Daily WHUFC News - 18th April 2013

Points shared in Man Utd thriller
WHUFC.com
West Ham United twice lead but have to settle for a point from thrilling Man
Utd clash
17.04.2013

West Ham United were twice pegged back by Barclays Premier League leaders
Manchester United on Wednesday night and had to settle for a point from a
pulsating Boleyn Ground encounter. Ricardo Vaz Te's first half header was
cancelled out by Antonio Valencia, but the Hammers came roaring back and
re-took the lead on 55 minutes thanks to Mohamed Diame's screamer. West
Ham's high-energy game had the runaway leaders rattled at times, but they
rediscovered their composure to net a second equaliser through Robin van
Persie. The point represented the east Londoners' third successive draw and
extended their unbeaten run to a fourth game as they moved to within a point
of tenth-placed Fulham. West Ham started like a train and were a mere
whisker away from taking a fifth minute lead, when Andy Carroll took the
ball down on the edge of the box, turned and produced a left-footed shot
which whistled just past the near post. The Hammers were looking brighter in
their play and they were rewarded in the 17th minute with the opening goal.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side were undone by the speed of a Hammers break, with
Diame driving forwards after Wayne Rooney squandered possession deep in
opposition territory. The Senegal international picked the perfect moment to
offload to Matt Jarvis down the left, who carried the ball into the area,
ghosted past Rio Ferdinand and stood up an inviting cross for Carroll to
knock back towards Vaz Te, who stooped to head home. It was a goal
reminiscent of the type of counter-attacking football shown so regularly by
the Red Devils, although they struggled to find that as the Hammers claimed
early supremacy. The champions-elect are well capable of hurting the
opposition in a blink of an eye, though, and so they proved with their 31st
minute equaliser. Valencia was the man who was given the simple task of
tapping home after van Persie made tracks down the left and slipped the ball
inside for Shinji Kagawa to skip past Winston Reid and play the ball square.
West Ham were undeterred and began the second period just as they had the
first. With 52 minutes on the clock Carroll spied a chance from 30 yards and
volleyed just over the top. Then, three minutes later, Diame bettered that
with a goal of the highest quality. Guy Demel gave him possession in the
right channel, and after dropping his shoulder to rid himself of Wayne
Rooney's attentions, sent a fierce left footed shot curling out of David de
Gea's reach and into the bottom corner. The visitors probed for an instant
response and Jussi Jaaskelainen was fortunate that he had Gary O'Neil behind
him to clean up after Rooney's shot bobbled over his hands. With 69 minutes
on the clock Jaaskelainen had to show fine reactions to thrust up a hand and
divert van Persie's point blank header over the top, but Ferguson's side
were pressing and the equaliser was not far away. That it stood was up for
debate as van Persie looked to be in an offside position when Kagawa bent in
the shot which clattered off both posts and fell for the Dutchman to knock
home. The flag stayed down and the Hammers were left with 13 minutes to
defend their point, but they saw out time to climb yet closer to the top
half of the table.

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien; O'Neil (Noble
68); Vaz Te, Diame (Collison 82), Nolan (Taylor 82), Jarvis; Carroll
Subs: Henderson (GK), C.Cole, Maiga, Pogatetz
Goals: Vaz Te 17, Diame 55
Booked: Carroll

Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Jones, Carrick,
Kagawa (Hernandez 77); Valencia, van Persie, Rooney (Giggs 71)
Subs: Amos (GK), Evans, Nani, Welbeck, Cleverley
Goals: Valencia 31, van Persie 77

Referee: Lee Probert
Attendance: 34,692

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diame's goal delight
WHUFC.com
Mohamed Diame was happy to find the net for West Ham United and to secure
another important point
17.04.2013

Mohamed Diame was naturally delighted to end his personal goal drought with
a memorable strike in Wednesday's 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw with
Manchester United. The midfielder netted for the first time in 15 matches
with an unstoppable left-foot blast that flew past David De Gea ten minutes
after half-time. Diame's goal put West Ham 2-1 up after Ricardo Vaz Te's
opener had been cancelled out by Antonio Valencia's tap-in before the break.
Robin van Persie netted a controversial late equaliser took a little of the
shine off the night, but the Hammers were still good value for a deserved
point. The No21's goal was something special as he collected the ball from
Guy Demel, cut inside and sent a rasping shot past the Manchester United
goalkeeper. "Guy gave me the right ball inside and I turned on my left foot
and I'm happy to have scored this goal because I've been waiting for this
since the Chelsea game," said the midfielder. "I'm happy to get this goal
and to bring something for the team. "I try to give my best all the time on
the pitch and I had the opportunity to shoot on target and I did it well, so
it was good for the team."

