WHUFC.com
The club can confirm reduced prices for the Carling Cup fixture against
Aldershot Town
06.07.2011
West Ham United have slashed ticket prices for the Carling Cup first-round
tie with Aldershot Town on Tuesday 9 August. Season ticket holders can get
their seats for just £5 for under-16s and £10 for adults. Academy members
will be able to purchase from 9am on Monday 25 July, with general sale
following that.
The Hammers, who reached the semi-finals of the same competition last
season, will have high hopes of another good run under new manager Sam
Allardyce.
Aldershot, who are managed by former Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers striker
Dean Holdsworth, finished 14th in League Two last season. The Shots have
never got past the third-round stage of the League Cup and were beaten 3-0
at home by Watford in last season's first round.
Holdsworth played under Allardyce for four seasons at the Reebok Stadium
before embarking on a successful coaching career with Newport County
following his retirement. He has been in charge at the Recreation Ground
since January 2011. West Ham have reached the League Cup final on two
previous occasions, finishing as runners-up to West Bromwich Albion in 1966
and Liverpool in 1981. Outside of wartime football and minor cup
competitions, West Ham have met Aldershot just twice previously. The Hammers
were held to a goalless FA Cup third-round draw at the Boleyn Ground on 5
January 1991 before completing a 6-1 replay victory at the same venue eleven
days later.
Among the players who have represented both clubs are Dale Banton, Bobby
Barnes, Alan Dickie, Neil Finn, George Matthews, Reg Wade and Alan Wooler.
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Zaragoza lead busy pre-season
WHUFC.com
The club can confirm the ticket prices and selling dates for the pre-season
fixture with Real Zaragoza
06.07.2011
West Ham United are delighted to confirm reduced ticket prices for this
summer's annual pre-season showpiece match against Real Zaragoza. Tickets
are on sale now to season ticket holders with prices starting at £5 for
Under-16s and £10 for adults. For a full list of the prices for Academy
members and general sale, as well as selling dates, click here.
The Saturday 30 July fixture will be the first home outing in a Hammers
shirt for the club's new recruits including Abdoulaye Faye and Kevin Nolan,
and give supporters the chance to have a glimpse at Sam Allardyce's new-look
side in action. The six-times Spanish Cup winners enjoyed an encouraging
2010/11 campaign, finishing 13th in just their second season back in the top
flight, and are historically the ninth most successful Spanish club of
all-time.
The La Liga side's visit will evoking memories of West Ham United's dramatic
victory over the Aragonese in the 1964/65 European Cup Winners' Cup
semi-finals.
Taking on a potent Zaragoza attack nicknamed 'Los Cinquos Magnificos' - 'The
Magnificent Five' - West Ham raced into a two-goal lead in the first leg at
the Boleyn Ground through goals from Brian Dear and Johnny Byrne. Zaragoza
hit back, meaning the Hammers had a slender 2-1 lead to take to Spain.The
second leg started badly as Zaragoza went ahead on the night and ahead in
the tie on away goals, only for Johnny Sissons to score an all-important
equaliser and send West Ham through to the final, 3-2 on aggregate. At
Wembley, of course, West Ham defeated TSV 1860 Munich 2-0 to lift the
trophy.
Pre-season friendly schedule
Monday 11 July, 6pm (local time) - BSC Young Boys v West Ham United (Uhren
Cup, Bruhl Stadium, Grenchen, Switzerland)
Wednesday 13 July, 7.30pm (local time) - FC Basel v West Ham United (Uhren
Cup, Bruhl Stadium, Grenchen, Switzerland)
Saturday 16 July, 3pm - Bishops Stortford v West Ham United XI (Woodside
Park)
Wednesday 20 July, 8pm (local time - FC Copenhagen v West Ham United (Parken
Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark)
Saturday 23 July, 3pm - Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United (Adams Park)
Tuesday 26 July, 7.45pm - Dagenham & Redbridge v West Ham United (Victoria
Road)
Saturday 30 July, 3pm - West Ham United v Real Zaragoza
Tuesday 2 August, 7.45pm - Sutton United v West Ham United XI (Borough
Sports Ground, Ganders Green Lane)
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Season ticket deadline extended
WHUFC.com
The club has been inundated with season ticket requests so has decided to
extend the renewal period
05.07.2011
West Ham United are pleased to confirm that the renewal period for season
tickets has been extended until 5pm on Tuesday 19 July. High demand coupled
with fan feedback has meant the Ticket Office will give supporters the
chance to make sure of their seat for a further 14 days. Not only can fans
make sure of their place at the Boleyn for every single game in our
promotion push, you can still save up to £20 and have the chance to win your
ticket. To make it easier, fans can choose to pay in easy monthly
instalments if they wish thanks to the club's 0% finance payment plan with
ZEBRA finance. All you need to do is fill in the form found here. Season
ticket holders can get extra benefits, including ten per cent off the new
West Ham United Macron replica kits for the 2011/12 season with the discount
applying to all retail purchases.
