Vinny - Sun Sep 19 2010
West Ham Online
Stoke City 1 West Ham United 1
A goal from Scott Parker was not enough to give West Ham their first win of
the season but it does see the Hammers finally get off the mark. This point
was gained in the absence of manager Avram Grant who was given leave due to
the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur. Despite this the team put in their best
performance of the season in a hard fought game. Our first half performance
was very good and we controlled the game with the hosts having very little
of the play. We scored a deserved goal and were unlucky not to get a second
goal through a wonderful effort from Frederique Piquionne. Whilst all three
points were vital due to our abysmal start to the season I can't say I am
especially unhappy with the result as we needed to stop the run of defeats
and we played some good football at times. There is still a lot of work to
be done to ensure Premiership survival but we have to start somewhere and
this draw should be that starting point which will hopefully see us kick on
as overly optimistic as that may sound. Changes were made to both personnel
and formation as we set ourselves up in a much more attacking way.
In defence Tal Ben Haim had joined Avram Grant in respect of Yom Kippur and
was replaced by Manuel Da Costa who was alongside Matthew Upson. This was
fourth defensive partner Upson has played with this season in just five
games. Another change at the back saw Danny Gabbidon coming in for the
injured Herita Ilunga at left back.
In midfield Luis Boa Morte was dropped to the bench in favour of forward
Frederique Piquionne. This saw us go to effectively a 4-3-3 with Piquionne
and Obinna on either side of Carlton Cole. This formation seemed liked a
risk but one which paid off for the most part and was a change which was
needed in order to make us more of a threat going forward. There was no
Kieron Dyer on the bench after reports in the newspapers stated that he had
been involved in a bust up with Avram Grant regarding his non selection.
This had later been re-buffed by the players agent but whatever the reason
Kieron Dyer was missing from the squad.
Starting for Stoke City was former Hammer Matthew Etherington who played
over 160 times for the club scoring 16 goals and was also a former Hammer of
the Year in 2003/04 season. The first ten minutes saw little in the way of
chances although a few tackles were flying about with Valon Behrami
penalised for what looked like a fair tackle as he won the ball in the
process but the referee Lee Mason (who would be very inconsistent
throughout) gave the free kick.
From the free kick taken by Jermaine Pennant it resulted in another Robert
Green moment as the ball was fired straight at him but he made mess of it
and dropped the ball into the path of Huth who hit the post from just a few
yards out. Green had been subject to much abuse from the Stoke fans which
was of course to be expected and with mistakes like this he will be subject
to much more. A ball into the area saw a clearance only as far as Victor
Obinna who hit a goal bound shot which was blocked by Ryan Shawcross in the
Stoke defence. Replays suggest that this was handled by Shawcross and a
penalty would not have been too much of a surprise if it had been given.
We were dominant in possession and the Stoke fans were starting to get a
little frustrated by their team which worked in our favour. You could see we
were gaining confidence as the half went on and despite not having many
clear cut chances we did manage to break the deadlock just after the half
hour mark.
A poor challenge from Danny Collins on Valon Behrami saw a free kick given.
No booking was given to Collins despite this being the worst challenge of
the game and Berhami himself was booked for a soft challenge later on.
The resulting free kick was driven in by Obinna as Upson went up for the
ball with a player on the line attempted to clear the ball but it bounced
off another Stoke player into the path of Parker who could not miss from
just a couple of yards out. The West Ham fans and players went wild as was
the relief in seeing us score. Parker ran over to the West Ham fans showing
just how much the goal meant to him. This was the third goal of the season
for Parker which equals his tally for the entire of last season.
Just moments after the goal we nearly had a second as Piquionne won the ball
just inside the Stoke half and raced forward. The forward cut back on his
right foot and hit a fantastic shot at goal which beat the keeper but
crashed off the cross bar and away. There couldn't have been any West Ham
fans who were not happy going into the half time break as we had done just
about all we could. We had been a lot more aggressive in our challenges,
dealt with the Stoke set pieces and those ugly long throws well enough and
grabbed ourselves a goal. I would presume many of the conversations taking
place amongst West Ham fans at half time would be along the lines of 'let's
make sure we don't concede an early goal in the second half' but this would
be exactly what we would do.
