Daily WHUFC News - 17th April 2013

Manchester United match preview
WHUFC.com
Background information ahead of West Ham United's meeting with the Barclays
Premier League leaders
17.04.2013

WEST HAM UNITED v MANCHESTER UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: LEE PROBERT
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

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Introduction
• West Ham United host Manchester United for the second time this season,
having held the Barclays Premier League leaders to a thrilling 2-2 draw in
the FA Cup with Budweiser third round on 5 January. The Red Devils won the
replay 1-0 at Old Trafford - the same scoreline by which they won the
reverse league fixture in Manchester in November.
• Both sides go into the game on a high following encouraging away
performances at the weekend. West Ham drew 1-1 at Southampton on Saturday
thanks to Andy Carroll's second-half equaliser, while Michael Carrick and a
Robin van Persie penalty fired Manchester United to a 2-0 win at Stoke City
on Sunday.
• West Ham United start the night in 12th place, having collected 38 points
from 32 matches, while Manchester United are 15 points clear at the top,
having amassed 80 points from the same number of games.
• Manchester United have won the last eight Barclays Premier League meetings
between the two sides. West Ham United's last win came at the Boleyn Ground
on 29 December 2007 as Anton Ferdinand (77) cancelled out Cristiano
Ronaldo's opener (14) before Matthew Upson scored an 82nd-minute winner.
• West Ham United stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen has made more saves (138) than
any other goalkeeper in the Barclays Premier League this season.
• Manchester United striker Robin van Persie scored the fastest goal in the
Premier League this season after 33 seconds when the two sides met in
November.

Team news
West Ham United
• Sam Allardyce welcomes back centre-back Winston Reid (thigh) and
midfielder Mark Noble (arm) from injury, but centre-back James Tomkins is
out after hurting his calf at Southampton on Saturday.
• Left-back George McCartney is out with a knee injury, while Joe Cole is
not expected to recover from a hamstring problem in time to feature.
• Rob Hall (Bolton Wanderers), Ravel Morrison (Birmingham City), Paul
McCallum (Aldershot Town) and Alou Diarra (Stade Rennais) are out on loan.
Manchester United
• Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to make changes from
the side that won 2-0 at Stoke City on Sunday.
• England striker Wayne Rooney could revert to his usual position upfront
after playing in midfield at Stoke City on Sunday, with Tom Cleverley coming
into his place midfield. Shinji Kagawa could make way for Rooney.
• England winger Ashley Young is out with an ankle problem, while
midfielders Paul Scholes (knee) and Darren Fletcher (illness) are also
sidelined.

Previous meeting
• The two teams last met at Old Trafford on 16 January 2013 in an FA Cup
with Budweiser third-round replay. Manchester United edged through 1-0
thanks to Wayne Rooney's well-placed ninth-minute shot.
The teams that day were:
Manchester United: Lindegaard, Buttner, Rafael, Smalling, Jones, Valencia,
Anderson (Carrick 67), Giggs, Nani (Scholes 77), Rooney, Hernandez
Subs not used: Amos, Kagawa, Ferdinand, Welbeck, Van Persie
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Potts, Reid, Tomkins, Spence, Diame (Collison
65), Taylor, O'Neil, Diarra, C.Cole (Nolan 65), Vaz Te (Lee 78)
Subs not used: Spiegel, Demel, Lletget, Jarvis

Last time out
Saturday 13 April 2013
Barclays Premier League
Southampton 1-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Tomkins (Pogatetz 64),
Collins, Vaz Te (Taylor 85), Jarvis (Collison 58), Diame, Nolan, O'Neil,
Carroll
Subs not used: Henderson, Potts, C.Cole, Paulista
Goals: Carroll 66
Sunday 14 April 2013
Barclays Premier League
Stoke City 0-2 Manchester United
Manchester United: De Gea, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Jones, Van Persie,
Rooney, Valencia, Carrick, Kagawa, Hernandez (Welbeck 78)
Subs not used: Lindegaard, Buttner, Cleverley, Smalling, Giggs, Evans
Goals: Carrick 4, Van Persie 66 (pen)

Us and Them
• The first meeting between West Ham United and Manchester United came on 25
February 1911 in the FA Cup third round. The Southern League First Division
Hammers upset the Division One Red Devils 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground, with
Thomas Caldwell and Danny Shea scoring the goals for the hosts and Sandy
Turnbull netting for the visitors.
• The first league meeting between West Ham United and Manchester United
took place at Old Trafford on Christmas Day 1922. Billy Brown and Billy
Moore ensured it would be a happy Christmas for the Hammers by scoring in a
2-1 Division Two victory, with Arthur Lochhead replying for the hosts.
Twenty-four hours later, on Boxing Day, Lochhead scored both goals as the
Red Devils won 2-0 at the Boleyn Ground. West Ham would go on to be promoted
as runners-up, while Manchester United would finish fourth.
• West Ham United's biggest-ever win over Manchester United came at the
Boleyn Ground on 11 October 1930. A Viv Gibbins hat-trick inspired the
Hammers to a 5-1 Division One victory, with Jim Barrett and Jimmy Ruffell
also on the score sheet. Tommy Reid scored for the visitors.
• The largest crowd to witness a West Ham United versus Manchester United
fixture at the Boleyn Ground was the 41,892 who saw Clyde Best, Bryan 'Pop'
Robson and Geoff Hurst net in a 3-0 Division One victory on New Year's Day
1972.
• Manchester United's biggest win over West Ham United came at Old Trafford
on 1 April 2000. Paul Scholes scored a treble in a 7-1 Premier League win.
Denis Irwin, Andrew Cole, David Beckham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored the
other goals, with Paulo Wanchope on target for the Hammers.
• Wednesday's visitors also triumphed by a six-goal margin on 26 January
2003, when they won 6-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round - their
biggest-ever FA Cup success against the Hammers. Ryan Giggs, who could
feature today, scored twice.
• West Ham United have beaten Manchester United twice in 16 meetings with
the Red Devils at the Boleyn Ground. Nigel-Reo Coker scored the only goal on
17 December 2006 before Matthew Upson and Anton Ferdinand headed goals in a
2-1 victory on 29 December 2007.
• Manchester United have won on each of their previous three Premier League
visits to the Boleyn Ground, scoring nine goals and conceding two - a pair
of Mark Noble penalties in a 4-2 victory on their most-recent visit on 2
April 2011.
• West Ham United's last eight goals scored against Manchester United have
all been scored in pairs - Carlton Cole and Jonathan Spector (November
2010), Mark Noble (April 2011) and James Collins (January 2013).
• Wednesday's fixture marks the 126th competitive fixture between West Ham
United and Manchester United. The Hammers have won 42, the Red Devils have
won 58 and there have been 25 draws.