Brisk trade has been reported by the club's new Online Store, launched in
response to supporter feedback. Supporters have been flocking to pre-order
the stylish strips before the official launch on Thursday 28 July 2011.
Renew now! You get a 10 per cent reduction on the 09/10 price freeze plus
four extra games.
Renewing is easy. Call 0871 222 2700 or see whufcboxoffice.com to renew
online.
This offer will not be extended. Renew by 5pm Tuesday 19 July*.
The club can also confirm that the general sale for season tickets will
begin on Saturday 23 July. The selling dates for the first three league and
cup fixtures are as follows:
* West Ham United v Cardiff City - 7 August, on sale to Academy Members from
Monday 25 July
* West Ham United v Aldershot - 9 August, on sale to season ticket holders
now, Academy Members from Monday 25 July
* West Ham United v Leeds United - 21 August, on sale to Academy Members
from Monday 25 July
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Hammers move to reduce risk
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's medical team has introduced a unique new injury-prevention
system
06.07.2011
West Ham United's Sport Medicine and Sport Science department hope a unique
new system will keep players out of the treatment room. In partnership with
the University of Ghent (UGent) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in
Belgium, the Hammers have introduced individual risk profiles for every
professional. The profiles will cover two specific areas - injury prevention
and performance progression - and allow head of sports medicine Andy Rolls
and first-team physiotherapist Stijn Vandenbroucke to constantly monitor
player's individual performances, risk areas and injury histories.
With the help of the two universities, each profile will be updated on a
daily basis throughout the season and will be accessible via a password-safe
website to enable players and staff to keep tabs on their condition from
anywhere on the planet. To kick-off the project Rolls, Vandenbroucke and the
Hammers' medical staff have started screening squad members using a range of
balance, flexibility and strength tests. The test results will help them to
identify areas of individual strength and weakness and tailor each player's
training schedule to minimise their chances of being injured.
Following next week's pre-season trip to Switzerland, the players will
undergo performance progression screening at Chadwell Heath later this
month, adding to the data available. Regular tests will be held throughout
the season.
Vandenbroucke explained the purpose of the screening in detail on West Ham
TV. "We are testing for injury prevention because we want to create an
up-to-date risk profile for every player for throughout the season," he
said. "Therefore we need to know what their weaknesses and their strong
points are, so we're testing their flexibility, strength, stability, core
stability and balance, jumping and a few other things. "From there on,
together with the universities, we can work out what they need to do during
the pre-season and the season."
Vandenbroucke said the pre-season tests would stand the players in good
stead ahead of what will be a busy and demanding season in the npower
Championship.
"I think it's going to be a very tough season with a lot of games and
physical demands on the players, so I think in the pre-season we have to
grab the chance to make everybody as strong as possible so we can go as far
as possible in the competition."
Belgian-born himself, Vandenbroucke said the roles played by his fellow
countrymen at UGent and VUB would be of huge benefit. "We have worked
together with these universities because they have created an algorithm
[list of instructions] which will help us on a daily basis with injury
prevention and performance progression.
"After each training session, they will help us to create an injury-risk
profile for the following day so we know if players have trained well, if
they are fatigued or if they are at risk of suffering a certain injury.
"We're trying to use evidence-based data and use Sport Science at a high
level."
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Downes on the up
WHUFC.com
Wally Downes has told West Ham TV a strong squad will be the key to gaining
promotion this term
06.07.2011
Wally Downes has told West Ham TV a strong squad will be key to getting West
Ham United promoted this season and expects the club to hit the ground
running in the npower Championship. The first-team coach emphasised the need
for a collective desire to get the job done, and expects the story of the
season to be about the team and not the individual. Speaking to the club's
exclusive online TV service, Downes said: "This season it is going to be
about how strong and how supportive the squad is. "It is not about the
eleven players or the 18 players, it is about 20 or even 30 players because
of the amount of games we are going to play, it will be about 50-60 games a
season on a regular basis. "Players have to be ready to come into a
successful side and perform to the level of whoever they are replacing."
