Daily WHUFC News - 22nd January 2013

Chamakh satisfied with home debut
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's on-loan striker was content with his contribution in
Saturday's draw with QPR
21.01.2013

It was a case of mixed emotions for Marouane Chamakh after making his full
West Ham United debut in the 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw with Queens
Park Rangers. The Moroccan frontman more than played his part in a dominant
attacking display, and but for the heroics of goalkeeper Julio Cesar, the
Arsenal loanee would surely have been celebrating his first Hammers goal.
Though it wasn't to be, Chamakh was still satisfied with a good afternoon's
work, confident his fortune in front of goal will turn sooner rather than
later. "I think it was a good debut, from a personal point of view," he
confirmed. "But we've basically lost two points because two goals would have
enabled us to win the game at home, against a rival for survival. There you
go, it's a shame because we had a lot of chances and we dominated the game.
"In view of how the game panned out, it's good to take a point, because we
fell behind. From then on, we really pushed forward. They had to do a lot of
defending and they defended very well. "At the end, I think with perhaps
about ten minutes left, we gave everything to win the game. So, we gave it
our all and so I think, overall, both teams had to settle for the draw."

Chamakh, who might have been awarded a first-half penalty for Clint Hill's
challenge, was twice denied by the smart reactions of QPR stopper Cesar, and
he admits the hard-luck story is a case of déjà vu. "It's becoming a
familiar feeling [in front of goal]," Chamakh explained. "He [Cesar] has
made two great saves against me, which is a shame, but it happens and
hopefully they'll go in next time."

The former Bordeaux forward will now have to wait a little longer to break
his Barclays Premier League duck this season, with the Hammers set to take
on his parent club at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. But despite being
ineligible for the midweek clash, the 29-year-old had some choice words of
wisdom for his teammates. "I don't know if I necessarily have any secrets
[about Arsenal]," he added. "The players will have to produce something
pretty good over there. They're going to play with their hearts and their
heads and they'll have to give everything to bring us back at least a
point."

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FA Youth Cup action at the Boleyn!
WHUFC.com
West Ham United host Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Youth Cup fourth round on
Tuesday
21.01.2013

Steve Potts says his West Ham United youngsters will be ready for action
when they host Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Youth Cup fourth round on Tuesday
evening. The Hammers welcome their local rivals to the Boleyn Ground for a
mouth-watering London derby, with a home tie with Bolton Wanderers up for
grabs for the winners. Under-18s manager Potts, who guided his side to a 1-0
Barclays U18 Premier League Tier One Stage victory over Spurs in his first
and only game in charge on 12 January, says everyone involved is looking
forward to the match. "I'm looking forward to it, as the boys are,"
confirmed Potts. "It's a nice occasion for them in the FA Youth Cup. If you
speak to any ex-players or present players, they will look back on the Youth
Cup with fond memories of it. Hopefully our boys will have the same after
the game. "I don't think the league game will have any bearing whatsoever, I
really don't. I think you will see a couple of sides with totally different
make-ups in terms of team selection and, even if they were the same eleven
against the same Spurs eleven, I'd still have the same opinion."

Potts has a near fully-fit squad to pick from on Tuesday, with only England
U18 defender Leo Chambers and goalkeeper Sam Baxter missing through injury,
while midfielder Declan Hunt is on loan at Blue Square Bet Premier club
Braintree Town. While the U18s manager admitted Chambers will be a big miss,
he has backed his players to make up for his absence. "Leo is obviously a
really good player and I'm sure, from his point of view, it's really
frustrating because he would have featured in the first team this year -
that's how highly the club rate him. Unfortunately, he has got a thigh
injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season but hopefully he'll
come back stronger next season. The rest of the lads are all fit. "It'll be
nice for me to manager at the Boleyn Ground, but it's all about the boys.
Hopefully they can put a good performance on and do themselves justice and
get a positive result."

