Daily WHUFC News - 24th January 2013

Demel seals new Hammers deal
WHUFC.com
Ivory Coast full-back Guy Demel agrees a new deal to keep him at the club
until 2015
23.01.2013

West Ham United are delighted to confirm that defender Guy Demel has
committed his future to the Hammers with a deal that will see him prolong
his stay at the Boleyn Ground until the summer of 2015. Though injuries
tainted his first season with the club, Demel started each of West Ham's
final seven outings, as Sam Allardyce's side clinched promotion back to the
Barclays Premier League. That momentum has seen the right-back feature 17
times this term and it seems he is thoroughly enjoying his football in east
London. "It's really good for me and I'm really happy to have a new deal
with West Ham," he told West Ham TV. "I've had a good year this season, and
even last year was good, despite the fact that I was injured for so long and
struggled a bit. I'm happy to be at West Ham and in the team. The lads are
really good with me as are the people working for the club. I hope I will
stay that long to play in the new stadium as well.
"Last year was kind of difficult because when I signed, I had pre-season,
and then unfortunately I got injured really quickly and it was hard to come
back afterwards. "But right now I feel good. I had a pre-season, we worked
hard and I have to thank the medical staff for the job they have done with
me. I feel good and I'm quite happy with what I'm doing right now, but I
know that I can do even more."

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Big Sam 'stunned' by Arsenal setback
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce admitted a ten-minute second-half spell had cost his side dear
at the Emirates Stadium
23.01.2013

Sam Allardyce admitted a slow start to the second half had cost his West Ham
United side dear in their 5-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at Arsenal on
Wednesday. The Hammers weathered an early Gunners storm before taking the
lead through Jack Collison's 18th-minute shot - his first of the season.
However, Lukas Podolski equalised within four minutes with an
equally-impressive left-foot shot. West Ham re-grouped and were only denied
a half-time lead when Carlton Cole's shot was cleared off the line by Jack
Wilshere. The opening ten minutes of the second half was a different story,
however, as Podolski laid on three of Arsenal's four goals during an amazing
blitz. Olivier Giroud scored Arsenal's second and fifth either side smart
finishes from Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott as the home side ripped the
Hammers to shreds with wave after wave of lightning attacks. The visitors'
misery was compounded by the loss of young defender Dan Potts to concussion,
with the teenager receiving ten minutes of treatment on the pitch before
being stretchered off and taken by ambulance to hospital. Big Sam admitted
the horror show immediately after the break had undone all the hard work
done before the break.

"We nearly made it 2-1 to us when Carlton Cole nipped in behind the Arsenal
and I thought he was going to get that one in the back of the net," said the
manager. "He beat the keeper but they managed to clear it off the line. "I'm
just stunned by what happened at the start of the second half because we
were so comfortable from a defensive point of view. Arsenal were having a
huge amount of possession, as you expect from them here, but their chances
were few and far between. Podiolski had to hit an unbelievable shot to score
and the only other chance, Joey O'Brien cleared off the line. "From nearly
going in 2-1 up, we came out for the second half and didn't start very well.
Walcott got straight down the right-hand side from the kick-off, which we
didn't let him do in the entire first half, and that put us under pressure.
"Another thing happened that I never expected was them scoring from a
corner. That lifted Arsenal and they got to their brilliant best and we
couldn't live with them for ten minutes, and in that ten minutes they scored
four goals. "At the end of the day, when their players were flying like they
were, you have got to be good in terms of your resilience at that time and
we couldn't find the resilience to cope with their brilliance. They were on
top form for that particular spell and were clinical in their finishing.
Because they were clinical is why they scored the goals they did and won so
comfortably."

One positive was the sight of Collison scoring his first goal since last
season's Play-Off semi-final first-leg victory at Cardiff City in May 2012.
On scoring, the No10 raced to celebrate with Head of Sports Medicine Andy
Rolls, who oversaw the midfielder's return to action last month after six
months on the sidelines.
"It was a very good goal, too, a left-foot volley from the edge of the box
after a corner. It put us a goal in front, and it is a while since that has
happened away from home but we couldn't hold on to that too long."