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Wearen ready for EUROs
WHUFC.com
Eoin Wearen is in Republic of Ireland's squad for the UEFA European U19
Championship finals
06.07.2011
West Ham United's Eoin Wearen has been selected in Republic of Ireland's
squad for the UEFA European U19 Championship finals in Romania. The talented
Dublin-born central midfielder has been named in his country's squad by head
coach Paul Doolin after playing an important role in helping the Irish to
qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2002. Ireland have been
drawn in Group A alongside Greece, Czech Republic and the host nation, while
Group B contains Serbia, Turkey, Spain and Belgium. Eighteen-year-old Wearen
and his compatriots kick-off their challenge by facing Greece in Buftea on
20 July before tackling the Czechs in Mogosoaia on 23 July and and Romania
in Beroeni on 26 July. Doolin's squad successfully qualified for the
eight-team finals by coming through two tough group stages, seeing off the
challenge of Italy, Poland, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Luxembourg along the way.
Wearen himself will be available to play in Ireland's opening match after
serving a one-match suspension in the 3-0 victory over Italy in their final
Elite Round qualifying fixture. The Hammers youngster had been sent-off for
two bookable offences in the goalless draw with Ukraine. Republic of Ireland
have never won the European U19 Championship. However, the Irish did lift
the trophy in its former guise as an U18 tournament in 1998.
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Ch-ch-changes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
A host of West Ham United's 2011/12 Championship fixtures have been
re-arranged. If you're still working on the original fixture list as
published last month, here's a summary of the changes to have been announced
thus far:
Birmingham City (a)
New date: Monday, 26th December (Boxing Day) - 1:00pm k/o
Cardiff City (a)
New date: Saturday, 3rd March - 12:30pm k/o
Leeds United (h)
New date: Sunday, 21st August - 1:15pm k/o
Millwall (a)
New date: Saturday, 17th September - 12:30pm k/o
Nottingham Forest (a)
New date: Sunday, 28th August - 1:15pm k/o
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The cost of short-termism
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have extended the season ticket deadline by a fortnight -
due to 'high demand'. The original deadline passed at 5pm last night with
reports of ticket sales being well down on last season. And this morning
the club have confirmed that the deadline for renewals is being extended by
a fortnight - as a result of 'high demand coupled with fan feedback',
according to whufc.com.
However it is rather more likely that many thousands of existing season
ticket holders have refused to renew due to the club's short-term decision
to sell match day tickets last season for less than the equivalent cost of a
season ticket - a policy that has clearly hit the club hard this summer.
Supporters were able to purchase match day tickets last season from agencies
such as Viagogo from just £15 - a policy that caused furious reactions from
season ticket holders who felt that any concessions should be passed their
way, not to fairweather fans.
Despite the season ticket price freeze and extra four games, many thousands
of existing ST holders have instead decided to 'pay on the day' next season,
due to the considerable decrease in demand for Championship tickets. Tickets
for West Ham's opening three games of the 2011/12 season - against Cardiff,
Aldershot (Carling Cup) and Leeds - go on general sale from Saturday, 23rd
July.
Cheapest match day tickets last season
Bolton: £36 (available from WHUFC)
Chelsea: £46 (WHUFC)
Tottenham: £25 (Viagogo)
Fulham: £36 (WHUFC)
Newcastle: £15 (WHUFC)
WBA: £15 (WHUFC)
Blackpool: £36 (WHUFC)
Wigan: £20 (WHUFC)
Man CIty: £25 (Viagogo)
Everton: £16 (WHUFC)
Wolves: £20 (WHUFC)
Arsenal: £46 (WHUFC)
Birmingham: £20 (Viagogo)
Liverpool: £46 (WHUFC)
Stoke: £20 (Viagogo)
Man Utd: £46 (WHUFC)
Aston Villa: £20 (Viagogo)
Blackburn: £14 (Viagogo)
Sunderland: £20 (Viagogo)
Total: £522
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Cole rumour resurfaces
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
Joe Cole is once again being linked with a return to the Boleyn Ground. The
out-of-favour Liverpool midfielder, who left West Ham in 2003 having refused
to sign a new contract is thought to have been made an offer to join United
on loan for the forthcoming Championship season. As unlikely a deal as it
may seem, KUMB.com understands that enquiries have indeed been made by West
Ham with regards to making the move a possibility.
