WHUFC.com
Young forward Frank Nouble is taking aim at first-team football following a
productive summer
08.09.2010
Frank Nouble is aiming to catch the eye of manager Avram Grant after
enjoying a productive summer for both club and country. The striker, who
turns 19 later this month, helped England to reach the final of the UEFA
European Under-19 Championship in July before returning to regular
reserve-team action with West Ham United. On Tuesday, Nouble - who was a
schoolboy in Chelsea's Academy during Grant's single season in charge at
Stamford Bridge in 2007/08 - scored the winner in a friendly victory at
Leicester City, serving further indication of his potential. Having made his
Hammers first-team debut and spent time on loan at both West Bromwich Albion
and Swindon Town last season, the powerful youngster is looking to continue
his improvement in 2010/11. "We're waiting for the season to start, really.
We've had a friendly game every week, which has been good. Alex Dyer has
done well to get us games like that, and we've responded well. We've got
another game next week, so we'll have to be ready for that. "We've brought
in three or four players in my position and we've also got a new manager, so
it's just a case of starting again, really. "Maybe I'll go out on loan
again. I think I've acquitted myself well over the summer, going away with
England and doing well. Since I've come back, I've done all right, so now
it's a case of continuing to do well whether I go out on loan or stick
around and get a place in the squad now and then. It's just about playing,
really."
Looking back at the European U19 Championship, Nouble is proud of his
achievement in helping England to reach the final, where they were beaten by
Spain. The teenager scored twice in their opening group-stage win over
Austria and was an ever-present starter for Noel Blake's side. "It was good
to play under pressure. With the senior boys not doing well at the World
Cup, there was extra pressure on us to do well, but football is football and
we all just tried to go out and enjoy it. I was happy I did well and we did
well and had a good run to the final."
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Boffin eager to learn
Keeper happy to have secured move to the Premier League
Last updated: 8th September 2010
SSN
Ruud Boffin is relishing the opportunity to challenge Robert Green for the
right to be West Ham United's No.1 goalkeeper. The Hammers completed a deal
for Boffin on transfer deadline day after the Belgian impressed on trial
during the summer. The 22-year-old, who had a spell on loan at Dutch outfit
VVV Venlo last season, kept a clean sheet for West Ham's reserves against
Leicester on Tuesday night. Boffin is happy to have secured a move to the
Premier League and is keen to put pressure on the club's current
first-choice keeper Green.
"I am very happy to be here," Boffin told the club's official website. "It
is a great opportunity for me to come and play here. "I had been training
here before at Chadwell Heath. I was here for four days and I had a game.
"Things then happened very quickly on the day I signed and we had just
two-and-a-half hours for the paperwork. I had to wait until the last day,
but it all happened. "I like the atmosphere here and it is a very nicegroup.
I will learn a lot from playing with Robert and under [goalkeeping coach]
David Coles. "It is going to be a big challenge for me but I am ready."
Meanwhile, Green is expected to be fit for West Ham's game against Chelsea
on Saturday after undergoing a minor procedure last week.
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Upson's three Lions downer
The Sun
By CHARLIE WYETT
Published: Today
MATTHEW UPSON fears his England career is over. The West Ham defender is
furious he was overlooked by boss Fabio Capello for the game in Switzerland
on Tuesday. Upson, who has 21 caps, could not even get a place on the bench
despite the problems in England's central defence. The 31-year-old was also
angry with Capello on Friday for being frozen out of the Bulgaria game, and
made his feelings known to England's general manager Franco Baldini. Despite
John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King all being out with injury, Michael
Dawson and Phil Jagielka were used instead. And in Basel, despite Dawson's
injury, Joleon Lescott partnered Jagielka with Upson once again completely
left out. Upson has told team-mates he is unlikely to be picked again by
Capello.
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Kanu sealed my Hammers deal
The Sun
Published: Today
VICTOR OBINNA says his hero Kanu helped him join West Ham. The striker hopes
to be a hit while on a one-year loan from Inter Milan. He had several big
European clubs chasing him but Nigeria team-mate Kanu advised him to hook up
with Avram Grant's Hammers. Obinna, 23, said: "I spoke to Kanu, who played
for Grant at Portsmouth, and he was excited that I come here. "Inter have an
amazing stadium but West Ham have a big culture and a very long history."
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Upson considering England future after Swiss snub from Capello
Published 22:30 08/09/10 By John Cross
The Mirror
Matthew Upson is facing the end of his England career after a bitter
fall-out with Fabio Capello. West Ham defender Upson, 31, did not make the
bench for either of England's Euro 2012 qualifiers despite being called up
by Capello. Upson had a stormy meeting with Capello and his coaching staff
after being left out against Bulgaria and England insiders felt there was a
danger he may walk out altogether before the trip to Switzerland. Ex-Arsenal
and Birmingham defender Upson loyally stayed with the squad but was equally
upset at not making the bench in Switzerland and was in a foul mood after
the game in Basel.
