WHUFC.com
Demba Ba has told West Ham TV of his friendly relationship with the club's
supporters
18.05.2011
Since his arrival at West Ham United in January, Demba Ba has been a breath
of fresh air on and off the pitch. Between the white lines, the No21 has
plundered seven goals in just 12 league appearances while, off the field of
play, he is always available to the club's supporters, readily discussing
the team's fortunes, signing autographs and posing for photographs.
The quietly-spoken striker has spoken warmly of his relationship with the
many fans he has met since joining the Hammers. "The supporters have been
fantastic with me since I have been here," he told West Ham TV. "In every
game I just try to give my best for them. The few months from my beginning
have been fantastic. "I really like the atmosphere in the stadium and the
relationship I have with the supporters there."
Ba's happiness at the reception he has received from the claret and blue
army has been tinged with regret that he and his team-mates could not keep
the club in the Barclays Premier League. Despite the Senegal international's
two goals, West Ham were relegated following Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Wigan
Athletic - a result that left Ba himself hugely disappointed. "It's a bad
feeling. It's a bad feeling for sure because nobody wants to be relegated
and everybody wants to play in the Premier League. It was not a good moment
on Sunday when the game was finished but now we just have to think about the
future."
The immediate future holds a final home game of the season against
Sunderland on Sunday. While West Ham's fate is already sealed, the forward,
who turns 26 next Wednesday, is determined to sign off the 2010/11 campaign
with a victory. "It's very important we finish with a win. Even if we are
down, it's very important for the supporters to give them a bit of
happiness."
Ba also played down sensational reports surrounding Monday's End of Season
Gala Dinner. "Basically, a guy came to me asking for an autograph. I just
signed his paper and then he was just nice to me first of all, asking me how
I was feeling. I said 'The season is long and I'm getting tired now' and he
replied saying 'Yeah, we're tired to watch you play as well'. "I was really
surprised to hear him react like that and I explained to Manuel da Costa
what the guy was saying because he was with me at the table. Da Costa
replied to me in French and the guy started screaming all over the place, so
I just try to calm him down but he didn't want to be calm and started
screaming at everybody. Then players just came between us to calm him down
as well but he didn't want to talk to anybody. "There was no fighting. It
was quick. The situation was that there was just one guy screaming at
everybody and people came between us. Nobody got punched. There was no fight
- only this guy on his own smashing tables and screaming and insulting
everybody. "The evening continued completely normally like nothing had
happened. It was just one guy coming and causing some trouble and then he
left."
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Sullivan still hoping to sway Martin O'Neill as Di Canio throws hat into the
ring
Ken Dyer
18 May 2011
Evening Standard
West Ham have not given up hope of persuading Martin O'Neill to be their
next manager, despite their relegation to the Championship. Reports today
suggested that O'Neill, out of a job since leaving Aston Villa in August
2010, would reject any advances from West Ham for a second time, following
the club's efforts to persuade him to take over from Avram Grant last
January.
It is understood today, though, that the club's owners, David Gold and David
Sullivan, still believe there is a chance of convincing O'Neill that his
managerial future lies at Upton Park. Sullivan, meanwhile, said today he was
"amused" by reports that potential candidates for the manager's job had
already ruled themselves out. "We are amused by certain individuals saying
they don't want the job when they haven't been considered for it," he said.
"We've had approaches by some good candidates but we treat all applications
as confidential."
Sullivan's remarks come after former England coach Steve McClaren ruled
himself out of the running and Brighton manager Gus Poyet said he wouldn't
be making an application. Former Bolton and Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce,
meanwhile, remains a candidate, while the West Ham board have been impressed
with the way Paul Lambert has guided Norwich to promotion to the Premier
League.
Former West Ham forward Paolo di Canio, who has been linked with the vacant
managerial post, said today he would "give everything" if he ended up with a
coaching role at Upton Park. "I believe my future will be in England," Di
Canio told Italian TV channel Sport Mediaset. "In the next few days
something will happen. "English football is loyal, full of pride and I
believe I'm close to returning to England. It is the country that I most
love from a football standpoint."
The Italian spent seven years playing in the Premier League, four of which
were at West Ham. "I am very saddened by West Ham's relegation," he said.
"This team have always been in my heart. They have unique supporters. I
would give everything for West Ham. I even have a Hammers tattoo."
