Daily WHUFC News - 20th January 2013

Big Sam frustrated by QPR draw
WHUFC.com
The manager was left scratching his head after watching West Ham United held
to a 1-1 draw by the Hoops
19.01.2013

Sam Allardyce admitted to feeling immense frustration after watching his
West Ham United do everything but beat Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. The
Hammers completely dominated the game at a freezing cold Boleyn Ground, but
were unable to break through the ice that was the massed ranks of the QPR
defence. The Hoops were outplayed in all departments, but were able to
snatch a 1-1 draw by virtue of taking a shock 14th-minute lead through new
signing Loic Remy, who beat the offside trap before sliding his low shot
past Jussi Jaaskelainen. From then on, a few counter-attacks aside, it was
all West Ham. Big Sam's side launched 46 crosses into the QPR penalty area
and unleashed 22 shots, many of which were saved by inspired goalkeeper
Julio Cesar or blocked by his defenders.

West Ham finally found a way through the Rangers rearguard on 68 minutes,
when yet another Matt Jarvis cross was headed on goal by substitute Carlton
Cole. Cesar parried and Joe Cole tapped in the rebound - to the immense
relief of the vast majority of the shivering capacity crowd. Afterwards, Big
Sam told West Ham TV he could not believe his side had not collected all
three points. "It's not just the stats, but if you had watched the game with
the naked eye, whether you are a West Ham fan, a manager or a coach, you
would have watched the game and said 'Wow! What a performance and what a
complete domination of the opposition'. But unfortunately, however brilliant
your stats are against the opposition's stats, the bottom line stat reads
'West Ham 1 QPR 1' and that's the most important one. "In the end, I am as
frustrated as anybody else that we didn't record a very comfortable victory.
Because it hasn't brough that comfortable victory, it's a big disappointment
for us all and we're all massively frustrated and, may I say, none more so
than the players. You hear all this stuff about players getting this or that
much money and it not meaning that much to them, but it's the biggest load
of rubbish. "Over the last five or six years, I have seen players give their
all week in and week out. If they are not quite up to the level you are
playing at, then that's fine. It's not about the fact they don't try because
they do. They are dejected like everybody else. "We just have to take the
massive positives out of this game, which is over-running a team and the
only thing we didn't over-run them by was a victory that should have, in my
assessment, about 4-1. We had ten shots on target, ten or more off-target
and 46 crosses - it just never stopped - but only one goal, which I have to
say isn't good enough. We must be as dominant as that but we must come off
with a victory at the end of it and not come off disappointed like we have
against QPR."

Big Sam was also disappointed by the nature of Remy's goal, with the France
international being allowed to spring the offside trap to race in on goal
and finish with relative ease. "I am disappointed because I coached it in
the week and I spoke to the players about it on Friday. I warned them on
Saturday when we knew Remy would play his first game up front. I said there
would long times when we're attacking the opposition so you can't get caught
watching the ball instead of where your man is, because when they break with
someone like Taarabt who can play a good ball, we just blew it. "Winston
Reid and James Tomkins just did exactly what I told them not to do -
switched off, got caught watching the ball and got too tight to Remy and
tried to play an offside that was never going to work. In the end, the lad
tucked it away well and left us one behind."

The manager was, however, happier with his players' reaction in continuing
to take the game to the visitors, despite that early setback. "We knew we
didn't deserve it but it happens and we knew we had to fight back from that.
Particularly in the second half, from a footbal point of view, there
couldn't have been any more action in the box. Sadly, ultimately we should
have put the ball in the net more often than we did."

When West Ham did score, it was no surprise that it was the impressive Joe
Cole who was the man to get his name on the sheet, but it was just a shame
neither he nor his colleagues could fashion a late winner. "In the end, we
got the goal and I thought we had plenty of time to go on and win it, but
unfortunately we didn't get the winner. I have to say there was a huge
element of bad luck in what happened to us in that the ball didn't bounce
for us or it has beaten the defender and hit the defender when he didn't
know much about it. "There was one stage when we had four or five shots at
once and they didn't go in. We could have still been doing that at 7pm and
not scored again. "At the end, we got a point. Alright, it's not what we
deserved but we've just got to move on and keep positive and try to keep
recreating those performances, especially at Upton Park."

