Daily WHUFC News - 19th February 2013

Peters leads Moore tributes
WHUFC.com
Hammers and England legend Martin Peters kicks-off a week-long tribute to the great Bobby Moore
17.02.2013

Twenty years ago this Sunday, West Ham United and England's greatest-ever defender passed away. Bobby Moore OBE, the first Hammers captain to lift the FA Cup and the only man to skipper England to FIFA World Cup glory, was just 51 when he lost his battle with bowel cancer in February 1993. In a week-long tribute to Moore, the official website, West Ham TV and the Official Programme for the Barclays Premier League visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Monday 25 February will feature a series of interviews and features paying homage to West Ham's No6. To kick-off our tribute to West Ham and England's finest footballer, Moore's 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup and 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning team-mate Martin Peters MBE remembers the great man. "It was such a sad day because he was such a great guy," Peters told West Ham TV. "Having played with him for so many years, it was a disaster for me and for Geoff Hurst as well. "He could do anything. He could score goals and he was a great defender. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, he would mark people out of the game. He was just a wonderful, wonderful player. "He'll never ever be forgotten. He was such a wonderful man on and off the pitch. It was fantastic to play with him, fantastic to be with him and just a marvellous man."

This week, West Ham TV will bring you interviews with those who knew Moore best, including his daughter Roberta and his former West Ham, Fulham and England team-mates. A special 100-page commemorative Official Programme is also being published for the visit of Spurs, complete with exclusive interviews with West Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer, broadcaster Jonathan Pearce and many, many more.

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Macca on Monday
WHUFC.com
The assistant manager says West Ham United will hit the ground running on their return to action
18.02.2013

Assistant manager Neil McDonald says West Ham United will be firing on all cylinders when they return to Barclays Premier League action against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday 25 February. The Hammers were back on the training pitch at Chadwell Heath on Monday, having completed a warm-weather training camp in Dubai last week. There, McDonald said the players worked hard on maintaining their fitness, but also took the opportunity to recharge their batteries.
West Ham were one of six Barclays Premier League clubs in the Middle East, where the warm temperatures and sunshine provide a mentally and physically beneficial environment for training. With newly-promoted West Ham sitting eleventh in the table with 12 matches remaining, McDonald said everyone at the club is in positive mood and looking upwards rather than down.

Macca, everyone is now back at Chadwell Heath and preparing for the visit of Spurs. How are things shaping up?

NM - "We are certainly looking forward to the game, that's for sure. We have been to Dubai for a bit of warm-weather training and we have done what we needed to do, which was excellent. The boys have been working very hard, whether that has been running along the beach, swimming or daily sessions in the gym. It's been really, really good. "We did the same last year and we came back and only lost one out of 22 games, so that is how much going away in warm weather does for the players. It refreshes them, not only physically but mentally, and I'm sure they are raring to go and get ready for Spurs next Monday.
"The weather has been bad here, so going to Dubai was perfect timing because we might not have been able to have got onto the training pitch here.
Hopefully it will work in our favour and we will put in a decent performance against Spurs. We'll certainly be ready for the game."

The trip to Dubai was certainly not a case of rewarding the players, was it?

NM - "No, it's never a reward, unless it is something like an end-of-season trip after getting promoted or staying in the Premier League. That would be classed as a reward, but this trip was part of our training regime. "Training here, all the lads have tracksuit bottoms, gloves and hats on and they are getting no vitamin D in their bodies through the sun. They have been stripped down to their shorts, running along the beach and swimming in the water and working in the gym on their core strength. "We will get them back on the pitches this week and all tuned in and ready for the Spurs games, which will be very difficult. We're immensely looking forward to it because our home form has been excellent and we want to keep that going."

What other benefits will the warm-weather training camp have had? Will it boost team spirit after a difficult run of results?

NM - "I have seen no cracks in our squad - everyone gets on really, really well. They know what they have to do, and they have certainly done that over the last 18 to 20 months, preparing themselves properly and trying to win games as much as they possibly can. "If you look at where we are in the table, we're eleventh and you'd certainly have taken that after getting relegated two seasons ago. We've come a long way in a short space of time but we still have to improve as much as we possibly can. "Going away for a bit of warm-weather training and getting the camaraderie together can only have helped and we'll be back on the training pitch this week preparing for the Spurs game."

As a coaching staff, presumably you are as determined as the players to put together a winning streak, as nobody likes losing football matches?

