KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 18th January 2011
By: Paul Walker
You couldn't make it up…sadly though at West Ham you don't have to, because
every day seems to bring more shambolic nonsense. Martin O'Neill says no, so
a board who were intent on sacking Avram Grant weeks ago because results
were so bad, end up with a half-hearted commitment to the manager.
Half-hearted because it came on the end of a brief, terse, club statement
supporting Karren Brady and threatening to uncover the mole at Chadwell
Heath who leaked even more allegations about our part-time vice chairman to
the media. And there's the threat of legal action against the Mirror.
Strange that our leaders seem more concerned with discovering the mole at
the training ground rather than finding out which muppet it was who leaked
the O'Neill story not only to Sky but also the national media - because they
all had the story - on Saturday morning.
That wrecked any chance of O'Neill taking the job, the last thing he wanted
was for folk to think he'd been talking to the board while Grant was still
employed. The unwritten no-no of the managerial industry. Saturday's farce
clearly upset the players, left a 32,000 crowd confused and concerned, and a
manager hung out to dry. Players don't need many reasons to blame others for
a bad performance, and that is just what we got. A much-weakened side
totally outplayed in front of a TV audience.
Maybe that performance convinced O'Neill he was making a mistake. Who knows?
Neill is notorious for being very careful and not wanting to take risks that
would damage his career CV. He's had countless job opportunities over the
years, Liverpool as well as Leeds, and pulled away from them. Just why he'd
take on West Ham - despite a reported £3m bonus for avoiding the drop - is
anyone's guess.
Now the board are threatening legal action over the allegations that texts
were sent to players regarding Grant's future. Martin Lipton wrote that in
the Mirror and Matt Lawton in the Mail, although the Mail carefully avoided
putting a name to the texts in print. It's a lot easier to show which mobile
sent messages than it is to prove who actually pressed the keys! I would
describe Lipton and Lawton as respected former colleagues of mine, who are
not prone to making things up. And you can bet the Mirror 'legalled' the
story carefully.
What is needed now is for Brady to prove she was not responsible for
anything, and to also distance herself from suggestions she was involved in
Saturday's debacle, in some way. She may well be totally innocent, but fans
need to see her credibility restored, and quickly before her position
becomes untenable.
Now we are left with a squad, dysfunctional at best, angry with the way
their manager has been treated. Sadly, in all this, there's not been a
twitter of how badly us fans are being treated, but nobody seems to care
about the paying customers who have loved our club all their lives, and how
let-down we feel by this circus.
And while I'm on the subject, I really don't want to see a mid-range agent
like Barry Silkman - who seems to have so much say in what happens over
transfers - being sought out by Sky as some sort of club spokesman while
he's at the races. Silkman, I believe, is an associate of the people who
handle Grant's career, who in turn are close to the Chelsea hierarchy and
Roman Abramovic. As Grant has said of late: 'don't worry about me, I'll be
OK'. Too right he will be, whatever happens at the Boleyn.
Grant now has public sympathy, as well as the media's. And our fans feel
likewise as they see another manager being treated in the same way as Zola
was.
So now, a manager many felt should have been sacked in November for poor
results, has won the fight for the high morale ground even if he has only
won three of our last 16 league games and picked up 15 points from the last
48. Scoring just a goal a game on average. That is why he was going to be
sacked in the first place, but our rulers cannot even get that right. He was
for the chop, it should have been done quickly not the painful way we have
been witnessing.
And even more worrying is that there are rumours now that Grant has been put
under intense pressure by the club of late, almost inviting him to quit.
That may or may not be true, but we are left with a manager who on current
form is taking us down, cup results should not mask this situation. The
board may be right, any many would agree in their assessment. But they have
embarrassed the fans and turned the club into a laughing stock trying to
achieve their objective. As I said, you can't make it up.
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Sullivan - Let's get behind Grant
Manager finally gets the backing of West Ham owners
Last updated: 18th January 2011
SSN
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has thrown his support behind beleaguered
boss Avram Grant. Grant had been expected to be replaced at the weekend by
Martin O'Neill but he declined the chance to manage the East London team. It
was widely expected that the Israeli would be sacked due to the poor league
form of the Hammers, who have been bottom of the table for most of the
season. However, it now appears the Israeli will now be left at the helm at
Upton Park with their co-owner now calling for a united front.
Support
"The entire board is 100 per cent behind Avram," Sullivan told ESPN. "He is
a really decent person who deserves our support. "West Ham United is a club
that does the right thing and the right thing at this time is to support the
manager. "We will do all we can to bring in players over the next 12 days
and, once we have achieved that, we hope it will keep us up." "I urge all
the supporters to rally behind the club at this difficult time."
