WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is looking to test the strength of his Hammers squad over a busy few weeks for the club
27.02.2012
Sam Allardyce is planning to make the most of a midweek free of fixtures to fine tune his West Ham United squad during a warm weather training break. Big Sam and his squad flew out to warmer shores straight after Saturday lunchtime's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace looking to recharge the batteries ahead of Sunday's trip to Cardiff City. After three consecutive matches in which his side had a man sent-off, including the energy-sapping 4-1 win at Blackpool on Tuesday night, Big Sam felt that his team showed signs of weariness during the Palace draw. "The fatigue is down to two things. Certainly playing so many games a man light is going to cause problems eventually, but also we played on Tuesday night against Blackpool and Crystal Palace hadn't played for seven days," Big Sam said. "The energy levels were bound to be better from Crystal Palace and it showed. Dougie Freedman set out his side very well, they were very difficult to break down and that made our tiredness even worse."
The West Ham squad is likely to be tested to the full during a busy March and Big Sam is hoping to mix up his starting XI for each fixture. The Hammers will face seven further npower Championship games after the trip to the Carling Cup runners-up as the season edges towards the home straight. "One thing that I've learnt is to get back to rotation. I felt very loyal to the lads who won at Blackpool and in the beginning it was my mistake for doing that. "We tried to rectify that which got us better but on reflection I think two or three changes should have been made and I should have disappointed two or three players that didn't deserve to be left out.
"But having said that we got another point and another clean sheet and we're another point closer to our total as another game tick by."
Key to West Ham maintaining their six-match unbeaten home run was the first-half form of goalkeeper Robert Green, who capped off a fine 48 hours with a clean sheet. Green made a series of crucial first-half stops, which more than justified his inclusion in the England squad for Wednesday night's game with the Netherlands.
"When a player is playing in a successful team and confidence is good, the selection process becomes easier. The difficulty is when you know there's a good player but he's not playing so well and then it's difficult to leave him out. "Robert Green has been playing on top of this game all season and again showed that he's worthy of his call-up. He's very solid and his basics are very good and when we need something more than that he's always there for us. "His form in the early part of the game was the reason why we've kept a clean sheet as we weren't at our best in front of him. That then gave us a chance in the second half to go on and then try to win the game, which we did but couldn't quite achieve."
One selection dilemma Big Sam will have to face for the Bluebirds match is how to incorporate the return of captain Kevin Nolan from his three-match suspension. It will not be an easy task for the Hammers manager though, with his team having turned in some impressive performances while their No4 has been sidelined.
"With what we've got coming, whether he's in the team for the next game or shortly after it won't be long. "You can't have maximum points when you play with only ten men for three games. The fourth game was with eleven men, but to remain undefeated is miraculous."
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Loanee round-up
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's band of loanees had a busy weekend in the npower Football League
27.02.2012
Jordan Spence returned to action to headline a busy weekend of action for West Ham United's loanees in the npower Football League. The defender made his first appearance in more than four months for Bristol City in their 3-1 npower Championship defeat by Blackpool at Ashton Gate. The England Under-21 international right-back forced his way back into Derek McInnes' side and completed a full 90 minutes for his team.
Into npower League One and Peter Kurucz came out on top in his personal battle with Freddie Sears as Rochdale gained a goalless draw at Colchester United. Goalkeeper Kurucz denied his fellow Hammer to keep the U's at bay on Sears' home debut at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
Fellow stopper Marek Stech also helped his side to pick up a point, helping Leyton Orient to gain a 1-1 draw at Bury in the same division. Stech was making his debut for the O's at Gigg Lane. Elsewhere, Cristian Montano played for 59 minutes as Notts County scored a 1-0 home win over Chesterfield at Meadow Lane.
Into npower League Two and George Moncur played for 74 minutes as AFC Wimbledon battled back from two goals down to score a 3-3 draw at Crewe Alexandra, while Callum Driver was booked as Burton Albion dropped to a 2-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Cheltenham Town. In the same division, Olly Lee was an unused substitute for Gillingham as the Kent side won 2-0 at home to Torquay United.
Pablo Barrera was not involved as Real Zaragoza went down to a 5-1 defeat at Malaga in Spain's Primera Division.
