Sears signs for Coventry
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears has joined fellow striker Frank Nouble in leaving the Boleyn
Ground on loan
11.02.2010
Freddie Sears has joined Coca-Cola Championship side Coventry City on a
three-month loan. Sears linked up with Chris Coleman's squad on Thursday,
and will hope to be involved in Coventry's home fixture with Queens Park
Rangers on Saturday afternoon. The 20-year-old spent the opening half of the
season with the Sky Blues' Championship rivals Crystal Palace, making 18
appearances before returning to Chadwell Heath in January. The
Hornchurch-based player is the second Academy graduate to join Coventry on
loan in recent seasons, following Zavon Hines. Sears' fellow England
Under-21 striker made seven substitute appearances at the end of the 2007/08
season, scoring once. Sears will join two former West Ham trainees at the
Ricoh Arena in the shape of centre-back Elliott Ward and forward Freddy
Eastwood. The promising youngster has made two first-team appearances for
the Hammers this term - in the goalless Barclays Premier League draw with
Blackburn Rovers and in the 2-1 FA Cup third-round defeat by Arsenal - but
has been pushed down the pecking order by the arrivals of Benni McCarthy,
Mido and Ilan earlier this month.
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Get your Hull tickets
WHUFC.com
Demand is high for the Hull City match on 20 February after the thrilling
home win against Birmingham
11.02.2010
It is not too late for fans wanting to make sure of their place for Saturday
week's visit of Hull City as West Ham United look to make it two wins from
two. Gianfranco Zola's men are on the up after the 2-0 success against
Birmingham City on Wednesday night and demand is yet again expected to be
high for tickets. Hull are level on points with the Hammers, although three
places lower in the standings, and a home win would push the club further
away from the bottom three.
The previous meeting between the clubs back on 21 November was a thrilling
contest, ending in a 3-3 draw after a see-saw encounter. A win is essential
this time around to maintain the Hammers' survival fight and you can play
your part by coming along on Saturday 20 February. Kick-off is at 3pm.
With this fixture being classed a Category B match, tickets start from just
£35 for adults, £17.50 for over 65s and £17 for under-16s. Additional
discounts are offered to young adult and junior Academy Members.
Tickets can be purchased either by calling 0871 222 2700 via Option 3, in
person at the West Stand ticket office, or online by clicking the above link
.
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Hammerettes - yes or no?'
WHUFC.com
Have your say on half-time entertainment at the Boleyn Ground
11.02.2010
West Ham United are continuing to look at ways we can improve the matchday
experience for supporters and all suggestions are welcome. One popular
debate at the moment is over the return of a half-time dance troupe like the
Hammerettes - who used to be a regular fixture at the Boleyn Ground. Fans
wanting to have their say on any issue can email the club by clicking here.
Alternatively click here to cast your vote online.
http://www.whufc.com/page/Hammerettes
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Diamanti's delight
WHUFC.com
Alessandro Diamanti is targeting more points after scoring in Wednesday's
win over Birmingham
11.02.2010
Birmingham City must be sick of the sight of Alessandro Diamanti. West Ham
United's Italian maestro marked his debut for the club with two sublime
free-kicks in a 6-0 reserve-team humbling of the Blues at the Boleyn Ground
last September. On Wednesday, the 26-year-old completed a memorable
hat-trick by curling an inch-perfect set piece past Joe Hart to set the
Hammers on the way to a vital 2-0 Barclays Premier League victory.
Birmingham defender Scott Dann, in particular, must shudder every time he
sees Diamanti, having started both matches and even conceded the free-kick
that led to the midfielder's opener last night. "There must be some lucky
thing going on with Birmingham and free-kicks! But, on a serious note, I am
very happy with the fact that we can start from this day on what we have
been working on as a squad for a long time."
