Daily WHUFC News - 19th December 2013

Hammers do it again!
WHUFC.com
West Ham United produced a super turnaround to defeat Tottenham Hotspur on
Wednesday
18.12.2013

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 West Ham United
Capital One Cup quarter-final

West Ham United produced a superb turnaround to claim their second White
Hart Lane win of the season on Wednesday. Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga
notched inside the final ten minutes to cancel out Emmanuel Adebayor's
opener and send the Hammers into the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup. Sam
Allardyce's men produced a wonderful response to Adebayor's goal, with
Maiga's half-hour appearance from the bench proving central to their
success.
The 4,200 travelling fans revelled in another win in north London - after
waiting 14 years since their last success at the venue - to set up a
last-four tie with Manchester City.

The hosts gave a signal of intent in the very first minute when Aaron Lennon
showed considerable pace to burst past Razvan Rat down the flank and cross
low. Gylfi Sigurdsson's inital shot was blocked, then Jermain Defoe pulled
his effort wide when he really should have hit the target. Next it was
Andros Townsend's turn to try his luck as he moved onto his left foot from
25-yards and sent a fierce effort whistling just past Adrian's near post.
Spurs were finding joy by attacking down the right early on, but their next
chance started with a move down the opposite flank as Townsend crossed with
ten minutes on the clock and Emmanuel Adebayor headed wide.

Defoe tried his luck with an ambitious left footed volley after he latched
onto a lofted ball into the left channel, but his shot was closer to the
upper tier than the goal. The Hammers were undoubtedly under the cosh, but
weathered that early storm and began to restrict Tottenham's chances. Hugo
Lloris had to make his first save of the evening on 35 minutes when Carlton
Cole's snapshot needed to be gathered down low to his right. At the other
end, Adebayor sent a shot twice the height of the goal after Lennon cut back
and it was 0-0 at the break.

Ten minutes after the restart, Danny Rose continued the pattern of shooting
too high after he moved into a central position, screamed for the ball,
received it and curled off target. West Ham looked to be growing in
confidence, but just as they forced their first corner after 66 minutes,
Spurs broke with devastating effect. Townsend spread the play out wide to
the left, where Defoe advanced and crossed into the box, where Adebayor was
arriving like a train to smash home via the underside of the crossbar. The
Hammers responded well though and sub Mo Diame almost levelled with his
first contribution when his strong shot needed a good save from Lloris after
Maiga flicked on well. Maiga's flick-ons were proving profitable and another
dropped at the feet of Matt Taylor on 76 minutes, but as he ran out of space
he could not find the power to beat Lloris. West Ham were not beaten and
with ten minutes left the equaliser came, Jarvis ramming home after Maiga
won another header for Taylor to control and lay off.

If the travelling fans were happy enough at that effort, they were sent into
dreamland five minutes later when the Hammers completed the turnaround.
Ravel Morrison started the move by spreading play out to Diame on the right,
who clipped a cross over for Maiga to climb high and head home. The Hammers
even went close to extending the advantage in added time, as Maiga thundered
a shot against the bar and Jack Collison drew a save from Lloris, but two
goals were enough on a memorable evening at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Walker, Capoue, Chiriches, Rose (Fryers 61);
Lennon, Dembele, Sigurdsson, Townsend (Chadli 72); Adebayor (Holtby 77),
Defoe
Subs: Friedel, Soldado, Eriksen, Fredericks
Goal: Adebayor 67
Booked: Adebayor

West Ham United: Adrian; O'Brien, Collins, McCartney, Rat; Collison, Diarra
(Morrison 77), Taylor; J.Cole (Diame 69), C.Cole (Maiga 64), Jarvis
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Noble, Demel, Chambers
Goals: Jarvis 80, Maiga 85
Booked: Diarra

Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 34,080

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Big Sam delights in Spurs win
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce spoke exclusively to West Ham TV after his side reached the
Capital One Cup semi-finals
18.12.2013

