WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for Monday night's big FA Cup date at
the Boleyn
21.02.2011
WEST HAM UNITED v BURNLEY
FA CUP SPONSORED BY EON, FIFTH ROUND
MONDAY 21 FEBRUARY 2011
KICK-OFF: 8PM
• West Ham United welcome Burnley for Monday night's next step on the road
to Wembley. The Clarets are their third straight Championship opposition at
home in this season's FA Cup. However, Eddie Howe's team - like the Hammers
- have league concerns on their mind - in their case as they push for
promotion to the Barclays Premier League.
• West Ham were 3-2 quarter-final winners against the Clarets on route to
winning the 1963/64 edition. The only other cup clash between the clubs was
a 3-1 Hammers away win in January 1968 - meaning a 100 per cent record for
the London club in the FA Cup head to heads.
• The Hammers were kept off the bottom of the top flight after West Bromwich
Albion's late 1-1 draw at basement club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday,
while Burnley are in eighth in the Championship - just six points off the
play-offs with a game in hand.
• Burnley have only lost once in their last nine games in all competitions,
including five wins.
• Avram Grant guided Portsmouth to last year's final, aided by Paul Groves
and David Coles. Frederic Piquionne was part of the Pompey team.
• The Hammers have scored three goals in three of their last four matches
but have not kept a clean sheet in eight.
• The Hammers reached this stage by virtue of a 2-0 win against Barnsley in
the third round and a 3-2 defeat of Nottingham Forest in the fourth round.
• Burnley reached this stage with 4-2 and 3-1 home wins against Port Vale
and Burton Albion respectively in the previous two rounds.
• New Hammers signing Gary O'Neil is cup-tied but Thomas Hitzlsperger will
make his Hammers debut - although Avram Grant has not revealed if he will
start the contest.
• Burnley's two January signings Charlie Austin and Marvin Batley are also
cup-tied.
• The last Boleyn Ground meeting between the two sides was a 5-3 Barclays
Premier League win by the Hammers on Saturday 28 November 2009. West Ham
raced into a 5-0 goal lead just after the hour only for their visitors to
score three goals in the final 22 minutes.
• The teams that day were:
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon, Spector, Ilunga, Da Costa, Parker, Kovac,
Collison (Faubert 78), Stanislas, Cole (Hines 45), Franco (Jimenez 59)
Subs not used: Kurucz, Tomkins, Noble, Nouble
Goals: Collison 18, Stanislas 33, Cole 43 pen, Franco 51, Jimenez 64 pen
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Jordan (Nugent 55), Carlisle, Bikey, Caldwell (sent
off 90), Eagles, Alexander (McDonald 70), Elliott, Blake (Kalvenes 55),
Fletcher
Subs not used: Thompson, Duff, Penny, Gudjonsson
Goals: Fletcher 68, 74, Eagles 90
• West Ham have enjoyed an excellent run of form against the Clarets, with
eight wins and two draws from their last eleven meetings - although lost the
most recent. Before a 2-1 league defeat at Turf Moor on 6 February 2010, you
had to go back more than three decades to find Burnley's last victory over
their hosts on Monday - a 3-2 home win on 9 September 1978.
• This will not be the first time West Ham have played an FA Cup match at
the Boleyn Ground on a Monday night. On 11 March 1991, Colin Foster and
Stuart Slater both scored in a 2-1 quarter-final triumph against Everton.
• Tickets are pay on the day. Click here for more information.
• Should a replay be needed it will take place at Turf Moor on Wednesday 2
March, kick-off at 7.45pm.
• Stoke City lie in quarter-final wait for the winners on 12/13 March after
Sunday's draw set up a potential third meeting with the Potters this season
for the Hammers. Avram Grant missed the 1-1 league draw at the Britannia
Stadium on 18 September because of Yom Kippur. There was then a Carling Cup
fourth round triumph for Grant's men at home the following month, 3-1 aet.
The return league match with Stoke is set for the Boleyn Ground on 5 March.
