WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor and Freddie Sears are on target as the Hammers end their
pre-season schedule with a victory
30.07.2011
WEST HAM UNITED v REAL ZARAGOZA
PRE-SEASON MATCH
SATURDAY 30 JULY 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
Full-time score - West Ham United 2-0 Real Zaragoza
92 mins - That's full-time. West Ham more than deserved their victory this
afternoon. That was a professional display capped by two fine goals and some
standout performances. We'll be back here in eight days time for the visit
of Cardiff City in the opening npower Championship fixture of 2011/12. Child
tickets are just a fiver for that game! To guarantee your seat, click here
to order. Before then, make sure to visit West Ham TV for exclusive
highlights and post-match reaction. Finally, if you'd like a copy of today's
matchday programme, click here to order now!
91 mins - We're into added time here. I wouldn't have thought there will be
too much of it. That goal caps a satisfying afternoon for everyone involved.
A fourth consecutive pre-season clean sheet, for starters, and well-taken
goals from Taylor and Sears.
89 mins - GOAL! Sears! Barrera picks up possession inside the Zaragoza half,
jinks past one man and then picks out Sears. He looks up and picks his spot,
smashing an unstoppable drive low past Leo Franco and into the bottom
left-hand corner. Noble is replaced by Junior Stanislas before the restart.
86 mins - Zaragoza attack but first Reid, then Noble make good
interceptions. West Ham break and Nouble has a bit of space to run into. He
shoots, but the ball slices off the outside of his boot and wide.
84 mins - Cole does well, controlling the ball on his chest before shooting
on the volley. Unfortunately, it's too high. Some young fans sat behind me
laud their hero with a chorus of 'Carlton Cole' to the tune of Spandau
Ballet's 'Gold'!
83 mins - Seven Zaragoza players are warming-up (or warming-down) on the
touchline. It looks like the assistant referee is leading a conga!
80 mins - That's just plain ridiculous. Paredes shoots from about 40 yards.
The shot goes absolutely miles wide of goal.
79 mins - Montano is on for trialist Samuel. It looks like Montano will play
the remaining minutes at left-back.
78 mins - Ah, that's a shame. Nolan gets a foot in and wins the ball inside
the Zaragoza half. He sends Barrera away. The Mexican cuts into the box, but
his cross for Nouble is too strong and rolls across the face of goal and out
for a throw.
76 mins - Green shows good concentration again. Lafita lets one go from
about 30 yards and its going into the bottom corner until Green tips it
wide. The corner is headed clear by Reid to Cole, who gives it away. A cross
comes in and Lafita's header is high and wide.
75 mins - More changes... Pinter is replaced by Lacruz, while Juan Carlos is
off and Joel Valencia is on.
75 mins - Cole wins a corner. Barrera takes and Leo Franco punches clear of
his penalty area.
74 mins - There you go! Reid gets a foot in and Noble collects, spins away
and tries to pick out Sears with the outside of his right foot. Paredes is
alert to the danger, however.
73 mins - Winston Reid has quietly had a very good game this afternoon. He's
been in the right place on plenty of occasions and has not wasted possession
when he has had the ball at his feet. After a season of adapting to the
English game, it may be that the big New Zealander has a chance to impress
on a regular basis this term.
71 mins - Two more changes for the Hammers. Taylor and Piquionne head off to
be replaced by Sears and Nouble. Barrera comes wide left, Cole is up front
and Sears goes wide right.
69 mins - Zaragoza replace Uche with Jorge Orti.
68 mins - Cole is putting himself about in usual fashion. He leaves one
defender in a heap with pure strength. Taylor curls a cross in and Cole goes
to ground himself, but referee Peter Walton shakes his head.
65 mins - That was a bit close for comfort. Pinter gets past Noble and
crosses left-footed. The ball eludes both Tomkins and Reid and Juan Carlos
prods a volley a yard or two wide. Green might have been in trouble if that
was on target.
64 mins - Taylor takes, Cole wins the header but the ball hits a defender
and loops high into the air. Piquionne is then adjudged to have fouled the
goalkeeper.
63 mins - Parker is replaced by Cole. West Ham have a free-kick wide on the
left near the corner flag after Samuel was fouled.
62 mins - Super intricate passing from Parker, Taylor and Piquionne ends
with the latter's cross being toed away. West Ham keep up the pressure and
Parker plays a nice pass through the middle for Barrera. The Mexican shoots
first-time with his left foot, but it's saved by Leo Franco.
61 mins - Parker is crowded out inside the Zaragoza half and the visitors
attack. Ponzio spreads play wide left for full-back Paredes. He crosses and
Tomkins half-clears, only for the ball fo bounce back into the path of
Paredes, who volleys powerfully but well over the top.
59 mins - Carlton Cole is out for a jog on the touchline. I wonder if we'll
see the big striker soon?
56 mins - A chance for Barrera to deliver from the left from a free-kick. He
does, and Leo Franco can only punch the ball out for a corner. Barrera
himself takes it and Piquionne's flicked header is cleared off the line by
Lafita.
53 mins - Spence is involved immediately. Samuel starts an attack with a
one-two with Nolan before the ball is spread right by Parker to Spence. He
crosses first-time and Nolan dives to head the ball, but he's under pressure
and can't direct it on target.
52 mins - Jordan Spence is on for O'Brien. That's a tactical change as the
right-back jogs across to be replaced by the Academy product.
51 mins - Lafita gets the wrong side of Reid, but the big Kiwi slides in
with a good challenge to concede another corner. Juan Carlos takes
left-footed and Green catches high above his head.
50 mins - Zaragoza win a free-kick on their left. The ball is headed by
O'Brien straight to Abraham, but the Irishman makes up for his error by
blocking the substitute's shot behind for a corner. The No2 then completes
his work by volleying the ball upfield.