When asked if he had mixed emotions after Van Persie's 77th-minute equaliser
was shown to be offside in replays, Diame was instead concentrating on the
positives of a draw with the runaway leaders. "It was very good. We gave a
strong performance. We are working together to try to get the results and to
keep the ball and we were happy to get another point. We need to keep going
like this until the end of the season like this. We will keep going until
the final day and will try to finish as high up as possible in the league.
"It is good for our confidence that we played well and we have good players.
We are playing well the moment so we need to keep it going and then we can
prepare for next season. "Once we know we're going to stay up we can start
to think about next season and try to make a good team for then."

With five games to go, including three more at home, Diame is confident the
eleventh-place Hammers can secure a top-ten finish on their return to the
Barclays Premier League. "We are going to give everything to try to finish
in the top ten. It would be a good present for the fans and for ourselves
and would show the people how good we can be. We're going to keep going and
keep working every week and try to bring more points."

The first of West Ham's remaining quintet of fixtures sees Diame's former
employers Wigan Athletic visit the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The Latics
remain deep in relegation trouble after losing at Manchester City on
Wednesday, but the Senegal international would love to see his old club
climb out of the bottom three by the season's end. "They are in a very
difficult situation now and I hope for them that they are going to stay up.
I have a lot friends there and there are a lot of good people there, so I
hope they can stay up."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It was an outstanding performance'
WHUFC.com
Big Sam hailed a supreme team display as West Ham came close to toppling
leaders Man Utd
17.04.2013

Sam Allardyce paid tribute to an outstanding team performance, as runaway
Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United twice had to battle back
from a goal behind, to scramble a 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground. After
Antonio Valencia cancelled out a Ricardo Vaz Te diving header, Mohamed
Diame's belter from the edge of the box had looked set to earn the Hammers
another famous victory against Sir Alex Ferguson's men. But with 13 minutes
still to play, Shinji Kagawa's curler came back off both posts, allowing
Robin van Persie to slam home the rebound and rescue the Reds, just as he
had done in January in the FA Cup third round. Replays subsequently showed
the Dutch marksman was in an offside position and Big Sam was understandably
aggrieved to see his side denied in such a fashion. He told West Ham TV: "It
was just an outstanding performance from all the players that took part, I
can't praise them enough. We've played like this most of the season. "The
outstanding goals that we scored, especially the second goal, should have
brought us an outstanding victory against the leaders Manchester United. And
sadly, the linesman's decision has denied us a famous victory. "Van Persie's
goal was offside. He was in an offside position when the ball was struck, it
hit the post, it came to him and he's put it in the net. It's a famous
victory that has slipped away from us. But it remains a fantastic point and
a fantastic performance."

Though resilient defensive displays have been the order of the day in recent
weeks, a return to the Boleyn Ground saw Big Sam's troops revert to their
fluent and stylish offensive best. That change in tack was every bit in
evidence in West Ham's fine goals, strikes that the Hammers boss felt were
worthy of settling the contest. Big Sam continued: "We broke brilliantly,
very quickly and got the ball out to Matt Jarvis, who's showing his worth
more and more the longer the season goes. It's a super cross, and Vaz Te,
coming in from the opposite side to Andy Carroll, gets a well-earned goal. I
think that was deserved at the time.
"We only slipped up twice in the first half and we managed to defend the
first, but not the second, where they scored. But Mo's wonder goal deserved
to be a winning goal. The build-up in the corner from Vaz Te, the first-time
turn by Mo, the dummy and then the smash. It's a good job Kevin Nolan saw it
going in and he just lent on the defender, so it could go past him and into
the bottom corner. "After that, you know you're going to be put under some
pressure from Manchester United but to lose a goal like that, when it
shouldn't have stood, is hard to take."

