Daily WHUFC News - 22nd August 2012

Baldock departs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Sam Baldock has joined npower Championship
club Bristol City
21.08.2012

West Ham United can confirm that Sam Baldock has joined npower Championship
club Bristol City. The 23-year-old striker has linked up with the Robins on
a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. Baldock, who joined the
Hammers from MK Dons in August 2011 and made a total of 22 first-team
appearances and scored five goals for the club, has thanked West Ham fans
for their support during his year-long stay at the Boleyn Ground. "I would
like to thank the fans for always supporting and encouraging me," he said.
"The fans are what make the club so special and are the driving force behind
its success. "There are some really great people involved in the football
club who I wish every success for, and I also wish the team every success in
the future." West Ham United would like to thank Sam for his efforts and
wish him well for the future.

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The Big Interview - Jussi Jaaskelainen
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's new goalkeeper was delighted to keep a clean sheet on his
competitive debut
21.08.2012

Jussi Jasskelainen believes West Ham United have given themselves the
perfect platform to make a strong start to the 2012/13 Barclays Premier
League season.
The Hammers' new No22 is confident that if the team continue to work as hard
as they did in Saturday's 1-0 home triumph over Aston Villa, then more
victories will follow. Having kept a deserved clean sheet on his West Ham
debut, the Finn is in positive mood ahead of the weekend trip to Swansea
City.

Jussi, for a goalkeeper and the whole team I suppose Saturday was the
perfect start to the season?

JJ - "It was a great start to the season. A 1-0 win is always a tight one
but it also shows that the team played very well defensively. We could have
had a little more creativity from the set pieces we won but overall It was a
good win."

You were not involved in the game too much, but what you had to do you did
very well. You must have been pleased with your second-half saves from
Stephen Ireland and Ron Vlaar, in particular?

JJ - "That is what goalkeeping is all about - you have to be ready, prepared
and focused. The quality of the Premier League means that more often than
not the forwards will take the opportunities they get so it helps that the
defence played very well."

You have been there and done it, making more than 500 club appearances, but
did you still get butterfliesplaying in front of 34,000 people on the
opening day of the Barclays Premier League season?

JJ - "Of course. It is fantastic to play at this level and it is a great
opportunity for me to play for West Ham United. I have worked with the
gaffer before and I like the way he looks after his players. I am delighted
with Saturday's result and I thought the fans were fantastic. Hopefully we
can stay unbeaten at home for as long as possible."

How important was it to close out Saturday's game against Aston Villa in
terms of the team's confidence?

JJ - "One-nil victories tell you all you need to know about a team because
usually when you are winning you tend to sit back and invite pressure onto
yourself. We didn't do that, we continued to play our own game and it was a
very solid performance. We now have to build on this and hopefully we can
carry our winning form into next weekend."

James Collins and Winston Reid were fantastic at the back. How much of a
help was it to have them in front of you?

JJ - "Of course it is a massive help. They are two very good players and it
makes my job a lot easier. It is great to play behind them."

Next up is our first ever trip to the Liberty Stadium to face Swansea City.
They scored five goals last weekend so it should be another easy afternoon!?

JJ - "I'm not sure easy is the right word! When you play away from home you
have to keep it very tight. Teams improve year upon year in the Premier
League and
every away game is tough. But if we are solid and keep the ball like we did
against Aston Villa, then we have every chance of coming away with a
positive result."

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Sam Baldock leaves West Ham United for Bristol City
BBC.co.uk

Bristol City have signed West Ham striker Sam Baldock on a three-year deal
for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old left MK Dons to join the Hammers
last summer, agreeing a four-year contract at Upton Park. Baldock scored 11
goals in his first 15 games for the Championship club, but he lost his place
in the side following injury problems. Manager Derek McInnes told the club
website: "I'm over the moon that we've managed to sign Sam." The Scotsman
continued: "He gives us real threat to stretch defences and is as good a
natural finisher as anyone in the division.

