Daily WHUFC News - 3rd December 2013

George grateful to be back
WHUFC.com
George McCartney spoke of his relief after making his first league start in
more than a year
02.12.2013

When George McCartney's name was read out over the Boleyn Ground PA system
on Saturday, the left-back could have been forgiven for giving himself a
cheer. The West Ham United left-back made his first Barclays Premier League
start in more than a year, helping the Hammers to a comprehensive 3-0 win
over Fulham. After a year blighted by a recurring knee injury and a series
of other niggles, the No3 told whufc.com of his relief and happiness at
returning to top-flight duty. Read Mohamed Diame's reaction to Saturday's
victory over Fulham "It was a great feeling to see my name on the teamsheet
again," said McCartney. "It's been a long time and I've had some tough days
with injury, but thankfully I'm over it now and it was nice to get back out
on the pitch. "To win the game was the most important thing, but to last the
90 minutes was a boost as well. It was good to be back out there. "It was a
good team performance. Probably the first 15 or 20 minutes, we had a couple
of half-chances and Fulham tried to hit us on the break, but Jussi
Jaaskelainen didn't have a save to make all day. "It was a great performance
all-round. In the second half, we upped it a bit more and had lots of
chances and put them away, when in the past few games we didn't get the
results we deserved. It was nice to get the three points."

McCartney's injury issues began when he hurt his knee in training in
December 2012. Then, on his return to first-team duty against West Bromwich
Albion on 30 March this year, he broke down again. Two Capital One Cup
appearances and four for the Development Squad this term have helped the
32-year-old regain his fitness and he certainly did not look out of place
against the Cottagers. "To be honest, being out for such a long time, you do
have thoughts about whether you're ever going to come back," he admitted.
"As you get older, you wonder if your body is up to coping with the demands
of Premier League football again.
"I worked hard to get my sharpness and match-fitness back and I've always
had belief in my own ability. "It was a long road back and I had one or two
comebacks when little niggles set me back again, but I've now had two or
three really good weeks of training, a couple of friendly matches and to
play the full 90 minutes on Saturday was great."

Having made his first Barclays Premier League start since the 3-1 defeat at
Tottenham Hotspur on 25 November 2012, the Northern Irishman is targeting
his second London derby in four days. The Hammers travel to Crystal Palace
on Tuesday evening and he fully intends to be involved in that one, as well
as the next home game against his former club Sunderland on 14 December.
"I'm really happy to be back playing Premier League games again. I'm
hopefully going to be available for selection for the remainder of the
season. I don't want to be picking up any more niggles or injuries - I've
had enough of that over the past year! "Hopefully I can stay fit now and get
a good run of games and try to stay in the team. We've got a good squad now
and there's a lot of competition for places, so you need to perform in every
game. "Hopefully I can stay in the team now and play as many games as
possible. Since I left Sunderland I've not had the opportunity to play
against them, so I'd love to play against them and hopefully we can turn
them over and everything will go well."

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Crystal Palace match preview
All the key info ahead of Tuesday night's trip to Selhurst Park
WHUFC.com
02.12.2013

CRYSTAL PALACE v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 8PM
REFEREE: LEE MASON
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

TWITTER I FACEBOOK I iPHONE APP I YOUTUBE I BIG SAM
Introduction
. West Ham United travel to Crystal Palace on Tuesday night for a third
London derby in succession, following the defeat by Chelsea and the victory
over Fulham, both by the same 3-0 scoreline.
. West Ham bounced back from that loss to the Blues in style on Saturday, as
Mohamed Diame, Carlton Cole and Joe Cole hit the target to see off Fulham
and manager Martin Jol, who left his post on Sunday.
. That victory gave the Hammers their first home win in the league since the
opening day triumph over Cardiff City and lifted them up to 15th in the
table, three points clear of the bottom three and six ahead of Crystal
Palace.
. The Eagles fell to defeat in Tony Pulis' first game in charge at the
weekend, as a Gary Hooper goal proved enough for Norwich City to take all
three points at Carrow Road.
. Palace did take all three points in their previous outing, however, as
Barry Bannan scored with nine minutes remaining to inflict defeat on Hull
City. That was the Selhurst Park side's second win of the campaign,
following their home success over Sunderland in August.
. The south Londoners dropped back to the foot of the table on Saturday, as
Sunderland's point at Aston Villa saw them move a point clear of the Eagles.

