WHUFC.com
Avram Grant has held his press conference ahead of the Boxing Day trip
across London to Fulham
24.12.2010
Avram Grant has spoken to the media ahead of the Boxing Day Barclays Premier
League trip to Fulham. The West Ham United manager discussed the improving
injury situation, the importance of scoring a first away league win since
August 2009 and improving the squad during the January transfer window.
Grant also restated his strong desire to keep Hammer of the Year Scott
Parker at the Boleyn Ground.
Avram on team news...
We trained in the stadium and the training was good. It was very cold, but
we didn't have any problems. It is still 48 hours until the game, so we will
train again on Christmas Day and then we will know. There have been some
improvements, but we will not know until tomorrow who can play. Robert Green
is looking better, but we need to wait and see tomorrow. Victor Obinna also
didn't train normally but there is improvement. We need to wait and see. We
will decide on Christmas Day. If they train well, then they can play. Nobody
likes to train on Christmas Day but we have a game on Sunday so we need to
train tomorrow.
Avram on both teams needing a win on Boxing Day...
We were talking many months ago about the importance of games. The next game
is always very important for us. When you asked me two months ago if this
game was important, it was also important then. Now, even though we have a
lot of games left, we are bottom with 13 points. We want to play like we did
last week when we were better than Blackburn and we want to take points
because we need them. I think Mark Hughes is under pressure, but Wolves are
under pressure, Wigan are under pressure, Blackburn are under pressure and
at the top the six teams are under pressure. This is the name of the game.
We are under pressure to take points because we are at the bottom. I'm sure
that we don't deserve to be at the bottom, having analysed our games, but
there are no points awarded for 'deserve'. We have to do our job to take
points. We try to play good football - that is our target - but sometimes
points are more important. I think it will be a tough game for us and for
them. When they came to us earlier in the season, their situation was
better. When we played them at home, we drew 1-1 and it was a good game and
good quality football. I don't know what will happen in this game but I know
it will be tough for us and tough for them. When you are the bottom, you
need to calculate the points you need but the most important game is the
next game. We didn't come to the final quarter of the season which is
critical, but this is an important game. Last week the players are upset
because we didn't do more. We have been on top of them and they gave more
than 100 per cent in a place that is not easy to go. We are always feeling
that we are close but we want to do it.
Avram on the record of teams being bottom at Christmas being relegated...
I had a big challenge last year at a team without owners and I had big
challenges before. It is always a challenge. For me, what has happened in
the past is good and tradition is good but things happen that didn't happen
in the past. Nobody thought a guy could run a mile in under four minutes
because nobody had done it before, so there are a lot of things that nobody
has done before but we want to do it and we can do it.
Avram on not winning away from home in the Barclays Premier League since
August 2009...
The pressure comes because I am always asked this question so we need to end
this record! We were very close last week and very close in the games
before. This year the difference between winning away games and not winning
away games was so small and the players know it. We are playing against a
team who are very good at home so it will not be easy, but that is our
target.
Avram on Steve Sidwell...
Normally I don't speak about players when we didn't complete the signing but
I am interested in him. He is a good player and a good lad also. We are
trying to build a team here with positive guys and intelligent players and
he is very intelligent. In football sometimes the one per cent is stronger
than the 99 per cent, but the situation is ongoing. He was my player in
Chelsea and he did well. It was not easy at that time because we had 27
international players, but he did well when he came in.
Avram on other transfer targets...
I'm linked with a lot of players who were my players last year and before
but I cannot speak about something we didn't do yet. To be fair, it is not a
secret that we have a lot of injuries and a few of the injured players have
been out for a long time and could have problems like we have over the last
three months. We need to make the squad stronger - everybody knows it. The
owners know it so they will try to use January to make the squad stronger.
It will be busy. When we have everybody fit we have a good squad but we have
a lot of injuries. We are trying to do everything to make the squad
stronger. It's not a secret that there is a lot of debt here at the club so
money is important. We have a list of players and priorities that we will
follow.
Avram on the possibility of Scott Parker leaving...
No chance. Scott Parker is more than a good player for this football club.
Even though we are at the bottom, we are trying to do the right things for
this club. We know all the teams that succeeded did not have it so easy at
the start. He is the foundation of this club. The owners have made it very
clear that they want Scott Parker here and want good players here. We don't
have many like Scott Parker and it would not be good for us if he left the
club and I don't think it would be good for him. He knows what the vision of
the club is and he is part of it.
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The Rev's Christmas message
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 24th December 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's club chaplain Elwin Cockett brings us his annual Christmas
message...
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be, as they say, but we West Ham fans could
do with all the heart-warming memories we can get during this cold winter.
