West Ham United 3-0 Fulham FT
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan, Winston Reid and Matt Taylor ensure Andy Carroll's debut ends
in a comprehensive victory
01.09.2012
WEST HAM UNITED v FULHAM
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2012
KICK-OFF: 12.45PM
REFEREE: ANTHONY TAYLOR
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Final score - West Ham United 3-0 Fulham
94 mins - The final whistle is blown. So, to sum up, the debutant played a
massive part in today's win. He may not have scored, but his ability and
mere presence played parts in two of the goals. Kevin Nolan finished
expertly, as did Matt Taylor. Winston Reid's header was also a tour de
force. At the back, West Ham have defended dilligently and Jaaskelainen has
kept a second home clean sheet. All in all, a very good lunch-time's work!
The Development Squad are here at the Boleyn to face Bolton on Monday night
at 7pm. The first team return to action at Norwich in a fortnight's time.
We'll have highlights and exclusive reaction on whufc.com and West Ham TV
soon!
91 mins - Match Sponsor Rileys have voted Andy Carroll Man of the Match. The
No8 receives a loud cheer for his substantial efforts. Four added minutes
being played.
90 mins - Jaaskelainen is making up for last week's error and more. He makes
a fine save to divert Rodallega's shot onto the base of the post. He then
makes another save from the striker's follow-up effort. The corner comes in
and, guess what, Jaaskelainen punches clear.
89 mins - Fulham break immediately and Duff has a shooting chance, but the
Finn stands firm to push the ball around the near post. The corner is headed
powerfully clear.
89 mins - Vaz Te has been back to his best today. He collects again, glides
by his marker and clips in a cross-shot that drifts a yard beyond the far
post. That had Schwarzer scrambling.
88 mins - Kacaniklic's speculative curler is caught by Jaaskelainen - try
typing that after a couple of beers! Anyway, it looks like George Co-Hen has
got it right. West Ham are going to win. The attendance is 33,458.
86 mins - West Ham have worked hard for this victory. Last weekend's defeat
was not as one-sided as the 3-0 scoreline suggested, but this victory has
been. The Hammers have been absolutely superb from the first whistle.
83 mins - Tomkins holds firm against Rodallega to concede the corner after a
neat exchange between the Colombian and Berbatov. West Ham break through Vaz
Te again, who makes 40 yards before finding Hall, whose shot is blocked.
Head in hands for the No46. So close.
82 mins - Nice skill from Nolan sees him control and beat a man before
finding Vaz Te. The No12 dribbles forward again but cannot pick out Hall on
the edge of the box. A fourth goal would be the cherry on the icing on the
cake.
81 mins - Vaz Te plays in Cole, who takes a touch and then chases down as
Hughes prods the ball back to Schwarzer.
78 mins - Demel is going to have to be replaced. He walks off and gets a pat
on the shoulder from Rodallega. He will be replaced by Rob Hall, who makes
his Barclays Premier League debut. Taylor to left-back, O'Brien to
right-back and Hall goes into the front three.
76 mins - If the season finished right now, West Ham would be playing
Champions League football next season. That might be a tad unfair, though.
73 mins - Fulham are definitely not giving up. A neat move ends with
Rodallega collecting and shooting from the edge of the D. Thankfully, it's
straight at Jaaskelainen.
69 mins - Fulham have an attack but Berbatov has surely got away with a tug
on O'Brien? Nothing given as Fulham win a corner. Sidwell nearly benefits,
but his low shot is well saved at his near post by Jaaskelainen.
67 mins - Hmmm. Carroll is down after he challenges Hangeland. While the
physio tends to him, Tomkins comes on for Collins. The big man is up again
but he's going to be replaced. He walks off and gets a big round of applause
from the home fans as Cole comes on. Cole gets a massive reception.
66 mins - Close to a fourth as Vaz Te's cross hits a defender and falls to
Diame. He beats one defender but is crowded out by Hughes. He goes to ground
but nothing is given.
65 mins - James Tomkins was also warming up, but he has now taken his seat
again. Big Sam and Neil McDonald are in conversation inside the technical
area.
63 mins - Cole is on the sidelines warming up. The play comes near him and
he orders Demel to pass inside before applauding as the right-back obeys his
orders! Got to love Coley!
62 mins - Carroll is still plugging away. He tries to get a shot away but is
then challenged. He keeps at it and collects again after Taylor is tackled
before winning a corner. Noble takes, but Reid cannot quite twist to finish.
60 mins - The Swede is on for Richardson.
59 mins - Fulham are showing some fight here. A couple of crosses have come
over, but Reid has dealt with both. Kacaliknic will be on shortly for Fulham
- the live-text writer's nightmare!
56 mins - West Ham are still creating chances. This time the ball is laid
inside for Nolan to strike from 25 yards, but the shot is charged down.
53 mins - Taylor's far-post corner is won by Carroll - again. The ball drops
into the six-yard box and Collins is there, but his touch actually takes the
ball away from Nolan, who might have scored from six yards. In the melee
that follows, Vaz Te commits a foul.
52 mins - Nolan knocks the ball a yard for Taylor, who smashes the low shot
past the wall and Schwarzer just about keeps it out. Fulham scramble the
ball away for a throw. Vaz Te collects from Demel's throw and wins a corner
as his shot is deflected over the top.
51 mins - Vaz Te is looking good. He collects a pass from Taylor and then
beats one man before being brought down by Diarra. Taylor...
47 mins - Big Sam said Carroll is an 'all-round' player and he shows why.
Quick feet see him beat Riise before he is tripped by the Norwegian. The
ball is played forward and Carroll twice challenges for headers, nodding the
ball down to Vaz Te with the second. The No12 shapes and shoots, but the
ball flies high.
46 mins - Fulham replace Petric with deadline day signing Berbatov. The
Bulgarian is involved a couple of times in his first minute in a Fulham
shirt before Duff overhits his cross and the ball bounces away for a throw.
Half-time score - West Ham United 3-0 Fulham
46 mins - Into the one added minute and O'Brien slides in on Duff to concede
the corner. Duff takes and Jaaskelainen challenges Hangeland and diverts the
ball over the top. The Finn punches the second corner clear too and Vaz Te
does superbly to turn. West Ham break and Demel is there again to collect as
the No12 is fouled on halfway. He has only Diame to aim for and Nolan coming
up for the cut-back, but the right-back instead shoots high and wide into
the stand. The half-time whistle blows. Wow!
44 mins - That's amazingly only Matt Taylor's second goal for the Hammers.
Surely it is the goal that brings West Ham's second home league win and
third home win of the season?
41 mins - GOAL! Or a three-goal lead! Vaz Te is fouled on halfway. Noble
lifts the free-kick in and Carroll draws three defenders to him as he rises
for the header. The ball drops off one of them to Taylor inside the D and he
sends a lovely controlled left-foot finish low to Schwarzer's right and into
the net.
39 mins - West Ham are keeping possession well but they are also defending
strongly. Petric collects a pass from Richardson and gets into the
inside-left channel. He draws Reid wide, but the Kiwi blocks the cross and
Nolan clears. Needless to say, it's imperative that West Ham keep a two-goal
lead until half-time.
38 mins - Demel is loving it today. He wins another important header and
then romps off to overlap Vaz Te. The latter ignores the full-back's run and
crosses from deep for Carroll, but Schwarzer makes the catch.