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My family begged me to walk
The Sun
By SHAUN CUSTIS and MARK IRWIN
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT'S family begged him to quit West Ham before they were beaten by
Arsenal on Saturday. The Hammers chief had a heart-to-heart with his
devastated wife and kids as news broke of the club's pursuit of Martin
O'Neill to be their boss. Grant was angry and confused by the constant
speculation coming out of Upton Park that he was about to get sacked - no
matter how they fared against the Gunners. It proved the final straw for his
worried family, who tried to persuade the Israeli to protect his dignity and
health by resigning after the match. Grant, who only took over in the
summer, spent the 3-0 defeat going over in his mind what he would say to the
players after the game. And he made the symbolic gesture of throwing his
Hammers scarf into the crowd at the end. But he could not go through with it
- and last night was shocked as anyone to hear a statement from club owners
David Sullivan and David Gold pledging 100 per cent support. A close pal of
Grant said: "Avram's family wanted him to walk, mainly as they feared for
his health because of the pressure and back-stabbing. "They felt he should
get out for his own sake. "Every day he'd been dealing with stories that he
was about to be sacked and the owners were looking at other managers to
replace him. "To hear these stories on the morning of a game was too much
for everyone. But in the end he couldn't do it. "The players made a big
difference, despite losing. When Avram went back to the dressing room and
heard them still backing and supporting him, he felt reassured."
Grant met Sullivan and Gold yesterday for talks and to plot transfer policy.
He was told he will not be sacked this season with co-owner Sullivan
laughably declaring: "We're a club that does the right thing." Stunned
players were left wondering what was going on as board members pretended
there had not been any moves to replace Grant with former Aston Villa boss
O'Neill. Sullivan insisted: "The board is 100 per cent behind Avram. He's a
decent person who deserves our support. "We'll do all we can to bring in new
players." Spurs striker Robbie Keane and Aston Villa hitman John Carew are
targets.
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Why the only people deserving of sympathy from sorry West Ham farce are the
ever-suffering fans
By Steve Stammers
Published 07:01 19/01/11
The Mirror
If there is any sympathy left for West Ham after the embarrassment of this
season, then it should be reserved for those who have the genuine love for
the club in their heart: the supporters. They have had to suffer the whole
gamut of emotions. From two men - Davids Gold and Sullivan - came the
assurance that they are true fans of the club, that they know what the club
is about, that they are aware of its history and tradition. They talked
about their pride in securing control at Upton Park. Sullivan even cried
during a radio interview. In fact, their ignorance concerning West Ham and
its supporters has been cruelly exposed from Day One.
Remember that first match against Blackburn when the crowd were treated to
the medley of Blitz-era tunes? 'Run Rabbit Run' was one of the ditties that
had those in claret and blue looking at each other as if they were victims
of some terrible spoof. There was also the brief life-span of the PA man
calling '...Bubbles' the anthem of Essex and East London. It isn't, never
will be and such a claim was soon abandoned. And now comes this latest
fiasco concerning the future of Avram Grant. Under the two greatest managers
the club ever had - Ron Greenwood and John Lyall - such rumour-mongering
would not have been allowed or tolerated. It just wouldn't have happened.
"Sources".
"Insiders".
Such words never used to exist at West Ham during the Greenwood-Lyall years.
And yet still the fans turn up in their tens of thousands and rarely, if
ever, do the team get grief during the match from The Bobby Moore Stand, The
Trevor Brooking end or the Chicken Run, where the real die-hards gather. On
the final whistle, it could be different. Reaction to defeat can be swift
and clearly audible. But last Saturday, even after they had been
comprehensively dismantled by Arsenal, the volume of support was as if the
Premier League's top spot had been achieved, not the position at the other
end of the table.
Such support demands respect.
Such support deserves better than to be kept in the dark about who is
managing the team.
Such support deserves more than to be patronised and fed spin.
There have been enough genuine stars at West Ham over the years for the fans
to relish. They know a player - they don't need to be told. It is impossible
to attract NEW fans to West Ham. Gimmicks won't win them over. Attacking
football, more home-growns with the club in their DNA, like Mark Noble, and
a hierarchy they can respect. That'll do. No more spin, no more insiders and
no more sources. No more boardroom intrigue. West Ham fans have suffered
enough this season. Last week's fiasco may have just been the final straw
for some of them. And no amount of e-mails or East End knees-up medleys will
tempt them back. Only football, honesty and commitment will do that. The
qualities that were the legacy of Greenwood and Lyall.
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West Ham Keane to help Grant
Published 23:00 18/01/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham are proving their "commitment" to Avram Grant by stepping up their
bid to land Robbie Keane from Spurs. Co-owner David Sullivan insisted
yesterday the Hammers hierarchy backed the manager, despite the club having
actively tried to replace Grant with Martin O'Neill. Sullivan said: "The
entire board is 100 per cent behind Avram. We will do all we can to bring in
players over the next 12 days and, once we have achieved that, we hope it
will keep us up." The east Londoners have made a move for Republic of
Ireland striker Keane, who has made just 13 appearances for his club this
season. They are set to raise the £8million needed to buy Keane by selling
wing-back Valon Behrami and are understood to have accepted £10m from
Fiorentina. West Ham are also tracking Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba, 25,
with the German club poised to land Liverpool's Ryan Babel as a £7m
replacement.
