WHUFC.com
Fans' favourite Victor Obinna is off the mark in the top flight with a
superb strike against Wigan
28.11.2010
Victor Obinna was thrilled to get his first West Ham United goal in the
Barclays Premier League and pledged that there will be more to come. The
Nigeria striker came up with a superb finish early in the second half to
ease Hammers nerves in Saturday's 3-1 win against Wigan Athletic after Valon
Behrami's opener and then laid on the third for Scott Parker. While
delighted for himself, he was especially pleased for the supporters who have
welcomed him with open arms and thanked them for their patience - especially
as his search for a goal had not been for the want of trying this season
with shot after shot drawing a blank. "I am quite satisfied with the goal,"
he said. "It came at a very crucial moment for us. I am really happy for the
people. That is the fundamental thing. I know definitely the goals will
come. "It is really frustrating [going so long without a goal], you could
not imagine. As a striker you have to keep doing your best, doing your
thing. One shot on goal is all I needed against Wigan. Now I think I have
found my coordination and to be a little bit more relaxed to be able to
shoot. Goals come when it is natural."
Obinna confessed he did not even know what to do after the goal - such had
been his frustration at waiting to get off the mark. He was more certain,
when asked, about what three points meant to the whole squad and their
belief. "Each time I go on the pitch, I give all my best. Each week we go
and train, give our maximum, this week the training has been fantastic. For
me, it is not true that the players don't care. This is my job, I don't have
any other job. This is what I love to do. For me, I like to give all of
myself every time I play. "Every West Ham player is coming to the pitch
wanting to win for West Ham. We have been playing good football - really
well against Birmingham, against Wolves, against Stoke, against Tottenham.
Come on, we have been a little bit unfortunate but football is all about
results and the fans also have the right to say what they want. "My target
is to make sure I score goals, do well and the season will be fantastic."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins and Junior Stanislas were part of the reasons to be cheerful
this week
29.11.2010
Avram Grant's message upon arriving at the Boleyn Ground was that he was
building not just for this season but for all the seasons to come. The
immediacy of the challenge facing the team in recent weeks has meant this
long-term goal has perhaps been forgotten by some but Saturday saw firm
evidence of the ultimate gameplan. Hammers homegrown duo James Tomkins and
Junior Stanislas were back in the side at a sold-out Boleyn Ground, while
under 23-year-old's Victor Obinna, Winston Reid and Pablo Barrera were also
heavily involved. "We have a project and a vision here at West Ham. Even if
some people are coming after me with a watch," Grant said reflecting on the
youthful prompting behind the 3-1 win against Wigan Athletic - albeit with
some older heads like Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Frederic Piquionne
playing their part. "There are more young players behind the scenes. But you
need to do it step by step. My vision at West Ham stays the same even if we
are at the bottom of the league with not many points. "You need to have a
vision and our vision is to put this club in a good place. The young players
here have the quality but they are young and need to learn. James and Junior
are two of them but you will see more in the future. "Our target at the end
is to put West Ham in a good position with a good football style, with good
young players. Part of this is also to build the coaching staff and from
time to time we will add to the staff. This is the future of the game."
That strengthening on the coaching side includes Wally Downes, who had
worked with Upson and Tomkins on Thursday and Friday in particular and has
already proved a strong addition alongside the respected Paul Groves and
Kevin Keen. "He was good," said Grant, who was firmly of the belief that you
need a combination of different approaches on the sidelines. "He asked me
before the game if he could shout and say whatever he wants. He did well.
He's very happy and energetic. "If [Arsene] Wenger is quiet and they win,
everybody says it's a good thing, so the main thing is the message needs to
be clear. People have different ways of bringing the message. "Wally has a
specific job that he's committed to. He's doing it well."
Grant was also keen to acknowledge the part played by the supporters on
Saturday, especially with Tuesday night's big Carling Cup tie to come
against Manchester United. "The fans are great. They saw us give a poor
performance last week after going a long way on a cold day. They are good.
"I am sure they will continue like this on Tuesday and will do everything to
support us."
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Tomkins takes his chance
WHUFC.com
Back in the side and looking determined to stay, James Tomkins is on a high
this week
28.11.2010
James Tomkins was thrilled to return to the starting lineup and have such a
positive impact in the 3-1 weekend win against Wigan Athletic. The
21-year-old has had to be patient for his chance of late, having initially
seen Manuel da Costa and then Danny Gabbidon strike up solid partnerships
with captain Matthew Upson. Tomkins has kept working hard, though, and
justified his manager's faith with his showing on Saturday. Along with the
rest of the back four, Tomkins had been working closely with new coach Wally
Downes at Chadwell Heath and paid tribute to the new arrival. "He has good
experience and worked well with the back four. He took us together and
worked with us as defending as a unit and brought the passion in."
Downes was an animated figure on the touchline, and Tomkins took heart from
his encouragement. "You can see him on the sideline. He just wants us to do
well. He has come in, done well for us and hopefully we can carry on the
defensive focus like this. "It livens you up when you see passion like that.
It is good for us. That is what he brings. We are going to need that. "He
told us how we can play for each other, how we can cover each other. And, if
it has to go in the stand, it has to go in the stand. That is important
instead of taking any risks. Deal with things if you have to."