One old-timer who is sadly no longer with us told me that his happiest
Christmas was spent driving around East Anglia in 1944 with a car full of
turkeys meant for the club's players who were stationed in army units around
the US air bases. Fans from the post-war years will tell tales of long
trips by train to far-away clubs on Boxing Day to witness improbable
results. For me, Tony Cottee's goal on his debut, against Spurs one New
Year's Day, is up there with the best. Nevertheless, it's not events but the
characters at the club who have made it the place that it has been for me
over the years. When I was invited to be the club chaplain in the early 90s,
that legend of many a hard-fought game, Billy Bonds, was in charge. Bill,
along with the likes of kit man Eddie Gilliam, club secretary Tom Finn, and
players like Alvin Martin, Tony Cottee and John Moncur, were all great
people who it was my privilege to get to know.
And – though it is never popular to say so – so were the directors, some of
whom were deeply committed to the club and the area, having been involved
all their lives. And if those characters were special, so have been the fans
– often more so in defeat that in success. Who will ever forget the singing
when we were 4-0 down in 'that' cup game after Tony Gale's sending off? Or
the response to the chant of 'Going down, going down, going down' with 'So
are we, so are we, so are we'. People like that deserve to have something to
cheer. If Christmas means anything to me, it is about remembering what
really matters. We love football, and we love our club, but whether or not
we get relegated is nothing like as important as people. People matter. In
the end, football doesn't. If we get that right, we can treat both victory
and defeat as the impostors that Kipling famous described them as. It's the
people who matter. So, wherever you're spending the festivities this year,
may you know something of the love, peace and hope that the Christmas story
is all about. And may God bless you and the people around you richly –
whatever the football results.
Elwin Cockett
Archdeacon of West Ham
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Fulham v West Ham preview
Crucial six-pointer between strugglers at Craven Cottage
By Steve Pass Last updated: 24th December 2010
SSN
PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com prediction: 2-1
SKY BET odds: Fulham 10/11 Draw 12/5 West Ham 3/1
MATCH FACTS:
West Ham have scored in all but one of their last 16 Boxing Day fixtures -
The Hammers are 9/1 to win 1-0 on Sunday - BET NOW
Clint Dempsey has scored in the last two Premier League games against West
Ham - The Fulham star is 6/1 to open the scoring at Craven Cottage this
weekend - BET NOW
Fulham have not won any of their last four Premier League matches at home,
their longest run since they went five without a victory in January 2008 - A
2-2 draw on Boxing Day is 18/1 - BET NOW
One to Watch: Andrew Johnson
LIVE ON SKY SPORTS
Fulham v West Ham
11.30pm, Sun, Sky Sports HD1, Sky Sports 1 and online with Sky Player
Fulham take on fellow relegation strugglers West Ham in a crucial Boxing Day
derby clash at Craven Cottage, which is due to be screened on Sky Sports.
Both sides are desperate for a win in the lunchtime kick-off, with the 16th
placed Cottagers sitting just outside the drop zone on goal difference,
while the Hammers are rock bottom, three points from safety. To add extra
spice to the derby clash, both Fulham boss Mark Hughes' and West Ham manager
Avram Grant's positions have come under speculation in recent days and the
pair need a win to lift the pressure. But it will be difficult for both
sides given the Cottagers have plunged down the table after a run of no wins
in six league games, while Grant's outfit have not won in three attempts.
Fulham can at least take heart from the fact that both their league wins
have come at home and Hughes' side have not lost at Craven Cottage in two
games, the latest a goalless stalemate with Sunderland. While the Hammers
have yet to taste victory away in the top flight this season, they can also
take confidence from a 1-1 draw at Blackburn last time.
Team news
Fulham boss Hughes will give a fitness test to Moussa Dembele before
deciding whether he will play any part in the six-pointer. Dembele returned
to training this week after spending the last five weeks on the sidelines
with an ankle injury. Matthew Briggs (calf) is out until next month, while
Bobby Zamora (leg) and Philippe Senderos (Achilles) should return in
February.
For West Ham, Robert Green, Victor Obinna and Valon Behrami are all expected
to return to the squad. The trio missed last weekend's 1-1 draw at
Blackburn, goalkeeper Green after minor hip surgery, Obinna with a bruised
leg and Behrami after hurting his hip during the warm-up at Ewood Park.
Striker Freddie Sears could go straight into the squad after being recalled
from his loan spell at Scunthorpe, but Mark Noble (hip), Jack Collison and
Anthony Edgar (both knee) are still unavailable, as are Thomas Hitzlsperger
(thigh) and Manuel da Costa (foot).
Possible starting XIs:
Fulham: Schwarzer, Hughes, Pantsil, Hangeland, Salcido, Murphy, Davies,
Dempsey, Etuhu, A Johnson, Gera.
West Ham: Green, Upson, Gabbidon, Ben Haim, Tomkins, Spector, Dyer, Boa
Morte,Obinna, Parker, Cole.
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Grant: Scott will stay parked up
The Sun
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT insists there is no way he will let Scott Parker leave West Ham
during the January sales. Parker, 30, is widely admired and the former
Chelsea and Newcastle ace is expected to attract interest from Tottenham
when the transfer window opens next month. But Grant is determined to hang
on to his midfield engine room at all costs. The Hammers boss said: "Parker
is more than a good player for this football club. "He is one of the
foundations of this club. The owners have made it very clear that they want
him here and want good players here. "We don't have many like Parker and it
would not be good for us if he left the club — and I don't think it would be
good for him. "He knows what the vision of the club is and he is part of
it."
