WHUFC.com
Watford could pose a stern test this evening but Neil McDonald is backing the players
16.08.2011
Neil McDonald has said West Ham United will be going all out to record back to back wins on the road for the first time since December 2007 tonight. Nearly 4,000 Hammers fans will be packed into Vicarage Road this evening as Sam Allardyce's men aim to build on the 1-0 weekend win at Doncaster Rovers. McDonald - or Macca as he is known to everyone at Chadwell Heath - believed the squad were capable of overcoming another tricky test. "The spirit is good," he told West Ham TV. "I think wining away from home does that. We have hopefully laid the ghost to rest with the away form but we have another tough one coming up. The boys are really looking forward to it after the good win at Doncaster. "We will be looking on to carry the good form. We probably played better [in the defeat by] Cardiff but that is how football works out sometimes. We just have to find the balance between playing some good football, scoring goals and keeping clean sheets and that is what we aim to do in the majority of games."
McDonald said the squad had been boosted by the potential availability of Julien Faubert and Pablo Barrera, while George McCartney and John Carew are probably a week or so away from pushing for selection. A real plus from the weekend was that the entire squad reported a clean bill of health. "Everyone is fine. We have a full squad to pick from and it is good for the manager to have a selection problem. That is great," he added. "It is nice to see new faces and it is competition for places which is what the manager wants. It will take George or John another week or so to get fit and hopefully they will be banging on the manager's door saying they are ready for selection."
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Um Bongo bombed?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th August 2011
By: Staff Writer
Herita Ilunga is set to face the axe for tonight's Championship clash against Watford at Vicarage Road. The 29-year-old full-back has endured a disappointing start to the 2011/12 campaign, having been held responsible for gifting Cardiff their winning goal on the opening day of the season and following that up with a disappointing performance at Doncaster on Saturday.
As a result, manager Sam Allardyce is set to wield the axe and drop the Congolese international for tonight's short trip to Watford. With new signing George McCartney lacking match fitness, Matt Taylor is on standby to replace Ilunga at left back - with either Jack Collison or Junior Stanislas likely to replace Taylor on the left side of midfield.
Meanwhile Julien Faubert, who missed the weekend's game is also back in contention for a starting spot - as is Pablo Barrera, who was rested at the weekend. Radio commentary for the game, which kicks off at 7:45pm GMT is expected to be available; we'll bring you full details of that once available
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Clarets to capture Hines
Howe closes on second new signing of the week
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated: August 16, 2011 10:44am
SSN
Skysports.com understands Burnley are poised to sign Zavon Hines from Championship rivals West Ham. Hines is believed to be at Turf Moor to finalise his move to the Clarets after turning down a new deal at West Ham. The former England Under 21 international arrives on a free transfer, but West Ham will be due compensation for Hines with the player having come through the ranks at Upton Park. The 22-year-old has struggled with a series of injury problems over the last 12 months with Hines making only 15 appearances last term. Clarets boss Eddie Howe is a long-term admirer of Hines and sees his versatility as a key addition to his squad.
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Cole reiterates commitment
Striker happy to fight for place at Upton Park
Last Updated: August 16, 2011 10:08am
SSN
Carlton Cole has reiterated he remains committed to West Ham after seeing the club claim their first win of the season. Sam Allardyce's side beat Doncaster on Saturday, with Colecoming off the bench in the 1-0 success at the Keepmoat Stadium. The England international's future at Upton Park has been subject to speculation this summer, with a proposed move to Stoke falling through in July, while Allardyce has reshaped his squad with a flurry of signings. But Cole insists he remains as committed to West Ham as ever and believes the competition for places can only be a good thing as the Hammers attempt to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. The striker told the Daily Mirror: "I am committed to West Ham - I always want to do well for the club because they gave me an opportunity when things were not going so well for me in my career, and I'll never forget that. "I am comfortable where I am, but obviously the manager has brought in some very good players. There is real competition for places now, and hopefully he will get the best out of me. "We have good quality up front, good players to support us from midfield and a good defence - now it is up to our strikers to shine. I am happy [with] who the manager has brought in to give us a kick up the backside. "A few of the lads came in a bit disappointed about the way we won at Doncaster, but it was important to put three points on the board and any away win is valuable in this division. We hadn't had one for ages so we were really pleased with the result."