The club, meanwhile, are still not in a position to confirm the identity of
the fan who allegedly made a racist remark to striker Demba Ba and caused a
scuffle at the end-of-season gala dinner at the Grosvenor House hotel on
Monday night. "The incident at the hotel has been blown out of all
proportion," said Sullivan today. "We do not yet know the individual who was
involved, only the table where he was sitting."
The West Ham co-chairman also said today that he would be willing to talk to
AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes about investing in the club.
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West Ham or the Premier League?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 18th May 2011
By: Welling
I believe that many fans of clubs that are relegated from the Premiership
get so upset because they have lost sight of what supporting their club
means and are actually in love with the Premier League.
The events of the last few days have highlighted perfectly how football has
changed to a large degree over the last 20 years and gone from being a sport
for the working classes to a brand for the corporate investors.
The marketing boys and girls at Sky and the rest have for years tried to
brainwash a whole generation of football fans into believing that the
Premier League is where it's at and little else matters.
In addition to being told that it is the best league in the world (when in
reality it is the best paid league in the world), we are preached to
relentlessly and reminded constantly that the Champions League is the icing
on the cake and the pinnacle of club football.
Skt, along with other television and media companies and their pundits try
to persuade the fans from clubs not involved in European competitions like
us, Burnley, Scunthorpe and everyone else, that we should support the Man
Uniteds and the Chelseas when they play against the 'foreign teams'.
Many fans fall for it and the TV ratings get a boost, meaning income soars
due to advertising revenues. By all means watch whatever football matches
you like, but don't ever get fooled into cheering for the 'English Team'
just because they are based in England.
Appreciate the top players, the Messis, the Ronald's etc. They are, after
all, experts in trying to play the beautiful game the way it should be
played. And all teams need to have aspiration to emulate the best. Being a
West Ham Fan or a fan of any other club for that matter, should also mean
that you are a fan of the beautiful game of football itself.
What is it that is so bad about being relegated from the Premier League?
Many of you wouldn't be far wrong if you thought that it was the prospect of
simply not being in 'the Premiership'. Oh the disgrace, having to slum it
with the likes of Leeds and Crystal Palace etc…and other clubs that are no
longer quite what they once were.
I believe that some are just upset because they won't see the likes of
Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United playing at the Boleyn Ground next year
(unless it's in the Cup). Is it because they'll miss the 'star players' of
those clubs or the so called 'glamour' that they possess?
Undoubtedly the skill level of some of the top players at the top clubs is
far superior to that usually on display in the Championship. Also, with the
notable exceptions of teams like Wigan, Bolton and the like, the 'big teams'
bring a lot of away fans and help to make the atmosphere at the Boleyn.
Believe you me though, next season at the Boleyn, the atmosphere for games
against Millwall, Cardiff, Leeds and several others will be better than
anything we usually get in the Premier League. I for one, and I know there
are several others on here are looking forward to that.
Whether you like it or not, whether you are young or old, top flight
football in this country is rotten in many ways. As it currently stands,
you've got a historically mediocre club like Chelsea enjoying success, which
is all down to being bankrolled by the Russian. You've got another club with
a bit more history in Man City being bankrolled by the Arabs. You've got
Arsenal trying to hang on to their status by fielding teams packed with
foreigners and Liverpool trying desperately to convince their fans and the
rest of the country that they can be great once more.
In Man United you've got the undisputed champions of the last ten years,
seeing their reign slowly coming under threat, but still being just a bit
too good for the rest this season. We've also had our beloved neighbours
spend fortunes to achieve a limited amount of success. Quarter Finals of the
Champions League is not to be sniffed at, but even with all that
expenditure, still a long way off of having a realistic chance of winning
the thing.
You've got some of these clubs, buying 'average' players for £20million-odd
and paying them £100k-plus per week. You've got others, such as Terry,
Lampard, Rooney etc… on £200k per week. That's £10million a year!
When we played Chelsea the other week our entire squad was conservatively
valued by many at being worth £30-£40million. Chelsea brought on one sub in
Torres who cost £50million! How can any team like West Ham United compete
over the course of a season with such an uneven playing field?
We have to cope with 'slimeball' agents touting around second-rate players
with no love or knowledge of the club's history and traditions, who expect
to trouser £50k a week for the privilege of 'playing' for us. Frankly the
whole situation stinks. The Premier League in my eyes stinks, it's just that
so many hold their nose and choose to ignore the stench.
