WHUFC.com
Swimming, training and a pre-season friendly all meant for another busy day
for the Hammers squad
11.07.2011
A keenly-fought and thoroughly respectable 2-1 friendly defeat by BSC Young
Boys completed another long day of hard work for the players of West Ham
United.
The third full day of the Hammers' pre-season tour in central Switzerland
saw Sam Allardyce and his squad conduct two training sessions ahead of their
opening Uhren Cup fixture. The players were up early ahead of a 7am swimming
session before returning to their hotel for breakfast. After a short rest,
Allardyce led the way as the group cycled the two miles to the club's
training complex, where a short warm-up was followed by keep-ball, an 11v11
match and some set-piece and tactical drills.
After a rest and a pre-match meal, the squad boarded the team coach for the
hour-long drive to Grenchen, arriving at the Bruhl Stadium 90 minutes before
the 6pm kick-off.
At the same time, club representatives attended a civic reception at the
town's regional airport, which is renowned for being the watch-making
capital of Switzerland. There, they were welcomed by town president Boris
Banga, head of culture and sport Barbara Pestalozzi and airport CEO Andreas
Wegier. Signed pennants were presented to Banga and Pestalozzi, while a
series of speeches were made, including one by West Ham thanking the people
of Grenchen and Switzerland for their outstanding hospitality.
On to the match itself and West Ham's players gave a good account of
themselves against a Young Boys squad just five days away from their opening
Super Liga fixture. With Robert Green, Scott Parker, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan
and Carlton Cole given the night off, it was a young Hammers team that took
on the UEFA Europa League qualifiers in front of a 7,000-strong crowd. Young
Boys took an early lead through former Switzerland Under-21 international
Marco Schneuwly, but it took just four minutes for Frank Nouble to equalise
with a well-taken near-post header.
It was a big moment for the 19-year-old striker, who has spoken of his
eagerness to impress new manager Sam Allardyce during the pre-season. While
Nouble was looking lively at the attacking end of the pitch, Abdoulaye Faye
and trialists Hernani Da Rosa and Joey O'Brien were making their West Ham
debuts in more defensive positions.
Jordan Brown, George Moncur and Freddie Sears were also given chances to
impress from the start, but it was Young Boys who went in ahead at half-time
thanks to a powerful downward header from Switzerland international defender
Francois Affolter. Allardyce made changes at the break, with Jordan Spence,
James Tomkins, Frederic Piquionne, birthday boy Olly Lee and teenager Robert
Hall all given a run out. Tomkins looked strong after taking over the
captain's armband from Luis Boa Morte, while Piquionne and Hall combined
well - the latter hitting the post with a rasping 20-yard shot late on. At
the other end, Ruud Boffin made two fine saves to deny Young Boys
replacement Emmanuel Mayuka.
While the final whistle arrived with the Hammers still trailing, manager
Allardyce and his players can be proud of a good night's work. The official
website was on hand to capture all of the day's action on camera, and an
exclusive gallery of pictures is published here.
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Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United
WHUFC.com
Frank Nouble is on target as a youthful West Ham United are beaten narrowly
in Switzerland
11.07.2011
BSC YOUNG BOYS v WEST HAM UNITED
UHREN CUP
MONDAY 11 JULY 2011
KICK-OFF: 6PM
Final score - BSC Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United
West Ham TV will have exclusive highlights and reaction from tonight's game
soon, as well as all the latest from the pre-season training camp in
Switzerland.
91 mins - Into added time and Young Boys have possession. It looks like
being a narrow defeat, but like I said earlier, the result is not important.
The players have looked sharp and fit despite being in pre-season training
for just ten days. The final whistle goes and the two sets of players shake
hands.
90 mins - Piquionne wins the header from Spence's set piece and when
Moncur's shot is charged down, Lee acrobatically volleys it towards goal,
but the effort does not have the power to beat Benito. It's a shot on
target, though.
89 mins - Boffin has been good tonight and he does really well again to race
from his goal and dive at the feet of Mayuka. Great stuff. West Ham win a
free-kick and have a chance to get the ball into the penalty area here.
88 mins - The sun is starting to set here in Grenchen, but there are
certainly signs that West Ham have a bright future. A number of first-team
regulars were not on duty tonight, but the Hammers have more than held their
own against a side that regularly turns out in Europe and is littered with
full internationals.
