WHUFC.com
England owed much to Frank Nouble for their fine start to the 2010 UEFA U19
EURO in France
19.07.2010
Frank Nouble woke up on a high on Monday after getting off the mark for
England in the rarefied air of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship being
played in France. The West Ham United striker was the star of the show for
the Young Lions in their thrilling 3-2 defeat of Austria. Nouble set them on
their way to victory with two first-half goals before Austria pulled one
back. Tom Cruise, the Arsenal midfielder, restored the two-goal advantage
and despite a late consolation, England held on. Speaking exclusively to
whufc.com from Normandy before he faced the waiting European press pack on
Sunday night, Nouble said: "It felt brilliant. It was a good experience as
well and a great game. They were my first goals for England and it feels
special. To score two left-footed goals was great - everything I did has
come off.."
Still only 18, Nouble is well aware that there is a keen interest across the
country in the U19s' exploits - especially as the senior side had such a
frustrating time at the FIFA World Cup. He was told well in advance by coach
Noel Blake that he was going to lead the line and made sure he was fully
concentrated on the task at hand. "I knew the day before that I was going to
start. It was just about focusing and getting right for such a big game. The
spotlight in the country is on the Under-19s and I was pleased to get the
goals. Hopefully I can do it again "It is brilliant. I am happy because,
when I come back to West Ham, I want to show that this experience will help
me be a better player. I want to get more chances and show what I can do."
Austria's second-half fight back was to be expected from a tournament with
such a high standard among all the finalists. Nouble reflected, though, that
all in all it was a good job well done. "It got a bit nervy," he added.
"They are a good side and they came back into it. It was tough and any side
here is going to be good. There are only eight teams in the finals out of
the whole of Europe. We started out well and deserved the three points. It
was definitely tougher in the second half. "The heat got to both teams and
we are still in the pre-season period. It was harder but we never stopped
trying. We kept our belief and still had an attacking threat."
Next up for the Young Lions will be a date with the Netherlands on
Wednesday, with the Dutch being humbled 4-1 by France in Sunday's other
Group A fixture. Les Bleus and the Young Lions will then meet in a potential
section decider next Saturday, although the top two will go through to the
semi-finals.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reserve fixtures announced
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Barclays Premier Reserve League South schedule has been
confirmed
19.07.2010
West Ham United will begin the restructured Barclays Premier Reserve League
South season with the visit of Manchester City on Tuesday 7 September. With
a number of clubs choosing not to take part in the competition in 2009/10,
the league has been reorganised, with teams taking on every other side at
least once during the campaign. As such, the Hammers will face Arsenal,
Aston Villa Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers home
and away, while facing the ten Barclays Premier Reserve League North clubs
once. Meanwhile, the club has also taken the decision to change both the
regular venue and kick-off times for home fixtures, with matches now taking
place during the afternoon at the Academy training ground at Little Heath,
unless otherwise stated.
The changes also mean the likes of Manchester City, Wigan Athletic, Bolton
Wanderers, Newcastle United and Manchester United will visit the south east,
while Alex Dyer's squad will travel north to take on Everton, Liverpool,
Blackpool, Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers. Dyer said the new league
structure was exciting for both himself and his players. "It's great for the
players to go to places up north when usually they would just be coming up
against teams from down south. It will open up their eyes a little bit
because they will be going to training grounds and football stadiums they
have never been to before. "They will also be playing against players that
they don't know too much about and others who they will have only previously
seen on television. "I want them to go to these places and give a good
account of themselves, not only because we want to do West Ham United proud,
but also because these are the experiences that will stand them in good
stead when they are members of the first-team squad in the future."
Before the league season gets under way, the reserves will contest friendly
matches at League Two side Burton Albion on Saturday 24 July and Blue Square
South outfit Bishop's Stortford on Saturday 31 July, with both matches
kicking-off at 3pm.
