WHUFC.com
The manager was disappointed but not deterred by a tough opening to the
season at Villa Park
14.08.2010
Avram Grant was certain he would see a reaction from his players after a
tough start to the new Barclays Premier League season. The manager refused
to make excuses, despite the opening goal in Aston Villa's 3-0 win on
Saturday coming when scorer Stewart Downing was in an offside position. That
was quickly followed by a second from Stiliyan Petrov and, despite a
spirited start to the second half, James Milner confirmed the defeat with a
third that was probably deserved for the home side. "I was not by pleased by
the first-half performance or the result," Grant said. "The first goal was a
clear offside but we did not play so well even though we had two big chances
to score at 1-0 and 2-0. "We didn't score, we didn't play quick and we
didn't pass the ball well, so we made some changes and until they scored
again we controlled the game. Again, we had another two big chances but we
didn't score. They did but that is football. The game was finished."
Aside from the "great" travelling support, there were positives with Winston
Reid making his first appearance for the club while notably Frederic
Piquionne and Pablo Barrera looked lively when coming on at the interval.
Robert Green was also exempt from any fault for the three Villa goals and
did much to stop them adding to the tally. "Robert Green played well today.
But in front of him we didn't play so well. It was not an easy life for him
but the goals were not his fault and he made some good saves. "Winston Reid
was good for his first game. He did not play in his position because he is
centre-half but for a first performance in the Premier League he was good.
He will be a very good player."
Despite Thomas Hitzlsperger's thigh problem keeping him out and Manuel da
Costa not travelling because of an ankle knock, Grant said Villa merited the
manner of their victory. "Villa were better than us. "My players wanted to
succeed in this game very much and they had been waiting for this match,
especially after last season but sometimes when you're so excited you don't
end up playing so well. "Carlton Cole looked isolated but that was not the
plan. Players needed to support him but they didn't and our movement was not
so good. Aston Villa played sharp and quick, which was what we had planned
to do. It was not so good. The reaction after [half-time] was good. "This is
the beginning of the season. When I started here I told the players that I
want to see how they react both after they win and after they lose. There is
a long way to go but, of course, we wanted to win. "When you play away from
home, anything can happen and we didn't want to lose this game but we lost.
As you have seen from all my other teams before is that they will react
after a defeat like this. We will learn and be much, much better during the
season."
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Aston Villa 3 - 0 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
By Kevin Darling
Aston Villa shrugged off the loss of manager Martin O'Neill with a vibrant
display as Avram Grant's first game as West Ham boss ended in a dismal
defeat.
The hosts dominated from the the start and Stewart Downing pounced on Robert
Green's parry to secure an early lead. Stiliyan Petrov's header from an
Ashley Young cross made it 2-0 before Julien Faubert fluffed a rare Hammers
chance. James Milner, tipped to leave Villa, slammed home a third from 18
yards after a fine run from Marc Albrighton. It was a dazzling end to a
turbulent week at Villa Park, which saw Kevin MacDonald take charge of the
team after O'Neill's shock exit five days ago. The Northern Irishman
reportedly walked out after a disagreement with Villa owner Randy Lerner -
but it was the American's name the home fans were chanting at the end of an
emphatic win. While it was a fine day for the Midlands club, it was a
dreadful start to the new job for Grant, whose side looked disjointed and
toothless as they were outplayed for most of the game by a young and
committed Villa side. MacDonald's team showed no ill-effects from the events
of the past week as they started the match in blistering fashion, with John
Carew heading just wide from Downing's cross after three minutes.
They went even closer to an opening goal moments later after some calamitous
defending by James Tomkins. The young centre-back's dreadful back pass
allowed Carew a clear run at goal and after Green got a touch with his leg,
the ball ricocheted off Tomkins and then bounced back off the post. But the
Hammers' good fortune quickly evaporated and it was goalkeeper Green,
mercilessly booed throughout by the Villa fans after his unfortunate World
Cup exploits, who was at the centre of the action. The keeper's poor punch
from a Young cross led to a shot from Albrighton and, although Green palmed
it away, Downing followed up to tap in the rebound.
Referee Mike Dean waved away the protests from the Hammers defence, who
thought Downing was in an offside position when the ball was fired in by
Albrighton - with replays suggesting they had a case. The busy West Ham
keeper partially made amends when he acrobatically tipped over Young's
clever lob.