The late Wigan consolation for Tom Cleverley was the one negative for
Tomkins but he felt the team had coped well with the late pressure and
stressed "it was the result we needed and we got it". He will hope to retain
his place for the visit of Manchester United on Tuesday and emphasised that
the players were already excited about the task in front of them. "It is
important for us. The game is massive for the fans. It doesn't get much
bigger than the cup quarter-final. The mood is good in the dressing room. It
is nice to get the win, to see the lads buzzing. After a game when you win
there is no better feeling and hopefully we can just carry this on against
United."
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Barnsley at the Boleyn
Avram Grant's men have learned who they will face early in January after the
FA Cup third-round draw
28.11.2010
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West Ham United have been drawn at home against Barnsley in the FA Cup third
round. The tie is a repeat of the fixture in the same round of the same
competition on 3 January 2009, when goals from Herita Ilunga, Mark Noble and
Carlton Cole saw the Hammers triumph 3-0 at home. This season, Barnsley are
going well in the nPower Championship and lie 12th in the table. Sunday
evening's draw saw the Premier League and Championship clubs all enter the
competition for the first time, with the stand-out fixture being Manchester
United welcoming Liverpool to Old Trafford. The ties will be played on the
weekend of 8 January 2011. The Hammers were knocked out at this round last
year with a 2-1 home defeat by Arsenal. West Ham won the famous old
competition in 1964, 1975 and 1980 with last May marking 30 years since the
last time the Hammers got their hands on the trophy.
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Martinez on... West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th November 2010
By: Staff Writer
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez reflects on a defeat that leaves his side in the
bottom three along with the Hammers...
Roberto: can you take anything out of the game today?
Yes. There's things that we have to correct because obviously we conceded
three very cheap goals by our standards and that's something we need to make
sure we work on. We had a few players missing but that's not an excuse - I
just felt that we didn't start with our normal energy and purpose and when
there's nothing in the game we need to be aware and have the composure to
keep a clean sheet.
The first goal was a disappointing one from our point of view and then all
of a sudden, in such a significant game, it affects certain players'
decisions and that's the way it felt, that the game was running away from
us. Then the second goal and the third goal are exactly the same, they are
self inflicted. We are really expansive, we get caught on the ball in cheap
positions and West Ham took thire opportunities really well.
After that you feel that nothing is going your way. We get a good
opportunity with a penalty, we missed the penalty and then at the end we got
a goal disallowed - wrongly disallowed, a very strange decision with a West
Ham player playing him onside - so you feel disappointed, but I don't like
to blame anyone apart from ourselves. I don't think we started brightly
enough, I don't think we started with the intensity we should have and we
conceded three cheap goals - and that makes it very very difficult to win
football games.
Was it a risk to allow Boselli to take the penalty having just gone on?
I have full confidence in Mauro taking penalties. Obviously he's desperate
to open his account in the Premier League, he's still settling into the
British game. You look at his record, he's got a sensational goalscoring
record and as you know, goals really help a player to settle in. Two of the
players who normally take penalties weren't available for selection so I
don't feel that missing a penalty has anything to do with the game - the
penalty taker's missed a penalty and that's it.
Last week you played well at Man Utd but this week you didn't play well, so
that must be doubly disappointing?
Yes but it's understanding the reasons and that's what we need to work on.
It's quite clear to me that the reasons why we didn't start well. I was
pleased with the reactions towards the end, I felt that we showed good
composure and certain players, individually performed extremely well - and
that's something we need in the squad.
We need to have that competition because the margins are very, very little
and on a day when we were missing five of our starting eleven it was a real
test of character. I found that the character was there, we fought until the
end, but we need to be realistic about not conceding cheap goals otherwise
you're making things very difficult.
And especially in games against potential relegation rivals?
Yes; I know that many people look at the table and think it's still very
early for us to look into aims for the season and looking at teams involved
in relegation and mid-table, the difference is three points and that's
something that we need to make sure we can progress slowly and fulfil our
potential.
The disappointment today is that we weren't ourselves. There are reasons for
that and that's where our work is going to be. I think we've got certain
standards and that's what we need to keep repeating week in, week out and if
we do that, we'll get the results.
A word about Avram Grant; he's obviously been under a lot of pressure but
the pressure's relieved on him today to some extent?
Well that's the nature of our jobs, as you can understand. When you get in a
situation where you don't get points you're going to get that but it's part
of the job. My focus and concentration, as you can understand, is to make
sure that we fulfil our potential at Wigan Athletic, become excited with the
players we've got [who are] very young and sometimes we have to learn very
painful lessons. Today there's many things we need to correct because we
make it very difficult to win football games.
You've got a very patient owner; do you ever feel under pressure yourself?
I put pressure on myself, I think that's the reality and the key. We want to
be a successful team, I don't want Wigan Athletic to be a team that is
fighting to avoid relegation but that's going to take time. That's the real
challenge that we've got. I'm excited with it and I put pressure on myself
to make sure we can be as good as we can.
Wolves also won today; Do you see it being this tight all season?
