WHUFC.com
Schoolboys Robert Hall and Dominic Vose were both on target in the
Under-18s' 3-0 win over Crystal Palace
07.03.2010
Tony Carr is looking forward to a bright future after schoolboys Robert Hall
and Dominic Vose fired West Ham United to a 3-0 FA Premier Academy League
victory over Crystal Palace. England Under-17 striker Hall fired the Hammers
into the lead shortly after half-time before winger Vose added two late
individual goals at Little Heath. With two more schoolboys - England U16
midfielder Blair Turgott and striker Dylan Tombides - also in the starting
lineup, Carr believes things are shaping up well within the club's Academy.
Following Saturday's win over Palace, West Ham are up to fifth in the Group
A table, six points behind second-placed Chelsea. "It was a tough game. In
the first half, we had to thank Peter Loveday for making some good saves.
Our defending was desperate at times, but we hung in there. "With four
schoolboys in the side, it was always going to be a tough call physically,
but we adjusted one or two things in the midfield that weren't quite right
and we started on the front foot in the second half and, as much as we might
have been grateful for being goalless at half-time, we started to dominate
the game. "We got the first goal through Robert Hall. It was a typical
Robert goal and he took it with aplomb. Dominic then popped up with two
goals in the last 15 minutes. "For Robert's goal, he picked up the ball on
the edge of the box, created a bit of space and drove the ball low to the
keeper's left. "Dominic's first goal came from a good move in the midfield.
We had a two against one situation and Dominic was slipped in and he went
round the keeper and drove it in off a defender. Our third goal, he cut in
from the left and drove it high into the net from the corner of the six-yard
box. "Dominic scored two very good individual goals, but it was a good
all-round team performance against Crystal Palace, who are second in the
league. They have got one of the best defensive records, but we've scored
three goals and kept a clean sheet ourselves. "I'm more than pleased and it
bodes very well for the future, because we had a very young team who will
get better and better. The future is rosy and I think we can look forward to
seeing these players develop over the next couple of years."
West Ham host Reading at Little Heath this Saturday, with kick-off at 11am.
Admission and parking are both free.
West Ham United: Loveday, Driver, Lampe, McNaughton, Brown, Wearen (Moncur),
Vose, Turgott, Abdulla (Purdy), Tombides (Subuola), Hall
Unused subs: Mehmet, Craig
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Dyer determined to prove worth
Injury-plagued midfielder keen to get career back on track
Last updated: 7th March 2010
SSN
West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer is determined to prove his worth after
criticism of his injury-plagued career at Upton Park. The former England
midfielder has been restricted to just seven starts in two-and-a-half years
with the Hammers, having suffered a broken leg shortly after his £6million
move from Newcastle and constant hamstring problems.
Such a record has led the 31-year-old to be among those singled out by the
club's finance director Nick Igoe as an example of the 'ill-judged'
investments which landed the Hammers in financial trouble. And West Ham
co-chairman David Sullivan also suggested last month that Dyer should
consider retiring as part of a series of cost-cutting measures being
undertaken at Upton Park under the new regime. But Dyer, who came on as a
substitute in the 2-1 home defeat to Bolton on Saturday, says he is
determined to prove his worth. He said: "If you buy a football club and you
are the owners, you say what you want. They are entitled to their opinions.
"Everyone has forgotten that I probably had a worse leg break than Aaron
Ramsey and have had four operations to try to get it right. "I have put in
everything I can to get fit for this club but it is not enough for some
people.
"All I can do is get my head down. I have the backing of the manager and
hopefully I can get there."
Dyer appeared to also have the backing of West Ham's fans too, judging by
their reaction when he came on against the Trotters. "That is good to hear,"
he said. "Hopefully I can change some other people's minds."
Dyer believed Bolton were good value for their win - their sixth successive
victory against the Hammers. He added: "We were poor today and deserved to
lose. Even though I came on for 45 minutes it was a very disappointing day.
"We usually start like a house on fire, get out of the traps and get in
people's faces. "All credit to Bolton, we expected them to sit off and let
us have possession of the ball and hit us on the break but they came
straight for us. "They were excellent today."
West Ham now face back-to-back away trips to Chelsea and Arsenal but Dyer
believes the Hammers' Premier League survival will depend on how they
perform in other games.
He said: "I still don't think that the next two games have a bearing on
whether we stay in the league or not. "I still believe that it is our home
games and possibly Fulham away. If we do well there we will stay in this
league."