49 mins - Zaragoza look a bit sharper after the break. First, Reid has to
get his toe in to concede a corner from Juan Carlos's pass. The ball is
worked to Uche, whose cross is headed goalwards by a flying Lanzaro. Green
makes a good save and West Ham scramble the ball to safety.
47 mins - Uche this time, shooting from all of 35 yards. Green watches the
ball fly well wide again.
47 mins - Uche clips a ball over Reid for Lafita, who controls well but then
slices his shot well wide as he loses his balance.
46 mins - Zaragoza have made some changes - Oriol and Contini are replaced
by Lafita and Abraham. West Ham have the same XI that finished the first
half. The Spaniards get us underway again...
OK, here come the Zaragoza players ahead of the second half. I am told that
Sam Allardyce will leave stadium during the second half to go on a scouting
mission. I don't know where he is going, I'm afraid!
Half-time score - West Ham United 1-0 Real Zaragoza
46 mins - That's half-time.
45 mins - That's a little bit ambitious from Pinter, who shoots from the
halfway line! It is nowhere the goal and flies into the 20 or so Zaragoza
fans sitting in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand Lower.
43 mins - This hasn't been half bad from West Ham, but they'll need to keep
up their level of performance. Zaragoza are no mugs. It will be interesting
to see how many substitutions are made at or after the break. I expect we'll
see Carlton Cole and Jack Collison, for two, at some stage.
41 mins - Zaragoza come forward and Parker brings down Juan Carlos about 30
yards out. This is a dangerous area. The free-kick is worked short and
teed-up for Ponzio to hit. He belts it low and around the wall, but Green is
there to dive to his right and make the save on the line. Good handling.
40 mins - Barrera's corner is met by Tomkins, but his header glances off his
forehead and bounces wide.
39 mins - West Ham really are so dominant it's not funny. Now Nolan collects
Parker's pass and lets fly from 25 yards. Leo Franco flings himself to his
right and palms the ball around the post. Before the corner is taken,
Faubert has to be replaced. He looks like he got a kick a couple of minutes
ago. The No7 is replaced by Pablo Barrera. The Mexican is going to take the
corner himself and gets a nice ovation as he jogs to the far corner of the
pitch.
37 mins - He might not be so dangerous on his right foot! Parker and Nolan
make some space before O'Brien tries to pick out the midfielder, who swings
his right boot and completely misses the ball!
35 mins - Argh! Taylor takes two steps up and curls his shot over the wall
and it cannons back off the right-hand post with Leo Franco a mere
spectator. The ball drops to Piquionne, who takes a touch and smashes it
into the roof of the net. Alas, the assistant referee had raised his flag
for offside against the Frenchman. Taylor is clearly going to be a real
threat from all manner of dead-ball situations.
34 mins - Lanzaro brings down Taylor about 30 yards from the Zaragoza goal.
Taylor is all over this!
33 mins - West Ham get in a bit of a muddle on the edge of their own box and
the ball drops to Uche. He crosses, I think, for Juan Carlos, but instead he
gets too much on the ball and it flies across the face of Green's goal and
out for a goal kick. The Nigerian raises his hand in apology to his
team-mate.
31 mins - So close to a second. Noble sprays a superb pass out to the left
for Samuel. He lays inside for Parker, who finds Taylor. The scorer stands
the ball up for Faubert, whose powerful header is pushed over by Leo Franco.
Faubert takes the corner and the ball drops to O'Brien, but his left-foot
shot is charged down by Pinter.
30 mins - Neil McDonald is out on the edge of the technical area shouting
out instructions to his players. Allardyce is watching from the stand.
29 mins - The Zaragoza fans finally have something to shout about as Ponzo
gets forward and Edu Oriol curls a first-time left-foot shot a yard wide of
the post.
28 mins - Green has been a virtual spectator so far, so when he catches Juan
Carlos' left-wing cross, he gets a loud cheer from the home fans.
26 mins - That's good again from Parker. Reid wins the ball on the edge of
his own area and picks out Parker, who again runs past a defender and it's
two-on-two. He tries to bend a pass around a Zaragoza player with the
outside of his right foot, but Faubert changes his run at the vital moment
and the chance goes begging. Leo Franco collects.
24 mins - GOAL! Taylor! That'll do very nicely. West Ham keep up the
pressure and Tomkins picks out Nolan's head with a long ball. He nods it
down to Parker, whose first touch is superb and he bursts past two defenders
and into the penalty area. He could shoot himself, but the Hammer of the
Year instead squares and Taylor taps in from about five yards.
24 mins - The Hammers are working hard to keep Zaragoza inside their own
half. Faubert puts himself about and blocks a Contini clearance.
22 mins - Parker goes on one of his typically lung-bursting runs through the
middle before laying the ball off to Nolan. He tries to pick out Taylor to
his left, but Juarezis there to head the ball to safety and Mateos belts it
out for a throw.
20 mins - Noble is seeing plenty of the ball in his new withdrawn roll in
front of the back four. He starts another attack and the ball is worked to
Taylor wide on the left. He cuts on to his right foot, but his cross is
headed away by Mateos.
16 mins - Spence, Sears and Montano come out for a jog on the touchline.
They are given a decent reception from the fans in the Bobby Moore Stand. Of
course, it is 45 years to the day since Moore lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy
at Wembley following England's 4-2 FIFA World Cup final victory over West
Germany. I'm sure I don't need to tell you who scored the goals...!
15 mins - Nolan loses possession, although he might have been impeded.
Zaragoza break down the middle of the pitch, but Oriol's pass is awful and
rolls out for a throw. What a waste.
14 mins - That's more good play from the home side. Faubert's diagonal pass
is into the path of O'Brien, whose curling cross is superb. It eludes both
Contini and Lanzaro, but there is no Hammer there to take advantage.