Should his players not perform to their maximum, Potts knows from personal
experience that the FA Youth Cup can be a great leveller. In January 1985,
Potts was part of a team that also contained Kevin Keen and Paul Ince that
travelled to Swindon Town for a third-round tie, only for the Robins to
shock the Hammers to the tune of a 4-1 defeat. "I remember in my playing
days, we had a good team but we went to Swindon Town away and came unstuck
that year. It was one of those games which has always been in the back of my
mind thinking 'How did that happen?', but it did. We quite fancied our
chances that year and it just shows you that, even at youth level, you can't
take anything for granted."

The former West Ham captain and Hammer of the Year will have prepared his
players and warned them to guard against a similar result when Tottenham
visit on Tuesday evening. Kick-off at the Boleyn Ground is at 7pm, with
admission charged at £3 Adults and £1 Concessions. The car park will be
open, but with a large crowd expected, supporters travelling by car should
arrive early to avoid disappointment. The Stadium Superstore will also be
staying open late so any fans hoping to stock up on Hammers merchandise
ahead of the game can pop in!

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Cole targets more goals
WHUFC.com
Saturday scorer Joe Cole is aiming to put the ball in the net for West Ham
United on a regular basis
21.01.2013

Joe Cole is enjoying his football with West Ham United - but he would be
enjoying it even more if the Hammers had beaten Queens Park Rangers on
Saturday.
The No26 capped an impressive individual performance with the Hammers'
equaliser in a 1-1 Barclays Premier League draw with the Hoops at the Boleyn
Ground. However, with West Ham dominating proceedings from start to finish,
Cole insisted his goal should not have been the only one he and his
team-mates were able to celebrate. "It was a game we should have won. We had
a lot of possession and put a lot of crosses in the box but credit to QPR
because they defended strongly. "It's two points dropped, but we'll try to
take the positives. It's another draw and a point on the board and we'll go
to Arsenal on Wednesday in full spirits knowing that we put in a good
performance on Saturday. "I think 38 points will probably be enough this
year [to stay up]. Like I said, you can only perform well and sometimes
things don't fall for you - you have balls coming off people's backsides and
that. "It was a good performance I thought from the team, strong and
together. It was good to have Joey O'Brien back from injury as well, and Mo
Diame, of course. We looked strong."

While he was naturally frustrated not to finish on the winning side, the
England international was pleased to score his first goal in claret and blue
since netting in a 2-2 Premier League draw with Newcastle United at the
Boleyn Ground on 11 January 2003. It was nice to score. I know we're going
to put a lot of crosses in and it's up to me to try to get on the end of
things. It was good and, of course, the main thing was to get a point and
keep us moving forward and getting points on the board. "It's always nice to
score any goal. When you have days like that in football, you just have to
try and enjoy them. I'm happy and playing with a smile on my face."

"Playing in that position a bit further forward out wide, you have got to
score goals. Myself and Matt Jarvis are working on getting in the box and
scoring more goals. "I thought it was a good, strong team performance and we
bounced back from a poor performance last week [at Sunderland]." Cole has
made a fine start to his second spell in east London, conjuring two assists
for James Collins in an FA Cup with Budweiser third-round draw with
Manchester United before netting his first goal -and 14th for the club in
total - on Saturday. Despite his encouraging opening, however, the
midfielder insists he is not yet up to 100 per cent in terms of
match-fitness. "I felt a bit stronger. It's just about getting my body
hardened to playing 90 minutes again. It's nice to have an effect on games.
I have played three games now and I've had an effect on them. "It's good and
I'm enjoying it - I'm enjoying my football and that's the main thing. I'm
just settling in and all I want to do is be part of a good team and a good
bunch of lads, help my team to win and enjoy my football - that's all I
want."

One thing Cole would certainly enjoy is a victory at Arsenal in Wednesday's
rearranged Barclays Premier League fixture at the Emirates Stadium. The
31-year-old has yet to taste victory in five career appearances for the
Hammers against the Gunners. But with Arsene Wenger's men coming into the
game having lost back-to-back league games to Manchester City and Chelsea,
Cole is confident West Ham can pick up a positive result in north London.
"We'll go to Arsenal to win the game. We have done it before as West Ham.
We've just got to go there and frustrate them because they have got great
footballers - your Jack Wilsheres, your Theo Walcotts and people like that.
"We'll go there and try to stifle them a little bit and we'll always be a
threat from set pieces, so we'll go and have a go. "If we keep performing
like we did on Saturday, then I think we'll win games."

