WHUFC.com
Having been through a 'great escape' once before, Jon Spector knows the
importance of Saturday
16.12.2010
Jonathan Spector knows a thing or two about Hammers survival battles. The US
defender was a big part of the West Ham United squad that won seven of the
last nine matches in the 2006/07 to stay up against all the odds. The first
match of that memorable magnificent seven? Blackburn Rovers away on 17 March
2007. This time around, Spector and his team-mates head to Ewood Park with a
little more time but no less urgency. The American, who has carved out a new
role for himself in central midfield, is up for the fight again. "We have
been hard at work this week and are focusing on the game against Blackburn
on the weekend," he said "It was a disappointing defeat against Manchester
City. It is a really big game for us against Blackburn and it is one we are
going to be looking to get three points from."
As well as putting in the hours at Chadwell Heath, Spector has been bringing
some Christmas cheer to some needy youngsters. He joined his team-mates at
Newham Hospital to hand over presents and meet young fans. "It is nice to be
able to go along to see and to bring smiles to the children's faces," he
said. "Hopefully it makes a difference to them over the holidays. Obviously
for them and their family is tough to be in the hospital at this time.
Hopefully we can put some smiles on their faces, and bring a little
happiness and joy over the holidays. "It's very humbling particularly when
those people who work in the medical field are excited to see us. Obviously
the work they do is far more significant than what we do, we are kind of in
awe at what they do."
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Eager Edgar
WHUFC.com
Anthony Edgar is eyeing a first-team chance after making a successful return
from injury
16.12.2010
Anthony Edgar was all smiles after making a successful return from injury in
the 2-2 reserve-team friendly draw at Fulham. The winger enjoyed a
scintillating pre-season, scoring for the first team in a friendly victory
at Peterborough United, before suffering an untimely knee injury at Queens
Park Rangers in August. Having worked his way back to fitness, Edgar was
handed a 45-minute run out at Motspur Park. "It was a good game. I think the
boys helped me out a lot. I was happy to get back into the reserve team - I
played 45 minutes and I thought I did really well. "To be fair, it was a
good game. It was a strong-paced kind of game."
"Obviously it was a bit hard at times with my fitness but that will come in
time, so all in all it was good. "I knew a while ago that I would be getting
a game, so I prepared myself in training and did extra stuff after training
to be ready for the game. "I wasn't nervous at all. I am quite a confident
person. The knee felt good and my body felt good so I knew I would be OK."
Edgar made his Hammers debut in the FA Cup third-round defeat by Arsenal a
year ago and is now targeting a second first-team appearance in this year's
third-round tie against Barnsley on 8 January. "Before I got injured I was
flying so hopefully I can get back to that form and just push on."
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Grant focused on table
Hammers boss put cup to one side
Last updated: 16th December 2010
SSN
Avram Grant has urged his West Ham troops to focus on improving their
Premier League placing and not their Carling Cup semi-final. The struggling
Hammers booked their semi-final meeting with Birmingham with an emphatic 4-0
home success over Manchester United. Despite their impressive cup run the
club's league form continues to disappoint and they find themselves bottom
with 17 games played. Grant is looking forward to their Blues clash, but he
recognises that things need to start improving results-wise in league
action. The former Portsmouth tactician knows the implications if things do
not improve soon, although he has been pleased with his players' efforts.
Thoughts
"We now have a Carling Cup semi-final to look forward to in January, but we
will not think about this again until the New Year," he said. "We have a job
to do in the league and this is all that is occupying my attention. "The cup
is a fantastic distraction, but nothing will get in the way of the task in
hand. We need points and I am positive we will get them. "Everyone has been
putting in lots of effort on the training pitches and by that I include the
coaching and backroom staff. "No one is taking our position lightly and we
are all upbeat for the future. "We have an extremely positive atmosphere
because of all the way we have been playing overall. "We know the results
will come soon enough."
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Big Sam for Hammers Job?
By: Angus Morrissey
The Offside
According to reports around the country West Ham are preparing to sack
manager Avram Grant and replace him with former Blackburn Rovers manager Sam
Allardyce. The hammers board believe Allardyce - who was sacked earlier on
Monday by Blackburn Rovers - would be better qualified to lift them off the
foot of the table after managing 12 points from 17 league games. West Ham
would surely benefit from Allardyce's experiences at resurrecting teams from
the drop having taken over at Rovers in December 2008 when they were 19th in
the league and leading them to safety. He has also established Bolton
Wanderers as a top-half Premier League club during his 8 year spell at the
club from 1999-2007 and is well known as a manager for assembling teams with
a tight budget who punch above their weight. He would also be an attractive
choice for the board in terms of financial costs as there is no buy-out fee
as he is not under contract. There have been strong rumours already that the
hammers board have already lined him up, and it might not be too long before
we see Big Sam at the helm of West Ham.
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Three Strikes & Grant's Out
West Ham Till I Die
So according to reports, the club have told Avram Grant that unless he wins
one of the next three games, he's out. An interesting way to motivate
someone. The sad truth is that this sort of thing never works. What happens
then? Every few games there is another ultimatum. It's a very bad way of
managing people. In addition, what reaction do they think that gets from the
players? If there are players who don't like Grant as a manager, they may
well think, OK then, if we don't win any of these games they'll get rid of
him. But they should be careful what they wish for.
The truth is that if they are thinking of changing the manager, and have
lost confidence in him, they should act now and give a new manager a couple
of weeks to bed in before the transfer window opens.
