Daily WHUFC News - 14th September 2013

Big Sam on: Southampton
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Sunday's Barclays Premier League
trip to Southampton
13.09.2013

Sam Allardyce reflected on an eventful fortnight, as his West Ham United
side look to return to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League come
Sunday's clash at Southampton. Defeat at home to Stoke City, coupled with
Andy Carroll's injury setback has given the Hammers boss plenty to think
about in recent days, but following an uplifting win against La Liga outfit
RCD Espanyol, there is renewed optimism of leaving St Mary's with a positive
result. While Stewart Downing and Joe Cole are not expected to make the
trip to the south coast, the Club's band of internationals have all returned
from their travels unscathed, leaving Big Sam hopeful that Sunday will see
the Hammers back to their best.

Morning Sam, has it been a long fortnight since losing to Stoke City?

SA: "It has been a long two weeks. I think since I've been here it's the
first game I've ever lost before an international break - if memory serves.
You always want to go into an international break with a positive result. We
didn't get it. Obviously it was a terrific free-kick that we lost to, but it
was the in possession performance that really disappointed me, "And then the
trials and tribulations of the window shutting after that and then, of
course, earlier this week, the setback with Andy Carroll. So it has made the
last two weeks very difficult for me personally. "But the squad is still
very focused and, I hope, determined to deliver the performance that we know
we can produce at Southampton on Sunday. All our international players are
back free from injury, so we look forward to the game and I'm looking
forward to a positive performance from the players."

How serious is Andy Carroll's latest injury?

SA: "It's not as serious as the first one, which is a little bit of good
news from our point of view. It's just making sure that we continue the
right treatment, recovery and rehabilitation to get him back as quickly as
possible.

How long do you expect him to be out for?

SA: "No, not at the moment, not until he has seen all the specialists and we
determine the way forward for Andy and his recovery."

How frustrating is that, given the fact that he is your main summer signing
and you've not been able to utilise him yet?

SA: "Well it's hugely frustrating. It's frustrating and devastating for
Andy, because we were sort of thinking that this Sunday might be his first
appearance on the substitutes bench, having started to join in training.
"When we found out he had picked up another injury, not in the same place,
but in the same tendon, we have to deal with that accordingly. And, of
course, we've moved along quickly to make a signing in that area to cover
that area and give us a bit more firepower hopefully. And when he gets fit,
Mladen Petric, hopefully he'll play a good part between now and the end of
the season."

He's a different sort of player to Andy, I take it you don't see him as a
replacement?

SA: "We play according to the strengths of the team. We generally play a
different way every game to be honest. My life is always about studying the
opposition and asking the team to maybe play the same system but in a
different way to nullify the opposition's strengths and expose their
weaknesses.
"There are always subtle differences that I ask the players to remember and
think about in order to try and achieve the top goal, which is the victory
and three points."

Any team news for the weekend?

SA: "The team news is that the international players are ok. The team went
out and had a very good game in Espanyol on Thursday. That went ok, to give
some players a good first-team competitive edge. I think the squad, in terms
of where we are at the moment, is looking fit and raring to go. "We still
have George McCartney, Andy, Stewart Downing and Joe Cole injured, which is
obviously a blow to us. We would expect that Joe and Stewart won't be too
long in trying to get back into the squad. But obviously Andy and George are
going to be a little bit longer."

Is there any update on Carlton Cole?

SA: "Not at the moment, no. Where we are at the minute is that we got Petric
in and that's very important to us. We've offered training time to Carlton,
for him to try and help him get fit if he wants. If he's happy with that, I
would be, and we'll see where we are from there, because we still have one
place left in the squad."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll injury update
WHUFC.com
The latest news on the West Ham United striker's injury
13.09.2013

West Ham United can confirm that Andy Carroll has suffered an injury to his
plantar fascia. The Club will ensure Carroll is given the best possible
treatment to aid with his recovery and will seek expert advice from
specialists around the world. There is no timescale as to a possible return
yet, although the injury is not as serious as in the last instance. Hammers
boss Sam Allardyce said: "It's the same type of injury but in a different
area. It is not an Achilles injury, as has been suggested but instead it
involves the band of tissue which runs under the foot. "According to the
specialist the chance of a recurrence of that type of injury is about four
per cent but unfortunately for Andy he was one of the unlucky ones. "We had
been very cautious, very patient with him along the way and it's sad this
has happened for him as well as us. "He doesn't need an operation but we
need to give the foot time to re-heal, continue the rehab and get him back
in training again."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Six of the best - Southampton
WHUFC.com
Six of West Ham United's victorious trips to Southampton from the past
13.09.2013

West Ham United travel to the south coast this Sunday looking to continue
their good recent form against Southampton. The Hammers took four points off
the Saints in their two league encounters last season with an emphatic 4-1
win at the Boleyn Ground followed up later in the campaign with a 1-1 draw
at St Mary's. However West Ham are yet to win away against Southampton in
five attempts since they moved from The Dell in 2001. Here, we take a look
at six memorable away wins for the Hammers on their previous trips to
Southampton.

