WHUFC.com
Danny Gabbidon has admitted Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Chelsea was a hard
scoreline to stomach
26.04.2011
With six minutes remaining at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, West Ham United
were still in with a chance of holding Barclays Premier League champions
Chelsea. The Hammers had produced a performance full of heart and commitment
and created a hatful of opportunities against the division's meanest
defence. Then, just as it has so often this season, luck deserted Avram
Grant's side. Substitute Fernando Torres was ushered across the penalty area
by the excellent Danny Gabbidon, only for the ball to stick in a puddle,
wrong-footing the defender and allowing the Spaniard to net his first goal
in Chelsea colours - ending West Ham's spirited resistance in the process.
"I can't really take any pride as a defender from my performance as we lost
3-0 so I am disappointed," the defender told West Ham TV. "That is probably
the bit of luck that Torres needed to get his first goal. The ball stopped
in a puddle and I am sure that he will go on to score a lot more."
Earlier, West Ham had matched their title-chasing hosts for long periods of
a game played in persistent, driving rain. Demba Ba, twice, and Jonathan
Spector forced Petr Cech into fine saves, while Robbie Keane flashed a
first-time shot narrowly wide when well-placed with the score at 1-0. Frank
Lampard had fired Chelsea into a 44th-minute lead from Ashley Cole's
left-wing cross, but aside from that, West Ham had restricted the hosts to
long-range shots. "The first goal was a good goal but we are looking to get
to half time at nil-nil and it was just before the break and it was a blow
for us to go in 1-0. We did well first half. The third goal was a good
finish [from Florent Malouda in added-time]. "It seems the same old story
that we never take our chances, we play well and create and never get the
result. So it is disappointing. We put in a lot of hard work and we had
chances to score and when they had their chances, they took them. "For long
parts of the game we did well and 3-0 is really disappointing."
Having performed so well against a Chelsea side that had won six of its
previous seven league games, Gabbidon said West Ham will travel to
fourth-placed Manchester City next Sunday firmly believing that they can
upset Roberto Mancini's team. "We need to do that from the first minute and
believe in ourselves. That is kind of tough at the moment because of the
position that we are in, but that is what we have to do - just go out there
and give everything that we have got. Man City are a good team but we can't
be thinking of that. We need to go out there and try and get some points on
the board."
Following Sunday's trip to Eastlands, West Ham round out the season with
winnable fixtures against Blackburn Rovers, at Wigan Athletic and at home to
Sunderland, with the No4 insisting that survival is far from beyond them.
"If we can show that kind of fight and performance in all aspects of the
game, [we can stay up]. We worked hard and created some chances which was
good and, at times, we played really well and passed the ball well. So, if
we keep creating those types of chances and put them away then hopefully we
can win a couple of games. "We have to keep with that same approach and try
and get some wins. The first 20 minutes, we looked a bit fearful of them and
what they could do and we couldn't keep the ball and then we realised that
we could play bit and create chances ourselves and it was completely
different after that. "We can't look at the last three games, [though]. We
are looking at the next game and if we can win that it helps us a lot. The
last three games will be big games but every game from now on is big. We are
not writing off Man City and thinking just the three after that as the more
you lose the harder the next games becomes. "Those games are hard as well as
the teams are down the bottom and fighting for their lives as well. So we
look to Man City and have to believe that we go there and get some points
from that and if we do it will be a great confidence boost for the team and
sets us up nicely for those three games."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
It is crunch time in the Barclays Premier League with a massive month facing
the Hammers
25.04.2011
With a month to go in the Barclays Premier League, Avram Grant said West Ham
United still have everything in their hands to survive. Even so, Hammers
fans will spend the next four weeks looking as much at other results - for
example, this evening Blackburn Rovers receive high-flying Manchester City -
as their own. What is certain is that following four defeats in April, the
manager needs a May revival. After a 3-0 loss at Chelsea on a sodden
Saturday, Grant's team are two points adrift of safety. They play relegation
rivals Blackburn at home and Wigan Athletic away in between next Sunday's
trip to Manchester City and the final-day visit of Sunderland to the Boleyn.