However any move would hinge on Liverpool paying the majority of the former
England international's £90,000 per week wages - assuming, of course, Cole
would opt to play in the second division instead of choosing from a whole
host of Premier League options, as would surely be revealed should it be
known that he is available for loan.
West Ham announced today that they are delaying the season ticket holder
deadline by a fortnight. It is thought that the club are keen to announce a
marquee signing - or, cynics may suggest, be strongly linked with one -
before that deadline is reached.
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Plug pulled on season review DVD
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have cancelled production of the 2010/11 season review DVD.
The annual season review DVD, produced in recent years by ILC Media has been
abolished due to a perceived lack of demand. With West Ham United relegated
from the Premier League last term having won only seven league games all
season, it was felt that supporters simply wouldn't buy the DVD which
retailed last year at £15.99. As a result, Hammers fans keen to add to their
collection will have no option but to wait until the end of next season -
assuming, that is, West Ham perform rather better under Sam Allardyce than
they did under Avram Grant.
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That good ol' West Ham way
KUMB,com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th July 2011
By: Kit Robinson
So what is it, the West Ham way? Were West Ham ever this slick, great
passing side that many of our fans believe we are? Is it a myth? Or are we
living in a parallel footballing universe?
Will the introduction of Sam Allardyce see an end to it or just a massive
improvement by getting back to basics? The media has West Ham as the bookies
favourite to be promoted which is massively at odds with the performances of
Avram Grant's team of last season. So where are we going stylistically as a
football team?
There are two major factors which arrived with the signing of Sam Allardyce
as manager of West Ham. Fear and organisation. Two elements that could
hardly have been applied to facing the Hammers last season or to be expected
had Avram Grant been retained as manager this season.
If the West Ham way is supposedly quality football and skill, then it was
sorely missing last season. In fact it has been missing for a few seasons.
Or is it the case that it was simply not a regular occurrence and only
something we aspired to but rarely actually achieved over the last 30 years
or more?
The media commentators often refer to West Ham as a great 'footballing'
side. Yet I have so rarely seen this in action. Last season West Ham were
barely capable of completing any passes, let alone assists which made
opportunities on goal. Those goalscoring opportunities were largely wasted
and meanwhile at the back, the defence seemed inept and disorganised.
The team as a whole were prone to only being fit for 70 minutes of a match
and often relented to any kind of pressure and often gave away their lead in
matches where they should have finished the opposition off. Whether West Ham
fans like it or not, the club needs a big shake up in the team, management
and back room staff.
So what has changed so far apart from releasing a number of players with the
squad currently down to 26 players and with some top players possibly still
to leave? Where are the bookies and the media getting this renewed optimism
for West Ham from? The back room staff is being drastically changed with few
not being replaced. And then there is the manager. Whether you like him or
not, the likelihood is that he is the right man for the job.
West Ham fans only needed to watch the Champions League final to realise
what great football is when seeing Barcelona. If that is what West Ham
aspire to then great, but is it achievable on our budget? No. It could also
be argued whether West Ham ever consistently played that way. In my own
lifetime I have only ever seen West Ham play that brand of football for
around six seasons and the rest of the time they have been pretty dire and
have deservedly yo-yo'd between leagues.
The fact is that football has moved on. Even in the '60s under Ron Greenwood
and with three World Cup winners in the side, West Ham still struggled. They
had brief periods in the last 30 years when some classy football was played
but often, ironically, in a lower league.
Barcelona, Manchester United and all the top clubs don't play great football
purely because of a great manager. They can afford great players, we can't.
This simple fact means that other clubs have gotten better than us at
playing decent football and funds dictate that we can no longer compete in
obtaining skillful players.
As much as we would like to think that we can get hold of a manager who can
miraculously gel Academy players into a slick unit who can compete at the
top level, it simply isn't going to happen. It's also been the situation for
many years that if West Ham produce anyone of any quality that they are soon
snapped up.
The most valuable man at West Ham for the last nearly 40 years is Tony Carr
who has helped develop players who we can sell, many times in order to keep
the club afloat. If we don't, or will never consistently, have these
skillful players then West Ham need to accept the fact that they are going
to have to change their style of play, get back to basics and get simpler
and tougher. But that doesn't necessarily mean that fans will be devoid of
watching any stylish play.