Last time out
Saturday 12 February 2011
Barclays Premier League
West Bromwich Albion 3-3 West Ham United
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Bridge, Da Costa, Reid, Parker, Noble, Boa Morte
(Piquionne 57), O'Neil (Spector 78), Cole, Ba
Subs: Boffin, Faubert, Kovac, Hitzlsperger, Hines
Goals: Ba 50, 83, Cole 58
Tuesday 25 January 2011
nPower Championship
Cardiff City 1-1 Burnley
Burnley: Grant, Mears, Fox, Duff, Carlisle, Wallace, Marney (Alexander 89),
Eagles, Cork, Iwelumo (Austin 67), Rodriguez (Thompson 74)
Subs not used: Jensen, Elliott, Bikey, Bartley
Goal: Thompson 83
Previous meeting
The last meeting came just over a year ago at Turf Moor, when Burnley won
2-1 in a relegation 'six-pointer' on 6 February 2010 only for them to
ultimately be relegated and the Hammers to survive. Goals in each half from
David Nugent and Danny Fox put the Clarets on top before a late Ilan effort
gave the Hammers some hope.
Burnley: Jensen, Mears, Fox (Edgar 86), Carlisle, Bikey, Cort, Elliott,
McDonald, Nugent (S. Thompson 88), Blake (Paterson 73), Fletcher
Subs not used: Weaver, Duff, Eagles, Cork
West Ham: Green, Upson, Spector, Tomkins, Parker, Noble (Ilan 77), Behrami,
Faubert, Collison (Stanislas 62), Cole, McCarthy (Mido 45)
Subs not used: Stech, Da Costa, Kovac, Ilunga
Background
• West Ham last played at Wembley 30 years ago in the 1981 League Cup final.
They were eleven minutes from a return in the Carling Cup this season before
Birmingham City levelled the Carling Cup semi-final and went on to win 4-3
on aggregate after extra time.
• West Ham have won the FA Cup three times in their history - in 1964, 1975
and 1980 and finished as runners-up twice - in 1923 and 2006.
• Beaten finalists by Liverpool on penalties in 2006 in Cardiff, the Hammers
have not lost to a lower league team since a defeat by Tranmere Rovers in
the 1999/00 FA Cup third round.
• The 2006 runners-up are chasing a place in the last 16 for the second time
since losing on penalties to Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium five years
ago.
• West Ham United's record win over Burnley came at the Boleyn on 26 August
1968, when a Martin Peters goal and braces from Geoff Hurst and Trevor
Brooking secured a 5-0 win that briefly sent the Hammers to the top of the
table.
• Burnley's record in the FA Cup includes lifting the trophy back in
1913/14. They were also runners-up in the 1946/47 and 1961/62 seasons.
• The last time Burnley reached the quarter-finals was when they lost 2-0 at
Watford on 9 March 2003, having beaten Fulham in the fifth round. That was
the season that Wayne Bridge was a losing finalist for Southampton as they
went down 1-0 to Arsenal in Cardiff.
• Burnley have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 13 FA Cup matches.
Head to head
• Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
6 February 2010 Burnley 1-0 West Ham United
28 November 2009 West Ham United 5-3 Burnley
5 April 2005 Burnley 0-1 West Ham United (Championship)
28 August 2004 West Ham United 1-0 Burnley (Championship)
2 March 2004 Burnley 1-1 West Ham United (Championship)
18 October 2003 West Ham United 2-2 Burnley (Championship)
• Overall record v Burnley (all competitions) W30 D16 L30
Team news
• Thomas Hitzlsperger will make his debut for the Hammers, having played two
reserve matches away to West Bromwich Albion (62 minutes) and Chelsea (73
minutes) in the last 12 days. Der Hammer has been injured since a thigh
injury on Germany duty three days before the Barclays Premier League start,
although this will not be his Boleyn bow. He played for 75 minutes of the
SBOBET Cup against RC Deportivo La Coruna on 7 August in a three-man
midfield with Scott Parker and Mark Noble. It remains to be seen whether he
will start, although Gary O'Neil is cup-tied.