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Vinny's Bolton Report
Vinny - Sun Mar 7 2010
West Ham Online
West Ham United 1 Bolton Wanderers 2
Bolton recorded their third victory over West Ham since August as two first
half goals were enough to deal a crippling blow to West Ham and their
chances of survival.
Much has been spoken about the home games which pose a much easier task than
those away from Upton Park. So far it had been going well with the wins over
Birmingham and Hull but this is a massive set back and once again drains
confidence from the players and supporters.
For me this was simply a case of the other team wanting it more. Bolton may
have a new manager but their style was much the same and the excellent Kevin
Davies taught James Tomkins a lesson all day long. Bolton deserved their
victory and we didn't do enough throughout the ninety minutes to warrant
even a point.
It was disappointing to see the fans turn so quickly on the players and
manager considering how positive they had been after the last two homes
games. The booing, the cunting off of particular players (Cole in
particular) just made a horrible afternoon even worse.
Zola will be blamed although there was little I saw wrong with his team
selection which was the same that started against Hull in our last home
game.
There was just one change made from the side who were beaten by Manchester
United and that was Scott Parker coming in for Mark Noble. Parker had been
'rested' as he was one yellow card away from a two match ban. Mark Noble was
not on the bench as he was out injured with an arm injury picked up in that
game.
Jack Collison was also out injured so his place on the bench was taken by
Junior Stanislas.
In our last home game we had come flying out of the blocks and bombarded the
opposition with high tempo attacking football. This could not have been more
different as we played into Bolton's hands as they attempted to play a slow
long ball game and break up the play with tough challenges in order to
frustrate us. Rarely have a I seen a game plan work so well and rarely have
I seen the other side play so foolishly into their hands.
From the off it seemed as though Kevin Davies was going to be a problem. He
is very good at what he does and up against young defender James Tomkins it
was an obvious mis match.
With ten minutes on the clock this issue became all the more evident at
Bolton took the lead. It was such a simple goal and one that was down to
some poor defending mixed with a player who is deadly in the air.
The ball came out to Chung-Yong Lee on the right hand side who put a cross
into the area where Tomkins misjudged the flight of the ball, Faubert did
not stay with his man and Davies put his header firmly past Green to put the
visitors a goal up.
Whilst it was a bad defensive mistake it should have never got to that point
as Diamanti had bottled out of a tackle in the centre of midfield which led
to Bolton gaining possession. This is the issue you have when playing
Diamanti in midfield as if possession is lost it is a much more danger than
if he had done this further up the pitch alongside Carlton Cole.
We needed to react but the football never seemed to get going. Parker was of
course the one who looked likely to drive us forward. Our first chance of
the game came from a free kick just outside the area in which Diamanti
curled the ball over the wall but also over the bar.
Bolton should have increased their lead with Elmander having a couple of
very good chances as we looked in disarray at the back. The frustration was
starting to be vented by many of the fans and things got worse just before
the half hour mark as some quite abysmal defending saw Bolton (just like
last season) take a two goal lead.
A long ball was played towards our area with Tomkins and Davies racing for
the ball. Tomkins was way in front but instead of clearing the ball he
attempted to let the ball run out for a goal kick. Davies was not going to
give this us and got a boot to the ball to cross it into the area and this
found Cohen who head the ball down for the unmarked Jack Wilshire who
finished from a just a few yards out.
It was real car crash defending and given how we had failed to make anything
happen at the other end you just could not see at the point how we were
going to get back into the game.
The other concern was how many Bolton could actually get because that
defensive was the worse we have seen it in quite some time. Upson should
have been put on Davies from the moment it was clear that Tomkins was
struggling. Upson as captain should have taken responsibility and I'm pretty
fucked off that nothing was done about this because Davies was having a
field day.
Diamanti had another free kick after Parker was fouled and this time it made
the target but was saved by Jaaskelainen.
Our best chance by a mile came soon after when Cole was played through on
goal but instead of taking his shot Cole seemed to have this impression he
could just run through the goal keeper and failed to take his shot which saw
defender Sam Ricketts get a foot in and Jaaskelainen smother the ball.
Lee should have made it three for Bolton after some horrible defending from
Upson whose terrible header played it into the path of the South Korean but
his shot went well wide. He is a player who has really impressed me in the
games I have seen him play against us this season. He was by far the best
player when we played them at the Reebok in December and it is nice to see
wingers flourish given that I never see any at West Ham any more.