NM - "Coming into the Premier League is very, very difficult. We had a fantastic start, getting 14 points from the first eight games which was a tremendous return, and that slightly takes the pressure off. "We've set the bar at a certain height and we're not far away from that bar, which is great. It's easy to look below us and say we're only a certain amount of points away [from the relegation zone], but we're also only a certain amount of points from the top half as well. "We're where we want to be at the moment. We have some difficult games coming up, but we seem to respond when we have those difficult games and Spurs will be one of them."

Looking back, yourself and Sam Allardyce have ended the season strongly on numerous occasions during your time in charge at Bolton Wanderers and here at West Ham United. That must make you feel confident of doing the same again this term?

NM - "We did a similar trip last year and we got positive results. We might not get the result we want straight away, but it is certain over the coming weeks that the players will up their game, their energy levels and the distances they cover. "Our all-round play will be better and we'll create lots more chances because we're fresher and have been away. It's no coincidence that five other teams went to Dubai as well, because they are trying to do the same thing as we are. "We've got plenty of times to switch the players back on again before our next game, so we're really looking forward to it and will be working hard this week to make sure we are ready."

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On this day - 18 February
A look at significant moments in West Ham United history on this date
18.02.2013
WHUFC.com

On This Day: 18 February

Anniversary
Name: Anton Ferdinand
Date of birth: 18 February 1985
Clubs: West Ham United, Sunderland, Queens Park Rangers, Bursaspor (loan)
Born in Peckham on 18 February 1985, Anton Ferdinand graduated from West Ham United's Academy as a trainee in 2002, making his first-team debut in the 2-1 Division One victory at Preston North End on 9 August 2003. The brother of former Hammers defender Rio and a cousin of ex-West Ham and England striker Les, Ferdinand was comfortable at either right-back or in the centre of defence. The youngster was a key figure during the 2004/05 promotion season, playing in the Championship play-off final win over Preston North End at the Millennium Stadium. Ferdinand's form was recognised at international level as he became a regular member of the England Under-21 squad, earning his first cap in a 3-1 win over Ukraine at the Riverside Stadium on 17 August 2004.
Back at West Ham, Ferdinand netted a spectacular goal in the 2-1 Premier League victory over Fulham at the Boleyn Ground on 23 January 2006 - a strike that helped him to win the Premier League player of the month award. Ferdinand also started the 2006 FA Cup final against Liverpool, but unfortunately missed the decisive penalty in the Reds' 3-1 shoot-out victory. He would join Sunderland in August 2008, having made a total of 163 league and cup appearances for the club, scoring five goals. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in 2011 before being loaned to Turkish club Bursaspor in January 2013.

Classic Match
Charlton Athletic 0-1 West Ham United
FA Cup Fifth Round
18 February 1989
The Hammers' most-recent win on this date came in an FA Cup fifth round tie at Charlton Athletic back in February 1989. With Charlton based at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park ground as The Valley was out of use at that time, John Lyall's men made the trip to south London looking to secure a place in the last eight of the competition. The two clubs had drawn 0-0 at the same venue in Division One on New Year's Eve 1988 and the cup tie was to be another closely-fought affair. Stuart Slater scored the only goal as the Hammers won through to the sixth round, despite having Mark Ward sent off. Slater notched two goals in 22 appearances that season, and West Ham's FA Cup run was to come to an end at the quarter-final stage, as Norwich City progressed following a replay.

Complete Record
2006 Bolton Wanderers 0-0 West Ham United (FA Cup fifth round)
1995 Coventry City 2-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
1990 Swindon Town 2-2 West Ham United (Division Two)
1989 Charlton Athletic 0-1 West Ham United (FA Cup fifth round)
1978 Everton 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1953 West Ham United 0-1 Plymouth Argyle (Division Two)
1950 Preston North End 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1939 West Ham United 5-0 Nottingham Forest (Division Two)
1935 West Ham United 1-0 Norwich City (Division Two)
1932 Leicester City 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1928 Burnley 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
Played 11, Won 3, Drawn 3, Lost 5, Scored 12, Conceded 11

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Is Big Sam the man?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 18th February 2013
By: Jason Eves

Sam Allardyce has occupied the West Ham hot seat for almost 21 months since his appointment in the summer of 2011. I believe it's fair to say we can give a fair assessment on how the future of West Ham (on the pitch anyway) is going to be under his tenure.

Our disappointing recent display against Aston Villa has left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I'm sure I am not alone in sharing this sentiment. I think it was a bit cheeky of Sam to claim we shouldn't have left empty handed, but I think Villa just wanted it more than us. We looked lazy going forward and sloppy in the tackle, with the penultimate moment being Mark Noble's clumsy challenge giving away a penalty.