Yes I can. You need to give credit to the teams that got promoted -
Newcastle, Blackpool, West Brom - and the manner and bravery in the way
they're coming out and trying to win every single game. There's no damage
limitation approach and I think that sparks the competition. You can see
that any team can take points from anyone and the competition is tighter
than ever.
You're looking at the title race, to everyone else in the table the Premier
League this season is the most competitive league in European football and
that's a real good challenge for everyone, especially for us to make sure
that we can get as high up as we can in the table.
Are you still confident that when you get your injured players back and the
suspensions back that you can still climb the table?
Yes. We dropped two points in the 94th minute against Newcastle and another
two points that were really in our hands and that extra four points puts you
in tenth, eleventh position. Even then it would be unrealistic to speak
about being a top ten side in the Premier League.
I think we have to be realistic; today we were disappointed that we didn't
reach the standards we are capable of and we conceded very cheap goals. We
have to congratulate West Ham because it was an amazing win for them but I
want to make sure we're ready for Tuesday in another competition and make
sure that we bounce back in the Premier League.
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Barnsley - again
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 28th November 2010
By: Staff Writer No.2
Hammers face a home tie against Championship side Barnsley in the third
round of the FA Cup. The tie is a repeat of the 3rd round match that took
place in 2009. On that occasion United ran out 3-0 winners with goals from
Herita Ilunga, Mark Noble and Carlton Cole. The tie is due to be played over
the weekend of 8 January 2011, the final timing being at the mercy of TV
schedulers and the fact that a large number of London sides have been drawn
at home in the third round.
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Obinna - Time to push on
Hammers striker believes Wigan win can be turning point in season
Last updated: 28th November 2010
SSN
Victor Obinna believes West Ham's vital victory over Wigan can mark the
turning point of their season. The Nigerian, who is on a season-long loan
with the Hammers from Inter Milan, netted his first Premier League goal in
the 3-1 win at Upton Park. The club's board had billed the clash as the
"save our season game" and Obinna agrees it is the perfect springboard for
the rock-bottom Hammers to now push on up the league. He said: "It has been
a long time that we have been hoping to win games, and finally the
confidence has come. "Not only getting three points, but scoring three goals
has boosted the morale.
Starting now
"I believe this is the beginning and West Ham's season is starting now and
we just have to continue this way. "It is a start for us because we have
been longing to win games at home, but have been drawing. "It was a vital
three points and is the start of the season, we have so many games to play
and this will give us more confidence. "This is really encouraging for us,
it gives us more morale, more fighting spirit to keep fighting for the
fans." The 23-year-old previously scored twice in the Carling Cup and admits
it has been a frustrating wait to net his first goal in the English top
flight.
Really surprised
He added: "It is really surprising, but also very frustrating for a striker.
"Right from the beginning, I have been shooting, but have not been lucky.
However, as a striker you just have to keep pushing hard. "Mentally I have
been working really hard because I believe in what I have. "I finally have
the first goal in the Premier League and it is just the beginning for me."
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Gold explains Downes decision
Co-owner insists Grant had final say on appointment of coach
Last updated: 29th November 2010
SSN
West Ham United co-owner David Gold has revealed the board proposed the
appointment of Wally Downes, but insists Avram Grant made the final
decision. Downes was appointed as the Hammers' new defensive coach last week
following the departure of Grant's assistant Zeljko Petrovic. The move had
an immediate impact as West Ham beat Wigan 3-1 on Saturday to record just
their second win in the Premier League this season. Gold was delighted with
the victory over their fellow strugglers and outlined the process which led
to Downes being brought in to help.
Team decision
"We're still bottom, but I'm thrilled with the victory and such a spirited
performance," said Gold. "The board felt we needed to make some changes to
the coaching staff because something wasn't quite right. We proposed to
bring in Wally and Avram was thrilled to have him. So I guess you can call
it a team decision. "It was Avram who had the final decision. Anyone who
comes in on the football side will always be the manager's decision. "We do
our best to be supportive, but I wouldn't want anyone to get the impression
we do anything other than what the manager wants."
Gold also praised the West Ham supporters for their backing on Saturday
after the game had been branded 'Save Our Season' day by the club's
hierarchy.
He added: "We had a full house even though we weren't exactly playing
Manchester United. Wigan brought both their fans and packed their corner.
"I'm not being disrespectful, just pointing out how powerful the
contribution of West Ham fans is. "When we go to Wigan we'll take 5,000 as
they are true supporters. They know if they don't turn up it has an impact."
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Grant welcomes fresh input
Hammers boss hints at further backroom staff arrivals
Last updated: 28th November 2010
SSN
Avram Grant feels his new-look coaching team is finally starting to get
through to the players. The Israeli has endured a tough start to his reign
at West Ham, having inherited the hot-seat over the summer. A run which
brought just one win from the opening 14 fixtures of the season left the
Hammers languishing at the foot of the Premier League table and bracing
themselves for a relegation dogfight. They continue to prop up the table at
present, but did at least secure a second success of the season at home to
fellow strugglers Wigan on Saturday. It was imperative they took something
from that tie, with morale in the camp having received a welcome lift.