• Danny Gabbidon and James Tomkins could both be in contention after
returning to full training. Fellow central defender Matthew Upson is still
on the sidelines with a lingering achilles problem suffered in that
Birmingham City match in the League Cup on 26 January.
• Kieron Dyer and Robbie Keane both have calf injuries and are thought to be
at least two and four weeks away respectively.
• Jack Collison (knee) is also running fully and doing some ball work but is
still three or four weeks away from a full training return. Goalkeeper Peter
Kurucz (knee) is not expected to play at all this season.
• Junior Stanislas is still recovering from surgery on an abdominal hernia
while Victor Obinna's sore foot that kept him out of the West Brom trip has
left him a doubt against Burnley.
• Avram Grant has been keeping a close eye on Australia U17 striker Dylan
Tombides, after his recent impressive form for the reserves. The tall
Academy product was on target in the 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion
on 2 February.
• Burnley are without the cup-tied Charlie Austin and Marvin Batley.
However, the Clarets are without long-term absentee forward Martin Paterson
(thigh) and midfielder Chris McCann.
Referee
• The match referee will be Martin Atkinson, who was in charge when the
Hammers won 1-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur on 25 September and for the 1-0
defeat at Sunderland on 5 December.
• He was the man in the middle for Ivory Coast's 1-0 win against Italy at
the Boleyn Ground on 10 August.
• A referee since the age of 16, Atkinson was promoted to the Football
League list of assistant referees in 1998. In 2000, Atkinson was promoted to
the Select Group of assistant referees, allowing him to run the line in
Premier League matches.
• Atkinson joined the National List of referees for the Football League at
the start of the 2003/04 season before taking charge of his first Premier
League fixture on 20 April 2005 when Manchester City entertained Birmingham
City.
• Atkinson was the man in the middle at the 2006 FA Community Shield between
Chelsea and Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. He also took
charge of the 2008 FA Trophy final between Ebbsfleet United and Torquay
United at Wembley Stadium.
• Atkinson refereed two West Ham games last season - the 2-1 defeat at Stoke
City on 17 October and the 2-0 home loss against Arsenal on 20 March 2010.
Old boys
• Burnley defender Tyrone Mears played six games during a one-season stay at
the Boleyn Ground in 2006/07, before being sold to Derby County in July
2007.
• Other players to have represented both clubs include Reg Atwell, Frank
Birchenough, Herman Conway, Tommy Green, William Jenkinson, Jon Harley,
Walter Pollard, Alan Taylor, Jack Tresadern, David Unsworth and Ian Wright.
General information
• For ticket information, click here. For details on getting to the Boleyn
Ground, click here. The Hammers are next in action on Sunday when Liverpool
arrive for a 1.30pm kick-off.
Weather
• The forecast is for a damp evening in east London, with temperatures
peaking at round the 7C mark.
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Avram Grant is up for the cup once again - as he dreams of leading the
Hammers to Wembley
21.02.2011
Avram Grant has said "the best is yet to come" from Demba Ba while Thomas
Hitzlsperger looks set to make his senior bow as Monday night football
arrives at the Boleyn. The manager has named a strong squad for the visit of
Burnley in the FA Cup fifth round, with new recruit Ba and German
international Hitzlsperger standing out for what promises to be a half-term
holiday hit with Hammers fans. Tickets are priced at just £17 for adults and
a fiver for kids - with adult season ticket holders getting another £2 off.
As well as looking forward to naming a lively lineup, the manager said the
team would take the boost of their most recent Barclays Premier League
outing into the contest. Having come from three goals down to draw 3-3 at
West Bromwich Albion, the whole squad then headed off on a team bonding day
to further underline the togetherness in the camp. "The players know the
situation of our position in the league is that we don't deserve to be at
the bottom. When you look at performances like at West Brom in the second
half and the game at Blackpool, that is the spirit and performance I want to
see. "[On the team bonding] they were very competitive but had fun, they
enjoyed it and that is what we wanted them to do - enjoy this together.
