WHUFC.com
Ricardo Vaz Te spoke to West Ham TV after netting his first Boleyn Ground
goal against Watford
08.03.2012
Ricardo Vaz Te admitted to feeling mixed emotions after netting his first
Boleyn Ground goal on Wednesday. The winger climbed off the substitutes'
bench before firing in a late equaliser to earn West Ham United a 1-1 npower
Championship draw with Watford. While the No12 was pleased to find the
target for the second time in a claret and blue shirt, he admitted the
Hammers would look back on the game as being two points dropped. Looking
ahead to Saturday's visit of Doncaster Rovers, Vaz Te said it was important
that the players and fans formed a united front to score a vital victory
against their relegation-threatened visitors.
Were you pleased with your contribution and goal?
"Yes. I was a bit disappointed with the result because we expected to win
really - me more than anyone and obviously the fans as well. I'm delighted
to be on the pitch and to play any part in the game. At the end it was
important not to lose and we can build on that."
Talk us through your goal?
"I just thought I'd make sure I hit the target. That's all that was in my
mind. I saw Sam run for the ball and I knew he was going to lay it off. It
helps that I've been here for a while now and I understand each individual
player so we're starting to gel now."
Does a positive atmosphere in the stadium help the players?
"If you saw the last 15 minutes, when we were on top of them, they didn't
know where to kick the ball. They were just desperate for the game to calm
down a bit. When it's not going so well, that's when the crowd should lift
us up because they play a huge part. That's my feeling towards it, anyway.
"I think they are great, to be fair. They are always there and they travel
and we're never short on fans. I just hope that if they could help with that
little tiny detail it would be great for each individual on the pitch."
What didn't go right for the first 75 minutes?
"I don't know. That's for the manager to answer. I watched the game and
tried to pick a few things like when to run at them and to make them turn.
Sometimes it didn't look good but the boys tried their best. We always try
our best. Some days it doesn't seem good enough, but they tried their best."
Do you think we need to be patient against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday?
"The level of expectation in the football club is huge and we're expected to
win every football game, especially against the bottom teams. Any team that
comes here wants to play great football because this is the stage. I
remember coming here with Barnsley and I was buzzing, so I'm sure everybody
is buzzing when they come here to play.
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Sam reflects on Watford draw
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was frustrated after watching West Ham United draw at home to
Watford
08.03.2012
Sam Allardyce was left to lament West Ham United's lack of a finishing touch
as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Watford on Wednesday evening. The home
side passed up a number of chances throughout the game with a mixture of
wayward shooting and the excellence of Thomas Kuszczak denying them.
Substitute Ricardo Vaz Te did find a way past the on-loan Manchester United
stopper eventually to cancel out Sean Murray's deflected opener on 64
minutes, but despite plenty of effort the Hammers could not find that second
killer goal. "It was very frustrating, we didn't have enough quality to
finish off the chances to see off Watford and we nearly paid the price for
it," Big Sam said. "The frustrating part of it is we know where we want to
be and what we want but we just can't find the cutting edge at home.
"Watford are a stubborn unit who made it difficult, but based on the chances
we have had and missed we should have won."
Big Sam was once again left to rue his side's lack of a clinical edge as a
number of players failed to take advantage of good openings. The eight
minutes of added time provided plenty of frantic action in the Watford box
but the ball would not quite drop for the hosts. "One of our strikers scored
to get us back in the game but some of our best chances didn't fall to the
strikers. Carlton Cole had a good chance that he didn't take, but the whole
team was guilty of missed opportunities. "Watford's goal is typical of a
night like this. It wasn't troubling Robert Green at all until it took a
deflection off [Abdoulaye] Faye and went in off the post. "To be fair to the
lads they picked themselves up and got back into the game and got into a
winning position too."
The point means West Ham are now six unbeaten in the league and have not
lost at home since the Burnley game on 3 December. However, Big Sam concedes
that the home performances are currently not quite emulating the superb away
day efforts seen of late. "In the last two games we have struggled at home
which is not representative of our home form for the season. Just recently
that magnificent form has turned into frustrating results. We need to stick
the ball in the net - it eases the tension and relaxes both the team and the
crowd. We have got to start taking our chances again "Maybe we are finding
it easier away from home, people attack us away from home and we exploit the
space. At home teams tend to place two blocks of four in front of us and we
are having difficulties trying to break them down."