35 mins - West Ham are really in the mood. Virtually every outfield player
touches the ball in a sweeping move before Vaz Te crosses low for Nolan. He
could lay-off for Taylor but elects to try a difficult first-time shot. It
goes a bit wrong and Hangeland clears.
34 mins - Diame is such an all-round player. This time he drives forward and
beats Riether with quick feet, but his powerful low shot is blocked by
Hughes.
33 mins - Fulham build slowly before Petric collects about 25 yards out,
maybe more. Collins gets his body in the way and the ball bounces away.
31 mins - It's funny the way football goes! Fulham had been the better team
in terms of possession for a few minutes, but they hadn't created a
clear-cut chance. West Ham broke, won a corner and Taylor's delivery really
is outstanding. It was again there and Reid just wanted it more than anyone
else. His celebration showed it as he roared with self-approval!
29 mins - GOAL! Taylor whips in the ball about six yards out and Reid gets
above Diarra and simply powers the header into the net. That was an
unstoppable header!
29 mins - Demel and Vaz Te have also combined well so far and they do again
before the Ivorian wins a corner. Taylor to take left-footed...
28 mins - The last five minutes have been Fulham's. They are moving the ball
around well, particularly down their right flank. First Reid has to head
clear from Riether's cross, then Duff's centre is caught by Jaaskelainen.
25 mins - Fulham are having a bit more joy now. Diarra shows a neat piece of
skill before Duff finds Riether in space on the right. His cross is
first-time and into the penalty area, but Demel watches it closely and heads
out for a throw. The Cottagers work the ball across the pitch again and
Petric collects. He looks up and shoots low from 25 yards, but Jaaskelainen
gets his body behind it and, more importantly, holds on.
23 mins - Collins gets a little bit lucky as Rodallega's touch hits him and
the ball squirms away as the two collide and go to ground inside the penalty
area. It's not a foul, but it all looked a bit clumsy.
21 mins - West Ham win another corner, this time in front of the Fulham
fans. Taylor whips the ball in but it's too close to Schwarzer, who collects
unchallenged.
20 mins - It's easy to over-hype, but Carroll is involved in everything. He
challenges on the edge of the box and finds Vaz Te. The No12 then returns
the pass to Carroll, whose shot is charged down.
18 mins - Carroll rises as he tries to get on the end of Noble's diagonal
pass and goes down under a challenge from Riether. The German's arms were
up, but I'm not sure there was enough in that for a penalty to be awarded.
17 mins - Carroll wins another towering header and then wins the ball back
about 25 yards from goal. He tries to drop his shoulder and beat Hangeland
but the Norwegian guesses right and makes the tackle. Moments later Demel
collects on the right touchline and tees-up Nolan, but the captain misses
his kick as he attempts the right-foot volley.
16 mins - Another warning as Hangeland tries to pick out the run of Duff.
The Irishman has got beyond his fellow countryman O'Brien, but luckily he
cannot control and the ball bounces away for a goal kick. West Ham break
immediately from Jaaskelainen's clearance and Vaz Te rolls the ball into the
path of Nolan, whose angled chip lands on the roof of the net.
14 mins - Fulham coming forward and Collins has to be alert to track
Rodallega's run and clear for a throw. The visitors work the ball inside to
Diarra, but his low shot from 25 yards rolls well wide. It's an open and
attractive game so far.
12 mins - West Ham are on fire. Vaz Te plays a one-two with Taylor before
doing likewise with O'Brien inside the penalty area. The No12 shoots low and
hard to the near post, where Schwarzer gets down well to divert the ball
around the post. Noble takes the corner again and this time it is headed
away.
12 mins - West Ham attack again, but this time Vaz Te's cross is hacked
clear by Diarra from inside his own penalty area.
9 mins - Vaz Te involved again. He collects a pass and races away down the
right before crossing for Carroll. The big man nods down into the path of
Diame, whose first-time shot is tipped onto the bar and over by Schwarzer.
Noble takes the corner to the near post where Vaz Te dummies but it is
cleared.
9 mins - Vaz Te now has three assists this season. I'm told the second goal
against Crewe was unassisted as it came from a rebound off the goalkeeper,
but Vaz Te has all the others!
7 mins - Richardson announces himself as a Fulham player with a well-struck
shot from all of 30 yards. Jaaskelainen pushes it away to his left and
O'Brien clears up.
6 mins - Diame turns well in midfield and runs away from Sidwell. He finds
Taylor in space on the left, but the cross is just too strong for the two
players in the penalty area and goes out for a throw on the far side.
5 mins - A murmur goes around the stadium as Carroll stays down after
stretching for a tackle, but he is up again and running forward a short time
later. Vaz Te has the ball again, but Demel's cross towards the new striker
is low and cut out.
3 mins - Can you make it up? Seriously? Carroll rose brilliantly to beat
Hangeland in the air, Vaz Te moved superbly into the space and Nolan
finished as only he can. Fulham try to hit back as Petric controls on the
edge of the box, but his through ball for Rodallega is too strong and
Jaaskelainen collects.
55 seconds - GOAL! A yes Carroll! The big man wins a flick-on to Vaz Te, who
chests down and gets to the edge of the box before passing left for Nolan,
who lets the ball bounce before smashing a left-foot volley past Schwarzer
from 16 yards. Fantastic start, fantastic finish!
12.44pm - West Ham will kick-off shooting towards the Sir Trevor Brooking
Stand.
12.42pm - Carroll is applauding vigorously as he walks out with his new
team-mates. What a signing! Let's hope he can open his account on his full
debut, just as Modibo Maiga did in midweek. Mark Noble has some lovely lime
green boots on. He gets a loud cheer as he claps the fans in the Alpari
Stand.
12.40pm - The good news is that the Fulham chicken George Co-Hen, which
lives at the Cottagers' Motspur Park training ground, believes West Ham will
win today! I'm told George Co-Hen shares a coop with Brede Hen-geland. I'm
not joking. Anyway, here are the two teams!
12.35pm - Yossi and Matt Jarvis are formally introduced to the fans and each
claps the supporters warmly. Let's hope both are in claret and blue shirts
in a couple of weeks time.
12.30pm - Andy Carroll and Yossi Benayoun both get a huge ovation as their
names are read out for the first time. The big striker is going through some
last-minute shooting drills out there on the pitch. When you see the likes
of Alou Diarra, James Tomkins and Carlton Cole on the bench, you have to be
excited about the strength of West Ham's squad. Great to see Rob Hall on the
bench, too!
12.25pm - A few familiar faces around the place as usual today. Ray 'Tonka'
Stewart is here. The great right-back is excited about West Ham's prospects
following a productive transfer window. Yossi Benayoun has also just spoken
to West Ham TV. He told how he 'always seemed to score against Fulham', so
it's a bit of a shame that he isn't available this afternoon!
12.10pm - Matt Jarvis misses today's game with a slight thigh strain. He is
expected to be fit to face Norwich City in the Hammers' next league match on
15 September.
12noon - If you are following the game overseas, why not download the new
Digital version of the Official Programme. It's updated with exclusive Andy
Carroll footage! Download yours now here.