12 mins - West Ham are well on top here. Nolan crosses and Contini can only
flick his header behind for a corner. Faubert takes and Reid flies in but
misses his header. Noble heads the ball back into the danger zone, but
Piquionne is offside before heading wide from six yards.
12 mins - Good again. Nolan's first-time pass finds Noble on the left-hand
side of the penalty area. He crosses but the ball bounces a yard or two in
front of Piquionne and Faubert and bounces safely away for a throw.
10 mins - That is a good turn from Piquionne, who makes five yards and
shoots. It's blocked. West Ham keep up the pressure and Faubert lays the
ball back to Noble wide on the right. He crosses and Nolan wins the header,
but Leo Franco catches in front of the leaping Piquionne. Good pressure from
the Hammers.
8 mins - A first Boleyn Ground shot on target for 2011/12 and it's Faubert.
Parker gets a foot in in midfield and waits before releasing the galloping
Frenchman. He takes his effort first-time and tests goalkeeper Leo Franco,
who blocks and collects the ball as it rolls along the turf.
6 mins - Quick feet from Uche loses Tomkins and Parker inside the centre
circle. Zaragoza are playing a neat passing game when they're in possession.
This latest attack comes to nothing as Juan Carlos is flagged offside.
5 mins - West Ham attack again. Noble and Faubert are again involved before
O'Brien tries to pick out Taylor at the far post. He overhits the cross and
the ball bounces behind for a goal kick.
4 mins - Nolan gets a foot in and Noble finds Faubert. He looks up and fires
the ball to the edge of the box, where Nolan tries to chest down for
Piquionne, but it's intercepted.
2 mins - The fans behind the goal in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand are
singing their hearts out already! It's been a long two months without
football... Pinter tries to thread a pass through for Juan Carlos, but it's
too strong and Green collects.
3.02pm - We're underway, with West Ham attacking the Bobby Moore Stand end
of the ground. As expected, O'Brien is at right-back, Samuel is at
left-back, Noble is anchoring the midfield and Piquionne is being supporter
by Nolan and Parker.
3.01pm - Sam Allardyce takes his seat in the home dugout for the first time.
He gets a loud cheer from the supporters, as does new captain Nolan.
3pm - The signing of Joey O'Brien has been confirmed. A story and reaction
from the Hammers' newest arrival will appear on whufc.com very soon!
2.58pm - Here they are. Kevin Nolan leads out West Ham, while Zaragoza are
skippered by experienced Argentina international midfielder Leo Ponzio. The
Hammers are in their spanking new claret and blue kit - order yours here.
Zaragoza are in their change strip of yellow and black stripes.
2.57pm - The teams are in the tunnel and we should be underway shortly. It's
a lovely sunny day in east London - hopefully the portent for a brighter
future on the pitch! 'Bubbles' starts to play, which can mean only one
thing...
2.51pm - Zaragoza have added another player to their substitutes bench -
Kevin Lacruz will join his team-mates in the dugout. Well, it's not really a
dugout these days. The manager and players get to sit on some
comfortable-looking claret and blue chairs.
2.50pm - Real Zaragoza are still out on the pitch going through their
pre-match drills. They're cutting it a bit fine! West Ham's players are
safely back in their dressing room. The pitch looks absolutely superb. Green
and lush. Lovely.
2.40pm - As you will have seen from the starting lineup, Jlloyd Samuel
starts for West Ham this afternoon. The left-back is a 30-year-old Trinidad
and Tobago international with well over 200 Football League appearances
under his belt. Samuel was actually with the Hammers for a while as a
schoolboy before emerging at Aston Villa. After nine seasons at Villa Park,
he moved to Sam Allardyce's Bolton Wanderers in 2007.
2.30pm - Don't forget, you can listen to the game live on West Ham TV.
2.25pm - Real Zaragoza have not brought too many fans with them this
afternoon. We have just spoken to one, English language student Oscar
Rodriguez. An interview with Oscar will appear on West Ham TV soon.
2.15pm - If you'd like a more in-depth preview to this afternoon's game,
click here and follow the link for your exclusive match preview.
2.10pm - Pablo Barrera is standing outside the home dressing room chatting
and laughing to fellow countryman Efrain Juarez. The pair were both part of
Mexico's 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning squad last month.
2.04pm - Real Zaragoza's starting XI - Leo Franco, Juarez, Paredes, Pinter,
Contini, Lanzaro, Mateos, Juan Carlos, Edu Oriol, Ponzio, Uche. The
visitors' substitutes are - Toni Doblas, Alcolea, Laguardia, Obradovic,
Orti, Valencia, Goni, Abraham, Lafita, Braulio.
2.02pm - The West Ham United starting XI is - Green, O'Brien, Samuel,
Tomkins, Reid, Faubert, Taylor, Noble, Parker, Nolan, Piquionne. The
substitutes are - Boffin, Ilunga, Spence, Nouble, Sears, Collison, Cole,
Montano, Stanislas, Barrera.
1.55pm - The team news should be confirmed very soon. Who will Sam Allardyce
pick for his first match in charge at the Boleyn Ground? Will he give his
new signings a first chance to don the claret and blue on the sacred turf?
Or will he choose to give a few promising young players a chance to shine?
1.45pm - If you'd rather listen to the game, then West Ham TV will have live
audio commentary from 3pm.
Good afternoon and welcome to a warm and sunny Boleyn Ground!
Well, football returns to east London after a break of a little more than
two months with the visit of Spanish side Real Zaragoza. West Ham United's
final pre-season match will see new boss Sam Allardyce, assistant manager
Neil McDonald and summer signings Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor and Joey O'Brien
make their Boleyn Ground bows. Trialist Jlloyd Samuel could also start.
