WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for the big Tuesday night tie.
11.01.2011
Carling Cup semi-final first leg
West Ham United v Birmingham City
Tuesday 11 January 2011
7.45pm
Referee: Phil Dowd
WHUTV - LIVE AUDIO COMMENTARY
• West Ham United welcome Birmingham City looking to win the two-legged tie
and secure a place at Wembley for the first time in 30 years since the 1981
League Cup final. The second leg will be played at St Andrew's on Wednesday
26 January.
• This will be the second meeting of the clubs this season after the 2-2
draw at Birmingham on 6 November, with the Hammers throwing away a two-goal
lead in that Barclays Premier League tie. After the Blues battled back to
square the contest, Lars Jacobsen - cup-tied tonight - was denied a strong
penalty shout.
• Tickets are pay on the day with the turnstiles open from 6.15pm. Click
here for more information.
• Freddie Piquionne scored both goals for Avram Grant's Portsmouth last
season as they won 2-0 at home in the FA Cup against the Blues on 6 March
2010. That came three days before Piquionne and Grant were 2-1 losers in a
Barclays Premier League encounter between the same clubs, also played at
Fratton Park.
• The last Boleyn Ground encounter saw West Ham United win 2-0 against
Birmingham in a tense midweek encounter back on 10 February 2010, with
Alessandro Diamanti's free-kick on the stroke of half-time easing the
Hammers' relegation nerves. Carlton Cole added a second on 67 minutes to
wrap up the win.
West Ham United: Green, Upson, Ilunga (Spector 45), Tomkins, Parker (Noble
86), Kovac, Behrami, Faubert, Cole, Diamanti, Mido (Ilan 66)
Subs not used: Stech, Da Costa, Collison, Stanislas
Birmingham City: Hart, Ridgewell, Carr, Dann, Gardner, Johnson, Bowyer
(Madera 77), Fahey (McFadden 67), Ferguson, Jerome, Phillips
Subs not used: Taylor, Larsson, Vignal, Parnaby, Jervis
• The Hammers have never won this trophy, having lost the 1966 and 1981
finals. Birmingham lost the 2001 final on penalties to Liverpool but were
victors over two legs against rivals Aston Villa in the 1963 edition.
• The record win in this competition was achieved by the Hammers with a 10-0
success against Bury in the second round, second-leg match on 25 October
1983. Liverpool also won by this margin against Fulham in second round,
first-leg match in the same season on 23 September 1983.
• West Ham have been defeated just once in the last eight games with
Birmingham, with four victories in that run.
• Stern John's double in a 2-1 victory in October 2002 is the last time the
Midlands club won at the Boleyn Ground.
Team news
• Danny Gabbidon, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Freddie Sears and Freddie
Piquionne could all return to the starting lineup after sitting out
Saturday's win against Barnsley.
• Manager Avram Grant is definitely without Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh),
Jack Collison (knee) and Manuel da Costa (ankle). None are expected to
return before February at the earliest. Goalkeeper Peter Kurucz (knee) is
not expected to play at all this season.
• Herita Ilunga (hamstring), Kieron Dyer (thigh), Benni McCarthy (calf) and
Junior Stanislas are suffering with muscle problems that will keep them out.
• Lars Jacobsen is cup-tied but is back in full training having been kept
out with a troublesome heel since the Wigan Athletic match on 27 November.
Fellow defender Matt Fry has extended his loan at Charlton Athletic for
another month, although is cup-tied for the Hammers in the FA Cup.
• Tal Ben Haim has returned to Portsmouth after his loan spell.
• Birmingham are still without James McFadden, with the Scotland attacker's
knee ligament injury set to keep him out until February.
• Lee Bowyer is in the middle of a three-match suspension and cannot face
his former club.
Referee
• Tuesday's referee is Phil Dowd, who began refereeing in 1984. He was
promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in 2001. This is
his tenth season as a top-flight referee.
• He was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between West Ham
United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
• He took charge of the Hammers 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City on 11
November, having been the man in the middle for the Blues 2-0 home defeat by
Everton on 2 October.