Energetic
The Latics success came on the back of a back-room shake-up at Upton Park
which has seen assistant manager Zelko Petrovic head for the exits and
former Brentford boss Wally Downes drafted in to work with the defence.
Grant feels he now has all the necessary tools at his disposal to generate
results and is delighted with the passion Downes has brought to his role.
"If [Arsene] Wenger is quiet and Arsenal win, everybody says it's a good
thing. I just think the message needs to be clear. People have different
ways of bringing the message," he said. "Wally asked me before the game if
he could shout and say whatever he wants. He did well, is very happy,
energetic. "Petrovic is a good guy, very positive and did a good job, but he
was assistant manager. "Wally has a specific job that he is committed to. He
is doing it well, is very passionate - but he does it in a different way."
Project
Grant has also confirmed that he plans to bring in further coaches, with
former West Ham favourite Paolo Di Canio touted as one possible arrival.
"We have a project and a vision here at West Ham," the former Portsmouth and
Chelsea boss said. "Our target at the end is to put West Ham in a good
position with a good football style, with good young players. "Part of this
is to build the coaching staff and from time to time we will add to the
staff. This is the future of the game."
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Vinny's Wigan Report
Vinny - Sun Nov 28 2010
West Ham Online
West Ham United 3 Wigan Athletic1
West Ham picked up a vital win over fellow Premiership strugglers Wigan in a
comfortable victory which will hopefully kick start a so far very poor
season.
Much of the talk before the game surrounded the future of manager Avram
Grant who had been turned on by many supporters last weekend at Liverpool.
This game was billed as 'must win' which has been done for so many games
this season, but given that we are gradually finding ourselves adrift of
safety something had to change soon.
This was a comfortable win which we always looked like securing. Wigan were
poor and had no bite to their play despite attempting to play passing
football. We looked stronger going forward and better in defence and we all
now hope that this victory will give the team the confidence they have been
so badly lacking.
Whilst I lost faith with Avram Grant last weekend I will give him credit for
having the courage to change the team and bring in a couple of players who
have not had a look in over the last few months.
In defence the out of form and quite awful Herita Ilunga was dropped from
the squad and replaced by James Tomkins who was making his first league
start since the opening day away at Aston Villa. This saw Danny Gabbidon
moved to left back.
In midfield the biggest surprise was on the left wing where Junior Stanislas
made his first start of the season and first appearance in any capacity
since coming on as a 90th minute substitute away at Manchester United in
August.
With Mark Noble out injured till 2011 Valon Behrami made a welcome return to
the side in the centre of midfield alongside Scott Parker with Pablo Barrera
coming back into the side in place of Luis Boa Morte.
Up front were Victor Obinna and Frederique Piquionne with Carlton Cole
dropping to the bench. Also on the bench was Zavon Hines who has been out
for eleven months.
We looked sharp in the opening stages of the game without creating many
chances. Everything we played forward to Piquionne saw the striker win the
header as he began as he would mean to go on with regards to his battle in
the air with the Wigan defenders.
Scott Parker was getting to grips with the game in the centre of midfield
with some excellent challenges and interceptions. Similarly Danny Gabbidon
was like a man mountain at left back with the Wigan players finding it very
difficult to get past him.
Despite the lack of clear cut chances a goal did come on 34 minutes. It
wasn't a pretty goal and was quintessentially route one. A pass into the
area from Jacobson saw Piquionne head the ball down for Valon Behrami to get
in between the two static Wigan defenders and score from just a few yards
out.
Having seen how difficult it was to break down Blackpool in our last home
game it was a relief for players and supporters alike. This was the second
goal of the season for Behrami who scored in his last start in the centre of
midfield away at Birmingham.
With the crowd pumped up we looked to take the game to Wigan and were
unlucky not to have doubled the lead when another long ball forward saw
Piquionne yet again win the ball in the air and flick on for Stanislas who
hit a powerful right foot effort which was well saved by the Wigan keeper Al
Habsi.
From the resulting corner taken by Stanislas the ball was planted onto the
head of Piquionne who met it as well as he could have but Al Habsi pulled
off a quite remarkable instinctive save to keep Wigan in the game.
Al Habsi nearly ruined his good work when he flapped at a cross from
Stanislas taken from a dead ball situation but although the ball fell to
Upson the Captain could only shoot well wide of the goal.
We were all over Wigan by this point and went in at half time confident that
a second goal was on its way.
With just five minutes on the clock in the second period Lars Jacobson was
forced off with injury and replaced by Winston Reid who was involved in
first team action for the first time since Bolton at home way back in
August.
Just before this substitution we should have scored the second goal when a
cross into the area from Upson found Piquionne unmarked and despite the
Wigan players believing he was offside, no flag went up and Piquionne lazy
effort went wide.
On 56 minutes we did manage to get a second goal and it was a cracker of a
finish. A long ball forward saw Victor Obinna win the header and flick on to
Piquionne to knocked the ball back for Obinna who found space and hit a
brilliant shot with his left foot into the corner of the net.
This amazingly was Obinna's first league goal for the club and was the type
of goal he has been threatening for quite a while.
