WHUFC.com
Midfield enforcer Papa Bouba Diop is ready to play his part on and off the
pitch at West Ham United
06.09.2011
Papa Bouba Diop is ready to pass on his considerable experience to aid the
claret and blue charge up the npower Championship table. The new recruit may
have played and scored at the FIFA World Cup as well as featured for several
years in the French and English top flights, but he is now relishing the
prospect of helping the Hammers to have a successful campaign in east
London.
Bouba Diop has been working hard on his fitness since leaving Greek Cup
winners AEK Athens last season and turned his back on another UEFA Europa
League campaign to play for Sam Allardyce's men. He has already seen the
recent matches against Leeds United and Nottingham Forest and been
impressed. "I am confident we can be promoted because we have quality
players. They are Premier League players. If you saw how they did at
Nottingham Forest, you can see they played well and scored four goals. If we
continue like this, we can return to the Premier League at the end of the
season."
Bouba Diop's experience will be vital to help the younger Hammers to shine.
He could line up in a midfield boasting the likes of Mark Noble and Jack
Collison, while behind him could be the blossoming partnership of Winston
Reid and James Tomkins. "We have a lot of young players and it is important
for the older ones to help the young ones coming through. They can listen to
us and that is good. We have experience. Football can be complicated
sometimes and it is important for everyone to always listen. "I am a lucky
guy to have had my career so far but you never know everything in the game
and every day you must learn. It is important to talk together on the
outside and on the inside as a team."
Part of his experience was a tremendous spell at Portsmouth that saw him win
the FA Cup. However, there will be no room for sentiment if called upon to
make his Hammers debut against his old club at the Boleyn this Saturday -
even if he recognises the intrigue of the fixture. "This is football. Now I
am at West Ham and I work for West Ham. We have to try to win the game."
Having enjoyed the full support of the Fratton Park faithful, he is
relishing being a favourite son in the East End. "I saw the game against
Leeds. I like the atmosphere, the fans push the players, the team. It is
good to feel something like this. They give you movitavtion to go forward
and give everything. It is helpful. "They are part of the club, the fans
want the victory every week and the players need something behind them
pushing them every single game. That is very important. When a player
arrives inside the stadium he needs to feel that all around him."
Certainly Bouba Diop is aware what is expected. "Although I have played at a
high level, you can never relax. Every day and in every match you have to
show people what you are about. You have to concentrate. "There are a lot of
games in the Championship, two or three a week, but I am focused on getting
stronger and helping the team to pick up points every time we play. I will
work hard. The Championship is more demanding than the Premier League and it
is different but I want to play."
To do that he will have to compete with an already strong midfield that has
been boosted by the arrivals of David Bentley, Henri Lansbury and the
versatile Guy Demel. He knows he has to impress the manager and believed
already that Sam Allardyce will get the best out of the squad. "He is a good
coach. He is friendly with the players, talks to them. It is a team and it
is not only about the player. The manager, the coaches, the medical staff -
everything has to come together. "We all have to talk and be close. When we
come to the matches we must all give everything for West Ham."
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Jack set to end Wales wait
WHUFC.com
Having overcome a virus, Jack Collison looks set to feature for Wales at
Wembley this evening
06.09.2011
Jack Collison could make his competitive bow for Wales against England in a
UEFA EURO 2012 qualifier this evening and in so doing end any doubts
outsiders have had about his commitment to the cause. Although the Hammers
midfielder has nine caps to his name, he has only ever featured in friendly
games, meaning he could still switch allegiance to tonight's opponents.
However, Collison has never wavered in his passion to play for the
Principality. Collison, 22, had hoped to figure in the 2-1 victory against
Montenegro on Friday evening only to be laid low by a stomach bug. He has
recovered, though, and trained at Wembley last night with his team-mates
including fellow midfielders Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey.
A decisive first competitive cap looks set to happen at last for the player
whose most telling Hammers contribution so far this season came with the
vital assist for Kevin Nolan in the 1-0 win at Doncaster Rovers. After the
knee troubles of the last year, Collison is delighted to be back in the
thick of the action for club and country.
Gary Speed, the Wales manager, has not worried at all about having to wait
to properly blood the homegrown Hammer. "Knowing him over the last seven or
eight months he's fully committed and the way he played against Australia in
the second half when he came on [in August's friendly] I'm sure he will be
pushing for a starting place. "We're fortunate to be in a position where we
have a lot of quality in midfield and Jack is an important part of that."
