WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has stressed the need for two wins in the next five days
27.03.2012
Sam Allardyce was clear on West Ham United's target for the next target for
the next five days - two wins and the six points that would take them back
to second in the npower Championship table. Ahead of Reading's visit on
Saturday, Big Sam's side travel to Peterborough - the side that recently
beat the Royals 3-1 to give the Hammers a shout of getting back into the
automatic promotion places. The West Ham United manager knows the task will
not be easy but will be boosted by Julien Faubert and Ricardo Vaz Te coming
back into contention for a place in the matchday squad.
Are you still flabbergasted by Saturday's draw with Burnley?
SA: Even more so now as we've had a chance to watch it again. It just seems
to sum up where what we are the moment. We dominated the game from the very
start and then found ourselves 2-0 down at half-time after not taking our
chances, hitting the post and having a goal disallowed. We got two goals
back and then better and easier chances came our way that we failed to
convert. When we look back at this period, if we don't get to where we want
to be we'll know why. Whether we weren't clinical enough or professional
enough it's not been the right conversion of chances. If you want to get to
the top of this division and stay there you've got to convert the chances to
goals. We've let the pressure grow on us by not winning games and taking our
chances. There are some big decisions that went against us but in the main
it's down to our own incapability of winning a game of football.
How is the mood in the camp?
SA: It wasn't a case of being pleased about coming back; we were frustrated
to have not won the game. Our players didn't settle for a point and in the
last ten minutes created the best four or five chances of the game. We only
had the goalkeeper to beat and we still couldn't beat him.
Is this now crunch time?
SA: It can flow and comeback at any stage. Time is running out and with only
8 games to go, people are getting a bit nervous as the games are running
out. You start turning that round by winning a game and getting three
points. We've got to make a difference by Saturday evening by getting two
victories on the trot but we can't have any more excuses and we can't slip
up any more. It's not over but it puts it back in our hands and not
Reading's if we get three points against a side that have just beaten
Reading on their own patch. If we win that one then we know we'll go above
them. That then takes us into the last six games of the season and we go
from there.
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Peterborough United match preview
WHUFC.com
All the background information and team news ahead of Tuesday's game at
London Road
26.03.2012
PETERBOROUGH UNITED v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2012
KICK-OFF: 7:45PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United's visit to Peterborough was rearranged after the initial
fixture at the start of February was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
• The Hammers go into the game off the back of five successive draws in a
ten match-unbeaten run. West Ham sit third in the npower Championship table,
four points behind second-place Reading. Victory at London Road followed by
a win in Saturday's game with the Royals will see Big Sam's side return to
second place in the table.
• Peterborough United head into Tuesday evening's game in 18th place having
been beaten 1-0 at Barnsley on Saturday. Despite beating Reading 3-1 at home
last Tuesday, Peterborough have lost four of their last six games.
• West Ham United are looking to equal their record of most away wins in a
season. The record is eleven games and West Ham currently sit on ten away
wins for the season.
• The Hammers and Peterborough United have met just three times in
competitive fixtures. They faced each other in Division One during the
1992/93 season with West Ham winning both fixtures, 3-1 away at London Road
in September 1992 and 2-1 at the Boleyn Groundin February 1993. The
remaining competitive game came earlier this season in September when Mark
Noble secured a 1-0 victory for West Ham.
• Peterborough United were a League Two side as recently as the 2007/08
season when they finished in second place. In that same season the Hammers
finished tenth in the Premier League.
• Peterborough United director of football Barry Fry was manager of
Birmingham City under David Sullivan and David Gold between 1993 and 1996.
Team News
West Ham United
• Ricardo Vaz Te and Julien Faubert have both recovered from their hamstring
injuries and could be in contention for Tuesday evening. Abdoulaye Faye is
in training after missing Saturday's game with a knee injury but it remains
to be seen whether he will be ready for Tuesday night.
• Further good news is that Guy Demel, Winston Reid and Papa Bouba Diop are
all back in full training, but it is expected they will not be ready to
feature against Peterborough.
Peterborough United
• Grant McCann is a doubt for the hosts after coming off with a calf injury
during Saturday's draw with Barnsley. If he does not make the game, it will
be the first time managaer Darren Ferguson has not named the same starting
XI in five matches.