But Villa continued to excel and they soon doubled their lead when Young
dinked in a cross, and Petrov beat Faubert in the air to power a header past
the helpless Green from eight yards out. The goal roused the lethargic
visitors into creating their only chance of the half as Luis Boa Morte cut
inside and forced a good save from Brad Friedel. Manager Grant signalled his
desire for more attacking intent in the second half as he sent on new
signings Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne.
The change almost paid off when the Frenchman teed up an unmarked Faubert in
the box, only for the winger to scuff wide from 12 yards out. The Hammers
were left to rue the miss when Milner, possibly playing his last game for
the club as he has been strongly linked with a big-money move to Manchester
City, added an excellent third goal. The 20-year-old Albrighton, who was
outstanding on his first Premier League start, jinked past two defenders and
cut the ball back for Milner, who swept the ball past Green from the edge of
the box. Villa should have extended their lead but Carew made a mess of a
free header from six yards out and then saw a shot hit the inside of the
post. Milner, who had been booed by some supporters at the start of the
game, received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the closing
stages. There was plenty here to suggest that if the midfielder does leave,
Villa have the talent to thrive without him.
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Kevin MacDonald defends decision to pick James Milner
BBC.co.uk
Aston Villa caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald says his decision to pick
James Milner was vindicated by the player's fine display against West Ham.
The England midfielder, who is set to join Manchester City and was booed by
some fans, scored in a 3-0 win and ended up receiving a standing ovation.
"It wasn't easy for him. There were a few grumblings but that shows how good
and how tough he is," said MacDonald. "He wants to do the best he can.
That's why I had no problems playing him." MacDonald took charge of Villa
five days ago following the surprise departure of Martin O'Neill and led his
young side to an emphatic win, with Stewart Downing and Stiliyan Petrov also
on target. Milner netted the third Villa goal with a fine 18-yard strike in
what could be his last game for the club, pending an expected transfer to
City. "The latest I heard, there was still a stalemate with Man City. But
that could change within hours," said MacDonald.
"Within five minutes the crowd realised James is still James. He's an Aston
Villa player. The ovation at the end of the game was rightly deserved."
MacDonald will stay in charge of Villa for Thursday's Europa League
qualifier against Rapid Vienna but his future in the hotseat beyond then is
uncertain. Sven-Goran Eriksson, Gareth Southgate and USA coach Bob Bradley
have all been linked with the post. "It's too soon after the game to say I
want the job (full-time). It can only get worse after winning 3-0 - maybe I
should retire now!" said MacDonald.
West Ham manager Avram Grant admitted his new side had been comprehensively
outplayed by Villa. "I was not pleased with the performance and not with the
result, even if the first goal was from a clear offside," said Grant. "We
didn't play well. They were better than us. Villa played sharp and quick
like we planned to do." The former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss said he
expected the Hammers to bounce back in their next game, against Bolton next
Saturday.
"One thing you see in all my teams before is that they react well to a
defeat like this. There is a lot to learn from this game and I am sure the
season will look much, much better."
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Grant on... Aston Villa
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th August 2010
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant shares his thoughts after a somewhat less-than-impressive
competitive start to his new job...
... On a 3-0 defeat
"It wasn't a good game for us and not like we've been playing in the
preparation games. Aston Villa were better than us, they won most of the
battles and passed the ball better than us. We didn't play well and at the
end of the day, they deserved to win.
We started the game very sloppy and passed the ball more to them that we
passed to ourselves! So the game was not good and we didn't win many balls.
Then the [three] goals, even though the first goal was clearly offside.
Then we missed the opportunities that we had, we had three or four good
chances to score. We lost, but we're looking forward to next week."
... Wasted opportunities
"We created chances to score at the end of the first half and at the
beginning of the second half. At 1-0 we had a big chance and another at 2-0.
We had two or three chances to score, then they scored with their first
chance of the second half."
... It's all in the mind
"Maybe it's a psychological problem, I don't know. But twe didn't pass the
ball very well; we played very, very slow. We did a lot of things that we
haven't done until now in training, so it's a good game to learn [from] and
it's good that this is the first game."
... Rob Green
"He performed well. It wasn't easy for him because most of the team in front
of him didn't perform well and gave them easy chances. But he performed
well."
... The season ahead
"My job never was easy. This is a hard job anyway but is a big challenge and
we have to learn from this game. We have a lot to learn but I'm sure we will
have a good season."
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Aston Villa 3 West Ham Utd 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th August 2010
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant's side look like facing another long, hard season after they
were trounced 3-0 by a managerless Aston Villa this afternoon.