Tough to take it might be, but the Hammers will no doubt be in confident
mood come the visit of Wigan Athletic on Saturday, after running the leaders
so very close. With this being a third game in eight days, Big Sam intends
to use his squad to good effect, just as he did with three midfield changes
in the second half against Manchester United. "Mo and Kevin ran their socks
off today" he added. "We didn't want to lose this game. It would have been
bitterly disappointing had we lost it, so we put on some fresh legs, with
Taylor and Collison. And Matt, of course, had a really good chance when he
pinched the ball off Rio Ferdinand and he should have done an awful lot
better than he did. "We'll look at the squad and use it accordingly and
hopefully we can continue this run. I think we 've only lost two in nine
matches now, even if it's three draws on the trot."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Robin van Persie equaliser angers West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
BBC.co.uk

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce was furious with officials after seeing Robin
van Persie controversially equalise in his side's 2-2 draw with Manchester
United.
The striker appeared to be offside for United's second and Allardyce said:
"We had a fabulous win taken away from us." His anger was echoed by United
boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who was upset Andy Carroll was not sent off for a
challenge on keeper David De Gea. "It was a red card. There is not a doubt
about that," he said. Carroll had thrown himself into an aerial challenge
with the keeper as he attempted to reach a corner at the end of the first
half, leaving both the Spaniard and defender Patrice Evra needing treatment.
"The referee did see it but didn't see it as a red card," Ferguson added.
"He saw that incident and chose not to give him a red card."

"I think it is a yellow card at most because Andy has committed to try for
the header and you can't stop dead," he said. "When you commit on a corner
and you start off running, you can't stop dead even though you aren't going
to get it. "Your Highway Code will tell you that when you travel at 60mph it
will take 300 yards to stop, so when Andy's travelling at 15mph…" That
incident came after United's Antonio Valencia had cancelled out Ricardo Vaz
Te's 15th-minute opener for the Hammers. Mohamed Diame then fired West Ham
in front again before Van Persie's 77th-minute strike sealed a point for the
visitors.
Robin van Persie now has 12 Premier League away goals this season, level
with Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale. Television replays showed he was in an
offside position when a Shinji Kagawa shot hit both posts and bounced out to
him. Allardyce said: "We had a fabulous win taken away from us by an
assistant referee. It was blatantly offside, as we can all see. "It's their
job to give the offside decisions that appear in front of them. "We would
have been satisfied with a draw before the start but when you see a victory
against one of the best teams in Europe taken away from you, it is hard to
take."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Man Utd 2
Last updated at 22:23
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Upton Park

Manchester United inched closer to regaining their Premier League title
despite being held to a draw by West Ham United at Upton Park. Robin van
Persie's controversial equaliser 20 minutes from time rescued a point for
United as they struggled for long spells to discover the form that has led
them to the brink of a 20th top-flight crown. Ricardo Vaz Te gave West Ham -
still looking to make survival mathematically certain - an early lead but
Shinji Kagawa's superb run produced a leveller for Antonio Valencia before
half-time. Mohamed Diame's stunning strike then restored West Ham's lead
before Van Persie turned in United's second in the 77th minute after
Kagawa's deflected shot rebounded off both posts - although replays showed
the Dutchman was in an offside position.

United's lead now stands at 13 points after second-placed Manchester City
beat relegation-threatened Wigan but this was a performance that smacked
more of a stroll towards the finishing line than a triumphant dash. The fact
that the title is now a formality has perhaps taken some of the edge off Sir
Alex Ferguson's side but it is only matter of time before they will be
champions again. The extent of United's struggles, at least until a
trademark period of late pressure, was summed up by Wayne Rooney, who was
desperately poor and could have no complaints when he was substituted with
20 minutes left. Andy Carroll's failure to establish himself at Liverpool
and subsequent injury problems at West Ham have curtailed his England career
- but his lively display will have impressed watching England manager Roy
Hodgson. He played a crucial role as West Ham took the lead after 16
minutes. Matt Jarvis escaped from Rio Ferdinand far too easily to find
Carroll at the far post and he nodded back for Vaz Te to throw himself
forward and score with a diving header from six yards. West Ham have scored
twice in each of their last three home games against Manchester United but
have not won any of them.