11.48am - Andy Carroll makes his West Ham United debut! The new No8 starts
up front alongside Ricardo Vaz Te and Matt Taylor. Big Sam makes seven
changes to the side that beat Crewe Alexandra in midweek, with Joey O'Brien,
Kevin Nolan, Vaz Te and Taylor keeping their places. For Fulham, Kieran
Richardson starts, while Dimitar Berbatov is on the bench.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien, Noble, Diame,
Nolan, Vaz Te, Taylor, Carroll
Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Diarra, O'Neil, Maiga, Hall, Cole
Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hangeland, Hughes, Riise, Diarra, Sidwell,
Richardson, Duff, Rodallega, Petric
Subs: Stockdale, Kelly, Baird, Kasami, Berbatov, Briggs, Kacaliknic
Match Sponsor
• West Ham United would like to welcome Rileys as Saturday's Match Sponsor.
Rileys Sports Bars are the home of Pool, Snooker and Darts in the UK. For
more information about Rileys, click here.
Matchball Sponsor
• West Ham United would like to welcome Essex and County Drylining as
Saturday's Matchball Sponsor.
Introduction
West Ham United host Fulham in their second home Barclays Premier League
home fixture of the 2012/13 season.
Tickets are still available for today's game and can be bought from the
Alpari Stand and Priory Road Ticket Offices right up to kick-off!
The Hammers go into the game having beaten Aston Villa 1-0 in their only
previous league game at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers also defeated Crewe
Alexandra 2-0 at home in the Capital One Cup second round on Tuesday
evening.
Sam Allardyce's side will be looking to bounce back to winning ways in the
Barclays Premier League after last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Swansea City. The
loss left the Hammers tenth in the table. Fulham will also be aiming to get
back to winning ways after a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United last weekend.
Like the Hammers they also won their opening game of the season, notching a
5-0 win over Norwich City at Craven Cottage.
Both clubs have been active during the transfer windows. England striker
Andy Carroll became West Ham United's tenth summer signing when he arrived
from Liverpool on a season-long loan on Thursday and could make his Hammers
debut on Saturday. Yossi Benayoun completed a season-long loan from Chelsea
on Friday evening, but will not be registered in time to appear against
Fulham.
Fulham, meanwhile, have sold Belgium midfielder Moussa Dembele to Tottenham
Hotspur this week. The Cottagers have completed deals for Manchester United
striker Dimitar Berbatov and Sunderland midfielder and former Hammers
schoolboy Kieran Richardson.
If selected to face Fulham, captain Kevin Nolan will make his 50th West Ham
United appearance, while Carlton Cole could make his 150th start for the
club. Jussi Jaaskelainen and Mohamed Diame will be making their 650th and
200th senior club appearances if they feature on Saturday.
The team news will be confirmed at 11.45am and will appear first on the
club's official twitter feed.
Looking further into the future, the Development Squad will be in action at
the Boleyn Ground on Monday evening, when Bolton Wanderers will be the
visitors for a 7pm kick-off. Tickets are priced at £3 for Adults, £1 for
Under-16s and FREE for Season Ticket holders!
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International call-ups
WHUFC.com
At least ten West Ham United players will be on international duty over the
coming fortnight
01.09.2012
West Ham United will be strongly represented during the upcoming
international break. James Collins, Guy Demel, Mohamed Diame, Modibo Maiga,
Joey O'Brien, Dan Potts, Winston Reid, Kieran Sadlier, Raphael Spiegel and
Blair Turgott have all been called-up by their respective nations. With CAF
Africa Cup of Nations qualifying up and runnning and 2014 FIFA World Cup
qualifiying already underway in Oceania and about to start across Europe,
the Hammers' international contingent will have all to play for over the
next fortnight. The highlight of the fixture list sees Guy Demel's Ivory
Coast take on Mohamed Diame's Senegal in a 2013 CAF Africa Cup of Nations
qualifying second-round in Abidjan on 7 September.
*James Collins' Wales will host Belgium in Cardiff on 7 September before
travelling to Novi Sad to face Serbia on 11 September in their opening two
FIFA World Cup qualifying Group A fixtures.
*Guy Demel's Ivory Coast take on Mohamed Diame's Senegal in a CAF Africa Cup
of Nations qualifier in Abidjan on 7 September.
*Modibo Maiga has been called-up by Mali for their CAF Africa Cup of Nations
qualifying second-round first-leg with Botswana in Bamako on 7 September.
*Joey O'Brien has been selected by Republic of Ireland for their opening
FIFA World Cup qualifying Group C fixture with Kazakhstan in Astana on 7
September and an international friendly with Oman at Craven Cottage on 11
September.
*Winston Reid has the longest journey to make as New Zealand continue the
third and final round of Oceania Zone qualifiers by traveling to New
Caledonia on 7 September before hosting the Solomon Islands on 11 September.
*Dan Potts and Blair Turgott have been included in the England Under-19
squad for an international friendly with Germany in Hamburg on 6 September.
*Raphael Spiegel is in the Switzerland Under-20 squad for friendly
international fixtures with Poland in Sulejowek on 5 September and Italy in
Bellinzona on 12 September.
*Kieran Sadlier has been included in the Republic of Ireland Under-19 squad
for a friendly international with Latvia in Riga on 8 September.
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Benayoun returns
WHUFC.com
Yossi Benayoun has re-joined West Ham United on a one-year loan deal
01.09.2012
West Ham United are pleased to confirm the return of Israel captain Yossi
Benayoun on a one-year loan deal from Chelsea. The skilful and creative
attacking midfielder has moved back to the Hammers five years after leaving
east London for Liverpool. Benayoun, who was a popular figure with fans
during his time at the Boleyn Ground, will further bolster Sam Allardyce's
forward line alongside fellow new recruits Andy Carroll and Matt Jarvis.
Benayoun began his career playing for Ajax at youth level before returning
to Israel and making his mark with Hapoel Be'er Sheva and then Maccabi
Haifa. He scored 15 goals in 25 appearances for the former before going on
to net 16 goals in 29 matches in his first season for the latter in 1998-99.
He finished with 55 goals in 130 appearances and two Premier League titles
for Haifa before moving on to Racing de Santander in 2002.
Benayoun scored 21 goals in 101 appearances for the Spanish outfit before a
host of top clubs across Europe took an interest in him. It was the
newly-promoted West Ham United that finally sealed his signature in July
2005 for a reported £2.5m. He made his debut against Blackburn Rovers a
month later and scored his first goal on 12 September in the 4-0 win against
Aston Villa. His first season in east London ended with an FA Cup final
performance as West Ham United lost a thrilling match to Liverpool on
penalties.
He then moved to Liverpool in 2007, where he scored 11 goals in 48
appearances in his first season, including a hat-trick against Havant &
Waterlooville in the FA Cup. A career highlight followed two years later
when he scored the winner at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu against Real
Madrid as Liverpool won a UEFA Champions League quarter-final 1-0. The
32-year-old moved back to London with Chelsea in July 2010, before joining
Arsenal on loan a year later. He has become a key player for his country
since making his debut in 1998 and has scored an impressive 24 goals in 88
games. Benayoun becomes West Ham United's eleventh summer signing as the
Board and Sam Allardyce build a squad capable of making an impression on the
Barclays Premier League this season. The mercurial midfielder, who will wear
the No15 shirt, will not be available to face Fulham on Saturday, but should
make his second debut at Norwich City on Saturday 15 September.
