Daily WHUFC News - 23rd November 2012

Quartet go out on loan
WHUFC.com
Four West Ham United Development Squad players will look to gain first-team
experience with Football League clubs
22.11.2012

It will be a case of friends reunited as four of West Ham United's rising
stars went out on loan on Thursday. Robert Hall has joined Birmingham City,
Blair Turgott has gone to Bradford City, Danny Potts has moved to Colchester
United and Paul McCallum will be making AFC Wimbledon his new temporary home
after all four completed loan moves on Thursday afternoon. The quartet have
all been key factors in the Development Squad's table-topping start to the
season and with qualification already secured for the Barclays U21 Premier
League Elite Group Stage, Sam Allardyce has given the green light for the
youngsters to gain valuable first-team experience away from the club.

Hall will link up with fellow Hammers loanee Ravel Morrison, who has scored
his first goal for the Blues on Saturday with a stunning volley against Hull
City. Hall featured in both of West Ham United's Capital One Cup games this
season and almost opened his Hammers account when his deflected shot hit the
crossbar against Wigan Athletic. The England Under-19 international has also
made his Barclays Premier League debut in the 3-0 home win against Fulham.
There will be a number of other familiar faces in the St. Andrews dressing
room with former West Ham players Jonathan Spector, Papa Bouba Diop and
Hayden Mullins all currently plying their trade in the West Midlands. Hall
could make his debut in Saturday's npower Championship fixture at Derby
County.

Turgott is another who has made giant strides this season and featured in
the club's first-team pre-season tour of Germany. His move will see him link
up fellow Academy graduates Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines, who both left West
Ham in the past few years. Some eye-catching displays for the West Ham
Development Squad have earned Turgott international honours at England
Under-19 level, where he scored his first goal against Estonia in September.
Turgott could make his debut in the npower League Two fixture against
Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

Potts will also look to build on a solid start to the season as he moves to
Colchester. The 18-year-old left-sided defender has made two first-team
Capital One Cup appearances in 2012/13 and impressed during his four npower
Championship outings last season. The move will allow Potts to team up with
popular Academy graduate Freddie Sears, who left the club in the summer to
move to Essex.

McCallum has enjoyed a prolific season for the Development Squad, finding
the net six times in eleven games. He will link up with Academy graduate
Callum McNaughton in south-west London and the pair could feature when the
Dons travel to Morecambe on Saturday.

Hall's loan provisionally runs until 12 January, McCallum's and Potts' until
22 December and Turgott's will expire on 5 January.

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West Ham United's pass master
WHUFC.com
Gary O'Neil is playing an integral role in the Hammers' fine start to the
Barclays Premier League season
22.11.2012

You do not have to look far down the list of West Ham United's pass
completion statistics to find the name Gary O'Neil. The No32 has completed a
higher percentage of passes than any other Hammers player this season, with
82 of his 96 attempts - 85.4 per cent - successfully finding a team-mate. On
Monday evening at home to Stoke City, O'Neil was at it again, completing 85
per cent of his passes and providing a pinpoint cross for Joey O'Brien to
score West Ham's equaliser. The Hammers' pass master made his first Barclays
Premier League start of the season against the Potters - and his first
top-flight start since suffering a career-threatening ankle injury while
playing against Aston Villa in April 2011. Whether it has been starting or
coming off the bench, the 28-year-old has made a positive contribution every
time he has appeared this term. O'Neil told West Ham TV he is eager to keep
producing the goods and keep his place in Sam Allardyce's starting line-up.