One player who also impressed was full debutant Marouane Chamakh, who linked
the play well and might have won a penalty and scored with two powerful
downward headers on another day. When Chamakh tired, Carlton Cole replaced
him and played a massive part in his namesake's equaliser. "He has played
well and linked the play and he grew into the game. He has got a huge lack
of match practice so he fatigued. So we brought on Coley and he has helped
us come from behind to get on level terms with a really dangerous header
that Cesar has pushed to Joe, who's tapped it in. "I thought that was going
to trigger us to go on and get the victory but it didn't. Apart from poor
finishing, everyone played an excellent game."

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A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
Vice-Chairman Karren Brady reflects on the Joint-Chairmen's first three
years wtih West Ham United
19.01.2013

If most West Ham United fans cast their minds back to how they were feeling
about their team at the start of 2010, one of the most likely emotions that
would spring to mind would be concern. The club were on the precipice of
financial meltdown and were being forced to sell some of their prized assets
just to stay in business. The likes of Craig Bellamy, James Collins and
George McCartney had been sold and more were set to join the Boleyn Ground
exodus. I remember speaking to some of my West Ham-supporting friends at the
time and there was a genuine sense of unease that if their team's flirtation
with relegation became something more serious, then they could follow some
of the other 'fallen giants' into the lower divisions of English football
and never return. But on the 19 January 2010, David Sullivan and David Gold
clinched a deal to become majority shareholders and Joint-Chairmen of the
club they have supported all of their lives. I believe it will turn out to
be a significant and monumental day in the history of West Ham United and
one I'm sure Hammers fans will look back on in the future as a turning point
for their club.

David Sullivan said at the time: "It will be an immense privilege to lead
this great football club and more importantly its supporters. The club is
now back in the hands of East Enders, people who understand the community
and its passion for the Hammers. I believe that depth of feeling will also
bring us through what has been a difficult period."

David Gold also has a great affinity with the club; he was born across the
road from Upton Park at number 442 Green Street and also represented the
club as a youth team player. And on the day they were confirmed as the new
owners, he added: "Finally I have come home to the club I love with all my
heart. This is an incredibly sweet moment but we have to put the romance
aside now and get on with a difficult job."

Having worked with them for 25 years I know how much those words were from
the heart. Even when we were at Birmingham City, a club we all care
passionately about, they would often spend time talking about how things
were going at the Boleyn Ground. When it was confirmed that their offer to
buy West Ham United had been accepted, they could hardly contain their
excitement. But I remember when we walked into the stadium together for the
very first time that day, they were deeply emotional.

Despite their obvious happiness at buying the club and saving it from the
looming threat of administration, we knew we had a huge job on our hands so
we quickly set about putting things right. Fast-forward exactly three years
to today and the picture is a lot rosier. The playing squad is arguably one
of the strongest West Ham have ever had in the Premier League, with seasoned
internationals complementing a host of exciting Academy graduates.
Interestingly, I can pinpoint the exact time when the philosophy behind the
assembly of this squad began, just a week after the only real disappointment
of the last three years - relegation to the Championship at the end of the
2010/11 season. At a long and intense Board meeting, David Sullivan and
David Gold decided on an ambitious transfer policy that would aim to get the
club back to the top table of English football within two years and keep us
there. Of course this wasn't going to be easy given the financial
repercussions of relegation, but both of them agreed that they would
continue to support the club financially with millions of pounds of their
own life savings to try and get us back up as quickly as possible. The first
decisive action was to appoint a highly-rated manager with Premier League
pedigree and we got that in abundance with Sam Allardyce's arrival on 1 June
2011. Sam should be credited for being willing to take on the daunting task
of rebuilding a broken squad following the knockback of relegation.

The signing of Newcastle United captain Kevin Nolan a few weeks later was a
sign of things to come, as he was joined over the course of the season by
experienced pros Matt Taylor, Ricardo Vaz Te, Guy Demel, Papa Bouba Diop and
Abdoulaye Faye. The rest, as they say, is history, as their forward-thinking
mentality paid off and we were promoted back to the Premier League at the
first attempt. And in doing so, the players provided one of the greatest
days for the claret and blue army in recent times as West Ham overcame
Blackpool to lift the Play-Off trophy at Wembley last May.

