Daily WHUFC News - 6th August 2012

'We'll be ready for Aston Villa'
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald is looking for a response from the squad after Saturday's
pre-season defeat at Ipswich Town
05.08.2012

Neil McDonald insisted West Ham United will be ready for the start of the
Barclays Premier League season, despite seeing the Hammers fall to a
disappointing 3-1 pre-season defeat at Ipswich Town on Saturday. The
assistant manager conceded that West Ham had not been at their best at
Portman Road, pointing to an experimental formation, a slow start and
individual errors as the major factors in causing the loss - factors that
the team will have to avoid repeating when they travel to Portuguese UEFA
Champions League qualifiers SC Braga on Friday evening. Talking to West Ham
TV, McDonald said pre-season was the time to make mistakes and take risks,
but confirmed that the Hammers will be prepared come the big kick-off at
home to Aston Villa on Saturday 18 August.

What was your assessment of the Ipswich Town game, Macca?

NM - "The performance wasn't very good. Our performances over pre-season
have been decent and we look for a bit of progression and in the first half
we didn't really get it, so we're disappointed with that. We played a
different system than we normally play and I think we got over-run and
outpassed in the first half. A few home truths were told at half-time and I
think we ame out and played a lot better in the second half. We created a
few chances and scored a goal ourselves and then conceded again at the end.
The performance has to be better and we've got another two weeks to make
sure they are better. We'll train and we also have the Braga game and we'll
be ready for Aston Villa."

We were 2-0 down within 20 minutes after conceding a penalty and free-kick
just outside our penalty area, while the third goal was also avoidable.
Saying that, we did improve in the second half. What were the reasons?

NM - "We don't like individual mistakes. We conceded a penalty and then a
wide free-kick and everyone has the responsibility to defend a wide
free-kick better. The third goal we had to defend better and not give the
ball away. Those are the things we'll be working very, very hard on over the
next two weeks and hopefully we'll see an improvement against Braga on
Friday. I think we played better in the second half because we told them a
few home truths about each individual performance and the unit performance
[at half-time]. If you get both of them right you play better and I think we
played better in the second half. The aim is to produce a better performance
on Friday. The aim has always been to be ready for the start of the season
and Aston Villa. We've got to be ready for Aston Villa and if our
performance is good against Braga, then we'll be happy with that."

With two weeks to go until the start of the Barclays Premier League season,
presumably yourself, Big Sam and the Board will be eager to strengthen the
squad before 18 August?

NM - "I think we've got a thinnish squad. We've obviously got two away at
the Olympics and a few injuries and we had a couple of the young lads on the
bench on Saturday. When they came on they did all right and it was a good
experience for them. Behind the scenes, if we can bring in two or three
players to stiffen the squad up and add more competition for places that
would be brilliant. It'll keep everybody on their toes as well if we can
bring new faces in."

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Haycock hails U18s
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's youth team will play for fifth place at a prestigious
pre-season tournament in Belgium
05.08.2012

West Ham United Under-18s coach Nick Haycock hailed his Hammers youngsters
after they just missed out on a place in the semi-finals at a prestigious
pre-season tournament in Belgium. The Hammers finished third in their group
at the Yale Eurofoot Tournoi in Oostduinkerke after recording two wins and
one defeat on Saturday. Indeed, West Ham were only denied a place in the
semi-finals on goal difference. After beating Cercle Brugge and losing to
Nordsjaelland on Friday, the Hammers beat Gent and Hajduk Split either side
of losing to Anderlecht on Saturday to finish just outside the top two.
Haycock, who has taken a relatively inexperienced squad to what is an
Under-19 competition, was pleased with his players' performances and
application. "We just missed out on reaching the semi-finals on goal
difference so we'll play against the Dutch team Utrecht for fifth-place on
Sunday," he confirmed. "We started Saturday against Gent from Belgium and we
beat them 2-1. It could have been five or six because we played really well.
"Kieran Bywater put us in front from a Nathan Mavila cross. They then
equalised before Elliot Lee (pictured) scored the winner from the penalty
spot. "We played a younger side against Anderlecht and lost 2-0. Again we
worked hard but we just didn't quite reach the same levels. "Our final game
was against Hajduk Split from Croatia and we needed to win by six goals to
get through to the semi-finals on goal difference. The team was outstanding
and Elliot scored two goals to put us on course. Unfortunately, we conceded
just after half-time and then Elliot missed a penalty and had a shot cleared
off the line, so we missed out on goal difference. "While we would have
loved to have won the tournament, we've been delighted with the way our
preparations have gone in pre-season. We have worked on team shape, pressing
and creating chances in the final third. It's been a terrific tournament for
us. "We have played very, very well with a young side."

