WHUFC.com
The watching Avram Grant will have been delighted to see Robbie Keane on
target again
16.03.2011
Robbie Keane was delighted to get another hour of match action as he scored
for the reserves in a 4-2 defeat of Newcastle United. The on-loan striker
was a lively presence at the Boleyn Ground, the perfect run-out after his
25-minute substitute turn for the first team at Stoke City on Sunday. His
goal saw him lash in from close range on 47 minutes, having found space to
shoot in a crowded box. It was the seal on a good day's work. Keane is
ineligible to feature in this Saturday's trip to his parent club Tottenham
Hotspur but will head away for two matches with the Republic of Ireland
looking to continue his return to fitness after missing four Hammers games -
three wins and a draw - with a thigh problem. "[The injury] is fine," he
said. "It has obviously been frustrating. You come to a new club and you
want to play as soon as possible and you get injured. It is nice to get back
and be able to get another 60 minutes. I am looking forward now to pushing
on. "It is always nice to score whether it is a reserve game or first team
game, it is always important as a striker to score goals. That said, the
most important thing for wasn't about scoring, it was about getting as many
minutes as I could under my belt."
Keane could have been forgiven for wanting to sit out Tuesday's reserves
match after his comeback against Stoke but the only thought was to declare
himself ready to play - especially with having to sit out this coming
weekend at White Hart Lane. "Of course, I wanted to play and get as many
minutes as I can under my belt. I got 25 minutes against Stoke on Sunday but
my next games will be for Ireland. I will miss out on Saturday so I need to
get my match fitness up for the two games coming up. "The more games I can
play now before I come back to play in the Manchester United match in a few
weeks' time, obviously the better it will be for everyone and certainly me.
I have 25 minutes and now 60. Hopefully I will be involved and whatever
minutes I play for Ireland [in a qualifier against FYR Macedonia and a
friendly with Uruguay] will help me to come back to 100 per cent match
fitness for the club."
Keane was paired with 17-year-old prospect Dylan Tombides in attack, and he
relished the chance to figure alongside the talented youngsters on view from
both teams. "If I can help and rub off on the younger ones in any way
possible, well great. They were good. "Full credit to Newcastle as well,
they did well and put on a good performance. It was a good game all round.
It suited everyone."
It certainly suited Keane and he is chomping at the bit in the hope of
returning to the Boleyn Ground pitch when Manchester United visit for the
next home contest on Saturday 2 April. "It would be nice but it is up to the
manager. The lads have been doing tremendously well, so first of all I have
to work hard to get back in the team. Hopefully that will be sooner rather
than later."
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Specs has derby dream
WHUFC.com
American international Jon Spector said the Hammers have extra help in their
survival push
16.03.2011
Jonathan Spector is backing fan power to make a difference for the big
London derby against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane this coming
Saturday lunchtime. The popular midfielder is under no illusions about the
size of the task against the UEFA Champions League challengers. It will be
televised around the world, including live in the United States, and the
onus is on the Hammers to rise to the occasion and take a giant step towards
Barclays Premier League survival. "It is a massive game for us," said
Spector, who should line up for his country against Lionel Messi's Argentina
in New Jersey on Saturday week. "Our form in the league recently has been
good and we have a little momentum so we want to keep that going so we get
the points we need to stay up. "We have been on a good run in the last few
weeks with the league games so we want to keep that going. It is a London
derby and it is a game that has the fans looking at it as a big game and
everything around it, so it is a good game for us to go into and look to
keep the momentum going."
Spector has become an essential part of Avram Grant's matchday plans of late
- he set up Carlton Cole's clincher against Liverpool - and he was needed
last Sunday in the FA Cup defeat by Stoke City when Frederic Piquionne was
forced off with a foot injury. It is hoped the French striker is not too
badly hurt, although the club are still waiting for confirmation of how long
he will be absent. "It was disappointing for Freddie to have to come off
injured. He had just got the equaliser for us. But I came on and had to look
to make an impact that would help us move forward in the game and do what I
could to help the team. We didn't get the result here, but we move on now
and focus on playing Tottenham on Saturday."
Should Spector get the call against Spurs, he would expect the fans to give
him the same raucous reception they did when he entered the fray last time
out. He can still remember the 'Great Escape' of 2006/07 when he shone in
that vital last-day win at Manchester United. "You know they say that Stoke
fans are known for their noise, but I think our fans have a lot of noise and
passion and were just as loud - even though they were fewer in numbers to
the home crowd obviously but we could still hear them, which is great.
