WHUFC.com
All the early team news and essential background information ahead of the
visit of Pompey
09.09.2011
WEST HAM UNITED v PORTSMOUTH
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 10 SEPTEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United go into their fourth home fixture of the season - third in
the npower Championship - still seeking their first victory at the Boleyn
Ground. The Hammers have lost to Cardiff City (1-0) and drawn with Leeds
United (2-2) before being knocked out of the Carling Cup at the first-round
stage for the first time by League Two side Aldershot Town on 24 August.
• Ahead of the Kids for a Quid fixture, West Ham United go into the weekend
fifth, with ten points from five matches, while Portsmouth are 12th, with
six points from five matches.
• Since that defeat by The Shots, the Hammers have been busy in the transfer
market, bringing in striker Sam Baldock from MK Dons, Senegal midfielder
Papa Bouba Diop on a free transfer, Ivory Coast right-back Guy Demel from
Hamburger SV as well as Paraguay U20 striker Brian Montenegro, England U21
captain Henri Lansbury and England midfielder David Bentley on season-long
loan deals from Deportivo Maldonado, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur
respectively.
• Portsmouth have also been busy, bringing in 6'5 Hungarian striker Marko
Futacs following the player's release by Werder Bremen. Futacs became
Pompey's ninth summer signing following the arrivals of goalkeeper Stephen
Henderson from Bristol City, defenders Jason Pearce from Bournemouth and
Greg Halford from Wolverhampton Wanderers, midfielders David Norris from
Ipswich Town and Jed Wallace from Lewes and strikers Erik Huseklepp from AS
Bari, Luke Varney from Derby County and Benjani from Manchester City.
• Steve Cotterill's side have made an inconsistent start to the 2011/12
season, defeating Reading (1-0), drawing at Middlesbrough (2-2) and Bristol
City (0-0) and losing 1-0 at home to south coast rivals Brighton & Hove
Albion. However, they are unbeaten in their previous three npower
Championship fixtures.
• Portsmouth also suffered a first-round exit in the Carling Cup at the
hands of League Two opposition, losing 1-0 at home to Barnet on 9 August.
• West Ham United and Portsmouth met at the Boleyn Ground 84 years ago on 10
September 1927, with the Hammers running out 4-2 Division One winners. James
Loughin scored twice for West Ham, with Stan Earle and Jimmy Ruffell also on
target.
• Portsmouth have won on three of their previous five visits to the Boleyn
Ground. Prior to that, West Ham were unbeaten in nine home matches against
Pompey.
• West Ham United's biggest home win over Portsmouth occurred when the
newly-promoted Hammers recorded a 6-0 Division One victory on 20 December
1958. Vic Keeble scored twice and John Smith, Phil Woosnam, John Dick and
Malcolm Musgrove once each in front of 31,500 supporters.
• Portsmouth's biggest victory at the Boleyn Ground took place on 18 March
2006, when Pompey ran out 4-2 Premier League winners. Lomano LuaLua, Sean
Davis and Pedro Mendes put Portsmouth 3-0 up before Teddy Sheringham pulled
a goal back. Svetoslav Todorov added a fourth before Yossi Benayoun scored a
last-minute consolation.
• There are several connections between the clubs with Tal Ben Haim, Hayden
Mullins, Papa Bouba Diop, Gary O'Neil, Frederic Piquionne and Matt Taylor
all having played for both clubs. Hammers development coach Ian Hendon also
appeared for Pompey during his playing days.
• John Carew celebrated his 32nd birthday on Monday, and then won his 90th
cap off the bench for Norway on Tuesday as they lost 2-0 away to Denmark in
a UEFA EURO qualifier. His compatriot Erik Huseklepp, the Portsmouth
striker, started the game up front.
• Jack Collison won his eleventh cap for Wales with 85 minutes in their 1-0
defeat by England at Wembley - his first competitive appearance for the
principality.
• On-loan midfielder Henri Lansbury also had an international week to
remember, with three goals in two Under-21 dates with England as well as
wearing the captain's armband for the second half of Monday's 3-1 win
against Israel in Barnsley.
Team news
West Ham United
• Sam Allardyce should have Robert Green available after a finger problem
caused him to withdraw from international duty with England.
• He will have to decide which of his new recruits - namely Sam Baldock,
David Bentley, Guy Demel, Henri Lansbury and Brian Montenegro - to include.
Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines both departed for Burnley in the closing
week of the transfer window. Papa Bouba Diop will not be involved for
certain as he was in France all week awaiting his visa.
• Peter Kurucz (knee) and Gary O'Neil (ankle) are both definitely out with
long-term injuries.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza
and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town), Jordan Brown
(Aldershot Town), Olly Lee (Dagenham & Redbridge) and Cristian Montano
(Notts County) are all out on temporary loans.
Portsmouth
• Portsmouth could hand a debut to Hungarian striker Marko Futacs after the
big forward joined the club from German side Werder Bremen during the
closing days of the transfer window.
• Former West Ham United midfielder Hayden Mullins is expected to be fit to
play after picking up a groin injury in the 1-1 home npower Championship
draw with Cardiff City on 27 August.
• Ex-Hammers loanee Tal Ben Haim was sent-off while playing for Israel in
Croatia in a midweek EURO 2012 qualifier and has been suffering from a minor
back problem, but it expected to be fit.
• Erik Huseklepp (Norway), Hermann Hreidarsson (Iceland) and Marko Futacs
(Hungary) have all been given a clean bill of health following their return
from international duty.
• Liam Lawrence (Republic of Ireland) travelled with his country to Russia
in midweek, but did not feature in the goalless EURO 2012 qualifying draw.
• Pompey have released former West Ham United and Scotland defender
Christian Dailly after a short spell at Fratton Park.
Last time out
Sunday 28 August 2011
npower Championship
Nottingham Forest 1-4 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Reid, Tomkins, Collison (Faye
75), Noble, Nolan, Faubert, Taylor, Cole (Piquionne 68)
Subs not used: Boffin, Stanislas, Carew
Goals: Chambers 21 (own-goal), Nolan 24, Cole 32, Reid 77
Saturday 27 August 2011
Portsmouth 1-1 Cardiff City
Portsmouth: Ashdown, Halford, Ben Haim, Pearce, Ward, Lawrence, Mullins,
Huseklepp (Benjani 61), Norris, Kitson, Varney (Kanu 76)
Subs not used: Henderson, Mokoena, Rocha
Goals: Kanu 80
Previous meetings
• The teams last met for a goalless draw at Fratton Park on Tuesday 26
January 2010 - the first match under the club's new owners David Sullivan
and David Gold:
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins (Da Costa 81), Upson, Spector,
Diamanti (Stanislas 87), Kovac, Behrami, Noble, Collison, Nouble (Cole 73)
Subs not used: Stech, Daprela, Jimenez, Sears
Portsmouth: Begovic, Finnan, Kaboul, Wilson, Hreidarsson, Basinas, Mokoena,
Mullins (Vanden Borre 64), Boateng, Utaka, Piquionne (Webber 73)
Subs not used: Ashdown, Ben Haim, Hughes, Ritchie
• The teams last meeting at the Boleyn Ground came on Boxing Day 2009 when a
23rd-minute penalty from Alessandro Diamanti was added to by Radoslav
Kovac's 89th-minute header to secure a 2-0 win for the hosts.
