West Ham United U18 0-1 Man Utd
WHUFC.com
The Hammers are eliminated from the FA Youth Cup fourth round by the
narrowest of margins
19.01.2011
WEST HAM UNITED U18 v MANCHESTER UNITED U18
FA Youth Cup fourth round
Boleyn Ground
Wednesday 19 January 2011
Kick-off: 7pm
Referee: Adam Crysell
Final score - West Ham United U18 0-1 Manchester United U18
The two teams get a decent round of applause as they come off. That was a
very decent performance from West Ham, who could easily have forced
extra-time. As it is, they will have to concentrate on the FA Premier
Academy League now. The title is definitely not out of the Hammers' grasp,
as they sit just a few points off the top of the table. Remember to keep a
close eye on whufc.com and WHUTV for exclusive post-match reaction.
93 mins - Well, well, well... Fanimo bursts past his marker Michael Keane
and cuts the ball back for Hall, who connects well but the ball hits a Man
Utd arm inside the six-yard box. The West Ham players are convinced it is a
penalty, but Mr Crysell gives nothing. Seconds later, the final whistle is
blown.
92 mins - That could be West Ham's last chance. Driver crosses low into the
box and Fornasier scrambles the ball away. It was a threatening ball in, but
the defender was just in the right place at the right time.
91 mins - We're into the first of at least three added minutes...
90 mins - Great chance again as Fanimo sends Driver clear down the left. He
should cross first-time for Tombides, but tries to take a touch instead and
the ball escapes his control and rolls behind. Unlucky.
89 mins - Well done Sam Cowler. Man Utd break and Cofie lets fly from 20
yards, but the goalkeeper springs to his right to push the ball aside. West
Ham regain the ball through Lletget, but when he finds Hall, the No7's
attempted through-ball for Fanimo is too strong.
87 mins - Hall has gone into a central position behind Tombides, with
Lletget wide on the right and Fanimo on the left. It's very offensive, but
West Ham need a goal quickly to force extra-time.
85 mins - Man Utd make their first change, bringing on Zeke Fryers for Van
Velzen. Fryers goes on to the left wing, with Cole across on the right.
83 mins - A nice pass wide left finds Fanimo, whose cross is just too high
for Tombides. Cole brings the ball away and is scythed down by Lletget, who
is booked. West Ham have played really well since half-time. A defeat would
be VERY harsh on Tony Carr's side.
79 mins - Will Keane tries to get in and Cowler has to push the ball out for
a corner. West Ham break at lightning pace through Hall, who feeds Fanimo.
He turns past Michael Keane and looks set to score when Fornasier slides in
with a superb challenge and puts the ball behind for a corner. The flag-kick
comes over and Craig can only help it on and behind for a goal kick.
78 mins - Another opportunity as the referee waves play-on as Tombides is
fouled. Hall bursts into the box and is challenged by Blackett. The winger
wants a penalty, but referee Mr Crysell waves 'play on'.
76 mins - Great chance gone begging there. Driver plays in Tombides, who
gets to the by-line and pulls the ball back for Lletget. The American slides
and you can hear the home fans gasping and ready to celebrate, only for the
ball to fly narrowly wide of the far post. Tombides and Lletget both hold
their hands to their heads. That was so close...
74 mins - West Ham come again and Tombides has time to turn on the edge of
the box. He shoots low, but the effort lacks the direction and power to beat
Johnstone.
73 mins - Moncur shoots and it hits the wall. Tombides heads the ball on and
it is cleared to Driver, whose shot takes a nick off a defender. The corner
is taken short and wasted.
72 mins - Tombides is pushed by Thorpe and West Ham have a free-kick in a
central position about 30 yards from goal. It's a bit straight, but Moncur
and Hall are still eyeing up a shot on goal.
70 mins - We're nearly into the final 20 minutes and West Ham still need to
conjure an equaliser from somewhere. Firstly, Sanchez is booked for a foul
on Cole. Pogba blasts his free-kick into the wall.
67 mins - Lletget and Will Keane collide in midfield and both need
treatment. Nothing sinister in that, I think it was just a clash of bodies.
Both are back on within a few moments.
66 mins - The two Man Utd wingers have switched flanks. The diminutive Cole
crosses and the ball reaches Van Velzen at the far post. He has all day to
control and shoot, but instead volleys wide from 12 yards. Great chance to
make it 2-0.
64 mins - Turgott is the second Hammer to be replaced, with Sebastian
Lletget on in his place.
62 mins - Hall curls a free-kick over and both Craig and Tombides try to
head it goal-wards. The ball loops high into the air and Johnstone shows
good handling and composure to catch almost under his own crossbar.
59 mins - That is Vose's last involvement as he is the one replaced by
Fanimo.
