WHUFC.com
Alessandro Diamanti was one of a number of Hammers to be in the manager's
post-Hull City thoughts
22.02.2010
Gianfranco Zola's hardest task in reflecting on the weekend 3-0 win against
Hull City was to single out any individual for praise because it was such an
impressive team display.
Alessandro Diamanti was the match sponsor's top performer and the
announcement of his accolade went down well with the near-on 34,000 packed
into the Boleyn Ground, save for a few hundred from Hull. Zola certainly had
plenty of good things to say about his compatriot but was quick after that
to mention many others. "Alessandro excites me," said the manager, who had
also already spoken in his previous post-match press conference of the
fantastic form of forwards Carlton Cole and Guille Franco. It was Diamanti
though that left the lasting impression, with his flair for the spectacular
lingering in the mind. "That is the reason why I keep playing him, although
I have very good players. I keep playing him all the time because I know he
can do something special for us at any moment. "It is important to have
players like that because they keep the other team on their toes. That is a
big thing confidence-wise for the whole team. He also keeps the crowd
involved. It is a big thing for me, knowing that on the pitch I have a
player that can score at any time."
Let alone his match prize, Diamanti may well have been handed the Goal of
the Season award there and then had his audacious halfway line effort found
the net. "He is the only player crazy enough to try and score from there,"
added Zola, who was then asked if he saw something of himself in the No32?
"He does remind me of me - sometimes he does the unpredictable things. He
also does some unpredictable mistakes as I used to. That is the kind of
player he is, you have to take him for that. What is surprising me is that
his work-rate has been fantastic. He is helping the team. "He is also
playing in a position he has never played in. In Italy, he was always second
striker or just behind the two strikers in the hole. He didn't work very
hard defensively. If you see how he is playing now and his work-rate, it is
massive for the team."
Scott Parker and Radoslav Kovac had been highlighted in the manager's
programme notes for the way they screen in front of the defence and the
plaudits came thick and fast after the game. "I have always said Scotty is
one of my key players. As long as he is playing at this level anything can
happen for him [in terms of England]. "He was really good again. I must say
that also Kovac right now has been massive. He is working so hard and is
also helping Scotty's game, giving him the freedom to get forward. "I would
also mention Robert Green, who made a fantastic save [from George Boateng]
in the first half which was worth a goal at one-nil. That save was
unbelievable. It allowed us to go into the changing room and reorganise
ourselves and become better. Valon Behrami also did very well."
Julien Faubert put the seal on the victory with a late third goal and it was
his "incredible pass" that set up Carlton Cole for the second. Reflecting on
the strong finish after a fiery opening summed up by Behrami's early goal,
the manager added: "The whole team is getting better and the more confidence
you get, the more the players can give."
Ultimately it is the squad not the individual that will determine the
Hammers' fate this season as it was in successful survival fights of years
gone by. The manager has faith in his men and, with a settled scene off the
field, is looking forward to finishing on a high. "It has been hard for me
and the players. When you are playing and there are so many things going on
around you, it was like all the time you were trying to repair that, and
then you repair that and repair that - and then something happens again. "It
was very difficult for me and for everybody. Now with the situation more
stable, the results are coming - this team has got quality. No doubt about
that. It just needs to be in this condition to show how good we are."
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Kids half-price for Bolton/Wolves
WHUFC.com
The club is offering youngsters the chance to see the next two home matches
for half the normal price
21.02.2010
With celebrations from the weekend win against Hull City still fresh in the
memory, the club are delighted to offer half-price entry to children for
each of the next two home matches against Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton
Wanderers. Prices start from just £12 for all Under-16s, meaning there is no
better time to bring along young Hammers to savour the Boleyn Ground
experience. Demand is set to be high with Bolton arriving at the Boleyn on
Saturday 6 March before Wolves head to east London for an evening contest
under the lights on Tuesday 23 March.
With the club on a run of five home league matches unbeaten - and no goals
conceded in the last four - it promises to be a thrilling run-in until the
end of the season. Central to home hopes are England quartet Robert Green,
Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole, with all four in scintillating
form while the likes of Alessandro Diamanti and Valon Behrami are on the up
as well.
