WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor is keeping his cool and remains confident West Ham United are on
track for promotion
12.03.2012
Matt Taylor insists it is no time to panic and that West Ham United are
still on course to gain promotion from the npower Championship. The No14
admitted the players were left frustrated following their 1-1 home draw with
Doncaster Rovers - a third consecutive stalemate at the Boleyn Ground.
However, the experienced Taylor pointed out that the Hammers are still
second in the table and will go joint-top should they win their game in-hand
on leaders Southampton. "It's not time to panic," he told West Ham TV. "I
completely understand the fans' frustration because every player wants to
win every game he plays in but sometimes you have to grind out results. "We
have eleven games remaining this season and we need to make sure we win as
many of those as we can to make sure we get ourselves back into the Premier
League. "Nothing else has changed this season. We still want to get to the
so-called promised land and that's what we've got to strive for."
Injuries to Joey O'Brien and Julien Faubert forced Taylor to play at
left-back against Rovers and the experienced midfielder produced a decent
display in his unaccustomed position. The 30-year-old was part of a fast
start from the Hammers, combining well with Ricardo Vaz Te in the early
stages as the hosts went ahead through Kevin Nolan's ninth-minute goal.
However, an injury to Vaz Te was followed by a slowing of the tempo by the
home side and Doncaster took advantage to work their way back into the match
and equalise through James Coppinger with 17 minutes remaining. "If I'm
brutally honest, we don't kill teams off when we get the chance when we play
at home for some reason, and I'm not 100 per cent sure why that is" Taylor
admitted. "Even with the way it's going, we're still second in the league
table and that's ultimately our main aim which is to get promoted. If we win
our game in-hand [on Southampton] then we're still in a very healthy
position.
"We did start very well but we took our foot off the gas. It all comes down
to not scoring when we should do and not taking our chances. "We're not
worrying because it's not as if we're not creating chances. We're creating
them but we're just not putting them in the back of the net and that,
ultimately, is our downfall at the moment.
"I just think we slowed the tempo a bit, if I'm honest. We started the game
ever so well and had sustained pressure, then we probably took our foot off
the gas too much and didn't pressure them. "The first 20 minutes we were
winning the ball and playing in their half. It became a position where we
were not losing the ball, but we weren't playing the majority of the game in
their half. "Let's take nothing away from Doncaster. They did well and
Greeny pulled off a great save at the end [from El Hadji Diouf]. We're
disappointed but we respect the point and it's another point towards where
we want to go."
Taylor insists that the Hammers players need to once more find that winning
feeling at home and should relish every chance to play at the Boleyn Ground.
"If you can't enjoy playing football out there then you shouldn't be playing
football," he said, with typical honesty. "I don't think it's nerves. You
could argue that there is expectation because we're arguably the biggest
club in the division, so that comes with it and you have to shoulder that
expectation. "I personally don't think that you can ever be put under too
much pressure playing football. It's the best job in the world and you've
got to go out and start killing teams off. "It's not as if we're stood here
worried about not creating chances. If we play the way at home the way we've
played away from home this season, I don't foresee any problems. "We've just
got to start winning games soon and if we do I would hope and have my
fingers crossed that we'll have done enough to secure our position in the
top-two."
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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is calling for calm ahead of a crucial run of fixtures
11.03.2012
Sam Allardyce is expecting his West Ham United side to keep their cool ahead
of a potentially decisive run of fixtures. Big Sam's side drew 1-1 with
Doncaster Rovers on Saturday - their third successive home draw - but still
remain in second position in the npower Championship table. Although a draw
was not the result everyone was hoping for, the Hammers are now unbeaten in
seven matches going into Saturday's away game at Leeds United - the first of
five games in the space of 14 days.
"We've had a bit of discussion about the pressure but we're all big enough
and professional enough to handle what's thrown at us. We haven't lost the
game of football, we've only drawn and frustrated everyone. "The frustration
is that it continues from the draws with Crystal Palace, Watford and
Doncaster but in between we've won at Blackpool 4-1 with ten men and we won
easily at Cardiff 2-0. We're on an undefeated run but we're not as fluid as
we want to be at home and we have the old problem that we need somebody to
score goals when we get the chances more often. "If we do that in the last
11 games then we won't have a problem. If we don't then we're going to keep
our nerve-ends jangling right until the end of football matches."