"I found the match a little bit tough with the 90 minutes on Monday night,
compared to coming on for half an hour where the adrenalin helps you through
it," he admitted. "It is a long time since I played 90 minutes - the last
time was the Play-Off semi-final against Cardiff in May, so it's been a long
time. "It has taken me 18 months to get back to starting a Premier League
game since my injury, but I needed the time. People get frustrated when you
make silly mistakes, but when you haven't been in the starting eleven for
such a long time it is harder to work out what wavelength the other lads are
on. "Hopefully I can keep my place and start to get a little run in the team
and then it will start to get easier. "You have to be patient, especially
nowadays because there is a lot of good players around and a lot of big
squads. It is not like it used to be when everyone starts and you have got
13 players. It is not easy to get a start, but I haven't caused a fuss. I
just get on with it and I get on well with the gaffer and all the staff
here. "I am really enjoying it and I was just pleased to get a start, albeit
because there were a lot of injuries. I was just disappointed that my start
didn't coincide with another win."

O'Neil might have been a bit stiff and tired after putting in a fantastic
shift on the right of the front three against Stoke, but he was delighted to
have played a central part in West Ham's equaliser. He later came within
inches of curling in a sensational winner. "The gaffer said that if we did
get a chance to cross it, try and slide it in behind them rather than
hanging it up. We hadn't got down into that area too often, so the first
chance I had, I managed to get it in underneath and surprisingly saw Joey on
the end of it - I was really pleased for him! "In the end it is a decent
point because when you go 1-0 down to them, especially when they make it as
difficult as they do and it keeps our little three-game unbeaten run going.
I think we showed a good spirit today in the second half. The fans were
great behind that goal helping us drag it in, so it was a good point after
being 1-0 down."

That unbeaten run will come under severe pressure over the next few weeks,
with West Ham preparing for trips to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester
United, followed by the visits of Chelsea and Liverpool to east London.
While those fixtures may look extremely tough on paper, O'Neil said that
West Ham's current form means they do not fear any of their opponents. "It
should be tough on Sunday, with Tottenham coming off a defeat at Arsenal as
well. It is always a difficult place to go. Hopefully we can get a few of
the lads back because we are a bit bare at the minute. "We have gone to
Newcastle and won and we did well here against Manchester City. We have done
well against teams that finished high up in the Premier League last season.
Hopefully that can continue on Sunday, but they are a good side, especially
at home. It will be a big one for the fans. I know they will be desperate to
get something there and the lads will be well aware of that. "I think we
have taken last year's form, where we were used to winning games in the
Championship, and so far we have brought it up with us. We do look tough to
beat and we have a great team spirit. "The only thing is, it is a long, long
season, we are only 12 games into it and there is a long way to go. We need
to make sure that we keep those standards up because, if we drop even one or
two per cent, it will definitely show."

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West Ham's Dan Potts joins Colchester United on loan
BBC.co.uk

Colchester United have signed West Ham defender Dan Potts on loan up to and
including the League One game at Walsall on 22 December. The 18-year-old
Hammers academy product has made six senior appearances. His two games this
season were both starts against Crewe and Wigan in the League Cup.
The left-back made his Hammers debut in a 1-0 Championship win over Barnsley
in December of last year and is a regular for their under-21 side.

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Bradford City sign West Ham midfielder Blair Turgott
BBC.co.uk

Bradford City have signed England Under-19 international Blair Turgott on
loan from West Ham United until Saturday, 5 January. Turgott, an 18-year-old
midfielder, has made 10 development squad appearances this season, scoring
twice, but is yet to make his first-team bow. The Hammers academy product
became a full-time scholar in 2010. "Looking forward to my time in
Bradford," Turgott posted on social messaging site Twitter. He could make
his Bantams debut against Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

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Birmingham City sign West Ham United forward Rob Hall
BBC.co.uk

Birmingham City have signed teenage forward Rob Hall from West Ham on loan.
The England Under-19 international has signed an initial 50-day deal keeping
him at St Andrew's until 12 January, with an option to extend the deal.
Aylesbury-born academy product Hall, 19, spent spells on loan with Oxford
United and MK Dons last season, also breaking into West Ham's first team.
"Rob is a very quick-footed attacker who has got great ability to go past
defenders," said Blues boss Lee Clark. "He creates great opportunities for
himself and others. He's also got a great strike of the ball. "It was quite
a coup getting Rob because he's been doing really well in the development
squad at West Ham which has got him on the bench for most of the season in
the Premier League. "I've got to thank Sam Allardyce for allowing this one
to happen. "In all honesty, I didn't think he'd allow Rob to come as he's
been a big part of their squad."