Everyone enjoyed it and it was good to be together like this for one day."
Since then, it has been down to work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the
manager is looking forward to seeing Hitzlsperger move from two reserve
outings in 12 days to first-team contention. "If he is like he was in the
pre-season training camps and in our preparation for the season, he will be
the best midfielder in the league. He has all-round vision, scores goals,
does assists and has great vision. He is very good. "These are just some of
the reasons why he was picked to be captain of the German national team. It
is not easy to be captain of a team like this, you have to be very good.
Unfortunately at the start of the season we paid the price for [his absence
because of a thigh injury], but he is a good, good player. "He can play in
different formations so that is good, as a holding midfielder, an attacking
midfielder."
If Hitzlsperger does get forward to show off his impressive left-foot in the
final third, the chances are that Senegal striker Ba will not be too far
away, either. The manager was in no doubt about the impact he feels his new
recruit could have in English football in the years to come. "He is a very
good player, he is a player I have followed from a long time ago, in the
German league. He has always scored goals, hitting the target, he is always
moving and it is difficult to mark him and that is what you need from a
striker. "As well as his two goals at West Brom, there was at least another
two cleared from the line or the bar. It is very important for a striker to
be hitting the target, so he has done well. He can play anywhere, right,
left as well. "He is not in his best shape yet, because he had not played
since middle of December before coming here, so we are building him slowly.
He can become prolific in the Premier League. The best is yet to come from
him."
The manager - a beaten finalist in last year's FA Cup - knows full well the
importance of the competition, even if the league has to be the main
priority. He had even discussed it with Ba ahead of the game. "With the FA
Cup, it is not just about in England. Last year I got lots of messages from
all over the world when Portsmouth reached the final. "Everyone wants to
play at Wembley, that is like the temple of English football. I remember
from last year at Portsmouth, maybe the players from other countries were
more excited than anyone."
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Stoke waiting for winners
WHUFC.om
The Hammers know that they would play Stoke should they beat Burnley at the
Boleyn on Monday
20.02.2011
West Ham United will face Stoke City away in the FA Cup sponsored by EON
sixth round should they overcome Burnley in Monday night's fifth-round tie.
The Hammers have already beaten Barnsley (2-0) and Nottingham Forest (3-2)
in Boleyn Ground fixtures to get to the last 16, while Burnley have seen off
Port Vale (4-2) and Burton Albion (3-1) in home matches. The quarter-finals
will take place on the weekend of 12/13 March - the weekend after West Ham
welcome Stoke in the Barclays Premier League - with the winners of that tie
earning a Wembley semi-final place.
The Hammers have already played at the Britannia Stadium this season,
earning a 1-1 draw on 18 September. The teams also met in the Carling Cup
fourth round this season at the Boleyn Ground, with Avram Grant's team
earning a 3-1 success after extra time. Overall, West Ham and Stoke have met
four times in the FA Cup with the Potters having the edge after two wins and
a draw. The latter result came in the 1960/61 third round at the Boleyn,
before Stoke won 1-0 at home.
FA Cup sponsored by EON sixth round draw
Stoke City v West Ham United/Burnley
Manchester City/Aston Villa v Everton/Reading
Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers
Manchester United v Leyton Orient/Arsenal
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Upson: game over
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st February 2011
By: Staff Writer
Matthew Upson could miss the rest of the season with a damaged achilles,
according to reports. The 31-year-old club captain - whose contract expires
this summer - has been told that he will be out for several months as a
result of the injury sustained during the 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham last
month.
All of which means that should a new contract fail to be agreed, Upson - who
moved to West Ham from Birmingham in the January 2007 transfer window - will
already have played his last game for the club. The news will come as a
massive blow to Avram Grant who has seen his team leak goals in the England
defender's absence. With Manuel Da Costa, Danny Gabbidon and Winston Reid
all looking below par in recent weeks, it has been left to 21-year-old James
Tomkins to lead the defensive line at times.
