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Big Sam on Friday
WHUFC.com
The manager has given his pre-match press conference before the big kick-off
this Sunday
05.08.2011

Sam Allardyce faced the media on Friday to speak about his plans for the
start of the 2011/12 npower Championship season at home to Cardiff City. The
manager revealed that his squad are raring to go for the 1pm kick-off on
Sunday. He updated on the latest regarding England trio Robert Green, Scott
Parker and Carlton Cole, and explained just why he has faith in new recruits
like Matt Taylor and Kevin Nolan to deliver success. Trialists Jlloyd Samuel
and Mikael Forssell have both left the club.

What's the injury news?

Sam Allardyce: Only Julien Faubert at the moment which is a hamstring injury
he picked up against Real Zaragoza last week. A hamstring injury. The
medical staff said it was a grade 1 which is normally about ten days or two
weeks, so it is a bit early for him this week. Jack Collison trained this
morning which is good. Everyone else seems to be OK.

How difficult an opening match is it this weekend?

SA: I have come here to be successful to try and get the club back in the
Premier League that is why I have come here and hopefully we will have a
very exciting journey.There are some difficult teams and very good managers
in this division. Big money has been spent by a lot to try and get up so we
are going to have to be right on song, consistently over 46 matches. If I
have a concern, it is that this club hasn't had a winning mentality in the
last couple of years.
It is an hugely difficult weekend. I only know what the players are capable
of but I am not really comfortable yet with the psyche of the side and how
they play. I am working that out day by day, what the mentality is of the
player and what makes them tick. That is an ongoing process. It is a new
club for me and a new job and anyone who comes in is always in that
position. At least I have had since the first of July up to now to
understand the players, not just ability but them as a person. That will
help me to guide the team.

How do you feel about being favourites to get promoted?

SA: We are the favourites, the big boys in this league and I have told the
players that. 'Everyone wants your scalp, you are going to have to live up
to your reputation from day one because they are going to want to turn you
over. They are all going to play better, they are all going to play their
best and try their hardest when they play against us.'
A club like this shouldn't be anything other than the favourites. The only
way to test if we are going to be good enough is to start the season and
play the first five to ten matches. That will be a big indication of where
we will be or how good we will be. I personally think the players are good
enough but they have to cope with a different division played in a different
way. I was listening to Ian Holloway on the way in saying his lads enjoyed
the football they tried to play [last season in the Premier League] but now
it is down to scrap bite, bite, scrap, scrap and bite. If that is what it is
about [in the Championship], it will have to be about the talent of our team
overcoming that style of play.

Given the transfer window is still open, will you risk your England players
Robert Green, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole?

SA: They are West Ham players and they are contracted to West Ham. Their
commitment has to be to the West Ham shirt because that is where their
contract lies. Of course, like everybody at this stage of the season the
madhouse is in full flow. Speculation is all over the place on a constant
basis which is why this is one of the most difficult periods for a manager
in an entire season. All we can do is try and focus on what is the most
important thing and that is the Cardiff game on Sunday and for us to try and
go out and set a marker on how we want to be by trying to win the game.
I will absolutely field my strongest side and try and start how we mean to
go on. That would be great. I would imagine we will grow and get better as
the season goes on as we will get to know each other better. A lot of
players have left and fringe players from last year have a better
opportunity to have a major stake in the team this year.

What will you tell the players before the game?

SA: Be cool, calm and collected and control your emotions. If we can get
them to control their emotions in a controlled aggressive way, it gives you
a better opportunity to win the game. The first game of the season is just
about 'Wow, we are glad we are here' and often players will just go out and
go 'bang' and forget about everything. They go chasing around like headless
chickens sometimes and it is about calming down and controlling your
emotion. Put your ability and aggression into the right area. Play as a team
right from the very start and wait for the opportunity to score. If you get
it, try and make sure you take it.

The vibe appears to be that Scott, Robert and Carlton are less determined to
leave than before you arrived?

SA: I hope so. I think that it is always where you want to play, at the
highest level. I hope all the players are enjoying their training and
looking forward to a new season. Certainly I am and they have got less to
worry about than me! If I am looking forward to it they should be doubly
excited about the season starting on Sunday. There is not a lot to tell the
players here about their ability it is how they use it and how they focus as
a team to get results. There is a lot of Premier League experience but it is
a different style in the Championship and it is a longer season.

What can you tell us about John Carew?

SA: Yes there has been interest in John. We have had a chat with him. But he
has got a number of opportunities and offers on the table. We have given him
our terms and conditions and try and if we can go from there. Whether he can
negotiate that and whether he will accept that is another matter. I think he
is a quality player that has played at most levels in his lifetime and is
only just in his 30s. He is very mature and experienced. He is a clever and
good player. If he chooses us, we will be delighted.

Where are you going to sit?

Not quite sure yet. I will eventually always sit in the stand but whether I
consider that to be the best place on Sunday I haven't quite got my gut
feeling yet. Probably on Saturday I will sit and think about it and should I
go there right from the start or on the bench and get a feel for it. There
is a better feel on the bench but there is no tactical awareness that you
can see. We can all pretend we can as managers but realistically when you
sit above you see the whole plan of the game very comfortably and of course
your emotions don't run as high.

What do you make of only five substitutes for this season in the Football
League?

SA: It is sad for the game of football . Most of the managers are upset
about it. From my point of view, I voted for [seven subs] and was consulted
but it appeared to me when it was announced to us at a referee's meeting
there were 33 managers there and I was one of a handful that had actually
been asked. It had to only have been done for financial reasons but if you
look at the situation it will undervalue development players as you can't
put them on the bench anymore.

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Montano joins Notts County
WHUFC.com
Notts County manager Martin Allen has taken promising young forward Cristian
Montano on a month's loan
05.08.2011

Cristian Montano has become the third young Hammer to leave on loan after
signing for a month-long stay at Notts County. The League One club, managed
by former West Ham United favourite Martin Allen, swooped to take the
Colombian-born attacker on a temporary basis after his impressive summer's
work under Sam Allardyce.
Montano, who will not turn 20 until December, has yet to make his league bow
for West Ham, but has figured regularly in pre-season. His Magpies debut
could come at Carlisle United on Saturday. Notts County is a club well known
to Allardyce, with the manager having taken charge of the Meadow Lane team
between 1997 and 1999. Montano joins fellow loanees Olly Lee, who is on a
month's loan at Dagenham & Redbridge, and Jordan Spence, who is to spend the
whole season at Bristol City.

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Hendon hails young Hammers
WHUFC.com
Frank Nouble was among those on target in an excellent performance for the
development squad at Grays
05.08.2011

Development squad coach Ian Hendon has hailed the contribution of senior
players as a youthful West Ham United XI won 5-1 at Grays Athletic. Despite
going a goal down inside two minutes, the Hammers recovered through
first-team squad members Junior Stanislas and Frank Nouble, along with Eoin
Wearen to lead 3-1 within 15 minutes, with further goals from Stanislas and
substitute Kieran Sadlier completing a fine night's work for the club's
young players. "After the start, I'm happy with that," said Hendon. "The
boys bounced back, scored a couple of good goals during the first half and
got themselves in front. "It was another competitive game and a lot of the
lads got some minutes. Frank Nouble up top got some time on the pitch, Zavon
[Hines] got his first full 90 and Junior Stanislas looked sharp and scored
two. It was a good workout for them."

Hendon's team were watched by manager Sam Allardyce, who will have been
keeping a close eye on Abdoulaye Faye as he continued his comeback from a
hamstring injury.

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Dagenham & Redbridge sign Oliver Lee from West Ham
Page last updated at 17:09 GMT, Friday, 5 August 2011 18:09 UK
BBC.co.uk

Dagenham & Redbridge have re-signed West Ham midfielder Oliver Lee on a
month-long loan. The 20-year-old ended last season on loan with the Daggers,
making five appearances, as they were relegated to League Two. Lee could
play for the Daggers in their season opener away to Macclesfield Town on
Saturday. He is the son of former England, Newcastle, Hammers and Charlton
Athletic midfielder Rob.

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Notts County sign West Ham forward Cristian Montano
Page last updated at 17:17 GMT, Friday, 5 August 2011 18:17 UK
BBC.co.uk

Notts County have signed West Ham forward Cristian Montano on a one-month
loan deal. The 19-year-old Colombian, who can play on the left wing or as a
striker, signed his first professional contract with the Hammers in 2010.
Montano is available for the Magpies' opening League One clash of the season
with Carlisle United.
Notts boss Martin Allen told the club website: "It's no good talking about
what he can do because talk is cheap."

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Allardyce rules out Barton bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 6th August 2011
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has distanced himself from speculation linking West Ham with a
move for Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton. The United boss, speaking on the
eve of his first competitive game in charge of the team told the Telegraph
that despite maintaining an interest - as have the vast majority of top
flight managers since Newcastle annouced that the 28-year-old is a free
agent - any move would be unlikely to succeed due to the player's top flight
ambitions. "There are not many players around with that amount of talent
available for nothing," said Allardyce. "But I think it would be impossible
from a wages point of view. We are a Championship [club], not a Premier
League club."

