Big Sam hails big Andy!
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was all smiles after Andy Carroll's bullet header secured a
first win since New Year's Day
02.02.2013
Sam Allardyce raised his glass to Andy Carroll after the striker's
second-half header secured a welcome 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over
Swansea City.
Having enjoyed a brandy at the close of the transfer window on Thursday, the
manager admitted he planned to have a glass of red wine after the Hammers
recorded their first victory since New Year's Day. Big Sam's team were
outstanding against the Capital One Cup finalists and would have won by a
far wider margin had it not been for Swans goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel and
some loose finishing. "It's just a pity it wasn't a bit more comfortable for
us," said the manager. "We created some fantastic chances and you are always
worried as a manager that any one slip, particularly against a team like
Swansea who are relaxed and calm and cool, could see them nick one with
someone like Michu on the pitch. "We kept them really quiet from an
attacking point of view, apart from a frantic last couple of minutes when
they threw everything in the box. It's just a shame we weren't more
comfortable because we kept everyone really nervous right until the very end
with everybody biting their nails, but we got a well-deserved goal and a
well-deserved victory. "I don't think anyone can argue the fact that, with
the amount of chances we created, we thoroughly deserved this victory. It's
a big, big three points we have been waiting for and we've now got it in the
bag and got to that 30-point mark in the league. "We have played 25 games
and we can try and push on from here at Aston Villa next Sunday now and see
if we can get our away form a little bit better and take something before
the break for the FA Cup fifth-round weekend."
Carroll was outstanding in every area, winning header after header at both
ends of the pitch, holding the ball up superbly and creating chances for his
team-mates - most notably Kevin Nolan, who had two shots well saved by
Gerhard Tremmel. "Andy and Kevin seem to have the knack of combining and
linking together and getting chances. Andy scored from a set piece and we
emphasised to the lads that Swansea had conceded 67 per cent of their goals
from set pieces. Now it'll be up to 70 per cent. "The corner has made all
the difference and Andy's aerial power has put the ball in the back of the
net and got us the three points that we so desperately needed."
The manager was pleased not only with his match-winner, but also with the
way his whole team performed against a Swansea side which had conceded just
nine goals in 12 previous away matches this season. "Andy didn't look tired.
Mo Diame looked dead on his legs near the end and he couldn't get around the
pitch. Matt Jarvis played a full game at Fulham so we brought him off and
put Joe Cole on and he put a fantastic ball in for Ricardo Vaz Te to nearly
make it 2-0 just after we scored. "We had a volley from Vaz across the goal
and one from Mo that went just over the bar and their keeper made four
fantastic saves. Kevin Nolan could have scored a couple of goals again. It
was a really good performance. Swansea played a lot of neat football but
didn't cause us any problems.
"There was a lot of good attacking football from us that created chances and
that's what you want. Everyone will have gone home happy. It was another
good performance at home, with the right result this time, and it'll settle
everybody down. Big Sam and his players now have eight days to prepare for a
trip to Aston Villa next Sunday lunchtime, giving them a welcome chance to
recover following the drama of a busy January on and off the pitch. "Getting
three points means I can sleep a bit easier now, never mind the players!
What about me?! I'm glad that the phone is not ringing 60 or 70 times a day
and my email isn't pinging. It's been unbelievable. "We're just going into
our fourth phase of eight games and we've started with three points in the
bag, which makes a massive difference to the points total when you get off
to a winning start. "Now, I'm going to have a nice glass of red wine!"
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Carroll revels in goalscoring return
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll marked his first start after injury with the winner against
Swansea City
02.02.2013
Andy Carroll was thrilled with his match-winning contribution against
Swansea City, as West Ham United sealed all three points in the Barclays
Premier League for the first time since New Year's Day. Despite the best
efforts of goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel, Carroll eventually plundered the
points for the Hammers, nodding home Mark Noble's corner with little more
than ten minutes to play. Carroll's first goal at the Boleyn Ground was
rich reward for Sam Allardyce's men, who carved out a whole host of
presentable opportunities, and the Liverpool loanee insists it should
perhaps have been rather more comfortable. "Their keeper was on fire today
to be honest," he told West Ham TV. "He saved one off me, one off [Ricardo]
Vaz Te, and a couple off Kevin [Nolan]. He kept them in it. We pounded the
goal to be fair and we were unlucky not to be ahead by half time. But I've
put a chance away and we've got the three points so I'm delighted.
"It was a great ball in by Noble, he put it in where I wanted it and I've
just made a little movement, lost my marker and I put it in. "The points
had dried up a bit and the lads are delighted with the win today, you could
see when I scored everyone was celebrating. And everyone was sliding in with
last ditch tackles, we needed the three points."
After ending an eight-week lay-off with a 15-minute cameo at Craven Cottage
on Wednesday, Carroll made light of his injury-enforced absence, showing few
signs of fatigue as he completed the 90 minutes. "I've had eight weeks off
and I've been working hard in the gym," he added. "So my fitness is still
high and all the physios and backroom staff have been helping us a lot to
keep fit in the gym when I couldn't run. Obviously it showed with getting 90
minutes today. "It felt good. Getting 20 minutes last week helped me get
through the game today. We got three points and the goal, so it was great.
"It's good for us getting the win and now having eight days to have a bit of
a rest. It will be good for all the lads to get a rest in a rest now and
hopefully get three points at the end of it."