"There is a lot of belief," Grant said. "Against Chelsea, we created chances
and we defended well. The spirit was very good. We played a very good team
in the best shape of their season and we deserved more from this. The final
score does not tell the story. "Until 85 minutes it was 1-0 and we had some
big chances before then. Everyone said Chelsea would beat us easily.
especially without Scott Parker and others [the ill Matthew Upson and Gary
O'Neil] but everyone saw we deserved more."
It remains to be seen whether Parker will return at the City of Manchester
Stadium next weekend because of his achilles tendonitis problem. "I don't
know about next Sunday, but he will definitely be fit for the week after. I
want him to play against City. I wanted him to play against Chelsea also but
it depends on his condition.
"You know with Parker if it's 50-50 he will always play, but he was not
ready. I hope he will be ready soon. "The players want to play with him.
Every player wants to play with him. He's a good player, the writers' player
of the year and everyone wants to play with him. But he didn't play and we
need to get results. But we can do it without him."
Grant added that "it is not looking so good" for Mark Noble's stomach
complaint after his enforced substitution at Stamford Bridge while fellow
midfielder O'Neil is out for the season with his ankle injury. The manager
was, though, delighted with the contribution of stand-ins Jonathan Spector
and Freddie Sears and is backing his squad to deliver. "You never know what
can happen next Sunday. Manchester City are another fantastic team but there
have been a lot of ups and downs this season.
"Since January we have a team that deserve to stay in the league. Of course
we are carrying on our back the first half of the season. It is not easy but
it is still possible. The gap stayed two points from safety. It is still in
our hands. Fan support will play a significant role and the manager was keen
to stress how crucial their backing was to the team - with an outstanding
display in the away end on Saturday. "The supporters are great," Grant
repeated, mindful of how crucial their impact could be in tense situations.
"If they continue like this we will stay in the league."
The final four matches will be a huge test of nerve with the manager knowing
the key to salvation is ultimately about what happens on the pitch, and
staying composed under pressure. "In our situation, we need to be calmer in
the box and take our chances. Whatever happens next week, we're still in
there. It depends on us."
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Gary O'Neil to miss rest of season after ankle surgery
Page last updated at 15:46 GMT, Friday, 22 April 2011 16:46 UK
BBC.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Gary O'Neil is set to miss the rest of the season after
undergoing surgery on an ankle injury. The 27-year-old was injured after a
tackle by Nigel Reo-Coker in the Hammers' 2-1 Premier League defeat by Aston
Villa at Upton Park on 16 April. O'Neil said: "I have got some joint damage
in the ankle which they had to sort but I am told it went well. "I am
disappointed not to be involved for the last five games but looking to get
back as fast as I can next season."
O'Neill has made eight appearances for the Hammers after joining in January
from Championship side Middlesbrough. West Ham currently sit second from
bottom in the Premier League table, two points from safety and they travel
to Stamford Bridge on Saturday to face third-placed Chelsea. "I will be
right behind the lads and I'll be cheering them on at the remaining
matches," continued O'Neil. "I have got my head around the timescale
involved for my comeback. I have just got to keep my foot up for a few weeks
and then take it from there."
Reports have surfaced that O'Neil was considering legal action against
Reo-Coker, but Villa assistant manager Gary McAllister insisted that the
tackle was fair. McAllister said: "I am surprised [about the reports]. I
know Gary O'Neill quite well. I worked with him at Middlesbrough so, when I
saw that the knock he got was bad, I got our video guys to show me the
challenge. "I've got to say it's a good tackle and it's the follow-through
of Gary O'Neil which catches the base of Nigel's boot, where I think the
problem comes from. Nigel clearly gets the ball. He's come from the side,
not from the back and I just don't think Gary O'Neil has seen him. "I think
Nigel can rest assured it was a good tackle."
West Ham manager Avram Grant admitted he was disappointed to lose O'Neil at
such a crucial stage in the campaign. "It was a bad, bad injury," said
Grant. "Gary is one of our best players, especially against the big teams.
He has experience to work hard and he knows how to pass the ball. "We missed
him last week and it was not easy for us to play [without him]. He's a good
lad who came to a new team and played like he's been with us for many, many
years."
