Ipswich Town match preview
WHUFC.com
All the essential background information and team news ahead of Tuesday's
trip to Portman Road
29.01.2012
IPSWICH TOWN v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 31 JANUARY 2012
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Important travel information
Train engineering works will be taking place between Ipswich and London on
Tuesday evening. National Express East Anglia have laid on an extra through
train to London after the game against West Ham. There are now two through
trains, at 21:43 and 21:58, for supporters travelling back towards London
after the match.
Engineering works by Network Rail between Witham and Shenfield means that
trains departing Ipswich heading towards Stratford and London after 10pm
will involve a bus journey for any fans travelling beyond Shenfield, adding
at least 40 minutes to their travel time.
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Ipswich Town seeking a fourth successive npower
Championship victory and three points that could see them double their
advantage at the top of the table. Should the Hammers prevail at Portman
Road, they would record four straight wins for the second time this season,
having already done so by beating Hull City, Coventry City, Derby County and
Middlesbrough in November 2011.
• West Ham United go into Tuesday's game having collected more points (27)
away from home than any other side in the npower Championship. Only Leeds
United (23) have scored more goals on their travels than Sam Allardyce's
side, who have managed 21.
• The Hammers will be seeking to gain revenge for the 1-0 home defeat they
suffered in the reverse league fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 27 September
2011. Ipswich Town's goal was scored in the last minute by former West Ham
United midfielder Lee Bowyer.
• West Ham United and Ipswich last met at Portman Road in a pre-season
friendly on 31 July 2010, when Carlton Cole's 31st-minute goal separated the
teams.
• The most recent competitive meeting at Portman Road came in the Division
One Play-Off semi-finals at the climax of the 2004/05 season. A 2-2 draw at
the Boleyn Ground was followed by an unforgettable 2-0 win in Suffolk in the
second leg, when Bobby Zamora struck two goals to send the Hammers to the
final in Cardiff.
• Ipswich Town go into Tuesday's fixture sitting 21st in the npower
Championship table. The Tractor Boys have amassed 28 points from 27 league
matches and have failed to win any of their previous seven league matches -
a run dating back to a 1-0 home victory over Derby County on 17 December
2011.
Us and Them
• Henri Lansbury and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas were team-mates in the Arsenal
youth system before Emmanuel-Thomas signed for Ipswich on a permanent deal
last summer.
• Robert Green made his senior debut for Norwich City in a goalless Division
One draw with Ipswich Town at Carrow Road on 11 April 1999.
• Winston Reid and Ipswich Town centre-back Tommy Smith lined up alongside
one another three times at the heart of the New Zealand defence at the 2010
FIFA World Cup.
• Paul Jewell was Wigan Athletic manager when Brian Deane scored a
last-minute goal for West Ham United at the JJB Stadium to secure the
Hammers' place in the Division One Play-Offs in 2003/04 at the Latics'
expense. After guiding Wigan to promotion alongside West Ham in 2004/05,
Jewell was still in charge when West Ham secured a vital 3-0 win at the JJB
in April 2007 on their way to escaping relegation from the Premier League.
• Ipswich midfielder Keith Andrews scored for Blackburn Rovers under Sam
Allardyce on 21 March 2009 in a 1-1 draw with West Ham United at Ewood Park.
• The largest crowd to watch an Ipswich Town versus West Ham United fixture
was for the aforementioned Division One Play-Off semi-final second-leg on 18
May 2005, when 30,010 supporters turned out to see West Ham win 2-0 on the
night and 4-2 on aggregate.
• West Ham United's biggest-ever away victories at Ipswich Town were the 3-0
successes achieved in Division Two in their first visit to Portman Road on
13 November 1954 and in a Division One fixture on 3 March 1984.
• Five players have made their West Ham United debuts against Ipswich Town -
Keith Miller (November 1968), Mervyn Day (August 1973), George Cowie (August
1982) and Tony Gale (August 1984) all started their Hammers careers against
the Tractor Boys. Matthew Kilgallon began his loan spell from Leeds United
against Ipswich in August 2003.
• Bryan 'Pop' Robson made his second 'debut' for West Ham United in a 2-0
home Division One defeat by Ipswich Town on 16 October 1976.
Team news
West Ham United
• Papa Bouba Diop is a doubt after injuring his hamstring in the 2-1 home
win over Nottingham Forest on 21 January. Henri Lansbury could deputise.
• Guy Demel is making good progress from a thigh injury suffered at Reading
on 10 December and could feature after appearing in two Development Squad
matches in the past week.
• Matt Taylor is also in contention to return after missing eight matches
with a calf problem. Taylor has also been involved in Development Squad
fixtures against Gillingham and Southend United in the past week.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza
and Bristol City respectively. Peter Kurucz (Rochdale), Ahmed Abdulla,
Cristian Montano, Eoin Wearen (all Dagenham and Redbridge), Callum Driver
(Burton Albion) and George Moncur (AFC Wimbledon) are all out on temporary
loans.