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Huge night for Carew
WHUFC.com
Hammers fans will be able to keep a close eye on John Carew on a big
international night
06.09.2011
John Carew will be the focal point for a nation's hopes once again when
Norway prepare to take a giant leap towards UEFA EURO 2012 tonight. The West
Ham United striker kept his country's qualification dreams alive last Friday
when, on as an 80th-minute substitute, he won a dramatic late penalty that
led to a vital 1-0 victory at home to Iceland. This evening sees Norway take
on Denmark in Copenhagen sitting level at the top of Group H with Portugal
on 13 points. Only the section winners will reach Ukraine and Poland
automatically, and the Danes are not out of it either as they sit three
points behind with a game in hand on their two rivals.
The Parken Stadium, scene of a fine 1-0 friendly win for the Hammers in
July, promises to be a hostile one for the travelling Norwegians. Carew,
though, is ready to shoulder the responsibility of helping his country
towards their first major finals since EURO 2000. In fact, he is the only
member of Egil Olsen's squad who still remains from that tournament. He will
have to tread carefully for the Danish duel - to be shown live on ESPN for
UK viewers from 7.15pm - as a yellow card would rule him out of the final
qualifier against Cyprus on 11 October. When asked by Norwegian media
whether he would start this evening, he would only say "We'll see, we'll
see" before questions turned to his suitability for the big occasion. "If
the match is such that they push us backwards and we need the height and
strength, maybe," he said. "But it is up to the coach and he usually makes
the correct decision."
Carew has been on an intensive training programme since signing for West Ham
United on 6 August but revealed he has stayed away from the gym. Citing no
need to add extra muscle to an-already imposing 6'5 frame, he believed his
new approach was helping him to recapture the speed and finesse he used to
great effect in his younger years. He may have turned 32 on Monday, but
Carew is feeling good and is tired of the near-misses of previous qualifying
campaigns. "We have never had a better chance to qualify than we have now.
Denmark will be tough but we are not playing Italy, the Netherlands or
another major side. We are no worse than them on paper."
The Danish press have been describing him as a "battering ram" but that has
simply made Carew smile. "I guess when I'm in shape it means that they fear
me a little." Should he do the business and add to his 23 goals on what will
be his 90th appearance, Carew could yet be making more defences worried come
next summer's finals.
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Burnley's Junior Stanislas ready for a fresh start
BBC.co.uk
Burnley's new signing Junior Stanislas says it was the right time to leave
West Ham and start afresh. The 22-year-old winger moved to Turf Moor on
transfer deadline day for an undisclosed fee, agreeing a three-year deal
with the Clarets. "This is a new change for me and a new chapter in life,"
Stanislas told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"Last season I was in and out of the team and playing is the main thing, so
hopefully I can do that here." Stanislas joined the Hammers as a 10-year-old
and made 47 appearances for West Ham. "It just seemed like every season a
new manager came and it was difficult," he added. The England Under-21
international joins Zavon Hines who has also made the move from Upton Park
to Turf Moor."Obviously my friend Zav came up a couple of weeks before me so
I was in contact with him," said Stanislas. "He told me it was good so I was
always going to come. The manager and assistant have been terrific and all
the boys are really good as well so I can't really ask for much more. "The
team is good, I trained with them the other day and they like to play
football and it's a good team spirit, so hopefully we can get up and out of
this league."
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Pulis the other one
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has revealed that he tried to sign Scott Parker
ahead of last week's transfer deadline. The Potters manager - who has
previously failed to sign Radoslav Kovac, Carlton Cole and Mark Noble from
the Irons - revealed his audacious attempt to land the England midfielder,
who eventually joined Tottenham having handed in a transfer request, in the
local press.
Speaking to Staffordshire local The Sentinel, Pulis revealed: "We did have a
go for Parker. It was something we were trying to do for a few weeks. But we
realised that if he could, he wanted to stay in London. That was a big part
of it with him. "I felt there were certain areas of the team we can improve
and have to improve – and that was one of them. I enquired about him and
kept in touch with Sam Allardyce to find out what the situation was. "But
Sam said Parker would prefer to stay in London because he'd got children in
school there."
Stoke's continuous attempts to sign players from West Ham have become
something of a running joke amongst Hammers fans. In addition to those
mentioned above, City also rejected the opportunity to sign Demba Ba due to
fitness concerns; Ba went on to score seven goals in ten league starts at
the Boleyn Ground in the second half of the 2010/11 season.
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The other side of the window
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th September 2011
By: Kwame Boakye
So the transfer window has finally slammed shut, all the talk at long last
has come to a halt and I think I speak for all us when I say that it was
complete and utter success for West Ham United FC.