Hall, who has made seven first-team appearances for the Hammers, was part of
the England side which won the Under-17 European Championship in 2010 .
The teenager scored six goals in 10 games during his first loan spell at
Oxford last season but failed to net in another four-game stint or in two
matches for the Dons. Blues are currently 19th in the Championship table,
seven points clear of the relegation places. Although they have won only one
of their last six home games, Clark's men are on a run of three away games
without defeat ahead of Saturday's televised trip to Derby, when Hall will
be expected to make his debut.

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Hall or nothing
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 22nd November 2012
By: Staff Writer

Teenage forward Robert Hall has joined Birmingham City on loan until
January. The England youth international has joined the struggling
Championship club until the New Year where he will team up with fellow
Hammer Ravel Morrison, who is on a season-long loan at St Andrew's. Lee
Clark's team are currently 19th in the division and just seven points above
the drop zone having taken 20 points from their opening 17 games. Hall, who
has previously spent time on loan at Oxford United and MK Dons has made just
three appearances for West Ham so far this season - against Crewe and Wigan
in the Capital One Cup and as a 78th minute substitute in the 3-0 win over
Fulham in September. Hall is one of four young Hammers sent out on loan
today; the others being forward Blair Turgott, who joins Bradford City, Paul
McCallum who goes to AFC Wimbledon and defender Dan Potts, who joins
Colchester where he will play alongside former Hammer Freddie Sears.

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Claretballs
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 22nd November 2012
By: Richard Johnson

There is apparently a very real chance that by the time you read this, David
Beckham could well be a West Ham player. Having officially announced his
intention to quit his current club L.A Galaxy now that the MLS season is
over, the media eruption regarding Beckham's future is already well under
way.

At least one of our chairman has been quite vocal about their interest in
bringing the former Manchester United playmaker to the Boleyn and despite
the unlikely interest, it does seem feasible that Goldenballs himself might
just be pulling on the claret and blue sometime soon. ,Of course there is
also a strong possibility that he will have dismissed the link by now and be
playing in Paris or Sydney. Either way it will be fun to speculate.

So, exactly what would he bring to the team in terms of football and how
much of an effect would suddenly having the Beckham media circus pitch up in
the club car park actually have?

Well let's deal with the frenzy first. Imagine walking up to the doors of
The Duke or The Black Lion and finding two thousand screaming Japanese
teenage girls between you and the bar. Or being accosted by a middle-aged
American couple in matching anoraks as you queue for your Pie and Mash who
are determined to find out if you think "Becksy" will hoof the sphere into
the scorebag on EPL Gameday XV, giving West Ham Rovers a negative deficit?

Will your blood boil as we win a corner and twenty German transvestites
stand up in front of you and start waving and blowing kisses? And how about
those of you in the corporate seats who find your mixed grills and roast
chicken replaced by steamed fish and raw broccoli now that Victoria is a
permanent fixture in the directors box?

The fact of the matter is that the name 'Beckham' sells shirts, we would
suddenly find ourselves with an extra million or so fans world wide,
particularly throughout the lucrative far eastern markets. We could
certainly do with the money, but the reality is that Messrs Gold and
Sullivan see Beckham as their golden ticket to finalising the deal to obtain
the Olympic Stadium.

It's certainly true that the player is a well respected ambassador and
figurehead having helped with the Olympic bid and the always doomed to fail
World Cup bid. He carries a lot of sway with important people and his
company is sought by politicians, celebrities and royalty alike. Could he be
the final piece in the jigsaw in terms of grabbing control over the
Stratford white elephant?

