WHUFC.com
The manager is well aware that his side need to return to winning ways and
quickly
09.04.2011
Avram Grant was disappointed in defeat on Saturday evening but no less
determined to lead West Ham United to Barclays Premier League safety. An
emphatic 3-0 loss for the Hammers at the hands of Bolton Wanderers was set
after just 20 minutes at the Reebok Stadium, with early goals from a rampant
Daniel Sturridge and Lee Chung-yong stunning the loyal travelling support.
Grant, who was forced to watch the match from the stands after starting a
two-game FA ban, had made three changes to his side, installing James
Tomkins at right-back for Lars Jacobsen, and fielding Robbie Keane and
Freddie Piquionne in attack for Gary O'Neil and Carlton Cole. However, it
was the home side who had the upper hand from the off against the manager's
4-3-3 formation. But for Robert Green, the Trotters could have taken a more
significant advantage into the interval but once Sturridge was able to add
to his tally six minutes into the second half, the match was lost. Demba Ba
had the Hammers' best moments, hitting the post with a long-ranger and
seeing Jussi Jaaskelainen save brilliantly from his header but it was too
little, too late. The manager has already turned his attention to what is
now a possibly pivotal game at home to Aston Villa next weekend. Grant said:
"We started the game OK but then they scored the first goal and got the
better of us before scoring another one after that. Bolton dominated the
first half and played very well. "We started well in the second half but
then they scored again and it became very difficult for us. We created a lot
of chances but we didn't score. It was one of those days, when nothing goes
how you want it to."
Bolton are riding high in the league and also looking forward to an FA Cup
semi-final next weekend, and the manager admitted their fluid play owed much
to their feelgood factor. "Bolton are not in the relegation zone and they're
not at the top either and they were quite free to try to play football with
a lot of good players. They had nothing to lose. "We wanted to play
differently but it was one of those days when everything went against us."
Grant lost Matthew Upson at half-time and had to substitute Scott Parker in
the closing stages, with both nursing aching legs. Upson had also suffered a
nasty cut in the first half, and his departure led to Tomkins switching to
the centre and Jacobsen entering the fray along Cole at half-time. Things
did improve after the break, with Keane especially thriving at the point of
a diamond midfield in a 4-4-2. "Even if it didn't look like it out on the
pitch at times, the commitment was there it was just that everything that we
were trying was not working. We had chances but we didn't score, yet Bolton
did get goals from their opportunities. It was one of those days but I don't
have a problem with their commitment. "I need to see the game again but it's
a fact that we didn't play good. We started well but their first goal
affected us. We were down and we let them control the game. We lost almost
every battle in the first half. That was the key. We gave the ball away so
many times and we have to pass the ball with more quality. "I still believe
that we can stay in the league. What you saw in the first half today is not
something that you see every day in our team. It was an exception."
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Bolton 3 - 0 West Ham
By Julian Shea
BBC.co.uk
Bolton had the ideal warm-up for their FA Cup semi-final with Stoke as two
goals from Daniel Sturridge helped them to an easy win over West Ham.
Sturridge's fine curling shot and a Lee Chung-yong header gave Bolton a 2-0
lead at the end of an embarrassingly one-sided first half. Any second-half
revival for the visitors was halted as Sturridge's second goal tightened
Bolton's grip. Demba Ba's shot against the post was the closest West Ham
came to scoring. West Ham came into the game burdened by the knowledge that
they had never won at the Reebok Stadium and, from the outset, they never
looked like breaking their duck. Kevin Davies has scored more goals against
West Ham than any other side, so the visitors should have known what to
expect from his physical presence up front. As well as the threat he posed
himself, Davies was an excellent foil for the lively Sturridge, and it was
not long before the pair linked up, with Manuel da Costa forced to put
Sturridge's effort behind for a corner early on, after good approach work by
Davies.