87 mins - Piquionne again, racing past left-back Alioski and pulling the
ball back, but Sears cannot get there before a defender.
85 mins - Piquionne springs the offside trap and crosses low. Lee picks up
possession and lays the ball back to Ilunga. He finds Hall, who lets fly
with a rasping shot that has Benito flying to his right. The ball looks
destined for the top left-hand corner, but flies inches wide of the upright.
So close to an equaliser. West Ham are finishing strongly.
83 mins - As the game comes towards its conclusion, I can tell you about
some exciting features to come on whufc.com and West Ham TV over the next
few days. There will be all the latest news and photographs from
Switzerland, including a full round-up of Monday's training and match, as
well as post-match reaction from players and management alike. Meanwhile,
West Ham TV will have video coverage of tonight's game, as well as the water
polo and indoor hockey tournaments that have formed part of the players'
training.
81 mins - Argh! Hall sprints away down the left before lifting a fantastic
pass that Vuskovac can only flick on to Piquionne. The striker tries to
control and find Sears, but his pass is blocked behind for a corner. Hall
takes and Benito punches unconvincingly clear, but Young Boys scramble a
goal kick off a West Ham player. Unlucky.
78 mins - The impressive Degen is replaced by Tosetti. The Switzerland
international gets a rousing reception as he makes his way off. He has been
very impressive. In fact, he got my vote for Young Boys' Man of the Match!
78 mins - We're in the capital of the Swiss watch-making industry, but West
Ham are running out of time to score an equaliser. However, tonight's game
is not about the result, it is about fitness and preparation.
77 mins - West Ham are giving their all. Montano commits a foul before he
and Ilunga get involved in some 'handbags' with the home side. Nothing much
happens and Tomkins heads the free-kick clear.
76 mins - Trialist Hernani gets a foot in to divert the ball out for a
throw. He looks very fit and has slotted in well at training. While it
remains to be seen if he is offered a move to the Boleyn Ground, the
Brazil-born Pole has got some good miles in his legs this evening.
73 mins - Take a bow Ruud Boffin! The Belgian makes a miraculous save from
Mayuka. Degen raced into the box and cut the ball back for the striker, who
surely only has to hit the target from six yards. However, Boffin was there
to block the ball with his feet before Lee could bring it away. Amazing
save!
72 mins - Spence races clear down the right and delivers a dangerous cross,
but unfortunately nobody is there to attack it and the ball bounces behind.
Young Boys replace Silberbauer with Alexander Farnerud during the break in
play.
70 mins - I have just been asked to vote for my Man of the Match by the
Uhren Cup organisers, along with all the other journalists. I think a number
of West Ham players have done well in the circumstances. They have worked
very hard and, considering this is what amounts to their ninth training
session in three days, are looking fit.
68 mins - Both players are up on their feet and led to the sidelines. The
Hammers players take on some welcome water on the touchline. When play
restarts, the ball is hoofed back to Wolfi, much to the appreciation of the
home fans. Good sportsmanship.
66 mins - Montano is brave and wins a header inside the Young Boys box. As
he does, he clashes heads with Veskovac and both go down clutching their
heads. Meanwhile, Piquionne tries to beat his man and shoots, but it flicks
off a heel and safely into the hands of Benito.
64 mins - For those supporters interested in what colours West Ham are
wearing - claret and blue shirts, white shorts and white socks.
62 mins - A change from the Hammers as Herita Ilunga replaces Jordan Brown.
The DR Congo man has looked very strong in training during the tour.
61 mins - That's the future of West Ham right there. Brown heads clear to
Lee, who neatly turns and finds Hall. He completely outfoxes Affolter, who
can only trip the teenager to prevent him racing clear into the Young Boys
half. Quality stuff.
59 mins - A deep cross from Zverotic picks out Mayuka inside the box and he
should control and test Boffin, but his touch lets him down badly and the
big Belgian collects with ease.
58 mins - Moncur is penalised for a foul about 30 yards from goal. Costanzo
stands over the set piece.
55 mins - Young Boys have the ball in the net for a third time, but it won't
count. Degen was offside.
54 mins - Hall skips past one challenge before the ball breaks to Lee 30
yards from goal. He smashes a first-time shot, but it's always too high and
flies over the crossbar. Good effort, though, from the young midfield
player.
52 mins - Spence picks out Sears' run with a looping ball down the right
channel. Sears gets there and cuts the ball into the box, but Hall is beaten
to it by Vuskovac.
