WHUFC.com
The manager had plenty of reason to be cheerful after seeing his side see
off Sunderland
10.04.2010
Gianfranco Zola was on a high on Saturday night after seeing his team grind
out a deserved 1-0 home victory against Sunderland. The manager had seen his
players perform terrifically against a visiting side that had moved into
mid-table safety on the back of a fine home win against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Hammers also headed into this contest on the up after earning a 2-2 draw
at Everton last time and the manager said that had proved the catalyst for
success. "The result that got we last week gave everybody a big boost and we
found a way where everybody is working very hard for the team, keeping the
shape and keeping the team short. That has paid off. When you find things
are working you rely on them more and you get better and better. That is the
case. "Things are better but it is still too early to celebrate. We are very
happy for today. It was such a tough game. Not only because of the team we
were up against but also the amount of pressure that was on our game. "I am
pleased because the players gave everything and they got three points that
they deserved. I am absolutely delighted for that and for the boys. I know
what they have been through all of this time. "If we keep working hard and
getting points then the confidence level will go higher. Then you can afford
to play even more than we are doing right now."
The match-winner was Ilan, who earned a starting berth after his late goal
heroics last time out at Goodison Park. Zola said the Brazilian has still
plenty more to show, however. "Ilan has done very well in the last week. He
came on and scored a very important goal and he has made his way through to
the team. "The goal he scored today was unbelievable. I am delighted. He is
becoming very effective for us and is making a big difference. I am pleased
for him and for us. He is a payer who has got certain qualities. He can do
the job that David Di Michele did for us last year. "He is very similar to
him. Maybe he is more effective scoring goals than Di Michele was. He is
doing very well. I don't think we have seen the best of him because he is
still adapting to this football. He can do even better. "Also the
understanding with Carlton Cole was very good. The goal came from a
combination from the two which was something that they have been trying to
do all the game."
The manager was also full of praise for his midfield runners, with the
"brilliant" Mark Noble and man of the match Valon Behrami earning particular
praise for coping with Sunderland pressure. "Every time we had the
opportunity we tried to play but Lee Cattermole and David Meyer were
pressing Noble and Kovac. "So we needed to bypass that. Plus we needed to
find Cole and Ilan as soon as possible. That was the plan to avoid the first
pressing, that worked quite well. "We have been working a lot on the
organisation of the team, on the defensive side of things and helping them
with the midfield - keeping the team close to each other. That created a
kind of strength in the team and the point against Everton did the rest.
"Everybody knew how Scott Parker is influential for us. But I said if
everybody does a little bit more we can somehow make up for it. What Noble
and Behrami did today was unbelievable. They were a big help for our
midfield." Although Zola conceded one more win could be enough for survival,
he said the unpredictability of the league meant his team would go for as
many as possible. He lamented a possible penalty on Carlton Cole from
visiting keeper Craig Gordon and questioned why Guille Franco's late 'goal'
was disallowed. Overall, though he was keen to focus on the positives and
staying true to his principles - whatever pressures are exerted outside the
club. "You have to motivate and you have to get the best out of players.
Some people do it in some ways and others go another way. Simple as that.
What I can say is judge me at the end of the season when I finish my job."
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Ilan earns precious victory
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble and Valon Behrami were inspirational in a tremendous home win for
the Hammers
10.04.2010
West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
Ilan may have stolen the headlines with a second vital goal in a week for
the Hammers but a precious three points on Saturday were earned by a true
team display.
The Brazilian forward earned his first start at the Boleyn Ground after his
late equaliser at Everton last week and rewarded Gianfranco Zola's faith
with a priceless finish just after half-time. It was no more than the
Hammers deserved and, with Burnley winning at Hull City, they took a massive
leap towards top-flight safety.
Zola had gone into the contest hoping that his team would compensate for the
absence of Scott Parker. He need not have worried. In Mark Noble and Valon
Behrami, who was back in the side for Parker, especially, he had midfielders
willing to cover every blade of grass and who frequently put in
lung-bursting runs to stretch the Sunderland side.
The duo's industry was the high point of the opening quarter-of-an-hour with
neither goalkeeper threatened by a shot of note. That changed on 16 minutes
when the match finally sparked into life, Behrami played a terrific one-two
with Ilan before testing Craig Gordon with a low drive that the Scotland
keeper only just palmed aside.
