WHUFC.com
The proud club captain is battling to be involved in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
with England
23.05.2010
Matthew Upson was flying back to England on Sunday after the first week of
an FA training camp where he staked his claim for a place in Fabio Capello's
final 23-man squad.
Speaking before he departed for international duty, the West Ham United
captain admitted he would be "bitterly disappointed" to miss out on the
selection for South Africa - with seven due to be cut from the provisional
30-player party. Upson will hope to impress against Mexico in Monday night's
friendly at Wembley before the squad head back to Austria. "We are looking
to the World Cup and my biggest focus is that right now.," said the club
captain. "That is the only thing I am thinking about. Hopefully I will go
and get on the plane and experience the World Cup. It could be great."
Upson is well aware he faces a battle to earn a spot alongside certainties
Rio Ferdinand and John Terry, with Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Jamie
Carragher his chief rivals. Media pundits are having a field day with who
might make the cut, with King especially having been impressive in recent
weeks. Having finished the season in strong form himself with a good display
against Manchester City in front of Fabio Capello's right-hand man Franco
Baldini, Upson remains upbeat. "I would be bitterly disappointed if I wasn't
on the plane. It is standard practice coming into a World Cup that the press
are going to put their point forward and bang the drum for who they think
should be going. That is their right. "The manager knows who he wants to
take. You have to take current form into it and look over the big picture of
the last 18 months and the players he knows. Hopefully I have done enough to
show him I am capable of stepping up to that level. "It has been difficult
this season but you can still perform no matter what. It has been tough
mentally, physically and in every way but hopefully I will be involved in
the squad."
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Strike legends return
WHUFC.com
West Ham United greats Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee were back on familiar
turf this week
22.05.2010
Legendary West Ham United strike duo Frank McAvennie and Tony Cottee were
reunited at a special football tournament at the Boleyn Ground this week.
The pair were back in the East End for McAvennie's annual tournament, which
sees teams of ordinary fans take to the pitch at the world-famous home of
the Hammers. Unfortunately, they were unable to resurrect the partnership
that fired West Ham to third in the Division One table in 1985/86 as
McAvennie is recovering from surgery stemming from the broken leg he
suffered at Stoke City in August 1989. The Scot, who scored 60 goals in 190
appearances in claret and blue, told WHUTV he is itching to get back to
playing again as soon as possible. "The tournament started six years ago and
it's great. It's gone from one day and we're doing three now. It's normal
guys on the street paying to come and play on the famous turf at Upton Park.
It's superb and it's good fun. "I don't get open mouths when people meet me
any more, but we see a few open mouths when they try and run up and down the
pitch! "I normally play, but I'm injured at the moment so I can't. I've had
a couple of operations and it's going to be a couple of months before I'm
back playing. I did it jumping out of too many bedroom windows - no, I'm
only kidding! It stems back from an injury I got in 1990 through football.
It's all from there and it's got worse. I've had to get it sorted and it's a
long, drawn out process, but we're getting there."
Both McAvennie and old pal Cottee, who team-up regular for speaking
engagements, were pleased to be back in familiar surroundings. "It's good to
walk through the doors and hopefully everything is getting back to winning
ways at West Ham after a pretty poor season," said McAvennie. "You see the
same friendly faces and they are great people who always look after you."
"We feel like we're coming home whether we've been at the club or not been
at the club, or whether we haven't been here for years," Cottee agreed.
"It's like coming home."
While they have both retained their youthful looks, a closer look at
McAvennie and Cottee's slightly less athletic physiques illustrates that the
upcoming 2010/11 season will mark the 25th anniversary of West Ham's
highest-ever league finish. "It's flown by," said McAvennie, who is now a
sprightly 50. "It's been great. We get together every year with all the boys
and some of them are different shapes and sizes - especially Galey who has a
good shape, which is round! It's good to see all the boys again and we keep
in touch all the time anyway." "I can't believe it is 25 years coming up,"
said Cottee, who turns 45 in July. "It's frightening how quick the time goes
and all the memories. We try to get together every year and have our
football tournament and dinners. Me and Frank work together anyway, but it's
just unbelievable that it's 25 years ago that we so nearly won the league.
"We'll get our heads together [and try to organise something]. We've done a
lot of 'Boys of 86' stuff, which has been great because quite a lot of the
players in our squad didn't earn the big money, so it's great at the end of
the day to hand the boys a bit of pocket money. It would be nice to have a
25th anniversary dinner of some sort."