I'm not bitter whatsoever about relegation. I think the club needed to be
relegated. It gives us a chance to get rid of some of the overpaid and under
performing deadwood in the squad and also it will mean that some of the 'I
Love the EPL' fans will disappear.
Coming back to West Ham…
I don't particularly care who the next manager is, providing they understand
the suffering and lack of any real success us fans have been made to endure
over the years. Providing they know what the majority of the real fans want
- attractive football whenever and wherever possible, Effective football
when the needs arise and above all, a team that consists of….
Players that are passionate; players that give 100 per cent each week;
players that appreciate how privileged they are to be professional
footballers - and players that understand that they may well earn more in a
week than the fans paying to watch them earn in a year, or even several
years.
West Ham fans don't expect success. We hope and pray for it. We want to have
our own heroes to show the rest of the footballing world that there are
still owners, coaching staff, players and especially supporters that still
believe football is a working class game and that it isn't all about big
money signings earning obscene amounts of wages, many of whom couldn't care
less about the club they play for or the supporters that pay to watch them.
Of course we all want to be back in the Premier League as quickly as we can.
We would all love to be challenging for European places instead of fighting
a relegation battle every season. We are not good enough at the moment
though and this has been proven by our relegation.
We now need to sort out and address the fundamental problems at our club and
not just hope to paper over them to gain a quick return and a resumption of
our struggles at the bottom. A quick fix is not required, major surgery is.
So to all those crying after relegation and the prospect of playing in the
Championship, I say dry your eyes, man up and never forget what it means to
be a Hammer.
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Decline and redemption
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 18th May 2011
By: Upton Larks
Discussion can be had on where it all started; the decline. Be it failure to
invest after the most unforeseen of successful seasons in the heady mid
'80s, or maybe it came later, Rio Ferdinand's departure? Glenn Roeder's
appointment? Or more probably in 2006 when a balding Icelandic fronted a
takeover from much maligned long term owner Terry Brown. What's not
debatable is that it has happened.
This is the tale of how the club that did things right, the traditional
football club, the home of Brooking, Moore, Bonds, Lyall and Greenwood,
decent honourable men who honed a reputation of innovation, craft,
entertainment but above all else fairness, how their club has been cracked,
torn, frayed and tarnished … but is it irrevocably broken?
Arnold Hills intentions for a working men's club, founded by industrial
grafters, from clerks and boilermakers to foremen, was rooted in the hard
work of the East End and went on to become a proud institution to those who
inherited it. Hills and Dave Taylor, the fathers of the club could never
have foreseen the heritage, the traditions and culture that it would
eventually become and instil in those who became a part of it.
The ground works had been laid, and they were built upon with genius,
thoughtfulness and determination by first Ted Fenton, and then the culture
ingrained by West Ham United's greatest individual Ron Greenwood. We need
not go over those years in any great detail other than to say that the sons
of West Ham and the East End; Moore, Hurst and Peters are folklore of
England, not just our own.
But West Ham went on to be much more than this, more than the holy trinity,
more than even Greenwood and Lyall … it was the culture and legacy that they
gave us as our inheritance. It was what the fans became to understand was
being West ham, what following West Ham was about and eventually it became
the fans as well. It was what set us apart from all others, and it was
almost an in-joke, something no other club's fans would ever get, and we
didn't want nor need them to get it. We knew. We know.
Or do we?
The scandals, the mismanagement, the sagas and the soap operas of the past
20 years? 30 years? Have sought to cumulatively, like led poisoning, erode
all that was so hard to build. Are we the club of honour any more,
categorically no.
So what now? What of redemption? … the current owners court no favour with
me, and nor do they with many of our followers. I make the assumption that
the ill feeling comes disproportionately from those fans who truly
understand the culture, the long term followers. I may of course be wrong.
Whilst errors have been made, and will continue to be made, they do have the
best interests of the club at heart. I have no doubt of that, although
understand the cynics.
With fans of the club in charge, with relegation and an opportunity to right
the wrongs we've been paying since 2006, we have a unique opportunity to
re-establish all that we hold dear of West Ham. We have a chance to lay
cornerstones down for a new Ted Fenton, a new Lyall and Greenwood … we have
a chance to be the decent club once more.