But one possible reason for his apparent refusal to even test the water in
terms of a bid for Barton was hinted at when he added: "It didn't work for
him [at Newcastle] because of his unfortunate off-field activities. He put
those behind him, apart from a few silly Tweets. It's a bizarre situation."

Newcastle, managed at the time by Allardyce paid £5.8million to take Barton
from Manchester City in June 2007. An admirer of the current West Ham boss'
management ethos, the player could have reacquainted himself with Big Sam at
Blackburn two years later when Allardyce, at Ewood Park having been fired by
Newcastle, expressed an interest in signing him. Barton instead remained at
Newcastle, whom he is set to leave prior to the end of August- although to
who and where remains a topic for debate.

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Chim-chim Carew?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2011
By: Staff Writer No.2

Sam Allardyce has confirmed that the club has been in talks with John Carew.
The Norwegian striker is available on a free transfer after being released
by Aston Villa at the expiry of his contract. The 31-year-old joined Villa
in 2007, scoring the winner in a 1-0 win over the Irons on his debut.
However, last season saw his first team opportunities limited by injury and
loss of form, with Emile Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor both being rated
ahead of the striker. The arrival of Darren Bent for £18m pushed the player
further down the pecking order and he saw out the end of the season at
Stoke, netting twice in 13 league and cup appearances. Speaking earlier
today, Allardyce commented: "He has a number of offers on the table. We've
given him our terms and conditions and, if we can we'll go from there."

Birmingham City, who may be set to lose striker Cameron Jerome, are also
thought to be interested in signing the 6'5" forward who has made 88
appearances for the Norwegian national side, scoring 23 times in the
process. A striker is Allardyce's priority on the transfer front, with the
earlier announcement that there would be no place in the squad for Mikael
Forssell after the Finnish forward completed a trial spell at the Boleyn.

More on this as it develops....

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No deal for Forssell
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2011
By: Staff Writer

Triallist Mikael Forssell has left West Ham having failed to secure a
permanent contract. As revealed by KUMB.com, the Finnish international has
been training at Chadwell Heath for the past fortnight in an effort to land
a contract with Sam Allardyce's new squad. However his agent, Erkki Alaja
revealed today that the former Chelsea and Birmingham striker had been
unsuccessful. "Miklu [Forssell] stayed in London and got a good workout," he
told MTV3. "All went well, but the agreement is always another matter."

Despite failing to secure a deal with West Ham, the 30-year-old free agent
has retained his place in the next Finland squad - for whom he has made 76
appearances - and is pencilled in to face Latvia next week.

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West Ham United v Cardiff City - Match Preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th August 2011
By: Preview Percy

We turned up at Preview Percy's rest home in the hope that it was one of
those that had been sold off during the close season and the occupants moved
on without leaving a forwarding address. Unfortunately for you he's still
there and he's still as barking as ever. Still, at a cost of a packet of
Werther's Originals a week it's cheaper than paying someone to do a proper
preview. Just. This week the old so and so takes a look at our opening match
of the season against Cardiff City.....

And so our season back in Division Two as (I will insist on calling it until
my grave) commences with the visit of Cardiff City to the Boleyn Ground for
a Sunday kick-off at 1.15pm. This will mean an early departure from church
parade for some, and an even earlier departure from "chapel" (as I believe
they call it down there) for the visitors. The early start to the season
seems to have caught Transport For London unawares as they seem to have
forgotten to close the Eastern section of the District Line for the weekend,
thus accidentally conveniencing thousands of Hammers by making it slightly
easier to get to the ground by public transport. This will, of course, come
as no comfort to the visiting support the vast majority of whom will be
travelling by charabanc over the Severn Bridge as a condition of sale. I can
remember when we used to pity people who lived under regimes that imposed
internal travel restrictions on its citizenry.

Cardiff are, of course, one of those sporting administrative anomalies in
that, despite their being Welsh, they play in the English league system.
This led to them entering both the FA and Welsh Cups for many years,
famously being the only club outside England to win the FA Cup, beating
Arsenal in 1927. Their 1-0 win was thanks largely to an error by Arsenal
'keeper Lewis, whose Welsh nationality was, of course, a total coincidence.

They had a lot more success in the Welsh Cup over the years, something that
led them to regular European qualification in the 1960's and 70's. In 1965
they went out of the Cup-Winners Cup at the quarter final stage, losing out
to Real Zaragoza who, I believe, went out to the eventual winners in the
semi-final. European nights are but a distant memory these days, thanks
largely to the football politics that saw the FA of Wales withdraw Welsh Cup
invitations from clubs within the English pyramid system. Although that
"ban" was recently lifted, only Newport County accepted the invite to take
part.

There are a number of striking parallels between the two clubs. Both have
had (relatively)recent changes in ownership during periods of financial
difficulties. The Bluebirds were taken over by Malaysian interests in May
2010 following a predictably disastrous period with Peter Ridsdale at the
helm. During this period, amongst the stunts pulled by Ridsdale was the
infamous "Golden Ticket" promotion. The general thrust of the deal was "buy
your 2010/11 season ticket in January 2010 and we'll freeze prices for two
years and spend the money on players in the January 2010 window". In fact
Ridsdale was later forced to admit "did I say players? – sorry I meant to
say 'spend the money on keeping HM Revenue & Customs from putting us out of
business'". Although the specifics are obviously different, we couldn't help
but recall a certain "Bond Scheme" of a few years back.

There are other, more recent, similarities resulting from the fact that both
clubs failed last season to cement a place in the top flight for 2011/12
(albeit from different angles). We even had the same kit shirt sponsor until
this season. The Welshmen have made the playoffs in both of the past two
seasons, losing out 3-2 in the final to Blackpool in 2010, and last year
getting beaten 3-0 at home by Reading in the second leg of the semis, after
a 0-0 draw at the Wiggydome. Alleged Hammers target Shane Long picked up a
brace for the Biscuitmen in the second leg with ex-Hammer Jobi McAnuff
adding a late third.

Again like us, the failure to keep/attain top flight status resulted in the
manager receiving his P45, David Jones being given his marching orders
whilst being linked with the Boleyn hot seat. After talking to Alan Shearer
about the vacant post they finally plumped for another former Hammer, Malky
Mackay, whose name brings back memories of the last time we found ourselves
at this level. A new manager usually equals new players and so out have gone
ex-Hammer Craig Bellamy (back to parent club Man City for the time being),
Jay Bothroyd (to QPR), Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (to Ipswich via parent club
Arsenal), ex-Hammer Stephen Bywater (back to parent club Derby) and Seyi
Olofinjaya (back to parent club Hull).

In have come Kenny Miller from Bursaspor (though most will be more familiar
with the striker's exploits north of the border over the years with
Rangers), the splendidly-named Slovakian Filip Kiss (in on loan from Slovan
Bratislava), former Coventry defender/midfielder Aaron Gunnarson, and
ex-just-about-everyone striker Robbie Earnshaw, who has returned on a free
from Forest to the club he left about 7 years ago. Earnshaw is the only
player to have scored hat tricks in all four divisions, both main cups and
at international level, a stat that might have been a tiny bit more
impressive had he also managed the trick during a short loan spell in
Scotland with Greenock Morton as a kid. The much-travelled Welsh
international was born in Zambia and qualified to play for both his birth
country and Wales, something that wags at the time said made him a
"Taffrican".

In goal they're likely to go with Scot David Marshall, whose place as onion
bag custodian was taken for the latter part of last season by the
aforementioned Bywater. Bywater's last game for Cardiff before returning to
the Midlands to annoy his neighbours was in the playoff defeat to Reading, a
match in which the 'keeper was widely regarded as culpable for at least one
of the goals. Marshall, who started his career at Celtic, has a handful of
Scottish caps at full level but is name isn't usually first on the list when
the squads are announced.

In front of Marshall for much of pre-season has been defender Anthony
Gerrard who is, of course the cousin of gangsters' mate and vastly-overrated
diving cheat Steven Gerrard. Gerrard (A) has recently been cleared to play
for the Republic of Ireland's full side having gained a few caps at U18
level. Gerrard found himself well down David Jones' selection list last
season after the then manager left the player out of the playoff final.
Gerrard didn't exactly help his own cause by turning up for 2010/11
pre-season training overweight, though, as a scouser, I expect it was
somebody else's fault. Cardiff shipped the player out to Hull on a
season-long loan (Olufinjaya coming the other way as part of the deal) where
Gerrard promptly picked up the Hull player of the year award. Gerrard did
miss some of pre-season after picking up concussion in the 2-1 defeat at
Bournemouth but has since recovered.

The club skipper is Stephen McPhail. McPhail first made his name as a
youngster in the Leeds side that made it to the last four of the so-called
Champions League many moons ago before all the bills that Ridsdale (than man
again) saddled them with brought the club to its knees. McPhail ended up at
Cardiff in 2006/07 after a couple of years at Barnsley, suggesting that
early comments from George Graham that the player was the "new Liam Brady"
might have been just a tad optimistic.

McPhail was diagnosed with lymphoma during the 2009/10 season but happily
seems to have seen off that particular opponent; currently he is in
remission and returned to first team action in 2010 after a four month
lay-off. There were recently some ill-informed rumours bouncing about that
the player's health might have had a serious turn for the worse but his
"illness" turned out to be only the side-effects of some medication he was
taking for another medical condition. His lack of pre-season action may,
however,see him absent for this one as a result.

