WHUFC.com
Abdoulaye Faye is keen to make his full home debut after impressing at
Millwall
20.09.2011
Abdoulaye Faye is eyeing a first Boleyn Ground start after making an
outstanding full West Ham United debut at Millwall on Saturday. The Senegal
centre-back showed all his experience and power to keep the Lions at bay at
The Den, winning countless headers and tackles for his side. While Faye was
naturally pleased with his own performance, the 33-year-old admitted he and
his team-mates were slightly disappointed not to bring all three points back
to the Boleyn Ground. We were disappointed not to win the game because we
created a lot of chances and we should be winning this game," he told West
Ham TV. "Sometimes you don't know what is going to happen and you create a
lot of chances but you can't take them, so we have got to look forward to
the next game. "It's very important to win the game next week at home. We
didn't win at home for six months [before beating Portsmouth] so we need to
win two or three games on the spin and then everyone will have confidence
for the future."
Faye relished the opportunity to make his full Hammers debut in such a
unique atmosphere, comparing the noise at The Den to that he experienced
while playing for Newcastle United at Sunderland earlier in his career.
"Everybody played well on Saturday, but it was a tough game as everybody
expected it to be. It was my first time playing at Millwall and it was a
tough game. "We should have been winning the game because we had so many
chances, but that's football. A draw is OK because I have confidence we can
win every game at home. "I enjoyed it because it has been a long time in
coming. I was here in pre-season then I got an injury and after that Tonks
(James Tomkins) and Winston [Reid] have been playing really well and I've
had to wait. "I got my chance and I wanted to take it by helping the club to
do well and to help us go up this season. I have confidence we can do that.
"I like it when it is physical. I have experience of an atmosphere like that
from when I played for Newcastle against Sunderland, where there were even
more people. "We played well in the second half and we can look forward to
next weekend."
Faye was brought on as a second-half substitute in the 4-3 win over
Portsmouth on 10 September - a fixture which marked West Ham's first home
victory in more than six months - and is now targeting his first Boleyn
Ground start when Peterborough United come to visit on Saturday afternoon.
While he is keen to start, however, the No15 knows it is at the end of the
game that Sam Allardyce's side need to keep their heads, having conceded
last-minute goals in all four of their home matches so far this term. "I
will be looking to start. We have had a little bit of trouble at home
because we have not concentrated through every game. You can't win every
game two or three-nil. "Sometimes you have to win one-nil and concentrate
for the whole 90 minutes, but I have confidence we can do this and I think
we'll be OK next weekend."
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Brown a cup winner
WHUFC.com
West Ham United were represented by Jordan Brown in Carling Cup action on
Tuesday evening
20.09.2011
Jordan Brown had a night to remember as he helped Aldershot Town to reach
the Carling Cup fourth round on Tuesday night. The on-loan Hammers left-back
was given special dispensation to play for The Shots as they welcomed
Rochdale to the Recreation Ground. He played a key role in the 2-1 victory
that means they are contemplating a potential tie against one of the Premier
League big guns in the next round. Brown was making only his second
appearance for Aldershot, who eliminated West Ham United in the first round
and are managed by Hammers fan Dean Holdsworth. The 19-year-old played the
full 90 minutes and will hope to keep his place for Saturday's visit of
Crawley Town.
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Charlton 1-0 Development Squad
WHUFC.com
A Morgan Fox goal sees Ian Hendon's side edged out by the Addicks at
Sparrows Lane
20.09.2011
CHARLTON ATHLETIC XI v WEST HAM UNITED XI
DEVELOPMENT SQUAD MATCH
TUESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 1PM
Final score - Charlton Athletic XI 1-0 West Ham United XI
91 mins - That's it. The Hammers are edged out, but they certainly gave
their all this afternoon and were unfortunate to lose out to a strong
Charlton side.
90 mins - Charlton have the ball as we go into the final few seconds. The
referee has already looked at his watches...
88 mins - Vose does well again to lose his man and find Moncur, but his shot
is blocked. West Ham finishing strongly. Can they find an equaliser?
87 mins - Hendon brings on Taylor Miles for Fanimo for the final few
moments.