Team news
West Ham United
. Winston Reid (ankle), Andy Carroll (foot) and Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder)
remain sidelined with long-term injuries.
. Mladen Petric (calf) and Razvan Rat (hamstring) could also be out, but the
Hammers picked up no further injuries at the weekend.
. George McCartney will be hoping to retain his place at left-back after
completing his first 90 minutes in the Barclays Premier League in just over
a year.
Crystal Palace
. Palace's long-term injury list includes striker Glenn Murray (knee)
full-back Jack Hunt (ankle), centre-back Paddy McCarthy (groin) and
midfielder Adlene Guedioura (rib).
. Winger Jerome Thomas remains doubtful with a groin problem, but midfielder
Jonny Williams could be in line for a start after coming on from the bench
at the weekend at Norwich.

Background
. The first meeting between West Ham United and Crystal Palace was a
Southern League First Division fixture played at The Crystal Palace on 29
September 1906. A 10,000-strong crowd turned out to see a 1-1 draw, with
Arthur Winterhalder on target for the Hammers.
. The two clubs met in the Division One Play-Off final at the Millennium
Stadium on 29 May 2004. Neil Shipperley's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory
and secured their promotion to the Premier League.
. The largest crowd to watch a Crystal Palace versus West Ham United fixture
at Selhurst Park is the 41,540 who witnessed the Hammers' 3-0 victory in
south London on 30 October 1971. That result also marked West Ham's
largest-ever success at the home of the Eagles. However, West Ham also
recorded an 8-1 win at Palace during the First World War and a 6-1 win in
south London during the Second World War.
. West Ham's biggest home win over Crystal Palace since the two clubs joined
the Football League was a 4-0 Division One win here on 28 October 1972, when
Trevor Brooking (two), John McDowell and Bryan 'Pop' Robson scored in front
of 28,894 fans.
. West Ham United defeated Crystal Palace 11-0 in the war-time London
Combination on 6 April 1918. Syd Puddefoot netted seven times, with Burke
(two), Herbert Ashton and Andy Cunningham getting the other goals in front
of 4,000 spectators.
. Ten players have made their West Ham United debuts against Crystal Palace
- Thomas Lee (September 1907), David Waggott (September 1908), Albert Scanes
(March 1910), Thomas Lonsdale (October 1913), Alfred Tirrell (February
1914), William Henderson (March 1922), William Edwards (March 1923), Ade
Coker (October 1971), Papa Bouba Diop and Manuel Almunia (both October
2011).

Last time out
Saturday 30 November 2013
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 3-0 CFulham
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Diame,
Noble, Nolan (Morrison 77); Downing, Maiga (C.Cole 81), Jarvis (J.Cole 68)
Subs not used: Adrian, Collison, Taylor, O'Brien
Goals: Diame 47, C.Cole 82, J.Cole 89
Saturday 30 November
Barclays Premier League
Norwich City 1-0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Moxey, Delaney, Dikgacoi, Puncheon
(Kebe 76), Jedinak, Bannan (Williams 73), Chamakh (Gayle 80), Jerome
Subs not used: Price, Mariappa, O'Keefe, Phillips

Previous meeting
The Hammers last met Crystal Palace in the Championship on 25 February 2012
when they played out their second draw of the season. Neither side could
find a way through at the Boleyn Ground, following a 2-2 draw at Selhurst
Park earlier in the campaign.
West Ham United: Green, Reid, McCartney, Tomkins, Faye, O'Brien, Faubert
(C.Cole 46), Collison, Noble, Maynard (Baldock 73), Vaz Te (O'Neil 58)
Subs (not used): Potts, Lansbury
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Parr, McCarthy, Gardner, McShane, Ambrose (Scannell
63), Dikgacoi, Jedinak, Zaha, Easter (Murray 74), Martin (Garvan 82)
Subs (not used): Price, O'Keefe