But the Joint-Chairmen did not rest on their laurels and oversaw a summer of
transfer activity that had the Hammers' fans buzzing with excitement. But to
ensure the club continued to move forward, they once again had to dip into
their own pockets to fund the moves. In my opinion they went above and
beyond what could be reasonably expected of them as owners and I know that
they wouldn't have done it for any other club than West Ham. It just means
too much.
After re-signing former Boleyn Ground favourites McCartney and Collins on
permanent deals, Matt Jarvis was soon added for a club record-fee, along
with powerful midfielder Mo Diame. But our business was not done there as
soon after, through their sheer persistence and doggedness, Andy Carroll,
Britain's most expensive footballer to date, agreed a season-long loan deal
from Liverpool.

Our reward for their ambitious transfer policy has been a hugely impressive
start to life back in the Premier League, which was boosted further by the
recent signing of former Hammer of the Year and England international Joe
Cole. The situation off the pitch is also looking a lot healthier. Although
the club debts are some way from being cleared, the latest set of accounts
we published showed the club had turned its first operating profit for a
number of years last year.
We have a clear strategy to continue that turnaround and possess the ability
to process and plan it. But let me be clear that it is not just down to the
Board, we have ensured we have the very best people in the right jobs to
help manage a thriving business. Our retail sales have doubled, commercial
income is at a record high and we are expecting to return to profitability
this season with our home games selling out and our total revenues at an
all-time high. The culture we inherited of West Ham selling their biggest
names and brightest Academy products also immediately come to an end; with
the wantaway Scott Parker being the only first-team player sold since we
came to the club, despite numerous offers for our star players. We
understand what a jewel we have in our Academy, which was why we were so
determined to ensure it continued to attract the best young players from
across the globe by securing Category One Academy status in the new Elite
Player Performance system. Again, the Joint-Chairmen dug into their reserves
to ensure Tony Carr's team had everything they needed to achieve that
prestigious accolade.

We have developed the 'Moore than a Football Club' campaign, which seeks to
highlight just why West Ham United is held in such high esteem in East
London. And as you'll read elsewhere in today's programme, the club will be
marking Holocaust Memorial Day ahead of kick-off today. The activity is part
of an ongoing campaign we are running to highlight anti-discrimination
causes. Both Joint- Chairmen care passionately about the initiative and we
should all join them in supporting and embracing it. I have also benefitted
from their vision and perseverance during the long, drawn-out battle to
secure the tenancy of the Olympic Stadium. We hope to reach an agreement
soon, with negotiations with the Local London Development Committee
continuing. Should a deal be reached that the Board and the supporters are
happy with, we could see our home shifted across Newham into one of the most
iconic sporting venues on the planet. I have listed some of the progress we
have made already, but should we make that move, that is when things would
really take off for us and we would be in a position to attract the best
talent in the world, both on the pitch and off it.

It has been a tremendous three years at West Ham United and I have been
proud to work with two Chairmen who I respect and admire, a manager who has
been an inspiration, colleagues who never cease to amaze me with their
ideas, their energy and their commitment to the club and everything it
stands for.
I believe fortune might not be hiding for too much longer.

Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman

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Hammers' Holocaust memorial
West Ham United paid tribute to the vicitims of the Holocuast ahead of the
Queens Park Rangers match
WHUFC.com
19.01.2013

West Ham United continued their commitment to promotion of tolerance and
inclusion in 2013 by marking Holocaust Memorial Day before Saturday's
Barclays Premier League meeting with Queens Park Rangers. Holocaust Memorial
Day has traditionally been observed with candle lighting to represent the
six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Each remembrance candle is lit
to represent one million victims. Therefore, 15 minutes before kick-off, six
candles were lit at the Boleyn Ground by West Ham United Non-Executive
Director Daniel Harris, Football Association Director of Football
Development Sir Trevor Brooking, Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales, Holocaust
Survivor Zigi Shipper, Royal British Legion East Ham branch secretary Ken
Hill and Marc Bandel, the grandson of a Holocaust Survivor.

As part of its Moore Than A Football Club mantra, the club remains committed
to tackling discrimination in whatever form it takes and will be promoting
events and campaigns that highlight and combat prejudice towards disability,
race, sex, sexual orientation and religion throughout the year. As well as
marking Holocaust Memorial Day - which will be held this year on 27 January
- at the game, the club will also be sending representatives to the local
events in remembrance of the estimated eleven million people who were killed
by the Nazis during World War Two. Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Soviet prisoners of war, people of Roma and Sinti origin and the disabled
were among those who needlessly died. The aim for this year's Holocaust
Memorial Day events is to 'build a bridge' between communities, which ties
in perfectly with West Ham United's commitment to equality, social inclusion
and community cohesion.