Having watched Stoke vs. Aston Villa last Monday night there were
similarities with the first half as like Villa we had dominated the half
only to struggle in the second. The equalising goal came just three minutes
into the second period with Jermaine Pennant showing some good wing play and
hitting a deep cross to the back post for Kenwyn Jones to get above Da Costa
and bundle the ball over the line. You could suggest that Da Costa should
have been stronger but for me the cross from Pennant was top draw and the
size and strength of Jones would only produce one winner.
Stoke had their tails up and we went through a very rough twenty minutes.
Even thinking back to it now I am surprised that we managed to get away with
only conceding the one goal as we could not get hold of the ball and Stoke
created a few wonderful chances. The first of those great chances came from
a long ball towards Jones which Upson seemed to have under control but the
England international made a mess of it and was easily shrugged off by Jones
who would surely score but Robert Green made an outstanding save to deny
him, tipping his shot onto the post. I would suspect many in the media will
choose to omit the existence of this save by Green as he is simply a keeper
who drops the ball right?
Valon Behrami was taken off due to injury and replaced by Radoslav Kovac.
Although many did not want to see Kovac brought on he was our only viable
option to introduce and bringing on Barrera or Faubert would have had to see
our formation change and with the three forwards doing well this wasn't an
option. At the other end some nice one touch football involving all three
strikers saw the ball come out to Obinna who hit his shot into the ground by
Sorensen in the Stoke goal had to get down to tip the ball away for a
corner. From the corner it was knocked short with Noble receiving it back
and putting in a good cross to the back post which found Da Costa whose
header at goal was saved well by Sorenson when it looked as though it was
about to go in.
Stoke came very close to grabbing the second goal as a long throw from Delap
was diverted towards goal from the head of Fuller as Robert Green had given
it up it hit the bar and bounced away from goal. Whilst the first half was
firmly ours, Stoke can say the same about the second and we rode our luck at
times but I don't think many thought it would be any different when playing
Stoke at the Britannia.
There were a number of positives to take from the game and some of our
football was quite smart with a little bit more aggressive approach which
was needed against a strong side. A win was needed but anyone who watched
this game either on the TV or at he ground will have surely seen an
improvement in the way we performed.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
It wasn't just the mistake in the first half which concerns me but his whole
demeanour seems that of a defeated man. The World Cup would have been
difficult to deal with but he has to get himself back on track because he is
a very good goal keeper and his save from Jones in the second half showed
how good a shot stopper he is.
Lars Jacobson
Another solid performance from the Dane who looks like a proper right back.
Both our full backs did well and although Jacobson is not a player you will
notice much through the game he does his defensive job very well.
Matthew Upson
On the whole he had a good game. The defence knew they would be under
pressure with a lot of high balls to deal with but Upson had a good game
despite one mistake in the second half which Jones came very close to
scoring from.
Manuel Da Costa
I do not have him down as at fault for the goal and thought Da Costa played
really well. The back end of last season Da Costa was playing well and I
think he should be the player starting next to Upson for the foreseeable
future.
Danny Gabbidon
Starting at left back this was the initial concern and potential weak link.
But I was pleasantly surprised by the performance by Gabbidon who was
excellent. He wasn't afraid of the ball which he had seemed to be in
previous performance and I hope this will not be a one off because this was
a solid defensive performance from a player once known only for displays
like this one.
Valon Behrami
Ineffective for the most part but the one thing I will give him is his
willingness to get stuck in and make challenges in an attempt to break up
the Stoke counter attacking. Most of the time he made a foul and also
received the yellow card but we need more aggression.
Mark Noble
He and Parker in the midfield were the heart beat of the team and Noble did
well. His lack of pace lets him down at times as he gets himself into some
good positions but his overall performance was positive.
Scott Parker
Once again he is my man of the match. He just controls everything we do, and
forgetting him scoring another goal his overall performance was that of a
leader. There were a few misplaced passes in the first half but the passion
he showed more than made up for it.
Frederique Piquionne
Fade in the second half but in the first half he was really involved and was
a threat. He came deeper to receive the ball and add another body in the
midfield when needed by some of the link up play with Cole and Obinna was
pleasing on the eye. His shot in the first half deserved a goal and was
denied only by the bar.