Diamanti and his team-mates have been desperate to secure a morale-boosting
victory in recent weeks, while at the same time collecting three important
points in their bid to climb the table. Wednesday's success lifted West Ham
to 14th, with a home game against Hull City next up on Saturday week. The
left-sided player, a threat throughout against Birmingham, said the win had
lifted the whole dressing room. "It was a very, very positive result. We had
so much will to win this game. We have tried so hard to get a win in the
last few games but we couldn't. There was so much anger in the team to win
the game. "The reason we had anger in the team was not special. We always
have it and we always try to win games. We have the same anger and the same
will to win, but sometimes we win and sometimes we don't."
Diamanti has a look of focus and determination in his eyes when he talks
about Wednesday's win, but that should be no surprise when you consider that
he has worked so hard to reach the top of the game. As recently as the
2006/07 season, he was turning out for hometown club Prato in Serie C2 - the
equivalent of England's League Two. "Of course, for me, work ethic is the
most important thing. I don't forget that, until four seasons ago, I was
playing in Serie C2, playing at a different level. So, in order to get
better, I needed to work hard. This was my philosophy. I believe that you
get what you put into things, so I'm always working hard in training trying
things like shots and free-kicks."
While Diamanti is keen to prove himself in the Premier League, he also
devoted his goal to manager Gianfranco Zola. After seeing his free-kick hit
the back of the net, he ran straight to a man who would no doubt have been
proud to have produced such a perfect strike himself as a player.
"Obviously, I am like every other player and we are all behind the boss. He
works very hard and is a top guy and is always the one who takes
responsibility when we don't play well. He is always there for us, always
encouraging us and always on our side. We don't forget this, so I was
extremely pleased to win and when I scored, my first thought was for the
boss."
Zola himself was delighted with his compatriot's breathtaking goal. "He was
saying 'I love you! I love you!'" the manager joked, before quickly
clarifying what Diamanti had really said to him as the pair embraced on the
touchline. "He was saying it was a goal for the team, for me and for my
staff. That is what he was shouting." With ten days to go until West Ham
welcome Hull to the Boleyn Ground, Diamanti has time to celebrate his
seventh goal of the season in traditional style. "I'm from Tuscany, so I
will drink some red wine!"
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West Ham's Gianfranco Zola plays down goal celebration
BBC.co.uk
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola insisted there was nothing behind the
players' reactions to the opening goal in Wednesday's 2-0 win over
Birmingham. The 43-year-old Italian wants to focus on moving the Hammers up
the table after a pre-match verbal spat with co-owner David Sullivan. "It
is the end of the story. It was just a celebration because we are going
through a difficult moment," he said. "There was no other message than we
are together - the players and the staff."
With West Ham hovering above the relegation zone, it was a crucial three
points for the club in the battle to beat the drop. The relief of breaking
the deadlock right on the stroke of half-time was clear when Zola was buried
under goalscorer Alessandro Diamanti and his team-mates following a superb
20-yard free-kick. The build-up to the game had been clouded in an exchange
of words between the Italian boss and Sullivan, who took over the east
Londoners with David Gold in January. Sullivan revealed earlier this week
the club, who have debts of £110 million, were facing "Armageddon" if
relegated and suggested the players take a 25% wage cut. Zola then hit back
on the eve of the Upton Park clash with the Blues by saying: "When an
article comes before a big match I'm not happy - I don't think it is any
good for the whole team."
West Ham's first win since Boxing Day, which was rubber stamped by Carlton
Cole's first goal in three months on 67 minutes, has moved them up to 14th
in the table - but they are only one point clear of the bottom three.
Despite appreciating the joyous scenes following Diamanti's strike, Zola
insisted it was time for everyone to pull together. "We care about this club
and want to be successful. It was a good gesture and I appreciated it. It
means we are all going in the same direction and it is vital to do well,"
the former Chelsea striker added. "We want the team to succeed. We are in a
position we don't like and want to improve it and that's the way I took it.
The important thing is that we won the game. "It is important we win games
and win well and that we are a unit. That is the most important message we
send to everybody. I am motivated and driven to do well for this team and
that is the most important thing."