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Collison hails Green class
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison believes goalkeeper Robert Green has been key to West Ham United's fine season
27.02.2012
Jack Collison has heaped praise on goalkeeper Robert Green following Saturday's goalless npower Championship draw with Crystal Palace. Green was in typically outstanding form for the Hammers, making superb saves to deny Chris Martin, Mile Jedinak and Wilfried Zaha during a frantic first half, earning the appreciation of Collison and his team-mates. While the majority of the Hammers squad have jetted off to a warm-weather training camp, Collison and Green have remained in Britain, where they are on international duty for Wales and England against Costa Rica and Netherlands respectively. "Greeny has been a massive part of the team and he's a world-class keeper, there's no doubt about that," Collison told West Ham TV. "Some of the saves he makes are just unbelievable but you can see from how hard he works, he gives the team confidence to go and play. "He has been brilliant for us this season and long may it continue."
Collison himself also put in a shift against the Eagles and could even have won the game for his side in the dying seconds, only to shoot over the crossbar from 18 yards. All in all, though, the No10 believes the point gained from Saturday's fixture could prove all-important come the season's end. "I think we have to respect the point and respect the draw. Obviously, we would have liked the three points, especially here at home but the boys have been magnificent in the past three games and playing with ten men might have showed a bit today. We're still on target for automatic promotion."
Like manager Sam Allardyce, the midfielder believes the exertions of playing for 184 with ten men over their previous three matches left the Hammers slightly short of energy. "It's hard to put your finger on it. The boys worked unbelievably hard on Tuesday night [at Blackpool] and perhaps it showed. We were a little bit leggy but we had chances to win the game but unfortunately none of them went in. "We came on strong and I had a chance at the death and Sam Baldock's got on and got behind them a couple of times but it was unfortunate that neither of them dropped in. We're still unbeaten [in February], we're on a good run and hopefully we can keep that going until the end of the season. "The manager has said all along that two points a game is our target and if we achieve that then we should make automatic promotion. That's our target at the end of the day and although we didn't get the three points, the boys worked very hard as a team. "I was a bit leggy towards the end and I ran out of steam a bit personally. But we've been on a magnificent run recently and it's four games unbeaten after our horror show at Ipswich [on 31 January]. We've got 14 games left and it's up to us to pick up the points to gain automatic promotion."
While he will be in action for Wales in the Gary Speed Memorial Match in Cardiff on Wednesday, Collison is hoping his team-mates return from their training camp ready for Sunday's npower Championship fixture in the same city on Sunday lunchtime. "We've got a few days to go and recharge our batteries and that's important, especially with lots of games coming up in March. I'm sure there will be a bit of squad rotation and the manager will play a huge role and obviously the whole squad. We feel we have the quality and the depth in our squad and everyone is itching to do their bit for the team."
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Ladies reach County Cup final
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are one victory away from retaining the Essex FA County Cup
27.02.2012
West Ham United Ladies are one victory away from retaining the Essex FA County Cup after a hard-fought 2-0 semi-final victory at C&K Basildon. Carly Roache was the Hammers' heroine, scoring twice inside the closing eleven minutes to send Julia Setford's team through to the final at the Selex Sports Ground. There, they will meet fellow FA Women's Premier League Southern Division side Colchester United. The holders entered their semi-final clash as hot favourites against their Women's Eastern Region Premier Division opponents, but found it difficult to break down their hosts during the opening half. Despite dominating the possession, West Ham encountered a solid C&K Basildon defence that was packed and determined not to concede. When the home defence was breached, goalkeeper Jade Freeman kept her side in the game by pulling off a number of fine saves. Gemma Shepherd had the best chance of the opening 45 minutes from the edge of the six-yard box, but drove the ball straight into the arms of Freeman. In the second half West Ham pushed the home side ddee[ into their own half and kept up almost constant pressure, but still could not find that elusive goal. With extra-time looking a possibility, it was midfielder Roache who stepped up to become the match-winner. On 79 minutes, she collected the ball on the edge of the Basildon 18-yard box and side-footed a firm shot into the far corner of the net. Roache then doubled her tally and made the game safe with three minutes remaining, volleying into the roof of the net from just outside the penalty area.