Noble, Tomkins, Collison, Stanislas, Spence, Hines … it's a start, but we
need a new founding father with not only a vision but more importantly an
abundance of a sense of duty to honour, integrity and the ability to get
others to follow to build on those young lads. We need a restructure from
top to bottom, building on what is good; Tony Carr and the Academy and
ruthlessly ridding us of what is bad; Upson, Dyer, Barry Silkman and a slap
dash approach to communications.
We may not bounce back to top flight football at the first attempt, but
there is far more at stake here. West Ham United Football club.
Don't waste this chance; don't get the appointment of the manager wrong,
don't get the restructures wrong.
With the costs of relegation being mitigated, and club debt being protected
by the personal investment of the owners, this is the biggest opportunity
presented to the club, or ever likely to be, for redemption.
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Heaven knows he's miserable now
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th May 2011
By: Graeme Howlett
Kitzbuhel, Austria - July 2010: One of the small band of travelling
supporters to follow West Ham on their pre-season tour of Germany and
Austria spots new manager Avram Grant in the crowd as the team arrives for
the friendly with Panathinaikos.
Eager to record the moment for posterity the supporter asks Grant to pause
momentarily for a photo. Grant agrees and the excited fan hands his camera
to a friend, who delays taking the shot for a few seconds as he has trouble
operating the camera.
With shutter button finally located, the photographer looks up - to see his
friend standing alone with a silent Grant trudging slowly back to the main
party. Still, the two pals see the funny side, mutter something about
'miserable sod' and continue on their way.
That one random incident pretty much sums up Grant's brief relationship with
the supporters. Although he almost always paid them lip service during his
press conferences, Grant also gave the impression that any relationship with
the fanbase was a necessity rather than anything meaningful - and certainly
not something worth investing time and effort in developing.
By January, following an awful first half of the season his stock with the
supporters was at a new low. The KUMB.com forums were overrun with members
eager for change.
That was until the bungled attempt to replace Grant with Martin O'Neill saw
many fans leap to his defence, in protest at the appalling way in which the
situation had been handled by the club's board (who have basically spent the
entire season shooting themselves in the foot, or at least where the Olympic
Stadium hasn't been involved).
This mismanagement, coupled with Karren Brady's public and deliberate
undermining of Grant via her oft-criticised newspaper column is perhaps why
there have been so few collective voices of dissent at the Boleyn Ground
calling for his head as the season drew to its sad yet inevitable climax.
However it's also the case that many feel Grant has been dealt a rough hand
(lack of investment in the right areas, tough opening fixture list,
injuries, poor referees etc) and basically hung out to dry by Dave, Dave and
Bob (that's 'Bog off Brady' to you).
As time wore on, and West Ham's plight became ever more desperate, Grant's
missives to the press became all the more arduous to endure. Week after week
we were informed that he was pleased with the quality of football,
regardless of how many consecutive defeats we'd suffered. Week after week we
were told that all we need is to take our chances next week and we'd be
fine.
It never happened; not that the fans ever bought it anyway.
Indeed, right up until the defeat at Wigan last weekend - a defeat that
finally confirmed West Ham United's return to the Championship - Grant
insisted that he had complete faith in his squad to escape relegation. One
wonders how much they ever had in him, given the shocking performances many
have put in this season.
Not a great deal, according to one first team squad player who spoke
candidly about his manager recently. According to the source, Grant was
disliked by many players - especially those on the fringes of the first team
squad who were left feeling entirely disenfranchised.
Rumours of regular siesta breaks during working hours were unhelpful, as
were reports from staff at the club that Grant was a difficult - and often
rude and dismissive - individual to work with. A far cry from the public
perception of the genial, good-natured father figure.
Either way, Grant failed to inspire his squad in any meaningful way - as was
painfully obvious time and time again as West Ham either fell apart from the
start of a game - eg Chelsea (h), WBA (a), Man City (a) - or immediately
after the break following one of Grant's less-than-stirring team talks -
Bolton (h), Man Utd (h), Wigan (a), for example. We have all heard how it
was left to Scott Parker to rouse the troops for the improbable comeback at
the Hawthorns.
So out of favour with his players, his fellow employees, the supporters and
the board it was inevitable that as soon as West Ham's relegation was
confirmed Grant would be on his way.
Many have expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which it was done -
immediately after the final whistle at Wigan as he was preparing to enter
the press conference - but few will complain at the decision to part company
with a man who has, in the opinion of many, taken on the mantle of 'worst
ever West Ham manager'.
