WHUFC.com
A popular figure in the dressing room, Marek Stech is proving an able deputy
for Robert Green
23.09.2010
Marek Stech is looking forward to Saturday's Carling Cup draw after another
top-class performance in goal for the Hammers. The Czech Republic Under-21
international stepped up again in midweek as West Ham United won 2-1 at
Sunderland to earn their spot in the last 16. Stech will hope to keep his
place in the next round, having also been imperious in the second-round home
win against Oxford United - his first-team debut. "The Sunderland game was
brilliant," Stech told WHUTV. "The whole team was just brilliant. We were
passing the ball great and obviously it was only my second game. I am
pleased the manager gave me a chance after the Oxford game. "I just had one
important save for the team [late on from Steed Malbranque]. They crossed it
over, I came out to reduce the space, he shot at me and it hit my hands. It
was quite lucky but it was good to step up in that situation."
Stech has had a memorable couple of weeks, being capped again by his country
to help them into the UEFA European U21 Championship play-off against Greece
on 8 and 12 October. He will hope to figure in that tie - with the winners
progressing to the finals in Denmark next summer - before the Carling Cup
fourth round in the week commencing 25 October. "It is an important
competition for us," added Stech. "We got a point at Stoke and that gave us
some confidence. This is good for the club, good for the chairmen and for
the whole team. "Maybe the Carling Cup is not as important for some but it
is for us. Any win is important. I am happy we are in the next round and we
will see who we get."
Stech is expected to return to the bench behind England goalkeeper Robert
Green against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and is tipping his team-mates to
do the job. "The mood is great. The lads were really pleased and it is such
a different atmosphere. "The atmosphere will get better. We have more
confidence and on Saturday we could win. If we have that confidence and play
like we played now as a team, everyone doing their best. I think we can win.
"Hopefully I will be on the bench on Saturday and try to be ready when we
have the next cup game, if I get the chance. I am looking forward to it. I
will keep doing the same things, work hard and we will see."
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Frederic on form
WHUFC.com
Frederic Piquionne is looking to build on his first Hammers goal in
Saturday's clash with Tottenham Hotspur
23.09.2010
Frederic Piquionne is aiming for a first Barclays Premier League victory of
the season on Saturday after netting his inaugural West Ham United goal at
Sunderland in midweek. The France forward capped a fine all-round
performance with the opening goal in the Hammers' 2-1 Carling Cup
third-round victory at the Stadium of Light - West Ham's first away win in
23 attempts in all competitions. Speaking to WHUTV, Piquionne said the
success had given everyone in the dressing room a huge lift ahead of
today's London derby with Tottenham Hotspur. "It was a good evening for me,
for the team and for everybody. It was good to win the game. I think we
played very well and we scored two very good goals. It was good for us. "We
played some nice football - one and two-touch stuff. Sometimes we lost the
ball, but we won the game. "We are buzzing. We have a smile on our faces
because it is the first away game we have won for a long time, but we cannot
stop. We have a big, big game in the Premier League against Tottenham and we
need to take three points."
Piquionne scored the opening goal in Portsmouth's 2-0 FA Cup semi-final
victory over Tottenham at Wembley last season, but the 31-year-old insisted
that strike will count for nothing this time around. Regardless of that, the
No30 believes the Hammers can build on last weekend's draw at Stoke and
their fine win in midweek by defeating Harry Redknapp's side. "We have
started a new season. I have forgotten last season and just now we need to
rest and be ready for a big game. We need to work very hard for the points.
"We have good confidence for the game as everyone has played very well in
the last two games."
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Zola wants to be Black Cats boss
Published 18:54 23/09/10 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Gianfranco Zola and Juande Ramos have both applied for the job of Ghana
manager. The Italian, who was assistant coach to his Under 21 side, has been
out of the game since being sacked by West Ham in May. Former Spurs boss
Ramos went from Spurs to Real Madrid in 2008 and was fired after only 47
days at CSKA Moscow last year. Under Serbian Milovan Rajevac, the Black
Stars reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup before losing on penalties
to Uruguay.
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Piquionne expects top-half finish for Hammers
By ESPN Soccernet staff
September 23, 2010
West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne is confident of a top-ten finish this
season despite the club currently sitting bottom of the table. Avram Grant
left Portsmouth to replace Gianfranco Zola at Upton Park this summer but,
despite investment in the side, they have taken just one point from their
opening five games. Piquionne, one of the club's summer arrivals, believes
that their slow start is simply down to the players having to gel together
and fully expects them to turn things around. "We need points but I'm sure
that at the end of the season we will be in the top ten," he said. "We have
the players to do that. Players have come in - we need time to play
together, and we've played better in the last two games. "We need to win at
home on Saturday against Spurs, but the boss knows what to do. We had some
tough times at Portsmouth, but everyone at West Ham knows we'll be okay."
Piquionne was on the scoresheet as the Hammers beat Sunderland in the
Carling Cup on Tuesday.
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Quashie training with Leyton Orient as he bids to get career back on track
TalkSport
By Marc Isaacs
Thursday, September 23
Former West Ham midfielder Nigel Quashie is training with Leyton Orient as
he looks to get his career back on track. Quashie, 32, is a free agent after
being released by West Ham and failed to secure a permanent deal with QPR
after signing a short-term deal with the west London club last season. The
Scotland international is still keen to show he can compete at the highest
level and Leyton Orient manager Russell Slade is giving him the chance to
build up his fitness with the League One club.
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West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between West Ham United
and Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park on Saturday Sept 25 2010, kick-off
By Jonathan Liew
Published: 6:00AM BST 24 Sep 2010
Saturday, September 25
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
Upton Park
Kick off: 15.00 BST
TV: Highlights BBC1.
West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur preview
West Ham (possible, 4-3-3): Green; Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Gabbidon;
Kovac, Parker, Noble; Piquionne, Cole, Obinna.
Tottenham (possible, 4-4-1-1): Gomes; Hutton, Bassong, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto;
Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale; Van der Vaart; Crouch.
Referee: Martin Atkinson. Matches: 4. R2 Y10.
Tale of the game
The jury remains out on Tottenham's capacity genuinely to challenge on two
fronts, and Harry Redknapp will again have one eye on the Champions League
game against Twente on Wednesday as he decides on his starting line-up
against West Ham. West Ham, meanwhile, notched a morale-boosting win against
Sunderland on Tuesday, but it is in the league where they need to start
picking up points. They are currently at the foot of the table with a single
draw and four defeats from their five games. Valon Behrami, Thomas
Hitzlsperger, Zavon Hines and Jack Collison are all out for Avram Grant's
team. Matthew Upson and Danny Gabbidon will return after being rested for
the Sunderland game. Tottenham could welcome back Heurelho Gomes and Luka
Modric. Redknapp will probably save Ledley King for the Twente game, with
Michael Dawson, Vedran Corluka, Younes Kaboul and Jermain Defoe also out.
Last season: West Ham 1 Tottenham 2; Tottenham 2 West Ham 0.
Stat of the game: Victor Obinna has had 11 shots on goal without scoring -
the joint most in the Premier League.
Betting tip: Rafael van der Vaart is 11/4 to score at any time.
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