West Ham will face Colchester in the final at a neutral venue on Thursday 5 April.
Before then, the Hammers host Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup at Thurrock FC's Ship Lane stadium on Wednesday 29 February, with kick-off at 7.45pm.
Then, on Sunday 4 March, the Ladies host Brighton and Hove Albion for their final league fixture of the season, knowing victory would lift them above leaders Colchester and could seal the title if third-place Portsmouth fail to win their final three matches.
West Ham United Ladies: Nikki Duncan, Tracey Duxbury, Danica Reeve, Rosey Sullivan, Jess Barling, Carly Roache, Lindsey Morgan, Stacey Little, Becky Merritt, Kelley Blanchflower, Gemma Shepherd
Subs: Natalie Grafton, Mel Abegglen: April Bowers, Kerrie Stimpson
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Group 'baffled' by Chairman's statement
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 27th February 2012
By: Staff Writer
Campaign group WHU's View say they are 'baffled' by comments made by co-chairman David Sullivan regarding a proposed poll of supporters over the club's potential move to Stratford. The group - who are set to meet vice-chair Karren Brady later this week in order to express their concerns about the club's impending bid for the Olympic Stadium - admitted to being surprised at a recent comment by Sullivan in which he suggested there would be no consultation of the wider fanbase.
"Karren Brady sent the Committee an email on the 12th December stating that, 'We are happy to commit to conducting a poll as this really would form part of our intended consultation process'," read the group's latest missive. "We are therefore baffled by recent comments attributed to Mr David Sullivan in an interview with a fan website in which he states there will be no poll. "Hopefully this confusion will be cleared up and the Committee look forward to an open and constructive discussion with the Board."
The WHU's View group was set up last year to represent the concerns of a number of fans regarding the club's lack of consultation over their impending bid for the Olympic Stadium - a move that would see West Ham United leave the Boleyn Ground, the ground the club has called its home for the last 107 years. WHU's View are calling upon the Board to conduct a poll of all season ticket holders and Academy members with regards to their plans for Stratford. Bidders hoping to take on the stadium post this summer's Olympic games have until 23rd March to officially register their interest.
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Boo sucks!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 27th February 2012
By: Paul Walker
Amazing, isn't it, how things come back to bite you on the bum when you are least expecting it.
West Ham seemed to have spent much of last week placing some clearly contrived pieces on the club website praising season ticket holders, and even getting players and manager to mention specific parts of the ground by name to thank them for their support. Yea, right!
Then Big Sam comes up with the criticism of fans who booed his side after Saturday's disappointing 0-0 home draw with a very decent Crystal Palace side as they trooped off the pitch at the end.
Praise one minute, to seemingly satisfy some policy decision from on high, then dishing out stick!
Sam went to the extent of revealing that some of his players were annoyed because "we are at the top of the table". Now as soon as he said that he must have known it was giving a load of headlines to the press on the same old, tired, line of West Ham fans being hard to please.
"Hammers feel fans fury" was one wild over-exaggeration. Frankly, I didn't hear any booing from my vantage point. The Bobby Moore patrons trailed away to the sound of disappointed, frustrated silence.
What there was must have come from the Alpari stand (always the West Stand to me)… whose patrons had been singled out for special praise earlier in the week. I'm a great believer in the attitude that what is said in the dressing room after the heat of battle and when tensions are high, should stay there. Sam really did not need to mention it, all it caused was negative headlines.
And I wonder if the players who did sound off really want their thoughts unveiled to the nation in that way?
Sam, if confronted with questioning about booing should not add fuel to the fire, he should brush it away. But he chose to use what his players had said in the heat of the moment to make some sort of point about patience. You didn't need to do that.
Many managers, I found in my writing career, believed they understood the media and knew how to manipulate it. No they don't.
I recall Joe Royle once banning the media from Everton's training ground. He was sacked within a few weeks, because the row just escalated. Not nice, but you cannot control media like that, they always come back to get you in the end.
The club's rather ham-fisted way of praising fans and especially season ticket holders was probably an attempt divert criticism which occasionally follows the 'kids for a quid' scheme and cheaper ticket offers to fill the Boleyn, which does annoy some season ticket holders.
