Daily WHUFC News - 14th January 2013

O'Brien pens new deal
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien has signed a new long-term contract with West Ham United until
summer 2016
13.01.2013

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Joey O'Brien has signed a new
long-term contract with the club. The Republic of Ireland international
full-back, who joined the Hammers on a free transfer following his release
by Bolton Wanderers in 2011, has put pen to paper on a new deal until summer
2016. The 26-year-old has enjoyed a superb 18 months since being reunited
with his old Bolton manager Sam Allardyce in east London, scoring the winner
on his 50th appearance in claret and blue in the New Year's Day Barclays
Premier League victory over Norwich City. The Dubliner was naturally
delighted to have secured his long-term future with West Ham, with his
previous deal having been set to expire in the summer. "I am delighted," he
confirmed. "It's for three-and-a-half years so hopefully I'll have plenty
more good times with the club and that's what I'm looking forward to doing
now. "I definitely dreamed of what has happened since I joined West Ham.
When I got released by Bolton, I had not played for about two-and-a-half
years in the Premier League or really any games in that length of time, so
since I have come here things have worked out well from the start. "A
manager that I knew [Sam Allardyce] got the job at this club and invited me
down to training and having that six-week trial seems a long time ago now.
Thankfully for me, that went well. "Last year, it went great. To be back
playing some games was fantastic for me and, in the end, we got the job done
and got promoted. This year we have started really well and it's been good.
"Our aim was to finish in the top half and we're on course to do that."

Alongside Big Sam, O'Brien knew a host of his West Ham team-mates from his
time at Bolton, including captain Kevin Nolan - helping him to settle and
re-establish himself quickly. "I knew the manager and had played under him,
so I knew his way of working and what he wants from his players, so that
helped. There were a couple of other people, Kevin especially, who had
become a very good friend over the years and him being here helped me to
settle in with the other lads."

Signing a new contract continued a bright start to 2013 for O'Brien, who
marked his 50th Hammers appearance with the winning goal in the New Year's
Day victory over Norwich - his second of the season and third for the club.
"I have got a couple of goals this season, but hopefully that won't be it!"
You might expect one of those goals to be O'Brien's highlight of his time at
the Boleyn Ground, but that is not the case. "I always think back to my
first game against Cardiff here [in August 2011]. It was my first game for
such a long time at that level in front of the fans at a ground I always
loved coming to play at. "At that time, I had the chance to play for the
club and that games means so much to me. Obviously the result wasn't good,
but what it meant to me personally was the highlight, I think."

O'Brien was considered to be one of Irish football's top prospects when he
left the Irish capital for Bolton at the age of 16 in 2002, making his
first-team debut under Sam Allardyce in a Carling Cup tie against Yeovil
Town in September 2004. After a successful loan spell at Sheffield
Wednesday, he returned to the Reebok Stadium to make his Premier League
debut against Everton in May 2005 and his first start in a UEFA Cup tie with
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv in September of the same year. After appearing for his
country at Under-21 level, a senior international debut arrived in a 3-0
friendly victory over Sweden in his home city in March 2006. Since then, he
has been capped five times by Ireland. In all, O'Brien made 70 appearances
for Bolton Wanderers, including eleven in the UEFA Cup, and 19 more during
two loan spells with Sheffield Wednesday. However, that total would have
been much higher had he not suffered from a serious knee injury that
restricted him to just 12 games over three seasons between 2008 and 2011.

It has been a different story since he joined West Ham in July 2011
following a successful trial. O'Brien made a great contribution to the
Hammers' promotion-winning npower Championship campaign, scoring once in 32
league appearances last term. This season, he has featured predominantly at
left-back, scoring two further goals against Stoke City and Norwich as West
Ham have made a strong start on their return to the Barclays Premier League.
Now, with a new long-term contract signed, O'Brien will aim to help the
Hammers to consolidate their place in the top-flight.