Scotty's gone and he's gone down the road, I can't deny that hurt…but not to
sound sour; I appreciate all Parker has done for us in the last few years,
he's been a shining beacon amidst all the fog and haze of a club somewhat
permanently in the red-tops for all the wrong reasons. But I can't help but
feel at 30 his performances and influence within the confines of a game will
decrease and fairly soon.
One only has to look at Lampard and Gerrard players with far more in terms
of ability and talent and the way they've both steadily wilted since they
hit the wrong side of 30. I can honestly only see Scotty having a couple of
good seasons at the Lane and for £5million-odd I think we'll take that, ta
very much.
The players we did manage to secure during this window were simply
magnificent. The quality and strength in depth within the squad at Sam's
disposal is unprecedented at this level. The options now available are
limitless, whichever formation you care to name can easily be adapted to.
When you consider that we now ply our trade within the realms of a league
that demands 46 fixtures from its competitors…we can all be at ease with the
fact that even with a speight of injuries or suspensions players like Bouba
Diop could come in and do a sturdy job as a defensive midfielder or even at
centre-half if need be.
Or at home where we've had troubles and issues creating chances and closing
out games the recent acquisitions of Bentley and Lansbury will inject the
side with the kind of vision, guile and passing ability we've lacked so far
when the onus has been on us to break down the opposition.
The competition for places now within the squad means that automatic picks
at the Boleyn are now a thing of the past. Someone like Mark Noble, who
although we're only five games in has been a little disappointing thus far,
now has Henri Lansbury waiting patiently like a hungry boxer on the
under-card to dispossess him of his spot in the main event.
This competitive culture now within the squad is something we've lacked for
years and has in all probability contributed to so many anaemic
performances; with our players knowing they weren't really in any danger of
being dropped.
With 46 games to play the Championship is the very apotheosis of a war of
attrition and our new recruits have definitely given us the edge over our
main rivals.
When our main challengers for those coveted top two spots (who in my opinion
will be Brighton and Leicester) go through that inevitable patch where the
injuries and suspensions begin to pile up and the games come at a relentless
pace, will they be able to cope? Will they be able to replace quality with
quality? I would suspect not.
The credit must go to Gold and Sullivan, whilst I still mainly blame them
for our relegation. I will accept that if we do head back to the promised
land of the Premier League this season and trade in the simply awful
Football League show for the marginally better Match of the Day, it will be
down their backing of Sam.
Not only in bringing players to the club but in keeping hold of the likes of
Carlton Cole, Robert Green and Jack Collison; all of whom looked destined to
be casualties of our relegation.
The new recruits have brought with them a surge of optimism and I can't help
but think back to the Newcastle side that swept all before them in the
Championship in the 09/10 season.
Safe in the knowledge that not only do we have a vastly superior squad but
also a far more experienced manager…roll on the rest of the season have the
feeling come May we'll be planning to renew a few acquaintances.
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The feelgood factor
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th September 2011
By: Matt Porter
15 May 2011 at Wigan North Western train station: It's about an hour after
the full-time whistle and the news filters through that Avram Grant has been
sacked.
Cue a mini-party and a conga line forming then and there on the platform.
Having witnessed a spineless capitulation at the DW Stadium – this is a
close to a happy ending as any of us are getting on that day.
It was an event that provided closure on a car crash of a season. The lack
of team spirit and passion was epitomised by the players' reaction to the
final whistle that confirmed relegation. While a creditable number of
players fought through the police barrier on the pitch to salute the
travelling fans, the club captain was noticeable by his absence, having
presumably shot straight down the tunnel from his seat on the subs' bench at
full-time.
Compare and contrast to the situation the club finds itself in today.
Granted, playing a division lower, but under the guidance of a manager with
pulling power, a captain with strong leadership abilities and a squad that,
if anything, is stronger than last season's. I'll admit that I didn't see it
coming.
Big Sam
I think it's fair to say that David Gold and David Sullivan took the cheap
and easy option when they appointed Avram Grant last summer. Although
hindsight is a great thing, Grant's previous record in English football
suggested he was a nearly man with a fondness for a decent cup run. So it
proved once more.
At Stamford Bridge in April, it was reported that a player asked Grant how
to position himself against Essien and Lampard. Avram's response was: "You
have to work that out yourselves on the pitch."
Grant's cavalier attitude couldn't be any more different to that of Sam
Allardyce. Despite his old fashioned persona, Big Sam is as meticulous as
they come and a massive believer in sports science and high-tech analysis.
Although he won't be afforded the luxury of a mammoth backroom team like he
had at Bolton and Newcastle, you can rest assured Allardyce will leave no
stone unturned in his preparations.
Already the difference appears to be showing. For the first time in my
memory of watching West Ham, the team look a genuine threat from set-pieces.