Apart from one moment of threat from Wayne Bridge - snuffed out by Gretar
Steinsson - the ball was rarely in the Bolton half of the field, and when
the first goal came, inevitably it was for Bolton, with Davies and Sturridge
involved. Davies flicked a long throw to Johan Elmander, and the Swede laid
the ball off to Sturridge on the left-hand corner of the box. The on-loan
Chelsea player duly curled an inch-perfect strike into the top corner beyond
the grasp of Robert Green. Davies then wasted a great chance to double the
lead as he was allowed to charge through on goal almost unchallenged, but
with only Green to beat, he screwed his shot wide of the far post. But such
was Bolton's dominance that wasting an opportunity was no big deal and, when
the next one came, it was on target. Lee began and finished the move,
scooping the ball upfield from deep in his own half before sprinting into
the area to get on the end of Martin Petrov's cross from the left to touch
home a simple near-post header.
Sturridge and Elmander continued to cause the visitors all kinds of problems
as Bolton utterly dominated a totally one-sided first half, with a tame
Thomas Hitzlsperger shot the only moment of activity for home keeper Jussi
Jaaskelainen. The half-time introduction of Carlton Cole seemed to lift West
Ham's spirits after the restart, but just as they were threatening to reduce
Bolton's lead, it was extended by Sturridge. Yet more statue-like defending
allowed him to pick up the ball wide on the left, advance to the edge of the
box and send in a low shot which found the bottom corner. The three-goal
cushion, however, seemed to introduce an air of complacency into Bolton's
play, as apart from Sturridge's efforts to secure a hat-trick, most of the
threats on goal came from West Ham. Ba rattled a shot on the turn against
the inside of the post and Da Costa had a header blocked on the line. But
despite West Ham's willingness to have a go, there was never any suggestion
either side thought they would make a comeback. Substitutes Ivan Klasnic and
Rodrigo both had chances to add to Bolton's lead late on, and Sturridge
flicked a shot wide in injury time, but three goals proved more than enough
to claim the victory.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle: "For me today was the biggest win of the season.
I said to the players I wanted the points so we can catch Liverpool and
Everton for sixth and finish as high up as we can, that was the motivation
today. "Our strength today was as a group and a collective effort. We never
rest on our laurels, we must continue to strive and move forward together.
"We've played seven of our last nine games away from home, so there was a
real freshness today. We'll need it all next week (in the FA Cup
semi-final), I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to get to the
final."
West Ham manager Avram Grant: "In the first half we played not so good, the
second half we were better and made many chances but it was too late as they
had scored a third goal. "The situation is not good but it (survival)'s
possible. We're not far from safety, we need to win the next game. In the
second half there were many positives we can take, but the next game will be
a new game. "Until now bad situations have made us strong, I hope it will be
the same in the next game. I think we can stay in the league but it will not
be easy."
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Bolton trot out easy win
Lacklustre West Ham remain deep in the relegation mire
Last updated: 9th April 2011
SSN
Man of the match: Daniel Sturridge. Showed why the Bolton fans already love
him. The Chelsea loanee capped a lively performance with two brilliantly
executed left foot strikes.
Goal of the match: Sturridge's 14th minute opener for Bolton. With his back
to goal a deft first touch allowed him to turn and created the room to power
an unstoppable left foot strike past Robert Green.
Save of the match: Jussi Jaaskelainen's brilliant one handed save to claw
away Demba Ba's thumping second half header.
Talking point: Have Bolton got any chance of signing Sturridge on a
permanent deal?
A brace from young striker Daniel Sturridge handed Wembley-bound Bolton
Wanderers a comfortable 3-0 success against relegation strugglers West Ham.
Sturridge, on-loan from Chelsea, scored a marvellous 14th-minute opener
before sealing victory shortly after the second half restart with another
stunning left-foot strike. South Korean star Chung-Yong Lee bagged Bolton's
second as Owen Coyle's men warmed up for their FA Cup semi final against
Stoke in the best possible manner. It was Bolton's eighth straight win
against the Hammers and extended their excellent home form to just one
defeat in their last 11 games at the Reebok. But there was little comfort
for Avram Grant'smen who were defensively all at sea in the first half
before finally sorting themselves out after the interval. Despite rattling
the woodwork twice they could not grab a lifeline as Bolton produced a
professional display to strengthen their top eight place and maintain the
pressure on Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton.