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West Ham board 'are behind Grant 100%'
Published 16:47 18/01/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Co-owner David Sullivan today insisted the entire West Ham board were "100%"
behind Avram Grant, despite the club having actively tried to replace him as
manager. The Hammers were forced into an embarrassing climbdown this morning
as they finally decided to give Grant a formal vote of confidence after
reportedly being snubbed in their efforts to lure Martin O'Neill to Upton
Park. Grant had appeared on the brink of the sack at the weekend, amid
claims former Aston Villa and Celtic boss O'Neill had been lined up to
succeed him. But the Israeli now finds himself in an extraordinary position
of strength, having been publicly endorsed as the man to save the Hammers
from Barclays Premier League relegation. "The entire board is 100% behind
Avram. He is a really decent person who deserves our support," said
Sullivan. "West Ham United is a club that does the right thing, and the
right thing at this time is to support the manager. "We will do all we can
to bring in players over the next 12 days and, once we have achieved that,
we hope it will keep us up. "I urge all supporters to rally behind the club
at this difficult time."
However, Sullivan's backing is only likely to end speculation about Grant's
position in the short-term. The contradictory anonymous briefings which have
emanated from Upton Park of late - some of which the club are investigating
- suggest a real split on the board over whether to sack Grant, who was only
appointed in the summer. The club have been bottom of the Premier League for
virtually the entire season but their form has improved dramatically of late
and they are also within touching distance of the Carling Cup final. The
upturn in fortunes failed to spark any public board backing for Grant and he
went into Saturday's game with Arsenal seemingly a dead man walking. But
O'Neill was reportedly turned off by the whole Upton Park soap opera,
handing Grant a reprieve.
Today's statement should appease supporters to a certain extent after they
urged the Hammers board to either back or sack Grant, with former West Ham
captain Julian Dicks warning the club earlier this week that they were in
danger of turning into a "laughing stock" by not providing clarity over
Grant's position. He had already been allowed to bring in Wayne Bridge on
loan from Manchester City and is set to make more signings before the
transfer window closes. That could include Paris St Germain striker Peguy
Luyindula, who has refused to rule out a January switch to Upton Park. The
31-year-old, who has been used 17 times as a substitute in league action by
PSG this season, admitted he would be tempted by a move, telling Le
Parisien: "To say otherwise would be wrong. West Ham is London, and I have
half my family in London. In football, nothing is impossible. "If a club
offers something that PSG cannot refuse.... I will leave it with my agent. I
feel good in Paris, the next six months can be wonderful and I think I have
a part to play in that. "There may be something really good at the end."
PSG sit second in Ligue 1 and Luyindula, whose most prolific season saw him
score 16 goals in 37 league games for Lyon in 2003-04, insists he will not
rock the boat or agitate for a move. "People who are interested in signing
me should contact the club," he added. "They should discuss it with PSG. I
could shoot my mouth off and create a showdown, but this is not my state of
mind. But there are discussions to have."
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Back Avram Grant now? He should have been axed as West Ham boss in
November...
By MATT LAWLESS
Last updated at 6:24 PM on 18th January 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham should have sacked Avram Grant in November. November 20 to be
precise. The Hammers had been well and truly humbled - humiliated even - at
Anfield by a Liverpool side struggling under then-boss Roy Hodgson. Grant
stood on the touchline, wearing what has become an all-too-familiar grave
expression, lost for answers as his team sunk without a trace. He suffered a
torrent of abuse from the away supporters – most of whom who left at
half-time, disillusioned with what was truly a woeful performance. Their
fury was not fuelled by a lack of three points. After all, most of them, if
any, had not been treated to a victory over the Reds on Merseyside in 47
years. Instead, it was the dishevelled display they witnessed, one far from
the traditions of the club they follow. No fight, no spirit, no hope.
'That's why we're going down,' they chanted as Victor Obinna blazed their
best – and only – chance of the game high and wide over the bar.
The result left West Ham bottom of the table, a position they have cemented
for most of the campaign - just one win from a possible 13 games at that
stage. Unacceptable, on the back of three draws, all of which against sides
they should have soundly beaten. It began at the beginning of the month
against Birmingham at St Andrew's. After losing in the dying moments of
their previous game against Arsenal, some would say undeservedly, the
Hammers produced a stunning (yes, in the context of their season) 60 minutes
of football to take a 2-0 lead.