Like our own Dylan Tombides – to whom we all send our best wishes –
McPhail's recovery from the lymphoma highlights the importance of early
diagnosis in these matters and all of us here at the Avram Grant Home for
the Bewildered would urge anyone with any sort of worries in that direction
to get checked out as soon as possible.

Pre-season matches are notoriously unreliable as an indicator of the season
to come – look at ours last year. However, for what it's worth they've
beaten Charlton, drawn with Yeovil and lost to Celtic & Bournemouth over the
past few weeks. Like us, their preparation concluded with a "prestige"
friendly against foreign opposition. In their case they had the better of a
0-0 draw at home to Parma.

And what of us? I hear you say (or would do if my ear-trumpet was actually
working). Well it's all change again isn't it. Yet again I return from a few
days of bingo and tea dances down at Eastbourne to discover that there's a
new manager in tow. Now I'll be honest here. Mr Allardyce wouldn't exactly
have been my first choice as boss. It's a debate that has raged long and
hard in the forum pages of this website. There are those that say that
playing football in what people like to refer to as "The West Ham Way" has
got us where we are today. However, anyone thinks that we went down playing
football last season clearly wasn't watching (and boy there were times that
I wish I hadn't been!). What was clear from those performances was that
there was a lack of backbone – the number of leads thrown away tells its own
story in that regard. Clearly there was a need for more discipline (in the
footballing sense) and in that regard Mr Allardyce has a good track record
elsewhere over the years. However, the need to have a bit more grit,
tenacity and, let's face it, plain old fitness (how many late
equalisers/winners did we let in last year?) about the place doesn't (in my
opinion of course) necessarily have to be done at the expense of a decent
style of play.

Mr Allardyce has said the right things so far, suggesting as he has that he
will try to ally his ideas to a passing style of play (at home anyway). My
worry is that, if things don't start well for us, the temptation to revert
to the sort of thing that we saw from the likes of Blackburn might become
overwhelming. However, I'm willing to give the chap the benefit of the doubt
– not that he'll have been losing any sleep over the random thoughts of an
old buffer like me (nor should he!).

There have been some encouraging signs to be found in the personnel changes
so far this close season. The arrival of Kevin Nolan looks a decent move as
does that of Matt Taylor. I can't quite bring myself to be get worked up
about the arrival of Abdoullaye Faye though – though I suppose in some
respects he does represent a nod to tradition in that we seem to have signed
a player who has missed a lot of games in recent years through injury and
he's already missed a lot of pre-season matches for that very reason.

We're still looking for another striker – talks have been taking place with
free agent John Carew but there's no news on that one at time of writing. Of
the new boys Nolan, Taylor and O'Brien look certain to start. Whilst Faye
now seems to have shaken off his problem, he has missed most of the "proper"
first team friendlies, returning only for the 5-1 win by an "XI" over Grays
Athletic. If he's not 100% Winston Reid is likely to partner Tomkins in the
back four.

Since I last put quill to parchment we've said goodbyes to a number of
players. Kieron Dyer had all the luck of somebody who cancelled his regular
lotto numbers the week before they came up. Injury too took its toll on
Danny Gabbidon whose long absences put paid to his realising anywhere near
his potential. Matty Upson had a poor season last year and there doesn't
seem to have been a headlong rush to acquire his services. His international
days appear to be over – which means that the job of covering John Terry's
all too numerous shortcomings at that level is now back in Rio's lap. Dember
Ba? Well he had his moments but the fact that he couldn't get out of the
door quickly enough spoke volumes for a player whose knees may yet give
Newcastle cause to regret their signing.

Hitzlsperger is a big disappointment however. There were signs after Grant
went that "Der Hammer" might want to stay only for the German to leg it as
soon as the identity of the new manager became known. In fact so fast did he
move that he picked up a speeding fine from Suffolk magistrates on the way –
hanging onto his licence by the skin of his teeth on the grounds that he was
unemployed and needed the motor to look for work!

Of course there has been much focus on those who are expected to go but are
still about. Green, Parker and Cole are all still about and we should see
them for at least part of this match - though how many more times we'll be
able to say that is an as yet unanswered question.

Ok new season, new players, new boss – if ever there was a time for optimism
this was it. So I'm going to go for a 2-0 opening day win which will put us
joint top as soon as they print the league table though personally I used to
prefer it when they left it until 2 or 3 games had passed). If I'm still
talking about such lofty heights in 8 months time we'll be well on track.

Enjoy the game/mwynhawch y gem!

Last season: N/A (there'll be a few of these this season) Our last home
match ended up with a nervy 1-0 win courtesy of a late Carl Fletcher effort.

Player to watch: Peter Whittingham – Whilst new boys Earnshaw & Miller
(aren't they that comedy duo?) will be the focus of much attention,
Whittingham is one of those players that always seem to crop up with goals
when you watch the highlights programmes.

Referee: Howard Webb – One of the better things about relegation was going
to be avoiding some of the poorer select group officials. Unfortunately
since the Premiership doesn't start for another week it means this week we
get Mr Webb whose career was already showing signs of inconsistency well
before his disastrous World Cup.

Daft Welsh fact of the week: A few years ago a Welsh council emailed its
in-house translation unit for a Welsh translation of the phrase "No entry
for HGV vehicles". The response came back pretty quickly. Unfortunately,
nobody double checked it until after they'd used the phrase on a road sign,
which is why Welsh-speaking drivers were greeted with the message: "I'm
sorry I'm out of the office at the moment". Also it is a little known fact
that comedian/singer Max Boyce is Welsh. He doesn't like to mention it much
though.

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Montano makes County move
Last Updated: August 5, 2011 7:39pm
SSN

Notts County manager Martin Allen has swooped to sign West Ham United
striker Cristian Montano on a month's loan. The 19-year-old has impressed
for the Hammers' academy and reserve sides, earning a first professional
contract last year. The Columbian joins in time to take his place in Allen's
squad for their season opener against Carlisle.

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Big Sam expects commitment
Hammers boss confident England trio will be giving it their all
Last Updated: August 5, 2011 5:26pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is confident his prized assets will remain
committed to the club if they do not make a summer switch. England
internationals Robert Green, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole were all expected
to move following relegation last season, in order to remain in the Premier
League. However, the Hammers begin their Championship campaign at home to
Cardiff on Sunday and all three remain at the club. There is speculation
they could still move before the end of the transfer window but as long as
they are still at Upton Park, Allardyce expects them to give everything to
the club's cause. "They are West Ham players and they are contracted to West
Ham," he said. "Their commitment has to be to the West Ham shirt because
that is where their contract lies. "Of course, like everybody at this stage
of the season, the madhouse is in full flow. Speculation is all over the
place on a constant basis which is why this is one of the most difficult
periods for a manager in an entire season. "All we can do is try to focus on
what is the most important thing and that is the Cardiff game on Sunday, and
for us to try to go out and set a marker on how we want to be by trying to
win the game.

Strongest side

"I will absolutely field my strongest side and try to start how we mean to
go on. That would be great. "I would imagine we will grow and get better as
the season goes on as we will get to know each other better. "A lot of
players have left and fringe players from last year have a better
opportunity to have a major stake in the team this year."

Parker was the most likely departure having earned a recall to the England
squad last season while going on to be named the football writers' player of
the year.
Allardyce admitted earlier this week that Parker would not be part of his
plans. And asked if his England trio were now less determined to leave,
Allardyce added: "I think that it is always where you want to play, at the
highest level. "I hope all the players are enjoying their training and
looking forward to a new season. I certainly am, and they have got less to
worry about than me! "If I am looking forward to it they should be doubly
excited about the season starting on Sunday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arca options open up
Clubs eye Argentine free agent
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated:
August 5, 2011 3:31pm
SSN

A host of Championship clubs have joined the race to sign Julio Arca,
skysports.com understands. Middlesbrough had tried to persuade Arca to
extend his five-year stay on Teesside but they failed to come to agreement.
Now Arca is a free agent and is considering his options, and a number of
clubs have entered the frame to sign him. Premier League side Wigan, and
Argentine giants Boca Juniors have both shown an eagerness to sign Arca. But
skysports.com understands that Leeds, Birmingham, Southampton and West Ham
have all expressed an interest in the 30-year-old.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce confirms Carew talks
Hammers have held discussions with experienced frontman
By Chris Burton. Last Updated: August 5, 2011 3:41pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has confirmed that West Ham have held talks with experienced
striker John Carew. The Norwegian frontman is available as a free agent
after severing ties with Aston Villa. He was deemed surplus to requirements
by Gerard Houllier last season and spent the second half of the season with
Stoke. Various clubs have been linked with a move for his services over the
summer, with skysports.com revealing on Wednesday that West Ham were among
those chasing his signature.
Allardyce has revealed that discussions have been held with the 31-year-old
and that terms have been put to him.