Spirit
However, goalscorer Sturridge will only be at Wembley in spirit when Bolton
face Stoke as he played for Chelsea earlier in the competition. He took his
tally to six goals in eight games today and has arguably been one of the
best signings of the January transfer window. Bolton almost got off to a
perfect start after Kevin Davies picked out Sturridge in the penalty area in
the third minute. He fired in a shot that took a deflection off West Ham
defender Manuel da Costa. Gary Cahill then got on the end of Martin Petrov's
corner but saw his header go wide of the post. The home side took the lead
in the 14th minute with a superb strike by Sturridge who carved an opening
for himself out of nothing before curling a shot beyond Robert Green and
into the corner. Kevin Davies should have added a second in the 18th minute
but dragged his effort wide but a minute later Bolton forged 2-0 ahead. West
Ham failed to close down Martin Petrov and he swung in a cross that was
headed firmly home by Lee. Petrov was revelling in the space afford to him
and cracked in a shot after 28 minutes that was blocked by James Tomkins.
The Bulgarian winger again came close minutes later as did Elmander while
Sturridge saw a close-range header taken by Green. West Ham hit back two
minutes later when Thomas Hitzlsperger tested Jussi Jaaskelainen with a shot
from the edge of the box after Wayne Bridge had delivered the cross. The
Hammers started brightly after the break but went 3-0 down in the 51st
minute when Sturridge grabbed his second of the game. He drifted in from the
left and got the better of Scott Parker on the edge of the area before
steering a shot beyond Robert Green. Sturridge came within a stride of
completing his hat-trick in the 55th minute, only for Tomkins to make a
vital interception. A minute later West Ham almost pulled a goal back but
Jussi Jaaskelainen reacted magnificently to somehow claw away a header from
Demba Ba. Back came Bolton and Green did well to get a hand to Sturridge's
chip from close range. However West Ham had suddenly come alive and Tomkins
saw his effort in the 63rd minute blocked by Jaaskelainen. Bolton continued
to look dangerous every time they broke forward and Sturridge was again left
frustrated in the 68th minute when he found the wrong side of the post with
his effort. Bolton almost added a fourth in the 83rd minute through
substitute Ivan Klasnic but he failed to test Green and sent his effort
wide. The crowd were willing Sturridge to get his hat-trick but the young
striker squandered a glorious chance from close range in stoppage time.
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Grant - we will survive
Positives to take from defeat, claims Hammers chief
Last Updated: April 9, 2011 7:21pm
SSN
West Ham boss Avram Grant remains confident his side can avoid the dreaded
Premier League drop. Grant, recently handed a touchline ban for criticising
referee Mike Jones, watched from the stands as the Hammers went down in a
3-0 defeat at Bolton. A woeful first half display contributed to most of the
damage but an improved performance after the break still could not bring any
cheer for the Israeli. However, he still believes the east London side
showed enough to prove they can survive.
Target
Grant said: "Bolton scored two fantastic goals from their point of view in
the first half and they dominated the game. "There are six games to go and
we can stay in the league. " "The second half was better. We used the ball
well and we defended better as much as we could. "We continued playing and
to create chances but it was some kind of day where we could not score even
when we had chances. "There are a lot of positives things to take and also a
lot to learn from the first half. "There are six games to go and we can stay
in the league. That is our target."
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Bolton 3 West Ham 0
Published: 09 Apr 2011
The Sun
DANIEL STURRIDGE'S double dished out another Hammer horror for West Ham. The
Chelsea loanee struck either side of Chung Yong Lee's effort to give Bolton
the perfect boost ahead of their FA Cup semi-final next week. Avram Grant's
men remain third from bottom. But the Israeli insisted his team can still
escape the drop.
He said: "I believe we can stay in this league. It is not every day you see
our team perform as badly as they did in the first half. "We have shown in
the past we know how to recover and I am sure we will do so again in the
last six games." Grant said we would investigate after team-mates Mark Noble
and Robert Green had to be separated following Bolton's opener. The Hammers
chief said: "I do not know about it. I need to speak them. "At half-time all
we spoke about was trying to change the game."
