Daily WHUFC News - 10th May 2013

Carroll delighted to be Chairmen's pick
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was happy to cap an enjoyable season by being named Chairmen's
Player of the Year
09.05.2013

Andy Carroll has capped a fine season with West Ham United by being named
Chairmen's Player of the Year. David Sullivan and David Gold picked the
England centre forward as their standout performer of 2012/13, with the big
man receiving his award from sponsors S.14 (2012) Limited director Michael
Pryke. Carroll was naturally happy to receive the accolade and told West Ham
TV how much has has enjoyed his first campaign with the Hammers. "I've
certainly never been Chairmen's Player of the Year before," admitted the
No8, who celebrated a successful season at the Player Awards at London's
Grosvenor House Hotel on Wednesday. "It's a new award here and I didn't know
it was going to come along, but obviously I'm over the moon with it.
"Coming down here to London, it's a long way from home but I've enjoyed
every minute of it. I knew a few of the lads down here already and all the
others have welcomed me into the squad, so it's been great. "My Mum and Dad
also love coming down and staying at mine and coming to the games. I enjoy
seeing them too and they're made very welcome. West Ham is a great club."

Carroll has been superb in claret and blue this season, scoring seven goals
and creating many more for his team-mates as the Hammers have made a strong
start to life back in the Barclays Premier League. Central to the striker's
success has been the faith shown in him by manager Sam Allardyce, who has
made it clear that the 24-year-old is his first-choice centre forward.
"Obviously I need to stay fit and show what I can do in training, because it
is not in my head that I will start every week if I am fit. If I don't train
and play well then I'm not going to be first-choice any more, so I've still
got to work my hardest and put myself about in training and see where it
takes me."

In recent weeks, Carroll has played some of the best football of his career,
scoring regularly and causing untold problems to some of the best defences
in English football. At the defensive end, he is also more than willing to
help out, whether it be clearing corners and free-kicks or tracking back to
assist his team-mates. "I think I have done well since I came back to
fitness in February, not just with the goals that I've scored but I've also
created quite a bit as well. I've put myself about as much as I can and
that's really what I'm about. As long as I'm in and around the box, I can do
things. "It doesn't really matter what happens, I will work hard for the
team I am playing for. This season has been great for me. When I'm fit, I
try my hardest and I run about and put myself about and I feel that's what
I'm about - if I didn't have that then I would have lost half of my game."

Carroll is approaching the end of a season-long loan spell from Liverpool.
Looking back on his nine months in east London, the Gateshead-born player
says he has thoroughly enjoyed his time down south. "It's been unbelievable.
The lads in the dressing room and at the training ground and the banter have
been unbelievable, as have the fans. With the football, it's been a great
season for me. "There is a lot of talk about me from people who don't know
me, who say things about me but have never met me. People have heard stories
and I came here and maybe a lot of the lads thought that as well, but I feel
now that most, if not all, of them are close friends. I spend every day with
them and it's been great. "I've enjoyed every minute of it."

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Winston Reid Crowned Hammer of the Year!
By S J Chandos
West Ham TillI Die

So the inevitable has come to pass and the impressive displays of Winston
Reid have been rewarded with the Hammer of the Year title for 2012-13. Reid
has been the stand out performer this season, achieving a consistently high
standard throughout the current season. The transformation of Reid from
hapless new signing to defensive rock has been remarkable. He had the
misfortune to debut in the disastrous relegation season, under Avram Grant,
and to many supporters seemed a poor signing. Yet, he dug in and really
proved his mettle in last season's promotion campaign, alongside the equally
impressive James Tomkins. That season turned the tide and he followed it up
this season with a fantastic return to the top flight. Reid deserves the
award and lets hope that he improves even further on it next season.

There were numerous sponsored awards at this evening's bash. But the other
stand out award was Billy Bonds being awarded the club's first ever 'Life
Time Achievement Award.' Billy Bonds is an absolute legend at the club, who
was an inspiration and an idol to generations of Hammers fans. It is an
incredible fact that Billy Bonds joined the club in 1967 (in the era of
Moore, Hurst and Peters) and played his last match for the club in 1988. In
that time, players came and players left, but Bonds was a constant in the
West Ham first team. This was a player who started at right-back, excelled
in midfield and later thrived at centre-back. That illustrated the
adaptability of Billy Bonds in a career that covered three decades. He was
also an inspirational captain and combative player, who put his heart and
soul in to each and every match he played; as well as the best exponent of
the art of tackling that I have ever seen. It should also be added that he
was a very good footballer who was confident in possession and, like all
Hammers players of that era, could pass the ball. I know that it has often
been said, but he was definitely one of the best players never to win a full
England cap, in an era when the national team badly needed a player and
leader like him.

