WHUFC.com
A win after a five-goal thriller announced Steve Lomas' return to the club in style
02.03.2011
Steve Lomas was delighted to make a winning start to his new role as West Ham United reserve-team manager. The former skipper was appointed this week and saw his new charges win 3-2 against Arsenal at Bishop's Stortford on Tuesday night. Dylan Tombides scored twice, either side of a Zavon Hines header, to help a strong Hammers side triumph. "Yes, I'm pleased with a winning start," Lomas told West Ham TV. "Obviously we were up against a young Arsenal side that put in a good performance, but I thought our lads did very well. "The senior lads showed a really good attitude and we could have had two or three more goals. I was really pleased with the application and desire they showed."
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Piq targets Potters points
WHUFC.com
With a strong record against Stoke City, Frederic Piquionne would relish facing them on Saturday
02.03.2011
Freddie Piquionne has stressed how "every game is important" as the striker looked forward to once again facing Stoke City this Saturday. The popular Piquionne has scored three goals in four games against the Potters since arriving in English football last season with Portsmouth. Whether this weekend he can add to that tally or continue his recent role as provider for others, he believed the Hammers could propel themselves up the league table and quickly.
"The league is crazy this season," he said. "There are not many points between many teams and it is very close. We cannot think about anyone else but must focus on getting the points ourselves and try to win every game."
The 32-year-old is competing for a starting berth with in-form Carlton Cole and Demba Ba, while Victor Obinna is closing on a return and Robbie Keane is also working to overcome his thigh injury. Piquionne said whoever was picked to lead the line must take the responsibility. "If everyone can play to their best, then we have a chance of winning more games and we can stay up. Every game is important, starting with Stoke on Saturday. "We will take lots of confidence from the Liverpool win. It was very good and we are pleased we played well and scored lots of goals. We need to keep this going. We are confident but we have to do the job against Stoke."
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Upson tips up Tomkins
West Ham ace hails team-mate
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Matthew Upson thinks West Ham starlet James Tomkins can follow him into the England squad. Tomkins has been playing alongside Upsonfor much of this season, but despite their struggles - the England international is convinced the 21-year-old is showing huge potential. Upson believes Tomkins has what it takes to make it on the international stage. "He has come on leaps and bounds this season," Upson said. "I played a lot with him last season and he has the raw material to become a top player. "If he keeps improving the way he is and mentally develops I think he'll have a great chance of being an international."
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Bridge backs Grant character
Hammers defender praises manager
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Wayne Bridge has defended manager Avram Grant against accusations that he is not positive enough. The West Ham boss has been criticised for his dour demeanour at times in the past, with some people suggesting he lacks passion. Having been a part of the Upton Park dressing room since his move from Manchester City in January, Bridge insists nothing could be further from the truth. The left-back has been impressed by Grant'sattacking philosophy and says he is also very good at motivating the players. "Avram is a character," Bridge said in The Sun. "Sitting in team meetings, you realise what a positive person and manager he is. "Everything is geared to making the players feel good about themselves and going on to the pitch with the right attitude. "Avram wants everyone to be positive on the pitch, to get forward and play attractive, attacking football."
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Addicks deny McCarthy move
Powell hopes to make two loan signings before Tranmere game
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Charlton Athletic manager Chris Powell has denied reports that he has made an approach to sign West Ham United striker Benni McCarthy. The experienced McCarthy has dropped out of Avram Grant's plans at Upton Park and was recently a target for Charlton's League One rivals Sheffield Wednesday. However, while Powell is keen to bring in two players on loan before Saturday's game against Tranmere Rovers, he says he has not lined up a move for McCarthy. "I don't know where that story's come from," said Powell in the News Shopper. "We haven't contacted West Ham and they haven't contacted us. "He's a quality player but if we had a desire to bring him in then I would have made the call myself by now. "You've got to look at so many factors with a player like that. Is he right for us? "He's a Premier League player so he's on Premier League money so it's also a case of if we can manage to bring him in." He added: "I'm going to do my utmost to ensure we'll bring in a couple of players by Saturday. We're only allowed two loans because we already have three."