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Joe Cole lands SBOBET prize
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole takes the January SBOBET Player of the Month honours
02.02.2013
Joe Cole has made a flying start to his second stint in West Ham colours by
being voted as January's SBOBET Player of the Month by users of the club's
official website whufc.com Cole took 38.9% of the vote to take the prize,
which was presented before kick-off at Saturday's Barclays Premier League
match against Swansea City. The West Ham Academy product returned home at
the start of January when joining on a free transfer from Liverpool and made
an immediate impact on his second debut, producing two telling crosses for
James Collins to notch twice in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in
the FA Cup with Budweiser. 31-year-old midfielder Cole then made his mark in
Premier League action, scoring the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Queens
Park Rangers at the Boleyn Ground. Cole beat off fierce competition from
Winston Reid to land the prize, with the New Zealand international polling
34.4% of the vote. Collins' double against the Red Devils saw him take third
place with 11.6% of the vote, while Jussi Jaaskelainen, who took the
November award, was in fourth.
Joey O'Brien made four appearances in the Hammers' backline in January and
took fifth place in the vote, while Matt Jarvis was in sixth. Voting is now
open for January's West Ham Goal of the Month - watch the contenders in the
video freeplayer in the top right hand corner of this page, and then vote on
our official Facebook page.
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Cole Delighted With SBOBET prize
WHUFC.com
January's Player of the Month
03.02.2013
Joe Cole was delighted to land the SBOBET West Ham United Player of the
Month prize at the first opportunity after rejoining the Club from
Liverpool. The Hammers midfielder collected the award before Saturday's
Barclays Premier League game against Swansea City and then made it a perfect
day by coming off the bench to help Sam Allardyce's men collect maximum
points. Cole opened his goal account for his second stint as a Hammers
player in January, as well as laying on a couple of assists, and he is
looking for more over the closing months of the campaign. "It's lovely to be
named as the Player of the Month," he beamed. "The fans vote for this prize,
so I'm well pleased. It's been a decent start back, and we put three points
on the board on Saturday so we're delighted.
"My debut was in the FA Cup game against Man Utd. It's always nice to be
effective in a game and be part of a great performance. That's what it was -
a great performance, one of the best of the season, and it was disappointing
that we didn't knock them out. "Is was nice to score in my third game back
too, against QPR. Hopefully I'll get a few more before the end of the season
and a few assists, but first and foremost we have to consolidate in the
league and let's see where we finish up. "It's great to be back. Lots has
changed, but still so much has stayed the same as well. I'm very happy to be
back home, where it all started."
Cole hailed the importance of Saturday's result, which lifted the Hammers
back up to 11th in the Barclays Premier League table and gave the east
Londoners their first win in seven. He continued: "It was important to get
the win on Saturday. To get to 30 points, you can then see the magical 40
points there. We've got to keep going, try to string a couple more wins
together and once we get there we can look at where we can finish in the
league. "It's always tough when you're playing Swansea. They play fantastic
football, they keep the ball, but our concentration levels were great.
"We've just got to start putting our chances away and make games a little
easier for ourselves."
Saturday's matchwinner was the fit-again Andy Carroll, who headed home Mark
Noble's 77th minute corner to round off a fantastic display and Cole was
full of praise for the big Geordie. "It's great to have Andy back," he
added. "He was brilliant on Saturday - he got his goal and he's a massive
player for us. "He looks fit, he looks lean, he looks ready and hungry and
that can only be good for West Ham and for England."
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U18s snatch late draw
WHUFC.com
Nana Boakye-Yiadom's equaliser secured a 1-1 Barclays U18 Premier League
draw with West Brom
02.02.2013
West Ham United continued their unbeaten form in the Barclays U18 Premier
League Tier One season with a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at Little
Heath on Saturday. A late finish from substitute Nana Boakye-Yiadom grabbed
a point for the Hammers after Danny Burrows had earlier put the travelling
Baggies ahead. The game started with the Hammers midfield trio of Ben
Marlow, Josh Cullen and Taylor Miles taking control of possession in the
midfield areas, supplying Kieran Sadlier down the left wing, who was giving
the West Brom defence all kinds of problems in the opening stages. West Brom
attempted to intervene and gain some kind of control in the game, yet the
Hammers' impressive start limited the time on the ball given to the visiting
players. The Hammers' first half dominance almost led to numerous
opportunities on goal, including several for Sadlier, who found himself
through on goal, before losing possession when cutting inside for a shot.
Taylor Tombides also had a chance when he recieved the ball 18 yards out,
but unfortunately powered his shot high and wide of the goal. A key player
in the first half was left-back Lewis Page, who put in several dangerous
efforts into the box, including a 30-yard shot on goal from a free-kick that
was pushed over the bar by the Baggies goalkeeper. The away side also had
their fair chances to open the scoring, twice hitting the right-hand post
through Rees Weederburn and Danny Burrows. Firstly, Wedderburn was given
time and space in the Hammers box to poke an effort against the post. Then,
just a minute later, Burrows ran in behind the defence, collecting a high
ball, before smashing a shot at Hammers goalkeeper Sam Howes, who turned the
ball excellently onto the upright.
As the teams came out for the second half, both sides were battling to win
possession and create chances in the final third. It was West Brom who took
the lead midway through the second period when Joel Ward slipped the ball
through to Burrows, who held his run well to beat the offside trap and slide
the ball low past Howes into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. The
goal shook the Hammers and West Brom began to look more threatening when
picking up more possession in the midfield, yet Jamie Harney and Rob
Girdlestone stood strong at the back.
