WHUFC.com
Victor Obinna has faith that West Ham United's fortunes will improve soon
16.11.2010
Victor Obinna believes West Ham United's time is coming. The forward is away
with Nigeria in Tehran ahead of a Wednesday friendly against Iran but will
return determined to go for goals at Liverpool next Saturday. He is eager to
help the Hammers lift themselves away from danger and has urged all to stay
united.
Obinna enjoyed success during spells with AC Chievo Verona and
Internazionale in Italy, while a loan spell at Malaga CF last season saw the
Spanish club steer clear of relegation by just one place and one point. For
the 23-year-old, the experience of being bottom of the table is therefore a
new one. "I've never been down at the bottom for so long in my career. This
is the first time I've been in a position like this, being at the bottom of
the table for quite some weeks. "We have to back and speak to ourselves and
try to improve. We can all say that we play good football, but when you play
good football and you don't win, sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes you
have to play badly and win and I believe our time is coming."
Obinna was denied what most neutrals thought was a clear-cut penalty in
Saturday's goalless Barclays Premier League draw with Blackpool. The
forward's volley was flying towards the roof of the net before Tangerines'
defender Craig Cathcart deflected the ball wide of the target with his
hands. While the Hammers' players made vociferous claims for a spot-kick,
referee Kevin Friend instead pointed to the corner flag. "I cannot imagine
what the referee was thinking at that moment," Obinna told WHUTV. "You could
see clearly he's trying to defend the ball like a goalkeeper. I don't know
what the referee was thinking - how he couldn't award a penalty. "Things
like this do happen. Sometimes you are lucky and sometimes you have to play
simple to be able to score. "When things are like this, it's getting bad but
we have to show that our heads are high, we are more united and if we speak
to ourselves mentally we will win games and we will be OK."
The Nigeria forward was his usual livewire self at the Boleyn Ground,
working immensely hard for his team. Having given his all, Obinna was
naturally disappointed that the Hammers could not find a way through the
Blackpool defence. With the Hammers still bottom of the table, the
relentlessly-positive forward has urged everyone connected with the club to
keep the faith that results will improve sooner rather than later. "I don't
know how to describe it, but it was really, really frustrating for us
because we wanted to win this game. We had the game in our hands and
unfortunately we couldn't win. "I don't know what's wrong, but we'll just
have to go back and speak more to ourselves. Now, I think it is mental
stuff. It is no more about playing, playing, playing - it's about mental
stuff and we just have to psyche ourselves up, speak more to ourselves, be
more united and we're definitely going to get out of this place. "Football
is my passion, football is what I love and it is also my job. I have to face
anything that comes out of it, whether good or bad, and the most important
thing is that you give 100 per cent, you give your maximum and you come out
with your heads held high. We have to give more. "The game wasn't that good.
We deserved to give more to our fans because they've been really cheering us
up and making sure, week-in and week-out, that West Ham win games. We need
more of their support, we need them to be behind us and together we will get
out of the position we are in now."
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Aston Villa 0-0 Reserves
WHUFC.com
Striker Zavon Hines makes a welcome return from injury at Hinckley United
FC's De Montfort Park
15.11.2010
ASTON VILLA RESERVES v WEST HAM UNITED RESERVES
BARCLAYS PREMIER RESERVE LEAGUE
MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2010
KICK-OFF: 7PM
Final score - Aston Villa reserves 0-0 West Ham United reserves
Full time - There have been loads of plusses tonight. The back four and
goalkeeper have been rarely troubled. Fanimo has impressed on his debut at
this level and Hines has made a welcome return from injury. Stech clears the
ball upfield and the final whistle is blown. Honours even, but West Ham
perhaps deserved more than a point for their efforts. VIlla, don't forget,
are top of the table and the three-time defending league champions. This was
a decent result and an even better performance from Dyer's side. (photograph
courtesy of Neville Williams)
94 mins - Drennan gets a clear shooting chance on his left foot, but he
drives his shot well wide of the far post.
93 mins - West Ham are finishing strongly. Lletget shoots low and the ball
spins off a defender and inches wide of the post. Fanimo crosses from the
resulting corner and Reid wins the header, but it loops into the hands of
Marshall.
92 mins - Nouble gets in behind Baker again, but again his cross is too
close to Marshall. Seconds later, there is a real talking point as Hines
beats Berry and goes to ground inside the box. He wants a penalty, but the
referee gives nothing.
91 mins - The fourth officisl still hasn't put his board up to tell us how
much added time... As I type, he raises the board. We're going to have a
minimum of four more minutes.