BALDOCK FACTFILE
Born 15 March, 1989
Became first player to graduate from MK Dons youth team into the senior side
Made his league debut in February 2007 in 1-1 draw with Mansfield
Has scored 48 goals in 148 games, 56 of his appearances coming as a sub

"He'll really complement the strikers we already have at the club, as well
as [be] a different type of option for our play in general. "I'd like to
thank the board and our owner for really pushing to get this deal done.
"He's a striker we've targeted and worked extremely hard to get. I've no
doubts all the effort and commitment will prove dividends."

McInnes had made no secret of his intention to strengthen his forward line
following Nicky Maynard's departure to the Hammers in January. And his
patience over the summer appears to have paid off after capturing both
Baldock and Steven Davies, who was brought in on a three-year deal from
Derby on Monday. Baldock is a product of Wimbledon's youth system and
followed the club when they moved to Milton Keynes in 2003. His breakthrough
season at MK Dons came in 2008-09, when he scored 13 goals in 44 games. He
caught the eye of teams higher up the league hierarchy when he netted 14
goals in 34 appearances the following year, and eventually secured a move to
West Ham in the summer of 2011. The forward made a blistering start his his
Hammers tenure - scoring six goals in his first six games - but injury
curtailed his form and he fell out of favour with manager Sam Allardyce.

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So long, little Sam
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Sam Baldock has completed a permanent transfer to Championship club Bristol
City. The former MK Dons striker spent just one season at the Boleyn Ground
having moved to East London in a £2million deal last autumn. Despite scoring
more goals than any other first team striker during pre-season, the
23-year-old was deemed surplus to requirments by Sam Allardyce. And it was
confirmed tonight that he has completed his move to the South West club.
KUMB.com exclusively revealed last month that West Ham had accepted City's
offer for the young forward; the deal is thought to be worth in the region
of £1.5million plus add-ons, depending on certain clauses being met. Having
started his career at West Ham in promising fashion - Baldock scored five
times in his first nine appearances for the club having joined in September
- the goals dried up and the former number seven failed to find the back of
the net after November of last year. That lack of goals - plus the arrival
of players such as Ricardo Vaz Te and Modibo Maiga - left Baldock well down
the pecking order at Upton Park and it was therefore no surprise that the
club decided to cash in ahead of the transfer deadline in ten days' time.

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Out of Africa
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are one of several clubs being linked with a move for Cameroon
international defender Stephane Mbia this morning. Mbia, who currently plays
for Olympique Marseille is said to be just one of a number of players made
available for transfer by the financially-stricken French club, from whom
West Ham signed Alou Diarra only last week. The 6'3" centre half made his
name in France with Rennes before siging for Marseille in 2009 in a
£10million move. According to L'Equipe, West Ham have made enquiries into
his availability. Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland are also said to be
keeping an eye of the 26-year-old. In other news, forogtten striker Freddy
Piquionne is said to be the subject of interest from Championship club
Brighton & Hove Albion. The former French international was heavily linked
with a move to Leeds United last week although nothing has materialised on
that front as of yet.

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Why there's reason to be a happy Hammer
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Tom Kilbey

With usual hyperbole, the media are talking about our club being at a
crucial crossroad. That our next year or two could determine our future, and
we are in transition into a big club to challenge the best clubs in Europe
(wince here).

Our Chairmen are talking as if the announcement of an imminent move to a new
stadium will automatically transform us into a club that can target the
upper echelons of the league (wince again). History has shown that saying
rash things like that can prove very foolish (look at Blackburn's five-year
plan). In fact, lets looks closer to home. Anyone else remember Eggert
Magnusson boldly claiming we'll be a European force within two (yes, two)
years?

I know I do, and now I find its easier to laugh off such claims. Indeed,
David Gold's suggestion that we are currently a top half team was enough for
me to smile wryly. But amongst the ridiculous exaggeration and apparent
complacent over-confidence, I genuinely believe there is reason to be
optimistic about both our short, and long term future.

