WHUFC.com
Assistant manager Neil McDonald believes the Hammers can end their home
hoodoo this weekend
08.09.2011
Neil McDonald believes it is only a matter of time before West Ham United
replicate their barnstorming away form at the Boleyn Ground. The assistant
manager has watched the Hammers net nine goals in winning all three npower
Championship matches they have contested on the road. However, the same
players have only managed to muster a draw from their opening two home
fixtures, conceding late goals in losing 1-0 to Cardiff City and drawing 2-2
with Leeds United. With Portsmouth to visit east London on Saturday,
McDonald is confident that frustrating record is about to change -
particularly given the quality of signings made by the club during the final
days of the transfer window. England midfielder David Bentley, Ivory Coast
defender Guy Demel and MK Dons goal machine Sam Baldock are among 12 new
faces to join the Hammers this summer, giving the No2 cause for optimism
ahead of the Pompey showdown. "You would like to think the squad is looking
very strong now on paper," he told West Ham TV. "We have had David Bentley
who has come in and trained this week which was a huge confidence-booster
for everyone. "I think the other players who we have brought in create a
good atmosphere of competition. If you play well, you'll keep your place and
if you don't someone is ready to come in and take over - that's all you want
from a squad at this stage of the season. "I think the manager has set out
to have two players challenging for each position. The competition for
places is now on. We got a fantastic win at Forest which now seems ages and
ages ago, but we'll be ready for Portsmouth. If Sam keeps the same team, he
keeps the same team, but if he changes it then the challenge is there for
the players to stay there. "I hope the record will go this weekend. The
confidence is there away from home where we're scoring goals for fun. "We
just need that little bit of luck. In our two home league games, we've
created lots and lots of chances but we've not been clinical enough,
especially against Cardiff. We scored twice against Leeds which was
fantastic, but we were bitten right at the end. "We need to concentrate for
90 minutes, create lots of chances and be clinical which we have certainly
been away from home. We need to do that at home now."
While Bentley is a known quantity to Allardyce, McDonald, his team-mates and
West Ham supporters alike, the assistant manager is also excited about the
impacts Baldock and Demel could have on the squad. "Sam has trained with us
for a few days and has looked very sharp in front of goal. He has fantastic
movement, is quick over the ground and is a goal-scorer. I think that's
evident from what he's done with MK Dons over the last couple of seasons.
"He has scored goals for fun so if he can get into the team and we have give
him the service, that will be fantastic for us. "Guy has come in with a good
reputation. He can play all over the place - at right-back and centre-half.
He looks fit and well and has played at a high level in Germany and is
obviously an Ivory Coast international. "He's a fantastic signing and it
gives plenty of scope for the manager to change things around if he needs
to."
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Hendon content with youngsters
WHUFC.com
Freddie Sears was on target again in a tough outing for the development
squad
07.09.2011
Ian Hendon was pleased with the way a young development squad coped with an
experienced Queens Park Rangers side on Wednesday. The youthful Hammers,
featuring three triallists and new recruit Brian Montenegro, were up against
a home side featuring several with first-team experience at Rangers'
Harlington training ground. Freddie Sears scored the consolation for the
visitors from east London in a 4-1 defeat, while Ian Hendon was pleased to
see George Moncur and Robert Hall continue to push on. Hendon, who was also
without recent loanees Ahmed Abdulla, Jordan Brown, Olly Lee and Cristian
Montano, said: "We had a mix of young players and a couple of triallists and
they had a much more older and experienced side, including players like
Clint Hill.
"So while it was a tough test, it was another good test for our young
players and there were positives to take out of the negatives. "Every game
you play, win or lose, the players will learn and I will learn different
things about them, added Hendon. "It wasn't really a 4-1 game, we could have
scored when it was 2-0 and I think it would have been a bit different but it
killed us a bit when they got the third. "Freddie scoring his third in two
games was a huge plus and again he did well, so that was pleasing and there
were good performances from George Moncur and Robert Hall. So it is a
learning game and this was just a tough one."
Squad: Cowler, Driver, Wearen, McNaughton, Moncur, Sears, Hall, Nouble,
Montenegro, Vose, Potts, Powell plus three triallists.
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Our club has changed
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th September 2011
By: Paul Walker
Sam Allardyce has been in control - and I mean real control - of our club
for little over four months, and West Ham has changed dramatically and
probably for ever.
We've all been watching to see just how much of a difference big Sam can
make, and there has not really been much point in assessing the situation or
trying to second guess the future until the transfer window is out of the
way and the season has started.
Mind you, we had to wait for the end of the later Turkish transfer window!