Perhaps I'm being too cynical and critical of our display, but the sad thing is I know what our team is capable of doing on the pitch. We rarely challenged going forward, and when we did it ultimately proved disappointing. A far cry from the masterclass we put on against Chelsea and the unlucky display against Man United.

So it leaves me wondering before every upcoming game, which West Ham will show up this week? Big Sam needs to install consistency or we will slowly be dragged into this relegation battle. The league table flatters to deceive, we seem comfortable perched in 11th, but only seven points separate us from the drop. And with Spurs, Stoke, Man United and Chelsea to face in the upcoming weeks these run of games could make-or-break our season.

So this brings me back to Sam, with contract talks set for the summer* surely based on whether he has secured our Premier League status. Whether that deal should be prolonged is debatable, some fans have become disgruntled at the way the results are turning and our style of play has been severely scrutinised by the press and media.

We all know we shouldn't take what the papers say too seriously about our style and play, sometimes I even question if the press even watch us play at all. But the way Sam has set us up has made us a nightmare to break down for other teams, although it is not appealing to the eye it has won us results, and points mean prizes in the results driven industry of the Premier League.

But along with that strength we come with a glaring weakness, we are lackluster upfront and this needs to be addressed soon. Teams have sussed out we rely heavily on Andy Carroll and as we usually play a 4-5-1 formation, they are more than happy to put two defenders on him and shut him out of the game.

We need a plan B in situations like these, and personally I think the problem may not lie with the players but with our coaching staff focussing enough on tactics. A fresh face in the coaching staff, with a bundle of innovative ideas could see a rejuvenation within the team on the pitch.

I may have been optimistic in my last article on transfer window, the emergence of Danny Potts and other youth players like Jordan Spence in the first team may be down to the fact finances are tight until the summer. I don't think Sam managed to land his top targets in January, with the window notorious for inflated prices on players (look no further than £50million flop Fernando Torres). But we did make some movement boosting our attacking options.

Allardyce is making the most of the tools he has been given, signing fringe players on loan (my jury is still out on Chamakh, we were after him before he went to Arsenal but he seemed uninterested) but he and Andy Carroll have come here with a point to prove so if they knuckle down under Sam's guidance we could have a great stop-gap until the summer. We seem very adamant on signing Andy, but again I'm reserving judgement until the end of season to which hopefully his injury problems are behind him.

I believe the same sentiment can be approached with Sam as well, I would love him to stay as he is an established Premier League manager who guarantees results. Plus, the managers we have been linked to are young managers full of potential, such as an emotional return for Paolo Di Canio and more recently linked - Gus Poyet.

As much as some of the West Ham faithful would love for Di Canio to return, I think it may be too soon. He has only been at Swindon for 18 months (though he is making amazing progress with them) but the Premier League is a whole different challenge to League One, and I don't think he is ready just yet. I think the same feeling can be reciprocated with Gus, he's a very likable manager who is flourishing in the Championship with the set-up he has with Brighton.

But I think Big Sam is a safe bet, and as we want survival we can't take a risk with young managers. We experienced this before when we hired Gianfranco Zola, when the going got tough, the team crumbled. Sam is a been there, done that character so I'm sure he can dig us out of this rut. Patience is a virtue.

* If you'd like to follow me on Twitter you can find me at twitter.com/Jason_Eves

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Hammer time? West Ham on alert after Paolo Di Canio quits as Swindon boss
The Mirror
18 Feb 2013 22:30
Richard Heathcote

Paolo Di Canio last night quit as manager of Swindon – paving the way for a potential return to West Ham. Di Canio ended his 21-month reign at the League One club after a proposed takeover stalled. The maverick Italian had initially threated to stand down at the start of this month after star player Matt Ritchie was sold to promotion rivals Bournemouth behind his back. Upton Park legend Di Canio is among the candidates to succeed Sam Allardyce if his contract is not renewed by the Hammers this summer.

In a statement Di Canio – who was paid £250,000 pounds a year by the Robins – expressed 'deep regret' at his decision after guiding Swindon from League Two to the brink of the Championship. Di Canio added: "There have been a number of broken promises made by the club over the time that I have been manager of Swindon Town. "Despite these problems I have delivered everything and more that was asked of me. "By achieving promotion last year as champions and competing this season for promotion to the Championship and being just three points from top place a year earlier than expected."