The Hammers will not be wearing their squad numbers this afternoon. Instead,
they will line up in the good, old-fashioned 1-11! O'Brien completed his
free transfer earlier today and should continue his record of appearing in
every one of the club's pre-season matches, having been on trial with the
Hammers since the start of July.
The Republic of Ireland international and his fellow arrivals will hope to
impress their manager and supporters alike, but West Ham are not likely to
have everything their own way against a Zaragoza side managed by former
Mexico midfielder and coach Javier Aguirre.
Los Blanquillos have also been busy in the transfer market over the summer,
bringing in defenders David Mateos and Abraham Minero and midfielders Edu
Oriol and Juan Carlos. Zaragoza, escaped relegation from the Primera
Division on the final day of the 2010/11 season, kick-off their own
pre-season schedule today. The Spaniards open their league campaign at
Levante UD - the same venue where they survived by winning 2-1 on the final
day of last term - on 21 August.
Today's team news is expected to be confirmed at around 2pm. The only
players who are definitely ruled out of today's game are long-term absentee
Gary O'Neil (ankle), Abdoulaye Faye (hamstring) and Jordan Brown (ankle).
Faye is expected to return to full training on Monday.
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien (Spence 52), Samuel (Montano 79), Tomkins,
Reid, Faubert (Barrera 39), Taylor (Sears 71), Noble (Stanislas 89), Parker
(Cole 63), Nolan, Piquionne (Nouble 71)
Subs: Boffin, Ilunga, Collison
Real Zaragoza: Leo Franco, Juarez, Paredes, Pinter (Lacruz 75), Contini
(Abraham 46), Lanzaro, Mateos, Juan Carlos (Joel Valencia 75), Edu Oriol
(Lafita 46), Ponzio, Uche (Orti 69)
Subs: Toni Doblas, Alcolea, Laguardia, Obradovic, Goni, Braulio
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Joey joins
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of Republic of Ireland
international Joey O'Brien
30.07.2011
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the signing of Republic of Ireland
international Joey O'Brien. The 25-year-old joins the Hammers on a free
transfer following his release by Bolton Wanderers earlier this summer.
Capped three times by his country, Dublin-born O'Brien has been with West
Ham since the club began pre-season training four weeks ago. He travelled
with Sam Allardyce's squad to their pre-season training camp in Switzerland
and has featured in matches against BSC Young Boys, FC Basel, FC
Copenhagen, Wycombe Wanderers and Dagenham & Redbridge. "Obviously I'm
delighted to finally sign because I've been here since the start of
pre-season," said a smiling O'Brien. "It's been a few weeks now and it's
gone well. The manager wanted me to sign and as soon as I heard that, there
was no real hesitation. "I'm pleased it's done and dusted."
A precocious talent as a teenager, O'Brien joined at the age of 16 in 2002,
making his first-team debut under Allardyce in a Carling Cup tie against
Yeovil Town in September 2004. After a successful loan spell at Sheffield
Wednesday, he returned to the Reebok Stadium to make his Premier League
debut in May 2005 and his first start in a UEFA Cup tie with PFC Lokomotiv
Plovdiv in September of the same year. O'Brien's form saw him secure a
call-up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad, with a debut arriving in a
3-0 home friendly victory over Sweden in March 2006. Although injury issues
restricted O'Brien's appearances over the next few seasons, he signed a
contract extension in 2009 before enjoying a second loan spell at Sheffield
Wednesday earlier this year. Allardyce knows the player well and is
convinced that his injury problems are now behind him and that he can play a
big part in the Hammers' quest for promotion from the npower Championship
this season. O'Brien becomes West Ham's fourth new signing of the summer,
following Abdoulaye Faye, Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor to the Boleyn Ground.
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Squad numbers confirmed
WHUFC.com
Fans buying the new shirts can also get the name and number they want as
well
30.07.2011
West Ham United can confirm the club's new squad numbers for the 2011/12
season. Sam Allardyce's men will wear the numbers for the first time with
next Sunday's visit of Cardiff City at the start of the npower Championship
campaign. New captain Kevin Nolan will wear the No4 shirt, Matt Taylor has
been handed No14, Abdoulaye Faye is to wear No15 and Joey O'Brien has No17.
The other first-team players have all remained with the same numbers as last
season, except for Julien Faubert. He has switched to No18, the number he
first wore in football, having previously had No20 on his back. The club
still has Nos 3, 7, and 11 free for potential new signings, while No6 was
retired in honour of Bobby Moore in August 2008. Squad numbers will not be
worn for this afternoon's visit of Real Zaragoza, with the starting eleven
wearing Nos1-11.
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West Ham sign former Bolton midfielder Joey O'Brien
Page last updated at 14:55 GMT, Saturday, 30 July 2011 15:55 UK
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have completed the signing of Republic of Ireland international
Joey O'Brien on a free transfer. The 25-year-old utility man was released
by Bolton Wanderers at the end of last season and has spent the last few
weeks training with the Hammers. Boss Sam Allardyce has now made O'Brien his
fourth summer signing after Kevin Nolan, Abdoulaye Faye and Matt Taylor.
"I'm delighted to finally sign because I've been here since the start of
pre-season," O'Brien told the club website. "It's been a few weeks now and
it's gone well. The manager wanted me to sign and as soon as I heard that,
there was no real hesitation. I'm pleased it's done and dusted." O'Brien,
who has three international caps, made his first-team debut for Bolton under
then manager Allardyce in 2004 and has played in midfield and at right-back.
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O'Brien signs
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 30th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have awarded Joey O'Brien a permanent contract after he impressed
in pre-season. The former Bolton midfielder has spent the last month with
Sam Allardyce's squad in an attempt to prove his fitness. And having
successfully done so, the 25-year-old Irish international has been rewarded
with a permanent deal.