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Ravel on his way
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 5th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Reports tonight suggest that Ravel Morrison is set to join Birmingham City
on loan. The former Manchester United youngster joined West Ham in January
having been let go by the Premier League runners-up after Red Devils boss
Alex Ferguson finally lost his patience with the player. But according to
reports tonight, the 19-year-old - who has made just one appearance for West
Ham's first team - is set to join Championship side City on loan for an as
yet undetermined period. Despite having joined West Ham on their recent tour
of Germany, Morrison flew back to England after just two days at the team's
base citing illness. However reports emanating from the club a few days
later claimed that Morrison was instead suffering from toothache. The waters
were muddied further last week when the precocious midfielder was said to be
in Disneyland, having sent a series of Tweets from the theme park.

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Nolan: I'm in the mood for Andy
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 5th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

It seems that nobody at West Ham is refusing to rule out yet another move
for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll - with captain Kevin Nolan the latest to
speak about the possibility of signing his former team mate. Nolan and
Carroll became best friends whilst working together at Newcastle United and
it that link which West Ham are once again looking to exploit as they
continue to hunt the England international. Despite having been told that
the 23-year-old Gateshead-born forward would (naturally) prefer a return to
his home club, West Ham are refusing to give up the chase hoping that as the
transfer window deadline approaches, Carroll may have a change of heart.

With that in mind, the England international's former landlord has once
again appeared in this morning's media in order to express his approval at
the club's continued attempts to sign him. "I would be delighted if Andy
would come and join us here," Nolan is quoted as saying in a national
tabloid this morning. "I am not too sure whether Brendan Rodgers will let
him leave but there is lots of speculation – there always is surrounding
Andy. If there is a chance, we would be in the reckoning for him because he
is such a quality player."

Meanwhile manager Sam Allardyce has backed Nolan's stance by telling a
different tabloid: "I would have probably stuck my neck out and said we
would almost certainly stay up with him on board. "We wouldn't have thought
we would have had any chance of signing a player of Andy Carroll's
capabilities but it became clear a couple of weeks ago there was a
possibility of a loan. Unfortunately, at this moment, it's not the case."

West Ham have previously offered £2million to take Carroll on loan for the
duration of the 2012/13 season with a further fee of around £17million to
follow in the event that the deal be made permanent. Liverpool - who are
understandably reticent to sell the player back to his former club for less
than half the £35million figure they paid for him just 18 months ago - are
understood to have accepted West Ham's terms.

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Big Sam - Carroll keeps us up
Nolan still hoping former team-mate makes Upton Park move
Last Updated: August 5, 2012 7:22pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believes the signing of Andy Carroll would have
guaranteed Premier League survival for the Hammers. The newly-promoted side
have failed to persuade the 23-year-old target-man to join them from
Liverpool in a £2million season-long loan deal. Carroll does not appear to
be central to Brendan Rodgers' plans at Anfield and that had opened up the
possibility of a switch but the player himself is thought to be unwilling to
make the move. Allardyce is disappointed with that decision - as he believes
the arrival of the England international could have ensured a successful
season. "I would have probably stuck my neck out and said we would almost
certainly stay up with him on board," Allardyce told The People. "We
wouldn't have thought we would have had any chance of signing a player of
Andy Carroll's capabilities but it became clear a couple of weeks ago there
was a possibility of a loan. "Unfortunately, at this moment, it's not the
case."

Delighted

Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan is hoping that situation changes as he would
welcome the opportunity to link up with his former Newcastle team-mate once
again.
"I would be delighted if Andy would come and join us here," Nolan told the
Daily Star. "I am not too sure whether Brendan Rodgers will let him leave
but there is lots of speculation - there always is surrounding Andy. "If
there is a chance, we would be in the reckoning for him because he is such a
quality player."