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
16 January 2013 Manchester United 1-0 West Ham United (FA Cup with Budweiser
third round replay)
5 January 2013 West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United (FA Cup with Budweiser
third round)
28 November 2012 Manchester United 1-0 West Ham United
2 April 2011 West Ham United 2-4 Manchester United
30 November 2010 West Ham United 4-0 Manchester United (Carling Cup fifth
round)
28 August 2010 - Manchester United 3-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Manchester United (all competitions) W 42 D 25 L 58

Ten-year records
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Manchester United
2011/12 Premier League 2nd (89 points)
2010/11 Premier League 1st (80 points)
2009/10 Premier League 2nd (85 points)
2008/09 Premier League 1st (90 points)
2007/08 Premier League 1st (87 points)
2006/07 Premier League 1st (89 points)
2005/06 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2004/05 Premier League 3rd (77 points)
2003/04 Premier League 3rd (75 points)
2002/03 Premier League 1st (83 points)

Referee
• Wednesday evening's referee will be Lee Probert.
• Forty-year-old Probert will refeee a West Ham United fixture for the third
time this season, having also been the man in the middle for the 3-2 home
defeat by Liverpool on 9 December and the 1-0 home win over Swansea City on
2 February.
• He began refereeing in 1986 before being promoted to the Football League
assistant referees' list in 1998, and made the step up to referee in the
league five years later.
• Probert was promoted to the Select Group of Premier League referees in
summer 2007.
• In 2010, he took charge of the FA Trophy final between Barrow and
Stevenage Borough at Wembley, before returning to the Home of Football to
act as fourth official for the 2011 FA Cup final between Manchester City and
Stoke City.
• In 29 matches this season, Probert has shown 88 yellow cards, four red
cards and awarded nine penalties, including one to West Ham in the
aforementioned 3-2 defeat by Liverpool here in December.
• In all, he has refereed West Ham eleven times and Manchester United on
eight occasions previously.
• On Wednesday, Probert will be assisted by Ron Ganfield and Harry Lennard,
while the fourth official is Andre Marriner.

Old boys
• Manchester United have two former West Ham United players in their squad.
England defender Rio Ferdinand made 158 appearances for the club between May
1996 and November 2000, scoring two goals. Midfielder Michael Carrick scored
six goals in 159 appearances between July 1999 and May 2004.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jonathan
Spector, Roy Carroll, Noel Cantwell, Luke Chadwick, Billy Grassam, Paul
Ince, Ralph Milne, Frederick Milnes, Ravel Morrison, Frank O'Farrell, Stuart
Pearson, Les Sealey, Dave Sexton, Teddy Sheringham, Jonathan Spector, Carlos
Tevez and Raimond van der Gouw.
• The late Academy graduate Dave Sexton, who passed away in November 2012,
managed Manchester United between July 1977 and April 1981.
• Former Hammers player Frank O'Farrell, who is the oldest living ex-West
Ham United player at 85, managed Manchester United between June 1971 and
November 1972.

Up next
• West Ham United are at home again on Saturday, when relegation-threatened
FA Cup with Budweiser finalists Wigan Athletic will be the visitors to the
Boleyn Ground for a 3pm kick-off.

General information
• A very limited number of tickets remain on General Sale for this fixture.
Click here for full details.
• Wednesday's weather forecast is for a cloudy evening in east London with
temperatures peaking around 16C (61F).

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Guy makes case for the defence
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel believes hard work and homework have boosted West Ham United in
recent matches
16.04.2013

Guy Demel says West Ham United's recent defensive improvements have not come
about by chance. The Hammers have conceded just four goals in their last
five Barclays Premier League fixtures, helping Sam Allardyce's team to
collect eight points in the process. Playing away at Stoke City, Chelsea,
Liverpool and Southampton and at home to West Bromwich Albion in recent
weeks, the Hammers have got tight to their men and not allowed their
opponents space in front or behind the back four. Former Ivory Coast
international Demel has started all five matches, and the 31-year-old says
West Ham's stingy defence has been the result of both homework.and hard work
"We work really hard during the week looking at the system of the other
team," the right-back confirmed to West Ham TV, "and as long as we are
defending as a team well, it is easier for the defence to keep tight and
[individuals to] defend well themselves. "If the offensive players are given
too much space, you can be the best defender in the world, but you are going
to be in trouble "We are in a really important phase now and we know the
concentration has to be at the top. I think we have had some great games
this season, and other games where we have conceded many goals, but as long
as we defend well as a team, it is easier for the defence to have a good
game."