Last six meetings
25 February 2012 West Ham United 0-0 Crystal Palace (Championship)
1 October 2011 - Crystal Palace 2-2 West Ham United (Championship)
29 May 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Championship Play-Off
final)
12 April 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Championship)
1 October 2003 - West Ham United 3-0 Crystal Palace (Championship)
5 May 1998 - Crystal Palace 3-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
Overall record v Crystal Palace - W 30 D 22 L 19

Ten-year records
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th
2011/12 Championship 3rd (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
Crystal Palace
2012/13 Championship 5th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2011/12 Championship 17th
2010/11 Championship 20th
2009/10 Championship 21st
2008/09 Championship 15th
2007/08 Championship 5th
2006/07 Championship 12th
2005/06 Championship 6th
2004/05 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)

Referee
. Tuesday's match referee will be Lee Mason.
. Mason started refereeing in 1988 and in 1992 he was added to the North
West Counties Football League assistant referees' list, and progressed to
full referee for that competition four years later.
. He was included on the Football League list of assistant referees in 1998,
and was then added to the Premier League list in 2000.
. In 2002, he was promoted to referee for the Football League and in 2003
became a 'Development Group' referee, before finally reaching the Premier
League list of Select Group referees in 2006.
. His first ever match in the top tier was on 4 February 2006, when
Middlesbrough lost 4-0 at home to Aston Villa.
. Mason was chosen to control the League One Play-Off final between Barnsley
and Swansea on 27 May 2006.
. He refereed the Hammers' 3-2 defeat by Everton earlier this season, in
which he awarded Sam Allardyce's men a second half penalty but also showed a
red card to Mark Noble.

General information
. West Ham United's allocation of tickets for this fixture have sold out.
. Thick cloud is forecast for south London on Tuesday night, with
temperatures dipping down to 3C (37F)
. No engineering works are planned on the routes to Selhurst Park on
Tuesday. Please check here for tube updates and here for National Rail.

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The Thames Ironworks lives on!
WHUFC.com
The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust has launched after the return of the
first of its historic lifeboats
02.12.2013

West Ham United's original incarnation, the Thames Ironworks, is to be given
a new lease of life, with Saturday's long-awaited launch of the Thames
Ironworks Heritage Trust. The Trust, chaired by lifelong Hammers supporter
Gavin Redknap, is seeking to revive the shipbuilding and wider manufacturing
heritage of east London. The charity will do so primarily through the
restoration of Thames Ironworks-made lifeboats close to the place where they
were originally built over 100 years ago, creating employment and new skills
for apprentices in the process. Saturday's launch coincides with the return
of the first of its historic lifeboats to east London, which will be
received at a reception at the Trust's new temporary home at Cody Dock,
Canning Town.

Crucially, the lifeboats will subsequently be put to work in the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park and surrounding east London waterways, conducting
tours of the area. With West Ham set to move into the Olympic Stadium in
2016, the Ironworks' renewed presence in the vicinity is the most pertinent
of links to the Club's illustrious origins. Tours will focus on the area's
industrial heritage, bringing an educational aspect to the newly-restored
waterways, as well as offering further opportunities for employment and
training to young people. Paying tribute to the Club's involvement, Redknap
said: "The Trust is hugely appreciative of the efforts of West Ham United,
once known as Thames Ironworks FC, to help bring visibility to our campaign
among fans and the general public."

Elsewhere, Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, described the Trust's project as
"an intriguing and valuable endeavour to support London's unique
shipbuilding heritage." He added: "I also support the idea of creating new
career opportunities for young people in east London to develop these
valuable and lost skills."
The Thames Ironworks Heritage Trust has also received support from Stephen
Timms and Lyn Brown, MPs for East Ham and West Ham respectively, while Jim
Fitzpatrick, MP for Poplar and Limehouse, said: "We should treasure the
integral role the Ironworks played in our seafaring history for future
generations, which is why I'm backing the campaign to bring the historic
Ironworks back to the East End."