But surely we all are aware of the need for a full stadium, such is this club's financial state, and we can do the maths ourselves. Dividing games into your season ticket price still makes buying your ticket upfront the cheapest option.
I have mine because it is convenient, gets me away tickets and is cheaper per game, and it may get me a cup final ticket (now stop laughing) but I'd rather it did not get me anywhere near the play-off final. No thanks, we just have to avoid that nightmare.
So after all that brown-nosing the season ticket holders, we end up with the manager being critical of the small minority - because that is all it must have been - voicing their disapproval of the result on Saturday.
Sam has admitted he should have rotated the side following the massive demands of three ten-men performances in a row, with the players looking utterly shattered after the Blackpool triumph.
Mark Noble, James Tomkins and James Collison had run themselves to a standstill at Bloomfield Road, they were bound to be weary against Palace. Noble was not man of the match on Saturday, despite being the choice of sponsors. Robert Green and Abdoulaye Faye were both outstanding against a Palace side who hounded our midfield three from start to finish.
But it wasn't so much the result that deflated everyone, but the fact that we again wasted the chance to put real pressure and daylight on our promotion rivals. All the draw did was to allow Southampton to re-claim top spot, and saw Reading, Blackpool and Brighton get closer to us.
Now Sam may have thought he was being cute in mentioning we were still top, but that was a naive attempt to gloss over reality. Everyone leaving the Boleyn knew we had wasted another great opportunity to go clear, and did anyone not believe that Southampton would take advantage?
Interestingly, we even had one newspaper twisting Sam's quote. The new Sunday edition of the Sun, on it's debut weekend, turned Sam's quote into "one or two in the dressing room were unhappy (with the fans) because we are second in the league".
Now that's only a small thing compared to some of the stuff that has been perpetrated by News International of late, but I still come from the old school which says quotes should never be altered.
And Sam deliberately said "top" to emphasise his point even if he knew that we would not be staying there for long. Sam had deliberately stretched a point, and the Sun opted to doctor his words, because we were second by the time the paper was out to bed, and it looked better for them.
Sadly, the draw has made things a whole lot harder. Southampton, with very rich owners, have been a big threat all season. Reading, with very rich perspective new owners, are an increasing worry. Players like Jimmy Kebe have been given new contracts to ward off people like us and Premier League - for now - Wolves, who tried to buy him.
It is no surprise that the clubs really challenging for promotion are those with the parachute payments, or have recently had them. Now we are only four points clear of Reading, which would have been six had we beaten Palace, with the Berkshire club on the same number of games and still having to come to the Boleyn.
It's Cardiff next, after their outstanding display against Liverpool at Wembley in the Carling Cup, and that will be tough, with must-win home games against Watford and Doncaster to follow. Then we have Leeds, Middlesbrough, Burnley and Reading next month.
Let's hope the warm-weather training this week has some good effect on the tired limbs of players who had three matches on the trot with ten men to contend with. And then everyone can forget a few muppets who chose to boo at the end of Saturday's game.
You know my views on that. I have never booed my team and never will. It only causes problems, just as we have seen in the past few days.
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Hammers hopeful over Green
Allardyce wants new deal for keeper
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated: February 27, 2012 9:48am
SSN
West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that he is working hard to persuade Robert Green to sign a new contract. Green, who was recalled to the England squad last week, is out of contract in the summer and is yet to agree new terms. The 32-year-old has been in excellent form for The Hammers this season and they are keen to tie him down to a new deal. "We're trying, we are still negotiating like we have been for a long time with a few players," said Allardyce. "We have not got that to a conclusion yet. Green has been playing on top of his game and has done well all season. Today, he showed he is worthy of his call-up. "His all-round goalkeeping is very solid, his basics are very good and when we need something a little more, he is always there for us."
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Lies, Damned Lies & Statistics
February 27th, 2012 - 4:16 pm by PhilBones
West Ham Till I Die
FROM IAIN DALE: Let me introduce Phil Bones to you. I have asked him to write a weekly column based on statistical analysis of anything to with West Ham. Here is his first offering. I hope you will welcome him and enjoy his contributions.