O'Brien becomes Sam Allardyce's fourth signing of pre-season - and the
fourth former Bolton player to move to east London following Abdoulaye Faye,
Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor. A fifth could follow soon should triallist
Jlloyd Samuel sign a permanent deal.
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2011/12 squad numbers confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 30th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have confirmed the new squad numbers for the forthcoming 2011/12
season. With the players set to wear their new numbers for this afternoon's
final pre-season fixture against Real Zaragoza, the club have confirmed the
full squad list ahead of the game. The full squad is as follows; numbers in
parenthesis represent last season's squad number:
1 Robert Green
2 Winston Reid
4 (-) Kevin Nolan (c)
5 James Tomkins
8 Scott Parker
9 Carlton Cole
10 Jack Collison
12 Pablo Barrera
13 Luis Boa Morte
14 (-) Matt Taylor
15 (-) Abdoulaye Faye
16 Mark Noble
19 Freddie Sears
18 (20) Julien Faubert
23 Herita Ilunga
24 Frank Nouble
25 Junior Stanislas
26 Zavon Hines
27 Jordan Spence
28 Peter Kurucz
29 Marek Stech
30 Freddy Piquionne
31 Ruud Boffin
32 Gary O'Neil
38 Dylan Tombides
41 Matt Fry
44 Jordan Brown
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Hammers snap up O'Brien
Irishman arrives at Upton Park on free transfer
Last Updated: July 30, 2011 4:16pm
SSN
West Ham have confirmed the signing of midfielder Joey O'Brien on a free
transfer after he was released by Bolton earlier this summer. The Republic
of Ireland international is reunited with new Hammers boss Sam Allardyce
after previously working under the manager at the Reebok Stadium. O'Brien
has spent pre-season with the East London side and has impressed enough to
earn a deal at Upton Park. The 25-year-old, who was on loan at Sheffield
Wednesday last term, becomes Allardyce's fourth new signing, joining Kevin
Nolan, Abdoulaye Faye and Matt Taylor at Upton Park. "Obviously I'm
delighted to finally sign because I've been here since the start of
pre-season," he told the club's official website. "It's been a few weeks now
and it's gone well. The manager wanted me to sign and as soon as I heard
that, there was no real hesitation." Allardyce is also weighing up the
signing of a fifth former Bolton player, full-back Jlloyd Samuel, who is
playing in Saturday afternoon's friendly against Real Zaragoza.
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Allardyce lands another ex-Bolton signing
Published 23:00 30/07/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has upped the ex-Bolton contingent at West Ham by signing
JLloyd Samuel. The 30-year-old spent last week training at the club's
Chadwell Heath complex and impressed Allardyce sufficiently to be offered a
deal by the Hammers. Left-back Samuel was a free agent after his four-year
deal at the Reebok expired. He was loaned to Cardiff in March, but only
played six games for the Bluebirds.
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Allardyce signs another ex-Bolton contingent for West Ham
Jul 31 2011 by Tom Hopkinson, The People
SAM ALLARDYCE has upped the ex-Bolton contingent at WEST HAM by signing
JLloyd Samuel. The 30-year-old spent last week training at the club's
Chadwell Heath complex and impressed Allardyce sufficiently to be offered a
deal by the Hammers. Left-back Samuel was a free agent after his four-year
deal at the Reebok expired. He was loaned to Cardiff in March, but only
played six games for the Bluebirds. Leeds boss Simon Grayson had showed an
interest in Samuel, but Allardyce stepped in and the player will be reunited
with his former manager, and another of his old team-mates, Kevin Nolan.
Big Sam jetted to France last night to look at the Gabon international Eric
Mouloungui. The 27-year-old was due to be in action for Nice against Udinese
in a friendly game. The Hammers chief is still looking to strengthen his
attack and he is keeping an eye on El Hadji Diouf's future at Blackburn.
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EXCLUSIVE Kevin Nolan interview: Not going up will be an 'unmitigated
disaster'
Published 22:50 30/07/11 By Paul Smith
The Mirror
Kevin Nolan insists there will be no hiding place for West Ham this season
and the minimum requirement is an immediate return to the Premier League.
Talking for the first time since his shock £4million move from Newcastle
this summer, Nolan lays it on the line in no uncertain terms just seven days
before the Hammers begin their Championship campaign against Cardiff at
Upton Park. Nolan said: "We have to come out all guns blazing. We have to
hit the ground running, there is no hiding place for us. "The stakes are
high and there is immense pressure on us. "But the time for feeling sorry
for yourselves following relegation from the Premier League has long since
passed. "The least we should expect is promotion. Anything else will merely
be an unmitigated disaster for this club. This club doesn't belong in the
Championship and we have to make damn sure we don't stay here either."
Nolan experienced the trauma of relegation with Newcastle two seasons ago
and he is the first to admit the Championship is not an easy league to
escape. He said: "There are striking similarities between West Ham and
Newcastle. "The pressure and expectations are exactly the same. "When
Newcastle went down some people expected us to struggle but we re-grouped
and had a right go. We knew we had to either get out of the Championship
straight away or face being stuck there for years to come. "It was a
make-or-break situation for us in much the same way it is for West Ham. "You
don't have a divine right to win promotion no matter how big the club are.
"You have to earn the right. No-one is going to do you any favours.
"Everyone will want to beat us. "This will be their biggest game of the
campaign.
"Opposing teams will come to Upton Park looking for a major scalp. "You're a
team to be shot at. "But if we apply ourselves on the pitch and get the
supporters right behind us I see no reason why we shouldn't be celebrating
come April/May."
Nolan admits he was pleasantly surprised when he turned up at West Ham, and
insists the players have been first class and are determined to put things
right.