Sam Allardyce was in high spirits following West Ham United's sensational
2-1 Capital One Cup quarter-final victory at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs went
ahead midway through the second half through Emmanuel Adebayor, only for
West Ham to roar back through late goals from Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga
and set up a semi-final meeting with Manchester City in the New Year. Big
Sam told West Ham TV of his delight at his team's all-round display, Maiga's
first goal of the season and recording a second win of the season at White
Hart Lane. "We got better after we went 1-0 down," he said. "We were doing
pretty well up to then and starting to get more and more ball in Tottenham's
half and the game looked like it was panning out a lot like it did when we
won here 3-0 [in October].
"It was all about whether we would get an opportunity to score, then we got
a corner and we thought it would be dangerous for them, then they broke out
and Adebayor put a tremendous volley into the net. From there on, we picked
up the game and got better and better. "Mo Diame almost equalised straight
away after their goal, then Matt Taylor has hit a good strike and Matt
Jarvis has come up with the goods and put it in the top of the net. Then. it
was for us to go all out to win it because we didn't want extra time on a
Wednesday night and Manchester United coming up on the Saturday and only 16
senior players fit.
Read a full Match Report from the sensational win at Tottenham

"We went all out and got our just rewards in the end because we were the
dominant force in the final quarter of the game. Maiga scored his first goal
and I hope that will help him to produce a lot more in terms of goals, and
he almost got his second when he hit a fantastic shot that hit the bar and
Jack Collison nearly got one. "It went really well up until the scored and
it went even better after that when we came back from 1-0 down to win for
the first time this season, putting us in the semi-final of the Capital One
Cup."

Tactically, Big Sam got things spot-on. West Ham defended superbly before
half-time, restricting Spurs to long-range or wayward efforts, before
expanding their attacking play after the break. Even when Adebayor put the
hosts in front, the Hammers refused to panic and got the goals their play
warranted in the final ten minutes. "Fresh legs came on and when more space
develops they can make the difference for you. Modibo Maiga and Mo Diame
particularly did that after Carlton Cole and Joe Cole had run their socks
off to make sure we would not lose the game. "Then, they lifted up the level
of the play from the balls going forward, playing against tired defenders,
and in the end we fully capitalised on that. It all started from a free-kick
but it was a fantastic finish from Matt Jarvis and we had many chances in
the final third of the game. "Overall, when you look at what Tottenham's
possession delivered for them, it was not a lot of chances. If you look at
the amount of shots on target we had from our chances, it was very, very
good. "Our goalkeeper Adrian then came up with the goods when we needed him
in added-time with a great save low to his left, pushing the ball away and
stopping it from being 2-2 and going to extra time. It was a brilliant save
when we needed it and he showed he is the quality that we were looking for
and gives us two competitive goalkeepers in the squad. "The big
disappointment is that we have Manchester City in the semi-final! Away from
home they haven't been too clever, but at home they've been scoring an
average of four goals a game. You never know and we'll go and give it our
best shot, but we want to see more performances like that and pick up more
points in what is the main priority for us - the Premier League."

For Big Sam personally, the manager admitted that the victory was a boost
for him and for the supporters who did not stop singing from first to last.
"It's a relief. For me, the challenge is to get the players to kick on from
this. When we beat them last time, I thought we'd go on a run of results and
pick up more points than we have done. I don't know where we'll go from here
but it's just a fantastic result and the lads are absolutely delighted. "The
players have stepped in like Matt Taylor, Alou Diarra and Jack Collison and
Adrian in goal have done a fantastic job with the rest of the team. The
squad is struggling for numbers at the moment, but what a fantastic
performance from those who took part. "You have got to play to your best to
give the fans something to cheer about and we have sent them home extremely
happy, having beaten the old enemy again, twice on the trot. It's just a
delight for them and, in the end, a delight for us as players and staff."