Carlton Cole
Had a tough time of it once again and looked desperate to score in the first
half with two similar shots which were easily saved by keeper. A better
display from Cole though and held the ball up better than over the last
couple of games. Hopefully he will get a goal soon because we really need
him scoring.
Victor Obinna
A lively showing from the Nigerian who has something about him. He is
confident, likes to take on players and is not afraid to have a shot. Just
needs to get that goal.
Subs Used
Radoslav Kovac (on for Behrami 52 mins)
Took a little while to get used to the pace of the game but put in some good
tackles and broke up play well.
Luis Boa Morte (on for Obinna 90 +3 mins)
On to waste the last few seconds.
Subs Not Used: Stech, Tomkins, Faubert, Barrera
Bookings: Behrami, Cole
Man Of The Match: Scott Parker
Stoke City:Sorensen, Huth, Shawcross, Faye, Collins, Delap, Whitehead,
Pennant (Whelan 83), Etherington, Walters (Fuller 66), Jones (Gudjohnsen 73)
Subs: Begovic, Higginbotham, Wilson, Wilkinson
Attendance: 27,028
Overall
It may have not been the victory we so desperately needed but it was not
another defeat and that run of dismal results has hopefully been stopped in
its tracks. The team we sent out was one looking for victory and we did not
go their to sit back and defend. This made it difficult for Stoke and
despite riding our luck a couple of times in the second half I think we can
say we deserved at least a point. That was our best defensive performance of
the season with Da Costa and Gabbidon playing very well.
Next Game - Sunderland (a) League Cup
The third round of the League Cup sees a tough away trip to Sunderland in a
game which I will not be attending. I would hope there wouldn't be too many
changes to the team as crazy as it may seem but I want to win this game and
have a bit of a cup run. Hopefully Sunderland will underestimate us and we
will come away with victory which would give us no end of confidence going
into the Tottenham game next Saturday. Defeat will surely set us back and
any confidence taken from this game against Stoke will be lost.
We are finally off the mark then. It may only be a point but hopefully it
will be first of many and next weekend will see a big result against high
flying Spurs.
The View from Coach Paul Groves
"It is a difficult place to come to,It was pleasing that we stood up to the
challenge. The work-rate of the group was fantastic as it has been this
season.
"It was a decent performance. We created a number of half chances in the
first half and probably controlled the first 45 minutes as much as you
possibly can against Stoke in dealing with what they throw at you. "It was
different in the second half, but I felt that we showed good character, good
spirit and good togetherness in terms of asking one or two questions when
they scored." "When they scored was a difficult time but we came out the
other side and started to get a grip of the game a little bit. You are
always going to face that in the last ten minutes ut we weathered that as
well." There is always a tinge of little disappointment because we felt in
the first half we could have gone in two-nil up. "It is a difficult place to
come and get points. They are a strong powerful side and you have to deal
with that." "The responsibility gets shared amongst us all, there is Zeljko
and don't forget Kevin Keen. He is a big part of the set-up. Things were
covered [by the manager] going into the game. You are prepared as much as
you possibly can. You have to react different situations. I was speaking to
Kevin and to Zeljko. We pooled our knowledge and you try to make the right
decisions."
Season 2010/11 Scorers and Bookings
Top Scorers
Scott Parker 3 (2 League, 1 Cup)
Mark Noble 1 (1 league)
Bookings
Noble - 3
Parker - 2
Tomkins - 1
Faubert - 1
Behrami - 1
Upson - 1
Cole - 1
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Stoke keeper backs Green to bounce back
Published 22:44 19/09/10 By David McDonnell
The Mirror
Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen has backed his West Ham counterpart Rob Green
to restore his battered reputation. Green, whose high-profile gaffe at the
World Cup cost him his status as England No.1, was the target of abuse from
Stoke fans. And Green looked nervous on Saturday, beaten three times as
Stoke hit the framework of his goal, while Kenwyne Jones equalised. But
Green redeemed himself with a fine stop from Jones, and Sorensen said: "It
was a great important save. Had we gone 2-1 up, we would have won. But
that's what keepers are there for. "You saw that again near the end when he
came for a long throw and caught it. That showed confidence. "I don't think
he looked bad at all. He looked comfortable in the second half. One mistake
doesn't make you a bad keeper. You need to have the inner belief that you're
good, no matter what everyone else is saying. "You can see he's playing
through it and doing well. You don't see any signs of him being affected by
it."
