WHUFC.com
Fans missing their fix of West Ham should get along to Dagenham and
Redbridge this evening
11.10.2010
Former Academy player Lee Goodwin is hoping for a bumper turnout this
evening when Dagenham and Redbridge play host to a West Ham United XI.
The 32-year-old is being rewarded for ten years of service at the Daggers
before a serious knee injury forced an early retirement from the game in
summer 2008. During his career, the tough-tackling defender was at least
able to finally make his Football League bow having played a major role in
the club's rise from non-league to, after another promotion last year,
League One. The Hammers are taking a side made up of first-teamers not away
on international duty and some of the club's brightest young talent on the
short trip to Victoria Road. With the strong local bond between the two
clubs, Goodwin is hoping many will take advantage of an opportunity to see
an exciting game of football, with both sides free of the pressure of
competitive action. "It has been like organising a wedding for the last two
or three weeks," said Goodwin. "We have not stopped but everything is in
place now and we have done as much as we can. We should have the weather and
both sides should be decent. We're all hoping it will be an enjoyable night.
"Both sides have played a massive part in my life. I learned to ply my trade
at West Ham and did a year as a pro. I was affected by injury and didn't end
up making the grade. I hoped to step straight back into the league but it
didn't happen. However, we went from strength to strength at Dagenham and I
loved spending my adult career at the club."
Like his youth-team contemporaries Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard as part
of a superb crop of teenage talent in the mid 90s, Goodwin owes much to Tony
Carr. "He was a big part of my life when I was growing up. I went to West
Ham when I was 14 and was there right through til I was 19. I have fond
memories of what he taught me and his record speaks for itself."
He also owes much to Billy Bonds - "a legend" - who was the first-team
manager as he came through the ranks and then Harry Redknapp. "My whole
career has been a privilege. I have experienced the lows in football but had
some tremendous highs with Dagenham. I am really happy to get this
opportunity and local businesses and people are all saying they are coming
along."
Goodwin, who played 244 competitive games for Dagenham, will not be able to
take the field this evening because of his ongoing troubles with his knee
but, as a promising young coach, will be managing the Dagenham side. He will
also introduce a few other famous Daggers face off the bench in the closing
stages to make it a nostalgic night. "Everyone is coming together and it
will be great. I spoke to Rio and Frank and they would both have come over
had it not been for their England commitments. We will have entertainment at
half-time and I know that many fans of both clubs do have a soft spot for
the other. The atmosphere should be great and I am very grateful to West Ham
for agreeing to support me on the night."
Kick-off tonight is 7.45pm. Tickets are on sale priced at £10 for adult
terrace tickets and £5 for concessions. For seats, adult tickets are £12 and
concessions are £6.
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Boffin learning fast
WHUFC.com
With Robert Green and Marek Stech away, Ruud Boffin will be in the spotlight
again on Monday night
11.10.2010
Ruud Boffin should get another run-out in West Ham United colours on Monday
night with the friendly match away to Dagenham and Redbridge. The 6'5 young
goalkeeper is settling well into life in east London, and has yet to concede
a goal in helping the reserves to two fine wins in the Barclays Premier
Reserve League. Rival keepers Robert Green and Marek Stech are away on
international duty - Stech could figure for the Czech Republic in a vital
UEFA European Under-21 Championship play-off second leg at home to Greece
tonight while Green is with England for tomorrow's home UEFA Euro 2012
qualifier against Montenegro - meaning he is the most senior keeper at
Chadwell Heath.
With those two in fantastic form so far this season, Boffin knows he has to
bide his time but is prepared to be patient as he works day in, day out with
goalkeeping coach David Coles. He does not turn 23 until next month so time
is certainly on his side. "It is going very well, it is a big difference for
me here in England but I am enjoyingtraining with Robert and Marek. I have
an apartment now and my girlfriend and my little boy are here with me."
The Belgian has received promising notices as an emerging shot-stopper in
Dutch football, spending the latter part of last season at Eredivisie outfit
VVV-Venlo on loan from MVV Maastricht. He admits that the Barclays Premier
League is another level, but is up for the challenge. His progress to date
has certainly helped with Boffin relishing last week's 1-0 win away to
Liverpool. "It was a good game. We played very well and won. The more you
play, the more experience you can get, it was a very nice experience. This
is all very different for me from what I am used to so it is good to play as
many games as I can." "It is nice for the fans to see me and that I have
been working hard in training. I think they like what I am doing."
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Internationals in action
WHUFC.com
Four Hammers defenders have seen plenty of action already during the
international week
11.10.2010
West Ham United players were kept busy all over the world at the weekend but
for some there is still hard work to be done before returning to Chadwell
Heath. Lars Jacobsen will hope to bounce back with Denmark when they go to
Cyprus on Tuesday night. The right-back got 90 minutes in Friday night's 3-1
defeat by Portugal in Porto, when two goals from Nani and a third from
Cristiano Ronaldo caused the Danes first defeat in UEFA Euro 2012
qualifying.