90 mins - Nouble battles with two defenders and keeps the ball before
crossing, but Marshall is there to claim. West Ham win the ball back again
and Hines finds Fanimo, but again his cross is too close to the goalkeeper.
89 mins - Lletget spreads play wide right to Spence, who takes a touch and
crosses into the box. Hines gets his head to the ball, but it flies wide of
the far post.
88 mins - Hines and Nouble combine before the latter bursts past Berry and
crosses left-footed. The ball hits Lowry and goes behind. Fanimo takes the
corner, but it's cleared at the near post. Villa break and Wearen brings
down Johnson. The Irish midfielder is shown the yellow card.
86 mins - Fanimo's corner is headed towards goal by Reid, but a Villa
defender blocks the bal and the home side survive again. Brown wins a throw,
allowing Villa to replace Cameron with Ellis Deeney.
84 mins - Baker pulls up and West Ham go on the attack. Lletget draws the
defender before finding Nouble, whose shot is goalbound but parried aside by
Marshall at the near post. Corner to the Hammers. First, Baker has the
physio on.
83 mins - Brown brings the ball forward before being stopped in his tracks
by Herd, who is booked.
80 mins - Hines himself takes the free-kick. He gets it up and down over the
wall, but too close to Marshall, who gathers.
79 mins - Great stuff from Hines, who picks the ball up 25 yards out and
beats Baker before being felled by Lowry about a yard outside the penalty
area.
78 mins - Lee picks up possession about 30 yards out and turns past Johnson,
but his left-foot shot slices wide of the target from 20 yards. Unlucky.
77 mins - Faubert is the man replaced as Lletget enters the fray.
76 mins - Johnson gets in behind Spence and crosses towards Drennan, but
Reid blocks the ball behind. The corner is only half-cleared and Villa come
again. The ball falls to Burke, whose low shot is held by Stech diving low
down.
75 mins - West Ham are getting another youngster ready in the shape of
Sebastian Lletget.
73 mins - Burke replaces Osbourne, while Drennan comes in for Taylor.
Cameron curls a free-kick into the box and Reid heads clear.
72 mins - Villa are going to make a double change in a second. Graham Burke
and Irish wonderkid - so I am told - Michael Drennan are the boys to come
on.
70 mins - Nouble holds the ball up well before Hines is brought down by
Osbourne. Free-kick to the Hammers about 25 yards out. Faubert to take... He
curls the ball over, but a Villa defender heads clear.
69 mins - Hines is involved again and West Ham win a free-kick deep inside
the Villa half through Faubert. The Frenchman crosses and Spence tries to
win the header, but again Villa scramble the ball away to safety.
66 mins - Nouble gets to the byline and pulls the ball back into the box
with his left foot. It looks as if the ball will roll into the path of
Hines, but Williams gets a foot in and clears.
65 mins - Wearen tries to pick out Hines with a high through ball, but it
bounces to Marshall.
64 mins - Johnson runs at and past Eyjolfsson before forcing the goalkeeper
into an acrobatic save with a well-struck left foot shot from the angle.
63 mins - Hines has been on the pitch about 20 seconds when he goes into a
challenge with Herd. Same old Zavon!
62 mins - Lee drives the free-kick low from at least 30 yards and Marshall
does well to dive low to his left and push the ball around the post. The
corner is cleared and Brown concedes a throw. The break in play sees Hines
replace Montano.
59 mins - Zavon Hines is getting himself ready to come on. The forward
hasn't played a first-team game since 5 December 2009, when the Hammers were
defeated 4-0 at home by Manchester United. Hines, of course, scored the
last-gasp winner against Villa in the Barclays Premier League on 4 November
last year. Back on the pitch, Osbourne is booked for a late tackle midway
inside the Villa half.
58 mins - This is an opportunity for Villa. Reid fouls Carruthers about
three yards outside the penalty area in a central position. It looks to
favour Cameron's left foot, but Herd instead takes with his right and his
low shot flies well wide of the post.
57 mins - Wearen finds Lee in midfield. He tries to thread a pass through
for Fanimo, but it's just too strong and Marshall is out to gather. The
clear-cut chances have been hard to come by since the break.
54 mins - There are a few familiar faces in the crowd tonight - Chris
Powell, Colin Calderwood and Steve Stone are among those in attendance. To
be fair, it isn't that hard to spot them as the attendance tonight is quite
small.
53 mins - Montano comes to the touchline again and has a few words with Alex
Dyer before heading back on to the pitch again.