Last Time Out
Saturday 24 March 2012
npower Championship
Burnley 2-2 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Collins, McCartney, Collison
(Carew 82), Noble, Nolan, O'Neil, Taylor (Baldock 46), Cole (Maynard 46)
Subs not used: Potts, Lansbury
Goals: Nolan (68), Tomkins (70)
Saturday 24 March 2012
npower Championship
Barnsley 1-0 Peterborough United
Peterborough United: Jones, Zakuani, Brisley, Alcock, McCann (Little 60),
Rowe, Frecklington (Sinclair 68), Tomlin (Ball 60), Boyd, Barnett, Taylor
Subs not used: Lewis, Kearns
Ten-Year Records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Peterborough United
2010/11 League One 4th (79 points - promoted to Championship via Play-Offs)
2009/10 Championship 24th (34 points - relegated to League One)
2008/09 League One 2nd (89 points - promoted to Championship)
2007/08 League Two 2nd (92 points - promoted to League One)
2006/07 League Two 10th (65 points)
2005/06 League Two 9th (62 points)
2004/05 League One 23rd (39 points - relegated to League Two)
2003/04 Second Division 18th (52 points)
2002/03 Second Division 11th (58 points)
2001/02 Second Division 17th (55 points)
Referee
• The Referee for Tuesday evening's game is Mr. Christopher Sarginson.
• Sarginson has never refereed West Ham United before. He was taken charge
of four Peterborough United-the most-recent being a 4-1 npower League One
defeat at Southampton on 20 November 2010.
• Christopher Sarginson will be assisted by Matt Foley and Danny Gratton.
The fourth official will be John Farries.
Old Boys
• West Ham United midfielder Jack Collison spent two years with Peterborough
United as a schoolboy, playing for the club between the ages of ten and 12.
The Wales international was also close to re-joining the club for a
pre-agreed fee of £300,000 in January 2009, only to make his Hammers debut
at Arsenal on New Year's Day and remain at the Boleyn Ground.
• Peterborough United midfielder Grant McCann came through the Academy ranks
at West Ham United, turning professional in 1998 and going on to make four
substitute appearances for the club before joining Cheltenham Town for
£50,000 in January 2003.
• The Posh's Belfast-born Republic of Ireland U23 international winger
Daniel Kearns spent three years with West Ham United between 2007 and 2010
before being released and joining League of Ireland Premier Division club
Dundalk.
• The following players are among those to have worn the colours of both
West Ham United and Peterborough United during their careers - Bobby Barnes,
Matthew Etherington, Bill Green, Steven Laurie, Dave Llewellyn, Grant
McCann, Adam Newton, John Woodburn and Terry Woodgate.
• The late great Noel Cantwell played for West Ham United before going on to
manage Peterborough United on two occasions. The Cork-born Republic of
Ireland full-back spent eight seasons with the Hammers, making 274
appearances, scoring eleven goals and winning the Division Two title in
1957/58. Cantwell later took charge at London Road in 1972, winning the
Division Four title in his first season with The Posh. After leaving for a
spell in the United States with the Jacksonville Tea Men, the Irishman
returned to Peterborough between 1986 and 1988.
Up Next
West Ham United face Reading in a top of the table clash on Saturday 31
March at 3pm at the Boleyn Ground. Ticket are on sale here. Meanwhile,
Peterborough United play host to Leicester City at the same time.
General Information
• All of West Ham United's 5,000 tickets for this match have been sold. No
tickets remain.
• The weather forecast is for a sunny evening in Peterborough with
temperatures peaking at 14C.
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Birmingham is Kids for a Quid
WHUFC.com
U16s can grab a seat for the Easter Monday visit of the Blues
27.03.2012
The Easter Monday visit of npower Championship promotion-chasers Birmingham
City has been designated as a Kids for a Quid game. With West Ham United
vying for automatic promotion to the Premier League, the Board are eager for
the Boleyn Ground to be full to bursting during the run-in, including the
visit of the Blues at 5.20pm on 9 April.. All Under-16 tickets for the visit
of former West Ham defender Chris Hughton's side will be available for just
a pound, giving supporters of all ages the opportunity to cheer the Hammers
on. Kids for a Quid games have proved immensely popular this season, with
the recent visits of Crystal Palace and Doncaster Rovers attracting bumper
crowds to the Boleyn Ground. For that reason, supporters are urged to move
fast to purchase their seats to avoid the disappointment of missing out.
The scheme entitles all Under-16s to purchase a match ticket for just £1 and
with Adult tickets starting from just £32, it has never been cheaper to
bring the whole family down to the Boleyn Ground.
Manager Sam Allardyce is a great supporter of the Kids for a Quid Scheme. He
said "When you look at the current economic climate, to come and enjoy a
game of football for a quid with your son or daughter is fantastic. I think
a bus or train fare costs more these days so this is increasing the West Ham
support and the future support. "I hope we can repay everybody that comes
along to the Birmingham City game by giving them a victory to celebrate."