United's response was subdued but they drew level with the smoothest of
equalisers 14 minutes before half-time. Kagawa demonstrated perfect balance
and footwork to skip through the Hammers defence and set up a simple
sidefoot finish for Valencia. Carroll had been West Ham's main threat but he
infuriated Ferguson moments before the interval when he recklessly launched
himself at a corner, taking out Patrice Evra and United keeper David de Gea
in the process. Nothing had been seen of Rooney but he finally made a
contribution of some significance right after the restart when his perfect
cross found Van Persie, whose header was just behind Phil Jones, however,
meaning the defender was unable to make a proper connection. Having escaped
punishment for the earlier incident, Carroll was then booked by referee Lee
Probert for a harmless looking tangle with De Gea after the keeper collected
a cross. Carroll then gave De Gea another anxious moment, this time with a
long-range dipping effort that went into the side netting. West Ham were
playing with far more purpose at this stage and were rewarded in spectacular
style with a second goal after 55 minutes. Diame, a real talent, eluded
Rooney with embarrassing ease before firing a low, angled drive beyond De
Gea from 20 yards.

Rooney almost snatched another equaliser when Jussi Jaaskelainen fumbled his
half-hit shot from a corner but Gary O'Neil was on the line to rescue West
Ham's veteran keeper. The Finn was in more accomplished action to turn Van
Persie's header over the top before Ferguson made his first change with 20
minutes remaining. Despite the fact that United were trailing, it was little
surprise that Rooney was the man replaced by Ryan Giggs after a performance
lacking in intensity and quality. As ever with United, even when below their
best they possess a threat and so it proved again as they restored parity
once more with 13 minutes left. Kawaga's shot from the edge of the area
deflected off James Collins and hit both posts before Van Persie turned in
from a very tight angle.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: A bitter pill to swallow
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 17th April 2013
By: Staff Writer

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has slammed the assistant referee who failed to
spot Robin Van Persie's offside position moments before the Dutch striker
scored the goal that earned Man Utd a point at the Boleyn Ground tonight.
West Ham were leading 2-1 when a clearly offside Van Persie pounced on a
loose ball to find the back of the net. However the 'goal' was allowed to
stand, much to the chagrin of Allardyce. "The reason we didn't win was down
to the assistant referee, which was a bitter pill to swallow," he said. "It
would have been a famous victory for us all here at West Ham, but it wasn't
to be. "It wasn't a dfficult decision. The assistant referee is right in
line with our last defender and he can see the white shirt in advance of
him. The ball hits the post and comes off to Van Persie, and he puts it in
the net. "The flag should go up. You'll have to go and ask him [the
linesman] why he didn't do it. Fear? Who knows, I don't. You'll have to ask
him." West Ham had taken the lead on the quarter-hour mark through a Ricardo
Vaz Te header, before the visitors equalised when Antonio Valencia scored
from close range in the 31st minute. Mo Diame's wonder goal ten minutes into
the second period looked as if it may earn West Ham all three points, until
Van Persie's offside effort 13 minutes from time was allowed to stand.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Premier League: Manchester United earn draw at West Ham
Last Updated: April 17, 2013 10:37pm
SSN

Robin van Persie's late goal earned Manchester United a 2-2 draw with West
Ham at Upton Park to inch them closer to the Premier League title. United
were twice forced to come from behind for a share of the spoils with goals
from Antonio Valencia and van Persie cancelling out efforts from Ricardo Vaz
Te and Mohamed Diame. The draw leaves United 13 point clear at the top of
the table, while the point all but secures West Ham' Premier League safety.

Best of the game

Man of the match: Andy Carroll. He may not always have been completely
within the laws, but the striker was always involved

Goal of the game: Mohamed Diame's second for West Ham was a thing of beauty,
spinning away from Wayne Rooney and, seemingly the Man United goal before
curling a powerful strike into the smallest of available targets in the far
corner past a crowd of bodies.

Save of the match: Jussi Jaaskelainen made two fine saves in the second half
to deny Robin van Persie from close range. The first and best of them was
rendered irrelevant by an offside flag but the second, tipping the ball over
from the Dutchman's powerful header, did count.

Moment of the match: In first-half stoppage time Carroll and Rooney were
involved in some pre-corner handbags before the West Ham striker went
barrelling into David De Gea to the obvious anger of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Talking point: Although Manchester United were good value for their
equaliser, Robin van Persie was half a yard offside before slamming the ball
home when Shinji Kagawa's deflected strike came out to him via both
uprights.

West Ham started on the front foot and in-form striker Andy Carroll went
close to scoring after just five minutes when he fired in a shot from the
edge of the box which flew just wide of the far post. The home continued to
push forward and they made their early pressure count on 16 minutes when
Ricardo Vaz Te found the net from close-range with his first goal since
October. Matt Jarvis beat Rio Ferdinand down the right before hanging up a
cross to the far post for Carroll to head back across goal to allow Vaz Te
to nod the ball home from four yards out. After a slow start United finally
sprung into life just past the half hour mark as Antonio Valencia drew the
visitors level with his first Premier League goal of the season. Shinji
Kagawa was the architect of the goal as he played a neat one-two with Robin
van Persie to get into the West Ham box before crossing for Valencia to fire
home the simplest of finishes inside the six-yard box.