As the Hammers searched for an equaliser, Boakye-Yiadom was introduced from
the bench and began causing the opposition problems. West Ham's equaliser
almost came when Boakye-Yiadom chased down a long ball from Harney, putting
West Brom centre-half Reiss Greeniage under pressure, He tried to lob a pass
back to his goalkeeper Alex Palmer without realising that the stopper had
started coming towards the ball. Palmer had to dive to head the ball clear.
The home side continued to press to ensure they took something out of this
game, with Moses Makasi going closest in the closing minutes. Boakye-Yiadom
linked up well with Sadlier before squaring for Makasi, who saw his low
effort cleared from the line. Steve Potts' Hammers got their reward with two
minutes left, when Boakye-Yiadom picked up the ball behind the West Brom
defence and coolly slotted past Palmer to level the scores. The draw keeps
the U18s unbeaten in the league since Potts' took over in December, with the
Hammers travelling to Wolverhampton Wanderers for their next Premier League
Tier One match on Saturday 9 February.
West Ham United U18s: Howes, Alexander, Harney, Girdlestone, Page, Marlow,
Miles (Makasi), Cullen, Gogo (Mavila), Sadlier, Tombides (Boakye-Yiadom)
Subs not used: Brown, Burke
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Hammers duo set for international clash
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Jack Collison and Emanuel Pogatetz could go head-to-head
for their countries on Wednesday
01.02.2013
Hammers duo Jack Collison and Emmanuel Pogatetz could face each other on
international duty next week with Wales due to take on Austria at Swansea
City's Liberty Stadium on Wednesday. Pogatetz, who arrived at the Boleyn
Ground on loan from VfL Wolfsburg on Monday, has been capped 52 times by
Austria and is in Marcel Koller's squad to take on Wales in their
international friendly. Collison, meanwhile, will be looking to add to his
eleven Wales caps in that fixture - as well as getting one over his new
team-mate.
West Ham will also have midfielder Mohamed Diame on international duty, as
the 25-year-old has been named in Senegal's squad for their friendly against
Guinea in Paris on Tuesday.
Goalkeeper Stephen Henderson completes the quartet of Hammers in senior
international action next week as he is part of the Republic of Ireland
squad for their home fixture against Poland on Wednesday.
In addition, winger Blair Turgott is in the England Under-19 squad, as Noel
Blake's side begin their countdown to this summer's UEFA Under-19
Championships in Lithuania with a home match against Denmark in Doncaster on
Tuesday. Kieran Sadlier and January arrival Sean Maguire are in the Republic
of Ireland Under-19 squad for a double header of home friendlies with the
Czech Republic, on Tuesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, Academy player Marcio Martins is in Portugal's Under-17 squad for
the Algarve International Tournament, also involving England, Germany and
the Netherlands, between 8-12 February.
Modibo Maiga's Africa Cup of Nations campaign with Mali continues this
Saturday with a quarter final tie against host country South Africa. Mali
qualified from the group stage second in Group B with four points from their
three games. South Africa topped Group A with five points.
International Hammers
Jack Collison - Wales v Austria, Swansea, Wednesday 6 February
Emanuel Pogatetz - Wales v Austria, Swansea, Wednesday 6 February
Mohamed Diame - Senegal v Guinea, Paris, Tuesday 5 February
Stephen Henderson - Republic of Ireland v Poland, Dublin, Wednesday 6
February
Modibo Maiga - Mali - Africa Cup of Nations Quarter Final v South Africa,
Durban, Saturday 2 February
Blair Turgott - England U19 v Denmark U19, Doncaster, Tuesday 5 February
Kieran Saldlier & Sean Maguire - Republic of Ireland U19 v Czech Republic
U19, Longford, Tuesday 5 February and Thursday 7 February
Marcio Martins - Portugal U17, Algarve Tournament, Friday 8 February -
Tuesday 12 February
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West Ham U14s bag Barcelona trip
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Under-14s finished second in a ten-team national
tournament
02.02.2013
West Ham United's Under-14s booked a trip to Barcelona after excelling at
the Barclays Premier League's National Under-14 tournament. West Ham stormed
to the final with four successive wins, before losing out to Manchester
City, who ended the tournament with an unblemished record of five victories.
The young Hammers' exploits began back on 29 October, with regional
qualification held at Tottenham Hotspur's training ground. To their credit,
West Ham, including three U13s, topped a tough group containing Spurs,
Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Reading. They, together with runners up Chelsea,
advanced to the annual national competition at Greenwich's London Soccerdome
on 26 and 27 January. Pitted against Manchester United, Fulham, West
Bromwich Albion and Blackburn in Group A, the Hammers set about their
business in some style. After a 1-0 win over Fulham, the Hammers downed both
Blackburn and West Brom by two goals to one, before completing their clean
sweep with another 1-0 success against Manchester United. Their 100 per cent
record saw West Ham top the group by an enormous six-point margin and set up
a final clash with Manchester City. Though City were to edge the final 3-1,
West Ham's top-two finish earned them a trip to Barcelona in March, where
they will take part in a four-team tournament, alongside local outfit
Cornella, Manchester City and Barcelona's famed academy. Head of Academy
Recruitment Dave Hunt was understandably thrilled with the players' efforts,
insisting their trip to Barcelona is richly deserved. "It gives the boys a
reward for their outstanding performances and hard work throughout the
tournaments and season so far," he confirmed.