I am Phil Bones and a recruitment consultant by trade. A Barking boy originally, my love affair with West Ham began one Saturday in October 1980 aged just 7. My Dad accepted an invitation from my season ticket holding Uncle and Aunt to see West Ham v Bolton (with a certain Mr Allardyce at centre half and Peter Reid in midfield). We won 2-1 thanks to an own goal and from that point on I retired my Peter Shilton goalie jersey and wore the claret and blue number 10 (Trevor Brooking was the man!). A season ticket holder ever since with just two breaks caused by a lack of money in my teens and a spell abroad in my twenties, I have also managed to see us lose at the Millennium Stadium twice (Palace and Liverpool) but actually miss the time we won against Preston thanks to losing one of the lads Grandads and spending the whole match looking around Cardiff for him. I comment here under the name PhillyHammers.
Geek!
That's what the lads say. And they are right. I am the first to admit that my love of professional sport will almost certainly descend into a trawl of facts and figures before the first pint has already been ordered. However, this has, from time to time proved my point.
For instance, when my fellow season ticket holders explained their opinions on "who should we sign or not sign?" debate in January, I was able to give a very good reason as to why we had done great business. Here are a handful of the players we were linked with:
Jordan Rhodes – 71 from 141 appearances (0.50 goals per game)
Billy Sharp – 111 goals from 236 appearances (0.47 gpg)
Nicky Maynard – 77 goals from 182 appearances (0.42 gpg)
Nikica Jelavic – 66 goals from 174 appearances (0.38 gpg)
Ricardo Vaz Tê – 16 from 104 appearances (0.15 gpg)
Doesn't look so amazing does it? But a closer look at the figures shows things in a different light. At Championship level only the following appears:
Ricardo Vaz Tê – 10 from 22 appearances (0.45 gpg)
Nicky Maynard – 45 goals from 123 appearances (0.37 gpg)
Billy Sharp – 48 goals from 134 appearances (0.36 gpg)
Jordan Rhodes –1 from 10 appearances (0.10 gpg)
Nikica Jelavic – 0 goals from 0 appearances (0.00 gpg)
Now I know that both sets need to be looked at to analyse this properly. Rhodes and Jelavic, for instance haven't played at that level much (the quality in the SPL – that's a debate for another day). Vaz Tê played many games for Bolton in wide positions before he was a fully developed footballer.
But both lists are really brought into context with the sorts of fees that were floating around – £7 million + for Jelavic despite never having performed in a league as competitive as our own, £5million + for Rhodes on a similar vein. Now look at what the combined fees were for the other 3 as paid (reportedly) by us and Southampton, £2 million for Maynard, £1.5 million for Sharp, £1 million for Vaz Tê and a clear picture emerges that clubs in our position and that of the Saints (who had their own financial difficulties) must do their level best to make sure that they are spending in accordance with a players true worth.
Of course, the only statistics that matter a jot now are the ones they produce for their new clubs:
Nicky Maynard – 1 goals from 2 appearances (0.50 gpg)
Ricardo Vaz Tê – 1 from 3 appearances (0.33 gpg)
Billy Sharp – 1 from 4 appearances (0.25 gpg)
Now this won't stop me being shouted down in any number of the pubs I frequent and rightly so, football is after all a game of opinions and many are voiced in response to the articles on this site. Hopefully the facts can enable the debate and maybe reinforce a point or two. But, as they say, there are lies, damned lies and statistics!
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England v Holland: Robert Green encouraged by Stuart Pearce's 'kind words'
By Jeremy Wilson11:00PM GMT 27 Feb 2012 Comment
Telegrpah.co.uk
As a new era starts for England on Wednesday night, assessments from within the squad of the previous managerial regime are beginning to create a familiar echo.
The problem, it would seem, was not that Fabio Capello's man-management and communication was poor but that he often did not even deem it necessary. Rio Ferdinand, who felt slighted at not being personally informed that he would lose the England captaincy, was the first to speak out following Capello's departure, noting that "we don't need anything else lost in translation". Micah Richards then complained at how he would regularly ask for an explanation over his England omission but "never got answer". David James, who was discarded after the 2010 World Cup, also told of how Capello might not even acknowledge players around the team hotel and would sometimes simply address him with the words "hey, goalkeeper". It is arguable, though, that no player has more reason to feel aggrieved than Robert Green. The West Ham United goalkeeper was named last week in Stuart Pearce's squad and, against Holland tomorrow, could make what would be his first international appearance since his mistake cost England victory in their opening game of the 2010 World Cup.
