Daily WHUFC News - 7th August 2012

Turgott aims for consistency
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is hoping to continue his fine form when the Development Squad
face Northampton Town
06.08.2012

Blair Turgott will be aiming to impress when the Development Squad travel to
Northampton Town on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old was part of Sam
Allardyce's squad for the pre-season tour of Germany, where he caught the
eye alongside fellow youngsters Rob Hall and George Moncur. Turgott has
continued his good form on his return to England, scoring the final goal in
Saturday's 4-2 win over AFC Wimbledon and now, speaking ahead of the game at
Sixfields Stadium, Turgott admitted being around the first team has given
him a taste for more. "It was a good experience and it definitely helps my
development being around top professionals and the environment that comes
with it. "Being part of the manager's pre-season plans also allowed me to
see what he likes and what he is hoping for in the upcoming season which is
only going to be good for me."

Cutting an extremely grounded figure, Turgott has modest aims for a player
who has recently been in the first team, admitting his current priority lies
with the Development Squad. "First and foremost I want to continue putting
in good performances for the Development Squad, catch a few eyes then
hopefully break into the first team. "If that doesn't happen this season,
then it doesn't mean it won't, I will continue to work hard and I'm sure I
will get my chance. "Sometimes it's good to go out on loan and get some
experience, but West Ham United is where I want to be. I need to keep
playing well and working hard, if I do both those things then hopefully I
will get an opportunity."

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Morrison joins Blues on loan
WHUFC.com
Ravel Morrison has joined npower Championship side Birmingham City on a
season-long loan
06.08.2012

Ravel Morrison has joined npower Championship side Birmingham City on a
season-long loan. The West Ham United midfielder will link up with the Blues
after being allowed to join Lee Clark's side for the 2012/13 campaign.
Morrison could make his Birmingham debut in a pre-season match against Royal
Antwerp on Saturday.
The 19-year-old joined the Hammers from Manchester United in January and
made his first-team debut at Leeds United on 18 March - his sole senior
appearance for the club so far. Morrison will hope to gain valuable
first-team experience as Birmingham start their challenge to make a return
to the Barclays Premier League after being eliminated in the npower
Championship Play-Off semi-finals by Blackpool last term. Clark's side host
Barnet in the Capital One Cup first round on Tuesday 14 August before
starting their league campaign against Charlton Athletic at St Andrew's on
Saturday 18 August.

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Joey's Ireland joy
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien was delighted to receive his first international call-up in
four years
06.08.2012

Joey O'Brien has expressed his delight after receiving his first Republic of
Ireland call-up in four years. The versatile West Ham United defender or
midfielder has battled back from a series of serious knee injuries to earn
his place in Giovanni Trapattoni's squad for a friendly international with
Serbia in Belgrade on 15 August.
For O'Brien, who made his Ireland debut against Sweden in March 2006, earned
the last of his three senior caps in a UEFA European Championship qualifier
against Cyprus in October 2007. Unfortunately, a combination of injuries and
frustration at a lack of playing time then saw O'Brien's opportunities
limited, but he is now back in favour and hoping to start against Serbia and
in next month's UEFA European Championship qualifier in Kazakhstan. After
such a long period in the international wilderness, the 26-year-old was
naturally chuffed to bits with the news that he will be joining up with the
Boys in Green again. "It's been a long time and I've had a few sleepless
nights. Comments I made in the past were taken out of context and weren't
what I wanted to say because I love playing for my country. Hopefully I'll
get the chance to do it."

O'Brien burst into the Bolton Wanderers first team as a teenager, earning
six Republic of Ireland Under-21 caps before making his senior debut in
Steve Staunton's first game in charge - a 3-0 win over Sweden. The following
year, 2007, the Dublin-born player helped Ireland hold Germany to a goalless
draw in a UEFA European Championship qualifier in his home city. Now he has
secured his international return, O'Brien is also targeting a return to
Premier League action. His most-recent top-flight appearance came in a
goalless home draw for Bolton against Blackburn Rovers on 18 October 2008.
"Personally, when I got released by Bolton I was released by a Premier
League club, then I got the chance to go to massive club like West Ham. The
dream then was to get back to playing Premier League football. "Through all
my injury worries, it was all about getting back to playing in the Premier
League so hopefully I'll get that chance."

O'Brien's versatility - he played at centre-back during the recent tour to
Germany and left-back in Saturday's fixture at Ipswich Town - could be key
to him gaining opportunities to play regularly this term. "Obviously it
gives me a chance to get minutes on the pitch. I can play in midfield or at
centre-half too, so that could give me opportunities. Players are going to
pick up injuries and whatever, so as long as the manager gives me the call,
hopefully I'll be able to do the job."

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Andy Carroll: West Ham concede defeat in chase for Liverpool striker
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

West Ham have conceded defeat in their bid to sign Liverpool's Andy Carroll.
Despite the clubs agreeing terms over a proposed £2m loan deal, the
23-year-old striker has told the newly promoted Premier League club that he
has no intention of joining them. Newcastle retain an active interest in
Carroll but will not pay over the odds for the man they sold for £35m in
2011. With the start of the new season less than a fortnight away, Carroll's
future looks increasingly unclear. The England international continues to
train with the Liverpool squad as he seeks to overcome a minor groin injury.
It remains to be seen whether he plays any part in Thursday's Europa League
qualifier against FC Gomel at Anfield with Liverpool going into the match
with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg. Uefa rules allow a player to
represent one club in the Europa League qualifying round and another in the
group stages. That means Carroll could play for Liverpool during qualifying
and still potentially play for Newcastle, who have secured a place in the
play-offs. Newcastle remain confident that if Carroll leaves Anfield he is
interested only in returning to Tyneside. Liverpool, who signed Carroll for
a club record £35m in January 2011, have already turned down one Newcastle
bid to re-sign the player.