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West Ham 1 Swansea 0
2 February 2013
Last updated at 17:25
By Saj Chowdhury
BBC Sport
Andy Carroll scored on his first start since November as West Ham defeated
Swansea at Upton Park. The striker, on loan from Liverpool, grabbed the
winner late in the second half, leaping highest to head in from close range.
Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel made superb saves from Kevin Nolan, Ricardo
Vaz Te and Carroll. The visitors created very few chances, with Michu
heading over from six yards in the second half. The encounter was, at times,
a slightly drab affair, interspersed with moments of brilliance, in
particular from Tremmel, who kept his side in the game until Carroll got the
better of him with 12 minutes to go. In the first half, the German, who
arrived from Red Bull Salzburg in 2011, twice denied Nolan from close range
and the 34-year-old also showed strong hands to block long-range efforts
from Mohamed Diame and Vaz Te, who cut in from the right a let fly from 20
yards. After the interval, Tremmel had barely had time to settle into his
area before he was tested again by Vaz Te - clinging on to the Portuguese
winger's low effort. Carroll was at the heart of most of West Ham's attacks
during the match. The 24-year-old, a substitute at Fulham in midweek, had
set up both of Nolan's efforts and finally managed an effort of his own when
he flashed a shot over from 15 yards. He came even closer to scoring moments
later, when the Swans' keeper produced an outstanding block with his feet to
keep out an angled low shot. But he was not to be denied a third time,
leaping to head in Mark Noble's left-wing corner from six yards out.
It was relief for the Hammers, who would have felt hard done by had they not
taken all three points from this match. Swansea's best player was former
Valencia winger Pablo Hernandez, who weaved his way into the area in the
first half before seeing his shot blocked, and then delivered an
inch-perfect ball for leading scorer Michu in the second, only for the
Spaniard to head over. The visitors came close to snatching a point at the
last, but Jussi Jaaskelainen, largely redundant in the home goal, made a
brilliant one-handed stop to deny Jonathan de Guzman.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "I was wondering what the lads had to do to
score a goal. We had a lot of balls flashing across the goal and over the
bar.
"Our defending has been our weaker point but we were very good. Swansea
hardly created anything except in the last couple of minutes. It's a massive
relief."
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup: "It could have gone either way. They had two
good chances in first half through Kevin Nolan. In the second half, they had
couple of chances, but they weren't difficult to defend. "Carroll scored a
great goal and was difficult to mark. We had two or three chances at end of
game and should have created more from the positions we were in. "We could
have, and should have, created a little more but didn't have that last pass.
I'm not happy with losing, but we didn't do anything specifically wrong."
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Laudrup on.......West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd February 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup reflects on his side's 1-0 defeat at the Boleyn
in the post-match press conference which, as ever, we bring to you
exclusively in full....
Michael, Swansea didn't quite seem themselves today, their passing and
movement. What did you think?
No, I think that we dominated quite well in the first half. It is true
though that West Ham had two big chances in the first 45 minutes, from
Nolan. It was game more or less what I expected; us having the ball most and
them playing the ball direct to Carroll. Nolan makes the runs from the
second line. That's more or less what we saw in the first half. In the first
half when we dominated we did not create That many chances. Pablo
(Hernandez) had a couple of things down on the right hand side.
The second half they came a little more into the game. Still direct - we
know they can play that way especially with the line-up they had today. They
got a goal from a set piece. We know West Ham are a very strong team on set
pieces, especially with the players they have. What can I say, you know when
they play with four or five big lads like that you know it's a possibility.
Then the last 15 minutes we came back and we had 2 or 3 chances to equalise
but yeah we lost 1-0. It could have been 1-1 or 0-0 we just have to accept
it.
We're a very difficult team to beat. Nobody likes to lose. I'm just
wondering - it's seven weeks since we lost in the league so that's why
I'm....when you get used to not losing it's very nice!
You say it could have been 0-0 or 1-1 but your goalkeeper made 6 or 7
outstanding saves...
Yes he did some good saves. That's true. That's why he's playing in there!
Compared to two weeks ago when you faced a similar challenge against Stoke,
it didn't seem to me that you imposed yourselves on West Ham today as you
did on Stoke. Was that down to West ham pressing you?
I think we have to remember one smal detail: against Stoke we played at the
Liberty. Today we played here. I mean there are few teams in the world who
can play home and away exactly the same way. I don't think West Ham, Stoke
or Swansea are one of them. There is a difference when you play at home and
play away. West Ham were another team today from when we beat them 3-0 at
the Liberty. It's normal that, when you play at home then you play away.
Even so, I have to say that after we qualified for the final at Wembley
after the Chelsea game I did expect a reaction. When a smaller team achieves
something that important in the history of the club, beating the European
champions, to be honest i expected a reaction in the coming games - and I
haven't seen that reaction. Obviously I'm talking of a negative reaction
where maybe you could lose your focus. I think we dominated completely the
other day at Sunderland - we missed three clear chances one on one. Today we
had less. West Ham had more chances than us. But we are a very difficult
team to beat. That's positive and it proves that my team are mature. That's
a great thing for me to see. We're still talking about a club that's only
been 18 months in the Premier League so that's not bad.
What did you make of Andy Carroll? Even Ashley (Williams) with his physical
strength seemed to find him a handful...
We know how good he is in the air. I said to the players two different
things:inside and outside the box. Carroll inside the box is very dangerous
- we saw that with the goal. Inside the box he can score from there.