Quality

He is now waiting to hear back from Carew and believes adding another proven
top flight performer to their ranks would only serve to aid the Hammers'
promotion push in 2011/12. Allardyce told Sky Sports News: "There has been
an interest in John. I have had a chat with him, but he has a number of
options on the table. "We've given him our terms and conditions and we will
try, if we can, to go from there. But whether we can negotiate that or
whether he will accept that is obviously another matter. "He is another
quality player who has played at most levels of football in his lifetime and
he's only just in his 30s, so he's a very mature, experienced and good
player. "If he chooses us we would be delighted."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee makes Daggers return
Last Updated: August 5, 2011 2:50pm
SSN

Dagenham boss John Still has moved to bring in West Ham midfielder Oliver
Lee on a month-long loan as cover for injuries. Lee spent two months on loan
at Victoria Road last season, making six appearances as the club eventually
failed in their attempts to avoid relegation from League One. The
20-year-old, son of former England midfielder Rob Lee, penned a professional
contract with West Ham in June 2009. Lee is available to make his Daggers
debut in Saturday's League Two opener at Macclesfield and will be a welcome
addition to the squad with Billy Bingham, Peter Gain, Kevin Maher and Damian
Scannellall injured.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A View From The Opposition - Cardiff City
Match Reporter 9:14 Fri Aug 5
Other articles by Match Reporter...
West Ham Online

First up we have Cardiff City, this weekend and Cathaze Blue, Malk's Mini
Men and The Bob Banker Spanker from Cardiff City Online gave us their
thoughts prior to Sundays game.

How do you think Cardiff will do this year?

CB - 8th / BBS - Well. Play-Offs I think. / MMM - Probably a year of
consolidation, the playoffs would be a bonus, but in this league you never
know.

How difficult was losing in the play offs?

CB - Expected it, even put a £200 bet on that very outcome. / BBS - Saw it
coming a mile off, felt 100x worse the year before. / MMM - Very difficult.
Just proved we had too many egos and individuals rather than a team.

How did you feel about Swansea winning promotion?

CB - Fairplay to them. / BBS - Couldn't give a feck. / MMM - Devastated!
Ruined my Saturday night viewing as well!!

Like us you have changed your manager, happy with Malky Mackay or was it
wrong to get rid of Dave Jones?

CB - Was the right time for Dave to go. Malky was my choice as I wanted a
young and hungry manager who wouldn't tolerate egos and had proven himself
with little cash. / BBS - Happy with Malky and Jones should've gone in
January after the 3-0 loss to Bristol. / MMM - Dave Jones was our most
'successful' manager in recent times, however after failing to get promotion
it was time to go. Very happy with Malky, a breath of fresh air.

How has pre-season gone?

CB - Average, but it hardly matters. / BBS - Results weren't too great but
we mixed it up alot. The stronger sides we've fielded have been brilliant to
watch. / MMM - OK. Pre-season is for fitness, not really interested in the
results.

Who are your danger men and any hidden gems in your team?

CB - Whittingham, one of the best creative midfielders in the division on
his day. Earnshaw and Millar can obviously do some damage. McNaughton is a
star who rarely gets a mention and Cowie who signed on a free from Watford
was a bit of an assist-specialist last year. / BBS - Whittingham. / MMM-
Whittingham, Conway will be a danger. Keep an eye on Joe Mason, striker from
Plymouth. Definately one for the future.

What do you think of only 1500 away fans being allowed to Upton Park and the
stupid restriction on travel?

CB - I think your Chairman/Chairmen are tossers / BBS - Meh. / MMM -
Disgraceful. Enough said.

What do you think of West Ham's side and any players you fear?

CB - Strong side, even though leicester are supposedly favourites you will
piss all over them. Nolan will tear up this division, as will Parker if he
doesn't leave. / BBS - Strongest side in the division and I think Parker and
Nolan will be your stars (If Parker stays). / MMM - On paper, WHU should
walk thisdivision. Maybe the best time to play you, before you get into full
flow. Nolan and Parker will be big threats.

How do you think West Ham will do this season?

CB - 1st / BBS - Top of the league. / MMM - Champions.

What's your view on West Ham being awarded the Olympic stadium?

CB - Couldn't care less / BBS - Should've been given to Leyton Orient.... /
MMM - Maybe sharing with Leyton Orient would have been a better option?

Score prediction

CB - 1-2 Cardiff / BBS - Though I think you'll win the league, I think
you'll get off to a slow start. 3-1 Cardiff. / MMM – 1-1

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why I'm Warming to Sam Allardyce
August 5th, 2011 - 11:23 pm by Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

If you haven't seen the feature on West Ham and Sam Allardyce in the Evening
Standard today, please do click HERE and have a read. As you all know, was
deeply sceptical of his appointment as West Ham manager, but I can't help
warming to him. Everything I hear coming out of the club relating to him is
positive. He seems to understand how to motivate players. They seem to
relate to him. I may change my mind after Sunday, but I feel quite
optimistic and positive about things at the moment. I'd still like us to
sign a goalscorer and a centre back, but to my mind he has done as well as
he could so far. Doesn't this make the hairs on the back of your neck stand
up?

Big Sam fills a room and he has a personality to match. If you really want
to know how much of an impression he has made at Upton Park, ask some of the
people who see him at work every day at the club's training ground.

Ask Jimmy, who has been helping out with the coaching as long as anyone can
remember. "Sam reminds me of John," he says. "He's a football person, he has
football values and he treats people the right way."

Allardyce has also spoken about his reasons for leaving Bolton. At least it
shows he is ambitious. And he's done a very long interview with Jeremy
Wilson in tomorrow's Telegraph. Fantastic stuff. I know, I know, I'm
weakening…

ANd finally, the club have posted a transcript of Allardyce's pre match
Friday press conference. Well worth a scaz. For me, this was the most
revealing answer…

Where are you going to sit?

I have never understood why managers always sit in the dugout. It's
impossble to get a full perspective of the game, so if he wants to sit in
the stand for the first half, we ought to welcome that.

Cristiano Montano has been sent out on loan to Notts County for a month. It
will do him good. Let's hope he scores a few for them. I think he's a real
prospect. Oliver Lee has also gone on a month loan to Dagenham & Redbridge.
It looks like we're signing John Carew, so that makes three big centre
forwards, all with a similar style of play. Does this mean bye bye Carlton
Cole? It's also rumoured that George McCartney might be on his way back. I
think the Anton Ferdinand rumours are false, but we'll see.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anton Ferdinand and/or George McCartney to Return?
August 6th, 2011 - 1:34 am by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

There were rumours circulating yesterday that we are on the verge of signing
another defender. The two names in the frame are Anton Ferdinand (possibly
on loan) and/or George McCartney. It is always a good idea to treat these
rumours with a certain degree of skepticism, but their acquisition does fit
in with Sam Allardyce's recruitment strategy this summer. Both players are
from the same club (Sunderland), have played at West Ham previously and
should hopefully settle very quickly as a result.

For me, Anton Ferdinand is a central defender who has ability, but it is
often undermined by poor positional sense and lapses of concentration. He
left West Ham for a sizable fee, but has never really settled in the
north-east. I also get the impression that Anton is very much a confidence
player. A bit like Bobby Zamora, he needs encouragement and a certain
degree of nurturing. His best season at the club was undoubtedly 2005-06,
when he formed such a good central defensive partnership with Danny
Gabbidon. Anton looked really confident that season and it showed in his
imperious play. If the master motivator, Sam Allardyce, can get him playing
to his potential, and help iron out some of the faults in his game, then he
could be a good signing.

George McCartney, you will remember, left in difficult circumstances. In
his case, he wanted to return to the North-East and his former club,
Sunderland. McCartney did a very good job at West Ham. He came in to the
side in 2006-07 and was an unsung hero in the 'Great Escape.' McCartney
then went on to have an outstanding 2007-08 season, as Alan Curbishley's
side achieved a ten half PL finish. However, his sale, at the start of
2008-09 season, was the catalyst that led to Alan Curbishley's resignation
and the arrival of Zola at the club. Like Ferdinand, his move to Sunderland
has not really worked out and, last season, he was loaned out to Leeds Utd.
McCartney is a good, solid left-back. I am not sure how much he has lost
over the last couple of seasons, but yet again, if he can get back to form
it could be a decent move.

Elsewhere, the John Carew speculation has been confirmed and the player is
allegedly in negotiations with the club. There was also an unconfirmed
report that a bid had been made for Bristol City's Nicky Maynard, which has
subsequently been rejected. We need a player that can play off a target man
and contribute 15-20 goals this season. We need that type of striker badly,
and a deal needs to be made. I much prefer Shane Long, but Maynard would
also be a viable option. There is a risk that Sam Allardyce's team will
tighten up at the back and achieve balance and cohesion, but will struggle
for goals up front. We need to negate that risk, ideally, by signing Gradel
and either Long or Maynard to further strengthen our strike force.

We probably will sign at least another two or three players on a permanent
basis, but also expect activity in the loan market, especially after the PL
clubs finalise their 25 player squads. There are bound to be a few good
players up for grabs, especially at clubs like Man City and Chelski. One
player that we should be very interested in is Craig Bellamy. I am not sure
if he is ear marked for a return to Cardiff City, but he is a player that
would give us extra quality and options up front. He also knows the club,
many of its players and would, once again, fit in to Allardyce's existing
recruitment strategy. He can allegedly be a bit of a volatile character,
but I am sure that the manager would get the best out of him.