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Wenger gunning for three points
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Arsenal's under-pressure manager Arsene Wenger insists his team must take
all three points when West Ham United visit the Emirates on Wednesday
evening.
Wenger, whose position has come under intense scrutiny in recent months
following some disappointing results is under pressure to get a result
against Sam Allardyce's side in the re-scheduled fixture that was originally
planned for Boxing Day but postponed due to strike action. Speaking earlier
today, the 63-year-old Frenchman said: "It is vital for us. We are in a
position where you are of course concerned by where we are. It's very
difficult to accept because you feel there is a lot of quality in the team
but football is about efficiency and spirit of efficiency. "You cannot test
the water and then decide what you do. We have to start with full cylinders
from the first minute. The quality is there. I always hope that it will
strengthen the belief of our team. At the moment we have a battle on that
front and hopefully we'll sort that out very quickly."

Having been beaten at Chelsea last weekend, the Gunners - with just one win
from their last five outings - have seen their chances of Champions League
qualification slip further away. And like his manager Wenger, striker Theo
Walcott also believes that nothing less than a win against United is
acceptable. There are a lot of teams that have got stronger this year, so we
need to step on the gas," he told Arsenal's website. "We don't want to be
playing catch-up. We want to get points on the board as soon as possible. We
have a tough game at home against West Ham, so we need to be ready. It is a
massive game, we have home support and we need to start clocking up points
there. We have been hot and cold at home of late, so we must be very
positive and if we show the commitment that we did in the second half [at
Chelsea] we should be fine."

Meanwhile Sam Allardyce will be attempting to stop the rot as far as West
Ham's recent poor away form is concerned - and he insisted that squad
rotation is the answer. "I'll change the team and might change the formation
and use the squad to its full potential," he said. "The reason we dominated
the game against QPR so much is that only three of the players that played
in the previous game at Manchester United started."

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Paulista ready to stick the boot in
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st January 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's latest recruit, Brazilian forward Wellington Paulista,
says he hopes to make his debut for the club against Arsenal on Wednesday
evening.
The Irons travel to north London on Wednesday night in order to play the
fixture, originally scheduled for Boxing Day, which was cancelled due to a
strike by members of trade union ASLEF. And the 29-year-old, who was a
surprise arrival at the Boleyn Ground earlier this month says that he hopes
the game will mark his first appearance in a West Ham shirt. "I'm working
hard to regain fitness and I hope to make my debut for West Ham in the game
against Arsenal," he said. "I'm really looking forward to playing and
scoring goals. "The pressure of playing in the Premier League will be no
problem for me. I'm used to that in Brazil, where the crowd is also
passionate about the club."

Paulista will remain with West Ham for the rest of the current campaign.
Should he impress sufficiently, United are understood to hold the option of
signing the Cruzeiro player on a permanent, three-year contract.

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Transfer latest: 21st January
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 21st January 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United are keeping an eye on the progress of Ghanaian international
Samuel Inkoom, according to reports. BBC sports correspondant Dan Roan has
linked the Irons with a move for the Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk right back, who
can also play in the centre of defence and as a wing-back. Still only 23,
Inkoom moved from Swiss club Basle to the Ukrainian Premier League club two
years ago this month in a $10million (USD) deal but has long been unsettled
in Eastern Europe due to issues both on and off the field. Speaking to
goal.com at the end of 2011, he said: "Things are not easy for me here and
some ugly things have happened. I had problems with our coach, Juande Ramos,
who would not let me leave to join the Ghana national team and threatened to
sign another winger-defender if I were to go."

Elsewhere Talksport are convinced that Spanish club Espanyol are "leading
the chase" to sign Alou Diarra. The French international, who has only just
returned to action having barely featured for United since signing for the
club last summer is on the periphery at the Boleyn Ground and could be
allowed to leave, should the right offer be made. The radio station are also
linking West Ham with a £3.5million move for 20-year-old Nancy left back
Massadio Haidara, after the club reached a stalemate with Blackburn over
their pursuit of Swedish international Martin Olsson.