"You expect to come into a dressing room that is on the floor and in
complete disarray," he explained. "There are normally three or four bad
eggs, a few egos and players desperate to quit. "I can honestly say I saw
none of that. "There is a refreshing unity about this squad and
single-minded determination to put things right."
Some people are still surprised that Nolan was prepared to trade top-flight
football with Newcastle for the Championship. But he claims it was a
no-brainer, explaining: "Naturally the opportunity to work with Sam
Allardyce again helped, but the club made such an enormous effort to get me
that I felt I would have let them down if I said no. It's nice to be
wanted, that's for sure. "And after everything that happened at Newcastle
it was important for me to hear that. "More importantly when I met David
Sullivan he did such a great job selling the club it didn't take long to
make up my mind. "To fair he could have sold me some unwanted double glazing
windows.
"He was that good. "I won't lie though, he wouldn't let me leave the room
until I agreed to sign after they had their bid accepted for me. "It was
refreshing to listen to David Sullivan. "His enthusiasm, ambition and plans
for the club were very impressive. "He's a supporter first and foremost and
like the co-owner David Gold I don't think anyone was hurting more than
them when the club went down."
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Fifth consecutive clean sheet for West Ham with win against Real Zaragoza
London24
Nathaniel John
Saturday, July 30, 2011
5:10 PM
West Ham brought their pre-season to a close with a fifth consecutive clean
sheet as goals from Matt Taylor and Freddie Sears secured a 2-0 win against
Real Zaragoza. Allardyce named a strong side to take on the La Liga outfit,
giving trialist JLloyd Samuel his debut in a team captained by Kevin Nolan.
And it was the Hammers that made the brighter start to the game, with Julien
Faubert forcing Real Zaragoza keeper Leo Franco into a save on eight
minutes, with a low shot from Scott Parker's pass. With Mark Noble dictating
West Ham's play from a deep midfield role in front of the back four, the
hosts began to take control of the game and midway through the first half
Allardyce's men were in front. James Tomkin's long ball was nodded down by
Nolan into the path of Parker, who strode into the Zaragoza pass before
sliding a pass across the face of the goal for Taylor to stroke the ball
home. Five minutes later and the Hammers almost had a second when Taylor's
dink of a cross found the unmarked Faubert, but the Frenchman could only
direct his header straight at Franco, who palmed the ball behind for a
corner. Moments later and Taylor was within inches of scoring his second.
After Nolan won a free-kick 25 yards out, Taylor sent a left-footed curling
effort crashing against the Franco's left post, with the keeper well beaten.
Freddie Piquionne then slammed the rebound home, only for the goal to be
ruled out for offside. With the half coming to a close, Zaragoza then had
their best chance of the first 45 minutes, as captain Leo Ponzio drilled a
low free-kick under the West Ham wall, forcing Rob Green into a save. After
the break, Zaragoza emerged a different side and went close to equalising
when Juan Carlos' cross found the head of the on-rushing Maurizui Lanzaro,
but the midfielder's effort was palmed away by Green. However, the Hammers
regained control of the game and went close twice just after the hour mark.
First, Piquionne rolled the ball across the face of the goal after good work
from Taylor and Parker, before Barrera saw a close-range effort tipped over
by Franco. As the half wore on, West Ham had the better of the chances as
Barrera and then Nouble went close to scoring. The Hammers eventually
doubled their advantage three minutes from time through substitute Sears.
Barrera won the ball on the left and found Frank Nouble, who laid the ball
off the Sears to confidently score in the far corner.
West Ham: Green; O'Brien (Spence, 51) Tomkins, Reid, Samuel (Montano, 78);
Faubert (Barrera, 40), Noble (Sears, 87), Parker (Cole, 63), Nolan, Taylor
(Sears, 70); Piquionne (Nouble, 70).
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Sam Allardyce defies the critics as he sets about transforming West Ham's
fortunes
Telegraph.co.uk
By Alex Shaw5:42PM BST 30 Jul 2011Comment
It may come as no surprise to some that the man charged with restoring West
Ham United to the Premier League expects to return as a champion. But in his
blueprint for his side's return to the top flight, Sam Allardyce wants to
set the record straight. He wants to remind those who have mocked his lofty
dreams there's nothing wrong with being sure of your strengths.
To those who continue to cast aspersions over Allardyce's style of play, he
asks them to view the bigger picture in his bid to manage where he believes
he should. But most of all, you get the impression the one-time England
candidate feels he has something to prove to himself. While the cauldron
that is the Championship will not be a walk in the park for him, it is fair
to say eyebrows were raised when he decided to drop down to the second tier
of English football, a world away from Inter Milan or Real Madrid - teams
Allardyce remains confident he could handle.
Many see Allardyce as a slave to Prozone statistics, long balls and blood
and thunder, but he sees it differently, calling on his adventures in Europe
managing Bolton and the flair of World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff, along
with Champions League conquerors Ivan Campo and Fernando Hierro as a case
for the defence. Allardyce believes graft as well as guile is necessary if
West Ham want to return to the top flight and, remembering his time as a
Bolton player under Ian Greaves, he reflects on two failed promotion
attempts before abandoning brains for brawn and earning promotion back to
Division One in 1978. "We were known as one of the teams for the purists,"
Allardyce explains. "Then, with about seven games to go, Ian told us to
forget about the football that we had tried for two years. He told us to get
the ball in the channels and squeeze it up there. "It's a lesson you have to
learn. Great teams always know how to play any way. Manchester United and
Chelsea never play the same way and Arsenal probably do - that's probably
why they have won nothing for six years. "You get caught up in the
perception of how these teams play. They are the best destructive teams as
well as the most creative. That's why they win all the time, as they destroy
then outplay you."
