KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge could be set to sign for West Ham later this week. The former England international, now 30, is set to leave Man City during the current transfer window after admitting that his career at Eastlands is all but over. The battle to win his signature is said to be down to two clubs - West Ham and fellow strugglers Aston Villa - both of whom have met the player for informal discussions. Bridge is said to be set to make a decision on his future within the next day or two.
Elsewhere Valon Behrami is said to have been the subject of a bid from Serie A outfit Fiorentina - a bid that was instantly rejected. The Italians are likely to return with an improved bid later this week.
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Gameiro too costly for Los Che
Spaniards refuse to match Lorient's asking price for striker
By Patrick Haond Last updated: 10th January 2011
SSN
Valencia president Manuel Llorente is pessimistic regarding the club's chances of landing Kevin Gameiro. The Lorient striker is currently drawing attention from across Europe, with numerous clubs reported to be monitoring his availability. Spanish giants Valencia were keen to steal a march on their rivals and wrap up a deal early on in the winter window. However, those plans have been scuppered by Lorient's demands for their prized asset. With the asking price for the 23-year-old set at €12million (£10m), Llorente admits there is little chance of Los Che being able to prise the Frenchman away from his homeland.
Madness
He said in L'Equipe: "We will not conclude (this deal) now or for some time because the negotiations are going slowly. "The problem is that Lorient will not lower their price to less than 12million euros. That is pure madness. "If you look at the difference between what they want and what we are offering (quoted as €7m), which is very reasonable, there is a 40 per cent difference."
Gameiro, who has scored eight times in 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Lorient this season, is also reported to be interesting Bordeaux and Lille, while West Ham have been linked with an approach in the recent past.
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Bridge set to decide
Villa or West Ham for England man
Last updated: 10th January 2011
SSN
Wayne Bridge will decide whether to join Aston Villa or West Ham in the next 48 hours, skysports.com understands. The England international is surplus to requirements at Manchester City and they are ready to let him leave on loan. Both Villa and West Ham are ready to match his sizeable wages at Eastlands, leaving the two clubs battling it out for his signature. Avram Grant and Gerard Houllier have held talks with the player in order to persuade him to join their respective causes. Now Bridge is set to make a decision on his future, with both teams hopeful of sealing his signature on a deal for the rest of the season.
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Hammers reject Behrami offer
Fiorentina bid rejected
By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey Last updated: 10th January 2011
SSN
West Ham have turned down Fiorentina's initial bid for Valon Behrami, skysports.com understands. The Switzerland international is understood to have held talks with the Florence outfit last week and appeared close to sealing a return to Italy. Behrami arrived at West Ham in 2008 from Lazio, but he has not made the expected impact during his time in England. The 25-year-old had looked set to finalise a deal, but West Ham and Fiorentina have failed to come to an agreement. Fiorentina lodged their formal offer at the beginning of last week and had hoped to seal the deal over the weekend, but the Hammers have now decided their demands have not been met. The deal is not believed to be totally dead, but it remains to be seen whether Fiorentina will up their offer or if West Ham drop their demands.
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Avram Grant is finally found out
Martin Samuel
At some point this week, it is likely Avram Grant will be sacked as manager of West Ham United and so will end one of the most puzzling careers in the history of English football. Grant had scant pedigree for the Premier League when he arrived, and will have little more when he leaves. He has been employed almost exclusively through connections, and if the owners of West Ham thought his contacts book counted for more than his managerial acumen, they have paid a heavy price for their cynicism.
West Ham was always going to be the job that found out Grant. At Chelsea, he merely maintained Jose Mourinho's team — John Terry says the players just continued what they had been doing under the previous manager until Luis Felipe Scolari arrived — and Portsmouth were in such a state when he got there that mere maintenance was regarded as achievement.
Grant would have taken Portsmouth down anyway, even without the points deduction for entering administration, but hardship acted as another smokescreen, obscuring judgment. At West Ham, however, he was exposed. The club had financial issues but had a nucleus of decent players, and did not expect to be fighting relegation. Instead, Grant has set up camp at the bottom of the League with a homing pigeon's instinct. Without the safety net of Mourinho's methods or the handy shield of destitution, he has been revealed as an over-promoted, uninspiring figure, over here for who he knows, not what he knows. His little black book, however, has only ever helped one man. On the field, where it matters, Grant is just an empty Rolodex.
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David Beckham camp call Karren Brady claims 'laughable'
BBC.co.uk
By Dan Roan
A spokesman for David Beckham has told BBC Sport it is "laughable" to suggest the deal with Tottenham is a ploy to help Spurs move to the Olympic Stadium. West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady commented about the Los Angeles Galaxy star's tie-up in her newspaper column. Brady wrote on Saturday: "They may feel he [Beckham] could help their rival bid to ours for the Olympic Stadium." But former England captain Beckham's spokesman retorted: "We would never get involved in anything like that." Both London clubs have been named as the preferred bidders to move into the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, with the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) due to make a decision before March. West Ham had also wanted to take Beckham on loan from the Major League Soccer side, with the midfielder set to return to the Premier League while it is the off-season in the United States.