Back to potential arrivals and the situation regarding Sam Allardyce target
Nicolas Anelka remains in the balance. Rumours that a deal had been struck
with the former French international, now 33, began to circulate late last
week although nothing concrete has been confirmed as of yet. This particular
saga could yet prove to be one for the transfer deadline day aficionados.

Following the recent arrival of Wellington Paulista, another South American
said to be interesting West Ham is Paraguayan international Richard Ortiz.
22-year-old Ortiz, a left-footer who currently features for Asuncion-based
Olimpia in Paraguay's Primera Division is predominantly a central midfielder
but also has some experience of playing as a wing back. Paraguay's Cardinal
Channel insist that the player, who is entering the final year of his
contract with his current club, could be on his way to east London on loan.

Finally for today, former Hammer Julien Faubert could be set for a return to
his native France having had his contract with Turkish side Elazigspor
ripped up. The 29-year-old parted company with his new club just six months
into his contract and is hoping to secure a move back to Bordeaux, with whom
he has been training recently.

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West Ham midfielder criticises Allardyce and says he needs to get out now
Posted by SPORT WITNESS on January 22, 2013 at 8:22 in Sport Witness
Football
.
French newspaper L'Equipe today have reported in their newspaper edition
(see left) that West Ham United defender Alou Diarra wants to get out of the
club as he sees it as impossible to break in the first team because of the
current manager Sam Allardyce.

The French international, who only arrived at the Premier League club in the
summer from Marseille, said that he wants a real challenge after he failed
to hold down a regular spot in the team. The player isn't concerned about
remaining in the Premier League and is quite happy to move to another
country to find first team football. Diarra stated that he is fully aware
that clubs have approached West Ham United in recent weeks with regards to
signing him.

The defensive midfielder says he is now at breaking point and needs to get
out of the club and that signing for somebody else will be a lot better than
staying with his current side.

"Yes, I want to go. I am positively at breaking point. Today, I want a real
challenge, and I will not get it at West Ham. With the current head coach of
the team, it is impossible. He won't tell me directly, but I'm not fooled.
It does not matter to me. I have to go. Some clubs have approached West Ham.
I'm not afraid to change Championships. It will always be better than here.

"In all the clubs I passed through, I still had discussions with the coach
to know what he expected of me, how the team plays, my positioning, etc..
Since my arrival, I never spoke with the manager. Everyday is 'bonjour, au
revoir'. No dialogue, no explanation."

There's no mistaking how serious Diarra is about leaving West Ham United and
he's clearly not happy with Sam Allardyce. Perhaps there are problems with
dialogue given the language barrier but, whoever the person at fault is,
Diarra sounds like he's already waiting for his taxi.

Last week Le10 in France said that he was on the verge of a loan move to
Spain.

A move to Espanyol would make the Barcelona side the eleventh club of
Diarra's career and according to Le10 (see left) the London team have
started already talks with their La Liga counterparts about the possibility
of a loan move for the player.

Whilst Diarra has seen his domestic career go from club to club and styled
himself as something of a journeyman, he's usually impressed France national
team coaches and has represented his country just under 50 times, that also
includes several appearances as captain.

Sam Allardyce clearly hasn't been a big fan since bringing him to the club
and he's only started one game in the Premier League and not got many
chances as a substitute.

Le10 say negotiations continue between the Premier League team and Espanyol
and a move is possible before the end of the winter transfer window.

This is a move that truly hasn't worked out for either player or club.

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West Ham linked with Ghana defender Samuel Inkoom
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
January 21, 2013 8:34pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham United are weighing up a move for Ghana
defender Samuel Inkoom. Upton Park boss Sam Allardyce has admitted defensive
reinforcements are his top priority in the January transfer window. And
Dnipro's Inkoom, who is not at the Africa Cup of Nations, figures highly on
the Hammers' wanted list, with his agent confirming there is plenty of
interest. Christian Emile said: "It's true. Last summer, a Premier League
club and Sporting Lisbon did put forward an offer for Inkoom. However, an
agreement was not reached." He added: "During this window, there has been a
lot of interest shown in Samuel across Europe so we are considering things
carefully."