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Hall helps England again
WHUFC.com
Robert Hall is relishing being a part of a successful Young Lions side at
the UEFA U17 Euro
21.05.2010
West Ham United youngster Robert Hall is itching to do his bit for his
country at the UEFA European Under-17 Championship. The 16-year-old forward
got another 30 minutes under his belt as England won 1-0 against Greece on
Friday night to follow a superb performance off the bench in Tuesday's 3-1
victory over the Czech Republic in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The three points
meant the Young Lions are definitely through to the semi-finals next
Thursday, regardless of their final group fixture against Turkey on Monday.
Hall, who has agreed a two-year scholarship with the Hammers, was unable to
make quite the impact of his first outing at the finals but will still have
been pleased with his contribution. On Tuesday, he had played a vital part
in England's all-important second goal for Chelsea's Josh McEachran just
nine minutes after replacing Manchester United defender William Keane.
Having made a bright start to the tournament, the West Ham teenager and his
team-mates are in confident mood. "I started off a bit nervous," Hall told
theFA.com. "When you've got such good players in the team, they'll keep
talking to you and everyone helps each other out, so it makes it a lot
easier to get into the game. We've got a very good team and it's just great
to be a part of it. "We're taking it one day at a time. We know that we have
to win every game if we want to win the tournament and that's what we are
striving to do. Our mentality will be to just go out there and do a job. We
won't focus on other results, we'll concentrate on ourselves and the future
will take care of itself."
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Benni battling for finals
WHUFC.com
An intensive training schedule is being followed by Benni McCarthy with
three weeks to the World Cup
21.05.2010
Benni McCarthy has been speaking of his determination to make the final
23-man squad for South Africa at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With exactly three
weeks to go until the host nation take on Mexico to get the finals under
way, the West Ham United striker is working hard to prove his fitness.
Having joined the Hammers at the end of January, subsequent injury problems
meant McCarthy struggled to remain in peak condition. However, he is ready
and willing to make the World Cup cut, with coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
set to whittle his squad down from a provisional selection at the end of the
month. McCarthy, a talisman for his country with 32 goals in 78 appearances,
was keen to play down the hype around his fitness and form. "I'm just an
individual that's part of a group and I'm no-one without a team," McCarthy
said. "I'm just one man who can bring something to the team and be part of
the success we are trying to achieve," he added. "If I'm part of the squad,
brilliant. And if I'm not part of the the group that gets selected, those
are the players that are going to represent the country. And I'm a South
African, so that makes me part of the country as well and they'll represent
me too. And hopefully they would make me proud as much as they would make
each and every one in this room proud."
The striker, who is unlikely to figure in Monday's friendly against
Bulgaria, said he had no problem with debate about whether he will be ready
or not. "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion. I just keep on working
hard and if the people that monitor these issues are happy and see progress,
those are the ones I report to. Outside that it's just everyone's opinion,"
the striker said. "When I came here it was a bit tough to acclimatise,
especially after coming back from injury. I've been here for a week and the
training I've done has been exceptionally hard and you start to feel a
difference. Now I go on the pitch and I'm starting to feel that I'm catching
up very quickly with everybody else. "Hopefully by May 31 my levels will be
higher and my confidence will come back, and hopefully I can give the same
performance."
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Behrami back in action
WHUFC.com
Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami looks to be fit and flying for his
second FIFA World Cup experience
21.05.2010
Valon Behrami has been back in training with Switzerland this week after
recovering from an injury that meant he missed out on the last match of the
season. The midfielder was one of a number of players to return to action in
the picturesque mountain town of Bienne, where the Swiss are in the first
phase of their FIFA World Cup preparations. A knee knock had meant Behrami
was absent for the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on 9 May. A special
training camp will start next Tuesday that will focus the Swiss squad on
their friendlies against Costa Rica and Italy on 1 and 5 June respectively.
Behrami is eager to go to the finals, having had a taste of the 2006
edition, and would love his team to improve on their second-round showing of
four years ago. "A good World Cup would be to go further than we did in
Germany in 2006," he said. "Four years ago, we finished top of our group
ahead of France and South Korea, but we lost in the second round. "If we
could get to the quarter-finals, it would be a great result for us. The fans
were happy four years ago, so if we get through the group again, they will
be happy again, because we are a small country. To get through the group is
a big thing. "We have a good team and it will be important for our country.