On Saturday, Demel and his colleagues produced another resilient performance
to draw 1-1 at in-form Southampton. Even the goal West Ham did concede owed
a huge amount to luck as Gaston Ramirez's shot was blocked by James Tomkins,
only for the ball to fall perfectly for the Uruguay international.
"We had a good game defensive-wise," Demel confirmed, "but unfortunately we
conceded a goal, though it was a quite lucky goal, but we are quite happy
with the point. I think it was important to leave this game with at least
one point and so I think we did a good job."

While he is quick to emphasise the importance of the collective, Demel's own
form has been good all season long. After missing much of last term with a
succession of injuries, the former Hamburger SV man has featured in 25 of
West Ham's 32 Barclays Premier League matches so far during the current
campaign. Demel's form was rewarded with a new contract until 2015, which he
signed in January. "Last season I was injured for a couple of months," he
recalled. "Of course, this is my first complete season, though we still have
a couple of games before the end. I am quite happy, it is not finished, I
think I still have many things to achieve with West Ham. "First of all we
are going to try and finish in a better position and I will work during the
holiday to be a better player next season."

On Wednesday, Demel and his team-mates face the biggest challenge of all,
with runaway leaders Manchester United visting the Boleyn Ground. The
Ivorian was part of the side that pushed Sir Alex Ferguson's men close in
both the reverse Barclays Premier League fixture and the FA Cup with
Budweiser third round earlier this season, and he is confident the Hammers
can do so again. It is a home game and we play against the top of the league
team who are confident with good players, but we still have to keep in mind
the most important thing is to pick up points," said the positive No20. "It
is going to be difficult, but we did that against Manchester City [and drew
0-0] and we beat Chelsea [3-1] at home so we will try and get a point out of
the game. "We are in a good position, but we can't afford to lose points
even against Manchester United so we are going to try to get a good result."

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Olympic Stadium Q+A Part Two
WHUFC.com
The Board answer the next set of supporters' questions on the Olympic
Stadium move
15.04.2013

West Ham United would like to thank the hundreds of supporters who have
taken the time to email the club's yourosquestions@westhamunited.co.uk
address with questions about the exciting move to Stratford. The Board have
answered some of the most common questions below. Please keep your questions
coming in and we will answer another selection next week.

Will there be improved catering facilities at the Olympic Stadium?

Absolutely. The catering facilities on offer in and around the Olympic
Stadium will be world-class. We have looked at many of the other top stadia
both around the UK and internationally including those you may be familiar
with such as Wembley and the Emirates. Our intended offer will at least
match, if not exceed the best in the market. Many of the frustrations our
supporters experience at the Boleyn Ground such as the limited choices on
offer are as a direct result of the infrastructure restrictions in a stadium
of this age. This is not the case with a modern state-of-the-art stadium
that is being designed with all of the knowledge and experience required to
understand and meet ever-expanding modern day supporter needs. The catering
outlets and kiosks in the transformed UEFA Category 4 stadium will be
brought onto the podium to form part of the main stadium as you would expect
from a world-class arena. The new stadium also enables a 'Club Level offer'
for supporters and their families who still wish to enjoy a more traditional
matchday experience but require access to a lounge, hot food and drinks.

What will happen to the ashes at the Memorial Garden at the front of the
Boleyn Ground?

The club has been mindful of this consideration throughout this process and
can assure all supporters that we will treat this situation with the upmost
sensitivity and respect deserved by our departed supporters who are resting
or remembered in the Memorial Garden. We believe any action must be in line
with the wishes of the families involved. There is no comprehensive list
which details those who are rested so we'll be reaching out to the families
we are not yet already in dialogue with asking them to get in touch. We are
in full consultation with the club's chaplain Reverend Alan Bolding
regarding this matter.

What will happen to the commemorative bricks?

We will take supporters' personalised messages over to the Olympic Stadium
with us but because many of the existing bricks are showing signs of wear
and tear it's likely messages will be transcribed again. We appreciate their
sentiment and for many fans, they've been given as gifts to friends and
family, and therefore we're keen to find a new home for them in Stratford.

What progress has been made with the supporter survey?

Following last week's appointment of independent research organisation
YouGov, they have now exclusively revealed details West Ham United's
supporter poll. The poll will offer fans the unique opportunity to have
their say on the move to the world-class UEFA category 4 (the highest
category of football stadium) Olympic Stadium in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park. Vice Chairman, Karren Brady has actively encouraged all supporters to
take part and make sure they do not waste the once in a lifetime opportunity
to have their say on what is set to be the biggest decision to be made by
the club in the last 100 years. The poll will enable the club to fully
understand supporters' feelings and opinions towards the move so we can
respond accordingly. YouGov are currently programming the survey to ensure
that every eligible supporter can be contacted and verified and that the
questions enable West Ham fans to express their opinions on every aspect of
the move.

Will international supporters be given the chance to participate in the
survey?

Supporters living abroad who are on the club's database who fit the criteria
of either holding a high level relationship with the club or match
attendance will also be offered the opportunity to have their say when the
survey is released.

Would the club consider opening a West Ham museum at the Olympic Stadium?

Although there are no plans as yet to open a West Ham United museum within
the stadium, all of the club's memorabilia and trophies will be coming with
us and will be displayed for all to enjoy with the pride and reverence they
deserve.

When does the lease begin?

West Ham will relocate to the Olympic Stadium in time for the start of the
2016-17 season, but we will not move until we are satisfied that the stadium
is ready for football and for us to host our first match. There are
extensive redevelopment works to be completed so that the stadium is able to
host major footballing events. We have worked hard to agree a specification
for the works and we will ensure they are implemented before we relocate.

Will the move create potential opportunities for local construction firms?

West Ham United will look to appoint a fit out contractor with strong
knowledge of West Ham United to ensure that all areas suitably reflect the
club's heritage and history. All major contracts will be led by the Stadium
SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle). We advise companies to make direct contact
with the SPV when appropriate as the club will not be responsible for
appointing construction companies to carry out the main conversion work.