It really is a fallacy that Sam Allardyce's teams only play route one and
aerial football. They do a lot of the time but not always. West Ham fans
need to change their perspective of what they require. If they still solely
want 'the West Ham way' then the future of the club could seriously be in
jeopardy because the team simply cannot compete playing that way any more.
It's a choice between trying to play nice football but losing and having
fewer and fewer seasons of being able to compete playing that style. Or for
now, playing a simpler game, achieving the basics and winning a larger
number of matches but having the occasional match of great attractive
football.
Teams like Bolton under Allardyce used to stuff us home and away. Yes they
were rougher and tougher but we couldn't handle it, but they also did play
some really decent football at times but we don't like to admit it through
our claret and blue specs. It wasn't all route one and they often scored
some great goals. Let's face it, we feared them, as did many other sides.
They were also always very organised.
If this shake-up is successful, West Ham gain promotion, maintain a Premier
League status for around five years and the Olympic Stadium repays the club
the dividends it potentially could do, THEN, West Ham fans can start talking
about the West Ham way again, once the club has enough funds to compete at
the highest level.
Until then, it's time to win matches, as Allardyce has said, by whatever
style is necessary. It's time to win ugly not lose prettily. Then when some
cosmetic surgery is required, we'll get it done when we can afford to do it.
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Hammers eye Baraclough move
Former Iron boss could joins Irons
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated: July
6, 2011 2:08pm
SSN
Skysports.com understands West Ham are set to appoint former Scunthorpe boss
Ian Baraclough to their coaching staff. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is keen
to bolster his backroom team after seeing Kevin Keen leave for Liverpool
earlier this week. Allardyce has lined up a move for highly-rated coach
Baraclough as he begins his plans for next season. Baraclough took his first
steps into coaching when he was named first-team coach under Nigel Adkins at
Scunthorpe in 2006. The 40-year-old replaced Adkins as manager last
September following his departure to Southampton,but he was dismissed by
Scunthorpe in March with the club rooted to the bottom of the table.
Baraclough has gained the reputation as one the best young coaches around
and Allardyce believes he will be a valuable addition to the Hammers set-up.
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Warnock keen to bring Cole to QPR but Taarabt could be on his way out
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:08 PM on 6th July 2011
Daily Mail
Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock is keen hand Carlton Cole a Premier
League lifeline by offering him a contract with the Premier League new boys.
Relegated West Ham are keen to get the England striker off the wage bill as
they prepare for life in The Championship and will listen to bids of around
£6 million.
Stoke had a £3m bid for Cole rejected by West Ham earlier in the summer, and
have not returned with an improved bid. The 27-year-old striker has two
years remaining on his contract at Upton Park and his departure could pave
the way for Blackpool striker DJ Campbell to join the Hammers. Sam Allardyce
has been chasing Campbell for the last month and triggered the £1.25m
release clause in his contract, but the striker is keen to move to a Premier
League club. If QPR are successful with a move for Cole, Warnock admitted
that it is unlikely that the striker will partner Adel Taarabt, as the
Moroccan international looks set to leave the Premier League new boys.
Warnock said: 'PSG [Paris St-Germain] have made an inquiry and they
obviously offer him the chance to be nearer to home, although there is a
Spanish club being mentioned as well. 'As far as his talk of wanting to go
to Chelsea or Arsenal, I know he has a lot of friends at Arsenal. He is
missing his family in Marseille. 'If we get a big offer from a club in
France that obviously gives him a chance to be closer to them. That would be
a big pull. 'Flavio Briatore [the QPR co-owner] is dealing with the
negotiations. He is keeping me informed of the situation and at this precise
moment [Adel] won't be leaving because no one has met the asking price.'
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Should We Sell Carlton Cole
July 7th, 2011 - 8:23 am by Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
Two summers ago we sold Bobby Zamora to Fulham. Many of us couldn't
understand why we would sell Zamora when Cole was the one who couldn't hit a
barn door. But then Gianfranco Zola worked his magic and Cole had a stormer
of a season. But since Zola's departure he has failed to recapture that
goalscoring form. Cole is not the sort of player who will ever get 20 goals
season, but in more games than some of us care to admit, he has done a
brilliant job occupying the time of a couple of defenders.
Yes, he can look incredibly awkward and gangly. Yes, his first touch can let
him down. Yes, his head can go down when things are not going his way. But
he is a talent who, given the right leadership, can still do a job for us.
But will he get the opportunity?
The jury's out. Stoke and QPR are rumoured to be interested in his services.
