Reserves aim to sign off in style
WHUFC.com
The Hammers are heading to Telford on Wednesday for their final fixture of the campaign
26.04.2011
Steve Lomas will take his reserves to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night looking to sign off the 2010/11 Barclays Premier Reserve League South season on a positive note. The Hammers have stumbled of late, without a win in the last four matches, although Lomas has had to shuffle his pack repeatedly to accommodate first-teamers looking for much-needed game time. Chief among them has been Jack Collison who should get his fourth run-out in as many weeks at AFC Telford United's home ground. whufc.com will have full text coverage as usual from 6pm ahead of the 7pm kick-off at the New Bucks Head Stadium. As well as the likes of Collison, youngsters will continue to be blooded - including possibly Republic of Ireland Under-19 midfielder Eoin Wearen, who has returned to the club on a high after a successful international tournament in Cyprus. Wearen is relishing the chance to show what he can do at this level again, having linked up with Collison to good effect a fortnight ago in the goalless draw with Aston Villa. "It's always nice to have senior players in the side," he said. "It makes you feel comfortable and then you can play and obviously confident that you can win the game. People like Jack Collison are really supportive to you. I really enjoyed playing with him. "He looked really sharp, he's going to be back to his best in no time and obviously he's looking forward. He will be a big plus to the club when he gets back judging on tonight's performance. "I'm hoping to get a good run of games now towards the end of the season. I've got the European Championships coming up with Ireland so I want to stay nice and fit for that. Wearen is certainly eager to play his part for the Irish in the UEFA European U19 Championship Elite round when it starts in Poland on 24 May. As well as meeting the mini-tournament hosts on the first day, Ireland will take on Ukraine two days later and then Italy on 29 May. "It is a group that contains, us, Italy, Poland and Ukraine so it's anybody group although only one team goes through. We are confident we've got the squad to go and maybe cause an upset."
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Gabbidon calls on strikers
West Ham defender says they need to start taking chances
By Graeme Bailey -
Last Updated: April 26, 2011 12:40pm
SSN
West Ham stopper Danny Gabbidon admits the clubs strikers cannot afford to be wasteful during the run-in. The Hammers slipped to the foot of the Premier League table over the weekend after defeat to Chelsea on Saturday. West Ham have not won for five league matches and within that run they have failed to score three times. Their failure to convert chances was highlighted at Stamford Bridge as they missed a host of opportunities to equalise before Chelsea sealed victory in the last ten minutes. And Gabbidon admits things need to improve in the last third, saying: "It seems the same old story that we never take our chances. "We play well and create and never get the result. So it is disappointing. We put in a lot of hard work and we had chances to score and when they had their chances, they took them.
"For long parts of the game we did well and 3-0 is really disappointing. "I can't really take any pride as a defender from my performance as we lost 3-0 so I am disappointed."
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Could the Chelski Defeat Prove a Dry Run for Success at City?
April 27th, 2011 - 12:05 am by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Saturday's defeat was very strange. I do not remember West Ham having so much of the play, or carving out so many good chances at Stamford Bridge, since the Di Canio inspired victory in 2002-03! The 4-5-1 formation worked well, with Sears and Ba on the flanks providing the attacking threat, in support of lone striker Carlton Cole. Personally, I would have played Ba in the lone striker role and brought Boa Morte in on the left, but I said that prior to the match!
Lampard's goal was well worked, but we should have negated the threat. At 1-0 down, we had chances to level it, before falling victim to the inevitable Torres goal! The third was a sucker punch really, as we pushed forward trying to pull back the score line. Indeed, the second and third Chelski goals were undeserved and very harsh upon a Hammers team that had matched their hosts for much of the game. Questions should, however, be asked about the waterlogged state of the pitch. Chelski ground staff heavily watered the pitch prior to the match and then got caught out by the subsequent down pour. As a result, parts of the pitch had water laying upon the surface. Whether it aided or undermined the Hammers players is a moot point, but there is no doubt that it played a crucial part in the decisive second goal.