Last time out
FA Cup third round
Saturday 8 January 2011
West Ham United 2-0 Barnsley
West Ham: Green, Spector, Faubert, Reid, Tomkins, Noble, Boa Morte, Barrera,
Obinna (Parker 76), Hines (Edgar 89), Nouble (Piquionne 83)
Subs not used: Boffin, Upson, Spence, Sears
Goals: Spector 29, Piquionne 90
FA Cup third round
Saturday 8 January 2011
Millwall 1-4 Birmingham City
Birmingham: Taylor, Murphy, Dann, Parnaby, Jiranek, Gardner, Beausejour,
Mutch, Hleb (Fahey 61), Derbyshire (Jerome 70), Zigic (Phillips 70)
Subs not used: Doyle, Johnson, Larsson, Madera
Background
• West Ham United and Birmingham meet for the second time this season. On 6
November, Freddie Piquionne (48) and Valon Behrami (58) put the Hammers into
a commanding position before Victor Obinna saw Ben Foster push his effort on
to the bar. The Blues came back into it with goals from Cameron Jerome (64)
and former Academy product Liam Ridgewell (73). Referee Michael Oliver
turned down late appeals for a West Ham penalty after Lars Jacobsen was
fouled.
Birmingham: Foster, Ridgewell, Carr, Dann, Johnson, Fahey (Gardner 59),
Larsson, Ferguson, Hleb (Beausejour 59), Jerome (Bowyer 89), Zigic
Subs not used: Doyle, Parnaby, Derbyshire, Phillips
West Ham: Green, Gabbidon, Jacobsen, Upson, Ilunga, Parker, Behrami, Boa
Morte (Dyer 83), Piquionne, Cole, Obinna (Kovac 89)
Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Tomkins, Barrera, McCarthy
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
6 November 2010 - Birmingham City 2-2 West Ham United
10 February 2010 - West Ham United 2-0 Birmingham City
12 December 2009 - Birmingham City 1-0 West Ham United
9 February 2008 - West Ham United 1-1 Birmingham City
18 August 2007 - Birmingham City 0-1 West Ham United
13 February 2006 - West Ham United 3-0 Birmingham City
Overall record v Birmingham City (all competitions) W 31 D 20 L 38
Ten-year League Cup record
West Ham United
2009/10 Third round (lost 3-1 after extra time at Bolton Wanderers)
2008/09 Third round (lost 1-0 at Watford)
2007/08 Quarter-final (lost 2-1 v Everton)
2006/07 Third round (lost 2-1 at Chesterfield)
2005/06 Third round (lost 1-0 at Bolton Wanderers)
2004/05 Third round (lost 1-0 at Chelsea)
2003/04 Third round (lost 1-0 after extra time at Tottenham Hotspur)
2002/03 Third round (lost 1-0 v Oldham Athletic)
2001/02 Second round (lost 6-5 on penalties following 0-0 draw at Reading)
2000/01 Fourth round (lost 2-1 v Sheffield Wednesday)
Birmingham City
2009/10 Third round (lost 2-0 v Sunderland)
2008/09 Second round (Lost 2-0 v Southampton)
2007/08 Third round (lost 3-0 v Blackburn)
2006/07 Fourth round (lost 1-0 v Liverpool)
2005/06 Quarter-final (lost 1-0 v Manchester United)
2004/05 Third round (lost 1-0 at Fulham)
2003/04 Second round (lost 1-0 at Blackpool)
2002/03 Second round (lost 2-0 at Preston)
2001/02 Third round (lost 6-0 at Manchester City)
2000/01 Final (lost 5-4 on penalties following 1-1 draw with Liverpool)
Old boys
• Matthew Upson played 128 games for the Midlands side during a four-year
stay from 2003 to 2007 before joining the Hammers. The former Birmingham
captain scored five goals during his time at St. Andrews.
• Lee Bowyer made 60 appearances for West Ham United in two spells. The
first saw him play eleven games in a six-month spell before a move to
Newcastle United in 2003. The midfielder returned to the Boleyn Ground in
2006 for a three-year stay, which saw him play 49 times, scoring five goals.