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Andy Carroll to miss England World Cup qualifiers
BBC.co.uk
Andy Carroll has withdrawn from England's World Cup qualifiers against
Moldova and Ukraine next week because of a hamstring injury. The 23-year-old
striker, who joined West Ham in a loan deal from Liverpool on Friday, made
an impressive debut as the Hammers beat Fulham 3-0. Carroll limped out of
the action on 68 minutes at Upton Park. The Football Association will wait
until after Sunday's games before deciding on how to replace Carroll.
Following his side's win, West Ham boss Sam Allardyce said it was "unlikely"
Carroll would be fit. "He'll probably be on the treatment bench for a
while," said Allardyce. "He over-extended himself. We won't know the extent
of the injury until the scan and we see how serious it is."
England's road to Brazil 2014 begins with a qualifier at the Zimbru Stadium
in Moldova on Friday 7 September and Roy Hodgson's side are back in action
at Wembley against Ukraine on 11 September. Allardyce added: "We were ready
to bring him off and unfortunately on that last jump he got hit by Brede
Hangeland and that twisted his body and pulled his hamstring by the looks of
it. "He is just so gutted because he has got injured and he can't go to
England, that is why he is most disappointed because he wanted to get off
there. "We are going to play him and hopefully he will play every week for
us and score goals and obviously Roy Hodgson is going to pick him - he wants
to do well for us and he wants to do well for England."
Carroll has joined West Ham on a season-long loan from Liverpool and played
a key part in two of his new side's goals against the Cottagers. Allardyce
added: "I think what is important is the delight of everybody when Andy
walked through the door. "I think it made us all feel that little bit better
when you have got a £35m centre-forward walk through the door whether you
have got him on loan or not. "He is a quality centre-forward and he is our
number one. We can hopefully play to his strength and he can hopefully help
us do what we want to do. "It brought excitement to Kevin Nolan's
performance because Kevin can feed off Andy instinctively very, very well.
"Kevin could have probably had a hat-trick today because if he knows the
ball is going to Andy he knows he can go beyond and get into areas where
Andy can find him. "I know people will point at his aerial strength, and he
is one of the best headers of the ball in the Premier League, but he is a
fine all round player too."
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West Ham 3 Fulham 0
FT 90 +4
HT 3-0
1 September 2012
Last updated at 15:26
By Owen Phillips
BBC Sport
Andy Carroll set up two goals on an impressive debut as West Ham cruised to
victory against woeful Fulham. Carroll dominated the away defence and set
the Hammers on the way after 53 seconds when his header let Ricardo Vaz Te
tee up Kevin Nolan to fire home. Winston Reid powered in a free header from
a corner to make it 2-0. Carroll, who later limped off with a tight
hamstring, also played a part in the Matt Taylor strike which wrapped up
back-to-back home Premier League wins. Carroll, who has joined on a
season-long loan, left the Upton Park pitch to a standing ovation after 68
minutes and is likely to miss England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers
against Moldova and Ukraine. But by that time the £35m forward had already
played a huge part in a victory that was secured with a rampant first
half-display by the home side. Carroll was undoubtedly the catalyst, with
his physical threat and aerial presence giving the Hammers a cutting edge
and creating a platform for Taylor, Mohamed Diame and the excellent Vaz Te
to run at a constantly exposed home defence. That was evident within a
minute as Carroll's header allowed Vaz Te time to pick out Nolan, who
drilled a fabulous first-time finish back across Mark Schwarzer and in at
the far post. Fulham offered little response to the fastest Premier League
goal of the season and appeared to badly miss the presence of influential
midfielder Mousa Dembele following his move to Tottenham. Steve Sidwell,
Mahamadou Diarra and new recruit Kieran Richardson failed to get to grips
with the pace and movement of West Ham's midfield, which was brilliantly led
by Diame and Mark Noble.
While Carroll will rightly take most of the plaudits, Vaz Te's pace and
willingness to run at the visiting defence provided the biggest goal threat.
He went close with a near-post effort and also played a fine crossfield pass
which saw Carroll nod the ball back to Diame whose strike was tipped onto
the bar by Schwarzer. A second home goal seemed inevitable and came when
Reid was allowed a free run at Taylor's inswinging near-post corner to head
home from six yards. "The game was dominated by Andy Carroll. He made all
the difference between the two teams in the first half and the game was over
by half-time. Fulham were better after the break but just couldn't deal with
Carroll. West Ham fully deserved their win."
Fulham had barely threatened, with long-range efforts from Damien Duff and
Steve Sidwell as much as they could muster, and they could have no
complaints at being 3-0 down at the interval. Carroll's presence from a
free-kick drew the attention of three home defenders and when the ball broke
loose, Taylor reacted first to smash a low half-volley into the corner of
the net. Brede Hangeland almost got a goal back on the stroke of half-time
but Fulham never looked like getting back into the match despite an improved
second-half performance. Their main hope came in the form of their own
deadline day recruit Dimitar Berbatov, who showed flashes of his undoubted
quality during an encouraging appearance as a second-half substitute. He
nearly teed up a late goal for Hugo Rodallega, whose shot forced a decent
block from Jussi Jaaskelainen, while Duff also went close. But West Ham had
already done the hard work before the break and were able to sit deep,
defend their lead and ease to victory.
Fulham manager Martin Jol on his side's failure to deal with Andy Carroll:
"If you are 5ft 8ins or 5ft 10ins tall maybe you have got a problem but we
should have coped with it. "Every game you see him, in the European
Championships, you see he is good in the air, he is probably the best in the
Premier League but I still feel there are a few answers for that but we
couldn't cope with that. "The only positive for today was to see Dimitar
Berbatov again and to see his class and quality, I have missed it. "What I
did see was Berbatov brought other players into his play and that is his
quality. Hopefully with Bryan (Ruiz) available for the next match...we
should be a bit more positive. "I tried everything but we missed out on a
couple of players yesterday and in the end we have to be happy that Berbatov
is there and Rodallega and Petric. "Dembele, I really felt he would have
stayed because £15m is a big clause, but they paid up and they always do
that in the last week, I know that from my time there so it made life
miserable for me."
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Jol on....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st September 2012
By: Staff Writer No.2
An understandably downbeat Martin Jol reflects on his team's 3-0 defeat at
the Boleyn...
West Ham were obviously on good form today but do you think your team let
themselves down?
I think so. It started in the second minute. We knew they would play a long
ball and look for the knock-downs. The first goal was disappointing because
we spoke about it. The second goal was a corner kick. Thord goal, same thing
- a ball knocked down and we didn't pick up the second man.
You looked a bit better in the second half. Were there any positives to
take?
Yes but we had already destroyed ourselves. Of course we missed the two
players in the creative department the area behind the striker. Brian Ruiz
couldn't play - he failed a test yesterday. And of course Dembele has gone.
That is a worry because we have to find players for the future. The only
positive thing was to see Berbatov again. To see his class and quality.
Do you think you coped with Andy Carroll today?
No. If you're five foot eight, five foot seven then you will have a problem
but I thought we should have coped with him. As you saw in the European
Championships, he's probably the best in the air in the whole Barclays
Premier League but I still think there are a few answers for him and we
couldn't cope with him.
Did Berbatov not start because of match fitness?
No we agreed on 20 minutes for him if necessary if not he would have stayed
on the bench. I told him that he had to go on so he improved his stretching
at half time.
There were signs of a possible partnership with Rodillega there
Not much. Maybe in the 88th minute - I didn't see a lot before that!