Within ten minutes of the second goal the game had it's definitive moment
when Wigan won a penalty. Tom Cleverley got into the area and knocked the
ball past Gabbidon who brought him down. Where I was sitting I thought it
was a clear penalty and the gasp from most of the fans around me suggested
that they too thought it was a penalty.
The ref Mark Halsey seemed to take an age to give the penalty which he must
have got help from the linesman in making this decision. Stepping up to take
the kick was Boselli but his kick down the middle was saved by the feet of
Robert Green to the delight of the West Ham fans.
Piquionne should have been given a penalty when he was fouled by Gohouri but
Halsey claimed that the defender had got the ball.
With fifteen minutes remaining the three points were wrapped up and it was
another excellent goal started and finished by the wonderful Scott Parker.
He won the ball in our own half with a strong challenge and he raced forward
exchanging passes with Obinna and scoring his sixth goal of the season.
Wigan did manage to score a consolation and what a goal it was as the ball
was only cleared as far as the impressive Cleverley who hit an unstoppable
shot past Green to deny Robert Green a clean sheet.
And things very nearly got worse when failure to clear a corner saw the ball
eventually converted by Gohouri only for the linesman to raise his flag.
With it being in the 94th minute that was to be the last action of the game.
Despite the late scare I thought we were more than value for our victory in
a game that we dominated and scored some excellent goals.
Player Reviews
Robert Green
A brilliant save from the penalty at such a crucial moment of the game and
if they had scored it would have been a different second half. Did not have
to make many other saves but will be disappointed not to take a clean sheet.
Lars Jacobsen
A solid first half performance from the Dane and his distribution was also
good. Had a part to play in the first goal with an accurate pass into the
area for Piquionne. Forced off just after the break and hopefully will
recover quickly.
Matthew Upson
Wigan without Rodallega offered little up front but despite this Upson was
still solid and despite him still not being vocal enough for my liking he
rarely looked troubled.
James Tomkins
Positionally he was excellent and did not make any silly mistakes which was
the reason he has not been in the side ahead of others. He deserved this
chance given how bad we have been in defence and he did well. Tomkins for me
does have a ability but his progress seems to have stopped over the last
year. Hopefully he will get back some form and stay in the centre of our
defence.
Danny Gabbidon
He may not be the quickest and left back is not his position but I thought
Gabbidon played very well and was difficult for the opposition to beat. It
was a shame his silly sliding tackle gave away the penalty as it was a
tackle he did not need to make. Would expect this backline to stay the same.
Pablo Barrera
If we had to pick a player who was the weakest I'd have to give it to the
little Mexican. He was always buzzing about but when on the ball he just
cannot do what we need him to do which is beat his man and cross the ball.
Just not strong enough at the moment.
Valon Behrami
With Noble out we needed Behrami to step up and that is exactly what he did.
Forgetting the goal Behrami worked his socks off and would not let the Wigan
players rest. This is the type of performance which Behrami once treated us
to and we need more of this.
Scott Parker
What more can I say every week about Scott Parker? He was just outstanding.
He won tackles, he won headers, he made interceptions, he drove forward, he
scored, and he was just fantastic.
Junior Stanislas
A surprise inclusion but it certainly worked. Playing with two wingers gave
us the option of width and another way to play. Stanislas may have drifted
in and out of the game but when he found a bit of space he always wanted to
race forward and not play the ball backwards which we have suffered from in
recent games. We won, this worked, keep him in the side.
Victor Obinna
Scored one and made another. A very productive day from Obinna who showed
what he can do when playing as part of a front two and not on the wing. Why
this has taken so long for Grant to see I do not know but Obinna scoring
will hopefully give him the confidence to go and get some more.
Frederique Piquionne
All that was missing from his performance was a goal because Piquionne was a
beast in the air. He won so many flick on's and showed Carlton Cole just how
to win headers. Was unlucky not to score in the first half and should have
done better in the second.
Subs Used
Winston Reid (on for Jacobson 50 mins)
Looked a little rusty especially with some of his clearances but this was
good to see one of our bigger money signings of the summer. If Jacobson does
not recover from the injury which forced him off then I would encourage
Grant to play Reid and not Spector.
Carlton Cole (on for Piquionne 77 mins)
Ran about but when he did get the ball he was poor. Should have done better
with a left foot effort which he scuffed wide but what else would you expect
from a player so out of form you can easily forget he has been our top
scorer over the last two seasons. No need to boo him when he came on.
Radoslav Kovac (on for Parker 83 mins)
On to presumably give Parker a break given the Cup game on Tuesday. Kovac
saw little of the ball although when he did he didn't do anything
drastically wrong.
Subs Not Used: Boffin, Boa Morte, McCarthy, Hines
Bookings: None
Man Of The Match: Scott Parker
Wigan Athletic:Al-Habsi, Stam, Gohouri, S.Caldwell, Figueroa, Thomas (Watson
68), Diame, Gomez (Moses 61), N'Zogbia, Cleverley, Di Santo (Boselli 61)
Subs: Pollitt, McArthur, Mustoe, McManaman
Attendance: 34,178
Overall
The owners dubbed this game as 'Save Our Season' which was perhaps a little
strong but with a full house, and the crowd behind the team (apart from evil
Carlton Cole) we recorded our biggest victory of the season so something
obviously worked.
