Daily WHUFC News - 20th March 2013

Hendo pleased with friendly victory
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon praised his West Ham United side following Tuesday's 3-1 victory
over Queens Park Rangers
19.03.2013

First-team coach Ian Hendon was rightly proud of his West Ham United team
following Tuesday's 3-1 friendly victory over Queens Park Rangers. Hendon
took charge of a Hammers side containing a mixture of senior first-team
players and promising youngsters, with first-year professional Blair Turgott
netting an eye-catching hat-trick. Afterwards, Hendon praised the players
for their work-rate, attitude and for giving everyone a welcome boost
following Sunday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Chelsea. "There are
players there who have been out of the first-team picture at the moment and
obviously George McCartney who is coming back from a long-term injury," he
said. "They all wanted to go out and play and they performed very well. The
young lads are desperate to impress all the time and they came in and did
their fair share as well. "We had a few experienced players in our team and
looked at their team on paper before the game and they had eight players who
have been regulars this year, so we knew it was going to be a competitive
game. I just think our lads went about their game a little bit better than
they did - we pressed the ball better than them, we kept nicking it high up
the pitch and we broke on them from there. We were solid as a team and
played off of our shape and broke them down and played ever so well. "You
always have that concern when senior players come down to reserve games that
they won't quite give it their all, but Matt Taylor in particular worked
very hard. He played for an hour before we took him off because he had
played a half at Chelsea on Sunday. James Tomkins, George McCartney and
Marouane Chamakh all put in good performances so they will give the manager
a nudge as well. "All in all, it was a good workout and exactly what we
needed."

While the senior professionals did their jobs well, the headlines were
grabbed by 18-year-old Turgott. The winger, who has recently returned after
helping loan club Bradford City to reach the Capital One Cup final, scored
three truly outstanding goals. The first two came courtesy of long-range
efforts before half-time, while the third arrived when the teenager cut
inside former England full-back Luke Young and rifled a shot into the far
top corner off the upright. "We had a game this time last year away at
Dagenham and Redbridge and he scored two similar goals, one of them on the
volley, so he has got that in the locker. "He has had a little spell away at
Bradford and he played in a Development Squad game [against Arsenal] the
other night and he didn't really perform how he should do. He has come out
there among the seniors, which has perhaps given him a lift, and the boy has
shown what he is all about. "He has got that in his locker and Macca
[assistant manager Neil McDonald] was there, so it's given him a little
nudge. That's how you want them to perform and it's refreshing when the
young lads do that."

As first-team coach, Hendon said the result and all-round performance would
give everyone associated with the club a lift ahead of nine vital Barclays
Premier League fixtures - starting with the visit of West Bromwich Albion on
Saturday 30 March. "I think we'd be more disappointed if we had gone to
Chelsea and it had been a really disappointing performance. It wasn't the
case - we got beaten on the day by a better team but it wasn't all doom and
gloom after Sunday.
"We've re-grouped and got a team together and gone out and performed ever so
well [against QPR]. The three goals will give everybody a lift - the
players, staff and the fans who see them - because you can't beat winning."

West Ham United XI: Trialist, Spence (Shaw 77), McCartney, Tomkins, Ruddock,
Moncur (Driver 77), Taylor (Marlow 65), Turgott, Bywater (D.Tombides 77),
Chamakh, Paulista
Subs not used: Baxter

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JC targets two wins - twice!
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison believes two victories are exactly what is required for both
club and country
19.03.2013

Jack Collison reckons two victories will be sufficient to see West Ham
United secure their Barclays Premier League place come the season's end -
and help Wales to qualify for next year's FIFA World Cup. The Hammers have
collected 33 points from their opening 29 fixtures to sit 14th in the table,
six points ahead of 18th-placed Wigan Athletic with nine games still to play
- including the visit of Roberto Martinez's side to the Boleyn Ground in
April. With Sam Allardyce's side also possessing a superior goal difference
to the Latics and a number of the other teams below them, Collison is
confident that two wins will be enough to stay up. "Between now and the end
of the season, we're obviously aiming to get as many points on the board as
we can," said the No10, speaking after Sunday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League
defeat at Chelsea. "The sooner we can do it, the better for us, and then
maybe we can look to push on. "It's hard to say [how many points we need].
It's very tight down there, but as long as we concentrate on ourselves, work
hard and get a couple of wins on the board, we'll be fine. "There are a lot
teams down there but, we feel that with the squad and manager we've got,
we're good enough to stay up. The sooner we can get the points on the board,
the better for us. "We'll work hard. Unfortunately we've got to wait two
weeks for our next game but we'll be ready come West Brom."