Obviously outside the box it's very difficult. Back to the goal I never saw
anyone score there. We knew he was going to win a lot of balls out there. It
was more the runs, especially the runs from Nolan we should look out for. We
did that well apart from one time in the first half when Nolan could have
scored with his left foot. Apart from that everyone was more or less what I
expected.
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The Julian Dicks column: 2nd February
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd February 2013
By: Julian Dicks
West Ham United FC legend Julian Dicks is a columnist here on KUMB.com.
Julian shares his thoughts with the readers of Knees up Mother Brown on a
regular basis via his weekly column, the latest of which begins with his
thoughts on the transfer window - and one very peculiar situation involving
WBA's Peter Odemwingie...
The transfer window
I think the transfer window is a waste of time, as I believe you should be
able to sign players when you want. When it comes to the end of the transfer
window everybody goes mad and adds millions of pounds to the value of their
players. Bang average players sometimes, and all of a sudden they're worth
£9million! It's ridiculous.
Maybe have a couple of month's break, fine - but let people buy who they
want to buy. When I was playing you could buy who you wanted when you wanted
but yesterday everyone was going mad. You had average players worth perhaps
£1-1.5million suddenly worth £5-£6million just because someone wants them -
and if they want them, they have to pay up otherwise the window shuts.
West Ham signed four (first team) players during January, two of whom - Joe
Cole and Wellington Paulista - I touched upon in my last column. Since then
we've also signed Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal and Emanuel Pogatetz from
Wolfsburg, both on loan.
I've watched Chamakh at Arsenal and, for me, he's a lazy player. At the end
of the day he can't get in the Arsenal side so why is he good for West Ham?
We don't need lazy players at West Ham - we need people who are going to
work, graft and bang out results. It's different at Arsenal because they're
a fantastic side with a fantastic array of players and you can afford to
have one or two lazy players - but at West Ham we're a hard-working side and
a hard-working club and we need players who are going to put a shift in for
us.
I've not followed Pogatetz's career since he left England but they say he's
a lively character who's kicked a few people! But we needed a centre half
and hopefully he can be a good one for us. People ask me about James Tomkins
and Winston Reid and I still haven't changed my opinion on them; if the
ball's in the air they'll go and win it, but you want players to get the
ball down and play football - and they can't do it.
It was said that Sam Allardyce was also chasing a goalkeeper during January
- and rightly so as I think Jussi Jaaskelainen is a liability. I've watched
him many times and yes, he pulls off some good saves but he also lets silly
goals in. I don't just mean mistakes - as footballers we all make them - but
he comes out and goes down on his knees; I'm obviously not a goalkeeper, but
that seems odd to me. Robin Van Persie's goal for Man United in the FA Cup
tie for example, is one I think he should have saved. Don't get me wrong, it
was a fantastic strike but there are goals he could save that he doesn't. He
goes down but he can't get to ground quick enough.
The Peter Odemwingie situation dominated the final day of the transfer
window. I followed it on Twitter so don't know exactly what happened at West
Brom or with QPR bidding but he's gone down there to try and get the move
going and ended up being sent home. I've never known a situation quite like
that but we had one player at Birmingham who thought he was out of this
world and believed everybody wanted him - your Man Uniteds, Liverpools,
everybody - and to be honest, he was awful!
He thought he was the absolute nuts, the best player in the world - and it
wasn't the case that he was taking the piss, he genuinely thought he was! In
the end he went a bit doolally. The Odemwingie situation was ludicrous but
nothing surprises me with footballers these days, nothing at all.
Derby day doom and gloom
The Arsenal result was disappointing but I've been involved in games like
that where you come out first half, play really well and then it falls apart
in the second half. I remember playing against Liverpool at Anfield in the
final game of the 1988/89 season when we needed to win to stand a chance of
staying up. They took an early lead, but we equalised soon after [through
Leroy Rosenior] and I remember thinking "ooh, we're going to win this" - and
we got battered 5-1 and went down!
Arsenal can do that to anybody, they're a fantastic side when they want to
be and you've just got to put that down to experience. It happened and
hopefully it'll happen only once or twice a season, but that's football
unfortunately.
Having draw level at Fulham only to concede again less than a minute later
was unprofessional but again, it happens to all of us in football. You're
most vulnerable when you've just scored because you take your eye off the
ball. You're thinking "that's it, it's 1-1, we'll get the ball and do this
and that" - and can lack concentration. But as I've said from day one, there
are quite a few players in the team who are not good enough at the moment
and certain players are not putting a shift in any more. When your big
players aren't putting shifts in then you're going to come unstuck.
I'm not saying we carried Paolo Di Canio - he was an individual and a
fantastic, awesome footballer - but because we had players that would graft
and work their nuts off you could carry one or two of the more gifted
players. West Ham haven't got that at the moment and they need everybody to
put a shift in from the goalkeeper, to the captain through to everybody.
Despite the recent poor run of results I still think West Ham will survive
comfortably this season. More or less every team goes through a bad patch at
some time during the season but it's how you get out of that.
Bring on the Swans
So we got beat by five at Arsenal and beat at Fulham but today's game is
also going to be tough because Swansea, for me, are a fantastic passing
side. They get the ball down and they play; I've only watched them once or
twice but they pass the ball and if West Ham don't close them down today
they'll pass us to death. They have players who can open you up and score
goals and since Laudrup came in, they've come on leaps and bounds.
Last week someone asked me about the Fulham and Swansea games and I said I
can't see West Ham getting any points, because Fulham at home are a
difficult side to break down and beat whilst if Swansea are allowed to play
- and West Ham don't close them down - they're going to find it difficult.