Latterly, Billy Bonds joined the coaching staff under John Lyall and Lou
Macari and was eventually appointed to the Manager's position. Under his
management, we suffered a disappointing relegation, sandwiched between two
excellent 2nd Division promotion campaigns. He left the club in difficult
circumstances and one feels that this resulted in a breach with the club.
However, hopefully this award will finally heal any old wounds and reconcile
the club with one of its all time greatest players. It is hugely deserved
and a fitting honour to bestow on a man who was the heart beat of successive
West Ham teams in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

So, it seems that we will be signing four or five players this summer,
according to some media reports. But the key issue is not so much quantity,
as quality. We need to sign players that markedly improve the quality of the
squad and take us to the next level. I reckon we probably need a keeper, a
left-back, a midfielder, a wide player and a striker. Of course this may
change, depending on who actually leaves the club this summer. High on the
list to exit is likely to be Henderson, Diarra, Vaz Te and Taylor.
Personally, I would resist the temptation to cash-in on Maiga and give him a
further season to prove himself. Another player with a question mark over
his future is Carlton Cole, who I feel will still be at the club come
pre-season. He is a good squad player and can still do a good for a season
or two. Finally, I would like to see a couple of youngsters make the break
through next season. The mostly likely candidates are Leo Chambers, Robert
Hall, George Moncur and Elliott Lee. Although there are others in the frame.

Finally, we are now mathematically save from relegation. Although only the
most pessimistic fan seriously thought that there was any real danger once
we had amassed 42 points. Still its nice to have it confirmed. Now the
planning has to start for next season. There must be no 'second season
syndrome' for West Ham. We must make the signings to ensure that we
positively build upon this successful first season back in the PL.

SJ. Chandos.

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Carroll's a mover
The Sun
Exclusive
By SHAUN CUSTIS
Published: 09th May 2013

ANDY CARROLL is making plans for a return to Liverpool. SunSport can reveal
the striker's advisors are looking to rent a property for him on a one-year
lease back in the north-west. Carroll gave up his previous place when the
Reds shipped him off on loan to West Ham last summer. But there is no deal
agreed for the Hammers to sign him permanently. Liverpool boss Brendan
Rodgers does not see the England man as part of his long-term plans. But
with Luis Suarez banned for the first six games of next season, Carroll may
have a role to play in the short-term.

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Could be Andy! Liverpool and West Ham set for Carroll talks - but Spurs and
Newcastle fancy hitman too
9 May 2013 22:30
The Mirror

West Ham are set to open talks with Liverpool over a permanent move for loan
striker Andy Carroll - and hope to clinch a deal in the next few weeks.
But Sam Allardyce's men could face a battle to bag the 24-year-old
centre-forward from the Anfield giants, as he also interests Tottenham and
his first club, Newcastle. Hammers co-owner David Sullivan said: "We would
love to keep him beyond this season and we will soon be sitting down with
Andy and -Liverpool to make some progress on that front. "Andy has battled
back from injury twice to put in a series of tireless shifts for the team.
His game is about so much more than just scoring goals. "He is so often the
focal point of -everything good we do going forward." Despite facing lengthy
periods on the sidelines with knee and hamstring -problems, the England
international has still managed to score seven goals and played his part in
helping West Ham -challenge for a top-half finish.

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Sir Alex Ferguson's call fooled Paolo Di Canio
The Express
SUNDERLAND boss Paolo Di Canio still cannot quite believe he turned down Sir
Alex Ferguson - not just once, but twice.
By: Niall HickmanPublished: Fri, May 10, 2013

Di Canio, who will lead his side out against Southampton at the Stadium of
Light on Sunday knowing that a win over the Saints will secure their Premier
League status, was a player at West Ham when Ferguson called him out of the
blue, offering him a move to Old Trafford. Ferguson has recently admitted
not signing Di Canio was one of his biggest regrets in football, but the
Italian initially thought it was a crank call. "At first I thought it was a
friend of mine pretending to be him," said Di Canio. "I thought it was a
joke call. Then I realised it was him. He rang me over the Christmas period
two years in a row. I thought he must have been mad, or drunk. "I never
regretted it because it was a life decision. I said I cannot trade West Ham,
but it made me feel very good. Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign Di Canio back
in the early 2000s At first I thought it was a friend of mine pretending to
be him, "We didn't negotiate anything because I said I was captain at West
Ham and they brought me in when I left Sheffield Wednesday. We left each
other in a good way." Di Canio was working as a TV commentator at the 2008
Champions League final and bumped into Ferguson just minutes after United
had won their second title. "I went down to the car park and he was on the
team coach," said Di Canio. "He saw me, came out of the coach and said,
'Paolo, how are you?' and came over to talk to me. It was an incredible
moment and it made me realise why he was the best."

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