The manager also confirmed that Potts would stay in hospital overnight for
observation after suffering his second concussion in the space of a little
more than six months. The left-back also spent a night in hospital after
suffering mild concussion following a clash of heads in a pre-season match
at Southend United last July. "Dan Potts has got a severe concussion. We
hope that is all it is. He has gone off to hospital and will be under
observation at the hospital for however long to get him round and get him
home."

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Arsenal 5 West Ham 1
23 January 2013
By Gary Rose
BBC Sport

Arsenal produced a scintillating attacking display to record a first league
win of 2013 in emphatic fashion with victory against West Ham. But an
entertaining game was marred by an injury to West Ham's Dan Potts. Jack
Collison volleyed West Ham ahead but Lukas Podolski equalised from distance
as Arsenal took control. Olivier Giroud poked in and Santi Cazorla's
back-heel made it 3-1. Theo Walcott then fired in from a counter before
Giroud side-footed home. There was concern for West Ham towards the end of
the second half when 18-year-old substitute Potts needed lengthy treatment
on the pitch before he was stretchered off. Back in April 2007, West Ham
became the first side to beat Arsenal at Emirates Stadium when a solitary
Bobby Zamora strike gave them a 1-0 victory. For a brief spell, it looked as
though a repeat of that scoreline might have been on the cards when the
Hammers took an 18th minute lead courtesy of a fine strike by Collison. A
corner was only cleared as far as the edge of the Arsenal area where
Collison charged in to smash a half-volley beyond a stranded Wojciech
Szczesny.

Barely four minutes later an equally stunning strike from Podolski drew
Arsenal level as Jack Wilshere found the German in space around 25 yards
from goal and he drove the ball into the bottom-right corner of Jussi
Jaaskelainen's goal. Play continued to swing from one end to the other after
that and a tremendous burst of pace from Theo Walcott should have brought
Arsenal's second, but his cross was cleared by James Tomkins. Arsenal were
piling on the pressure and had another great opportunity midway through the
half when a lovely move ended with Podolski prodding a shot towards goal but
Joey O'Brien was well placed to clear off the line. Aaron Ramsey then did
likewise at the other end of the pitch when the Welshman lashed Carlton
Cole's goalbound effort away to safety after the West Ham striker had peeled
away from the Arsenal defence. Barely two minutes into the second half and
Arsenal were ahead. Walcott sent a corner towards the near post and Giroud
ghosted in to stab a volley into the net. From then on Arsenal were rampant
and for the next 10 minutes almost every attack resulted in a goal. First,
Giroud and Podolski combined to set up Cazorla, who cheekily back-heeled the
ball beyond Jaaskelainen and just one minute later Walcott was picked out at
the far post by Podoloski's low cross and he rifled the ball home. A stunned
West Ham conceded a fifth just before the hour when Giroud poked in from
Wilshere's ball.

Much to West Ham's undoubted relief, the pace of the game settled down after
that, although Arsenal often looked capable of adding another goal whenever
they attacked. There was a break in play midway through the second half when
Potts took a heavy knock and needed treatment for 10 minutes before he was
stretched off the pitch. By that stage, West Ham had used all their
substitutes, meaning they had to play the remainder of the match with 10
men.
Due to the earlier injury to Potts, 12 minutes of injury time were needed
after the 90 minutes were up and unsurprisingly Arsenal dominated with the
man advantage. Substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saw a shot blocked, before
Cazorla's effort was tipped wide by Jaaskelainen, but no further goals were
forthcoming before the final whistle.