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Di Canio sees English future
Hammers believes England return could be on the cards
Last Updated: May 18, 2011 12:14pm
SSN
Former West Ham forward Paolo Di Canio wants to manage in England and hopes
to announce news on a move in the near future. The 42-year-old has a
coaching license and has been linked with a return to Upton Park following
Avram Grant's exit in the wake of their relegation to The Championship. West
Ham co-owner David Sullivan has already ruled Di Canio out of the running to
replace Grant in West London due to his lack of experience. However, Di
Canio, who also played for the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton
Athletic, wants an England return due to the passion for the game in the
country. "I believe my future will be in England. In the next few days
something will happen, perhaps in an inferior division. "
Di Canio is not expecting a Premier League job immediately, stating he would
be happy working his way up the league ladder if needs be. "I believe my
future will be in England," he told Sport Mediaset. "In the next few days
something will happen, perhaps in an inferior division. "English football is
loyal, full of pride and I believe I'm close to returning to England. "It is
the country that I most love from a football standpoint."
West Ham's relegation was confirmed following a 3-2 defeat to Wigan on
Sunday and he has acknowledged the club still has a place in his heart. "I
am very saddened by West Ham's relegation," he continued. "This team has
always been in my heart. "They have unique supporters. I would give
everything for West Ham. I even have a Hammers tattoo."
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The Haplessness of Avram Grant: Example Number 1
May 18th, 2011 - 9:37 am by Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
This little extract from Henry Winter's excellent column in the Telegraph
explains more than anything else why Avram Grant was never up to the job.
A West Ham midfielder asked Grant an important question before the Chelsea
game at Stamford Bridge on April 23: "Are we supposed to press on Essien and
Lampard or sit?" Grant allegedly replied: "You have to work that out
yourselves on the pitch." West Ham were swept aside 3-0.
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Keen and Carr Throw their Hats into the Ring
May 18th, 2011 - 8:29 am by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
KUMB are reporting that both Kevin Keen and Tony Carr have thrown their hats
into the ring for the vacant manager's role. With the apparent reluctance
of certain other external candidates to consider the job, it may come down
to a choice between Kevin Keen, Tony Carr, Chris Hughton or, perhaps, David
Jones.
Is this short-list good enough? What d you think? Also, there is another
report today, that West Ham are offering Martin O'Neill a £4m sweetener to
take the job. Lets hope that it is true and it works?
Another report concerning Demba Ba indicates that the player has not made a
definite decision to leave Upton Park. He calls West Ham 'a good project'
and indicates that he wants to end the season, and take a short break,
before deciding his future. Keeping a player like Ba is just the sort of
boost that the club needs. 7 goals in 12 PL games tell us everything that
we need to know about his goal scoring ability. That would be multiplied in
the Championship!
Finally, should West Ham give a home debut to the likes of Fry, Montano and
Lee this Sunday? It would certainly create some extra interest in a match
that is currently pretty meaningless.
SJ. Chandos.
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Avram Grant stands accused as West Ham's fate was sealed on the training
ground
Sometimes a snapshot from a game tells a thousand stories about a club.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Henry Winter 6:30AM BST 17 May 2011
Follow Henry Winter on Twitter
The pivotal, revealing moment involved Wayne Bridge, a player loaned to West
Ham because Manchester City didn't rate him, making elemental mistakes as
Charles N'Zogbia ran at him. Typical. Lack of thought, anticipation and
urgency condemned West Ham. When the Wigan midfielder cut in from the right,
Bridge should have forced him on his lesser, right foot. The danger
contained in N'Zogbia's left had just been seen with an unstoppable free
kick. Naively, Bridge allowed N'Zogbia to work the ball on to his left, the
inevitable happened, the net billowed and West Ham were tumbling into the
Championship.
That costly cameo encapsulated everything wrong about West Ham. First, an
overpaid player underperforming. Second, an incident that screamed about the
lack of a fight at the club, the failure to hold out against Wigan, throwing
away a two-goal lead. Third, it highlighted a club-wide failure to prepare
properly, a criticism that can be levelled at the board and manager's office
as well as players like Bridge.