Sullivan has expressed concerns with the club's finances and said he feared
they could go the way of Newcastle, who were relegated from the Premier
League in 2009 after a season of off-field turmoil. "I can't believe the
contracts I've inherited," he told BBC Sport. "The club is in a mess and we
all have to pull together. It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse
than what's gone on at Newcastle."
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Obvious headline alert
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 11th February 2010
By: Staff Writer
Freddie Sears has been sent to the Midlands for the rest of the season. The
youngster, who recently returned to West Ham after cutting short a
season-long loan spell at crisis club Crystal Palace in order to ease
United's striker crisis has joined Championship outfit Coventry City. The
news has been confirmed by both clubs; Sears is set to play alongside
another former Hammers trainee Freddie Eastwood, who, like Sears, was also
hailed as a star of the future during his teenage years. Sears - who made
one brief substitute appearance following his return from Crystal Palace,
against Arsenal in the 2-1 FA Cup third round defeat - failed to score a
single (legitimate) goal during his five month stay at Selhurst Park. His
last - and only - competitive goal came on his first team debut against
Blackburn Rovers in a 2-1 win back in March 2008, almost two years ago. City
are currently 14th in the Championship but just six points off the play-off
places.
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Coe warning to Hammers
Olympic Park Legacy Company to look at possible options
Last updated: 11th February 2010
SSN
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe has told West Ham that it is
non-negotiable that the Olympic Stadium's primary purpose will be anything
other than track and field. The Hammers new co-owners David Gold and David
Sullivan have expressed an interest in taking over the facility in place of
Upton Park after the Games have concluded in two years' time. Coe was
quizzed by international athletics president Lamine Diack at the IOC session
in Vancouver over whether the stadium would be for football or athletics
after the Olympics. And he was unequivocal in his response, saying: "This
will primarily be a track and field facility but we have also made it clear
we would explore other sports sharing the stadium. "Track and field will be
its primary purpose, but it is sensible to look at other options for income
streams and community use." The Olympic Park Legacy Company are drawing up
plans to look at possible options and the ultimate decision on the future of
the £450million stadium will be theirs, said Coe. He added: "It's
non-negotiable that this is a track and field facility and the president of
the IAAF knows that."
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Diamanti commends will to win
Striker hails squad solidarity
By Carla Hilton Last updated: 11th February 2010
SSN
West Ham striker Alessandro Diamanti believes the players' will to win was
evident against Birmingham on Wednesday. The 26-year-old put in a superb
goalscoring performance at Upton Park against the Midlands club, helping his
side to a crucial three points. Soon after converting an unstoppable
free-kick, he sprinted towards the dugout to share the moment with
under-fire boss Gianfranco Zola. Diamanti says the players were more
determined than ever to prove their critics wrong after a poor run of
results saw them drop dangerously close to the foot of the table. Heaping
praise on the squad performance, he said: "We had so much will to win the
game. "We had been trying hard to win the last few games. It didn't happen
but there was so much anger in the team to win this one. "Like every other
player here, we are all behind the manager because he works very hard, he's
a top guy and he's the one who always takes responsibility. "Even when we
don't play well he's always there, encouraging us. I was very pleased to win
and, when I scored, my first thought was for my boss."
Before the game, co-owner David Sullivan made an attacking statement
criticising the "overpaid" players and "nice" manager. His comments appeared
only to unite the squad, as Carlton Cole went on to add to Diamanti's opener
to notch a crucial three points and steer the Hammers out of the bottom
three. "Sometimes things are said to provoke a reaction," said midfielder
Scott Parker. "The only thing we could do was react on the pitch and we did
that. Maybe it was what they call reverse psychology." Asked his reaction to
Diamanti's celebrations, Zola said: "I appreciated the gesture very much.
"It is important the crowd sees there is a good working group here and sense
of unity."