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Sam Allardyce denies Football Association misconduct charge
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has denied a Football Association misconduct
charge over his comments to the media following his side's 1-0 FA Cup defeat
to Manchester United. Allardyce said the decision to deny his side a penalty
at Old Trafford, but award one to Sir Alex Ferguson's side, was down to home
advantage. Wayne Rooney missed the second-half spot-kick but Allardyce was
angered at the decision to award it. He has requested a personal hearing.
The FA confirmed in a statement: "West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has
denied an FA charge of misconduct in relation to media comments. "It is
alleged Allardyce questioned the integrity of the match referee and/or match
officials in general, and/or implied that the match referee and/or match
officials in general were motivated by bias; and/or brought the game into
disrepute. "Allardyce has requested a personal hearing, the date of which
will be set in due course."

West Ham were denied a penalty when the ball struck defender Rafael's arm,
before the hosts were awarded one when Jordan Spence handled late on.
"You see it time and time again at Old Trafford," Allardyce said at the end
of the match. "There's no doubt about the difference between Rafael's
handball and Jordan Spence's. Spence plays for West Ham and the away team,
while Rafael plays for the home side at Old Trafford."

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Potts rushed to hospital
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd January 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United defender Danny Potts has been taken straight to hospital
after taking a blow during tonight's Premier League clash with Arsenal. The
19-year-old left back had been on the field for just seven minutes, having
replaced West Ham's goalscorer Jack Collison before taking what appeared to
be an elbow to the face by an Arsenal player. Although there was nothing to
suggest that it was anything other than accidental, Potts was left crumpled
in a heap and remained on the ground for a further nine minutes as concerned
medical staff attended to him. Thereafter, the son of former Hammer Steve
Potts was taken straight from the field into a waiting ambulance - a period
during which he remained unconscious the entire time. Although Potts is
reported to have gained consciousness, he is still being taken to hospital
for tests and treatment. We'll bring you more news as it is announced. West
Ham, down to ten men having used all their substitutes are currently losing
5-1.

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Allardyce denies misconduct charge
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has denied an FA misconduct charge relating to comments he
made about Phil Dowd following West Ham United's FA Cup exit at Old
Trafford.
Referee Dowd failed to award West Ham a blatant penalty before awarding the
home side a spot kick in almost identical circumstances later in the game -
a situation that left Allardyce raging after the final whistle. Choosing his
words carefully during an interview with ITV, Allardyce said: "There's no
doubt whatsoever about the difference between Rafael's hand ball and Jordan
Spence's. Jordan Spence plays for West Ham away at Man United and Rafael
plays at home at Old Trafford. It's got to be that simple when you see it."

Those comments were enough for the FA to hit the Hammers boss with a
misconduct charge - one which Allardyce has now denied. As a result, he has
requested a personal hearing with the FA. A short staement on the FA's
website read: "It is alleged Allardyce questioned the integrity of the match
referee and/or match officials in general, and/or implied that the match
referee and/or match officials in general were motivated by bias; and/or
brought the game into disrepute in contravention of Rule E3(1)."

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New deal for Demel
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 23rd January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Full-back Guy Demel has signed a new contract with West Ham United. The
31-year-old former Hamburg SV defender intially signed a two-year contract
with an option for a further year in August 2011. And West Ham confirmed
this morning that they have opted to enforce that option which means the
French-born former Ivorian international will now remain at the club until
the summer of 2014. Speaking to westham.tv, Demel said: "It's really good
for me and I'm really happy to have a new deal with West Ham. I've had a
good year this season, and even last year was good, despite the fact that I
was injured for so long and struggled a bit. "I'm happy to be at West Ham
and in the team. The lads are really good with me as are the people working
for the club. I hope I will stay that long to play in the new stadium as
well. "Last year was kind of difficult because when I signed, I had
pre-season, and then unfortunately I got injured really quickly and it was
hard to come back afterwards. But right now I feel good. "I had a
pre-season, we worked hard and I have to thank the medical staff for the job
they have done with me. I'm quite happy with what I'm doing right now, but I
know that I can do even more."