That got the home crowd going and there was a brief buzz when Gordon crashed
a clearance against Cole's back and the ball momentarily looked like it
might loop goalwards. Soon Cole was bursting through the middle, having
superbly robbed Lee Cattermole, only to be blocked off and then Jonathan
Spector picked out Ilan with a raking pass, only for an offside flag to be
raised.
Sunderland were harrying well and there was no sign of taking it easy
despite being virtually assured of their Barclays Premier League status for
another season. Cattermole underlined their commitment with a crunching
tackle on Behrami that left the Swiss international in a heap and saw Mike
Jones produce a yellow card.
Green's first real moment of action came a minute later when he had to save
a low shot from Bent before Spector had his name taken for a late challenge.
The referee was called into action again on 33 minutes, Gordon earning a
yellow card for handling outside his area and the game had turned into a
stop-start affair.
Noble was responsible for picking up the momentum. A crunching tackle on
Cattermole electrified the crowd and within seconds Faubert and Stanislas
were involved on the right wing before Cole worked his way into the area. He
fed the ball through to Ilan but only a last-ditch block by the returning
Anton Ferdinand, who had received a good reception, saved Sunderland.
That man Noble was again involved in the dying seconds of the half, linking
up with Ilan with two one-twos but again Sunderland were able to see out the
danger. The Hammers were on top but had no goal to show for their efforts.
They did not have to wait too long into the second half, though, to raise
the roof.
On 51 minutes, Ilan won a free-kick. Da Costa took it, launching the ball
forward into the penalty area for Cole to flick on and there was Ilan around
the back to poke the ball beyond Gordon with his studs. It was a huge goal,
as was underlined by the mass celebrations. There was still work to be done,
though, a fact well known to the 34,685 gathered.
The alarm bells were ringing as the hour came and went with Cattermole
allowed time and space to fizz a shot just wide of Green's right-hand
upright. Noble was still going though, combining with Stanislas. but the
final ball just eluded Cole. Sunderland made their first change on 63
minutes replacing David Meyler with Kenwyne Jones.
It nearly paid instant dividends, Jones found a perfect pass that split
Matthew Upson and Manuel da Costa and played in Bent in acres of space 15
yards out. Just as the crowd held their breath, the 22-goal striker slipped
at the vital moment and the ball was hacked away.
Both sides made further changes after that, Steed Malbranque off for Bolo
Zenden before Stanislas departed for the fit-again Guille Franco. Sunderland
were given a chance to cause havoc due to indecision between Behrami and
Noble leading to a foul on Kieran Richardson. Jordan Henderson took the
free-kick and Green did well to save the curling effort from 18 yards.
West Ham were given a similar opportunity at the other end on 79 minutes,
Fraizer Campbell clipping the surging Spector's heels. Noble took it but his
effort was straight into Gordon's hands. The free-kicks were coming thick
and fast, this time after a high boot from Faubert at the other end but Cole
cleared from Henderson.
The temperature was rising with Behrami and Henderson both getting a
talking-to after a bit of pushing and shiving. Campbell then earned a yellow
for a foul on Ilan. Cards were coming quicker than chances, but that suited
Zola's men down to the ground. It was a nervy finish though and Sunderland
were not in the mood for giving up.
Sunderland's last change saw Benjani arrive as a fourth striker for Paulo Da
Silva as Steve Bruce went for broke.
Ilan went off to a rapturous response as the game moved into four added
minutes with Fabio Daprela on for extra defensive steel. Franco thought he
had clinched the win with a late goal but was adjudged to have handled.
Sunderland raced down the other end and but for a defiant Behrami block,
Zenden could have equalised with a fierce shot. The Hammers had held on, and
will go to Liverpool a week on Monday with spirits high.