• The London side are unbeaten in four games against the team from the south
coast.
• This will be the 35th meeting between the two clubs. West Ham United have
13 wins, with six draws.
Head to head
(Last six meetings, Premier League unless stated)
26 January 2010 - Portsmouth 0-0 West Ham United
26 December 2009 - West Ham United 2-0 Portsmouth
26 December 2008 - Portsmouth 1-4 West Ham United
15 November 2008 - West Ham United 0-0 Portsmouth
8 April 2008 - West Ham United 0-1 Portsmouth
27 October 2007 - Portsmouth 0-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Portsmouth (all competitions): W 13, D 6, L 14
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Portsmouth
2010/11 Championship 16th (58 points)
2009/10 Premier League 20th (19 points - relegated to Championship)
2008/09 Premier League 14th (41 points)
2007/08 Premier League 8th (57 points)
2006/07 Premier League 9th (54 points)
2005/06 Premier League 17th (38 points)
2004/05 Premier League 16th (39 points)
2003/04 Premier League 13th (45 points)
2002/03 Championship 1st (98 points - promoted to Premier League)
2001/02 Championship 17th (53 points)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Roger East.
• East, 46, will be taking charge of his second npower Championship fixture
of 2011/12, having previously refereed Coventry City's goal-less draw with
Watford on 20 August.
• In all, the official has refereed exactly 100 Football League, FA Cup and
League Cup matches since joining the National List at the start of the
2007/08 season.
• Prior to that, East rose to the top of the game as an assistant referee,
running the line at the Millennium Stadium for the FA Cup Final between
Manchester United and Millwall in 2004 and the Community Shield in 2006 when
Chelsea met Liverpool.
• He was also on the FIFA International List of assistant referees for two
years and ran the line in the Premier League for four seasons.
• Today's game will mark the first time he has refereed a West Ham United
fixture. The only previous occasion when East took charge of a Portsmouth
match was on 19 February this year, when he refereed Pompey's 1-0 home
Championship victory over Barnsley.
• East will be assisted by Harry Lennard and Gavin Muge, while today's
fourth official will be John Magill.
Old boys
• Potential West Ham United debutant Papa Bouba Diop made 72 first-team
appearances for Portsmouth between August 2007 and May 2010, winning the FA
Cup in 2008 and finishing as runner-up in the same competition in 2010.
• Hammers winger Matt Taylor spent six seasons at Portsmouth between 2002
and 2008, winning the Division One title in 2003, making 203 first-team
appearances and scoring 29 goals.
• West Ham United midfielder Gary O'Neil joined Portsmouth at the age of 13,
going on to make 192 appearances and score 17 goals for the club before
joining Middlesbrough for £5m in August 2007.
• Portsmouth midfielder Hayden Mullins joined West Ham United from Crystal
Palace for a bargain £600,000 in October 2003, going on to make 213
first-team appearances, scoring seven goals before moving to Portsmouth in
January 2009. He started the 2010 FA Cup final defeat by Chelsea.
• Pompey defender Tal Ben Haim made 12 appearances in all competitions
during a loan spell at West Ham United between July 2010 and January 2011.
• Former West Ham United managers Harry Redknapp and Avram Grant both
enjoyed spells in charge at Portsmouth, with Redknapp twice taking the reins
at Fratton Park. Redknapp led the club to promotion to the Premier League in
2002/03 and FA Cup glory in 2008, before Grant led Portsmouth to FA Cup
final defeat to Chelsea and relegation from the Premier League in 2010.
• Other players to have played for both teams include: Greg Campbell, Lee
Chapman, Jermain Defoe, Bill Ford, Hayden Foxe, Shaka Hislop, Billy James,
Glen Johnson, Bill Joyce, Alex McDonald, Nicky Morgan, Sebastien Schemmel,
Peter Shearing, Teddy Sheringham, Roy Smith, Stephen Smith, Pavel Srnicek,
Alan Stephenson, Ron Tindall, Svetoslav Todorov, Charlie Whitchurch.
Up next
• West Ham United go to Millwall on Saturday 17 September for a 12.30pm
kick-off against their near-neighbours in the npower Championship.
• Portsmouth travel north to Hull City for a 3pm kick-off in the npower
Championship on the same afternoon.
General information
• For Kids for a Quid ticket information, click here. Adult seats start from
just £32.
• The weather forecast is for heavy rain showers with a high temperature of
21C (70F).
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Captain's Blog - Down to business
WHUFC.com
With everyone together again, the skipper said the squad were raring to get
that first home win this season
09.09.2011
It's back to business on the club front after the internationals and we are
pleased to report that everyone is fit and well. We were sad to see Scotty
Parker leave us in the past week. He did our club proud in his time here and
although we were sad to see him leave, we wish him the best of luck for the
future. There has been a few new faces around the place this week, I would
like to welcome Sam Baldock, David Bentley, Henri Lansbury, Guy Demel, Papa
Bouba Diop and Brian Montenegro. They are all good lads and all raring to go
to play their part in what we are trying to achieve this season. Team morale
is on a high, following on from our great away win in our last match at
Nottingham Forest. With everyone returning and the new lads settling in,
there is a good spirit in the dressing room. This week we had our team photo
taken for this season, so there was the usual banter flying around while we
were having our pictures done. It was all good fun and it helped the new
lads get a feel for being part of the squad and it was good to do.
We also wished Chairman David Gold many happy returns as he celebrated his
75th birthday. The manager presented him with a cake in the dressing room
after training and we hope he enjoyed his day. It has also been a good, but
emotional week off the pitch in the Nolan household. My wife and I did what
I am sure many of you mums and dad out there were doing, when we took our
daughter to her new school for the first time. It was good to see how happy
she was to go into the school but, as you will know for us parents, it's
quite an emotional time as you see them go off. I hope all our young fans
got back to school OK this week.
Talking of our young fans, Saturday's game against Portsmouth is a Kids for
a Quid match. We hope that as many our younger supporters get a chance to
see us play and enjoy a day out watching football with their family, because
that is what it is all about. On the match itself, we face a strong
Portsmouth side, who like every other side in this league, want to be up
there challenging for the top positions. For us, we simply want to get a win
at home to follow up our great away victories. It was great to be a part of
the team performance at Nottingham Forest when we scored another four goals
on the road and brought all three points back. We want to be bossing it on
our own ground and on Saturday, with your fantastic support behind us, we
will be going all out to get that home win.
Come on you Irons!
Kevin Nolan
Captain
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Callum loaned to Wimbledon
WHUFC.com
Another West Ham United youngster is going out on loan to add to his
experience
09.09.2011
Callum McNaughton is off to league newcomers AFC Wimbledon for a month to
become the fifth homegrown Hammer to be loaned out from the development
squad.