That late, agent-contrived bid for Carlton Cole from Galatasaray could have
wrecked all the plans. Funny, there were many fans who wanted to see the
back of the big striker, but his start to the season and obvious enjoyment
of playing for Allardyce has changed a few minds. But I always wanted to
keep him. He is big and quick and when he's in the mood can be a real
handful and goalscorer. I also believe he was one of only a few players who
had a contract clause that allowed his wages to be cut after relegation.
Sam took over on June 1, and set about cleansing the playing staff, so much
was obviously wrong at Chadwell Heath. The longer he has been here, the more
evidence of last season's - and the previous one for that matter - malaise
became evident. Sam has talked of clichés, players wanting to leave and
being unsettled. He's made it clear the fitness levels were a disgrace and
there was a complete lack of collective team spirit and desire from many to
even be bothered to play for us. We could all see it before our eyes. There
was no passion at times, no planning, no obvious tactics and a shocking lack
of leadership from Avram Grant, and the now-departed Matthew Upson.
Sam wants us all to forget last season and concentrate on the future. But
it's hard to put things aside when so much was wrong and loyal fans were
being short-changed at every turn. I recall writing last season that it is
fans and clubs who get relegated, not players. And you only have to look at
the new clubs of our departed heroes to underline that.
Only Lars Jacobsen has yet to find a club from the 20-plus who have left.
The players mainly held responsible for relegation have all found new homes
in the top flights of leagues across Europe. Some have gone with the good
grace to say nothing. Others have let slip some real nonsense. Upson, he of
the total failure to lead from the front, had the audacity to join Stoke and
then complain that their fighting spirit was far better than ours, and if we
had played with Stoke's desire we would have been OK. Upson seems to be in
denial and talking from a parallel universe. He forgets he was responsible
for much of the lack of leadership and spirit, he was captain. Although many
seem to never have known that. Sky continually called Scott Parker our
captain up until the day he left. Many newspapers likewise.
Everybody jumped ship and maintained their wages and contracts in top
flights. Dyer, Gabbidon, Hitzlsperger, Upson, Ba, Da Costa, Kovac, Boa
Morte, Obinna are all in top divisions. Even Keane has wangled a huge
pay-day in the States, while Bridge is still at Manchester City on
mega-bucks but not in their Premier League squad.
Dyer had the nerve to complain about our medical staff, and Gabbidon left
complaining of bad decision making at the club. He may have a point, but he
forgets that West Ham stuck by him for many months while he recovered from
admittedly shocking injuries. We get him fit and he walks away. Hitzlsperger
too. He was never going to play in a lower division, and we again spent good
money getting him fit after he was injured playing for Germany.
Notice the difference from Jack Collison. He has made a point of thanking
the club for his medical treatment and signed a new deal pointing out he
felt he owed the club something. Having witnessed his outstanding
performance at Wembley for Wales against a very ordinary England in midweek,
I couldn't be more pleased to see the lad still here and happy.
Mark Noble is much the same. Never a flicker of wanting to leave in the
summer. He was hurt as much as we all were, so I plead with my fellow fans
to get of the lad's back. He's a real asset and a good club man. He'll run
until he drops for the cause, and his display at Doncaster showed that.
And while we are still on the subject of Upson (and Hitzlsperger) it should
be mentioned that a lot of fans seemed to be happy it took them so long to
find another club, as if in Upson's case, it showed what a waste of space he
was. In fact, I believe the pair took us for every last penny. When
contracts end in June, there is always a clause which says that if the
player concerned does not find a new club within a month, he is entitled to
another four weeks money. You may have noticed that Upson and Stoke didn't
surface publically until August, much the same with Hitz's move to
Wolfsberg. On the assumption that both men were on over £60,000 a week,
that's around £250,000 a man they took each in extra wages before their
final departure. Or half-a-million from the club's coffers because moves
looked to being deliberately delayed to allow the contract clauses to kick
in. So far be it that Upson was not wanted, he had the whole thing planned.
We all knew he was working down his contract with no intention of staying,
he should have had the captaincy stripped from him immediately that became
obvious.
Allardyce has had to sift through the wreckage, get rid of a multitude of
players while finding exactly who wants to play for us. In that respect,
Julien Faubert, Winstone Reid, Robert Green, Collison, Noble, James Tomkins
and Cole deserve credit. And in cutting through the rubbish, Allardyce has
also saved the club millions. My rule of thumb estimation on how much is
around £30m a year. The bulk of our first team were paid over £50,000 a
week, some a lot more like Parker, Dyer, Robbie Keane, Wayne Bridge as well
as Upson, Gabbidon, Boa Morte, Kovak and Da Costa.