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Allardyce not sorry for Rovers
Bolton is a different story, admits Hammers boss
Last Updated: August 5, 2012 1:06pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce admits he shed no tears when he saw his
former club Blackburn relegated last season. Allardyce was surprisingly
sacked by Rovers owners Venky's in December 2010 with the club 13th in the
Premier League. That decision proved the catalyst for a downward spiral for
Blackburn as replacement boss Steve Kean oversaw the club's relegation last
season. Allardyce's Hammers will replace them in the top flight and while
the Dudley-born manager has sympathy for another of his former clubs Bolton,
he doesn't have the same feeling for Rovers. "I have to say there wasn't
much feeling when Blackburn were relegated because of the way they treated
me," he told The People. "Bolton is a different story because I left them
and I only did that because of their lack of ambition. "Everyone knows how
much the club means to me and always will, so I was saddened by their
relegation." Allardyce spent eight years at Bolton from 1999 to 2007,
guiding the club into Europe and a best finish of sixth in 2005.

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Carroll = survival: West Ham would have been guaranteed Prem safety if we'd
signed big Andy, says Allardyce
The Mirror

"I would probably have stuck my neck out and said we would almost certainly
stay up with him on board," said Big Sam Goal man: Andy Carroll's goals
could have kept West Ham up this year, Big Sam reckons West Ham would have
been guaranteed to stay in the Premier League with Andy Carroll on loan,
according to Sam Allardyce. The Upton Park chief has so far failed to
persuade Liverpool to allow Carroll, 23, to move on a £2million season-long
deal. Carroll himself, a £35m Kop capture from Newcastle 18 months ago, has
been unsure a switch to the newly-promoted Hammers was the right move. And
Allardyce last night said time was running out for a deal to be concluded –
and he has to move on to other targets. Allardyce said: "I would probably
have stuck my neck out and said we would almost certainly stay up with him
on board. "We wouldn't have thought we would have had any chance of signing
a player of Andy Carroll's capabilities but it became clear a couple of
weeks ago there was a possibility of a loan. Unfortunately, at this moment,
it's not the case.''

Newcastle are also considering another move for Carroll after having a loan
bid with a view to a £15m permanent deal rejected. Liverpool want at least
£20m for the big Geordie. The star is ready to move to Europe if he does not
return to Newcastle. A source close to Carroll told People Sport: ''He will
now consider a move abroad but only if he can play European football next
season. "He desperately wants to stay in the England picture and he is
convinced that only playing in Europe will help that."

Allardyce also says Blackburn and their owners Venky's got what they
deserved when they were relegated in May. Rover and out: Sam Allardyce when
he was unveiled as Blackburn boss But the West Ham boss took no pleasure
in seeing his old club Bolton also drop into the Championship. The irony was
not lost on Big Sam as the Hammers went up via the play-off final and his
former clubs went down. He said: "I have to say there wasn't much feeling
when Blackburn were relegated because of the way they treated me. "Bolton is
a different story because I left them and I only did that because of their
lack of ambition. "Everyone knows how much the club means to me and always
will, so I was saddened by their relegation."

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Join me for a knees-up! Carroll's pal Nolan again urges him to come to West
Ham
The Mirror

West Ham captain Kevin Nolan last night publicly admitted he is desperate to
try and tempt Andy Carroll to join him at Upton Park. Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce has launched an ambitious bid to sign Carroll from Liverpool and
believes his best pal Nolan can help persuade him. West Ham have offered a
£17m deal which includes a £2m loan deal with a fixed arrangement to sign
him permanently next summer if they stay up while Carroll would be offered a
£100,000-a-week deal. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is believed to be ready
to sell as Carroll does not fit into his playing style and he wants to raise
funds for new signings. Nolan, Carroll's former Newcastle team mate, said:
"I would be delighted if Andy Carroll would come and join us here. "I am not
too sure whether Brendon (Rogers) will let him out but there is lots of
speculation but there always is surrounding Andy. "If there is a chance we
would be in the reckoning with him because he is such a quality player."