(laughter). What I did see was Berbatov bringing other players into the game
and that is his quality. Hopefully Brian [Ruiz] will be available for the
next game. I want to say that with a lot of work on the training ground that
maybe we can be a bit more positive. The only thing is that they go off
again today and come back next week - Thursday. So hopefully we'll get the
balance right for the next week.
How do you think you'll cope without Dembele?
(Pause) I don't know. I tried everything but I missed out on a couple of
players yesterday. In the end you have to be happy that Berbatov is there.
Rodallega and Petric. Dembele I thought might have stayed. It was a big fee
- £15m but they paid up. They always leave it to the last week - I know that
from my time there at Spurs. I think we have the players. Maybe with another
system or concept we will come up with something.
What did you think of Kieran Richardson?
It wasn't easy for him. I had to replace Dembele - a left footer. You saw
that he hasn't played a lot of 90 minute games and has just been in training
for the last three or four days. But I think he will be fine in time.
Do you see him playing in that central role or do you see him out wide?
I don't think he's a real wing player as I see it. He's more of a midfield
player. Or maybe even a No. 10. Or left back. He doesn't want that but I
imagine he can play at left-back as well.
Thanks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 3 Fulham 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st September 2012
By: Staff Writer
West Ham produced one of their best performances in recent seasons as they
put London rivals Fulham to the sword with comparative ease at the Boleyn
Ground this afternoon. Sam Allardyce's side, boosted by the inclusion of new
signing Andy Carroll took less than a minute to break down the Cottagers'
defence and that goal - expertly dispatched by captain Kevin Nolan - set the
tone for the rest of the afternoon. Having been well beaten at Swansea last
week this game was a test of the team's resilience - and it was one that
they passed with flying colours, scoring three and creating a hatful of
chances in a game that was mostly one-sided until the closing stages.
Carroll - whose inclusion created a tangible buzz around the stadium ahead
of kick-off- was heavily involved in two of United's three goals. And he had
an instant effect, with his first touch in a claret and blue shirt leading
to the opening goal. It was his header - beating Fulham's Brede Hangeland
for the first of several occasions on the day - that found Ricardo Vaz Te,
which the Portuguese forward turned back inside for Nolan to fire expertly
across the body of Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer with less than 60
seconds on the clock.
Sam Allardyce has often stressed the importance of set pieces so it was
therefore no surprise when West Ham's second goal came from such a move.
Matt Taylor, only playing due to the enforced absence of new signing Matt
Jarvis - who was ruled out with a thigh injury ahead of kick-off - delivered
a hanging corner which Winston Reid latched on to and planted firmly beyond
Schwarzer, who was a spectator as the ball flew past him. And the first half
rout was completed four minutes ahead of the break when Mark Noble's free
kick from the halfway line was delivered towards Carroll on the edge of the
penalty box. The 6'3" striker leapt salmon-like to beat three defenders to
the ball, nodding it down for Taylor who fired home with a textbook strike.
The visitors, clearly shell-shocked by West Ham's stunning first half
display sought to make amends by introducing their new star signing for the
second half. But Dimitar Berbatov, signed ahead of the transfer deadline
from Manchester United failed to make any sort of impact despite producing
some neat touches and one or two fancy flicks. Clearly feeling the loss of
Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey who moved to Tottenham in the week, Fulham
were never really at the races despite staging a late rally with West Ham
content to sit back and protect their comfortable three-goal lead. Jussi
Jaaskelainen, who received a deluge of criticism following his error at
Swansea last week atoned for that error with a confident display and was
more than a match for anything the visitors threw at them - even though he
had to call upon the aid of his left-hand post to prevent Hugo Rodallega
from grabbing a late consolation.
The only sour note of the day came 23 minutes from full time with the
enforced withdrawal of new boy Carroll who felt his hamstring after jumping
to head a ball with his marker Hangeland in close proximity. His prompt
removal - which will rule him out of the forthcoming England fixture - drew
a huge round of applause from an appreciative Boleyn faithful who had been
thoroughly encouraged by an excellent debut performance. Sam Allardyce, who
sang Carroll's praises post-match will no doubt be hoping he has the striker
available again for when West Ham resume their Premier League programme
against Norwich City at Carrow Road in a fortnight's time.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers crush Cottagers
Allardyce's men wrap up points before half-time
Last Updated: September 1, 2012 5:02pm
SSN
Andy Carroll starred on his debut for West Ham as he inspired the Hammers to
a convincing 3-0 victory over Fulham at Upton Park. The Cottagers had no
answer to the powerful frontman, or those deployed around him by Sam
Allardyce, as the hosts burst out of the blocks and never looked back. Kevin
Nolan opened the scoring inside 53 seconds, with a Carroll knock down moved
on to the Hammers skipper by Ricardo Vaz Te and he made no mistake with a
controlled volley. West Ham could easily have been out of sight by the time
Winston Reid rose highest to meet a Matt Taylor corner on 29 minutes and
powered home a header with Mark Schwarzer caught in no man's land. Taylor
then added the third goal of the afternoon himself shortly before half-time,
with Fulham so concerned about dealing with the aerial threat of Carroll
that they left the former Bolton man all alone on the edge of the box to
coolly dispatch a loose ball which dropped in his direction.
Man of the match: Diame. His work-rate was exceptional and he surely defined
the cliché of "covering every blade of grass".
Goal of the match: Nolan. Carroll's knock down to Vaz Te was wrapped up by a
lovely finish from Nolan who made a terrific run to get into the box.
Attempt of the match: Rodallega's late turn and shot was superb, the striker
incredibly unlucky to see Jaaskelainen tip it on the post.
Save of the match: Jaaskelainen's late save from Rodallega at the far post
was excellent.
Moment of the match: West Ham's early goal left Fulham shell shocked to the
point where they never recovered.
Talking point: Carroll was superb on his Hammers debut, could he be the top
bit of business from the transfer window?
Fulham introduced deadline day signing Dimitar Berbatov at the interval, but
he was unable to sprinkle his own brand of magic on proceedings and the
sight of Carroll limping out of the action on 68 minutes proved to be the
most notable occurrence of the second half.
Finish
Carroll, who was flanked by Vaz Te and Taylor with Matt Jarvis missing
following a knock in training, was involved straight away. A long, clearing
header from James Collins was flicked on by the England international into
the path of Vaz Te who played the ball in to Nolan, with Carroll's
ex-Newcastle team-mate finishing firmly past Schwarzer. Fulham's debutant
Kieran Richardson had the visitors' first real chance when he fired in a low
effort from distance that was palmed away by West Ham goalkeeper Jussi
Jaaskelainen.
With less than 10 minutes on the clock Carroll was again involved when he
headed Vaz Te's cross into the on-rushing Mohamed Diame, who saw his effort
tipped onto the crossbar by Schwarzer. The Australian goalkeeper was keeping
his side in the game in the opening exchanges and was called upon once more
to tip Vaz Te's low shot around the post. Nolan came close to adding a
second in the 16th minute as the same combination of players who created the
first goal ran riot once more.
Carroll, who had won every header he contested in the early stages, picked
out Vaz Te who found Nolan on the edge of the Fulham penalty area. This time
the Hammers captain attempted a lobbed effort that landed on the top of
Schwarzer's net with the home side fully in control. Fulham started to enjoy
a little bit more possession as the first half progressed but were soon
further behind.