Then you look at the football side of things and it's no accident that this
appears to be secondary in importance. Opinion seems divided between two
arguments. On the one hand he is still courted by some of the biggest teams
in the world; his game is no longer about speed of foot, but more speed of
thought. His ability to find a pass or cross a ball with pinpoint accuracy
more than makes up for not being able to run as fast as when he was 20. And
his dead ball skills are still second to none, free kicks and corners being
his specialities.

On the other hand, if he is still able to play at the highest level and if
he still has something to offer the best league in the world, then why has
he spent the last five years playing the equivalent of League One football
in America? And would whatever wages the board offered him be justified by a
return on his services? Also, more importantly does Big Sam want him?

I would guess the answer would be yes to the second one. You'd be a fool to
think that the likes of Mark Noble or Jack Collison wouldn't learn from
Beckham's ability and benefit from his experience. But would that alone
justify the possible upheaval?

In all honesty I doubt we will ever find out. He's a local lad who arrived
at the ground with Manchester United for a game shortly after one of many
World Cup exits with England to find an effigy of himself hung from a lamp
post. I think we might have missed the boat on this one a long time ago.
Now, if Redknapp goes to QPR any time soon, Beckham and Rob Green would have
plenty to talk about on the bench.

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Big Sam's bargain defence
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 22nd November 2012
By: Jack Bowers

Twelve games played, six goals conceded and five clean sheets. It's not a
start you would usually associate with the Hammers is it? They say that any
good thing is built on solid foundations. Look at any trophy winning, league
dominating football side and you will notice that they have a good defence.
For West Ham the defence has consistently been the opposite of solid. We've
often been made to watch a flaky defence with no shape, and generally no
idea.

In our last outing in the top flight (2010/11), we managed just five clean
sheets in the whole season, conceding 70 goals. What a refreshing change
this season has been.

Big Sam's sides have always been built on a solid defence and his West Ham
team in no different. Granted, we've still seen some silly mistakes - James
Collins at Swansea springs to mind - but on the whole, every player that has
played in the defence has been superb.

But the good defence we can now pride ourselves on has surprisingly came at
a very cheap cost. The sum total of our back five against Stoke City was
around £2m. George McCartney, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Joey O'Brien were all
signed on a free. James Tomkins came through the Academy and Winston Reid
was signed for a small fee of £2m. (With costs rising)

That has to be up there with the cheapest defences in the league? The only
defences better than us so far this season have been Stoke and Man City's
and both sides have spent a lot more than £2m of their back four's.

Our tight defence has lead us to joint sixth in the table but surely even
the most optimistic of Hammers would have been a bit surprised with the
start we have made?

When we signed Andy Carroll, Matt Jarvis, Yossi Benayoun and Modibo Maiga
there were serious question marks over our defence, or the lack of it. It
could be argued that Tomkins and Collins were the only proven Premier League
defenders in the squad.

The rest of the back line included Reid, very good in the Championship but
was largely unproven in the top flight. O'Brien, seen as a useful squad
player at best and Guy Demel still largely untested due to consistent bad
luck with injuries. And as for McCartney, there were questions asked about
his ability in the top flight.

We were starting the new season with just three centre backs, one left back
and two right backs.

Despite this there was no panic from the West Ham backroom staff, or the
board and faith was put into Big Sam's management style.

His rigorous training on the back line has paid off as the defence now looks
as though they have been Premier League defenders all of their careers.

Even players who have in the past looked weak are playing superbly and more
importantly consistently.

O'Brien, who scored his first ever top flight goal on Monday looks like a
reliable Premier League right back. There were huge question marks over him
in the summer, and it was thought by some that he would leave. But through
strong performances, and a Demel injury, he has become a regular. Also,
McCartney has been very reliable.

But, the one player who deserves special praise is New Zealand international
Winston Reid.