Looking back at Sunday's loss at Stamford Bridge, Collison conceded that
West Ham had simply lost to the superior team - albeit one comprised of
players costing in excess of £200m in total. One Blues player to stand out
was Collison's fellow West Ham Academy graduate Frank Lampard, who opened
the scoring with his 200th goal for Chelsea - an achievement his fellow
midfielder was quick to recognise. "We went to Chelsea and we worked hard
but I think we were beaten by the better team. They have got some
world-class players and I think it showed. "Frank always seems to score
against West Ham doesn't he? We're disappointed but you've g ot to say 'Fair
play' to him because he's got 200 goals. It's a massive milestone and
congratulations. "He's not done badly has he? Fair play to him because he's
been brilliant, not just this season but over the last ten years."

Before Collison returns to action in claret and blue with the visit of West
Bromwich Albion on Saturday 30 March, the 24-year-old has the small matter
of two vital 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with Wales to attend to. The
Welsh travel to Scotland before welcoming Croatia, knowing two victories are
required if they are to retain hope of reaching a first major finals since
the 1958 FIFA World Cup finals. Collison said a recent friendly victory over
Emanuel Pogatetz's Austria and a 2-1 win in the reverse qualifier against
Scotland in Cardiff in October - courtesy of two late Gareth Bale goals -
had given Chris Coleman's squad a massive confidence boost. "We are looking
forward to it and we've got a bit of momentum going into it because we won
our last game against Austria. "These are two massive games, two massive
qualifiers, and where better to start than in Scotland? It's going to be a
hostile atmosphere because it's a game we're looking forward to. "You could
say it was luck or a bit of brilliance from Gareth Bale [that we beat
Scotland in October]. We scored two late goals so I'm sure they'll be
looking to turn us over, but at the same time we're going to go there
looking for the win and then move on to the following Tuesday against
Croatia."

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Trio support school football finals
WHUFC.com
Rob Hall, Leo Chambers and Pelly Ruddock attended the Barking and Dagenham
Borough football finals
19.03.2013

West Ham United youngsters Rob Hall, Leo Chambers and Pelly Ruddock showed
their support for local football by presenting trophies at the Barking and
Dagenham Borough football finals at Rush Green. Academy graduates Hall and
Chambers and Ruddock, who joined the Hammers from non-league Boreham Wood in
December 2001, watched the Year 9 and Year 12/13 finals before handing
medals to all four teams and cups to the winning captains. Fittingly, both
finals were won by Robert Clack School, whose teachers cater for the
educational needs of West Ham's Academy, providing lessons for the club's
promising youngsters in purpose-built classrooms at Rush Green. Hall and
Chambers shared their own memories of playing in school and Sunday League
football with West Ham TV. "I played for a team called SouthSide based in
south London and we trained once a week and had a game every Sunday and that
was it," said Chambers." Now, of course, we train every day and have games
at weekends. At the time, it was very good to get along there with my
friends."

As Chambers was speaking, a Robert Clack player scored a late winner in the
Year 12/13 final on the pitch behind him, sparking wild celebrations. "As
you can see, that is what it means to the lads! It's a great time and
experience to play for your Sunday League club or school and I enjoyed it
greatly. It's great for the lads and it was great for me when I was there."

Hall has been with West Ham since the age of eight, but the 19-year-old can
still remember playing for his local team Aylesbury Town as a schoolboy.
"I played for an Under-9s team for Aylesbury Town because my brother player
for the same club two years above me. My mum took me every Saturday and
Sunday and I played with the younger team. "You start somewhere and luckily
I got spotted in one of the tournaments we played in. Like Leo says, it's
good for players to play in games like the Borough finals because it's one
of the biggest games of their careers so far. You start somewhere and you
can only enjoy it."

