Daily WHUFC News - 28th May 2013

Season In Seconds: Matt Jarvis
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United winger gives us his thoughts on the 2012/13 campaign
27.05.2013

Next in our series of Season In Seconds is winger Matt Jarvis, who summed up
his campaign for West Ham TV.

Matt, can you sum up the season in a few words?

MJ - "It was very pleasing. It's been a good achievement to finish in the
top ten."

What was the highlight of the season for you?

MJ - "Probably getting on the scoresheet early doors in the season [at QPR].
It's a relief to get the first goal out of the way and just overall to feel
that I've been involved in the squad and the team, and show everyone what
I've got."

What was your best performance of the campaign?

MJ - "I'm not sure. I think as a team we played extremely well against
Chelsea at home. That was a fantastic performace - I think we've played well
as a team at home all season so it's hard to pick one game."

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Pre-order the adidas kit from 20 June
WHUFC.com
Get kitted out for the 2013/14 season with West Ham United's new adidas kit
27.05.2013

West Ham United's new adidas home kit will be available to pre-order from
Thursday 20 June. The Hammers recently announced a new lucrative commercial
partnership with adidas, which sees the global sportswear giant become the
Club's Official Technical Supplier from next season.. The Hammers have
enjoyed a rich history with the world-famous sports brand and wore the
company's strips for their best-ever league finish of third in 1986 and in
the 1981 League Cup final. Indeed, some of the most legendary players ever
to pull on the claret and blue did so in an adidas kit, including Billy
Bonds MBE, Sir Trevor Brooking and Tony Cottee, and now many more stories
are set to be told with the Club now clad in the famous three stripes again.
By purchasing a Season Ticket, you could be one of the first to wear the new
adidas kit! As a 2013/14 Season Ticket Holder one of your many benefits is a
10% discount on all official merchandise, including the adidas replica kit.
Not only that, you will be invited to an exclusive shopping evening the day
before the kit goes on sale in store.

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Joe Cole Targets an England Recall!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

It was with interest that I read reports that Joe Cole is targeting an
England recall next season and a possible place in the 2014 England World
Cup Squad for Brazil. The reports emanate from a Radio 5 Live interview, in
the course of which Cole said:

'I'm hoping if I can keep fit to get back into the England squad and have
another go. Playing for your country is the pinnacle. You never know.
There's another World Cup in a year's time.'

The odds are against Joe Cole securing an international recall, but it is
not an impossible proposition. Cole is a unique talent and he showed enough
last season to suggest that he can still cut the mustard at PL level. When
he arrived at the club last January, Cole's general and match fitness were
clearly not at a level one would hope to see. This was down to his situation
at Liverpool, where he played too infrequently. The lack of fitness probably
contributed to him picking up some of the injury niggles that he suffered.
Joe Cole's objective this summer must be to get fit, have a solid pre-season
and play regularly next season. If he can do that he has every chance of
recapturing his form and deploying his greater experience to make it count.

Personally, I find his ambition admirable. Joe Cole is still a player who
strives to achieve things in the game. He is clearly not at West Ham to
'tick over' and have a last 'pay day.' And I am comforted by the thought
that the only route back to the England squad is via high level performance
at West Ham. As I stated, it is unlikely, but not impossible. I think he
still has the ability, but the variable factor is whether he can
successfully manage and maintain his fitness, something that he acknowledges
in the above quote. He is still only 31 years of age and that is hardly a
barrier to his ambition. Many older players bring not only touch and vision,
but also invaluable experience to their international sides. Remember the
impact that 36 year old Pirlo had for Italy in the 2012 European
Championships, where his vision and passing was outstanding. What is to say
that a fit and inform Joe Cole could not play a similar role for both West
Ham and England? Indeed, I believe that we need to add another midfield play
maker to the squad as competition and cover. But for me, Joe Cole can be our
first choice play maker and successfully pull the midfield strings for us
next season. Provided he can stay fit. Only then will he be able to advance
his case for an international recall.

Could another of the West Ham 'golden generation' of the late 1990s re-join
us this summer? There have been consistent rumours that Rio Ferdinand could
be on his way back to Upton Park, if his tenure at Man Utd comes to an end
and will can strike a deal on his wages. He would certainly bring extra
experience to the back line and, as he proved last season, remains an
accomplished centre half. Will the arrival of David Moyes at Old Trafford
see Rio surplus to requirements under the new managerial regime? If so, Sam
Allardyce has already given notice of his interest, if a deal can be struck
on the financial aspects.

It will also be interesting to see if Sam Allardyce brings in another keeper
this summer. If Stephen Henderson is sold then a new addition will surely
follow. If this transpires, who will we target? Could Allardyce renew last
season's alleged interest in Paul Robinson? Or what about the interest in
Man Utd's Danish international keeper, Anders Lindegaard? Both could do a
job for us and with Jussi, and young Raphael Spiegel, should form a handy
stable of keepers.