• Liam Ridgewell started off life in the West Ham United Academy before
moving to Aston Villa in February 2001.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Alan
Curbishley, Jimmy Bloomfield, Kenny J Brown, Julian Dicks, Eamonn Dolan,
Harry Hooper, David Kelly, Stan Lazaridis, Mike Newell and Sam Small.
General information
For ticket information, click here. For details on getting to the Boleyn
Ground, click here.
Weather
The forecast is for showers with temperatures in east London peaking at
around 5C on Tuesday night.
Travel information
West Ham United supporters attending the Barclays Premier League visit of
Arsenal on Saturday 15 January should take note of the following important
travel information.
The following public transport services will be affected on Saturday 15
January -
•The London Underground District line will be closed between Tower Hill and
Upminster. However, between 3pm and 9.30pm, this closure will be reduced to
no service between Tower Hill and Upney eastbound and between Barking and
Tower Hill westbound. Replacement buses will operate.
•The London Underground Hammersmith and City line will be closed between
Liverpool Street and Barking.
•The London Underground Central line will be closed between Holborn and
White City.
•The London Underground Metropolitan line will be closed between Moorgate
and Aldgate.
•Due to planned engineering work, the c2c line will be closed between
Fenchurch Street and Barking. All trains will divert to Liverpool Street.
Train services will be unable to call at West Ham, Limehouse or Fenchurch
Street. Trains diverting to Liverpool Street will additionally call at
Stratford.
•National Express East Anglia services will run to a normal Saturday
timetable.
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POTD4BC
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Good news for ticket-less supporters wishing to attend tonight's Carling Cup
semi final first leg clash with Birmingham...
With somewhere between 3,000-5,000 tickets left unsold for tonight's
encounter, the club have taken the welcome decision to allow fans to pay on
the door for the second successive game. Although most of the remaining
tickets are in the higher price bracket there are still a number of singles
available around the ground - good news for anyone deciding late on to go to
the game, which is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm. The turnstiles will be
open from 6:15pm, with fans urged by the club to take their places as soon
as possible (sensible advice in this case, given the congestion pay
turnstiles can cause).
Birmingham have failed to sell their full allocation, with around 500
tickets set to be returned by City.
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West Ham v Birmingham preview
Hammers entertain Blues in first leg of Carling Cup semis
Last updated: 11th January 2011
SSN
West Ham entertain Birmingham City in the first leg of their Carling Cup
semi-final on Tuesday with a place in the Wembley final up for grabs. Both
teams have endured difficult Premier League campaigns to date, although they
will be going all out in a bid to feature in the showpiece final. The
Hammers come into the game on the back of a 2-0 success over Barnsley in the
FA Cup while Birmingham got the better of in-form Millwall with a
comfortable 4-1 win at The Den. West Ham were runners-up to Liverpool in the
2006 FA Cup final in Cardiff, but it has been 30 years since they last
played at Wembley having drawn with the Reds in the 1981 League Cup final.
City are one step away from reaching their first final for a decade and
manager Alex McLeishis not underestimating the importance of finishing off
the job having come so far.
West Ham news
Carlton Cole looks set to return to the West Ham team having been rested by
manager Avram Grant for their cup success over the Tykes. Centre-back
Matthew Upson and forward Freddie Sears should also return after being
unused substitutes against the South Yorkshire side. German midfielder
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.
Birmingham news
Blues manager McLeish has no fresh injury concerns although he remains
without veteran midfielder Lee Bowyer who completes a three-match ban.
He, like Grant, rested a host of regulars in the FA Cup so the likes of Ben
Foster, Stephen Carr, Roger Johnson, Liam Ridgewell and Barry Ferguson will
all return. Swedish winger Sebastian Larsson is included in the squad
despite being given permission to speak to Newcastle over a possible move.
Striker Matt Derbyshire will be hoping his two goals at Millwall will
bolster his chances of starting alongside Cameron Jerome against Avram
Grant's troops.