51 mins - That's really good tracking from Montano, who streaks back 30
yards before out-muscling Zverotic and winning a free-kick inside his own
half. He is another with plenty of skill and flair and an eye for goal.
49 mins - This will be a big test for England U18 forward Hall, but the
diminutive forward is a livewire and has pace to burn and a lethal left
foot. He could really catch the eye tonight.
47 mins - Piquionne is playing up front with Hall, with Lee joining Moncur
in central midfield and Tomkins partnering Hernani at the back. Spence is
playing at right-back. Substitute Alioski crosses and Brown clears at the
second attempt.
46 mins - We're back underway again.
Some half-time changes from both sides. The Hammers make five changes, with
Spence, Tomkins, Lee, Hall and Piquionne replacing Faubert, Faye, O'Brien,
Boa Morte and Nouble. Young Boys replace Wolfi, Ben Khalifa, Doubai, and
Spycher with goalkeeper Ivan Benito, Mario Raimondi, Emanuel Mayuka and
Ezgjan Alioski.
Half-time score - BSC Young Boys 2-1 West Ham United
45 mins - Into the final seconds of the half and Montano concedes a
free-kick near his own corner flag. The set piece is delivered and Faubert
heads clear. Seconds later, the half-time whistle is blown and the crowd
erupts in polite applause. Well, Nouble's goal was obviously the highlight,
but there are plenty of reasons for Allardyce to be happy with the
application shown by his players just ten days into pre-season training.
43 mins - That was a let-off. Schneuwly's cross is allowed to bounce by
Faye, who tries to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick. Ben Khalifa
doesn't give it up, though, and pokes the ball past Faye and Boffin. It
rolls across the face of goal to safety. Degen picks up the loose ball and
crosses and two Young Boys throw themselves to the ground. No penalty is
given by Herr Hanni.
42 mins - Nouble shows good strength to hold off Zverotic before finding
Moncur. He shoots, but his effort is blocked on the edge of the penalty area
and Young Boys clear their lines.
41 mins - West Ham's players are giving their all. They have had a busy day
today. The squad were up for a swim at 7am and held a training session at
10.30am ahead of travelling to Grenchen. Manager Sam Allardyce is determined
to get his players 'super fit' for the new season.
39 mins - GOAL! For the second time, a spell of Young Boys pressure brings a
goal. Degen takes the corner and Affolter sends a powerful header into the
net from about six yards.
38 mins - Schneuwly does well, bringing the ball forward 40 yards before
slipping in Degen. Brown challenges and the right winger can only stab the
ball near enough to Boffin for the goalkeeper to divert it behind for a
corner.
38 mins - O'Brien collects a pass from Brown and skips past two challenges
before being crudely brought down. That's a foul, if ever I saw one. Neat
feet from the Irishman.
37 mins - Degen gets clear down the right and crosses low, but Hernani does
well to put off Schneuwly and the No9 can only divert his shot wide of the
target.
36 mins - A chance for Young Boys to get the ball into the danger zone as
Faye knocks the ball behind. The corner comes in, but the big Senegal
international is there again to smash the ball upfield. He is a real
physical specimen, is Faye.
35 mins - Left-back Spycher escapes down the flank, but Sears tracks back
well and blocks his attempted cross.
34 mins - The youngsters are really impressing against what I am told is a
near full-strength Young Boys team. Don't forget that Young Boys went 3-0 up
against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League this time last year.
They are a force to be reckoned with, and the Hammers are coping admirably.
In fact, they could easily be ahead.
32 mins - A break in play as Montano receives treatment. He'll be OK, I
think as it was just a heavy challenge that left him on the turf. Sure
enough, after a quick pit-stop, he is back in thick of it.
30 mins - There is a real competitive edge to this game, with plenty of hard
challenges going in from both sets of players. Young Boys threaten again as
Degen cuts inside Brown, but he drags his shot well wide of the near post.
29 mins - Faye is wrong-footed and for a moment it looks as if Ben Khalifa
is clean through down the middle. Faubert shows great pace to romp across
and thwart the Young Boys attacker. West Ham break and Nouble tries to find
Boa Morte inside the box. The skipper goes down, but referee Nikolaj Hanni
waves play-on.
27 mins - Young Boys break and Costanzo cuts in from the left and hits a
right-foot shot. Boffin jumps, but it flies safely over the top.