Hall said Ruddock's example should serve as an inspiration to any youngster
hoping to get scouted. The midfielder came through the ranks at Boreham
Wood, where he took part in the club's successful PASE (Programme for
Academic and Sporting Excellence) coaching scheme. "Pelly has come in and
done really well, considering he came to the club as a late call-up," said
Hall. "He was 17 and at Boreham Wood and training hard and he has managed to
get the breakthrough and he has pushed on from there."

Academy operations manager Adam Raimes said hosting the finals at Rush Green
was another example of West Ham's commitment to supporting local football.
"We have got a fantastic partnership with Robert Clack, who managed to get
five teams into the six finals," said Raimes. "The partnership we built with
Robert Clack was paramount to our success in getting Elite Player
Performance Plan (EPPP) Category One status. "We have got classrooms at Rush
Green where the full-time boys (the Under-15s) are educated and as a thank
you to them we were more than happy to host the finals and give something
back to one of our club's local Boroughs. "It's fantastic that Rob, Leo and
Pelly came down. It's good for the schoolboys because it provides a little
inspiration to succeed for them to receive their medals from players they
have already seen playing for West Ham."

Raimes also revealed that the club's Academy scouts would be keeping a close
eye on the finals to unearth any diamonds who have yet to be signed by
professional clubs. "A few of our Academy boys were playing in the finals
for their schools and there were some boys from Dagenham and Redbridge, too,
so a lot of them have been picked up but there could be a few around there
who haven't been. "Our Academy head of recruitment has been having a look
because it's never too late to be spotted."

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Ruddock back with a bang
WHUFC.com
Pelly Ruddock is eyeing a productive end to the season after returning to
action against Arsenal
19.03.2013

Pelly Ruddock was all smiles after marking his return from injury in style,
as he laid on the equaliser for the Development Squad in a 1-1 Barclays
Under-21 Premier League Elite Group draw against Arsenal. The former Boreham
Wood youngster was forced to sit out the Hammers' away-days against
Manchester United and Liverpool, but was seemingly back to his bustling best
at the Boleyn Ground last Friday night, having been restored to his
preferred midfield role.
With 32 minutes on the clock, the fleet-footed 19-year-old skipped to the
by-line with the help of a step-over before whipping in a left-footed
centre, prompting Nico Yennaris to put through his own net. Ruddock rightly
took the acclaim from his teammates and is hoping to have a similarly
telling influence in the final third from here on in.

"I've been trying the step over in training so I thought I'd try it in a
match," he told West Ham TV. "I pulled it off and fortunately a goal came
from that. It was good in front of the fans at the Boleyn Ground. "The ball
came over and I was there at the back post. I just did a little skill and
crossed the ball in. I was expecting someone to get across the defender and
then it went in off the defender, so I'm claiming that. "I've not had so
many assists but I need to get among them and help the team score more
goals. Hopefully there will be more goals between now and the end of the
season."

Despite his all-action display, Ruddock subsequently admitted feeling the
pace against a fluent Arsenal side, though he expects it is only a matter of
time before he is back at full throttle. Meanwhile, having played much of
the campaign at centre-half, Ruddock embraced the relative freedom of a
midfield berth. "Having trained only the day before the game, it was a
hard match, they moved the ball about and kept the ball. It was hard and I
got cramp, so it was a tough game.
"I'm feeling good and fit, but just need to work on my stamina a little bit
and then hopefully press on. "It was good in midfield. You get more of the
ball and are able to drive at the defence and take some shots. I find you
get about the pitch more, so I enjoyed it."

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Hammers trial goalkeeper
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 19th March 2013
By: Staff Writer

Triallist Jordan Santiago played a full 90 minutes for a West Ham XI as they
beat a Queens Park Rangers XI 3-1. The 21-year-old Canadian, who spent four
years with Cardiff City before being released last summer featured as United
ran out 3-1 winners against an experienced Rangers team this afternoon. All
three goals on the day were scored by Blair Turgott; you may view highlights
from the game below (video courtesy of westham.tv). Also featuring in the
game as a second-half substitute was Dylan Tombides, West Ham's 19-year-old
striker who was making his first appearance for several months since
receiving further treatment for cancer.