Here comes the turnaround: the first of nine points targeted by the club's
owners to steer the club up the table and away from danger. But, no - it
wasn't to be. A two-goal lead dramatically squandered and only a point
gained. Lacklustre home draws against newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion
and Blackpool would follow at Upton Park before Grant was subjected to the
first of many 'You're getting sacked in the morning' cries at Anfield.
Sacked in the morning? Sacked in an hour? How wrong the fans were once more
as they repeated the protests last weekend against Arsenal before most
walked out early. Again.
To be fair, even Grant appeared to accept his much-maligned fate, flinging
his so-called 'lucky' scarf into the crowd after yet another abject
performance in the 3-0 defeat to the Gunners. Most deemed it as a parting
gesture after hearing rumours of Martin O'Neill, Martin Jol and Sam
Allardyce all supposedly waiting outside the gates of the Boleyn before
kick-off, and later intensifying after the final whistle.
But O'Neill said no, Allardyce wasn't keen and Jol was nowhere to be seen,
leaving the Hammers board to break a four-day silence and finally back the
beleaguered Israeli as the man to lead their fight for survival. A 'laughing
stock' was the description club legend Julian Dicks offered on Monday. He's
not wrong either. The East End club have become the Barclays Premier
League's whipping boys both on and off the field and deservedly so. A brief
spell over Christmas and a fine Carling Cup run (that puts them on the brink
of their first Wembley cup final in 30 years) aside, West Ham have simply
been awful.
With the exception of Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Robert Green, the players
have cowered behind their under-fire manager in a succession of shocking
performances.
Carlton Cole bore testament to that, in fact. On November 20. He publicly
questioned Grant's tactics and admitted how poorly they had played. It was
on that day that Grant should have gone. A clear signal that the dressing
room was lost on him as was the 5-0 defeat at Newcastle and Saturday's
comprehensive loss to Arsenal. The club's owners David Gold and David
Sullivan dithered on the issue and have subsequently been tarnished by their
failed pursuit of O'Neill. Indeed, a pursuit that was in the best interests
of the club. Three months ago. Sullivan has called for the club to be united
and get behind Grant. That is, I fear, too little, too late as they tumble
towards the abyss.
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Tony Cottee Column: I knew my former boss O'Neill would not join West Ham
Tony Cottee, East London Advertiser Columnist
Tuesday, 18 January, 2011
14:15 PM
AS soon as the news was leaked on Saturday morning saying West Ham were in
for Martin O'Neill I knew he would not be joining as manager. I played under
Martin for three years at Leicester and know the type of person he is. Being
linked to a job which is already filled by a fellow manager is the last
thing he would want to read. It's a missed opportunity for West Ham. He is a
great motivator of players, very passionate and an overall brilliant
manager. There is no doubt we went about things the wrong way and the whole
situation has been badly managed and been a PR disaster. If you are not
happy sack the manager and then bring someone in, but we didn't and ended up
being in no mans land and it is something we have to learn from. There is
someone in that board room who has leaked this information and should hang
their head in shame. We need to go back to the old days when West Ham was a
closed shop
I have said from the start I don't believe Avram Grant is the right man to
be in charge of the club, but you must feel sorry for him, because he has
faced the media and been put under a lot of pressure when he shouldn't have.
I believe under Grant we are only going in one direction and I am very
concerned we won't be able to get out of this mess we are in.
Tony Cottee was talking to Matt Diner
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Exclusive – Martin: 'West Ham should never have got rid of Zola'
TalkSPort
By Alex Varney
Tuesday, January 18
West Ham legend Alvin Martin has told talkSPORT his former club are paying
the price for axing Gianfranco Zola too early. Zola was sacked last summer
after the Hammers finished 17th in the Premier League but there have been no
signs of improvement this term under his replacement Avram Grant. Grant is
now clinging to his job at Upton Park, but Martin believes the club's
co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold should never have put themselves in
this position as Zola deserved more time. "If there's one criticism of the
decisions that have been made since they [Sullivan and Gold] arrived it's
perhaps they got rid of Zola too early," he told Hawksbee and Jacobs. "I
know there was a divided opinion about Zola, whether he was a little soft,
etc. But what I would say is while I think they flirted with relegation last
year it looked like the players were playing for him. "And I just felt that
when you actually make the decision to get rid of a manager like that you
have to be 100 per cent certain. "Now I have to ask myself would Zola have
performed any less in terms of quality than the manager they've got in now.
Would he have been bottom? We don't know. "What I am saying is, coming up to
Christmas, if Zola had been in the bottom three I think the owners then
could have played that card and said 'right ,we're going to make a change'.
And that would have put them in a much stronger position than they are now."
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West Ham to Attempt to Land Liverpool's Joe Cole Via Loan Deal
by Nick Coman on Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 11:06AM 11
Nesn.com
West Ham owners David Gold and David Sullivan have had quite the Tuesday,
both backing Avram Grant as long-term manager and suggesting that the club
would pursue one of its former prodigies, Liverpool's Joe Cole. The Hammers
tried to land Cole last summer before he chose to join Roy Hodgson at
Anfield, and, though he hasn't been in the best of form for Liverpool,
ownership at Upton Park is still interested in bringing in their former
youth player.