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Ba - I'm not greedy
Striker disappointed with the way he has been portrayed
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Demba Ba has dismissed suggestions that he is motivated by greed after claiming he could have earned more money by joining Rubin Kazan instead of West Ham United. The Senegal international joined the Hammers from Hoffenheim in January after seeing a permanent move to Stoke City collapse due to a failed medical. However, Ba's final weeks before leaving Hoffenheim were tainted by his portrayal as a mercenary and his refusal to travel to a winter training camp in Spain. Ba has accused Hoffenheim general manager Ernst Tanner of 'ruining his image' and is adamant money was not behind his decision to link up with West Ham. "Mr Tanner has ruined my image in the Bundesliga," Ba said in an interview with Sport Bild magazine. "I only heard these words: 'Demba is only after money'. The truth is that I could have earned much more money elsewhere. "I was presented with an offer from Rubin Kazan. They wanted to pay a €15million fee. I could have earned much more there than in West Ham. "It's not all about money for me."
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Piquionne expects Reds boost
Striker says upset will hand Hammers confidence lift
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Frederic Piquionne has urged West Ham to carry the momentum from their Liverpool victory into their impending clash against Stoke. The Hammers, currently second-bottom of the Premier League, enjoyed a surprise win at Upton Park on Sunday, seeing off the Reds 3-1. And 32-year-old striker Piquionne, who has scored three goals in four games against the Potters since arriving in English football last season with Portsmouth, hopes the Hammers can continue their good form on Saturday. "We will take lots of confidence from the Liverpool win," he told West Ham's official website. "It was very good and we are pleased we played well and scored lots of goals. We need to keep this going. "We are confident but we have to do the job against Stoke."
Competitive
Piquionne feels the competitive nature of the bottom half of the table this season could work in West Ham's favour, with the East Londoners just one point away from safety and only six adrift of mid-table. "The league is crazy this season," he added. "There are not many points between many teams and it is very close. "We cannot think about anyone else but must focus on getting the points ourselves and try to win every game." Piquionne, who is competing for a starting berth with in-form Carlton Cole and Demba Ba,has called on his team-mates to give their all going into the climactic months of the campaign.
He said: "If everyone can play to their best, then we have a chance of winning more games and we can stay up. "Every game is important, starting with Stoke on Saturday."
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Coates - No Ba regrets
Chairman says signing striker was too much of a risk for Stoke to take
Last updated: 2nd March 2011
SSN
Stoke City chairman Peter Coates insists it would have been too much of a risk for the club to press ahead with a deal to sign Demba Ba. Senegal international Ba had appeared poised to join Stoke in a £7million deal from Hoffenheim in January only for the move to fall through due to concerns over a knee injury. Ba subsequently signed for West Ham Unitedbefore the close of the transfer window and he has scored three goals in three Premier League appearances for the strugglers. The 25-year-old could get the opportunity to show Stoke what they missed out on at the weekend when the Hammers welcome Tony Pulis' side to Upton Park.
Risk
However, Coates says there are no regrets regarding the decision to back out of a deal for Ba, stating the club could not gamble with such a large sum of money. "There are no qualms about the decision we made," Coates told The Sentinel. "We would have taken the player had he passed the medical. But we were strongly advised by our medical team that it was a risk we could not take. "You cannot spend large sums of money on a high-risk basis. We were disappointed, though, because we wanted to sign the player and the eventual decision was nothing to do with his ability."
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West Ham's move to Olympic Stadium to be approved despite legal threat
Barry Hearn warns Premier League he will sue
Leyton Orient also send warning letter to the government
Owen Gibson
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 2 March 2011 21.32 GMT
The government and the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, are on Thursday expected to rubber-stamp the decision to award the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United and Newham council after the Games, despite Leyton Orient threatening to take legal action.