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Zola hails Diamanti quality
Hammers boss pleased with forward's improvement
Last updated: 21st February 2010
SSN
Gianfranco Zola has praised Alessandro Diamanti's improvement since his move
to West Ham United and feels it is important the team have a player of the
Italian's calibre.
Diamanti has scored six goals in 19 Premier League appearances since joining
the Hammers from Livorno last summer and impressed again in Saturday's 3-0
win over Hull City.
The 26-year-old came close to scoring with a shot from his own half and has
reminded Zola of his own days as a player for the likes of Parma and
Chelsea. The Hammers boss is happy to have a player capable of producing
something unexpected and also feels Diamanti has made giant strides in terms
of his work-rate this season. Unpredictable
"Although I have very good players, I keep him playing all the time because
I know he can do something special for us at any moment and it is important
to have players like that," said Zola. "You have to be on your toes when you
play against him because he can score at any moment. "That is a big thing,
confidence wise, for the whole team. It is a big thing for me knowing that
on the pitch I have a player who can score at any time. "He is probably the
only one crazy enough to try and score from his own half. Sometimes he does
the unpredictable things. He also does unpredictable mistakes as I used to.
That is the kind of player he is. "But what is surprising me about him is
that his work-rate is fantastic. He is also playing in a position where he
has never played before. In Italy, he used to play second striker or maybe
behind the two strikers in the hole. "He didn't work very hard defensively,
but now he works very hard for us and is massive for the team."
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Vinny's Hull Report
Vinny - Sun Feb 21 2010
West Ham Online
West Ham United 3 Hull City 0
For the first time this season West Ham recorded a second consecutive
victory as they crushed Hull City by three goals to nil in what was surely
the best performance West Ham have put in for quite some time. Everything
seemed to be right about our display from the opening few minutes when we
took the lead. Far too many times this season we have started slowly and the
opposition have gained confidence from this. Every player made themselves
count and although things were made easier when Hull were reduced to ten men
after a sending off (and then nine after a injury when they had used all
their subs) we were always in control of this game and fully deserved the
victory. We all knew the importance of this game as we went into this one on
the same points as Hull who are also fighting for survival. So to beat them
so comfortably was very pleasing and I don't think I have come out of a game
as happy all season long. There seemed to be balance to the team and
Gianfranco Zola seems to have found the way to play which actually works. It
is just a shame it has taken him till February to work this out as when you
watched us yesterday you do wonder with those players just how did we find
ourselves in this position. This result by no means guarantees our safety
but it does pick everyone's spirits up and will hopefully give the players
the confidence to go and win as many games possible between now and the end
of the season. When we had beaten Birmingham a couple of weeks ago I was of
course happy to have done so but there were still negatives to our
performance that concerned me. This was different and we looked a completely
different side at times playing some neat football and creating so many
chances I don't know if I will be able to recall them all. The only thing
you could be unhappy about is that we did not beat Hull by many more goals
as we certainly had the chances and opportunity to do just that.
Gianfranco Zola made two changes to the side who beat Birmingham 2-0 at
Upton Park in the last game. One of these changes he was forced to make with
Herita Ilunga injured once again so Jonathan Spector came in at left back.
The other chance came up front with Mido being dropped to the bench in
favour of Guillermo Franco who making his first start since the defeat at
Tottenham on the 28th December. We started at a ferocious pace and Hull did
not know what had hit them as they struggled to set themselves and looked
all over the place. Alessandro Diamanti came close from a free kick was
turned around the post by Myhill in the Hull goal when it looked as though
it may have sneaked in. We would make the breakthrough just moments later
when Kovac made a excellent tackle which played the ball into the path of
Behrami and he played the ball into the area for Franco whose heavy touch
inadvertently played it back into the path of Berhami who swept his shot
past Myhill to put us one goal up. This was Behrami's first goal of the
season and it was his first goal since the FA Cup win away at Hartlepool
United last season. That was over a year ago and you could see what it meant
to Berhami as he celebrated. Hull has still not settled and we continued to
come at them. Behrami nearly had his second goal when again the static Hull
defenders were caught in possession and Behrami fired a shot which was
turned away by Myhill for a corner. Scott Parker was tenacious as ever and
he evaded two Hull players and came away with the ball only to be chopped
down on the touchline by Hull's Craig Fagan who referee Martin Atkinson
showed the first yellow card to. Hull were offering very little going
forward only Stephen Hunt's constant diving which saw him awarded none of
the free kicks he attempted to get with the ref seemingly on to him. Our
next big chance came from some great wing play from Diamanti who played a
quite marvellous cross to the back post for Behrami to head at goal but
whilst I was just about the celebrate the Hull keeper Myhill made a simply
wonderful save to keep it out. With around ten minutes of the first half
remaining Hull had their best spell of the game as we started to make a few
mistakes and found it difficult to keep hold of the ball. Hull only managed
to create one good chance out of this spell with George Boateng bursting
through the middle and hitting an good shot which was saved very well by
Robert Green who tipped it over the bar. Despite the latter stages of the
first half you had to be pleased with the first half performance which was
very similar to the game at home to Hull last season when we battered them
by only went in at half time a goal up.