58 mins - Tombides brings the ball out and finds Vose wide on the left. He
cuts inside but has few options. He is challenged by Michael Keane and the
ball spins behind for a goal kick.
56 mins - Matthias Fanimo is going to be on in a short while. Tonight's
crowd is announced as 1,405. Good turn out.
55 mins - Michael Keane bombs forward and crosses low into the six-yard box.
The ball eludes the sliding Cofie and goalkeeper Cowler before finding Pogba
wide on the left. He crosses, but Driver is there to hack clear.
53 mins - Fair play to West Ham, they have started really brightly after the
break. The visitors have hardly had a touch. Hall tries to find the
rampaging Modelski, but Fornasier is there to smash the ball into the West
Stand.
52 mins - Hall has definitely got the beat off Blackett as he teases the
left-back again before crossing. Unfortunately, it's too high and flies out
for a goal kick on the far side.
49 mins - Good build-up play again from the Hammers ends with Tombides
laying the ball off for Turgott. The England U17 winger shoots, but it's too
close to Johnstone, who saves low down.
47 mins - Moncur loops the ball out to Driver, who crosses dangerously with
his left foot. The ball is stabbed out for a throw.
46 mins - West Ham kick-off the second half through Tombides and Turgott...
West Ham immediately go on the offensive through Hall and Turgott and win a
throw deep in Man Utd territory. Modelski cuts in from the left and shoots,
but it is blocked.
Half-time score - West Ham United U18 0-1 Manchester United U18
46 mins - That's half-time...
45 mins - Half-time is rapidly approaching and it looks like the Hammers
will need a second-half recovery to turn this tie around. It's only 1-0,
though, so anything could still happen Remember, the tie must be settled on
the night.
43 mins - Ooooh! So nearly an action-replay as Moncur curls a dipping shot
over the wall and Johnstone pushes the ball over the top. The corner is
hacked behind after some penalty-area pinball. West Ham cross again from the
left and Johnstone fumbles. Modelski crosses and Moncur and Tombides both
see shots blocked before the chance is lost when Hall is offside.
42 mins - Turgott brings the ball forward and cuts between Michael Keane and
Thorpe before going to ground. Free-kick about 25 yards out. Moncur scored
from similar range in the third round...
41 mins - Cole loses Driver with a neat flick and the left-back brings down
the winger. Tunnicliffe wastes the free-kick.
40 mins - Better. Craig marauds forward with the ball at his feet before
poking a pass wide right for Hall. He beats Blackett but his cross is too
close to Johnstone, who catches at the second attempt.
37 mins - Driver fouls the lively Cole wide on the Man Utd right. The
free-kick goes into the box and Craig rises highest to head clear.
35 mins - GOAL! Cofie shoots from distance and Cowler can't handle the ball
as it bounces just in front of him. The ball loops high into the air and
Will Keane runs on and heads it into the top corner. The visitors lead...
32 mins - Amazingly, this is the first time the two sides have met since the
1957 final. A certain John Lyall was in the West Ham XI as Man Utd ran out
8-2 winners on aggregate.
30 mins - Van Velzen does well down the left and tricks and turns past
Modelski before shooting right-footed. Cowler pushes the ball aside before
Driver hacks it out for a throw in.
26 mins - Believe it or not the Man Utd fans are making some noise in the
West Stand Lower. I think there are only about ten of them, but they are
singing. However, they fall silent when Hall tricks his way past Blackett
with an outrageous piece of skill. Unfortunately his cross is behind
Tombides and Vose. West Ham keep the pressure on and the ball breaks to
Turgott, but he drives his shot high and wide.
22 mins - Man Utd work some space down the left and full-back Blackett
crosses into the centre of the penalty area. Cole meets the ball on the
volley, but he can only direct his shot over the crossbar from ten yards.
20 mins - Twenty minutes in and Man Utd have probably held the upper hand,
just, during the opening period. Hall had a good chance, while Tombides
forced Johnstone into a save, so West Ham have had some chances. However,
the visitors have held the territorial advantage. It's been close, though.
19 mins - Great skill by Cole takes him past Driver. The ball is worked
across the line to left-winger Van Velzen, but his cross-shot is superbly
blocked by the sliding Modelski.
17 mins - Will Keane gets in goal-side of Sanchez, but the angle is against
him and he drives his shot into the side-netting at the near post.
16 mins - Wearen brings down Tunnicliffe as he brings the ball into the West
Ham half. The Irish midfielder gets a talking to from referee Mr Crysell.
Craig heads powerfully clear and Hall finds Turgott, but his touch lets him
down on halfway.
15 mins - Hall picks possession up from Turgott's header and beats
Tunnicliffe before finding Tombides. The Australian turns and shoots
powerfully from 25 yards, forcing Johnstone to catch the ball to his chest.
14 mins - Centre-back Michele Fornasier puts the ball behind for a corner.