We can finish in the top two in our group, but we must give 100 per cent,
like every other team in the World Cup. We must think like this, then we
have a chance but it will be difficult."
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Delight for Da Costa
WHUFC.com
Manuel da Costa has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for May by
supporters
20.05.2010
Manuel da Costa has crowned an impressive few weeks by being voted as SBOBET
Player of the Month for May. The Portuguese centre-back, who polled 78 per
cent of the vote, closed the 2009/10 campaign in good form, starting the
final seven Barclays Premier League fixtures and scoring a vital goal in the
2-2 draw at Everton. In the two matches played in May, Da Costa performed
well, coming close to scoring again with a 35-yard strike at Fulham and
working hard to keep Manchester City's star-studded attack at bay on the
final day of the season. The defender said his encouraging displays had been
down to settling into life at West Ham United and in London following his
move from Italian club ACF Fiorentina last summer. Now happy both at work
and at home, the 24-year-old is planning to continue his improvement when he
returns for pre-season training in early July. "I was down when I arrived,
but now I have been training and I was told that if I did well I would
play," he said. "I was on the same level as everybody - I like this, because
it is true life. The best players play. "Now I am very good. I feel an
association with this club. This year is my first year and I played my first
five games and was a bit off-form. I have come back and I feel part of this
team. I have been working hard and have been given my chance. Now I want to
take it."
Da Costa's victory in the fans' online vote brought to an end the reign of
Hammer of the Year Scott Parker, who scooped the award in March and April.
The 29-year-old also won in November and December. Julien Faubert, Zavon
Hines, Carlton Cole, James Tomkins and Alessandro Diamanti were the 2009/10
season's other monthly winners.
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Fry feeling good
WHUFC.com
Academy graduate Matt Fry is ready to push on after enjoying a productive
2009/10 season
20.05.2010
Matt Fry has reflected on a positive season and is looking forward to a
bright future. The West Ham United defender, who spent the season on loan at
League One clubs Gillingam and Charlton Athletic, has agreed a new contract
with the club he has represented since he was eleven. Now 19, the
centre-back is aiming to follow in the footsteps of fellow Academy graduates
James Tomkins and Jordan Spence by forcing his way into the Hammers
first-team picture. Fry spent the early part of the season at Gillingham,
where he excelled in 13 league and cup appearances. Following his departure
from the Kent club in January, Gillingham dropped down the standings and
were relegated to League Two on the final day of the season. The teenager
suffered a knee injury in his final game for the Gills at Exeter on 28
December. Despite the problem, however, Charlton manager Phil Parkinson
moved to sign Fry on loan until the end of the season in March. At The
Valley, the Gravesend-born youngster worked his way back to fitness.
However, Football League rules barring the fielding of more than five loan
players restricted his chances of first-team football. On Monday evening,
Fry was named among the Addicks' subsitutes for the first time as they lost
on penalties to Swindon Town in a thrilling play-off semi-final. "It's been
good, even if it was an up and down season with my knee injury and not
playing too often at Charlton. At times it was frustrating, but it was
certainly beneficial for me to go out on loan to Gillingham and Charlton. I
count the season as a success. "Being offered a new contract has made the
whole season worthwhile. I only signed for a year last season, so earning a
longer deal was obviously my main aim. I have got two years, but that does
not mean I am going to stop working hard every day in training. I am under
no illusions. I want to get back to West Ham and to earn myself an even
longer contract. "Even though I had my knee injury, I made a good decision
to go to Charlton. The manager rang me up and said I would play when I was
fit. Unfortunately, it took a little bit longer to get it right, so I wasn't
able to play in a team challenging for promotion. "I was always going to be
the sixth loan player as the manager was never going to pick me over a
fully-fit loan player. "I see it as a blessing in disguise, though, because
it has given me time to get myself completely right and come back stronger.
It was unfortunate that I didn't get a chance to play at Charlton, but just
being involved and training hard every day with the squad has been of
benefit to me."