The full-back now leaves a stricken club, returning to City, who will
doubtless offload him. Like Bridge, Avram Grant embodied the malaise at
Upton Park. Many people in football knew Grant's limitations but West Ham
listened to the wrong people. Players like strong, decisive managers who
inspire them with good training sessions, intelligent tactics and rousing
words. That patently did not happen with the sorrow-filled Grant. West Ham's
season was lost at much at Chadwell Heath as Upton Park.
The club's co-owner, David Gold, told Sky yesterday of how he found only
"professionalism'' on visiting their training ground, a view that contrasted
with BBC's Lee Dixon. He saw only "shambles".
As West Ham headed towards the rocks, further evidence of Grant's slack hand
on the tiller was supplied by the distinguished London-based correspondent
of Suddeutsche Zeitung. Raphael Honigstein reported that a West Ham
midfielder asked Grant an important question before the Chelsea game at
Stamford Bridge on April 23: "Are we supposed to press on Essien and Lampard
or sit?" Grant allegedly replied: "You have to work that out yourselves on
the pitch." West Ham were swept aside 3-0.
How Grant keeps getting jobs remains one of the mysteries of the modern
game. A well-known Premier League manager last week confided his utter
bemusement at Grant's career, pointing out that it was unfair on
up-and-coming managers and concluding that Grant must have some seriously
influential friends. He does and West Ham paid the price.
West Ham need to rediscover the old principles that once made them such a
respected, properly-run club. They need to listen to people other than
agents. They need to take their time in recruiting the right successor to
Grant, employing somebody who can genuinely motivate millionaire
footballers. Paul Lambert is the man of the moment, and probably the man of
the future too, but he is surfing the wave he helped generate at Norwich
City.
Why drop down a division? Martin O'Neill would be perfect but he hardly
enjoyed his last connection with the club at Christmas and West Ham have
lost their Premier League allure. The highly capable Chris Hughton could do
a job in the Championship, as he proved with Newcastle United. Steve
McClaren was the favourite, but ruled himself out last night.
Gold said yesterday that it was "time to stop grieving" over relegation,
that they want to appoint a manager quickly to get on with the considerable
amount of rebuilding work. Patience please. Look before you leap. This
appointment is crucial; West Ham must find a manager who will lead them back
into the Premier League before they walk out in the Olympic Stadium.
Rather than just phoning agents for recommendations, West Ham are well
advised to conduct a proper search. Many of the player contract situations
can be sorted out by the board anyway. Like a rotting oak, the squad require
a chainsaw taken to the deadwood and it is fairly clear where the chopping
should commence. The free agents. If Gold and company get on with trimming
the squad, they can build a war-chest for an incoming manager, particularly
with the income from Scott Parker's inevitable, sad departure.
West Ham also need to scout potential signings better. Kieron Dyer and
Freddie Ljungberg had injury records that ran to more than one page. West
Ham's judgment on players, even loan signings, has been little short of
shocking in recent years. Some are good, like Demba Ba. Too many are not fit
to wear the famous claret-and-blue shirt. Benni McCarthy almost couldn't fit
in the shirt. West Ham need to shape up.
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Di Canio: I want West Ham job
Published: Today
The Sun
PAOLO DI CANIO has told West Ham: I'm the man to get you back into the
Premier League. The Italian claims he is on the brink of securing a coaching
position with an English side in time for next season's kick-off. And the
42-year-old ex-Hammers forward insists he would 'give everything' for the
club should co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan install him as boss. Di
Canio said: "I believe my future will be in England. In the next few days
something will happen, perhaps in an inferior division. "I am very saddened
by West Ham's relegation. This team has always been in my heart. "They have
unique supporters. I would give everything for West Ham. I even have a
Hammers tattoo." He added: "English football is loyal, full of pride and I
believe I'm close to returning to England. "It is the country that I most
love from a football standpoint."
The former Sheffield Wednesday and Celtic striker spent a total of seven
years in England, four of which were at West Ham. He hit 48 goals in 118
league games for the Hammers after joining from the Owls in 1999.
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Sunderland linked with move for West Ham striker
Published 10:29 18/05/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Demba Ba has not yet decided whether he will stay on at West Ham with
Sunderland reported to be interested in the Senegal striker. The former
Hoffenheim forward was at the centre of a confrontation with fans at a club
end-of-season dinner on Monday night, but he insists that will not be the
deciding factor in his future. "It (West Ham) is a good project," Ba told
talkSPORT. "I will be thinking about my future later on. I just want to
finish the season properly, then relax and have some time off with my
family, then come back with some new resolutions." Ba added: "It is a sad
moment, but we tried our best until the end and unfortunately we were
relegated."