The one point gained could easily have been three had any one of a number of
home chances found the back of the net. Carlton Cole hit the crossbar,
Ricardo Vaz Te had a goal ruled out for a push and Jack Collison put a
golden chance wide with virtually the last kick of the game, leaving Big Sam
to once again call for his side to be more ruthless. "We had a bit of a
problem when we lost the goal against Doncaster as we got a bit edgy and a
bit panicky and we can't allow ourselves to do that. But in saying that we
settled down and got the best chance to win it with the last kick of the
game. "We could do with the front men or whoever it falls to delivering a
bit more in goals. That's our problem. It hasn't been a problem away from
home but it has been a problem at the Boleyn Ground and whoever it falls to
we've got to be a bit more clinical and then we'll start winning instead of
drawing. All five of West Ham United's remaining home games are against
teams that currently reside in the top nine places in the npower
Championship, which means each and every one could go a long way in deciding
the make-up of the final standings at the top. If the Hammers are to
conclude their season in one of the top two places they crave, they must
rediscover that winning feeling at home - starting with Middlesbrough on
Tuesday week. "There's a confidence that we're good enough to go up but
there's always been a worry. Every time I wake up at 6am on Saturday morning
there's a worry. I think that we've got the capabilities in the squad as
long as too many things don't go against us. Against Doncaster, we had some
of our own misfortunes, an injury to the wrong player at the wrong time and
perhaps a refereeing decision or two that didn't go our way. "Those things
have to go in your favour when you're top of the league. But at the end of
the day we haven't lost so we're on an undefeated run."
The West Ham United medical team will be busy this week working on various
knocks and niggles with Winston Reid, Julien Faubert, Joey O'Brien, Guy
Demel and Papa Bouba Diop all missing Saturday's draw through injury. "My
main concern is getting players fit and available, whether it's Joey
O'Brien, Julien Fuabert, Winston Reid, Papa Boub Diop or Vaz Te. The end of
our busy run will decide whether we've given ourselves a bit of breathing
space or whether we're going to have to fight until the end. It's in our
hands in the five games we'll face in the two weeks in the league after
Leeds."
Promotion rivals Reading completed their eighth consecutive win on Saturday
to move level on points with West Ham, but the east Londoners' superior goal
difference means they stay in second. Interestingly, both teams hold a game
in hand over leaders Southampton, meaning their three-point lead could be
pegged back to set up a dramatic finale. "I still think there are others
that can go on an amazing run like Reading. Reading have won eight on the
trot now so it's a terrific run they've gone on. What we've got to do is win
football matches and not worry about anyone else. "At end of day we are
second in the league on 66 points with Reading with one game in hand on
Southampton, which catches them up points-wise if we win it."
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Haycock happy with U18s
WHUFC.com
U18s coach Nick Haycock was impressed with his inexperienced side in
Saturday's win at Cardiff City
12.03.2012
West Ham United Under-18s coach Nick Haycock has heaped praise on his
inexperienced team after they pulled off a fine 1-0 victory at Cardiff City.
With a number of his second-year scholars involved in Development Squad
fixtures, Haycock chose to blood a number of Under-16s and hand more
valuable FA Premier Academy League experience to his first-year scholars.
Schoolboys Amos Nasha, Kieran Bywater and Nana Boakye-Yiadom were handed
starts, while Manny Onnariasi, Thomas Gogo and Tim Brown were among the
substitutes. "We were very good," said Haycock. "Ian Hendon has included a
lot of second-year scholars in his Development Squad in recent weeks, so we
decided to take just two Under-18s in Matthias Fanimo (pictured) and Jack
Powell to give us a bit of experience in the middle of the park. "We started
three Under-16s and I thought all of them coped well with the demands of
youth-team football against a much older Cardiff side including a number of
Under-19s and Under-18s. It was a good physical and technical test for our
younger players. "We were comfortably the better team in the first half and
should have gone in at half-time in front, but had to settle for turning
around at 0-0. Matthias scored and also hit the crossbar, while Taylor Miles
and Nana both volleyed over from inside the six-yard box. "We could have won
by three or four and if we'd been further ahead, I would have given a debut
to Manny, but I couldn't bring on a 15-year-old centre-back while we were
only winning 1-0 and we're still in with a shout of winning the league."