Barclays Premier Reserve League South 2010/11 fixtures
September
Tue 7 Manchester City (H) 2pm
Tue 14 Everton (A) 2pm (at Finch Farm Training Ground)
Tue 28 Wigan Athletic (H) 2pm
October
Tue 5 Liverpool (A) 7pm (at Tranmere Rovers FC)
Tue 12 Bolton Wanderers (H) 2pm
Tue 19 Arsenal (A) 1pm (at London Colney)
Wed 27 Blackpool (A) 3pm (at Bloomfield Road)
November
Mon 15 Aston Villa (A) 12pm (at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground)
Tue 23 Chelsea (H) 1pm
Tue 30 West Bromwich Albion (H) 1pm
December
Tue 7 Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) 7pm (at AFC Telford United)
January
Tue 11 West Bromwich Albion (A) 7pm (at The Hawthorns)
Tue 25 Aston Villa (H) 1pm
February
Wed 16 Chelsea (A) 2pm (at Cobham Training Ground)
Tue 22 Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) 2pm
March
Tue 1 Arsenal (H) 2pm
Tue 8 Sunderland (A) 3pm (at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground)
Tue 15 Newcastle United (H) 2pm
Mon 28 Blackburn Rovers (A) 2pm (at Blackburn Rovers FC Training Ground)
April
Tue 5 Manchester United (H) 2pm
Home games to be played at West Ham United FC Academy Training Ground,
Little Heath Sports Ground, Hainault Road, Romford, Essex, RM6 5SS, unless
otherwise stated.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kovac eyes Deportivo date
WHUFC.com
The squad may be away at the moment but it will not before long before they
are back at the Boleyn
19.07.2010
Radoslav Kovac is relishing being back amongst it with West Ham United at
the club's pre-season training camp but admitted he cannot wait to sample
the Boleyn Ground atmosphere again. The Czech midfielder is part of a strong
squad at the club's pre-season training camp in Germany and got a second
useful 45 minutes in four days under his belt in Saturday's 2-0 defeat of
VfL Borussia Monchengladbach. He is aiming to be at his maximum by the time
RC Deportivo La Coruna visit on Saturday 7 August. The match - to be played
for the SBOBET Cup in aid of the Academy - will be the first time the club's
new recruits will play at the Boleyn and also that manager Avram Grant will
lead a team out at the stadium. Kovac said: "I love Upton Park, it is my
home now and it will be good to be out there in front of the fans again. "It
will be a difficult match but we need that. Deportivo will be a good test of
our level and can give us the standard we need for the Premier League. That
will start a week later at Aston Villa and we need to be ready."
Talking of fans raises a smile with Kovac, who was more than impressed with
the strong band of travelling supporters who descended on Ruhpolding on
Saturday for the Monchengladbach match in good spirits. "The fans were there
as usual. They were having a good time and enjoying it. It is summer and
they love the team, so why not?"
The players naturally have to be a bit more reserved while working hard in
the excellent facilities of their training camp. Kovac is enjoying the
experience, nevertheless. "The new manager has been good with us and we all
want to do our best for the club. We have some new players like Thomas
[Hitzlsperger] and we will see where we are with the Premier League. It is
important to start well. "I am happy to be back with everyone again. It was
very good to have the time off, we needed it after a tough season but I want
to get going again. It was tough at first for the first week of training but
now it is OK. "I felt good against Monchengladbach. The first game against
Peterborough was harder because it was the first game since Man City in May.
I feel strong and everyone is getting fitter. "It was important to have a
good holiday. I went back to the Czech Republic and had a holiday in Dubai.
I saw my family it was fantastic and very good to be there. Now, after two
weeks of working hard, I feel much better every day."
Kovac is certainly no stranger to this part of the world, having played for
Spartak Moscow in a UEFA Champions League match at the impressive Allianz
Arena home of Bayern Munich back in August 2006. "I have played in Germany
before and it is a fantastic football country. We are staying in a very nice
place. Everything is peaceful and quiet. It is a perfect place for us to
train."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Remy still on Hammers radar
The Sun
Published: 19 Jul 2010
WEST HAM are still in the hunt for highly-rated Nice striker Loic Remy. Boss
Avram Grant's squad are currently in Germany for a training camp, which saw
them beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in Ruhpolding on Saturday. The new
Hammers boss has already brought in Frederic Piquionne, who he had worked
with at former club Portsmouth, Mexico winger Pablo Barrera as well as
former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger. The deal for Remy is
proving a little more difficult to finalise. Premier League rivals Liverpool
are also looking at the hitman as Nice hold out for a substantial cash offer
with the Hammers looking to pay off the £12m transfer fee in instalments.
Nice president Gilbert Stellardo said: "For the moment it's the same status
quo, but if Liverpool make an offer things will be done swiftly. "The amount
(offered by West Ham) suits me, but not the payment method. "West Ham want
to buy Loic because they think he could rapidly be worth 10m euros more if
he plays in England. "They don't want us to pay the full sum all at once."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham target Argentine striker after missing out on Remy
Published 23:00 19/07/10 By Football Spy
The Mirror
West Ham have turned their attention to Argentine striker Milton Caraglio
after hopes of landing Loic Remy from Nice faded. The Hammers offered
£11.5million for Remy, but the deal stalled when his French club demanded a
large chunk of the fee upfront. The 23-year-old is expected to join
Liverpool instead. Hammers boss Avram Grant is eyeing Caraglio and sources
say West Ham contacted his club, Rosario Central, at the weekend to inquire
about availability. Caraglio, 22, scored 11 goals in 49 appearances for
Rosario in the Argentinian top flight. He was called up by Diego Maradona
for the national team earlier this year but a knee injury forced him to miss
the World Cup. Grant has been busy in the transfer market and is close to
finalising a deal with his Portsmouth for Tal Ben-Haim.
The Israel defender is expected to join new signings Frederic Piquionne,
Mexico winger Pablo Barrera and former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas
Hitzlsperger in East London. The Hammers are looking to offload several
players, including Radoslav Kovac and Alessandro Diamanti.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cautious optimism: better days in the offing
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 19th July 2010
By: Haim Baram
Normally one does not draw far-fetched conclusions from the pre-season
friendly matches, but supporters are not necessarily rational creatures, and
every victory for the Hammers counts. Normally one does not draw far-fetched
conclusions from the pre-season friendly matches, but supporters are not
necessarily rational creatures, and every victory for the Hammers counts. I
am pleased, for the first time in ages, and especially thrilled by the
acquisition of two marvellous players, Frederic Piquionne and Pablo Barrera.