87 mins - Another chance! Vose does well to spin away in central midfield
after Hurley wins a crunching tackle. Hurley continues his run and is onside
and in, but his touch just lets him down and the ball squirts away to
goalkeeper Sullivan.
86 mins - Time might be running out for the Hammers to fashion an equaliser,
but they haven't given up the search. Wearen goes in hard and has hurt
himself. The physio comes on to treat the centre-back.
83 mins - That might be the chance. Sears gets in behind Doherty and shoots.
Sullivan parries and Sears gets there at the same time as the centre-back.
The ball squirms agonisingly behind for a goal kick.
82 mins - West Ham need a quick response and they win a free-kick 30 yards
out. Moncur takes, but it;s charged down. The ball rebounds to Moncur, whose
second effort is also blocked.
80 mins - GOAL! Charlton might have stolen it. The Hammers don't clear their
lines and when Hughes sends the ball forward, substitute Fox is there to
slot the ball between Stech and his left-hand post.
78 mins - A really superb spell of possession there for the Hammers prompted
by Vose. Moncur, Ilunga, Hurley and Shaw are also involved before Sears cuts
inside from the left and shoots. It is blocked. Charlton break and Stech
flaps at a cross, but thankfully the home side can't take advantage.
76 mins - Vose loses out and Charlton have some pressure. Moncur then pokes
the ball behind for a corner. Jordan gets his head to it, but the ball loops
high into the hands of Stech.
75 mins - Sears gets in behind left-back Ajayi and wins a corner of Doherty.
Francis volleys clear.
74 mins - A little glimpse of the ability possessed by Fanimo as the England
U17 winger spins away with a drag-back before powering a 25-yard shot a yard
or two over the tpo.
71 mins - Sears nicks the ball off centre-back Jordan but when he tries to
pull a pass back for Shaw, it is cut out.
69 mins - Doherty picks out Francis' run with a fine diagonal ball. The
right-back takes a touch and slams a low cross into the six-yard box. Driver
does just enough to put off Fox and the ball squirms wide of the target.
68 mins - The game is getting increasingly stretched, with a lot less
patient build-up play in the midfield area from either team.
67 mins - Smith has another go, this time from distance. Again he cannot
find the target as the ball catches on the wind and flies past the post.
65 mins - West Ham break through Hurley. Vose picks up possession and works
a shooting chance, but it's blocked. Charlton break and Popo crosses deep,
where Jordan's volley flies high and wide.
64 mins - Nearly three-quarters of the way through the game and the raft of
substitutions has affected the flow of the game a bit. There are a lot of
young players out there who will want to prove something, so we could still
be in for an entertaining final 25 minutes.
63 mins - Hurley releases Fanimo down the inside-right channel. The No11
retrieves and tries to pick out Shaw with his cross. Francis rises with the
first-year scholar and the ball clears both before bouncing behind for a
goal kick.
61 mins - Evina, Cort and Bover are replaced by the home side, with Jordan,
Ajayi and Fox coming on to replace them.
58 mins - A couple more changes as Vose and Shaw come on for Turgott and
Lee. Fanimo goes up front with Sears. Immediately, West Ham keep the ball
well and attack, with all three subs involved.
56 mins - A loose header from Sears falls to Warren. He runs into the West
Ham half before trying to chip Stech from 45 yards. I think the goalkeeper
would have had it covered, but it matters not as the ball slides over the
top.
54 mins - Another great chance for Smith, but again he can't take it. A
cross from the right is cushioned down by Popo into the No15's path. He is
about 12 yards out, but screws his shot high over the crossbar.
53 mins - Hendon replaces Powell with Hurley in central midfield.
52 mins - Great chance for Smith from Francis's cross. He volleys, but the
ball thuds into the turf before sitting up nicely for Stech to collect.
51 mins - We're going to see a West Ham substitute soon. It's Lamarr Hurley
who is being readied.
50 mins - The substitutes have livened things up for the Addicks. Davisson's
cross finds Smith, who wins a corner off Ilunga. Wearen heads clear from
inside his own six-yard box.
48 mins - Fanimo breaks on to a loose ball and makes 30 yards inside the
Charlton half. He tries to pick out Lee to his right, but Doherty cuts it
out.