51 mins - Carruthers goes in for a tackle on Fanimo and the winger limps
away gingerly. Seconds later, the same Villa player leaves Montano in a heap
on the turf. Again, the tackle looked fair, but Montano looks in a bit of
pain again. He's certainly been in the wars in the last few moments, has the
West Ham No10.
50 mins - Sure enough, Montano is soon back on the pitch. Hines is sent out
to warm up along the touchline as a precaution.
49 mins - Herd gets in a strong but fair challenge on Montano that leaves
the forward on the turf. He needs the physio on, but I think he'll be OK to
oontinue.
48 mins - Villa attack down with a long ball down their left, but Eyjolfsson
cleans up and clears the ball on to the roof of the stand opposite us.
46 mins - Literally 12 seconds into the half a long punt forward from
Eyjolfsson is won by Nouble and the ball drops to Montano. He dribbles into
the box and shoots, but slices his shot wide of the goal.
The two teams are back out on the pitch following their half-time oranges.
No change from either manager as yet. Nouble and Montano will get the second
half underway.
Half-time score - Aston Villa reserves 0-0 West Ham United reserves
47 mins - Into the final minute of the half and it's still honours even.
West Ham have had the best chance of the game so far thought Nouble, but
goalkeeper Andy Marshall was equal to the striker's low shot. At the other
end, Osbourne's header over the crossbar is the closest Villa have come to
scoring. The half-time whistle is blown.
45 mins - We're going to have at least two added minutes...
44 mins - A loose clearance from Reid falls straight to Cameron, who cuts
inside on to his favoured left foot and flashes a cross-shot a few yards
past Stech's far post.
43 mins - Wearen is fouled about 40 yards from goal. Faubert fires the
free-kick into the box, but Fanimo cannot control and Villa again hack the
ball upfield.
42 mins - `Reid finds Brown rampaging down the left with a 40-yard pass. The
left-back crosses, but Lowry is again in the right place to head clear of
his lines.
39 mins - Faubert and Fanimo have switched flanks and both are involved as
West Ham press for an opening. Faubert beats Berry to the byline, but his
left-footed cross is cut out by Lowry inside the six-yard box.
38 mins - Faubert smashes in the free-kick, but it hits the wall and goes
behind for another corner.
36 mins - Brown needs the physio on after a heavy challenge deep in the
Villa half. He is back on as Montano wins a corner. The initial kick is
headed clear, as is Faubert's follow up cross. The ball is worked to the
winger again and he is fouled, though.
34 mins - Stech catches a high ball and immediately bowls it out to Faubert.
The No7 picks out Nouble's run and then follows up to collect a return pass.
Faubert crosses to the far post where Fanimo swings his right leg at the
ball and completely misses it. Unlucky.
33 mins - Baker catches Lee with a late tackle. Referee McLaughlin shows the
left-back a yellow card for his troubles.
31 mins - That is a fantastic chance for Nouble. Wearen sends through a
perfectly-weighted through ball for the striker. Nouble gets clear and is
one on one with Marshall, but his shot is close enough for the veteran
goalkeeper to dive low to his right and palm the ball aside. Lowry completes
the clearance.
30 mins - Johnson beats Spence to the byline and sends over a cross, but
it's too close to Stech and the goalkeeper catches in front of his face.
26 mins - Faubert is everywhere at the moment. He is fouled by Cameron
before picking himself up and sending over a dangerous free-kick. It is
headed clear but only towards Fanimo, whose right-foot shot is blocked on
the edge of the box.
24 mins - Faubert almost becomes a provider at the other end, hacking the
ball high into the air and towards his own goal. Taylor beats Reid to the
loose ball, but his volley from 18 yards flies over the wall behind the
goal.
22 mins - Faubert comes forward again and looks well set to shoot. He
instead tries to pass to Montano. The ball is half-cleared to Fanimo, whose
low drive from 25 yards hits Lowry.
21 mins - That's a great chance for Faubert. A cross from the left eludes
both Montano and Nouble as well as Villa's centre-backs. Faubert takes a
touch and could shoot with his right foot before choosing to cut inside and
is challenged well by Baker.
20 mins - Montano tries to charge down Lowry's clearance but gets there a
split-second too late. He is spoken to by the referee Matt McLaughlin, but
no action is taken.
17 mins - I was tempting fate. Cameron feeds Johnson, whose cross eludes
everyone and arrives at Carruthers' feet at the far post. He stands the ball
up, but Osbourne can only loop his header over the top from six yards.
16 mins - Carruthers and Johnson combine before the former crosses to the
near post, where Wearen is able to volley the ball clear.