"Their support is massive to us and we thank them for that. We all need to
push forward together for the games we have left and the fan support is
vital. They can make a big impact for us, especially when games are
difficult and we have to be patient to get a result. "We need them and I am
sure we can count on them to back us as they have all season. It is a big
boost to us."
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West Ham boss Avram Grant charged with improper conduct
BBC.co.uk
West Ham manager Avram Grant has been charged with improper conduct by the
Football Association for his comments following the 2-1 FA Cup loss to
Stoke. He hinted referee Mike Jones favoured Stoke because he felt "guilty"
for missing Frederic Piquionne's apparent handball in scoring for West Ham.
"Until they scored [the second] goal he gave fouls, a penalty, everything
for them," said Grant after Sunday's match. Grant was also annoyed by a
decision not to award West Ham a penalty. The former Israel, Chelsea and
Portsmouth boss has until 1600 GMT on March 21 to respond to the charge and
if found guilty could be banned from the touchline. After Robert Huth had
given the Potters the lead in the quarter-final at the Britannia Stadium,
Frederic Piquionne equalised in the 30th minute although the French striker
appeared to control the ball with his upper arm before finishing.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis stated after the match that play should have been
halted for "a stone-banker handball". Jones, who awarded 14 fouls against
West Ham and five against Stoke during the match, then blew for a penalty
for the home side after 14 seconds of the second half when Matthew
Etherington was challenged by Scott Parker and James Tomkins. Etherington
missed the spot-kick, but Danny Higginbotham fired home a free-kick to send
Stoke through to face Bolton in their first FA Cup semi-final for 39 years.
Grant also believed his side were denied a chance to equalise for a second
time when Tomkins was jostled by Jon Walters. "It was a penalty for us at
the end which he didn't give. Maybe he felt a little bit guilty. I think it
was the effect of the first goal for us," added Grant
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Unbelievable!
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 16th March 2011
By: Staff Writer No.2
The Football Association have charged Avram Grant with "Improper Conduct"
following comments made after Sunday's FA Cup tie at Stoke. The charge comes
after referee Mike Jones made a number of astonishing decisions in favour of
the home side in the quarter final tie. The FA took exception to the
suggestion that Jones' efforts owed much to a desire to even things up after
Stoke complained bitterly about Hammers' equalizer which they claimed came
off Freddie Piquionne's arm during the build-up. The match turned on a
number of decisions described as "baffling" by most observers. Grant has
until 21 March to request a personal hearing whilst no punishment will be
given to Jones for his unacceptably poor performance.
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300
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 16th March 2011
By: Staff Writer
Wayne Bridge is set to make his 300th Premier League appearance when West
Ham take on Tottenham at White Hart Lane this weekend. The left back, who
joined the Hammers on loan back in January began his career with local club
Southampton, for whom he made 151 appearances in the top flight between 1997
and 2003. Following a £7million move to Chelsea, Bridge played 87 times for
the Blues - where, incidentally, he scored the most recent of his three
Premier League career goals to date, in a 3-0 win over Portsmouth in
December 2003. After six years at Stamford Bridge - which included a loan
spell at Fulham for whom he made 12 Premier League appearances in the
2005/06 season - Bridge joined Manchester City in a £12million switch just
over a year ago. He made 42 league appearances for Roberto Mancini's side as
first-choice left-back before being ousted from the position by
£19million-man Aleksandar Kolarov, who moved from Lazio to Manchester City
last summer. After just three appearances for City in the opening half of
the current league campaign, Bridge joined the Hammers on loan for the
remainder of the season.
Wayne Bridge - Premier League career stats
Southampton 1997-2003: 140 (11) - 2 goals
Chelsea 2003-2009: 74 (13) - 1 goal
Fulham 2006: 12 (0)
Manchester City 2009-2010: 40 (20)
West Ham Utd 2011: 7 (0)
In addition to the Premier League, Bridge has appeared in the following:
FA Cup: 25 (0)
League Cup: 29 (2) - 1 goal
Other: 33 (5) - 2 goals
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Insult to Injury!
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 16th March 2011
By: Gordon Thrower
With the news that the FA have charged Avram Grant with "improper conduct"
over his comments regarding Sunday's ref, Gordon Thrower wonders what the
hell is going on with those who run the game. He's far from impressed, as
you can imagine. Thankfully the FA have no jurisdiction here....