Will there be parking facilities for supporters on a matchday?

There will be ample parking opportunities for those supporters who wish to
drive to the stadium on a matchday and there are still potential
partnerships to be explored with the likes of Westfield. However one of the
core benefits of the move is that the venue is one of the most
well-connected stadiums in Europe so there will be lots of easy alternative
ways to travel on public transport to the ground on a matchday. This was one
of the key aspects that attracted the club to the stadium, as it will ensure
easy access - within minutes in many cases - from our core catchment areas
throughout Essex and east London. It is already serviced by the second best
connected station in London and nine lines across London's Overground and
tube network, with Crossrail set to be added by 2017.

Will any more pictures be released?

Yes and we will look forward to sharing artist's impressions and further
technical drawings from the architects as and when they are received.

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Keller cherishes Hammers memories
WHUFC.com
Former Hammer Marc Keller has embarked on an exciting new challenge with his
hometown club
16.04.2013

You cannot get much for a quid these days, but last year Marc Keller bought
an entire football team and still had some change. Having purchased Racing
Club de Strasbourg for a nominal Euro (£0.85), the ex-Hammer and his band of
fellow investors - which includes former Czech Republic coach Ivan Hasek and
nine-times world rally champion Sebastian Loeb - are now trying to steer his
former side back to the big time. After being encouraged by the Mayor of
Strasbourg to rescue the bankrupt club that had been demoted to the
fifth-tier of French football in 2011, Keller now finds himself President of
a side that are vying for successive promotions to the English equivalent of
League One. "It was like getting a telephone call from your Boris Johnson!"
explains the six-times capped France international, who made 149 appearances
for his home-town side in the early 1990s before moving to German side
Karlsruhe and then joining West Ham United on a free transfer in summer
1998. "Strasbourg had got into a lot of financial problems so I found ten
friends and now we must try to save the club and work our way back to Ligue
1."

Having swapped the dressing room for the boardroom, the economics graduate
now combines his time behind his desk at Racing Club's Stade de la Meinau
with weekends behind the microphone for French broadcaster Canal+. That role
sees him regularly making a cross-Channel commute to cover the Barclays
Premier League, a competition that he still holds in high regard. "I can
easily compare the quality of Europe's top leagues because during the past
year, I have worked in France, on Serie A in Italy, the German Bundesliga
and the Spanish La Liga but nothing compares to what I see in England,"
insists Keller, who made 56 league and cup appearances during his three-year
stay at the Boleyn Ground. "For me, the Premier League is the most
interesting one in the whole of Europe. The standard is very good but what
makes it so exciting is that every team has to fight in every single game it
plays. "Manchester United may be many points clear at the top of the Premier
League but they will still have to battle just as hard against West Ham as
they would if they were playing a team near the top of the division such as
Manchester City, Chelsea or Arsenal. "Nobody can ever make a prediction of
the result of any game in the Premier League because all of the clubs have
top quality players and that, for me, is why English football is so
interesting."

The 45-year-old pundit was in the Stamford Bridge commentary box in
mid-March, where he saw former Hammers team-mate Frank Lampard head the
Blues into the lead against Big Sam's side. "It is incredible that young
Frank has gone on to score 200 goals for Chelsea. That is a very special
achievement but when I was at West Ham it was obvious that some very good
boys had come up through the Academy and I loved working with them in
training. Rio Ferdinand was already in the team and Michael Carrick was not
very far away and now, of course, a few years later they are still both
doing really well for Manchester United. "Joe Cole has now come back to
Upton Park, too, and that is really good for the football club because he
has always been a very special talent. "It makes me really happy to see that
those young players have gone on to achieve good things because it means
that the West Ham United Academy has worked very, very well and very hard,
too. "I have always had a lot of respect for the club's Academy system and
back in Strasbourg we know that we must try to achieve similar things with
our younger boys because we do not have a lot of money to go and buy any new
players."

Fifteen years ago, Keller had arrived in the East End just weeks after
agonisingly missing out on France's 1998 FIFA World Cup triumph following
his initial selection into Aime Jacquet's provisional 30-man squad. But he
shrugged off that disappointment by helping the Hammers to a fantastic
fifth-place finish in his first season in English football. Keller's
versatility meant that he could play on either wing, in defence or attack.
He also weighed in with five goals, including memorable strikes at Tottenham
Hotspur, Liverpool and Derby County. "After the Chelsea game last month, I
came out of Stamford Bridge and got into a taxi that was being driven by a
West Ham supporter. He recognised me and the first thing he said was: 'Do
you remember that goal you scored up at Derby?'"
The following year, Keller helped the Hammers make it into the UEFA Cup
following their successful European sojourn in the Intertoto Cup, but having
scored once in 33 outings, he decided that the subsequent 2000/01 campaign
would be his last as a Hammers player. Making way for substitute Jermain
Defoe to come on and score his first-ever senior goal in a Worthington Cup
tie at Walsall in September 2000, Keller then joined Blackburn Rovers on a
free transfer, before returning to Racing Club de Strasbourg as General
Manager. "I was 33 and had developed a few problems with my hamstring at
West Ham and, although Strasbourg wanted me to be captain and carry on
playing for another two or three years, I did not want to let anybody down,"
insists Marc, who still lives in the Alsace region of eastern France with
wife Sabryna, son Medhi, 15, and daughter Clara, eleven.