26 mins - A ripple of applause as Montano comes within a couple of yards of
putting his side in front. Faubert's hopeful free-kick from near halfway
hung in the air and Montano outjumped Zverotic with ease, but could only
head the ball high and wide of the left-hand post. Good effort from
long-range, though.
25 mins - I should have mentioned that the goal was followed by the playing
of 'Bubbles' over the stadium PA system and a loud cheer from the many West
Ham fans who have made the trip. In the car park before the game, we spoke
to many Swiss Hammers who are delighted to see their club play in their home
country.
22 mins - That will be a real confidence-booster for Nouble, who has a big
chance to impress Sam Allardyce this evening against a club which will play
in the UEFA Europa League this season. He took that goal really well and
showed real intent to get on the end of the cross.
21 mins - GOAL! Nouble! Boa Morte takes the corner quickly and Nouble gets
in front of his marker to glance a fine header inside the far post. He
wheels away in celebration and high-fives Boa Morte. That didn't take long!
20 mins - Better from the Hammers. Brown and Nouble combine before the big
man finds Faubert with a crossfield pass. Faubert crosses and the ball is
headed behind for a corner.
19 mins - The goal has given Young Boys a further boost, as you might
expect. Degen comes forward and tries to play a one-two inside the box, but
Faye is there to stab the ball into the stand. West Ham have it all to do,
as the Swiss look confident in possession. There is a long way to go,
though, of course.
17 mins - GOAL! The home side lead. A cross from the left is headed down by
Ben Khalifa and is slammed home by that man Schneuwly from about eight
yards. Faye and Hernani look to the assistant referee for a flag, but he is
unmoved.
16 mins - Young Boys are coming into the game here. First, Ben Khalifa
shoots low but straight at Boffin. The ball is quickly won back by the
Swiss, who work it to Silberbauer, but he blazes his shot out of the stadium
and on to the roof of the VIP tent outside.
15 mins - Hernani shows why West Ham are interested in signing him. Ben
Khalifa looks to have a yard on the Polish defender, but he streaks back and
makes a perfectly-timed sliding challenge about ten yards outside the
Hammers box. If he'd got that wrong, he might have been sent-off, but he
didn't.
14 mins - There is a good-sized crown in the stadium, with the organisers
expecting around 8,000 fans to turn out tonight. They certainly won't have
been put off by the weather. It is simply gorgeous here in Grenchen.
12 mins - West Ham are playing with a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Boa Morte
supporting Nouble in attack. In midfield, Sears and Montano are out wide,
with O'Brien anchoring behind Moncur. Faubert and Brown fill the full-back
berths, with Hernani playing to the right of Faye at centre-back.
10 mins - Montano himself takes the corner but it is headed away. Young Boys
break quickly from Wolfi's clearance, but Hernani is alert and pokes the
ball away for a throw-in.
9 mins - It's been a fairly quiet start from both teams, aside from Degen's
early shot. West Ham are doing well and keeping the ball inside the Young
Boys half. A free-kick is won and Faye quickly finds Brown. He feeds
Montano, who wins another corner.
6 mins - Good from Nouble, who batters his way through a tackle on the edge
of the penalty area and shoots. The effort takes a deflection and flies wide
for a corner. Boa Morte to take. Zverotic half clears back to Boa Morte,
whose cross hits a defender and drops to another Young Boys player. His
attempted clearance is blocked by Hernani, but the ball flies harmlessly
wide.
5 mins - It should be pointed out that Young Boys are almost at the end of
their pre-season. This is the club's final game before their Super League
opener against FC Basel this coming weekend.
3 mins - Schneuwly this time, getting in behind Brown and bursting into the
box. He cuts the ball back, but Faubert is alert to the danger and hammers
the ball away.
2 mins - Young Boys come again through Degen on the right side of the
penalty area. The ball breaks for him and he shoots from 16 yards. Boffin
flies to his left to parry and dive on the loose ball.
5.59pm - We are underway a minute early. West Ham show first before Young
Boys break down their left through Ben Khalifa, but his cross is hacked away
by Faye for a throw.
5.58pm - The Hammers lineup for a team photo before Boa Morte swaps pennants
with the Young Boys skipper. West Ham will kick-off in bright, warm
sunshine. There is a murmur around the ground, which is flanked to my left
by some truly beautiful mountains. I'll try to upload a photo so you can see
them for yourself. Breathtaking.