Imagine going into hospital one day for a routine knee op only to find that
the surgeon couldn't be bothered to read up on the procedure, slipped up and
hacked away at the wrong leg so badly that it had to be amputated. If you
were asked about the op you might make some comment regarding the competence
of the guy who had left you (as Peter Cook once splendidly put it)
"deficient in the leg department to the tune of one". You might be critical
of his role in the incident – you certainly wouldn't be sending him a thank
you card for his part in saving you 50% on the cost of footwear for the rest
of your life. Say you then got a phonecall from the General Medical Council
threatening to sue you for having the nerve to criticise their member. You'd
feel a bit cheesed-off wouldn't you? So lord alone knows how Avram Grant
feels about the news that he is to be charged by the FA with "Improper
Conduct" over his comments on the disgraceful performance by Mike Jones last
Sunday.
The events at the Britannia Stadium are well-documented elsewhere
hereabouts. To put it in a nutshell we were knocked out of the cup largely
thanks to a refereeing performance that is the worst I've seen since the
infamous Mike Dean threw the law book out of the window at Highbury all
those years ago. Let nobody be in any doubt whatsoever, the performance of
Mike Jones at the Britannia Stadium last weekend was so poor that, had it
occurred in Italy forensic accountants would be looking through his
financial records just to make sure that they didn't have one of their
periodic bribery scandals on the go. Yes it was that bad.
So what happened after the match? An understandably peeved Avram Grant was
asked what he thought of the ref. In reply the boss suggested that Jones'
actions might have been representative of someone who was trying to even
things up – an understandable comment to make given the sheer perversity of
the decisions Jones made during the course of the afternoon. Now arguably
Grant's comments were actually complimentary to Jones, since they implied
that the useless official actually knew what he was doing to some extent
(despite all the evidence to the contrary). The alternative would be to
suggest that the official's knowledge of the laws of the game was such that
he hadn't the faintest idea what was right or wrong. It had to be one or the
other.
The problem goes much deeper than the fact that an FA Cup quarter final was
decided on the whim of a bad official. If it had been something of a one-off
then all well and good and, granted, Jones' performance did rather plumb
depths of an abyssal nature. However, matches are being determined by the
actions of officials rather than the players on a weekly basis – and the
authorities' refusal to actually do anything about it is simply making
things worse.
The problem that neither PGMO nor the FA seem willing to address is that the
standard of refereeing in this country is a sick joke. PGMO in particular
have much to answer for. They have a nice little closed shop at the top
where promotion to the elite seems more dependent on being one of the
"in-crowd" than on any aptitude for refereeing. Let's face it any
organisation that first appoints Keith Hackett then Mike Riley to its top
post can hardly have improvement of standards uppermost in its list of
priorities.
One might have more faith in them if they actually did anything when one of
their number fouled-up as spectacularly as Jones did last weekend. What will
Jones be doing this weekend? Sitting at home with a suspension and a fine?
Facing some sort of disciplinary process with a warning to his future
conduct? Sacked? Of course not – he's been awarded the big Yorkshire derby
between Sheffield Hypocrisy and Leeds United - possibly the highest profile
match in the second tier this weekend.
Hilarious as it might be if one of Jones' brainstorms were to contribute to
the Blades' relegation (go on-sue him!) the message from the authorities to
the ordinary supporter who shells out good money every week is one of pure
contempt. A bigger two-fingered salute from Riley and his chums it is hard
to imagine. "We've had your money now sling your hook" seems to be their
message. Remember this all comes from people who demand that we "respect"
them and whine like four year-olds if anyone dares to suggest that all is
not perfect with their membership.
There are some decent refs out there to be sure – and of course they will
always trot out the argument that they make fewer mistakes than players do.
However, if a player performed as consistently badly as Jones and Dean (to
name but two) do on a regular basis do you think that they'd last long in
the Premier League? If that were the case we'd still be picking John Radford
– despite the fact that he's the worst player I've ever seen in the claret
and blue (and well into his 60's to boot). No good but someone likes him so
that's alright then.
So here's a tip for the FA and PGMO. Next time someone complains about a
referee's performance why not pause before issuing the knee-jerk improper
conduct charge to consider whether or not the complainant might just have a
point. If not – and we all know the mind games that the likes of Ferguson
and Wenger get up to - then fair enough throw the book at them. However, if
on reflection, there is something in the complaint why not treat the cause
of the problem and impose some form of sanction on the person responsible.