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'It's just what we needed'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis hopes to use Wednesday's Capital One Cup win at Spurs as a
springboard
18.12.2013

Matt Jarvis would be happy to play at White Hart Lane every week after
helping the Hammers secure their second away win of the season at Tottenham
Hotspur on Wednesday night. The winger crashed home with ten minutes
remaining to cancel out Emmanuel Adebayor's opener and set up the Hammers'
turnaround. Modibo Maiga won it for the visitors on 85 minutes and Jarvis
was thrilled to secure a place in the last four of the Capital One Cup. Sam
Allardyce utilised his squad, and the incoming players had a real impact -
another fact that pleased the No7. "It was a fantastic result for us and
just what we needed," Jarvis said. "This is a tough place to come to, so
we're delighted with the win. "This shows what a great squad we've got,
we're really working hard for each other and it paid off tonight."

Jarvis' goal was crucial to the Hammers fightback and he admitted that he
could not have picked a better moment to open his account for the campaign.
He added: "All that was going through my mind when I saw Matt Taylor laying
it off was to get on the end of it and hit the target. "I did that and I'm
absolutely delighted that it went in, especially in front of the West Ham
fans. "That's what it's all about, scoring goals, and to do it in front of
your own fans is a fantastic experience and let's hope we can get a few
more."

Maiga then sealed the win and Jarvis was thrilled for his teammate as he
also broke his duck for the campaign. He explained: "Modibo did really well,
he was really good in the air and managed to flick the ball on quite a few
times and we were able to pick up the knockdowns. "He took his goal really
well and I'm delighted for him. It's all about confidence and hopefully his
first goal of the season will push him on now. "This could be a massive
springboard for us and it's just what we needed. It was a win and a good
performance, and hopefully we can take it into the weekend now. "I'll be
looking to kick-on from this too, I was really pleased to get on the
scoresheet tonight."

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Hammers draw City in semi-finals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have drawn Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final
draw
18.12.2013

West Ham United have been drawn to face Manchester City in the Capital One
Cup semi-finals. The Hammers will take on Manuel Pellegrini's men over two
legs, with the first match taking place at the City of Manchester Stadium in
the week commencing 6 January. The teams will return to the Boleyn Ground
for the second leg in the week commencing 20 January with a place in the
final at Wembley the prize. Sunderland face Manchester United in the other
semi-final.
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce said: "I think Sunderland would have
fancied they'd have got us and we'd have fancied Sunderland but we got
Manchester City. It makes us the underdogs, of course, but underdogs have
won in the semi-finals before. I did it against Aston Villa a few years ago
and it was probably the best semi-final first leg you'll see as we won 5-3.
"We'll give it our best shot when that comes around but the most important
thing for me is not that just yet. I t's a great night for us, the draw's a
tough one and we will look forward to that in January but we've got a lot of
Premier League games to focus on before that."

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Tottenham 1 West Ham 2
18 December 2013
Last updated at 22:17
By Saj Chowdhury
BBC Sport

Tottenham suffered a second successive home defeat as Modibo Maiga's late
goal saw West Ham book a Capital One Cup semi-final tie with Manchester
City.
Spurs took the lead in the second half when Emmanuel Adebayor scored his
first goal since May with a superb volley. The Hammers levelled when Matt
Taylor found Matt Jarvis on the left side of the area and he smashed home.
Five minutes from time substitute Maiga grabbed the winner when he headed in
from Mohamed Diame's right-wing cross. It was a stunning end to a match that
only came alive in the 67th minute when Adebayor, who had previously only
played 45 minutes of club football this season, crashed home a spectacular
opener. But ultimately Spurs were left to contemplate another defeat so soon
after Sunday's 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool, which led to the sacking of
manager Andre-Villas Boas.

