WHUFC.com
Sam Baldock is determined not to let his FA Cup penalty miss affect his
confidence in the long term
09.01.2012
Sam Baldock has vowed to bounce back after his penalty miss contributed to
West Ham United's 1-0 FA Cup with Budweiser third-round defeat at Sheffield
Wednesday. The striker saw his 53rd-minute spot-kick turned aside by Owls
goalkeeper Nicky Weaver before Chris O'Grady compounded his misery with a
winning goal two minutes from full-time. Baldock also saw a rasping low
drive diverted on to the inside of the post by the inspired Weaver as the
Hammers suffered a disappointing exit at Hillsborough on Sunday. "I've seen
the penalty back and it was a good save but that's no real excuse," the No7
told West Ham TV. "The important thing is how I respond from it. The
spotlight is going to be on me now to see how I bounce back but I've been
through it before like most strikers and I'm not going to let it phase me.
"He has done quite well, to be fair, especially against me! He has managed
to get something on that shot and diverted it on to the post. It's
disappointing not to have scored at least one on the day."
Baldock's penalty disapppointment was in stark contrast to the joy he felt
at completing his first 90 minutes since the 1-0 npower Championship defeat
at Southampton on 18 October. The up-and-down nature of the striker's day
summed up an afternoon that could easily have turned out differently for the
Hammers.
"That's football. That's why the fans love it so much and why people pay to
watch it. Yes, it was an eventful game and I think we were unfortunate not
to find ourselves in the hat for the fourth round. "I'm quite pleased with
the fact I came through the whole game, but the only thing I can think about
at the minute is the penalty. I got 100 minutes under my belt, which is the
first time I've completed a game since my injury so that's pleasing. "They
asked me a couple of times how I was feeling and I said I was fine and I
wanted to carry on."
It may be an overused cliché in football, but Baldock and his team-mates now
have no choice but to concentrate on their league campaign. With a little
less than half of their 46 league matches still to play, West Ham sit second
in the npower Championship table, behind leaders Southampton only on goal
difference. The 22-year-old vowed to channel all of his energies to helping
the Hammers achieve their goal of reaching the Premier League come the
season's end. "I must say it's the angle I'm going to be coming from, at
least!" he said. "The plan is to go back on the training pitch and to pick
up three points at Portsmouth on Saturday. We've got a few players to come
back who we missed on Sunday so I look forward to seeing them. We've got a
stronger squad to choose from than we've had in recent weeks.
"The fans inspire us. They out-sing every home crowd and it's great to have
them at every away game. Sunday wasn't the ideal result but next week we can
repay them."
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Moncur loaned to Dons
WHUFC.com
George Moncur has joined AFC Wimbledon on loan until 4 February 2012
09.01.2012
Promising midfielder George Moncur has joined League Two side AFC Wimbledon
on a youth loan until 4 February 2012. The England Under-19 international
has enjoyed a fine season for West Ham United's development squad, netting
three goals in 20 appearances for Ian Hendon's side. Moncur, who signed his
first professional contract in September 2010 and also joined Sam
Allardyce's first-team squad on pre-season tour in Switzerland in July last
year, will hope to make his senior debut in Saturday's npower League Two
fixture at Port Vale. Moncur's move will see him join fellow Academy
graduate Callum McNaughton at Kingsmeadow, with the centre-back having
joined Terry Brown's squad on a permanent basis last week. The 18-year-old
is one of eight West Ham United players out on loan at present, with
Cristian Montano, Eoin Wearen and Ahmed Abdulla (all Dagenham and
Redbridge), Callum Driver (Burton Albion), Jordan Spence (Bristol City),
Peter Kurucz (Rochdale) and Pablo Barrera (Real Zaragoza) being the other
seven.
Goalkeeper Kurucz made his second Rochdale appearance in a 2-0 npower League
One defeat at Hartlepool United at the weekend. The Dale are next in action
on Saturday, when they host Stevenage.
Wearen and Abdulla made their Daggers debuts in a goalless FA Cup with
Budweiser third-round draw with Millwall at Victoria Road on Saturday and
will hope to keep their starting places when John Still's side welcome
Hereford United on Saturday. Montano was not given permission to play in the
game by the Hammers.
Driver made his npower Football League debut in Burton's 2-0 League Two
defeat by Accrington Stanley at the Pirelli Stadium on Friday evening. The
Brewers travel to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
Finally, Barrera appeared as a 57th-minute substitute as Real Zaragoza went
down to a 1-0 defeat at Racing de Santander in Spain's Primera Division on
Saturday.
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Moncur on his way
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's George Moncur is set to join AFC Wimbledon on loan. The young
midfielder is set to go out on a short-term loan to the League Two club, who
only last week signed former Hammers Academy graduate Callum McNaughton on
permanent terms. Moncur confirmed the news via his Twitter account this
morning. "I'm going [to] AFC Wimbledon, thank you all much love," he said.