Nothing other than a victory could even be contemplated and we can be
pleased at the changes Grant made because they quite clearly worked. No one
can get ahead of themselves as this was a win over a poor Wigan side who
will surely be down near the bottom come the end of the season.
Next Game - Manchester United (h) [League Cup Quarter Final]
Forgetting our league position this is a massive game and a chance to go
further in a competition we can win. Seeing that Manchester United have just
beaten Blackburn 7-1 would indicate is going to be a long night but
Manchester United will not play a full strength side and although their
second team is full of quality players we have a chance to progress to a two
legged semi final.
Injuries permitting it should be the same starting line up. Of course if
Kieron Dyer is fit (don't laugh) then he would come in for Barrera but
changing the team would not be advisable.
It is just nice to be reporting on a victory because after the Liverpool
game last week I had hit a bit of a depressing low about the future of the
club. I still have many concerns and do not think we have exactly turned the
corner but it is a start and we have closed the gap.
A win over Manchester United would be quite amazing given our season so far
and would boost morale a little bit more.
I still do not believe Avram Grant will survive another few league defeats
but I wish him nothing but luck in turning this club around.
The View From Grant
"It was a big win, a convincing victory, I am happy for that. I hope and I
am sure that it is only the beginning.
"We were more efficient today. We had played well before Liverpool game and
the performance was almost the same as we have been producing but we were
more efficient. We could have scored a few more goals. We had three or four
other big chances. This is the difference. We scored goals and this is the
name of the game."
"We started a little bit nervous, which I understand with our position in
the league and the game against Liverpool [last weekend]. Even then, the
players always tried to do the right thing, they were always fighting and I
am very happy because they responded."
Scotty represents the good old fashioned character of the English game
better than anyone. He always gives 100 per cent, even if he is sick. He
pushed to play and he did very well.
"He scored a fantastic goal. He is doing unbelievable things. He is the
modern midfielder player. He wins balls, block shots, scores goals, gives
assists. What else can I say? He was not at his best [health-wise]
afterwards but he was happy. When you win you feel better."
"Victor was close to goals in many games. Today he scored and gave a good
assist. It is very important for him. Freddie also did a good job, he missed
chances but he set up two goals. The other players worked very hard to help
the strikers. We had seven or eight good chances overall."
"It doesn't matter what other teams do. We need to do our job and only when
you come to the last ten or eight games is it important what other teams do.
A team in tenth position now could still end up at the bottom. We are only
seven points from ninth place. This isn't a gap you cannot close with more
than 20 games to go."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Avram Grant delivers a win for West Ham but Paolo Di Canio waits in wings
West Ham United 3 Wigan Athletic 1
7:00AM GMT 29 Nov 2010
SOS stood for "Save Our Season" according to West Ham's board, but was
nothing more than a marketing gimmick to ensure a packed house, said Avram
Grant after his side's comfortable victory over fellow strugglers Wigan.
Whether the same can be said of Paolo Di Canio's appearance at Upton Park
this weekend is a moot point. The former West Ham striker, returning to open
a lounge in his name at the stadium, got a great reception from the club's
supporters and admitted that he would welcome more formal involvement. They
were also chanting his name at Anfield last week, by way of suggesting to
the club's hierarchy that they would prefer him to Grant as their manager,
and rumours of a role in the coaching set up were not completely quashed by
the Israeli on Saturday. "He was a great player here and is always welcome,"
said Grant. "If he can teach our players how to play like him, I would take
him. But we want to build West Ham step by step and are looking for more
specific coaches."
He expanded on his theme later. "In the future we will have coaches for
every department: technical side, tactical side, mental, physical. Someone
to work with the strikers, and the midfielders, and so on." Grant's style of
management is executive rather than hands-on, happy to delegate different
areas of responsibility to specialists. "It's the future of the game, and
important to do. It happens in other sports, especially in America. Twenty
years ago no one had a goalkeeping coach. Now everyone has one."
Grant already has a new defensive coach, Wally Downes, who was appointed
when assistant manager Zeljko Petrovic left last week. Downes has huge
experience of the English game and looks to have made an immediate impact on
West Ham's notoriously flaky defence. He was an animated presence, barking
orders to all the players. "Wally did well, he's passionate and he brought
something new," said Grant. "He asked me before the game if he could shout
and say whatever he wants. He has a specific job and he's very happy,
energetic."
Even the urging of Downes could not guarantee a clean sheet, with Wigan's
best player, Tom Cleverley, curling a shot past Robert Green in the 85th
minute. By then West Ham were well on their way to only their second league
win of the season, after goals from Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna and Scott
Parker, the outstanding player once again. Wigan's cause was not helped
when Mauro Boselli missed a penalty, the Argentine allowing Green to make an
easy save in the 62nd minute. Boselli had just come on as a substitute, but
his manager, Roberto Martinez, had no regrets about giving him the
responsibility. "Our two normal penalty takers were not there and he had the
confidence to take it."