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Marouane Chamakh - A Good Addition!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

The QPR match saw Marouane Chamakh start for the first time. My previous
impression of Marouane Chamakh was that he is a strong and mobile centre
foward, with good ability in the air and link up play. Both of thoses
attributes were displayed on Saturday, with Chamakh intelligently holding
the ball up and bringing teams mates in to play. Similarly, he looked strong
and assured in ariel challenges and should have scored with a least one
headed effort, which the QPR keeper did exceptionally well to save.
Moreover, at times, he looked a real handful for the QPR defenders and
should have won a penalty when Hill and Wright-Phillips combined to man
handle him and bring him down in the box.

In my view, Chamakh had a useful game and on another day would have scored.
In many ways, he shared the fustrations of his team, in a match when West
Ham could very have easily won 4-1 or 5-1. There was clearly misfortune
involved, but we must also remember that Chamakh has only played for Arsenal
approximately 3 times this season. So, there are fitness levels to raise and
a game to sharpen in the coming weeks. We might also do well to recall that,
not so long ago, this was a striker whose goals were key in winning a French
title and who was also a regular scorer in the Champions League. Finally, it
is clear that Chamakh's style of play is better suited to Allardyce's West
Ham than Wenger's Arsenal. And hopefully, he wil demonstrate that in the
coming matches with a return in goals!

The signing of Joe Cole has been inspired. He has looked both energetic and
skilled on the ball. Against QPR, Cole was everywhere, constantly seeking
the ball and orchastrating West Ham's play in the final third. Those who
thought Joe Cole a spend force are being proven totally wrong. As long as we
can keep hm fit and playing, Joe Cole's addition to the squad is a massive
bonus for the club. Chamakh's aquisition, could similarly come to be seen as
another good bit of business by Allardyce.

It will also be interesting to see what Wellington Paulista has to offer.
Allardyce has been much more cautious about his introduction to PL action,
although the player, himself, has stated that he hoped to see action against
Arsenal on Wednesday evening. The probablity is that he will be gradually
introduced from the bench. Most of us have seen the U-Tube clips of his
goals and he looks mobile, able to strike the ball well and finish chances
in and around the box. Apparently, he can play wide or through the middle as
a central striker, so he is adaptable and gives us potential options. He is
also an unknown quanity to PL defences and might be able to take advantage
of that fact.

Lets give Wellington Paulista a chance to see what he can do. If it does not
work out, then so be it, but there is also the possibilit that he could
surprise a few people. Remember another 28/29 year old Brazilian striker,
with a mixed record, that Zola signed. A certain Ilan, whose goals were
instrumental in us avoiding relegation that season. If Paulista makes a
similar impact, even for only half a season, no one will be complaining!

The 'Anelka to West Ham' rumours continue to circulate. However, Sam
Allardyce, in a recent interview, indicated that forwards were off the
agenda, for the remainder of the window, as he concentrated on strengthening
his defence. It appears that Rovers are digging ther heels in over the fee
for Martin Olsson, which is their right. A £4m fee should clinch the deal,
although Rovers are currently talking about a £6-7m Valuation. We need to
keep a watch on that potential deal, its one that could go right to the
wire.The club should also be in the market for a centre-half and a goal
keeper. There was talk of signing Rovers keeper, Robinson, but nothing has
materialised as yet.

It was two points lost against QPR, but the team showed us enough to suggest
that they will soon get back to winning ways! I certainly have no fears
about a relegation struggle this season. For me, it is whether we 'tread
water' in mid-table or manage to put in a run of results to guarantee a good
top ten finish. If I were a betting person, I would gamble on the latter
being th case.

SJ. Chandos.

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Big Sam: I won't Nic striker
The Sun
Published: 21st January 2013

SAM ALLARDYCE has ruled out bringing Nicolas Anelka to West Ham. French ace
Anelka is available for transfer at Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
But Big Sam insists the striker will not be heading to Upton Park — as the
Hammers are focused on signing up defensive reinforcements. The West Ham
boss 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 Paulista."

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