WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola has backed his players to react positively from Saturday's
defeat at Burnley
08.02.2010
Gianfranco Zola has spoken of the positive impact given by his new forwards
as he looks to a major meeting with Birmingham City on Wednesday night. The
manager was pleased with Benni McCarthy, Mido and goalscorer Ilan on their
first West Ham United appearances in the 2-1 loss at Burnley on Saturday.
With the trio having another few days to work with their team-mates before
Birmingham, starting with plenty of hard work in training on Sunday, the
manager is certain there is more to come from his January arrivals. "I've
only had the new players for a few days and they've come in and settled down
really well," he said. "Now I'm looking forward to working with them and
getting better and better."
Zola is hopeful the crowd will play their part in midweek, although he knows
it is up to his men to give them something to shout about on a night when
under-16s are able to get in for just a £1 under the Kids for a Quid
initiative. The manager said: "It is fantastic that the club is doing
something for the younger supporters. They are our future and I hope they
and everyone who comes along will enjoy the match. I can promise that we
will give everything for the victory. We will be up for it, there is no
doubt about that."
He added that his team were especially desperate to make amends for coming
away from Turf Moor with nothing, even if they did dominate the match. The
Hammers produced a spirited second-half performance after falling behind to
goals from David Nugent and Danny Fox, but debutant Ilan's consolation goal
was not enough to avoid a disappointing defeat. Zola said his players know
they have to start picking up results sooner rather than later. "The players
know that we need to react from this result. They want it and they're very
committed and desperate to see the team become successful again. I'm sure
they'll come back stronger. "Even at 2-0 down, the desire of the team not to
lose was great. To be honest, we deserved something out of the game. I know
how important it is to come to these places and win. We tried very hard on
Saturday and, unfortunately, it didn't work. "I've got to get used to the
fact that this is going to be a long season. I'm here to sort the problems
out. Football is about balance between scoring goals and defending and I'm
confident that we'll sort it out."
Zola has also vowed to work hard to eradicate defensive mistakes such as the
one that led to Burnley's opening goal. A long ball forward from left-back
Fox eluded Matthew Upson, allowing Nugent to get in behind him before
lobbing over the advancing Robert Green. "I didn't expect the mix-up for
their first goal. Matthew and the whole of the defence should have run back
to the area earlier. The first bounce put him off but David Nugent made a
great run. We need to improve on that. "Mistakes happen but even good and
experienced players like Matthew Upson can make them but he's been excellent
in the last few weeks and I've been praising the whole defence. I'm sure
he'll make up for it."
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Hammers paired in Euro draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United players will come face to face in qualifying for the 2012
UEFA European Championship
07.02.2010
West Ham United European stars will go head-to-head in their quests to reach
the 2012 UEFA European Championship finals in September. England,
Switzerland and Wales were all drawn in Group G in qualifying for the
16-team tournament, which will take place in Poland and Ukraine, following
Sunday's draw in the Polish capital Warsaw. Robert Green, Matthew Upson,
Carlton Cole and Scott Parker will all hope to be involved in Fabio
Capello's squad, while Valon Behrami is a regular starter for Switzerland,
as are Jack Collison and Danny Gabbidon for Wales. Bulgaria and Montenegro
complete the five-team group, with only the group winners guaranteed a place
at Euro 2010 alongside the two host nations. Former West Ham and Wales
striker John Hartson said he was looking forward to seeing his nation taking
on the English, saying: "It will be a fantastic occasion at the Millennium
Stadium, for sure. I remember playing against England last time in
qualifying for the 2006 World Cup and we lost 1-0. I also remember playing
at Old Trafford when David Beckham scored a free-kick."
