Daily WHUFC News - 16th July 2013

Joey keeping cool
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien is happy with his progress after his first match action at AFC
Bournemouth
15.07.2013

Joey O'Brien enjoyed his 45-minute run out during Saturday's 2-0 win at AFC
Bournemouth as his pre-season preparations stepped up a gear. The Republic
of Ireland international was given his first taste of pre-season match
action when he came on as a half-time substitute for Guy Demel and was
quickly back into the swing of things with some no-nonsense defending. Fans
favourite O'Brien is now looking to make it two appearances in the space of
four days when the Hammers visit Colchester United on Tuesday evening. "It
was good to get a run out," O'Brien said. "I've been training hard the past
few weeks so it was nice to get the run out and get some minutes under my
belt. "It's been a gradual build up for me. I've been training hard but I
just didn't feature in the first two games. I started on Saturday with my
first 45 minutes and hopefully I'll get some more on Tuesday night. It's
going cool."

Saturday's test at Dean Court was anything but cool, however, as the south
of England basked in one of the hottest days of the year to date. While Sam
Allardyce may have planned for some warm-weather training during the Germany
trip that starts on Wednesday, O'Brien believes the early introduction to
sweltering conditions has done them the world of good. "It's not like that
every Saturday in the Premier League but I think it's good to play in those
conditions every now and again. The second half wasn't too bad as there were
so many substitutions. "Overall though, the pre-season has gone really well.
The trip to Ireland was great and we had a good game against Cork. We've got
Colchester on Tuesday and then we head to Germany. It'll be tough over
there."

Colchester provide the Hammers' penultimate examination on home soil before
the start of the season, with Pacos de Ferreira providing a stern test at
the Boleyn Ground on 10 August, a week before the big Barclays Premier
League kick-off. A tough assignment of three games awaits in Germany before
then, however, and O'Brien knows it is important the players seize the
opportunity to increase their sharpness and bond further as a group ahead of
the visit of Cardiff City on 17 August. "In Germany, we'll be looking to
step it up again, get more time on the pitch and take our fitness up to the
next level. "The new guys have settled in well and we've got a great bunch
of guys in the dressing room. Whenever a new player comes in they're made to
feel welcome so things are looking good for the new season."

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A towering presence
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 15th July 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's latest triallist is an out-of-contract, former Dutch
international midfielder. Orlando Engelaar featured as a second half
substitute for Kevin Nolan in West Ham's 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday
afternoon - but his introduction left everyone in the 7,000+ crowd asking
"who?" We can reveal that Engelaar, now 33, was given a free transfer by
Dutch side PSV at the end of the 2012/13 season having come to the end of a
four-year contract. He has spent the past few days at Chadwell Heath in
order for Allardyce and his team to run the rule over him - and was present
at Boreham Wood last Wednesday, even though he didn't play. A central
midfielder who has been described as "a towering presence on the pitch"
(Engelaar stands 6'5" tall), the Rotterdam-born player has also spent time
in Belgium and Germany where he played for Racing Genk and Schalke
respectively. However it was whilst at FC Twente in 2007 when he made his
debut for the Dutch national squad in a friendly against South Korea. A
year later he was included in the Netherlands' 2008 European Championships,
playing in every game before the Dutch were knocked out at the quarter final
stage by Russia. Altogether, Engelaar has made 14 appearances for his
country.

Sam Allardyce, talking about the possibility of offering Engelaar a contract
told westhamtv: "We'll have him with us for a few days to see if he could be
a valuable member of our team. We'll obviously make that decision in the
near future."

Orlando Engelaar: Career History

July 2013: PSV Eindhoven (free transfer)
September 2010: FC Schalke to PSV Eindhoven (£3.5m)
July 2008: FC Twente to FC Schalke (4.9m)
August 2006: KRC Genk to FC Twente (£2.5m)
July 2004: NAC Breda to KRC Genk (£1.1m)
2001: Jong Feyenoord Rotterdam to NAC Breda (free transfer)

The Netherlands: 14 appearances between 2007 and 2010.

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Allardyce tight-lipped on Kuzmanovic bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 15th July 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce refused to be drawn over his interest in Milan midfielder
Zdravko Kuzmanovic when asked about the state of play by a TV crew. Speaking
after West Ham's 2-0 win against Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, the
United boss was questioned as to whether rumours of a £5million bid for the
25-year-old Serbian international were correct. But Allardyce refused to
either confirm or deny whether West Ham had made a firm bid for a player who
less than a year ago was valued at the £20million+ mark. "I can't shed any
light on that at all. He's a player I like but I still don't know anything
about it," said Allardyce, with a wry smile on his face. "Position wise, we
need an attacking player first and then we'll see where we go after that. At
this moment in time, it depends on the player who is available. If it's a
quality player who brings a lot to the team then we'll go for him."
Allardyce also reiterated previous comments when asked how many more players
he would like to add to his squad before the start of the new season next
month. "For the first time in eight years, I have got a good squad together
right at the start of pre-season," he said. "Normally I am six or seven
short and I have to skimp around to get them in, but not this year. We would
like to add to that of course, although it will only be one or two maximum."