Wimbledon have made a solid start to the new League Two season and sit in
seventh place, just three points off top spot. McNaughton's Football League
debut could come away to Aldershot Town this coming Saturday, coincidentally
the team he also made his Hammers bow against last month. The Carling Cup
first-round tie on 24 August finished in disappointment as McNaughton was
shown a red card early in the second half. The sending-off marred what
should have been a memorable evening with the centre-back having dreamed of
his debut since joining the club at the age of 14. Having overcome a
succession of injuries to first earn a third-year scholarship, be made
reserve-team captain and finally be rewarded with a professional contract in
the summer of 2011, McNaughton has been backed by his manager and the
coaching staff to once again bounce back. The popular Bishop's
Stortford-based defender could come up against club-mate Jordan Brown this
weekend as the left-back joined The Shots on his own month-long deal on
deadline day, while Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town) and Olly Lee (Dagenham &
Redbridge) are also at League Two clubs.
Lee had a night to remember on Wednesday as he scored twice from the spot in
a 14-13 penalty shoot-out win for the Daggers away to Leyton Orient after a
1-1 draw in normal time. Lee struck the third and decisive 14th kicks to
take his club through to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy second round.
Elsewhere, Cristian Montano remains at League One Notts County, although did
not travel to Italy for Thursday's glamour friendly at Juventus, and Jordan
Spence is spending the season at Bristol City in the Championship. The only
other player out on loan is Pablo Barrera at Real Zaragoza.
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Happy Birthday Chairman
WHUFC.com
The manager and first-team squad presented David Gold with a birthday cake
after training on Friday
09.09.2011
David Gold was surprised in the home dressing room this afternoon with a
special cake in honour of his 75th birthday. The Chairman was caught
unawares by the manager and the entire first-team squad after they came in
from training on the Boleyn Ground pitch. Forced to give an impromptu
speech, the Chairman told a story of his own playing days before being
surrounded by the squad for a special group photo. After a chorus of Happy
Birthday and the candles were blown out, there was also a special word for
new recruits Guy Demel, Henri Lansbury, David Bentley and Sam Baldock, who
were all getting their first taste of the Upton Park pitch as Hammers. The
manager said: "We managed to persuade him to go into the dressing room. We
produced the cake for him and the lads gave a very good rendition of Happy
Birthday. He was slightly embarrassed by it but I think he enjoyed it in the
end."
Earlier on, the entire first team lined up for the 2011/12 team photo. All
took part except for Papa Bouba Diop who has been in France this week
waiting for his visa. The shot will get its first airing in the Peterborough
match programme in a fortnight's time. As well as the team photo, the
players were on hand to make it a day to remember for a group of young fans.
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Big Sam on Friday
WHUFC.com
The manager has spoken at length about the return to league action and a
busy time for the squad
09.09.2011
Sam Allardyce is relishing the prospect of having a selection headache for
Saturday's Kids for a Quid visit of Portsmouth to the Boleyn Ground. The
manager has plenty of players to choose from with a virtually fully-fit
squad bolstered by the arrival since the last league match of Guy Demel,
Papa Bouba Diop, Henri Lansbury, David Bentley and Sam Baldock, while
Abdoulaye Faye and John Carew are also eager to be involved. Scott Parker
and Junior Stanislas have left with the club's best wishes while the manager
has been boosted by the return of Robert Green to training after a finger
injury cost him the chance of an international call.
How is the squad looking post the transfer window?
SA: We did some tremendous business on the final day of the transfer window
and just before that. We have bolstered the quality and depth of our squad,
which for me was very important. We have a tough 46- game season and I
mentioned before that of all the teams that have won automatic promotion in
the past have used at least 29 players and at the most 33.
We really look forward now to Papa, David, Guy, Sam and Henri making their
contribution to the players we already have and the other players we have
brought in this season. For me the quality of the squad has increased. We
have lost Scott Parker of course, but I think these players brought in, will
bring another dimension to the squad, it gives me alternatives on a week to
week basis. It keeps the rest of the players firmly on their toes.
You have been listening to Fabio Capello talking about the young generation
coming in and the fact that no one can be guaranteed a place anymore and
that is exactly what I want at West Ham. Everyone needs to be looking over
their shoulder and find that there is a man challenging for his place in
that particular department. Other than that, it is about settling them in
and bedding them and then getting the best out of them. I don't think there
are any problems with our international players, I think Jack is all right
after his game for Wales against England yesterday and John Carew is OK. We
didn't have as many international players away as I thought we would so the
rest of the group have been together and integrated a little bit more and of
course enjoyed the fantastic win away to Forest.
Are you considering giving debuts to any of the new faces?
SA: There are some that will need settling in, rather than throwing them in
the deep end and that really only happens when you are desperate. Of course,
after the fantastic victory at Forest we are not desperate. Some will have
to sit and be patient about getting their start but it also depends on the
fatigue of the lads on international duty. I will be making decisions in the
next couple of days to try and pick the right team to beat Portsmouth at
home.
How important was it for you to hang on to Carlton Cole and have the
transfer window closed?
SA: From my point of view the one magnificent piece of news is the transfer
window is shut. We had the very upsetting hiccup by this bizarre allowance
of Turkish teams to have an extra period in the window which came with a bid
for Carlton Cole. Having suffered the trials and tribulations that we all
suffered up to 31 August we were finally pleased it was shut. And then we
had a cheeky bid for Carlton! I am glad to say we ignored it and Carlton is
still with us.
What are your thoughts on the departure of Scott Parker?
SA: We are all satisfied with the outcome in the end. It was a long drawn
out affair as always but in the end we delivered to Scott what he wanted. We
got what we were looking for out of it and on the back of that we replaced
him with four players. The important thing is he is difficult to replace but
when you have replaced one player with four it shows you the commitment and
the depths we are trying to get to win this club promotion as soon as
possible.
We are on track for the two points a game mark required for promotion but
how important is Saturday to get our first home win if we can?
SA: Yes we are well on course and I think our main aim is to begin on
Saturday to produce a home victory and then that is our big pressure now.
Can we live with that pressure, can we accept that and go on to produce the
top performance needed to get that win? We want to put a victory in place
and settle everyone down at home at Upton Park. That is the big question of
the players. It has been very disappointing in terms of home results, not
the performances. In reverse, we have been so exciting away from home,
scoring nine goals and only conceding two.
So now we have to convert that into our home form and playing in our home
ground, make our home a fortress. We have to do that by winning football
matches - makes the opposition fearful of coming here, coming to Upton Park
and the fans very excited and looking forward to coming and supporting us.
It is Kids for a Quid on Saturday. What are your thoughts on that?
SA: Well I love that support from the owners, when you can look at the
economic climate and come and enjoy a game of football for a pound with your
son or daughter. I think a bus or the train fare costs more these days so
this increasing the West Ham support and the future support.
It is a fantastic gesture. I hope we can repay everybody that comes along on
Saturday by giving them a victory.
You know some of the Portsmouth players personally from previous jobs. What
are your thoughts on your opponents?