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Watford v West Ham preview
Last updated: 15th August 2011
SSN
Team news for Tuesday night's Championship clash between Watford and West Ham at Vicarage Road. Sean Dyche continues to have an almost fully-fit squad as his Watford side welcome the Hammers. Midfielder Stephen McGinn remains the only absentee as he continues his recovery from a long-standing knee injury. Despite defeat, Dyche was able to take plenty of positives from Saturday's 1-0 home reverse to Derby and will not be tempted into many, if any, changes. He kept faith with the same XI who started the opening weekend's 2-2 draw at Burnley, although Troy Deeney once again replaced Chris Iwelumo for the final 20 minutes and the former Walsall striker will be pushing for a start. Summer signing David Mirfin came on for the final couple of minutes against the Rams to make his debut, while midfielder Prince Buaben is still waiting for his Hornets bow.
West Ham striker Carlton Cole could be in line to start his first match of the season. The striker has come on as a substitute in the opening two games with boss Sam Allardyce saying he was short of match fitness. But Cole put in a lively cameo in Saturday's 1-0 win at Doncaster and is pushing Frederic Piquionne for the lone striker's role. Another forward, John Carew, has a week's training behind him after joining from Aston Villa and his fitness will be assessed along with George McCartney, who rejoined from Sunderland last week. Winger Julien Faubert could be added to the squad after a hamstring injury but, Cole aside, Allardyce is set to stick with the side which secured their first win of the season at the weekend.
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Barrera closes on West Ham exit
By talkSPORT
Tuesday, August 16
West Ham winger Pablo Barrera is set to decide in the next 24 hours if he will complete a move to Real Zaragoza. Barrera, 24, has failed to command a regular first-team place following his £4m move to Upton Park last summer. The Mexico international was hoping for a new lease of life under new manager Sam Allardyce but he has failed to start in the opening two games. Real Zaragoza have been chasing the talented winger throughout the summer and are keen to finalise a deal before the end of August. Reports in Spain suggest that Barrera's agent has been in Spain this week trying to negotiate the move and a decision should be made in the near future.
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Hines to quit West Ham and make Burnley move
By talkSPORT
Tuesday, August 16
West Ham striker Zavon Hines is on his way to Burnley - after using his Blackberry Messenger service to spread the word. The forward updated his status to tell his nearest and dearest that he was on the verge of an Upton Park exit and Burnley have emerged as the team leading the race for his signature. Hines is currently on a week-to-week deal at West Ham after turning down their final offer of a new contract at the end of last season. The 22-year-old forward is available for a nominal fee and is believed to have already said his goodbyes to Sam Allardyce's squad at their Chadwell Heath training ground. Hines suffered an injury-punctuated campaign last season, making just 15 appearances for the Hammers.
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West Ham's promotion push to stutter at Vicarage Road?
Bwinbetting.com
The Hornets haven't beaten West Ham at home in the league for 26 years but could still represent value at 9/4.
Latest odds Watford to beat West Ham 1-0 19/2
Following West Ham's opening-day defeat to Cardiff, questions were raised about their potency up front, with Frédéric Piquionne not looking particularly menacing in front of goal and Carlton Cole still being kept in reserve. However, a solid away win at Doncaster and a goal from new signing Kevin Nolan reassured West Ham fans of their intentions for the season.
Their 4-5-1 formation means the Hammers' midfield is very much involved in the thick of things, with Jack Collison returning to add creativity and last year's FWA Player of the Year Scott Parker still providing menacing determination. so expect them to be trying to edge out another away victory.
Sam Allardyce's troops are priced at 23/20 to get all three points, but with both of their games in the Championship so far this term containing just one goal, perhaps a 1-0 success at 8/1 could represent the most attractive proposition.
New customers who use their free £25 bet for joining bwin.com to back this outcome could land a tidy £225 if their prediction proves correct. With the prolific Danny Graham moving on to Swansea, the goalscoring burden for Watford is with the experienced Chris Iwelumo and the exciting Marvin Sordell. However, neither team have scored more than two goals in any one of their last 11 league fixtures, which suggests this game is likely to be decided by the odd goal.
With this in mind, it could be a wise bet to back the number of goals scored to be odd in a tight encounter at Vicarage Road at odds of 19/20, or even have a flutter on the draw at 9/4.
Punters could also look to recent history and see that Watford have won the last three encounters against West Ham 1-0 – a repeat scoreline here is priced at an attractive 19/2, while a straight win bet on the Hornets is available at 9/4.