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Great Scott: Are West Ham just a one-man team with Parker?
By IVAN SPECK
Last updated at 11:33 PM on 19th September 2010
Daily Mail
If Avram Grant's Yom Kippur reflections had wandered at all on Saturday to
events a few miles away from the Potteries synagogue where he spent the day
in prayer, it would surely have been to give thanks for Scott Parker.
Without him, West Ham, who drew 1-1 at Stoke City, would have been combative
and determined, yet rudderless. With him, they will believe they can stay
up. Parker could have become a Tottenham player this summer. At Upton Park
this weekend, he will face them, hoping to guide West Ham to a first league
win.
Midfield control was theirs thanks to Parker's probing and prodding in a
surprising first half, yet West Ham seemed lightweight up front. Frederic
Piquionne showed glimpses of ingenuity, but Carlton Cole is a shadow of the
player who forced himself into England squads. Victor Obinna offers little
more than pace and erratic shooting. If west Ham are to survive they need
their captain to stay fit. Scott Parker is most prolific tackler (22), most
successful tackler (82%), most creative player (nine chances) and top scorer
(two).
PS In only five PL seasons have the club at the bottom after five games
survived. It says everything about Parker that in addition to his vision and
drive, he is also leading scorer. 'I try to play my game and inspire others
to follow. I will keep playing my hardest and try to bring people along,'
said Parker. He has chased medals before, when he left Charlton for Chelsea,
only to discover that sitting on the bench is no way to win things. It
might have been that way at White Hart Lane too, given Tottenham's crowded
midfield, whereas at West Ham, he is king. He has become leader on and off
the pitch, willing to answer questions while others sneak on to the team
coach. The 29-year-old added: 'It's going to be a tough season, there's no
hiding the fact.'
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Swansea City new boy Frank Nouble aims to make impact
Sep 20 2010 by Tim Lewis, Western Mail
SWANSEA'S latest signing Frank Nouble says he is ready to make a big impact
in the Championship. The on-loan West Ham youngster went straight into the
Swans side for Saturday's win over Scunthorpe and showed plenty of promise
on his debut. At 6ft 2in, the stocky Nouble, who turns 19 on Friday, offers
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers a more physical option than main striker
Stephen Dobbie, and put himself about well against The Iron. "It was
terrific," said Nouble. "I was really happy with my debut. "The team played
very good football, but I knew before I came to Swansea they were a side who
like to get the ball down so I am really happy I've got the opportunity to
come and get games here. "I was a little surprised to go into the starting
line-up, but I knew I would have to be prepared for anything before I came.
"Hopefully I can add a little bit to the team and it is good for me to get a
run-out."
The former Chelsea starlet is not available for tomorrow's trip to
Peterborough in the Carling Cup, but he is looking to add more firepower to
the Swansea side over the next three months. He said: "I've joined a side
who are full of confidence and that is great for me. "I have not come to
Swansea for a jolly, I want to do well. "The fans can expect a lot of hard
work and some goals, I'm sure, if I am given the chance over the next few
games, I will be able to get some goals for the team. "I have pace, power
and plenty of enthusiasm. I am still young and learning, but I really want
to do well for Swansea and the fans. "I know the manager well so it was good
for me to come back and work with him. "We play good football, this was
probably not our best game, but we still passed the ball very well and got a
win."
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Diamanti: West Ham connection drew me to Brescia
19.09.10 | tribalfootball.com
Alessandro Diamanti admits a West Ham United connection drew him to Brescia.
The former Livorno star had only a handful of Serie A appearances under his
belt before switching to the Premier League, but is back for the Rondinelle.
"I came to Brescia out of recognition for Gianluca Nani, who was the
director who brought me to West Ham," he told the Gazzetta dello Sport."I
didn't even consider the other offers, although the clubs that were looking
for me included Parma and Fiorentina."
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