Last month the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) decided only the joint bid from West Ham and Newham, which proposed to retain the athletics track, met all its criteria for legacy use following a bitterly fought battle between the east London club and Tottenham Hotspur.
But despite fresh warnings from the owner of neighbouring Orient, Barry Hearn, that he will consider legal action, it is believed that the government and the mayor – each 50% shareholders in the OPLC – have resolved to give the go-ahead and will announce their decision in a written statement to parliament on Thursday.
Lawyers and advisers for Spurs, who believe that a stadium with an athletics track is unsustainable and proposed to build a dedicated football ground in its place, are also still believed to be reviewing the process by which the decision was reached.
Hearn has formally warned the Premier League that he will sue for damages if it does not satisfactorily explain how the decision was arrived at.
Hearn confirmed warning letters from Orient's law firm, Mishcon de Reya, have also been sent to the government, City Hall, the OPLC and West Ham. The Orient owner believes the Premier League breached its own rules and has asked for a response by the beginning of next week.
He fears Orient's crowds will be damaged if West Ham introduce cut-price tickets to fill the 60,000-seat stadium, which is due to open in time for the 2013-14 season after £95m of conversion work. West Ham's vice-chair, Karren Brady, has claimed that an entire family will be able to watch at the Olympic Stadium for the price of a single ticket at Upton Park.
The OPLC has maintained it followed transparent and fair criteria, and the Premier League believes it gave the matter due consideration but decided in December it did not have the power to block either Spurs or West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium.
But Orient point to Premier League rules that state clubs moving grounds must not "adversely affect the clubs having their registered grounds in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location".
Hearn has posited a variety of possible remedies, including the possibility of compensation or helping Orient move to a new modern ground in the shadow of West Ham's proposed new home. He has talked of converting the Olympic hockey stadium into a new ground or building a new stadium in the Eton Manor area of the Olympic site, a plan that he last week claimed was backed by local authorities.
Once the OPLC's decision to make West Ham their preferred bidder has been approved, it will enter detailed negotiations with the aim of signing a binding contract with a new company set up by the club and Newham council to house the lease by the end of this month.
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West Ham clean up balance sheet
Pre-tax loss rises but Hammers staff costs are cut
Club renegotiates loans but £26m pumped in by shareholders
Matt Scott
The Guardian, Thursday 3 March 2011
West Ham United are in a much better place than even one month ago. Winning the Olympic Stadium tenancy has coincided with only one defeat in their last six matches. But there has been a hidden and arguably far more important reason for the Hammers to be happy: their detritus-ridden balance sheet is at last being cleaned up.
The accounts to 31 May last year show a £20.6m pre-tax loss, which is £4.4m higher than that of the previous year. But the financial fundamentals of the club are far healthier than in recent seasons. Although a £6.2m fall in distributions from the Premier League shrunk cashflow – West Ham finished in 17th place compared with the ninth of the previous year – Davids Gold and Sullivan have been able to strip out £13m of staff costs (mostly from players). This has caused the club's wages-to-turnover ratio to fall to 70% from a completely unsustainable 79%.
A £10m debt owed to Straumur has been converted into shares and remaining loans have a smoother repayment profile. The club had been in breach of banking covenants on £38.5m of debt. This was dire straits: lenders could technically demand immediate repayment. But last month the loans were renegotiated. Now the £38.5m need be repaid only at the end of 2013.
There remain areas of concern. There is the relegation threat, the fact that the final instalment on their £21.5m compensation to Sheffield United will not be paid until 2013, that the healthy figures were only possible due to £26m of shareholder cash pumped in over the year and that £7.3m of next season's ticket income has been sold forward. But at least West Ham are still standing.