Upson now finds himself behind Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Gary Cahill,
Michael Dawson, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. It leaves Upson believing he
will not get another call-up from Capello despite having an excellent record
under the England manager during the last World Cup qualifying campaign. But
Upson, a surprise call-up for the Euro 2012 qualifiers after his World Cup
ended in disappointment with a 4-1 defeat to Germany, clearly feels he has
now been relegated down the pecking order. It is unlikely that Upson will
get another call and the West Ham captain is also believed to be considering
his international future after insiders say he was left deeply "upset and
angry" at his exclusion despite being fully fit.
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LEO'S LONDON: Don't blame Avram Grant for West Ham's plight - it's actually
the fault of Thomas Hitzlsperger
Last updated at 10:55 AM on 8th September 2010
Daily Mail
When Avram Grant faces former club Chelsea on Saturday he will need little
encouragement to stress that he was just a penalty shootout away from
Champions League success with them. But if anyone wants to know what is
keeping him off the right track at West Ham, the point he makes might not be
as predictable. The absence of Thomas Hitzlsperger, apparently, is to blame
for the miserable start to the season of Grant's team. The manager sees him
as the key man, the player who can knit his collection of individuals
together and make a new three-man central midfield work alongside Scott
Parker. The club have been using pictures of Hitzlsperger, Carlton Cole and
Parker on their website as three of their most recognisable faces - and he
is certainly one of their more encouraging signings. He was well liked at
Aston Villa, where he earned the now especially apt nickname of Thomas The
Hammer for his thunderbolt shot from long range.
Hitzlsperger has the talent to pitch in with a few much-needed goals for
West Ham too and, by all accounts, was in great form in pre-season. Dragging
a whole team out of the doldrums and dissolving the pessimism which is
engulfing Upton Park would be no mean feat. But that seems to be the sort of
impact Grant and the club thought Hitzlsperger should already have had. One
reason he has not is that his signing in the summer on a free transfer from
Lazio did not make the biggest of splashes. The timing - just a few days
before the start of the World Cup - was unfortunate and after previous club
claims about targeting Thierry Henry and David Beckham, it was never going
to be a big deal. Another is the thigh injury Hitzlsperger sustained on
Germany duty which has prevented him from playing a competitive game for
West Ham. Allowances have not been made for his absence in most analyses of
their three opening defeats as a result - and it is still not certain that
he will feature against Chelsea.
Grant expected a little more understanding and has mumbled about injuries
after games. But proof that Hitzlsperger is the spark to set West Ham alight
will be needed before the doubts about West Ham's prospects are dismissed.
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West Ham new boy Ruud Boffin warns Robert Green: I want your place in the
team
Last updated at 11:11 AM on 8th September 2010
Daily Mail
West Ham new boy Ruud Boffin insists he has started as he means to go on
after keeping a clean sheet on his Hammers debut. The 22-year-old Belgian
signed a last-gasp deadline day deal at Upton Park after 58 games for Dutch
side MVV. After turning out for the reserves last night in a 1-0 win, Boffin
is starting to feel more at home in England and is now ready to challenge
Robert Green for the No1 shirt. Boffin does not feel intimidated by the
prospect of playing in the Premier League and insisted: 'I am very happy to
be here - It is a great opportunity for me to come and play. 'I had been
training here before at Chadwell Heath. I was here for four days and I had a
game. 'Things then happened very quickly on the day I signed and we had just
two-and-a-half hours for the paperwork. I had to wait until the last day,
but it all happened.' He added on the West Ham website: 'I like the
atmosphere here and it is a very nice group. 'I will learn a lot from
playing with Robert and under [goalkeeping coach] David Coles. It is going
to be a big challenge for me but I am ready.'
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Grant may have to opt out of Stoke clash
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
September 8, 2010
ESPN
West Ham have informed ESPN soccernet that Avram Grant is currently deciding
whether he will opt out of the Premier League game at Stoke next week
because of his deep religious beliefs. Grant would normally observe the
holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. The day involves a strict
25-hour fast from working, eating and even drinking water, and work of any
form is forbidden - even small tasks such as switching on a light bulb or
taking a train are not allowed. That would mean he would miss the game at
the Britannia Stadium a week on Saturday, which the Hammers will be
desperate to take at least a point from given that it comes between matches
against Chelsea and Tottenham. However, an ESPNsoccernet source at Upton
Park said: "Avram has not made up his mind just yet."
West Ham are currently bottom of the Premier League after failing to take a
point from their opening three games.
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McCarthy winning battle of the bulge
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
September 8, 2010
ESPN
West Ham United striker Benni McCarthy has lost 7kg during the international
break and is closing in on full fitness. McCarthy, 32, joined West Ham from
Blackburn in February but he made little impact during the run-in and, after
putting on weight, he failed to make South Africa's World Cup squad.
However, after he was warned he may not be paid if he failed to shed some
pounds, McCarthy is now in line for a comeback. Hammers co-owner David
Sullivan told ESPNsoccernet: "Everyone at the club is extremely pleased that
Benni has trained extremely hard since returning to the club. He's lost
nearly 7kg of weight and we are all confident he'll have a major impact on
the pitch this season. He is eager to play his first 90 minutes."
