line. Jack
Collison (two), Matthew Upson (two), Junior Stanislas (two), Manuel da
Costa, Mark Noble, Luis Jimenez, Zavon Hines and Radoslav Kovac have also
registered.
• Scott Parker has been cautioned seven times this season and Franco five.
Julien Faubert, Cole, Collison, Kovac and Noble are each on four yellow
cards, but will not be suspended if they receive a fifth as the FA
disciplinary deadline has passed.
• Only Robert Green has played in every league game for the club this
season. He is on a run of 109 successive league starts.
• Collison has more assists (four) than anyone else at the club. Noble has
put in the most crosses (13), while Matthew Upson has made the most
defensive blocks and the most defensive clearances (27 and 21 respectively).
• Cole is on a run of 14 goals in 25 league starts since Boxing Day 2008
when he scored the second goal in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.
Portsmouth
• Despite their lowly position, Portsmouth will have been given a boost by
the weekend's 2-1 FA Cup victory against Sunderland at Fratton Park.
• That result makes it three games unbeaten for Avram Grant's side in all
competitions, following a draw and then a replay win against Coventry City
in the third round - their first two games of 2010
• Portsmouth have lost seven of their ten home Premier League games so far,
but are yet to register a draw at Fratton Park.
• Pompey have not won at home in the league since the 19 December victory
against Liverpool, when they beat the Merseysiders 2-0.
• Portsmouth have conceded more penalties than anyone else in the Premier
League (seven) this season. They also have the highest shots per goal score
in the whole division (15).
• Aruna Dindane is their top league goalscorer with four strikes.
• Michael Brown was 33 on Monday.
Team news
• Carlton Cole is in contention for his first game of 2010 after playing a
full part in training over the weekend. West Ham's top scorer had been
sidelined with a knee injury picked up in the home game with Burnley on 28
November.
• It remains to be seen whether the England international will start though
and, if not, the forward role could once again be taken by Frank Nouble, who
impressed greatly on his full Premier League debut at Villa Park.
• Guille Franco is unlikely to play again this month as he continues his
recovery from a muscle strain.
• Herita Ilunga is also making progress with his recovery from a hamstring
injury, although he will not be considered before the weekend at the
earliest. Scott Parker has also been working hard to overcome the tightness
in his hamstring suffered at Villa Park.
• Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (both hamstring) could be back in full
training next week.
• Zavon Hines (knee), Luis Boa Morte (knee) and Calum Davenport (leg) are
all long-term absentees.
• For the hosts, striker David Nugent is back from his loan spell at
Burnley, but is not eligible as the deal has not yet expired.
• David James' future has been the subject of much speculation but he did
train with the rest of his team-mates on Monday. Mike Williamson is in talks
with Newcastle United about a possible move and is unlikely to feature.
Old boys
• If selected, Hayden Mullins will be making his second appearance against
West Ham since his 26 January 2009 switch to the south coast for an
undisclosed fee. He signed for West Ham from Crystal Palace for £800,000 in
October 2003 and had been the longest-serving first-team player at the
Boleyn Ground. The midfielder, 30, played 178 league games for the club,
scoring four goals.
• David James moved to West Ham United for £3.5m on 11 July 2001, signing a
four-year contract. He played 102 times for the Hammers before signing for
Manchester City on 14 January 2004.
• Other players to have played for both teams include: Greg Campbell, Lee
Chapman, Jermain Defoe, Bill Ford, Hayden Foxe, Shaka Hislop, Billy James,
Glen Johnson, Bill Joyce, Alex McDonald, Nicky Morgan, Sebastien Schemmel,
Peter Shearing, Teddy Sheringham, Roy Smith, Stephen Smith, Pavel Srnicek,
Alan Stephenson, Ron Tindall, Svetoslav Todorov, Charlie Whitchurch.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• The weather forecast is for a clear and chilly night in Portsmouth, where
temperatures could get as low as -3C.