Vose takes it but it's low to the near post and hacked behind again by a
defender. The second delivery is also short and headed clear. Moncur hooks
the ball back into the penalty area, but it is hacked well clear on the
volley and the chance is lost.
12 mins - West Ham have Sebastian Lletget warming up on the touchline for a
short while. I don't think anyone in claret and blue is injured, so maybe
just a precaution from Academy Director Tony Carr.
11 mins - Tombides sends a pass to Hall, who mis-kicks as he tries to pull
the ball back for Moncur. The midfielder shoots, but it's blocked into the
air and collected by Johnstone.
9 mins - Cole beats Callum Driver and crosses. Cofie shoots again and the
ball is blocked behind. The corner is headed clear by Tombides at the near
post.
8 mins - Craig is caught out and passes the ball to Larnell Cole. He breaks
forward and crosses, but when Cofie shoots, it is straight at Cowler.
6 mins - Ryan Tunnicliffe brings the ball forward past Wearen and tries to
play it inside to Will Keane, but captain Sanchez makes the interception,
The Spaniard has looked solid so far tonight.
5 mins - West Ham break from a Man Utd throw. Turgott passes inside and
Tombides flicks it nearly into the path of Hall. The England U19 player has
time and space but chooses to shoot from 25 yards. It's a low effort and
easy for Sam Johnstone in the visitors' goal.
4 mins - John Cofie, the Man Utd No9, brings the ball forward and saunters
past Moncur before being fouled by Wearen about 30 yards from goal. Pogba
takes the free-kick and forces Cowler into a smart save diving to his left.
3 mins - Man Utd - I'm going to call them that for speed purposes - have a
free-kick but it's wasted and flies through and out for a goal kick to the
Hammers.
2 mins - A few nervous touches from both sets of players early on. Wearen
shows good strength to hold off two Man Utd players before finding Moncur -
that might settle the hosts down a bit.
7pm - We are under way...
6.59pm - Manchester United will kick-off playing towards the Bobby Moore
Stand end of the ground.
6.58pm - West Ham's players are holding a last-minute huddle. They're having
a good old chat about their plans for tonight's game. The two captains,
Sergio Sanchez and Tom Thorpe, exchange pleasantries in the centre-circle
and we're nearly ready for kick-off.
6.56pm - The two teams are out of the tunnel and shaking hands before
breaking away for kick-off. The visitors are in their change strip of white
shirts, black shorts and black socks. The home side are in claret and blue
shirts, white shorts and white socks.
Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground for tonight's FA Youth Cup
fourth-round tie between West Ham United and Manchester United.
West Ham have won the competition three times, while Manchester United have
lifted the trophy on a record nine occasions.
The Hammers won through to the fourth round by defeating Aldershot Town 5-0,
while tonight's visitors defeated Portsmouth 3-2 in the third round.
West Ham United U18: Cowler, Modelski, Driver, Craig, Sanchez, Hall, Wearen,
Moncur, Turgott (Lletget 64), Vose (Fanimo 59), Tombides
Subs: Mehmet, Potts, Hunt
Manchester United U18: Johnstone, M.Keane, Blackett, Thorpe, Fornasier,
Tunnicliffe, Cole, Pogba, Cofie, W.Keane, Van Velzen
Subs: Jacob, Fryers, Lingard, Massacci, Hendrie
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West Ham's Manuel da Costa faces sexual assault charge
BBC.co.uk
West Ham defender Manuel da Costa has been charged with sexual assault
following an alleged incident in a nightclub, police have said. The
24-year-old player of Newham, east London, was arrested after a woman in her
20s reported an incident on 17 October. He was also charged with common
assault and is due to appear at Redbridge Magistrates' Court on 25 January.
The charges relate to an alleged incident in a nightclub in Ilford.
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West Ham 2012 stadium plan 'would not work'
BBC.co.uk
West Ham's plan to inherit the London 2012 Olympic stadium after the Games
and keep the running track intact has been described as "madness". The
Hammers want to create a 60,000-capacity arena for football, athletics,
concerts and community use. But ex-British Olympic Association chief
executive Simon Clegg said: "I don't think it would work." Tottenham's bid,
which would remove the track altogether, has also received heavy criticism
from within athletics. Clegg said of the West Ham plan: "It is not
compatible to have football and track and field athletics in the same
stadium in this country." And figures such as ex-BOA chairman Sir Craig
Reedie were quick to condemn the Spurs bid. He was joined by UK Athletics
head coach Charles van Commenee, who warned: "If London doesn't have a
stadium where we can organise major championships in athletics, that puts
you in a category in Europe that I can't even think of. "Is there any
capital in Europe that can't do this? Even Vilnius or Tallinn (the capitals
of Lithuania and Estonia) can do that. "Maybe the capital of Albania doesn't
have a stadium, I don't know. "I'm astonished when I see all these articles
that there's even a discussion, when a promise is made at the time that we
made the bid."