It will also be interesting to see if we do any loan business with
Manchester Utd this summer. Sam Allardyce reputedly has a good relationship
with Sir Alex, so we will see if that secures a loan deal or two from that
source. Personally, I am not so keen to see us loaning inexperienced
youngsters. We have more than enough talented youngsters of our own. We
need to use the loan market to get more experienced players in that can make
an instant impact.

Sam Allardyce has made a really positive impact at the club. He has got rid
of a lot of the deadwood, given the youngsters the opportunities in
pre-season and made some very good signings. He is sorting the club out and
applying his proven managerial methods to pull it around. There appears to
be a new professionalism, ethos and togetherness at West Ham and that is a
product of having an experienced and inspirational manager, who knows what
he is doing. Gone is the stagnation, delusion and clueless drift that we
witnessed last season. The tragedy is that the club's owners made such poor
decisions with appointing and retaining Grant last season. This
transformation could and should have taken place in the PL.

Allardyce has stated in a media interview that he wants to make the Hammers
squad in to winners. And winning often becomes a state of mind. Think back
to the 1980-81 or 1985-86 seasons when winning was expected and become
almost an habit, home and away. Anyway, enough speculation, hoping and
wishing, the season starts this Sunday and we need to deliver over the term
of this vital campaign . As things currently stand we have the best squad
in the second tier. We will undoubtedly be the team to beat next season,
but we need to ensure that our commitment and extra quality gets results
and, ultimately, pays dividends come next May.

Talking of transformation of a different kind, well done and good luck to
AFC Wimbledon on their return to the football league. The way in which the
former Wimbledon FC were moved, franchise like, to Milton Keynes was a
disgrace. Wimbledon Supporters lost their football club, but they came
together to do something about it and recreated the club, starting all over
again in non-league. Nine seasons and 5 promotions later, they are back in
the fourth tier of English football. It is an inspirational story, and one
that defies the money driven greed and cynicism of the modern game, and
reasserts the rights of the football fans and the historical linkage between
football clubs and local communities.

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: My style is to treat people like human beings - it helps
foster relationships
Ken Dyer
5 Aug 2011
Evening Standard

Sam Allardyce does not usually lack self-confidence so it is something of a
surprise when, asked about his mood on the eve of the new season, the new
West Ham manager replies: "Apprehensive." Elaborating, he adds:"I'm a
pessimist by nature, you see. Not as much as I used to be but, being a
defender when I played, you were always worried about making a mistake.
"Now, as a manager here at West Ham, I really don't know my players quite
well enough yet so I'm a little cautious. I think we're good enough though -
yes, we're good enough."

Pre-season has gone well in East London though. Scott Parker is still at the
club and Allardyce has signed several quality players, most notably Kevin
Nolan and Matt Taylor. On Sunday though, against a Cardiff team who yet
again almost won promotion last season, Allardyce will discover if he is
worrying unnecessarily. Big Sam fills a room and he has a personality to
match. If you really want to know how much of an impression he has made at
Upton Park, ask some of the people who see him at work every day at the
club's training ground.

Ask Shirley, who has been helping to prepare the lunches for the players
ever since Trevor Brooking was in his prime. "The other day Sam walked into
the restaurant when the young players were queing for their food. He shook
their hands, one by one, and talked to them. It reminded me of John Lyall,"
she says. Ask Jimmy, who has been helping out with the coaching as long as
anyone can remember. "Sam reminds me of John," he says. "He's a football
person, he has football values and he treats people the right way."

Yes, there are some fans who will still need convincing that Sam's style is
the right one for West Ham but, if his team begin the season well and keep
winning, their numbers will dwindle. "I treat people like human beings, like
the way I would like to be treated," he says. "That's my style. I have no
desire to shy away from anything or not answer any of their questions. I
believe a good relationship with the players and staff prompts discussion,
communication. "As a manager you have the knowledge and experience to answer
those questions. As a player I asked questions that some of my managers
didn't like to be asked. In my younger years some of the questions were daft
but I would never have learned if I hadn't asked. That was my learning
process."

On the question of style though and the perception that Allardyce is a 'long
ball' manager, you sense his frustration. "The trouble is, I can't talk
rubbish like a lot of my fellow managers," he says. "I can't remember West
Ham playing like West Ham, can you? The perception might have been there but
not the reality. "People seem to have forgotten that, when I was at Bolton,
we played some great football because of the world class players we had
there. We had to play a different way against teams we knew were better than
us but in the end, there weren't too many. "Because we beat some of those
better teams, we were labelled a long-ball team but the critics weren't
watching us when we were out-passing the lower teams. The world-class
players we had, bought into it. They looked at our ideas and said: 'Yes,
he's right'.

"If we do that we can beat those top teams because we can do it better than
anyone else. If we put good balls into the Arsenal penalty area, they
struggled, if you pressurised their two central defenders and goalkeeper
aerially, they didn't like it, so why wouldn't you do that? When we did it
though and beat them, Arsene Wenger criticised us, said it was wrong - and
all you lot in the media believed him!"

Allardyce needed a new challenge and he has found one at West Ham. At the
last count, 16 players have left the club while the futures of a few more,
specifically Parker, Carlton Cole and Robert Green, remain uncertain.
"Pre-season before the window shuts is an absolute disaster frankly. It's
one long grind, in terms of what you have to try and achieve in a short
time," he says. "From the moment you wake up, to the time you go home after
a full day here at the training ground, it's always on your mind. You think
'I wonder what's going to happen tomorrow?'

"Some of my old managers would be absolutely distraught if, on July 1, they
didn't have all the players they needed for the start of the season. "A
total of 16 players have left this club. We need a minimum of 18 outfield
players, possibly 20 so we really need to add at least another two players.
"Then, suddenly, there's an offer for one of our players, we don't accept it
because it's not enough, the player's upset because he wants to go the club,
another offer comes in, we do accept it this time, we think the player's
gone but then it doesn't happen - we have all this trauma on a day-to-day
basis. "For me, when we changed the transfer system it was by far the
biggest mistake we've made. If they suggested going back to the old system
of signing players throughout the season, I would say yes in the blink of an
eye. "We haven't sold anyone yet for big numbers. That could still happen
but it's more difficult, the closer we get to the August 31 because we have
to then get someone in quickly. "Out of Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Rob
Green, Cole is probably the least likely to go because he's had the
opportunity and turned it down. People are aware now that neither David
Sullivan nor David Gold are soft touches. There is no fire sale here - yes,
they will allow Scott and Rob to go but at the right valuation.

"The more desperate clubs become though, the more likely it is we will lose
them. The window is narrowing all the time now. It's not long until it slams
shut for the Premier League clubs."

It wasn't that long ago that Sam was being mentioned among the favourites to
be the new England coach but now, he says, things are different. "At the
time I was fashionable, over-achieving, successful so I was considered," he
recalls. "I don't think the FA will appoint a British manager next time but
if they do and my name comes up again, they will probably say 'We don't know
if he has the right credentials.' My answer to that would be 'If I was
nearly good enough back then, I'm even better now, I've done more, seen
more, experienced more'."

On the eve of a new season, it is just possible that big Sam could find
himself fashionable once again.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham cannot afford to lose more than eight league
games this season
By ANDREW DILLON
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE reckons his new-look West Ham cannot afford to lose more than
EIGHT league games all season. Any more and instant promotion back to the
Premier League will be gone - along with his job. Allardyce has moved into
Upton Park determined to toughen up the feeble Hammers who lost a staggering
19 matches under Avram Grant last season to finish rock-bottom of the
Premier League. And they did not manage to win a match until the end of
September. Big Sam raised alarms at fitness levels of the players he
inherited when he took over on June 1. And now he is determined to forge a
ruthless streak in the dressing room to add mental toughness to physical
strength. He said: "If I have a concern, it is about growing a winning
mentality. "They've not had one at this club over the past couple of years
because they've lost more games than they've won. "If we are to be
successful and go back up then we can't afford to lose more than eight
matches out of 46. "If you lose 10 or 12 then you're unlikely to go up
automatically. Teams have got away with it in the past but it would take a
really low points total for it to happen."

The former Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn boss added: "I came here because
I want to experience something new, something I've not done for a long time
- I am fighting to win this league. "I hope the players have the same
determination and desire I do. "The first thing we have to focus on is
making Upton Park a place where people come and have fear when they walk out
of that tunnel. "If we can do that then the fans will take it on because
they get excited and create an atmosphere that intimidates teams when they
come here. "When that happens you get on a roll. But once you achieve that
then you have to have to make sure you're not a soft touch away from home.
"You can't just go away, lose, and talk about how well you played or how
unlucky you were. If you end up saying you were unlucky too many times,
you're not unlucky... you're just bad! "We have to have a more determined,
resilient structure away from home and that should then grow into better
performances and another fear factor into the opposition manager and team.
"Maybe that needs us to win three on the spin at the start of the season,
winning games we don't deserve to win. Winning breeds that confidence. "We
have to manage any complacency, as well. Players can't think it's easy
because they won the last game. "The team conceded 26 goals from set-pieces
last season. That's too many. The first thing is to avoid giving teams those
opportunities, so we have to be more disciplined and organised." "It's a big
pressure in terms of expectation of results but all I ever heard in the
Premier League was 'we can't afford to lose £40million' 10 or 20 times a
season or 'it's £800,000 per place'. It's become more about money than
entertainment and results. "I've told the players 'everybody wants your
scalp, everybody wants to turn you over'. "We have to be have controlled
aggression. On the first day of the season the temptation is to chase around
like headless chickens but you have to be calm and controlled, play as a
team from the start."