News of Demel's extended contract comes hot on the heels of fellow
right-back Joey O'Brien's decision to sign an new deal with the club last
week.

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Paris Saint Germain youngster Adrian Rabiot is wanted by a number English
clubs
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 23,
2013 6:08pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands a number of Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on
Paris Saint Germain starlet Adrien Rabiot. The 17-year-old midfielder has
already made his senior debut for PSG as he was promoted to the first-team
squad by coach Carlo Ancelotti this summer. The player's progress has not
gone unnoticed across the Channel, and it is believed a number of clubs are
keeping tabs on his situation. The French Under-19 international is
understood to be keen to secure more first-team football and that could be
available to him England - whether that be on loan or a permanent deal. The
likes of West Brom, West Ham and Newcastle are being linked with a move for
the player, who spent time with Manchester City as a youth.

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Olivier Giroud nets brace as Arsenal thump West Ham 5-1
Last Updated: January 23, 2013 10:10pm
SSN

Olivier Giroud netted a brace as Arsenal scored four goals in 10 second-half
minutes to inspire a 5-1 thumping of West Ham in Wednesday evening's Premier
League London derby.

Two superb long-range shots in the first half at Emirates Stadium saw the
Hammers take the lead through Jack Collison in the aftermath of a corner
before Lukas Podolski responded in kind to level the scores before the break
with a powerful drive from 25 yards.

Arsenal then burst into life early in the second half, with Giroud's double
sandwiching strikes from Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott to send Arsene
Wenger's men cruising to an emphatic win which cements their spot in sixth
place to give their UEFA Champions League hopes a welcome boost.

The first half-chance of the evening fell to West Ham in the eighth minute
when Ricardo Vaz Te got his head to Guy Demel's ball in but could not direct
his shot towards goal, then Arsenal responded as Cazorla tried his luck with
a long-range effort that was always rising.

The breakthrough came after 16 minutes and went the Hammers' way despite a
spell of Arsenal pressure. There was a hairy moment for Wojciech Szczesny as
Matthew Taylor's volleyed effort landed on the roof of his net and West Ham
earned two corners in quick succession. The second was poorly dealt with by
Giroud, allowing Collison to blast home a sizzling strike from the edge of
the box.

It took Arsenal barely four minutes to respond as Podolski came back with a
long-range effort of his own. The Germany international pounced on a deft
pass from Jack Wilshere to hammer the ball into the net from 25 yards and
level the scores at 1-1.

Podolski came close again after some brilliant build-up play from the hosts;
Giroud slipping him through on goal and the winger skilfully avoiding James
Tomkins' challenge only to see his shot cleared off the line by Joey
O'Brien.

At the other end, the Hammers were denied a huge chance to go ahead when
Aaron Ramsey slid in with a crucial last-ditch block to see off Carlton
Cole's flick over Szczesny.

Arsenal hinted at what turned out to be a sensational second half early on
after the restart when Walcott nearly forced an own goal from Tomkins, then
moments later Giroud had stretched the Gunners' lead with his first of the
night, greeting a corner with a precise left-footed shot to leave
Jaaskelainen with no chance.

That strike triggered an Arsenal onslaught that spanned 10 exhilarating
minutes. Cazorla followed up Giroud's goal as he deftly backheeled in from
close range after a lovely one-two between Giroud and Podolski. The German
was then involved again as he charged down the right to feed Walcott with a
pinpoint cross and the winger made no mistake slotting home.

Giroud added his second after some more good work from Podolski, once again
released by Wilshere in midfield, as he poked home the winger's cross to
leave West Ham floundering at 5-1 down.

Allardyce made changes as he attempted damage control, introducing Alou
Diarra and Dan Potts in a double swap, while Podolski and Giroud made way
for Andre Santos and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after dynamic displays which
earned them warm farewells from the Emirates home crowd. There was more bad
news for the Hammers soon after those changes as Potts went to ground after
an unfortunate collision and required lengthy treatment on the pitch before
eventually being stretchered off to applause from all around the ground.