The usual boo's rang out as the ref blew the half time whistle but there was
a deafening hush around the ground as we saw the return of the sensational
Hammerettes. Oh yes, they were back and on top of their game. Any thoughts
of poor defending were gone and not even Kevin Davies could spoil their
return.
But sadly the players returned and this had seen Zola make no changes to the
side who were quite clearly getting beat up by a Bolton side who wanted it
more and were getting what they deserved.
Just two minutes of the second period had elapsed when Julien Faubert was
forced off with injury and he was replaced by Dyer who was met with a mixed
response from the crowd. I presume this is because Dyer deliberately get
injured?
But Dyer should have made an instant impact when a cross into the area saw
Cole flick the ball towards Dyer who somehow saw his shot go over from just
a few yards out. It was a great chance to get us back into the game.
Bolton were happy to sit back and attempt to hit us on the break and there
were a couple of times where Elmander may have thought he should have done
better with half chances which fell his way.
The visitors found themselves down to ten men with around twenty minutes to
go as Cohen saw red for as he picked up his second yellow.
Franco should have scored soon after when he was set up by Parker but the
Mexican blazed his shot over the bar and the board was put up a moment later
with his number as he was being replaced by Mido. The ironic cheers met by
this decision were a bit unfair to Franco who although had being having a
poor games was no worse than anyone else.
Zola made another change soon after replacing Kovac with Stanislas as we
looked to go for broke and find some way back into the game.
Half chances followed with Stanislas shooting just over the bar from a free
kick and Diamanti (who by this time had moved to the right hand side) seeing
his cross met by a tame header from Dyer.
It was announced that Alessandro Diamanti had been given the man of the
match award which puzzled many including myself given that he had been poor
on and off the ball. A couple of decent free kicks did not seem to merit
being announced as our best player.
There was never a constant wave of pressure from ourselves and despite
having the extra man Bolton were solid and stuck to their game plan. Bolton
manager Owen Coyle had won the tactical battle with Zola who seemed void of
any idea to get the players going once again.
With just a couple of minutes left a headed Bolton clearance went as far
Diamanti who cut inside and hit an excellent left footed strike past
Jaaskelainen to make it 1-2. As I was saying, Diamanti was obviously our
best player.
As we looked to attack Bolton hit us on the counter and a cross to the back
post was met by Davies who saw his shot crash off the crossbar.
As the fourth official held up five minutes injury time the fans were
willing the team on to get what at this point would have been a very
unlikely point. When a situation arises like this in football the team
looking for that goal always seems to get that one chance and that did
happen on this occasion.
The ball played into the area was cleared as far as Stanislas who saw his
half volley beat Jaaskelainen but smack off the bar and was eventually
cleared to the dismay of the rapidly emptying Upton Park.
A poor performance and a soul destroying result.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
Nothing at all he could have done with the two goals as they were both close
range finished after some shocking defending.
Julien Faubert
Tried to get forward in the first half to support Behrami and I had thought
this might be a chance for us to get some crosses into Franco and Cole but
Bolton seemed to be able to snuff out this threat and Faubert was seen less
and less. Can also be put at fault for their opening goal as he let Davies
get in front of him far too easily.
Matthew Upson
An awful performance from the Captain. Any leadership quality he is meant to
have was certainly not on show and why he wasn't the one marking Kevin
Davies is something I obviously need explained to me.
James Tomkins
Had a part to play in both Bolton goals. Was poor throughout the game, was
bullied by Davies and this was probably his worst performance of the season.
Jonathan Spector
Struggled although some of the passes that were made to him were always
going to play him in trouble. His issue with having to get it on his right
foot was quite clearly something Bolton were aware of and every time he got
the ball he was closed down very quickly.
Valon Behrami
A decent display although drifted in and out of the game in the second half
. He worked hard and always battled for possession. Not too many complaints
for Berhami.
Radoslav Kovac
Gave the ball away far too many times and should have been taken off long
before he was. Kovac often battled, won the ball but then proceeded to give
away the ball.
Scott Parker
Did not have as much impact as in recent weeks but for me he was out best
player yet again. His ability to retain the ball despite being closed down
by three players was excellent and he rarely played a poor pass.
Alessandro Diamanti
A couple of free kicks in the first half can't disguise that he was pretty
poor. When he gets the ball you do have the expectation that he will do
something clever with the ball but far too often this expectation is not
met. He scored a good goal but in a midfield position he doesn't do enough
for me. His role since he joined the club should have been the second
striker.
Guillermo Franco
Never in the game enough, wasteful in possession and never looked like
scoring at any point. Would not be surprised if we played Mido or Ilan
against Chelsea.