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BEYOND THE BOLEYN – WATFORD FC: DON'T LOOK TO YOUR LEFT INSIDE THE GROUND
Posted on August 16, 2011 by earlscourthammer
Idontknowjack.co.uk
I didn't think the extra matches-per-season in the Championship would be quite so noticeable, but tonight we play our third league game and the season is only nine days old. It would have been a blessing that last week's League Cup tie was postponed, if it weren't rescheduled for next week! The win at Doncaster was hopefully the first of many this season and was a resilient performance. It wasn't as pretty or productive as it could have been but compared to the last few seasons it was a great result and performance. I'm expecting a similar match at Watford tonight, but what are Watford fans expecting? I threw some questions at Watford fan Andy Roughton.
What's the perception of West Ham among Watford fans?
The team, the fans or the club? Taking one at a time I guess the team must be favourites to go straight back up, you've bought astutely but there's something that jars about it being Fat Sam in charge. The supporters aren't quite in the Spurs league of delusions of importance, but there's always the feeling that there's an expectation never really likely to be met. Personally I've always quite liked West Ham but your new manager and owners will certainly test that.
What are your expectations for Watford's season?
Staying up would be an achievement once again. We surprised a few people last year but whilst the kids are more experienced they're still kids and we're a weaker side without Graham and Cowie.
Which of your players should West Ham watch out for?
Sordell can be dangerous on his day, there's a few new boys bedding in so tricky to say yet, though Yeates looks like he could be tricksy.
Which West Ham player do you think poses you the most danger?
Kevin Nolan is a great signing in this division, Scott Parker could run rings around our midfield.
Who do you think is West Ham's worst player, and why?
Tricky question for someone who doesn't pay too much attention to the Premiership (are we still allowed to call it that?) don't really know enough about your side to pick someone out. If you mean of all time though, I'd go for Rigobert Song, he was woeful
What's your prediction for the match?
You'll probably find all teams raise their game against you and we'll be no different, but I doubt that'll be enough to give you too many problems. Routine away win. Sadly.
What advice would you give West Ham fans that are travelling to the Vicarage Road for this match?
Don't look to your left inside the ground.
Ever been an away fan at Upton Park? If yes, how was your experience?
Quite a few times, the first time being the most memorable, for the wrong reasons sadly as it would have been mid/late 80′s before football got all gentrified. We were kept in the ground for an hour after the end of the game on the premise that the home supporters would disperse, actually it gave them time to get tooled up and organised. I remember sprinting to the tube to the sound of police horses hooves.
What's your opinion of West Ham moving to the Olympic Stadium – with a running track, will it work as a football venue?
I think it's a shame, I'm a traditionalist and I think you'll lose some sense of identity when you move. But it did annoy Spurs so it can't be all bad.
Andy Roughton is Group Account Director at John Brown Media, London. He reckons the best Watford FC site is BHaPPY.
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West Ham's Collison happy to be a Jack of all trades
London 24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
8:40 AM
After an injury-plagued last campaign, Jack Collison is back with a new contract and a wish to pay some people back. Midfielder Jack Collison celebrated signing a new contract at Upton Park by providing the assist for the winning goal at Doncaster on Saturday. It was the 22-year-old's first start of the campaign and his cross for Kevin Nolan to volley home in the fifth minute signified that Collison is finally back after a nightmare last season. "I've said it time and again that after such a long lay-off, I just want to play as many minutes as I can this season," said the international, who also played the second half of his Wales' 2-1 friendly defeat by Australia in midweek. Collison played just three games in May last season as he recovered from a serious knee injury and so when he was offered a new contract by the club, he was keen to put pen to paper. "I feel that I owe a lot of people here," he said. "It's up to me now it's all done and dusted. I've got to do the business on the pitch. "It's great that the club have supported me and shown faith and obviously I want to pay them back now."
He paid some of that back at the Keepmoat on Saturday. In the fifth minute he received the ball from James Tomkins and his tempting, teasing ball into the middle sailed over the head of Freddie Piquionne only for the late-arriving Nolan to score with the outside of his boot. So who was he aiming for? "Of course I was aiming for Kevin's Pumas!" he laughed. "No, it's nice to be involved in the winning goal. That is why we signed Kevin Nolan. He's known for getting goals and he's shown that today and he almost had a couple more as well."