To learn more about the Holocaust, visit the Holocaust Educational Trust
website at www.HET.org.uk

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Bid for Vaz Te's boots!
WHUFC.com
Ricardo Vaz Te's Championship Play-Off final boots are being put up for
auction for the Bobby Moore Fund
19.01.2013

West Ham United supporters have the opportunity to bid for a unique piece of
Hammers history - raising money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research
UK. Ricardo Vaz Te has kindly donated the purple and orange size 9 1/2
Adidas Adizero TRX boots he was wearing when he fired West Ham back into the
Barclays Premier League at Wembley in May 2012. The Hammers No12 scored a
dramatic late winner to clinch a thrilling 2-1 npower Championship Play-Off
final victory over Blackpool - and now one lucky fan has the chance to own
the boots that scored that historic goal!

"I wore these boots all last season, so they scored more than 20 goals and
are very special to me," said Vaz Te. "Believe it or not, a friend of mine
bought me the boots from a sports shop because I did not have an endorsement
deal at the start of last season, so they really are my lucky boots!
"However, I know the Bobby Moore Fund is a very important cause and does a
lot of fantastic work, so I felt it was right that I put the boots up for
auction to raise as much money as possible for the charity. "So many
people's lives are touched by cancer, so any work that is done to try to
find ways to prevent and cure it is extremely valuable, so whatever money we
can raise by selling the boots will be put to good use in this area. "At the
same time, one West Ham fan will own a pair of very special boots!"

The auction will end next Saturday at 12noon. All proceeds from the auction
will go to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research, with the club targeting
to raise £50,000 for the charity founded in memory of the late, great West
Ham and England captain this season. So far, thanks to a personal donation
of £10,000 from Joint-Chairman David Sullivan and significant contributions
from the club's Principal Partner SBOBET and manager Sam Allardyce, the club
has raised more than £20,000 towards this total. Two home fixtures have also
been designated as Bobby Moore Fund Awareness Matches - the Barclays Premier
League visits of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United on 25 February and
9 March 2013 respectively. The Spurs fixture will mark 20 years since
Moore's tragic and untimely passing and the club is planning a fitting
tribute to the great defender, including a special 100-page commemorative
Official Programme.

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West Ham 1 QPR 1
19 January 2013
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

Loic Remy scored on his Queens Park Rangers debut but Joe Cole's second-half
strike denied Harry Redknapp a victory at former club West Ham. The £8m
striker had put the Premier League's bottom club ahead 13 minutes into his
first appearance, firing home after Adel Taarabt's pin-point pass. But West
Ham dominated a breathless second half, levelling through Cole's close-range
strike and going close on countless other occasions. Flying start for £8m
man
Loic Remy scored with what was his first shot in Premier League football.
QPR held on for a draw but stay bottom. Nevertheless, a point at one his old
clubs was another encouraging result for Redknapp's side, who remain
unbeaten in 2013. Having kept back-to-back Premier League clean sheets
against Chelsea and Tottenham there was more evidence here of a defensive
solidity absent in the early months of the season. West Ham went close
through Mohamed Diame and Kevin Nolan in the early moments and were denied a
penalty by referee Howard Webb when Marouane Chamakh stumbled under the
challenge of Clint Hill and went down after a tangle of legs with Shaun
Wright-Phillips. But it was clear the arrival of Remy from Marseilles had
added to the renewed optimism at QPR. When the Frenchman raced onto
Taarabt's beautifully judged through-ball to give the visitors the lead,
their burgeoning self-belief was plain to see and Redknapp's side looked an
altogether more potent threat as half-time approached.