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Five-star show beats Galaxy
WHUFC.com
Tony Carr's side took advantage of a free weekend to get in a friendly
against US opposition
10.04.2010
An Under-18 side recorded a solid 5-0 win against a touring LA Galaxy side
at Little Heath on Saturday morning. The Hammers, who have just got back
from winning an international tournament in Washington D.C., were always in
control at a sunny Little Heath. Tony Carr's side scored through a Blair
Turgott penalty, Dylan Tombides, Jack Werndly and Eoin Wearen with the
scoring completed by an own goal. A weakened U16 side, with many having
stepped up to U18 level, went down 5-2 to the Galaxy. Academy Director Carr
was pleased to see his players return to action after being without a
fixture over the Easter weekend. "It was a good opportunity to get a game
under our belts after having a break over Easter, when we didn't have a
scheduled fixture. LA Galaxy have been on a UK tour and were in Manchester
last week before coming down to London.
"It has to be said, we were more or less an Under-16/17 side playing against
an Under-18 team, and we won quite comprehensively in the end. It was a
worthwhile exercise and a good workout. "Jack Werndly scored after a long
spell out injured, so it was good for him to get his name back on the
scoresheet. The goals were shared around, it was a good workout in hot and
sunny conditions, and it will keep the boys fit ahead of the final few games
of the season. "The Galaxy were enthusiastic and worked hard. They were a
little bit tactically naive at times, and individual mistakes cost them
possession, but they were quite well-organised. We pressured them a lot and
it forced them into making errors."
West Ham United: Loveday (Larkins), Young (Modelski), Hurley (Brown),
Wearen, Craig, Vose, Moncur (Powell), Turgott, Fanimo, Tombides, Werndly
(Hall)
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Your say on Hammerhead
WHUFC.com
Fans can decide which mascots they would like to see supporting the team in
the future
09.04.2010
West Ham United have been courting opinion this week from Youth Academy
members about the club's mascots. Herbie the Hammer and Bubbles Bear have
served the club well in recent years, and proved a popular presence at the
Boleyn Ground. In their place, though, could potentially be Hammerhead -
dubbed 'the ultimate man-machine mystery' with the alter-ego of the Iron
Knight. For younger fans, there will also be Little Hammerhead.
So who would you prefer? It is up to supporters to have their say. The
club's Youth Academy members are being asked to email their thoughts to
hammerhead@westhamunited.co.uk. Alternatively, they can write in with the
subject line stating their choice of mascots: Hammerhead or Herbie and
Bubbles.
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West Ham 1 - 0 Sunderland
By Julian Shea
BBC.co.uk
Brazilian striker Ilan's second goal in as many games moved West Ham four
points clear of the relegation zone. After a tense first half, the Hammers
lifted the mood, breaching the Sunderland defence on 51 minutes. Manuel da
Costa's long free-kick was flicked on by Carlton Cole, straight into the
path of Ilan, who poked home. Lee Cattermole and Darren Bent went close for
Sunderland but West Ham held their nerve in a fractious finale to pick up a
vital Premier League win. Considering the home side's precarious position in
the table, there was a strange lack of urgency to the opening stages. The
first goal threat at either end came when Steed Malbranque's long pass put
through Bent, who spotted Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green off his line, but
his lob went onto the roof of the net. West Ham's Valon Behrami forced the
first real save of the game when his effort from outside the box had Craig
Gordon at full stretch, but this was a rare moment of activity for either
goalkeeper. The absence of pressure on Sunderland allowed them to put on a
good passing display, and Malbranque always looked capable of creating
something, but the home side showed a greater willingness to go for goal.
Radoslav Kovac shot over from outside the box and shortly before the
interval, the east Londoners wasted the best chance of the match so far.
Junior Stanislas dispossessed former West Ham trainee Kieran Richardson
outside the box and fed the ball in to Cole, but when he offloaded it to
Ilan, the Brazilian lost his footing at the vital moment and scuffed his
shot.
Despite being West Ham's top scorer, Cole's first-half contribution was more
about his physical presence, rather than goal threat, and he certainly gave
Sunderland keeper Gordon some problems. Under pressure from Cole, the
Scottish international was panicked into conceding a free-kick for handling
outside the box, which cost him a booking, and minutes later he
rugby-tackled the England striker in the penalty area, but the offside flag
was already up against Cole. And the England man's physical presence proved
vital early in the second half as he set up West Ham's opening goal. Da
Costa's free-kick from the right, just inside his own half, found the head
of Cole on the edge of the box and he flicked on for Ilan, who eluded his
marker Paulo da Silva to prod the ball into the bottom corner.