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Ravel Morrison joins Birmingham City from West Ham on loan
BBC.co.uk

Birmingham City have signed teenage West Ham United midfielder Ravel
Morrison on a season-long loan. The 19-year-old joined the Hammers from
Manchester United on 31 January on transfer deadline day for £650,000.
Morrison has so far made just one appearance for the Hammers - as a late
substitute at Leeds in March. But West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was keen
for Morrison, who made just three Carling Cup appearances for Man Utd, to
get some match practice. Manchester-born Morrison has made headlines off the
field, having been fined £600 by a court in May 2011 for throwing his
girlfriend's mobile phone through a window during an argument when a Red
Devils youth-team player. He was then fined £7,000 and warned as to his
future conduct by the Football Association following comments made on
Twitter, after he admitted a charge of using abusive and/or insulting words,
including a reference to a person's sexual orientation.

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Blues move for Morrison
Hammers winger in St Andrews medical
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
August 6, 2012 10:03am
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham youngster Ravel Morrison is poised to join
Birmingham on loan. West Ham signed the 19-year-old from Manchester United
in January after he turned down a new deal at Old Trafford. Morrison was
regarded as one of the best young players to come through the ranks at
United, but he decided to leave the club in search of regular first-team
football. The talented attacker made only one appearance for West Ham last
season as a late substitute against Leeds. Morrison is set to find himself
down the pecking order at Upton Park this season as the Hammers prepare for
life back in the Premier League and boss Sam Allardyce believes he would be
better served going out on loan. A number of Championship clubs are believed
to have expressed an interest in signing the England youth international,
but Birmingham hope to win the race for his signature. Blues boss Lee Clark
is keen to bolster his squad at St Andrew's and landing Morrison would be
something of a coup for the Birmingham chief.

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Ravel Unravels And Is Off to Birmingham
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

So, Ravel Morrison is joining Birmingham City on a season long loan. It's
rumoured he had a training ground bust up with Neil McDonald, Sam
Allardyce's Number 2. If true, this young man needs to sort himself out
pretty quickly. Last season he incurred the wrath of other players by
injuring Abdoulaye Faye in a dangerous tackle. I was always in favour of him
being signed, although you do have to wonder about his temper. If Sir Alex
Ferguson couldn't sort him out, it makes you wonder if anyone can.

But let's hope he impresses for Birmingham so much that we call him back
early!

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Nicky is Leeds' Mayn target
Published: Today at 00:27
The Sun

WEST HAM ace Nicky Maynard has leapfrogged Craig Mackail-Smith on Leeds'
wish-list. Brighton had hoped to swap striker Mackail-Smith with Ross
McCormack but the latter wants to stay at Elland Road.

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Ravel's Brum deal
Published: 06th August 2012
The Sun

WEST HAM midfielder Ravel Morrison has joined Birmingham on a season-long
loan. The former Manchester United starlet, 19, struggled to make an impact
after signing for the Hammers in January. With Sam Allardyce's men promoted
to the Premier League, Morrison's chances of first team football seemed
limited. And Big Sam has decided to allow him to spend the new campaign with
Lee Clark's Birmingham side in the Championship.

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Carroll update: Son of West Ham owner tweets that the deal's dead and buried
The Mirror
Laurence Griffiths

The Andy Carroll transfer saga is over – as far as West Ham are concerned.
Jack Sullivan – son of West Ham chief David - has long been a source of
interesting nuggets about the life and times of the Irons, and he likes to
share the word with the world via Twitter. It was Jack who tweet-leaked the
news that West Ham were preparing a record £18million move for Carroll . Now
he's closed the door on this fun but futile chapter of the Hammers story, by
tweeting the following: "Sadly the main player we wanted has stayed with the
club he's at, "Continued: despite trying very hard and agreeing terms with
the club, we now move on with other targets.
"Anyway we only want player that want to play for WHU" So that's that then.

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Joey O'Brien thrilled to get the call
Tuesday, 07 August 2012 00:57
www.fai.ie

It's almost four years since Joey O'Brien won the last of his three senior
Republic of Ireland caps, so the West Ham United defender is understandably
delighted to be called up for next week's friendly away to Serbia on August
15. Due to Sean St Ledger's withdrawal after sustaining a knee injury during
Leicester's pre-season fixture at Burton Albion, O'Brien was a late
replacement. He will link up with the squad this Sunday. The 26-year-old
told the club's official website how excited he is about being part of
Giovanni Trapattoni's squad. "It's been a long time and I've had a few
sleepless nights," he said. "Comments that I made in the past were taken out
of context and weren't what I wanted to say because I love playing for my
country. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to do that. O'Brien's first campaign
with the Hammers saw him help achieve promotion for the club back to the
Premier League. That's the stage O'Brien played most of football with Bolton
Wanderers until serious injuries restricted his progress.

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