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Sky Blues snap up Sears
Hammers youngster to boost Coleman's striking options
Last updated: 11th February 2010
SSN
Coventry City have solved their striking crisis by signing West Ham United
youngster Freddie Sears on loan until the end of the season. The deadline
day departure of Leon Best to Newcastle United had left Sky Blues boss Chris
Coleman short of options up front. Coleman has moved to address the issue by
agreeing a deal for England Under 21 international Sears to spend the next
three months at the Ricoh Arena. Sears spent the first half of the season on
loan at fellow Championship side Crystal Palace, but he failed to score in
19 appearances. He has featured twice as a substitute since returning to
West Ham, but will now finish the campaign back in the second tier. The
20-year-old forward is expected to go straight into Coventry's squad for
Saturday's game at home to out-of-form Queens Park Rangers. Prior to joining
the Sky Blues, Sears had been linked with a move to Scunthorpe United, only
for Nigel Adkins to deny an interest.
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Hearn : Ley off our Manor
The Sun
By PAUL JIGGINS
Published: Today
BARRY HEARN has started an East End turf war with David Sullivan over the
Olympic Stadium. West Ham co-owner Sullivan wants to move his club into the
80,000-seater venue when the 2012 Games have finished. But Leyton Orient
chairman Hearn - whose outfit are closer than the Hammers to the stadium in
Stratford, East London - is interested in his club becoming the new tenants.
Hearn said: "If West Ham move there they would have to change the stadium
because it's not suitable for football. If it is possible, I'm still
interested as well. "But I'm not letting him move there and put me out of
business a mile down the road."
Yet snooker and darts supremo Hearn, 61, believes you will never see
professional football played at the stadium. He said: "You might see Tower
Hamlets v Shoreditch Grammar in the local schools' cup final - but that's
about it. The stadium is not useable for football under its current design
and it's a bit late to change it. "You have an athletics track in front of
you, so you're 90 yards from the pitch. "It'd cost an extra £80million but
they are spending £500m on a stadium with no use."
Last night, London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe insisted the stadium's
"primary purpose" will be athletics. Quizzed at an IOC session in Vancouver,
the Olympic legend said: "Track and field will be its primary purpose but it
is sensible to look at options for income and community use."
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Union Boss in wage rage
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
GORDON TAYLOR has blasted West Ham over plans to slash wages. The PFA chief
executive fears anarchy if the proposal goes ahead. SunSport exclusively
revealed new Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold will ask the
players to take a 25 per cent pay cut to keep the debt-ridden club afloat.
Union boss Taylor said: "If cost-cutting is needed it can be done at the
appropriate time, when contracts are up for renewal. "This is not in
accordance with Premier League rules and regulations."
Sullivan and Gold are not being paid a penny or even claiming expenses while
in charge of the club they have supported since boyhood. Meanwhile, West Ham
starlet Freddie Sears, 20, is joining Coventry on loan for the rest of the
season. He has been assured he still has a future at the club but needs more
first-team experience.
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My mind games have worked
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
DAVID SULLIVAN has told West Ham's players: If you don't like me, I don't
care. The Hammers' co-owner insists his outburst at the squad this week was
just mind games, designed to dig the club out of trouble. Sullivan triggered
a storm in the dressing room and was even blasted by boss Gianfranco Zola
for revealing plans for a 25 per cent wage cut this summer at cash-strapped
Upton Park. West Ham's players responded by beating in-form Birmingham 2-0
for their first win of 2010. Sullivan said: "It was the last resort. I had
to say something to galvanise people into action because our results and
displays just hadn't been good enough. "There's still a lot of hard work to
do but I'm really pleased with the way the team has responded. "If it was so
the players could stick two fingers up at me on behalf of the manager then
great. At least it means we'll keep winning. "It's dangerous but then the
situation at West Ham is dangerous too. "I've been accused of bad timing but
I believe it was the best possible timing because look at the response it
got.