SA: Yes I do know many of them and I know Steve Cotterill for a long time as
well. He has worked very hard as a manager over the years to progress his
own career and of course under very difficult circumstances at Portsmouth.
He has worked hard to turn it into a positive environment from a negative
one.
I am under no illusions that it is going to be a very tough game, of course
I know some of the players, particularly Tal Ben Haim, whom I introduced
into this country at Bolton a few years back. It will be good to see him but
I hope he is very miserable at the end.
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West Ham v Portsmouth
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 13:52 GMT, Friday, 9 September 2011 14:52 UK
Npower Championship
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 10 September Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage:
Watch highlights on The Football League Show; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and
BBC local radio; text commentary on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
New signings Guy Demel, Papa Bouba Diop, David Bentley, Henri Lansbury and
Sam Baldock are in contention to make their West Ham debuts. Callum
McNaughton has served a ban but Abdoulaye Faye (groin) is doubtful, and Gary
O'Neil and Jordan Brown are out.
Portsmouth's Hayden Mullins suffered a groin injury against Cardiff two
weeks ago but has resumed training and is available to face his former club.
Benjani is pushing for his first start since rejoining the club last month.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• West Ham and Portsmouth have each won 12 of their 30 league clashes.
• The Hammers are on a four-match unbeaten sequence against Portsmouth
(W2, D2).
• Pompey last took three points off West Ham in April 2008 with a 1-0
win. They have not scored more than a single goal against the Hammers since
a 2-1 victory at Upton Park on Boxing Day 2006.
West Ham United
• All their three league wins have been away from home. No other club
in all four divisions has gained eight more points on the road, than on
their own ground.
• The only club in the top 14 of the Championship without a home win.
• Conceded just four league goals; only Derby have a tighter defence
in the Championship (three goals).
Portsmouth
• Gained only one win in 13 Championship outings; 1-0, home to Reading
on 16 August.
• Drawn three of their five league matches, including both games on
the road.
• Last drew three league games in a row in a single season in December
2002.
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Brady in FIFA blast
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 10th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Karren Brady has revealed that Brescia are yet to pay any of the fees that
prompted West Ham's request to suspend former striker Alessandro Diamanti's
registration.
West Ham's vice-chair, speaking in Saturday's edition of The Sun revealed
that the Serie B club will owe United instalments worth around £1.5million
in regards to Diamanti's August 2010 transfer by the end of next week. Brady
also hit out at the game's ruling body FIFA, who she claimed had effectively
ignored West Ham United's request for intervention into the case that has
dragged on for several months. "Chasing your money in Europe is hard work,"
she said. "£450,000 has been due for so long we've been in touch with the
Italian federation and FIFA to impose some kind of sanction, but the money
still isn't immediately forthcoming. "Another million plus is due next week
and there's still no sign of the first payment. FIFA have done nothing more
than yawn. "It isn't as if Brescia don't have the funds. They have just
sold the Italian international to Bologna. In England, our leagues would be
down on us like a ton of Mike Ashleys."
Elsewhere in her weekly column Brady appeared to take a veiled dig at the
departing Scott Parker, who forced through a deadline day move to Tottenham
by way of a transfer request. Referring to the recent transfer of Cesc
Fabregas from Arsenal to Barcelona, Brady commented: "Barcelona
vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu boasts that Fabregas made a fuss about
re-joining his boyhood club. "Top-class football has to find a way for clubs
to beat the Catch-22 trap that leaves them with little choice but to sell an
unsettled, contracted player at a less-than-market price, regardless of
their own interests."
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West Ham United v Portsmouth
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th September 2011
By: Preview Percy
Now that the schools have gone back, the police are baffled as to why the
levels of anti-social behaviour have actually increased in the vicinity of a
certain care home. We're not ones to point the finger but surely the fact
that Preview Percy is back from the international break cannot be wholly
coincidental. Meanwhile here's the old sod's ramblings on this weekend's
match against Portsmouth....
Ok I'm officially confused. Not by the fact that our next visitors are
Portsmouth. More by the fact that a) It's taking place on Saturday; b) It's
a 3pm kick-off and c) The good people at TfL haven't scheduled engineering
works for Upton Park for the weekend. An administrative oversight on their
part no doubt.
Our visitors arrive in a sort of mid table mood lying as they do in 12th
spot with 6 points from their opening five fixtures. At home they have a
1-1-1 record having beaten Reading (1-0), drawn with Cardiff (1-1) and lost
to Brighton (0-1). On the road they've drawn both matches at Boro' (2-2) and
at Bristol City (0-0). This leaves them second of a gang of four teams on 6
points below Millwall and above Hull and Ipswich on goal difference. There
again just about everyone has a better goal difference than Ipswich.
The boss is Steve Cotterill. Cotterill joined the club in June 2010 having
just guided Notts County to the 4th Division/League 2/whatever title.
However, it was at Cheltenham, who he guided into the league, and later
Burnley where he first earned managerial plaudits. On leaving Burnley the
"coveted" Minnsota Thunder job was his for the taking but it all fell
through when it was discovered that "Thunder" (as I believe they are known
to their supporter) only wanted him for a seven week trial, and that for two
of those weeks he wouldn't be allowed into the US until his work permit was
sorted out. Cotterill decided that he didn't need the duty free that much
and, understandably, pulled out of the deal preferring to get involved in
something a bit more long-term, like the whole three months that Notts
County gave him.
To say Cotterill has had limited resources at Fratton Park is a bit like
saying that it's been a bit noisy in Libya of late. Their relegation from
the Premiership in 2010 was accompanied by the unwanted record of becoming
the first Premier League club to enter administration, a feat made all the
more remarkable by the fact that Peter Ridsdale had had no involvement in
the club. They are currently owned by an organisation belonging to Russian
Vladimir Antonov whose personal wealth from banking and car manufacture is
significant, though not in the Abrahamovic league. All may not be sweetness
and light in the Antonov world with SAAB, with whom he is connected,
currently seeking bankruptcy protection. Like us they're used to the odd
storm cloud on the financial horizon – though they seem to have had more
than their fare share impecunious – and in some cases downright dodgy -
owners. HM Revenue & Customs,for example, still await their day in court
over allegations relating to the era of Milan Mandaric, Peter Storrie and
Harry Redknapp.
The arrival of what appears to be some stability meant that this summer saw
them pay out their first transfer fee since the January 2010 window, when
Jamie Pearce came along the coast from Bournemouth for a fee of somewhere
between £300,000 and £600,000 the difference presumably being in the form of
add-ons. Pearce started out at Pompey but failed to make the first XI,
leaving for Dean Court in 2007.
In goal the first choice is Jamie Ashdown. Since arriving from Reading in
2004 Ashdown has seen a number of keepers come and go including the likes of
ex-Hammers Hislop and James. Ashdown was on the bench when they won the 2008
FA Cup Final, picking up a winners' medal in the process. However, he didn't
have the medal for long with some lowlife stealing it from his hotel during
the post-match celebrations.