The 24-year-old has been an ever-present in the Hammers defence this season
and has been simply outstanding. His improvement is staggering. When he
signed for West Ham in 2010 from FC Midtjvylland for around £2m he looked
awkward, at best.

I remember watching him in his debut at Villa Park in a 3-0 defeat.
Admittedly he was played on the right side of an unorganised back four but
still, he was consistently out of position, weak in the air and poor with
the ball at his feet. He didn't really improve much throughout the season
nor was he given a chance by Avram Grant.

Then last season there seemed to be potential in him. He looked much better
but it was still questioned that this was just because he was playing in a
lower division.

However, this season he has started superb. Ironically, his first game back
in the Premier League came against Aston Villa, where he was completely
dominant. He's kept his standard up and would surely be an early competitor
for 'Hammer of the Year'?

He has everything a top centre back needs. He reads the game well, is good
in the air and is very quick. Providing he stays fit, you would imagine that
the West Ham back line will continue to be strong.

The big question is how far can this defence get us? And will Big Sam
strengthen it in January?

If given a transfer budget then it may be worth Big Sam signing another
defender, preferably a full-back. With Demel going to the African Cup of
Nations it would be better to sign another defender for cover.

And how far can this defence take us? There are a lot of optimistic shouts
for Europe but I'd like to see just how well they can defend over the next
five or six games.

If we can pick up surprise points and surprise clean sheets then who knows
just how far this new, solid, hard-to-beat West Ham side can go?

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Birmingham have landed West Ham striker Robert Hall
Last Updated: November 22, 2012 6:02pm
SSN

Birmingham City have bolstered their striking options with the signing of
West Ham's Robert Hall. The 19-year-old striker has agreed a loan deal which
will see him remain at St Andrews until January 12th, with an option for
that to be extended. The England Under 19 international has previously
enjoyed loan stints at Milton Keynes Dons and Oxford United. Birmingham boss
Lee Clark was delighted, saying: "Rob is a very quick-footed attacker who
has got great ability to go past defenders and creates great opportunities
for himself and others. "He's also got a great strike of the ball so I'm
looking forward to working with him and he's excited about the challenge.
"It was quite a coup getting Rob because he's been doing really well in the
development squad at West Ham which has got him on the bench for most of the
season in the Premier League. "I have got to thank Sam Allardyce for
allowing this one to happen. In all honesty, I didn't think he'd allow Rob
to come as he's been a big part of their squad but thankfully he has. We're
now looking forward to working with him."

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George McCartney feels West Ham should head to Tottenham in confident mood
Last Updated: November 22, 2012 3:34pm
SSN

George McCartney believes West Ham United could be facing a 'shaky'
Tottenham Hotspur side at just the right time on Sunday. The Hammers will
arrive at White Hart Lane this weekend perched one place and two points
above their capital rivals in the Premier League standings. Sam Allardyce's
side will also be feeling a lot better about themselves when they make the
short trip to north London, with only three defeats suffered in 12 outings
so far. In contrast, Spurs have already come undone on five occasions and
have yet to display any kind of consistency under new boss Andre
Villas-Boas. McCarthy believes that could play into West Ham's hands,
saying: "We can take heart from our second half performance against Stoke
City and go into Sunday's game with a bit of confidence. "Tottenham are a
bit shaky at the moment and we will be going to win the game and I think the
way we are playing at the minute, they are going to find it difficult to
beat us."

On a daunting run of fixtures which will see the Hammers face Manchester
United, West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool and Chelsea after tackling Spurs,
McCartney added: "Obviously it is going to be a difficult run, but it is all
about the teams coming up next. It is one game at a time and it is Spurs on
Sunday. It is a big derby and everyone will be up for it. "It is going to be
a tough game and there are tougher ones after that, but hopefully we can
build on the 19 points we already have and stay in the top half."