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Carlton keen to kick on
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is eyeing back-to-back victories after netting in Saturday's
home win over Fulham
02.12.2013

Carlton Cole spoke of his desire to kick on after bagging his first West Ham
United goal since returning to the Club in October. The popular frontman
doubled the Hammers' lead in Saturday's 3-0 Barclays Premier League win over
Fulham, applying the telling touch to Stewart Downing's sweet centre. Having
now opened his account for the campaign, Cole is determined to score plenty
more key goals, starting with Tuesday's trip to Crystal Palace. "That's my
first goal since coming back and it was obviously an important victory for
us," he told West Ham TV. "You always like to score important goals as well,
so I'm really happy about Saturday's game. "Once you get a goal you can get
into a rhythm and score some more. And hopefully they'll be important goals
as well, like Saturday's was. I just want to keep the momentum and keep on
doing the right things."

The 30-year-old joined the fray after 81 minutes on Saturday and was
wheeling away to celebrate little more than a minute later. Despite his
dramatic introduction, Cole is prepared to bide his time, insisting that
Modibo Maiga more than justified his selection against the Cottagers. He
continued: "I've done myself a favour on Saturday and hopefully I can get a
start soon. I just wait for the manager to make the decision and the way the
game went against Fulham, he made the right decision, because I thought
Modibo Maiga played brilliantly, holding up the ball and bringing others
into play. "The manager knows what he's doing. I can only put my case
forward by performances on the field. I can talk all I want, but I've got to
perform on the field and get the results to make an impact."

Next up for Croydon-born Cole is Tuesday's trip to Selhurst Park, to take on
a Palace side currently occupying bottom spot. Another six-pointer, says
Cole, and an opportunity to secure successive Premier League wins for the
first time since the Club's return to the top flight. "That's what we need,
two or three wins on the bounce," he added. "We saw these two games as six
pointers, definitely, and hopefully in the next one, against Crystal Palace,
we'll get our first back-to-back wins of the season. It's another big game
on Tuesday."

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Big Sam on: Crystal Palace
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has spoken to the media ahead of Tuesday's trip to Crystal
Palace
02.12.2013

Sam Allardyce has challenged his players to win back-to-back Barclays
Premier League games for the first time this season at Crystal Palace on
Tuesday.
West Ham United go to Selhurst Park having defeated Fulham 3-0 at the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday, while Palace go into Tony Pulis' first home game in
charge on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Norwich City. Big Sam has challenged
his players to take the Hammers further clear of the bottom three by scoring
successive league wins in south London.

Sam, reflecting on Saturday's win, how much of a relief was it?

SA: "I said after the game that it was always a great relief to win three
points and winning them in the style we did delighted everybody. We didn't
only win but we entertained and completely dominated the opposition in all
areas and all aspects of the game, which I was very pleased to see. "When
you see your goalkeeper come off the pitch with not one shot to save in the
entire 90 minutes, it always gives you a platform to go on and win a game of
football. "For us to have achieved more attempts on target than off target
shows that we have turned the corner in the accuracy of our shooting and
heading. Because of that, we won the game 3-0 and in actual fact could have
won it by a lot more."

You must have been delighted with the impact made by your three substitutes
Carlton Cole, Joe Cole and Ravel Morrison?

SA: "I'd have to say they are probably the best three subs I've ever put on
in terms of impact, together, in my career. I have put subs on in the past
who have had an impact in ones and twos, but never had such an impact as all
three of them. "Their impact was very important because even though we
should have been two or three-nil up when they arrived, they made us
comfortable and finished the job off as we deserved to do. "When the goals
come late in the day like they did, they send everybody home happy for a
good weekend."

Martin Jol has departed Fulham since Saturday's game. What is your reaction?