West Ham have enjoyed some enthralling battles with the Blues in recent
seasons - the Hammers were beaten 4-3 on aggregate in last season's Carling
Cup semi- finals, while the reverse league fixture this term ended in a 1-1
draw at St Andrew's on Boxing Day. Tickets are already on General Sale and
fans should book now to avoid disappointment. To do so call 0871 222 2700
(calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras), visit the Alpari Stand
Ticket Office during normal opening hours or book online here.
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Knives out for Allardyce
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th March 2012
By: Staff Writer
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson and club captain Grant McCann will be
doing their utmost to ensure West Ham's promotion charge suffers a further
setback at London Road tonight. The under-fire Sam Allardyce takes his team
to London Road this evening in an attempt to get the Hammers' campaign for
automatic promotion back on the rails after a string of disappointing draws.
But Ferguson and McCann - who played for West Ham under Harry Redknapp and
Glenn Roeder between 1998 and 2003 - are looking forward to heaping further
misery on the current West Ham manager and his team. "We're at home to the
biggest club in the Championship. We're under no illusions about the size of
the task," said Ferguson. "They have some great players, a top manager and
the best away record in the Championship - so the task facing us is obvious.
"But we have proved that we can beat anyone in this division as long as we
play to our highest standards. We showed what we can do when beating Reading
[3-1] last week and there's no doubt in my mind that we will give them a
very tough game, if we play to our best.
"There is a lot of pressure on West Ham as they have to win. They are four
points behind second place and this is their game in hand. They are not
likely to catch Southampton at the top so they need to win this one, but my
lads won't need much motivation either."
"West Ham are big and strong. They haven't been on the best of runs, but
they are still proving very difficult to beat," added McCann, who is best
remembered at West Ham for scoring an own goal in the 7-1 defeat at
Blackburn in October 2001 . "It goes without saying it's a tough match for
us, but if anyone can beat them we can. We've shown what we can do when we
are on our game at home and if we perform like we did against Reading, we
can beat West Ham. "It's a big game for me as an old player. I'd love to
score the winner in the last minute from a free-kick. We're all looking
forward to playing West Ham and with the crowd behind us like they were last
week we must have a great chance."
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Sam Allardyce: We've gifted Southampton the title
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer
27 March 2012
Sam Allardyce today effectively conceded the Championship title to
Southampton but believes that victory at Peterborough would put West Ham
back on the road to automatic promotion. Allardyce's team are unbeaten in 10
matches but seven draws have meant that they have lost ground to both
Southampton and second-placed Reading, who visit Upton Park on Saturday.
"It's still possible for us to win the Championship but realistically
Southampton are nine points clear and we have eight matches to go," admitted
the West Ham manager. "We have to win four and they have to lose three for
us to get ahead of them. We've gifted them the title by default if you like,
because of all the games we've drawn. "Now it looks like a straight fight
with Reading for that second spot and that means tonight's match is the most
critical of the season because it's our catch-up game. If we don't win then
we still have a chance but I see tonight's game as a big turning point for
us. We all know we shouldn't be in this position but we're all having to
cope with the pressure we've exerted on ourselves. "In 20 years of
management, it's never happened to me before that drawing a few games in
succession hasn't then led to a string of victories. This time the draws
have kept coming and the cost has been 12 points out of 18 tossed away."
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Sam Allardyce wants West Ham to find killer instinct
PA TUESDAY 27 MARCH 2012
The Independent
Sam Allardyce has urged West Ham to find the killer instinct needed to boost
their hopes of automatic promotion from the npower Championship. The Hammers
face Peterborough tonight unbeaten in 10 games, but having won only three of
those and slipped to third place, four points behind this Saturday's
opponents Reading.
And manager Allardyce knows one point has to start becoming three if his
side are to avoid the play-offs and ensure their top-flight status. "We've
had seven draws and three victories out of 10 but it should be the other way
round," he told the club website. "It's costing us dear but we're still in
with a shout with eight massive games to go so let's turn the draws back
into victories. "It's a big game as it's our game in hand and then after
that it's Reading, so if we really want to get automatic promotion we've got
to beat Peterborough. If we beat Reading (as well) we know we go back to
second spot. "It's sad we can't go there on the crest of a wave after
getting the three points we deserved (against Burnley on Saturday). We
should have won 4-2 or 5-2 or 6-3."