Following this inter-group victory in south Wales, West Ham are third in
Group A four points behind leaders Arsenal with three games remaining. While
Haycock would love to lift the trophy, he knows the Academy's ultimate aim
is to produce players for the first-team squad - something it has done three
times already this season with the appearances of Rob Hall, Dan Potts and
Callum McNaughton. "It's good for the club to give the younger boys a game.
We want to win the league but we want to do it the right way, but promoting
the youngers ones up. It has been a good year for the Academy and very
pleasing for all of us."
Potts has also graduated to the England U18 side, making his debut in a 3-0
friendly win over Poland at Crewe Alexandra last week. "It has been
documented how well Dan has done this season with him getting into the
first-team squad. We were delighted for him playing for England because he
warranted a call-up much earlier. Dan has got over his illness [leukaemia]
and it shows what perseverance and talent can do. Hopefully it will be the
first of many caps. "Leo Chambers also goes away for ten days with England's
Under-17s for UEFA European Championship qualifiers in Georgia later this
month and we wish him the best as he has been one of our stand-out players
this season."
*Two of West Ham United's young loanees took to the field for their
respective npower Football League clubs this weekend. Olly Lee played 45
minutes for Gillingham as Crewe won 4-3 at the Priestfield Stadium in League
Two. Meanwhile, Freddie Sears was a late substitute as Colchester tried to
find a goal in their 0-0 League One stalemate away at Wycombe.
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Ladies made to wait
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies will have to wait to learn their League Cup fate
after a 3-1 defeat by Watford
12.03.2012
Needing just a draw or better to ensure qualification for the knockout
stages of the FA Women's Premier League Cup, West Ham United Ladies suffered
a 3-1 home defeat by Watford on Sunday. The Hammers had roared to the top of
their group after recording impressive victories over Tottenham Hotspur and
Barnet, only to be denied a place in the last-16 for the time being by the
Hornets. West Ham have collected seven points from their four group-stage
fixtures but will have to wait for the remaining six groups to be completed
to see if they have qualified for the second round. Hosting their National
Division opponents at Ship Lane, West Ham dominated possession in the first
half with April Bowers and Becky Merritt both going close and Gemma
Shepherd's effort flying just over the crossbar. West Ham's progress looked
all but assured when Merritt collected the ball wide on the left from a
short corner and curled a superb shot high into the Watford net.
Unfortunately, the opening goal spurred on the visitors and Watford started
to turn the tie in their favour. A disastrous spell soon after Merritt's
strike sealed the Ladies' fate, with defensive errors allowing Page Logie
and Sophie Waller to put the visitors in front. Waller then made the game
safe by heading in Sarah Wiltshire's cross with ten minutes remaining to
leave West Ham waiting nervously for news from elsewhere. Manager Julia
Setford has organised a friendly fixture with Cardiff City on Sunday 1 April
at Ship Lane as the Hammers prepare for their Essex FA County Cup final
meeting with Colchester United at AFC Hornchurch on Thursday 5 April.
*The Ladies will hold a fundraising Quiz Night at Aveley FC on Friday 16
March at 7.30pm. Team entry costs £10, with all welcome. For full details,
call Julia Setford on 07970 325369.
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Diouf - Hammers made a mistake
Doncaster forward says boos spur him on to perform
Last Updated: March 12, 2012 9:15am
SSN
El Hadji Diouf believes West Ham United made a 'big mistake' in not signing
him after he helped Doncaster Rovers to earn a draw at Upton Park. The
Senegal attacker spent a few days on trial at West Ham back in October, but
his former Bolton and Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce decided against a
deal. Diouf eventually signed for Doncaster and he has scored five goals in
15 Championship appearances as he looks to keep Rovers in the division. He
also created James Coppinger's equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw at West Ham
and feels the promotion candidates erred in letting him move on.
Pressure
"I was supposed to sign but they said I've got a problem with the fans,"
said Diouf. "But I'm a footballer. I can turn the fans around and make them
love me. I've done that with the fans at every club I've played in. "I love
the pressure. I know fans are going to boo me and the more they boo the more
determined I am to play well. "I think like Cantona. When he went to Man Utd
in the beginning the fans didn't like him. But he turned everyone on his
side because he was a wonderful player.