West Ham face Burnley in the fifth round of the FA Cup this evening knowing
that a trip to Stoke awaits in the quarter finals, following yesterday's
draw.
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Stoke. Again.
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 20th February 2011
By: Staff Writer No.2
West Ham face a trip to the Brittania Stadium in the quarter finals of the
FA Cup - if they manage to overcome Burnley tomorrow night. Should West Ham
beat Burnley, as expected, they will face Stoke in the cup for the second
time this season having beaten the Potters 3-1 (after extra time) at the
Boleyn in the Carling Cup earlier this season.
With a number of fifth round ties still to be resolved, the full quarter
final draw is as follows:
Stoke City v West Ham United or Burnley
Manchester City or Aston Villa v Everton or Reading
Birmingham City v Fulham or Bolton Wanderers
Manchester United v Leyton Orient or Arsenal
* Matches to be played on the weekend of March 12/13.
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Grant - Ba will be a star
Hammers boss hails January arrival
By Chris Burton Last updated: 20th February 2011
SSN
Avram Grant believes Demba Ba is capable of building on his impressive start
to life at West Ham. The Hammers snapped up the striker from Hoffenheim
during the January transfer window, keen to add his considerable firepower
to their survival bid. They have been careful to ease the 25-year-old into
Premier League action, as a dispute with his former employers meant he
arrived almost a month after his last competitive outing. Grant saw his hand
forced on the club's last outing at West Brom, though, with a calf injury
picked up by Robbie Keane paving the way for Ba to make his first start. The
Senegal international did not disappoint, with a two-goal salvo in the
second half helping West Ham recover from 3-0 down to snatch a point. Ba is
now being backed to play a major role in the Hammers' efforts to preserve
their top-flight status, with Grant of the opinion that the striker has all
the attributes to be a success in England.
Target
"He is a very good player. I followed him for a long time in the German
league," said the Israeli coach. "He always scored, he is always moving. It
is very difficult to mark him and he hits the target. That is what you want
from a striker. "Those are the most important things for a striker -
movement and being able to hit the target - and that is what he did against
West Brom. "I think they cleared off the line from him twice last week. "He
can play anywhere - right, left, behind. He is good and he is not in the
best shape yet because he had a break from 21st December and we are building
him slowly, slowly."
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Hammers ready to raise the Ba
The Sun
By TONY LITTLE
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT has warned Burnley they are going to suffer the best of Demba Ba
tonight. The 6ft 2in new West Ham signing announced himself with two goals
against West Brom last week. And Grant insists the former Hoffenheim striker
is really revved up for the FA Cup. He said: "Ba knows all about the FA Cup.
He's followed it for a long time." Grant's Portsmouth side twice played at
Wembley last season. And the Israeli - now Hammers chief - noticed that his
foreign stars such as Ivorian Aruna Dindane turned in some sparkling
performances in the cup, because of its reputation overseas. Now Grant
thinks French-born Senegal star Ba has been bewitched by FA Cup magic. Grant
added: "In other countries cups are not so important but here it's something
which is connected to tradition. "When I was at Portsmouth the players from
other countries were even more excited just to be in the semi-final. They
were so excited to go to Wembley - the temple of football." And of the
player he signed two weeks ago, Grant added: "He always scores, he is always
moving and he hits the target. "That is what you want from a striker."
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Ross hoping for a wall of silence
The Sun
By DAVID FACEY
Published: Today
ROSS WALLACE knows all about the unpredictability of cup football. For the
Burnley winger played in a match that produced one of the biggest shocks of
all time. Wallace was at Celtic five years ago when Roy Keane made his
much-heralded debut. But amazingly the Hoops were beaten 2-1 by Second
Division Clyde in a Scottish Cup tie. Wallace admits there was an eerie
silence in the dressing room at the end and is hoping it will be all quiet
in the West Ham quarters after tonight's battle. He said: "Cup football
always throws up surprises and that was one of the biggest. I won the cup
with Celtic in 2004 and holding the trophy is the best feeling in the world.