If you include the lads out on loan, around 25 players have left the club
and I reckon the monthly wage bill was around £3million. So that's well over
£30million a year.
Of course there has been outlay since. Allardyce has replaced one coaching
and management staff with another while a dozen new players have arrived.
Kevin Nolan is clearly on top money, Matt Taylor too, but I would doubt that
many of the other new arrivals are on anything like £50,000 a week. So an
awful lot of money has been saved by the changes.
We hear that the Davids are pumping in £3million a month of their own money
to pay the bills and give us a genuine chance of first-time promotion, and
they've done it without the usual tirade of rent-a-quote stuff. Even Mrs.
Peschisolido has been pretty quiet by her own standards. But I must admit to
liking her put-down of Benni McCarthy. From the safety of South Africa, the
fat one said that our Karen was an evil person with breasts. Her response
was to suggest that least she, at least, is supposed to have tits.
It seems that Sam has changed the whole attitude at the club. How often last
season did we see every player rush to congratulate a goalscorer? We now
have a manager who insists on team spirit, who has already got a rapport
with the fans who more than appreciate tough management at last, and can see
that we have a pattern and organisation to our play. We are scoring from
set-pieces (I know, hard to believe isn't it?) and we are pressing opponents
in possession inside their own half.
The shocking management of last season gets worse the more you delve into
the relegation campaign. Winston Reid suddenly looks a player, while how on
earth was it that Sam discovered that Pablo Barrera was in need of proper
English lessons? Just what was being done last season?
We haven't quite certainly at home, got to grips with making sure the ball
is in our opponents' half in the last five minutes where they can't score
ridiculous goals from. But Sam has clearly had a word or two on that one. I
thought it was amusing to see us take the ball into the corner while 3-1 up
at Forest in the last minutes. Bit over-the-top that, but the point seems to
have got home.
And let's kill the long ball myth once and for all. Sam plays realistic
football, he wants the ball accurately delivered into the box (well done
Matt Taylor) and he wants us to score from set plays. Nothing wrong with any
of that, just we haven't seen much of it. But every free-kick or corner now
has Tomkins as a real threat beyond the far post and the six-yard box full
of players wanting the final touch. With Papa Bouba Diop (6ft 5in), John
Carew (6ft 5in)and Abdoulaye Faye (6ft 3in) plus Cole and Reid also in the
box for the knock-downs, we are actually looking dangerous in an area we
have never excelled.
Too much lazy journalism about the 'West Ham way' just annoyed me. My old
colleague and friend Ken Dyer, in the Leeds programme, reminisced about the
'66 season when we beat Leeds 7-0 in the league cup and put six past Fulham
and four away at Spurs in a magical week. I saw all those games, stunning
performances. But we finished 16th that season. Our beautiful game was, and
has, not been as prominent as people think. We wouldn't be in this mess if
it had been more effective. Sam, as I said, is a realist. While working in
the north-west, I spent a lot of time at his matches and press conferences,
and he makes a lot of sense. He really enjoyed getting up the noses of Rafa
Benitez and Arsene Wenger. He is not always right, he can be arrogant and
opinionated. But he is effective. And his teams are fit, strong and they
fight hard. And don't we need some of that after the last two pitiful
campaigns. He also had some pretty entertaining midfielders in his time at
Bolton, and classy strikers. Let's just see how it goes, so far so good.
It's results we need now, not accolades and I just wish him all the luck in
the world, because we haven't had much of late.
Sam has also brought in youthful promise. Sam Baldock is just the sort of
hungry young man we should be signing, while Henri Lansbury has genuine
class, pace and star quality. And if we can get the perma-tan off of David
Bentley along with the hair gel, we may have a player who can be a real
asset. He was once an England international and has lost his way, he needs a
manager like big Sam like never before. It's good to see George McCartney
back - he too had lost his way - while Joey O'Brien is a genuine bargain, a
real plus point. Two seasons of injuries could have ended his career, but he
wanted to prove to Sam he still had a future, and was there at the first day
of pre-season, determined to win a contract. The effort he has put in has
won him that chance, and we actually have a proper right back at last. Ok,
so there is a long way to go and I'm still spitting feathers over the
Cardiff and Leeds cock-ups. But importantly, I bet Sam is too, and won't let
anyone forget it.
That's proper management. Fans don't worry too much about a perceived style
of play, over-exaggerated as it was, if their team is winning. The
tremendous away support at Doncaster, Watford and Forest underlines that. We
are going to fill a few Championship coffers, hopefully for just one season.