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Hammers medical for Bridge
City full-back closing in on loan move to Upton Park
Last updated: 11th January 2011
SSN
Sky Sports News sources understand Wayne Bridge is to have a medical at West
Ham United ahead of a loan move to Upton Park. The full-back is set to leave
Manchester Cityand skysports.com revealed on Monday that Bridge would decide
within 48 hours whether to join West Ham or Aston Villa. The England
international has two opportunities to secure regular first-team football
and it appears the former Chelsea defender is edging towards a return to the
capital. It is understood that the 30-year-old will be put through a medical
before finalising his switch to the Hammers in time to be available for
Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal. Bridge will be a welcome
addition to the West Ham squad as manager Avram Grant seeks to lift the club
off the bottom of the table. The move will also give Bridge the chance to
play regularly after starting only one Premier League game for City this
season.
He has made a total of 57 appearances for the club since joining City in a
£12million deal from Chelsea two years ago.
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Viola hope for Behrami deal
Italians not giving up on bid for Hammers midfielder
Last updated: 11th January 2011
SSN
Fiorentina remain hopeful of agreeing a deal to bring West Ham United
midfielder Valon Behrami back to Serie A. Skysports.com revealed on Monday
that Fiorentina's initial offer for the Switzerland international had been
rejected by the Hammers. However, the Viola's club administrator Sandro
Mencucci has confirmed a deal is still in the pipeline and they hope to
secure Behrami's signature. "We are hopeful," said Mencucci to Rai 3 when
asked about his club's interest in Behrami. "But until he is in Florence and
he has signed, we cannot be sure." Behrami joined West Ham from Lazio in
2008 and has previously played for Genoa and Verona in Italian football. The
25-year-old has made 63 appearances for the Hammers, scoring five goals, but
has featured only seven times in the Premier League this season.
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Behrami set for Italian Job
The Sun
Published: Today
WEST HAM midfielder Valon Behrami is wanted by Italian side Fiorentina. The
Swiss star, 25, has been the subject of interest from a number of Serie A
clubs. Behrami is keen to return to Italy, where he played for Lazio for
three years before moving to the Hammers in 2008. And Fiorentina have not
given up hope of landing him during the transfer window. Fiorentina club
administrator Sandro Mencucci said: "We are hopeful. "But until he is in
Florence and he has signed, we cannot be sure." Behrami is under contract
with the Premier League outfit until June 2013.
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Wayne Bridge close to West Ham United loan deal
Left-back to have medical ahead of loan transfer
Bridge likely to join until the end of the season
Jamie Jackson
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 11 January 2011 13.03 GMT
Wayne Bridge is due to take a medical at West Ham United with a view to the
Manchester City left-back signing until the end of the season on loan.
Avram Grant, the West Ham manager, has limited options at left back, with
his only specialist, Hérita Ilunga, out with a leg injury and the central
defenders, Danny Gabidon, who is currently injured, Tal Ben Haim and
Jonathan Spector, plus Luis Boa Morte, a midfielder, among those he has had
to employ in the position. Ben Haim's future at Upton Park is unclear as his
current loan deal from Portsmouth has now expired although the clubs are in
negotiation to extend it. West Ham meet Birmingham City in the Carling Cup
semi-final first leg tonight with Carlton Cole expected to start only on the
bench due to his ongoing knee problems. The striker was not in the 18-man
squad for the 2-0 defeat of Barnsley in the FA Cup third round on Saturday
and has not been able to take a full part in training so far this week.
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West Ham beat Aston Villa to Bridge loan signing
TalkSport
By Alex Varney
Tuesday, January 11
West Ham have won the race to sign Wayne Bridge on loan from Manchester City
for the rest of the season. The ex-England full-back has chosen to join the
Hammers instead of Aston Villa and will undergo a medical at Upton Park
today. West Ham, who are currently bottom of the table, have reportedly
agreed to pay the 30-year-old's £90,000 a week wages in full. Bridge could
go straight into Avram Grant's side for the clash with Arsenal on Saturday
if he completes his switch.