Ten minutes of the second period had not even elapsed when things got much
easier for us as Craig Fagan gave a slight tug on Diamanti as the Italian
tried to get away and with Fagan already having been booked the referee
showed him the second yellow and the red. It was a little bit harsh as there
was minimal contact and on another day he might have just given Fagan his
final warning. The game did get a little scrappy at that point and we did
not look as though we were going to exploit the fact we had the extra man
but just before the hour mark a sublime pass from Faubert put Carlton Cole
through on goal and the striker scored his ninth goal of the season having
started sixteen games. Although the finish from Cole was good the pass from
Faubert was just out of this world. If you haven't seen it yet then I
recommend you have a look as soon as you can because that pass was beautiful
to watch from the right back. With that second goal the game died and this
played into our hands. With the man advantage we teased Hull and they were
chasing shadows for the rest of the game. It was a little disappointed that
we didn't continue to sweep forward in an attempt to well and truly batter
them but it was a professional performance from then on which saw us see out
the game with ease. There was one audacious effort from Diamanti as he
struck a loose ball from inside his own half at goal which had Myhill
scrambling back towards goal and the keeper had to knock it away for a
corner. It would have surely been one of the best goals I have seen at Upton
Park if that had somehow had gone in. The Hull manager Phil Brown made all
three of his substitutions in one go with Zola also make a few with Franco
coming off with Ilan replacing him. Carlton Cole was next to be removed on
the 79th minute with Mido replacing him. Neither of these changes made much
impact on the game with only Mido having a wild shot which went way over the
bar. Another problem struck the visiting team with defender Anthony Gardiner
going down with what looked like a nasty injury and he was down for quite a
long time and taken off. With Hull having used all three subs they were now
down to nine men. I do have to question why there were so many West Ham fans
leaving with ten minutes to go. It seems that if we are winning, losing or
drawing fans seem to flee Upton Park with a considerable amount of time to
go. I can understand the last few minutes of injury time if you are creeping
down the stairs but why would you want to miss ten minutes of a game which
had seen us play very well and which would have a good chance in us scoring
another goal? It is a loss for those fans that they missed a really
terrific goal in the third minute of injury time from Julien Faubert who had
what was surely the best game of his West Ham career. He received the ball
midway into the Hull half and he ran at the left back Dawson (who was by the
way absolutely terrible) and hit an unstoppable shot which was flew into the
back of the net to cap off a top performance.
Player Ratings
Robert Green
Only had to make that one save which came in the first half from Boateng and
what a save it was for a goal at that point would have changed the game
completely. Green has now kept five clean sheets out of his last seven
Premiership games.
Jonathan Spector
Really good display from Spector. His defending was excellent, he got
forward best he could despite having no left foot. He distributed the ball
well and put in very good performance.
Matthew Upson
Calm and solid at the back. Won a lot in the air against the Hull strikers
who just did not get a sniff. Some of his clearances were a little wild but
this was another clean sheet and another success for the back line.
James Tomkins
Needs to have little more confidence in playing the ball forward as you can
see that he gets worried and always goes back to Robert Green. He had a
couple of wobbly moments (one poor attempted clearance in the first half)
but with Hull offering very little going forward Tomkins was able to see out
the game and has really cemented his place in the side.