In 2005, he moved to AS Monaco, where he spent five seasons as General
Manager before getting that call from the mayor and digging into his pockets
for the nominal Euro that saw him take ownership of Racing Club De
Strasbourg. Back in October, with the Hammers facing Arsenal, he returned to
the Boleyn Ground for his first visit to the club that he had left over a
decade ago. "That brought back a lot of fantastic memories for me," smiles
Keller. "I had a good relationship with lots of people at the club from all
my team-mates and coaches all the way through to Shirley, the lady who used
to cook my lunch at the training ground. Please say 'Hello' to everyone for
me. "It was also fantastic to hear the crowd sing 'I'm Forever Blowing
Bubbles' once again," he concludes, clearly looking forward to his next
visit to the Boleyn Ground gantry. "When I got back home to France, I found
that song on the internet because I wanted to show Medhi what a fantastic
atmosphere there is at West Ham United. "For me, it will always be a very
special place."

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Jake Larkins
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Jake Larkins is recovering after suffering minor
injuries in a car accident
16.04.2013

West Ham United Development Squad goalkeeper Jake Larkins is recovering at
home after suffering minor injuries in a car accident on Monday. Larkins was
driving to meet his team-mates ahead of the Barclays U21 Premier League
fixture at Southampton when his car was involved in a collision on the A12
near Harold Park. The 19-year-old was taken to Queen's Hospital in Romford,
where he received excellent medical attention to treat minor head and neck
injuries.
After spending the day in hospital, where he was accompanied by Development
Squad manager Nick Haycock and Academy head of sports science and sports
medicine Tom Smith, Larkins was discharged late on Monday evening and he is
now recovering at home with his family. Monday's fixture at Southampton was
postponed and will now be rearranged.

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West Ham v Man Utd
KO 19:45
16 April 2013

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Wednesday, 17 April

West Ham defender James Tomkins is a doubt with a calf injury and will face
a fitness test. Winston Reid and George McCartney are also struggling for
fitness, so Emanuel Pogatetz could start.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson may bring Jonny Evans or Chris
Smalling into his side in place of Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic. Wayne
Rooney could revert to his usual position upfront, with Tom Cleverley coming
into midfield.

MATCH PREVIEW

Manchester United showed their mental fortitude, and no little physical
strength, by rebounding from the defeat to Manchester City with victory
against Stoke in a bruising encounter on Sunday. United captain Nemanja
Vidic expects another tough test on Wednesday night when the champions-elect
visit West Ham.
A win would leave the Red Devils needing just four points from five games to
guarantee a 20th league title. It could get better still - should United win
and Manchester City lose to Wigan, Sir Alex Ferguson's side would only
require a point. Vidic admits: "Yes, you think you're almost there but you
have to win the games. Now it's West Ham and we have to play well again.
They play in a similar style to Stoke - we're going to have long balls and
set-pieces to deal with."
It has been a masterclass of a league season from the Red Devils and West
Ham boss Sam Allardyce has looked on with admiration. "I think you have to
say they are as good as they have ever been because nobody normally wins the
title so easily and by so big a margin, or has this much of a margin at this
stage of the season," he said. "It's pretty scary what total they might
actually finish with. I hope we can dent that a little bit on Wednesday
night."

This will be the fourth time the sides have met this season following a
narrow 1-0 win for Manchester United in the league and two very tight
tussles in the FA Cup, which the Red Devils emerged victorious from after a
replay.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Manchester United have won their last eight league meetings with West Ham,
scoring 22 goals and conceding just three.
Robin van Persie scored the fastest goal in the Premier League this season
after 33 seconds when the two sides met in November.
West Ham's last league win over the Red Devils was a 2-1 victory at Upton
Park in December 2007.

West Ham
The Hammers have scored in all but one of their 15 home Premier League
matches this season, bar a 0-0 draw with Manchester City.
Jussi Jaaskelainen has kept only two clean sheets in 21 career league
matches against Manchester United. The Finn has made more saves (138) than
any other goalkeeper in the top flight this season.
Sam Allardyce has won just two of his 17 Premier League matches as a manager
against Manchester United - he has failed to win any of the last 14.

Manchester United
Manchester United have conceded just one first-half goal in their last 13
Premier League games (v Southampton on 30 January).
The Red Devils have scored a league-high 14 goals from corners in 2013-14.
They have recovered 27 points from losing positions in the league this
season, a divisional high.
Robin van Persie is the first player in Premier League history to score 11
or more away goals in three different seasons.
Sir Alex Ferguson has taken charge of 33 Premier League matches against West
Ham, winning 22, losing four and drawing seven.

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West Ham United v Manchester United
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th April 2013
By: Preview Percy

Next we play host to Manchester United this Wednesday evening. Kick-off is
the standard 7.45pm and, with it not being the weekend, there'll be no
engineering works to contend with. Just the usual machinations of rush hour
on the tube network.

You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit more jaded than usual in writing this
preview. It's just that I seem to have been here before three times this
season – and that's not just the effect of my advancing years for once.
That, and the fact that the visitors are rammed down our throats on the tv
at every opportunity – I'm sure that their bloody obnoxious manager was
reading the weather the other night – means that I'm heartily fed up with
them to be honest.

Barring any Devon Loch incidents or perhaps a major change of heart amongst
the nation's referees they will win the Premier League this season being, as
they are, 15 points clear of the team from over the border in Manchester,
though the Citizens do have a game in hand, for all the good it will do
them. Current form is predictably good – they have won 5 and lost 1 of the
last 6. The wins came against QPR (2-0 away), Norwich (2-0 home), Reading
(1-0 home), Sunderland (1-0 away) and last weekend Stoke (2-0 away). The one
defeat was to the aforementioned Manchester City, who turned them over 2-1
at Old Trafford.