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West Ham bid for Blackburn Rovers' Benni McCarthy
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have made an offer for Benni McCarthy, according to the striker's
club Blackburn Rovers. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has said that the
32-year-old can leave Ewood Park if he can find a replacement. The South
Africa international has only started nine games this season and has missed
his last two training sessions. Hammers' new joint-owner David Sullivan told
Sky Sports: "All of our irons are in the fire and hopefully in the next few
days all will become clear." And Sullivan added: "We've really gone the
extra mile and what we must be pleased about, what I'm pleased about as a
West Ham fan, is that we have stopped the sale of two, maybe three top
players. "That is the main prize and the bonus is if we can now bring in one
or two players."
Allardyce said he was "disappointed" in McCarthy for missing training and
that it would be dealt with "should he remain here after the transfer window
has closed". Allardyce, according to the club's website, also said that the
club would "listen to offers, but only agree to sell if both the commercial
and football reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers. That situation remains
unchanged."
West Ham are prepared to spend money on a large contract, despite the club
being £110m in debt, as they fight against relegation from the Premier
League. McCarthy joined Blackburn from Porto in the summer of 2006 and has
scored 52 times for the club. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola admits that the
recruitment of a striker before the end of the transfer window is a
priority. "We need more strikers - that is the position we are lacking most
at the moment," he said. "The club has said that we need reinforcements but
we haven't spoken about any budgets. "I trust them (the club) and that is
good enough for me. Obviously the players have to be my choice, but they are
very collaborative."
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Portsmouth v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Premier League
Portsmouth v West Ham 19:45
Venue: Fratton Park Date: Tuesday, 26 January 2010 Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio & highlights on
Wednesday's Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
Striker David Nugent is back at Portsmouth but his loan with Burnley does
not expire in time for the game. Goalie David James is reportedly set to
join Stoke but did train with Pompey on Monday. Mike Williamson is in talks
with Newcastle and will not feature.
England striker Carlton Cole is back in the West Ham squad after recovering
from his knee injury and is likely to start on the bench. Danny Gabbidon and
Kieron Dyer remain long-term absentees.
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Portsmouth
Suspended: None Doubtful: Diop (hamstring), Brown (back), Finnan (groin)
Injured: Boateng (ankle), Yebda, Belhadj, Kanu and Dindane (Africa Cup of
Nations)
West Ham
Suspended: None Doubtful: Gabbidon & Ilunga (both hamstring)
Injured: Boa Morte, Cole & Hines (all knee), Davenport (leg), Dyer
(hamstring), Franco (unspecified)
MATCH PREVIEW
Two clubs who have spent most of this season battling both relegation and
financial meltdown meet at Fratton Park. Portsmouth's troubles are greater
in both departments - they are returning to Premier League action for the
first time in almost a month but there has been plenty going on off the
pitch to occupy them. They are fighting a winding-up order, their chief
executive has been in court on a tax evasion charge, they are being sued by
ex-player Sol Campbell and there is a transfer embargo on the club, who, to
cap it all, are bottom of the Premier League. There was a morale-boosting
win over Sunderland in the FA Cup over the weekend but with the winding-up
petition due to be heard in court before they meet local rivals Southampton
in round five, it could prove a hollow victory. It has also been a busy time
off the pitch for West Ham, who have been taken over by former Birmingham
owners David Gold and David Sullivan. The priority is to bring a striker in
before the transfer window shuts although a reported bid to bring in Ruud
van Nistelrooy on £100,000 a week fell through when the player elected to
join Hamburg.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• West Ham are looking for a third win in a row against Portsmouth and a
second consecutive victory at Fratton Park.
• Nadir Belhadj is the only Portsmouth player to have scored in the past
three meetings with West Ham.
• Portsmouth have not played in the Premier League since 30 December and are
looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat, which would also be a fourth in
their last five league games.
• Pompey have scored just 18 league goals this season - the second-lowest
total in the Premier League. Wayne Rooney has scored more league goals this
season than the whole of the Portsmouth squad put together.
• Portsmouth have won two of their last three home games.