Another team currently dwelling in the play-off positions, Middlesbrough,
make the lengthy trip to Ipswich with midfielder Malaury Martin hoping for
an overdue first league start for the club. The Frenchman earned his side a
point against Bristol City on Saturday when, for the third time this season,
he scored after stepping off the bench. But he is keen to avoid the
"super-sub" tag and told the Northern Echo: "It's disappointing that I have
not been able to get more time on the pitch this season, but I hope that my
performance in the second half has given me a better chance of staying in
the team." The draw with the Robins left Boro winless in four, but they
remain fifth and Martin added: "There are not many teams who are winning a
lot of matches in a row. It is a very close league and we are still in the
play-off positions."
At the other end of the table, bottom two Portsmouth and Doncaster are in
action against Hull and Crystal Palace respectively, with Pompey boss
Michael Appleton warning this week's home games against the Tigers and
Burnley will shape his side's hopes. "We've got very good form at home, but
we've only got eight games left and we're at the stage where we need to
start picking up the points," he told the club website. Nottingham Forest,
four points outside the bottom three, travel to Leicester in tonight's other
game.
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Posh v West Ham preview: Posh can deliver a Hammer blow
Peterborough.co.uk
By Alan Swann
Published on Tuesday 27 March 2012 09:39
Darren Ferguson believes his side can pass the ultimate Championship test by
beating West Ham at London Road on Tuesday night (27 March, 7.45pm
kick-off).
The Posh boss insists his players will require no motivation before facing
the biggest club in the Football League in front of a sell-out crowd.
Ferguson is confident his team will rise to the occasion and deliver a
potentially fatal blow to the Hammers' hopes of promotion back to the
Premier League. Ferguson said: "This was the first game we all looked for
when the fixtures came out. We're at home to the biggest club in the
Championship in front of a packed crowd and we can't wait to get going.
"We're under no illusions about the size of the task though. We won't be
fooled by the run of draws they've had. "I watched a DVD of their weekend
game at Burnley and they were very impressive. They were the better team and
deserved to win easily. "They have some great players, a top manager and the
best away record in the Championship so the task facing us is obvious. "But
we have proved that we can beat anyone in this division as long as we play
to our highest standards. We showed what we can do when beating Reading last
week and there's no doubt in my mind that we will give them a very tough
game if we play to our best. "There is a lot of pressure on West Ham as they
have to win. They are four points behind second place and this is their game
in hand. "They are not likely to catch Southampton at the top so they need
to win this one, but my lads won't need much motivation either."
Ferguson is expected to name an unchanged starting line-up for the fifth
game in succession providing a couple of knocks clear up. The manager will
keep faith with the players who performed poorly in defeat at Barnsley on
Saturday. "I can't just think about the performance at Barnsley," Ferguson
added. "I also have to think about the three games before that when we
played very well. "We won't forget about Saturday and the players are well
aware they can't afford to repeat that level of performance. "But I detected
some tiredness in the squad at Barnsley so we've taken it easy since then.
We had a warm down on Sunday and a light training session yesterday.
"Hopefully the players will be a lot fresher and raring to go. I expect they
will be."
Posh start tonight's match nine points clear of Coventry, who are 22nd and
'top' of the relegation zone. That gap won't shorten no matter what happens
tonight as Coventry are not playing. Strugglers Nottingham Forest (away to
Leicester), Doncaster (at Crystal Palace) and Portsmouth (home to Hull) are
in action this evening.
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Posh preview: Spotlight on West Ham - Three points vital tonight says Sam
lardyce
Peterborough.co.uk
By Alan Swann
Published on Tuesday 27 March 2012 09:35
SAM Allardyce insists West Ham must beat Posh at London Road on Tuesday
night (27 March, 7.45pm kick-off) to set themselves up perfectly for a huge
promotion battle against Reading at Upton Park on Saturday. The West Ham
United manager was frustrated after leaving Burnley last weekend with only a
single point despite dominating Saturday's 2-2 draw, but he knows there is
little time to dwell on the result. The Hammers start tonight's match in
third place, four points behind Reading who were despatched 3-1 at London
Road last Tuesday Two wins this week would therefore see Allardyce's team
back in the automatic promotion places. "If I get a performance the same as
Saturday then I'm sure we can win," Allardyce said. "We deserved a win on
Saturday so let's make sure we get it tonight. "We then play Reading on
Saturday and that would be our chance to get back into second spot. "I was
disappointed by the result at Burnley, but not by the total performance that
we gave for 90 minutes. I'm not disappointed with the chances created, just
massively disappointed that our final finish wasn't good enough again. "We
controlled the game from start to finish, but sloppy defending from us and
good finishing from Burnley got them in front. "We have to pick ourselves up
and go again and if we have another performance like this I'm confident
we'll win. "It's a big game as it's our game in hand and then after that
it's Reading so if we really want to get amongst the automatic promotion
side of it we've got to beat Peterborough. "If we then beat Reading we know
we go back to second spot. "It's sad we can't go there on the crest of a
wave after getting the three points we deserved at Burnley, but we can't
afford to let that worry us."