Over the years that I've been following both Thames Ironworks and West Ham
United there are some inviolable truths in life that one must come to
(usually regrettably) accept. One of these is that, whenever there is some
sort of sequence to be broken the one team that you want to be playing is
West Ham United. The classic example of this was Fernando Torres the other
year. The second he signed for Chelsea and started playing and not scoring a
number of shrewd Hammer punters were straight off to see that nice Mr
Winstone at their local turf accountants to stick a few bob on him breaking
his duck against us. Week after week passed until the fateful day came we
went to play them at Stamford Bridge. After a wonderfully hot day the
heavens erupted and as the game began to peter out the hapless Spaniard
found himself in on goal as a defender slipped in the greasy conditions to
score and make a lot of Hammers a lot richer. The reason I ramble so (apart
from the obvious) is that, until this weekend, we were looking at a similar
position with Robin Van Persie, who had gone over 12 hours without finding
the back of the net. To put that into perspective that's about a quarter of
your average junior doctor's working day. However the temporary duck was
broken with a penalty during Sunday's 2-0 win at Stoke. Hopefully that won't
have opened up the floodgates for the ex-Arsenal man.

As well as Van Persie's first goal in ages their first was scored by Michael
Carrick. Carrick's barren spell lasted a cool 15 months (a double shift for
junior doctors), a stat that came as a surprise given the good season he's
having. Obviously goalscoring is not exactly his main priority in the side
but even so I had thought he'd been on the listings in that period.

I have to say that I'm very disappointed in young Rio's recent antics. The
Salford mob are notorious when it comes to players developing mystery
injuries on the weekend before international matches – Paul Scholes once
went missing with split ends and Ryan "Family Man" Giggs famously managed to
go a whole 9 years after his international debut before playing another
friendly. However, Mr Ferdinand's decision to withdraw from international
duty for the recent World Cup qualifiers after being selected hit a new low
even for that particularly bent club. One could have handled the official
reason – that the fixtures clashed with treatment on his back problem - but
for the simple fact that he then jetted off to Dubai to earn a few bob to
comment on the matches for Desert TV or some such station. Now I realise
that when a professional footballer flies off to foreign climes they are
unlikely to be shoehorned into the economy seating the likes of you and I
are forced to endure (What? You actually want to sit down on the flight?
That'll be another £50 sir – plus a tenner for the seat-belt). However, I'm
pretty sure that a 13 hour round trip in one of those flying machines –
maybe more if he had to change at London – is about as good for back pain as
trying to lift Neil Ruddock over your head without a safety net. Poor show
Mr Ferdinand – you were brought up better than that.

There's been a bit of speculation as to the future of Wayne Rooney of late.
He's been a bit out of sorts recently and he was omitted from the side to
face Real Madrid not so long ago. Given the importance of the match, the
selection of Danny Welbeck ahead of the "Spud Faced Nipper" could well be
taken as a hint from his obnoxious manager that the player might be on his
way out. There are precedents – both Van Niestelrooy and, going back a bit
further, the marketing phenomenon, some say professional footballer, David
Beckham were both left out of important matches as a precursor to their
departure so this may be Rooney's last season with the club, with PSG
rumoured to be in the market for the scouse chubber. If nothing else that'll
mean that at last Beckham will no longer be the player with the most
talentless and irritating missus at his club.

Now, because the editors are too polite to raise the matter themselves, a
word for their pain in the ar*se of a manager: If you're not going to bother
to comply with your obligations and send someone along to the post-match
press conference could you get one of your yes men to get word to the press
room to say so? It's not that anyone is particularly interested in what you
have to say as such but just that the editors of this website have lives to
live and would rather get home the same day that they left rather than hang
about on the off chance that you might actually admit that you get more than
your fair share of dodgy refereeing decisions.

Our turn now. It was another good away performance last weekend from us. Two
in a row no less. Here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered we
got the unpaid work experience "intern" (he turned Reading down on the
grounds of wanting to retain his dignity) to rig up some sort of computer
feed into the tv so we were able to watch the match live. The notable thing
was how the commentators continued to ramble on about "the long ball game"
without actually bothering to look at what was going on in front of them.
This was compounded by the ever-ignorant home support shouting "hoof" every
time the ball was moved more than two feet. The commentary reached its low
point when the chap noted that Southampton had enjoyed far more possession –
just as the graphic came up showing the complete opposite. The fact that
their goal came from a long hopeful punt from the 'keeper also seemed to
elude their attention, as did the ever useless Mike Dean's failure to send
off Schneiderlin for a second cautionable offence. In all the talk about
technology in football it's a sobering thought that Mike Dean could easily
be replaced by an obsolete tv remote control one found down the back of the
sofa. Without the batteries.

The point came at a cost. Tomkins' awkward landing has left him with a
damaged calf that makes him a major doubt. Some sources quote a "late
fitness test" for the Olympian but that may be a bit optimistic. With
Winston Reid apparently being another week away at least it will probably
mean a start for Pogatetz heaven help us. Personally I'd prefer to see young
Potts given a run out – Pogatetz worries me and always gives the impression
that he is a penalty waiting to happen. And that's even without considering
the generous refereeing that these particular opponents take for granted.
Potts did ok against them in the home cup match in January for what it's
worth.

In midfield Joe Cole's been to the States to have his hamstring checked out
– that's proper use of a plane ticket Rio - whilst there's a slight chance
of seeing Mark Noble back again. One player who we wouldn't have been seeing
anyway is Dylan Tombides. Having recovered from testicular cancer a while
back it now transpires that he's been back in hospital for another op, this
time on his liver. According to his twitter feed (thanks again to the unpaid
intern) he should be out of hospital later this week – our best wishes go
out to him.