West Ham Utd: Santiago, Spence, McCartney, Tomkins, Ruddock, Moncur, Taylor,
Turgott, Bywater, Chamakh, Paulista.
Subs: Baxter, Driver, Marlow, Shaw, D.Tombides.

QPR: Murphy, Young, Doughty, Derry, Onouha, Ehmer, Mackie, Granero,
Bothroyd, Taarabt, Hoilett.
Subs: Sutherland, Magri, Hitchcock, Brown, Shariff, Lumley.

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Are we just the new 'bitters'?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 19th March 2013
By: Paul Walker

Recent events have left me wondering whether we have produced a generation
of 30-something fans so deprived of success over the last three decades,
that they have become bitter and twisted about everything and everybody.

I know I am embarking on a theme now that is risking me being on the wrong
end of all sorts of abuse, but here goes!

Why do some, maybe a small minority, throw coins at our former players, why
do they indulge in racist abuse, why are we accused of anti-sematic
chanting, why do we abuse our ex-players, why, why, why?

And why does the mere suggestion that Frank Lampard would be welcomed back
at the Boleyn produce such outrage? It ain't going to happen, of course,
because we could not begin to match his wages, and he'd be mad to consider
it when there's easy money in the US on hand.

But Karren Brady started it all by making the suggestion in her Sun column,
and Gary O'Neil then agreed it would be a good move.

Since then Frank has been bombarded with coins after scoring against us, and
O'Neil has been slaughtered on fans' websites for daring to suggest such as
thing. And during the last home game against Spurs, Scott Parker found
himself being booed throughout the game.

I will come to the thorny subject of how we treat our ex-players later, but
firstly I want to explore the reasons for the illegal behaviour some,
hopefully just a few, of our fans indulge in.

Up in Manchester where I live, United fans have long called City fans
'Bitter Blues' or just Bitters for short. It's all to do with City fans
spending so much time moaning and whining about Old Trafford's years of
success while City couldn't win a raffle without losing the ticket!

City fans respond by calling United's support 'Munichs', because they
believe that Old Trafford has dwelt on the 1958 disaster and turned it into
an industry of grief.

City's lot are not so bitter these days now they have trillions of pounds
and can match their local rivals and have started to win things.

Sadly we too have acquired a reputation for being bitter. All around us the
likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs (even Fulham have been to a European final)
have had plenty to celebrate. But we have had so little due to incompetent
management from the very top and a continued financial shambles.

We are a selling club. Our best young talents have been sold or wanted out
to further their careers, just like you and I would want to move on from a
small firm to a bigger one with more money if we had the chance. Nothing
wrong with that, unless you are a footballer and are branded disloyal.

So we end up with fans who are full of suppressed anger, bitterness at the
lack of success and intent on abusing anybody and everybody as they see fit.


I have never been embarrassed of my club, it has been my life, but sometimes
I am embarrassed by the antics of some of my fellow fans, and it does the
reputation of this club no good at all, giving the media plenty of easy
ammunition.

The defeat at Chelsea was depressing enough, beaten comfortably by a much
better team of expensive players. Just to get it into perspective, the
player who caused us the most trouble, Eden Hazard, cost more than twice as
much as the entire West Ham side that started the match.

We are a team of rejects, second division players or aging free transfers.
What do people expect? Our manager did not spend a penny in transfer fees in
the January window, and is now making noises about wanting big money to
rebuild the squad.

Sam knows what he has got, knows what he needs for the future and knows what
this group of players cannot achieve. We looked like a team that had played
just twice in the previous 33 days, and we were always going to be overrun
by a Chelsea side of such expense and talent.

Only the most unrealistic went to Stamford Bridge expecting anything
different to what happened. So many of our games over the recent years when
we have been in the top flight, have been like that.