West Ham
• West Ham are playing away for the third consecutive match. They have not
won away from home since the opening game of the season, taking just four
points from a possible 30 on their travels since then.
• The Hammers have won just one of their last seven league matches.
• At the end of November, West Ham put five goals past Burnley. They have
only added four more in the past seven league matches, two of which have
been penalties scored by Alessandro Diamanti.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Portsmouth
Piquionne: 6 goals (3 league); Dindane: 5 goals (4 league)
West Ham
Cole: 7 goals (7 league); Diamanti: 6 goals (5 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistant referees: Darren Cann & Mike Mullarkey
Fourth official: Andy Woolmer
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Portsmouth (L1-4 v Arsenal, h): Begovic, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Belhadj,
Hreidarsson, Kaboul, Mokoena (Vanden Borre 58), Boateng (Kanu 71), Hughes
(Brown 89), Yebda, Piquionne
Subs not used: Diop, Utaka, Wilson, Ashdown.
West Ham (D0-0 v Aston Villa, a): Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector,
Noble, Kovac (Stanislas 62), Parker (Diamanti 57), Behrami, Collison, Nouble
(Da Costa 90).
Subs Not Used: Kurucz, Jimenez, Sears, Daprela.
MOST RECENT MEETING
West Ham 2-0 Portsmouth (26 December 2009)
West Ham scorers: Diamanti 23, Kovac 29
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Blackburn confirm Benni bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th January 2010
By: Satff Writer
Blackburn have confirmed that they have received a written offer from West
Ham for Benni McCarthy. However Rovers have also expressed their
disappointment at McCarthy's conduct; the player himself confirmed earlier
today that he has skipped training since last Thursday. A statement released
on rovers.co.uk tonight said: "Blackburn Rovers have received a written
offer from West Ham United for Benni McCarthy, who has failed to turn up for
the past two training sessions. "We have said all along that we will listen
to offers, but only agree to sell if both the commercial and football
reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers. That situation remains unchanged."
Rovers boss Sam Allardye appeared equally unimpressed by McCarthy's no-show,
adding: "We are very disappointed with Benni's non appearance for training
and will deal with it separately should he remain here after the transfer
window has closed."
McCarthy revealed this lunchtime that he was hoping to secure a move to West
Ham, who are thought to have made an offer of around £1.25million for the
South African international. However also thought to be on the radar is
Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari, who is keen to leave the COMS
with less than five months of his current contract remaining. West Ham are
understood to be keen on landing the 31-year-old striker on a free transfer
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Gold wants strikers
Hammers want two front-men
Last updated: 25th January 2010
SSN
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has told Sky Sports News that they
remain hopeful of signing two strikers. Gold is adamant that the Hammers
want to enhance their options in attack, but he refused to discuss targets.
West Ham are believed to have five targets with Benni McCarthy, Benjani and
Juan Carlos Menseguez all on their radar.
"It is not true we are looking for one striker, we are looking for two,"
Gold told Sky Sports News. "But we accept that after only 11 days since we
secured the club, and only six or seven days to go, we will be happy to
settle for one. "But what we have done is put many irons in the fire and
hope we can produce before the window closes. "I am very keen on any striker
that can score goals, and that can take West Ham United away from the
relegation zone. "In the past you go for one player that you really want and
set your sights on one player and you're confident you have secured a deal
and then at the eleventh hour it fails, and we are making sure that doesn't
happen on this occasion. "I can't be specific because if we say we are going
for one and get somebody else it looks like we are playing games but I would
hate for anyone to think that."