"It's a very long shot, but we are willing to have a go," said a West Ham
source, according to ESPN. Cole scored 10 goals for West Ham's first team
from 1998-2003. He has one goal in 11 league appearances this season at
Anfield. With Liverpool in an expensive pursuit of striker Luis Suarez, the
team may be willing to shed wages in order to accommodate the potentially
incoming star. Still, it does not seem as though Hammers management expects
their bid to go through.
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Bridge joins list of West Ham debut disasters
Newham Recorder
Dave Evans, West Ham correspondent
Tuesday, 18 January, 2011
17:40 PM
West Ham's latest recruit, Wayne Bridge, suffered the debut from hell
against Theo Walcott and Arsenal at Upton Park on Saturday night. So how
does it measure against some of the great debut disasters?
GLENN KEELEY made his Everton debut in the Merseyside derby back in 1982. He
fouled Kenny Dalglish, was sent off and never played for the club again.
Arsenal's Jason Crowe was sent off after just 33 seconds of his debut, while
Tottenham's Gilberto gave away a goal against PSV Eindhoven was roundly
booed and then substituted at half time. Remember Jonathan Woodgate? His
debut for Real Madrid saw him score an own goal and then get sent off.
So perhaps on reflection, Wayne Bridge's disastrous first game for the
Hammers against Arsenal on Saturday evening was not quite as bad as we all
thought. In reality, the 30-year-old left back had not started a competitive
game since mid-December and when in your first game back you find yourself
up against Theo Walcott, it is never going to be a walk in the park. It was
anything but. All three goals were down to mistakes from the England
international, who had more rust in his legs than a 1977 Ford Cortina. First
he was caught in his area as the ball went to Walcott on the right, and he
gave him all the time in the world to cross for the opening goal. Next he
played Robin van Persie onside and then when the Dutch striker pulled the
ball back, he completely misjudged it and allowed Walcott to make it 2-0.
Lastly he made a pointless challenge on Walcott in the area and conceded a
penalty which allowed the Gunners to complete their easy victory. In
between, he showed signs of his class, but the match was to prove even more
frustating for the Manchester City defender as he hobbled off with two
minutes to go. Hardly the ideal first game, but Bridge knows that things can
only get better. "It was a difficult game for me really," said Bridge with
something of an understatement. "Theo is really quick and that was my first
90 minutes for a while. I've not played too many this season, so I had a
little bit of cramp at the end, but I didn't feel too bad for the first 60."
Bridge comes in with the reputation as a reliable full back, but also as a
player who spends too much time sitting on the bench. He has made the
decision to come to Upton Park and play some first-team football, though he
could not have wished for a harder first match. "It was difficult," he
admitted. "Arsenal are a great team and keep the ball well, so most of the
time we were running around chasing after the ball. "We had a few chances
and if we'd put one away it might have been a different story."
Yes, it might have given Arsenal the incentive to score more goals. Bridge
will certainly be buckling down now in readiness for Saturday's trip to
Everton as well as the Carling Cup semi-final with Birmingham. "I try not to
look too far ahead," he said. "We have got Everton this weekend and I just
want to win, but we've also got a chance of winning a medal in the Carling
Cup and that would be great." Graham Gooch was a spectator on Saturday. On
his Ashes debut he got a pair. He didn't do too badly after that and Bridge
will be hoping for the same.
OTHER WEST HAM DEBUT DISASTERS
Matty Holmes
Newcastle United (a) 29/08/92
MATTY HOLMES was unfortunate to get caught up in the Kevin Keegan revival at
St James' Park when he made his debut for the Hammers. Julian Dicks was sent
off for elbowing Franz Carr and West Ham were comfortably beaten 2-0. For
Matty Holmes, he was forced off with what looked like concussion, but turned
out to be a broken jaw!
Jeroen Boere
Newcastle United (a) 25/09/93
THE late Dutch striker made an inauspicious start to his career at West Ham.
He made his debut at Newcastle United, coming on as a substitute after Andy
Cole had given the Magpies the lead. However, when Cole made it 2-0, Boere
clashed with Kevin Scott and Barry Venison and was promptly sent off.
He went on to make 29 appearances in claret and blue, scoring seven goals.
Tony Cottee
Liverpool (a) 10/09/94
TONY COTTEE'S second debut for the Hammers did not prove to be as rewarding
as his first when he scored against Tottenham Hotspur. Playing at Liverpool
on his return, he was sent off after 55 minutes for a two-footed lunge at
Hammer to be Rob Jones. It wasn't all bad though, West Ham got a rare 0-0
draw at Anfield.