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Leyton Orient threaten legal action over West Ham move
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 4:13 PM on 2nd March 2011
Daily Mail
Leyton Orient have threatened to sue the Premier League for tens of millions of pounds in damages if they do not reconsider their decision to allow West Ham to move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. Orient believe that if West Ham move to the stadium, which is within a mile of their Brisbane Road home, then they will lose up to £1.5million a year. Chairman Barry Hearn has repeatedly expressed his frustration and anger at how Orient have been treated and now the club have issued a nine-page document outlining their argument to Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore. Orient, who travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal in an FA Cup fifth-round replay tonight, argue that the Premier League have undermined their own rules by giving West Ham the green light to move after London 2012. In the Premier League rules section 6.5 of rule 1 states that a club may only move location provided the move 'would not adversely affect clubs having their registered grounds in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location'. The club have threatened High Court action if the decision is not either reversed or better explained by March 8. The main concern for Orient's board is that West Ham's plan to sell tickets at drastically low prices will lure fans away from Brisbane Road and seriously jeopardise the long-term future of the club.
The League One club are represented by top sports law firm Mishcon de Reya and have already written to London Mayor Boris Johnson, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for Communities and Local Government in search of support for their case. A 10-page document was sent last Friday, with copies also going to West Ham and to the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Now, Orient have turned their sights on the Premier League. The club are confident they have a strong case - watch this space.
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James Tomkins can be England star, claims West Ham team-mate Upson
2 Mar 2011
Evening Standard
West Ham captain Matthew Upson believes James Tomkins has the potential to be an England star of the future. Upson has played alongside Tomkins at the heart of the Hammers' defence for the majority of what has so far been a poor season. The relegation-threatened club may have conceded 49 league goals this term, but Upson reckons Tomkins is showing signs of developing into a quality defender who could pull on a Three Lions shirt soon. "He has come on leaps and bounds this season," Upson said of the 21-year-old after Sunday's 3-1 win over Liverpool. "I played a lot with him last season and he has the raw material to become a top player. If he keeps improving the way he is and mentally develops I think he'll have a great chance of being an international."
Aside from a late mix-up with Lars Jacobsen in the build-up to Liverpool's goal, Tomkins played well on Sunday, keeping Luis Suarez in check for most of the game. Striker Frederic Piquionne believes the victory has renewed the squad's optimism and has called on his team-mates to produce a repeat performance against Stoke this weekend to further their bid to avoid relegation. "We will take lots of confidence from the Liverpool win," he said. "It was very good and we are pleased we played well and scored lots of goals. We need to keep this going. We are confident but we have to do the job against Stoke."
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Tomkins: Talent in the West Ham squad will keep us up
East London Advertise
Matt Diner, West Ham correspondent
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
1:22 PM
JAMES TOMKINS believes the talent in the West Ham squad will propel the east Londoners away from the bottom three. The Hammers brought in Gary O'Neil, Demba Ba, Wayne Bridge and Robbie Keane in the January transfer window to boost their hopes of survival. The early signs are encouraging and the Hammers have lost only one of their last four, with Tomkins optimistic about the Hammers' Premier League survival. "It will be a tough task, don't get me wrong, but with the talent we have in the dressing room we can stay up," he said. "I just think if we play the way we are and keeping the players together like we have, we have good team spirit, I think it's possible. We know we can beat anybody if we play our best."
Three points on Saturday will give West Ham their first back-to-back win in 39 attempts. The Hammers beat Liverpool 3-1 at Upton Park and with the east Londoners just one point away from 17th place Wolverhampton Wanderers a win could see them move out of the relegation places for the first time since they beat Wolves on New Year's Day. "Obviously we have to back up these kinds of results we had today with another win. Three points is massive it can creep us up that table a bit more and hopefully away from the bottom three," said Tomkins. "Hopefully the fans can get behind us and we can get another win."
West Ham will also need Tomkins and centre half partner Matthew Upson to be at their best against Stoke this Saturday at Upton Park. The duo were immense against Liverpool last Sunday and with Potters' renowned for their direct style of play, both are going to have to be strong once again. "Physically I have come along a lot this season. I feel I am learning the game more and more and coming up against physical players. I'm enjoying playing at the moment and I am really looking forward to the game," Tomkins said. "I think me and Matty had good times this season together. I always enjoy playing with him. He's really experienced and a good player to play with. Today we did really well and that goes for the whole back and really as a team we defended really well."