Stoke, however, insulted him and the club by tabling a bit of a pathetic £3
million. I hope West Ham told Stoke where to go in no uncertain terms. They
already got one bargain off us, in the form of Matthew Etherington, and it
would be adding insult to injury to let them have another. QPR haven't
tabled a formal bid, but rumours continue to swirl.
I've heard on the grapevine that Cole has asked his agent to find him a new
club, but that club has to be in London. Effectively that means Fulham or
QPR.
So the question for today is should we sell Carlton Cole, and if so what's
the lowest bid we should entertain. If I was pushed to make a decision I
would say yes, but not for less than £7 million.
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The fight for Cole hots up
By DEAN SCOGGINS
Published: Today
The Sun
STOKE are ready to raise their bid for Carlton Cole to £6million as they try
to beat QPR to the striker's signature. Potters chief Tony Pulis wants to
boost his attacking options and had an initial £3m offer for the West Ham
hitman snubbed. Stoke's first bid for Cole, 27, did include extensive
add-ons that would have seen the deal rise to £8m. But the relegated Hammers
want £6m up front and Premier League new-boys QPR are ready to pounce - and
can offer Croydon-born Cole the advantage of staying in London. Pulis also
wants to land the Birmingham duo of defender Scott Dann and frontman Cameron
Jerome. Britannia Stadium chairman Peter Coates claimed his club were close
to agreeing a deal but Birmingham will not be forced into a cut-price sale
and want £14m for the 24-year-olds. Coates said: "We have made an offer and
are hoping to do a deal that will satisfy both clubs. "We were very close to
a deal but then you still have to sort things out with the players. These
things can take forever. "You have to have other irons in the fire because
things can go wrong. "As one agent once said 'The truth today may not be the
truth tomorrow'."
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Hammer Parker's future could be decided today
Published 23:00 06/07/11 By Mike McGrath
The Mirror
Scott Parker is set for crunch talks with Sam Allardyce today over his West
Ham future. England midfielder Parker is back for pre-season training and
will have his first face-to-face meeting with Big Sam. The new Hammers boss
has insisted he wants to sit down to talk with his England internationals,
rather than speak on the phone.
Robert Green and Carlton Cole are also due to return to the club's Chadwell
Heath HQ, along with Under-21 defender James Tomkins and Wales youngster
Jack Collison. Allardyce will speak to players who have concerns about their
futures, then decide on a squad to take to Switzerland at the weekend for
the club's pre-season tour. In the case of Parker, who won the Football
Writers' Association player-of-the-year award last season, it has appeared
likely a transfer would suit both player and the club. Tottenham boss Harry
Redknapp is interested in the 30-year-old former Chelsea and Newcastle man.
Only scandal-hit Turkish giants Fenerbahce have tabled a bid though, and
Parker is reluctant to move abroad.
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Big Sam targets a 20-goals-a-season striker
London24.com
Nathaniel John
Thursday, July 7, 2011
9:00 AM
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that signing a striker is his top
priority as he looks to build a squad capable of securing promotion back to
the Premier League at the first time of asking. Having missed out on
Peterborough United forward Craig Mackail-Smith this week, who signed for
Brighton & Hove Albion, the 56-year-old has turned his attention elsewhere,
with a shortlist having already been drawn up. "We will run the rule over a
few players, but I think we do need another striker in the squad," he
stressed. "It is difficult to work with just three strikers, especially in a
46-game season and ideally we will be looking for two strikers to grab
between 15 and 20 goals each."
Despite being in the market for new players, Allardyce has not ruled out the
possibility of keeping some of his international stars – most notably Robert
Green, Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Pablo Barrera, who return to
pre-season training today (Thursday). "They return this week and then I will
sit down with them and they can tell me what their plans are," he said.
"Obviously if they want to go and we get a satisfactory bid in then I
wouldn't want to stand in their way, but let us see what they say first – we
have not received bids for any of the players."
This week is the first time that Allardyce has had a chance to really look
at the majority of the squad that he has inherited, and he admits that he
has been impressed with what he has seen so far. "It has been lovely weather
and the boys are looking very enthusiastic," he said. "Everyone looks like
they are glad to be back."
"Last season was a miserable one, but we have to put that behind us and
start to work on the task ahead and that is getting straight back into the
Premier League."