Premier League clubs Tottenham and West Ham are competing against each other
to become the tenant of London's £527m Olympic Stadium after the 2012 Games,
with the deadline for all bidders on Friday. Spurs are bidding in
collaboration with entertainment and sports giants AEG, which runs the O2
Arena beside the Thames in Greenwich, south London. The club want to
demolish most of the stadium, removing the track to ensure fans are close to
the pitch.
Tottenham have promised to invest in London sport as part of their proposal
to take over the stadium, pledging to contribute to the refurbishment of the
National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace. West Ham say they will retain most
of the structure, although they will reduce the venue's 80,000 capacity by
20,000 to create a multi-purpose arena in a collaboration with Newham
Council. Clegg said: "It is quite obvious that the only viable model for the
stadium is to have a football club as an anchor tenant. "But football fans
in this country want to be as close to the action as possible. "I
articulated this to Sebastian Coe a couple of years ago but the issue has
become even more acute for me since I have been involved in a club. "The
entire bid was based on the principle of sustainable legacy and not creating
white elephants and only 17 months out from the Games we have still not
resolved the thorny issue of future of the stadium. "It's madness to suggest
we should keep a track just on the basis we may get an athletics world
championships or European championships say once every 15 -20 years."
Clegg prefers Tottenham's bid but sees the Crystal Palace scheme as a
drawback to their plan. "It does seem to me that the best solution for the
Olympic Stadium would be Tottenham's proposal but on the proviso of a track
and field legacy elsewhere in east London rather than Crystal Palace, which
is in the wrong place and where public transport links are not good," he
added. "For me, the East End must have a sustainable athletics legacy and it
would need to be another new site in east London."
Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee board member Reedie said
Tottenham's proposal would undermine London's pledge to provide a track
legacy for the stadium. "It would be extremely regretful," he said. "We
would lose all credibility [if the running track was moved]." "If we have
one tenant of a major football club and it is going to keep the athletics
track, that is my chosen option. "It was sport that generated the Olympic
Park in the first place.
"The only correct long-term usage is to have a stadium which can be used as
the centre of future bids for major sports events, probably concentrating on
what is the Olympic Games' leading sport."
Countering the argument that running tracks are incompatible with football,
Reedie cited the example of Italian clubs Roma and Lazio, who share the
Olympic Stadium in Rome. The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has a board
meeting on Friday, 28 January when it is expected to decide on its preferred
bidder. Its recommendation then has to be ratified by two government
departments - the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the
Department of Communities and Local Government - and the London Mayor's
office. Former Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson will not be
permitted to play any part in the decision due to a conflict of interest, it
was revealed on Wednesday. Sanderson is an OPLC board member but she also
has a contract with Hammers' partner Newham Council.
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Big cheeses back OS bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 20th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Former Olympic minister Tessa Jowell has backed West Ham United's bid for
the Olympic stadium.
Jowell, who still sits on the London 2012 board has rejected Tottenham's
plans, stating that West Ham's joint bid with Newham Council is the only one
that adheres to the post-Olympics requirements.
"When we won the Olympics we made a clear promise to the international
community and the people of this country that the stadium would have
athletics at its core," she told the Guardian. "This wasn't a promise we
made to win the bid but a clear statement of intent about the future of
sport in our country.
"The Olympic Park Legacy Company will make its decision about the legacy
tenant for the stadium in just over a week's time and there are now only two
bids on the table. Only one of these, the joint bid from West Ham and Newham
Council, fulfils the promises we made and the criteria we set out when we
were in government.
"The commercial strength of West Ham's bid is not just based on its ability
to get large crowds to football matches, although that is an important
part," she continued. "It is for the use of the stadium all year round in
many different guises, with regular athletics fixtures, showcases for rugby,
cricket and American football as well as regular entertainment events.
"As the bid is partnered with Newham Council, we can be assured that there
will be real community involvement. They will have school community
education projects, all sorts of community mass participation events. They
have partnered with Live Nation, the world's largest live entertainment
company, and Westfield, the world's largest listed retail property group.
"This isn't West Ham on their own; you've got some very serious players who
will add to the revenues streams."
Jowell is the latest of a number of high-profile names to come out in
support of West Ham's bid to win the rights to inhabit the Stratford-based
stadium once the 2012 games end.
Seb Coe, chairman of the London organising committee recently added his
weight to United's bid, whilst British Olympic Association chief executive
Andy Hunt - who stated earlier this month that "a track [must] be retained
within the Olympic Park" - has also come out in support.
UK athletics chairman Ed Warner - who described Tottenham's bid as
"insulting" - admitted last October that he had been impressed by West Ham's
"clear commitment to the spirit of the Olympic legacy with the retention of
the community track", as has the International Olympic Committee president
Jacques Rogge.