The Portuguese's temporary replacement, Tim Sherwood, will be hoping luck
changes for his side on Sunday when they travel to Southampton - but this
defeat will be a difficult one to recover from. It all started well for the
hosts, with three chances in the first five minutes. The first two came
during one move when Gylfi Sigurdsson's shot was blocked and Jermain Defoe
fired the follow-up a foot wide from about eight yards. In the next attack,
the marauding Andros Townsend, who later came off with what looked like a
hamstring injury, ran 15 yards with the ball before firing in a low strike
that went inches wide.
But Spurs hit a creative block for the rest of the half, with West Ham's
disciplined defence easily reading their opponents' predictable final balls.
Although Sam Allardyce's men spent much of the half on the back foot, they
did manage to test Hugo Lloris, on a rare foray forward, when he dived left
to prevent Carlton Cole's strike from creeping in. The first 20 minutes of
the second half were forgettable bar a moment when James Collins attempted a
lofted pass back to Lloris, after play was stopped for an injury, but
instead nearly caught out the keeper. It did finally improve as a spectacle
with just over 20 minutes remaining when Adebayor launched himself at
Defoe's cross and volleyed the ball in off the underside of the bar. That
woke the Hammers up, with the impressive Taylor launching a fierce drive
that Lloris prevented from bursting the net. They then equalised with a goal
typical of an Allardyce-led team. Keeper Adrian launched a long punt
downfield which was headed down to Taylor. The midfielder found Jarvis on
his left and he scampered a couple of yards before firing home. Five minutes
later, the match turned on its head when Maiga, who came on for Cole in the
65th minute, scored his first goal for a year when he rose highest to head
in Diame's delivery. The Mali forward came close to adding a spectacular
second in stoppage time, but saw his shot rebound back off the crossbar.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "As the game wore on both teams had to go
for it. Neither of us wanted it to go into extra-time. "It is what you can
do when the spaces get bigger and bigger. We improved after Emmanuel
Adebayor's goal. "We saw the shaken nerve ends of Tottenham when we scored.
We then went for the jugular. Our substitutes, who came on with fresh legs,
exploited the spaces."

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Sam panned for second string choice
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 18th December 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce's apparent decision to refrain from employing a first choice
XI at Tottenham tonight has been met with derision in some quarters.
Allardyce revealed yesterday that he would be "using the squad to its full
intent" at White Hart Lane when the two local rivals meet in the quarter
final of the Capital One Cup. "I would have loved to have come to this game
with a bigger squad," he said. "We will play the team that has the desire
and the energy to go out there and give a great account of themselves
against a very good side."

Those comments, which appear to point to a weaker team being played tonight,
have led to criticism in some quarters. Martin Samuel, writing in the Mail
today accused Allardyce of "spurning one of the few chances he has to win a
trophy", adding: "If Allardyce was playing the reserves with an eye on
gaining momentum against Manchester United, that would be different. "Had
he decided that Saturday's lacklustre display was reason enough for changes,
and some of his first-team regulars were not up to the task of taking on a
rattled Tottenham team, fair enough. "But playing the reserves in a
quarter-final against a major rival because the players that got outclassed
by Sunderland need to recharge for the visit to Old Trafford? That is voodoo
economics. "Everything Allardyce appears to be rejecting is what really
defines a club, long term. It is the stuff of memories and schoolboy
scrapbooks and father-and-son tickets and days out, the delight of which
will be taken to the grave."

Supporters are fairly mixed over news of a potentially-weakened West Ham
team. KUMB member k-r-c agreed with Samuel's sentiments, calling for a 'best
XI' scenario. "We have Man Utd at Old Trafford at the weekend, we cannot
score in a brothel, the chances are we are going to lose easily up there so
why not just stick a full strength team out tonight?" he asked. "That still
gives them a week until Arsenal at home, which we have more chance of taking
a point from."

Meanwhile the celestial insect argued that regardless of being just two
games from Wembley, the league should remain a priority. "While I feel very
sorry for our loyal fans going to the game, I should hope Allardyce does
prioritise the league. "What are the consequences of going out of the Cup,
compared to relegation?"