While Fry's outlook is relentlessly positive, defeat by Swindon may have
denied him the opportunity to make an unforgettable Charlton debut in the
play-off final with Millwall at Wembley. "The manager told me he was putting
me on the bench against Swindon because I had shown a good attitude in
training and worked hard to earn it. It was good to get an opportunity to be
involved. "Monday night was a massive occasion at The Valley. The atmosphere
was amazing and you can see why many people still consider Charlton to be a
Premier League club. "It was a shame that we lost. If we had gone through
then I could well have made my debut at Wembley playing alongside Christian
Dailly. Sam Sodje, the regular centre-back, is out with a knee injury, and
Miguel Llera would have been suspended after being sent-off against
Swindon."
Had he played at Wembley, Fry would have partnered former West Ham and
Scotland defender Dailly, who missed just two league games after joining
Charlton from Rangers last summer. "As a player, Christian is the perfect
role model in the way he trains and he looks after himself. He is 36 and was
still the fittest player there. "He was great to be around and to train and
work with. I got on well with him and it helped me a great deal to do so.
He's a top man. "Christian was recently voted as Charlton's oldest-ever
player of the year and he fully deserves it." Should Fry enjoy a career half
as successful as Dailly, he has plenty to be positive about.
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Supporters reject running track plans
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 21st May 2010
By: Staff Writer
Three in four West Ham supporters are opposed to moving to an Olympic
Stadium with a running track, according to a KUMB.com poll. The poll,
conducted on the KUMB.com forums in the wake of the news that any move to
the Stratford venue comes with the proviso that the stadium must include the
400m track, has seen the plans given an overwhelming thumbs-down by Hammers
fans concerned about the considerable distance they will be from the action.
The Olympic Park Legacy Committee have published statistics revealing that
the view for supporters in the new stadium will be worse than that at both
Man City's Eastlands stadium and Arsenal's Ashburton Grove. Those sitting in
the upper tier of either side stand at the OS will be situated 124m from the
centre circle - whilst the same seats at Arsenal place you 97m away from the
action (98m at Eastlands).
Fans would fare little better behind either goal, where the 2012 games upper
tier will be positioned a whopping 153m from the centre circle - 18m further
away that those seats at the 90,000 capacity Wembley stadium, and once again
considerably further away than both the Emirates (120m) and Eastlands (91m).
The major headache faced by David Sullivan and David Gold, whose very plans
for purchasing the club were based on the move to the OS is that the 'bowl'
shape of the stadium is not conducive for football, where the pitch is
rectangular. Temporary seats will be virtually impossible to place due to
the lack of gradient available (ie most people would not be able to see over
those immediately in front of them), although it has already been stated
that no further work can be considered inside the bowl due to 'contaminated
ground'.
One complaint many supporters have aired since the new West Stand was built
at the turn of the century was that they are now some considerable distance
from the pitch.
However that would be small-fry compared to the distance they would be from
the playing field at the proposed new stadium. All of which leaves Gold and
Sullivan with a major headache, for it was only this week that they produced
a ten-point pledge to supporters in which they insisted that their most
important pledge was to listen to the view of supporters.
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Grant poised for Hammers job
Israeli 'agrees in principle' to take over at Upton Park
Last updated: 21st May 2010
SSN
Sky Sports News understands Avram Grant has agreed in principle to become
the next West Ham manager after leaving Portsmouth. Negotiations are still
ongoing as full details have yet to be finalised but the Israeli coach looks
set to be taking the Upton Park helm from Gianfranco Zola, who was sacked at
the end of the 2009-10 season. The former Chelsea and Portsmouth boss, who
is currently in his home country, could be named as the new Hammers chief in
the coming days. The wheels for Grant's move to West Ham were set in motion
on Thursday evening when he resigned as Portsmouth boss. Hammers co-owners
David Gold and David Sullivan revealed a four-man shortlist for Zola's
replacement including Sam Allardyce, Dave Jones and Ian Holloway but Grant,
55, was their No.1 target and the duo look set to get their man. Although
refusing to confirm Grant's appointment, Sullivan told Sky Sports News:
"Avram Grant is a candidate and we hope to meet him shortly. I think he is
in Israel at the moment. Nothing will happen for 12 days, we have to
interview a number of people."
The Hammers, via a statement on their official website, said: "West Ham
United can confirm the club is making good progress in the search for a new
manager and the appointment will be made by early June. "The club is in the
middle of a thorough selection process which could continue over the next 12
days before being finalised. The new manager will then have a month to
prepare for the start of pre-season, with all at the club determined to
improve on the previous campaign."