The Hammers have slipped behind top two Southampton and Reading in recent
weeks despite a 10-game unbeaten run. Crucially just three of those matches
have ended in victory. Tuesday night's fixture should have been played on
February 11, but was postponed because of snow and freezing temperatures.
STAR MAN
ROBERT Green's form in the Championship earned him a recall to the last
England squad. The goalkeeper had been axed from the national squad after a
dismal World Cup campaign when his dreadful blunder in England's opening
game handed the United States a draw. But Green has been impressive as The
Hammers attempt to return to the Premier League following their relegation
last season.
OTHERS TO WATCH
BIG Sam Allardyce added firepower to his first-team squad with the 2012
signings of strikers Nicky Maynard from Bristol City and Ricardo Vaz Te from
Barnsley.
But their effect has been minimal so far. Maynard has scored just once in
eight appearances, while Vaz Te has two goals from the seven games. Veteran
midfielder Kevin Nolan remains West Ham's top scorer with 10 goals, one more
than striker Carlton Cole. Sam Baldock has a decent scoring record of five
goals from 10 starts, but he's fallen down the pecking order since Allardyce
introduced his new men.
Baldock is sure to receive a warm welcome from Posh fans tonight. He's a
former player of local rivals MK Dons and he managed to scupper a million
pound move to London Road in the summer by failing to impress Posh boss
Darren Ferguson in a face-to-face meeting. West Ham's strength has been
their defence led by man mountain centre-back Abdoulaye Faye. His regular
defensive partner James Tomkins is a highly-rated youngster. Midfielder Jack
Collison played for the Posh Academy sides at the ages of 10 and 11 before
following former London Road youth guru Kit Carson to Cambridge United.
Collison is now a full Welsh international, but he's endured a mixed
Championship campaign of three goals and one red card. Internationals
Winston Reid (New Zealand) and John Carew (Norway) are also part of the West
Ham squad.
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Posh preview: McCann: 'If anyone can beat West Ham, we can'
Peterborough.co.uk
By Alan Swann
Published on Tuesday 27 March 2012 09:25
Peterborough United skipper Grant McCann reckons his side are well equipped
to take another famous scalp on Tuesday night (27 March, 7.45pm kick-off).
There will be a cup-tie atmosphere at London Road when McCann's old club
West Ham take the field for a vital Championship clash. A sell-out crowd,
including close to 5,000 visiting supporters, will watch Posh try and beat a
third promotion contender in succession on their own patch. McCann reckons
West Ham, who need a win to get within one point of the automatic promotion
places, will provide tougher opposition than either Blackpool or Reading.
But he still believes Posh can record another win, providing they put the
misery of Saturday's defeat at Barnsley well behind them. McCann said: "West
Ham are big and strong. They haven't been on the best of runs, but they are
still proving very difficult to beat. "It goes without saying it's a tough
match for us, but if anyone can beat them we can. We've shown what we can do
when we are on our game at home and if we perform like we did against
Reading we can beat West Ham. "The key could be starting well. We scored
early against Blackpool and went on to play very well and although we let
the first goal in against Reading we started the game well and carried it on
for 90 minutes. "We started poorly against Barnsley and never really got
going, but we know we didn't play well in that game and we're determined to
make up for that tonight. "It's a big game for me as an old player. I'd love
to score the winner in the last minute from a free-kick and to be fair I'm
due one as my set-pieces haven't been that good lately.
"My form is returning though and I've been happy with most of my
performances lately. We're all looking forward to playing West Ham and with
the crowd behind us like they were last week we must have a great chance."
McCann spent five years at West Ham early in his career, but made just four
substitute appearances. It's a second game in quick succession against his
old clubs as he received an excellent ovation from the Barnsley fans when he
was substituted at Oakwell on Saturday. McCann added: "I was surprised by
the reaction of the Barnsley fans because I didn't feel they saw the best of
me. I've always given 100 per cent no matter what club I've been at so maybe
that helped." McCANN is closing in on 500 competitive appearances and 100
goals as a professional. He's on 466 appearances and 90 goals. He's scored
21 goals in 79 appearances for Posh. Eight of those goals have arrived this
season, but none since his brilliant free kick secured a 1-1 draw at
Birmingham back in November.
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