Of the other countries represented by West Ham players, Luis Boa Morte and
Manuel da Costa saw their native Portugal placed in Group H alongside
Denmark, Norway, Cyprus and Iceland. Peter Kurucz's Hungary were drawn to
face the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Moldova and San Marino, while Marek
Stech's Czech Republic take on reigning champions Spain, Scotland, Lithuania
and Liechtenstein. The runner-up with the best record against the first,
third, fourth and fifth teams in their qualifying group will also reach the
finals, while the eight other runners-up will play off for the four
remaining places. Qualifying begins in September 2010 and ends with the
two-legged play-offs in November 2011, with the national team managers and
representatives meeting later on Sunday to thrash out the fixture
arrangements.
UEFA 2010 European Championship qualifying draw:
Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
Group B: Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, FYR Macedonia, Armenia,
Andorra
Group C: Italy, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Faroe Islands
Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg
Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, HUNGARY, Moldova, San Marino
Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta
Group G: ENGLAND, SWITZERLAND, Bulgaria, WALES, Montenegro
Group H: PORTUGAL, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland
Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein
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Cole putting off Sullivan meet until West Ham win
Published 23:00 07/02/10 By Jeremy Butler
The Mirror
Carlton Cole has told David Sullivan to put his dinner plans on hold until
West Ham have something to celebrate. The new Hammers owner is keen to sit
down with the clubs stars at a top restaurant to discuss how they can avoid
the drop - with the players paying. Sullivan is growing increasingly anxious
having spent £52.5m along with his pal David Gold for a 50 per cent share in
the club. Since taking over the pair have yet to see their new club win and
this defeat at struggling Burnley was a kick in the teeth for the men who
fear the Hammers could go bust if they go down. But Cole said: "I think
maybe when we get a win under a belt then we can talk about going out for
dinner. Maybe even a holiday! "They can take us out and we will pay. But
until we win that's a no, no. I don't think the conversation around the
table would be that great." Cole admitted his team-mates were caught cold by
a Clarets side they had beaten 5-3 at Upton Park in November. He said:
"Burnley started really quickly. We were taken by surprise. It's where we
went wrong. "Burnley's first goal came from nowhere really. We didn't start
off well, we were too slow in the first twenty minutes and didn't get out of
blocks."
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Hammers pave way for Upson exit
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on:08 February 2010 - 09:11
Sport.co.uk
West Ham United have confirmed that Matthew Upson will be allowed to leave
Upton Park in the summer if a suitably high bid is forthcoming. The England
international, who began his career at Luton Town before moving to Arsenal
and Birmingham City has been a stalwart in Gianfranco Zola's defence but
with only 12 months left on his contract could leave for free next January.
The 30-year-old has been linked with a number of top Premier League clubs
with Liverpool, Spurs, Manchester City and former club Arsenal all tipped to
make a move. It is believed that Upson would preferably like to join one of
the club's competing in the Champions League having briefly tasted life in
Europe's premiere club competition during his days with the Gunners. With
several clubs competing for the coveted fourth position it looks as though
the commanding defender will have several suitors as the season draws to an
exciting climax. Speaking about Upson's future, new owner David Sullivan
admitted: "If we can get a substantial sum for him then we've got to take
it. It's business sense. "He wants to have one last crack at the big time -
Champions League football - and you can't begrudge him that. "He's in his
prime as a centre-half, but he is probably in his last four or five years
and it's not awful that he has to be sold."
As things stand it appears that Arsenal lead the chase for Upson with Arsene
Wenger likely to offload loanee Sol Campbell, veteran Mikael Silvestre and
Swiss youngster Philippe Senderos in the summer. With William Gallas
entering crunch contract negotiations and Johan Djourou currently sidelined
with a long-term injury the only certainty for next season's central
defensive position appears to be Thomas Vermaelen.
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Greaves on Moore and Captaincy
West Ham Till I Die
Jimmy Greaves has a weekly column in the Sunday People where he sets forth
his views on various football issues. Yesterday his chosen subject was the
role and value of captaincy, against the backdrop of the current controversy
surrounding John Terry.
Under the title 'Captain is Moore than an armband' Greaves plays down the
role of the football captain, generally, and has the following to say about
Bobby Moore:
'Every England captain since Bobby Moore has been compared to the great 1966
World Cup winning captain, and that has not always been helpful.