Thorn
Taylor's 29th-minute corner found Reid on the edge of the six-yard area and
he beat Mahamadou Diarra to the ball to power a header past Schwarzer to
double the home side's lead. Vaz Te, who was full of running and always
wanted the ball, was proving a constant thorn in the side of the Fulham
defence and Nolan should have done better when the Portuguese picked him out
inside the box. It was not long afterwards that the third goal was scored by
the Hammers as Collins' free-kick was headed clear by Fulham's Brede
Hangeland. The loose ball broke free to the feet of Taylor who finished well
from the edge of the penalty area. Fulham had back-to-back corners in
first-half injury time but could not create an opening and were almost
caught on the counter-attack before the half-time whistle. Fulham manager
Martin Jol reacted to the disastrous first half by introducing new signing
Berbatov at the interval with Mladen Petric making way. Carroll started the
second half as he did the first, winning a header that found Vaz Te, who
could not direct his shot towards goal. Taylor almost scored his second of
the game five minutes after the re-start as a short free-kick was worked to
him by Nolan. The 30-year-old's effort was straight at Schwarzer but the
experienced goalkeeper could not hold it and the ball was eventually cleared
for a corner.
Possession
Fulham again had a spell of sustained possession but still lacked a cutting
edge even with Berbatov now involved. Carroll was replaced by Carlton Cole
with just under 25 minutes remaining after seeming to injure his hamstring
after a heavy landing. The visitors continued to press and Steve Sidwell
finally forced a smart save out of Jaaskelainen following a Damien Duff
corner. Jol's side continued to show signs of improvement as Berbatov linked
well with Hugo Rodallega, with the latter again testing Jaaskelainen. West
Ham boss Allardyce was forced to make his third and final substitution when
defender Guy Demel went down injured. Demel was replaced by teenager Robert
Hall with Taylor reverting to full-back. Hall had the chance to put West Ham
four goals ahead after Vaz Te ran the length of the field after collecting
the ball from a poor Fulham corner. The 25-year-old jinked his way into the
box and rolled the ball to Hall but his shot was well blocked. The three
points had long-since been secured by the Hammers who sat back for the
closing stages with Fulham chasing a consolation goal. Berbatov certainly
gave Fulham a cutting edge during the closing stages and almost created
goals for Duff and Rodallega, with Jaaskelainen keeping both efforts out.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll ruled out
Striker out of England squad
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated:
September 1, 2012 8:55pm
SSN
Andy Carroll has been forced out of England's squad for the World Cup
qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine. The new West Ham United loan signing
had an excellent debut in their 3-0 win over Fulham - before he was forced
off with a hamstring injury. Manager Sam Allardyce said after the game it
was unlikely Carroll would be able to join up with the England squad. The
Football Association have now confirmed that Carroll has been ruled out of
contention. The FA also confirmed no decision on a possible replacement
would be made until after Sunday's three Premier League games.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll concern for Allardyce
Striker likely to miss England duty after picking up debut knock
Last Updated: September 1, 2012 6:03pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admits Andy Carroll must be considered doubtful for England
duty after picking up a hamstring injury on his West Ham debut against
Fulham. The Hammers were delighted to secure the services of the powerful
frontman on a season-long loan from Liverpool towards the end of the summer
transfer window.
He was handed his Upton Park bow on Saturday and made a positive first
impression for his new club as he inspired the Hammers to a 3-0 half-time
lead. Carroll's afternoon was to be cut short, though, on 68 minutes as he
limped from the field and it is now unlikely that he will be ready for 2014
World Cup qualification duty with England or West Ham's upcoming Premier
League fixtures. "I think it will be unlikely that he goes now, sadly,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports.
Unusual
"He's desperate to play football and we had Carlton (Cole) ready and warmed
up and ready to go and it was going to be the next couple of minutes or so
to substitute him anyway. "Unusually, he did it on the jump. We will have to
see how it is tomorrow and talk with England. "I don't think he has much
chance, sadly for Roy (Hodgson). That's not to detract from the performance
today and the quality of our goals." West Ham edged in front against the
Cottagers with just 53 seconds on the clock, through Kevin Nolan,and added
two further goals before the interval as Winston Reid and Matt Taylor found
the target. Allardyce was full of praise for the performance from his side
at the final whistle, with the Hammers proving that they are deserving of a
standing back among England's elite.
Terrific
He said: "It was a terrific performance. At the end of the day you have to
make sure you put the result at the end of it and I think there was no
question about the performance or the result being the right one today.
"Fulham were out of sight before half-time, and that doesn't happen too
often to a newly-promoted side just finding its feet back in the Premier
League again. "To create and take the opportunities we created today was
fabulous in the first 45 minutes. The ones we missed were ones that I was
getting disappointed with because all of the good play in the early stages
resulted in only one goal and you know what the Premier League can do to you
- one slip, one mistake and the opposition get back in. "Second half, it was
about us making sure we won the game and we did that. "The only
disappointment is that Andy Carroll might have tweaked a hamstring, which is
hugely disappointing if that's the case."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diame - Risk was worth it
Midfielder believes he made the right choice in joining Hammers
Last Updated: September 1, 2012 12:19pm
SSN
Mohamed Diame admits he took a 'risk' in walking away from Wigan as a free
agent, but believes new employers West Ham are capable of pushing for a
top-half finish. The Senegal international built a reputation as one of the
Premier League's most consistent midfield enforcers during a three-year
spell with the Latics.
His efforts at the DW Stadium drew plenty of praise, and admiring glances
from afar, but opting to allow his contract to run down was always going to
be a risk.
As it happens, Diame had plenty of options to consider this summer and
ultimately decided on opening a new chapter in his career at West Ham. The
capital outfit have ambitions of forcing their way up the top flight
rankings, and Diame is convinced that Sam Allardyce's side have what it
takes to break into the top 10 in their first season back in the big time.
Stronger
He told the Daily Star: "I knew it was risky to leave Wigan. I knew I could
get injured or something, but I had to take the chance. "I was a little bit
tired of spending the last day of the season trying to stay up every year
and I knew a club would take me. "I talked with West Ham and they told me
about the people they were going to sign. I knew they were going to make
their mark on the Premier League. "I think I made a good choice because I'm
very happy at this club. I think we can do something. "We can finish in the
top half of the table. We have stronger players than Wigan, we are more
solid and we can score a lot of goals from set plays as well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nolan welcomes fresh faces
Hammers skipper delighted to have Benayoun and Carroll on board
Last Updated: September 1, 2012 4:09pm
SSN
Kevin Nolan admits the arrival of quality additions at West Ham helped to
inspire Sam Allardyce's side to a 3-0 victory over Fulham. The Hammers
enjoyed a productive end to the summer transfer window, with Andy Carroll
and Yossi Benayoun snapped up on season-long loans from Liverpool and
Chelsea respectively.
Benayoun must wait to make his second bow for the Upton Park club, having
returned to the East End five years after announcing himself in English
football with the Hammers, but Carroll is already up and running. He was
forced off with a hamstring injury in a comfortable stroll past Fulham, but
led from the front as West Ham raced into a three-goal lead before
half-time. Nolan told Sky Sports after an impressive performance by all of
those in claret and blue: "Signing Yossi gave all the lads a lift and I
think you saw that today and Andy is a great lad - we get on really well off
the pitch. "When we knew he was coming down on Thursday I was excited and
really chuffed. We've been so lucky to get him and we're delighted for him
because he deserves to be played every week. "We all know his capabilities.