46 mins - We are back underway here. Charlton have made three changes -
Davisson, Smith and Warren are on for Alonso, Kermorgant and Green. Warren
has a shot a minute into the second period, but it's too high.
Half-time score - Charlton Athletic XI 0-0 West Ham United XI
46 mins - Just seconds over the 45 minutes and the whistle blows for
half-time.
44 mins - Hendon has three subs out warming up. Will he make some changes at
the break? Charlton have a four-on-four but Wearen is there again to block
Green's well-struck shot.
43 mins - Turgott and Sears combine down the right before the former wins a
corner off Evina. Powell takes, but his delivery is too deep. Fanimo gets
there first, but his cross is easily headed clear.
42 mins - Sears picks the ball up 40 yards out and drives forward with Lee
to his left. He instead chooses to shoot and Doherty makes a very
painful-sounding block.
41 mins - Cort picks out Kermorgant with a long ball. The Frenchman controls
on his chest before volleying first-time from 25 yards. Stech is in the
right place to make the save. Seconds later, Bover has a chance at the far
post, but his shot is too high.
39 mins - Good stuff again from the Irishman to hack Green's low cross away.
Fanimo tries to get past Francis to the byline, but the former England U21
right-back has too much strength for the youngster.
37 mins - Outstanding defending from Wearen. Francis curls over a cross and
Stech cannot get there. Two Charlton players look set to strike until Wearen
dives to head behind from a yard in front of his far post. The corner comes
over and Fanimo clears.
36 mins - Bover again, this time from the left. He controls and beats
Driver, but is slightly off-balance as he hits a left-foot shot. It flies
well over.
34 mins - Charlton attack down their right through Francis. Wearen clears
initially but the Addicks come again through Bover. He crosses dangerously
from the right, but the ball bounces through the six-yard box and out for a
throw on the far side. For a 0-0, this has been a very watchable game so
far.
29 mins - A chance at the other end! Green's cross bounces over Driver to
Bover, whose shot is parried by Stech. Wearen gets there first, just, and is
fouled by Popo inside the six-yard box. West Ham escape.
28 mins - Controversy?! Sears runs forward again and cuts across in front of
Green before shooting from 25 yards. The ball flicks off the head of Doherty
and loops over Sullivan. It hits the underside of the bar and looks as if it
might have gone over the line before bouncing out. Sullivan recovers to make
the catch. The assistant referee was at least 20 yards from the goal line.
27 mins - A chance for Lee, but a difficult one. Sears finds Turgott, whose
head-high cross is behind Lee. He twists, but his header is straight up into
the air and Charlton clear. Good football in the build-up, though.
26 mins - Lee is penalised for blocking off Cort. The centre-back is about a
foot taller than the striker!
24 mins - Charlton are being forced to play in front of West Ham and
shooting from distance. Alonso has a go from at least 25 yards, but it is
well over the top. The Addicks come again down the right, but Scott is there
to clear for a throw.
22 mins - Wearen again, sliding in hard but fair on Kermorgant. Alongside
him, trialist Scott has also done well so far. When you consider they have
never played together before, the young pair have forged a decent
partnership.
20 mins - Wearen has been solid as a rock so far, while his voice has been
heard regularly as he organises the back four. The Irish U19 man is there
again to block Green's shot with his head. The ball loops high into the air
and Stech collects.
17 mins - Good stuff. Ilunga bursts down the left and feeds Fanimo. He beats
one man and then squares for Lee. The striker shoots first-time, but drags
it low and wide of the far post. He shouts in frustration - Lee has been
used to scoring goals this season!
16 mins - Sullivan's long clearance catches on the wind, forcing Ilunga to
challenge Francis and concede a corner. Kermorgant takes it short to Green
before crossing first-time. Stech gets a hand to the ball before Ilunga
completes the clearance.
12 mins - Alonso picks out a pass his brother Xabi would be proud of to find
Evina in space down the left. He pulls the ball back for Kermorgant, whose
first-time shot flies well off-target.