15 mins - Villa do come forward for virtually the first time and Carruthers
is fouled by Brown just outside the penalty area. Cameron curls the ball
over left-footed and Reid heads behind for a corner.
14 mins - It is tempting fate but it's been all West Ham so far. Eyjolfsson
and Reid and goalkeeper Stech have had next to nothing to do.
12 mins - Wearen puts in a strong challenge and the ball breaks to Montano,
but his attempted through-ball for Nouble is cut out.
11 mins - Brown and Fanimo are combining really well together. The left-back
finds the winger again and his cross is half-cleared to Faubert, but the
Frenchman's shot is off-target.
10 mins - Faubert cuts inside two Villa players and crosses low, but the
ball is cut out. Villa try to break, but Eyjolfsson is alert to the danger
and gets in in front of Connor Taylor.
8 mins - Spence is caught in possession and concedes a free-kick. He delays
the taking of the set play and gets a quick talking to from the referee.
6 mins - It really is bitterly cold out there, as you can see from the steam
coming from each player's mouth as they breathe. Faubert tries to thread the
ball through for Montano, who wins a corner off Herd. Fanimo curls the ball
in and, after a bit of pinball, Nouble is penalised for pulling back a
defender.
4 mins - Fsubert intercepts a pass in midfield and clips the ball over the
top for Nouble. The No9 heads the ball down for Montano, whose first-time
left-foot shot bounces a couple of yards wide.
3 mins - Lovely football as Wearen spreads the play to Brown. He swaps
passes with Fanimo before sending the winger clear down the channel, but his
cross is cut out by Shane Lowry.
2 mins - Positive start from the visitors and a first reserve-team touch for
Fanimo, who completes a pass back to Jordan Brown.
1 min - West Ham attack from the off and Wearen wins a header in midfield,
but Montano is well offside. He was coming back after chasing a long ball,
so can't be blamed.
7.01pm - Villa kick-off...
6.59pm - Here come the two teams. West Ham are in white shirts, light blue
shorts and light blue socks. Villa are in their home kit of claret and blue
shirts, white shorts and claret socks.
6.55pm - Villa are without most of the players who helped them to win the
league last season, but I am told left-back Nathan Baker is one to watch.
It's a big night, of course, for Matthias Fanimo, who makes his first start
at this level. For those not aware of Fanimo, he is an exciting left winger
with an eye for goal. A regular starter for both West Ham's U18s and
England's U17 side, senior football will be a new test for the youngster.
6.50pm - It is a dark, crisp and very cold evening here in Leicestershire.
Both sets of players have just completed their pre-match warm ups - and they
need to warm up properly tonight, I can assure you - and are returning to
their dressing rooms.
Good evening and welcome to De Montfort Park, the home of Hinckley United
FC, for this evening's Barclays Premier Reserve League fixture between Aston
Villa and West Ham United. The big news tonight is the return from injury of
Zavon Hines. The England Under-21 striker has been out all year since
undergoing knee surgery and is among the substitutes this evening. Hines
will watch a starting XI that includes Marek Stech, Winston Reid, Julien
Faubert and Frank Nouble. England U17 winger Matthias Fanimo is handed his
reserve-team debut.
Villa are the three-time defending South Division champions and are again
setting the pace at the top of the table. However, a number of their
reserve-team regulars featured in Saturday's Barclays Premier League draw
with Manchester United.
Aston Villa reserves: Marshall, Berry, Baker, Herd, Lowry, Williams,
Carruthers, Osbourne (Burke 73), Cameron (Deeney 86), Taylor (Drennan 73),
Johnson
Subs not used: Parish, Halfhuid
West Ham United reserves: Stech, Spence, Reid, Eyjolfsson, Brown, Faubert
(Lletget 77), Lee, Wearen, Fanimo, Nouble, Montano (Hines 62)
Subs: Cowler, McNaughton, Sanchez
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Noble happy with quick return
Midfielder plays two weeks after surgery
Last updated: 15th November 2010
SSN
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble admits he was shocked to be back in action at
the weekend, more than two weeks ahead of schedule. Noble had his appendix
removed after emergency surgery just two weeks before playing against
Blackpool on Saturday. Noble insisted he was happy to try and play after
being given the all-clear by his surgeon, despite initial assessments
suggesting he would be out for at least a month. "I said I wanted to try.
They said it's impossible and I couldn't do it," he revealed. "I said that I
felt okay. I trained and it felt fine. I asked before the game if anything
could go wrong inside. "The surgeon said it would be okay and thankfully he
was right."