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Bruce eyes up Ba bid
ShieldsGazette.com
By GRAEME ANDERSON
Published on Wednesday 18 May 2011 12:55
SUNDERLAND are to step up their interest in West Ham United striker Demba Ba
as Steve Bruce begins looking at a long list of players to solve
Sunderland's current striker crisis. The Senegal star, scorer of seven goals
in 12 starts for the Hammers since his January transfer from German side
Hoffenheim, is certain to leave Upton Park this summer after West Ham's
relegation to the Championship. And Sunderland will be among a number of
Premier League outfits chasing a player who has dispelled the fitness doubts
which originally saw many English clubs reluctant to make a bid for him. Ba
failed a medical at Stoke because of knee problems before joining West Ham
in a £6m deal, but fitness has not been an issue for him in the last few
months and the African is now a hot property with interest in his signature
expected to be keen from Premier League clubs. For his part, Ba – who
confirmed claims that he was racially abused by a supporter at West Ham's
end-of-season dinner on Monday night – has not yet decided whether he will
stay on at the club. "It (West Ham) is a good project," Ba said. "I will be
thinking about my future later on. I just want to finish the season
properly, then relax and have some time off with my family, then come back
with some new resolutions."
At 6ft 2in, Ba would add much needed height and power to Sunderland's
front-line but the Black Cats are likely to face serious competition from
Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa for his services. Rovers failed with a bid
for the 25-year-old in January, but the cash-rich club have the resources to
make a big offer this summer. Sunderland have been linked to several
high-profile strikers in recent weeks with Michael Owen, Robbie Keane and
Ruud van Nistelrooy all having been almost predictably thrown into the mix.
But the Black Cats have no interest in big-name players at the tail-end of
their careers looking for final paydays. Instead, the manager is looking for
young strikers or those in their prime who could play a big part in the
club's development over the next two or three seasons. Ba will be one of his
main targets, but Bruce is also keeping tabs on Wolves striker Kevin Doyle
and Spurs' Roman Pavlyuchenko, who is set to leave White Hart Lane this
summer, as well as several others.
Last season, the Sunderland manager put all his eggs in one basket with the
club record-breaking signing of striker Asamoah Gyan – the Ghanaian
completing an impressive quartet of frontmen which included Darren Bent,
Fraizer Campbell and Danny Welbeck. But with only Gyan remaining now, Bruce
knows he needs to bring in at least two, but possibly three new strikers for
next season, and does not expect to make one big marque signing up front.
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Millen waits on Spence developments
VirginMedia.com
Bristol City boss Keith Millen is unsure whether the situation at West Ham
will help or hinder his pursuit of Jordan Spence. The England Under-21s
defender spent two months on loan at Ashton Gate before being recalled by
the Hammers to play in their Premier League run-in. Spence made his first
start for the London club during the last-gasp defeat at Wigan on Saturday
which saw them relegated. Manager Avram Grant was promptly sacked by West
Ham and that is likely to stall contract talks between Spence and the club.
"Everything is up in the air at West Ham at the moment and with regards to
Jordan, I don't know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing," Millen
told City's official website. "As I've said before, we are monitoring the
situation and we would be interested in speaking to Jordan if there is a
chance he will be available." Any club looking to sign Spence would be
required to pay a compensation fee as he is under the age of 24.
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Where to now for West Ham?
Soccerlens.com
By mattwood040 on May 18th, 2011. 1 Comment
This weekend, three of Europe's more famous clubs – Sampdoria, Frankfurt and
West Ham – were condemned to the second divisions of their respective
countries. Perhaps the smallest reverberations came with West Ham's
demotion: the Hammers struggled all season long under a hangdog, lame-dog
manager and if the same the lack of spirit shown by several senior West Ham
figures is reproduced next year, it could indicate a lengthy stay for the
club in the second tier. Popular expectation is that the squad will be
gutted as several key players depart: Football Writers' Association Player
of the Year Scott Parker, the out of contract Matthew Upson and goalkeeper
Robert Green are likely to lead the exodus.