Gianfranco Zola's replacement saw his side humiliated on the opening day of
the Premier League season at Villa Park by a Villa side who could have
racked up double figures, given the sheer number of chances they were
allowed to create by a Hammers side who were, quite frankly, an absolute
shambles.
Despite having made five signings during the summer, Grant chose to start
with only one - centre half Winston Reid, who started at right back - which
proved to be a huge error. Radoslav Kovac, playing with the knowledge that
his immediate future almost certainly lies elsewhere was hapless in the
centre of midfield (so much so that he was replaced at half time) whilst
James Tomkins, preferred to Danny Gabbidon had possibly his worst ever game
in a West Ham shirt.
Villa, featuring the wantaway James Milner and Ashley Young were in command
from the start. They were unlucky not to take the lead on 14 minutes when
James Tomkins made his first error of the game with an underhit backpass
that John Carew failed to capitalise on. However they side had to wait less
than 60 seconds before (a clearly offside) Stewart Downing pounced at the
far post to make it 1-0 after Rob Green had made a a mess of an attempted
punch.
A shellshocked Hammers failed to respond and Villa continued to enjoy the
freedom of Villa Park. To illustrate the difference between the teams, Villa
racked up TEN corners in the opening half-hour; the only surprise was that
they had to wait until the 40th minute to double their lead when Petrov lost
tracker Faubert to head home an Ashley Young cross.
Avram Grant unsurprisingly rang the changes at half time with Kovac and the
disappointing Luis Boa Morte hauled off. On came new signigs Barrera and
Piquionne and with them a much-needed change in formation (to 4-4-2).
Those changes worked well initially as the Hammers went close to reducing
the deficit on a number of occasions - most notably when Julien Faubert was
granted a gilt-edged opportunity that he failed to convert with the goal at
his mercy ten minutes into the second half.
But once the hour mark had passed Villa were to regain complete control of
the game - embarassingly easily at times as West Ham looked like a bunch of
strangers, and certainly not like a team that had gone through pre-season
without suffering a single defeat.
The final goal arrived with 66 minutes on the clock when young Tomkins was
once again made to look foolish after being beaten too easily by the Man
City-bound James Milner. The England winger skipped inside Tomkins before
firing across Green into the far corner.
For the reminder of the game Villa continued to take pot-shots at Rob
Green's goal, hitting the post twice more but failing - somehow - to improve
on their three-goal advantage. The Hammers, boosted by the introduction of
Alessandro Diamanti managed to conjure a couple of half-chances but nothing
to seriously test Brad Friedel.
So it's back to the drawing board for Avram Grant who now faces a very
difficult week - and no doubt a visit from chairman David Sullivan, who has
given the Israeli his unequivocal support since bringing him into the club.
Meanwhile a number of questions will be asked - like why Tomkins, who has
played exclusively at right-back in pre-season reverted to the centre of
defence, and why centre-half Winston Reid was played at right back.
However the biggest worry ahead of next weekend's visit of bogey-side Bolton
will be the general manner in which the team played today. A distinct lack
of cohesion points to a long, difficult season ahead.
Aston Villa 3 West Ham Utd 0
West Ham Utd: Green, Reid, Ilunga, Tomkins (Diamanti 72), Upson, Parker,
Kovac (Piquionne 46), Noble, Boa Morte (Barrera 46), Faubert, Cole.
Subs not used: Stech, Spector, Gabbidon, Sears.
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Brady blasts Redknapp
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th August 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's vice-Chairman Karren Brady has accused Harry Redknapp of trying
to unsettle Scott Parker. Brady, speaking in her regular column for the Sun
lashed out at the Tottenham manager after a derisory £7million bid for West
Ham's vice-captain was rejected by the board. "Harry Redknapp has
introduced something into the transfer market I call Harry's Law," blasted
Brady. "It goes: 'Do what I like, when I like, with whom I like.' "Scott
Parker grew unsettled by Spurs' clear interest in him even though West Ham
joint-chairman David Sullivan stated he was not for sale. No permission to
speak to Scott was requested or would have been given. But this was not good
enough for Spurs who were convinced we would be pressured into selling.
"Daniel Levy - my friend, but obviously not a very good one - once ventured
to me that business was all about principles and money. I told him he had
failed in both on this occasion. "
Brady also revealed that rotund striker Benni McCarthy, who was dropped from
South Africa's World Cup squad for being overweight has been nicknamed 'two
Benni's' by club staff.