Former Colchester full back Greg Halford signed a permanent deal this summer
having spent most of the year on loan from Wolves. Portsmouth are his
seventh club in the last four years, those clubs being Colchester, Reading,
Sunderland, Charlton, Sheffield United, Wolves and now Pompey. He at least
seems more settled at Fratton Park than he was at either Reading or at
Sunderland, both of whom were happy to see the back of the player within six
months of his arrival. I haven't seen much of him on the box in recent years
– let's face it I'd rather have my toenails pulled out than willingly watch
Sheffield United - but he used to have a long throw of Delap proportions in
the past.
The skipper is Liam Lawrence who joined from Stoke in the summer of 2010.
The transfer was a bit of a cock-up if truth be told. The deal saw him
arrive with ex-Reading striker Dave Kitson in return for Marc Wilson going
the other way. Well that was the idea, anyway. In fact someone discovered
that the paperwork hadn't been completed on time and, not being Arsenal,
Pompey had to sign the player on an emergency loan a few days later, the
full transfer eventually going through during the January 2011 window.
Lawrence has his own place in football injury folklore having damaged ankle
ligaments when being tripped up by his dog, though, since he was a Stoke
player at the time, it was almost certainly a dive.
There is a familiar face in midfield in the form of Hayden Mullins, who
spent six or so years at the Boleyn before leaving for Pompey in 2009.
Mullins was famously cheated out of an appearance in the 2006 Cup Final by
some typical Liverpool play-acting from Luis Garcia who went down as if shot
when Mullins looked at him in a funny way. Mullins finally got a Cup Final
appearance in 2010 as part of the Pompey team that went down 1-0 to Chelsea
in 2010. Mullins picked up Pompey's player of the year award last season.
Another ex-Hammer in the squad is defender Tal Ben-Haim who spent the first
half of last season on loan at the Boleyn. However, he failed to find favour
with his compatriot Avram Grant and he returned to Fratton Park in January
2011. That was when things really went pear-shaped for the player. Due to
the club's financial problems it was alleged that he was owed something like
£1.5m in unpaid wages, bonuses and what-have-you. This left him in some sort
of limbo whereby we didn't want him and Pompey either couldn't or wouldn't
select him depending on which version you believe. It all looked like going
to some sort of Football Tribunal when the Russian takeover meant there was
suddenly cash in the coffers to arrange a settlement. All is now sweetness
and light and he is now fully restored to the starting line-up.
The aforementioned Kitson is a player who seemed to be on the verge of
bigger things during his heyday with Reading. However, a big money move to
Stoke left him scratching his head muttering "what am I doing here" and his
career hasn't ever really recovered from what the player himself described
with much understatement as a "bad decision".
Kitson's strike partner has been Luke Varney who arrived from Derby in the
close season. Varney, a one time strike partner of Dean Ashton in his Crewe
days, spent last season on loan at Blackpool. At one stage Ian Holloway
abandoned his usual reluctance to talk to the press to inform the world that
there was a "massive clause" in Varney's loan contract that would allow the
Tangerines to sign the player permanently for a knock-down fee of £250,000.
This came as news to Derby who had a few bob more in mind – and not
necessarily from Blackpool either. Pompey ended up paying £750,000 for the
player in the last window.
Varney was replaced towards the end of their last match against Cardiff by
veteran striker Kanu whose header with ten minutes left was enough to earn
his side a point. Hard to believe that he's been at Fratton Park for
something like five years now having escaped Arsenal for West Brom as long
ago as 2004. He was far from a regular last season and reports suggest that
the last deal he signed was more with an eye to the player taking a more
active role on the coaching side of things.
Another option up front is former Blackburn striker Benjani. The Zimbabwean
arrived on a free last month which kick-started his second spell with the
club having been at Man City, Sunderland and Blackburn in the three years
since his departure. It may be my imagination or just my failing memory but
it always seemed to me that we were linked with the player at every transfer
window. His original arrival at Fratton Park from French outfit Auxerre was
one of those transfers about which the infamous Stevens report expressed
serious concerns. There were probably complex reasons for these concerns but
frankly as soon as I noted the names Willy McKay and Harry Redknapp on my
copy of the report I decided to wait until it came out on DVD. Eventually
Pompey were fined £15,000 over irregularities relating to both the player's
initial arrival and his subsequent departure to Man City.
As for us, well the international break seems to have left us pretty
unscathed. Collison came off early in the England v Wales snoozeathon having
had a viral infection earlier in the week. Rob Green's finger injury that
kept him off the bench at Wembley should have healed enough for him to be
available. Since I last etched tablets of stone, Parker has gone of course,
and it'll be interesting to see if he can become the first player to win
consecutive Footballer Of The Year Awards from relegation battles.
Coming in before the window finally closed, we welcome Guy Demel, Henri
Lansbury, David Bentley, Sam Baldock, Brian Montenegro and Papa Bouba Diop.
Demel, a permanent signing, can play at right back or right midfield and had
a "blink and you'll have missed it" spell at Arsenal ten years ago which
came to an abrupt end when he announced that he was so homesick for France
he would be heading back to, er Germany.
Lansbury – henceforth to be known in these parts as Angela because it's a)
obvious, and b) slightly less girly than spelling Henry that way – has had
an impressive week with the England U21s picking up a couple in the 6-0
demolition of Azerbaijan and another on the subsequent 4-1 defeat of Israel.
He's in on a season long loan.
Bentley has also come in for the season. Many moons ago he seemed to had a
bright future ahead of him but blotted his copybook by pulling out of an
England U21 tour citing fatigue. Since then he has featured only
infrequently at international and things went from bad to worse for the
player when he was, tragically, transferred from Blackburn to Spurs. He'll
be hoping to revive his career at the Boleyn.
Sam Baldock's transfer was in the process of going through when I last
wrote. At 5'7" tall he is the sort of small, nippy striker that we at the
Avram Grant Home for the Bewildered have been crying out for since Bellamy
went. Whether or not he has the talent to step up a level remains to be seen
– though a goal against Norwich in the League Cup suggests that the
potential is there. However, the fact that we've signed a striker who isn't
a twelve foot tall target man is, in itself, refreshing.
Montenegro, a 18 year old Paraguayan is also in on loan and is described as
the sort of player who likes to run at defenders. What none of the
biographies that my – admittedly limited – research has been able to explain
is quite how he came across the first name "Brian" so, in the style of all
those Bob Holness/Baker Street saxophone rumours, I shall insist that it's
because his parents were Hammers fans in the 1960's who never forgot the
five goals in 20 minutes that Brian Dear scored against West Brom.
Papa Bouba Diop is at the other end of the age scale. He first came to
prominence in a World Cup a few years ago whereupon website moderator Rio
remarked on the similarity of the player's name to a lyric sung by Cleo
Laine. He's the sort of player that Mr Allardyce is quite fond of, though
I'd have thought, no make that hoped, his signing will see him acting as
more of a squad player than being first name on the team sheet.