Who knows if the pitch also played a part in Mark Noble's injury? Lets hope that it is not serious and Noble will be available on Sunday? In addition, it is apparently touch and go whether Scott Parker will be fit. If there is the slightest doubt I would delay his return until the Blackburn match. Regardless of enforced changes I would go with a 4-5-1 formation once again at City. If Parker and Noble are injured, then we might have to go with Hitzlsperger, Spector, Kovac or Boa Morte, Sears and Ba as the midfield 5. However, if Jack Collison is fit then he needs to figure, if only from the substitutes bench. Wayne Bridge is not eligible for this match and it is likely that Gabbidon will move to left-back and Tomkins will partner Da Costa, if Matt Upson is not ready to return; while Jacobsen is an automatic choice at right-back.
No doubt Cole will play as the lone striker again. I hope that he applies himself to better hold up the ball, link up play and use his strength and skill to run at the centre of the City defence. The Monday and Tuesday defeats of Blackburn and Wolves have contrived to ensure that we stay well in touch of safety. Now we must start helping ourselves! The problem is not so much the other teams at the bottom, Blackpool, Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan will undoubtedly drop further points. The crucial question is: can we show the form and consistency to take advantage and thereby save ourselves? That is the pivotal variable factor, although it has to be said that key aspects of Saturday's performance were encouraging.
Hopefully, Grant will retain the same formation at City and the players selected will have learnt from the Chelski defeat and be better able to make it work on the day. The overarching lesson being that we must be more clinical and take any chances that we carve out in the course of Sunday's match. COYI!
SJ. Chandos.
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Danny hammers Irons strikers
Published: 26 Apr 2011
The Sun
DANNY GABBIDON believes it is about time West Ham's strikers started contributing to their relegation scrap. Avram Grant's side slipped to the foot of the Premier League table with a 3-0 hammering at Chelsea on Saturday. The Irons had plenty of chances to score, with Robbie Keane the worst offender after blasting wide from eight yards when they were just 1-0 down with 17 minutes remaining. West Ham have only scored four times in their current six-match winless streak and Gabbidon believes that must improve in their remaining four games if they are to avoid the drop. He said: "It seems the same old story that we never take our chances. "We play well and create and never get the result. So it is disappointing. We put in a lot of hard work and we had chances to score and when they had their chances, they took them. "For long parts of the game we did well and 3-0 is really disappointing. "I can't really take any pride as a defender from my performance as we lost 3-0 so I am disappointed."
Despite the criticism, Welshman Gabbidon insists there were plenty of positives to be taken from the showing at Stamford Bridge. And if the same passion is shown in the club's remaining fixtures against Manchester City, Blackburn, Wigan and Sunderland, survival will follow. He added: "If we can show that kind of fight and performance in all aspects of the game, we can stay up."
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Kid star can make his Marc
Published: Today
The Sun
WEST HAM are eyeing a move for Portuguese prodigy Marcio Dieb. Hammers boss Avram Grant has invited the £500,000-rated midfielder, who plays for third division club Barreirense, back for a second trial after he shone earlier this month.
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Collison boost for Hammers' relegation battle as midfielder gears up for return
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 6:23 PM on 26th April 2011
Daily Mail
Jack Collison could end his 14-month injury layoff by playing some part in West Ham's crucial clash against Manchester City this weekend. The midfielder was an integral part of the Hammers squad last season but suffered a serious knee injury while on international duty in March 2010 and has been out since. He has made steady progress in his rehabilitation, though, and could play in Sunday's game at Eastlands provided he comes through Wednesday's reserve fixture against Wolves unscathed. Collison's return would be timely for Avram Grant as the West Ham boss has a number of injury problems in midfield. Scott Parker has missed the last two games with an Achilles complaint while Gary O'Neil is out for the season with a serious ankle injury. The club should know the results of tests on Mark Noble's stomach injury on Wednesday. The central midfielder had to come off in the second half of Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea after feeling discomfort in his stomach after shooting at goal.