Finally, it was a pity that Zola's Watford fell at the final hurdle and lost
in such a fashion, with the play-off final being settled by a penalty kick.
Zola has proven this season hat he is an able manager. Zola obviously got
the West Ham job too early and then the difficult financial and other
circumstances at the club contrived to undermine him. It is a mark of the
man's character that in a recent interview he was not in the least bit
bitter about his time at West Ham and freely acknowledged his inexperience
at that time. Zola is a top guy and, although he has suffered a set back in
yesterday's play-off Final, he will undoubtedly learn from it and come back
all the stronger. What is the betting that Zola's Watford go all the way to
the PL next season?

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham Season Review - Part 1 Goalkeepers
Posted by Peter Thorne and Vinny Ryan
ESPN

After a bit of a nervy start, Jussi Jaaskelainen settled in and became a
solid No.1 for West Ham. To keep things ticking over here during the long,
hot summer at the ESPN FC West Ham blog, we will be taking a close look at
the 2012-13 season, and the players that played an important part in getting
West Ham into the top half of the Premiership while -- hopefully anyway! --
keeping you up-to-date with all the latest news and transfer activity from
Upton Park.
Compiled with a considerable amount of input from my blog colleague, Vinny
Ryan, we'll look at how the players performed over the campaign and
highlight what we hope we can expect to see at the Boleyn next season. As
ever, we look forward to input from Hammers' fans around the globe on who
you want to see at Upon Park and where you think things can be improved.

First off then, a look at the goalkeeping situation:

Jussi Jaaskelainen

Jussi Jaaskelainen was signed on a free transfer having been released by
Bolton Wanderers, and at 37 years old and having lost his place in a Bolton
side who were relegated, I don't think there were many fans who hadn't
severe reservations about him replacing fan favourite Robert Green as the
Hammers' number one.

Despite a clean sheet on his debut against Aston Villa, there were questions
about how the side would fare with him between the sticks when the away trip
to Swansea proved to be a bit of a defensive disaster with the Finn at fault
for the first goal.

Another clean sheet came in his next game at home to Fulham, but this time
questions about his kicking were now being asked after a number of wayward
clearances.

But the statistics looked good after four Premiership games when Jussi had
kept an impressive three clean sheets and against Newcastle on 12th November
he made it five with his form having settled down.

Looking back on the season the main talking points about Jaaskelainen were
mostly positives. Many claimed to always be 'unsure' about him and ask
questions about signing another keeper, but as the season went on he got
better and better, with a stunning display of shot-stopping against
Tottenham at Upton Park in which he was awarded man of the match, and this
despite conceding three goals.

With the Hammers' other senior keeper Stephen Henderson sent out on-loan for
much of the season, there was no doubt that Jussi was the number one keeper
at the club. He was awarded a new one-year deal in April with Sam Allardyce
having no fears about his age and citing Brad Friedel as an example to
highlight this.

The question last summer was how much West Ham were going to miss Green but
after 11 clean sheets and a host of excellent performances (which actually
made him a late runner for Hammer of the year), I think we can say with
certainty that the team did not miss the England stopper -- who had a
nightmare of a season on his own -- and Jaaskelainen has proved to be an
excellent signing. Perhaps it's also further proof of how Allardyce has made
decisions that were initially thought to be suspect but which have proven to
be correct over time.

Appearences: League-38; Cup-2; Bookings-2

Verdict: After a few early mistakes, his season got better as it progressed
and Jussi was one of West Ham's best and most consistent players throughout
the season.

Stephen Henderson

It was thought by many that Stephen Henderson would be the Hammers' number
one goal keeper by the end of the season. Based on his signing last season,
his inclusion in a number of pre-season games as a starter and that
Jaaskelainen was 37, soon to be 38 years old, it seemed only a matter of
time before Henderson got his opportunity.

But nothing of the sort transpired and it was Jaaskelainen who began the
season in goal with Henderson only getting time as a starter against Crewe
and Wigan in the League Cup. The game against Wigan saw him concede four
goals and while not directly at fault for the goals, his overall performance
could be described as a little shaky.

Soon after the Wigan defeat in the League Cup he was shipped out on-loan to
Championship side Ipswich Town. Many fans were a little surprised at the
move, given that the club only had young keeper Rapheal Spiegel as a
back-up, but it was clear that Henderson was not going to feature in the
plans of Allardyce.

Having played 16 times for Ipswich, he came back to West Ham in January and
was on the bench for the two league games against Arsenal and Fulham but
re-joined Ipswich on deadline day. Henderson was again recalled, this time
in March where he was on the bench for all of the Hammers' remaining games.

So surprised by these events were some fans that there have been rumours
that Henderson had simply been signed by the club to help out Portsmouth and
perhaps prevent them from going bust which would have impacted West Ham's
points tally in the Championship last season, although this is surely just
mischievous conjecture.

The facts are though that Henderson looks very unlikely to push Jaaskelainen
out now and with West Ham comfortably finishing in the top half of the
Premier League, the Hammers can surely attract a bigger name now to compete
and eventually succeed the popular Finn. I expect to see Henderson move on
in the summer.

Appearances: Cup-2

Verdict: Henderson has never given the impression he was ready to take over
as No: 1 at Upton Park and his best option now seems to lie away from the
Hammers.

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