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West Ham beat Tottenham 2-1 in quarter-finals
Last Updated: 19/12/13 12:08am
SSN

West Ham booked their place in the Capital One Cup semi-finals after beating
managerless Tottenham 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Wednesday evening.
Tottenham, with Tim Sherwood in charge for the first time, flew out of traps
and went close twice through Jermain Defoe and the lively Andros Townsend.
Emmanuel Adebayor, restored to the starting line-up after being frozen out
by Andre Villas-Boas, steered a header wide as Spurs continued to boss the
opening period without truly testing Adrian in the visting goal. West Ham
were much more positive after the break but it was Spurs who broke the
deadlock in the 66th minute when Defoe's cross to the far post was superbly
volleyed home by Adebayor. The Hammers drew level, however, with 10 minutes
to go when Jarvis beat Hugo Lloris at his near post after good work by
Modibo Maiga and Matt Taylor. And Sam Allardyce's men stunned the home
faithful with five minutes to go when Maiga powered a header past Lloris to
book their place in the semi-finals.

With the selection of Adebayor and Defoe as two of six changes in a
conventional 4-4-2 formation, Sherwood made a statement. The former Spurs
captain, wearing a tracksuit and trainers, showed more energy than Adebayor
in Spurs' opening attack, imploring Aaron Lennon to sprint down the right
before Defoe dragged a shot wide. Townsend shot wide from the edge of the
area before another Lennon cross caused danger in the Hammers' box and Joey
O'Brien headed too close to his own post for comfort in conceding a corner.

O'Brien conceded another set-piece when Adebayor attacked the right side of
the area and then the Togo striker headed a Townsend cross wide. Defoe
blasted over, much to Sherwood's frustration, as West Ham struggled to break
free of their own half. Carlton Cole shot straight at Hugo Lloris as the
visitors registered an effort on target for the first time after 36 minutes.
The Hammers resumed on the defensive and registered a second shot on target
in strange circumstances. James Collins kicked the ball back to Spurs
following an injury to George McCartney, but instead of a tame pass to a
member of the opposition, the Wales defender booted the ball from inside his
own half and forced Lloris to back-pedal to save.

Townsend fed Defoe, who ran down the left before crossing to the back post
where Adebayor did the rest, converting with a thunderous right-footed
volley which went in off the underside of the bar. Adebayor has now scored
three times in his last four Spurs starts. Mohamed Diame, on for Joe Cole,
forced Lloris to save low to his left as the Hammers sought a swift
response. Townsend pulled up worryingly for Spurs and departed with 17
minutes remaining, with Nacer Chadli on in his place. Lloris saved a Matt
Taylor effort from 25 yards before Adebayor made way with 12 minutes
remaining to a rousing reception from the home faithful. But instead of
Tottenham closing out victory, West Ham equalised when Maiga flicked on
goalkeeper Adrian's long ball to Taylor. With his back to goal, Taylor
turned and fed Jarvis on the left and the winger was granted enough space by
Kyle Walker to fire in.

O'Brien made a fine challenge to deny Chadli after the midfielder broke into
the West Ham box and shaped to shoot. The Hammers then struck again after
substitute Ravel Morrison found Diame. Diame's deep cross was met at the far
post by Maiga, whose header found the corner for his first goal in a year.
Sigurdsson was denied by Adrian in the first of five minutes of added time
as the visiting fans taunted Tottenham and Sherwood, exclaiming "You're
getting sacked in the morning". Maiga then struck the crossbar with a
powerful drive and Jack Collison forced Lloris to save as West Ham finished
the contest on top as they sealed their progress.