Despite the frustration of not picking up the maximum points there were
still positives to be gleamed from the game. The draw moves the Hammers to
within one point of leaders Southampton, still with a game in hand. With
another home match against Doncaster Rovers to follow on Saturday, Allardyce
is eager to return to winning ways as soon as possible. "We nearly lost this
one instead of winning comfortably. We haven't looked like that for a long
time. At least we had the ability and desire to grab a point and I did
expect us to win it late on with the long stoppage time. It was a
frustrating night for us all but in the end you have to respect the point we
got and move on to Doncaster. "I am expecting us to be brave enough to go
out there and win. It's never easy to win a football game and Doncaster will
be riding high after beating Nottingham Forest on Tuesday so we must be
careful. But if we play to our best then the result will look after itself.
"
The Hammers' ability to call on a quartet of striking options in Carlton
Cole, Sam Baldock, Nicky Maynard and Ricardo Vaz Te in addition to
available-again widemen Matt Taylor and Julien Faubert has given Big Sam the
confidence that a positive result is achievable. "The players must use their
superior skills and ability to overcome these difficult opponents and the
way to do this is to take your chances when they arrive. At the moment we
are struggling to take the chances when they present themselves. "Nobody in
our team has scored ten goals this season. We are second in the league
without anybody scoring ten goals for us. That is a magnificent achievement
from the team but shows a lack of goal efficiency from any one particular
player. "Ricardo Vaz Te has got 16 for the season - 14 of which were for
Barnsley - so he's the man that will hopefully fire the goals in that will
win us promotion."
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Development Squad downed
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad have been beaten by a strong Colchester United side
08.03.2012
A young West Ham United Development Squad side have lost 2-0 tp a strong
Colchester United side. A goal in either half from Colchester striker
Freddie Ladapo saw off Ian Hendon's side but the Development Squad manager
was pleased with the performances of his own players, six of whom are still
serving their scholarships with the Academy. "We brought up the second-year
scholars from the Youth Team who are going to be next year's first-year
professionals," said Hendon. "They are out of the FA Youth Cup and we
thought we would bring them up and give them a couple of months in the
Development Squad."
With John Carew the only member of Wednesday's squad with any first-team
experience, he and captain Ravel Morrison joined youngsters such as Callum
Driver and Dominic Vose in the starting XI. Hendon was very impressed with
the performances of both his skipper and Vose. "Rav came in and he got on
the ball and was lively and tricky. Dominic Vose also did extremely well, he
has set his standards recently and let's hope he can carry on. "I think
Dominic is very concentrated and focused on his football and we are getting
the best out of him - long may it continue."
West Ham did create some good opportunities during the match on Wednesday
with Carew and Vose coming closest, only for the Norwegian to see his effort
saved by goalkeeper Mark Cousins and Vose putting his effort just wide.
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Faye reveals Upton Park nerves
West Ham defender wants fans to get behind players
Last Updated: March 8, 2012 5:15pm
SSN
Abdoulaye Faye believes West Ham are underperforming at Upton Park because
the players are being affected by tension in the crowd. The Hammers missed
the chance to take over from Southamptonat the top of the Championship after
being held to a 1-1 home draw by Watford on Wednesday night. Manager Sam
Allardyce was left unimpressed by his side as they were forced to rely on a
late equaliser from substitute Ricardo Vaz Te to rescue a point against the
Hornets, who had taken the lead through Sean Murray. Faye feels that as the
race for promotion to the Premier League heats up the East London club need
to present a united front on the field and in the stands.
Mental barrier
Faye told the Evening Standard: "We are nervous now every time we play at
home but that doesn't happen away when we are more confident. "Everybody
should help the team. After two minutes against Watford the stadium was
quiet and then, when a player loses the ball, you hear the shouts. That is
no good for the team. "We have got to be stronger mentally when we play at
home. At the moment we don't relax but we have to beat Doncaster at home on
Saturday. This is a big game for us.
"We have to overcome this mental barrier now because this is an important
time and we must win every game. Every player here understands that
expectations are high and the fans believe we should win every game."
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Home Form: Are We to Blame?
March 8th, 2012 - 5:31 pm by Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
Upton Park has often been a fortress. Particularly in evening games, the
opposition have been affected by the atmosphere. But that seems to have
changed. There's a quietness about the crowd. Perhaps it's down to nerves.
But it's clearly affecting the players. This is what Abdoulaye Faye has said
in tonight's Evening Standard.