Cattermole shot inches wide and Kenwyne Jones's introduction gave Sunderland
more threat, and Bent really should have done better when Jones put him
through on goal, only to lose his footing at the vital moment. Tempers on
both sides frayed as time ran out, and Cole wasted a great chance to make
sure of the points on 90 minute when he shot just wide. Guillermo Franco
thought he had added a second in injury-time but his effort was ruled out
for hand-ball, but as it turned out Ilan's goal was enough to secure the
victory.
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola: "The players put a lot of passion in. We got
the three points we needed and deserved. "Defensively the players really
performed well. Everyone helped - the midfielders and the strikers. When
that happens, then you have a possibility of doing well. "We've improved our
position but there is still a long way but we need to maintain our focus.
"The circumstances can change completely, but we made a lot of sacrifice to
make things change. The three points will give us a boost in confidence."
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce: "We never seemed to be in any danger, I
couldn't see them scoring and I can't remember the keepers doing much. "It
was poor goal we gave away, considering we spoke about it at half time -
that was their main threat. "Our home form is exceptional, away it's
something we have to look at it and be better. Today summed it up - we
should be taking something from it, too many times we've been in the game
and haven't done enough."
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Dandelions and dross!
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 10th April 2010
By: Gordon Thrower
Steve Bruce was not a happy bunny post match...
Refereeing decisions? I think I paid my fine last month. The tulips and
daffodils are out and I don't really want to go back there to give them any
more. (sigh) some of the refereeing decisions were, well....
The disallowed goal at the end? What was that all about? We wanted to take
the free-kick. I asked the ref and he told me that it would be "unsporting".
Jesus! I thought it was "unsporting not to let us take the free-kick. They
still had six players on the pitch. There's two minutes to play. If he blows
the whistle and lets us take the free-kick they'll soon get back - or
they'll try! He didn't add any time on for that either - and they were
celebrating for three minutes! Jesus! But, there you go.
Who designs Darren Bent's boots? To be fair the pitches look magnificent but
they are rock hard. They water them and water them . Do they use the Desso
system here? That's half plastic so it's rock hard. If he hadn't slipped
he'd have scored.
Our attitude? The integrity was there. We're chasing 10th which is a big
incentive for us. We don't want to give that up. It was a bad goal to give
away though. We spoke about it at half time - I thought their only threat
was from players running on to Carlton Cole flick-ons. So to give away a
goal like that was poor.
A penalty second half? I don't want to be going there. I don't want to be
looking for excuses. You can all write it but I ain't going there because
some of the stuff that he came up with was total dross. His performance was
poor and the end summed it up.
I thought we looked comfortable first half then given away a poor goal.
Catts has missed one by a whisker and if Benty stays on his feet that's a
goal. It wasn't our day but, to be honest, we have a lot of those days away
from home. We've had matches where we've done enough to come away with more
than a point but got nothing. It's something we have to eradicate.
Craig Gordon? Well he comes out to the edge of the box and tries to grab it
and it's outside so fair enough. It's a genuine mistake. I'll need to check
but I think he's been booked for not letting them take a quick free-kick. Is
that ironic, ridiculous or what. He's just gonna let them take the free-kick
with the goalkeeper out of the road and it's a goal?
Was Gordon lucky to stay on? It's not a red card is it? The challenge on
Cole. He's blown up for the foul by Cole straight away. I've just seen it -
I checked before I came out to see you guys! He gave it straight away. He
got one right. One.
Malbranque?I thought he was terrific. I just thought he had run out of
juice. We needed fresh legs and at the end we had every type of player out
there trying to score a goal. We should have got something out of the game -
but the integrity was there for all to see. We had a great attitude - that's
the Premier League - but we got nothing out of the game.
West Ham? Well they have Liverpool & Fulham away but having a four point gap
at this stage of the season is huge. That was an incredible result Burnley
at Hull. We have both of them next. Hmmm!
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Zola on... Sunderland
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 10th April 2010
By: Gordon Thrower
A beaming Gianfranco Zola shares his views on today's vital 1-0 win over
Sunderland.....
Does the table make happier reading? Yes it looks better but it's still too
early to celebrate. It was a tough game for us - not only because of the
team we had to play against but also because of the pressure we were under.