The transformation in James Tomkins and Winston Reid at both ends of the
pitch is telling. I get the impression that not many players ever respected
Grant, but there seems to be a widespread desire to work for Allardyce. The
quality of the players that have arrived at the Boleyn this summer is
testament to that.
On-field leadership
It is arguable that one of Grant's greatest errors was not having the guts
to take the armband away from Matthew Upson and hand it to Scott Parker. The
fact that the country's media constantly referred to Parker as 'West Ham
captain' tells you all you need to know about the effectiveness of the man
who was actually wearing the armband.
Happily, in Kevin Nolan we now seem to have a man who actively relishes the
responsibility of leading his side onto the pitch. The way he put his arms
around his team-mates in the aftermath of the win at Doncaster displayed a
type of enthusiasm I can seldom remember seeing from Upson.
Boardroom backing
After the transfer window shut in January I wrote this article defending
Gold and Sullivan. The reaction to the tone of it was mixed, to say the
least. This time around I'd like to think that most fans will be more than
happy with the backing that the owners have given their manager and the
calibre of players they have been willing to splash out on.
I hope that Carlton Cole doesn't depart for Galatasaray in the coming days,
but even if he does leave, Big Sam will be left with a squad that should
have more than enough quality to be challenging right at the top of the
table.
It's an infinitely better situation than I expected. To be honest I thought
we'd be entering this campaign relying on a core of unproven youngsters
supplemented by a collection of steady old pros. To have the likes of Nolan,
Bentley, Taylor and Carew at the club is something I never anticipated for a
second.
Of course, for all this talk of a fresh start and new beginnings, this is
still West Ham United Football Club we're talking about. It's all too good
to be true isn't it?
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Pulis reveals Parker bid
Stoke boss admits midfielder was keen to stay in London
Last Updated: September 6, 2011 10:36am
SSN
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has confirmed he did try to bring England
international Scott Parker to the Britannia Stadium. Parker had been widely
expected to leave West Ham Unitedfollowing the club's relegation from the
Premier League, but it was not until deadline day that the midfielder
eventually joined Tottenham Hotspur.
He had been linked with several top-flight clubs and Pulis has revealed
Stoke were among those teams trying to agree a deal for the 30-year-old.
However, Parker's preference was to stay in London and Pulis had to content
himself with the signings of midfielder Wilson Palacios and striker Peter
Crouch from Tottenham, in addition to bringing in Cameron Jerome from
Birmingham City.
London wish
"We did have a go for Parker. It was something we were trying to do for a
few weeks," said the Stoke boss in The Sentinel. "But we realised that if he
could, he wanted to stay in London. That was a big part of it with him. "I
felt there were certain areas of the team we can improve and have to improve
and that was one of them. "I enquired about him and kept in touch with Sam
Allardyce (West Ham manager) to find out what the situation was. "But Sam
said Parker would prefer to stay in London because he'd got three boys in
school there."
Pulis plans to offload some of his squad to Championship clubs in the coming
week after Danny Collins, Danny Pugh, Michael Tonge, Andrew Davies and Tom
Soares were all omitted from the final Premier League and Europa League
squads. The Stoke boss also left Jonathan Woodgate - a free transfer this
summer after being released by Spurs following two seasons of injury
problems - out of his European squad but that was for altogether different
reasons. "I don't want him to do the travelling," Pulis added. "If he can
play 30 games in the Premier League, I'll be absolutely over the moon."
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Diop confident of promotion
New signing looking forward to playing in the Championship
Last Updated: September 6, 2011 12:34pm
SSN
West Ham United new boy Papa Bouba Diop is confident the club can secure an
immediate return to the Premier League this season. Former Fulham and
Portsmouth midfielder Diop joined the Hammers last week after leaving AEK
Athens and will help to fill the void created by Scott Parker's departure to
Tottenham Hotspur. He is hoping to make his debut at home to former club
Portsmouth on Saturday and is looking forward to playing in the
Championship. "I am confident we can be promoted because we have quality
players," he told the club's official website. "They are Premier League
players.
Motivation
"If you saw how they did at Nottingham Forest, you can see they played well
and scored four goals. If we continue like this, we can return to the
Premier League at the end of the season. "I saw the game against Leeds. I
like the atmosphere, the fans push the players, the team. It is good to feel
something like this. They give you motivation to go forward and give
everything. It is helpful. "We all have to talk and be close. When we come
to the matches we must all give everything for West Ham. "There are a lot of
games in the Championship, two or three a week, but I am focused on getting
stronger and helping the team to pick up points every time we play. "I will
work hard. The Championship is more demanding than the Premier League and it
is different but I want to play."