SA: "It's sacking season. It never changes this time of year, if you are not
doing particularly well. Somebody I know well at Wigan, Owen Coyle, has left
as well. It always happens around this time of year when people think 'Is it
time for a change?' because they haven't delivered what they are expected to
deliver. They make those decisions and we know those sorts of things happen.
"We're touching close to 20 changes already in all the professional leagues
this year. Generally around 50 per cent get changed each season and it's an
unfortunate industry to be in from that point of view. It's very volatile
and I feel for them.
"They will dust themselves down and get themselves up again and move on to
the next job if and when that arises, so I wish them well."

Therefore, how important was Saturday's result in lifting the pressure on
you?

SA: "There is still pressure on me because I put pressure on myself. It's
just a small contribution to help the situation we're in at the moment.
We've got to progress now. We can't sit back and not try to win at Crystal
Palace. If we can't win, we've certainly got to get a result. "They are
below us at this moment in time and Saturday will have been a waste if we
lose to Crystal Palace, because they'll gain three points on us. When we
come off, we have to make sure we haven't lost, so we'll have one more point
and they won't have gained any points on us and we'll move forward to
Liverpool from there. "If we can win, it makes a massive difference because
then we're a mid-table team and we're not in the bottom five or six in the
table. The distance between tenth and the bottom is not very big at the
moment, so to get a couple of wins back-to-back or a few results is very
important for us at this stage."

Will it be more difficult with the game being Tony Pulis' first home game as
Crystal Palace manager?

SA: "I think that every game at this level is tough. We will go to Crystal
Palace for another local derby and we experienced the atmosphere there when
we were in the Championship, when we got a well-deserved draw a couple of
weeks ago. "It'll be a full house and any newly-promoted team gets extra
drive from its fans in its first year back in the Premier League,
particularly as it's been a few years since they have been there. They have
the excitement of being in the top league in the world now. "I think Tony is
a very experienced manager and will try to organise his team to be difficult
to beat and to get a result if they can, which is what they tried to do at
Norwich. "We've got to be ready to match whatever they have got and to try
and better it. That's something we've got to try to handle and up until
Norwich away, if we play like we know we can away from home, we should be
there or thereabouts in terms of getting a result. Again, it will rely on
our finishing qualities as to whether we get anything out of the game or
not."

Do you have any team news to update ahead of Tuesday's game?

SA: "We have only a few niggles from Saturday's game. We don't consider they
will cause us any difficulties in terms of the selection process, but having
three games in a week, it may be about asking other squad players to step in
and do a job on Tuesday or on Saturday. "I have to do almost a
team-and-a-half's thinking. How well have the lads recovered from Saturday?
Will some of the squad lads do a better job on Tuesday because they are so
much fresher and ready to go? That's the debate we have to have as a staff
and see where we go from there. "I'll pick a team following those
discussions and see how we go from there."

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Dev Squad see off Robins
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad overcame Bristol City 2-1 to progress in the Premier
League Cup
02.12.2013

Goals from Elliot Lee and Danny Whitehead were enough to send the
Development Squad through to the last 16 of the Barclays Under-21 Premier
League Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bristol City. After a quiet
first half, Whitehead lit up the match as he burst through to score the
opening goal of the game after 65 minutes with a well-placed shot. Elliot
Lee doubled the lead nine minutes later, heading home a Matthias Fanimo
cross as the Hammers looked to be cruising through to the last 16. The
Robins had different ideas though and after Frazer Shaw bought down Wes
Burns, the striker picked himself up to score the spot-kick and set up a
nervy finale. West Ham had goalkeeper Sam Howes to thank in the final five
minutes as he twice denied Marley Bishop as they clung on for a cup victory.
The Hammers can now enjoy the prospect of a run in the inaugural year of
this competition but were made to work hard for it against the Robins. Nick
Haycock's team could have been ahead as early as the first minute when
Whitehead blazed a shot over the bar from inside the box. That would have
set the Hammers on their way in what turned out to be a physical first half
of few chances. The chances that were created fell the visitors' way as
Elliot Lee forced a fine save from Dave Richards after he worked a shooting
opportunity just outside the box after ten minutes. Lee came close again
midway through the half as he attempted an audacious volley from long-range
but saw his right-footed effort dip just over the bar. The home side rarely
threatened but were almost handed the lead when Howes mishandled a
regulation shot, but much to the keeper's relief saw it bounce up over the
crossbar.