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Hitz facing month out
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th August 2010
By: Staff Writer
Thomas Hitzlsperger could be out of action for around a month after
sustaining an injury whilst on international duty during the week. West
Ham's first new signing of the summer had a scan following Germany's 2-2
draw with Denmark on Wednesday night, a game in which he was substituted
having pulled up midway through the second half. The damage to his hamstring
is set to keep him out of action for 4-6 weeks. The news comes as a major
blow to Avram Grant, whose side face Aston Villa at Villa Park this
afternoon. Also out of action is Valon Behrami, whilst Radoslav Kovac - who
was set to join Stoke in midweek - has been give a reprieve and is recalled
into the squad as cover for Hitzsperger.
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Milner scores in Villa stroll
Midlanders start in style with easy win over Hammers
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 14th August 2010
SSN
Man of the match: Villa had many contenders, but youngster Marc Albrighton
was the stand-out player and the winger looks like he is going to be a hit
at Villa Park this season, especially if Milner moves on.
Moment of the match: Look no further than James Milner's second-half goal.
The winger is likely to have played his last game for the Villans and he
signed off in style.
Miss of the match: John Carew had a day to forget, no more apparent with his
second-half header. Stiliyan Petrov's delightful cross deserved better as an
unmarked Carew got his angles wrong and blazed wide from eight yards.
Talking point: Was Stewart Downing offside for the opener, does Kevin
MacDonald deserve the Villa job and should Avram Grant dip into the market
to bolster
James Milner capped what could be his last game for Aston Villa with a fine
goal as they kicked off their Premier League campaign by emphatically
beating West Ham 3-0 to prove there can be life after Martin O'Neill.
Milner, who is expected to join Manchester City in the coming days, proved
caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald - left to take charge after O'Neill walked
out as manager earlier in the week - correct to select him for Saturday's
season opener as he signed off in style with a stellar display in front of
the Villa Park faithful. Before that, Stewart Downing was the beneficiary of
a lenient offside decision and latched onto Marc Albrighton's parried shot
to give the hosts the lead in the 15th minute. Villa's utter dominance paid
off once more as Stiliyan Petrov's clever run was picked out by the
brilliant Ashley Young and the Villa captain nodded a second five minutes
before half-time. The Hammers, who were defensively woeful in the Midlands,
briefly caused Villa a few problems in the second half but Milner rounded
off the win with a delightful finish after being teed up by the impressive
young winger Albrighton on 66 minutes.
Albrighton, who made his England Under-21 debut in midweek, was given his
first Premier League start and he looked right at home while West Ham failed
to handle Young's pace and movement. Villa started like a train and barely
let up in intensity. Richard Dunne and John Carew both missed with
close-range headers after being picked out by Downing before West Ham's
defending touched on the farcical. Carew should have put Villa ahead when he
latched on to a dreadful back-pass from James Tomkins. A poor first touch
gave Robert Green time to race off his line and his deflection ricocheted
off Tomkins and onto the post. Somehow West Ham cleared but a Villa goal
seemed inevitable and it duly came after 15 minutes. Green parried Young's
fierce cross out to Albrighton, who volleyed the rebound goalwards and
forced the West Ham keeper into a diving save. But Green could only push the
ball to Downing who scored from the six-yard line. The officials waved away
West Ham's strong appeals for offside. Young almost doubled Villa's
advantage when he escaped the West Ham defence but Green produced an
excellent save to tip his shot over the bar. Milner thought he had won a
penalty when he was challenged by West Ham debutant Winston Reid on the edge
of the box but referee Mike Dean waved play on.
Reid was struggling on his Premier League debut and was even penalised for a
foul throw as West Ham failed to relieve the almost constant pressure.
Carlton Cole made one powerful run past Dunne and into the Villa box but he
had no-one in support and his shot was dragged across the face of goal. All
at sea
West Ham's defence was all at sea as Downing and Albrighton made the most of
the space and time they were being afforded down the flanks. Albrighton once
again got the better of Herita Ilunga before pulling the ball back to Young,
who picked out Petrov's driving run into the box, and the Bulgarian headed
Villa into a 2-0 lead. Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel was called into serious
action only once in the half and he was equal to Luis Boa Morte's shot after
the former Portugal international had made space inside the box.