Ipswich Town
• Ipswich Town could hand a debut to Ryan Stevenson after the midfielder
completed a move from Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian. The
Tractor Boys have also been linked with a move for Falkirk centre-back
Murray Wallace.
• Tractor Boys boss Paul Jewell has allowed Hungarian striker Tamas Priskin
and midfielder Shane O'Connor to leave the club during the January transfer
window.
• Striker Ronan Murray is unavailable after re-joining League Two club
Swindon Town for a second loan spell. Murray scored twice for Ipswich Town
in a Development Squad victory over the Hammers earlier this season.
Last time out
Saturday 21 January 2012
npower Championship
West Ham United 2-1 Nottingham Forest
West Ham United: Green, Reid, McCartney, Tomkins, Faubert, Nolan, Collison,
Noble, Diop (Lansbury 45), Baldock (Hall 79), Cole (Piquionne 85)
Subs not used: Faye, Carew
Goals: Noble 45 (pen), 63 (pen)
Saturday 24 September 2011
npower Championship
Middlesbrough 0-0 Ipswich Town
Ipswich: McCarthy, Cresswell, Edwards, Smith, Sonko, Emmanuel-Thomas,
Martin, Drury, Hyam (Bullard 85), Murphy (Chopra 83), Scotland (Lee-Barrett
71)
Subs not used: Delaney, Leadbitter
Goal: Drury 34
Previous meetings
• The teams last met at the Boleyn Ground on 27 September 2011 in npower
Championship. Lee Bowyer's 89th-minute winner was the only difference
between the sides as West Ham's seven-match unbeaten run came to an end on a
balmy September evening. The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Tomkins, Faye, McCartney, Lansbury
(Collison 65), Noble (Faubert 90), Nolan, Bentley, Baldock, Cole (Carew 64)
Subs: Boffin, Bouba Diop
Ipswich Town: Stockdale, Cresswell, Collins, Sonko, Leadbitter, Edwards,
Bowyer, Andrews, Bullard, Scotland (Ellington 85), Chopra (Delaney 90)
Subs: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, Emmanuel-Thomas
Last six meetings (all league unless stated)
27 September 2011 - West Ham United 0-1 Ipswich Town
18 May 2005 - Ipswich Town 0-2 West Ham United (Play-Off semi-final, second
leg)
14 May 2005 - West Ham United 2-2 Ipswich Town (Play-Off semi-final, first
leg)
1 Jan 2005 - Ipswich Town 0-2 West Ham United
18 September 2004 - West Ham United 1-1 Ipswich Town
18 May 2004 - West Ham United 2-0 Ipswich Town (Play-Off semi-final, second
leg)
Overall record v Ipswich Town - W 27 D 20 L 20
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Ipswich Town
2010/11 Championship 13th
2009/10 Championship 15th
2008/09 Championship 9th
2007/08 Championship 8th
2006/07 Championship 14th
2005/06 Championship 15th
2004/05 Championship 3rd
2003/04 Championship 5th
2002/03 Championship 7th
2001/02 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
Referee
• Tuesday's referee will be 47-year-old Fred Graham.
• After his playing career was cut short by injury in 1988, Graham took up
refereeing. He made his debut as a Football League referee on the opening
day of the 2004/05 season when he was the man in the middle for Notts
County's 1-1 League Two draw with Chester City at Meadow Lane.
• The highlight of Graham's career was taking charge of the npower League
One Play-Off final between Millwall and Swindon Town at Wembley in May 2010.
• This season, Graham has been busy, refereeing matches in all three
divisions of the Football League, as well as the FA Cup and Carling Cup. He
took charge of West Ham United's 2-1 home npower Championship defeat by
Burnley on 3 December 2011.
Old boys
• Mark Noble played 13 Championship matches on loan for Ipswich in the
2006/07 season, with his first senior goal coming on 12 September 2006 in a
2-1 home win against Coventry City.
• Lee Bowyer made 60 appearances for West Ham United in two spells. The
first saw him play eleven games in a six-month spell before a move to
Newcastle United in 2003. The midfielder returned to the Boleyn Ground in
2006 for a three-year stay, which saw him play 49 times, scoring five goals.
• East Ham native Jimmy Bullard never played a first-team game during a
spell with his boyhood team between 1999 and 2001.
• The late, great John Lyall managed Ipswich Town between May 1990 and
December 1994. The man who won the 1980 FA Cup with West Ham United enjoyed
more success at Portman Road, guiding the Tractor Boys to the Division Two
title in 1991/92, ensuring the club would be members of the inaugural
Premier League. He later took the role of Director of Football.
• Former West Ham United forward Paul Goddard was appointed as
joint-caretaker manager of Ipswich Town alongside John Wark for three games
in December 1994 - replacing his former Hammers and Ipswich boss John Lyall.
• The following players are among those to have worn the colours of both
West Ham United and Ipswich Town during their careers - Lee Chapman, Kieron
Dyer, Justin Fashanu, Craig Forrest, Matt Holland, Kevin Horlock, Robert
Johnstone, John Lyall, Andy Nelson, Phil Parkes, Stuart Slater, Gavin
Williams and Richard Wright.