"But I do remember that game against Clyde just as vividly. "Roy Keane made
his debut and it was live on telly. There was a lot of hype. "But it was
just one of those games. We lost 2-1 and it was juts a horrible feeling.
"With Keane and Gordon Strachan as the manager you'd have expected a noisy
dressing room. But it was so quiet. That was the worst bit. "I don't think
this game is quite like that, as there is not such a massive gap, but it
would still be a terrific win if we can beat them on their own ground."
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Ba has got the air of the Drog, claims Hammers boss
Published 23:00 20/02/11 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Demba Ba can be West Ham's Didier Drogba, claims Avram Grant. And the West
Ham boss insisted the Senegal striker, who scored twice on his full debut
last week, will only get better as he finds his form and full fitness in the
English game. Ba, 25, signed last month from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim
after failing a medical at Stoke which reportedly found knee problems. He
hit a post after coming on as a sub against Birmingham before scoring twice
at West Brom. And tonight the Senegal international will get his first taste
of the FA Cup, against Burnley at Upton Park. "He's a very good player,
perfect for the Premier League – big and powerful," said Grant. "He's like
Didier Drogba and I hope he will be as good for us. I followed him for a
long time in the German league. He always scored, he is always moving. "It's
very difficult to mark him and he hits the target. That is what you want
from a striker. He can play anywhere – right, left, behind. He's good and
isn't in the best shape yet because he had a break from December 21 and we
are building him slowly, slowly."
Grant reached the FA Cup final with Portsmouth last year and revealed Ba is
also keen to leave his mark on the world's oldest club competition. "He
knows all about the FA Cup," said the Israeli. "I was in contact with him
for a long time and he is a player interested in everything. "Don't think
only people in England know about the FA Cup. After we got to the semi-final
last year I got calls from everyone in the world. Everybody follows the FA
Cup, more than any cup in the world. In other countries it's not so
important but here it is connected to tradition and everybody wants to be at
Wembley. "When I was at Portsmouth last year the players who came from other
countries were even more excited just to be in the semi-final. They were so
excited to go to Wembley, the temple of football. The word is connected to
good things – apart from the grass."
After a team-bonding session in Suffolk on Thursday where they tried
clay-pigeon shooting, the Hammers will return to the happy hunting ground of
the cup tonight. In 27 Premier League matches this season, Grant's team have
won five. In nine cup matches – including the run to the Carling Cup semis –
they have eight victories. "I think we're a bit more efficient in the cup
competitions," he said. "Also the football is different except the game
against Manchester United of course. That was exceptional. It was a very
good standard. In the league we've had some good games but we were not so
efficient, unlike in the cup. "I think the players know our situation in the
league and feel they don't deserve to be bottom. That's why you saw the
spirit in the second-half against West Brom and the game against Blackpool
and I want to see this spirit in the next games."
Although Robbie Keane is out for another month, Grant will be able to call
on Thomas Hitzlsperger for the first time since the injury-dogged Germany
midfielder signed last June. And after making four signings in January, the
Hammers boss is facing the unusual selection dilemma of having too many
players. "I hope I have this headache all my life," Grant joked. "Most of
the games this season I had the headache that I didn't have players because
of so many injuries. "Even against Blackpool, we were missing five or six.
This is another kind of headache. It's not easy but I like it more."
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Best yet to come from Demba Ba, says West Ham's manager Avram Grant
Striker tipped to play against Burnley after inspired full debut
Senegal forward knows about magic of the FA Cup
Jamie Jackson
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 February 2011 22.30 GMT
Avram Grant believes Demba Ba is yet to perform at his best despite scoring
two on his only start for West Ham' due to the striker's lay-off over the
Christmas period. The 25-year-old, who signed from Hoffenheim for a minimal
fee that rises dependent on appearances and goals, claimed both his goals in
the 3-3 draw at West Bromwich Albion.
"He is a very good player," Grant said. "I followed him for a long time in
the German league. He always scored, he is always moving. He is good and he
is not in the best shape yet because he had a break from 21 December and we
are building him slowly, slowly.