10 mins - Driver does well there against Kermorgant - the player whose
missed chipped penalty cost Leicester City dear in the 2009/10 Championship
Play-Offs - but the throw is worked to Bover, who works Stech with a
well-struck shot. Wearen completes the clearance.
8 mins - This has been a really good start by Hendon's men. Sears does well
again to hold up play and find Ilunga. Lee drops into space and picks up
possession before finding Powell. Sears tries to release Turgott down the
right, but the ball is just too strong.
6 mins - West Ham are set up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Driver and Ilunga in
the full-back positions and Wearen and Scott in the centre. In midfielder,
Turgott and Fanimo are in the wide areas, with Powell and Moncur in the
middle. On the pitch, Sears releases Turgott, whose cross is headed clear by
Cort to Moncur. He shoots from 25 yards, but it's too high.
4 mins - Sears has another chance to run at the Charlton defence but this
time he tries to release Lee, but Cort is there. Charlton break, but Olumide
Scott is there to tidy up with a pass back to Stech. Lively start.
3 mins - The Hammers are lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Sears is up front
with Lee and he should have just put West Ham in front, skipping past one
defender and then the goalkeeper with his trademark direct and lightning
pace. Unfortunately, his final touch takes him towards the byline and the
angle is so narrow that his shot is into the side-netting.
2 mins - Not much pattern to the game so far, but plenty of famous faces in
the small crowd. Julian Dicks, Pat Holland and Micky Adams are all here, as
is former Charlton boss Steve Gritt, who is now scouting for Bournemouth.
1pm - We're off and running at a chilly and windy Sparrows Lane, with
Charlton kicking-off...
Good afternoon and welcome to Sparrows Lane here in south east London for
today's development squad fixture between Charlton Athletic and West Ham
United.
Today's match will see Ian Hendon name a young side, with only Herita
Ilunga, Freddie Sears and goalkeeper Marek Stech possessing first-team
experience among his squad.
Alongside the experienced trio will be a host of young professionals -
George Moncur, Eoin Wearen and Callum Driver - and scholars, including
in-form Elliot Lee, Blair Turgott, Jack Powell amd Lamarr Hurley.
Charlton, of course, are going great guns in League One under two former
Hammers in manager Chris Powell and assistant and former West Ham
reserve-team
manager Alex Dyer.
The Addicks have named a very strong lineup, with no fewer than nine senior
players alongside teenagers Tosan Popo and Ruben Bover. Among the Charlton
starting XI are former Tottenham defender Gary Doherty, ex-Hull City
centre-back Leon Cort, former Reading and Norwich City midfielder Andy
Hughes and former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Mikel Alonso.
Charlton Athletic XI: Sullivan, Francis, Evina (Ajayi 61), Cort (Jordan 61),
Doherty, Hughes, Green (Smith 46), Alonso (Davisson 46), Bover (Fox 61),
Kermorgant (Warren 46), Popo
Subs not used: Pope, Azeez
West Ham United XI: Stech, Driver, Ilunga, Wearen, Scott, Turgott (Shaw 58),
Powell (Hurley 53), Fanimo (Miles 87), Sears, E.Lee (Vose 58)
Sub not used: Cowler
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Hendon laments late winner
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Ian Hendon's development squad suffered defeat at the hands of a strong
Charlton side this lunchtime. Hendon's side went down 1-0 at Athletic's
Sparrows Lane training ground, with the only goal of a hard-fought game
scored by Morgan Fox with just ten minutes of play remaining. Hendon fielded
a mostly inexperienced squad for the game, with only Herita Ilunga - cast
aside since rejecting a transfer window loan move, as revealed here on
KUMB.com last week - and Freddie Sears having first team experience under
their belt. Conversely, the League One leaders' starting eleven consisted of
NINE players who have represented the Addicks' first team already this
season - the only two yet to feature being recent signings Yann Kermorgant
and Mikel Alonso, who were both seeking match fitness. Despite creating a
number of chances throughout the game - the best of which fell to Freddie
Sears in the closing minutes, the young striker unable to beat the 'keeper
despite being offered a second bite of the cherry - the Hammers were finally
beaten when a long ball found former Southend High School pupil Fox deep in
enemy territory. The young defender, a member of Charlton's current under
18 squad turned before finishing coolly, beating Marek Stech at his near
post.