Bobby was a magnificent defender, a lovely man and a very close friend of
mine. But he is only regarded in such almost sainted esteem because he
happened to be captain on that day in 1966. And that England team could
just as easily have been skippered by Jack Charlton, Bobby Charlton or
George Cohen, to name but a few. Had Jimmy Armfield not been injured in the
build up to the World Cup, and had George Cohen not been such an outstanding
replacement at right-back, then Jim would have been skipper.'
No Greavsie, Bobby Moore is held in such high esteem because he was the
greatest defender in the world and a totally irreplacable captain for both
club and country. Bobby led the team by personal example and was Sir Alf's
man on the pitch. He did not 'just happen' to be skipper, he was the choice
of the England Manager. Sir Bobby Charlton has previously said that England
would not have won the 1966 Final without Bobby Moore and he is totally
right. If I remember correctly, when he made that comment, Charlton grew
emotional talking about Bobby. Such emotion, respect and loyalty from a
team mate is not engendered by just any old captain, but by a very special
player, leader and man.
If you want to see a real captain in action, observe footage of how Bobby
pushed England forward, after we went 0-1 down in the 1966 Final, to win and
take the quick free kick that led to Sir Geoff Hurst's headed equaliser.
Watch the closing stages of the match and see the intense pressure that the
Germans exerted on our rearguard in an attempt to save the game at 3-2.
While others, by their own admission, screamed at him to put the ball into
row Z, Bobby calmly collected the ball, run it out of defence and sent a
killer 40 yard pass forward that instantly turns desperate defence into a
decisive offensive action, result: Hurst scores to make it 4-2 and the Cup
is ours.
No disrespect to the England players quoted, but I think Greaves seriously
under-estimates the task of filling Moore's shoes as England Captain. Bobby
graced the England Captaincy with his greatness as a footballer, his
authority on the pitch and his grace and dignity off of it. In many ways
Bobby's tenure transformed the status of England Captain and gave the
position much of the gravitas that it enjoys today. When a new England
Captain is installed he is well aware of the fact that he has to live up to
the achievements and high standards set by the great Bobby Moore both on and
off the pitch.
That is why I totally agree with Capello's decision on Terry. To have not
removed the captaincy would have undermined the authority and standing of
the position. As it is, Capello has strengthened it and preserved the
legacy of Bobby Moore by showing that high standards are expected of those
who hold the Captaincy of the Three Lions. Rio kindly take note for future
reference!
As for Jimmy Greaves, he is rightly regarded as one of the greatest goal
scorers of all time. But he is wrong in his comments about Bobby Moore and
his captaincy of the England team. So, what's the subject of next week's
article I wonder? How any other striker in the 1966 England WC squad could
have scored Sir Geoff Hurst's famous hattrick in the Final?
SJ. Chandos
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The Fall Guys Once Again!
West Ham Till I Die
It always seems to happen to West Ham. They face a team that cannot buy a
win or an opposition striker that cannot hit the side of a very large barn
and ….. The opposition team turn us over or the misfiring striker scores
the winning goal! This seems to be some sort of perverse, unwritten law
where West Ham are concerned!
Burnley are essentially a Championship quality side, who last won a PL match
on 31 October 2009. They have three or four half decent players. Jensen is
a solid keeper, Mears is a decent right-back on his day, Robbie Blake is a
good pro and Stephen Fletcher is a centre forward of some promise. However,
the rest of their squad are arguably Championship journeymen. The Hammers
squad is far superior in all respects and that is why we should have won
this match at a canter.
So, why did West Ham start so slowly and allow them to grab the early
initiative that ultimately led to our defeat? We were on the back foot for
the first 20 minutes or so, during which time we went behind to a goal that
was, quite frankly, a total embarrassment. Upson mistimed the bounce,
allowing Nugent to nip in front of him and lobbed Green to find the net.