"It is very difficult to mark him and he hits the target. That is what you
want from a striker. I think twice they cleared off the line. I think this
is the most important thing for a striker. Movement and hit the target – and
that is what he did. And he can play anywhere – right, left, behind."
Ba, who scored 37 times in 97 games for Hoffenheim, should feature on Monday
against Burnley in the FA Cup and Grant believes that the Senegal forward is
conscious of the "magic" associated with the competition. "Yes he is aware.
He knows about it. I was in contact with him for a long time and he is a
player that is interested in everything," the manager said. "Don't think
only people in England know about the FA Cup.
"After we got to the semi-final [when manager of Portsmouth] last year I got
calls from [all over] the world – everybody follows the FA Cup, more than
any cup in the world. In other countries [the cup] is not so important but
here it is connected to tradition and everybody wants to be at Wembley. At
Portsmouth last year the players who came from other countries were even
more excited just to be in the semi-final."
Ba nearly signed for Stoke City in January before failing a medical but he
claims fitness is not an issue. "I have always said from the beginning, the
only answer I can give is on the pitch and that is what I did [at West Brom]
and I will try to do it for the next couple of weeks now," he said. "I am
very happy. It has been a while since I played from the beginning of a game.
I am very tired as well because I didn't think that I could play for 90
minutes. At the moment, I am excited about every game we play. It doesn't
matter if it is Liverpool or West Brom, we try to do everything to win the
game."
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Blow for Hammers as skipper Upson is ruled out for rest of the season
By LAURA WILLIAMSON
Last updated at 12:44 AM on 21st February 2011
EXCLUSIVE
Daily Mail
West Ham captain Matthew Upson is out for the rest of the season with a
damaged achilles. The club have been told that the former England defender,
who is out of contract in the summer, will play no further part in their
battle for Premier League survival. It leaves manager Avram Grant and
defensive coach Wally Downes with limited options - Portuguese Manuel Da
Costa, homegrown James Tomkins and New Zealand signing Winston Reid. Upson,
who is 31 and has been capped 21 times, limped off in the 1-0 home defeat to
Birmingham 15 days ago when he played despite fears about his injury. The
gamble backfired and the Hammers, who play Burnley in the fifth round of the
FA Cup with a quarter-final visit to Stoke at stake, must continue without
their most experienced defender. Midfielder Scott Parker will be the
skipper for the rest of the season. While Grant has defensive problems, he
is hoping January signing Demba Ba will turn out to be the new Didier Drogba
up front. The real Drogba may be finding life suddenly not what it used to
be at Chelsea but Senegal international Ba, 25, has already made an impact
since signing from German side Hoffenheim with two goals on his first start.
That was at West Bromwich last week, when a 3-0 half-time deficit was turned
into a 3-3 draw, and Ba will look to continue that form at Upton Park.
Grant said: 'Is he like Drogba? Yes. He is a good player. I followed him for
a long time in the German league. It is very difficult to mark him and he
hits the target. He can play anywhere - right, left, behind. He's not in the
best shape yet but we are building him slowly.' Ba scored 37 goals in just
under 100 games for Hoffenheim but a knee problem saw moves to Stuttgart and
then Stoke collapse because of failed medicals. Yet that was good news as
far as Grant was concerned as it meant the player was now in West Ham's
price bracket, with a £6million deal concluded with the Bundesliga side.
Grant said: 'His value was £15m but because he has knee problems we could
take him. For the first time an injury helped me!' Ba is delighted to be
playing regularly again. He said: 'At the moment, I'm excited about every
game we play.' Ross Wallace, meanwhile, only has to think back to the day
he got the silent treatment from Roy Keane to know how much West Ham will
hurt if Burnley win. The Burnley winger played alongside Keane when Celtic
were beaten 2-1 by Clyde in 2006. 'It's a horrible feeling when you get
beaten by a lower league side,' said Wallace. 'I know from experience. Roy
Keane made his debut and it was live on TV. He was really quiet afterwards.
I'd rather have had him ranting as the really quiet ones are the worst.'
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