The first half ended in controversial fashion when Carroll caught De Gea
with robust aerial challenge from a West Ham corner much to the annoyance of
Sir Alex Ferguson on the sidelines. United really should have taken the lead
seconds after the restart when Wayne Rooney picked out van Persie inside the
box with a perfect pass and he headed the ball down into the path of Jones
only for the youngster to get his shot all wrong in front of goal. The
impressive Carroll was inches away from restoring West Ham's lead on 52
minutes with an ambitious left-footed half volley from fully 30 yards out
which flew just wide of a worried De Gea's goal. Three minutes later West
Ham hit the front again with a stunning strike from Diame. Guy Demel found
Diame on the edge of the box and he brilliantly turned Rooney before firing
an unstoppable left-footed shot into the bottom far corner to send the home
fans into raptures. United went close to equalising for a second time on 63
minutes when van Persie picked out Rooney from a well-worked corner and his
shot was kicked off the line by Gary O'Neil. The league leaders drew level
on 13 minutes from time when van Persie was on hand to fire high into then
net after Kagawa's superb effort came off both posts.

United threw everything at West Ham in the closing stages, but the closest
they came to a winner was when Jussi Jaaskelainen produced a smart save from
substitute Javier Hernandez's header.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce blamed the officals for costing his side victory
against Man Utd
Last Updated: April 17, 2013 10:56pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce accused the officials of costing his side a
famous victory against Manchester United after a 2-2 draw at Upton Park.
West Ham threatened to halt United's title charge by twice going in front
against the league leaders only to be twice pegged back. Robin van Persie's
late strike denied West Ham all three points, with replays suggesting the
Holland striker was offside. The decision angered Allardyce, who said a
"famous victory" had been taken away from his men. "The team has played the
best they can play and they have scored one of the best goals of the season
and the assistant referee takes it away from you," he told Sky Sports 2.
"It's a bit difficult to take, that's their job, it's their job to give the
offside decisions that appear in front of them. This is a blatant one, this
is not a position he should or shouldn't be in. He can see Van Persie is two
yards offside, he should put his flag up, he doesn't.
"You could say if Manchester United hadn't have scored they might have
scored from there on but to have to draw this game by a default goal from
Manchester United it is a bitter pill to swallow. "It's a fantastic
performance by the team, outstanding performance in fact. "They get
rubbished some of our players for the type of football they play because of
me and I do think that's a disgrace because they have shown everybody how
good they are today."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Manchester United 2
The Sun
Published: 56 minutes ago

ROBIN VAN PERSIE'S strike helped Manchester United come away with a point
after an action-packed draw. Ricardo Vaz Te gave West Ham an early lead but
Antonio Valencia levelled the scores before the break. A stunning curling
effort from Mohamed Diame looked to have won the game for the Hammers until
the Dutchman's tidy finish. The Red Devils showedwhy they had already earned
27 points from losing positions this term, but Alex Ferguson will not be
happy with their performance. Matt Jarvis found some space down the left and
skinned Rio Ferdinand before sending the ball to the far post. Andy Carroll
rose highest and nodded back across goal for Vaz Te who headed home the
opener. But Shinji Kagawa's brilliant run past a desperate tackle from
Winston Reid pulled his team back into the game. The Japanese playmaker
composed himself and rolled the ball across goal for Valencia to tap into an
empty net. Carroll clashed with United stopper David De Gea either side of
the break and earned himself a yellow card for the second offence. In
between Phil Jones missed a great chance to put his team in front as he
failed to direct Van Persie's cutback goalwards.

Carroll saw a long-range volley fly just wide of the post before the Hammers
took the lead again. Diame turned brilliantly and unleashed a superb curling
strike that whistled into the net. Wayne Rooney had an effort cleared off
the line by Gary O'Neil and Jussi Jaaskelainen pulled off a great stop from
Van Persie. But the Dutchman was not to be denied and equalised minutes
later, though he should have been given offside. Kagawa's strike came back
off both posts and the lethal finsher guided the ball into the roof of the
net following up. Javier Hernandez, on for Rooney, almost snatched a winner
but the teams had to settle for a draw.