Julien Faubert
He would have to be my man of the match simply because of the impact he had
on the game. His pass for the second goal was really something and his goal
was fantastic. His defending was also good and he was really responding to
the positive reaction to his display from the supporters. Who would have
thought that the player voted 'Worst Player of the Season' last year would
be slowly turning into a fans favourite.
Alessandro Diamanti
With two defensive minded players such as Kovac and Parker in the team,
Diamanti works in a midfield role. He is starting to have a real creative
impact on the side and although he is a little slow and can forget his
defensive duties at time going forward he is excellent. His crossing, his
long range passing and overall energy which he gives off is all good for the
team.
Radoslav Kovac
It is hard for anyone to argue that he doesn't deserve his place in the team
ahead of Collison and Noble. He has little to his game but he does get stuck
in and is there play the simple pass. The midfield two of he and Parker seem
to be working very well.
Scott Parker
Another good display from Parker who seemed to be getting fouled and
generally kicked about for a lot of the game. He battled his way through and
drove the team on.
Valon Berhami
Seemed to be the main man in the first half and could have easily had a hat
trick. Got himself one goal though and was busy on and off the ball
throughout the game. No real shock that since he has been put onto the right
hand side he is making the same impact that he made last season. Just a
shame Zola was persisting in playing him in the middle.
Guillermo Franco
A good decision from Zola to play him instead of Mido. Franco offered so
much to the team and his touch is really of a high standard. His ability to
bring other players into the game may go unnoticed but he really put in a
top performance in his first game since December.
Carlton Cole
Did not see too much of the ball in the first half but things started to
come together in the second with his wonderful hold up play becoming evident
once again. Scored another goal as he takes his tally to nine which have
come in just sixteen starts which I think is a terrific record.
Subs Used
Ilan (on for Franco 63 mins)
The wrong change in my opinion. If you were going to take off Franco then it
should have been Mido coming on as Ilan found himself a little lost for most
of his time on the pitch. Did not seem to offer too much.
Mido (on for Cole 79 mins)
I'm failing to see where the lazy tag came from as in his few performances
for the club so far he is far from that. He may be too eager to get on the
ball which makes some of his play a little erratic. A goal would really get
his confidence up.
Jack Collison (on for Diamanti 85 mins)
Not on for long enough to make much of an impression.
Subs Not Used: Stech, Da Costa, Stanislas, Noble
Bookings: Parker
Man Of The Match: Julien Faubert
Attendance: 33,971
Overall
With the away games we have remaining this result by no means guarantees our
safety and if we are to survive it will be all down to our home form.
Whilst I have criticised Zola over the last few months we went into these
last two games knowing that only victories would suffice and the team
selections and standard of play have all been spot on so I am happy to give
Zola credit for this.
For me having Carlton Cole back is something we desperately needed. He gives
us something to aim at and I don't even think he has been playing as well as
he can over the last couple of games but having him in the team improves the
way we play dramatically.
We need to keep going and continue to create chances and go into games with
an attacking mentality like we have done against Birmingham and against Hull
yesterday. Hitting teams from the beginning gets the crowd going and gives
the players confidence.
Next Game - Manchester United (a)
They have just been beaten by Everton and will be looking for a swift return
to winning ways. We go into this with confidence and if we can take anything
away from this game then I will be delighted.
Whilst beating Manchester United is a rare occurrence for most teams in the
Premiership, do not count us out of this game just yet as we do have a
couple of players who may be able to hurt them.
Staying up is something that is very achieveable and although this result
does not mean we have finished with the task in hand we are going in the
right direction.
Zola's Views
"We controlled the game very well,"
We are getting better and better. It was an excellent game for us.
Especially the way we started - it was fantastic. We needed to set the tempo
straight away."
It is too early to say we have turned the corner. The Birmingham and Hull
wins are two big results, not only in terms of points and the table but in
terms of the confidence. We have massive games coming at home especially and
we have to stay focused. It is a very good indication today."
Carlton is such an important player for us. He gives the team a different
dimension but I must say that the whole team performed very well. It has
been a team performance.