"It's a big mistake for West Ham not signing me because, if you see from the
game, I love Sam Allardyce and he'd love to have me in his team. "He knows
that when I decide to play I don't think anyone can stop me."
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Montano back with Hammers
Last Updated: March 12, 2012 5:39pm
SSN
Notts County loanee Cristian Montano has returned to West Ham following the
expiry of his one-month deal. The attacker returned to Meadow Lane for a
second spell in February after an impressive three months with Keith Curle's
side at the start of the campaign. Curle believes it is time for Tano to
move on in search of regular first-team football as high-flying County
continue to push for promotion from League One. "I had a conversation with
Cristian and I spoke to his agent as well, and explained that he wouldn't be
getting as much football time and field time that a young man with his
ability would acquire at this stage of the season," Curle told the club's
official website. "He's got an opportunity to go back to his parent club and
he might able to get another move where he can play games. "I didn't think
at the minute I'd be able to offer him enough time and I didn't want him to
be sitting back kicking his heels, when there's potentially 10 games he
could get under his belt for his career."
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WEST HAM CHASE CHELSEA'S SALOMON KALOU
Daily Express
Tuesday March 13,2012
By Daily Express Reporter
WEST HAM are planning for life back in the Premier League by making Salomon
Kalou an offer to spearhead their attack in the top flight. Chelsea forward
Kalou will be out of contract in the summer and is yet to agree a new deal
to stay at Stamford Bridge.
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West Ham Sign Portsmouth Keeper for 'Significant Fee'
Sportsvibe.co.uk
West Ham United have completed the signing of Portsmouth keeper Stephen
Henderson who becomes the latest player to leave the crisis club.
Portsmouth entered administration for the second time just a matter of weeks
ago and have been forced to let some of their most talented players leave
the club in recent weeks. Captain Liam Lawrence joined Cardiff, while Erik
Huseklepp was noter to leave Fratton Park as the club battle to survive
until the end of the season. Henderson, who has recently become a Republic
of Ireland international, has been in superb form for Portsmouth all season
and West Ham have moved quickly to seal his signature.
The keeper will initially join the Hammers on-loan until the end of the
season and then un the summer a permanent fee will be resolved with
Portsmouth. 'Stephen Henderson will be joining West Ham on loan with a view
to a permanent contract," Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch told
portsmouth.co.uk. "We still need money to get past the end of the season.
"It doesn't just stop then, so I am trying to get in that extra cash which
pushes it even further and gives even more time to achieve what we need to
achieve. "I cannot divulge how much we will receive (from West Ham), it
wouldn't be right to. But it's a significant fee. We wouldn't be doing it
otherwise."
West Ham are looking to secure promotion back to the Premier League and will
hope that Henderson can provide support for Rob Green who is currently the
number one at the club.
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Taylor: Fans shouldn't panic about West Ham promotion hopes
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Monday, March 12, 2012
1:15 PM
London 24
The boos and jeers from the West Ham fans may well have still been ringing
in his ears, but experienced winger Matt Taylor has heard it all before and
he is determined to focus on the positives. After four successive home
draws, many are suggesting that the wheels are coming off the West Ham
promotion bandwagon, but the 30-year-old is having none of it. "If you had
told me it was four home losses on the trot then yes, I would be worried
about things, but it isn't," said the winger, who filled in at left back
during the 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers on Saturday. "So much is made
about not winning at home, but you have got to understand that when teams
come tom play at West Ham – no disrespect to any team we play against – we
are arguably the biggest team in the league. "It is like in the Premier
League, everybody goes to Manchester United or Manchester City and they shut
up shop and teams do that here. We have to be more acute in making sure we
kill off teams in the way we probably should do."
Taylor accepted that Saturday's performance was not the best, but he
insisted that the problems were not huge ones. "We are creating chances, we
are playing good football, but we are just not clinical enough in front of
goal," he said. "If I was standing here now and we were drawing 0-0 and not
creating chances and scoring goals then it would be a completely different
story, but we are sitting second in the league and we have to take the
positives from it."
West Ham certainly started well against Rovers on Saturday, but Taylor
admitted that they could not keep up that frantic opening 10 minutes. "We
started extremely well, but we didn't capitalise on Kevin Nolan's goal. I
think we took our foot off the gas a little bit and ultimately paid the
price by not winning the game, but obviously we are not so unhappy because
we didn't lose the game."