Jordan Wynter and Pierce Mitchell both earned yellow cards after fouls on
Whitehead and Fanimo respectively as a quiet first period came to an end.
The match sprung into life after the break with the home side going on the
offensive. Mitch Brundle should have done better when he picked out Howes
from five yards after controlling nicely in the box. Next came a golden
opportunity for Kevin Krans who looked certain to score as the ball fell at
his feet six yards out after Brundle's knockdown, but the winger
inexplicably struck his effort high into the stands. He would be made to pay
for his miss as in the 65th minute Whitehead slotted home following a
lightning quick counter-attack. Just nine minutes later and West Ham looked
to be coasting as Fanimo's beautiful in-swinging cross located Lee at the
far post who had an easy task to nod home. No sooner had the visitors looked
to be running away with it than the home side hauled themselves back into
the match when Burns sent Howes the wrong way from the penalty spot after he
had been bought down by Shaw. Substitute Bishop had the chance to send the
game to extra-time when he was found unmarked in the penalty area but his
header was tame and Howes was able to hang on and secure the Hammers'
passage to the next round.

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McCallum back with a bang
WHUFC.com
Paul McCallum made a scoring return to Development Squad action against
Leicester City
30.11.2013

Paul McCallum returned to Development Squad action with a bang after he
netted in the side's 2-2 draw with Leicester City at Rush Green on Friday
night.
The frontman, who recently returned from a loan spell at Sky Bet League Two
side Torquay United, took just two minutes to make his mark as he bundled
the ball home to give the Hammers the lead. Elliot Lee doubled the advantage
when he stepped up to coolly convert a penalty kick on the stroke of
half-time as Nick Haycock's team looked comfortable at the break. The
visitors produced a strong comeback in the second half to deny the Hammers,
who stayed top of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League, and McCallum felt
his team had underperformed. He told West Ham TV: "I think it was a
disappointing performance on our behalf. We came out, we were sloppy and I
think we did well to hold out for a 2-2 draw. "It's always disappointing
when you don't win having been 2-0 up at half-time. We knew they were going
to bombard us, they had the wind behind them and that's exactly how it
turned out with them managing to get a draw."

McCallum returned to the Club recently following a successful loan spell
with Torquay, which saw him score three times in five league appearances for
the Gulls. The striker kept up his scoring form at Rush Green with his first
goal for the Development Squad this season, but he freely admits it wasn't
one of his finest "It wasn't one of my best goals, I don't really score good
goals and that was probably the worst goal I've ever scored. "I just swung
my leg at it and it's gone in but I'm happy. A goal's a goal and it's
another one on my record."

The big forward and his teammates have already turned their attentions to
Monday when they travel to Ashton Gate to play Bristol City in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League Cup. The Hammers enter at the Round of 32 stage and
meet the Robins after they saw off Peterborough United to get this far.
McCallum found out who the Development Squad were playing whilst out on loan
and while stating he enjoyed his loan spell, he is looking forward to cup
action. He said: "It was a good place, Torquay, and I enjoyed my time there.
Obviously I was suffering a bit with back pains so I had to come back but
hopefully I can get myself right and then in January who knows where I'll
go. "I hate to admit it but I did miss a few of the lads. I was away at
Torquay when I found out about the fixture but I didn't think I'd be back
for it. "Now that I'm back, it's a big game that will help get us used to a
cup scenario but a game which we want to win."

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Crystal Palace v West Ham United
KO 20:00
2 December 2013
Last updated at 14:43
By Guy Mowbray

BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Selhurst Park Date: Tuesday, 3 December

New Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis must decide whether to make changes to
the side beaten 1-0 at Norwich for his first home game in charge. Marouane
Chamakh and Cameron Jerome were paired up front at Carrow Road and both may
be retained.