That exit left the atmosphere understandably subdued and while Arsenal could
not recapture their goalscoring sparkle of the early minutes of the opening
half, they continued to look comfortable as 12 minutes of stoppage time were
added as a result of Potts' injury. Oxlade-Chamberlain was denied by a brave
charge from Jaaskelainen as the minutes trickled down and Cazorla had two
chances to stretch Arsenal's lead further in the dying minutes but West Ham
managed to hold off any more humiliation.

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West Ham's Dan Potts to stay in hospital for observation after injury
BBC.co.uk

West Ham defender Dan Potts will spend the night in hospital after suffering
suspected concussion in Wednesday's 5-1 defeat by Arsenal, Hammers manager
Sam Allardyce confirmed. Potts, 18, appeared to suffer a clash of heads in
the second half and was carried off the pitch after a lengthy spell of
treatment.
"Hopefully it is concussion and nothing more than that," said Allardyce. "He
had not regained consciousness by the time he was taken off."

Dan Potts factfile
Born: 13 April, 1994
West Ham (2011-present) nine appearances
Colchester (2012-13, loan) five appearances

Potts replaced Jack Collison in the 62nd minute and 10 minutes later he
appeared to clash heads with Bacary Sagna before landing awkwardly. He was
treated on the pitch for around 10 minutes, and Allardyce confirmed Potts
was speaking before he was taken off the pitch. He added: "The clash of
heads initially knocked him out and he hit the floor as a dead weight and I
think that is what the problem was. "He hadn't spoken when he came off the
field. He spoke about some things that they asked him on the pitch but they
were not the correct answers so that is how we knew he was concussed. He was
communicating but was obviously confused. "He is in observation tonight but
you don't know with these things, only X-rays will tell if anything else is
wrong, but hopefully it is just concussion. "We will do everything in our
power to make sure he has a quick recovery."

Potts came through West Ham's youth system before making his senior debut in
December 2011 - a 1-0 victory against Barnsley. Earlier this season he had a
spell on loan at Colchester, playing five games for the League One club.
Potts is the son of former West Ham defender Steve, who made almost 400
appearances for the club between 1985 and 2002.

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Potts to remain in hospital 'for observation'
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Danny Potts will remain in hospital overnight after he was left unconscious
for more than 15 minutes following a collision with Arsenal defender Bacary
Sagna.
The second half substitute was stretchered off having received medical
attention on the pitch for nine minutes in the second half of tonight's game
at the Emirates, which United lost 5-1. Fortunately, he appears to escaped
serious injury - as explained by Sam Allardyce tonight. "Dan Potts has got a
severe concussion," he told the press. "We hope that is all it is. "When
you hit the floor like that it might be a problem; he hit the floor as a
dead weight. He was out for a few seconds and he wasn't fully conscious when
he came off. We were concerned at how long it took. "He has gone off to
hospital and will be under observation for however long [necessary] to get
him round and get him home."

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce hopes Dan Potts' head injury is not serious
Last Updated: January 24, 2013 12:15am
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says teenage defender Dan Potts will be kept
in hospital under observation overnight after suffering a head injury in the
5-1 defeat to Arsenal. There was a lengthy lull in play in the second half
of the Premier League clash as substitute Potts received treatment on the
pitch after a collision left him unconscious on the ground, with 12 minutes'
injury time subsequently added. Allardyce says the 18-year-old will be kept
under observation after being stretchered from the pitch and taken to
hospital. He told Sky Sports: "He's not good. He's been taken to hospital to
keep him under observation.
"Hopefully it's just a concussion and nothing more than that. Hopefully it's
no more severe than that. "Obviously he didn't really know where he was. He
had a bad bang on the head to start with and landed with his head hitting
the ground."