Gold confirmed West Ham failed with a bid to land Ruud van Nistelrooy,
despite offering him £100,000-a-week wages. "That was true, but to
straighten the record, it is different if you are paying £100,000-per-week
for a four-month contract, compared to example £50,000-a-week for a
four-year contract. "I wouldn't want people to think we were mad, if we
were giving them a three or four-year contract we might be mad, but for the
short-term for a super player like that I felt, and David Sullivan felt, it
could be good value for money. "We were very close, but Hamburg came in,
they are secure in the top-flight and they gave him a two-year contract so
the overall deal made the player that much happier. Gold went on to declare
his confidence that manager Gianfranco Zola would lead the side to Premier
League safety. "We've got a football club that hasn't had leaders. It has
been in many ways a rudderless ship," he continued. "David (Gold) and Karren
(Brady) are two of the best people to help that. I know I'm tempting fate
but I believe we can pull out of the relegation zone and that we can take
(the club) to the next step, which is securing the future of the football
club. "I believe we can pull out of the relegation zone and take us to the
next step, which will be securing the future of this football club."
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Rovers confirm Benni bid
Hammers try to seal move
Last updated: 25th January 2010
SSN
Blackburn have confirmed that West Ham have lodged a bid for wantaway
striker Benni McCarthy. Skysports.comrevealed last week that the Hammers had
submitted an offer, and now Rovers have confirmed this is the case. McCarthy
has made it clear he sees his future away from Ewood Park, and although
there is interest from abroad - he would like to seal a switch to Upton
Park. McCarthy himself is currently in London, hoping that the two sides
will agree terms. Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce has revealed his anger that
McCarthy is currently away from the club without his permission and insists
action will be taken if remains with Rovers until after the window closes on
1st February. "We are very disappointed with Benni's non appearance for
training and will deal with it separately should he remain here after the
transfer window has closed," said Allardyce. "We have said all along that we
will listen to offers, but only agree to sell if both the commercial and
football reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers. That situation remains
unchanged."
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West Ham bid for AWOL Blackburn striker McCarthy
ESPN Soccernet staff
January 25, 2010
Benni McCarthy looks set to leave Blackburn after missing two training
sessions Blackburn have received a written offer from West Ham for striker
Benni McCarthy, while boss Sam Allardyce also revealed that the South Africa
international has missed Rovers' last two training sessions. The Hammers had
been linked with the South Africa international after Allardyce said earlier
this month he could leave. But he will not be departing the club on good
terms after the Blackburn boss admitted he was unhappy with McCarthy's
double training no-show. "We are very disappointed with Benni's
non-appearance for training and will deal with it separately should he
remain here after the transfer window has closed,'' the Rovers boss said.
"We have said all along that we will listen to offers, but only agree to
sell if both the commercial and football reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers.
That situation remains unchanged.''
Although Allardyce will have no qualms about off-loading McCarthy he will
not do so unless he can find an adequate replacement. However, the player's
refusal to attend training means his chances of having a future at Ewood
Park are slim. West Ham are in the market for a big-name striker having gone
public with their interest in former Manchester United striker Ruud van
Nistelrooy. New co-owner David Sullivan said the debt-ridden club were
prepared to pay the Real Madrid forward £100,000-a-week but the Dutchman
snubbed them for German side Hamburg.
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West Ham submit written offer for Blackburn's Benni McCarthy
McCarthy's absence from training angers Sam Allardyce
West Ham keen to sign two strikers during transfer window
Press Association
guardian.co.uk, Monday 25 January 2010 18.59 GMT
Blackburn's Benni McCarthy could be heading to West Ham this month. West Ham
have submitted a written offer for Benni McCarthy, according to the
striker's club Blackburn Rovers. Gianfranco Zola's side have been linked
with the South African after his manager, Sam Allardyce, said he could leave
during the current transfer window. McCarthy has not impressed Allardyce by
failing to turn up for the last two training sessions and his days at
Blackburn appear to be numbered. The 32-year-old has struggled to find form
this season, scoring only once in the Premier League and regularly finding
himself left out by Allardyce. "We are very disappointed with Benni's
non-appearance for training and will deal with it separately should he
remain here after the transfer window has closed," said Allardyce. "We have
said all along that we will listen to offers, but only agree to sell if both
the commercial and football reasons satisfy Blackburn Rovers. That situation
remains unchanged."