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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce hails anti-racism work in England
By Dev Trehan | Last Updated: 18/12/13 9:46pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says that England is streets ahead of other
European nations when it comes to tackling racism in football. Allardyce was
speaking after becoming one of four managers inducted into the Show Racism
the Red Card Hall of fame at a ceremony in the Speaker's Residence at the
Houses of Parliament on Tuesday night. And Allardyce insists people in
England should be proud of the various bodies that are leading the way in
trying to rid racism from the game. "I travel all over Europe and I travel
far and wide while I look for players," Allardyce told skysports.com.
"However much criticism there is about this country being racist, we are the
best. We've done the most - there's still a long way to go but I go to many
countries all over Europe and we've progressed so far compared to those and
I think we should be proud of that. "I know we're going to continue to push
this campaign but tonight is a show for everybody that we're moving in the
right direction. Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew, former Birmingham
City manager Alex McLeish and Northampton Town manager Aidy Boothroyd were
also recognised at the ceremony hosted by House of Commons speaker John
Bercow. Allardyce said he was a proud to be recognised for his work to
combat racism in the game but insisted a lot of credit must go to the people
working behind the scenes. "I'm obviously delighted and of course for more
years than I care to remember we've started our community campaign our
showing racism the red card for as far back as I can remember," he said. "To
listen to everybody speaking tonight about just how far it's come, and just
what we've achieved over a huge amount of time - particularly in football
circumstances - it's a great pleasure to be here tonight and to thank
everybody. "It's not just about me on the front line because I'm a
personality as a manager but also all the workers and the volunteers and all
the guys who do so much to continue to promote this fantastic campaign in
terms of continuing going forward."

Show Racism the Red Card was founded in 1996 and the organisation now
delivers training to more than 50,000 people in schools and football clubs
annually.
Allardyce paid tribute to the organisation's work and says football must
lead the way in terms of tackling the problem of racism in society. "There's
a lot of work that still needs to be done but football leads the way (in
tackling racism)," he said. "If you listen to Gordon Taylor and the people
running this campaign it has spread far and wide throughout Europe, UEFA and
FIFA and we have led the way. "The guys (at Show Racism the Red Card) have
led the way and done a fantastic job - not just in this country but also to
make more countries aware of the situation and sooner or later there has to
be zero tolerance of the situation."

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Hannover wait on any offers for Sebastian Pocognoli
By Thomas Zocher | Last Updated: 18/12/13 1:10pm
SSN

Hannover general manager Dirk Dufner has admitted the club might listen to
offers for Sebastian Pocognoli. The Belgium international left-back joined
Hannover last January from Standard Liege and he still has over two years
left on his current deal. However, reports in Germany claim a number of
Premier League clubs - including Aston Villa and West Ham - are monitoring
his situation. Now Dufner admits that the club would look at an offer should
it come in, and if it is what Pocognoli wants. "If he (Pocognoli) comes up
with a concrete offer, we will surely look into it," Dufner told Bild.
"Still he has to signal that to us.
"If he thinks he is in touch with a club that offers him better chances to
win a spot in the Belgium World Cup squad, then he should tell us about it!"

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Allardyce hails West Ham's "fantastic victory" over Spurs
Last Updated: 18/12/13 11:40pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce hailed West Ham's "resilient performance" after knocking Spurs
out of the Capital One Cup on Wednesday. The Hammers came from behind to
claim a second successive win at White Hart Lane. Allardyce's men won 3-0 in
the Premier League encounter in October in one of the results which
ultimately cost Andre Villas-Boas his job and saw Tim Sherwood placed in
charge of Spurs for the League Cup quarter-final. Sherwood thought he had
made a dream start to life in the dugout when Emmanuel Adebayor put Spurs in
front midway through the second half, but Matt Jarvis scored 10 minutes from
time and Modibo Maiga headed in an 85th-minute winner. That sent the
Hammers, struggling in the Premier League, into the semi-finals, where they
will face Manchester City. Allardyce hopes the win can provide a much-needed
fillip for his relegation-threatened side - and said: "It was a fantastic
victory for us. "It's a brilliant effort from the squad. It's a great night
for us, it's a great night for the West Ham fans, because it's twice on the
trot. "It's a victory we can enjoy tonight, but tomorrow it's up and at it
again and getting ready for Manchester United. "With a resilient performance
- like we showed tonight - against Manchester United, hopefully we might get
something there. Hopefully it will kick us on."