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Fiorentina hopeful over Valon Behrami as West Ham demand £4.5m to sell
unsettled Swiss star
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:56 AM on 11th January 2011
Daily Mail
Fiorentina have not given up hope of signing Valon Behrami from West Ham,
despite having a £3.3million bid for the Switzerland midfielder rebuffed.
The Hammers are holding out for a £4.5m offer to their meet their valuation
of the 25-year-old Upton Park favourite who is unsettled in London with
two-and-a-half years left to run on his contract with the Premier League
club. Behrami is keen to return to Italy where he spent three years with
Lazio before joining West Ham in 2008 and has also been linked with Serie A
side Roma. Behrami played three years at Lazio before moving to the Hammers
in the summer of 2008. But Fiorentina club administrator Sandro Mencucci to
Italian TV station Rai 3: 'We are hopeful. 'But until he is in Florence and
he has signed, we cannot be sure.'
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Bridge Medical and D Day For O'Neill?
West Ham Till I Die
According to the Daily Telegraph Avram Grant has only a 20% chance of saving
his job, with his future being decided by the end of tomorrow. Will his
replacement be Martin O'Neill, as predicted here the other day? Well, I have
conflicting intelligence on that. The original source now says he has been
put off by the way Karren Brady handled the Sidwell non-transfer, but a
second source tells me that O'Neill is meeting members of the board this
morning and that it will be decided one way or the other by kick off this
evening. He reckons discussions have been ongoing for at least four weeks.
Meanwhile, a £3 million bid for Valon Behrami from Fiorentina has been
rejected. I should think so too. We've sold enough players on the cheap in
recent times and Behrami must be worth at least £6 million.
It is also said that Wayne Bridge is having a medical at Upton Park this
morning.
And Matthew Upson won't commit to a new contract until he sees if West Ham
survive a relegation battle. Nice.
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Matthew Upson wants another Manchester United mauling as West Ham skipper
eyes Wembley
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER Last updated at 9:54 AM on 11th January 2011
Daily Mail
Matthew Upson has called on his West Ham team-mates to conjure up the same
spirit which beat Manchester United as they look to take a step closer to
Wembley in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Birmingham
at Upton Park. The Irons may be fighting for survival after slipping back
to the foot of the table, but Avram Grant's men have the chance to put their
Barclays Premier League battles to one side when the Blues travel to east
London.
Upson, who played for Birmingham from 2003 to 2007, believes if his
team-mates can produce the same form which saw them knock United out with a
4-0 thrashing at the Boleyn Ground on November 30, then there is no reason
why they cannot start to dream of a first Wembley appearance in 30 years.
'Not only was it a great result, but it gave a boost to the whole club in
every department,' the West Ham captain said. 'With the way that things are
right now, it would be a welcome relief to achieve something in the cup and
making the final would be a top achievement. 'We need to look back at that
Manchester United game. Our attitude was right, we did not let them settle
and it is important especially at home that we set off with an aggressive
attitude. 'If we do that we can upset people and get on top and a result.'
Upson has been linked with a move away from Upton Park, although the England
international is putting all thoughts of his own future and potential new
deal with West Ham on hold until the summer. 'Nothing has been done and we
will just see how it plays out this season,' he said. 'The club are in
quite a difficult position in terms of assessing where to head in the
summer. 'Obviously a lot depends on their Premier League status and other
issues. You can't possibly say what will happen. 'We spoke but it is in a
position that is on hold and we will see how it plays out.'
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Mancini confirms Bridge medical
Defender close to loan switch
Last updated: 11th January 2011
SSN
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has confirmed Wayne Bridge is
undergoing a medical at West Ham. As revealed by Sky Sports News earlier on
Tuesday West Ham are closing in on a loan move for Bridge. Bridge is looking
to leave City after dropping down the pecking order at Eastlands. Aston
Villa were hoping to sign the full-back, but it appears West Ham are set to
win the race for the former Chelsea man with the left-back in London for a
medical.
"Bridge, I think today, is in London for a medical," said Mancini. Bridge
has made a total of 57 appearances for the club since joining City in a
£12million deal from Chelsea two years ago.
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