Grant impressed with his efforts at Pompey as he guided the South Coast club
to the FA Cup final despite the severe restrictions of the club being in
administration. The Hammers parted company with popular Italian Zola after a
disappointing campaign in which they only narrowly avoided relegation from
the top flight.
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Hammers await Henry reply
Sullivan prepared to offer Frenchman a £75,000-a-week deal
Last updated: 22nd May 2010
SSN
West Ham are prepared to make Thierry Henry the highest-paid player in their
history as they await a reply to a lucrative offer. The former Arsenal
striker has been linked with a move to Major League Soccer side New York Red
Bulls as his time at Barcelona appears set to come to an end this summer.
However, West Ham joint chairman David Sullivan has revealed he wants to
sign the 32-year-old and is willing to offer him a two-year deal worth
around £75,000-a-week, more than £7.5million in total. "We're trying to
assemble a more prolific strike force at West Ham and I'd love to have Henry
here," Sullivan said in The Sun. "Our club is in debt but a striker of his
quality and standing would make it a great deal. "Henry is still up there
with the best. "I've made an offer which would make him the highest-paid
player in the club's history. "And it's a serious offer because Henry could
walk into almost any Premier League side."
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Bilic not drawn on Hammers talk
Croatia boss walks out of press conference
By Mike Barton Last updated: 22nd May 2010
SSN
Slaven Bilic has refused to talk about any speculation regarding the vacant
managerial position at West Ham. The Croatia boss has long been linked with
a return to Upton Park, where he played during the mid-1990s as a
centre-back and was a firm fans' favourite. His successes in charge of
Croatia, despite failing to qualify for this summer's World Cup, have seen
him become a sought-after figure in football. With Avram Grant also strongly
linked with the role Gianfranco Zola vacated following the Hammers' narrow
avoidance of relegation from the Premier League, there has been no
indication as to who owners David Gold and David Sullivan will give the job
to. Bilic however was not interested in talking about his future, and when
asked during a press conference ahead of his nation's friendly match with
Wales on Sunday whether he has been offered the role, he refused to comment
and left the room. Speaking of his regard for Wales, Bilic commented on the
amount of good players who had risen through the ranks, and was expecting a
tough game against John Toshack's side. "It is a young team I know, and they
are without some of their players - but it is only four or five major
players such as (Craig) Bellamy, (Gareth) Bale, (James) Collins, (Simon)
Davies," said Bilic. "We were without 12 players on Wednesday night against
Austria and played one of our best games of the year. "Those new guys are
good players, they are hungry and so proud when they have a chance to play
for Wales."
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Backe unfazed by Henry bid
New York manager facing fight for Henry signature
Last updated: 23rd May 2010
SSN
New York Red Bulls boss Hans Backe refused to be drawn on West Ham's bid for
Major League Soccer target Thierry Henry after his side beat Juventus 3-1 on
Sunday. Henry is expected to leave Camp Nou this season after falling down
the pecking order under Pep Guardiola and Barca have admitted he could be on
his way to America. The Red Bulls have held talks with Barcelona but could
face competition for Henry's signature after West Ham expressed an interest
in the French striker. Joint Hammers chairman David Sullivan revealed on
Friday he wanted to sign the former Arsenal star and was willing to offer
him a two-year deal worth around £75,000 a week to move back to the Barclays
Premier League. Asked to react to those reports following New York's
friendly win over Italian side Juventus, former Notts County boss Backe kept
his cards close to his chest, laughed and said: "I don't know. They have to
pay a lot of money then." Backe had seen his side beat the first European
visitors to the new Red Bull Arena with second-half goals from Jeremy Hall,
Conor Chinn and captain Juan Pablo Angel. Juventus had fielded a side led by
Alessandro Del Piero, playing alongside David Trezeguet and with Brazilian
Diego in midfield, but it was Trezeguet's replacement Amauri who found the
net for the Italians in second-half stoppage time.
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Avram Grant ready to accept West Ham offer
The Times
Nick Szczepanik
Avram Grant has accepted an offer of a three-year contract to succeed
Gianfranco Zola as manager of West Ham United, according to reports in
Israel. Sources suggest that Grant and Pini Zahavi, his agent, agreed broad
details of the deal on Wednesday, the day before Grant announced his
departure from Portsmouth with an emotional statement on the website of the
FA Cup finalists. An official announcement could be made before the end of
the month. Grant claimed yesterday that he had issued his farewell so as not
to raise false hopes among supporters that he might stay, and because the
administrators could give him no guarantees about the club's finances. "I
didn't want to wait and leave everyone thinking for too long on what will
happen," Grant said. "Once I had made my decision that I wouldn't be at
Portsmouth next season, I wanted to tell the club and the supporters as
quickly as possible. I respect everybody at the club too much to sign for
another club before I had told Portsmouth I would be leaving."