5.55pm - Here come the two teams, led by captains Boa Morte and Schneuwly. I
hope Schneuwly isn't involved too much as his name is a bit of a pain to
type quickly!
5.50pm - Another change from the originally published team! Ruud Boffin
starts ahead of Robert Green. There is nothing wrong with Green, as he was
warming up on the pitch a few moments ago. He did return to pre-season
training only last Thursday, so it is possible he will feature in
Wednesday's meeting with FC Basel. So the teams in full are -
West Ham United: Boffin, Faubert, Brown, Hernani, Faye, Sears, O'Brien,
Moncur, Montano, Boa Morte, Nouble
BSC Young Boys: Wolfi, Silberbauer, Schneuwly, Costanzo, Ben Khalifa,
Zverotic, Spycher, Affolter, Degen, Veskovac, Doubai
5.47pm - This year's competition is the 50th Uhren Cup. The PA announcer
welcomes the club and all of the West Ham supporters to Grenchen for the big
occasion.
5.45pm - The Young Boys team is in - Wolfi, Silberbauer, Schneuwly,
Costanzo, Ben Khalifa, Zverotic, Spycher, Affolter, Degen, Veskovac and
Doubai will start. The substitutes for the Swiss club are Benito, Dudar,
Farnerud, Raimondi, Mveng, Mayuka, Tosetti, Nuzzolo and Alioski.
5.40pm - There has been a change to West Ham's starting XI, with Luis Boa
Morte replacing Piquionne, who is now on the bench. Boa Morte will also
captain the side.
5.25pm - Representatives from the club have been welcomed to Grenchen by the
Mayor of the town, Boris Banga, Head of Culture and Sport Barbara Pestalozzi
and Uhren Cup official Frederic Falbriard at the local airport. There, the
Hammers learned that Grenchen is known as the 'Silicon Valley of
Switzerland' and also that Lufthansa pilots are trained at the airport,
which is the third-largest in Switzerland in terms of plane movements. Let's
hope West Ham get their pre-season off to a flying start this evening.
5.15pm - West Ham United's team is in! The starting XI sees Abdoulaye Faye
make his debut at centre-back alongside trialist Hernani Da Rosa. Fellow
trialist Joey O'Brien starts in midfield. The starting XI in full is Green,
Faubert, Brown, Faye, Hernani, Sears, O'Brien, Moncur, Montano, Nouble,
Piquionne. The substitutes are Marek Stech, Ruud Boffin, Herita Ilunga,
Jordan Spence, Winston Reid, James Tomkins, Luis Boa Morte, Junior
Stanislas, Olly Lee and Robert Hall.
Good afternoon and welcome to the town of Grenchen in central Switzerland.
We are some 20km north of Bern as West Ham United kick-off their pre-season
campaign by facing Super Liga side BSC Young Boys, who hail from the Swiss
capital.
The match is the second in the four-team Uhren Cup tournament, with Swiss
champions FC Basel and German Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin BSC the other
two clubs involved.
The competition began on Friday evening, when Young Boys defeated Hertha
4-2. Basel take on Hertha following the Hammers' clash with Young Boys later
this evening. This evening's match will see Sam Allardyce take charge of
West Ham for the first time since he was appointed as manager last month.
Allardyce is expected to name a starting lineup featuring a mixture of
experienced professionals and promising youngsters, while trialists Hernani
Da Rosa and Joey O'Brien could both be given an opportunity to impress.
The Uhren Cup has been running every summer since 1962, when hometown club
FC Grenchen were the winners. Since then, clubs from England, France,
Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and the former Yugoslavia have all
lifted the trophy. Last year's tournament was won by German side VfB
Stuttgart. Grenchen is world-famous for being the centre of Switzerland's
watch-making industry, with the likes of Breitling and Fortis both based in
the town. The 2011 tournament will conclude with West Ham's clash with FC
Basel on Wednesday evening. Again, whufc.com will have exclusive live text
updates from Grenchen, with kick-off at 7.30pm local time (6.30pm UK time).
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JC and Tonks take golf gold
WHUFC.com
West Ham TV was on hand to record exclusive footage of a dramatic mini golf
showdown
11.07.2011
The new npower Championship season may not start until 7 August, but the
competitive juices are already running through the veins of four West Ham
United players.