"Whether that's totally down to what I said we'll never know - and the
manager and players deserve lots of credit for the way they played. "But
laying things on the line is a tactic I've used before. I did it in the last
game of last season at Birmingham when they needed to beat Reading to get
automatic promotion. "It worked then and it seems to have worked again."
West Ham are £110million in debt and Sullivan and joint-owner David Gold
must cut costs to keep the club afloat. After one win in 24 games, the
highly-paid players became a prime target. Zola has the backing of West
Ham's hierarchy even though his character as a Premier League boss was
questioned by his bosses. Sullivan added: "He is one of the nicest guys in
football and the players need to remember that and start playing for him."
Italian Zola was mobbed by his players after Alessandro Diamanti's goal set
West Ham on their way to a crucial win. Midfielder Scott Parker said:
"Everyone has massive respect for the manager and that was clear to see.
Nothing was planned, we just want him to do well. He's a good man."
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Who I blame for the Hammers mess
The Sun
STEVEN HOWARD - Chief sports writer
Published: Today
JOY and jubilation down at the Boleyn. Armageddon, for the moment, is on the
back burner. Yet West Ham's 2-0 victory over Birmingham does not remove the
fact the club are still £110million in debt and have to travel to Old
Trafford, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates and Anfield in their final 13 games.
Co-owner David Sullivan has warned staff they face a 25 per cent cut in
wages in the summer and also suggested former boss Alan Curbishley might
like to plough his £2.5m compensation for 'wrongful dismissal' back into the
club. Ah, yes, good, old Curbs. While Eggert Magnusson and the Icelandic
consortium have taken much of the flak for the Hammers' current position,
Curbishley's own role is largely forgotten. He left the club in September
2008, resigning following the sale of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney
to Sunderland. He was then awarded his massive pay-off when a Premier League
managers' arbitration panel ruled in his favour on constructive dismissal
with the ex-manager claiming decisions were made without involving him. He
claimed this amounted to a breach of trust and confidence and that he had an
agreement with the club that he alone would determine the composition of the
squad.
He said: "My authority and integrity were undermined and my position made
intolerable." You can believe this or, more likely, take it with a pinch of
salt. Yet if West Ham did ultimately choose not to 'involve him' over the
sale of Ferdinand and McCartney, who could blame them? This, after all, was
the man sitting in the manager's seat when West Ham blundered into the
irresponsible signings of Freddie Ljungberg, Kieron Dyer and Lucas Neill.
The bill for Ljungberg (£85,000 a week) and Dyer (£65,000 a week) will
eventually come to more than £30m for, so far, just 27 league starts and two
goals between them. Then there was Neill, whose 30 months at £72,000 a week
stacked up to £8.6m. The Aussie was so staggered by the money on offer, he
even turned down Liverpool. Yet Curbishley would have us believe he had
NOTHING to do with either their salaries or transfer fees (£9m).
That it was all down to that silly Egg fellow. That the chairman, who had
never been involved with running a football club, did it all off his own
bat. Without even consulting his manager. Pull the other one, it's got Bow
Bells on. Was it also the Egg then or, perhaps, chief executive Scott
Duxbury, who was further responsible for the signing of Luis Boa Morte,
Calum Davenport and Nigel Quashie? Quashie cost £1.75m in January 2007 and
made just eight appearances between then and the end of the season - none of
them, sadly, on the winning side. He then missed the whole of the following
season with a foot problem - persistent injury having become a common
Hammers ailment - before being released last month. Davenport was so awful
at Tottenham that they farmed him out on loan to three different clubs after
signing him for £1.5m from Coventry in 2004. Indeed, he started just nine
league games for Spurs in three years. But that did not stop Curbishley
paying £3m for him. And then Boa Morte, whose transfer fee somehow rose from
the £1.7m he cost Fulham in 2001 to £5m when he arrived at Upton Park six
years later - a staggering fee for a 29-year-old. Surely, it was
Curbishley's first duty to tell the greenhorns running the club - and paying
his own huge wages - that they were being taken for a ride? That the
transfer fees and salaries were a joke and the quickest way to, er,
Armageddon.