West Ham are desperate to bolster their attacking options and their new
owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, who completed their takeover of the
club last week, have pledged to sign two strikers this month. Injuries to
Carlton Cole, Guillermo Franco and Zavon Hines have stretched their forward
line to breaking point and Zola was recently forced to give the 18-year-old
striker Frank Nouble his Premier League debut at Aston Villa. Sullivan last
week went public with an attempt to bring Ruud van Nistelrooy to West Ham on
a £100,000 a week contract, but the Dutchman opted to join Hamburg instead.
West Ham, only out of the bottom three thanks to their superior goal
difference, are also thought to be monitoring Monaco's Eidur Gudjohnsen and
Stoke City's James Beattie.
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West Ham United Set To Sign Strikers Benni McCarthy & Benjani - Report
Hammers prepare for double swoop...
By Danny Hart
Jan 25, 2010 4:58:00 PM
West Ham United are set to complete the double signing of strikers Benni
McCarthy and Benjani, according to The Daily Mail. The Hammers were taken
over by David Gold and David Sullivan last week and they immediately
revealed their desire to bring in new strikers at Upton Park, with Sullivan
claiming one player, rumoured to be Ruud van Nistelrooy, was offered
£100,000 a week to join the club. Blackburn Rovers forward Benni McCarthy is
expected to move for £2.5 million and may be available for Tuesday's trip to
Portsmouth. Rovers boss Sam Allardyce will apparently use the money from the
McCarthy transfer to sign out-of-favour Stoke City forward James Beattie.
Benjani will not be able to sign for the Hammers until after Manchester
City's Carling Cup tie with Manchester United on Wednesday. West Ham manager
Gianfranco Zola is also thought to be interested in former West Bromwich
Albion midfielder Juan Carlos Menseguez. The 25-year-old enjoyed a loan
spell at the Hawthorns in the second half of last season and impressed so
much that boss Tony Mowbray attempted to sign him at his new club Celtic in
the summer but a move failed to materialise. With the Hammers short of
creative players in midfield, the San Lorenzo playmaker could join McCarthy
and Benjani in the new era under Gold and Sullivan at Upton Park.
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Portsmouth v West Ham United
ESPN
Updated: January 25, 2010, 5:36 PM UK
Portsmouth striker David Nugent is unavailable for the Premier League clash
with West Ham at Fratton Park, despite returning to training with the south
coast club. Nugent has been on loan at Burnley and his deal with the Clarets
does not expire until midnight on Tuesday preventing him from featuring in
the vital game. David James is reportedly on the brink of joining Stoke but
trained with the team today but Mike Williamson is in Newcastle to discuss
joining the Magpies and definitely misses out. Papa Bouba Diop (hamstring),
Michael Brown (back) and Steve Finnan (groin) are doubtful too, but Tommy
Smith (groin) is back in training and may feature. African Nations Cup stars
Aruna Dindane, Nadir Belhadj, Hassan Yebda and Kanu are all absent.
Portsmouth first-team coach Paul Groves is looking for his side to continue
their weekend momentum. Pompey claimed a 2-1 win over Sunderland in the FA
Cup fourth round at the weekend to set up a meeting with south coast rivals
Southampton. While the victory over the Black Cats did not garner three
much-needed points, Groves hopes his team will pick up their fifth league
win of the season on Tuesday night. He said: "Wins breed confidence and any
win in any cup can give us a springboard and something we can build on.
"They're all big games - especially the home games and especially the ones
against the teams in and around us. "But this is one we can look forward to
on the back of a result and performance like the one we had on Saturday.''