Jack Collison, James Tomkins, Freddie Sears and George Moncur took advantage
of a break in training at the Hammers' Swiss training camp to go for a round
of mini golf. Collison and Tomkins teamed-up to take the spoils in a
thrilling stroke-play contest, taking the victory by four shots after 18
dramatic holes. It was all-square at the turn, only for the more experienced
duo to pull clear midway through the back nine. Sears came to life with two
holes-in-one in the space of three holes, only for Tomkins to hit back with
one of his own on hole 15. Sears and four-handicapper Moncur clawed a shot
back on the 17th, but it was not enough to stave off defeat. West Ham TV was
on hand to catch every moment of an unforgettable sporting event, securing
interviews with the winning duo and securing footage of the moment a
torrential rain storm threatened to end the match after just five holes. To
watch this golfing spectacular, subscribe to West Ham TV - just 15p a day
for great exclusive content.
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Young Boys 2 West Ham Utd 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 11th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have opened their pre-season campaign with a narrow defeat in
Switzerland. Sam Allardyce - who took his side for the first time tonight -
sent out an inexperienced team for the first game in the round-robin
Uhrenchup tournament, a four team tournament in which each team plays two
matches. West Ham - who touched down in Switzerland on Friday afternoon -
began the game featuring just two players with more than a handful of first
team appearances behind them, whilst triallists Hernani Rosa and Joey
O'Brien both started. All of the goals came in the opening half, with West
Ham falling behind after 17 minutes when midfielder Marco Schneuwly scored
from close range. However West Ham were level just four minutes later when
young striker Frank Nouble reacted first to a Luis Boa Morte corner to head
Allardyce's side level. Both sides subsequently created chances to take the
lead but it was the Swiss side - for whom victory saw them lift the Uhrencup
having won their opening game of the tournament, 4-2 against Hertha Berlin -
who did just that with six first half minutes left on the clock. Danger man
David Degen's corner was converted by Francois Affolter; West Ham's problems
defending set-pieces still clearly evident for all to see. Allardyce and his
newly-assembled backroom team made several changes during the second half
although the vast majority of his more experienced players - the likes of
Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole - all failed to make
an appearance.
Although there were no further goals after the break - Young Boys going
closet to adding one when they hit the post shortly after the restart -
Allardyce will no doubt be pleased with a performance that is likely to tell
him a lot more about his squad than he knew before the game. Next up for
West Ham is the clash with FC Basel here on Wednesday night.
West Ham United: Boffin, Faubert (Spence 46), Brown (Ilunga 62), Hernani,
Faye (Tomkins 46), Sears, O'Brien (Lee 46), Moncur, Montano, Boa Morte (Hall
46), Nouble (Piquionne 46).
Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Stanislas.
Goals: Nouble (21).
BSC Young Boys: Wolfi (Benito 46), Silberbauer (Farnerud 72), Schneuwly,
Costanzo, Ben Khalifa (Raimondi 46), Zverotic, Spycher (Alioski 46),
Affolter, Degen (Tosetti 78), Veskovac, Doubai (Mayuka 46).
Goals: Schneuwly (17), Affolter (39).
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Young Boys 2 West Ham 1
Published: Today
The Sun
SAM ALLARDYCE'S first game as West Ham boss ended in defeat to Swiss side
Young Boys in Bern. Allardyce was without England trio Scott Parker, Robert
Green and Carlton Cole, while new-boy Kevin Nolan was not ready to make his
debut. Abdoulaye Faye made his first appearance at the heart of defence. But
goals from Marco Schneuwly and Francois Affolter gave Young Boys victory,
with Frank Nouble grabbing West Ham's consolation.
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Norwich eye West Ham flop Ilunga
Published: Today
The Sun
NORWICH manager Paul Lambert wants Herita Ilunga to become his seventh
summer signing. The West Ham full-back, 29, was frozen out at Upton Park in
the second half of last season.
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Parker eyed for shock Chelsea return
Published 23:01 11/07/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham midfielder Scott Parker is under consideration for a dramatic
return to Chelsea, it emerged last night. The Blues are in sudden need of a
midfielder after discovering Michael Essien could miss six months following
surgery on a knee injury suffered in training last week. Hammers joint-owner
David Sullivan last night refused to confirm whether the club had already
been approached by Chelsea over the transfer of Upton Park talisman Parker.