Elsewhere in the same competition, Tal Ben Haim should play again for Israel
after featuring in the whole of a 2-1 home defeat by Croatia on Saturday.
They go to Greece on Tuesday needing a win to get back on track.
Winston Reid may also get a second 90 minutes in four days in the early
hours of Tuesday as New Zealand welcome 2010 FIFA World Cup opponents
Paraguay to Wellington for a friendly. Reid played the whole game on
Saturday in a 1-1 friendly draw in Auckland against Honduras. But for a
missed penalty in added time, when Reid was fouled, the All Whites would
have won.
Left-back Herita Ilunga and forward Victor Obinna have been with DR Congo
and Nigeria respectively for CAF Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Ilunga's
Congo team drew 1-1 away to Cameroon on Saturday before Obinna's Nigeria
lost 1-0 in Guinea on Sunday.
Earlier on Sunday, UK time, Jonathan Spector was an unused substitute when
the United States drew 2-2 with Poland in a friendly in his home city of
Chicago. The US have a second friendly lined up against Colombia overnight
into Wednesday.
Robert Green is training again with England after his recall to the squad
ahead of Tuesday night's UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro at
Wembley. His understudy Marek Stech is with the Czech Republic ahead of
Monday's second leg of their UEFA U21 Euro play-off against Greece, with the
Czechs having won 3-0 on Friday. Stech was an unused sub.
Also in U21 play-off action on Monday will be Iceland, although defensive
mainstay Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson will not be involved. The centre-back's
Iceland team hold a 2-1 lead over Scotland before the return match in
Edinburgh but his caution in the first leg has cost him a suspension.
The following day will see Pablo Barrera represent Mexico against Venezuela
in Mexico City overnight into Wednesday UK time. Finally, Manuel da Costa
withdrew from the Portugal Under-23 squad to play Northern Ireland next
Tuesday.
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Turgott goal not enough
WHUFC.com
The Under-18s are learning fast having gone down to a slender defeat at home
on Saturday
09.10.2010
West Ham United Under-18s 1-2 Ipswich Town Under-18s
A youthful West Ham United side lost out to Ipswich Town on Saturday morning
with Blair Turgott grabbing a late consolation. Tony Carr has seen many of
his second-years promoted to reserve-team duty of late - a number of them
impressed in the 1-0 win at Liverpool on Tuesday - meaning he has had to
rely heavily on the younger prospects. As such, Ipswich just had the edge at
Little Heath, scoring a goal in each half through Byron Lawrence before
England U17 attacker Turgott cut the deficit late on.
The goal was one positive, with Turgott combining well with fellow
substitutes Dominic Vose and Robert Hall. It was a case of too little, too
late, however.
"We battered them in the second half and they broke away and scored with
pretty much their only shot," Carr said. "We scored late in the game but had
chance after chance to score more. It was a good inter-passing between Hall
and Vose before Turgott scored but he had another couple of opportunities
and didn't take them.
"We had a lot of the ball but just couldn't break them down and, when we
did, we just missed too many chances. We have been conceding soft goals and
giving ourselves a mountain to climb in terms of having to rescue matches
which the other team haven't deserved. That is the way it has been going."
The Hammers will hope to get back to winning ways with next Saturday's visit
of Fulham and, before then, the Academy Director will see a few of his young
charges possibly involved in the first-team friendly at Dagenham and
Redbridge on Monday night.
"We have got goals in our team. Our biggest problem at the moment is we are
defending naively. We are a young side, most of the second years have gone
up to the reserves. The Under-16 team from last year found winning quite
easy but know they are coming to a higher level against full-time players.
"It is a quick learning curve though and I know we can improve and start to
win games. It is certainly not through lack of effort. We have made some
basic elementary errors which we can put right. We need to work hard and
maybe shuffle things around. We will come back in on Monday and work on our
concentration and organisation."
West Ham United: Cowler, Young, Potts, Craig, Driver, Hunt (Turgott 41),
Hurley, Lletget (Vose 70), Tombides, Subuola (Hall 70), Fanimo
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Cole expected England snub
Striker yet to find top gear since knee injury
Last updated: 10th October 2010
SSN
West Ham striker Carlton Cole admits that his England snub came as no
surprise as he battles to rediscover his best form. The 26-year-old has yet
to score in nine appearances in all competitions this season and as a result
has been overlooked by Fabio Capello for Tuesday's Euro 2012 qualifier
against Montenegro. Cole, who was a summer transfer target for Liverpool,
wasted his best chance to open his account when squandering a penalty
against Bolton at the end of August and he confesses that failure has summed
up his campaign. The former Chelsea player has also admitted that he has not
been at his best since returning from a knee injury that sidelined him last
Christmas. "Being dropped from the England squad wasn't a surprise at all,"
Cole told The People. "I haven't been playing so I didn't deserve to be
called up. "In the Bolton game, I missed a penalty and that's defined my
season so far.