Criticisms of his style of play follow him around, something that irks him,
but in some ways he sees it as jealousy. That's unfortunately the cost of
being very, very successful," Allardyce insists. "People had to make excuses
for little old Bolton beating Manchester United twice on the trot at Old
Trafford. Little old Bolton used to beat Rafael Benitez every time he came
to the Reebok."
Allardyce's successes, including taking his promoted Bolton into Europe
twice, lead him to believe he can restore West Ham to former glories as well
as setting himself up for another crack at the big time. He said: "I still
feel like I can walk into any club, anywhere, any time and deliver. I turn
dreams into reality and that is my job. I aim to win the title outright at
West Ham and then to establish them in the Premier League."
As Allardyce's journey begins next Sunday against perennial play-off
sufferers Cardiff, he will start by appointing Kevin Nolan as his captain,
something which suggests Scott Parker, last season's captain in all but
name, could be off. Allardyce describes Parker's situation as ''delicate''
but seemingly he'll leave, although Joey O'Brien was signed on Saturday, and
Carlton Cole rejected Stoke to stay at Upton Park. But what about London and
Allardyce's new surroundings? "I would like to take in the sights and have a
look around Big Ben," he adds. "I haven't seen Buckingham Palace yet and I'd
like to do that - on an open top bus as long as the weather is nice."
And if Allardyce has his way, he'll be sitting on that bus parading the
Championship trophy come May.
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Birmingham fans turn on former chairman Gold after condoning Carson Yeung
buyout
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:58 PM on 30th July 2011
Daily Mail
Former Birmingham City owner David Gold is victim of a Twitter hate campaign
by fans angry because he sold the club to Carson Yeung. The new owner has
to answer money-laundering charges next month and fans fear more star names
will be sold.
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West Ham's promotion dream is safe is my hands, says Sam Allardyce
Sam Allardyce's self-belief allows no doubt about West Ham's immediate
return to the Premier League
David Hytner
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 30 July 2011 23.44 BST
Sam Allardyce bows his head, closes his eyes and rubs his forehead for a
good 10 seconds. The memory alone is headache-inducing. "I was a raging
bull, an angry man, worrying, demanding," he says, as he reflects on his
evolution as a football manager.
Arsène Wenger or Rafael Benítez might like to add to the description, but
Allardyce is not talking about the halcyon days at Bolton Wanderers, when he
would routinely upset the establishment, rather his formative years at
Limerick, Blackpool and Notts County.
"My style now compared to back then, it was just a part of the process," he
says. "I don't think you can do it any other way, because you are too
inexperienced to do it any other way. But if you don't learn from your
experiences, then you don't last in this game."
Allardyce has lasted. He once said that he would like to see through his
10-year contract at Bolton and retire at 56. "By the time that birthday
comes along, I would think I would be looking at other things in my life."
Allardyce will turn 57 in October. At the start of last month, he signed a
two-year deal at West Ham United.
He is consumed and driven by the challenge in front of him – to restore the
club's morale, which was battered during their relegation from the Premier
League, and to lift them to an immediate return. It will not be easy, and
not only because this season's Championship contains plenty of intriguing
contenders.
West Ham have parted company with 12 senior players from last season's squad
and the number could yet swell. Scott Parker is keen to remain in the
Premier League and will be sold if his valuation is met. "Scott's position
is delicate," Allardyce says, "because if someone hits the numbers that we
would value him at and it's the Premier League, where he wants to be, he
will be gone."
Allardyce has named Kevin Nolan, the £4m signing from Newcastle United, as
club captain, rather than Parker, although it ought to be noted that Parker
was not the captain last season. Matthew Upson, who was released on the
expiry of his contract, had the armband.
"The misconception that Scott was captain was born out of the rousing
half-time speech that he gave at West Brom [in February]," Allardyce says of
the midfielder's address that inspired the team from 3-0 down to 3-3. "I'd
like to hear the transcript of that. I might use it myself.
"It would be wrong of me to plan [with Parker]. Kevin is here because he
thinks his future lies here and he wants to get us back in the Premier
League. Like me, he doesn't want to drop out of the Premier League for more
than one season."
Allardyce admits he has hung himself "out to dry" by pledging to seek an
instant return. He also accepts that the need to gain promotion is
intensified by the club's financial position. West Ham carry debts of £80m
and David Sullivan, the co-owner, has said that life in the Championship
will "blow a £40m hole" in the business plan. Then there is the move to the
Olympic Stadium in 2014 and the imperative to take Premier League football
with them.
Allardyce, though, radiates optimism. Along with Nolan, he has added Matthew
Taylor for £2.2m from Bolton and the free transfers Joey O'Brien, also from
Bolton, and Abdoulaye Faye from Stoke City. Further signings are afoot, with
the priorities being a left-back and a striker. The England internationals
Robert Green and Carlton Cole appear more likely to stay than go.
"We want to go up automatically," Allardyce says. "And if we don't quite
achieve that goal, then we are going to be left in the play-offs, at the
very least, unless I become the worst manager ever overnight and the players
become the worst there has ever been."
Allardyce's style these days is characterised by a thick-skinned self-belief
and searing ambition. Where once he would lie awake at night "frightened by
what the fans or the papers or the owners would say", he now feels able to
blot out the background noise, which is perhaps just as well at a noisy club
like West Ham.
"I used to be a terrible, terrible worrier, a pessimist," he says. "It's
probably because I was a defender. One mistake and the manager will shout at
you. I couldn't remember playing well. I could only remember mistakes. I
used to worry like mad. But as I got older and established myself, that
diminished and as a manager, it's the same."
Insecurity has given way to conviction. Spectacularly so. Despite his
sackings at Newcastle and, more recently, Blackburn Rovers when, in both
cases, the ownership changed and his face no longer fitted, he can be
fiercely proud of his cv. With man-management his greatest strength he
maintains that he could win trophies at the very biggest clubs, such as Real
Madrid and Internazionale, if he was given the opportunity.