Scott Minto
Sheffield Wed (a) 16/01/99
YOU wouldn't have thought Minto's debut at home to Sheffield Wednesday held
too many demons, it proved to be a nightmare day. The full back and the rest
of West Ham's beleaguered troops found themselves on the end of a 4-0 defeat
at Upton Park as Benito Carbone ran them ragged all afternoon.
Tomas Repka
Middlesbrough (a) 15/08/01
WHEN you consider the start he made at West Ham, it is amazing that Tomas
Repka became so popular. On his debut at Middlesbrough he was given his
marching orders with 10 minutes to go as West Ham crashed 2-0. He was sent
off again at Blackburn before the month was out.
AND THERE'S MORE
ROB JONES debut proved to be his only game as the trip to Finland to play
Jokerit in the Inter-Toto Cup convinced him he had to retire. Sasa Ilic's
debut was a 4-0 home defeat by Everton, while Mauricio Taricco played 27
minutes against Millwall before being forced off with an injury and he then
promptly retired from the game.
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McCarthy lands QPR trial
South Africa international looks to kick-start career with move
Last updated: 18th January 2011
SSN
Benni McCarthy is hoping to end his West Ham nightmare with a move to
Championship leaders QPR. The 33-year-old played in a behind-closed-doors
match for Rangers reserves against Tottenham. Spurs fielded a strong line up
that included Robbie Keane, Jamie O'Hara and Jonathan Woodgate. McCarthy
managed to score as the Hoops' second string were thumped 9-2 to give Neil
Warnock something to think about. Warnock is looking to reinforce his attack
after strikers Jamie Mackie and Patrick Agyemangboth suffered broken legs.
McCarthy joined the Hammers last January from Blackburn Rovers for
£2.5million but he has yet to open his account for the club. He has made
just 13 appearances for West Ham, with 10 of those coming as a substitute.
And McCarthy's on-going weight problems have been a problem during his time
at Upton Park.
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Benni McCarthy linked with QPR after goalscoring outing with Hoops
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:57 AM on 19th January 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham striker Benni McCarthy will hold talks with Neil Warnock today
after playing for QPR in a behind-closed-doors match against Tottenham on
Tuesday. McCarthy, 33, scored but QPR lost 9-2 to a strong Spurs side.
Warnock has also agreed a loan move for Newcastle winger Wayne Routledge and
is in talks over a move for Millwall defender Danny Shittu. Meanwhile, West
Ham will rival Stoke for Hoffenheim's Demba Ba.
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The three key players deciding West Ham's managerial future
By Sandy Macaskill 3:32PM GMT 18 Jan 2011
Telegraph.co.uk
With West Ham's board under scrutiny following an apparent U-turn on Avram
Grant, Telegraph Sport profiles the three figures calling the shots at Upton
Park.
David Sullivan
The power behind West Ham is co-chairman David Sullivan, a pornographer with
a penchant for Sgt. Pepper-style military overcoats. The multi-millionaire,
whose estimated fortune is £600m and is known for "sex and soccer", began
his career at Gerald Ronson's petrol stations. According to the Sunday Times
he controlled half of the adult magazine market by the mid-1970s. Despite
being a life-long West Ham supporter, Sullivan bought Birmingham City, which
was in administration, in 1993 with business partners David and Ralph Gold.
They sold the club to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung in winter 2009 for
£81.5 million. The 61 year-old, who graduated in Economics from Queen Mary
College, University of London, has come into contact with police on more
than one occasion. He was convicted for living off immoral earnings and,
later arrested by the City of London Police amid a corruption investigation
into allegations of fraud in football. He and Gold acquired 50 percent of
West Ham in January last year, giving them operational and commercial
control.
David Gold
The sign hanging over the entrance to David Gold's Surrey mansion which
warns guests to beware of gunfire gives a revealing insight into this
charismatic 74 year-old multi-millionaire with a fondness for flying
helicopters. He made his fortune in the pornographic industry alongside
Sullivan, and is now co-chairman of West Ham. Gold, whose daughter
Jacqueline is chief executive of Ann Summers, launched the downmarket Sunday
Sport newspaper in 1986 with brother Ralph and business partner Sullivan,
but his passion is for football. A member of the FA Council, Gold spent half
a million on the oldest existing FA Cup, which is now kept in his drawing
room, to prevent it being bought by overseas buyers. He originally moved
into football as a shareholder at West Ham, but bought Birmingham City with
Sullivan in 1993.
Gold, a West Ham supporter since childhood, recently admitted that they
"literally didn't know what we were doing" when they moved to St Andrew's,
but he prides himself on having only sacked one manager, Barry Fry. He is
Avram Grant's chief supporter on the board, and has lobbied repeatedly on
behalf of the Israeli.