It was Maiga's first goal in more than a year and Allardyce hopes it will be
the start for him, too. "I'm delighted for him because he's showed glimpses
of what we saw when we watched him in France," Allardyce added. "All I hope
is it's unlocked the door for him and he goes on to continue to score more
goals."

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Tim Sherwood admits he is in the dark over Tottenham future following defeat
to West Ham
Dec 18, 2013 23:19 By Neil McLeman 1
The Mirror

Tim Sherwood claimed he was in the dark about his Tottenham future after
suffering defeat in his first game in charge on Wednesday night. Late goals
from Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga sent West Ham through to the semi-finals
of the Capital One Cup at White Hart Lane. And caretaker boss Sherwood, who
has replaced Andre Villas-Boas, said he was unsure whether he will still be
on charge for Sunday's trip to Southampton. "I was due to take the
development team out training on Monday morning and the chairman asked me to
take the first team training, which I did, and here we are now," Sherwood
explained. "The future beyond that, I need to have a chat with the chairman
and see what they're thinking. I don't know, to be honest. The immediate
future is up in the air, that's as much as I know." But the former Spurs
midfielder, 44, admitted he would be interested in the role after his quick
elevation to head coach. "It's madness, isn't it really?" he continued. "I'm
up for a challenge, I always have been. I'm very opinionated. I know a
certain way I need to play. I think I can manage men, deal with them, be
honest with them. "The decision that's going on is out of my hands,
unfortunately. "It would have to be right for me, and obviously right for
the football club. There are a lot of big names being bandied about to take
this job , as you would imagine. It's a huge football club.
"I just think the chairman and the football club need to take the best
decision, and find the manager who is best compatible to take this football
club forward.
"I've got to be in the frame, but it's not my decision, unfortunately."

On Wednesday Tottenham issued a press release saying Sherwood will hold a
pre-match press conference on Friday. Asked if he had any sympathy for AVB,
Sherwood said: "I wish him well. He's a really nice guy. "Everyone liked him
around the football club. But it's a decision the club decided to make and
we all have to abide by. Unfortunately that is football."

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Tottenham 1-2 West Ham: Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga's late goals clinch
Capital One Cup semi spot
Dec 18, 2013 21:49 By Mike Walters 1
The Mirror

Tim Sherwood's first sip from the poisoned chalice turned out to be pure
cyanide. For 80 minutes, Sherwood appeared to have consigned the dreary,
soulless era of Andre Villas-Boas and his dossiers to the dustbin at White
Hart Lane. But Santa's hat is claret and blue, and two goals in the last
five minutes earned West Ham the booby prize of a Capital One Cup semi-final
date with Manchester City. Good luck with that one, fellas.

If this was caretaker manager Sherwood's audition for the Tottenham job
full-time, he only fluffed his lines in the last 15 minutes when Tottenham
remembered to lock all the doors - but forgot that Santa comes down the
chimney. Sure enough, the Hammers took the aerial route to salvation,
leaving Sherwood to wonder if his spell in charge will be for one night
only. The job is already taking its toll on him. "It's different - I slept
like a baby last night," he said. "I woke up crying four times."

Tottenham's late collapse was the stuff of nightmares after Emmanuel
Adebayor, restored to the front line after being ludicrously exiled and
banished to train with the kids by AVB, had volleyed them in front, crashing
Jermain Defoe's left-wing cross in off the crossbar midway through the
second half. But West Ham boss Sam Allardyce spoiled Sherwood's coronation
expertly. If you need a house guest to spoil the party, mutilate the turkey
and scoff all the Quality Street next week, Big Sam's your man. Allardyce
sent on Mohamed Diame, Modibo Maiga and Ravel Morrison to retrieve the
cause, and before Sherwood knew what had hit him, the pearly kings were
celebrating an unlikely sequel to their 3-0 win at the Lane in October. The
equaliser was hardly from Barcelona's tiki-taka manual, Maiga and Matt
Taylor helping on goalkeeper Adrian's long clearance for Matt Jarvis to
finish high and handsome beyond Hugo Lloris. And it was just Sherwood's luck
that Maiga, without a goal in 2013, should rise to meet Diame's cross with a
firm header into the bottom corner five minutes later. There was even enough
time for the Mali goal machine to crash a long-range missile against the bar
as Allardyce's Christmases all came at once.