The supporters took Grant to their hearts as he muttered defiance at the
Premier League for its deduction of nine points and imposition of a transfer
embargo, even though his league record was marginally worse than that of
Paul Hart, his predecessor. Andrew Andronikou, the administrator, is
preparing a shortlist of possible successors to Grant for the consideration
of David Lampitt, who will become Portsmouth's chief executive on June 1.
Yesterday Andronikou told The Times that the club could not wait until a new
owner is found. "This is an important time of the year and you have to lay
the foundations now," he said. "I've got to start the ball rolling, although
it will ultimately be the chief executive's decision. "We are looking at
candidates who fit the requirements of Portsmouth FC. Above all we have
[financial] constraints. We can't forget how we got here and start playing
some wonderful game of Football Manager."
In other words, the new manager will have to work within a tight budget,
which is likely to put off some of the bigger names, such as Glenn Hoddle
and Alan Curbishley, who have been fancifully linked with the job. Eighteen
players remain under contract, but bids will be considered for most of them
and even though David James and Hermann Hreidarsson have been offered new
deals, all salaries are expected to be capped at £10,000 a week.
The potential for wheeling and dealing will be severely limited with the
transfer embargo remaining in force until Portsmouth officially leave the
Premier League at its annual general meeting next month. It is expected to
continue when the club become a member of the Football League and until they
emerge from administration.
Managers used to dealing with lower budgets are likely to top the shortlist.
Kevin Dillon, the former Portsmouth midfield player, who took Aldershot Town
to the Coca-Cola League Two play-offs after working under Steve Coppell at
Reading, has the right blend of ambition and experience.
James, though, would seem to be ruled out as a possible player-manager.
"David has expressed an interest in taking the next stage of his career into
management, but we believe it has come a bit too early to appoint him as
manager," Andronikou said.
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Hart and Green will get equal chance to be England's No.1
Published 06:00 23/05/10 By Simon Mullock
The Mirror
Joe Hart and Robert Green will get their chance to stake a claim to be Fabio
Capello's World Cup No.1 keeper when England face Mexico. Hart will win his
second cap after Capello confirmed he will play 45 minutes. West Ham stopper
Green will also be given a half, with the England boss deciding to hand
David James and the four Chelsea players on duty in the FA Cup Final an
extended rest. Portsmouth keeper James will be kept in the stands along with
John Terry, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole. Capello insists his
decision has nothing to do with the controversial Wembley pitch – and that
he will pick a strong team despite the risk of injury. He said: "I watched
the FA Cup Final and was happy with the pitch. "
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Six Premier League clubs in chase for Paraguay midfield star
Published 22:45 22/05/10 By Paul Smith
The Mirror
Six Premier League clubs will be at the RDS in Dublin on Tuesday evening to
run the rule over Paraguay midfielder Eduardo Ledesma. Liverpool, Everton,
Tottenham, Sunderland, Fulham and West Ham will all be in attendance when
the South Americans take on the Republic of Ireland. The 24-year-old
defensive midfielder is tipped to be one of the stars of this summer's World
Cup finals in South Africa. Ledesma, who plies his trade in Argentina with
Atletico Lanus, has recently rejected a move to Europa Cup winners Atletico
Madrid. Italian giants Juventus and Lazio as well as Hamburg and Bayern
Munich are also battling to secure his cut-price signature. His club also
turned down a season-long loan deal with an option to buy from Fulham last
summer. The Cottagers are likely to renew their interest in the player with
Roy Hodgson being promised funds to strengthen his squad. Lanus are
demanding just £1.5 million for Ledesma as they look to address crippling
debts.
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Benni McCarthy vows to prove his critics wrong
Published 22:38 22/05/10 By Marc Isaacs
The Mirror
Benni McCarthy has vowed to prove his critics wrong and show he is not
overweight when he leads the South Africa attack at the World Cup. McCarthy
came under fire following a £2.5m move to West Ham in January and never
looked at his best. There were fears he would miss out on the South Africa
squad but McCarthy is in the provisional 30-man party and is desperate to
play in the opening game against Mexico on June 11. McCarthy said: "I just
keep on working hard and if the people that monitor these issues are happy
and see progress, those are the ones I report to. "When I came to West Ham
it was a bit tough to acclimatise, especially after coming back from injury.