That by making mugs of them, the players and agents concerned were making a
mug of him and, crucially, 'undermining his integrity'. As for bringing in
players relatively long in the tooth, age has never overly concerned
Curbishley. Ljungberg was 30 when he hopped aboard the Upton Park gravy
train, Neill 29 and Dyer just four months short of his 29th birthday. No
great sell-on value there.Granted, Curbishley pulled off a major coup in
signing Craig Bellamy for £7.5m. He would later join Manchester City for
£14m but that, as we know, hardly balanced the books. The Welshman also
managed just 20 starts in 18 months. During his great transfer splurge,
Curbishley brought in Scott Parker, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole as well.
Should West Ham be relegated, all three could well leave. And, Cole aside,
we have an age problem again - Parker will be 30 in the summer and Upson 31
in April. It is all reminiscent of the mess he left at Charlton (which he
conveniently forgot when he complained about the players he inherited from
Alan Pardew at Upton Park). Darren Bent aside, there were three strikers -
Shaun Bartlett, Jonatan Johansson and Francis Jeffers - all out of contract.
There was so little interest in Bartlett (34) or Johannsson (31) they had to
seek employment abroad. In midfield, he left Matt Holland (32), Bryan Hughes
(30) and Radostin Kishishev (32) and, in defence, Hermann Hreidarsson (31)
and Talal El Karkouri (30). Charlton were swiftly relegated and then went
straight through the Championship trapdoor into League One. Heaven forbid
that history should repeat itself.
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Diamanti gets angry for Zola
The Sun
Published: 11 Feb 2010
ALESSANDRO DIAMANTI has revealed how the West Ham squad turned into a bunch
of angry men to protect nice-guy manager Gianfranco Zola. The Italian scored
a stunning free-kick to put the Hammers on their way to a 2-0 win over
Birmingham last night. And he said there was "anger" running through the
side before kick-off after a string of poor results. Diamanti even
threatened to "cut off" team-mate Mido's hands as the pair fought to take
the set-piece on the stroke of half-time. Carlton Cole added a second as the
Hammers moved out of the relegation zone. And the win eased the pressure on
Zola after co-chairman David Sullivan publicly questioned whether he was too
nice to be a successful manager. Diamanti said: "We had so much will to win
this game. "We had been trying hard to win the last few games. It didn't
happen but there was so much anger in the team to win this one. "Like every
other player here, we are all behind the manager because he works very hard,
he's a top guy and he's the one who always takes responsibility. "Even when
we don't play well he's always there, encouraging us. I was very pleased to
win and, when I scored, my first thought was for the boss." Diamanti was
joined by several team-mates in making a bee-line for Zola after scoring his
goal. And he revealed he was in no mood for messing with Mido over the
set-piece, adding: "I was ready to cut off his hands if he had tried to pick
up the ball." Zola clearly appreciated Diamanti's gesture but was reluctant
to see it as anything more than a nice celebration of a great goal. He said:
"It's important the crowd sees there is a good working group here and a
sense of unity. "As he ran over he said that it was a goal for the team, me
and himself. "It is important there is a good connection between the staff,
myself and the other people who work with the players."
And midfielder Scott Parker defended Sullivan for his comments, in which he
also said the players would be asked to take 25 per cent pay cuts this
summer as the club battles debts of more than £100million. Parker said:
"Sometimes things are said to provoke a reaction. "The only thing we could
do was react on the pitch and we did that. Maybe it was what they call
reverse psychology."