Tomorrow (Friday) the Hammers will leave for their pre-season tour of
Switzerland where they will play two games. On Monday, West Ham face BSC
Young Boys, before playing against former Hammers midfielder Radoslav
Kovac's new side FC Basel on Wednesday. "I have always gone on pre-season
tours in the past and they are an invaluable way of getting to know everyone
and improving the team spirit," said Allarydce. "We have lots of new faces
among the players and the staff and this will be the perfect chance for
everyone to get to know each other."
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West Ham hope to throw Joe Cole a lifeline by sealing loan deal from
Liverpool
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:26 PM on 6th July 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are exploring an ambitious deal to bring Joe Cole back to Upton
Park. Manager Sam Allardyce is keen to recruit more Premier League quality
players in a bid to make a swift return to the top flight. However, West
Ham would only be able to afford a loan deal and would need Liverpool to
heavily subsidise the former England man's £100,000-a-week wages. Cole, 29,
wants to fight for his place at Liverpool but had a poor first season
blighted by niggling injuries and is struggling to impose himself on Kenny
Dalglish's first-team plans. His situation has been compounded by the
signings of Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam while Stewart Downing is
expected to follow from Aston Villa. Cole, who has also been mentioned as a
potential makeweight in the Downing deal, may prefer to wait until later in
the summer before talking to West Ham but they are keen to lift the fans
ahead of the new season. A return to the club he left in 2003 would give
the team impetus for their promotion drive.
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Backroom Business
Just Like My Dreams
We've had Fletcher and Mackay and now West Ham are looking to add Baraclough
to their growing list of Slade Prison namesakes. The club are reportedly
close to appointing former Scunthorpe boss Ian Baraclough to their coaching
staff, according to several sources. Sam Allardyce is keen to bolster his
backroom team after seeing Kevin Keen leave for Liverpool earlier this week
and has lined up a move for the highly-rated coach as he begins his plans
for next season. Baraclough took his first steps into coaching when he was
named first-team coach under Nigel Adkins at Scunthorpe in 2006. The
40-year-old replaced Adkins as manager last September following his
departure to Southampton, but he was dismissed by Scunthorpe in March with
the club rooted to the bottom of the table. Sky Sports state Baraclough has
gained the reputation as one the best young coaches around and Allardyce
believes he will be a valuable addition to the Hammers set-up.
It is likely Baraclough would become the coach to link the Academy and
developing players to the first-team squad; the only position Allardyce said
he had left to fill in the restructuring of his immediate backroom staff.
The new Hammers boss had initially been tipped to team up again with his
former coach Sammy Lee at Upton Park. The former Liverpool coach left
Anfield last week, and had previously worked alongside Allardyce at Bolton
Wanderers. "We are looking to bring in one more coach, but it will not be
Sammy," confirmed Allardyce yesterday. "Sammy is a first-team coach, but I
have Neil McDonald and Wally Downes here already. We are looking at people
at the moment though, and hopefully we will have someone in place in time
for the trip to Switzerland at the end of the week."
The news comes just days after West Ham appointed Martyn Margetson as their
new goalkeeping coach and extended the contract of Tony Carr. Margetson, 39,
held the same position at Cardiff, but has left the Welsh club to join Sam
Allardyce's backroom team at Upton Park. Meanwhile Carr signed a new
five-year deal with the club. The world-renowned Youth Academy director,
whose existing deal was up this summer, put pen to paper on a contract that
will keep him tied to West Ham United until 2016. The 60-year-old has been
employed by the club in a coaching capacity since 1973, and only last year
he was awarded the MBE for services to football.
Speaking to KUMB.com last year Carr admitted that despite the lure of offers
from elsewhere, he always intended to see his career out at Chadwell Heath.
"If the club want me to stay I'd like to stay," he said. "I'd like to go on
for another three or four years, if I'm honest. I'm quite healthy, I still
enjoy it, I still think there's work to be done. We've got good kids in the
system and I want to see them develop. I hope there's going to be some good
players coming through in the next three or four years and I want to be part
of that. Obviously there comes a time when you go 'look Tone, as much as we
love you you've got to pack it in'. And I understand that. But whilst I'm
still quite fit and healthy... the day I stop enjoying it is the day I go
'thanks, but I've done my bit'."