"I've been here [in South Africa] for a week and the training I've done has
been exceptionally hard and you start to feel a difference."
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Bilic walks out of Croatia press conference after being asked about West Ham
job
Published 18:34 22/05/10 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Former West Ham defender Slaven Bilic tonight refused to answer questions
linking him with the managerial vacancy at Upton Park. The highly-rated
Croatia manager abruptly ended a press conference arranged to preview
tomorrow's international friendly against Wales in Osijek when asked about
reports linking him with the Hammers. Bilic was installed as one of the
favourites for the post when Gianfranco Zola was sacked earlier this month,
but his name has faded in recent days following the resignation of Avram
Grant at Portsmouth. Grant is now considered the most likely contender but
Bilic is still unwilling to declare his interest or discuss the subject.
When asked about the matter the 41-year-old waved away the question and
stood up to leave the room at the Gradski Stadium. That came after he had
spoken of his regard for his opposite number tomorrow, the Wales manager
John Toshack, and respect for his team. Former Liverpool striker Toshack has
managed clubs such as Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruna and Besiktas in a
distinguished career. Bilic said: "Who am I to judge John Toshack? When I
was a kid he was one of the greatest strikers in Europe with Liverpool and
he managed Real Madrid and other top clubs. "As a player and a manager he
has had a great career. "He is Welsh and I know that he is enjoying this job
and I have a big respect for him."
Toshack will field an under-strength side after being denied the services of
15 senior players. Eight of them have withdrawn since the initial squad was
announced last week and only 17 made the trip to eastern Croatia. "I expect
it will be a tough and very competitive game," said Bilic, who after guiding
Croatia to the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, failed in his quest to qualify for
the World Cup. "It is a young team I know, and they are without some of
their players - but it is only four or five major players such as (Craig)
Bellamy, (Gareth) Bale, (James) Collins, (Simon) Davies. "We were without 12
players on Wednesday night against Austria and played one of our best games
of the year. "Those new guys are good players, they are hungry and so proud
when they have a chance to play for Wales."
Croatia, who beat Austria 1-0 in midweek, are making a rare visit to Osijek,
Croatia's fourth largest city and home town of legendary player Davor Suker.
"The stadium is going to be packed, the pitch is big and it will be a really
good test that is useful for us and Wales," added Bilic. Croatia will be
without Bayern Munich's Ivica Olic and Danijel Pranjic while Eduardo and
Luka Modric, of Arsenal and Tottenham respectively, are fitness doubts.
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Fletcher targets move to West Ham - Exclusive
Published 08:54 21/05/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
In-demand Burnley striker Steven Fletcher is holding out for a move to West
Ham. The £6million-rated Scotland international is wanted by Birmingham and
Wolves. But the Hammers are also interested in Fletcher, who impressed with
Burnley last season, scoring 12 goals. And West Ham are likely to make an
official move for the 23-year-old once Avram Grant is appointed as their new
manager. Fletcher has told pals he would jump at a move to London.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish may miss out on Fletcher, but is ready to table
a £2m bid for Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd – even if the Bluebirds are
promoted. Bothroyd, 28, will be trying to fire Cardiff into the Premier
League in the Championship play-off final with Blackpool tomorrow.
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Hammers set sights on Henry
Published 08:11 22/05/10 By Pa Sports
The Mirror
West Ham have made a bid to sign Thierry Henry in a move which would see the
Frenchman become the highest-paid player in their history. The former
Arsenal striker has been linked with a move away from Barcelona with reports
indicating Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls would be a possible
destination., but West Ham joint chairman David Sullivan has revealed he
wants to sign the 32-year-old and is willing to offer him a two-year deal
worth around £75,000 a week, more than £7.5million in total.
Sullivan told The Sun: "We're trying to assemble a more prolific strike
force at West Ham and I'd love to have Henry here. Our club is in debt but a
striker of his quality and standing would make it a great deal. Henry is
still up there with the best."
He added: "I've made an offer which would make him the highest-paid player
in the club's history. "And it's a serious offer because Henry could walk
into almost any Premier League side."