Up next
• West Ham United host Millwall at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 4 February
for a 12.30pm kick-off. Ipswich Town travel to the Ricoh Arena to face
relegation rivals Coventry City for a 3pm kick-off on the same day.
General information
• All 2,200 standard tickets for Tuesday's fixture at Portman Road have SOLD
OUT.
• The weather forecast is for a cloudy evening with temperatures peaking
around the 3C (38F) mark.
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Big Sam ready for busy Tuesday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is prepared for 24 hours involving a trip to Ipswich Town and
the transfer deadline
30.01.2012
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is going into Tuesday's match with
Ipswich Town with just one intention - making sure that West Ham United stay
top of the npower Championship. The Hammers top of the table for the first
time this season following the 2-1 win against Nottingham Forest last time
out and now their manager is determined to remain there by leaving Suffolk
with all three points. That job should be made easier by the expected return
of Matt Taylor to the matchday squad following eight games out with a calf
injury. "The trick to stay at the top is to continue trying to make yourself
better than what you've already been," Allardyce said. "There's no room for
complacency, there's always room for improvement. Players will have to
handle the extra bit of pressure that being on the top brings. It's
something that we should be capable of accepting and starting on Tuesday we
should be able to live under the microscope as it is what's been expected of
us.
"We've had a long arduous catch up on Southampton as they started so well.
Finally we've got within striking distance and due to their unusually poor
performance when they lost to Leicester, we ended up getting three points
ahead of them for the first time. "Now it's about maintaining that and
improving on that. Whether that can happen on Tuesday or not I don't know.
There's 18 games to go after that and we know what we've got to try and
achieve and clearly we'll do our very best to do that."
The Hammers sit three points clear of the second-placed Saints, who face a
tricky-looking fixture at home to Cardiff City. Although that result will
probably be the first he checks come the final whistle, Big Sam will only be
concentrating on West Ham's performance up until then. "We know what we've
got to achieve irrespective of what the other results are. The object is
being focused from day one. If we want to get up we'll need to get two
points per game. At the moment, even though we're top of the league, we're
one point behind our target. "When you hit that target you want to get past
it, then you'll maintain that position for automatic promotion irrespective
of what other people do. The last five years has shown us that generally two
points a game gets you automatic promotion, although there can be an unusual
season where it's two points more or two points less."
Although Ipswich are on a seven-match winless run, Big Sam knows only too
well the threat they pose after the Tractor Boys snuck a 1-0 win at the
Boleyn Ground in September. Lee Bowyer's last-minute goal capped a fine
display from Paul Jewell's side and Allardyce insists his own team must be
on their game if they are to extend their winning streak in the league to
four matches. "I can't believe how they're doing knowing Paul as well as I
do and remembering how good his team was when they played at the Boleyn
Ground that night. I thought they would go on to bigger and better things
with the amount of experience they had in the team that night.
"For one reason or another they've lost their momentum and they've slipped
away. Ipswich are obviously good at freescoring but they're not so good at
keeping them out of the back of net. That's probably been Paul's problem -
scoring goals but not having the resilience of not conceding them."
Tuesday also marks the closure of the January transfer window - a day when
Big Sam will have to try and split his focus between securing top spot but
and also making sure any last-minute deals are pushed through in time. The
manager need not worry too much as he says he can rely on a trusted
behind-the-scenes team should the right player become available. "It could
be difficult but I think but we have everybody in place. We have Andrew
Pincher, our club secretary who does all the paperwork and gets the
contracts in place, and David Sullivan is very active in negotiations. Then
we have Martin Glover who is our head of recruitment and is the lad who
pulls it all together in terms of whether it's going to get done or not.
"Everything gets agreed through them with me kept in the loop on the mobile.
You can be where you want on the end of an email wherever nowadays, which
really helps. I may choose to go down to Ipswich a little later on Tuesday
but I have prepared the team and picked the team and told them I expect them
to go there and continue our very good away record. After having an extra
few days off they should be itching to get back on the pitch and get playing
again."
In terms of possible new additions, Big Sam explained there were still
options that West Ham were pursuing in the hope of concluding a deal before
Tuesday's 11pm deadline. "There's nothing that's absolutely concrete yet.
We're in pursuit of one or two targets but I would be disappointed if we
didn't have one of the targets we're pursuing at the moment. We've already
had knockbacks on players on Monday morning that we were led to believe were
available. "The clubs have now changed their minds and they are not
available. It tos and fros like that until the last hour of the deadline.
Hopefully we'll secure one player to add to the squad but I'm comfortable
with the squad I've got now. It's not quite up to full strength but we're
not suffering the losses we endured in December. If I can bring someone in
on the front line to help then great, otherwise I'm quite happy with what we
got."