If Baraclough does arrives it will be as direct replacement for the departed
Keen. The Hammers stalwart left his role as first-team coach only last week
to take up a similar position at Anfield, but is anticipating a return to
the Boleyn Ground with his new club sooner rather than later. "I am
extremely confident with the squad that is there, that even if West Ham lose
a couple of top players, this time next year Liverpool will be playing West
Ham in the Premier League and I can't wait to be back," he said. Having
served the club for nearly 20 years as player and coach, Keen admitted he
would miss the close connection with the passionate Hammers faithful and
said they would always be close to his heart. "The supporters have always
been fantastic. I thank them for their support. I have been at the club for
nine years as a player and nine years as a coach and I have learned so much
from good managers, the likes of Paul Heffer and Tony Carr and also from
those people who don't always get the credit. A part of me will always be
claret and blue. It is the right time for me to move on but you never know
what will happen in the future."
Wally Downes is equally confident of the Hammers chances and told West Ham
TV a strong squad will be key to getting the club promoted this season.
Downes expects the club to hit the ground running in the npower
Championship, with the first-team coach emphasising the need for a
collective desire to get the job done. In short, he expects the story of the
season to be about the team and not the individual. "This season it is going
to be about how strong and how supportive the squad is," he said. "It is not
about the eleven players or the 18 players, it is about 20 or even 30
players because of the amount of games we are going to play, it will be
about 50-60 games a season on a regular basis. Players have to be ready to
come into a successful side and perform to the level of whoever they are
replacing."
With such an arduous challenge ahead, the work of United's Sport Medicine
and Sport Science department will be of paramount importance. It is their
hope that a unique new system will keep players out of the treatment room.
In partnership with the University of Ghent (UGent) and Vrije Universiteit
Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, the Hammers have introduced individual risk
profiles for every professional. The profiles will cover two specific areas
- injury prevention and performance progression - and allow head of sports
medicine Andy Rolls and first-team physiotherapist Stijn Vandenbroucke to
constantly monitor player's individual performances, risk areas and injury
histories.
With the help of the two universities, each profile will be updated on a
daily basis throughout the season and will be accessible via a password-safe
website to enable players and staff to keep tabs on their condition from
anywhere on the planet. To kick-off the project Rolls, Vandenbroucke and the
Hammers' medical staff have started screening squad members using a range of
balance, flexibility and strength tests. The test results will help them to
identify areas of individual strength and weakness and tailor each player's
training schedule to minimise their chances of being injured.
Following next week's pre-season trip to Switzerland, the players will
undergo performance progression screening at Chadwell Heath later this
month, adding to the data available. Regular tests will be held throughout
the season. Vandenbroucke explained the purpose of the screening in detail .
"We are testing for injury prevention because we want to create an
up-to-date risk profile for every player for throughout the season," he
said. "Therefore we need to know what their weaknesses and their strong
points are, so we're testing their flexibility, strength, stability, core
stability and balance, jumping and a few other things. From there on,
together with the universities, we can work out what they need to do during
the pre-season and the season."
Vandenbroucke said the pre-season tests would stand the players in good
stead ahead of what will be a busy and demanding season in the npower
Championship. "I think it's going to be a very tough season with a lot of
games and physical demands on the players, so I think in the pre-season we
have to grab the chance to make everybody as strong as possible so we can go
as far as possible in the competition." Belgian-born himself, Vandenbroucke
said the roles played by his fellow countrymen at UGent and VUB would be of
huge benefit. "We have worked together with these universities because they
have created an algorithm [list of instructions] which will help us on a
daily basis with injury prevention and performance progression. "After each
training session, they will help us to create an injury-risk profile for the
following day so we know if players have trained well, if they are fatigued
or if they are at risk of suffering a certain injury. We're trying to use
evidence-based data and use Sport Science at a high level."
Having blogged two weeks ago about how Allardyce has been in the vanguard of
football's scientific revolution, it is the clearest indication yet of the
direction the club is now moving. While Rolls and Vandenbroucke collate
their data, the manager has been busy running the rule over his squad this
week in training before they jet off on Friday. He has declared himself
happy with what he has seen. "It has been lovely weather and the boys are
looking very enthusiastic. Everyone looks like they are glad to be back," he
said. "Last season was a miserable one, but we have to put that behind us
and start to work on the task ahead and that is getting straight back into
the Premier League." The trip to Switzerland, where they will play two
games, is one Allardyce is looking forward to. "I have always gone on
pre-season tours in the past and they are an invaluable way of getting to
know everyone and improving the team spirit," he said. "We have lots of new
faces among the players and the staff and this will be the perfect chance
for everyone to get to know each other."
West Ham start their pre-season campaign with a match against Young Boys of
Berne on Monday, with a 6pm kick-off, before playing FC Basel on Wednesday.
POSTED BY TRILBY AT 14:17
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