The second half was a very different story, however. West Ham tackled,
denied space and dominated territory and their uncomplicated, direct
approach forced QPR onto the back foot. Les Ferdinand was among the scorers
the last time QPR won at Upton Park in August 1993, the first month of the
Premier League season, as the snow began to fall, the hosts battled to
preserve their impressive record against Rangers. First, Chamakh's
close-range header was turned away by visiting keeper Julio Cesar, and
Diame's follow-up shot was blocked by Hill before Kevin Nolan headed
narrowly over. Matt Jarvis created another opportunity for Chamakh soon
after but the Moroccan's towering header was well saved by Cesar. Hammers
substitute Carlton Cole then forced the keeper into another tremendous save,
but the Brazilian was unable to hold the striker's header and Joe Cole
turned the loose ball into the net from two yards for the first goal of his
second spell at West Ham. As West Ham sensed a winner, Winston Reid's fierce
goal-bound shot was blocked bravely by Stephane Mbia after a goalmouth
scramble, before Joe Cole rounded Cesar only to see his shot turned away by
Hill as Rangers held on. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "We couldn't have
created more opportunities to score more goals. We're looking very dejected
almost like we've lost in the dressing room, because we knew that
performance should've got three points. I said to the lads, 'look, carry on
like that and you'll win more games than you'll draw'. "At the other end all
we've got done by is the sucker punch, which we talked about before the
game. It's an encouraging performance to do what we did today, but the
frustration and disappointment was it didn't lead to what should've been a
comfortable victory."

QPR boss Harry Redknapp: "I couldn't fault the effort but we have to keep
the ball and play a bit. If we could have got the ball after scoring I felt
the fans would have turned on them. But they were teeing off and dropping
balls up to front men. "The players have been excellent we have been on a
good little run. We just want to keep that going and keep improving. We are
still there [bottom of the table] but we are in much better shape that we
were six or seven weeks ago. There will be teams looking over their
shoulder."

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce bemoans 1-1 draw with QPR
Last Updated: January 19, 2013 8:40pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes his side were worth all three points
from the 1-1 draw with QPR at Upton Park. The Hammers fell behind to the
rock-bottom visitors through Loic Remy's debut strike - and it was left to
Joe Cole to secure a point with a close-range effort in the second half. "We
couldn't have created more opportunities to score more goals," Allardyce
said. "We're looking very dejected almost like we've lost in the dressing
room, because we knew that performance should've got three points. "I said
to the lads, 'look, carry on like that and you'll win more games than you'll
draw'. "At the other end all we've got done by is the sucker punch, which we
talked about before the game. "It's an encouraging performance to do what we
did today, but the frustration and disappointment was it didn't lead to what
should've been a comfortable victory."

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Joe Cole rescued a 1-1 draw for West Ham after Loic Remy struck for QPR
By Hayley Paterson. Last Updated: January 19, 2013 8:37pm
SSN

Joe Cole rescued a 1-1 draw for West Ham after record-signing Loic Remy
scored for Queens Park Rangers on his debut at Upton Park.

Match facts

Man of the match : Stephane MBia. The QPR man put his body on the line to
keep the Rs in the game.
Goal of the game: Loic Remy's debut goal was a taste of what this Frenchman
will bring to QPR and the Premier League.
Moment of the match: Joe Cole's leveller. It seemed to just make the Boleyn
Ground erupt and was more than deserved.
Talking point: Will QPR have enough firepower to stay up? They look shaky at
set-pieces but if they can defend like they did against West Ham, then they
could avoid the drop.

The visitors struck against the run of play when new boy Remy latched on to
an inch-perfect Adel Taarabt through ball and slotted past Jussi
Jaaskelainen on 14 minutes. The Hammers' equaliser came in the second half
when substitute Carlton Cole saw his header parried into the returning Joe
Cole's path who tapped in the much-deserved leveller - his first for the
Hammers since 2003. The hosts started the better side and looked towards
Marouane Chamakh through almost hopeful long-range passes at times. But, as
these tactics continued, QPR kept exploiting the pace of Remy with Taarabt
picking the striker out every time with a pass and only the offside trap
stopping the 26-year-old in his tracks. The passes soon paid off when
Taarabt threaded a defence-splitting ball towards Remy who had timed his run
and steadied himself before coolly finishing for the opener and a dream
start to his Premier League debut in the 14th minute. A shell-shocked West
Ham could have got back into the tie when Chamakh shook off a Clint Hill
hold before going down under a Shaun Wright-Phillips challenge in the area
but Webb was not convinced by the Morocco international's pleas.