It's difficult to work out quite who will start this one. The central
defensive partnership picks itself I suppose – it being the one area where
we still look a bit short in depth. Linda will start at left back with
Ilunga reportedly failing to agree a move to Celtic before the deadline.
Given the boss's usual preference to give new signings a bedding-in period
(see Linda, Carew etc) I reckon O'Brien – who has done ok thus far – will
get the nod at right back.
There's an embarrassment of riches in midfield where you can perm any three
four or five from Nolan, Noble, Collison, Taylor, Sears (if you're playing
him there), Lansbury, Bentley, Faubert, PBD or Demel. Again those in
possession of the shirts after the Forest game are favourites to start again
whilst the new boys find their feet. Up front well we now have Cole,
Piquionne, Sears (if you play him there). Baldock, Carew and Montenegro. To
be honest I haven't a Scooby as to how he'll sort out the selection from
that lot , though you'd expect under normal circumstances to see more of the
new signings in the match after this one. However that one may not be one
for faint hearts.
Prediction? Well I think that the home jinx/hoodoo/issue whatever you want
to call it has been overplayed a bit. Having said that, it's probably no bad
thing that the last minute cave in against Leeds was followed up with a
profitable away trip at Forest and an international break. If there is a
psychological thing about playing at the Boleyn, the fresh start and the
addition of new faces ought to have a galvanising effect. So I reckon we're
due a home win and a decent one at that. 3-1 to us as we slowly move up
through the gears.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met: Their last visit to the Boleyn was on Boxing Day 2009 as a
Diamante penalty and a late Kovac header saw us run out 2-0 winners in a
Premier League relegation six pointer. The visitors included both Freddie
Piquionne and Papa Bouba Diop in their squad. PBD was absent from the 18 a
month later as a goal off Upson's shoulder earned us a 1-1 draw in the
return fixture at Fratton Park, a match more notable for the fact that it
marked the first game of the SuGoBra era.
Player To Watch: Dave Kitson – more by default than anything really. With
only four goals in their five matches in the league so far their better
performers have all been engaged in defensive roles. Kitson's the type of
awkward so and so who scores against us (and probably nobody else).
Referee: Roger East – Another new one on us. Apparently he managed to get
through Exeter's 2-0 victory over Yeovil on the opening day of the season
without issuing a yellow card. Not bad for a local derby of sorts.
Daft fact of the week: Nwankwo Kanu's first name means "boy who was born on
market day" which is amusing if not quite as amusing as what most of you
were probably thinking.
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Tomkins sweeps the board
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has been named Player of the Month for August by both
KUMB.com's writers and readers. The 22-year-old centre-half, who excelled in
the heart of defence throughout the month took two-thirds of all votes in
the readers poll, conducted on the KUMB.com Forum. Tomkins also impressed
KUMB's match reporters sufficiently to top August's average match rating
table with an impressive score of 8.00 to become the first winner of the
2011/12 season. The readers' top three was completed by Winston Reid (eight
per cent of total vote) and Carlton Cole (six per cent), whilst our match
reporters gave the runner-up spot to Rob Green (average rating of 7.60) and
third place to New Zealander Reid (7.33).
KUMB.com Writers' Player of the Month
To qualify for inclusion, a player must have featured in at least 75 per
cent of first team fixtures during the past month.
1. James Tomkins: (Pld 5 Mks 40) Ave 8.00
2. Robert Green: (Pld 5 Mks 38) Ave 7.60
3. Winston Reid: (Pld 6 Mks 44) Ave 7.33
4. Carlton Cole: (Pld 5 Mks 35) Ave 7.00
4. Matthew Taylor: (Pld 5 Mks 35) Ave 7.00
KUMB.com Readers' Player of the Month
As voted for by members of the KUMB.com forums.
1. James Tomkins: 66%
2. Winston Reid: 8%
3. Carlton Cole: 6%
4. Robert Green: 5%
5. Matthew Taylor: 4%
KUMB.com Man of the Match winners
v Cardiff City: Matthew Taylor
vs Doncaster Rovers: Kevin Nolan
vs Watford: Winston Reid
vs Leeds Utd: James Tomkins
vs Aldershot Town: Winston Reid
vs Nottingham Forest: Carlton Cole
August's Goalscorers
Carlton Cole (3)
Kevin Nolan, Own Goals (2)
James Tomkins, Joey O'Brien, Scott Parker, Junior Stanislas, Winston Reid
(1)
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Second shot for Callum
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Callum McNaughton has joined League Two new boys AFC Wimbledon on loan. The
19-year-old central defender made his first team debut for West Ham in the
Carling Cup defeat against Aldershot last month - who AFC face in League Two
this weekend. However it was a nightmare start for the youngster, whose
inaugural appearance was marred by his sending-off just two minutes into the
second half for a professional foul. Having failed to be involved in the
first team squad since, McNaughton - who has been with West Ham since he was
just 14 - has been offered the opportunity for further first-team football
with the Dons, who are managed by ex-Aldershot manager Terry Brown (not that
one).
Speaking to AFC's club site today, Brown revealed exactly why he moved for
the Hammers Academy graduate. "I was first alerted to Callum McNaughton by a
good friend of mine, David Lee," he said. "Having done a bit of research
with Ian Hendon [manager of West Ham's development squad], Simon Bassey and
I took the opportunity to watch him against Queens Park Rangers earlier this
week. Callum had a fine game marking Heidar Helgusson. "He [McNaughton] won
a number of aerial battles and this has proved an ideal opportunity to bring
the lad in for a month to cover the fact that we have two centre-halfs
currently unavailable and a heavy work load during September. "Coming out of
West Ham you would expect Callum's distribution to be good. After watching
him play, I would also say that his aerial ability is one of his main
strengths. I am sure he will do very well for us in his time here."
Brown - whose side are currently seventh in League Two having won three of
their opening six games - also confirmed that McNaughton will play against
the Shots this weekend. "We have very considerately arranged that we play
Aldershot tomorrow to give him an early opportunity to get revenge!" he
joked.
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West Ham v Portsmouth preview
Last updated: 9th September 2011
SSN
Team news for Saturday afternoon's Championship clash between West Ham and
Portsmouth at Upton Park. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce could hand debuts to
as many as five players for the visit of Pompey. Defender Guy Demel,
midfielders Papa Bouba Diop, David Bentley and Henri Lansbury and striker
Sam Baldock have all joined since the Hammers' last outing at Nottingham
Forest. Allardyce will not make wholesale changes following that 4-1 win,
but Bentley and Baldock could be involved from the start. Demel will
probably be on the bench with Allardyce's back four looking solid, Diop may
need to build up his fitness while Lansbury only linked up with his new
team-mates on Tuesday following England Under-21 duty. Abdoulaye Faye
(groin) is doubtful, Gary O'Neiland Jordan Brown (both ankle) are still
injured but Callum McNaughton is available after a ban.