England striker Carlton Cole is back in the West Ham squad. Cole has
recovered from his knee injury and is likely to start on the bench. Danny
Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer remain sidelined but coach Gianfranco Zola has no
fresh injury doubts. Gianfranco Zola insists West Ham have the stability
they crave under new owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
The pair took control of the club last week in a deal which valued the club
at around £105million. The former Birmingham supremos have already pledged
to give Zola cash for new players, particularly a striker, before the end of
the January transfer window. The takeover was music to Zola's ears after the
Italian had struggled to keep the side out of the Barclays Premier League
relegation zone under CB Holdings - their previous cash-strapped Icelandic
owners. "I think it's positive for the club,'' declared Zola. "We are going
to have the stability we've been talking about for such a long time. I think
it's a positive thing for everybody. We'll see what happens, but it's
looking good. "The main thing they've already done is to bring stability and
keep all the players we have in the team. We are not selling anybody. That's
a big thing for everybody. Now they're trying to strengthen the team and
they're working very hard on that. They want to bring someone in and they're
working hard on that.''
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ZOLA EXPRESSES RELIEF
Posted 25/01/10 16:08EmailPrintSave
Football365
Barclays Premier League Relegation 2009/2010 Win Outright: West Ham 3/1
Gianfranco Zola insists West Ham have the stability they crave under new
owners David Sullivan and David Gold. The pair took control of the club last
week in a deal which valued the club at around £105million. The former
Birmingham supremos have already pledged to give Zola cash for new players,
particularly a striker, before the end of the January transfer window. The
takeover was music to Zola's ears after the Italian had struggled to keep
the side out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone under CB
Holdings - their previous cash-strapped Icelandic owners. "I think it's
positive for the club," declared Zola. "We are going to have the stability
we've been talking about for such a long time. I think it's a positive thing
for everybody. We'll see what happens, but it's looking good. "The main
thing they've already done is to bring stability and keep all the players we
have in the team. We are not selling anybody. "That's a big thing for
everybody. Now they're trying to strengthen the team and they're working
very hard on that. They want to bring someone in and they're working hard on
that."
West Ham have been linked with numerous strikers since Gold and Sullivan
took charge including Ruud van Nistelrooy although the Dutchman eventually
chose to join Hamburg from Real Madrid. The West ham boss refused to
elaborate on any of their alleged targets. "I won't talk very much on that
because it's work in progress," added Zola. "The club is dealing with that.
We had a chat and we think everything is clear. "Now we need to keep working
on that. I really can't say too much because we're straight into the middle
of a battle. "We've been linked with too many strikers. There are so many.
It's pointless for me talking about it. We're talking about good players,
certainly. "For me, though, it's only talk. I don't want to get too involved
in that. My focus has to be on tomorrow's game against Portsmouth. Many,
many, many names. But I rely on the club. They're working to make this team
stronger. "I don't know where Ruud van Nistelrooy came from really. We knew
we were looking for strikers and I knew it would be difficult. I didn't put
too much faith in that move. That's it, really."
Zola was also boosted by the return to fitness of striker Carlton Cole ahead
of tomorrow's clash with struggling Pompey after the England forward
recovered from his knee injury. "Tomorrow he might be on the bench," said
Zola. "He's been training with me today and he looks okay. "That's very
positive news. It's a big lift for everybody having him back. It's like a
new signing, a massive thing for us. He's an important player. But the whole
team look very good for me at the moment. "All the players in this club are
very much committed to what we're doing. "They were feeling the uncertainty
with the speculation around the club. But we're now owned by people who want
to keep everybody at the club and are trying to strengthen it. "It is very
good for the morale of everybody. I knew there were some problems but I was
confident that everything was going to be all right. I'm a positive man."
West Ham travel to Fratton Park to face the league's bottom club in a
must-win game with the Hammers just four places and five points ahead of
Avram Grant's side. They despatched Portsmouth 2-0 at Upton Park on Boxing
Day but Zola knows he is in for a real battle on the south coast. "We played
them some time ago and it was a tough game," he added. "I'm expecting it to
be even tougher tomorrow. But my team is prepared. "Everybody knows this is
a big chance for us tomorrow, and they have to show me also that they can
perform. I'm looking forward to this game. "Yeah, for them it's certainly a
very important match. They'll be fighting hard. They know they're struggling
and, for them, the game is vital. We have to match them because we're
fighting for our lives as well. It is massive game."
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