Grant also bemoaned his side's recent luck with injuries. As well as O'Neil,
Scott Parker, Kieron Dyer, Junior Stanislas and back-up keeper Peter Kurucz
are ruled out of the Chelsea game, while Manuel Da Costa is doubtful. "It's
a fact that we have many, many injuries," he claimed. "We need to deal with
them. We need to know how to take points even when players are injured. "We
spoke about this and we need to give everything for the club. Players and
managers come and go, but I always say the club is more important than
everybody."
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The only way is ethics
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th April 2011
By: Brian Evans
Once again we arrive at matchday, the day of the week which matters more
than any other to a football fan.
And once again we have our club's Vice Chair offering her opinion on all and
sundry in a national newspaper column for which she is no doubt handsomely
paid.
This has to stop. Quite simply it is inappropriate for a senior, paid,
executive of the club to be commenting upon matters in public for which
other club employees are responsible and for which they will be held to
account, as they should be, in due course.
The open criticism of our team's performances since the bonding trip to
Portugal , on the eve of another crucial match, is at best ill timed and
worst treachery.
Can you imagine Frank Lampard, sat in the Chelsea dressing room, laughing
and joking with John Terry about how they dodged a bullet by escaping West
Ham and ever having to work for Brady? Spirits will have been soaring in
their dressing room, whilst in ours a disconsolate Scott Parker ponders what
might have been. If only.
What is it in her make-up that stops her seeing team-building exercises as a
solid investment as opposed to a waste of money? Her husband is a football
professional, who has played at a high level - I wonder what he thinks of
her sniping away at our Manager and players?
Does she ever stop to ask how a kid from Canada had to graft and hone his
skills to make it to the top of the sport he loves ? I have no doubt they
have interesting conversations about the amount of resources available to
Avram and his team when compared to his staff at Burton Albion, or even when
she makes a comparison with Birmingham City .
This is what Brady is failing to comprehend: this is West Ham United , not
Birmingham City or Burton Albion. Both fine clubs in their own right, but
anyone who played or managed at those clubs would see a move to ours as
career progression, as indeed should our Vice Chair. Her bosses gave her the
signal when promoting her. It looks to me like she has missed the signal.
Nobody much cares what the Vice Chair of Birmingham city or Burton Albion
says. It's not newsworthy, whereas every word that comes out of the MDF
Tower suite is like a puff of white smoke from the vatican: broadcast around
the world. The effect is magnified by the fact it comes from possibly the
most high profile businesswoman in the UK (note how I describe her as having
the highest profile, which is not the same as being the highest achiever).
She has achieved and I would, and have previously, commended her for holding
down a senior executive position in a competitve industry for nearly 20
years. That's no mean feat, more so when it is a male dominated industry
stuffed full of chauvanism and sexist commentators. She is however
continuing to run the risk of destroying her own hard earned legacy by a
catalogue of failures of leadership during her tenure at West Ham .
The continued cheap shots in the direction of the Chairman of a rival club
demean her. She doesn't need to make them. The failed attempt to offload the
Manager in January - and worse, to allow the fact we had been negotiating
with another manager when no vacancy existed - would have caused the
applicant deep embarassment.
Future applicants will have noted that and may shy away from forwarding
their candidiacy, effectively limiting the talent pool from which the club
can draw upon. Ethics matter to some people, even in the murky world of
professional football and this will leave a stain on the clubs reputation -
a stain that Karren , in her role as Lady Macbeth will not remove regardless
of how often she washes her hands.
As to player recruitment, a cynic would argue if you paid them two sugar
cubes more than the other club they'll join. Well the good ones won't. The
good ones tend to look at the bigger picture - the quality of the club's
infrastrusture, the training facilities, the access to medical staff, the
degree of stability, not least of which is for whom they will be playing.
They want to know who they need please on a Saturday afternoon. The Vice
Chair, with the power to humiliate in her newspaper column - or the Manager
effectively shackled as a condition of his contract from responding?
Does Karren not realise this comes across as a form of bullying? Picking on
people who are not allowed to fight back - players, managers , medical
teams.The resentement must build in those people , creating a posionous
environment, a negativity from which it is difficult to escape - even with a
trip to Portugal.
That negativity, that simmering resentment, coupled with the fact we have a
squad with too many loanees and soon-to-be out-of-contract players removes
the fight and determination to succeed from those the club need it from
most.