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Dons swoop for Hammer McCallum
Last Updated: November 22, 2012 6:10pm
SSN

Wimbledon manager Neil Ardley has bolstered his attacking options with the
loan signing of West Ham striker Paul McCallum. The 19-year-old has joined
on a short-term deal which will keep him at the Dons until January 1. He is
eligible to face MK Dons in the FA Cup. Ardley has also brought in former
Kettering Town midfielder Ryan Hervel, who has signed on a short-term deal
as he has been without a club. "We have a busy period coming up and we are
in a dogfight. Good players like this do not become available too often so
we have to utilise them," Ardley told the club's official website. "We have
had rave reviews about Paul. I have had contacts ringing me up and telling
me how good a player he is and I have spoken to Ian Hendon, his U21s manager
at West Ham, and he believes Paul will be ideal for us. He is a big, strong
lad, who links the play up well. "Ryan was at Kettering at the start of the
season, but he had to leave due to financial problems at the club. With us
having so many loan players, it was a good opportunity to sign Ryan, who was
without a club. "I watched Ryan at the Bailey Elite Academy and he has very
good qualities, which can help us out. It is also a chance for Ryan to prove
himself before January."

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Bantams bag teen Hammer Turgott
Last Updated: November 22, 2012 6:12pm
SSN

Bradford manager Phil Parkinson has completed the signing of teenager Blair
Turgott on loan from West Ham. The England Under-19 winger, who has yet to
make a first-team appearance, will stay at Valley Parade for two months and
will go straight into the squad for the weekend game at Bristol Rovers.
Turgott, a regular this season for the Hammers development squad, has played
for England Under-16's and 17's and has made five appearances for John
Peacock's Under-19's, scoring three goals.

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Hall, Potts, Turgott and McCallum Loaned Out!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

It was confirmed yeterday that four of our most promising youngsters have
been loaned to football League clubs. Robert Hall has been loaned to
Birmingham City; while Blair Turgott has gone to Bradford City, Danny Potts
has moved to Colchester United and Paul McCallum has joined AFC Wimbledon.
All four loan deals are due to run to either early December or January.

In Hall's case, I see this loan to Birmingham City as a final polish of the
diamond ahead of him returning to stake a regular first team place. If Hall
does not amass more first team appearances before the end of this season,
whether starting or from the bench, it will be disappointing. Of course,
Hall has had successful previous loan spells, but for McCallum and Turgott
this will be their first taste of League football. And it should
significantly aid their development. I am, however, slightly surprised that
we have loaned out Danny Potts. I would have anticipated that he is needed
to provide much needed defensive cover within the first team squad. Still,
there is no doubt that Allardyce and co know their job, so presumably all of
these loans are needed, pitched at the right level for the developmental
needs of each individual youngster and wil not adversely impact upon first
team cover.

Regardless, I would expect that, in agreeing the loans, the club would have
taken the precaution of inserting recall clauses in the deals for Hall and
Potts, just in case they are needed to cover injuries and suspensions. I
also hope that they all stay injury free, impress suitably and come back to
the club in December-January having positively underlined their first team
potential! Because that is the desired outcome of these type of loan deal.
To give youngsters an opportunity not only to learn and gain competitive
league experience, but to also to show that they are 'a cut above' and
nearing readiness for the transition to the West Ham first team.

We have done very well so far this season and have put ourselves in a good
position of a top ten (or better) PL finish. If so, a 'cherry on the cake'
would be for one or two of our youngsters to significantly 'push on' this
season and add to the mix at first team level. After all, there is few
things that Hammers supporters enjoy more than seeing a youth product making
the grade at the club and thereby adding to our oustanding record of
producing top level talent.

SJ. Chandos.

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Jack's Christmas cheer
Published: 22nd November 2012
The Sun

JACK COLLISON insists he will be back in action for West Ham by Christmas.
The Hammers midfielder has been plagued by a long-term knee problem. But
Collison, 24, said: "Hopefully, around Christmas I will be in the mix."

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