"If we had Carlton [in December and January] it would have been a big thing
for us. You can see when he is in the team, we always pose a threat but he
also affects the team defensively. It has also been massive losing Guillermo
Franco for a while. He is a player that sometimes doesn't take all the
credit he deserves.
"He works so intelligently and his link-up play between Coley and the
midfielders is fantastic. It is crucial to keep him fit. It is important
that we have him. We are looking better. Don't forget we have players like
Benni McCarthy out as well.
"Julien has been playing very well for us. He had difficult times and now he
is proving himself in a different position.
"That is a good thing for him and the club. He has more confidence. We have
been trying to help him because last year this was the thing that was
letting him down. This year he looks more mature and that is massive."
[On Manchester United]
"I haven't decided my team. But we are going to go there to battle. There is
no doubt about that."
"The home games are going to determine it. It is a tricky one because having
such difficult matches away, you don't want to slip up at home. This is a
team that when it plays with confidence it can be a surprise for anyone."
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Zola delighted with "unpredictable, crazy" Diamanti
ESPN
February 21, 2010
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola believes he has unearthed a real gem in
Alessandro Diamanti after another stunning performance by the Italian in
their 3-0 demolition of relegation rivals Hull at Upton Park. Goals from
Valon Behrami, Carlton Cole and Julien Faubert secured a comfortable win
over nine-man City. The victory was helped by the dismissal of Hull's Craig
Fagan in the second-half and, after the visitors had used all three of their
substitutes, the loss of City's captain Anthony Gardner with a serious leg
injury.
But while the goalscorers hogged the spotlight, it was Alessandro's
performance that lit up the east London ground. The former Livorno striker
almost scored the goal of the season when he tried to beat Hull goalkeeper
Boaz Myhill with a shot from inside his own half and Zola feels that
unpredictability is important. "Although I have very good players, I keep
him playing all the time because I know he can do something special for us
at any moment and it is important to have players like that," he said. "You
have to be on your toes when you play against him because he can score at
any moment. That is a big thing, confidence wise, for the whole team. It is
a big thing for me knowing that on the pitch I have a player who can score
at any time. "He is probably the only one crazy enough to try and score from
his own half. Sometimes he does the unpredictable things. He also does
unpredictable mistakes as I used to. That is the kind of player he is. "But
what is surprising me about him is that his work-rate is fantastic. He is
also playing in a position where he has never played before. In Italy, he
used to play second striker or maybe behind the two strikers in the hole.
"He didn't work very hard defensively but now he works very hard for us and
is massive for the team."
West Ham's victory was their first back-to-back league successes since March
2009 and the stability brought to the club by new owners David Gold and
David Sullivan is already having its effect, according to Zola. It means
Zola will take his West Ham side to Old Trafford on Tuesday in a relaxed and
confident mood. "You live up and down in this job," he said. "When things
are not going very well you suffer a lot. Now we are getting better and as
far as I am concerned, I am much more pleased. "Now we can play a little bit
more relaxed. During those times off the pitch we never lost our focus. It
has been hard for me and the players. There were so many things going on.
"Now the with situation more stable, I think the results will come because
this team has got quality, no doubt about that. We just need the right
conditions to show how good we are."
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West Ham 3 Hull City 0: Alessandro Diamanti - the second coming of Paolo Di
Canio - delivers for Hammers
By Ivan Speck Last updated at 8:44 PM on 21st February 2010
Daily Mail
The good times are back at Upton Park. The team are winning, the second
coming of Paolo Di Canio is here and even the dancers will return for the
next home game. Messrs Gold and Sullivan have tapped into the old adage at
the Boleyn Ground that life can be riotous one week, despairing the next,
but it must never be dull. For the moment, the smiles are back. On Saturday
that was due partly to the ineptitude of a Hull side who could not keep
their foot on the ball or 11 players on the pitch, but it was also because
Gianfranco Zola's team have discovered their belief again. In Alessandro
Diamanti, they also have an Italian of trickery and vision to electrify his
audience in the manner of Di Canio. His attempted lob of Hull keeper Boaz
Myhill from inside his own half was the most striking example of that, yet
it is the range and variety of his passes which take the breath away. Zola
said: 'He involves the crowd, everybody. He's probably the only one of my
players who would have tried that shot. He's the only one crazy enough.'