Allardyce signed a two-year deal on around £1m a year but admits he is
unlikely to see that out if he fails to get Hammers back up this season. He
said: "I only think one season, because there's no point in thinking any
further. In this league you don't get much more than one season. Recent
history tells you that. "The average life of a championship manager is one
year. Around 50 per cent of the managers in this league will lose their
jobs. "It's why you have to look at the first year first. Then if you're
successful you can think what you'd do in two to three years, or three to
five. But you can't until you get in that position. You can't think beyond
one season. That's not depressing. That's an actual fact. Some people want
to live in their perceptions. But I live in the real world."

Free-agent striker John Carew was at Upton Park for talks yesterday and is
mulling over a one-year deal. Allardyce said: "We've offered him our terms;
he's a quality pro with vast experience, so now it's up to him." If the
former Aston Villa hitman joins he will link-up with new signings Joey
O'Brien, Kevin Nolan and set-piece specialist Matt Taylor, who are all set
to make their Hammers debuts in tomorrow's opener against Cardiff. But
Allardyce refutes speculation he will fill the team with cloggers and play
route one football in his pursuit of hardening West Ham up. He said: "I
think my modern-day style will suit this club, my modern day outlook on
life.
"Now it's about the psychological more than the physical. If you don't have
your mind right, your ability will never shine through. But if your mind is
strong you will maximise that ability. "I know I don't speak in an East End
way but it won't take me long to pick up a few sayings and join in with the
rest. "I know it's a great football area. I've been spending time talking to
people about football here and what a big catchment area it is. "But we have
to drag the whole place up into the modern era, to move into the new stadium
and training ground. We have to be thinking about what type of model we want
to be."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chris Kamara: West Ham can go straight back up
CHRIS KAMARA - Columnist
Email the author
The Sun

IT'S the toughest league in the world - and anyone fancying a Championship
flutter should seriously consider getting Hammered. No, I'm not suggesting
welcoming in the new season with a barrowload of booze but a punt on Sam
Allardyce leading West Ham back to the top flight at the first attempt. Make
no mistake, the prize of reaching the Promised Land of English football
means the battle to get out of this division is harder than any other I
know. Yet even if Big Sam does lose a few big names before the window shuts,
the Hammers will still be the team to beat. Rob Green, Scott Parker and
Carlton Cole might not be around Upton Park for too long but Sam won't be
unduly worried about that. He has already made some crucial signings in
Kevin Nolan, Matty Taylor and Abdoulaye Faye. Those three aren't only good
Premier League players but they also have the character and desire you need
to play a level below. They will galvanise the rest of the squad and focus
everyone on the job in hand.

The signing of Nolan has amazed me after he chose to leave the captain's
armband behind at Newcastle to drop into the Championship. But Sam's got
that ability to convince players it isn't a step down but merely one across.
Long-suffering Hammers fans have been down here before and have always stuck
by their team, although one or two have been a bit sceptical about Sam's
involvement. But while West Ham have lost more games than they've won over
the last few years, this time you can guarantee it will be the other way
around.

Big Sam has made no secret of the fact he only wants to be a Championship
boss for one season - he's looking at being back with the big guns 12 months
from now.
He insists he is at a club where he'll have licence to run the playing side
as he sees fit, which is why he went back to London in the first place.
People have probably forgotten he's a former Millwall player and the clashes
with his old club will be tasty - hopefully for the right reasons. This year
the Championship boasts two ex-England managers in Sven Goran Eriksson and
Steve McClaren - what a great advert that is for the division. Leicester
boss Sven has spent more than anyone and will be expected to be up there but
his host of new faces may need a settling-in period. Steve did a great job
with FC Twente but never really got going at Wolfsburg and will be desperate
to repair his reputation at Nottingham Forest. As a former Derby assistant,
he's back in the part of the country where it all began. But if you fancy a
punt on someone at bigger odds, Ipswich are the (Tractor) Boys for you.
Their boss Paul Jewell took Bradford and Wigan up, and he's raring to go
again. Losing Connor Wickham to Sunderland was a blow but he's brought in
Michael Chopra (left), who guarantees goals. Fellow new-boy Lee Bowyer still
has his box-to-box stamina, while landing Fulham's David Stockdale is a
great loan signing with so many looking for top-class keepers.

So there you have it - West Ham, Leicester and Ipswich are my tips to go up.
Although there aren't too many clubs who will not believe they have what it
takes.
Brendan Rodgers and Neil Warnock join me as Goals On Sunday returns
tomorrow, Sky Sports 1, 10.30am-12pm.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Half the managers in the Championship will get the sack... and I could be
one of them - Allardyce
Published 22:29 05/08/11 By Martin Lipton
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce admits he cannot make any long-term plans at West Ham -
because he is as vulnerable as the next man. The new Upton Park chief knows
he has to take the Hammers back into the top flight after last term's
relegation under Avram Grant and that Sunday's opening game at home to
Cardiff could set the club's mood for the entire campaign. And while the
West Ham board have stated that Allardyce is the man to alter the mindset of
the East End outfit, the veteran tactician conceded there is no point of him
planning out a five-year strategy for success. Allardyce said: "I can only
think one season, no further - because there's no point in thinking any
further. "Why? Because in this league you don't get much more than one
season. Recent history tells you that. "Like every other season, the average
life of a championship manager is one year - around 50 per cent of the
managers in this league will lose their jobs. "It's why you have to look at
the first year first. Then, if you're successful, you can think what you'd
do in two to three years, or three to five. But you can't [do that] until
you get in that position. You can't think beyond one season."

It seemed a gloomy situation, but Allardyce, now 56 and in his sixth
managerial job, insisted: "That's not depressing. That's an actual fact.
Some people want to live in their perceptions. I live in the real world. "I
came here because I want to experience something new, something I've not
done for a long time. "I am fighting to win this league. I hope the rest of
the players have the same determination and desire I have."

That is undoubted.

This time last year, Allardyce was at Blackburn before the arrival of the
chicken men from India saw the Ewood Park coop turned upside down and the
former Bolton and Newcastle boss turfed out into the cold. Twelve months
later, Big Sam finds himself in East London, having to pick up the pieces at
a club left tattered and torn by relegation, and having spent Thursday in
transfer negotiations with free agent striker John Carew. West Ham is not an
obvious home from home for the much-travelled manager yet Allardyce - who
said he would "ban" Twitter if it was possible, maintains he feels happy in
his alien environment. "I know I don't speak in an East End way, but it
won't take me long to pick up a few sayings and join in with the rest," he
smiled. "Yes, I'm a West Midlander, from Dudley - but I've always fancied
myself, and I think my modern-day style will suit this club. "This is a
great football area, but we have to drag the whole place up and what we have
got to focus on is making Upton Park a place where people come and have fear
when they walk out of that tunnel. "That's the first thing we've got to do.
If we can do that, the fans will take it on because they get excited and
create an atmosphere that feeds it as well and intimidates teams when they
come here. "When that happens, you get on a roll. But once you achieve that
then you have to make sure you're not a soft touch away from home. "You
can't just go away, lose, and talk about how well you played or how unlucky
you were. If you end up saying you were unlucky too many times, you're not
unlucky - you're just bad! "We have to have a more determined, resilient
structure away from home and that should then grow into better performances
and another fear factor [to put] into the opposition manager and team.
"Maybe that needs us to win three on the spin at the start of the season -
winning games we don't deserve to win. Winning breeds that confidence. "We
can't afford to lose more than eight games if we want to go up directly."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MATCH PREVIEW: WEST HAM V CARDIFF
Saturday August 6,2011
By Daily Express Reporter

KEVIN NOLAN will captain West Ham on his competitive debut for the club, who
are also set to include summer additions Matt Taylor and Joey O'Brien on
their Championship return. A fourth newcomer, defender Abdoulaye Faye, has a
hamstring problem. Goalkeeper Robert Green, midfielder Scott Parker and
striker Carlton Cole are all expected to start despite being linked with
transfers. Gary O'Neil and Jordan Brown (both ankle) are absent. Cardiff are
set to unveil a new-look side under Malky Mackay, with a handful of
close-season signings awaiting the call. Kenny Miller, Aron Gunnarsson,
Craig Conway and Andrew Taylor are in the frame, while Robert Earnshaw is
back at the club for a second spell. Stephen McPhail and Paul Quinn are
missing with a virus.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: I run clubs my way because it works. I'll turn the Hammers
into winners
By MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 11:14 PM on 5th August 2011
Daily Mail

When Sam Allardyce last lived in the south of England he bought a house in
Sevenoaks. Back in the early Eighties it cost him £59,000 - all he could
afford as a professional at Millwall. Now he could stretch to something
rather more palatial. The pay-offs alone could probably buy him a
multi-million-pound home in one of London's more upmarket areas. But after
his most recent experiences in football management, at Blackburn and at
Newcastle prior to that, he has chosen to rent for a while. It still sounds
like quite a pad. A state-of-the-art apartment 40-odd floors up in Canary
Wharf, complete with a concierge service, a residents-only bar on the roof
of the building and a fitness centre. Mrs Allardyce appears to like it too
and her husband declares it extremely handy for the daily commute to work as
well as the pleasant Italian restaurant he has strolled to in the evening
sunshine for this interview. 'Once all the bankers have gone home it's
actually nice and quiet around here,' he says. When it comes to putting down
some permanent roots in London, you can hardly blame him for being a little
cautious. He has only just embarked on a new adventure as the manager of
West Ham and his last two jobs 'went horribly wrong', a change of ownership
leading on both occasions to his sudden, unexpected and, most would agree,
thoroughly undeserved dismissal.