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West Ham United's Mark Noble's season at risk as he faces hernia test
Midfielder suffered stomach problem at Stamford Bridge
Scott Parker also a doubt for Sunday's game at Eastlands
Dominic Fifield
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 26 April 2011 22.31 BST
West Ham United's Mark Noble will undergo a scan on Wednesday amid fears that he suffered a hernia during the damaging defeat at Chelsea on Saturday – an injury that, if confirmed, would rule him out for the rest of the season.
Noble suffered pain in his lower stomach after shooting at Stamford Bridge last Saturday and, having been assessed on the pitch, departed on a stretcher. West Ham had hoped he had sustained only a minor stomach-muscle strain but the 23-year-old, who missed six weeks this season with appendicitis, has been sidelined by groin complaints in the past and there are real concerns that the root cause of this latest discomfort is a hernia. The tests will determine the extent of the problem and whether he will require surgery.
The midfielder's absence would be felt all the more keenly over the final four matches of what has proved to be a traumatic season given that Avram Grant's options in midfield have dwindled over recent weeks. Gary O'Neil suffered a serious ankle injury against Aston Villa in a tackle with Nigel Reo‑Coker and, having since had an operation on the joint, will be out for up to eight months. West Ham's most influential player, Scott Parker, is suffering from an achilles complaint.
Grant had hoped Parker would be fit tor the trip to Manchester City this Sunday, though the risk remains of aggravating the injury ahead of the critical three-game run-in which comprises more potentially winnable games against Blackburn Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Sunderland.
The West Ham manager said after the Chelsea loss that Parker's involvement at Eastlands is in serious doubt. "I don't know about next Sunday, but he will definitely be fit for the week after. I want him to play against City. I wanted him to play against Chelsea also but it depends on his condition. You know with Parker if it's 50-50 he will always play, but he was not ready. I hope he will be ready soon."
West Ham prop up the Premier League having lost four matches in succession. Their left-back Wayne Bridge will be ineligible at Eastlands as he is on loan from Manchester City, forcing Grant into further changes at the back, though Matthew Upson, who missed the Chelsea game through illness, is expected to return.
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Great Scott! Parker could return to face Man City for relegation strugglers West Ham
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:12 AM on 27th April 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham's Scott Parker could face Manchester City on Sunday even if he is not fully fit. The midfielder has missed the Hammers' last two defeats but, with Mark Noble also injured, boss Avram Grant said: 'If it's 50-50 he will always play.' Parker started running in training yesterday. Grant also hopes to have captain Matthew Upson back from a virus.
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Noble faces being ruled out of battle against the drop
By Mark Fleming
Wednesday, 27 April 2011
The Independent
Midfielder Mark Noble will undergo a scan today on a suspected hernia that will determine if he can play any part in West Ham's desperate fight against relegation from the Premier League. West Ham are hoping the injury that saw him taken off on a stretcher during Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Chelsea is nothing more than a muscle strain, but the more likely scenario is that Noble has suffered a hernia, which would rule him out for the rest of the season. The potential loss of Noble would be a huge blow for manager Avram Grant, who has already seen Footballer of the Year Scott Parker miss the last two games with a sore Achilles. Parker and Noble are unlikely to be fit for Sunday's game at Manchester City, where Grant will also be without midfielder Gary O'Neil (ankle) and Kieron Dyer (hamstring).
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Collison could return to face City
Tuesday 26th April 2011 17:58
TeamTalk
Jack Collison could end his 14-month injury lay-off by playing some part in West Ham's crucial clash against Manchester City this weekend. The midfielder was an integral part of the Hammers squad last season but suffered a serious knee injury while on international duty in March 2010 and has been out since. He has made steady progress in his rehabilitation, though, and could play in Sunday's game at Eastlands provided he comes through Wednesday's reserve fixture against Wolves unscathed. Collison's return would be timely for Avram Grant as the West Ham boss has a number of injury problems in midfield. Scott Parker has missed the last two games with an Achilles complaint while Gary O'Neil is out for the season with a serious ankle injury. The club should know the results of tests on Mark Noble's stomach injury on Wednesday. The central midfielder had to come off in the second half of Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea after feeling discomfort in his stomach after shooting at goal.
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