After all, if you're serious about improving standards surely getting rid of
those who give referees a bad name would be one sure way of improving
things.
Things can't continue as they are that's for sure.
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Grant hit with FA charge
West Ham boss rapped for post-match interview
Last updated: 16th March 2011
SSN
West Ham manager Avram Grant has been charged with improper conduct by the
Football Association following comments about referee Mike Jones.
The FA announced the charge on Tuesday after Grant hit out against the match
official in the aftermath of game against Stoke on 13th March. Grant saw his
Hammers crash to a frustrating FA Cup quarter-final exit, losing 2-1 on a
disappointing afternoon at the Britannia. The Upton Park manager felt a
number of decisions went against his side, claiming James Tomkins should
have won a penalty instead of being penalised following a tussle with Jon
Walters.
Anger
Grant suggested the referee was trying to even things after missing a
handball from West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne in the build-up to the
French striker's first-half equaliser. He said: "I think maybe this is the
reason the referee started the second half very strange. "Until they scored
[the second] goal he gave fouls, a penalty, everything for them. "It was a
penalty for us at the end which he didn't give. "Maybe he felt a little bit
guilty. I think it was the effect of the first goal for us." The former
Chelsea boss has until 4pm on 21st March to respond to the charge.
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Keane eager to return
Hammers striker pressing for first-team duty
Last updated: 16th March 2011
SSN
West Ham's on-loan striker Robbie Keane is looking forward to returning to
first-team action after recovering from a thigh injury. The Tottenham
marksman has spent the past five weeks on the sidelines after suffering the
blow in training. Keane, who scored on his debut at Blackpool, made his
comeback off the bench in Sunday's defeat at Stoke before scoring in an
hour-long appearance in the reserves' 4-2 victory against Newcastle on
Tuesday.
The 30-year-old insists he has fully recovered from the knock following a
frustrating spell on the sidelines and is now looking to force his way back
into Avram Grant's side.
Frustration
"The injury is fine now," he told the club's official website. "It has
obviously been frustrating. You come to a new club and you want to play as
soon as possible and you get injured. "It is nice to get back and be able to
get another 60 minutes. I am looking forward now to pushing on. "It is
always nice to score whether it is a reserve game or first-team game but the
most important thing for me was getting as many minutes as I could under my
belt."
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Grant rapped for referee rant
The Sun
Published: 16 Mar 2011
AVRAM GRANT has been charged by the FA for his comments after West Ham's
match with Stoke on Sunday. The Hammers boss questioned the performance of
referee Mike Jones during the FA Cup clash. Jones allowed striker Freddie
Piquionne's goal to stand in the first half despite TV replays showing he
controlled it with his arm. The official then gave Stoke a controverial
penalty just 15 seconds into the second period. Asked if he thought Jones
had tried to even things up, Grant said: "I think so, yes. "Maybe this is
the reason the referee started the second half very, very strange. "Until
they scored the goal, he gave fouls and penalties, everything for them.
Maybe he felt a little bit weak."
The FA responded today by slapping Grant with a improper conduct charge. A
statement said: "The charge relates to comments made about match official
Mike Jones in post-match interviews following West Ham United's fixture with
Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday 13 March 2011. Grant has until
4pm on March 21 to respond to the charge.
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Matt: I'm no diver
The Sun
By DEAN SCOGGINS
Published: Today
MATTHEW ETHERINGTON has lashed back at claims he dived to win a penalty in
the FA Cup against West Ham. The Stoke winger went down under a challenge
from Scott Parker and there appeared to be minimal contact. But Etherington
said he felt the referee would give a decision Stoke's way on Sunday
following Frederic Piquionne's dubious leveller in the first half. He said:
"I felt contact at the time. At that stage of the game, and after their goal
appeared to be a handball, it looked as though the ref was going to give us
something. "But I'm not a player who dives. If people want to have a go it's
water off a duck's back because I know I felt contact. "I missed the
penalty, so it had no bearing on the game anyway." Stoke won 2-1 after Danny
Higginbotham's winner and now face Bolton in the semi-finals.