Karren Brady
West Ham's managing director Karren Brady might now be best known for
appearing at Sir Alan Sugar's side on the BBC's The Apprentice, but the
businesswoman was responsible for persuading Sullivan to purchase Birmingham
City. Sullivan appointed her managing director, making her the first woman
on the board of a football league club. She was just 23 at the time. The 41
year-old, married to Paul Peschisolido, the Burton Albion manager, began her
career at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, where she did work for
Sullivan before becoming a director of his company at the age of 20. In 2008
she was arrested along with Sullivan as part of the City of London police's
investigation into corruption in football. It was confirmed in August last
year that no action would be taken. It is not the only time she has courted
controversy in football. Her column for The Sun newspaper damaged her
relationship with Birmingham manager Alex McLeish after she mocked his
recruitment policy. After being appointed to the board of West Ham last
January, she used the column to plege that "we will hang in the Tower of
London" before West Ham suffer financial problems again. Drove the attempt
to recruit Martin O'Neill.
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Henry Winter: West Ham hierarchy could not have handled the Avram Grant
situation any worse if they tried
Telegraph.co.uk
By Henry Winter 7:25AM GMT 19 Jan 2011
Can a lame duck learn how to fly again? Can Avram Grant possibly hope to
inspire his players now that he appears to have been so undermined by his
employers? Can a board have handled a situation worse?
So many questions cling to the loveless marriage of Grant and the Upton Park
board, the decree nisi now seemingly delayed until the summer. So many
questions need answering for the benefit of the supporters of West Ham, the
real lifeblood of the club who will remain involved long after Grant, David
Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady have gone.
All the no-smoke-without-fire headlines need explaining. All the flirtation
with Martin O'Neill requires clarification. So many questions. Above all,
Gold, Sullivan and Brady must discuss how on earth they have allowed a
doomsday scenario to develop. West Ham's on-field fortunes, and therefore
their off-field fortunes, are in the hands of an individual who will never
win Manager of the Year but may get voted Man of the Year for his dignity
under intense pressure.
The board stand guilty of indecisiveness and incompetence over Grant. Then
again, they have sanctioned the paying of a reported £90,000-a-week in wages
to Wayne Bridge, who is hardly Leighton Baines, let alone Ashley Cole.
A fly-on-the-wall documentary-maker would have a sure-fire Bafta award
winner on their hands if they could film breakfast chez Brady, particularly
if conversation turned to the treatment of managers by their employers.
Brady's husband, Paul Peschisolido, is manager of Burton Albion. When the
sun finally sets on Grant's tortured time at Upton Park, the reaction of the
League Managers Association will be fascinating. Even if Grant's skills are
not particularly widely regarded, the anger felt within the managerial
community about the constant speculation over this decent man is
substantial.
When West Ham journey to Goodison Park this weekend Grant could have an
interesting chat with Everton's esteemed manager, David Moyes, who has twice
called for a managerial transfer window, so giving the dug-out dwellers a
rare sense of security. Strangely, Grant has seen his position weakened but
his reputation enhanced. The wave of sympathy flowing towards him would
breach the Thames Barrier. Grant has cut a figure of remarkable calm amid
the storm, refraining from reacting however much he may have wanted to rage
against the machinations.
When Grant threw his claret-and-blue scarf to supporters after the Arsenal
defeat it was a moment of real poignancy, bequeathing an enduring image.
It was a classy, human touch, seemingly a farewell gesture. Now that O'Neill
has turned West Ham down, Grant might get the scarf back. But not the job
security he craves.
Grant took training yesterday after the board issued a statement brimming
with all the levity of an edict from the Kremlin circa 1950. "The club are
committed to retaining Avram Grant as manager," read a missive hardly
gushing with warmth. Given football's glorious unpredictability, the next
few weeks could be the stuff of Hollywood B-movies, Avram metamorphising
into Cary Grant, the beleaguered coach embarking on an against-all-odds
journey to trophy and redemption.
If West Ham protect their first-leg lead at St Andrew's next week, Grant
will have booked Sullivan, Gold and Brady a place in the Royal Box at
Wembley.
Of course, their old club, Birmingham City, could wreck that dream. Twice
over. Birmingham have to visit Upton Park in the league and even a cursory
glance at the fixture list should coax sweat-beads on to the foreheads of
West Ham fans.
As well as home tests against Birmingham and Liverpool, West Ham face trips
to Bloomfield Road and the Hawthorns as well as Goodison. The team's fate
will be decided in April, a month of manifold hazards. West Ham must travel
to the Reebok, Stamford Bridge and Eastlands while Manchester United and
Aston Villa visit Upton Park. This could be a month where only two points
are gathered. West Ham look doomed. The fans' reaction to Grant will be
enlightening. They will pity him over recent events but will want to see
signs of effort from his team. If West Ham bow out of the Carling Cup and
Premier League without a fight, Grant's briefly-revived standing will slump
again. If the club do not bring in some new talent, refreshing the squad,
the mood could turn ugly.