Confirming the Essien news, a Chelsea statement said: "Following injury to
his right knee in training last week, Michael Essien had surgery today to
repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus.
"The surgery was successful and Michael's full recovery could take up to six
months."
New Blues manager Andre Villas-Boas said: "Everyone at Chelsea wishes
Michael well for his recovery. "His team-mates and all the staff and I look
forward to helping him return to playing as soon as possible." Another of
the names linked with a move to Stamford Bridge to replace Essien is that of
Newcastle midfielder Cheik Tiote.
The Ivory Coast star - who only signed a new deal at the club in February -
was superb in his first season on Tyneside, with the highlight of his
campaign the dramatic equaliser in Newcastle 4-4 draw against Arsenal in
March.
Parker, however, appears a stronger candidate, as he is known to Villas-Boas
from his time at Stamford Bridge under Jose Mourinho in 2004-2005. Chelsea's
young coach was impressed by Parker's conduct during his spell in west
London, despite being frustrated by a lack of regular first-team football.
The midfielder also stood out during the ritual, under Mourinho, which saw
players deliver pre-match team talks. Parker went on to prove his leadership
qualities last season when delivering a similar oration to inspire his West
Ham team-mates from 3-0 down at West Brom to grab a point. Signing Parker
would also help boost the club's English contingent.
Chelsea currently have only six domestic players in their squad and one of
those, striker Daniel Sturridge, is expected to either be sold or go out on
loan in search of regular action.
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Carlton Cole's wage demands stun Stoke
Published 23:00 11/07/11 By James Nursey
The Mirror
Carlton Cole's move to Stoke is in doubt after the striker failed to agree
personal terms with the Potters. West Ham marksman Cole is set to quit Upton
Park following the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League. Stoke were
given permission to speak to Cole after offering £6million for the England
international. The 27-year-old was expected to fly to Austria to join the
Stoke squad and City's director of football John Rudge remained behind to
accompany him. The Potters do pay big wages but Cole wanted mega-bucks to
uproot from his native London and has now joined the Hammers on their
pre-season trip to Switzerland. Cole's stance could now let Premier League
new boys QPR back into the race to sign him.
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Beating West Ham is child's play for Young Boys
Published 22:59 11/07/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce suffered defeat in his first game in charge of West Ham as
they slipped 2-1 against Swiss side Young Boys. Allardyce was hoping to make
a winning start following his arrival at the east London club last month.
But he now knows there is a major rebuilding job to be done following the
Hammers' relegation from the Premier League. The Irons boss was without
England trio Scott Parker, Robert Green and Carlton Cole – while summer
signing Kevin Nolan was not ready to make his first appearance for the club.
Abdoulaye Faye did make his debut at the heart of the defence alongside
Polish trialist Hernani da Rosa, while Luis Boa Morte was handed the
captain's armband. But strikes from Marco Schneuwly and Francois Affolter
gifted the Europa League qualifiers a friendly triumph in Bern. Teenage
striker Frank Nouble pushed his claims for a first-team place with a
consolation goal. But ex-Blackburn chief Allardyce knows he needs more new
signings to make his squad strong enough to win promotion back to the
Premier League at the first attempt.
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David Gold: West Ham midfielder Jack Collison is not for sale
London24
Monday, July 11, 2011
9:07 AM
West Ham co-owner David Gold has ruled out the possibility of selling Jack
Collison this summer. Rumours had circulated that both West Brom and Stoke
were interested in the 22-year-old Welsh international. However at the end
of last season Collison publically committed himself to the club and said he
wanted to stay to help the Hammers push for promotion next season. His
representatives are currently trying to thrash out a new deal with the club
and it always seemed unlikely he was going to leave Upton Park, a stance
re-iterated by Gold on his twitter account. "Jack Collison is not for sale
DG," he said while confirming David Sullivan was hard at work to help bring
in the eight new signings manager Sam Allardyce says he needs. "I am with DS
(Sullivan) as we speak and I can promise that he and Sam are working on new
signings 24 hrs a day." Collison missed most of last season with a knee
injury and his current contract expires in 2013.
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West Ham close in on former Chelsea and Fulham striker
10:10am Monday 11th July 2011
Guardian Series
By Simon Mail »
West Ham are reportedly close to signing former Chelsea striker Eidur
Gudjohnsen on a free transfer. The 32-year-old Iceland star spent last
season with Fulham but left the club following manager Mark Hughes'
departure from Craven Cottage. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has worked with
Gudjohnsen before at Bolton Wanderers and is looking to improve his squad as
they prepare to mount a promotion challenge in the Championship next season.