Grant sent on Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne in the second half and
West Ham briefly flickered into life but Tomkins powered a header wide of
Friedel's post. Barrera's first real contribution was to concede a
free-kick, which Downing curled towards the top corner and Green was
relieved to see it dip just over the bar. But Villa soon wrapped up the
game. Albrighton bustled his way past Tomkins and pulled the ball back for
Milner, who lashed a first-time shot past Green. Milner barely celebrated in
front of the Holte End but he did acknowledge the standing ovation from the
Villa Park crowd after being replaced before the end. Villa pushed for a
fourth goal and Petrov picked out Carew in the box but the Norwegian striker
once again failed to find the target with a close-range header. Carew then
squeezed a shot against the post but the ball refused to go in, rolling
across the line, and Young could only turn it into the side-netting.
Villa were unfortunate not to have won by double the scoreline by full-time
as MacDonald's side put the midweek disruption behind them with a commanding
performance to get their season up and running.
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Grant - Iron job not easy
Hammers boss also backs Green performance
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 14th August 2010
SSN
Avram Grant insists he is under no illusions of the "challenge" he faces at
West Ham United after they were pummelled 3-0 by Aston Villa on the opening
day of the season. Goals from Stewart Downing, Stiliyan Petrov and James
Milner ensured Villa got their campaign off to a flying start, while the
Hammers were left with their tails between their legs in the Midlands. Grant
was not happy with the way his team defended at Villa Park and he will be
seeking rapid improvements, especially with tough fixtures against Chelsea,
Manchester Unitedand Tottenham upcoming But the Hammers boss knew it would
be difficult at the Upton Park club after taking over in the summer, and
claims his side will need some time to adapt to his style of playing. "These
are the fixtures, we cannot change those," Grant told Sky Sports after the
game. "My job was never easy, this is a hard job but it's a big challenge."
All-eyes were on goalkeeper Rob Green at Villa Park after his showing for
England in the World Cup. Green was guilty of an embarrassing clanger during
the Three Lions' unsuccessful campaign in South Africa and the Hammers
shot-stopper looked uneasy on Saturday following boos from the crowd. But
Grant felt his No.1 played well, something he could not say for Green's
team-mates. He performed well," added the Israeli tactician. "It was not
easy for him because most of the team in front of him didn't perform well."
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Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 23:00 14/08/10 By Anthony Clavane
The Mirror
Martin who? Kevin MacDonald might have ruled himself out of the running -
but on this evidence Randy Lerner could well make the unsung hero Villa's
new permanent boss. The American owner is reportedly prepared to take his
time over finding a new boss following O'Neill's shock resignation. And
MacDonald insists he is not a candidate for the post. Yesterday's win,
however, should propel the former Leicester and Liverpool midfielder from
the anonymity of reserve-team coach into the top-flight front line.
MacDonald claims he is not a "big enough name". But, after spending seven
years as part of the backroom staff at Villa Park, he grabbed his big chance
with both hands. O'Neill's disappearing act earlier this week had left Villa
fans feeling lost. So, given the state of turmoil, MacDonald took a huge
gamble in playing James Milner. He said: "I am on a high after that. It was
quite a nerve-wracking experience but we deserved victory.
"Everybody is telling me how well we played but I want to look at the DVD of
the game and see how I feel. "Maybe I should retire now with 100 per cent
record. But it's too soon to talk about the job of being permanent manager."
Milner, whose £24million player-plus-cash move to Manchester City is on
hold, was bound to get a hot reception in what was probably his farewell
match.
"There were a few grumbles when James first touched the ball," said
MacDonald, "but when he was substituted he got a standing ovation." At
first, the Villa fans didn't know who to boo the most - Milner or West Ham
keeper Robert Green. They settled, eventually, on the Hammers No.1, whose
June 12 howler for England against the USA had got the Three Lions' campaign
in South Africa off to such a disastrous start. As the home side laid siege
to the West Ham goal, they lost no opportunity in taunting the keeper. And
when the Midlanders opened their account they sneered, sarcastically,
"England's No 1."
Green, clearly unsettled by the hostility, should have dealt better with
Ashley Young's tricky cross - his lacklustre punch only ending up at Marc
Albrighton's feet. The wing wonder then pinged in a shot which the
ex-Norwich stopper saved - but Stewart Downing was on hand to follow up with
a simple tap-in. If it hadn't been for poor finishing by John Carew, the
Londoners would have been dead and buried by half-time. The big Norwegian
could have easily had a hat-trick in the first half. He was gifted a sitter
from debutant Winston Reid, whose weak back-pass was picked up by Carew. The
striker's poor first touch allowed Reid to recover - and the ball deflected
on to the post. Green was not to blame for Villa's second five minutes
before the interval – a well-worked move which started with Albrighton
pulling the ball back for Young. The England star, who is attracting
interest from several top clubs, put the ball straight on to Stiliyan
Petrov's head and the Bulgarian nodded in to make it 2-0. After the restart,
the skies opened and – like the weather – the visitors became briefly
thunderous.