Portsmouth midfielder Hayden Mullins will be fit to travel to his former
club West Ham. Mullins, who made 213 appearances in six years for the
Hammers, suffered a groin injury against Cardiff a fortnight ago but resumed
training this week. Defender Tal Ben Haim returned from international duty
for Israel with a sore back but he is also expected to be available, meaning
boss Steve Cotterill has a full squad to choose from. Benjani is pushing for
his first start since rejoining the club last month and fellow striker Marko
Futacs could be involved for the first time following his recent switch from
Werder Bremen. Veteran defender Christian Dailly has left Fratton Park after
his one-month contract expired.
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Karren Brady's football diary
KARREN BRADY - First lady of football
Email the author
Published: Today
The Sun
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
FAIR PLAY DAY according to FIFA — and it's a sure thing Spain and Chile
haven't been reading the instructions because at the end of their 'friendly'
international both teams indulge in a bit of friendly kicking, shoving,
punching and shouting. Mind you, with inquests continuing into FIFA
corruption, the irony of their demand for 'fair play' is killing me. It
makes me proud of the Scots who, despite being practically ousted from Euro
2012 by two wretched refereeing decisions, keep relatively calm.
There was a time when they'd be lifting their kilts at the ref.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
AS if it hasn't been a bad enough week for Arsenal, Barcelona vice-president
Josep Maria Bartomeu tells them they played losing poker over Cesc Fabregas.
He is worth the £52million Arsenal wanted, says Bartomeu, a lot more than
they paid. Then, patting himself so hard he nearly dislocates his back, he
boasts that this is because Fabregas made such a fuss about re-joining his
boyhood club. Top-class football has to find a way for clubs to beat the
Catch-22 trap that leaves them with little choice but to sell an unsettled
contracted player at a less-than- market price regardless of their own
interests.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
THE SUN reveals Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's amazing pumpkin stomach in the
paper today. Ashley's in black underpants, cavorting at a pal's 40th
birthday bash.
And I have to say that while I can't imagine Sheikh Mansour doing this, let
alone Peter Hill-Wood, I rather enjoy the thought that he doesn't care a
cuss about his big fat image. You've also got to admire his dancing skills —
I rather wish he was revealed as one of the line-up on Strictly Come
Dancing!
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
I KNOW Garry Cook well and I am shocked he might have sent an e-mail to the
mother of a player, also his agent, making sarcastic mention of her serious
cancer.
It was intended for Brian Marwood and concerned a loan move for Nedum Onuoha
which was scotched by Cook as Everton were not prepared to pay the wage, a
mind-boggling £38,000 a week.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
BASKING critics have scented the blood of Frank Lampard whose England future
is a long way from being guaranteed. I am a fan of his. But at 33, he must
know he is on borrowed time — and energy. Much the same is true of Rio
Ferdinand and even John Terry. However, the man who must be most concerned
is Steve Gerrard who has been out for seven months in which time Liverpool
have recovered from being a basket case to sumptuously good health.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
CHASING your money in Europe is hard work. Brescia made a down-payment to
West Ham for Alessandro Diamanti. But another £450,000 has been due for so
long we've been in touch with the Italian federation and FIFA to impose some
kind of sanction — but the money still isn't immediately forthcoming. FIFA
have done nothing more than yawn. It isn't as if Brescia don't have the
funds. They have just sold the Italian international to Bologna. In England,
our leagues would be down on us like a ton of Mike Ashleys. As they should
be. Another million plus is due next week and there's still no sign of the
first payment.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
A KINDLY Premier League chairman sends me a DVD, Giggs Fitness, as a small
thank you for helping him with some transfer window business (don't ask but
it's an in-joke). Ryan Giggs, 37, is convinced that yoga exercise has kept
him supple for top-level football and that's OK. But he is to sex appeal
what a barnacle is to a ship's bottom. So I say an impolite 'thanks but I
prefer flowers' to my friend and forward the DVD to Mike Ashley!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Parker: I had to quit Hammers to save England career
Published 16:03 09/09/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
England midfielder Scott Parker admits his dream of playing at next summer's
European Championships would have been wrecked had he not left West Ham for
Tottenham. Harry Redknapp's year-long pursuit of Parker ended on deadline
day when he snapped up the former Chelsea and Newcastle man for around
£6million.
At almost 31 years old, Parker is different to the type of player Spurs
chairman Daniel Levy usually goes for, but Redknapp is convinced the
midfielder can add the steel and leadership qualities he thinks his squad
lacked. Last season was the best of Parker's career. Despite being part of
the Hammers side that finished bottom of the Barclays Premier League, he won
the Football Writers' Association player of the year award and also made
huge strides within the international set-up. After missing out on Fabio
Capello's World Cup squad, Parker went on to win five of his eight England
caps and recently edged Three Lions stalwart Frank Lampard out of the
starting XI for the 3-0 win against Bulgaria. With his career entering its
final years, Parker felt he had to leave npower Championship side West Ham
and join Redknapp's team in order to fulfil his dream of playing for his
country at an international tournament. "Playing in the Euros was a massive
factor," said Parker, who will start tomorrow's game at Wolves. "The last
six months for me has been massive with England. I have not just been
getting in to squads, I have been playing. "To get into the squad for the
Euros would be massive for me and my career. I want to do everything I
possibly can to get into that squad really. "With the way it's gone for me
over the last year, I felt like I needed to be playing in the Premier
League."
QPR, Stoke, Arsenal and Chelsea were all linked with moves for Parker, but
he says Spurs were the only club he considered joining once he heard of
Redknapp's interest. "As soon as I knew Spurs were interested, it was the
place I wanted to come," he said. "I think it always helps that the manager
wants you and certainly over the last few years Harry has stated that he
likes me as a player and wants to sign me. That's helped me massively."
Parker had to play four matches for the Hammers in the second tier before
completing his move back to the top flight on deadline day. He admits
waiting to leave Upton Park was a painful process and wishes the deal had
been concluded earlier. "I think the one thing I have realised with
transfers is that when you think something might be happening, nine times
out of 10, it doesn't," he said. "It's such a rollercoaster really. It's a
mental drain at times. There were times when I thought I would be staying at
West Ham and playing in the Championship. "That's the transfer window for
you. It's a bit of a circus - everyone does deals at the end. That's why it
took so long."
Redknapp hopes Parker's arrival, and that of loan signing Emmanuel Adebayor,
will give his squad the boost they need after a testing summer. Luka
Modric's desperate public pleas to leave for Chelsea brought about a bad
atmosphere that contributed to two humbling defeats against Manchester
United and neighbours City, the Spurs boss claims. Parker is confident the
team will soon rocket up the table and repeat their heroics of two years ago
when they qualified for the Champions League. "I think we have to aim for
the fourth spot for sure," he said. "It'll be difficult. The teams around us
are spending a lot of money but I look at the squad here and it's certainly
a squad that can be challenging up there."
Parker is also relishing the chance of playing alongside gifted playmaker
Modric. "I have always said that he is one of the most difficult opponents
to play against so I am really looking forward to playing with him," Parker
said.