Short Term

Anyone who read my very first article on KUMB.com will know that I had some
concerns about our squad. Certainly, these have not disintegrated after one
game, but Saturday's performance gave reason to be optimistic.

Aston Villa were awful, lacking penetration, width and creativity, but take
nothing away from the performance of our defenders. James Collins showed
early signs of the dominance that made me believe his departure from the
club was an extremely poor decision. Winston Reid was also excellent, making
several timely interceptions. Compare his performance on Saturday, to the
opening game of the 2010/11 season, his debut, and its hard to believe you
are watching the same player.

Even at full back, the position where I expressed my biggest concern, we
looked more than comfortable. Guy Demel looked fitter and stronger and
showed he wasn't afraid to get forward to support Ricardo Vaz Te. George
McCartney ran himself into the ground and put in a performance which made me
appreciate why so many members here at KUMB hold him in high regard.

Further forward, our midfield looked good. We were dominated in possession
for large parts, but still looked comfortable. The usual suspects performed
and Diame looked superb. I've heard great things about him, but his
technical ability surprised me. He showed that he can pass the ball and has
great feet as well as his physical attributes that he is more known for.

We still look a bit short up top, but it's encouraging to see our attentions
focussed solely on this position now. The names of the moment are Moussa
Konate and, more recently, Rennes winger Razak Boukari who impressed on
trial.

The brief cameo performance from Modibo Maiga was also promising. He looks
physical, with an extra yard of pace over our other strikers and looked
composed when presented with the one-on-one chance that was cleared off the
line.

But more than this, Saturday proved that we have what it takes to compete
with the Premier League clubs. The desire was back and it was clear that
every player on that pitch worked incredibly hard. The fans were fantastic
and drove the players on late in the game. It was a mature performance; one
highlighting the fact we have pedigree and top flight experience in the
squad.

Maybe top half is still over-optimistic – I'm sure every fan will breathe a
sigh of relief when we reach 40 points – but we showed that we can hold our
own in the top division, especially in the capable hands of Sam Allardyce.

Long Term

Although I don't like to speculate too much, I think we can make a few
predictions. Firstly, although the saga regarding our Olympic Stadium bid
rambles on, most people associated with the club are either excited – or
resigned, depending on your opinion – that the stadium will eventually be
ours. I've changed my mind more times than Robbie Keane has changed his
childhood club.

With David Gold's strange cryptic tweets (which seem to get weirder on a
daily basis), I get the impression that we will include retractable seating
in the stadium which is enough for me to support the bid. There's not one
important person in the media who thinks anyone else is a suitable tenant. I
included the word 'important' so I didn't have to talk about that comical
waste of space who is still kicking up a fuss. You know exactly who I mean.

Gold has also talked about potential investment that will come as a result
of this. Not for a second am I suggesting that we could become as big as
Manchester City, but there's no reason that moving to a bigger stadium
couldn't provide some form of cash injection, just as they received four
years ago. But even in the likely case that this doesn't happen, Gold and
Sullivan aren't too afraid to splash the cash themselves.

I never believed that Andy Carroll, Adam Johnson or Kaka were realistic
transfer targets, but the fact the board are showing ambition and coughing
up the money is promising in itself. Gold and Sullivan are hardly the most
popular people in football, but they certainly have the club in their best
interests and with Karren Brady working behind the scenes, we have a good
set up which is something we have lacked for a few years.

Also, unlike some of the teams around us, we seem to be looking to the
future. We have a great blend of youngsters and experience, and have added a
mix of fresh talent and seasoned campaigners. Looking into the slightly
longer term, players like Collison, Maiga, Reid and Tomkins will only
continue to improve as they move into their mid twenties.

Younger still, we have the likes of Morrison who will hopefully begin to
mature given the responsibility of first team football and academy graduates
such as Rob Hall and Dan Potts, who will hope to capitalise on chances in
the inaugural Under-21 Premier League.