Carlton Cole
This was the worst performance I have seen from Carlton Cole in a long time.
He was shocking at times and Zat Knight found it very easy to get the better
of him. He should have scored in the first half and I am just hoping this is
a minor blip because we can't have Cole playing badly.
Subs Used
Kieron Dyer (on for Faubert 47 mins)
Looked lively although anytime he makes of these sub appearances he usually
does. The what happens is that he starts a game and gets injured. So despite
a few decent runs and pieces of play I have no expectations for Dyer.
Mido (on for Franco 67 mins)
On for over twenty minutes and I don't recall him doing anything of note
Junior Stanislas (on for Kovac 75 mins)
On for the last fifteen minutes and certainly made an impact. Hit the bar
which nearly got us the unlikely equaliser. A decent cameo from a player who
seems to have fallen so far down the pecking order when Collison and Noble
are back he won't even make the bench.
Subs Not Used: Stech, Ilan, Da Costa, Daprela
Bookings: Kovac, Diamanti
Man Of The Match: Scott Parker
Attendance: 33,824
Overall
After two excellent home victories this is certainly a set back but one we
must not get hung up on and we must look to the next game and ensure we get
something out of the game. We need out better players to really stand up and
be counted because too many of them put in poor performances and whilst you
can usually accommodate one player off his game to have players such as
Upson, Tomkins, Franco and Cole all playing so badly things are always going
to be a struggle.
Bolton came with a game plan, stuck to it and deserved their win. In fact I
would say with some of the chances they had in the latter stages of the
first half they should have been well out of sight and the only
disappointing thing from their point of view can only be that we were so
close to equalising at the end.
Next Game - Chelsea (a)
I am not buying this opinion that this game is a write off. I am not paying
over £40 to watch us go and lose. I want us to compete and we did just that
last season so why can't we do it again?
What I would do is change the team slightly and bring in Dyer on the wing
with Diamanti pushed forward just behind Carlton Cole. We still have enough
going forward but also enough in midfield to compete with one of the best
teams in the country.
Our issue away at Old Trafford was that every time the strikers got the ball
it would not stick as they had no support from the midfield. Diamanti would
cause more damage in a central area and his inability to defend means a
midfield slot for him is detrimental to the team.
I still think we will stay up as I am confident we will win three more homes
games which I believe will be just about enough anyway. But Bolton showed us
that there is a lot more work to do and relegation is still a big threat.
Zola's View
"I'm disappointed," .
"I wasn't expecting that. Nobody was. The way we started the game determined
the result.
"They were better than us and took advantage of their opportunities. In the
second half it was difficult, we tried until the end but it's our fault and
I have no complaints."
"When [Johan] Elmander and Davies are playing like that it's not easy,"
"They are difficult to handle. James has potential. He needs to work on his
game. We had opportunities to come back after the goal but by then it was
too late. We lost points today and I told the players we have to go and get
them back somewhere else."
"I must say that after every international game you never know what you are
going to get. It can be good it can be good. It is difficult to assess the
squad in one day's training. It is disappointing because it came before a
very important game."
"I don't care if we're playing Chelsea or Arsenal. Last year we got a point
in both games, so you never know. I'm not going to go there already beaten,
that's for sure," "In football you never know and I am not going to give up.
"I know we lost a game but there is a lot to play for and we have learned a
lot from this game. I want more focus, I want more from the beginning to set
the tone. We have to do that. We have to keep our chin up, being down won't
help the situation."
This report is dedicated to Mr Sensible - My inspiration through difficult
times.
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Gianfranco Zola has Kieron Dyer situation to contend with
West Ham United 1 Bolton Wanderers 2
Gary Jacob
So many cracks have opened at Upton Park that Gianfranco Zola must feel that
he is trying to keep a leaking ship afloat with both hands tied behind his
back. As well as his club's poor form, the West Ham manager has endured
criticism from David Gold and David Sullivan, the club's co-owners, who are
also looking to cut costs by postponing contract talks with several key
players. Gold also condemned one player "who hardly plays at all [and] who
might have to accept retirement", the gibe believed to be aimed at Kieron
Dyer. The midfield player, ravaged by injury since joining from Newcastle
United 2½ years ago, has made only seven starts for the club. "The [joint]
owners are entitled to their opinions but I don't agree with them," Dyer
said. "I have put everything I can into getting fit for this club. But it is
not enough for some people. I probably had a worse leg break than Aaron
Ramsey. Hopefully I can change some people's minds."