Fine line
"If that had gone in, I think I would have gone on to score a few more goals
by now. "But there's a fine line in football sometimes and you get to learn
from these things - that was a big moment to learn from. "Right now, I'm
heavily involved in the character-building process. "You have to understand
that for the last two years I've been the first-choice striker. Now Victor
(Obinna) and Freddie (Piquionne) have come in and it's time for me to up my
game. "I have to admit that I haven't been the same since my knee injury
last year. I'm happy to admit that. I'm very honest about myself and I'm by
far my biggest critic. I've just not been the same. "I've got to find my
form and it's a good thing that they are performing in my place. It can only
inspire me to up my game."
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COLE: I DESERVE AXE BUT I'LL BE BACK
News Of The World
By Greg Gobere, 09/10/2010
CARLTON COLE has revealed he is in mental turmoil over his poor form this
season. The stock of the West Ham striker has plummeted. He has been dropped
for club and country, resulting in a shock call-up for Kevin Davies to
occupy a spot most assumed Cole would fill in Fabio Capello's England squad.
But instead of hitting out at the managers who have overlooked him, the
brutally honest forward concedes he does not belong anywhere other than on
the sidelines at present because he has not been up to it since the moment
he first walked out on home soil this season. He confessed: "Being dropped
from the England squad wasn't a surprise at all. I haven't been playing so I
didn't deserve to be called up. Kevin Davies has done well for quite a while
and he deserves it more. "There was a point where we were both performing
well for our clubs and it was a toss-up between us both for England. I
pipped it then but I'm happy for him this time around. I hope he takes his
chance."
Cole has dissected each and every one of his performances this season and
has pinpointed his goalless run on a solitary fleeting moment ... a penalty
miss against Bolton. It was only West Ham's second game of the season. While
the sides were all square, his miss was jeered by restless Hammers fans and
contributed to an eventual 3-1 bruising at home. And that event has left
Cole desperate to rebuild himself from the inside out. He added: "In the
first home game of the season, I missed a penalty and that has defined my
season so far. If that had gone in, I think I would have gone on to score a
few more goals by now. There's a fine line in football sometimes and you get
to learn from these things and that was a big moment. "My season personally
has not gone the way I planned it and right now I'm heavily involved in the
character-building process because I'm not playing. "You have to understand
that for the last two years I've been the first-choice striker but now
Frederic Piquionne and Victor Obinna are there for West Ham and they're
doing brilliantly so I can't really begrudge them at all. It's time for me
to up my game. "They're my team-mates and I want them to do well. We need
the points to get up there. We need to be up there because West Ham needs to
be in the Premiership next season. Survival is our priority."
Devastated
Hammers boss Avram Grant has restricted Cole's recent role in the team to
bit part in favour of in-form attacking duo Frederic Piquionne and Victor
Obinna in recent weeks after telling Cole that he has not been up to
scratch. Cole was devastated to lose his place after being the first choice
in attack for so long, yet deep down he always knew he had had returned from
a knee ligament injury inflicted last November a different player. He
explained: "I have to admit that I haven't been the same since my injury
last year. I'm happy to admit that. I'm very honest about myself and am by
far my biggest critic. I've just not been the same. I've got to find my form
and it's a good thing the others are performing in my place. "It can only
inspire me to up my game. I have been told to step it up by the manager but
sometimes you need to have that in yourself. I do believe though that it is
important to be told things like that. "People can tell you everything that
you want to hear but sometimes you need that person in your life to say
'listen, it's not going well. You're not doing what you were doing before
your injury'. Now I'm ready to take it to another level. "The way I got
dropped was funny because I actually had a half-decent game against Chelsea
where we lost 3-1 but when Freddie and Victor were brought in for the
Carling Cup game against Sunderland. They scored, we won away from home and
the manager stuck with a winning formula. I've not really had a look in
since but I'm waiting for a little gap so I can do my thing again.
"Sometimes you're on top then all of a sudden you find yourself at the
bottom of the pecking order. But the manager knows my quality, the fans know
my quality and I'm going to bounce back a better person. "That's what I mean
about character building, you analyse and it makes you a stronger person.
I've bounced back from worse though. Two-and-a-half years ago I wasn't even
playing for West Ham or Chelsea and Aston Villa before that.
"To get where I am and get into the England squad is has given me the best
motivation to get back to where I was. This is still generally the best time
in my career. I've been playing regularly for West Ham before now and that's
all I've ever wanted in my life as a footballer. You want to show people
what you can do. "West Ham gave me that opportunity and I'm so grateful that
they did. Hopefully I can get back amongst the goals for them."
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