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West Ham-Birmingham relations still frosty after Carson Yeung snubbed David
Sullivan invitation to Upton Park
Published 23:00 11/02/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
Relations in the West Ham boardroom on Wednesday for Birmingham's visit were
very cordial - but only because Carson Yeung wasn't there. Hong Kong tycoon
Yeung deliberately avoided attending Upton Park in midweek for City's
Premier League grudge match. Officially Yeung and Brum vice-president Peter
Pannu were unable to go due to a business commitment in Paris. But Yeung is
still pursuing ex-Brum owners David Sullivan and David Gold, now joint
chairman at West Ham, for money following his £81million takeover. In his
absence, City's small delegation to West Ham included consultant Sammy Yu
and chief executive Michael Dunford. They were warmly treated by their hosts
who did not gloat too much - apart from thanking City for the three points
after West Ham's vital 2-0 win. Birmingham boss Alex McLeish also visited
the boardroom afterwards to see his former employers - including Karren
Brady. Sullivan gave a gift of blue and white gold and diamond broach and
cufflinks, which he had made when he owned Birmingham, to be passed on to
Yeung. But Yeung is unlikely to accept the peace offering as he remains
angry at inheriting liabilities of around £11m, plus a huge bill for Brady's
settlement package. Yeung was also astonished to discover Sullivan and Gold
paid themselves a combined consultancy fee advance of £420,000 for 2010
before leaving last October. Pannu, a former Hong Kong cop and barrister,
even called in the West Midlands Police Economic Crime Team to probe the
club's books. And he has not ruled out pursuing City's owners for fraudulent
misrepresentation.
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Sullivan: West Ham owe win to my last resort shock 'tactic'
Published 23:00 11/02/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
David Sullivan claims his outspoken criticism of West Ham's highly-paid
stars was a deliberate "tactic" to kick-start their survival bid. Hammers'
new joint-chairman Sullivan, 61, infuriated boss Gianfranco Zola by slamming
his flops in the build-up to Birmingham's crunch visit. Sullivan said some
players may have to take summer pay-cuts after telling MirrorFootball his
fears over the club's massive £110million debt last Thursday . Sullivan's
remarks fired up West Ham who won 2-0 at home over Brum to climb out of the
bottom three following a dire loss at Burnley. The ex-Birmingham supremo,
who now runs Upton Park with David Gold, insists their vital win over his
old club vindicates his controversial approach. And he claims to have
successfully employed the same technique previously with Steve Bruce and
Alex McLeish at St Andrews. "We have been involved in football for 17
years," said Sullivan, who helped save Birmingham in 1993 before selling up
last October. "During that time as a last resort we have used the tactic of
criticising the team in some form which rallies them to the manager. "We
have used this tactic three or four times before and it has always worked.
"You can only use it every few years but it has always worked. "I have only
ever done it a few times and the managers hate it. "Alex hated it and Steve
Bruce hated it but it actually produces a result. "It actually gels the
manager and the team closer together. "There is method in my madness and
hopefully it will now kick-start our season."
Sullivan earned a reputation at Birmingham for his forthright views on the
team, individual players and supporters. He was fiercely critical of both
City's squads which were relegated from the Premier League in 2006 and 2008.
Sullivan, who took control at West Ham last month with Gold, blamed City's
last relegation on former manager Bruce's poor signings. He even branded
Franck Queudrue "a pile of rubbish" after paying Fulham £2million in August
2007 for the French defender and putting him on £20,000-a-week.
But Sullivan insists his remarks are always aimed at exacting a response
from under-performing players. Before City's final match of last term away
at high-flying Reading in the Championship, Sullivan predicted a financial
"Armageddon" should the club fail to go up. But McLeish's side duly produced
arguably their finest display of the season to win 2-1 and clinch automatic
promotion in second place. Now Sullivan is hoping his latest tirade has a
similar happy ending after being left exasperated by the Hammers' lame
display at Turf Moor last weekend where they lost 2-1. He added: "Having
seen the performance on Saturday at Burnley and the fact we had only won
four games in 24, unfortunately one had to resort to it. "I did say to
people before the Birmingham match if we win tonight great, if we don't, I
have cocked up. "But I can't use the same trick for three or four years
now."