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Keane ready to fire West Ham to safety - but there's bad news about
Piquionne
Published 11:22 16/03/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Robbie Keane has spoken of his frustration at spending the last five weeks
on the sidelines with a thigh injury. Keane hit the ground running at the
Hammers after signing on loan from Tottenham, scoring on his debut and
impressing in his second appearance before picking up the injury in
training, ruling him out for just over a month. That meant the Republic of
Ireland striker had to watch from the sidelines as his new team-mates went
on a four-match unbeaten run that saw them climb to 18th in the table and
almost reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The 30-year-old made his
comeback off the bench in Sunday's defeat at Stoke before scoring in a
hour-long appearance in the reserves' 4-2 victory against Newcastle last
night. He admits the injury was hard to take but is now looking forward to
winning back his place in the side. "The injury is fine now," Keane said on
West Ham's website. "It has obviously been frustrating. You come to a new
club and you want to play as soon as possible and you get injured. "It is
nice to get back and be able to get another 60 minutes. I am looking forward
now to pushing on. "It is always nice to score, whether it is a reserve game
or first-team game. The most important thing for me was getting as many
minutes as I could under my belt."
Keane will now hope to continue his recovery by playing in the Republic of
Ireland's Euro 2012 qualifier with Macedonia a week on Saturday, and the
friendly against Uruguay the following Tuesday. He will not be available for
West Ham's Barclays Premier League match against Tottenham this weekend
under the terms of the loan agreement with his parent club, but could start
the Hammers' next game with Manchester United at Upton Park on April 2.
But with Demba Ba and Carlton Cole both finding form in his absence, Keane
concedes he may find it hard to push his way back into Avram Grant's
starting XI. "It would be nice [to play against United], but it is up to the
manager," Keane added. "The lads have been doing tremendously well, so first
of all I have to work hard to get back in the team. Hopefully that will be
sooner rather than later."
Keane's fellow striker Frederic Piquionne is a major doubt for this
Saturday's clash at White Hart Lane due to a foot problem, it has emerged.
The Frenchman suffered the injury during Sunday's defeat at the Britannia
Stadium and is unlikely to play against Spurs. With Keane unavailable, Grant
is likely to play Ba, Victor Obinna and Cole up front as the only other
strikers he has at his disposal are youngsters Freddie Sears and Zavon
Hines, who have both been used sparingly this term.
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Keane watches the West Ham revival with mixed emotions
By Paul Hirst
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Robbie Keane has revealed his frustration at spending the last five weeks on
the sidelines at West Ham with a thigh injury. Keane, signed on loan from
Tottenham, scored on his debut and impressed in his second appearance before
picking up the injury in training, ruling him out for just over a month.
The Republic of Ireland striker has watched his new team-mates go on a
four-match unbeaten run, climbing to 18th in the Premier League and almost
reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
The 30-year-old made his comeback off the bench in Sunday's defeat at Stoke
before scoring in an hour-long appearance in the reserves' 4-2 victory
against Newcastle on Tuesday. He admits the injury was hard to take but is
now looking forward to winning back his place in the first team.
"The injury is fine now," Keane said. "It has been frustrating. You come to
a new club and you want to play as soon as possible and you get injured. It
is nice to get back and be able to get another 60 minutes. I am looking
forward now to pushing on. It is always nice to score whether it is a
reserve game or first-team game, but the most important thing was getting as
many minutes as I could under my belt."
Keane hopes to continue his recovery by playing in the Republic of Ireland's
Euro 2012 qualifier with Macedonia on Saturday week, and the friendly
against Uruguay three days later.
He will not be available for West Ham's Premier League match against
Tottenham this weekend under the terms of the loan agreement with his parent
club, but could start the Hammers' next game with Manchester United at Upton
Park on 2 April. But with Demba Ba and Carlton Cole both finding form in his
absence, Keane concedes he may find it hard to push his way back into Avram
Grant's starting XI.
"It would be nice [to play against United] but it is up to the manager,"
Keane added. "The lads have been doing tremendously well, so first of all I
have to work hard to get back in the team. Hopefully, that will be sooner
rather than later."
Keane's fellow striker Frédéric Piquionne is a major doubt for this
Saturday's game at White Hart Lane owing to a foot problem. The Frenchman
suffered the injury during Sunday's defeat at the Britannia Stadium. With
Keane unavailable, Grant is likely to play Demba Ba, Victor Obinna and
Carlton Cole up front, as the only other strikers he has at his disposal are
the youngsters Freddie Sears and Zavon Hines, who have both been used
sparingly this term.
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