It has been a tough summer. One in which we have all suffered after
relegation. Realising that Sky just don't care about this division, the same
as the newspapers. And Football First is now gone from our lives on Saturday
evenings. TV clips of our matches are now reduced to about 30 seconds after
midnight. West Ham TV and their radio feeds is the best bet now to see and
hear about us.
Reading all the complaints from fans trying to find non-existent 'dodgy' TV
feeds for the Doncaster game, just rubbed it home that we have been pushed
into the background. Even the Nolan transfer was turned into a Newcastle
crisis by Sky (why didn't they try to keep him, was their approach) rather
than a real coup for the Irons. I didn't see us mentioned for two weeks by
Sky at one point. And as for Scott Parker, he did great for two seasons but
was always going to Spurs, his mate Jamie Redknapp surely made sure of that!
Now Sam has a squad set-up for this division, strength and know-how. We all
need to get behind the team, particularly at home where too much negativity
is still in evidence. Our complaint last season was that nobody seemed to
care, well they look like they do now. COYI.
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West Ham can improve home record against Portsmouth
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 8th September 2011
By: Guest Writer
West Ham United take on Portsmouth this weekend in a fixture that has been
more commonly associated with the Premiership. Whoever wins the match will
be three points closer to securing a return to that division come next May.
The game will be streamed live on the Bet365 website for those who don't
have a ticket for the match, so it makes sense to check what the best bets
for the game are.
West Ham are the hot favourites to win this match on Saturday; the Hammers
can be backed at 4/6 at the time of writing to pick up a vital three points
that would keep up the pressure at the top of the table. Portsmouth haven't
made the worst start to the season, they are currently four points behind
West Ham and they can be backed at 9/2 to win the game. The draw is
available at 3/1 currently.
These sides last met at the Boleyn in December 2009 and that game went the
way of United, courtesy of a 2-0 win. However that was West Ham's only win
in the last five meetings between the two teams at the BG. That could have
some fans worried, but West Ham are very much the better team currently
despite the loss of Scott Parker on transfer deadline day.
A slight worry at this stage in the season is that West Ham are yet to win
at home in the Championship. Just one point at home compared to nine points
away suggest the United players feel more comfortable playing away - so far.
Portsmouth are also struggling away though with two draws from two games and
that certainly suggests West Ham should be backed to win their first league
game at home this season. In fact there is good cause for backing West Ham
to win this game, with a clean sheet at even bigger odds. Portsmouth have
scored just two goals in their last four league games and West Ham are
available at 15/8, that compares very favourably with the 4/6 just on the
Hammers to win.
The main goal threats so far this season for West Ham in the Championship
have been Carlton Cole (with three goals) and Kevin Nolan (with two). They
should be the main goalscorer bets for this match; Cole is 4/1 to score
first and 11/10 to score anytime, whilst Nolan is as big as 7/1 to score the
first goal of the game and he can be supported at 2/1 to score anytime.
Compare your best bets for West Ham v Portsmouth with those of OLBG's expert
tipsters by visiting the highlighted link. Are West Ham a good bet for three
points despite struggling at home so far and do their odds to win with a
clean sheet provide a much better bet at the relative odds than just backing
them to win the game?
Let us know your thoughts.
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The West Ham Files
Portsmouthfc.co.uk
by Josh Bell
Pompey travel to West Ham on Saturday looking to extend their three-match
unbeaten run and secure their first victory at Upton Park since 2008. The
Blues sit 12th in the Championship table with six points from their opening
five games, four points adrift of Sam Allardyce's awayday specialists.
Allardyce took control at the Boleyn Ground in the aftermath of the Hammers'
relegation from the Premier League in May. Under the stewardship of former
Pompey boss Avram Grant, a 3-2 defeat away to Wigan on the penultimate
weekend of the season condemned West Ham to the drop after a six-year stay
in the top flight. But Allardyce has quickly stamped his authority on the
east London club, who ended the 2010/11 season bottom of the Premier League.
He has the pedigree to take West Ham back to the top flight, having guided
Bolton there via the play-offs in 2001.
Midfielder Scott Parker, the Football Writers' Player of the Season last
term, may have opted for pastures new at Tottenham. But the Hammers squad
has received serious refurbishment with 13 new players arriving. Although
new blood in itself can rejuvenate a squad, the quality of West Ham's
signings has been striking. Kevin Nolan's decision to swap Premier League
Newcastle for the captaincy at Upton Park symbolises the direction in which
the club is now heading, while John Carew and former Pompey talisman Matt
Taylor have also chosen to join the Allardyce revolution and step down a
division.