Noble revealed the pain he went through with his appendix, adding: "I was in
agony. "The doctor said we had to go to the hospital right away, chucked me
in his car and I was on a drip within two hours. "The surgeon said it was a
couple of times the size it should have been and was within hours of
bursting."
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Di Canio ready to answer Hammers SOS
Published 23:00 15/11/10 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Paolo Di Canio is ready to talk to West Ham about helping Avram Grant get
the team up the Premier League. Co-owner David Sullivan said earlier this
month he would consider bringing back the popular Italian if the Hammers did
not take seven points from four games. But the home draw with Blackpool
means that target cannot be reached with a daunting visit to Anfield to come
for the top flight's bottom club. Di Canio, 42, became a West Ham legend by
scoring 48 goals in 118 appearances between 1999 and 2003. He has now taken
his UEFA Pro Licence - studying for part of the course under Jose Mourinho
at Inter Milan - and works as a pundit on Italian TV. But friends of Di
Canio have insisted the former Milan and Juventus forward would only come to
Upton Park with the agreement of Grant. "Paolo has always said he would love
to be involved at West Ham again and that remains the case," a source in
Italy said. "It is no secret his enduring passion for the club. "If he were
approached by West Ham, he would sit and listen. But he would not do
anything to undermine the present manager and his staff at the club. If
Avram Grant and his staff saw a role for Paolo at the club and thought he
could help, he would definitely consider it."
Grant admitted after the goalless draw with Blackpool that it will get
"harder and harder" to end the club's winless streak of seven matches the
longer it continues. "Of course it's also a psychological thing but when you
have big psychological problems you can't perform like we did against
Blackpool," he insisted. "We need to improve but we did good things. We will
win games."
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West Ham boss Grant blasts Parker's England snub
TalkSPort
By Julian Bennetts
Monday, November 15
West Ham boss Avram Grant believes Fabio Capello has made a big mistake by
not recalling Scott Parker to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly
against France. Parker has been the Hammers' outstanding player in what has
been a hugely disappointing season so far, and there was speculation he
would be rewarded for his form by Capello. But the Italian decided against
calling up the 30-year-old - and Grant is adamant he has made the wrong
decision. "He is the best midfielder by far," said Grant about a player who
last represented his country four years ago, although he was called up to
the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup before failing to make the
cut. "He is a model professional. He does many things. He is a winner, he
wins lots of balls. "He wins almost every battle, he moves the ball well. He
needs to be in the England team, that's for sure."
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INJURIES PUT SCOTT PARKER IN SIGHTS
Tom Huddlestone's surgery will put him out for three months.
Daily Express
Tuesday November 16,2010
By Matt Law
TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp will make a second move for West Ham
midfielder Scott Parker in January after it was last night confirmed he will
be without Tom Huddlestone for at least three months. Huddlestone will
undergo surgery on the ankle injury he has been playing with this season,
after it was deemed he could no longer keep having painkilling injections. A
Spurs statement read: "Following consultation with several independent ankle
specialists, it has been determined that Tom Huddlestone will undergo
surgery on his right ankle. The procedure is likely to rule him out of
action for about three months." Redknapp already has a lengthy injury list
as he tries to juggle a first Champions League campaign with the Premier
League.
Huddlestone had been playing with the problem for some time and Tottenham
attempted to manage the injury by resting him and issuing painkilling
injections to nurse him through games. He missed Saturday's victory over
Blackburn, as Redknapp started with Jermaine Jenas and Luka Modric in the
centre of his midfield. But Redknapp is acutely aware he needs more strength
in depth in the middle of the park and a holding midfielder, especially away
from home. Wilson Palacios and Brazilian Sandro have deputised for
Huddlestone this season, but neither player has totally convinced. West Ham
rejected a £7million offer from Tottenham for Parker in the summer and
convinced him to sign a new contract, which runs until the summer of 2014.
Co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold vowed Parker would not be sold and,
although the Hammers are bottom of the Premier League , he has been in top
form.
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WINTERS WORLD MIDWEEK REVIEW: MAJOR TALKING POINTS AT SPURS, WEST HAM,
CHELSEA AND ASTON VILLA
15 November 2010
Jeffwinterentertainmentandmedia.co.uk
At West Ham it was goal-less against Blackpool but the game certainly did
not lack incident. The Hammers should have had a penalty when Cathcart not
only handled the ball but actually saved a shot on goal. God knows how Kevin
friend missed that one as it was fairly obvious. His assistant did no better
either when ruling out a Marvin Harewood goal. He was clearly not offside
when he fired past Green.
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