But all is not lost: they still plan to take over the Olympic Stadium after
2012 and Messrs Gold & Sullivan have committed to funding the club through
it's lower-league jaunt. With such basic groundwork established reasonably,
West Ham now face the prospect of rebounding straight back into the
Premiership. There are several steps that the Hammers should follow in order
to make their second-tier spell a short one – here's a Moe handful of
suggestions as to how the Hammers can escape the Championship sooner rather
than later.
1. Sign a manager with experience and patience
Chris Hughton, while only having eighteen months' worth of head-man
experience, not only has a smart and lucid football brain, but is used to
the pressures of having to succeed on a threadbare budget. While Newcastle
United threatened to go Chernobyl last season after being relegated, he
successfully kept the dressing room together, made shrewd Championship-elite
signings and encouraged the club's youth to prosper. He fully entrusted Andy
Carroll with the centre-forward role and helped develop Nile Ranger into a
player of promise. The Understated One is also used to dealing with
larger-than-life owners, having spent sixteen months under the devious
direction of Mike Ashley and Derek Lambias.
Other possibilities include Sam Allardyce (though whether he'd develop the
youth or even be willing to take a second-divison job is questionable) or
Steve McLaren.
2. Expunge the deadwood
While Pablo Barrera hasn't lived up to post-World Cup expectations, he still
could prove a good player. This is in direct contrast to many of ex-manager
Avram Grant's transfer dealings, remarkable only in their ineffectiveness.
None of Winston Reid, Frederic Piquionne, Robbie Keane or Wayne Bridge lived
up to expectation while Victor Obinna was as spotty a painter with the DT's.
As for Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert, Benni McCarthy or Luis Boa Morte?
Puh-lease. While Obinna, Keane and Bridge are all loan signings and (most
probably) will not be retained, the squad will need pruning in order to
refresh and strengthen again. The squad wasn't the worst in the Premier
League so Hammer fans should start 2011-12 with expectations of at least a
playoff finish.
3. Expurgate any useless footballing philosophies
It's been a West Ham tradition for years to play attacking football, replete
with creative wingers and forwards like Paolo Di Canio and John Hartson able
to capitalise on their jinking runs. The West Ham board's first priority
should now not be footballing style but to yo-yo from the second tier to the
first. To do so may require dispensing with any preconceived notions about
"the West Ham way" and focus on results. This comes down to giving a manager
who achieves results – Allardyce, anyone? – a free hand to implement his
tactics, a measure of trust of which Gold and Sullivan have some repute.
4. Light a fire under the forwards
While Cole's struggled through a fair-to-poor season and appears unlikely to
be at Upton Park next year, if he is he could dominate the Championship. The
same applies to Demba Ba. While Newcastle United Kevin Nolan (and Andy
Carroll, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini) did it last year with
startling success and for the Hammers to not only retrieve EPL status but
remain there, they'll need goals. Sears has the potential and Cole has the
comination of size and speed to become lethal in the Championship.
Piquionne, if he's not sold, could also dominate in English football's lower
reaches. Ba's seven goals in 10 Premiership starts are encouraging figures.
If Danny Graham can muster 23 goals playing at up-tempo Watford, then a
possible combination of Ba, Cole and Sears should combine for forty.
5. Get value for exiting players
Scott Parker deserves better than the Championship, so he'll go. He'll have
plenty of suitors, too. Robert Green would be an upgrade over at least half
a dozen Premeirship custodians so is likely to sought after as well. Any
influx of cash could be directed in several ways – but is likely to find
it's way either into reducing the club's remarkable debt or investment in
the squad. All of Ba, Tomkins and Cole will have suitors as well. The
secret to success – and admittedly this is easier said than done – is to pry
top-tier divisional talent away from mid-table Championship squads. Stick
to this principle and they're on the right track. Sort of. The Guardian
has penned an interesting piece on this very subject.
6. Free the club's youth
All of Sears, Zavon Hines, Frank Nouble, Junior Stanislas, James Tomkins and
Jordan Spence came through the club's youth academy. All played some part in
this Premiership season or seasons past, albeit relatively small roles. They
now have a chance to cement a position in the West Ham first-team squad, for
better or worse.
The only recent yo-yo promotions have been by Newcastle, Birmingham City and
West Bromwich Albion, none of whom invested heavily upon relegation. While
this crop of youngsters aren't currently Premiership standard, they all have
the ability to be that good – the chance to really stamp a position as their
own should excite many of Hammers' youth.
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