For all the recent upheaval in his life, Allardyce looks well. He is
sporting a golden tan which he says is the product of 'six months off
courtesy of Blackburn' and his mood is one of optimism as he discusses the
challenge he faces at the 'Boleyn Ground'. 'Not Upton Park as I always
thought it was,' he says with a smile. He even displays a surprising degree
of insouciance towards that often hilarious but bogus Twitter page,
TheBig_Sam. He did take steps to have not BigSam added to its title, leaving
followers in no doubt that it really is the work of an impersonator;
something that was perfectly understandable given some of the material. Only
this week the imposter declared that among the drawbacks of living in London
were 'snooty Beefeaters' and the proximity he now enjoys to 'John
Barrowman'. Secretly, however, Allardyce is starting to laugh along with the
rest of us, recognising that it probably does add to his appeal and gives
him an almost cult-like status. 'It's a bit like an impressionist doing an
impression of you,' he says.

He takes a dimmer view of certain people he has worked with these past few
years. His decision to give this interview is not motivated by a desire to
settle old scores but the real Big Sam has never been one for ducking a
question and he responds with searing honesty, particularly when it comes to
the man who succeeded him at Ewood Park.

Fiercely loyal to his staff, Allardyce has always shared his success with
them. He was delighted to see Mike Forde move on from their time together at
Bolton to become performance director at Chelsea. He encouraged Bolton to
give Sammy Lee a go as manager when he left for Newcastle. He considered
Steve Kean to be another such colleague. Until, that is, he discovered that
the 'football advisers' to the new Blackburn owners also happened to have a
direct link to Kean's representatives and Kean ended up with the job.
Allardyce says he has not heard from Kean since he called the Scot to say
that he and his assistant, Neil McDonald, had been sacked. 'Since then we
have never spoken,' says Allardyce. 'But I would say the thing is firmly in
Steve Kean's court.' Does he believe Kean already knew the job was his when
he called him that day? 'He'd have to have done wouldn't he really,' he
says. 'Only he knows when he wakes up and looks in the mirror. But other
influences must have told them to sack me because I never met them (he means
the new owners, Venky's). 'They were sacking Neil at the same time as me and
I was saying, "Why? Why are you sacking him? Neil needs to take over. He's
been a manager. If you don't like Sam Allardyce's face, fair enough. But
here's the man". I have to be careful what I say. Confidentiality issues.
But you all know the answers to that. I can't repeat it. It was sad.' He was
enjoying life at Blackburn. He pays tribute to Kenny Dalglish and the late
Jack Walker for what they created but says he, too, made a significant
impact at the club. 'They were desperate to sell Blackburn for many, many
years and my satisfaction comes from the fact that I created so much
interest in the club again,' he says. 'I know it sounds like I'm blowing my
own trumpet but I might as well. Mourinho does it all the time and everyone
loves him.

'I created such a vibrant football club that there were four or five who
wanted to buy it, having never shown any interest before. I was producing
profit with results.' He has had some rotten luck with takeovers. First at
Newcastle and then at Blackburn. 'You always expect change in every business
that is bought for millions of pounds,' he says. 'You become an unfortunate
bystander; the product of new owners who didn't quite stick to what they
said they were going to do. For that reason it doesn't depress me. There are
times in life when you take the chance to go and do better, like I did at
Newcastle, and through no fault of my own it went horribly wrong. 'I'm
actually all right with Mike (Ashley). There was no problem. At least he
said in the end what he should have said in the beginning. "I wasn't the one
who picked you so I didn't really want you". Anyway he settled the contract
and I left, bitterly disappointed. 'But the proof of the pudding is what
happens to a football club when you leave. What happened to Limerick when I
left? They went down. What happened to Blackpool when I left? They went
down. What happened to Notts County? They went down. What happened to
Bolton? They nearly got relegated. What happened to Newcastle? They got
relegated. What happened to Blackburn? They nearly got relegated.'

West Ham were relegated before he arrived and it is his job to do for them
what he did for Bolton; not just guide them back into the Premier League
but keep them there. So how will he revive the club? 'I'm me,' he says. 'And
I run a football club based on my structure, my model. My model has been
developed over many years and I know that model works if everyone supports
it. I have to get everyone believing in the expertise I own in that
particular area.

'People will always question you in this job but I have the answers to make
them understand what I am doing. The most important thing is to make West
Ham believe they are winners. The team on the field in particular. They are
paid to win, in this case over a marathon season of 46 games. They are not
paid to play football and see how it goes. 'They need to be adaptable.
Successful teams are able to change within a game and from game to game. We
will give the players the opportunity to win and over the last 10 or 11
years it has worked. I have a huge amount of confidence in the methods I
have developed.

'I'm going to try and get them back in one year. We will try our best. At
this stage, a few days before the start of the season, you are always very
apprehensive about what you've got. But all the indicators so far are
looking OK.' Allardyce is an old-school manager with a modern twist; someone
who has long embraced sports science and all it has to offer in the search
for that something extra. While he was delighted with the 'highly qualified
staff' he encountered when he arrived at Upton Park, he has brought McDonald
with him and there is another new addition to the team. Lee Richardson, once
a player and then a manager at Chesterfield, is the club's new sports
psychologist. 'I'm very interested in Lee because he's been a player, a
coach and a manager who now has an honours degree in sports psychology,'
says Allardyce. 'So it's the first time I've found a sports psychologist who
actually has a proper football background - who has been there and done it
all. 'If he's any good he should be one of the best. I've always felt
football in this country doesn't focus enough on the psychological side of
the game, when the only reason you play at the highest level is because of
what's between your ears.'

His excitement is almost tangible. He knows his West Ham history but wants
to 'create a new, modern-day history'. He also appears to be bonding with
two 'British owners' who are also 'fans', the Davids - Sullivan and Gold. He
wants to see a new training ground built; something he considers every bit
as important as the planned move to the Olympic Stadium. He credits Sullivan
with helping him recruit Kevin Nolan, the new West Ham captain and a player
who represents quite a coup for a Championship club and signed in
anticipation of Scott Parker's probable departure. 'It can sometimes be
agony trying to sign a player but David Sullivan moved like the wind to get
the deal done,' says Allardyce.

But how did he persuade Nolan to even consider dropping down a division? 'I
think it's past history,' he says. 'Kevin was bitterly disappointed that I
didn't take him to Newcastle. It was virtually impossible at the time
because of the animosity between me and Phil Gartside (Bolton chairman). If
I'd tried to buy him the price would have been £12million, simply because it
was me. 'I thought I only had an outside chance of getting him here but I
was aware there was a bit of discontent because of what appeared, from a
distance, to be Newcastle's lack of appreciation towards him. But I think
our past relationship counted for a lot. I was the manager, at Bolton who
really started him off, brought him through. So there's some mutual respect
there, built over those years. 'At the same time I think Kevin liked the
idea of a new challenge. It's a different challenge. It's not about trying
to survive in the Premier League, just for the money. It's about winning. It
will be exciting to try and win something this season.' Do that and
Allardyce might just buy a new house.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce admits that he left Bolton Wanderers due to the club's 'lack
of ambition'
Sam Allardyce has revealed for the first time the reasons behind his shock
departure from Bolton Wanderers in 2007.
By Jeremy Wilson10:00PM BST 05 Aug 2011Comment
Telegraph.co.uk

Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has previously alluded to Allardyce's desire
to spend more time with his family but the new West Ham United manager wants
to set the record straight. "Bolton, at the end, had an opportunity to
finish in the Champions League but didn't want to take it, so what's the
point in staying?" Allardyce said. "As much as I loved the club, it was
impossible for me to stay. "We had 39 points after 21 games. We were ahead
of Arsenal, ahead of Liverpool. We needed to spend some money to give us an
opportunity to finish in the Champions League and I was turned down flat and
told that we don't want to finish in the Champions League."
Asked what he needed, Allardyce said: "About two players. I said to the
chairman, 'If we just put more into our squad now we will get in the
Champions League. We'll finish fourth or third. "All we have to do is have a
mediocre 17 games and we are going to finish in the Champions League. These
players are too fatigued to carry on because we have got a smaller squad
than Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea.' "Their reaction
was: 'Well, we're safe, we're happy with that'.
"That was it. I went home and said to [my wife] Lynne, 'That's me finished'.
She didn't believe me, nobody believed but, believe you me, when Sam makes
his mind up, there is no turning back. I tried to stay loyal. I had to keep
it quiet at that particular time because of my love for the club."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: a big man with big ideas about how to get West Ham back up
into the Premier League
Sky Sports News is churning away in the background as Sam Allardyce enters
the players' lounge at West Ham United.
By Jeremy Wilson10:00PM BST 05 Aug 20111 Comment
Telegraph.co.uk

His considerable presence immediately fills the room but, as he cheerfully
acknowledges a few supporters and wanders past pictures of Bobby Moore,
Geoff Hurst and Paolo di Canio, he is distracted by the television debate
into whether England are the best cricket nation on earth. "Ahh, the
cricket," says Allardyce, pausing for only the briefest of introductions.
"Brilliant wasn't it? And shows what can be achieved if you get the
structure right."