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Ipswich v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 15:52 GMT, Monday, 30 January 2012
Npower Championship
Venue: Portman Road Date: Tuesday 31 January Kick-off: 1945 GMT Coverage:
Listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary and
highlights on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Ipswich midfielder Lee Bowyer misses out on an appearance against his old
club with a groin strain. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is suspended while Ryan
Stevenson could make his debut after signing from Hearts.
West Ham welcome back Matt Taylor who has missed the last eight Hammers game
but midfielder Papa Bouba Diop is out with a hamstring strain. American
George John could make his debut while Joey O'Brien returns as does Guy
Demel after a thigh injury.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• West Ham lead by 27 wins to 20 over Ipswich after 67 league and cup
clashes since 1950. At Portman Road, the Hammers have won 12 and lost 11 of
the 28 league matches, scoring 42 goals and conceding 42.
• Ipswich won the reverse fixture 1-0 in September, and are hoping to
complete their first double over the London club since the 1976/77
top-flight campaign.
• The East End club, who need to score twice to total 100 competitive
goals against Ipswich, have not dropped a point in three visits to Portman
Road, and last lost a regular league game in Suffolk 23 years ago, although
they did lose 1-0 in the first leg of the play-off semi-final in May 2004.
Ipswich Town
• Paul Jewell's Tractor Boys are on the longest current winless run in
the Championship of six games (D2, L4), and lie immediately above the
relegation zone, with a four-point cushion.
• The Suffolk club have the weakest defence in the Championship (54
goals conceded in 27 games), and are the only club in the division to have
shipped two goals a game on average.
• The victory at Upton Park in September is their only triumph against
any of the top eight clubs.
West Ham United
• The Championship's new table toppers are chasing a fourth straight
league win, to maintain their three point lead at the summit, and keep their
100% league record in 2012.
• Sam Allardyce's side have the tightest defence in the division, with
just 24 goals shipped in 27 games, at 0.89 goals per game. They have kept an
unrivalled 12 clean sheets, of which 10 were won.
• The home loss to Ipswich was their only defeat to date against a
bottom-half club.
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Everton agree fee for Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 00:45 GMT, Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Everton have agreed a fee with Rangers for the transfer of Croatia striker
Nikica Jelavic to the English club. The news came after West Ham manager Sam
Allardyce confirmed that the Championship had dropped their interest after
having a £7m offer rejected. Everton manager David Moyes refused to comment
on the speculation about the 26-year-old Croatia international. But
Allardyce confirmed: "If I'm led to believe where it is at the moment, for
us it was too expensive - full stop."
The Hammers' bid was similar to a bid rejected from Leicester City in the
summer and Jelavic will now hold talks over personal terms with Everton
ahead of Tuesday evening's transfer deadline. Rangers were understood to
want £8m Jelavic, but Everton have a limited transfer budget. Everton have
this week sold Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to Spartak Moscow for £5m., but the
Toffees are unlikely to meet Rangers' full asking price for Jelavic, who
missed Saturday's 4-0 win over Hibernian because of illness. They were
hoping that Rangers would drop the price to what the Goodison Park club
would regard as a more realistic valuation. Speaking ahead of Tuesday
night's meeting with Manchester City, Moyes said: "I never talk about
players at other clubs, I wouldn't do that. I don't like it. "I didn't like
it when I was a player and I kept hearing there were other centre-halves
coming in to take my position. I wouldn't talk about players at other clubs.
"If there was any news, I would give it to you. You will need to wait until
midnight tomorrow night and then we will let you know what is happening."
The Scottish champions are currently struggling with financial problems and
Rangers manager Ally McCoist admitting on Saturday: "Nikica, if he went,
would be a big loss. "He's a fantastic player and he has been a great talent
here. But, as you saw, we scored some really good goals. Nikica also didn't
play against Motherwell and equally we did very well. That's just two
examples. "I'd also like to tell you I wouldn't like to lose him. Of course
I wouldn't, because he's a good player. But I understand the economics of
our club and I understand the economics of football. Sometimes they dictate
and determine what happens." He then spent three seasons at Rapid Vienna,
scoring 40 goals in 93 matches Moyes was initially interested in Jelavic
when the Croatia international left Rapid Vienna in August 2010, but he
moved to Rangers in a £4m move and was instrumental in bringing the title to
Ibrox under Walter Smith last season. Everton are desperate to boost their
attacking options after struggling for goals this season and have targeted
Jelavic as the man to solve their problems. If Moyes fails to land Jelavic,
he is reported to have turned his attentions to Wolves striker Kevin Doyle,
although that has been flatly denied by Molineux boss Mick McCarthy.
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Morrison Bargain?
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st January 2012
By: Staff Writer No.2
United have tonight been linked with a move for Manchester United's Ravel
Morrison. The 18 year-old midfielder hit the headlines recently when the
Salford-based club rejected a bid of £1m from Newcastle. Manchester United
boss Alex Ferguson claimed that, despite the rejection of the Magpies'
offer, the youngster's wage demands were likely to price the player out of a
new contract at Old Trafford, though the player (through the usual medium of
"Twitter") denied that he had ever turned any contract down. The player has
been rated by Sir Trevor Brooking as as gifted as Paul Gascoigne at that
age. However, any move would represent something of a gamble for the Irons
given a series of on and off the field disciplinary problems. In 2011
Morrison was given a 12 month referral order following a conviction for
witness intimidation after a mugging.