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Charged
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Manuel Da Costa has been charged with assault following an incident in an
Essex nightclub last October. The 24-year-old defender was arrested after he
was alleged to have assaulted two female partygoers at Faces nightspot in
Ilford. An eye-witness reported that the Portuguese centre half - whose
last game in claret and blue came a fortnight after his initial detainment
on October 17th - went 'berserk' inside the club. Today it was confirmed
that Da Costa had been hit with two charges of common assault and sexual
assault on a woman. He will appear at Redbridge Magistrates Court on January
25th. The former PSV player arrived at West Ham in August 2009 as part of
the deal that took flop Savio Nsereko to Fiorentina. Having struggled
initially to adjust to the pace of the English game, Da Costa began to
appear more regularly in the first team, often receiving positive reviews.
But with the Crown Prosecution Service having deemed his case worthy of
pursuing, it may well be that the player has kicked his last ball for West
Ham United. If found guilty, West Ham's supporters will almost certainly
demand it.
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Too little, too late
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 19th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan's backing of Avram Grant has been hailed as too little, too
late by supporters. West Ham's co-chairman was forced to comment on the
ongoing Grant 'will he stay/will he go' saga after the club were criticised
for tacking their only previous message of support for the under-fire
Israeli on to the end of an article at whufc.com regarding Karren Brady.
Talking to journalist Harry Harris yesterday, Sullivan said: "The entire
board is 100% behind Avram. He is a really decent person who deserves our
support. West Ham United is a club that does the right thing and the right
thing at this time is to support the manager. "We will do all we can to
bring in players over the next 12 days and, once we have achieved that, we
hope it will keep us up. I urge all supporters to rally behind the club at
this difficult time."
Sine Sullivan's comments were published, Hammers fans posting on forums
around the web have criticised the timing of his statement which only came
after Grant's chosen successor, Martin O'Neill, had ruled himself out of the
running after his involvement was leaked to the press last weekend. It is
argued that Grant's position is now virtually untenable, having failed to
receive the backing of his employers at any stage during last week's flurry
of speculation regarding his job. And although the club's owners would
reply that to deny such speculation every time it occurs would be a waste of
resources - and rightly so - the intense interest should have been either
confirmed or denied in some kind of statement by the club, say some.
Meanwhile Grant continues to prepare his threadbare squad for this weekend's
difficult trip to Merseyside, where West Ham take on Everton.
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Olympic stadium debate rages
Van Commenee hits out at Spurs' bid, Clegg opposes Hammers
Last updated: 19th January 2011
SSN
UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee has hit out at Tottenham's bid
for the Olympic Stadium, while Simon Clegg has come out in opposition to
West Ham's proposal. The Olympic Park Legacy Company is having a board
meeting on Friday, 28th January when it is now expected they will decide on
their preferred bidder. Ahead of the meeting, Van Commenee has hit out at
Spurs' proposal to build a new stadium without a track on the site. The
Dutchman has warned that demolishing the Olympic Stadium would leave London
less prepared to host a major athletics championship than just about every
other capital city in Europe. He said: "If London doesn't have a stadium
where we can organise major championships in athletics, that puts you in a
category in Europe that I can't even think of. "Is there any capital in
Europe that can't do this? Even Vilnius or Tallinn (the capitals of
Lithuania and Estonia) can do that. Maybe the capital of Albania doesn't
have a stadium, I don't know. "I'm astonished when I see all these articles,
that there's even a discussion, when a promise is made at the time that we
made the bid. I think get on with it, ridiculous."
Tottenham's plan is to redevelop the crumbling Crystal Palace athletics
stadium as a track and field legacy from the Olympics, although Championship
side Crystal Palace are also set to unveil outline plans on Thursday to
relocate to it.
Not acceptable
Asked if redevelopment would be an acceptable solution, Van Commenee said:
"No, not to me. We want the Olympic Stadium and that was the promise."
But Clegg has come out in opposition to West Ham's bid to keep the structure
and running track in place after the Games. The former chief executive of
the British Olympic Association who now holds the same post at Ipswich Town
FC, Clegg said it would be "madness" to have a running track inside a
stadium which would be mainly used for football. He is the first person from
an Olympics background to speak out against the track being retained but
said he recognises the need for and commitment to a legacy. He said: "It is
quite obvious that the only viable model for the stadium is to have a
football club as an anchor tenant. "I am very clear that it is not
compatible to have football and track and field athletics in the same
stadium in this country. "Football fans in this country want to be as close
to the action as possible. I articulated this to Sebastian Coe a couple of
years ago but the issue has become even more acute for me since I have been
involved in a club.