DREAM TEAM STAR MAN — ANDY CARROLL (West Ham)
WEST HAM: Jaaskelainen 6, Demel 7, J Collins 7, Reid 6, O'Brien 6, Diame 8,
Nolan 6, O'Neil 6, Vaz Te 7, Carroll 8, Jarvis 7. Subs: Noble (O'Neill 67)
6, Taylor (Nolan 82) 6, Collison (Diame 82) 6. Not used: Henderson, C Cole,
Maiga, Pogatetz. Booked: Carroll.
MAN UTD: De Gea 6, Rafael 6, Ferdinand 6, Vidic 6, Evra 6, Valencia 7,
Carrick 6, Jones 6, Kagawa 7, Rooney 5, Van Persie 5. Subs: Giggs (Rooney
71) 6, Hernandez (Kagawa 78) 6. Not used: Amos, Evans, Nani, Welbeck,
Cleverley.
REF: L Probert 7.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Giggs should play until he drops
West Ham legend Bonds hails veteran Welshman
The Sun
Picture: RICHARD PELHAM
Exclusive
By ANDREW DILLON

WEST HAM are giving their first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary
captain Billy Bonds. But Bonzo has plenty of life left in him yet and has
still not finished with achieving. At 66, the superfit grandad still does
200 press-ups EVERY DAY, 1,000 sit-ups per week and is only half a stone
heavier than his playing weight. The Hammers' greatest all-rounder played in
the top flight until he was 41 and clocked up 793 appearances in claret and
blue before retiring reluctantly in 1988. It is a lesson in longevity as
football rightly applauds Manchester United stalwart Ryan Giggs, who
recently became a Millennium Man passing the 1,000-game milestone and is
ploughing on at 39. Bonzo's old club take on United at Upton Park tonight.
And Bonds said: "If I could give Ryan one piece of advice it would be this:
'Play on until you drop'. "You won't half miss it when you can't play
anymore. I tried my hand at coaching and management afterwards and trust me,
it's no substitute. "I always remember my old boss John Lyall would come to
me every summer and say 'I suppose you want another year Bill?' Without
thinking I would say 'yes'. No question about it. "Your fitness you can
keep. Your stamina actually improves as you get older but it's your pace
that fades. I watch Giggs and he still has it though. He's remarkable. "I
was 40-odd and played against Gazza when he was 16. He made his debut
against us. That's when you realise your body is struggling to keep up. "But
above all that, you also need to enjoy it. That's the most important thing.
Giggs has Champions League medals, Premier League medals, he has won
everything. "I was struggling against relegation most years. We were
dangerous occasionally in the cups but usually West Ham were up against it
in the league. But I loved it, every single minute. "I look at players like
Mario Balotelli and see the scowl on the face and I wonder why he bothers?
But Giggs seems to love it more the older he gets. "I don't envy him his
medals, I don't envy any modern player their wealth either. What I do envy
is their youth. How I'd love to be able to be young again and go out and do
it all over again. "The thing about Giggs is that he has also done this at
one club. No one seems to stay very long at a club any more. That makes it
even more laudible. "Things like that matter to the fans. These days you get
a good player in and he leaves after six months for £40,000 a week more it
seems. You can't relate to them.

"With Giggs it is different. From the skinny teenager we watched emerge from
the youth team, to the superstar he has become, he has only ever worn one
shirt and that's almost as amazing as his staying power." Modest Bonds does
not care for accolades, gongs and trophies. Just as well, because his
mantelpiece is hardly sagging under the weight of silverware from his time
at Upton Park. He lifted the FA Cup twice as skipper — in 1975 and 1980.
There is an old Division Two winners medal from 1981 as well but his most
cherished souvenirs are the memories of playing with and against the best.
Bonds says: "Going to Liverpool in the late 1960s, with the noise from The
Kop, The Beatles and all that the city was then, that will take some
beating. "A white fence all around the pitch at Old Trafford, watching Bobby
Charlton tossing his hair back all the time. And playing against the great
Leeds teams. I'd do it all again and wouldn't change a thing." That includes
the sad way his official association with West Ham ended in 1994 when he
resigned as manager. He has been back just a couple of times since. Yet
gentleman Bonds insists he has no hard feelings. He said: "I love the club.
It was a sad way to end it there but that's life. I'm not bothered any more.
It's water under the bridge. "The chairman David Gold invited me to lunch
and explained the club wanted to honour me for what I have done for them and
that this would be the first award of its kind. "I am not big into trophies
and medals but I could hardly say no could I?"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kop fan Kev wants Fergie for dinner
Published: 22 hrs ago
The Sun