So I'm pleased for the players - they gave everything and we deserved the
three points. So I'm absolutely delighted for the boys because I know what
they've been through all of this time.
The decision to start with Ilan? Well he did very well last week and he has
made his own way into the team. The goal he scored today was unbelievable.
He's becoming fit for us and he's making a big difference for us so I'm
delighted.
He's a player that can do the sort of job that Di Michele did for us last
year. He's a similar player Di Michele was. He's doing very well - but I
don't think we've seen the best of him yet. He is still adapting to this
type of football. He's building up an understanding with Carlton Cole - the
goal came from that combination.
Confidence? Yes the result last week gave everyone a boost plus everybody is
working very hard at the club.
The longer ball- no it wasn't a particular plan but we felt we needed to
change things a little. Cattermole and Meyler were pressing hard on Noble
and Kovac and we felt we needed to by-pass that.
Everybody knows how influential Scot Parker is but I told the players if we
all put in some extra we could make up for his absence. Noble and Behrami
were unbelievable today. They did enough running for four players.
Any thoughts on Portsmouth? Well obviously I feel a bit sorry for Avron
(Grant) and his players but that's football. I have to think about my life.
We're still not safe so my focus has to be on myself. We're not there yet.
If we keep applying ourselves and getting the results the confidence levels
will improve.Do I think that 34 points will keep us up? We'll we will be
trying for more than that just to make sure.This is not a championship where
you can say "it's over". Nobody was expecting Burnley to beat Hull City
today.
The Sunderland 'keeper? Well the referee gave the foul on Carlton Cole -
they tell me that maybe he didn't foul him but I haven't seen it yet. The
handball before? Well for a red card it has to be a clear opportunity and
the referee didn't judge that it was. I have no complaints for that but the
penalty for Carlton is maybe the only one you could say anything about.
The last "goal?" They said that was maybe handball. I don't know. I'd have
to see that later.
Have we done anything different since I got back from Sardinia? Well we've
worked hard on the organization of the team and on the midfield helping out
the defence more with our players playing closer together. That created a
strength in the team and the point at Everton did the rest.
Am I too "nice" to be a manager? I'm the way I am and I'm not going to
change just because of the job I do. That doesn't mean I cannot do a good
job. I did a job last year. You have to motivate the players and some people
do it one way and some will do it in another. I would say judge me at the
end of the season.
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Laws, Dowie and Zola on battle
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 10th April 2010
By: Staff Writer
The three managers whose teams were involved in relegation battles today
have spoken about their hopes for the remainder of the season.
West Ham's win over Sunderland this afternoon took United four points clear
of both Hull and Burnley, who thrashed the Tigers 4-1 at the KC Stadium this
afternoon.
Naturally Gianfranco Zola was the happiest of the three coaches on a day of
twists and turns; talking after tonight's game he admitted that he was
'delighted' at the result that saw his team rise above Wigan in the table.
"It feels great," he said. "I'm really delighted for the players and
everybody involved with West Ham as we've been through a difficult time. The
hard work that we have been putting in has paid off - and I'm delighted
about that."
And with regard to Ilan, who scored the last-gasp equaliser at Goodison Park
last weekend as well as today's winning goal, Zola added: "I'm very pleased
for him as he's scored two inportant goals for us and has deserved to stay
in the team. He's made his way into the team through his goals and
performances. I'm pleased for him and the team."
Burnley boss Brian Laws was naturally delighted at the 4-1 demolition of
their nearest relegation rivals - even if the win was soured slightly by
news of West Ham's success over Sunderland.
"We haven't had a win in quite a while - and what a way to do it," he
beamed. "It was a great response by the players. You've got to fight really
hard to stay in the Premier League. It's easy to get into a catfight down at
the bottom when you're not winning games.
"Everybody knows how hard it is to get into the Premier League - but it's
dead easy to drop out of it if you don't put in the effort and commitment.
The players had to knuckle down and respond in the manner in which they did
- and it was magnificent."
However it was nothing but gloom and doom from former Hammer and recently
appointed Hull City boss Iain Dowie who now faces a monumental task in
restoring his team's confidence after they were hammered by Burnley.
"When they got the goal we got nervous and edgy and almost forgot to stick
to the game plan," he moaned. "But it's a game we've got to forget very
quickly.