West Ham striker Carlton Cole is pushing for his first start of the season
after scoring at the weekend. Ravel Morrison is also in line for a recall,
but George McCartney has been left out of the squad.

MATCH PREVIEW

It hasn't taken long for Tony Pulis to decide he needs "to make one or two
changes" to his Crystal Palace squad in the upcoming transfer window. One
game watched from upstairs, and one from the touchline in tracksuit and cap
is all he has needed. "This is a big night for new Crystal Palace boss Tony
Pulis, and Selhurst Park will be revved up and will give him a big welcome
for his first home game in charge. He lost his match as Eagles manager at
Norwich on Saturday and, if he didn't already know beforehand, he will know
what he has got in his team and what is missing." More upheaval at Selhurst
Park is imminent then, despite the arrival of 14 entirely new players since
promotion was achieved via the play-offs. With a change of manager and
massive changes in playing personnel in such a short space of time, there
seems to me to be something of an echo of Queens Park Rangers' situation on
their way to relegation. That said, the win at Hull showed that all is far
from lost, and if Pulis can get a win in his first home game in charge -
against a team that falls firmly into the 'catchable' category - then there
could be the beginnings of a real change in momentum. That's exactly what
Sam Allardyce will be hoping Saturday's win against Fulham will mean for his
West Ham team. A first win in half a dozen games was achieved comfortably
against another struggling London rival, giving Allardyce just the perfect
start to a week he's labelled as "season-defining".
After his goal having come on as a substitute, I'll be interested to see if
Carlton Cole gets a start in this one. He's a great example of how things
can change for the better in a most unexpected way in football - released by
West Ham last summer, then re-signed due to Andy Carroll's ongoing injury
problems.
As the Hammers have struggled for goals, the former England striker has
almost become a better player in the fans eyes by NOT playing! Once a figure
of frustration to them, they were even singing his name on Saturday. His
short-term contract expires next month. A couple more goals before then
could see him stick around for a little while longer.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their last four league matches with West Ham
at Selhurst Park but have only won two of 13 home meetings in total (W2, D6,
L5).
The last Premier League meeting ended 3-3 at Selhurst Park in May 1998, and
three of the last five league meetings between the sides have ended level.
Palace's 2-0 win at Upton Park in April 1992 was the last time the away team
triumphed in this fixture. There have been four home wins and four draws
since that game.
Crystal Palace
Palace have lost eight of their last 10 top-flight games.
However, they have earned four points from the last three matches - as many
as they managed in their first 10 fixtures.
They have the worst goalscoring record in the division, scoring only seven
times. The Eagles have failed to score in a league-high eight fixtures.
West Ham
The Hammers ended a five-match winless run by beating Fulham 3-0 at the
weekend. They started with a recognised striker in Modibo Maiga, having
opted for a strikerless 4-6-0 formation in recent weeks.
They are yet to earn a point after going behind this season.
Sam Allardyce's side have scored just three goals before half-time this
campaign.

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West Ham defender George McCartney is relieved to be back in action
Last Updated: December 2, 2013 4:57pm
SSN