Of course, our main target this season is to ensure our Premier League
status is maintained. With an excellent first win in the bag and hopes of
signing players in areas we are still lacking will only strengthen our push
for a respectable league position.

Looking past this season, who know what will happen? It's terribly clichéd,
but we've had our fair share of false dawns in the past ten years. But
maybe, just maybe, we are turning the corner on our awful last three years
and can begin to look towards a brighter future for our great club.

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And so it Came to Pass .........
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

After much rumour and conjecture, it has been confirmed that Sam Baldock has
been sold to Bristol City!

Many fans will lament his departure, emphasising his potential as a pacy
goal scorer. Indeed, if you look at some of the old MK Dons u-tube footage
of Baldock, you will notice that he scored many of his goals from balls
played in to space for him to run on to and outpace opposition defenders.
Did we ever use him like that? Not really if my recollection is correct.
Indeed, watching that footage reminded me a bit of the type of goals that
McAvennie and Cottee used to score under John Lyall's management. Perhaps
Sam Allardyce was not the best manager to exploit Baldock's strengths.
Alternatively, maybe Allardyce has it right and he is too lightweight and
lacking at PL level? As with most things, time will tell.

It has been reported that the fee is £1.5m with the add ons taking it up to
£2m. Lets hope that they have also included some sort of sell-on/buy back
clause as part of the the deal, just in case he does blossoms in to a new
Cottee or Owen. Regardless, one would have thought that if they were intent
upon selling Baldock, they would have done it more creatively, using him as
a makeweight to bring in a player like Matt Jarvis from Wolves, Andy King
from Leicester City or Wlfred Zaha from Palace. But no, apparently not.
Perhaps none of those clubs were interested in him (which I doubt) or West
Ham do not fancy a part-exchange deal? More on an alleged Baldock-Jarvis
transfer connection later.

Anyway, the management obviously sees Nicky Maynard as a better PL prospect.
So be it, much as some supporters might disagree, the management are paid to
take these difficult decisions and are ultimately accounable if they get it
wrong. Although that will not be much of a comfort if a nascent Cottee or
Owen has prematurely been shipped out. The thought of Baldock scoring goals
for fun in a Man Utd or Arsenal shirt, (to pinch a classic West Ham related
media cliche) its the stuff of a 'Ammers house of horrors.'

On another subject, what is the situation with Jack Collison's injury? The
football he played at the conclusion of last season seems to have
aggreviated his former knee injury. Indeed, Sam Allardyce has stated that he
has not played nor trained since the play-off Final victory back in May.
Putting aside obvious concerns about the actual injury, this means that
Collison has had no pre-season and, even when fully physically fit, will not
be match fit for a further considerable period. The probable absence of Jack
Collison arguably conspires to weaken our attacking midfield options. Does
that mean that this will necessitate the addition of a similiar type of
midfielder on loan? Could that lead us to go back in for Henri Lansbury or
another such option?

Finally, the rumours about signing Bouraki and Drenthe continue to
circulate. Yet, some media sources have suggested that West Ham will still
make another bid of £10m for Matt Jarvis, with the monies received for Sam
Baldock allegedly topping-up the up front fee and thereby facilitating the
deal. The suggestion is that it is a take it or leave £10m package, with £7m
up front and £3m worth of add-on payments. It Wolves reject that then West
Ham will not increase their offer. Arguably, if they reject that sort of
money they must really see Mat Javis as a crucial part of their promotion
campaign! Much as it is disappointing for us, you cannot blame them for
wanting to retain their best players if they can afford to do so! After all,
it was only 12 months ago that we were urging our management/board to do
likewise in an identical situation.

SJ. Chandos.