Given the perfect start when Valon Behrami punished sloppy Hull play in the
third minute, West Ham were then settled early in the second half by the
stupidity of Craig Fagan, who needlessly collected a second yellow card.
Carlton Cole's calm finish and a thumping Julien Faubert drive then
sandwiched an horrific ankle injury to Hull centre back Anthony Gardner, who
was carried off to leave the visitors reduced to nine men.
MATCH FACTS
West Ham (4-4-2): Green; Faubert, Upson, Tomkins, Spector; Behrami, Parker,
Kovac, Diamanti (Collison, 85min); Franco (Ilan, 63), Cole (Mido, 79).
Subs (not used): Stech, Noble, Da Costa, Stanislas.
Booked: Parker.
Hull (4-4-2): Myhill; McShane, Mouyokolo, Gardner, Dawson; Fagan, Boateng,
Carney (Altidore, 64), Hunt (Barmby, 65); Zaki (Olofinjana, 65), Vennegoor
of Hesselink.
Subs (not used): Duke, Garcia, Kilbane, Zayatte.
Booked: Fagan. Sent-off: Fagan, 53min.
Referee: M Atkinson (Leeds).
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Gold still keen for West Ham move to Olympic Stadium
BBC.co.uk
West Ham co-owner David Gold has talked up the possibility of the Premier
League club moving into the Olympic Stadium after the 2012 London Games.
Last week, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell insisted that athletics remains
the stadium's main post-Games purpose. But Gold told BBC Radio 5 live that
a deal for West Ham to relocate there remains a "serious possibility". "I'm
sensing an easing of the stance that it should be a legacy to athletics,"
said the Hammers co-owner. "We have to be more pragmatic. Do we want to have
a stadium like we have at Crystal Palace which just deteriorated and rotted
away because it wasn't sustainable? "We believe there is a serious
possibility that we could strike a deal that would take West Ham to the
Olympic Stadium. "If that can be done, we would have a super stadium that
could take the club to the next level."
Gold and co-owner David Sullivan took over the cash-strapped club last month
and immediately confirmed their interest in relocating to the
80,000-capacity Olympic stadium in Stratford as they try to improve the club
finances. Jowell has insisted that keeping the stadium as a grand prix
athletics stadium was one of the reasons that London bid for the Games and
having the running track remain at the stadium to leave a legacy to
athletics in East London remained a strong commitment. The Olympic Park
Legacy Company is to shortly invite bids from businesses that want to apply
for a commercial stake in the stadium. Gold also floated the idea of West
Ham moving to the Olympic venue and then building a separate stadium that
could be used for athletic events. "One other possibility is to abandon the
athletic idea altogether and maybe build a small athletics stadium that can
be used forever," he said. "Not as an Olympic athletics stadium but a
regional stadium with seating facility commensurate to their requirements
which would be about 5,000."
ou can hear the full interview with David Gold on 5 Live Sport on BBC Radio
5 Live on Monday from 1900 GMT.
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Man Utd v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
Premier League
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Tuesday, 23 February 2010 Kick-off: 2000 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live & local radio
TEAM NEWS
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is available for Tuesday's
re-arranged league game against West Ham after completing a four-match ban.
Central defensive partner Nemanja Vidic is fit after a nerve problem, so the
pair could start together for the first time since October.
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola has said he might make some changes to his
side, despite back-to-back wins. Benni McCarthy remains a doubt with the
knee injury he suffered on his debut.
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Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster, Neville, Brown,
Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Fabio, Park, Anderson, Valencia,
Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Obertan, Gibson, Rooney, Owen, Berbatov, Diouf.
Suspended: Nani (two matches)
Injured: Giggs (arm), Hargreaves (knee), O'Shea (thigh)
West Ham (from): Green, Stech, Spector, Faubert, Upson, Tomkins, Da Costa,
Daprela, Parker, Behrami, Kovac, Collison, Noble, Diamanti, Stanislas, Cole,
Mido, Ilan, Franco, McCarthy.