West Ham Utd XI: Stech, Driver, Ilunga, Wearen, Scott, Turgott (Shaw 58),
Powell (Hurley 53), Fanimo (Miles 87), Sears, E.Lee (Vose 58).
Sub not used: Cowler.
Charlton Athletic XI: Sullivan, Francis, Evina (Ajayi 61), Cort (Jordan 61),
Doherty, Hughes, Green (Smith 46), Alonso (Davisson 46), Bover (Fox 61),
Kermorgant (Warren 46), Popo.
Subs not used: Pope, Azeez.
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Fernandes: twice smitten
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 20th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Tony Fernandes has revealed that he tried to buy West Ham United twice -
before settling for Queens Park Rangers. The 47-year-old, a lifelong Hammers
fan told Mihir Bose that along with his much-publicised challenge to Davids
Gold & Sullivan in January 2010, he also attempted to purchase the football
club four years earlier.
"I tried before the Icelandic guys [Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and Eggert
Magnuson] bought it," he said. "Then, when they had all their problems, I
was in a bidding war with David Sullivan and David Gold - but the Icelandic
banks went for them."
Fernandes also spoke about his recent falling out with David Sullivan, after
the two clashed at the end of the 2010/11 campaign prior to the Malaysian's
interest in Charlton - "very cheap, a great business deal but I didn't have
any heart for it. It was too close to West Ham" - and QPR. "We approached
them [West Ham's board] again when they got relegated in May - and I upset
Sullivan," he continued. "I was getting hundreds of messages [from fans]
asking, 'Have you put in an offer?'
"So I tweeted, 'Yep, I've put in an offer.' World War exploded. It was then
that Bernie Ecclestone called and said, 'Hey, why don't you look at QPR?'"
Since purchasing the west London club during the summer, Fernandes - who is
the club's largest shareholder, although a percentage is still owned by the
vastly wealthy Mittal family - has bankrolled the signings of former Hammer
Anton Ferdinand and West Ham transfer target Joey Barton. His club currently
lie ninth in the Premier League. "Maybe what Sullivan and Gold were hoping
for is a real billionaire," he concluded. "That's a blessing at QPR."
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Faye targets starting berth
Defender determined to hold down a regular role
Last Updated: September 20, 2011 4:05pm
SSN
Abdoulaye Faye is hoping to hang on to his starting berth when West Ham play
host to Peterborough on Saturday. The Senegalese defender was handed his
full debut for the Hammers in their 0-0 draw with Millwall last time out.
Prior to that derby date, the experienced centre-half had been restricted to
two substitute appearances.
The 33-year-old, who joined the Hammers from Stoke over the summer, put in
an eye-catching display against the Lions and is hoping he has done enough
to convince Sam Allardyce that he is deserving of a regular role. "I enjoyed
it because it has been a long time in coming," Faye told the club's official
website.
Confidence
"I was here in pre-season then I got an injury and after that James Tomkins
and Winston Reid have been playing really well and I've had to wait. "I got
my chance and I wanted to take it by helping the club to do well and to help
us go up this season. I have confidence we can do that. "We played well in
the second half (against Millwall) and we can look forward to next weekend.
I will be looking to start. "We have had a little bit of trouble at home
because we have not concentrated through every game. You can't win every
game two or three-nil. "Sometimes you have to win one-nil and concentrate
for the whole 90 minutes, but I have confidence we can do this and I think
we will be okay next weekend."
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Kurucz makes rapid recovery
Cryotherapy to thank for speedy comeback
By Juha Pal. Last Updated: September 20, 2011 4:42pm
SSN
West Ham United goalkeeper Peter Kurucz has made a miraculous recovery from
a serious knee injury that the club thought would rule him out for the rest
of the season. The Hungarian suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury
during a reserve game in August during what was a promising pre-season for
the youngster. Following a course of cryotherapy the keeper is now fully fit
and ready to return to the Hammers' squad. Cryotherapy utilises freezing
temperatures to decrease inflammation and pain and accelerate the healing
process. The shot-stopper told Nemzeti Sport: "Cryotherapy is a special cure
method which is commonly used at knee injuries. It was tough, I was freezing
but I didn't regret to attend this if this speeded up my rehabilitation.