KEVIN NOLAN must be the only Liverpool fan to want a dinner date with Alex
Ferguson. The West Ham skipper is already thinking about his long-term
future and preparing to take his coaching badges in the near future. And
despite being born and bred in Liverpool, Nolan, 30, has only admiration for
the job Ferguson has done at Manchester United. He would relish the chance
to quiz Fergie over dinner as he looks to gain an insight into his
astonishing success ahead of the big match at Upton Park tonight. Ferguson
is on the brink of a record 13th league title as United close in on their
20th in all. And Nolan said: "Fergie would definitely be one of my dream
dinner guests. "Manchester United have ruled the Premier League and it's
just something I'd like to pick his brains about. "All my heroes were
probably United players. I'd like to have a really good chat about how he
did it, how he built the club, what's the motivation, all that stuff. "It
was a massive statement when he said 'when I leave this club I want to have
more titles than Liverpool'. "I think everyone in the world of football
respects what he's done and no one can take away what he has done. "I'm
hoping he doesn't go away too soon because I love listening to him and I
love him when he has his rants and winds people up. It's great, I do
chuckle. I know he's close to Sam Allardyce too and the gaffer gets along
with him and he takes a lot on board from him, so I really respect him."
Nolan, speaking at the West Ham Community Sports Trust event, added: "I'm
starting to do my badges so it's something I'd definitely like to do if I
got the oppo rtunity."For me, to go into management and to be able to speak
to people like that would obviously only be of benefit to me. "I don't know
the ins and outs of United but what he's built, obviously the training
ground, the stadium, everything which has been done, it's all because of
him. "I just wish he went to Liverpool all those years ago but it wasn't to
be and what he's done for United is phenomenal."
WEST HAM (likely): Jaaskelainen; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, Collins, O'Brien;
Diame, Nolan, Noble, Jarvis; Carroll.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-2 Manchester United: Hitch in Fergie's title stroll as De Gea is
Hammered by Carroll
17 Apr 2013 21:56
the Mirror

No special favours this time. In fact, the customary bottle of post-match
red wine might have been used to kiss and make up after a brutal battle at
Upton Park. Sir Alex Ferguson's close friendship with Sam Allardyce must
have been exactly what Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini meant when he
claimed opponents tend to roll over for Fergie and Manchester United. But
Andy Carroll beat up the champions-elect with a real old-fashioned
centre-forward's display straight out of a bar room brawl that was spoiled
only by the best striker in the Premier League. For it was Robin van Persie
who grabbed a late equaliser to snatch a point with his 21st goal of the
season in the Premier League and keep Fergie firmly on course for another
title. But perhaps the biggest casualty of the night was Wayne Rooney's ego.
Rooney has gone a month without scoring for United, got hauled off with just
under 20 minutes to go and was taunted by the home fans with chants of,
"You're being sold in the summer."

Paris Saint-Germain are lining up a big-money summer move and yet
much-mocked Carroll put him in the shade - and van Persie has made him look
second best all season. Big Sam complained bitterly about van Persie being
offside for the winner. Ferguson said Carroll should have been sent off. The
wine better be good to settle their differences. But at least they were both
United in criticising the officials. Van Persie could now help his new club
win the title at his former club Arsenal in 10 days' time, after they
salvaged a draw in a terrific topsy-turvy contest. The visitors were below
their best, West Ham did enough to win and yet the never-say-die spirit
which Fergie has instilled into his squad was their saviour again.

Incredibly, Man United have gained 28 points from losing positions this
season. They never know when they are beaten and that is the quality which
will win them the title. Their form has dipped in the past month or so but
they are so far ahead that even two points dropped at Upton Park cannot
derail their charge towards yet another Premier League trophy. But it was
hard work. West Ham took a 17th minute lead when a United attack broke down
and the outstanding Mohamed Diame launched a stunning counter attack. Matt
Jarvis sent over a cross from the left, Carroll outjumped Patrice Evra at
the back post and nodded down for Ricardo Vaz Te to dive in and force home
from close range. Manchester United took a while to get going - but it was
worth the wait. Van Persie fed Shinji Kagawa and the Japanese midfielder's
powerful run saw him storm into the box, he dummied Winston Reid and pulled
back a delightful low cross for Antonio Valencia to score in the 31st minute
from close range. Then the game really came to life just before the break.
Jarvis put over a corner, Carroll powered forward, ruthlessly took out David
De Gea with an unsubtle impersonation of a battering ram to leave the United
keeper in a heap on the ground.