"[But] only on loan, not permanent." 18-year-old Moncur signed his first
professional contract with West Ham in September 2010, a contract that runs
until the summer of 2013. His father, John, played for West Ham between 1994
and 2003.
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Gala could return for Cole
Turkish outfit planning fresh approach for Hammers striker
Last Updated: January 9, 2012 11:21am
SSN
Sky Sports sources understand Galatasaray are planning a second approach for
Carlton Cole after missing out on the West Ham United striker in the summer.
The Turkish outfit launched a late raid for the England international in
September, with their transfer window staying open for longer than their
western European rivals.
The Hammers snubbed that bid, with manager Sam Allardyce expressing his
anger at having to fend off an approach after the English window had slammed
shut.
He could, however, be forced to deal with a second offer, with Galatasaray
said to be readying a fresh move. Cole has been in decent form for West Ham
this season and is leading the club's Championship promotion bid with eight
goals in 21 outings. He is, however, unaccustomed to life in the second tier
and could be tempted to try his luck in the Turkish top flight. The
28-year-old stated in November that he has no intention of leaving Upton
Park, but Galatasaray may be about to test that resolve.
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West Ham United increase bid for Huddersfield striker Jordan Rhodes
10:06am Monday 9th January 2012 in News
Guardian Series
West Ham United have reportedly increased their offer for Huddersfield
striker Jordan Rhodes to £4.5m. The prolific goalscorer was on fire on
Friday as he netted five goals in their win over Wycombe. Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce has made no secret of his interest in the Scotland striker and has
seemingly made him their top transfer target this month.
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West Ham face difficulty tempting Huddersfield to sell Rhodes
Lee Clark knows Jordan Rhodes is irreplaceable as Huddersfield challenge for
promotion
Ladbrokes.com
Sam Allardyce was quick to point to a lack of composure in front of goal for
West Ham's FA Cup exit at Sheffield Wednesday and this may make him even
more determined to sign Jordan Rhodes from Huddersfield. Despite having four
recognised strikers at his disposal and sitting joint-top of the
Championship, Allardyce still feels the club need an out-and-out scorer to
ensure their Premier League return. West Ham have failed to score more than
once in their last seven games and on the whole have been dropping too many
points at home to be assured of promotion. But Rhodes is almost certainly
one striker who could improve their scoring troubles.
His latest effort of five goals in Huddersfield's rampant League One success
over Wycombe took his present haul to 23 goals in his last 14 club games and
this has understandably generated interest in his availability.
West Ham are at the front of the queue and they have reportedly already had
an offer of £4m turned down, but this bid is expected to be improved.
Huddersfield manager Lee Clark insists that his star asset is not for sale,
but is in a major quandary about what is the best decision to make. Rhodes
would be irreplaceable to Huddersfield regardless of the transfer sum
received, as it would be virtually impossible to find a replacement capable
of matching his scoring exploits who would be interested in a move to League
One. However, if a team were to offer £6m+ for Rhodes, this could enable
Clark to bring in six or more players who were enhance the quality of his
squad.
The one big dilemma is that Huddersfield are only in the play-off places
even with Rhodes' goals and so it would be even tougher to secure automatic
promotion without them, meaning that the end of the season would be Clark's
favoured time to sell. This price tag may seem extortionate for a player who
is unproven outside of League One, but other strikers in the past strong at
this level have continued to strike regularly in a higher division. Grant
Holt is perhaps the best example at Norwich, while Robert Earnshaw, Jason
Scotland and Rickie Lambert have also taken the Championship in their
stride.
If Allardyce can justify a hefty outlay on Rhodes and offer enough to ensure
Clark reluctantly accept the bid, West Ham's odds of 11/10 to win the
Championship could prove great value.
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West Ham Make £4.5m Offer for Prolific Scottish Striker
Sportsvibe.co.uk
West Ham have reportedly increased their offer for Huddersfield striker
Jordan Rhodes to £4.5million after the talented youngster scored five goals
against Wycombe on Friday night. The Hammers have been watching the striker
in action for some time and have previously made an offer which was rejected
by the League One side. However, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to
land the former Ipswich Town striker and according to reports has lodged an
increased offer of £4.5million.
As well as the Championship side, Tottenham and Newcastle have also been
linked with the 21-year-old in recent weeks as he has managed a sensational
25 league goals in just 21 games. Allardyce has made no secret that he
would like to sign the Scotland international and has certainly placed him
top of his shopping list for the January transfer window. Huddersfield boss
Lee Clark recently encouraged speculation about the young striker as he
simply appears to get better and better each week. "Let them come because
Jordan is buzzing from the attention. While he hasn't yet played at the
level they have, his finishing is up there with the likes of Alan Shearer,
Andy Cole and Kevin Phillips. "And his general play is excellent. He is
bringing others into the game, he is holding the ball, he is twisting and
turning players and creating chances for others. "You look at the stats and
see he is very rarely caught offside, and that's an indication of how good
his movement is. "I noted the press talk last week, when his value seemed to
go up from £3m to £4m, but to be honest, that's peanuts."
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