The way West Ham are playing at the moment with players not putting a shift
in suggests they're going to find it difficult.
It's the same in every game though; West Ham are not a side with bundles and
bundles of talent. Yes, there are one or two very good players but we need
more to put a shift in for 90 minutes, not just 35 or 40 minutes.
A captain's role
Kevin Nolan has always been a good player but even last season some people
were saying "he doesn't do this, he doesn't do that". The thing is, when
he's scoring goals you can forgive the other side of it - but when he's not
scoring goals, as was the case before Fulham, you've got to find something
else to put in to your game. Kevin's not a box-to-box player - and it's not
just him - but I find that when the ball goes forward and the ball gets
transferred into our half they just jog back and that really pisses me off,
big time. It's just about hard work and running 30 or 40 yards.
On the plus side he's a great captain, the opposite of someone like Matthew
Upson who was a shocking captain for West Ham and not a very good player
either. Kevin is a very good player but he has to be in the right side. I
think he's right for West Ham but if you're going to play him other people
have to do his work - and players don't tend to do that anymore, they don't
look after each other. When I played with people like Dev, Liam [Brady] and
Stuart Slater they'd go forward, but we'd look after them.
The life of a thespian
This week I've been filming a cameo role in a film called The Hooligan
Factory. It's a spoof, a take-off of films like Green Street and The
Football Factory. Even though I've got a very small part in it I was on set
for ten hours - and if I'm going to be on set for ten hours a day, I want
Brad Pitt's money! I don't have a speaking role; I play one of the bosses of
the hooligans and had a great big scar down my face! But I enjoyed it.
I know Jason Maza who's producing it and Cass Pennant, who also has a cameo
role. I had a good chat with him about West Ham and everything else. There
were also actors who've been in Green Street and stuff like that (whose
faces I know but not the names). But it was good. We filmed it in a titty
bar - sadly there was only one girl there - but it was fun. I was probably
only filming for a couple of hours but there for ten so there was a lot of
waiting around and you get to chat to everybody. Everybody there was nice
enough so it was good.
Acting would appeal to me but I understand why they get paid so much. This
film isn't coming out until next year and they're working on it for four
weeks solid, so if you're the main actor doing 10-14 hours a day... It's a
great life to have off the screen, but they certainly work hard.
Julian Dicks was talking to Graeme Howlett.
* Julian is currently available to coach both junior and senior football
teams. For more details, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JULIAN3DICKS.
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Andy Carroll the hero as West Ham defeat Swansea
Last Updated: February 2, 2013 6:40pm
SSN
Andy Carroll made a dream return to the West Ham United first team as he
scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Swansea City at Upton Park. The
on-loan Liverpool striker was making his first start since November
following injury and he marked the occasion with a fine display and a 77th
minute header to settle an otherwise forgettable contest.
Best of the Game
Man of the Match: Andy Carroll won almost everything in the air and marked
his first start since November with the only goal
Save of the Match: Gerhard Tremmel was a contender for man of the match and
his second-half stop from Carroll was excellent
Miss of the Match: Michu has now gone six league games without a goal and
hit an effort over the crossbar after half-time
Talking Point: Will West Ham now return to their form of earlier in the
season? Did Swansea need another striker?
It was a very welcome win for West Ham, who collected three points for just
the third time in two months, and eased a previously worrying slide towards
the Premier League relegation zone. Swansea, for all their pretty football,
only sprung to life when Carroll's goal went in and Michu, who has now gone
six league games without a goal, had an off-day playing on his own up front.
West Ham's plan to launch the ball to Carroll became apparent from the off.
Winston Reid lumped it up to the big striker in the fourth minute, he
knocked it down to Kevin Nolan but he shot wide. Swansea had the majority of
possession but West Ham were the most dangerous team. Carroll found space
after dropping deep and laid the ball off to Mohamed Diame, who drew a good
save from Gerhard Tremmel. The Swansea goalkeeper was called into action
soon after, saving Nolan's shot with his feet. The visitors went in level at
half-time but only thanks to Tremmel, who once again pulled off a top-draw
save to deny Ricardo Vaz Te. West Ham started the second half as they ended
the first. A clever backheel from Matt Jarvis released Nolan, who pulled the
ball back for Carroll but he blazed over. It looked as if the Hammers were
destined to fail. Swansea's defence held strong and the home side continued
to waste their chances.
Referee Lee Probert then failed to award the Hammers a penalty when Vaz Te's
shot struck the arm of Chico Flores. After missing so many chances, there
was a huge sense of relief when Carroll finally broke the deadlock. The
England striker lost Ashley Williams in the Swansea box and leapt high
before powering Mark Noble's corner past Tremmel. Swansea continued to push
for an equaliser but it never came.
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West Ham's Andy Carroll earns praise from Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: February 3, 2013 7:17am
SSN
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce hopes there is more to come from Andy
Carroll after the striker's man of the match performance against Swansea
City. The on-loan Liverpool forward started his first game since November
after injury and scored the winner to earn his temporary club just a third
Premier League win in two months. And Allardyce thought Carroll, who could
join West Ham on a permanent basis in the summer, was the best player
against Swansea despite not being fully fit. "I think Andy has made the
difference today, no disrespect to [Marouane] Chamakh and Carlton Cole,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports.
"He is a big strong lad with a lot of ability. As we saw today, it was not
just about his heading ability, even though that was the winning goal. "It
was about his hold-up play, his movement and the trouble he caused Swansea.