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Sam opens the Dor
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE is ready to make a £3million move for West Brom's
out-of-favour Graham Dorrans. West Ham boss Big Sam wants another midfielder
on board after Gary O'Neil's failure to agree a new deal. Baggies chief
Steve Clarke told Dorrans in January he could find a new club after losing
his first-team place. The Scotland international stayed and ended the season
with 20 Premier League appearances but now looks set to go if a decent offer
comes in.
The Hammers face competition with Norwich and newly-promoted Cardiff also
keen on the 26-year-old.

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David's Golden opportunity
Posted by Peter Thorne
ESPBblog

The author has fond memories of queuing up for West Ham tickets like these
youngsters in 1965 and is concerned today's youth are being priced out of
the market. David Gold has been forced to defend West Ham's ticketing policy
before the start of the new season, with accusations that the club are
pricing fans out with excessive charges, particularly in Category A games
where non-season ticket holders will buy match-day tickets through the
membership scheme.

With some games -- Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs are the usual
culprits -- seats will rise to 72 pounds although, as Gold states, the
lowest in the band will be marked to about 52 pounds.

The Hammers' co-chairman has hit back at critics, defending the club's
policy and pointing out that the club is only reacting to their league
placing from last season and that prices are comparable with clubs in a
similar position and, as you'd expect, below the asking price of rivals
offering a supposedly more glamorous fare elsewhere in the Capital.

Gold is obviously viewing these accusations with some anger -- describing
them as 'mischief making' -- explaining that often those clubs with the
lowest prices were those that found themselves battling relegation and that
against the very high prices of some seats, the club had perfectly adequate
seating for people who wanted to pay less.

As a direct riposte, that suggests that charging higher prices meant that
the club were able to operate at the upper end of the transfer market,
Gold's defence was quite clear. It also has to be remembered that 2012-13
saw an astonishing 17 consecutive games sold out in a season, a statistic
that broke the record for the highest average home league attendance in the
club's history. There has to be a sense then that fans at least, must be
able to bear the brunt of rocketing ticket prices.

While it's hard not to deny that David Gold is perfectly within his rights
to be angry -- West Ham, after all, are certainly not setting any trends
here -- it's also difficult not to view this whole situation like the little
boy in the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale; staring wide-eyed and
open-mouthed as the crowd admire the naked King's fine 'new clothes' that
only the 'wise' can see.

As someone who used to pitch up outside the gates of the old North Bank at 1
p.m. on a Saturday afternoon, clutching a shiny coin or two poked out from
the piggy bank with a knife or gratefully accepted from a well-meaning
grandparent, it's hard to see where the next generation of stadium fans will
come from unless this lunacy is arrested somehow.

Even with the well-intentioned Junior membership schemes and even the
excellent "Kids-for-a-quid" opportunities at various times of the season,
the weekly match-day attendance is simply far beyond the pocket of even the
most wealthiest of schoolboys. David Gold himself -- a loyal fan from a
young age and one who was used to the same pre-match ritual as myself, also
an astute man and one who has run several businesses -- is well-aware of
this problem of course and probably feels some discomfort at having to
defend a policy that is making regular attendance harder and harder with
every passing season for most fans.

Pity the parent though with one or two offspring wanting to treat his
boys/girls to a match against one of the Premier League big boys, if the
family has to travel -- more likely than it used to be with little local
support -- £100-plus can disappear very quickly. We live in a time where
club loyalties are formed by TV appearances -- particularly those made on a
Wednesday evening. For a club like West Ham to survive and thrive, the need
to introduce the thrill of a live match-day experience to a young fan is
vital. But, conversely, to do that, prices need to be set at a level to
attract younger fans.

Of course, it's not just the younger supporter who is suffering here,
though; for a traveling adult wanting to start the match with a pre-match
snack and pint, including rail fares and/or petrol and parking, it's getting
harder and harder to justify a regular attendance. You don't have to be
signing on or on a low wage not to feel the pinch now.

Nevertheless, criticism of the club and David Gold in particular -- unfair
in my opinion anyway -- can to be tempered here with a very basic fact; that
is that West Ham United has a very real opportunity to reverse this trend
when they move to the Olympic Park in a few season's time. Critics may sneer
at the Hammers' plans for a ground capacity of about 60,000 ---- about
24,000 more than Upton Park's -- and ask how they plan to fill it. But
wouldn't it be great if those 'empty' seats were full, with local youngsters
able to gain admission from their pocket money, loyal fans unemployed but
wanting to see their team, drifting visitors just wanting to catch a game at
short notice?

Gold may have to explain his club's policies now, but he might well soon
have a golden opportunity to reverse the trend and make a name for himself.
Perhaps I'm being naive and starry-eyed, but wouldn't it be great if West
Ham were able to become the club that bucked the trend towards higher and
higher prices? The opportunity is there, if it can be seized.

In the meantime, it looks as if it's up into the loft for some of us; while
the hot weather holds the sight of those same shiny coins and the Sunday
Boot sale have an irresistible lure.

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