Explaining the reason behind her comment, Brady added: "The link is this: LA Galaxy is owned by Philip Anschutz - whose company AEG is Tottenham's partner in their stadium bid. "I admire Beckham as a football champion and I'd hate to see him being used as puppet for AEG." Beckham has agreed to train with the north London club until 10 February, but sources close to him have admitted the prospect of the 35-year-old actually playing for them during the course of his short-term move hang in the balance. Talks between Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke will continue on Monday regarding the length of Beckham's stay and what proportion of his wages Spurs will pay. One sticking point is that Spurs want the former Manchester United man until mid-March, meaning Beckham would miss all of LA Galaxy's pre-season. However, Beckham will undergo a medical at Tottenham on Monday and it is believed that once he starts training, that could help the deal progress one way or other.
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West Ham v Birmingham
BBC.co.uk
Carling Cup semi-final, first leg
Venue: Upton Park Date: Tuesday, 11 January Kick-off: 1945 GMT
Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two and highlights on The League Cup Show; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC
TEAM NEWS
West Ham manager Avram Grant will reshuffle his pack having made eight changes for Saturday's FA Cup third round win over Barnsley. Scott Parker, Matthew Upson, Carlton Cole and Frederic Piquionne are among those expected to return.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish rested seven first-teamers for Blues' win at Millwall and is likely to once again make sweeping changes. Matt Derbyshire could be in contention following his brace at the New Den.
MATCH PREVIEW
Major honours have been a rare commodity for both these clubs, but they meet on Tuesday hoping to reawaken memories of happier times following bitterly disappointing starts to the season. It's 31 years since West Ham United's last significant piece of silverware, the 1980 FA Cup triumph over Arsenal in the days of Brooking and Bonds. Avram Grant is the latest manager charged with bringing the good times back to Upton Park, but his six-month tenure in East London has been nothing short of a disaster.
The club are rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table with Grant's grip on the managerial reins seemingly hanging by a thread. The Israeli survived a reported three-match ultimatum at Christmas, but last week's 5-0 humiliation at Newcastle appears to have pushed the beleaguered boss to the brink and speculation is rife that his six-month tenure in East London will be brought to a swift end should the Hammers fail to progress in this competition.
Birmingham have also endured a season of frustration having struggled to build on last season's ninth-place Premier League finish. Goals remain manager Alex McLeish's primary concern, with £6m striker Nikola Zigic proving an expensive flop and last season's top scorer Cameron Jerome struggling to replicate that form.
The Midlands club have a fond relationship with this competition, and their 1963 League Cup triumph over fierce rivals Aston Villa remains their only major honour. The closest they have come to silverware since was in 2001, when Trevor Francis's Blues side suffered penalty heartbreak against Liverpool in what was then known as the Worthington Cup.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• This is the 90th competitive meeting of these clubs. West Ham have won 31 of the previous 89, Birmingham 38, with 20 draws.
• The Hammers have lost only one of their last eight games against Birmingham, winning four of those matches.
• Blues have not won at Upton Park since a 2-1 victory in October 2002. Stern John scored both Birmingham's goals that day.
• The 1966 and 1981 runners-up are making an eighth appearance in the semi-finals, and their first since 1989/90.
• They have lost five of their previous seven semi-final ties: 1964, 1967, 1972, 1989 and 1990.
• Their overall semi-final record is P16 W6 D2 L8 (including two replays in 1972).
• Their record at Upton Park in League Cup semi-finals is mixed: W3, D1, L3. Their two appearances in the final both came after victories in the home leg of their semi-final.
Birmingham
• Birmingham's 1963 League Cup triumph is the only major trophy in the club's history.
• The closest they have come to winning more silverware ended in disappointment when a Liverpool side managed by Gerard Houllier beat them on penalties in 2001.
• They are playing in the semi-finals for the fifth time, and their first in 10 years since finishing runners-up in 2001.
• Their two semi-final losses were in 1967 and 1996. Their overall semi-final record is W2, D1, L5.
• They have never won a semi-final away leg in this competition, losing three in a row since managing a draw at Bury in 1963.
• Their last League Cup semi-final match was a 4-1 home victory over Ipswich in 2001, which ended a run of five successive defeats at this stage of the competition.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
West Ham
Piquionne: 7 goals (1 in League Cup); Parker: 6 goals (2 in League Cup)
Birmingham
Gardner: 5 goals (1 in League Cup); Jerome: 4 goals (0 in League Cup); Zigic: 4 goals (2 in League Cup)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Phil Dowd
Assistant referees: Darren Cann & Simon Long
Fourth official: Mike Jones
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Clarke appointed
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers assistant manager Steve Clarke has been named as Liverpool's new number two. The 47-year-old coach was, as expected, confirmed as Kenny Dalgish's deputy this morning following the weekend re-shuffle at Anfield in which Roy Hodgson - who had only been at the club for six months - was fired following a string of poor results. Clarke's switch from Chelsea to West Ham in September 2008 was seen as something as a coup for United at the time. Current Real Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho, had credited the Scot for playing a major role in Chelsea's success and it was hoped that his introduction would help ease relative newcomer Gianfranco Zola into the manager's role. However Clarke was to become a victim of the new regime in the summer of 2010 when he officially agreed to leave by 'mutual consent' - a matter of days after Zola had been fired (by Karren Brady). Dalglish, speaking about the appointment earlier today said: "Steve is a great addition to our backroom team and I'm delighted we've been able to bring him into the club. "
Clarke - who effectively replaces former Fulham coach Mike Kelly at Anfield - had been out of work since leaving West Ham in the summer.