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Big Sam can get me playing for England - Tomkins
Published 22:15 09/09/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
James Tomkins is hoping Sam Allardyce can weave his magic once again and
help him fulfil his dream of playing for England. Allardyce played a major
role in bringing Phil Jones into the first-team spotlight at Blackburn and
helped him develop into one of the best young defenders in the Premier
League. Jones has now secured a big money move to Manchester United and was
handed his first senior call-up into Fabio Capello's squad for the recent
Euro Qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales.
It is no coincidence that the arrival of Allardyce as West Ham boss during
the summer has now brought out the best in Tomkins once again following the
club's relegation from the top flight. Tomkins has been one of the star
performers in the Championship in the opening month of the season and he has
played a major role in helping West Ham win three of their opening five
games. He was voted the club's player of the month for August. The
22-year-old had to cope with the departure of his centre back partner
Matthew Upson, who joined Stoke during the summer, but Allardyce has given
him the belief to become one of the main leaders at the heart of the defence
and he is now showing his true potential. Tomkins has been a regular in the
England Under-21 set-up and after seeing his former team-mates Jones and
Chris Smalling make the breakthrough into the England team, he is now
dreaming of following in their footsteps.
Tomkins said: "The gaffer has been good to me ever since he got here and has
shown his faith by playing me in every game which always helps. I feel like
I am improving as a player and have still got a lot to learn. I am enjoying
the challenge. "I have played more games than anyone at the back and enjoy
being the leader which helps me as a player. I think the manager has been a
motivator for all of us and he is a great professional. We are spot on with
everything that we do - not just on the pitch, but off it as well. "It is
good to see the young lads getting a chance for England. If I continue to
play well, that is my target and the ultimate dream - to be out there for my
country. "It is brilliant to see people like Phil and the other young
players getting a run-out. It is something I look up to and I want to
continue this dream that I had as a kid. "Whenever I was with the Under-21s
it was something we used to speak about and it can lead from someone being
called into the seniors which those boys have done. You know you can always
get that chance."
Despite seeing star midfielder Scott Parker leave the club when he signed
for Tottenham last week, West Ham have showed they mean business by bringing
in four players to replace him. Former Arsenal team-mates David Bentley and
Henri Lansbury are among the big names that have been brought into the club
and are certain to give West Ham even more quality as they look to gain
immediate promotion back into the top flight. Tomkins is especially pleased
to see Lansbury come in from Arsenal on a season-long loan, but hopes he
will not push for a Hammers X Factor special following his involvement in
the recent England Under-21 production when he forced the other players to
sing and acted as a judge alongside Jordan Henderson and Jack Rodwell.
Tomkins added: "He told me a little about the X Factor with the Under-21s
and was saying that he took on a senior role and was getting everyone to
sing. He said it was really funny and it was great for team spirit. "He
brings that to the club and is a great to have around the place and the
changing room. I know how talented he is as a footballer and I think it is a
good move for him to join West Ham."
After scoring eight goals in their last two away games, West Ham are now
desperate to transform that record into their dismal home form after
dropping crucial points in their first two games against Cardiff and Leeds.
The Hammers have failed to see out both games after Cardiff snatched an
injury time winner while Leeds also grabbed a point with the last kick of
the game. Tomkins is convinced his side have learnt from their mistakes and
will set the record straight when they face Portsmouth at Upton Park today.
"It is something that we have worked hard on. It is the last few minutes of
the game and it is very frustrating. But it is not something we are worried
about. We have done really well away from home this year and just need to
transform that into our home form."
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Former Hammer looking forward to life after Grant
Published 22:11 09/09/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Speedy Junior Stanislas wants to get his career quickly back on track after
it was brought to a juddering halt by Avram Grant. Burnley's new signing was
sidelined at West Ham by Grant last season. But the 21-year-old winger is
looking for a new start with the Clarets – starting against Middlesbrough
today. Stanislas said: "When Gianfranco Zola was at West Ham, he was a young
manager and understood us a bit more. "He gave the younger players a chance
and that was always good. "Then he left and Avram came in and he went with
more experienced players, which was frustrating for the younger boys. "So
now I feel like I've a point to prove. When I play, I know what I can do."
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Bentley and Lansbury will give us a vital edge, insists Hammers boss
Allardyce
By SAM ROSS
Last updated at 11:08 PM on 9th September 2011
Daily Mail
Sam Allardyce believes the experience of deadline day loan signings David
Bentley and Henri Lansbury will help West Ham's bid for automatic promotion.
Bentley and Lansbury join a host of Premier League stars that have opted to
drop down a league in order to make sure West Ham secure a swift return to
the top flight. And the Hammers boss believes it is worth it in order to
build a successful group of players to bounce straight up. 'I chose to take
a step down to get back up again,' said Allardyce. I think all the players
are convinced that taking the step down is the right thing to do. That's
what David has done to play some football and recreate his stature in the
game. We know he has it in the locker. Can we get it out of him? He needs to
get it out of himself and we'll give him the tools and opportunity to
recreate and redeliver what we know he can. The responsibility [for
promotion] lies with the players that we bring in to reproduce Premier
League type qualities in the Championship to get us out of this league at
the first time of asking.'
While Bentley has had little game time at Tottenham, Henri Lansbury has
played for the England under-21s this season as well as brief spells for
Arsenal and is most likely of the pair to start ahead of Sunday's game with
Portsmouth. Allardyce admits the experience of Lansbury had winning
automatic promotion with Norwich last season, alongside Kevin Nolan's time
with Newcastle in the Championship two-years ago, is vital for West Ham.
'The experience of a promotion season is something that you remember for the
rest of your life that you can draw back on, even for such a young man like
Lansbury. 'It was only last season and hopefully he can get the same feeling
and same experience with us. 'Kevin [Nolan] was the same when he was at
Newcastle. He didn't want to drop down a division but he did all the right
things and made sure Newcastle went up.
'We have two players who have experienced the joy of automatic promotion and
hopefully that rubs off on the rest of the players.' Friday also marked the
birthday of West Ham co-chairman David Gold who was presented with a
birthday cake in the team dressing room, organised by Allardyce. Allardyce
said: 'We got him [David Gold] a nice West Ham cake and managed to get him
to go into the dressing room. The lads gave a very good rendition of happy
birthday. 'He was slightly embarrassed by it but I think he enjoyed it.'
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West Ham Set To Continue Their Transfer Activity With A Move For Man City
Reject
Posted On Saturday, September 10, 2011
FootyLatest
It is being reported that West Ham are ready to make a move for former loan
signing, Man City defender Wayne Bridge, after the player was informed by
his manager, Roberto Mancini, that he is no longer part of the plans at
Eastlands. Bridge aged 31 is nearing the end of his career at the highest
levels but remains a talented defender that would suit a team like West Ham,
though whether Bridge would accept a permanent move down to The Championship
is another matter entirely and of course there is always the question of
wages. Bridge spent five months with West Ham last season, he appeared 18
times for the Hammers and returned to City once the season was over and West
Ham relegate ed. If Man City subsidise the wages and Bridge is prepared to
gamble on a move to The Championship with good prospects of being back in
the Premiership next season, then this rumour from The Sun could have some
semblance of reality to it.
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