Collison started the game on the right side of midfield as he replaced Freddie Sears from last week's team. However, the fluid nature of this West Ham midfield meant that he popped up all over the field, including a at times at centre forward. "I've played all over the midfield under the last couple of managers so it's all experience for me," said Collison, who has made 54 appearances in claret and blue, scoring five goals. "I haven't played on the right really, but to be honest I will play anywhere for the team just to get out on the pitch. "I was blowing a little bit by the end. Playing on the right means there's a little bit more running to do than in the middle, but it is something that I will have to get used to. "The more minutes I play, the more comfortable I will feel."
He certainly slotted well into this powerful midfield and for Collison, it was the team that was the most important thing. "I think we played really well, we worked hard," he said. "The football side of things isn't quite there yet, but it is three points away from home and it's a massive boost for us. "The boys at the back were superb today and it is important to see the way we played as a team. I think we've seen a big improvement on the football side. "We are getting used to playing with each other and to how the manager wants us to play and I am over the moon to get the three points."
West Ham fans are over the moon to see the midfielder back and if he can stay fit at long last, then he could have a significant part to play in the campaign.
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West Ham increase their scrap value after Rovers win
London24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
9:15 AM
When Sam Allardyce arrived at Upton Park one of the biggest problems he had to overcome was West Ham's appalling away record. The league victories at Fulham and Blackpool last season made it three victories in two seasons for the Upton Park club and their woeful tally of just 13 points on their travels last season was one of the main reasons they went down. Winning ugly and scrapping for every point was something that seemed alien to Avram Grant and his beleaguered team last season and it is Allardyce's job to restore that steely determination into the team. They passed their first test on Saturday at Doncaster Rovers. The 1-0 win was by no means pretty and at times they had they had to soak up the pressure, but resilience saw them through and it delighted the West Ham boss. "We should have been a bit more comfortable in terms of goals scored and although it got a little bit uncomfortable, I liked the resilience of the players during that period," said Allardyce after the match. "The good thing for me was that they showed a lot of mental strength in terms of defensive organisation which was very important when you're only 1-0 ahead."
West Ham may have been thankful that Doncaster were missing both their front line strikers – Billy Sharp and James Hayter both suffering injuries at Brighton last week – but the Hammers can only beat what is in front of them and the defence certainly restricted Rovers to a handful of half chances. "Even though Doncaster had a huge possession phase in our half towards the end, Robert Green still only had to make one save and we defended extremely well during that period," said the boss.
"It showed me that we know how to hold on, dig in and win a game of football and that didn't happen as often as it should've done last season."
That's an understatement. West Ham were awful away last season with perhaps only the games at Tottenham and West Brom where they actually showed the fight that was needed to give themselves a chance of staying up. The epitome of this new fighting spirit is new captain Kevin Nolan. His goal gave West Ham a fifth minute lead and while he could also have had a couple more, it was his fighting spirit in midfield that was the catalyst for this battling victory. "I'm sure as we go through the season we will be able to stamp our authority on the ball a bit more, but it is a new thing for West Ham being down here and we've got to get used to scrapping it out," said the Hammers captain after his match-winning display at the Keepmoat Stadium. "Once we scrap a few out, hopefully we will be able to start getting the ball down and playing it."
Nolan had his chances, but he also had to play his part when Rovers attacked them, particularly in the final 20 minutes. "They came back at us and went close with a header that went just past the post, but sometimes you've got to ride your luck a bit," said Nolan. "If you look at the Premier League, Man United do it, Chelsea do it, Arsenal do it. Early on in the season they make sure they are winning games, but they probably don't play the best football."
Man fans were worried that the Premier League players in the West Ham squad would think themselves above a trip to Doncaster, but with players like Nolan in their ranks, that was never likely to happen. "We've got to earn the right to play football," said Nolan. "We can't just come to grounds and expect sides to lay down and let us play and that is something we are getting used to as a club and as a team."
Nolan carries out the scrapping on the pitch, but it seems that Allardyce is the brains behind it. They will face tougher tests on the road this year, but he has started perfectly. "I hope that a first away win in our first away match will give us confidence," said the manager. "We had three and a half thousand dedicated away fans here, who were singing and creating an atmosphere that the players love to feel. "That's what drives and gets the best out of players and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up."
Let's hope those hairs will be standing up many more times this season.
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