Prediction? Well we've not had the best of luck against this lot this
season. A 91st minute equaliser in the Cup match at the Boleyn and a couple
of 1-0 defeats up there have been the results thus far this season. The last
visit got the boss into a bit of trouble for pointing out the obvious
advantage that they have with taking the field with twelve men every week.
As usual when it comes to refereeing matters the authorities chose to shoot
the messenger and some of that promotion bonus went in the direction of FA
HQ at Wembley. Old habits die hard for referees and should we be winning
with only a few minutes to go Mr Probert will, no doubt, be happy to oblige
them as usual. With that in mind I'll plump for three points in a row then
and put the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered Fund We Were Going To
Pay The Intern With Until We Found Out We Could Get One For Free (£2.50) on
a 2-2 draw.

Enjoy The Game!

When Last We Met At The Boleyn: Drew 2-2 (FA Cup 3rd Round January 2013). A
James Collins header from a Joe Cole cross cancelled out Cleverley's opener.
An identical James Collins header from an identical Joe Cole cross gave us
the lead before Van Persie's injury time equaliser – from a long ball mind –
took the tie to a replay. Vidic was finally cautioned for his umpteenth
yellow card offence on the 83rd minute – some 70 minutes after he ought to
have been given his marching orders. Ferguson didn't turn up to the press
conference. Again.

Referee: Lee Probert. Handled last season's match at home to Southampton.
Poorly.

Danger Man:Wayne Rooney. Not having the greatest of spells but often turns
it on against us.

Daft Fact Of The Week:Although Eamonn Holmes is famously one of those
celebrity know-nothing Man Utd supporters he recently purchased a season
ticket at the Boleyn. You see there was this advert advertising a free
pie………….

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says Manchester United dominance 'scary'
Last Updated: April 16, 2013 6:29pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has admitted Manchester United's dominance of
the Premier League this season has been 'scary'. Victory against West Ham at
Upton Park on Wednesday night could see United extend their advantage at the
top of the table to 18 points and all-but confirm a record 20th English
top-flight title. Allardyce confessed he has been in awe at the way Sir Alex
Ferguson's side have gone about their business in the Premier League this
season.

Live on Sky Sports
West Ham v Man Utd
April 17, 2013 7:00pm

"I think you have to say the United team is as good as it has ever been
because nobody normally wins the title so easily and by so big a margin, or
has this much of a margin at this stage of the season," he said. "It is
pretty scary what total they might actually finish with. "Manchester United
have been outstanding and their squad rotation has been Sir Alex's
masterpiece as usual, about playing the right team at the right time."
"Manchester United have been outstanding and their squad rotation has been
Sir Alex's masterpiece as usual, about playing the right team at the right
time. "They have not had the normal focus on three or four competitions
almost to the end, the focus has come on the Premier League and they have
just breezed it. "They have just gone 'bang' and everyone else can't get
near them."

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West Ham v Man Utd team news: James Tomkins doubt for Hammers
16 Apr 2013 14:29
The Mirror

United need seven points to land a 20th league title - and they'll be
hopeful of three at Upton Park against depleted Irons. West Ham defender
James Tomkins (calf) is an injury doubt for the Premier League visit of
league leaders Manchester United tomorrow (Wednesday). Winston Reid (hip)
and George McCartney (knee) are also struggling for fitness, so Emanuel
Pogatetz is ready to stand in at Upton Park. Midfielder Mark Noble
(shoulder) is close to a return, but Joe Cole (hamstring) remains a doubt.

Squad: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Tomkins, Pogatetz, Collins, Vaz Te,
Taylor, Jarvis, Collison, Diame, Nolan, O'Neil, Carroll, Henderson, Potts, C
Cole, Wellington, Noble, Spence.

Sir Alex Ferguson has reported no new injury concerns. Tom Cleverley, Ryan
Giggs, Jonny Evans, Rafael, Danny Welbeck and Nani are all hoping for a
recall but Ashley Young (ankle) and Paul Scholes (knee) remain sidelined.
The Red Devils require just seven more points to seal a 20th league title.

Squad: De Gea, Lindegaard, Rafael, Smalling, Jones, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evans,
Evra, Buttner, Nani, Valencia, Powell, Carrick, Anderson, Cleverley, Giggs,
Kagawa, Van Persie, Rooney, Hernandez, Welbeck.

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Premier League's most efficient defences
GMF looks at the best Premier League defensive teams - including Manchester
United, Chelsea & West Ham
GiveMeFootball.com

A good goalkeeper keeps his side in the game, and there are none better in
the Premier League than West Ham's Jussi Jääskeläinen - at least according
to the statistics. The Hammers have the most efficient defence in the
English top flight - an impressive 4.91-shots-on-target-per-goal-conceded.
Basically, against West Ham it takes an opposition more shots on target to
force a goal. The higher this number then, the more efficient your defence.
And Jääskeläinen must take some of the credit, because the Finnish
goalkeeper has been an ever present for Sam Allardyce's side this term. But
no sane person would argue the West Ham stopper is the best keeper in the
Premier League - so there must be another explaination for West Ham's
impressive ratio.

We've listed the top 5 best and the top 5 worst Premier League teams based
on shots-on-target-per-goal-conceded ratio. And then we've looked at one
from each group in a little more depth to try an explain what it all means.
Why do Manchester City have one of the worst defensive ratios despite
conceding the least amount of goals? Why do West Ham possess the most
efficient defence? Why does 'Big Sam' Allardyce persist with an
eye-wateringly boring style of football? All will be revealed, good sir.

Now, shots-per-goal-conceded is not a perfect measure of the best and worst
defences of the Premier League, but it does tell you some important things.

Firstly, it demonstrates the value of a consistent goalkeeper. Too often
statistics just list the number of clean sheets won (the basis of the Golden
Glove award) without taking into account number of shots faced, number of
errors, etc.