From about the 30th minute, West Ham began taking control and put mounting
pressure on Burnley's dodgy defence. As a result, Burnley increasingly
demonstrated the fragility that will probably see them relegated come May
(other PL teams are not going to be as generous as the Hammers!).
Talking of generosity, what on earth was Collison doing laying hands on
Mears to concede the free kick for their second. It just made no sense
whatsoever. Then enter Danny Fox, to convert a stunning free-kick that
Beckham would probably not even have attempted! I reckon Fox could not
repeat that strike in a month of Sky Sports Super Sundays. This second goal
on 55 minutes came totally out of the blue and against the run of play.
On another day, West Ham might have repeated the 5 goals that they scored
against Owen Coyle's Burnley at Upton Park. McCarthy had one cleared off
the line, Parker had a shot turned around the post by Jensen, Stanislas'
excellent free kick came off the cross bar and Mido hit the post in the
final minutes. As it was, our only reward was substitute Ilan's impressive
opportunistic goal in the 80th minute.
Were we unlucky? Yes, most definitely. But how long can we keep putting up
with hard luck stories. We need the side to play with pace and purpose from
the kick-off to the final whistle and ruthlessly convert the chances that
they are carving out. If you want positives from the Burnley match, it lies
in the match statistics. We had 53% of the play and made 20 attempts on
goal. We carved Burnley open time and again, in the second half, and there
were indicators from this match that McCarthy, Mido and Ilan will combine
well with Cole, to give us an improved cutting edge.
However, the time for hard luck stories and 'should have beens' are well and
truly over. Birmingham City are a team playing way above themselves this
season. Alex McLeish has moulded them into a competent enough unit, but
they are nothing special. We can and should beat them at Upton Park.
If he is fit, Herita Illunga needs to come in at left-back on Wednesday.
Valon Behrami should play on the right side of midield and provide the
defensive cover to allow Faubert to push forward to deliver telling balls in
to the box. It's a judgement call I know, but either Diamanti or Stanislas
should play on the left in place of Jack Collison, who looks distinctly 'out
of sorts' at the moment. And Noble and Parker should continue in the centre
of midfield. Noble to have the holding role, while Parker drives the team
forward. Up front, Cole should partner McCarthy again if the latter is fit.
If not, then we should consider starting the sharp looking Ilan.
I would also like to see us be a bit more direct in getting the ball in to
the box. I am a devotee of our passing game, but we do tend to
over-elaborate at times. We need to know when to pass and when to go more
direct and mix it up a bit more.
Our season will ultimately be decided by our ability to win our home games.
We have winnable home matches against against Brum, Hull, Bolton, Wolves,
Stoke City, Sunderland, Wigan and Man City. That's 24 points up for grabs.
In addition, we should be looking for realistic away wins against Fulham and
Everton (6 points) and anything earnt from the away fixtures against the
likes of Man Utd, Chelski and Liverpool would be a much welcome bonus.
We need 19 points to reach the magic 40 mark and we have to start the
process of accruing those points against Birmingham City! So lets get behind
Zola and the team and roar them to the three points on Wednesday that will
kick start the run of victories will guaratee our PL safety.
SJ. Chandos.
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Let's Avoid Jerking Our Knees
West Ham Till I Die
I've been appalled at the vitriol thrown at Zola in some of comments
reacting to yesterday's loss. Get a grip. We had about half a dozen chances
to equalise. If Mido's shot hadn't hit the post and had gone in, would
people have reacted in the same way? Yes, we should have looked to have got
at least a point yesterday – no question about it. But to react as if we are
already dead and buried is just puerile. We are not. Cole is playing his way
back from injury and we have three new strikes, one of whom scored
yesterday. I am not looking at our position through rose tinted spectacles,
but people shouldn't have such ridiculous knee jerk reactions.
We should show our support for Zola and shy away from any suggestion that
the new owners should lose patience with him after just three games. That
would be ridiculous. There is no saviour over the water? I'd say to some
people that they should be careful who they wish for.
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