I think everybody else could build off Andy and we created numerous
chances."
West Ham were denied by excellent Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel on
several occasions but Allardyce was at least pleased to see his struggling
team making opportunities. "It has been a great day from that point of view
and, as long as we keep creating the chances - particularly at home, we will
sooner or later start putting more in the back of the net," he said.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll pleased with West Ham win over Swansea
Last Updated: February 2, 2013 6:10pm
SSN
Andy Carroll was more pleased to help West Ham United get back to winning
ways than to make his return to the starting line-up. The on-loan Liverpool
striker made his first start since November following injury when featuring
in Sam Allardyce's first XI against Swansea City on Saturday. And Carroll
marked the occasion with a fine display and a 77th minute header to earn
West Ham only their third win in two months The striker, who could make a
permanent summer move to Upton Park, told Sky Sports: "It was a great
feeling to get 90 minutes, get the three points and, obviously, get the
goal. "I did not find out until today that I was going to start and I was
obviously over the moon with the decision. "I just had to work hard, run
around and keep the ball as much as I could with being up there by myself.
"It was a tough game and I am just happy we got the three points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sometimes You Just Need to Grind Out a Win!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Sometmes you just need to grind out a win! And this was one of those
occasions. We just needed to take the three points, halt the gradual slide
in results and get back on track. We did that by pressing Swansea,
disrupting their game and then playing to our strengths. Yes, some of the
play was a bit ropey at times, but we competed and came away with the three
points. I always saw it as a hard fought affair, with a single goal or the
best of three winning it. And that is the way that it transpired.
Hopefully, this win will breed confidence and faciltate getting back to the
type of results that, generally, we enjoyed in the first half of the season.
In assessing the display, we need to praise some players in particular. Joey
O'Brien looked good in his proper right-back slot, Noble ran himself in to
the ground, Nolan continued his steady return to form and Andy Carroll was
magnificent. With regard to Carroll, this match clearly demonstrated that if
you give him the right quality of ball in to the box, he will score goals.
Diame played to his usual high standard and thank goodness he stayed with us
in the January window. Matt Taylor was given a hard time on occasions, in
the first half, at left-back. However, he stuck to his task and used his
experience to come through it. While I thought Joe Cole had a positive
impact when he came on as a second half substitute. It just seems that we
move the ball better, with him on the pitch, and we look a far better
attacking unit.
Also, respect to James Tomkins, who has suffered indifferent form of late,
but has dug in and had a very good match yesterday. Tomkins has talent, that
is beyond dispute. The truth is that he is on a developmental learning curve
and he will emerge from it all the stronger. The criticism of him amongst
fans reminds me of what was said of Winston Reid, when he first joined us.
They were wrong on Reid and they are also wrong on Tomkins. He will play
through this indifferent phase and will earn the future praise of current
critics!
Next up is Aston Villa. This is a game that we should be looking to win. We
would certainly do ourselves a big favour if we can grab a result. Lambert
is a good manager, who has hitherto suffered an awful tme at Villa. A bit
like Tomkins, he will emerge from it all the stronger, more experienced and
knowledgeable. I just hope that Villa stick with him and show some faith in
his managerial ability. He will probably turn Villa around, lets just hope
that it happens/continues after our match with them!
Of course, this looks like a perfect opportunity for the 'fall guy' tendency
to strike us once again. But this time, I am hoping that we will build upon
yesterday's hard fought victory over Swansea. Then we face Spurs at home,
one of the biggest matches of the season, which just happens to be the 20th
anniversary of the death of the late, great, Bobby Moore.
We need to ensure that we consign all the controversy of the corresponding
fixture firmly to the past and show appropriate respect for the greatest
defender and captain in the history of the game. Keen rivalry is fine with
Spurs, is fine, but discrimination is not. We need to show what West Ham Utd
FC and the vast majority of its fans are really all about. And what better
opportunity to do that than the 20th anniversary of the passing our
favourite son, captain of West Ham and England, World Cup winner, cultured &
intelligent defender, peerless leader and true hero!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1 Swansea 0
The Sun
By DAN KING
Last Updated: 03rd February 2013
ANDY CARROLL finally brought a ray of sunshine into what was becoming a
bleak winter for the striker. His winning strike capped a superb all-round
performance in his first start for West Ham since November 28. It was also
only his second goal since joining the Irons on loan from Liverpool during
the summer transfer window. But for a while, it seemed this game was going
to be just another hard luck story for him and Sam Allardyce's men. The big
striker had done everything but score, generally creating havoc and making
chances which team-mates failed to convert. Yet when he fluffed a great
chance to cap his display with a goal early in the second half, it looked
like Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel was going to be the man of the match.
Especially when the German kept out another Carroll effort and West Ham had
a good penalty shout turned down, having been denied two spot-kicks in their
midweek loss at Fulham. But to their credit, both Carroll and the Hammers
kept going and maybe, just maybe, their luck is about to change. Because his
team's win was their third in the last 13 games. Swans boss Michael Laudrup
tried to characterise the game as pretty Swansea against direct West Ham. He
claimed his side had dominated the first half — despite the fact Tremmel
made three top saves. But anyone who came along expecting a later-than-usual
performance of Beauty and the Beast, with Carroll in the role of pantomime
horse, was disappointed. West Ham and Carroll are capable of playing the
ball on the ground, just as Swansea are perfectly happy to hit it high into
the channels if needs must.