Green immediately admitted to his dreadful error in the 1-1 draw with the United States but, after he and his family were briefly thrown into a media storm, has seldom spoken in public again. Indeed, since returning from South Africa in the summer of 2010, his most notable moment of media relations was an 'up yours' signal to the press box at Upton Park after a 1-0 win over Tottenham. Green, though, was thrust back into the spotlight on Sunday night having joined up with Pearce's squad at the Lions and Roses charity dinner organised by the England Footballer Foundation. Having been dropped by Capello, Green's description of how Pearce informed him last week of his England recall felt pointed. "He said some kind words," Green said. "He phoned me up, which was a promising start, and had a chat. It doesn't take a lot but it means a bit. It is something with Stuart Pearce that he is probably trying to portray, trying to get across."
Green set the record straight over rumours that he had considered retiring from international football following his request not to be part of the squad in May for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland. At the time, Green was understood to be unhappy at not being given the chance in the friendly against Ghana in March, believing it to be an ideal opportunity for his first cap since the World Cup. However, his wife was also due to give birth just a few days before the Switzerland game and he stressed that was the only reason for his initial unavailability. "My son was born and I wanted to be there," said Green. "That was the end of it."
As it turned out, Green's wife gave birth earlier than expected and he agreed to serve as an emergency replacement for David Stockdale in the week leading up to the game. He was forced to withdraw from the subsequent matches against Bulgaria and Wales in September with a finger injury and was not selected by Capello again.
Green, though, rejected the suggestion that this felt like a fresh start to his international career. "If you get picked you get picked, if you don't, you don't," he said. "I'm 32 now, been around the best part of 10 years. It [international recognition] is not something that I'm really affected by. What people write or speak about, I really don't give a monkey's. That's not going to affect my life. What affects my life is what happens on a Saturday and how well we do at West Ham.
"Whatever else happens, happens. It is out of my control. It's something that, if you spend time worrying about and thinking about, you are wasting energy."
Pearce is clearly aware that Green's form has been among the main reasons for West Ham's strong promotion push. "It's been different this season," said Green. "In an ironic way, it has been nice to not be on a team getting a pounding every week, but it's not Premier League football and that's where the aim is to be.
"If we are not promoted, then you'd say it has been rubbish and I wouldn't want to do it again. But it's been good working under the manager [Sam Allardyce]. He's turned around a pretty depressed place. One thing you can do is man-manage people."
The stability and hinterland of fatherhood is clearly serving him well. "Football's not that crazy," Green said. "Go along, play football, work as hard as I can, then go home, spend time with my family. If the phone call comes [from England], it comes. If it doesn't, I'll still be with my wife and my child at the end of the day."
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Rob Green: I don't care what people say...I just want to save shots
By MATT BARLOW
Last updated at 10:30 PM on 27th February 2012
Daily Mail
The resignation of Fabio Capello has restored factory settings to the England squad as they gather for the first time since the managerial change. Capello's favourites will feel a little uneasy while others have new hope. Micah Richards was first to portray relief and Rob Green could be forgiven for celebrating the Italian's farewell as he took a call from Stuart Pearce ahead of the game against Holland. 'He had some kind words for me,' said West Ham goalkeeper Green. 'He phoned me up, which was a promising start, and we had a chat. 'It doesn't take a lot but it means a bit more. It's something with Stuart Pearce that he's probably trying to portray. On a working level, we'll wait to see what he does.'
Green was standing proudly in his suit, three lions on the badge on his chest, at the England Footballers Foundation 'Lions and Roses' charity dinner. It was the first time he had spoken publicly since the post-match interview zone in Rustenburg, South Africa, after the mistake which gifted the United States an equaliser in the opening group game of England's World Cup campaign. He was axed for the next game against Algeria, having learned of Capello's decision via the internet, and has not won a cap since. When he did not get on in a friendly against Ghana last March, a game in which most of the first team were rested, there were suggestions he might follow Paul Robinson and Ben Foster into international retirement.