We have more on this story as it develops...
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Bring on the 'Wall
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
Unconfirmed reports are suggesting that West Ham's clash with rivals
Millwall this weekend will be broadcast live on Sky. KUMB.com has learned
within the last hour that this weekend's big London derby is set to be
broadcast live by the TV company. It is said that the two clubs, in
conjunction with the broadcaster, agreed to keep details of the live
broadcast secret until the last possible moment for security purposes. West
Ham have sold the vast majority of tickets available for the game, which is
scheduled to kick off at 12:30pm. The club have acted on Police advice and
closed the lower tier of the Trevor Brooking Lower Stand in order to
accommodate visiting supporters in the Upper Tier, which is usually reserved
for season ticket holders (who have been moved to other areas of the
ground).
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Sam on new signings
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has revealed that he expects to conclude the capture of Genoa
striker Ze Eduardo ahead of tomorrow night's trip to Ipswich Town. Allardyce
- who has a fully fit squad to choose from with the sole exception of Papa
Bouba Diop who is still recovering from a thigh strain for the
transfer-deadline day clash - told reporters that the 24-year-old Brazilian
should be confirmed as his third signing of the transfer window imminently.
"He [Ze Eduardo] is here, he's flown in from Italy and arrived this morning.
We'll go through the normal procedure as we do with everybody in terms of
whether we sign him on a short or long term [deal] and making sure they're
absolutely 100 per cent fit to join us," said Allardyce, who also confirmed
KUMB.com's earlier story that stated West Ham had pulled out of the race to
sign Rangers front man Nikica Jelavic. Another player who the Hammers look
like missing out on is Barnsley winger Ricardo Vaz Te, who was the subject
of a 'derisory' offer according to Tykes boss Keith Hill. "Vaz Te is out of
contract in the summer when he can sign for who he likes for nothing,"
retorted Allardyce. "Our bid is giving them a 100 per cent profit."
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New date for your diary
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's nPower Championship clash with Crystal Palace next month
will now take place at the earlier time of 12:45pm. The London derby was
originally scheduled for a 3:00pm kick off. However Sky TV have confirmed
today that they will be broadcasting the match live at the earlier time.
The Palce clash will be the last of five gmae swhich West Ham are scheduled
to play in February along with the matches against Millwall (h ,4th),
Peterborough (a, 11th), Southampton (h, 14th) and Blackpool (a, 18th). The
Eagles - who are currently 14th in the Championship having won just one of
their last six games - last beat the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground in April
1992, which also happened to be the first time West Ham had ever lost a
competitive fixture against their South London rivals. In 27 meetings
between the two teams, West Ham won 13 compared to Palace's four, with the
remaining 10 games ending in a draw. United have however failed to beat
Palace, currently managed by Dougie Freedman in their last three outings -
one of which was the 2003/04 Championship play-off final at Cardiff which
the Eagles won 1-0. The most recent meeting - at Selhurst Park earlier this
season - finished in a 2-2 draw, with Kevin Nolan and John Carew scoring for
West Ham.
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Eder shuns West Ham move
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United transfer target Eder has resurfaced having gone missing over
the weekend. The 24-year-old Guinea-Bissauan forward, who plays for
Portuguese outfit Académica de Coimbra looked set to be on his way to
England last week after West Ham and his current club agreed terms over a
permanent transfer. However the move was cancelled after Eder disappeared
following talks with representatives from West Ham, and Portuguese Police
were subsequently notified.
Fortunately the player has turned up alive and well having revealed he went
to visit family - but determined not to move to London. "We had a meeting
at the hotel, but I did not like the way things were conducted and I thought
it was best for my career to stay in Portugal," Eder told radio station
Renascença in a phone call last night. Although the offer is understood to
remain on the table, West Ham are said to have turned their attention
elsewhere over the weekend. One player strongly linked with a move to
London ahead of tomorrow evening's transfer deadline is Genoa striker Ze
Eduardo.