Turning his attention to the disappointing result at Emirates Stadium,
Allardyce admitted West Ham were undone by a scintillating 10 minutes from
Arsenal in the second half during which they scored four goals. The manager
said: "Unfortunately for us there was 10 minutes of brilliance from Arsenal
that we couldn't compete with and that 10 minutes of brilliance brought four
very good goals and that was the game done and dusted. "After that for us it
was really about making sure we didn't concede any more than that."

Allardyce added: "Those 10 minutes they blew us out of the water and you
have to hold your hands up - they were brilliant. "It's one of those things
when you come here. You hope you can play your very best but when Arsenal
are on their best form it's very difficult to get a result."

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Sam Allardyce denies reports of Mohamed Diame contract dispute at West Ham
Last Updated: January 23, 2013 11:31pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce expects Mohamed Diame's contract situation to
be resolved and has rubbished reports of a dispute over his deal. Reports
surfaced on Tuesday suggesting the tough-tackling midfielder, who has been
linked with an Arsenal move, was unhappy with West Ham for trying to renege
on the alleged £3.5million release clause in his contract. Diame, who
arrived at Upton Park last summer, is yet to agree fresh terms with the
Hammers as they strive to keep him at the club. However, Allardyce believes
the situation can be resolved and has denied talk of a dispute over his
buyout clause. Asked if a solution could be found over the midfielder, who
was a substitute in Wednesday's 5-1 defeat at Arsenal, Allardyce told Sky
Sports: "I would've thought so.
"I don't think the story today that the Mail put out is right. It's just
disruptive agents as always."

Allardyce admits West Ham's own transfer ambitions this month have become
more desperate following injuries to Winston Reid and Danny Potts in the
defeat at Emirates Stadium, with the defenders making early exits with a
groin injury and concussion respectively. Potts' problem appeared
particularly serious after he received lengthy treatment on the pitch at
Emirates Stadium before being stretchered off and taken to hospital. The
manager said: "It really is difficult to secure the player that we're
looking for. Price and quality has to go together for us. "If the price is
right and the player's not good enough we have to say no, and if the
player's good enough but the price is too big we have to say no. "It's an
unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in. I'm not trying to put the
owners under pressure here at all whatsoever, it's just a fact of life. "We
have to keep trying to find the defending side of it particularly because we
took Winston Reid off with a groin today. "We can stand an injury anywhere
else on the pitch other than another defender, and now we've ended up with
two injured; Reid with a groin and young Danny off with concussion. "It gets
even more desperate that we find a solution in the transfer market."

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Hammer horror: Potts facing lengthy lay-off following clash of heads and
brain scan
The Mirror
23 Jan 2013 23:19

West Ham substitute Danny Potts underwent a brain scan after being rushed to
hospital following a horror collision. Potts was stretchered off, needed
oxygen and was then taken to the nearby Whittington Hospital after a clash
of heads with Arsenal's Bacary Sagna during the Gunners' 5-1 win on
Wednesday.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce revealed Potts was conscious but could not talk
or respond properly to questions after the terrifying incident on the pitch
which led to a long delay and referee Andre Marriner having to add 12
minutes of injury time. Allardyce said: "Potts has gone straight to hospital
with concussion, he was unable to give the correct answers to the questions.
When you hit the floor like that it might be a problem, hopefully he will
make a speedy recovery.
"As he lost consciousness, it is a minimum of two weeks, I think, before he
can play again. He hit the floor as a dead weight. He was able to answer
questions, but not in the right way. "They have protected his neck. He was
out for a few seconds. He was not fully conscious when he came off. "We were
concerned at how long it took. They have to make sure they protect the spine
the right way getting them on the stretcher; that's why it took the time it
did." Potts suffered a concussion injury in pre-season but West Ham are
hoping that he will make a full recovery. His absence reduced Hammers to 10
men as Allardyce had already used all three substitutes.

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