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West Ham defender Joey O'Brien signs new contract until 2016
BBC.co.uk

West Ham defender Joey O'Brien has signed a new contract that will keep him
at the club until 2016. The 26-year-old began his career at Bolton and had
seven years with the Trotters, which included two loan spells at Sheffield
Wednesday. He joined West Ham in 2011 and was part of the squad that were
promoted back to the Premier League last season. O'Brien made his Republic
of Ireland debut in 2006 and returned to the side in August after a
four-year absence. In November he scored his first Premier League goal to
earn West Ham a 1-1 draw against Stoke. He was also on target on New Year's
Day in the 2-1 victory over Norwich.

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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce wants West Ham United to put things right at Manchester United
on Wednesday
14.01.2013

Sam Allardyce has set out a clear goal for West Ham United's remaining away
games this season - to find the back of the net more frequently. The Hammers
have been impressive at home this season and have amassed an impressive five
wins and three draws from their eleven games at the Boleyn Ground thus far.
It has been a different story on the road, though, where they have found the
going considerably harder than last season's club-record tally of 14 away
wins. Saturday's 3-0 loss at Sunderland only highlighted the manager's
demands for an improvement going forward. "We were woefully short in terms
of what we're looking for in an attacking sense away from home," Allardyce
said. "Even when it looked like we wouldn't get anything out of the game, we
did create some chances but we couldn't find the back of the net and they
got the third and thoroughly deserved their win. "We made life very easy for
Sunderland and I don't think they've enjoyed an easier game than that at
home all season and they thoroughly deserved to beat us."

The Hammers will be offered the perfect chance to right the wrongs of the
Stadium of Light in Wednesday night's high-profile FA Cup third-round replay
with Manchester United at Old Trafford. While the game has players and fans
alike buzzing with excitement, with just 150 away tickets left, Big Sam
wants his players keep their focus on what the ultimate goal is this season
as soon the final whistle is blown on Wednesday. "While Manchester United is
the glory of the cup competition and it will be fantastic to go to Old
Trafford, QPR next Saturday is out bread and butter and we must make sure we
secure three points against them. "They are in the bottom two of the league
and we have already lost to Reading, who were in the bottom two when we
played them. We can't keep losing to the people below us who are struggling
as it gets them closer and we don't want that."

Although there were positives on Saturday in the shape of Alou Diarra and
Dan Potts' first Barclays Premier League starts and the return of the
influential Mo Diame to the substitutes' bench, the first-half hamstring
injury to James Collins has provided his manager with a defensive headache.
While Joey O'Brien and George McCartney are progressing well, their urgency
of need for cover will lead Big Sam to redouble his efforts to bring in
reinforcements during the transfer window. "James Collins pulled up with a
hamstring injury, which is a bitter blow to us. We just felt like we were
recovering from a spate of six or seven injuries and suspensions so it's a
real pity. We've still also got Joey O'Brien out and George McCartney, who
is out for a long period of time. "We want to improve the strength of the
squad. I'd like to add a defender as we've now only got two centre halves
left in James Tomkins and Winston Reid and aside from young Dan Potts, we've
got no other left-back in the squad. I have been looking for a left-back for
the last ten days or so, but now I need a left-back that can play
centre-half or vice versa. "We don't want the injuries all in one area so we
might need to take a look at the market and see if there's anyone that can
help us in that department."

Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh both got their first taste of Premier League
action in claret and blue since signing for the club last week, with Cole in
particular showing some nice touches. Media reports at the weekend claimed
Cole's namesake Carlton was told he could leave the club, a claim his
manager laughed off by saying it was news to him. "I would have like Chamakh
to have scored as he had a couple of chances from headers and that's what he
thrives on. I think we can provide that for him. He's been short of
first-team football so the more he gets the better he will get. "It's the
same with Joe Cole and Alou Diarra. Hopefully they'll all get better. "I saw
the news reports from the weekend and all I can say is that I haven't told
Carlton he can leave so I don't know who has!" he joked.