So what do our fans do? They hurl coins at John Terry and Lampard, and now
we find that some of them been have been arrested and bailed, accused of
racial abuse. Our name is tarnished yet again, in the same season that we
have been accused of anti-sematic behaviour at Spurs - a police
investigation that is still on-going, while a couple of fans have already
had their collars felt after that and have been banned by our club.

Is all this driven by jealousy, or just bone-headed stupidity? We really
need to be above all this, there is too much hatred and bitterness. It does
the image of our club no good.

As does the way we treat our ex-players. Yes, I'd have Lampard back, we
could do with 200 goals from midfield. I'd welcome back Rio Ferdinand and
Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson too. Even Jermain Defoe and 'arry too. Because
they are all better than what we have and life is too short to bear grudges
for this long.

Lampard left because his father, one of our greatest-ever players, was
sacked along with his uncle. No wonder he was upset. Wouldn't you if your
relations were treated the way Terry Brown treated Redknapp and Lamps
senior?

Sure the kid made a few daft remarks, but he's had to face continued abuse
for 12 years now, for what? Being the unwilling victim of Brown's treatment
of his father.

And of course, our fans heap dogs abuse on Redknapp now at every
opportunity. Defoe left after a quick-fire transfer requested penned by his
agent. Ferdinand, Carrick and Johnson went to balance the books, as did Joe
Cole, and he has been welcomed back.

People say things when they are young, stupid things. I defy anyone not to
look back into their own past and not find something they wish they had not
done or said. Blimey, we are even abusing Paul Ince's son Tom now, and it
could have cost us the Play-Off Final.

He is just the sort of promising youngster we should be trying to sign. Fat
lot of chance with that one. And now Scott Parker is getting stick. I had
become almost immune to the abuse our ex-players get, so often does it
happen. But even I was surprised to hear Parker booed.

Yes, he joined our most hated enemy, I suppose he half expected it. But when
he was with us he gave everything, including the great goal against Wigan
that saved us the season before we were eventually relegated.

I am sure behind the scenes he made it clear he wanted out to protect his
England place and to prolong his Premier League career. But can anyone
really blame him?

Sadly he has become yet another scapegoat for the lack of success over the
last 30 years. Everyone gets booed, everyone gets the blame.

Liverpool fans have a way of welcoming back former players. If they like
them, the reception is stunning. If they don't - and Michael Own falls into
this category sometimes - they just ignore them, which must hurt even more.
Maybe we should try something similar.

But we all love Paolo, even though he went missing for a long spell during
the relegation season of 2003. And Carlos too, even though his transfer has
cost this club £30m plus. Is there not some twisted logic here somewhere?

Sadly, I feel the abuse aimed at our ex-players is now so ingrained into the
club's culture, that it just won't go away. But am I the only one who finds
it all now just a little tedious? It is all so counter-productive.

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West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is set to have an operation on his shoulder
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated: March
19, 2013 2:30pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham star Mark Noble is set to undergo shoulder
surgery which could rule him for the rest of the season. Noble has been
struggling with a trapped nerve in his shoulder and the midfielder's last
appearance came in the defeat at Aston Villa last month. West Ham were
hoping rest might help the injury, but they have now decided to send the
influential midfielder for an operation on his shoulder which is likely to
be on Wednesday. The operation is likely to rule Noble out for a month,
meaning he faces an uphill battle to return before the end of the campaign.
The news is a major blow for West Ham boss Sam Allardyce as the likes of
Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole are already on the sidelines as they look to secure
their Premier League survival.

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Matt Taylor is playing for West Ham despite a fractured jaw
Last Updated: March 19, 2013 9:19am
SSN

West Ham winger Matt Taylor has revealed he has been playing with a
fractured jaw in recent weeks. The 31-year-old suffered the injury after
receiving a boot in the face from Stoke's Peter Crouch earlier this month
but still played against Chelsea the following week. Taylor admits the
injury is still causing him problems but insists he is happy to play on
through the pain. "I have a small fracture in my jaw and it is a bit sore
now," said Taylor, quoted in the Daily Express. "But it is just one of those
things that will heal and I was given the choice whether I was happy to
continue playing with it and I was." The former Portsmouth man has played 21
Premier League games for the Hammers this season, scoring one goal.

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