"Now I'm fully fit and 100 per cent healthy so my aim is the same as before
my injury - getting to the bench at West Ham." Kurucz played for the first
team in pre-season friendly wins over Peterborough United, Borussia
Monchengladbach and Panathinaikos.
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Promotion Bid on Target, With a Lot More in the Tank!
September 20th, 2011 - 1:17 pm by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Last Saturday's match was one that we should have won. There is little
comparison between the respective squads at the disposal of Sam Allardyce
and Kenny Jackett, West Ham having far superior talent at their disposal.
Yet, sometimes circumstances can be a leveller and one of these are the hype
and expectation around a fiercely fought derby. Indeed, this is a fixture
where previous visiting Hammers teams have wilted and capitulated in the
face of the hostiity of the atmosphere at the Den and the intensity of the
match.
That did not happen this time. This West Ham team did not wilt, we stood up
and battled our way to a result. In the final analysis, we dropped two
points because of poor finishing. On the plus side, West Ham defended
solidly and were never really troubled by Millwall, having restricted them
to a couple of half chances. And lets remind ourselves of the basic stats
this season in the league: played 7, won 4, drew 2 and lost 1. And we have
now gone 6 matches unbeaten, since that unlucky first day defeat by Cardif
City. We have 14 points from 7 matches, a record that complies to the
general rule that 2 points per match usually guarantees automatic promotion.
Yes, we could very easily have had a record of played 7, won 7, but we need
to remember that this is a squad that has gone through a major structure and
the players introduced need to settle in, get their fitnesses levels up and
gel as a team unit. I still maintain that our squad has far more 'in the
tank' than any of our rivals at the top of the Championship and, when we
fire on all cylinders, we will blow them away! I envisage that there will be
a pivotal result, at some point soon, when it all comes together and we do
not look back. You certainly would not want to be our opponents when it
does happen, perhaps Peterborough Utd might be the unlucky club?
It was good to see Sam Baldock get on against Millwall. Unfortunately
nothing fell his way on that occasion, but his technical ability, running
off the ball and positional sense was there for all to see. Hopefully, he
will get another chance on Saturday, against Peterborough Utd, to show us
what he can do. David Bentley missed the best chance of the match.
However, lets not cruxify him for it. Bentley lacks both match practice and
confidence at the moment, but it was not so long ago that he was transferred
to Spurs for £15m. If we can get him back online, we will have an excellent
player who can make a massive contribution this season. Interestingly,
against Milwall, Bentley substituted for Taylor on the left side,
illustrating his ablity to operate on both flanks.
Personally, I would probably have either retained Jordan Spence or brought
in an extra central defender to cover for Tomkins, Reid and Faye. Sam
Allardyce has indicated that there were to be no further additions to the
squad. Presumably, he is working on the basis that either Demel or Diop can
also play centre back if necessary? The potential problem is that Faye had
a poor injury record in his final season at Stoke City and, one would
imagine, that would been a factor in assessing our need for cover at centre
back. Unfortunately, James Tomkins went off injured against Millwall and he
could be out for up to three weeks. So, we will now probably be relying on a
Reid-Faye central defensive partnership, which should be good enough to see
us through. However, lets just hope that both players stay fit during
Tomkins' absence!
Guy Demel has suffered from a tight hamstring and that has restricted his
appearances for the Developmental Squad. He is a player that I am really
looking forward to see in a claret and blue shirt. His experience, strength
and power should be a great asset. Indeed, it is nice to have two such
powerful players as Demel and Diop in the squad and I can see both being
selected for some of our tougher away fixtures this season. We will
certainly not be intimidated and out muscled with players like that in our
team.
There is a Developmental Squad fixture this afternoon versus a Charlton XI.
From the team sheet, it would appear that we have selected a young team and
substitutes bench, with only Stech, Illunga and Sears having first team
experience. That obviously means that that neither trialists, Carney nor
Juca, have been included. Does that indicate that neither have won
contracts with the club? Similarly, both Diop and Demel are also absent and
that raises the question whether (a) they are injured; or (b) in the frame
for selection for the first team on Saturday?