He told Capello he did not want to be considered for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland in June because his wife was due to give birth but his son was born earlier than expected and he was able to accept a call-up after it became clear David Stockdale could not report for duty because the game clashed with his wedding.
'My son was born and I wanted to be there for that,' said Green. 'He was a bit earlier than expected and that was it. It was blown out of proportion. The world didn't end and nothing else happened.'
Injury apart, he has remained in contention despite West Ham's relegation last year, adopting the same singled-minded approach which helped him to quickly overcome his mistake in Rustenburg and the criticism and intense scrutiny which followed. 'I just carry on playing,' said Green. 'It's about keeping football down to the basics. The pure element of trying to keep the ball out of the goal is something I focus on. 'What that man writing for whatever newspaper, what people write or speak about, I really don't give a monkey's about.
'That's not going to affect my life. What affects my life is what happens on a Saturday and how well we do at West Ham. That's really pretty much all I care about.
'Football's not particularly crazy. Once you are in it, you're in the eye of the storm and it's quite nice. I go along, play football, work as hard as I can, play as hard as I can and then go home and spend time with my wife and kids. 'If the phone call comes, it comes. If it doesn't, I'll still be with my wife and my child at the end of the day. If you get picked, you get picked. If you don't, you don't. 'I'm 32 now, been around the best part of 10 years. Hopefully I've got another 10 years. It's the old adage, it's boring, taking things day by day and just going along and seeing where we go. 'Whatever else happens is out of my control and if you spend time worrying and thinking about it you're wasting energy.'
Capello's exit, however, ends an episode which ought to have been the proudest of his career and turned into a nightmare. Green was established as England's No 1 for the entire season leading to South Africa but it was not until two hours before the USA game that his place in the team was confirmed ahead of David James and Joe Hart. Hart has made the position his own since the World Cup, leaving his rivals locked in an even contest for the role of deputy ahead of Euro 2012. Pearce has recalled Green to the squad for the first time since September, when he pulled out through injury. 'The motivation is there,' said Green, hoping a return to the Premier League will help him to add to his 11 caps. 'For me, at West Ham, we have got to get promoted. It's been different and in a way it's been nice to not be in a team getting a pounding every week. But obviously it's not Premier League football and that's where the aim is to be. 'We'll see where the season takes us. If, by the end, we're not promoted then you'd say it's been rubbish and I wouldn't want to do it again. It's the end outcome really. It's been good working under the manager (Sam Allardyce). He's turned around a pretty depressed place and got it going in the right direction. 'One thing you can do is man- manage people. It's been good so far under him. It's not where we want to be; it's life. If I spend my time worrying about that, I'll be pretty old by the end of the season.'
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Baldock targets West Ham starting spot
By talkSPORT
Monday, February 27, 2012
West Ham striker Sam Baldock admits he has been frustrated at being left out of the first-team but is determined to force his way past new signings Nicky Maynard and Ricardo Vaz Te. Baldock enjoyed a successful start to his career at Upton Park following his move from Mk Dons back in August, scoring five goals in his opening nine games. But he was forced to spend a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury and then slipped down the pecking order following the arrivals of Maynard and Vaz Te in January. Baldock's last goal for West Ham was at the start of November, but he was one of the star performers when he appeared as a substitute during the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at the weekend and is now hoping to get back in the starting line-up when they face Cardiff on Sunday. Baldock said: "I take the situation as it comes. Obviously I've been frustrated and I think the other players have seen that frustration, but I'm not going to let it affect me when I do get opportunities to play. I'm going to try to grab every chance that I can. "The players who we've brought in have only added to the quality that we've got in the squad and hopefully they'll help us to reach our aim of winning the league. "All I can do is try to impress the manager when I do get a chance in training and in the games. Hopefully I've shown him again what I can do on Saturday and he'll bear me in mind a bit more next time when he is picking the team. "The fans have always been good to me ever since I scored my first couple of goals against Blackpool. I think they know that I'll work for them and I'll work for the badge. The fans are a credit to the club with the noise that they make and they inspire us."