Instead of acting as a wrecking ball with every public comment Karren could
display real leadership by supporting the players and manager - as she did
this week with Carlton Cole, with regards his disgracefully inappropriate
fine by the FA. She could choose to take every bit of criticism that comes
our way on the chin and defiantly ask if that is the best our opponents
have?
Nobody is pretending we have the world's best manager, but we have him, we
appointed him - and Karren Brady was part of that process. To offer her
opinion that we have the best squad in the lower half of the league can only
be a direct and pointed criticism of the manager.
On matchday. In the midst of a relegation battle.
It's not important whether she is right or wrong in her opinion, it's wrong
of her to express it publicly - especially at this point in time. It smacks
of 'don't blame me', it's all somebody else's fault .
Poor leadership. And unlikely to improve the club's position. Many of us who
have followed the team through thick and thin and who paid £55 to watch us
at the Bridge yesterday expect more from the club's high command. We expect
them to support the side come hell or high water. That is a minimum standard
of behaviour .
It's called leadership, dignity in defeat and being United.
United. West Ham United.
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Grant waiting on Parker
Hammers boss keen to have key midfielder back
Last Updated: April 25, 2011 12:24pm
SSN
Avram Grant is eager to have talismanic midfielder Scott Parker back in
action as West Ham battle to beat the drop. The Football Writers'
Association Player of the Year has sat out the last two matches with an
Achilles injury during which time the Hammers have slipped back to the foot
of the table. The Upton Park outfit now have just four games remaining to
scramble out of the bottom three, starting with Sunday's testing trip to
Manchester City. Grant said: "I want him to play. It depends on his
condition. "He's not feeling so good and I hope that he will be available
for us soon. "The good news is maximum two weeks he will be fit, maybe next
week also."
Without
After the trip to Eastlands, the Hammers have further games against
Blackburn, Wigan and Sunderland. And Grant knows that his side must learn to
cope without their inspirational midfielder if his absence is extended over
the coming weeks. "Every player wants to play with a good player - he's the
player of the year," he added. "But he didn't play and we need to play also
without him."
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Gabbidon still a happy Hammer
Defender confident of survival, while Sears eyes regular role
Last Updated: April 25, 2011 11:05am
SSN
Danny Gabbidon has taken heart from West Ham's performance at Chelsea and
believes they will avoid the drop. The Hammers slipped to a 3-0 defeat at
Stamford Bridge on Saturday, returning them to the foot of the Premier
League table. They now sit two points from safety with four games of the
season remaining. "There is always going to be a little bit of fear there,
but that is something we have to banish." Time is fast running out on their
efforts to steer clear of trouble, with the vast majority of the campaign
having been spent languishing inside the bottom three. Gabbidon, though,
insists confidence remains high around Upton Park and is convinced that hard
work and self belief will see them safe. The Wales international said after
the weekend defeat at Chelsea:"If we play like that again, we'll get the
points we need. We just need to show that kind of fight and performance in
all aspects of the game.
Fear
"We worked hard, created some chances - which was good - and at times we
played really well. "Every game is a big game now. There is always going to
be a little bit of fear there, but that is something we have to banish. We
have to play with freedom, go out there and express ourselves."
England U21 international Freddie Sears was drafted back into the West Ham
starting XI on Saturday and he hopes Avram Grant will give him further
opportunities to aid the club's survival bid. He said: "It was a good
opportunity for me as I had not played for a long time. "It's been
frustrating. But we have four games to go and I want to play in all of them.
I would be lying if I said I didn't. "I feel that I have something to give.
The gaffer knows what I can do and it would be nice to feel that I can help
out."
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Sears begs Grant for more West Ham action
Published 16:29 25/04/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham forward Freddie Sears has pleaded with manager Avram Grant to give
him the chance to help save the Hammers from the drop. Sears may have played
only a bit-part role in the Londoners' season, but he was one of the team's
best performers during Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. The youngster gave
England left-back Ashley Cole a difficult time at Stamford Bridge in what
was his seventh Barclays Premier League start of the season. The forward
spent the first half of the season on loan at Scunthorpe, where he failed to
find the net in nine games, and has rarely lived up to the hype that
surrounded him since his debut goal against Blackburn three years ago. The
21-year-old admits being a frustrated spectator during the Hammers' woeful
season has left him desperate to play some part in helping them avoid
relegation. "It is never easy playing against Chelsea or Cole but it was a
good opportunity for me to play as I have not played for a long time," Sears
said. "I've not been playing and it has been frustrating. My last game was
against Burnley (in February) but I feel that I have been doing well. I
think I've impressed in training and have been working on my game so
hopefully that was my reward for the gaffer to give me the nod. "We have
four games to go and I want to play in all of them. I would be lying if I
said I didn't. I feel that I have something to give. The gaffer knows what I
can do and how I can help out the team and it would be nice to feel that I
can."