Doubtful: McCarthy (knee)
Injured: Boa Morte, Hines & Ilunga (all knee), Davenport (leg), Dyer &
Gabbidon (both hamstring)
MATCH PREVIEW
Following the weekend wake-up call at Everton, Manchester United can ill
afford another lethargic performance on their return to the Theatre of
Dreams. It is a collector's item when Sir Alex Ferguson admits to being well
beaten, as he did on Saturday. Ferguson might be thankful that this game has
been brought forward, due to United's Wembley date in the Carling Cup final
on Sunday. Tuesday's re-arranged fixture gives Ferguson's side the chance to
put pressure on leaders Chelsea by narrowing the gap at the top to a point.
Visitors West Ham have not won away since the opening day of the season but
they enjoyed their biggest win under Gianfranco Zola at home to Hull on
Saturday, clinching back-to-back league victories for the first time since
March 2009. It is also that long ago since Manchester United lost successive
league games. Suffering a similar fate on Tuesday is the nightmare scenario
for the defending champions.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Manchester United have won their last four matches against West Ham, who
had triumphed in the previous three.
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Manchester United
• United suffered their first league defeat in nine games at Everton on
Saturday. It was the first time they have lost after taking the lead.
• They have not suffered back-to-back league defeats since March last year,
when they lost to Liverpool and Fulham.
• United are the league's joint leading scorers with 63 goals.
• Wayne Rooney has scored in each of the last five league games at Old
Trafford, totalling eight goals.
West Ham
• The Hammers have gone 12 games without an away win since their 2-0 victory
at Wolves on the opening day of the season.
• They are vying to keep three successive clean sheets for the first time
since March.
• They have only earned one point after conceding the first goal this
season, losing 10 times and drawing once. They last came from behind to win
a league match in December 2008, beating Stoke 2-1.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Manchester United
Rooney: 25 goals (21 league); Berbatov: 9 goals (9 league)
West Ham
Cole: 9 goals (9 league); Diamanti: 7 goals (6 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Alan Wiley
Assistant referees: Andy Garratt & Dave Bryan
Fourth official: Kevin Friend
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Man Utd (L1-3 v Everton, a): Van der Sar; Neville, Brown, Evans, Evra,
Valencia (Owen 81), Fletcher, Carrick, Park (Obertan 66), Rooney, Berbatov
(Scholes 66). Subs not used: Foster, Vidic, Rafael, Gibson.
West Ham (W3-0 v Hull, h): Green; Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Behrami,
Parker, Kovac, Diamanti (Collison 85), Franco (Ilan 63), Cole (Mido 79).
Subs not used: Stech, Noble, Da Costa, Stanislas.
MOST RECENT MEETING
West Ham 0-4 Man Utd (5 December 2009)
Manchester United scorers: Scholes 45, Gibson 61, Valencia 71, Rooney 72
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Alessandro Diamanti dazzles in destruction of Hull City as West Ham United
win again
Daily Telegraph
By Ben Findon
Published: 7:00AM GMT 22 Feb 2010
It was a moment of breathtaking audacity. Several yards inside his own half,
Alessandro Diamanti sent a shot arcing towards the target. Boaz Myhill, the
Hull City goalkeeper, back-pedalled frantically to claw the ball away from
the net. Upton Park rose in appreciation of their new Italian genius.
Diamanti was not to get on the scoresheet, even with his moment of
inspiration 20 minutes from time, but he is becoming a barometer of West Ham
United's rising fortunes. Sport on television "He is probably the only one
crazy enough to try and score from his own half," said West Ham manager
Gianfranco Zola. "I keep playing him all the time because I know he can do
something special for us at any moment."
Hull's gameplan had been to frustrate. The strategy held good for less than
three minutes, the time it took for Valon Behrami to slide West Ham ahead.
Carlton Cole and Julien Faubert further underlined West Ham's supremacy,
completing a run of four home matches from which they have taken 10 points
and not let in a goal. West Ham visit Manchester United tomorrow but Premier
League survival will be assured if that home form holds.
Hull manager Phil Brown bemoaned "self-inflicted" damage, which included
Craig Fagan's 53rd-minute dismissal for a second yellow card. The visitors
finished with nine men after Anthony Gardner was carried off with a leg
injury late on.
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