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West Ham United loanee Marek Štěch joins up with Czech Republic Under-21s after Leyton Orient debut
3:57pm Monday 27th February 2012 in News By Matt Bass
Guardian Series
Marek Štěch has linked up with the Czech Republic Under-21 squad for their international friendly with Romania. Štěch joined Orient on loan from West Ham on Friday as cover for the injured Lee Butcher and made his debut in the 1-1 draw with Bury the next day. In a busy period for the stopper, Štěch's debut was immediately followed by a flight to link up with his team-mates in Prague. The 22-year-old could feature for the Czech side when they visit Bucharest on Wednesday but will be available for Orient's next match at home to Dean Smith's Walsall at the weekend. Meanwhile, the Czech Under-19 side will be in action at Brisbane Road tomorrow night when they take on Noel Blake's England, who feature former O's loanee Harry Kane among their ranks.
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Crystal Palace captain backs West Ham to return to the Premier League
Monday, February 27, 2012
3:15 PM
London 24
Crystal Palace captain Patrick McCarthy has backed West Ham to win promotion after holding the Hammers to a 0-0 draw at Upton Park on Saturday. The Hammers are currently second in the Championship, behind Southampton, after Ricky Lambert scored a hat-trick against Watford on Saturday to take the Saints top. "They are at the top of the league and they are expected to go up and I'm sure they will," McCarthy said. "I think people around West Ham would be very disappointed if they didn't go up but I'm sure they will. "We're just happy to look at our own situation and we're just happy to come to a place like West Ham, live on television, and put on the performance we did." Crystal Palace are in 13th, nine points behind sixth placed Cardiff.
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Robert Green's West Ham future is in doubt
Evening Standard 27 Feb 2012
West Ham jetted off to UAE after their goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday without England goalkeeper Robert Green, whose long-term future remains in doubt. The 32-year-old joins up with the national side ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Holland and Hammers boss Sam Allardyce admits contract talks have stalled. "We're still in negotiation with Rob but we haven't reached a conclusion," he said.
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West Ham striker angry at missing his two chances against Palace
London 24
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Monday, February 27, 2012
12:31 PM
West Ham striker Sam Baldock is in the business of scoring goals. He may strive to outpace his marker, to jink into the box and set-up chances for his team-mates, but in the end he is judged on whether he can hit the net. And so his two misses in the goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Saturday hurt the former MK Dons striker hard and anyone who suggests that he had done all he could is likely to be greeted by some stern words. "No it's not all I could have done, of course it's not," said the diminutive 22-year-old speedster after the 0-0 Upton Park stalemate. "You can score them and with the second chance I back myself nine times out of 10 to score it. "Maybe there was a bit of rustiness there I don't know, but I should have sent it further wide of the goalkeeper."
Baldock made an impact on proceedings just seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute. First, he darted away from his marker on the left edge of the area only for keeper Julian Speroni to save with his legs by the post. And then came the best chance of the whole match for either side. On 76 minutes, Carlton Cole's delightful reverse pass put Baldock in, but his shot was too close to the keeper and blocked to safety. "The second one I was trying to guide it into the corner," explained Baldock, who has five goals to his name for West Ham, but hasn't scored since November 5. "I didn't connect with it cleanly, though to be fair if I had connected with it worse it might have gone in, because he had already started falling."
Baldock arrived in the summer in a £2million deal, but he has been hampered by manager Sam Allardyce's preference for playing just one striker and now by the arrival of Ricardo Vaz Te and in particular Nicky Maynard to add to the competition. "I take all that as it comes," he insisted. "Obviously I have been frustrated and everyone around the place has seen that. But I am not going to let it affect me and when I do get the chance to play, I am going to try and grab it. "The players we have brought in has only added to the quality we have got in the squad and hopefully it is going to help is towards our aim of winning the league."
Baldock, of course, wants to be a part of that, and with so many games to play in March, he is hopeful that his performance on Saturday will help to earn him that chance. "I think what I have got to do is impress the manager in training and on the pitch and hopefully I have impressed him enough against Palace so that he will bear me in mind a bit more next time he picks a team," said the West Ham number seven. "Everyone knows that the March period is really busy and that is why we have got such a big squad. "I think everybody is going to be needed and everyone must be trying their best in training to be sharp because you never know when you are going to get the call."
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