When Swansea hit their stride, their football was indeed better than
anything West Ham could manage. But the hard-working Hammers did not let
Laudrup's side find their usual swagger. And although Allardyce's men did
not always use the ball well enough, they created enough chances to win
three matches.
Without a string of saves from Tremmel, Swansea would have gone into the
break beaten. As some of the shock results last week in the FA Cup proved,
some Premier League clubs lack decent stand-in keepers. But few if any boast
better options between the sticks than the Swans. Tremmel showed again
yesterday he is a more than able deputy to the injured Michel Vorm. First he
denied Kevin Nolan with his legs. Then, when the West Ham skipper ran on to
a Carroll flick for the second time in the game, Tremmel dived low to save
brilliantly. Those stops made a later flying leap to deny Ricardo Vaz Te
look routine. At the other end, Jussi Jaaskelainen had not had a save to
make. And early in the second half West Ham should have netted. After great
work by Nolan and Matt Jarvis, Carroll fired badly over from 14 yards.
Swansea enjoyed a brief flurry but back came West Ham, only for Tremmel to
use his legs again, this time to stop a Carroll shot. Chico seemed to handle
in the area but all complaints were forgotten when Carroll rose above Ashley
Williams to head home Mark Noble's corner.
Swans' reaction, which produced some moments of anxiety, was too little, too
late. But as Allardyce reflected afterwards, there may still be time for
Carroll and West Ham to end the season on a high.
d.king@the-sun.co.uk
West Ham: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor, Noble, Diame (O'Neil
86), Vaz Te, Nolan (Pogatetz 90), Jarvis (Joe Cole 62), Carroll. Subs Not
Used: Spiegel, Carlton Cole, Collison, Chamakh. Booked: Vaz Te. Goals:
Carroll 77.
Swansea: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Davies, de Guzman, Britton (Moore
57), Ki, Hernandez, Michu, Routledge (Dyer 75). Subs Not Used: Cornell,
Lamah, Monk, Shechter, Tiendalli. Booked: Chico.
Att: 34,962
Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll singing
The Sun
By DAN KING
Published: 02nd February 2013
ANDY CARROLL capped his home comeback with the West Ham winner — and boss
Sam Allardyce warned: "There's more to come." Carroll's 77th-minute header,
which gave the Hammers a crucial 1-0 win over Swansea, was only his second
goal in an injury-plagued spell on loan from Liverpool. Big Sam said:
"There's a lot more to come from Andy. If he can finish on a high it will be
great." Swansea boss Michael Laudrup said: "We know how good Carroll is in
the air. Inside the box he's very dangerous."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll's singing again: On-loan Hammers striker scores winner as Swansea
lose on the road
The Mirror
2 Feb 2013 17:11
Andy Carroll ended a two-month injury absence by becoming West Ham's
comeback king. Despite all the controversy which has plagued his career,
there is something about the England striker which makes him one of the most
feared forwards in the domestic game. It is no coincidence that since
on-loan Carroll has been out with a knee injury, West Ham have struggled to
score goals and have managed only two victories in his absence. The vultures
were starting to circulate around Upton Park but Carroll produced a
trademark 77th-minute header to get them back on the winning trail.
Allardyce said: "He should do shouldn't he? As long as he can stay fit until
the end of the season and get as many games in as he can. There is a lot
more to come from Andy. It was Andy's first full 90 minutes in nine weeks.
He looked like he was enjoying himself."
It was fitting Carroll should score as the Swansea defence struggled to cope
with his presence throughout. As Swansea boss Michael Laudrup noted: "We
knew Andy Carroll would win lots of balls out there. It was more or less
what I expected." Allardyce celebrated the end of the January transfer
window with a glass of brandy – and you can be sure that he was toasting
Carroll last night. Co-owner David Sullivan revealed that the club had
already agreed a deal with Liverpool to sign Carroll at the end of the
season, though have yet to open talks with the player. But if he continues
to score crucial goals it seems only a question of time before they try to
land his signature on a permanent basis. Despite bringing in Joe Cole,
Marouane Chamakh and Emanuel Pogatetz during the transfer window, all three
of Allardyce's latest signings had to be content with a place on the bench
yesterday. West Ham dominated the first half and should have broken the
deadlock after 21 minutes. Joey O'Brien produced a great piece of skill to
take the ball past Ben Davies and crossed for Kevin Nolan whose volley was
saved by the legs of Swansea keeper Gerhard Tremmel. Nolan, causing Swansea
all kinds of problems, must still be wondering how he didn't get his name on
the score sheet in the 37th minutes. Ricardo Vaz Te's cross picked out
Carroll who directed a clever flick into the path of Nolan. The West Ham
captain thought he had finally broken the deadlock but his low shot produced
a superb save from Tremmel. The Swansea defenders were struggling to cope
with the presence of Carroll and he should have put West Ham ahead after 66
minutes but his shot was blocked by Tremmel. The rebound fell to Vaz Te who
crossed for Mohamed Diame to send a scissor kick just over the bar. Hammers'
fans must have thought it was going to be one of those days again, but
Carroll refused to lie down. Mark Noble's corner picked him out and Carroll
rose above Ashley Williams to power home a header. Swansea rallied and West
Ham were forced to defend for their lives in the final 10 minutes when Jussi
Jaaskelainen denied Ki Sung-Yueng and Davies. But it was all about that man
Carroll and he could prove to be the difference in helping West Ham
challenge for a top half finish.
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Sunday, February 3
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