Huge challenge
"The West Ham option would be a huge challenge and I don't think it would
work. The entire bid was based on the principle of sustainable legacy and
not creating white elephants and only 17 months out from the Games we have
still not resolved the thorny issue of future of the stadium. "It's madness
to suggest we should keep a track just on the basis we may get an athletics
World Championships or European Championships say once every 15-20 years."
Clegg is not convinced Tottenham's plan for Crystal Palace is the right
option either. He added: "It does seem to me the best solution for the
Olympic Stadium would be Tottenham's proposal but on the proviso of a track
and field legacy elsewhere in east London rather than Crystal Palace which
is in the wrong place and where public transport links are not good. "For me
the East End must have a sustainable athletics legacy and it would need to
be another new site in east London."
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Da Costa charged with assault
Hammers defender set for court date
Last updated: 19th January 2011
SSN
West Ham defender Manuel da Costa has been charged with sexual assault
following an alleged incident in a nightclub, Scotland Yard said on
Wednesday.
Da Costa will appear at Redbridge Magistrates' Court on 25th January charged
with sexual assault and common assault on a woman. The 24-year-old, of Wards
Wharf Approach, Newham, east London, was arrested in October and bailed by
police pending further inquiries. Scotland Yard said allegations had been
made by a woman in her early 20s at an east London police station in the
early hours of 17th October. The alleged incident had happened shortly
before.
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Battle for Puncheon
Up to six Premier League clubs keen
By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey Last updated: 19th
January 2011
SSN
A battle is ensuing to land Jason Puncheon with a number of Premier League
clubs stepping up their interest. The Southampton winger is ready to leave
the South Coast club, having already spent time on loan at Millwall earlier
this season. However, his form with The Lions, where he scored five goals in
seven games, has alerted a host of other clubs. A battle is now ensuing for
the 24-year-old, and skysports.com understands up to half-a-dozen Premier
League clubs are now looking at him. Amongst the club hunting him are
Blackpool,Wolves, West Brom and West Ham. As well as Millwall, Championship
sides Swansea, Middlesbrough, Portsmouth and Leicester are also chasing
Puncheon. His agent Tony Finnigan confirmed the interest in him, telling
skysports.com: "There is considerable interest in Jason. "He is capable of
playing at the highest level and it is not a surprise the clubs are showing
an interest. "But at the moment, all enquiries need to be fielded by Nicola
Cortese [chairman] at Southampton."
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Hammers Still Av a boss problem
The Sun
By VIKKI ORVICE
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT could still get the bullet at West Ham in the coming weeks.
Hammers owners David Sullivan and David Gold told boss Grant on Tuesday that
he would not be sacked this season, with Sullivan declaring: "We're a club
that does the right thing." That came after the public humiliation of Grant
at the weekend as West Ham pursued Martin O'Neill, who then distanced
himself from the job. But Upton Park strike legend Tony Cottee fears the axe
is still hovering over struggling Israeli. Cottee said: "They have publicly
backed Grant but if West Ham get stuffed at Everton and then lose to
Blackpool, how can they back him to the end of the season? "These owners
arrived a year ago and totally undermined Gianfranco Zola, who wasn't even
their man. "It was only a question of time before he went. "I am not Grant's
biggest fan and it does not surprise me that the club are in this situation.
"But he doesn't deserve to be treated like this."
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Give Stadium to Spurs
The Sun
Published: Today
THE man behind London's 2012 bid says Spurs should take over the Olympic
Stadium after the Games. Tottenham are battling West Ham for the right to
use the Stratford arena following next year's sporting showpiece. And Simon
Clegg, former chief executive of the British Olympic Association, is backing
the North Londoners over the Hammers. West Ham have promised to retain the
athletics track, while Spurs will demolish the stadium and build a new one -
without a track. Clegg, now chief executive at Ipswich, said: "The only
viable model is to have a football club as a tenant. It is not compatible to
have football and athletics in the same stadium. "It's madness to keep a
track on the basis we may get a major athletics championships once every 15
to 20 years."
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Give Stadium to Hammers
The Sun
Published: Today
ATHLETICS bigwig Charles van Commenee reckons demolishing the Olympic
Stadium would be ridiculous. Yet that is Spurs' plan - along with
redeveloping Crystal Palace as a home to athletics - should they beat West
Ham to become future tenants. The decision is due to be made next Friday.
And Britain's head coach Van Commenee is backing the Hammers' bid. He said:
"I'm astounded pulling down the Olympic Stadium is even under discussion.
It's ridiculous. Crystal Palace is not an acceptable solution. "How will we
host future athletics championships? Is there any other capital in Europe
that can't do this. Maybe the capital of Albania!" Jamaican sprint legend
Usain Bolt added: "Keep the track and think about the young British athletes
that are coming up."