Di Canio also revealed he handed in his resignation last week before being persuaded to stay on after a group of local businessman bidding to buy Swindon promised their takeover would be completed yesterday (Monday). He added: "I did not resign immediately, nor publicise my resignation after I had formally confirmed it. "I did not want to jeopardise the negotiations for the sale of the club and I wanted to listen to what the proposed new owners' plans were. "Following a discussion with my representatives put forward a proposal that would secure my future at the club. At a meeting last Friday the proposed new owners accepted and said they were very happy with the new terms. "I entered into a temporary arrangement with the proposed new owners continue in my role as manager. "But all this was agreed subject to Football League approval for the purchase of the club being granted by 5:00pm on Monday 18th February.
"At the time of issuing this statement, I have had no further contact from the proposed new owners and I have been told that unfortunately Football League approval has not been granted. "Therefore my temporary arrangement has ended and my resignation stands."

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By Mirror Football Comments
'Broken promises': Paolo Di Canio quits as Swindon manager
The Mirror
18 Feb 2013 19:30
Richard Heathcote

Paolo Di Canio tonight resigned as manager of npower League One side Swindon. In a statement, the fiery Italian cited "a number of broken promises" and claimed his position had "become untenable" with continuing uncertainty over the club's ownership. The former West Ham striker had issued a statement at the start of this month revealing he was considering his position following the sale of Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth. The 44-year-old, who guided the Robins to promotion last season, claimed he had tendered his resignation last Tuesday but had met with the club's prospective new owners on Friday. As a result of those discussions, Di Canio revealed he agreed to stay on as Swindon boss only to make another U-turn with this announcement today as a takeover was still yet to be rubber-stamped. In the statement, Di Canio said: "Last Tuesday, 12th February, I formally confirmed my resignation as manager of Swindon Town Football Club with immediate effect. "There have been a number of broken promises made by the club over the time that I have been manager of Swindon Town. "Despite these problems, I have delivered everything and more that was asked of me, by achieving promotion last year as champions and competing this season for promotion to the Championship and being just three points from top place a year earlier than expected.

"I did not resign immediately, nor publicise my resignation after I had formally confirmed it as I did not want to jeopardise the negotiations for the sale of the club and I wanted to listen to what the proposed new owners plans were. "Following discussions, my representatives put forward a proposal that would secure my future at the club until at least the end of the season and quite possibly beyond as well. "This proposal actually reduced the club's contractual liabilities to me in the interest of saving Swindon Town FC. At a meeting last Friday the proposed new owners accepted and said they were very happy with the new terms. "I entered into a temporary arrangement with the proposed new owners to continue in my role as manager but all this was agreed subject to Football League approval for the purchase of the club being granted by 5:00pm on Monday 18th February. "At the time of issuing this statement, I have had no further contact from the proposed new owners and I have been told that unfortunately Football League approval has not been granted yet and therefore my temporary arrangement has ended and my resignation stands."

When asked to clarify Di Canio's resignation, a Swindon spokesman told Press Association Sport they were unable to expand on the statement.

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West Ham's move to Olympic Stadium stalls again over approval process
• LLDC was expected to seal West Ham deal on Tuesday
• Premier League club upped their annual rent offer to £2.5m
James Riach
guardian.co.uk, Monday 18 February 2013 21.25 GMT

The £160m-plus conversion costs of a new cantilevered roof and retractable seats for the Olympic Stadium are yet to be approved. Photograph: Locog
Negotiations over West Ham United's protracted move into the Olympic Stadium are set to extend beyond Tuesday as a saga that has lasted more than two years limps towards a conclusion.

The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) was expected to rubber-stamp the move on Tuesday after the Premier League club upped their annual rent offer of £2.5m, as well as £6.5m in sponsorship and catering income, for the £429m stadium.

However, this is not yet the end of the road for a saga that has endured since the club were first named preferred bidders for the venue on a 99-year lease in 2010, as the approval process is expected to take longer than expected.

Once the deal is ratified by the LLDC, Newham council's offer to part-fund the £160m-plus conversion costs of a new cantilevered roof and retractable seats still has to be approved, while a special-purpose body, set-up by the council and the LLDC, will also have to formally confirm any agreement.

The organisation's chairman, Boris Johnson, has negotiated a cut of any profits that are earned should the club be "flipped" in a quick sale to a new owner after the move. However, West Ham are keen to stress that David Gold and David Sullivan, the current co-owners with a 65% stake in the club, have no intention of selling up.