Bolton take on Stoke for a place in the FA Cup final next week. But Trotters
boss Owen Coyle insisted the chase for a Europa League place is still on the
cards. He said: "We wanted to put pressure on Liverpool and Everton and the
performance was outstanding. "When you get the three points on the back of a
performance like that it is very pleasing for everyone. "We have been
outstanding at home, very positive, and this result means we go into a
massive game next week in good spirits.
"I always believed Daniel could play in the Premier League and he is
enjoying being at the club."
Bolton almost got off to a perfect start after Kevin Davies picked out
Sturridge in the penalty area in the third minute and his shot was deflected
away by Manuel da Costa. Gary Cahill then got on the end of Martin Petrov's
corner but saw his header go wide of the post. Bolton kept up the pressure
and they deservedly took the lead in the 14th minute as Sturridge turned his
man on the edge of the box and curled a beauty beyond Green. Davies should
have added a second in the 18th minute but dragged his effort wide but a
minute later Bolton forged 2-0 ahead. West Ham failed to close down Petrov
and he swung in a cross that was headed firmly home by Lee. Petrov was
enjoying plemty of freedom down the West Ham right and he cracked in a shot
that James Tomkins managed to block. But Bolton continued to press and
Petrov went close again, Johan Elmander got in a sighter and Sturridge's
header was taken by Green.
West Ham finally managed a shot as the half drew to a close, Jussi
Jaaskelainen dealing with Thomas Hitzlsperger's shot from the edge of the
box. West Ham lunched a spirited response in the second half and Scott
Parker found space on the edge of the area in the 50th minute, only to
toe-poke his effort into Jaaskelainen's body.
Bolton responded immediately and went 3-0 ahead a minute later with
Sturridge's second goal of the game. He drifted in from the left and got the
better of Parker on the edge of the area before steering a shot beyond
Green. Sturridge came within a stride of completing his hat-trick in the
55th minute, only for Tomkins to make a vital interception.
A minute later West Ham almost pulled a goal back but Jaaskelainen reacted
magnificently to somehow claw away a header from Demba Ba. Back came Bolton
and Green did well to get a hand to Sturridge's chip from close range.
However West Ham had suddenly come alive and Tomkins saw his effort in the
63rd minute blocked by Jaaskelainen. Bolton continued to look dangerous
every time they broke forward and Sturridge was again left frustrated in the
68th minute when he found the wrong side of the post with his effort. Bolton
almost added a fourth in the 83rd minute through substitute Ivan Klasnic but
he failed to test Green and sent his effort wide. The crowd were willing
Sturridge to get his hat-trick but the young striker squandered a glorious
chance from close range in stoppage time.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Alonso, Lee (Taylor 78),
Muamba, Petrov (Moreno 79), Elmander, Kevin Davies (Klasnic 82), Sturridge.
Subs not used: Bogdan, Robinson, Blake, Cohen. Booked: Cahill. Goals:
Sturridge 14, Lee 20, Sturridge 51.
West Ham: Green, Tomkins, da Costa, Upson (Jacobsen 46), Bridge, Noble,
Parker (Spector 76), Hitzlsperger, Piquionne (Cole 46), Keane, Ba. Subs not
used: Boffin, Gabbidon, O'Neil, Obinna.
Att: 25,857
Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
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Mounting pressure turns Hammers stars on each other
Published 23:00 09/04/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Mark Noble and Robert Green clashed angrily during West Ham's 3-0 drubbing
at Bolton. Goalkeeper Green shouted accusingly at Noble after Daniel
Sturridge's -opening goal. Noble reacted, ran towards Green and appeared to
throw a punch that struck his team-mate on the chest. Green wrapped his arm
around -Noble's neck before captain Matthew Upson pulled them apart. And
Spurs' Vedran Corluka had to be dragged away from home fans, who had jeered
him after their 3-2 win over Stoke.
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