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Grant to focus on critical period
Avram Grant's future at West Ham may continue to be the subject of intense
speculation, but the Israeli remains fully focused on dragging his side off
the bottom of the Barclays Premier League.
By PA 11:10AM GMT 16 Dec 2010
Telegraph.co.uk
Grant, appointed during the summer following Gianfranco Zola's departure,
may for the time being continue to have the backing of the Upton Park board,
but there is no doubt the Irons are set for what could be a make-or-break
period. That run starts on Saturday at Blackburn, a club which have just
sacked manager Sam Allardyce - now suddenly linked with the Hammers job
should Grant get the axe. The Hammers, though, are all united in their
desire to eradicate the four-point gap between themselves and safety as soon
as possible - with matches against Fulham, Everton, Wolves and Newcastle all
coming up over the hectic Christmas and New Year period.
"We want to take points from every game, but of course its more reachable,
more possible, against teams that are around us than against teams higher in
the league," Grant said. "I know we are bottom and personally I am not happy
with that, I don't like it - but I cannot come in and say to the players
'look we have been playing terrible football in the last three months'."
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Christmas key to Grant's chances
Avram Grant admits West Ham's next four fixtures could determine the outcome
of their season.
By PA 11:10AM GMT 16 Dec 2010
Telegraph.co.uk
The Hammers remain bottom after Saturday's 3-1 home defeat to Manchester
City, but are still only four points from safety. They head to Blackburn
next weekend, before another away trip at fellow strugglers Fulham, then
home games against Everton and Wolves, on New Year's Day. Grant said: "I'm
very pleased with the spirit of the boys. We tried, but these are not the
teams we need to compete against, they are better than us. "These [the next
three games] are the games that are very important to us. We play against
teams now who are not better than us and we will try to take points." Grant
continues to have the backing of the Upton Park board, and insisted: "I'm
not thinking about my position - I'm thinking only that I need to do my job.
"Our position is not so good and I don't need to think if my job is like
this or like that. My job is to improve the team and take points, especially
in the next games."
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David Cross: How a Pig Helped Win the 1980 FA Cup!
West Ham Till I Die
When I had lunch with former Hammers striker David Cross at Ken's Cafe
before the Manchester City game he related a fascinating anecdote, which I
then asked him to write up so you could all enjoy it too. So here it is.
As the 1979-80 season unfolded a running joke emerged between myself and our
physio, Rob Jenkins. Whenever we travelled to an away game on the train or
coach and saw a pig in a farm or field I would invariably score and we would
usually win. This became so prevalent that one day Rob bought me a miniature
plastic pig as a good luck charm. The following season the pig made it's way
to every game and I netted 34 goals and won the Golden Boot as we returned
to the top flight.
As all West Ham fans know, 1980 was the year we played Arsenal in the FA Cup
Final and being such a big game I decided that I should do something more
than just take the pig to the match. I therefore carried the pig in my hand
throughout the full 90 minutes that day and thanks to John Lyall's tactical
brilliance and Trevor Brooking's head we ended up winning the Cup.
I had never been particularly superstitious, in fact my only superstition
was to not be superstitious! Those supporters that remember the side I
played in will know that John Lyall had put together a wonderful group of
footballers who played the West Ham way and because of that quality the
chances to score would always be there. But on the 10th May 1980, in my left
hand at Wembley, so was the pig.
So there you have it. It wasn't just John Lyall, it was also the pig wot won
it!
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West Ham and Sam Allardyce might just be a capital idea
As unlikely as it may appear, Sam Allardyce and West Ham could be a marriage
made in heaven - or at least a union of convenience. Allardyce wants to be
the next England manager, West Ham want to avoid relegation. It could just
work.
REUTERS
By Jason Burt 8:43PM GMT 16 Dec 2010
Telegraph.co.uk
Perhaps such a discussion is disrespectful to the incumbent in the Upton
Park manager's office but then Avram Grant has earned his six jobs in
England so far - director of football at Portsmouth, director of football at
Chelsea, manager of Chelsea, director of football at Portsmouth, manager of
Portsmouth, manager of West Ham - without demonstrating publicly exactly
what has warranted such elevation. Looking at that career path it can be
assumed Grant will eventually be back off to Stamford Bridge in some
capacity should, as expected, the axe fall at West Ham. It has been spelled
out to Grant this week by the West Ham hierarchy that 12 points from 17
league matches is not good enough. The board have sympathy because of the
perceived weakness of the squad he inherited, it is understood, and there is
a genuine reluctance to sack Grant having awarded him a four-year contract
last summer. That is expensive. But finally, there is also an acceptance
that Grant's optimism needs to be allied to some results.
It is Blackburn, Allardyce's old club, away tomorrow, then Fulham away on
Boxing Day and Everton at home on Dec 28. At least one victory is needed.
Allardyce's sacking at Blackburn may be serendipity - although not for
Grant. The 56 year-old was considered before Grant's appointment but not
seriously, not least because of his base brand of football. Now West Ham
realise they need a fire-fighter, while Allardyce, who has gone on holiday
to Dubai, has already sounded out key members of his backroom staff to ask
whether, if he gets the call, they will follow him to London.
Allardyce may be nervous about West Ham's board - and they are also
concerned about his wage demands and the number of people he would want to
bring with him, although there will be no compensation. It is all
negotiable, especially if a break-clause, for example, were included in the
contract should England come calling, and also because part of Allardyce's
argument is that having spend all his career in the North, taking charge of
a club in the capital would put him closer to the Football Association. And,
also, the national media who will, like it or not, have an influence on
Fabio Capello's successor, will pay more attention.
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