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GOLD: COLLISON IS STAYING
Sporting Life
West Ham co-owner David Gold has confirmed that Jack Collison will not be
sold this summer despite interest from Stoke and West Brom. The 22-year-old
Wales international played down rumours that he could be on his way out of
Upton park by publicly declaring he wants to stay and and help the Hammers
push for promotion.
His current contract expires in 2013 but his representatives are working
hard to secure a new deal for the midfielder. And Gold said via Twitter:
"Jack Collison is not for sale." He also confirmed that David Sullivan was
hard at work to help bring in the eight new signings manager Sam Allardyce
says he needs. He said: "I am with DS (Sullivan) as we speak and I can
promise that he and Sam are working on new signings 24 hrs a day."
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Hendon set to quit Gillingham for West Ham role
By talkSPORT
Monday, July 11
Former Barnet boss Ian Hendon is set to join Sam Allardyce on his coaching
staff at West Ham. Hendon, currently assistant manager at Gillingham, is
expected to join the east London club this week as Allardyce looks to
re-assemble the management team at Upton Park. Steve Lomas has already left
the club during the summer after being reserve team boss last season and
Hendon is expected to take over his role as the new development coach.
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HENDON JOINS SAM ALLARDYCE AT THE HAMMERS
Tuesday 12 July 2011
GillsConnect.com
Gills assistant manager Ian Hendon has left the Club after just one year to
join the Sam Allardyce revolution at West Ham United as their Development
Coach. Hendon is believed to be currently on the Hammers Switzerland tour
where they are playing in the round-robin Uhrenchup tournament, a four team
tournament in which each team plays two matches. West Ham and big Sam
Allardyce, with his newly-assembled backroom team, made several changes
during their opening game but finished with a narrow 2-1 defeat against
Young Boys on Monday afternoon. Allardyce said late last week that he was
looking for an experienced coach to link the club's academy and developing
players to the first-team squad. Gills will be entitled to some compensation
for losing Ian Hendon and the delay in an official announcement from either
Club is possibly due to an acceptable agreement not yet being reached.
Expect an announcement in the next few days. Hendon was not in the Gills
Hayes Lane dug-out at the Bromley friendly and manager Andy Hess refused to
deny or confirm any West Ham appointment when asked. In a bizarre
merry-go-round last June, Hendon joined Gills from Dover after being
recommended to the Whites by Andy Hess, who himself had left Dover, only for
Hendon to suddenly leave the Whites without signing a contract and arriving
at Priestfield instead. As a cost saving measure, the Gills assistant
manager vacancy need not be filled by an outside applicant as either first
team coach Nicky Southall could be promoted or Andy Hess could call on his
brother-in-law and Youth team manager Darren Hare, who was in the dug-out
Bromley on Saturday. All three are pictured left, on the touch-line at the
Bromley game on Saturday, looking after the Gills squad. Should the Gills
look outside of Priestfield then there are a number of good possible
contenders that would bring valuable experience to help Andy Hess such as
Wally Downes, Stuart Murdoch and an ex-Gill legend, Iffy Onoura.
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West Bromwich Albion poised to bid for Robert Green and Shane Long
West Ham goalkeeper also on Newcastle's radar
Reading likely to demand £8m for Irish striker
Stuart James
guardian.co.uk, Monday 11 July 2011 22.30 BST
West Bromwich Albion are expected to table a bid for the West Ham United
goalkeeper Robert Green this week and the Midlands club are also interested
in signing Shane Long from Reading. Green, who is eager to leave West Ham,
is also on Newcastle United's radar but a move to The Hawthorns is likely to
appeal more to the England international. Albion have turned their attention
to Green after being priced out of a move for Ben Foster, the Birmingham
City goalkeeper. Long, who scored 25 goals for Reading last season, would
also stretch Albion's transfer budget, with the Championship club likely to
demand more than £8m for the 24-year-old striker.
Roy Hodgson, however, is keen to sign the Republic of Ireland international
and has registered his interest. Much now depends on whether Jeremy Peace,
the Albion chairman, will sanction a bid for the striker, who is also being
tracked by Everton, Newcastle and Sunderland
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