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Did Big Sam Put His Foot Down?
6 September, 2011 - 09:56 — Neville Nixon
West Ham Fans.org
Monday came and went without Carlton Cole leaving West Ham to go and play in
Turkey, this despite a last minute improved offer from Galatasary believed
to be in excess of £6 Million for the in form striker. Behind the scenes it
was assumed that any offer over £7 Million would have triggered a sale of
the occasional England front man, but Sam Allardyce has earmarked Cole as
his 'main man', with with big John Carew as his back up.
This may be one of the first examples of Allardyce's 'arrangement' with the
Hammers hierarchy, basically they HAVE to listen to what he has to say about
player sales and purchases, what would be the point of parting with the
club's best striker with absolutely no chance of replacing him with a player
of the same quality? The deal might have looked good to an accountant, but
as Daniel Levy works for S**** and not West Ham, wisdom seems to have
prevailed, and the manager has apparently got his way. Of course things may
change during the January transfer window, but for now fans and players
alike know that they have a manager who is prepared to fight his corner
instead of being a yes man, long may it continue! -Ed
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Arsenal and West Ham midfielder Henri Lansbury nets for England
11:28am Tuesday 6th September 2011
Guardian Series
By Simon Mail »
West Ham signing Henri Lansbury continued his impressive England Under-21
form with a goal in their 4-1 win over Israel last night. The Arsenal
midfielder, who has moved to Upton Park on a season long loan, came off the
bench at Oakwell and scored. Lansbury was named man-of-the-match during
last Thursday's 6-0 win over Azerbaijan when he scored twice and also set up
two goals.The 20-year-old is expected to make his debut for the Hammers this
weekend when they entertain Portsmouth in the Championship.
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Wardrobe open for Hammers youngsters
West Ham United - Papa Bouba Diop happy to pass on advice
By Mark Bollons September 06, 2011
GiveMeFootball
West Ham United midfielder Papa Bouba Diop is happy to pass on words of
wisdom to the promising crop of talent rising through the ranks in east
London. The 33-year-old Senegalese international boasts 15 years of senior
experience, playing domestic football in Switzerland, France, Greece and
England along the way. A shrewd signing by manager Sam Allardyce this
summer, the free transfer addition hopes his experience in the game can help
others learn some vital lessons during what is sure to be a difficult season
in places.
"We have a lot of young players and it is important for the older ones to
help the young ones coming through. They can listen to us and that is good.
We have experience. Football can be complicated sometimes and it is
important for everyone to always listen," he told the official West Ham
website. "I am a lucky guy to have had my career so far but you never know
everything in the game and every day you must learn. It is important to talk
together on the outside and on the inside as a team." Bouba Diop is in no
doubt that the Hammers will be able to mount a promotion charge during the
campaign though, and highlights the recent performance against Nottingham
Forest as a good indicator towards success. Aware of the demands in an
Npower Championship season, the former Fulham star is concentrating on
reaching full fitness, and plans to help the side pick up points every time
he plays. "I am confident we can be promoted because we have quality
players. They are Premier League players," he continued. "If you saw how
they did at Nottingham Forest, you can see they played well and scored four
goals. If we continue like this, we can return to the Premier League at the
end of the season."
"There are a lot of games in the Championship, two or three a week, but I am
focused on getting stronger and helping the team to pick up points every
time we play. I will work hard. The Championship is more demanding than the
Premier League and it is different but I want to play."
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Former Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg to set Pulses racing in Japan
By MARK GILBERT
Published: Today
The Sun
FORMER Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg has joined Japanese side Shimizu
S-Pulse. The 34-year-old moved to Celtic in December and made seven
appearances for the Hoops last term before leaving Scotland in the summer.
And Ljungberg has told his new team-mates he is already looking forward to
his new challenge in the Far East.
Shimizu keeper Kaito Yamamoto said: "His power and movement are incredible.
"His motion is always the same but he puts all sorts of movement on the
ball. "He's not at 100 per cent yet but he is going to give goalkeepers a
lot of trouble."
Ljungberg was part of the famous 'Invincibles' side which went undefeated
throughout the entire 2003/04 campaign when Arsenal last won the Premier
League.
The ex-Calvin Klein model joins a growing list of high-profile players to
try their luck in the J-League, including Zico, Gary Lineker and Dragan
Stojkovic. Swede Ljungberg was capped 75 times and scored 14 goals for his
country in a 10-year international career before retiring from national duty
in 2008. He also played for West Ham before a spell in Major League Soccer
with Seattle Sounders and Chicago Fire. Shimizu S-Pulse are currently eighth
in the J-League table with 10 games of the season remaining.
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