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Sullivan plays down chances of landing Henry
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPN
May 22, 2010
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has confessed to ESPNsoccernet that the
club's chances of signing Thierry Henry are slim, though he believes it has
been worth the effort to make a positive move for the former Arsenal
striker. Details of the audacious bid to land Henry emerged in the English
press on Saturday, with the Hammers willing to make him the highest paid
player in the club's history in order to convince him to move to Upton Park.
But Sullivan told Soccernet: "Yes, of course it is very unlikely that we
will get him - but we can only try!"
Sullivan and fellow co-owner David Gold would be happy to make Henry an
exception to the club's policy of trying to control salaries of incoming
players, but Sullivan informed Soccernet that reports of an internal policy
to cap wages is not true. The move for Henry illustrates as much, with West
Ham's owners willing to offer him £75,000-a-week for a two year contract - a
£7.5 million investment for the France forward. A major stumbling block in
any move for Henry would be that he has previously indicated his
unwillingness to return to the Premier League to play for any other club
other than Arsenal. And Henry appears destined to join LA Galaxy star David
Beckham earning the really big bucks in the US, with the New York Red Bulls
thought to have made an offer that dwarfs even the generous terms on the
table from the Hammers. Soccernet understands that Sullivan and Gold have a
'long' list of some 20 transfer targets, and are currently researching their
availability, of which Henry is one. And there is presently frantic activity
going on behind the scenes to ensure that the new manager has a large choice
of potential new signings, when he is installed at the end of next week. The
sensational bid for Henry has signalled Gold and Sullivan's willingness to
invest in the team, which bodes well for prospective manager Avram Grant.
Grant is still on course to become the club's new boss, and there seems to
be some credence in the fact that his old pal Roman Abramovich was prepared
to take him back to Chelsea as director of football. Soccernet has learned
that Grant believed he would be offered as much as £2 million a year to
return as to Stamford Bridge, twice as much as the Hammers have offerd him
to succeed Gianfranco Zola.
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How Important is the Style of Football?
West Ham Till I Die
The style of football played, by successive Hammers teams over the decades,
is something that most fans value. After all, it is the 'West Ham way' to
play a passing game, combined with attacking flair, is it not? It is a
defining aspect of our club's tradition and most supporters agree that West
Ham teams need to try to play that way, regardless. Or do they?
It would be a interesting exercise to pose the question whether fans would
accept a more negative brand of football if it brought greater on-pitch
success. I remember Paul Merson on Sky posing this question, with
reference to the Hammers, and asking whether it was better to have an
under-achieving team, that tries to play the right way, or a more successful
one based on organisation, discipline and the grinding out of results?
As I recall, Merson's conclusion was that most football fans would take
success over style. However, I do not believe that is true of the Hammers
support as a whole. Look at the past antipathy of the crowd to former
managers such as Lou Macari and Alan Curbishley who produced teams that were
not in the classic Hammers mode. That insistence upon playing with flair
and style is always there and Avram Grant, if he lands the job, needs to be
acutely aware of the fact.
However, perhaps we should firmly reject this false dichotomy between style
and results. Yes, the likes of Chelski and Man City have the resources to
attract the big name stars and are probably more able to forge teams that
play flowing, attacking football. But we do not need to play dull,
mechanical football to survive and prosper in the PL. We can safely leave
that approach to the Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers of this world!
Personally, I am of the view that we should aim to build a team that is in
keeping with the best traditions of the football club. However, we also
need to add certain essentials in to the mix. Those are defensive
organisation, team spirit, playing as a cohesive unit and with consistency.
After all, the Hammers team of 1985-86, that actually challenged for the
title, managed it, if only for one season. That is probably the best model
for us to follow for the future.
Do clubs outside of the PL elite need to make a choice between style and
results? No, I want to see a West Ham team that combines the imperative to
play attractive football, with the capability to battle and grind out a
result, if necessary, in a midweek fixture at the Reebok. A team that will
match others for aggression, as well as seeking to outplay them. One that
will not be intimidated nor psychologically defeated before they even kick
off at Anfield or Old Trafford.
Is that asking too much? Is that not the type of team that our new manager
should be charged with building. One that will make any proposed choice
between style and results totally redundant.
Arguably, that is the meta-objective that should be set for Zola's eventual
successor in the managerial hot seat.
SJ. Chandos.
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