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West Ham skipper Upson hails Tomkins progress
TalkSport
By Declan Taylor
Wednesday, January 19
West Ham captain Matthew Upson has praised his centre-back apprentice James
Tomkins for bouncing back from being dropped earlier this season. The
England youth international endured a difficult opening day, as West Ham
were brushed aside 3-0 by Aston Villa in August. And manager Avram Grant
wielded the axe as a result of his performance with Tomkins not starting
another Premier League match until late November. But, as a result of an
ankle injury to Manuel Da Costa, Tomkins has now not missed a minute of the
Hammers' last nine top-flight matches. And no one is happier than Upson, who
has been instrumental in Tomkins' development. "It's great to have him here
and I've taught him everything he knows," Upson joked. "He has been
brilliant since he was dropped at the start of the season. He had a rough
start to the season, has really bounced back and shown a lot of character.
Hats off to him.
"It's good to see these boys come through from the academy and stake a claim
for first-team football."
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Avram Grant gets West Ham's backing but no extra transfer funds
Manager has £5m-£6m to spend unless he sells a player
Club need at least draw at Everton, says Jonathan Spector
Jamie Jackson
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 19 January 2011 20.21 GMT
Avram Grant fears West Ham lost valuable time during the transfer window
because of the rumours over his possible replacement by Martin O'Neill.
Avram Grant has not been handed extra funds to recruit players following
West Ham United's statement yesterday backing their under-pressure manager.
The Israeli will have to continue working to a budget which gives him
£5m-£6m to spend unless he sells a player, plus loan signings. Grant is
concerned that rumours suggesting he would be sacked after last Saturday's
match with Arsenal, to be replaced by Martin O'Neill, have allowed crucial
time to be lost in his attempt to strengthen the bottom side's squad.
West Ham said yesterday that they had "identified potential transfer targets
to give us the best possible chance of retaining Premier League status".
Grant has so far managed to sign only Wayne Bridge, a left-back, on loan
from Manchester City and is continuing his attempt to add a creative
midfielder and a striker. Tottenham Hotspur's Jamie O'Hara and Robbie Keane
head the list for those respective positions and may well be loan signings.
West Ham have lost their past two Premier League games, 5-0 at Newcastle
United and 3-0 at home to Arsenal. Grant's team travel to Everton on
Saturday to meet the side they drew 1-1 against on 28 December.
Jonathan Spector is clear about the necessity to gain at least a draw at
Goodison Park. The American said: "The aim is to go there and get a result.
A point is OK but we go there looking for a win. That's what our focus will
be on.
"We've had some pretty good results and are aiming to turn our season
around. Hopefully, this game will act as a boost and serve as the catalyst
to help us climb the table. The reverse fixture in December is a game we
felt we should have won but we ended up with a draw. Hopefully we can go up
there and get a win."
Regarding the defeat to Arsenal, Spector said: "Certainly it was a
disappointing result as we wanted to build on the recent results we've had
at home. We had a couple of great nights [beating Barnsley in the FA Cup and
then Birmingham City in the Carling Cup] over the previous week and would
have liked to have pushed on but it didn't happen.
"It was a tough game. You know they're going to have a lot of the ball
because they're very good at keeping it, passing it and moving it around. We
made it difficult for ourselves by not keeping it."
Spector, normally a defender, has recently moved into central midfield and
could stay there as Scott Parker's ankle injury may rule him out against
Everton. "I'm still getting used to it, but I'm getting more and more
comfortable in that role with every game," Spector said. "I'm delighted to
be playing and hopefully I'll be able to continue in there and learn the
position more and more."
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Teletubbies would be easier viewing for West Ham fans than this car crash...
By LEO SPALL
Last updated at 1:41 AM on 20th January 2011
Daily Mail
It would be fascinating to know what the world looks like through the eyes
of David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady. A world in which David
Beckham, Thierry Henry and Joe Cole have been genuine transfer targets for
West Ham and Martin O'Neill was about to become their manager. Maybe it is
also a perspective in which their club is safe in the Premier League and
highly respected for the way it is run too. For those who buy into it, I
imagine it has the same strange but comforting effect that the Teletubbies
programme does on kids. For those who don't, it is truly frightening. The
latest episode centred on O'Neill and had more people tuning in than ever
before. The highly-respected former Celtic and Aston Villa manager was
apparently so desperate to get back into the game after a few months out
that he was prepared to take a gamble on West Ham. Never mind that they were
heading for relegation with a less than impressive squad, inadequate
transfer budget and run by a demanding board among whom cracks were
appearing. What was not to like? O'Neill apparently gave West Ham enough
encouragement for briefings to be given that the incumbent, Avram Grant, was
about to be sacked.