He then delivers an unprompted critique of the wider failings of British
sport and specifically what can be done to improve the fortunes of the
England football team. It is fascinating. The central thesis is that we do
not value coaching highly enough to make it professional for the many
volunteers who teach lower age groups around the country. And, for that
reason, young footballers in this country simply do not receive enough
quality time with a football at their feet. Allardyce is also blunt about
some of the practices at the top level, especially the reluctance to embrace
new technology and ideas.

"What I don't like about football is its ignorance," he says. "It is very
loath to want to change. One of the good things Richard Scudamore came up
with is the 39th game. I hear rugby is playing the Challenge Cup in another
country, American footballers keep coming to Wembley and we are still sat
there on our big fat perches thinking, 'we don't have to do any of that
because we are the best'. We will have a big shock if we don't catch up.
"The Premier League is the richest brand in the world and we are still not
doing live data; still not putting a chip in the ball, in the lad's shirt,
in the referee and linesman's shirt and not measuring what they are doing.
Australian rules have had it for years."

Allardyce, who refers to himself as "a teacher", then explains in great
detail how different people learn in different ways, whether through
listening, watching, participating or reading. His own experience at school,
where his dyslexia was not recognised, clearly shapes his philosophy. "I
think most of our education system focuses on what people are not good at,"
he says, "but if you focus on what you are good at, that's what gives you a
particular area to make a living in this country. If you become the best
footballer at two or three specific things, you are going to be a good
footballer all your life."

Allardyce's methodology came to fruition at Bolton Wanderers where, over an
extraordinary eight-year period, he took the club from what is now the
Championship to regulars in the upper echelons of the Premier League.
Consecutive finishes of eighth, sixth, eighth and seventh put into
perspective the relative success last season of Owen Coyle, who guided
Bolton to 14th. As Allardyce explains his philosophy, it quickly becomes
obvious that the narrow caricature of 'Big Sam', the clogging old-school
centre-back who promotes long-ball football and the physical intimidation of
opponents, is nonsensical. "It comes by the media putting my photo in the
paper with me shouting," he says. "It gives a skin-deep image of what I am.
My real ingredient for success was to marry the academic to the practical.
We wanted to break new ground in football. We would do it and not tell
anyone because they would think they we were all off our heads, arrogant or
completely insane. "I put together heads of staff with the same desire and
ambition in their fields that I had. I was the educator of football,
coaching and tactics. The head of medicine was the head of his field. The
head of sports science and fitness was the head of his field. The doctor was
the head of some alternative medicines if possible and, of course, you had
the sports psychologist, which was key on every level. All those created
what we called the cog. "By the end at Bolton, people were listening and
saying, 'how does he do it?' It was very nice to sit back and manage a club
with less worries, less anxieties than before. The last four years it was a
well-oiled machine."

The marriage between Bolton and Allardyce seemed rock solid. Upon agreeing a
10-year contract, he even talked about retiring when it expired. Yet having
guided the club to third, behind only Manchester United and Chelsea, at the
beginning of 2007, he lost faith in the board's ambition. Rather more
short-term adventures were to follow. He is understandably defensive about
his record with both Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers following
sackings after seven months and two years respectively. "I'm only remembered
at Newcastle for one fan jumping up in one game that the TV keeps showing,"
he says. "But in the first 10 games I was the best thing since sliced bread.
"At Blackburn, the challenge was doing a troubleshooting job. Walk into a
football club, in the middle of December, in the hardest period of the
season, drag them out of the bottom and get them to survive. Then take them
beyond what they expected."

Blackburn finished 10th in Allardyce's one full season at the club. "We won
the Premier League that year," he says. "I know that sounds strange. Chelsea
won the league that year but we did far better. We sold £33 million worth of
players and spent £14 million and still finished 10th." And now to West Ham,
the latest stop in a 20-year managerial career. He says that the club had
been "bleeding" following relegation but, in the form of new captain Kevin
Nolan, Matthew Taylor, Joey O'Brien and Abdoulaye Faye, he has attracted
four considerable sticking plasters. There has also been the inevitable link
this week to Joey Barton, a player he signed for Newcastle in 2007. "It
didn't work for me and it didn't work for him because of his unfortunate
off-field activities," he says. "He did put those behind him apart from
obviously a few silly tweets. It's a bizarre situation. There are not many
players around with that amount of talent available for nothing. But I think
it would be impossible from a wages point of view. We are a Championship and
not a Premier League club."

You would hardly know that, however, if you looked at the team sheet to face
Cardiff City on Sunday. As well as Taylor and Nolan, the midfield is likely
to include Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Freddie Sears. They still have
Carlton Cole in attack and Robert Green in goal. Allardyce, though, knows
that he has players who yearn for a move to the top flight. And, as he
surveys the situation at clubs like Arsenal and Tottenham, who are facing
disruptive interest in their best players at this most sensitive stage of
the season, he is scathing about the transfer window. "Before a club will
contact us with an offer, the player will already know," he says. "It is the
worst transfer system ever. We are dicing with people's careers, people's
livelihoods. "The panic causes mayhem between the day you come back for
training and Aug 31 arrives."

He is equally forthright on the challenge that awaits. "It excites me that
the emphasis is on trying to win promotion rather than the lack of ambition
in the Premier League of, 'lets just survive'," he says. "I can't bear that,
it drives me mad. My life has been about winning, not surviving. If you live
in the real world, and stop getting carried away with the perception, my
life expectancy at West Ham United is 1.2 years. If I get past that I'm well
above the average. "Every year more than 50 per cent of the managers at the
92 clubs get sacked. Football lives in the world of perception rather than
reality. Only those of us who are realists survive."
With that, he gets up, begins attending to the two mobiles that have been
regularly flashing - but ignored - during our hour together and is gone.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fury over tickets for West Ham United vs Cardiff City match
Whtime.co.uk
By Paul Christian, Reporter
Friday, August 5, 2011
4:41 PM

HUNDREDS of weary and disgruntled fans of Cardiff City are being forced to
trek to Times Territory to collect matchday tickets. Championship side The
Bluebirds have a fearsome reputation for football hooliganism, and as a
result of their history of Football Factory-style violence, next weekend's
season opener with West Ham United has been declared a 'bubble match' – one
that away fans can only attend by travelling on official coaches. That means
Cardiff followers will have to head to South Mimms Service Station to
collect tickets for the game from Metropolitan Police officers – a move that
has gained a furious response from Bluebirds supporters.
Fans said the club has been allocated just 1,000 tickets for the August 7
game, being held at West Ham. And, under the security measures, they would
have to meet at Cardiff City's ground at around 5am before heading to South
Mimms, where their coaches would be searched and tickets allocated, so they
could make the 1pm kick-off at Upton Park, famous for terrace song I'm
Forever Blowing Bubbles. Even London-based Cardiff supporters would have to
first travel to South Mimms. One fan wrote on an online Cardiff City fans'
forum: "Maybe we should boycott the away end an everyone try an get tickets
in the home end an make sure they know that cardiff are trying to buy
tickets for the home end instead!!... that will give them a real headache!!
ha [sic]."

Focusing on the alleged phone hacking and police bribery scandal engulfing
the force, a Metropolitan Police spokesman told the Potters Bar Edition:
"We're dealing with a big news story at the moment and we can't divert any
time to other smaller stories." He added: "The last time we had similar
trouble between West Ham and Cardiff was in 2007 and we didn't discuss it
until a week before the match."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce not building plans around Parker
442 Staff - Yesterday, 16:29

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce says he has planned for the coming
season with the expectation that midfielder Scott Parker will leave the club
for a Premier League side. Despite the Hammers finishing bottom of the
Premier League last term, the England international was named Football
Writers' Player of the Year for the campaign, and several sides are said to
be keen on signing the 30-year-old from the relegated East London side.
Aston Villa, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and former club Chelsea have all
been linked with the Irons' skipper in recent weeks, but no club has yet
tabled a bid deemed acceptable by West Ham. However, the newly-appointed
Hammers boss has revealed he is reluctant to build his plans around the
former Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United star in the fear he will leave
the club before the transfer window closes at the end of the month. "At the
end of the day, Scott's position is delicate because at any one time,
someone will hit the numbers that we would value him at," Allardyce said, as
reported by The Sun. "If that's the case and it's the Premier League - a
place where he wants to be - he will be gone. It would be wrong of me to
plan with Scott." West Ham start their Championship campaign with a home
game against Cardiff City on Sunday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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Saturday, August 6

Daily WHUFC News - 6th August 2011

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