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Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham warned off France striker
Published 13:48 02/03/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Lorient president Loic Fery insists he will fight to keep in-demand striker Kevin Gameiro in Brittany this summer. The 23-year-old striker has attracted interest from around Europe this season with the likes of Arsenal, West Ham and Tottenham strongly linked with a bid, along with French sides Bordeaux and Valencia. However, Lorient supremo Fery insists he wants to keep the forward despite his contract running out in June next year. "We can imagine three possibilities," he told L'Equipe. "Let him go at the end of his contract, transfer him this summer or extend his deal at Lorient. "We've made considerable efforts - so far unsuccessfully - to try to extend his contract. I have not given up. Nothing is ruled out."
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No regrets over missing out on Ba - Stoke chairman
Published 14:05 02/03/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Stoke chairman Peter Coates has no regrets about their decision not to sign Demba Ba in the January transfer window. Instead the Senegal striker will be lining up for opponents West Ham on Saturday and looking to improve on his tally of three goals in five games. Stoke had agreed a £7.1million fee with Hoffenheim only for the move to break down over concerns about Ba's previous knee injury. Coates told the Sentinel: "There are no qualms about the decision we made. We would have taken the player had he passed the medical. "But we were strongly advised by our medical team that it was a risk we could not take. You cannot spend large sums of money on a high-risk basis. "We were disappointed, though, because we wanted to sign the player and the eventual decision was nothing to do with is ability."
Ba today revealed he opted for a move to West Ham ahead of a more lucrative offer from Russian side Rubin Kazan. The Senegal striker's relationship with Hoffenheim broke down completely in January and he refused to travel with the Bundesliga club to their winter training camp in Spain when interest from West Ham emerged. Ba was unhappy at his portrayal as a mercenary and accused Hoffenheim general manager Ernst Tanner of damaging his reputation. "Mr Tanner has ruined my image in the Bundesliga," Ba said in an interview with Sport Bild magazine. "I only heard these words: 'Demba is only after money'. The truth is that I could have earned much more money elsewhere. "I was presented with an offer from Rubin Kazan. They wanted to pay a 15million euro fee. I could have earned much more there than in West Ham. "It's not all about money for me."
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Will Demba Ba Come Back To Haunt Stoke?
By wes Wednesday 02 Mar 2011 12:28:00
Fansonline.net/stokecity
Stoke chairman Peter Coates says there is no regrets that his side did not sign striker Demba Ba when they had chance to during the January transfer window. Hopefully it won't be a decision that Stoke regret when they have to face the in-form striker – who has hit three goals in five games – when they face West Ham on Saturday. When Stoke had the chance of landing the player, they had agreed a fee with Hoffenheim, but he was supposed to have failed a medical. Yet the Potters were willing to take him on loan. Coates told the Sentinel: "There are no qualms about the decision we made. We would have taken the player had he passed the medical. "But we were strongly advised by our medical team that it was a risk we could not take. You cannot spend large sums of money on a high-risk basis. "We were disappointed, though, because we wanted to sign the player and the eventual decision was nothing to do with is ability."
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Leyton Orient start legal fight with Premier League over West Ham Olympic move
Tom Collomosse
2 Mar 2011
Evening Standard
Leyton Orient have today written to the Premier League and threatened to sue for "tens of millions of pounds" in damages if the governing body do not reconsider their decision to allow West Ham to move to the Olympic Stadium. As Russell Slade's team prepared for tonight's FA Cup fifth-round replay at Arsenal, a nine-page document - seen by Standard Sport - was being sent to PL chief executive Richard Scudamore outlining Orient's case. The club fear West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford - which is less than a mile from Brisbane Road - could cost them up to £1.5million a year, figures on which they will base their claim for damages. At the heart of Orient's case is their belief that the League have ignored their own rules by giving West Ham the go-ahead to move after the 2012 Games. Section 6.5 of Rule I states that the League would allow a club to move grounds provided the switch "would not adversely affect clubs having their registered grounds in the immediate vicinity of the proposed location".