The Mexican and the French new boys can be categorized as crowd-pleasers,
with all the flair and the passion required from a West Ham United player.
Despite my traditional misgivings about Avram Grant he is an undoubtedly a
very clever man, and seems to internalise not only the profuse praise from
his numerous lackeys (especially here, in Israel) but also the differing
points of view of well-meaning critics. This fact augurs well for the
future. We are not just yet another middle-sized club in London, but also
part and parcel of English football at his best. These days, when our
beautiful game is flooded with sleaze, malicious gossip and innuendo (the
ugly conduct of Fabio Capello, for instance, in the immediate aftermath of
the fiasco in South-Africa) we want to prove, at least in our Upton Park
haven, that we do stand for something important, beyond the lurid cynicism
and the mad race after money and power.
I have never regarded Grant as an idealist, but he is indeed capable of
translating the tiny details of his personal ambition into a broader view of
his enormous new undertaking. A new hope that we are on our way to glory has
emerged, the clouds of gloom and despair are gradually dispersing, and our
Bobby Moore is turning, once again, from a forlorn memory into a vibrant
presence. We simply must have a very good season and somehow I am certain we
shall.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FRANK NOUBLE: ENGLAND YOUNG FOOTBALL STARS WANT TO PROVE THEMSELVES
West Ham player Frank Nouble says England's young football stars want to
prove thesemlves
Daily Express
Tuesday July 20,2010
By Daily Express Reporter
FRANK NOUBLE has slammed claims that England's youngsters are too quick to
sign up for the easy life as a Premier League reserve. And West Ham striker
Nouble insists the latest crop of future stars are desperate to prove
themselves in the top flight to show they are the equal of Europe's best
young talent.
Nouble struck twice as England Under-19s kicked off their European
Championship campaign with a 3-2 win over Austria in France. Nouble and his
team-mates face Holland tomorrow as they attempt to deliver a rare success
to a nation still smarting over the failure of Fabio Capello's seniors at
the World Cup. Noel Blake's side are drawn largely from Premier League
clubs, yet many will find it difficult to get anywhere near the first team
when they return from this tournament.But Nouble is adamant that is not
because of a lack of hunger or ability. "The young players over here are so
eager to play for their clubs," he said. "Despite what some people think, we
really just want to play football. But we don't all get the opportunity to
do that so we have to go on loan. "Young English players sometimes get a bad
press. People think we're sent out on loan because we're not good enough,
but that's not the case. We have to go out on loan because we don't always
get a chance to play. "Hopefully, some coaches will watch us play in this
tournament and might give one or two of the boys a chance when we get home."
The focus has been thrown on to England's kids after Capello declared he
would blood more youngsters after the old guard flopped in South Africa.
Spain and Germany have shown the value of fast-tracking youth through the
international age groups. And Nouble claims there is no reason why England
cannot boast a core of kids who can match the technical ability of any of
their potential opponents. "Watching Spain is brilliant. Everyone should
admire the way they play," said Nouble. "As young players, we also talk
about their football a lot and we love watching players like Iniesta in
action and performing well.
"We all want to do well and we want to get to their position where they are
keeping the ball and winning World Cups. "And if we keep improving our game
and keep our concentration levels then there is no reason why we can't do
it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympiakos target Kovac happy at West Ham
20.07.10 | tribalfootball.com
Radoslav Kovac is staying focused on his role at West Ham United. Kovac has
been linked with a move to Olympiacos, but for now, the Czech midfielder is
fully focused on getting off to a flying start with the Hammers. "The new
manager has been good with us and we all want to do our best for the club,"
he said on the club's website. "We have some new players like Thomas
[Hitzlsperger] and we will see where we are with the Premier League. It is
important to start well.
"I am happy to be back with everyone again. It was very good to have the
time off, we needed it after a tough season but I want to get going again."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham not giving up on Nice striker Remy
20.07.10 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United haven't given up on signing Nice striker Loic Remy. The
London Evening Standard says Liverpool remain very much in contention as
Nice hold out for a substantial cash offer with the Hammers looking to pay
off the £12million transfer fee in instalments. "For the moment it's the
same status quo, but if Liverpool make an offer things will be done
swiftly," Nice president Gilbert Stellardo told L'Equipe. "The amount
(offered by West Ham) suits me, but not the payment method. "West Ham want
to buy Loic because they think he could rapidly be worth 10million euros
more if he plays in England. "They don't want us to pay the full sum all at
once."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham finalising deal for Ben Haim
20.07.10 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United are finalising a deal for Portsmouth defender Tal Ben Haim.
The London Evening Standard says Ben-Haim looks set to be reunited with
Avram Grant, his manager at both Chelsea and Fratton Park, with a compromise
over salary reported to now have been reached. Ben Haim will move to West
Ham on a free transfer.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Posts