It was clear West Ham had set out to target the Spaniard for his supposed
weakness in aerial challenges. But De Gea stood up brave and strong even if
Carroll went for him again after the restart. Carroll was booked in the 50th
minute by referee Lee Probert for elbowing De Gea in the ribs in yet another
aerial contest.
That yellow card had been coming since the first half, but Carroll might see
it as a badge of honour because he seemed to enjoy battering United. West
Ham scored their second after 56 minutes when Vaz Te found Guy Demel and his
pass was perfect for Diame who turned beautifully past Rooney - he gets the
blame for everything right now - and then curled a beautiful left foot shot
into the bottom corner. It was a peach of a goal good enough to win any
game.
Van Persie forced two sensational saves from West Ham keeper Jussi
Jaaskelainen, the first a reflex block and the second a brilliant tip over
from a close range header. But the visitors got lucky in the end. Kagawa
fired in a 20-yard shot which beat Jaaskelainen, hit the inside of a post,
cannoned onto the other upright and bounced out to van Persie, who lashed
the ball home into the roof of the net. TV replays showed the Dutchman was
offside when Kagawa's shot was struck and it was little wonder that
Allardyce felt so aggrieved. But van Persie, who ended a 12-hour barren
spell with a goal at Stoke on Sunday, will suddenly feel his luck is back
in.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers let off by FA
The Sun
Exclusive
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 5 hrs ago

WEST HAM are off the hook with the FA over coin throwing at Chelsea last
month. Blues stars Frank Lampard and John Terry were pelted with money and
objects including a hot dog at the fiery London derby. Cops have arrested
and bailed two men over the trouble at the March 17 game which Chelsea won
2-0.
But the FA are taking no further action other than sending a warning letter
to West Ham. Terry was struck by dozens of objects as he warmed up next to
the away end at Stamford Bridge and more followed when ex-Hammer Lampard
scored his 200th goal for Chelsea.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
By James Nursey 4 Comments
"Carroll had to go": Manchester United see red because West Ham's Andy
didn't over David De Gea clash
17 Apr 2013 23:47
The Mirror

Fuming Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Andy Carroll should have been red-carded
for taking out David De Gea in a controversial match. On the flip-side, as
Fergie's Manchester United rescued a point at Upton Park with a late
leveller from Robin van Persie, but Hammers boss Sam Allardyce felt it was
definitely offside. Ferguson was angry referee Lee Probert failed to even
caution Carroll for clattering keeper De Gea before the break. The Scot
stormed: "They are very, very aggressive, as we've seen tonight. "It's ball
in the air most of the time. You hope there's a strong referee. I'm not so
sure we got that. "It's obviously a red card but the referee has seen
different."

Champions-elect United came from behind twice at West Ham after Ricardo Vaz
Te and Mohamed Diame scored in either half. Antonio Valencia levelled but
Ferguson subbed Wayne Rooney in the 71st minute with the league leaders
trailing. England ace Rooney, linked with a summer move to Paris
Saint-Germain, had a poor, quiet game. He lost Diame for the Hammers'
brilliant second and it needed Van Persie's 21st Premier League goal of the
season to save them.
But Allardyce felt the Dutchman's goal 13 minutes from time was offside and
blamed the assistant referee. He moaned: "We have scored one of the best
goals of the season and the assistant has taken the win away from us. It is
a bitter pill to swallow. "Their job is to give the offside decisions when
they appear in front of them and this is a blatant one."

Allardyce disagreed with Ferguson claiming Carroll, who was a huge threat,
should have been ordered off. He added: "I think at the very most it is a
yellow card. Andy Carroll is committed to try and go to the header and
cannot stop. "As you see in your code on the road, if you are travelling at
60mph it takes 300 yards to stop. That happens." Manchester United remain on
course for the title despite the draw, and Manchester City's win over Wigan.
Ferguson said: "We had to stand up to a lot there but we kept going, our
players played like champions I thought in terms of determination, courage
to play, so I was pleased with the result."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com