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Under fire Av turns to Carling
The Sun
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT is plotting his escape route from the Upton Park last-chance saloon. The vultures are circling over gaffer Grant with West Ham rooted to the foot of the table. Good vibes are in short supply at the Boleyn Ground — yet Grant is just two games away from delivering a cup final. The Hammers play Birmingham in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final tomorrow. And Grant is hoping he can blast a path to Wembley to save his skin. He said: "It is important that we get an advantage against Birmingham. It will be a tough game. "They are not easy to play against but they will think the same about us. It will be a game of a lot of emotion."
The Eastenders had a sensational win over holders Manchester United in the quarter-finals. And Grant added: "A semi-final in any competition is a big game. "You are just two games from the final. It is exciting and especially the way we have got to this point is something special. "We've had a tough route so we deserve to be here. "The quarter-final win against Man United is a game that no one will forget. We want to have this experience again. "It was great when I saw the faces of the fans after beating them. "Getting to the semi-finals is good but the final would be better. The players are ready."
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Blues battling for Mouche
Blackburn and West Ham also want Argentine
By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey Last updated: 10th January 2011
SSN
Blackburn and West Ham are rivalling Birmingham for the signature of Argentine starlet Pablo Mouche, skysports.com understands. The Boca Juniors ace looks set to make a move to Europe during this transfer window and talks are progressing with a number of clubs interested. However, it is believed that the 23-year-old forward is good friends with Carlos Tevez,which has seen him give England as his preferred destination. Birmingham have long been aware of the player and had hoped to seal deal for him at the beginning of the month, however, now there is rival interest from both Blackburn and West Ham. There is still strong interest emanating from Spain, Germany and Italy, which could yet scupper any of the English deals, but his British representative Barry McIntosh is confident a deal will be done. "Pablo wants to come to England, that is the main point at the moment," McIntosh told skysports.com. "There is interest from all over Europe, which is not surprising as he is a special talent."
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Sears for Newcastle?
West Ham Till I Die
I suspect this is a lot of tosh, but Newcastle are said to be bidding £5 million for, er, Freddie Sears. OK, he's done very well for us since his return from being on loan to Scunthorpe, but £5 million? You'd have to say that was a more than fair price for a player who's only scored two goals. Would you let him go if you were West Ham?
It's good to see Steve Clarke back in gainful employment as Kenny Dalglish's number two. I'm sure all West Ham fans will wish him well.
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Mouche to choose from for Argentine whizzkid
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on:10 January 2011 - 13:58
Sport.co.uk
Argentine striker Pablo Mouche has emerged as a January transfer window target for a trio of Premier League clubs with Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Birmingham City all thought to be interested in signing the 23-year-old. A close friend of Manchester City captain Carlos Tevez, the Boca Juniors star is thought to prefer a move to England despite similarly strong interest from clubs in Spain, Germany and Italy. Shooting to prominence in Buenos Aires, following a string of lively performances, the under-20 international has secured himself a reputation as a versatile operator in the final third of the pitch. British agent Barry McIntosh, who represents Mouche's interest on this side of the Atlantic, told Sky Sports that a move was very much on the cards.
"Pablo wants to come to England, that is the main point at the moment," McIntosh told skysports.com. "There is interest from all over Europe, which is not surprising as he is a special talent."
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Bridge heading for troubled waters?
Author: Andrew Allen
Posted on:10 January 2011 - 14:15
Sport.co.uk
Manchester City full-back Wayne Bridge looks set to decide between relegation threatened West Ham United and Aston Villa as he attempts to secure first team football away from Eastlands. The former England international has lost his place under Roberto Mancini to Serbian star Alexander Kolarov and is thought to want to secure a permanent move but will most likely settle for a loan deal in the coming days. At 30-years-old the Southampton protégé still has much to offer the Premier League and is understood to have been contacted by both Avram Grant and Gerard Houllier.
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Cole set to return
Virgin Media
Carlton Cole looks set to return to the West Ham team for Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Birmingham. The England striker was one of several first-team players rested for the FA Cup win over Barnsley, so Scott Parker, centre-back Matthew Upson and forward Freddie Sears should also return. Thomas Hitzlsperger has returned to training after a long-term thigh problem and he could be back in action by mid-February, but Kieron Dyer (thigh) remains out.
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