It's disappointing what went on at Liverpool, I think, but he's showed he's
a top player in this league and hopefully he can get some goals for us.
Settled
"An early goal helps settle the nerves and means you can put your game-plan
into action. "We all knew we'd be getting players in and we're delighted
with the quality of players who have come in." Nolan was also delighted with
West Ham's response to a disappointing 3-0 defeat suffered at Swansea in
their last top-flight fixture.
He added: "After the disappointment of last week it was important we bounced
back. "We were confident going into the season but it's back to the drawing
board now. It's nice to go into an international break having done the
business. "Overall it was a fantastic afternoon and we are very happy with
the three points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Report: West Ham 3 Fulham 0
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
Well, hello Andy Carroll! I'd go so far as to say that was one of the most
complete West Ham performances I have seen in years, and one of the most
enjoyable. It was West Ham at their best - entertaining, scoring goals and
never looking under any threat in defence. And it was a real team
performance. After last week's shambles in Swansea I guess a few of us were
a little nervous about what might happen today. But it took only 55 seconds
for our nerves to be settled. A headed clearance from James Collins found
Andy Carroll midway into the Fulham half. He nodded it on to Vaz Te who
crossed to Nolan who hit a superb strike on the half volley into the far
corner. 1-0. And we never looked in any trouble after that. Fulham did have
quite a lot of possession but they rarely threatened the West Ham goal. In
the whole 90 minutes I can only think of one save Jussi had to make.
The second goal came from a Matt Taylor corner. It took three players to
mark Andy Carroll, which left Winston Reid with a relatively simple task of
heading the ball into the net. Schwarzer was nowhere to be seen. And the
third was a great strike from Matt Taylor from the edge of the area. He
deserved it for an impressive first half performance.
It was a shame that we didn't get more in the second half, but that often
happens when you're so far ahead at half time. Sub consciously you take your
foot off the pedal.
Let there be no doubt about the fact that Andy Carroll made a massive
difference. He's a big guy but with a great first touch. He wins everything
in the air and causes havoc. He may not have scored today but he did just
about everything else. His injury prevented us from seeing a bit more of
him, but it was wise to take him off. It didn't look anything too serious,
thank goodness. The great things was how he combined with Taylor, Nolan and
Vaz Te. There already seemed to be a real understanding between them.
Vaz Te was on fire today and covered virtually every blade of grass. If only
his final ball were as dangerous and his dribbling. But it was the midfield
which won this game. The performances of Noble, Nolan and Diame were all
simply outstanding. Noble anchored everything, allowing Noland Diame to
drive forward at every opportunity. If people had doubts about Nolan, surely
this performance will have made them think again. He was brilliant today and
was awarded Man of the Match by Sky.
But this was a superb defensive performance too with Reid and Collins
outstanding in the centre. Joey O'Brien was a strange choice at left back
(Daniel Potts must have been disappointed not to get the nod) but he also
didn't put a foot wrong, and Demel looked sharper on the right.
The only negative to come out of this game was the fact that three players
had to go off injured - Collins, Demel and Carroll. Let's hope none of them
are too serious.
Anyway, we're 4th in the league and it's great already to have six points on
the board after 3 games. We only had one win in our first 14 games the last
time we were in the Premier League. So, to my scores on the doors...
Jussi 7
Reid 8
Collins 8
Demel 7
O'Brien 7
Noble 8
Nolan 8
Diame 8
Taylor 7
Vaz Te 8
Carroll 9
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy's bubble won't burst
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 9 hrs ago
ANDY CARROLL has made his new manager Sam Allardyce's 'dreams' come true in
the transfer window. The 6ft 4in striker is the biggest signing West Ham
have made for years and boss Allardyce reflected on a stunning summer of
buys which have transformed the Hammers. Carroll, Liverpool's £35million
misfit, slotted straight in at Upton Park — even though his debut was
overshadowed by a hamstring injury which has ruled him out of England's
World Cup qualifier in Moldova on Friday. Anfield's loss is the East End's
gain, as Carroll heads up a list of new acquisitions which also include
£10.75million winger Matt Jarvis and the midfield strength of Mohamed Diame.
Israeli schemer Yossi Benayoun signed on deadline day from Chelsea to add
flair and competition for places. Big Sam said: "We are going to play Andy
and, hopefully, he will play every week for us and score goals. He wants to
do well for us and England. "I think what is important is the delight of
everybody when Andy walked through the door. "It made us all feel that
little bit better when you have a £35m centre-forward arrive, whether you
have him on loan or not. "He is a quality centre- forward and he is our No
1. Hopefully, we can play to his strength and he can help us do what we want
to do — and that is winning as many football matches as we can. I hope we
can provide him with the service to score lots and lots of goals. "I think
you could say this was a dream transfer window for me. "It's a gruelling
task finding the right players. You get to the summer break when everyone
wants far too much for the players you want. You get to pre-season and they
are still asking far more than what you can afford. Then you get to the
last-minute, panic stations sets in and it gets a bit cheaper. "But Karren
Brady, David Sullivan, David Gold and myself have really gone to town and
pressed the button on a lot of things we wanted to do."
Carroll is West Ham's marquee man, even though he has signed on a one-year
loan. That will become an £18m permanent move if the club stays up after its
first season back in the Premier League. The Hammers have won both home
matches so far this season, not conceded a goal at Upton Park and now have
two wins from three games to help ease the memories of last week's 3-0
defeat at Swansea. Kevin Nolan scored in just 53 seconds, after a knockdown
from former Newcastle team-mate Carroll set up the move. Centre-half Winston
Reid and winger Matt Taylor scored the other two, as Fulham were beaten by
half-time. Allardyce added: "It brought excitement to Kevin Nolan's
performance, because Kevin can feed off Andy instinctively very, very well.
"Kevin could probably have had a hat-trick. If he knows the ball is going to
Andy, he knows he can go beyond him and get into areas where Andy can find
him. "Andy knows people at this club — me, Kevin and others. That will help
him settle in much quicker than if he was at another club. "At the moment,
though, he is just gutted about his injury."
Nolan now has two goals and admitted Carroll's arrival is worth more than
just another number on the squad list. He said: "Getting the big lad in and
Yossi has given everyone a huge lift. "Andy's a great lad. I get on well
with him and when I knew he was coming down I was excited and chuffed. We
are so lucky to get him. I told him he has nothing to prove to anyone. He is
a top striker. "I was confident at the beginning of the campaign. I knew
pre-season we would get new players in and I am delighted with the quality."
Previous Allardyce signings Taylor and Ricardo Vaz Te also enjoyed
themselves on an afternoon when West Ham could have plundered more goals.
Allardyce added: "After losing 3-0 at Swansea it was important to have that
'bouncebackability'." Fulham boss Martin Jol admitted he expected his
defenders to be better equipped to deal with Carroll's threat. Jol said: "If
you are 5ft 8in or 5ft 10in maybe you have got a problem but we should have
coped with it. "Every game you see him, here and in the European
Champ-ionships. You see he is good in the air, he is probably the best in
the Premier League. "I still feel there are a few answers for that but we
couldn't cope with that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 3 Fulham 0
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 01st September 2012
The Sun
MARTIN JOL was feeling miserable before kick-off. And after his team were
hammered at Upton Park, he felt much worse. The Fulham manager never thought
Mousa Dembele would be flogged on transfer deadline day — and never imagined
his side would be flogged at Upton Park. It was a case of double Dutch as
both came horribly true, with rampant West Ham exposing all Fulham's
failings and Tottenham activating a transfer clause in Dembele's contract
with a £15million bid.
