Daily WHUFC News - 21st July 2013

Macca predicting hard work ahead
WHUFC.com
West Ham United assistant manager Neil McDonald has said Saturday's defeat
to FSV Mainz 05 shows there is room for improvement
20.07.2013

Neil McDonald believes that West Ham United's 4-1 defeat at FSV Mainz 05 on
Saturday proves there is still much work to be done before the start of the
new Barclays Premier League season on 17 August. The Hammers went into the
opening fixture of their pre-season tour of Germany having won all four of
their previous warm-up matches since returning to training on 1 July. The
step up in class was notable though as the hosts raced into a two goal lead
early on. Joe Cole's clever finish offered West Ham hope just after the
break, however they would go on to suffer their first taste of defeat as a
third - from the penalty spot - and a late fourth completed the Bundesliga
outfit's win. "I think it shows us we've still got a long way to go to and a
lot of fitness to catch up on," West Ham United assistant manager McDonald
said. "Mainz played really well and showed if you move quickly to receive
the ball you've got a better chance of scoring goals. "We showed a little
bit of character in the first 20 minutes of the second half to get back in
the game through Joe Cole but then we just faded away a bit at the end.
There's still plenty to work on and still plenty to do."

While no footballer in the world likes losing matches, McDonald believes
that defeats - as well as victories - mean very little at this stage of the
season. The former Newcastle United and Everton defender also cited the fact
that Mainz's season starts two weeks earlier than their east London
visitors' as a reason why they were sharper on the day. "Defeats in
pre-season, along with victories as well I suppose, are pretty meaningless.
What we're looking for is performances all the way through. We were slightly
down on the performance on Saturday. I don't know if that was the heat or
the team we were playing against. We know we can do better. "I think you
could see Mainz were ahead and that their season starts before ours. It was
a great test and they were obviously the strongest team we've faced so far.
It shows us we've still got a lot to do on the physical side as well as the
tactical side "But that's the reason why we play these kind of teams. They
are always very technical and you have to try to work out your shape and
they do play some really good football. It's the second season we've come to
Germany and the reason we do that is because we can face quality opposition
like this and it sharpens everyone up."

That hard work will begin with a double training session on Sunday in new
surroundings after the Hammers jetted straight off to Flensburg in northern
Germany after the game. They will train for a few days near the coast before
facing Hamburg in Flensburg on Tuesday evening. "We're going to be working
hard on the fitness and doing preparation for the next game as well so
there's plenty to do. I know our game on Tuesday will be a tough test.
They'll be two weeks ahead and they will play exactly the same way Mainz
did. It will be another tough test but that's exactly why we came to Germany
- for tough tests."

McDonald saved special praise for the hundreds of Hammers fans that turned
out in the sunshine to support their team. The Claret and Blue Army was a
mix of travelling fans from the United Kingdom and fans from Germany and
together they provided plenty of noise and support for the team in white.
"The travelling Hammers fans were brilliant," he concluded. "They come and
support their team wherever they are. Most are here for a few days but I'm
sure some will stay for all three games. I'm sure they'll see stronger and
better performances as the two games go along."

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On this day - 21 July
WHUFC.com
A key moment from the West Ham United archives on this day in history
21.07.2013

Anniversary
Name: Mike Marsh
Born: 21 July 1969, Kirkby, Liverpool
Clubs: Liverpool, West Ham United, Coventry City, Galatasaray, Southend
United, Kidderminster Harriers, Southport, Boston United, Accrington Stanley
Former West Ham United midfielder Mike Marsh is today celebrating his 44th
birthday. The Liverpudlian joined the Hammers - together with David Burrows
- from Liverpool in September 1993, as part of the deal that saw Julian
Dicks move in the opposite direction. Though he was a regular in his debut
season at the Boleyn Ground, Marsh's stay in east London lasted just 15
months. Having made some 42 starts in the 1993/94 campaign, his claret and
blue career ended the following December, courtesy of a £450,000 switch to
Coventry City.

Six months thereafter and Marsh was again on the move, this time joining up
with Graeme Souness' Galatasaray in Turkey. It was another misadventure,
however, as within three months he was plying his trade back on British soil
with Southend United. Now Liverpool's first-team coach, Marsh racked up 61
outings for the Hammers, scoring twice, including in a 4-1 win at White Hart
Lane.

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West Ham lose 4-1 to Mainz in pre-season friendly
Last Updated: July 20, 2013 9:37pm
SSN

West Ham suffered their first defeat ahead of the new season as they lost
4-1 to Mainz at the Stadion am Bruchweg. The Hammers had travelled to
Germany on the back of four successive friendly victories but they were no
match for the hosts in the first half. Dani Schahin gave Mainz a
ninth-minute lead when he collected Nicolai Muller's precise pass and fired
past Jussi Jaaskelainen. The home side doubled their advantage in the 21st
minute through Muller when he raced clear down the middle after combining
well with Benedikt Saller. Mainz, who are further ahead in their pre-season
preparations, continued to dominate before the interval and Muller almost
made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time but Jaaskelainen diverted his shot
behind. West Ham improved after the interval and they were back in the game
in the 47th minute when Joe Cole volleyed home after Ricardo Vaz Te had
nodded back Mark Noble's free-kick. Modibo Maiga then went close to
equalising for the visitors before Mainz restored their two-goal cushion in
the 74th minute with Shawn Parker netting from the spot after James Tomkins
was penalised for a foul on Yunus Malli. Sebastian Polter then volleyed home
a fourth goal for the Bundesliga side from Parker's centre four minutes
later.

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