"In training I've seen desire and I've seen hunger but we didn't show nearly
enough of that. I've seen a few of the lads on the way out and told them to
make sure they come back with a steely desire to do better next weekend."
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Ilan eases Hammers drop fears
Brazilian striker on target again to seal West Ham win
By Jonathan Witty Last updated: 10th April 2010
SSN
Man of the match: Mark Noble dictated the play for West Ham for large
periods and was a constant threat.
Shot of the match: Jordan Henderson's vicious swinging free-kick which
nearly caught out Robert Green at his near post.
Save of the match:Craig Gordon's finger-tip save to prevent Vedran Behrami
scoring from 20 yards in the first half was excellent.
Talking points:Can West Ham stay in the Premier League? Will Carlton Cole
make it into England's World Cup squad?
Ilan scored his second vital goal within a week to give
relegation-threatened West Ham a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Sunderland
at Upton Park. Ilan struck six minutes into the second period to give the
Hammers their first Premier League win since February and ease the pressure
on under-fire manager Gianfranco Zola. After notching a late equaliser
against Everton last week, the former St Etienne player gave his side a
survival lifeline by sliding home Carlton Cole's header. The introduction of
Kenwyne Jones nearly galvanised Sunderland in the second period, but Darren
Bent squandered their best chance of getting back into the game. Substitute
Guillermo Franco thought he had doubled the Hammers' advantage in stoppage
time, but his goal was ruled out for handball. The result means Portsmouth's
relegation to the Championship is confirmed and lifts West Ham four points
clear of the drop zone.
For 10 cagey minutes neither team was able to create an opening, with the
game played almost exclusively in the middle third. But it was the Black
Cats who settled first as Steed Malbranque grew increasingly influential on
the left of midfield. Malbranque engineered the first threatening attack of
the game as he exchanged passes with Kieran Richardson to earn Sunderland a
corner - and they should have taken the lead. West Ham defender Manuel da
Costa failed to deal with Malbranque's inswinging delivery but Campbell
could not latch onto the loose ball as it ran across the six yard box and
the Hammers survived. West Ham were struggling to keep Bent under control
and the Sunderland striker latched onto a long ball over the top but his
attempted lob over Robert Green landed on the roof of the net. Behrami had
West Ham's first shot on goal, forcing Gordon into a low block and
Richardson was on hand to clear his lines as Junior Stanislas loked to
pounce on the rebound.
Sunderland then received two major let-offs in the space of five minutes and
were fortunate to reach half-time on level terms and with 11 men still on
the field. Firstly, Craig Gordon was penalised for handling the ball outside
of his area but he received only a yellow card and West Ham made a hash of
the free-kick. Sunderland then had Paulo da Silva to thank for a brilliant
interception inside his own box, stealing the ball from Ilan's toes after he
had been picked out by Cole. But if Gordon had been fortunate with the
hand-ball, he was the luckiest man inside Upton Park after dragging Cole to
the ground inside his box only to be saved by the whistle of referee Mike
Jones. Gordon had panicked after dropping a high ball while under pressure
from Cole but referee Jones had already decided to penalise the West Ham
striker for a foul. When Meyler was judged to have fouled Ilan on half-way,
referee Jones called Sunderland captain Michael Turner over to warn him
about the Black Cats' discipline.
West Ham exacted the perfect punishment. Da Costa launched the free-kick
towards Cole and Ilan latched onto the knock-down to score his second goal
in two games. The explosion of noise around Upton Park was as much relief as
celebration. Sunderland responded calmly, dominating possession and passing
the ball around to stretch West Ham and test their patience but Cattermole's
drive whistled just wide of Green 's right-hand post. Sunderland sent on
Jones for Meyler and he made an immediate impact with a driving run from
midfield before sliding the ball towards bent on the edge of the box. The
Sunderland striker took a perfect first touch to tee up the shot but he
slipped on the Upton Park turf and Green was able to scramble out of goal
and smother the ball. There was drama right to the death. In the fourth
minute of added time, Franco had the ball in the net and wheeled away to
celebrate. But the Mexican was judged to have controlled the ball with his
left hand and the goal was disallowed.