Only Brad Friedel's superb goalkeeping - and poor finishing by Carlton Cole
- prevented them getting a consolation goal. But order, and good weather,
was eventually restored.
Downing twice came close. First he hit the bar with a curling free-kick.
Then Carew's delightful back-flick set him up for a one-on-one with Friedel
- but the West Ham stopper bravely blocked the shot. Another clever flick
from Carew hit the post - before Milner, putting to bed the notion that he
might not have been in the right frame of mind to play, went from zero to
hero by converting man-of-the-match Albrighton's cross. When MacDonald
cleverly substituted the midfielder with seven minutes to go, Milner was
given a standing ovation by the home crowd. As for Avram Grant's side, they
were lucky to escape an even bigger hammering. Their supporters remain
unconvinced about their new Israeli boss. They have now won only one of
their last 14 visits to the stadium - and they never looked remotely like
ending their Villa Park hoodoo.
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Harry's back in for £12m Parker
Published 23:00 14/08/10 By John Percy
The Mirror
Harry Redknapp has stepped up his pursuit for Scott Parker after tabling a
£12million offer to West Ham. Tottenham boss Redknapp has made an improved
bid for the Hammers midfielder as he attempts to test his former club's
resolve to keep their prize asset. Redknapp wants to offer Parker a dream
shot at the Champions League this season and has already failed with a £7m
bid. But Spurs have returned with a second offer and are confident of taking
the 29-year-old across London to White Hart Lane. West Ham's board had
insisted that Parker was the one player they would not contemplate selling
this summer. Chairman David Sullivan blasted Spurs after their first bid and
claimed he was "very angry" at what he believed to be an attempt at
unsettling Parker. The Hammers have also attempted to convince him to stay
by offering him a bumper five-year deal. But Redknapp has been a long-term
admirer of the former Newcastle star and has made signing him one of his top
priorities. He said: "We just need to improve that little bit. I still feel
we need one or two top quality players to tip the balance for us."
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GOLD FURY AT 'ATTACK' ON HIS CAR BY PUB YOBS
News Of The World
GOLD: His car was attacked by yobs
By Hugh Southon, 14/08/2010
WEST HAM co-owner David Gold claimed he was the victim of a "vicious and
outrageous attack" as he left Villa Park following the club's 3-0 defeat.
Gold's Rolls-Royce was stationary outside the King Edward VII pub when two
"monsters" flew out and threw a bottle at the windscreen. Gold, joint owner
of Villa rivals Birmingham City before he and David Sullivan left for West
Ham, said: "People had been waving and smiling when these two thugs flew at
us screaming abuse before unbelievably throwing the bottle which, but for
the toughened glass, could have killed my driver Jerry had it penetrated. "I
hope and pray the incident is reported to the local constabulary and these
two thugs are caught. "I have been in this game for 17 years and don't
deserve this. It was the worst and most frightening thing I have experienced
in my life."
The incident added insult to injury after West Ham's defeat. Manager Avram
Grant said: "I was not pleased with the performance or the result, even
though the first Villa goal was clearly offside. "We didn't play well, we
didn't pass the ball well. "We started the second half well but did not take
our chances and when they scored again it was the end of the game. "Villa
played sharp and quick, like we planned to do. "One thing you see in all my
teams before is that they react well to a defeat like this. There's a lot to
learn from this game and I am sure the season will look much, much better."
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Liverpool to target Carlton Cole after Mario Balotelli's Manchester City
switch starts transfer carousel
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:20 AM on 15th August 2010
Daily Mail
Manchester City's £23million capture of Mario Balotelli could set off a
transfer merry-go-round which may end up with West Ham's Carlton Cole at
Anfield.
The sale means Inter boss Rafa Benitez can bid for Javier Mascherano, with
Barca also keen on the Argentina captain. That, in turn, can fund a new
Liverpool striker, with City's Felipe Caceido West Ham's preferred
replacement for Cole. And City will let Vladimir Weiss go to Celtic on loan
this week - the first of three possible deals between the clubs. Winger
Weiss, 20, played for Slovakia in the World Cup but City want him to get
more first-team experience following a loan at Bolton last season. Celtic
are also keen on Shay Given and Craig Bellamy.
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