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Sam looking for two
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are hoping to bring in at least two new faces ahead of tomorrow
night's 11pm transfer deadline. With Brazilian forward Ze Eduardo already on
his way to London in order to undergo a medical ahead of a loan move from
Italian side Genoa, Sam Allardyce is still hoping to extend his squad
further - although much will depend on whether he can shift one or two of
the existing squad first. As has been the case since the beginning of the
transfer window, both Freddie Piquionne and John Carew are available for
transfer - although as of this morning (Monday), neither are close to
sealing a move elsewhere. The misfiring Piquionne - who has scored just
twice this season in 21 appearances - was the subject of an enquiry from
Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the month, although their
interest has since cooled. KUMB.com understands that in addition to a
further striker, Allardyce is keen to bring in a wide midfielder on loan -
although that may not happen until after tomorrow night's transfer deadline
passes. Clubs outside of the Premier League are allowed to bring in players
on short-term deals between 8th February and 24th March. Definitely out of
the picture are Académica striker Eder - who rejected a move to east London
at the weekend - and Huddersfield's Jordan Rhodes, despite a fresh enquiry
from West Ham last week. The Terriers' stance regarding the 21-year-old
striker's availability remains unchanged. West Ham have also resigned
themselves to defeat in the hunt for Rangers striker Nikica Jelavic, who is
understood to be speaking with Premier League outfit Everton over a
permanent switch from Glasgow Rangers. Meanwhile Allardyce has failed in an
attempt to land Barnsley winger Ricardo Vaz Te - formerly of Bolton - on the
cheap. Tykes boss Keith Hill described United's undisclosed offer for the
25-year-old, who is out of contract this summer, as 'derisory'. Finally,
West Ham have made enquiries as to the availability of both Manchester
City's Carlos Tevez and Liverpool's Andy Carroll (who is represented by Mark
Curtis, James Tomkins' new agent), although both enquiries are understood to
have been rebuffed - despite claims to the contrary from elsewhere.
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Here Ze comes
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th January 2012
By: Staff Writer
Brazilian striker Ze Eduardo is expected to arrive in London later today in
order to join West Ham on loan for the remainder of the season. The
24-year-old forward, who is currently contracted to Italian side Genoa will
arrive in the capital later today ahead of a medical that will see him join
the Hammers for the remainder of the 2011/12 campaign. Astonishingly, West
Ham will become Ze Eduardo's SIXTEENTH club in just seven years should he
complete the move - and the ELEVENTH club he has joined on loan since
starting his pro career in Brazil with Palmeiras in 2004.
Clubbing it: Ze Eduardo's pro career record
Full time contracts
2004–2007 Palmeiras
2007–2008 Gremio
2008–2009 Fortaleza
2010–2011 Santos
2011– Genoa
Loan spells
2005 Portuguesa
2005 Atletico
2006 Cruzeiro
2006 Villa Nova
2006 Ipatinga
2007 Sport
2008 Ferroviaria
2009 Sao Caetano
2009 America
2009 ABC
2012 West Ham Utd (pending)
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Hammers keen on Beckford
Leicester understood to have received enquiry for striker
Last Updated: January 30, 2012 9:29pm
SSN
Sky Sports understands West Ham have made an enquiry for Leicester striker
Jermaine Beckford. Sam Allardyce is desperate to bolster his forward line as
he looks to keep the Hammers on course for a return to the Premier League.
He has been linked with a number of players this winter but has been
frustrated in his efforts to secure targets such as Nikica Jelavic, and has
switched his focus elsewhere. While Genoa striker Ze Eduardo has arrived
ahead of a potential transfer, West Ham are also understood to have
contacted Championship rivals Leicester regarding the availability of
Beckford. Beckford only joined the Foxes in the summer after a season with
Everton in the Premier League, while he had previously plied his trade with
Leeds.
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Hammers close on striker
Ze Eduardo arrives from Italy ahead of possible transfer
Last Updated: January 30, 2012 7:10pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed Brazilian striker Ze Eduardo
has arrived at the club ahead of a possible transfer before Tuesday's
deadline. The Championship leaders have been looking to bring in at least
one big-name striker and have been tracking Huddersfield's Jordan Rhodes and
Rangers hot-shot Nikicia Jelavic. Highly-rated Ze Eduardo has now arrived at
the club from Genoaahead of a potential loan move with a view to a permanent
deal. Speaking of the latest situation, Allardyce told Sky Sports News:
"He's arrived today so we'll go through the normal procedure and at the end
of that make a decision." Asked if Ze Eduardo was the striker they were most
optimistic of signing, he added: "At the moment yes, because he's in the
building! "He's here, he's flown in from Italy and he arrived this morning
and we go through the normal procedures as we do with everybody in terms of
whether we sign them on short or long-term, making sure they're absolutely
100 per cent fit to join us."
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Big Sam - Jelavic too pricey
Boss believes Hammers have dropped interest in Rangers striker
Last Updated: January 30, 2012 6:42pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce believes West Ham have dropped their interest in Rangers
striker Nikica Jelavic after finding a potential transfer 'too expensive'.
Rangers chairman Craig Whyte and West Ham chairman David Sullivan had held
casual talks over the striker as the Hammers seek reinforcements to boost
their push for the Premier League. But Hammers boss Allardyce says they have
been priced out of the race for the Croatian frontman, who is also being
linked to Everton. The West Ham boss told Sky Sports News: "If I'm led to
believe where it is at the moment, for us it was too expensive. "Too
expensive - full stop." Asked if the club had dropped their interest in the
striker, he replied: "Yes."