SJ. Chandos
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ABDOULAYE FAYE CAN FIRE WEST HAM
Daily Express
Wednesday September 21,2011
By Daily Express reporter
NEW boy Abdoulaye Faye says he can fire West Ham to promotion this season
after making his first start for them. Centre-back Faye, who played against
Millwall last Saturday, said: "I got my chance in that match, and I really
wanted to take the opportunity by helping the team to do well and help us
get up this season. I have real confidence that we can achieve that by the
end of the season."
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Tony Cottee column: West Ham fans should lay off Bentley after his miss at
Millwall
London 24
Tony Cottee, London24 West Ham columnist
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
2:04 PM
"I know after the previous away games when we were scoring for fun that the
fans expected another game with plenty of goals, but it just wasn't to be
against Millwall" I think that a point away to Millwall is not a bad result
for West Ham really, when you think about it. Most teams in the Championship
will view The Den as somewhere where you can target three points, but in a
London derby form goes out of the window, so the Hammers should be happy
with the draw. We had quite a few chances and probably should have taken at
least two. But Robert Green had some saves to make too. I know after the
previous away games when we were scoring for fun that the fans expected
another game with plenty of goals, but it just wasn't to be against
Millwall. Some people have jumped on David Bentley's back for his miss
towards the end of the game, but I don't think you can be too harsh on him.
It is a lot harder to put those chances away than you think, and we only
have to look at Fernando Torres' miss on Sunday against Manchester United
for evidence of that. I know first hand that as easy as these chances may
look, they can be hard to put away, but I'm hoping that last weekend was
just a little blip in our goalscoring. On top of a well-earned point from
The Den, there was also no trouble between the two sets of fans which I
think is great news. I know that there was a huge police presence at the
game, but if that is what it takes to keep the peace then so be it. Nobody
wanted to see a repeat of what happened two years ago, and I hope that those
days are behind both clubs. Of course, credit must go to the police, the
Millwall fans and the Hammers fans for their behaviour at the weekend and I
hope it is as good when the two teams meet again later in the season at
Upton Park.
One sour note from the Millwall game was the injury to James Tomkins. He has
injured his groin and I will be delighted if he is only out for three games.
I know from when I used to play that groin injuries can take up to six weeks
to heal and it is a real shame to lose a player like Tomkins for that length
of time. He has been in outstanding form so far this season and he will be a
big loss.
However, West Ham have a more-than able replacement in Abdoulaye Faye. He
looked really strong at the back on Saturday and he brings a real physical
presence to the team. You know what you are going to get with Faye and the
fans will take to him because of the no-nonsense nature in which he plays.
We also have Winston Reid, who has really impressed me this season. When we
brought Faye in, I thought he would be starting alongside Tomkins, but it
shows just how well Reid has done as he has kept Faye out of the side.
Tony Cottee was talking to Nathaniel John
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White Hart Lane revamp moves step closer after Spurs reach agreement with
council
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 9:11 PM on 20th September 2011
Daily Mail
Tottenham's plans to redevelop White Hart Lane took another small step
forward when they signed a planning agreement with Haringey Council. The
Section 106 agreement, which Spurs signed on Tuesday afternoon, means they
have agreed to pay some money towards local facilities in the area around
the stadium if they decide to go ahead with plans to stay in the north
London borough. Tottenham want to redevelop White Hart Lane in a site
adjacent to the ground in a plan known as the Northumberland Development
Project (NDP) but they are also fighting the decision to give West Ham the
keys to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.
Spurs were given planning permission to undertake the NDP in October last
year but they also want local and central government to contribute towards
revamping transport and other facilities around the area - which is one of
the most deprived in the capital. They will now sit down with the council,
London Mayor Boris Johnson, and central government figures to see if they
can come to an agreement. A Tottenham statement read: 'The club can confirm
that the S106 agreement in respect of the Northumberland Development Project
has now been completed and planning permissions have been issued. 'This
enables discussions with the London borough of Haringey, the Mayor of London
and central government to continue as we seek to make the development viable
and deliverable. 'As always, we shall keep all our supporters updated as
these progress.'
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