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Zola - Hard work has paid off
Hammers boss hails the work ethic of his side
Last updated: 10th April 2010
SSN
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is ready to battle until the final day of
the season after seeing his side edge Sunderland 1-0 to move four points
clear of the relegation zone.
Ilan proved his worth once again by scoring the winner, six days after
scoring a dramatic late equaliser at Everton, to earn the Hammers a deserved
three points. Despite the four-point gap between West Ham and the drop zone,
Zola is cautious about making any assumptions about his side's Premier
League status. When asked whether the relegation battle was going to be
decided on the last day, he replied: "I hope not, but we have to assume that
it will be tight because that is the kind of season it has been so far.
"We need to maintain the same focus and the same amount of work." The
victory over Sunderland was West Ham's first since February and Zola was
pleased to finally end his side's barren run. He added: "It feels great for
the players, for everybody involved at West Ham. We have come to a difficult
time and it will still not be easy, but it is a little bit better. "I think
the hard work we have put in has paid off and that makes me delighted."
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ILAN BLAST HITS HAMMERS BOSS ZOLA
Striker says boss has lost control
News Of The World
By Aidan Magee, 10/04/2010
GIANFRANCO ZOLA has been accused of losing control of his West Ham players
and been told he is too nice to regain his authority. Brazilian striker Ilan
earned the struggling Hammers a precious point last week with a stunning
diving header late on against Everton and scored the winner against
Sunderland - but has now revealed he will quit the club at the end of the
season. He said: "I don't want to say bad things about Zola because he is a
good person, but you know sometimes a good person working in football
doesn't work. If you give your players a lot of freedom, they will not obey
you anymore. "That is what is happening now at West Ham, especially with
players who speak Italian. "Zola has lost control of the team and it is
impossible for him to recover it."
Ilan, has scored twice for his new club despite starting just one game since
his arrival from Saint Etienne in January. "Zola never uses me in my
position as a centre forward," he added. "He puts me out on the flanks or
even as a second forward. "He and the other coaches in the Premier League
have an obsession with putting the players in positions different to the one
they are used to. "Whatever happens, I'm going to leave England. I have
received offers from France and Spain and even from three clubs from Brazil.
"If I get a good offer, like from a Brazilian team that wants to win the
Copa Libertadores, then of course money will not be the only factor that
matters. "I am 29 years old and still think that I can achieve a lot in
football.
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ZOLA WANTS THREE MORE POINTS
News Of The WOrld
10/04/2010
GIANFRANCO ZOLA thinks one more victory will assure West Ham of their
Premier League survival. If that comes against fellow strugglers Wigan next
weekend, all the better for the likeable Italian. But Steve Bruce was upset
with referee Mike Jones and felt the Hammers played long-ball football up to
Carlton Cole. "Judge me at the end of the season," said Zola. "This was a
fantastic win for us but we are not safe yet - we have to keep on our toes.
"I think 34 points could be enough to stay up. "It's a bit too early to
start celebrating but it was a huge relief to get this win. We demonstrated
great spirit and determination and some confidence has started to come back
into the side after suffering such a difficult time. "It was a big boost to
us to get that draw at Everton last week and now this win lifts us all even
more. "We have changed the way we are playing because of the situation.
"Because of the way Sunderland were pressing our midfield, we had to play
some more long balls to bypass that area and it worked well. "There was a
good understanding between Carlton Cole and Ilan - and Ilan produced a great
finish. "He has forced his way into the team and, hopefully, he can score a
few more goals for us over our last four games."
Bruce was annoyed with referee Jones, particularly for refusing to allow his
side to respond quickly to a disallowed goal by Guillermo Franco. "I got a
big fine for complaining about a referee's decision last month. The
daffodils and the tulips are out now and I don't want to pay out another
fine. "But it's fair to say that I thought some of the decisions were dross.
Right at the end I cannot understand why he did not allow us to take a
free-kick after West Ham had had a goal for an obvious handball disallowed.
"Their players went on a celebration looking to waste some time and were off
the pitch but the referee just stood over the ball and prevented us from
getting on with the game straight away.
"He explained to me afterwards that it would have been unsporting behaviour
to allow the game to restart with some of their players off the pitch. But
surely what they were doing was unsporting. "It baffled me a bit as did some
other decisions. "It's another disappointing day for us away from home.