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Ipswich v West Ham preview
Last updated: 30th January 2012
SSN
Team news ahead of Tuesday night's Championship clash between Ipswich and
West Ham at Portman Road. Lee Bowyer will miss Ipswich's clash with his
former club due to a groin injury. The 34-year-old midfielder, who scored
the only goal of the game against the Hammers when the clubs met earlier in
the season, missed the Tractor Boys' last fixture against Leeds with the
same problem. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy is another absentee for manager Paul
Jewell as he serves a one-match suspension after being sent off in the 3-1
defeat to the Whites. Arran Lee-Barrett featured before McCarthy joined on a
loan deal from Reading so should start. Jewell could hand a debut to
midfielder Ryan Stevenson after he signed from Hearts. Stevenson may not be
the only new recruit in Jewell's squad as the Town boss revealed he had made
bids for five players on Friday, including one for Falkirk defender Murray
Wallace which has been accepted. Matt Taylor is set to return to the West
Ham squad. Taylor has missed the last eight matches with a calf injury but
has had two outings for the reserves to prove his fitness. However, fellow
midfielder Papa Bouba Diop looks set to miss out with the hamstring injury
he suffered against Nottingham Forest last time out so Arsenal loanee Henri
Lansbury is likely step into the centre. In defence, Joey O'Brien has shaken
off a knock, Guy Demel is fit after a thigh problem and American centre-half
George John is pushing to be included in the squad for the first time since
he joined on loan from FC Dallas a fortnight ago.
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Crawley move for Hammers ace
Red Devils look to wrap up Nouble deal
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
January 30, 2012 4:56pm
SSN
Sky Sports understands West Ham are close to agreeing a deal to sell Frank
Nouble to Crawley Town. League Two hopefuls Crawley are keen to bolster
their attacking options as they look to maintain their bid for promotion and
they have targeted a move for Nouble. Nouble is back at West Ham after a
successful spell on loan at Gillingham earlier this season, where he scored
five goals. The England Under 19 international, who scored on his only start
for West Ham in the Championship this term against Derby, is well down the
pecking order at Upton Park. It is believed West Ham have granted Nouble
permission to talk to Crawley about a move to the Red Devils. Nouble is
believed to have attracted the interest of a host of Championship and League
One clubs, but Crawley hope to tie up a deal for the striker before the
close of the transfer window.
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Hammer time! Big Sam lines up deadline day move for striker Beckford
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:45 AM on 31st January 2012
Daily Mail
West Ham have made an enquiry for Leicester City striker Jermaine Beckford.
Manager Sam Allardyce is desperate to bolster his forward line but has been
frustrated in his efforts to secure targets such as Everton-bound Nikica
Jelavic, and has therefore switched his focus elsewhere. Genoa striker Ze
Eduardo had his medical yesterday ahead of a potential move to Upton Park
but West Ham may have to offer £5million to get Beckford.
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Allardyce leading race to land teen sensation Morrison from Man United
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:40 AM on 31st January 2012
Daily Mail
Sam Allardyce is in pole position to land 18-year-old Manchester United
striker Ravel Morrison. Morrison stunned Manchester United by demanding
£30,000 a week, despite the teenager making just three first-team
appearances. Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his exasperation with the
talented but troubled 18-year-old, describing his demands as 'unrealistic'.
Sportsmail revealed last week how United have offered Morrison £12,000 a
week - an amazing salary for someone so young - and while the player has
denied rejecting a new offer, there is now understood to be an impasse. It
is not clear if the £30,000-a week demand includes bonuses.
And with West Ham keen on the forward United could decide to sell the
player.
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West Ham move to sign Ravel Morrison from Manchester United
• Sir Alex Ferguson decides not to offer new contract
• West Ham take a gamble on talented teenager
Daniel Taylor
guardian.co.uk, Monday 30 January 2012 23.29 GMT
Ravel Morrison, rated as one of the most naturally talented young players to
come through Manchester United's ranks since Paul Scholes, is joining West
Ham United after being told he is not getting another contract at Old
Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson decided to move on the 18-year-old at Christmas
and Sam Allardyce has moved in for a player who will expect first-team
football with the Championship side and could play a vital part in their
push for promotion. Morrison, an attacking midfielder, is rated by Trevor
Brooking, the FA's director of football development, alongside Paul
Gascoigne and Jack Wilshere at the same age. The teenager has also had
numerous disciplinary issues behind the scenes at Old Trafford but Allardyce
is willing to take the gamble and the deal is close to being finalised.
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West Ham United offer for Barnsley and former Bolton striker rejected
3:19pm Monday 30th January 2012 in
Guardian Series
West Ham United's offer for Barnsley attacker Ricardo Vaz Te has been
rejected. The Hammers made an offer for the former Bolton striker but it has
been turned down. Barnsley boss Keith Hill told the Hemsworth and South
Elmsall Express: "When you consider the impact that he's made on the
Championship, with the goals that he's scored, the way that he's played for
Barnsley, it's a derisory offer and it's a bit disrespectful." The Irons are
desperately searching for a striker before the transfer window shuts
tomorrow.