West Ham defender George McCartney is relieved to be back in action
following his long-awaited return against Fulham on Saturday. The left-back
made his first Premier League start in more than a year as the Hammers beat
Fulham 3-0 at the Boleyn Ground. McCartney was initially sidelined as the
result of a knee problem and his absence was extended by a series of
strains. But the 32-year-old was delighted to come through the match with
Fulham unscathed, and now hopes he can cement his place in the team.
McCartney said: "It was a great feeling to see my name on the team sheet
again. It's been a long time and I've had some tough days with injury, but
thankfully I'm over it now and it was nice to get back out on the pitch. "To
win the game was the most important thing, but to last the 90 minutes was a
boost as well. It was good to be back out there. "To be honest, being out
for such a long time, you do have thoughts about whether you're ever going
to come back. "As you get older, you wonder if your body is up to coping
with the demands of Premier League football again. "I worked hard to get my
sharpness and match-fitness back and I've always had belief in my own
ability. "It was a long road back and I had one or two comebacks when little
niggles set me back again, but I've now had two or three really good weeks
of training, a couple of friendly matches and to play the full 90 minutes on
Saturday was great."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says it's 'sacking season' after fellow
bosses axed
Last Updated: December 2, 2013 4:18pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admits he has not been surprised by the amount
of managerial sackings in the past couple of weeks. The former Bolton and
Blackburn manager spoke out after Owen Coyle's dismissal at Wigan took the
number of coaches to lose their jobs since November 20 to eight. Brian Laws
was first to go at Scunthorpe and he was quickly followed by Portsmouth boss
Guy Whittingham, Richie Barker of Crawley and Bristol City's Sean
O'Driscoll.
And a trio of sackings over the weekend - Martin Jol (Fulham), David
Flitcroft (Barnsley) and Dave Jones (Sheffield Wednesday) - were joined this
morning by Coyle, who was shown the door after less than six months in the
job. And Allardyce believes there is no coincidence in the timing of the
dismissals as owners and chairman seek to breathe new life into their clubs'
ailing seasons. Speaking on Sky Sports News, he said: "It's sacking season
at the moment. "It never changes this time of year. If you're not doing so
well then there is always someone who will think it's time for a change.
"It's an unfortunate industry to be in from that point of view. It's very
ruthless and very volatile and obviously I feel for all of them. West Ham
manager Sam Allardyce says he 'admires' Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas
after he hit out at criticism of his management style. "But they will
probably brush themselves down, get themselves up again and try and move on
if and when the next job arrives, and I wish them well in that."

And Allardyce believes the pressure of the job was behind Spurs manager
Andre Villas-Boas' spat with two members of the press after his side's 2-2
draw with Manchester United on Sunday. The former Chelsea boss became
involved in a war of words with Daily Mail duo Neil Ashton and Martin Samuel
who he claimed 'insulted his integrity and professionalism'. "However
disappointed you may feel about what people say about you in media terms you
are still much better keeping your powder dry," said Allardyce. "I admire
him for having a go but I don't think it will do you any favours in the end.
"You have to admire him for sticking up for himself and in what he believes
in, and in all honesty, he's probably right, isn't he?"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce set to rotate his squad for West Ham's tie against Crystal
Palace
2 Dec 2013 16:21
The Mirror

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce will utilise the depth in his squad
for tomorrow night's Premier League clash against Crystal Palace. The trip
to Selhurst Park is the second of three matches in eight days for the
Hammers and comes on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Fulham on
Saturday.
The much-needed win took West Ham three points away from the relegation zone
and they will hope for another win against the Eagles, ahead of a trip to
Anfield this weekend. Ravel Morrison and Joe and Carlton Cole came off the
bench to impress against the Cottagers, and could all start tomorrow night,
in what is Tony Pulis' first home game in charge of Palace. Razvan Rat,
Ricardo Vaz Te and Andy Carroll remain long term absentees.

Provisional squad : Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, O'Brien,
Collison, Noble, J Cole, Morrison, Downing, Nolan, Jarvis, Maiga, Adrian,
Taylor, Diame, C Cole, Chambers

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Victory over Crystal Palace is vital, says West Ham manager Sam Allardyce
2 Dec 2013 22:30
The Mirror

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce earned some breathing space thanks to Saturday's
3-0 home win over Fulham. But as he prepares his team for Tuesday's trip to
bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace, he knows another win is vital. The
Hammers climbed to 15th in the table, three points above the drop zone,
after dispatching the Cottagers, but Allardyce stresses the victory means
nothing if they are unable to prevail at Selhurst Park. "The win is just a
small contribution to help the situation we're in, but we have to enlarge on
that," he said. "Saturday will have been a waste if we lose to Crystal
Palace because they're below us and will gain three points on us."

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