At least Dyer's second-half introduction helped to lift spirits at Upton
Park, where an already quiet crowd was silenced when James Tomkins, the West
Ham defender, bungled for both early Bolton Wanderers goals. He missed a
header, as Kevin Davies rose to nod in his eighth goal against West Ham,
then was dispossessed by Davies, who crossed for Jack Wilshere to prod in.
Alessandro Diamanti's curled effort was merely a consolation.
Previously direct and difficult to watch, Bolton are rapidly adopting Owen
Coyle's style, passing through midfield and using the width of the pitch.
Lee Chung Yong bristled with speed and danger, while Davies continues to
impress. "All I would say is he might give Fabio Capello [the England
manager] food for thought, if he wants to go with that type," Coyle, the
Bolton manager, said.
Consecutive victories have lifted Bolton from the relegation zone, while
Zola has set a target of ten more points to survive. That is not a formality
given that they play four Champions League contenders in the run-in,
including Zola's beloved Chelsea on Saturday. "I am not going to Chelsea
already beaten because I know football can have surprises," Zola said.
West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 5 — J Faubert 5 (sub: K Dyer, 47min 6), J
Tomkins 3, M Upson 5, J Spector 5 — V Behrami 6, R Kovac 5 (sub: J
Stanislas, 76), S Parker 6, A Diamanti 6 — C Cole 6, G Franco 5 (sub: Mido,
67 5). Substitutes not used:M Stech, Ilan, M Da Costa, F Daprela. Booked:
Kovac, Diamanti. Next: Chelsea (a).
Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): J Jaaskelainen 6 — G Steinsson 5, Z Knight 5, S
Ricketts 6, P Robinson 5 — Lee Chung Yong 7,F Muamba 6, T Cohen 5, J
Wilshere 7 (sub: M Taylor, 78) — K Davies 8, J Elmander 6 (sub: R Gardner,
74). Substitutes not used: A Al Habsi, M Riga, I Klasnic, A O'Brien, V
Weiss. Booked: Robinson, Muamba, Wilshere, Jaaskelainen. Sent off: Cohen.
Next: Sunderland (a).
Referee: L Probert. Attendance: 33,824
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Gianfranco Zola on the brink at West Ham?
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPN
March 7, 2010
Gianfranco Zola's future is on the line at West Ham following the shock home
defeat to Bolton and the return of a genuine threat of relegation. If Zola
does go in the summer, there would be a massive overhaul of the playing
staff should a new manager move in, with Mark Hughes and Slaven Bilic the
favourites to succeed him. And it is not just Zola's future that is on the
line; it could be that half of the current squad might follow him out of the
Upton Park door.
There are already murmurings within Upton Park that Zola is under enormous
pressure and that he is feeling the strain of the club's demanding new
owners David Gold and David Sullivan and the indication are that few would
be surprised to see Zola simply walk away at the end of the season.
Zola is wealthy in his own right after an illustrious career in Italy and
England, as a legend with Chelsea and Napoli, where he played with Diego
Maradona, though he has steadfastly insisted that he has a mission to
complete at the club and wishes to see it through.
But much depends on the next few games, and whether West Ham can escape
relegation or indeed, avoid spending the rest of the season looking over
their shoulder in fear of the drop.
While there is uncertainty about Zola's future, the players, some of them
Zola's choices, will discover that several will follow the manager out of
the door, if the Italian does leave in the summer. The arrival of Hughes or
Croatian coach and Hammers icon Bilic would mean the break up of the current
team, meaning many Hammers players may now be playing for their futures.
Zola has made no secret of his unease at the way Gold and Sullivan have
taken over the club with a demanding attitude. In the past Zola has had a
free rein while the banks have been trying to sort out the financial mess
but he is now answerable to Karren Brady, the troubleshooter brought in by
Gold and Sullivan due to her vast experience at Birmingham City. With the
team's form dipping ahead of the match with Birmingham recently, Sullivan
commented that the players at Upton Park are vastly over paid - and so too
is the manager.
Zola hit back in a public manner criticising Sullivan for making openly
provocative remarks on the eve of such a big game, but it worked, and seemed
to motivate the players, who wanted to win for their manager and pulled off
the desired result.
Those players will need to remind themselves of what is at stake, and what
the future may hold, if they let down their manager again, as they di
against Bolton on Saturday.
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West Ham's Kieron Dyer: I Am Not A Waste Of Money
Hammer reacts angrily to claims he should retire...