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Alleged Leeds, West Ham and Portsmouth target fails drugs test
London 24
Monday, January 30, 2012
8:24 PM
Barnet winger Mark Marshall, who has been linked with moves to Leeds, West
Ham and Portsmouth, tested positive for a banned substance Barnet winger
Mark Marshall has been provisionally suspended from football activities
after failing a drugs test. This has forced the winger, who has been linked
with a move to West Ham, Portsmouth and Leeds, to miss the Bees' last two
matches. "Mark Marshall has been provisionally suspended from football
activities pending a disciplinary hearing following the results of a recent
drugs test where he tested positive for the use of a prohibited substance,"
a club statement read. "He has consequently missed Barnet's last two League
matches "In mitigation he claims to have unwittingly taken a banned
substance in a supplement. "Mark Marshall was subject to a routine drug test
at the Dagenham & Redbridge v Barnet match on 26 December last year. "Barnet
FC hopes that this statement of fact will end speculation about the player
on the internet. "The club and the player will not make any further comment
on this matter at this stage."
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Rangers are asking too much for Nikica Jelavic, says Sam Allardyce
Scotsman
By STEPHEN HALLIDAY
Published on Tuesday 31 January 2012 00:41
RANGERS chairman Craig Whyte's determination to achieve his full valuation
for the sale of Nikica Jelavic will be tested to the full as the transfer
window closes today.
Whyte remained in contact with both Everton and West Ham United yesterday,
both of whom have made enquiries about the Croatian international striker
but have so far baulked at the price tag of around £8 million placed on him
by the Rangers owner. The January trading period comes to an end at 11pm
tonight for both English and Scottish Premier League clubs and it remains to
be seen how firm Whyte will stay in his attempt to secure what he regards as
the optimum income for Jelavic.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce last night indicated that his club will not
be doing any business with Rangers unless Whyte lowers the price. "If I'm
led to believe where it is at the moment, for us it was too expensive,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports News. "Too expensive – full stop." Asked if the
club had dropped their interest in the striker, he replied: "Yes."
Jelavic returned to training at Murray Park yesterday, having missed
Rangers' 4-0 win over Hibs at Ibrox on Saturday because of a virus which had
seen him absent from the club's training ground since last Wednesday. It is
believed the 26-year-old would welcome a move to Everton, having been less
enthusiastic about the prospect of joining Championship side West Ham, who
had a reported offer worth £7 million for him turned down by Rangers last
week.
Rangers' perilous financial situation, with the outcome of the HMRC tax case
against them still pending, means the sale of their most valuable playing
asset this month has been widely anticipated. But the brinkmanship involved
could yet see Jelavic remain with the club for the rest of the season, an
outcome which would clearly be welcomed by Rangers manager Ally McCoist as
he attempts to retain the SPL title.
The Everton manager David Moyes, speaking at his media conference ahead of
tonight's game against Manchester City, refused to either confirm or deny
his interest in Jelavic. "I never talk about players at other clubs, I
wouldn't do that," said Moyes. "I don't like it and I didn't like it when I
was a player and I kept hearing there were other centre-halves coming in to
take my position. I wouldn't talk about players at other clubs. If there was
any news I would give it to you. You will need to wait until midnight
tomorrow night and then we will let you know what is happening."
There was a mischievous element to Moyes' response to questions yesterday as
he gently ridiculed the level of speculation in his homeland surrounding
Jelavic. "It is a strange place that Scotland," added Moyes with a smile. "I
don't know what they do up there. They talk about anything up there."
Moyes did confirm he does want to add another fresh face to his squad before
the deadline. He has already completed a loan deal for American midfielder
Landon Donovan and the permanent signing of Irish midfielder Darron Gibson
from Manchester United this month, while the Goodison club have sold Russian
striker Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to Spartak Moscow for a fee believed to be in
the region of £5 million.
"I said probably a month ago that I would hope to bring two or three players
in during the window, so the answer to that is yes," added Moyes.
"I don't think it will be that difficult (doing a deal on a day when Everton
have a game to play). There are people at the club, so if there was business
to be done I am sure they will be able to do it. They don't desperately need
me, but it'll be eight o'clock by kick-off so there will be very little time
to go."
The biggest concern for McCoist would be an eleventh hour sale of Jelavic,
leaving him with little or no time to secure a replacement. With Kyle
Lafferty, Steven Naismith and Kane Hemmings all currently sidelined by
injury, veteran Northern Ireland international David Healy is the only other
striker at McCoist's disposal.
Having missed out on Polish international Pawel Brozek to Celtic over the
weekend, McCoist remains interested in Rapid Vienna's Albanian forward Hamdi
Salihi but time constraints make any move for him appear unlikely.
Rangers did free up one salary slot in McCoist's first team squad yesterday
when Spanish winger Juan Manuel Ortiz flew home with a view to joining
Almeria on loan for the rest of the season. Ortiz was McCoist's first
signing as Rangers manager last summer but has failed to hold down a regular
first team place.
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