Taylor was drafted in at left back as George McCartney switched to the
right, but he insisted that it was not a role that is new to him. "I played
there for a couple of years when I was around 21 or 22, so it is not hugely
alien for me," he explained. "I haven't played there regularly in the past
three or four seasons, but I know what to do and it is a nice compliment
that the manager thinks I can do a job there."
It certainly prevented him from delivering the sort of crosses that has seen
him amass six assists this season, a tally that is more remarkable when you
consider the stop start season that Taylor has had with injuries and then a
three-match ban following his red card against Southampton. "It has been a
frustrating season for me, but it is not all about me," said the wide man.
"You have to put those things aside and at the end of the season I will
hopefully look back and collectively we will all have smiles on our faces.
"We have got 11 cup finals from now until the end of the season and we have
got to win as many as we can it's as simple as that."
Many fans are beginning to doubt West Ham's prospects, but Taylor wants them
to put the situation in perspective. "If had said to everyone at the
football club, especially me at the start of the season, that with 11 games
to go we would be second, three points off the top with a game in hand,
everyone would have taken that," he insisted. "I understand the fans
frustrations but I can assure them that to be brutally honest, it filters
down and our frustration is just as much as theirs.
"We have got to start winning games and if we can find the form at home that
we have found away, I don't see any problems."
Perhaps things are not so bad after all!
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LET'S WHIP IT UP FOR THE HAMMERS!
12 Mar 2012
LeedsUnited.com
United boss Neil Warnock admits he is already relishing the prospect of
Saturday's Elland Road clash with West Ham United. The manager has made no
secret of his desire to see a first 30,000 league crowd of the season and he
is hoping to see Elland Road rocking for the visit of the Hammers. "This is
the one that I've been looking forward to because I don't think we'll be far
off 30,000," said the boss. "When I came in I said I'd love to see a crowd
of 30,000 and this was the one that I was hoping for. "West Ham will bring a
good following and with our result on Sunday if we can whip things up the
noise will be unbelievable. I'm really looking forward to it."
Over 26,000 tickets had been sold before the weekend win at Middlesbrough
and the Hammers have sold their full allocation of 3,000.
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Freddie yet to fire as visitors shut up shop
TheStar.co.uk
By James Shield Sheffield United
Published on Tuesday 13 March 2012 07:06
THE arrival of on-loan striker Freddie Sears was supposed to be the catalyst
for Colchester's play-off push. But manager John Ward, who worked through
the night brokering the deal which delivered West Ham's turbo-charged
youngster to the Weston Homes Community Stadium, credits a miserly defence
rather than explosive attack for his team's climb to within eight points of
sixth place. Colchester enter tonight's re-arranged League One fixture with
Sheffield United looking to record their fifth clean sheet in six games
following Saturday's goalless draw with Wycombe Wanderers. United, of
course, are likely to pose an altogether more potent threat than Gary
Waddock's side. But, irrespective of the tactics the visitors adopt, Ward is
adamant that Colchester are equipped to cope, saying: "We've worked very
hard to keep those clean sheets. Against Wycombe there were lots of long
throws coming into our penalty box. "They were quite direct but we've shown
we can cope with that. Once again, my back four have been very strong."
United have plenty of reasons to curse the cold snap which gripped the
country earlier this year. Colchester had failed to win three of their
previous four games when a frozen pitch forced the postponement of the
original meeting between these two clubs on February 4. Scroll forward five
weeks and Ward's charges are now unbeaten in five. Martin Rowlands,
Colchester's experienced midfielder, is set to miss United's visit after
suffering a groin strain at Adams Park but is confident they can flourish in
his absence. "On the back of the results we've had recently, I see no reason
why we can't get into the play-offs," he said. "If we can keep up this type
of form then we can definitely make a push."
Sears, a former England under-21 international, has yet to open his
Colchester account. But in Anthony Wordsworth, Ward definitely possesses a
player capable of troubling the division's leading clubs. A set-piece
specialist, the 23-year-old seems destined to grace the Championship next
season irrespective of Colchester's fortunes between now and the end of the
campaign. "Anthony can play at a higher level," Rowlands said.
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