But he admitted that the striker, signed for £7 million, has struggled to
adapt to English football. "He's settling in but it's very, very different
to what he's been used to. His goalscoring ratio at the highest level in
Argentina is magnificent, with 50 goals over two seasons. He's a real
goalscorer and we need Mauro to be at his best because that will mean a lot
of goals and a lot of points."
Martinez admitted that his side, shorn of five players through injury and
suspension, were not at the races on Saturday, but is still confident they
can survive. "We were not ourselves today, but we've done really well at Old
Trafford, where we were the better side in the first half. We got a really
good win against West Brom and were the better side against Liverpool and
Newcastle. " I've got huge confidence in this squad." Both sides have tough
Carling Cup quarter-finals, with Wigan travelling to Arsenal and West Ham
facing Manchester United at home. "I might ask Alex [Ferguson] to do us a
favour," said Grant, who had something to smile about.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Avram Grant looks to the long term at West Ham
Manager remains positive after win over Wigan
Doubts still circulate over his position
Guardian report
West Ham United 3
Behrami 34, Obinna 56, Parker 75
Wigan Athletic 1
Cleverley 86
Paul Doyle at Upton Park
The Guardian, Monday 29 November 2010
Scott Parker scored West Ham's third goal as the Hammers scored three in a
league match for the first time this season. Photograph: Akira Suemori/AP
Avram Grant bears a certain bodily resemblance to Brian Cowen and it is
tempting to suggest that the West Ham United manager shares another trait
with the Irish prime minister – a refusal to recognise what is obvious to
almost everyone else.
While Cowen clings to his job by insisting he is the solution to the
economic problems that his administration helped cause, Grant maintains he
is building a brighter future for West Ham despite many supporters still
claiming his dismissal is inevitable, even after this victory over their
fellow strugglers Wigan Athletic.
Grant's employers, meanwhile, have been emitting mixed messages. The club's
vice-chairman, Karren Brady, said this month that the manager would not be
sacked even if West Ham were relegated, yet the board implied that defeat by
Wigan would have rendered his position untenable by billing it as a "save
our season game". Grant shrugged that off as "marketing" to encourage fans
to turn up and after the win, which did not lift West Ham off the bottom of
the table, he revealed that rather than fret about whether he will soon be
asked to clear his desk he is busy consolidating his regime.
"Our target is to put West Ham in a good position with a good football style
with good young players," said Grant. "Part of this is to build the coaching
staff and we will add more specialist staff. This is the future of the game
and it already happens in other sports, and in America. Twenty years ago no
one had a goalkeeping coach. Now everyone has one."
Even though West Ham's finishing against Wigan was, for once, accurate, as
goals from Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna and Scott Parker meant the Hammers
scored three in a league game for the first time this season, Grant said he
particularly wants a forwards coach and stressed that "one of the assistants
needs to be foreign to bring different opinions and different ideas and
because we have so many foreign players".
Grant lost one foreign coach last week when his assistant manager, Zeljko
Petrovic, resigned, with Grant insisting that Petrovic "wants be a No1
somewhere else". In keeping with his desire to hire more specialist coaches,
Grant has so far replaced Petrovic only with Wally Downes, who has been
given the role of defensive coach. After the victory over Wigan the players
said that Downes's influence is already bearing fruit.
"Wally has only come in over the last couple of days but he has been really
enthusiastic and he wants the defence to be the main part of the team, where
everything starts from," said Danny Gabbidon. "We did a couple of sessions
on Friday and even before the warm-up before the game we did a couple of
things which were different which we haven't done before. So hopefully we
can start keeping some clean sheets."
West Ham should probably have kept a clean sheet against Wigan who are the
Premier League's lowest scorers and, with Hugo Rodallega suspended, deployed
Franco Di Santo as a lone striker. The Argentinian youngster looked utterly
lost. He was eventually replaced by his compatriot Mauro Boselli but the £6m
summer recruit from Estudiantes fared no better and even saw his penalty
saved after Gabbidon had clumsily tripped Tom Cleverley, who would later
score for Wigan with a fine shot from the edge of the area.
"Mauro is still adapting to England, he will be a massive player for us,"
insisted Roberto Martínez, another manager who is finding the credibility of
his utterances increasingly questioned.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A Win is a Win, as They Say!
West Ham Till I Die
It was a stuttering performance, at times against Wigan, but the team got
the result and we really cannot ask any more. After all, West Ham have
played better this season and failed to deliver the win. And, at the end of
the day, it is a football cliche, but winning matches does, indeed, become
an habit and this might be the first step in acquiring that happy
propensity. A healthy 3-1 win can only be good for confidence and that is
one of the key characteristics that this Hammers side has been missing.
Much as been spoken about the arrival at the club of Wally Downes as the new
defensive coach. The fact is that it was good to see a committed coach, in
the technical area, barking instructions and giving positive encouragement
to the defence. It was also an interesting, and a very welcome,
development to observe the rearguard engaged in defensive exercises in the
pre-match warm up session. There was a definite improvement on Saturday,
with the defence looking a more cohesive unit, rather than just four
individuals barely on nodding terms. It was just a great pity that one
defensive lapse cost us a clean sheet.
I was particularly impressed with Matt Upson and thought he had his best
game for a long time. Regardless of his current contractual situation, the
fact remains that we need our best players on form and delivering the goods.