Amid all the inevitable mud-slinging at West Ham, who are a "laughing stock"
in Julian Dicks's typically uncompromising appraisal, one important
footballing truism needs acknowledging. There is a difference between the
board and the club. Just because Gold, Sullivan and Brady have behaved
poorly towards their most important employee does not mean the long-standing
perception of West Ham is sullied.
Dominating Upton Park are two huge banners of Bobby Moore and Trevor
Brooking in their playing pomp, exuding sporting nobility. West Ham will
always be the club of Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, of Brooking and
more recently of Scott Parker and Mark Noble, Robert Green and Matthew
Upson. Decent people. Gold, Sullivan and Brady now have work to do to be
considered fit and proper people to run West Ham United.
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West Ham manager Avram Grant eyes Arsenal's Nicklas Bendtner to help with
relegation battle
Telegraph.,co.uk
By Jason Burt, Deputy Football Correspondent 7:25AM GMT 19 Jan 2011
Jason's Twitter
West Ham want to sign Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner – but have balked at
the £15 million asking price – after dramatically ditching their plans to
replace Avram Grant as manager. Grant is now expected to remain in charge
until the end of the season at least following Martin O'Neill's decision not
to succeed him at Upton Park. However, he will have to repair his strained
relationship with vice-chairman Karren Brady after West Ham issued a denial
on Tuesday that she had texted players to ask their opinion of the manager.
The club want to sign three players to bolster their squad and are hoping to
quickly move on from the fiasco over Grant's future, and O'Neill's
prevarication over whether to take the job on. The saga has not only damaged
West Ham's reputation but also their chances of avoiding relegation. Having
finally made the decision to retain Grant, who was resigned to leaving
before Saturday's game away to Everton, the club will hope they can move on
quickly and save their season.
On Tuesday night West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan was in defiant mood,
telling Telegraph Sport: "We are a decent club, Avram is a decent person and
one who deserves our support. "We have always supported our managers over an
18-year period [at Birmingham City and West Ham] and I feel it's vital that
every WHU supporter rallies behind the club for the last 15 games. "If we
all pull together we can still survive, though I accept that the task ahead
is not an easy one."
West Ham have agonised over Grant's future for weeks and were always unsure
whether O'Neill would accept the post. Other candidates, including Sam
Allardyce and Martin Jol, were considered. However, it is understood there
was a verbal agreement with O'Neill after salaries and backroom staff had
been discussed. But there was a change of heart from O'Neill. It is thought
that the former Aston Villa manager felt everything was too rushed and was
unsure whether the team were good enough to avoid relegation. He was also
concerned by the way in which it was reported on Saturday that he was
definitely taking the job. The club will now push ahead with plans to
improve the squad in the final two weeks of the January transfer window,
although they are hamstrung by a lack of finance. That situation may improve
slightly with the expected departure of midfielder Valon Behrami.
West Ham will now consider making a loan bid for Bendtner, although Arsenal
have indicated they would prefer to sell. Arsène Wenger may permit the Dane
to go out on loan but only towards the end of the transfer window. The
dilemma West Ham now face is do they wait and see what happens or, with only
two domestic loans allowed, and one already taken up by Wayne Bridge, do
they go for a different target now? There has been a tentative inquiry to
bring Joe Cole back to the club from Liverpool. The chances of securing the
midfielder, who earns in excess of £80,000-a-week at Anfield, are rated at
no more than 10 per cent. West Ham were hopeful that Robbie Keane would
eventually decide to join them from Tottenham, despite his wage demands and
the stipulation that he wants a £1 million bonus if the club avoid
relegation, but the chances of that deal going through have faded.
West Ham issued a statement yesterday morning to confirm that Grant was
staying although there was also a vow to "identify the source" of
allegations about internal strife at the club and the role played by Brady.
Her relationship with Grant has been difficult. First they had a public spat
over the collapse of Steve Sidwell's move to Upton Park and relations were
made worse by yesterday's claims about her alleged texts to players. This
was furiously denied by West Ham, who have also started legal proceedings
over what they claimed were "unhelpful and untrue comments" about Brady. A
club statement added: "Karren has worked tirelessly to improve all aspects
of the club's operation."
Given the distasteful way in which Grant's predecessor, Gianfranco Zola,
left the club, West Ham are in the middle of firefighting another public
relations own goal while the team sit at the bottom of the Premier League.
There is a groundswell of sympathy for Grant even though many at the club
feel that the Israeli is not only fortunate to be the manager, but has done
little to demonstrate that he has the ability to steer West Ham to safety.
The mistake West Ham made was to appoint a poor manager in the first place
and one who has gathered just four league wins all season. That mistake has
been compounded by the way he has been treated. West Ham may turn to a plan
they considered before Christmas and appoint another coach to work alongside
Grant. A number of high-profile names, including Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and
Paolo Di Canio, have been under consideration.
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