By Zack Wilson
Mar 7, 2010 2:42:00 PM
Goal.com
West Ham United midfielder Kieron Dyer has reacted angrily to comments from
members of the club's board hinting that he should consider retirement after
spending most of his expensive time at the club injured. Dyer has managed
only seven starts in two and a half years after a £6 million move from
Newcastle United. The Hammers' annual accounts, published last week,
revealed that the signings of Dyer and Freddie Ljungberg in 2007 had cost
the east London club around £1m a match. Joint-chairman David Gold has also
stated that a player earning £60-£70,000 a week "who hardly plays at all who
might have to accept retirement", in a comment widely interpreted as being
aimed at Dyer. But the former England international insists that he is
determined to prove the club's hierarchy wrong. "If you buy a football club
and you are the owners, you say what you want. They are entitled to their
opinions," said Dyer, according to Press Association Sport. "Everyone has
forgotten that I probably had a worse leg break than Aaron Ramsay and have
had four operations to try to get it right. "I have put in everything I can
to get fit for this club but it is not enough for some people. "All I can do
is get my head down. I have the backing of the manager and hopefully I can
get there."
The former Ipswich Town star also took some inspiration from the fact that
Irons fans chanted his name when he came on during his side's Saturday
defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
"That is good to hear," he added. "Hopefully I can change some other
people's minds."
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West Ham's injury-plagued midfielder Kieron Dyer hits back at 'waste of
money' jibes by saying: 'I had it worse than Aaron Ramsey'
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 3:40 PM on 07th March 2010
Daily Mail
Kieron Dyer has reacted angrily to suggestions that he has been a colossal
waste of money and should consider retirement. The injury-plagued
midfielder sought to defend his reputation after being singled out as an
example of the 'ill-judged' investments which landed the club in grave
financial trouble. Dyer has been restricted to just seven starts for West
Ham in two-and-a-half years, having suffered a broken leg shortly after his
£6million move from Newcastle and constant hamstring problems. West Ham's
annual accounts, published last week, stated the signings of Dyer and
Freddie Ljungberg in the summer of 2007 had cost the club more than
£1million a match. Last month, joint-chairman David Gold was quoted as
saying West Ham have a player earning £60-70,000 a week 'who hardly plays at
all who might have to accept retirement' - comments widely interpreted as
being aimed at Dyer. But the 31-year-old former England international
today hit back at his critics. Dyer said: 'If you buy a football club and
you are the owners, you say what you want. They are entitled to their
opinions. 'Everyone has forgotten that I probably had a worse leg break
than Aaron Ramsay and have had four operations to try to get it right. 'I
have put in everything I can to get fit for this club but it is not enough
for some people. 'All I can do is get my head down. I have the backing of
the manager and hopefully I can get there.'
Dyer seemed to have the backing of West Ham's fans too, judging by their
reaction when he came on in yesterday's defeat to Bolton. 'That is good to
hear,' he said. 'Hopefully I can change some other people's minds.' Gold and
joint-chairman David Sullivan were shocked to discover the scale of the
financial mismanagement which existed at West Ham under the previous regime.
The club took the unusual step of publishing their accounts last week and in
them were detailed examples of where the money had gone. Nigel Quashie and
Calum Davenport cost the club a total of £12million after joining in January
2007. Dyer and Ljungberg, whom the club bought out of his contract in the
summer, set West Ham back a total of £34million. In the financial review of
the club's accounts, finance director Nick Igoe wrote: 'It has to be
concluded that many of the group's investment decisions in the last two to
three seasons have been ill-judged. 'Two players who signed in the summer
2007 transfer window, one of whom has since left the club, have started a
combined total of 32 games and will have cost the group £34 million over the
term of their contracts. 'No football club can sustain this level of
expenditure on underperforming members of its squad.' Dyer made a swift
impact after coming off the bench as West Ham chased the game yesterday but
Bolton took all the points they deserved. Dyer continued: 'We were poor
today and deserved to lose. Even though I came on for 45 minutes it was a
very disappointing day. We usually start like a house on fire, get out of
the traps and get in people's faces. 'All credit to Bolton, we expected
them to sit off and let us have posession of ther ball and hit us on the
break but they came straight for us. They were excellent today.' West Ham
now face back-to-back away trips to Chelsea and Arsenal but Dyer has not
given up on manager Gianfranco Zola masterminding a late turnaround. He
said: 'I still don't think that the next two games have a beraing on wether
we stay in the league or not. 'I still believe that is is our home games
and possibly Fulham away. If we do well there we will stay in this league.'
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