Orient have asked the League to provide a response to their questions by March 8. They have made it clear that High Court action is a possibility if the League do not reverse their decision or explain more thoroughly how they reached it. West Ham's plans to reduce dramatically ticket prices if they move to the Olympic Stadium have alarmed Orient, as they worry it would see them lose up to 30 per cent of their average crowd for home matches, with casual supporters lured by the low-cost tickets. Orient chairman Barry Hearn wrote to the Premier League late in November to express his concerns, but it is thought he did not receive a reply before the League decided to sanction either West Ham's or Tottenham's move on December 9. Hearn then held talks with Scudamore on February 18. Orient are represented by top sports law firm Mishcon de Reya. The League One club have already written to London Mayor Boris Johnson, Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for Communities and Local Government. A 10-page document was despatched last Friday, with copies also going to West Ham and to the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Now, Orient have turned their sights on the League. The club are confident they have a strong case as they believe the PL have made their decision too hurriedly. A source close to the matter told Standard Sport: "The Premier League should be panicking. "They have made the decision in a bit of a rush, especially when you consider West Ham's plans to reduce dramatically ticket prices. "In sanctioning the move to the Olympic Stadium, the Premier League have made a decision that favours their own club and ignores a third party. "Orient have a strong case both for a judicial review and for legal action."
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Tony Cottee Column: Liverpool performance reminded me of West Ham's great escape
Tony Cottee, East London Advertiser Columnist
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
10:47 AM
THE performance against Liverpool on Sunday reminded me of a game which acted as a catalyst in 2007, the year we came back from the dead to stay up. That day West Ham were beaten 4-3 by Spurs at Upton Park, but you could see a huge improvement in the performance and that game really swung our season. We won our next two games in a row and of course stayed up on the final day with that famous 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We put in the same kind of performance against Liverpool and I believe it was the best we have played this season. The Reds were not at their best, far from it, but you can only beat what is in front of you and I believe a big reason why they were so poor is because the Hammers were so good.
We didn't let them settle on the ball and the first 20 minutes aside, when we sat back a little and let them play, but as soon as the first goal went in the game changed.
Scott Parker's goal lifted everyone and for the rest of the game pushed forward a lot more and really hassled Liverpool, forcing them into errors.
Parker was excellent as he is most games, while it was great to see Thomas Hitzlsperger play well and play for the whole 90 minutes. His abilitiy to play a whole game after such a long time out injured is a testament to his conditioning and natural fitness. All season I have spoke of how I believe the midfield or forwards have played well and not been a problem, while defensively we have been suspect. The goalkeeper and the back four were superb on Sunday and I feel James Tomkins and Matthew Upson put in their best performance of the campaign. Luis Suarez was made to look lightweight and Glen Johnson's goal aside, they only managed to create a couple of half-chances.
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Collison boost for Hammers
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on:02 March 2011 - 10:00 AM
Sport.co.uk
Welsh international midfielder Jack Collison is set to hand West Ham an injury boost by returning to fitness ahead of schedule. The 22-year-old has been out of the side for a year with a serious knee injury, which required surgery last May, but he is expected at training next week with a view to returning to the first team against Spurs on March 19. It will be a boost to Hammers boss Avram Grant, who will want all the fit players he can get for the run in, as the return of the Welsh international midfielder will add to his options. It is the second piece of major good news in a matter of weeks for Grant following the return to fitness of German international Thomas Hitzlsperger.
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Grays manager loses out on West Ham reserve team job
7:00am Thursday 3rd March 2011
Guardian Series
FOOTBALL: GRAYS manager Julian Dicks has missed out on the reserve team job at West Ham. The post has gone to Dicks' old teammate, Steve Lomas.