Moreover, the signings of Nolan and Taylor symbolise the new creative spark
in a West Ham side which scored the third-fewest goals in the Premier League
last season with just 43. They have been joined by the similarly inventive
loan pairing of Henri Lansbury and England international David Bentley, from
Arsenal and Tottenham respectively. The latter in particular will be keen to
rebuild a reputation which saw him heralded as the new David Beckham before
his move to White Hart Lane from Arsenal in 2008.
Another man who is desperate to rediscover previous glories is front man
Carlton Cole, the Hammers' top scorer thus far with three. The former
Chelsea youngster, who has won seven caps for England, will look to fire
West Ham back into the top division and replicate the form which earned him
that priceless Three Lions call; he netted 22 over the course of two seasons
under Gianfranco Zola's tenure at Upton Park. He will be joined by
ex-Valencia and Villa man John Carew, who, like Cole, will look to use his
physical presence.
Freddie Sears, a product of the Hammers' academy, and former Blues striker
Frederic Piquionne boast a wealth of Premier League experience, while
Allardyce has signed Sam Baldock, who netted 12 goals in League One for MK
Dons last season. Further additions such as Guy Demel from Hamburg,
Abdoulaye Faye and another ex-Blues player in midfield powerhouse Papa Bouba
Diop have ensured Allardyce has a squad which combines flair and strength in
equal measure. Although the Hammers are now such an imposing outfit they
need to stamp their authority at home, having won just seven from their last
27 at the Boleyn Ground. Pompey, however, will be keen to put the brakes on
Allardyce's Premier League push and win their first away game since March.
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Allardyce claims Parker sale good business for West Ham
By talkSPORT
Thursday, September 8
Sam Allardyce believes West Ham have become a stronger club following the
sale of Scott Parker. Parker finally completed a £5m move to Tottenham last
week after months of speculation surrounding his future following the club's
relegation from the top flight. West Ham showed they mean business by
spending a large chunk of the money to sign four players on the eve of the
transfer window with Papa Bouba Diop, David Bentley, Henri Lansbury and Guy
Demel being brought into the club.
Allardyce is convinced that West Ham can recover from the loss of Parker and
hopes they have sent a clear message to the rest of the Championship that
they mean business in getting straight back into the Premier League at the
first attempt.
Allardyce said: "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 and we got out of it what we were looking for. "On the back of that
we have replaced him with four players. The important thing is that Scott
Parker is very difficult to replace but when you have replaced one player
with four it shows you the commitment and the strength we are trying to go
to, to win this club promotion back into the Premier League."
Allardyce also has nothing but praise for the way West Ham's co-owners David
Sullivan and David Gold turned down a £4m bid from Galatasaray for Carlton
Cole.
Allardyce was stunned to hear that the Turkish giants had made an offer for
the England forward, even though the transfer window had closed in England.
Allardyce added: "We had a very upsetting hiccup by this bizarre allowance
of the Turkish teams having an extra period in the window which came with a
bid for Carlton Cole.
"It was right when we didn't expect it. We had all suffered the trials and
tribulations up to August 31 and we were all very pleased that the window
had shut. "But we then had a cheeky bid for Carlton and I am pleased to say
that as a football club we ignored that and Carlton is still with us."
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Hammers newcomers enthuse McDonald
By Will Haine September 08, 2011
GiveMeFootball
Saturday heralds a new era for West Ham as they begin life without
three-time Hammer of the Year Scott Parker, following the England
midfielder's deadline day move to Tottenham. However, the east London club
take on Portsmouth at Upton Park with a number of new faces in their ranks,
having indulged in some late transfer activity of their own. The Hammers
signed Henri Lansbury, David Bentley and Guy Demel on the final day of the
transfer window, with Sam Baldock having joined from MK Dons the previous
week. In fact, Sam Allardyce brought in no fewer than 12 new recruits over
the summer, with the latest additions in line to make their debuts this
weekend. Allardyce's No.2, Neil McDonald has certainly been enthused by the
new crop, with Baldock and Demel being reserved particular praise from the
popular coach. "Sam [Baldock] has trained with us for a few days and has
looked very sharp in front of goal. He has fantastic movement, is quick over
the ground and is a goal-scorer," McDonald to whufc.com. "I think that's
evident from what he's done with MK Dons over the last couple of seasons.
"He has scored goals for fun so if he can get into the team and we have give
him the service, that will be fantastic for us." He added: "Guy [Demel] has
come in with a good reputation. He can play all over the place - at
right-back and centre-half. "He looks fit and well and has played at a high
level in Germany and is obviously an Ivory Coast international. "He's a
fantastic signing and it gives plenty of scope for the manager to change
things around if he needs to."
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