Grant is confident the Hammers will make a number of signings in January to
aid the club's relegation battle. West Ham are currently bottom of the
Premier League but Grant has not given up hope of leading them to safety. He
added: "Even though we are at the bottom, we are trying to do the right
things for this club. "We know all the teams that succeeded did not have it
so easy at the start. We are under pressure to take points because we are at
the bottom. "We don't deserve to be at the bottom, having analysed our
games, but there are no points awarded for 'deserve'." Grant has refused to
confirm reports linking West Ham with Manchester City duo Wayne Bridge and
Shaun Wright-Phillips. But he has made it clear reinforcements will be
making their way to Upton Park. The Israeli said: "It is not a secret that
we have a lot of injuries and that we need to make the squad stronger. That
is what we will try to do in January. "A lot of players have been linked
with us."
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Grant rules out Parker sale
Published 14:58 24/12/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham manager Avram Grant insists there is no way he would allow Scott
Parker to leave the relegation-threatened club in the January transfer
window. Grant admits the rock-bottom Hammers are likely to be busy in the
transfer market as he fights to save his job and West Ham attempt to claw
their way to Premier League safety. But while he is looking to bring in
several reinforcements, Parker, who has been linked with a possible move to
Tottenham, will be going nowhere. Grant admitted West Ham are close to
completing a deal with Aston Villa for midfielder Steve Sidwell, but when
asked if Parker could be leaving he said: "No chance. "Scott Parker is more
than a good player for this football club. Even though we are at the bottom,
we are trying to do the right things for this club. "We know all the teams
that succeeded did not have it so easy at the start. "He is one of the
foundations of this club. The owners have made it very clear that they want
Scott Parker here and want good players here. "We don't have many like Scott
Parker and it would not be good for us if he left the club and I don't think
it would be good for him. He knows what the vision of the club is and he is
part of it."
Grant refused to confirm reports that the club were interested in Manchester
City full-back Wayne Bridge and striker Shaun Wright-Phillips, plus
Tottenham's Robbie Keane and Jonathan Woodgate. But he added: "It is not a
secret that we have a lot of injuries and that we need to make the squad
stronger and that is what we will try to do in January. "A lot of players
have been linked with us."
Grant could get a boost for the lunchtime kick-off at Fulham on Sunday with
goalkeeper Robert Green poised to return after recovering from a minor hip
operation. Victor Obinna could also be back, although he only trained
lightly at Upton Park. Luis Boa-Morte is out suspended. Grant, however,
shrugged off the pressure which sees West Ham face a Fulham side, just one
spot outside the relegation zone, without a win in their last 27 away league
matches.
Grant said: "We want to play like we did last week when we were better than
Blackburn and we want to take points because we need them. "I think Mark
Hughes (Fulham manager) is under pressure, but Wolves are under pressure,
Wigan are under pressure, Blackburn are under pressure and at the top the
six teams are under pressure. "This is the name of the game. We are under
pressure to take points because we are at the bottom. "We don't deserve to
be at the bottom, having analysed our games, but there are no points awarded
for 'deserve'."
Grant is well aware of the statistic that only one club bottom of the
Premier League at Christmas have survived. That was West Brom in 2005 but
Grant, who was relegated with Portsmouth in administration last season,
said: "I had a big challenge last year at a team without owners and I had
big challenges before. "For me, what has happened in the past is good and
tradition is good but things happen that didn't happen in the past. "Nobody
thought a guy could run a mile in under four minutes because nobody had done
it before, so there are a lot of things that nobody has done before but we
want to do it and we can do it."
On Sidwell, who Grant managed at Chelsea and who has undergone a medical at
Upton Park, the West Ham boss said: "Normally I don't speak about players
when we didn't complete the signing but I am interested in him. "He is a
good player and a good lad. We are trying to build a team here with positive
guys and intelligent players and he is very intelligent and I hope we will
complete the deal. He has done what he needs to do to be here."
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Fulham v WEST HAM: Robert Green returns but Valon Behrami and Victor Obina
both doubts
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 2:37 PM on 24th December 2010
Daily Mail
Goalkeeper Robert Green could be back after recovering from a minor hip
operation to give West Ham a boost for the Boxing Day trip to Fulham. Valon
Behrami and Victor Obinna could also return although manager Avram Grant
will decided after training on Christmas Day. Midfielder Mark Noble,
however, is still a doubt with a hip injury while Jack Collison, Manual Da
Costa and Thomas Hitzlsperger are all out. Winger Luis Boa Morte misses out
through suspension, but Freddie Sears could be included after returning from
loan at Scunthorpe.
Team (from): Green, Ben-Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon, Barrera, Stanislas,
Parker, Behrami, Dyer, McCarthy, Spector, Cole, Obinna, Piquionne, Sears,
Larkins, Reid, Faubert, Boffin.
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