Sherwood said: "To be honest, we ran out of steam. I think the players are
fit enough to play a certain way, but I asked them to go a bit more gung-ho,
and it was a complete change of mindset. "West Ham bombarded us aerially
late on and they got the breaks, but it's a major disappointment to the
lads. They are absolutely sick in there, and so am I."

As if Tottenham's night did not end in enough crushing anti-climax, England
winger Andros Townsend will miss the Christmas and New Year programme after
pulling a hamstring. The only consolation for Sherwood was the reintegration
of Adebayor, whose brilliant goal and all-round contribution made a mockery
of AVB restricting him to just 45 minutes of Premier League action, in the
humiliating 6-0 rout at City, this season. Spurs' interim coach said:
"Adebayor showed enough to prove he can play a key role. He was dropping
deep, scored a fantastic goal and put us in the driving seat, but
unfortunately we fell off it."

With Aaron Lennon and Andros Townsend deployed as orthodox wingers -
club-record £30million signing Erik Lamela was not even on the bench - and
two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation AVB wouldn't touch with a bargepole, Spurs
made a bright start bristling with verve and purpose. In fact, there was
more excitement in the first 10 minutes of Sherwood's reign than in 18
months under the unlamented Portugese. But as the heavens opened and the
Hammers closed ranks, Tottenham's enthusiasm for an early kill was gradually
asphyxiated.

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West Ham's League Cup win over Tottenham one for the fans says Sam Allardyce
Dec 18, 2013 23:30 By Neil McLeman 1 Comments
The Mirror

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce was delighted after beating big-spending
Tottenham to book a League Cup semi-final place. Goals in the last 10
minutes from Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga cancelled out a superb strike from
Emmanuel Adebayor and set the Hammers up for a two-legged battle with
Manchester City next month for a place at Wembley in March. After defeating
the home side's debutant caretaker manager Tim Sherwood, Allardyce crowed:
"It was a case of exploiting the spaces Tottenham left. "Territorially, we
didn't play as well as we would have liked, but I hope the way we finished
the game will give the players a big lift. "My squad is probably worth only
a fifth of the money Tottenham have spent on theirs, so it's been a great
night for us - that's two wins on the trot here, and I know how much that
means to West Ham fans."

West Ham, one place and one point above the bottom three, are back to
fighting relegation on Saturday when they travel to Old Trafford to meet
champions Manchester United in a potential league Cup Final dress rehearsal.
"We hope it's a big, big lift for the players," said Allardyce of
Wednesday's win. "We have only got 16 fit players today. It's a brilliant
effort from the squad today and a great night for the West Ham fans.

"It's a victory we can enjoy tonight but tomorrow it's up and at them again
and getting ready for Manchester United and with a resilience like we showed
tonight, who knows, we may get something there. Hopefully it will kick us
on." Allardyce, who made seven changes from Saturday, helped change the game
with his three second-half substitutions. "We knew Tottenham had had a few
problems with centre-halves and we exploited that, but that's what it is all
about," he said. "They can say they rested players but we had nine injuries.
We've really enjoyed it, and enjoyed coming back against our own rivals." On
facing in-form City in the semis, Allardyce conceded: "It's a tough one. If
it was one leg and it was at our place not at theirs it would have been
nice, but over two legs it makes it more difficult. Manchester City have
scored four goals every home game. So I am just hoping we play at home
first!"

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