It also gives you a snapshot of the most and least efficient defences in the
league. The defence (including the goalkeeper) is responsible for stopping
shots, and therefore stopping goals.

So it's interesting to note Wigan, Newcastle, Southampton and Aston Villa
all find themselves in the top 5 worst in this category (QPR & Reading are
sixth and seventh worst) - all have battled relegation this season.

In contrast, the top 5 best includes Chelsea and Manchester United, two
clubs with keepers in excellent form, and Sunderland's Simon Mignolet and
Swansea's Michel Vorm - two of the best outside the top four.

Now, there's a few surprises as well - Tottenham in the bottom five,
Sunderland in the top for example. But lets take a closer look at one of the
biggest. Manchester City, second in the Premier League, have one of the
worst ratios - level with relegation strugglers Aston Villa.

But think about it. Manchester City have given up by far the fewest number
of shots on target this season (98). That should make them one of the best
defences - but it doesn't, not in isolation at least. They've also conceded
the least number of goals (27) but relative to their league rivals that
ratio (98 shots/27 conceded =3.6-shots-on-target-per-goal-conceded) is just
not good enough.

If Manchester City had conceded at the same rate as their rivals Manchester
United, they would have shipped just 20 league goals this term instead of
27. That's a lot of goals, and potentially a huge number of points.

The stat also passes the eye test - to any Premier League fan it's clear
that City's defence is nowhere near as good as last season.

In fact, last year City (eventual Premier League champions) ranked towards
the top with a ratio of 4.6-shots-per-goal-conceded - that would have put
them tied-fourth for the best this season and level with the team likely to
replace them as champions, Manchester United.

Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott had formed a solid partnership and Joe
Hart was in excellent form.

This season the consistency is gone. Roberto Mancini flips between three at
the back and four, Kompany has spent time on the sidelines, and Lescott has
been benched. Joe Hart's dip in form is well documented, and individual
mistakes have cost Mancini's side dearly. They've dropped off hugely in
terms of defensive performance, and it's hurt their Premier League title
challenge.

Of course, a huge factor has been City's lack of goals (Aguero's strike
against United was just his 10th of the league campaign). But it's clear
that their defence, once you scratch under the surface of the headline
numbers, has actually hugely under-performed this season. Roberto Mancini
may well blame his goal-shy strikers, but he should look to his back-line
for answers as well.

Looking at the rest of the bottom five teams, it was always clear that
Southampton's main problem was defence. Their early season form was awful (3
conceded against United & City, 6 against Arsenal, 3 versus Everton, 4
against West Ham).

Since the New Year they've only conceded more than two in the Premier League
once - losing 4-2 to Newcastle in February. But the damage was done at the
start.

Looking at the top clubs and it's no surprise to see Chelsea and Manchester
United near the summit. Boasting Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, David Luiz,
Gary Cahill and John Terry, these two clubs have some of the league's elite
defenders.

But lets look in more detail at the league's best - West Ham United.

Under Sam Allardyce they are famously difficult to play against and even
more difficult to watch, but Big Sam's long-ball style is undeniably
effective, and the stats prove it. He invites the opposition to monopolise
the ball - West Ham have one of the lowest average possession percentages in
the league at just 44 per cent. They don't care though, they're not
Barcelona, they've got Andy Carroll!

But that gives their opponents ample opportunity to get shots on goal, and
they've conceded the second highest number of shots-on-target in the league
(221). Only Reading have allowed more efforts on target and they're bottom
of the table! In theory then, that should make West Ham's defence terrible,
and more likely to concede more goals. But it doesn't, and here's why.

The Hammers do an excellent job of frustrating opponents, and forcing them
into 'low-percentage' shots - i.e. from outside the six-yard box.

The Hammers force their opponents to shoot from distance and they face the
highest percentage of shots from outside the box (51 percent) - exactly the
kind of efforts that are the most likely to be unsuccessful, and the easier
to save.

To emphasise the point, their defensive style means they face the second
lowest percentage of shots from inside the six yards box (5 per cent) -
exactly the kind of efforts that are typically the most successful i.e. easy
tap-ins and close-range finishes. They restrict 'high percentage'
opportunites, making them the most efficient defence in the division.

So while they let opponents shoot, West Ham do so in such a way as to limit
their opponents' chances of success. They let them rain in from long
distance, thereby making it easier for Jääskeläinen to save them. It's the
perfect combination defence.

And then Big Sam's 'play the percentages' style of football gets his team
plenty of good chances at the other end of the pitch - 69 per cent of West
Ham's shots come in the opponent's penalty box - by far the best in the
league. Nice little tap-ins and flick-ons for Kevin Nolan et al to gobble
up.

Allardyce clearly doesn't want his team taking the same type of 'low
percentage' shots as his opponents. Because West Ham have the lowest
percentage of shots from outside the penalty box in the Premier League, just
31 per cent.

That's the West Ham recipe for success. Force the opponent into long
distance efforts once they've passed themselves to death, while you launch
it forward quickly and get close range shots for yourself.

We've explored some of the reasons behind the statistics here, and we hope
we've not bored you too much.

Take a look at the best and worst ratios below, and have your say on why you
think certain teams make the top 5 or bottom 5.

Enjoy!

Worst shots-per-goal-conceded ratio

Wigan | 2.95-shots-per-goal-conceded

Southampton | 3-shots-per-goal

Tottenham | 3.27-shots-per-goal

Newcastle | 3.28-shots-per-goal

Aston Villa, Manchester City | 3.6-shots-per-goal

Best shots-per-goal-conceded ratio

West Ham | 4.91-shots-per-goal-conceded

Swansea | 4.85-shots-per-goal

Chelsea | 4.7-shots-per-goal

Manchester United | 4.6-shots-per-goal

Sunderland | 4.3-shots-per-goal

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com