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ig Sam's Olympic dream: Hammers boss says moving to the Stratford stadium
would transform West Ham into a top club
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has his own Olympic dream – to lead out West Ham in the
Premier League at the magnificent Stratford stadium. And if his dream
becomes reality, Allardyce believes it will elevate West Ham into a
different bracket – and ­transform the club's fortunes for ever. Big Sam's
been blown away by the fabulous £537million Olympic Stadium and he has his
fingers crossed the Hammers can make the arena their own, despite some
die-hard fans wanting to stick with Upton Park. Allardyce has a stunning
bird's-eye view of the stadium from his swanky 40th-floor apartment in
Canary Wharf. And the prospect of taking West Ham to Stratford excites him
as much as being back in the Premier League. He said: "It would be a dream
to think I could lead West Ham out into that ­stadium at Stratford.
"Having a stadium like that as your home would make West Ham the size of
club it wants to be. "If you want to compete at the top level you need that
kind of stadium and it would take the club into a different league. "I
understand the fans have a history with Upton Park – but Stratford would be
a really significant step forward."

Allardyce, 57, added: "I played at Burnden Park as a Bolton player and that
ground had such a history, it was unbelievable. "But if I had gone to manage
Bolton in the Premier League at Burnden Park we wouldn't have stayed up and
they would be languishing in the lower divisions. "Because the Reebok was a
new ­stadium, it drew players from abroad and made them want to play in that
arena. "That's what will happen with Stratford, I am sure. I have no idea
what stage the process is at for the club to acquire the stadium as a new
home, but we all know it suits this club better than any other. "And if we
did get the go-ahead and the engineers managed the transformation from a
dedicated athletics arena into one suited to football as well, then it would
be a fantastic bonus for West Ham. The ultimate aim would be to have the
right atmosphere because that is everything to a player. "I will always
remember the roar of Wembley in the play-off final. I have never been
deafened by a crowd in all my lifetime like that. "The new stadium for West
Ham could have that kind of atmosphere."

The Hammers' play-off win over Blackpool in May was a day Allardyce will
never forget. But after rampaging back into the big time at the first
attempt, Big Sam knows the new season will be a vastly different experience
– with survival the key aim. He said: "There's no doubt the Premier League
is the only place to be.
The experience of Wembley, even though we didn't want to be there, and
winning that final was unbelievable. Ourselves, Reading and Southampton will
probably be favourites to go back down. "All three promoted teams last
season stayed up, though, so it can be done. "The Premier League has some
fears but it's nothing I haven't seen down the years or dealt with, so my
job is to ­hopefully use that experience to help the players we have got to
establish the club this season."

Allardyce has brought in Mali striker Modibo Maiga, defenders James Collins
and George McCartney, midfielder Mohamed Diame and keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen
– and he is targeting three more signings before the window shuts. He is
hoping the fans will be patient as he builds a base for survival – but if
they get on his back, he knows it is not personal. He said: "Hammers fans
are demanding of every manager – Avram Grant, Gianfranco Zola, Alan
Curbishley who was one of their own, Alan Pardew. "All of them had a time
when the fans weren't happy, and that's the way they are. They come from all
over the East End and travel in from Essex and they want to see excitement.
Never mind the West Ham way, they want goal action, a commitment and
­talent. "When you give them that and the team shows passion, they show the
same back. "It will be a different season. We aren't going to win the number
of games we did last season, especially away from home. "That will be
particularly tough because West Ham's away record in the Premier League is
abysmal and one of the reasons why they have often been near the bottom and
in relegation fights. "It's about getting the best performance from the
players when you play the teams that are equal to you or slightly better."

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West Ham bad boy Morrison set to be snapped up by Birmingham on loan
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 01:16, 6 August 2012 | UPDATED: 01:16, 6 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison is set to join Birmingham on loan. Blues
boss Lee Clark has snapped up the controversial 19-year-old in a bid to
boost his Championship promotion campaign, according to the Birmingham Mail.
The former Manchester United youngster joined the Hammers in January for a
fee that could rise to £1million but has a chequered off-the-field history.
Morrison, whose United was due to expire at the end of the season, stunned
Sir Alex Ferguson by demanding a huge new contract despite making just three
first-team appearances. Ferguson expressed his exasperation with the
talented but troubled teenager, describing his demands as 'unrealistic'.
Morrison hit the headlines for the wrong reasons again in February when he
was fined £7,000 by the FA in response to a homophobic remark made on
Twitter.