Upson undoubtedly falls in to that category. James Tomkins also looked very
confident and assured and that is to be welcomed. Perhaps Tomkins' recent
rest from first team duties has done him a power of good, affording him the
time and space to reassess his game and make improvements. While Robert
Green did well, especially with the important penalty save in the second
half. There will be far tougher defensive tests this season than that
posed by Wigan, but every journey starts with a first step and perhaps we
have now taken ours?
It was also good to see Junior Stanislas back in the first team. He
contributed to the victory and can only improve with further first team
experience. Grant needs to stick with Stanislas, giving him a specific
role in the team and the confidence of knowing he is going to be given a
decent run. The same argument applies to Tomkins, in whom we need to show
similar faith. Indeed, one should not under-estimate the value of having
some hungry, young players, with something to prove, in the side. Both
Tomkins and Stanislas have done their apprenticeships, now is the time for
them to start establishing themselves as first choice selections.
I was also impressed with Piquionne in this match. He has a certain laid
back style on the pitch that can be deceptive. But he played a key role in
the victory, laying on two of the three goals. He is good in the air and
provided a series of excellent knock downs in the final third. While Scott
Parker was a real midfield Trojan, yet again. His all action display,
capped by that excellent near post goal, was absolutely fantastic,
especially considering he was still dealing with the after effects of a
chest infection. And congratulations to Victor Obinna on his first PL goal.
If there is a player that would benefit from Di Canio's coaching it is
Obinna. This fellow can become a very good forward, but he needs to apply
himself and make better choices in the final third. He has shown that he
has the ability to finish clinically, now he must start doing it
consistently.
We now have a welcome distraction on Tuesday, with the Carling Cup
quarter-final against Man Utd. The players will get a welcome break from
the pressures of the PL, can relax and play without fear. The Carling Cup
is a bonus and they should be encouraged to express themselves and go for a
memorable win under the Upton Park lights. The real challenge, however, is
to build on the Wigan result and that means going to the Stadium of Light
and getting the win. We have already done it once this season in the
Carling Cup and, realistically, we can beat them again,as long as we go with
the right tactics and attitude.
In the Third Round of the FA Cup we have drawn Barnsley at home on the
weekend of the 8-9 January 2011. But, that can wait until after Christmas,
we have more immediate and pressing priorities right now!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Grant sets out his plan to rebuild West Ham using 'specialist coaches'
West Ham 3 Wigan 1
By Conrad Leach at Upton Park
Independent.co.uk
Monday, 29 November 2010
It seemed like a slightly strange time to announce it, but then Avram Grant
doesn't always do 'normal'. With his West Ham side still rooted to the
bottom of the Premier League, and effectively four points from safety
despite this revitalising win, the Israeli set out his plan for the future.
What is that plan? Lots and lots of "specialist coaches" for the "physical,
mental, tactical and technical side of the game." Then he added: "We have a
vision, a project, our target is to put West Ham in a good football style
and position. You see we have [young players] James Tomkins and Junior
Stanislas. We want to develop them and you will see more like them in the
future and another part is to build the coaching staff structure. We are not
in a hurry – there is no deadline about the coaches – but from time to time
we will add to the staff. I think this is the future of football. Twenty
years ago you didn't have goalkeeping coaches and now everybody needs one.
We will do it but not in one day."
Watching this win, only the second of the season, brought a smile to the
faces of David Gold and David Sullivan. Grant said one of them came into the
dressing room and was "happy". More importantly, the players showed some
resolve a week after collapsing so miserably at Anfield.
The reaction of the joint chairmen, who accepted the resignation of Grant's
assistant, Zeljko Petrovic, last week, to Grant's appeal for more,
expensive, help will be interesting. They brought in Wally Downes last week
to be the defensive coach, but Grant wants more. The pair have been trying
to reduce costs since they took over, and presumably the idea of a bloated
coaching staff does not fill them with glee.
Grant chose his moment well to make his case, having easily beaten a poor
Wigan side. Roberto Martinez's men waited until they had fallen behind to
goals from Valon Behrami, Victor Obinna – the Nigerian with his first league
goal of the season was assisted by Frederic Piquionne – and Scott Parker
before they responded with a fine strike from Tom Cleverley. At 2-0 down
they were thrown a lifeline, but Mauro Boselli, who had just come on, saw
his weak penalty saved by Rob Green with ease. Do Wigan have a penalty
coach? Maybe Grant will be hiring one.
Scorers: West Ham Behrami 34, Obinna 56, Parker 75. Wigan Cleverley 86.
Subs: West Ham Reid (Jacobsen, 50), Cole (Piquionne, 77), Kovac (Parker,
83). Unused Boffin (gk), Boa Morte, McCarthy, Hines. Wigan Boselli (Di
Santo, 61), Moses (Gomez, 61), Watson (Thomas, 68). Unused Pollitt (gk),
Mustoe, McArthur, McManaman. Booked None. Man of the match Piquionne. Match
rating 6/10.
Possession West Ham 46% Wigan 54%.
Shots on target West Ham 5 Wigan 5.
Referee M Halsey (Lancashire) Att 34,178.
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