"I've said a lot of things over the years that people laugh at and I find
them very insulting for making a joke about it or laughing at how I could be
a manager of any club, anywhere and deal with it. I still feel like I can
walk into any club, anywhere, any time and deliver. It's a bit like a CEO,
isn't it? You can take up a position in any industry and if you're a good
CEO, you can make that company profitable. You put me in a football
environment anywhere in the world and I can deliver the module. I can modify
the module for the particular culture and the way of playing."
It remains easy to touch a nerve with Allardyce. Just tell him his teams
have been long-ball bully boys or that he jars with the "West Ham way".
"People had to make an excuse, at the time, for little old Bolton beating
Chelsea, Arsenal and Man United," he says. "Little old Bolton used to beat
Rafa Benítez [and Liverpool] every time he came to the Reebok Stadium. And
they couldn't cope with it."
Allardyce's West Ham will look to entertain but, above all, to win. He made
the point that Manchester United and Chelsea were not only the best creative
teams but the most destructive ones, too. "There is an adaptability," he
says. "They never play the same way. Arsenal probably do and that's probably
why they've won nothing for six years."
The country's elite will have to wait. Allardyce must first ensure that the
step down a division serves as a springboard. But he has it mapped out and
the goal is to challenge for European places and cup finals. "How far can we
go? That depends on how much the owners want to back the dream to turn it
into reality," he says. "That's what I've done and that's what I do. I turn
dreams into reality."
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Big Sam insists he's still on the up
After 10 years in the Premier League, Allardyce faces a fresh challenge at
West Ham: promotion
The Independent
By Nick Szczepanik
Sunday, 31 July 2011
Big Sam strolled to the dug-out for West Ham's pre-season friendly at
Dagenham & Redbridge last week like Dean Martin walking on to a stage in Las
Vegas – only with a better suit. He acknowledged the cheers with a breezy
wave, joked with his coaching staff and was happy to pose for pictures with
supporters and sign autographs after a 1-0 win.
But David Sullivan and David Gold, the owners, did not hire Sam Allardyce to
beat League Two clubs. Taking West Ham back to the Premier League at the
first attempt is his task, and once the Championship campaign starts, the
relaxed figure of a summer evening has to deliver the intensity that was
missing last season as West Ham sleepwalked to relegation under Avram Grant.
Allardyce accepts the challenge, and there is no hedging of bets with talk
of stabilisation and regrouping, which is just as well. He knows that the
size of his new club – not to mention the new manager – means that
expectations are inevitable.
"No one else can put any more expectations and pressure on than me," he
said. "Because I haven't come down here to spend a long time down in the
Championship. I've come to win the club promotion and get myself where I've
been for the last 10 years, and that's managing in the top league in the
world."
The signing of his former Bolton regulars Kevin Nolan and Matthew Taylor
have signalled his intent; Nolan, bought from Newcastle, is expected to
supply the leadership a promotion-seeking team need.
"You're happy that that type of talent is moving a step down to try to get
itself back up. Kevin and Matt have the same ambition as me: to spend as
little time as possible in the Championship. But we're not taking it for
granted that we're going to get promoted. There's a lot of reallyexperienced
managers in this division who are wanting to do the same as me, and young
up-and-coming guys who want to make their names. And a lot of money spent."
But West Ham are trying to unload more Premier League salaries. "We're
reducing our costs and overheads where a lot are adding on to what they had
last year, so it will be a tougher division. It's going to be damned hard
work over a marathon season of 46 games. We have to perform at a consistent
level and make sure we're always in a winning frame of mind."
That, he admits, required altering the prevailing mood. "The club was in
despair really. Relegation leaves a club traumatised, from the owners to the
fans, the players to the tea lady. And you've got to get them over the
trauma and back to positive thinking. You win a game of football as much
with your mind as with your ability."
Allardyce has won plenty of games with his own sharp mind – his instant
exploitation of the new offside rules bordered on genius, and his
application of sports science at Bolton was well ahead of its time – but he
is still perceived as a typical northern former muck 'n' nettles
centre-half.
Many of the perceptions are wrong – he is not a northerner, for example,
having been born and brought up in the West Midlands – and the one that
rankles most is his reputation as a long-ball coach, at odds with the West
Ham way. "It bores me to tears, to be honest. It will be answered by our
performances this year," he said.
The harshest judges will be West Ham's supporters, but though Allardyce
admits it will be a while before he feels like a Londoner again – he played
for Millwall for two seasons in the early 1980s – he appreciates the club's
traditions, hopes to promote young players from their vaunted aca-demy, and
relishes the responsibility of entertaining a demanding fanbase.
"They're like Newcastle fans. They live and breathe the club and work hard
for the money to come and watch them, so we have got to reward them for
turning up in their thousands, as they have done for many, many years. Even
though, realistically, over the last few years it has been a bit of a yo-yo
time for them. It's the Championship now and for me it's a big change from
the past 10 years of success."
That analysis of his decade in the Premier League defies, rather than
ignores, the fact that he was sacked at both Newcastle (prematurely) and
Blackburn (illogically), and West Ham will surely settle for a repeat of his
effect on his previous clubs. "Everywhere I've been there has been
progression, even Newcastle," he said. "Even though we were six months into
a complete overhaul of the club, we were 11th when I left and they'd
finished 14th the year before.
"At Blackburn we completely turned that around, and everyone knows what we
did at Bolton because we were top eight, top six and looking like a
Champions' League-threateningside. West Ham is a different type of
challenge, trying to win promotion and experience the joy of that." Succeed,
and Big Sam will be waving to the crowds again in April.
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