Dicks, his assistant at Grays, Kenny Brown, along with Ian Pearce, Steve Potts, and Lomas, were all interview for the post. West Ham say they are "delighted" to have now appointed Lomas, who made 227 for the Hammers and retired as a player in 2008. The position became available following the departure of Alex Dyer, who left to become assistant manager under Chris Powell at Charlton Athletic.
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We were right to bar Ba insist Stoke
Published 23:00 02/03/11 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Stoke chairman Peter Coates has insisted they were right to reject Demba Ba after he failed a January medical. Senegal striker Ba has since scored three goals in as many starts for West Ham, and will be facing Tony Pulis' Potters on Saturday. Avram Grant has compared the 6 ft 2in forward to Chelsea star Didier Drogba. But even though Stoke agreed a £7million fee with Ba's then-club, German side Hoffenheim, Coates said they could not gamble on a player with a history of knee problems. "There are no qualms about the decision we made," said Coates. "We would have taken the player had he passed the medical. But we were strongly advised by our medical team that it was a risk we could not take. "You cannot spend large sums of money on a high-risk basis. We were disappointed, though, because we wanted to sign the player and the eventual decision was nothing to do with his ability."
When Stoke backed away, West Ham moved in to hand Ba a contract until June 2014 - with Grant claiming his knee problems helped them them sign a "£15m" player. "He failed the medical and I understand why, but he had already played 21 games this season," said the Irons boss. "I don't have any healthy players who have played 21 games this season. "His value was £15million, but because he has problems in his knee we could take him. For the first time an injury helped me!"
After scoring 40 goals in 103 appearances in the Bundesliga, Ba effectively went on strike in December to force a transfer to the Premier League.
Hoffenheim general manager Ernst Tanner has claimed the 25-year-old wanted to move just for the money, but Ba claimed he turned down a mega-offer from Russia to come to London. "Mr Tanner has ruined my image in the Bundesliga," he said. "I only heard these words: 'Demba is only after money'. The truth is that I could have earned much more money elsewhere. "I was presented with an offer from Rubin Kazan. They wanted to pay a €15 million [£12.73m] fee. I could have earned much more there than in West Ham. It's not all about money for me."
Meanwhile, Ba's fellow Hammers striker Freddie Piquionne has called on his team-mates to maintain the momentum created by Sunday's win over Liverpool in the "crazy" battle against the drop. The Frenchman, who who has scored three goals in four games against Stoke since arriving in English football last season with Portsmouth, said: "We will take lots of confidence from the Liverpool win. "It was very good and we are pleased we played well and scored lots of goals. "We need to keep this going. The league is crazy this season. There are not many points between many teams and it is very close. "We cannot think about anyone else but must focus on getting the points ourselves and trying to win every game."
West Ham and Wales midfielder Jack Collison, who has been out for a year with a knee injury, will return to full training next week with the target of returning to action against Tottenham on March 19.
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Hammer Tomkins tipped to play for England
Published 15:39 02/03/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham captain Matthew Upson believes James Tomkins has the potential to be an England star. Upson has played alongside Tomkins at the heart of the Hammers' defence for the majority of what has so far been a poor season. The relegation-threatened club may have conceded 49 league goals this term, but Upson reckons Tomkins is showing signs of developing into a quality defender who could pull on a Three Lions shirt soon. "He has come on leaps and bounds this season," Upson said of the 21-year-old after Sunday's 3-1 win over Liverpool. "I played a lot with him last season and he has the raw material to become a top player. "If he keeps improving the way he is and mentally develops I think he'll have a great chance of being an international."
Aside from a late mix-up with Lars Jacobsen in the build-up to Liverpool's goal, Tomkins played well on Sunday, keeping Luis Suarez in check for most of the game. Striker Frederic Piquionne believes the victory has renewed the squad's optimism and has called on his team-mates to produce a repeat performance against Stoke this weekend to further their bid to avoid relegation. "We will take lots of confidence from the Liverpool win," he said.
"It was very good and we are pleased we played well and scored lots of goals. We need to keep this going. We are confident but we have to do the job against Stoke."
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