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Allardyce tables take-it-or-leave-it offer of £10m for Wolves winger Jarvis
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 21 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 21 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham have launched a final £10million bid for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis.
Wolves have so far rejected two bids with the last consisting of £6.5m up
front and £3m in add-ons. Jarvis, 26, has put in a transfer request but
played against Leeds on Saturday and against Barnsley on Tuesday night.
Manager Sam Allardyce is eager to add pace to his side but is reluctant to
go above £10m overall for the England international and is considering other
options but are unlikely to go for Tottenham's David Bentley who is
available on a free transfer. West Ham's bargaining position may be eased
slightly by the pending departure of Sam Baldock to Bristol City, despite
late interest from Charlton. The 23-year-old was signed last summer from MK
Dons. Rennes winger Razak Boukari, 25, is expected to sign a season-long
loan deal with West Ham on Wednesday while free agent Royston Drenthe's
representatives have also discussed a possible deal.

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Brighton close to signing Piquionne
Chichester.co.uk
Published on Tuesday 21 August 2012 16:27

Frederic Piquionne could be the new striker Gus Poyet has been searching for
after it emerged the Albion are in contract talks with the West Ham forward.
Sources in the national press claim the French attacker, who counts
Portsmouth and Monaco among his former clubs, is close to signing for the
Seagulls, although Poyet may face some last minute competition from
Championship rivals Leeds United. Piquionne has been deemed surplus to
requirements at the Premier League newcomers and appears to fit the bill as
the sort of centre forward Brighton have spent all summer trying to sign. He
has one France cap and scored two goals in eight loan appearances at
Doncaster Rovers last season.

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Where next for Adam Johnson - Liverpool, Arsenal, Sunderland or West Ham?
Would you take Adam Johnson at your club?
By talkSPORT magazine | Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Roberto Mancini's post-Southampton admission that Adam Johnson is free to
leave Man City has alerted potential suitors across the Premier League.
Johnson is a deadly attacking winger but finds himself devoid of first-team
opportunities at a club boasting an embarrassment of riches in attack.
Impressive for England against Italy last week, Mancini admits letting
Johnson leave will be difficult: "Adam can have a future here but you should
also understand when you are 23 or 24 years old, you want to play," said
Mancini. "If you are at a top team, you can't always do that, so I agree, if
he wants to, he has to leave." "But if that happens I will be so sorry
because Adam is a good guy... he is a different player to other strikers and
wingers and maybe he could be important for us."

The case for Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt has left, Maxi is gone, Craig Bellamy's at Cardiff and Joe Cole
hardly inspires confidence, so although Brendan Rodgers has swooped to sign
Moroccan international Oussama Assaidi, he could yet move for Adam Johnson
if Man City beat the Reds to Scott Sinclair's signature and Clint Dempsey's
move fails to materialise. The only worry is that Rodgers likes outfield
players to work tirelessly on ball retention, so the nippy winger will need
to work much harder defensively if he was to fit in at Anfield.

Arsenal
We've lost count of how many players Roberto Mancini has nabbed from the
Gunners, so how about reversing that trend, Arsene? If Theo Walcott fails to
agree terms on a new Emirates deal the Gunners could do a lot worse than
luring a forward-thinking wide man who would suit their speed on the break.
Walcott has failed to realise his full potential, while Johnson has yet to
be offered a regular starting role at one of England's big clubs. It's not
like Arsenal don't have a spare £39m in the bank.

Sunderland
Martin O'Neill is said to be leading the chase for Johnson's signature with
an opening bid of £10m. The Black Cats frustrated Arsenal at the weekend
without threatening too much on the break and, should they capture Steven
Fletcher from Wolves this week, then Johnson - who was born in Sunderland -
seems like the next piece in the jigsaw for Martin O'Neill. Life at
Sunderland may not seem as glamorous as other options, but could guarantee
Johnson the first team football he craves.

West Ham
Sam Allardyce loves to play direct and Adam Johnson is a player capable of
providing the service for someone like Carlton Cole in the middle. West Ham
may have got their Premier League campaign off to a satisfying start with
victory against Aston Villa, but they'll face much stiffer opposition and
Johnson represents a quality option they are short of at present. Would the
board stump up £12m? We shall see...

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