Former Spurs boss Jol was left cursing and mumbling in Dutch on the
touchline, as goals from Kevin Nolan, Winston Reid and Matt Taylor wiped out
the Londoners' failure at Swansea last week. He admitted: "Dembele? I really
felt he would have stayed with us at Fulham, because £15m is a big clause.
"But Tottenham, they paid up and they always do that in the last week. I
know that from my time there at White Hart Lane. It made life miserable for
me."
At least the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov put a bit of a smile on Jol's face.
Yet the frown quickly returned when he revealed: "I tried everything in the
transfer window but we missed out on a couple of players on Friday and, in
the end, we have to be happy that Berbatov is here and Rodallega and
Petric." Berbatov chose to reunite with Jol, who brought him to the Premier
League when in charge at Tottenham, instead of moving to Fiorentina from
Manchester United. And the Bulgaria international made a huge difference
when he appeared in the second half, though it was far too late to launch
any kind of a comeback. Jol added: "The only positive here was to see
Berbatov again and to see his class and quality. I have missed it.
"Berbatov brought other players into play and that is his talent.
Hopefully, with Bryan Ruiz available for the next match, we should be a bit
more positive."
It is a pity Jol's defenders were not a bit more positive when it came to
handling West Ham's new recruit, 6ft 4in Andy Carroll, who had a big hand in
two of the Hammers' goals. Jol declared: "If you are 5ft 8in or 5ft 10in
maybe you have a problem. But we should have coped with it. "Every game you
see him, here or in the the European Championships. You see he is good in
the air, probably the best in the Premier League. I still feel there are a
few answers for that but we couldn't cope with it."
FULHAM boss says Spurs late bid for Dembele caused him problems and gives
reaction to West Ham defeat It is very early days and there have not been
many strikers like Carroll at West Ham before. But there is strong reason to
suspect the England powerhouse, East London's first skyscraper, could become
a big hit with the punters. Carroll played his part in the first goal scored
by skipper Nolan with less than a minute on the clock. He jumped high to nod
down a ball floated in from the wing and aimed it straight at the feet of
Ricardo Vaz Te. With one touch, Vaz Te slipped the ball left to the lurking
Nolan, who cracked a half-volley away from keeper Mark Schwarzer into the
back of the net.
Carroll has great technical ability too. But even when he does not use it to
his best advantage, it allows his team-mates to play some nice stuff. Vaz Te
sparkled with his snappy, darting runs and pace and is turning out to be a
massive bargain at just £500,000 last season. Mohamed Diame and Mark Noble
ran the show in midfield.
It took Carroll less than 70 minutes to limp off, having won over the fans.
Fulham were long gone before that. Actually, they had hardly shown up as
their bright start to the season evaporated.
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel (Hall 78), Reid, Collins (Tomkins 67),
O'Brien, Diame, Noble, Nolan, Taylor, Vaz Te, Carroll (Cole 68). Subs Not
Used: Henderson, Maiga, Diarra, O'Neil.
Goals: Nolan 1, Reid 29, Taylor 41.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise, Duff, Sidwell, Diarra,
Richardson (Kacaniklic 59), Rodallega, Petric (Berbatov 46). Subs Not Used:
Stockdale, Kelly, Baird, Kasami, Briggs.
Att: 33,458
Ref: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
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'Gutted': Andy Carroll ruled out of England's World Cup qualifiers after
injuring his hamstring in West Ham debut
The Mirror
West Ham's new striker Andy Carroll is "gutted" after suffering a hamstring
injury on his debut that is likely to keep him out of the start of England's
World Cup qualifying campaign. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce secured the loan
signing of Liverpool striker Carroll earlier in the week after courting the
23-year-old for most of the transfer window. But, following an impressive
debut in a 3-0 win over Fulham, Carroll was forced off with a hamstring
injury which has cast doubt on his inclusion in Roy Hodgson's squad for the
back-to-back qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine. Allardyce reckons it is
highly unlikely his new frontman will be fit in time to join up with the
national team but believes he will be a mainstay in the future. "I think
almost definitely that he is out of the England squad but we will just have
to pray that it is not too severe," he said. "It looks like a hamstring
which is obviously the most disappointing thing from today. "We were ready
to bring him off and unfortunately on that last jump he got hit by (Brede)
Hangeland and that twisted his body and pulled his hamstring by the looks of
it. "He is just so gutted because he has got injured and he can't go to
England, that is why he is most disappointed because he wanted to get off
there. "We are going to play him and hopefully he will play every week for
us and score goals and obviously Roy (Hodgson) is going to pick him - he
wants to do well for us and he wants to do well for England."
Skipper Kevin Nolan opened the scoring inside the first minute before goals
from Winston Reid and Matt Taylor wrapped up the three points before
half-time. Allardyce, who worked with both Nolan and Carroll at Newcastle,
believes his captain will benefit from the arrival of the Liverpool forward.
e said: "I think what is important is the delight of everybody when Andy
walked through the door today. "I think it made us all feel that little bit
better when you have got a £35million centre-forward walk through the door
whether you have got him on loan or not. "He is a quality centre-forward and
he is our number one and we can hopefully play to his strength and he can
hopefully help us do what we want to do and that is by winning as many
football matches as we can and hopefully we can provide him with the service
to score lots and lots of goals. "It brought excitement to Kevin Nolan's
performance because Kevin can feed off Andy instinctively very, very well.
"Kevin could have probably had a hat-trick today because if he knows the
ball is going to Andy he knows he can go beyond and get into areas where
Andy can find him."
The convincing win over Fulham came following last weekend's 3-0 defeat at
Swansea and Allardyce praised the way his players reacted to the loss. He
said: "For everybody concerned it is a great bounce-back from last weekend
and six points out of three games at the start of the season means we can
move on and try and get more points and move the pressure away. "We at the
moment are relieving that pressure to try and bring more out of the
players." Fulham boss Martin Jol admitted he expected his defenders to be
better equipped to deal with the threat of Carroll. "If you are 5ft 8ins or
5ft 10ins maybe you have got a problem but we should have coped with it," he
said. "Every game you see him, in the European Championships, you see he is
good in the air, he is probably the best in the Barclays Premier League but
I still feel there are a few answers for that but we couldn't cope with
that."
Jol introduced his own new striker at half-time as Dimitar Berbatov looked
to find a way back into the game for Fulham. The ex-Manchester United
forward had little chance to shine but Jol was pleased with the impact the
31-year-old had on his team-mates. He said: "The only positive for today was
to see Berbatov again and to see his class and quality, I have missed it.
"What I did see was that Berbatov brought other players into his play and
that is his quality, hopefully with Bryan (Ruiz) available for the next
match...we should be a bit more positive."
Berbatov will take on a pivotal role at Craven Cottage following the sales
of Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey to Tottenham and Jol revealed he missed
out on securing further new recruits before Friday night's deadline. He
said: "I tried everything but we missed out on a couple of players yesterday
and in the end we have to be happy that Berbatov is there and Rodallega and
Petric. "Dembele, I really felt he would have stayed because £15million is a
big clause, but they paid up and they always do that in the last week, I
know that from my time there so it made life miserable for me."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, September 2
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