Sullivan's strident views over the years have earned him a reputation as one
of the most outspoken men in football. He told MirrorFootball on February 4
that West Ham was run like a "benevolent charity" and revealed he was
stopping club mobile phones, credit cards and looking at salaries. Already
chief executive Scott Duxbury has resigned and technical director Gianluca
Nani, a close pal of Zola, is expected to leave later this month. West Ham
are also looking to pay-off injury-prone Kieron Dyer and get compensation
for Dean Ashton's retirement. While they have suspended the wages of
£20,000-a-week defender Calum Davenport, who is in court charged with
assaulting his sister. The club's problems are so severe, Hammers'
vice-chairman Karren Brady plans to appoint a new CEO to help tackle them.
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West Ham's players back Gianfranco Zola after criticism from co-owner
Squad has 'massive respect' for manager, says Scott Parker
Mido targets extended stay at Upton Park
Paul Doyle guardian.co.uk, Friday 12 February 2010
West Ham United's players have rallied around the manager, Gianfranco Zola,
and made it clear where their allegiances will lie if discord between him
and the club's new owners develops into a major split.
Zola and David Sullivan clashed this week when the Italian expressed dismay
over the co-owner's decision to announce swingeing pay cuts before
Wednesday's important Premier League game against Birmingham City at Upton
Park.
Sullivan had also cast doubt on Zola's ability to succeed as a manager,
comparing him to the former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ossie Ardiles, who was
deemed a failure, and suggesting he was "too nice" to take tough decisions.
Though Sullivan subsequently declared that he was "100%" behind Zola and
that the Italian was not in imminent danger of being dismissed, a feeling
persists that West Ham's new regime is contemplating replacing him in a bid
to ensure Premier League survival.
West Ham's players put forward a strong case for Zola on Wednesday by
producing a tenacious display to beat Birmingham 2-0 and pull a point clear
of the relegation zone. The Italian midfielder Alessandro Diamanti scored
the first goal and celebrated, pointedly, by charging to hug his compatriot
on the sidelines. Most of his team-mates did likewise.
"We are all behind the boss," Diamanti said. "He works very hard and is a
top guy and is always the one who takes responsibility when we don't play
well. He is always there for us, always encouraging us and always on our
side. We don't forget this, so I was extremely pleased to win and when I
scored, my first thought was for the boss."
Scott Parker echoed that sentiment. "Everyone has massive respect for the
manager and that was clear to see," said the midfielder. "We're all pushing
in the same direction. We just want him to do well. He's a good man."
Even the newly-arrived Egypt striker Mido insisted there was a powerful bond
between players and manager. "We are fully behind the manager," he said. "I
can see how everyone loves him around the place. He's a great character and
the players wanted to fight for him."
Parker said that Zola had spoken to his squad about Sullivan's comments
before the Birmingham game. "He let us know his feelings," Parker said.
"[Sullivan] knows the situation and if he feels it's best to say what he's
saying, that's it. Sometimes people say things to get a reaction, you could
look at it as reverse psychology. But I don't know if it was that."
He also warned that West Ham must continue to improve if they are to remain
clear of the relegation zone, and admitted that, irrespective of the
manager, sometimes the players are too nice. "You know what you get from us:
we're a good passing side, we're pretty," he said . "But we've got to do the
dirty stuff, the ugly stuff to build a platform."
On Wednesday West Ham's players were motivated to do that ugly stuff and
that included Mido, whose work ethic was often questioned during previous
spells at Tottenham, Wigan and Middlesbrough. The 26-year-old said that such
questioning was unfair, and that he is determined to succeed at West Ham
beyond his current three-month loan deal.
"I've never had a problem with my attitude. I have moved around a lot of
clubs, that's why this reputation came to me. But everywhere I've been I've
worked hard in every training session, every game," he said. "Look at Robbie
Keane, he's had so many clubs. Some players accept not playing and still
getting paid. I'm not one of them. Hopefully this will be my last club. The
last week I've been here I've been happy and hopefully at the end of the
three months I will be here longer."
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