McCarthy may feature against Stoke a week on Saturday or the Carling Cup tie
against Sunderland the following Tuesday. Only two weeks ago, Sullivan had
warned: "It's like a jockey being overweight. He can't ride a horse and
no-one is going to pay him. I think we are fully within our rights to say,
'You are not honouring your side of the contract'. "We are not being
unrealistic. We've given him a target of losing a kilo a week. He has to
lose five or six more kilos. He is training very hard so he must be eating
or drinking something very wrong. Short of spending 24 hours with him, we
have to assume that. "You expect him to turn up in a state to be a
footballer. We are not starving him. It's just, 'Don't eat ice cream, don't
eat cakes, don't drink wine'."
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LORD COE LIFT FOR WEST HAM
Thursday September 9,2010
By Gideon Brooks
Daily Express
WEST HAM received a boost from Lord Coe yesterday in their bid to take over
the Olympic Stadium in Stratford after the 2012 Games. The Hammers will find
out before Christmas if they have been successful but Coe, chairman of the
London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ( LOCOG), said if it was
up to him he would be happy to hand the club a set of keys now. Coe, who had
welcomed West Ham's bid last month after the club's owners agreed to drop
plans to rip up the running track, admitted the Upton Park club were "not
the only game in town".
According to Coe, the Olympic Park Legacy Company is assessing a number of
offers in order to form a multiple tenancy arrangement from both sports and
entertainment sectors. However, Coe said talks were expected to deliver a
decision in the next "two or three months" and that he supported West Ham's
bid.
"I would welcome it," he said yesterday. "I was never naive enough to
believe that track and field [alone] could support an 80,000-seater stadium
and the whole point was not to lumber east London with a stadium that nobody
had a use for. "The Olympic Park Legacy Company are currently talking to
Newham Council, talking to West Ham and talking to a plethora of other
organisations that have shown interest at one level or another so I know
that West Ham are not the only game in town. But the owners of West Ham have
expressed a real understanding that the community wants to have a footprint
here and I have no problems with track and field living alongside football."
West Ham and Newham Council confirmed their joint bid in March this year and
will submit their official proposal for the right to lease the stadium on a
long-term commercial basis before the deadline at the end of this month.
Should it succeed, the club's owners will have to agree to finance some
necessary modifications to the stadium. "This would not come at no cost to
West Ham," said Coe. "There would be things that they will need to do to
reconfigure the stadium such as installing catering facilities inside the
stadium. "It has not been designed as a football stadium in order not to
saddle future tenants with things they didn't necessarily want. But the
primary objective all along was to make sure we were not going to be left
with a white elephant."
New Hammers signing Victor Obinna, 23, yesterday maintained he was also
looking for a similarly lasting legacy in east London beyond his season-long
loan deal. Nigeria international Obinna, who arrived from Serie A giants
Inter Milan last month, could be in line to make his debut against Chelsea
at Upton Park on Saturday. Despite West Ham being rooted to the foot of the
table with no points after three games, Obinna believes from what he has
seen in training so far they will soon be moving up the table. "I know about
the club and the expectation here but I believe West Ham have a good team.
Last season they played well at times but unfortunately didn't always get
the results," he said. "I believe it will take a little time but we will be
back and showing what we can do. It is going to be exciting and I can't wait
to play for the fans. "If I can play against Chelsea, it will be a massive
game for me. I know what derby matches mean for the fans and I'm sure the
atmosphere will be fantastic. I cannot wait."
Manager Avram Grant, already under pressure after a dismal start to the
season, has been boosted by the news that three key players are in line for
a return this Saturday. Defenders Tal Ben Haim, Winston Reid and midfielder
Valon Behrami have all recovered from injuries and are in contention to face
Chelsea. Goalkeeper Robert Green, who missed England's two European
Championship qualifiers with a groin problem, will also be available. Danny
Gabbidon (hamstring) and Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh) remain on the
sidelines.
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West Ham striker Nouble open to loan move away
09.09.10 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United striker Frank Nouble is open to a loan move away. The
England U19 international has been impressive in preseason and friendly
action.
Nouble told whufc.com: "Maybe I'll go out on loan again. I think I've
acquitted myself well over the summer, going away with England and doing
well. Since I've come back, I've done all right, so now it's a case of
continuing to do well whether I go out on loan or stick around and get a
place in the squad now and then. It's just about playing, really."
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Sporting Lisbon set to snap up ex-West Ham striker Franco
08.09.10 | tribalfootball.com
Sporting Lisbon are moving for released West Ham United striker Guillermo
Franco. The Mexico international is a free agent after coming off contract
at West Ham in June. Franco was in talks with Wigan Athletic and trained
with the Premier League club leading up to transfer deadline day. But a deal
could not be struck. A Bola says Sporting have now made a move for the
ex-Villarreal star.
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Aris contract offer for ex-West Ham trialist Aliadiere
08.09.10 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United trialist Jeremie Aliadiere has been offered a move to
Greece. The former Arsenal striker is doing rehab at Middlesbrough after
suffering a serious injury in tests at West Ham during the summer. France
Football says Aris have been in touch with Aliadiere's minders about a move
to Greece this week.
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