West Ham are currently in the midst of an injury crisis that is threatening
to hamper their bid to usurp the two-point gap that separates them from
safety. Matthew Upson and Scott Parker were absent on Saturday while Mark
Noble had to come off with a stomach injury that could rule him out of part
of the team's run-in. Right winger Gary O'Neil is also out with a serious
ankle injury, but Sears is confident he can fill the gap left by the former
Middlesbrough man. "I feel that I can stretch teams," Sears said. "The
gaffer looks at me as having a bit of pace and I am a young lad and he knows
that I have high energy levels and that I will work hard for the team. That
is obviously a good thing for me. "Gary has been doing very well on the
right but he has got injured so this is my chance to get in and stake my
place."
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Fast Freddie hopeful he can help Hammers last the pace in relegation battle
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER Last updated at 4:29 PM on 25th April 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham forward Freddie Sears has pleaded with manager Avram Grant to give
him the chance to help save the Hammers from the drop. Sears may have played
only a bit-part role in the Londoners' season, but he was one of the team's
best performers during Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. The youngster gave
England left-back Ashley Cole a difficult time at Stamford Bridge in what
was his seventh Barclays Premier League start of the season. The forward
spent the first half of the season on loan at Scunthorpe, where he failed to
find the net in nine games, and has rarely lived up to the hype that
surrounded him since his debut goal against Blackburn three years ago. The
21-year-old admits being a frustrated spectator during the Hammers' woeful
season has left him desperate to play some part in helping them avoid
relegation. 'It is never easy playing against Chelsea or Cole but it was a
good opportunity for me to play as I have not played for a long time,' Sears
said. 'I've not been playing and it has been frustrating. My last game was
against Burnley (in February) but I feel that I have been doing well. I
think I've impressed in training and have been working on my game so
hopefully that was my reward for the gaffer to give me the nod. 'We have
four games to go and I want to play in all of them. I would be lying if I
said I didn't. I feel that I have something to give. The gaffer knows what I
can do and how I can help out the team and it would be nice to feel that I
can.'
West Ham are currently in the midst of an injury crisis that is threatening
to hamper their bid to usurp the two-point gap that separates them from
safety. Matthew Upson and Scott Parker were absent on Saturday while Mark
Noble had to come off with a stomach injury that could rule him out of part
of the team's run-in.
Right winger Gary O'Neil is also out with a serious ankle injury, but Sears
is confident he can fill the gap left by the former Middlesbrough man. 'I
feel that I can stretch teams,' Sears said. 'The gaffer looks at me as
having a bit of pace and I am a young lad and he knows that I have high
energy levels and that I will work hard for the team. That is obviously a
good thing for me. 'Gary has been doing very well on the right but he has
got injured so this is my chance to get in and stake my place.'
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Exclusive – Dicks: 'West Ham players have to take a look at themselves'
TalkSport
By Alex Varney
Monday, April 25
Julian Dicks says West Ham have underachieved this season because the
players have not worked hard enough. The 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday
has left the Hammers rooted to the bottom of the Premier League and Dicks
says the players must take responsibility for the club's miserable season.
He told talkSPORT: "They haven't performed in many of the games and they
have underachieved. The players have to take a lot of responsibility.
"Obviously the manager gets the blame and rightly so but the players have to
take a look at themselves because as individuals a lot of them have
underachieved and lot of them don't work hard enough." Avram Grant's men are
two points adrift of safety with four games to go and Dicks reckons his old
club must win three of those to survive. He added: "They've got Manchester
City [next], which hand on heart you don't really expect them to get
anything out of. The next three games after that are vital, which they can
get something out of. But they have to win all three of them."
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