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Allardyce's frustration at Carroll snub
by Setanta Staff , 05 August 2012

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is playing down the possibility of his interest
in Liverpool striker Andy Carroll being resurrected. Allardyce had been keen
on taking the England international on loan after agreeing a £2m deal with
the Reds, that could have led to a full transfer. However, the prospect of a
switch to Upton Park was a challenge which didn't appeal to the former
Newcastle hitman, who is thought to be angling for a return to the
North-East if he must leave Anfield. The Hammers manager has made no secret
of his admiration for the 23-year-old after he was deemed surplus to
requirements by Brendan Rodgers, but he is realistic about the likelihood of
Carroll having a change of heart anytime soon. Allardyce is convinced his
signing would have made their transition from the Championship to the
Premier League a lot smoother. He told the People: "I would probably have
stuck my neck out and said we would almost certainly stay up with him on
board. " "We wouldn't have thought we would have had any chance of signing a
player of Andy Carroll's capabilities but it became clear a couple of weeks
ago there was a possibility of a loan. "Unfortunately at this moment, it's
not the case."

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Lookaking for a new home: Where next for Romelu Lukaku?

Could one of these Premier League sides give Romelu Lukaku a chance to play
some football next season?
By talkSPORT magazine | Sunday, August 5, 2012

Chelsea reject Romelu Lukaku has admitted that he's willing to go on loan to
increase his chances of playing first team football next season, provided
it's in the Premier League. The 19-year-old striker was signed for a sizable
£18m from Anderlecht last year, but spent most of the year in a huff with
Chelsea's reserves. With the attacker now desperate to prove his worth to
Chelsea by making an impact at a fellow Premier League side, talkSPORT
considers some possible destinations for the Belgian...

Fulham
A jaunt down the road to Craven Cottage would certainly be easy for Lukaku,
as he wouldn't need to go through the relocation process involved in moving
out of London. The deal could be convenient for Chelsea too, as given the
amount of money they've spent so far this summer, the Blues will hope that
they won't be anywhere near Fulham in the table next season and therefore
not in competition with the Cottagers. With the possibility of Clint Dempsey
leaving Craven Cottage this summer, Fulham could do with some strengthening
up front, and Lukaku's pace and skill set him up well for linking with the
attacking talents of Moussa Dembele.
Video

Wigan Athletic
While unpredictable in their league position, the one thing you can
guarantee from Roberto Martinez's Wigan is their playing style. The Spaniard
loves attacking football, and for a striker like Lukaku who hasn't been
playing regular top flight football for a year, the prospect of being the
focal point of an attack minded team would be palatable. If the Lactics can
be convinced to sell Victor Moses to Chelsea, perhaps they could play
hardball and ask for the Blues to throw in Lukaku on loan, too. Wigan would
likely need Chelsea to cover a large portion of his wages, but just imagine
Gary Caldenbauer pinging balls up to the striker from the back...
Video

Norwich City
With Grant Holt pulling a u-turn and signing a new contract at Norwich, the
Canaries have taken an important step in attempting to sustain their Premier
League status next season. The veteran striker isn't getting any younger,
however, and as he continues into his 32nd year, Norwich could do with a
quality frontman to step in and relieve him of the strain of playing too
often. Chelsea are desperate for Romelu Lukaku to become the next Didier
Drogba, and with Norwich tending to favour a more traditional British-style
game that uses the physicality of forwards like Holt, a season at Carrow
Road could be a good way of polishing the Belgian to fit the Drogba mould.
Norwich are unlikely to exceed their excellent 12th place finish last
season, and realistically, could be scrapping it out at the bottom of the
table, so an extra dose of quality would be welcome. Nothing hardens a
player up like a relegation battle.
Video

West Ham
With their public pursuit of Andy Carroll, West Ham have made it clear that
they're in the market for a particular kind of striker and as a deal between
Liverpool and the Hammers over the forward looks unlikely, Lukaku could find
himself a home at the Boleyn Ground. At 6ft 3in Lukaku is exactly the same
height as Carroll, so if all Big Sam wants is someone to aim the ball at in
the air, then he may find a realistic alternative in the big Belgian. In
addition, Lukaku has more pace to his game than the Liverpool man and his
superior movement should provide more options for players trying to find him
with a long pass. The striker scored an abundance of headers at Anderlecht,
so he's more than comfortable with the ball in the air.

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