It was not until the second half that the hosts really took hold of the game
with Mohamed Diame seeing a shot on the turn blocked and Matt Jarvis'
teasing crosses from the left failing to have an end product. QPR had little
to shout about after the break as they were made to defend which they did
resiliently until the equaliser in the 68th minute. It came from a delicate
delivery from Jarvis, who had been locked in a tasty battle with Nedum
Onuoha all afternoon, and the rising Carlton Cole headed down, forcing Cesar
to save to his left. However, the Brazilian's block fell kindly into Joe
Cole's path and he had the easiest of finishes to see Boleyn Ground erupt.
Winston Reid then had a piledriver blocked expertly by Stephane M'Bia who
was in fine form throughout, putting his body on the line at every
opportunity and gratefully seeing a goalmouth scramble cleared. Joe Cole was
then forced out wide by Cesar in the area with the midfielder managing to
get his shot away after rounding the keeper, however Fabio was in the right
place to clear from the line. QPR held on for what could be a vital point
for their fight for survival, with West Ham unable to make their chances
count.

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Sam Allardyce admits West Ham yet to agree fresh terms with Mohamed Diame
Last Updated: January 19, 2013 12:48pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has revealed that West Ham United's efforts to tie Mohamed
Diame down on fresh terms have so far proved unsuccessful. Diame only
arrived at Upton Park last summer, with the midfielder linking up with the
Hammers as a free agent. The former Wigan man has been a revelation in the
capital, with a number of commanding displays drawing admiring glances from
the likes of Arsenal. West Ham are reluctant to part with the 25-year-old
enforcer, who is understood to have a buyout clause in his contract, and are
doing all they can to tweak Diame's deal. Allardyce, though, admits talks
have been difficult, saying: "The owners have tried to renegotiate the
contract, but they haven't been successful at the moment."

While eager to prevent Diame from slipping through the exits during the
winter transfer window, Allardyce is also looking to add. Former Arsenal,
Manchester City and Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka, who is currently on the
books of Shanghai Shenhua, has been linked with a return to Eng land, but
Allardyce insists the Frenchman does not figure in his thoughts at present.
He said: "At the moment I am not in a position for Nicolas Anelka because my
main priority is defenders.
"We have got Andy (Carroll) close to coming back and we have got Carlton
Cole, (Marouane) Chamakh and we have also brought in Wellington."

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Match Report: West Ham 1 QPR 1
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

What an incredibly frustrating game. Six hours after it finished I still
can't quite believe we didn't win this by at least three clear goals.
Indeed, we could have been three up after thirteen minutes. The trouble was
we then went one down after a quick break in which debutant Loic Remy scored
a great goal. And to think, he could have been hours. Mind you, he did
bugger all for the rest of the game. The fact was we dominated much of the
second half and I imagine the stats show we had about 60% of the possession.
But it was one of those days when the ball just wouldn't go into the net.
There were several 'pinball' periods in which we had shot after shot on goal
and still it wouldn't cross the damned line.

It has to be said that our cause was not helped by two things - a simply
dreadful refereeing performance by Howard Webb, and possibly the worst
performance I have yet seen from Kevin Nolan. In Nolan's case he would be
wise not to watch the video of this game. Virtually every time he had the
ball he passed it to a QPR player. Simply dreadful. Luckily for us, Diame
and Noble had excellent games. Diame was the main reason we dominated the
opening exchanges and although he faded in and out of the game, virtually
every creative thing we did had him at the centre of it. No doubt the
Arsenal scouts will have reported back very favourably to Arsene Wenger.
'Viera-esque' is the best way to describe his performance.

On the wings Jarvis and Joe Cole were very busy. Jarvis can be very
frustrating at times, but he poses a real danger when he has the confidence
to beat his opponent. He can deliver very dangerous crosses, but when he has
a sight of goal he seems to panic. He skyed a great chance mid way through
the second half, and it was then that I genuinely thought we would never
score. It was great to see Joe Cole score the equaliser, almost ten years to
the day that he scored his last goal for the Hammers. His corners are also
so much more dangerous than Mark Noble's. In three games he has already
become a first choice. Ricardo Va Te will do well to regain his place.

Defensively, apart from the goal, we looked very solid. Reid and Tomkins
rarely looked under threat and the two full backs got forward more than they
usually do. And Jussi Jaaskelainen barely had a save to make. The QPR
goalkeeper (you know, the one who is keeping Rob Green on benchwarming
duties) is a very odd keeper. He looks both brilliant and error prone. The
goal kick he sliced into the West Stand had to be seen to be believed. But
he also saved several certain goals.

Up front Marouane Chamakh displayed some nice layoffs and should have scored
with a goalbound header. He should also have had a penalty. Do I see him as
the main striker in a 4-5-1 formation? To be honest, no. I thought he was
perfectly competent, but would suit a 4-4-2 formation much better. When
Carlton Cole came on we looked a different team and it was Cole's knockdown
that led to the other Cole scoring. Always believing....