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Nolan: We won't fowl up
The Sun
Published: 13th January 2013

KEVIN NOLAN insists West Ham will not chicken out if they are dragged into a
relegation scrap. The former Newcastle hero could not show off his goal
celebration as the Hammers lost for the sixth time in 10 games. But despite
10 matches without finding the net, Nolan vowed to boost a side just seven
points above the drop zone. Nolan, 30, said: "I've made the fans here cry
over the years, so I'm just going to smile through this. "But I can tell
them the chicken is firmly not dead, so they'd best watch out! I'll be back
next year. "It's a fair while since anyone has seen the chicken celebration
but it will be seen again very soon. We've got to make sure at the end of
the season we're comfortable and OK."

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Any Ol Iron
Published: 13th January 2013
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE will step up his bid to land Blackburn's Martin Olsson today.
Big Sam has already tried to sign the Swede but was put off by Rovers'
£7million price tag. West Ham lost centre-back James Collins with a
hamstring injury in Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Sunderland so boss Allardyce
knows he must act. He said: "We'll see when I wake up on Monday. Then we'll
see what's what, where's where and who wants to go here there and
everywhere."

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Sick Gold pans Sam
The Sun
By PHIL FOX
Published: 13th January 2013

SAM ALLARDYCE last night felt the pressure building on his job for the first
time this season from the club's owners. After West Ham's dismal 3-0 defeat
at Sunderland on Saturday, boss Big Sam found David Gold very much on his
case as the co-chairman recovered from pneumonia and a hospital stay. Gold
was bitterly unhappy with the heavy loss and made his feelings very clear to
the fans via Twitter. With the club just seven points ahead of the
relegation places, Gold tweeted: "Two wins in 10 games and just one point
from a possible 15 on our travels is not acceptable. "We and Sam know that."

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What the cluck?! West Ham star Kevin Nolan says his 'chicken' is alive 'n'
kicking
The Mirror
13 Jan 2013 22:30

Kevin Nolan had told Sunderland fans "my chicken isn't dead!" The home crowd
taunted ex-Newcastle skipper Nolan during the 3-0 Sunderland victory over
West Ham with a humorous chant suggesting his wing flapping goal celebration
would never be seen again. "His chicken is dead, his chicken is dead, Kevin
Nolan, his chicken is dead," rang around the Stadium of Light in retaliation
for his North East derby goals. Nolan took it in good spirits and admitted
not a single West Ham player produced a performance. He said: "It was good
banter with their fans. Fair play to them. I can tell them the chicken is
firmly not dead, so they'd best watch out! "It's a fair while since anyone
has seen the chicken celebration - to be honest, far too long. We went
through a bit of a tough patch in December and we actually thought we'd
turned the corner with a couple of good results, but believe me that
celebration will be seen again very soon. "When you get stick like I did
against Sunderland, you either smile or cry - it's one or the other. Let's
face it, I've made them cry a lot over the years! "So I'm just going to
smile through this. Okay, I've let them have this one, but I'm already
looking forward to seeing them again next year. Let's see what happens
then."

Nolan admitted West Ham do to score enough away from home. They've managed
only five in ten games under Sam Allardyce's traditional stifle first
tactics.
Nolan said: "We were poor from start to finish. There are no excuses. Very
poor. We were bullied all day long. It's disappointing but hats off to
Sunderland, they played well. 3-0 probably flattered us in the end. "It's so
frustrating because we've had a good start to the New Year and this is a
bitter blow to us. We'e got a game on Wednesday to try and put it right. We
know that performance is just not acceptable for the standards we've set
this year. "You can never explain immediately what happened. It's just one
of those days. There were 11 lads that just weren't on it. Sometimes that
happens. We couldn't get hold of the ball in the first half and I was
playing for Sunderland for half of the game. "It just felt like one of those
games. We've got to take it on the chin and take it back to the training
ground, work hard and just make sure we're ready for Wednesday."

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