But, not for the first time, O'Neill changed his mind about an important
decision. He declined the chance to wreck his reputation. In Laa-Laa land
though they didn't appear to see it coming and had no credible plan B at the
ready. Instead, West Ham put out a statement backing Grant, who had all but
given up hope and must have already decided what he would do with his
whopping pay-off. So it is disappointment all round and the 'chemistry' that
apparently attracted the club's owners to Grant in the first place must now
have all the properties of a stink bomb. A poor manager who never should
have been appointed and was failing to guide his team to safety has now been
fatally undermined but must carry on.
Owners who have staked their claim to credibility on a record of standing by
managers have now axed one and all but cut the head off another in their
first year at Upton Park. Oh, and the incredulity at the wages paid by West
Ham's previous owners that was expressed by Sullivan and Gold when they took
over has gone quiet after the £90,000-a-week loan signing of Wayne Bridge.
West Ham fans will always have to be grateful to the former Birmingham
owners for saving their club from financial meltdown but after the car crash
they have made of it since, maybe watching Teletubbies instead isn't such a
bad idea.
You certainly cannot fault Tottenham for their ambition. Maybe the
introduction of Chelsea as a stalking horse forced them to act earlier than
they had hoped to in the signing of Steven Pienaar, but they refused to risk
losing their transfer target. The South Africa midfielder will add something
to their squad too but quite who he will play instead of is hard to fathom.
It is not as if David Bentley's move to Birmingham has created an obvious
opening as the club have gathered one of the biggest and best stocked squads
in the Premier League. Unless Spurs hold a firesale before the end of the
transfer window, Harry Redknapp's midfield will be overflowing with riches.
They could still do with options for the holding role but Pienaar is not an
obvious candidate and may have to be patient.
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West Ham Academy boss slams Youth Cup referee
Newham Recorder
Dave Evans, West Ham correspondent
Thursday, 20 January, 2011
2:13 AM
WEST HAM Academy director Tony Carr slammed referee Adam Crysell after he
turned down two Hammers penalty appeals during their 1-0 FA Youth Cup defeat
by Manchester United. The Hammers under-18s were launching a storming finish
to the game as they looked to come back from Will Keane's first-half strike
for United and deep into injury time they felt they had grabbed their
chance.
Impressive substitute Matthias Fanimo stormed down the left and when he
squared it back for Robert Hall, his shot seemed to be handled by a
Manchester United defender, only for the referee to wave away the
protestations.
That, and an earlier decision from the referee infuriated Carr and spoiled
what was an excellent second-half fightback by the Hammers.
"I think we shaded it in terms of territory, possession and chances created
in the second half, and I thought we had two penalty claims that looked very
legitimate," said a clearly furious Carr.
"I've seen the second one of the replay and it's blatant. It's handball,
regardless of whether he meant it or not, he has stopped the ball from going
into the net with his arm so it is a penalty.
"Obviously the referee didn't see it that way, but I think that was a poor
decision."
An earlier penalty appeal for handball was also turned down, while Carr felt
that his team should also have had a spot kick for a foul on Hall, who
impressed on the right wing during this game.
"I think we had another legitimate claim when Robert Hall got brought down,"
said Carr. "He played advantage when Dylan Tombides got scythed down on the
edge of the box, Robert picked it up, wiggled his way into the box and was
just about to draw his leg back to shoot when he was pulled back.
"That for me is another penalty, but the referee didn't see that one
either."
West Ham started slowly against a big and powerful United side and Carr felt
that his team were slightly overawed by the size of the visitors.
"I think their number seven was the only one under six foot," said Carr.
"They were a very aggressive, determined team, but fair as well, I have to
say, but we found that hard to come to terms with, especially in the first
half."
The winner came on 26th minute after a mistake by goalkeeper Sam Cowler
allowed Will Keane to follow up and score.
"I'm disappointed we gifted them the goal, it was a goalkeeping mistake,
which was uncharacteristic of Sam because he has been solid for us this
season," said the coach.
"He made a mistake and they have capitalised on it and then basically sat
back and said break us down, and their game was counter attack."
West Ham certainly dominated the second half, so what had Carr told his boys
at the break as the team trailed by a goal to nil?
"We just told them that they have to do things a little bit quicker. Push up
from the back a little bit more, try and play the game in their half and
play a little bit sharper and quicker," revealed Carr.
"We did that and they were sitting back a little bit more, trying to soak up
the pressure to do us on the counter attack, which they did a couple of
times which was inevitable.
"But the performance was very good, in the second half especially and I
didn't think there was anything between the teams."
West Ham miss out on a home tie against Newcastle United or Grimsby Town in
round five, but Carr vowed to bounce back again next season.
"They are all a bit down, they are a bit disappointed, but they shouldn't
be," said Carr. "We deserved something from it and if it wasn't for the
referee we might even have won the game.
"Six or seven of the boys can play next year in this competition, so this
season would have been good experience for them, it is a shame we only went
two rounds this year.
"We will have to try and win it next year."
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