Jussi 7
Demel 7
O'Brien 7
Reid 8
Tomkins 7
Noble 7
Diame 8
Nolan 3
Jarvis 7
Cole J 7
Cole C 7
Chamakh 6

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West Ham 1 QPR 1
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 19th January 2013

JOE COLE wrecked it for the man who made him a star. QPR boss Harry Redknapp
also tried to sign him recently — but lost out to West Ham. Cole, 31, is now
back at Upton Park where former Hammers boss Redknapp unleashed him as a shy
but skilful teenager 14 years ago. And his tap-in rescued a point for West
Ham while putting the boot in on what would have been a valuable and rare
away win for QPR in their battle to stay up. Cole spoke of his gratitude at
being given a second chance after coming home. And his current boss Sam
Allardyce was grateful for Cole's effort and positioning that made sure the
day did not end in complete frustration for the Irons. Big Sam said: "QPR
don't leave you much space with the way they play. They fill the 18-yard
line with their back four and you need creative, clever players to wriggle
into what gaps there are. "Joe is glad to have scored but everyone really
feels like we have been beaten as with our chances we should have had a
comfortable win." Redknapp admits he had no hope of taking Cole to Loftus
Road once his old club made their move.

And his first goal for West Ham since January 2003 is up there with the most
important. Defeat would have left Allardyce looking over his shoulder
nervously at the bottom three. There are clear problems in his team. And it
does not require a massive tactician to see what they are. The strikers have
not delivered enough goals for one reason or another — just like last
season. West Ham had more than enough chances to go on and win this London
derby while Rangers had just one opening and debut boy Loic Remy seized on
it. His finish was impressive even if his timing was suspect to start with
as he fell foul of the offside trap twice before thumping QPR into a
14th-minute lead. But when he did get it right and galloped clear of
defender Winston Reid with the ball at his feet, the Frenchman made no
mistake. He repaid the first of his £70,000-a-week wage packets by driving
the ball low to the right of Jussi Jaaskeklainen from 18 yards — no mean
feat. That was about all we heard or saw from the £8m new boy but it is
enough to suggest he can score enough goals to lift the Prem's bottom club
clear of trouble.

But more importantly, he can offer an alternative to Adel Taarabt, who has
so far been a one-man attack force this season. In comparison, Allardyce
opted to bring Marouane Chamakh out of deep freeze at Arsenal with a loan
deal and gave the Moroccan misfit his first league start since October 2011.
He offered enthusiasm and energy and, once he comes out of suspended
animation, could prove a useful weapon in Big Sam's lightweight attacking
armoury. Chamakh was involved all game until he was taken off with 28
minutes left — unlike Remy who waited and waited and waited in vain for his
next opportunity. On the plus side, Chamakh had a point-blank header saved
superbly by Man of the Match Julio Cesar in the R's goal. He also busied
himself in the box and should have won a penalty when Shaun Derry handled
while under pressure from Chamakh in the box.

Sadly, he also took to a bit of theatricals, going down under minimal
contact from Shaun Wright-Phillips moments later in a cynical ploy to try to
hoodwink ref Howard Webb, who did not have his best day at work. While the
Rangers fans will be toasting their new arrival, Redknapp will have noted
yet another sterling performance from one of his old soldiers — Ryan Nelsen.
The Kiwi centre-half is 35 — but has played more than four hours of football
this week without complaint. West Ham made the breakthrough with 22 minutes
left with a mass assault on Cesar's goal. Following much hesitancy, the ball
fell to Matt Jarvis who fired in a cross and, after Cesar pushed it clear,
Cole pounced.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, O'Brien, Noble, Diame, Joe
Cole, Nolan (Vaz Te 88), Jarvis, Chamakh (Carlton Cole 62). Subs Not Used:
Spiegel, Collison, Taylor, Diarra, Potts. Booked: Tomkins. Goals: Joe Cole
68.
QPR: Julio Cesar, Onuoha, Nelsen, Hill, Da Silva, Derry, Mbia, Mackie
(Bothroyd 67), Taarabt (Park 82), Wright-Phillips (Traore 58), Remy. Subs
Not Used: Green, Ferdinand, Hoilett, Faurlin. Goals: Remy 14.
Att: 34,962
Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire).

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