"We are nervous now every time we play at home but that doesn't happen away
when we are more confident. Everybody should help the team. After two
minutes against Watford the stadium was quiet and then, when a player loses
the ball, you hear the shouts. That is no good for the team. We have got to
be stronger mentally when we play at home. At the moment we don't relax but
we have to beat Doncaster at home on Saturday. This is a big game for us. We
have to overcome this mental barrier now because this is an important time
and we must win every game. Every player here understands that expectations
are high and the fans believe we should win every game."
I have some sympathy with his words. The Upton Park crowd has come to
reflect wider society, in that it seems to be that our maxim is "we want it
and we want it now" and we won't put up with a single mistake. What a player
needs when they make a mistake is a collective arm round his shoulder and an
encouragement to do better next time. But instead, what players get nowadays
from their home crowd is a load of derision and abuse. If a player isn't
trying there may even be some justification for that, but it's not right
when a simple mistake has been made.
Before we slag off players, perhaps we should look at ourselves.
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Big Sam fears rampant Royals as Hammers wobble
Published 11:59 08/03/12 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has admitted Reading are serious contenders for automatic
promotion after winning seven straight games. Brian McDermott's side are now
only two points behind the second-placed Hammers after the top two were both
held to home draws this week. Leaders Southampton shared the points with
Ipswich while West Ham needed an 87th-minute equaliser from Ricardo Vaz Te
to salvage a draw with Watford. Allardyce said: "Reading are as serious
contenders for automatic promotion as Southampton now. I wish we could go on
a run like Reading - they have had a the best recent run in the league. "It
is fantastic run of games. Birmingham went 15 games without defeat and found
that a little difficult to keep up. Brighton are back on track. Somebody
will always come up from the pack and challenge you. "What you have got to
do is get back to the old boring two points a game and you don't have to
worry about that then."
West Ham are now unbeaten in six Championship matches but after picking up
65 points from 34 games, they have fallen behind Allardyce's promotion
blueprint of two points a game after missing the chance to go back top of
the table on Wednesday night. "It is a psychological blow for us because we
could have gone back top of the league and got closer to two points a game
which is our target," the Irons boss continued. "Forget the position in the
league - our target is two points per game. "The position in the league is
not as important as getting two points a game because I know what two points
a game gives us: automatic promotion."
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Get behind West Ham, pleads Abdoulaye Faye
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer
08 March 2012
Abdoulaye Faye today pleaded with West Ham fans to throw their support
behind the team. The Hammers - who missed the chance to go top of the
Championship with a nervy 1-1 draw against Watford at Upton Park last night
- have won more games away than at home, where they have dropped 19 points.
The visitors took the lead in the 68th minute when teenager Sean Murray hit
a fierce low drive across keeper Robert Green. Only a late equaliser from
substitute Ricardo Vaz Te salvaged a point for his misfiring team and
defender Faye, who has been outstanding this season, said: "We are nervous
now every time we play at home but that doesn't happen away when we are more
confident. "Everybody should help the team. After two minutes against
Watford the stadium was quiet and then, when a player loses the ball, you
hear the shouts. That is no good for the team. "We have got to be stronger
mentally when we play at home. At the moment we don't relax but we have to
beat Doncaster at home on Saturday. This is a big game for us. "We have to
overcome this mental barrier now because this is an important time and we
must win every game. Every player here understands that expectations are
high and the fans believe we should win every game."
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Rovers want Ilunga back
Saunders wants to ensure he has full-back cover for Spurr
Last Updated: March 8, 2012 7:51pm
SSN
Doncaster Rovers manager Dean Saunders is trying to arrange a deal to sign
full-back Herita Ilunga for a second time this season. Ilunga made 15
appearances on loan for Doncaster earlier in the campaign before the
30-year-old's contract at West Ham Unitedwas cancelled in January. He has
recently been training with Leyton Orient, but the left-back has been
invited back to the Keepmoat Stadium by Saunders. Tommy Spurr picked up a
hip injury in training and Saunders is hoping to add Ilunga to his squad on
a short-term deal to provide cover. "I'm thinking about bringing Ilunga in
so he's here," said Saunders. "He's terminated his contract with West Ham
and he's been training with Orient just trying to keep himself right. "We
need to do something because if you get injured now you're having to miss
four or five games with us playing three a week. We can't afford to go into
these games being under-prepared and under-strength. I don't really want to
play a right-back and left-back. "Hopefully we can get him. I'm trying.
We'll see how Tommy is. Hopefully Tommy will be okay but, if he's not, we've
got someone there who can step in."
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