West Ham were awarded "higher-bidder" status in December despite the LLDC wanting more than the proposed £15m that the club were willing to offer towards conversion costs. Newham is now providing £40m of the £160m, with further money from the public purse also contributing.

West Ham have since promised to pay back any additional costs for the roof and seats to the LDCC in less than 10 years. They have also struck an agreement in which any usage costs for matches played at the stadium over their pre-arranged quota will be paid in full, potentially earning the LDCC significant sums in extra revenue, which would see West Ham playing matches at the ground from the 2016-17 season.

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In new role, Lletget rewarded with contract extension
February 19th, 2013 12AM
Socceramerica.com

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Sebastian Lletget, one of the top prospects in the cycle of under-23 players who failed to qualify for 2012 Olympics, has signed a contract extension at English club West Ham United. The 20-year-old Lletget, who has been with the Hammers since 2009 but whose progress was set back by illness and injuries, has suited up for several EPL matches this season and has been moved to a more advanced position on the Hammers' U-21s for whom he has started all but one game.

"I think what the manager's trying to get into my game is to for me to get into the box and making chances and creating things," Lletget told West Ham TV. "As the season goes on, I'm playing in a different position, I'm more advanced and as long as I'm getting in there the chances will come."

Lletget was born to Argentine parents and grew up in Northern California, where he played for Sporting Santa Clara before moving to the U.S. U-17 residency program.

He was one of the stars of the USA's 2009 U-17 qualifying campaign in Tijuana, but was not on Coach Wilmer Cabrera's team in Nigeria after he moved to West Ham.

Lletget returned two years later and started in U-20 national team that failed to qualify for the 2011 world championship in Colombia.

His progress at West Ham was stymied by a severe case of mononucleosis, but he has been playing well for the U-21s, who are first in their group.

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Di Canio in West Ham link after quitting Swindon post
The Independent
KIERAN DALEY TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2013

Paolo Di Canio resigned as manager of Swindon last night citing "a number of broken promises" over the League One club's proposed takeover. His availability will attract interest from West Ham, where the Italian was a huge favourite as a player, with Sam Allardyce's contract at Upton Park running out at the end of the season.

Di Canio had issued a statement at the start of this month revealing he was considering his position following the sale of Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth. The 44-year-old, who guided Swindon to promotion last season, claimed he had tendered his resignation last Tuesday but had met with the club's prospective new owners on Friday.

As a result of those discussions, Di Canio revealed he agreed to stay on at Swindon, only to make another U-turn with this announcement as a takeover was still yet to be rubber-stamped.

In the statement, Di Canio said he had resigned last Tuesday and explained: "There have been a number of broken promises made by the club over the time I have been manager."

However, he added: "I entered into a temporary arrangement with the proposed new owners to continue in my role as manager but all this was agreed subject to Football League approval for the purchase of the club being granted by 5pm on Monday 18 February.

"At the time of issuing this statement, I have had no further contact from the proposed new owners and I have been told that, unfortunately, Football League approval has not been granted yet and therefore my temporary arrangement has ended."

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Olympic Stadium decision delay over West Ham tenancy puts chances of hosting Rugby World Cup 2015 in doubt
A final decision over West Ham's proposed tenancy of the Olympic Stadium has been further delayed, putting the chances of the arena hosting matches in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in jeopardy.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Paul Kelso11:00PM GMT 18 Feb 20131 Comment

The London Legacy Development Corporation board will meet on Tuesday but despite expectation at West Ham that it was ready to approve the terms of their deal, it will now only hear an "update" on the stadium. The Daily Telegraph understands that a deal in principle was reached last week, but the terms are yet to receive full legal sign off. The delay makes it more likely that the stadium will not be able to host rugby games in 2015, with the tournament organising committee needing to make a final decision in March. The LLDC indicated on Monday that it was hoping to sign off a final deal with West Ham at their board meeting in March, but with the project repeatedly stalled by delays there can be no guarantee. The bidding process has been mired by controversy and legacy chiefs were forced to stage a fresh contest, which resulted in West Ham being declared 'first-ranked bidder' in December, pending negotiations over the financial terms of a deal that will see them take a long-term lease as tenants.

London mayor Boris Johnson wants to extract an improved contribution to the estimated £200 million capital cost of fitting retractable seats, as well as receiving reassurances that the taxpayer would benefit should the club be sold once they are in the stadium. West Ham say they have offered assurances in both these areas and expected their deal to be approved this week. The LLDC says that there are a number of procedural issues which are still outstanding, including approval from Newham Council, which is expected to put in more than £40 million.

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