Plenty of times this season we've done OK but have not come away with
anything. We contained them pretty well and I was disappointed with the way
we gave away their goal. It was straightforward. "Most of their game
revolved around hitting long balls for Carlton Cole to flick on."
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BILIC ATTRACTED BY HAMMERS JOB
Timing not right for Croatia chief
News Of The World
10/04/2010
SLAVEN BILIC says he would be interested in a return to West Ham - but not
at the moment. he Croatia boss is flattered to be linked with the manager's
job at Upton Park after enjoying his spell at the club as a player. However,
he stresses there has been no conversations with owners David Gold and David
Sullivan. The Hammers picked up a vital 1-0 win against Sunderland to boost
their chances of beating the drop and relieve some of the pressure on
Gianfranco Zola. But the Italian's long-term future remains very much in
doubt. "We've never had contact, in my time at Upton Park they (Gold and
Sullivan) were not the owners of the club," said Bilic. "I must say that
West Ham have remained a special club for me with a different, family
atmosphere. In addition, the club is big enough to attract me but not at the
moment. "Croatia's team is the only thing that interests me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ilan helps to ease the pressure on West Ham
West Ham 1 Sunderland 0
Brian Glanville at Upton Park
The Times
AFTER a first half of grinding mediocrity, the game came to sporadic life
after the interval and West Ham, scoring the solitary goal, took a huge step
towards Premier League safety.
Their manager, Gianfranco Zola, insisted: "It is still too early to
celebrate. We are very happy for today. Such a tough game for us; not only
for the team we were playing against, but for the amount of pressure on our
team."
Predictably, his Sunderland counterpart, Steve Bruce, felt his team had been
hard done by. Though he refused at first to criticise the referee, Mike
Jones, saying he wanted no more disciplinary troubles this season, he later
exclaimed: "Some of the stuff he came up with was total dross."
The result not only made West Ham's survival more likely, it condemned
Portsmouth to the Championship.
Lacking the usual motor of their midfield, the lively Scott Parker, who was
suspended after his yellow card a week earlier at Everton, West Ham were
admirably served in his place by Mark Noble. Throughout the game, Noble was
alert, combative and intelligent, surely the outstanding player on a field
that had so few of them.
With him, Zola coupled his Swiss international, Valon Behrami, who was so
active on the left flank. "Everybody knows how Scott Parker is influential.
If everybody does a little more, he can somehow make up for this. I think
what Noble and Behrami did today is unbelievable."
At no point did Sunderland's football ever flow, and even when Bruce
eventually added a third striker in the shape of Kenwyne Jones, chances were
few. Unquestionably the best came on 63 minutes, soon after Jones had come
on to join Darren Bent and Fraizer Campbell. Bent was set up by Jones' pass
but fell over and the chance was gone.
"To be fair," said Bruce, "you know the pitches look wonderful, but they are
rock hard . . . you see it often because if he hadn't slipped he'd have
scored."
Neither goalkeeper was called on to excess, although Sunderland's Craig
Gordon had an awkward moment in the first half when he handled just outside
his penalty box and was then booked for kicking the ball away.
The only goal came six minutes into the second half. Manuel da Costa took a
free-kick from the right, Carlton Cole, in one of his few felicitous moments
of the match, flicked on, and the Brazilian Ilan supplied the crucial, final
touch to score his second goal in consecutive matches.
Seven minutes later, receiving from Bent, the ever-active Lee Cattermole
shot narrowly wide of West Ham's left-hand post.
Shortly after that near miss, a delightful chip by Noble found Cole but the
West Ham striker headed wide.
Star man: Mark Noble (West Ham)
Yellow cards: West Ham: Spector Sunderland: Gordon, Cattermole, Campbell
Referee: M Jones
Attendance: 34,685
West Ham: Green 7, Faubert 6, da Costa 6, Upson 6, Spector 6, Stanislas 5
(Franco 74min), Kovac 6, Behrami 6, Noble 7, Cole 6, Ilan 6 (Daprela 90min)
Sunderland: Gordon 6, Ferdinand 6, Da Silva 6 (Benjani 88min), Turner 6,
Richardson 6, Henderson 6, Meyler 6 (Jones 63min), Cattermole 7, Malbranque
6 (Zenden 72min), Bent 6, Campbell 6
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