Southampton 2-3 West Ham United
Premier League
25 November 2000
West Ham's last visit to The Dell produced their last away win against
Southampton in the 2000/01 season. Going into the match the Hammers occupied
eleventh place but following this entertaining match moved into the top ten.
Frederic Kanoute and Stuart Pearce both scored to give the Hammers a
half-time lead, overturning a Matt Oakley goal which opened the scoring.
James Beattie equalised for the hosts, but in the 69th minute Trevor
Sinclair popped up with the winner. Southampton suffered another defeat when
they visited the Boleyn Ground later in the season, but still finished above
the Hammers who ended the season 15th.

Southampton 0-2 West Ham United
Premier League
29 November 1993
One of West Ham's seven away wins in the 1993/94 season came against the
Saints, continuing their strong start to the season following promotion the
previous year. A clean sheet here followed shut-outs against Oldham Athletic
and Arsenal in their previous two fixtures, as they built a solid platform
for victory. At the other end Trevor Morley and Lee Chapman both netted to
give the Hammers three points, two of 27 goals the pair would accumulate
during the season. A comfortable 13th place finish followed for West Ham
whilst the Saints staved off relegation by a single point.

Southampton 2-3 West Ham United
Division One
1 September 1984
In another high-scoring affair between the two sides it was West Ham who
overcame the previous season's top-flight runners up. Two goals from Paul
Goddard and one from Alan Dickens set the Hammers on their way to a first
victory of the season. A strong Autumn followed where they reached the
heights of fifth before eventually slumping to 16th place, a couple of
points clear of relegation.

Southampton 1-2 West Ham United
FA Cup third round
4 January 1975
This FA Cup third round win was the start of West Ham's victorious run to
the trophy, the club's second triumph in the competition. Whilst the Saints
were a division below John Lyall's top-flight Hammers, they nevertheless
faced a stern challenge. In the end, goals from Frank Lampard and Bobby
Gould were enough to see off Southampton and begin a run in which the
Hammers defeated Swindon, QPR, Arsenal and Ipswich before beatting Fulham
2-0 in the final. Southampton, of course, would win the FA Cup the following
year, 1976, as a Division Two side.

Southampton 1-2 West Ham United
Division One
27 April 1971
The Hammers secured a vital win over the Saints late in the 1970/71 season
as they beat off the threat of relegation. There were goals for Tommy Taylor
and Geoff Hurst as West Ham won in front of nearly 20,000 fans at The Dell.
Southampton went onto secure seventh place in the league whilst the Hammers
finished one place above the drop zone.

Southampton 1-2 West Ham United
Division Two
1 December 1951
One of just two away wins for West Ham in the 1951/52 season, this game
helped them finish one place above the Saints. Bert Hawkins and Harry
Williams buried the goals which gave the Hammers victory at The Dell. Both
teams finished with 41 points but West Ham finished just ahead of the Saints
in twelfth place thanks to a superior goal difference.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Development Squad 1-1 Man City - FT
WHUFC.com
Minute-by-minute report of the Dev Squad's game against Man City
13.09.2013


DEVELOPMENT SQUAD 1-1 MANCHESTER CITY U21s
BARCLAYS U21 PREMIER LEAGUE
BOLEYN GROUND
FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM

Full-time: The referee's whistle goes to bring this one to an end. A dull
first half was followed by an all-action second with both sides having
chances to win the game. A fortuitous Adam Drury cross gave the visitors the
lead but they were pegged back when the excellent George Moncur weaved his
way into the box before finding the top corner with a curling shot. The
Hammers also had a goal disallowed as they pushed for a winner and overall
looked the more likely to snatch the win.
90 mins: Whitehead takes a painful one. A Driver clearance hits him right
where it hurts as time ticks down on this one.
89 mins: The home side think they've won it as Maguire taps home Fanimo's
cross but the jubilation is cut short by the linesman who has his flag up.
88 mins: West Ham pour forward in search of the winner and Shaw sees his
thunderous shot fly just wide.
86 mins: Goal! Fanimo races down the left wing and is held back, winning a
free-kick. Moncur takes and collects a pass from Whitehead before breaking
into the box and curling a beauty past Lawlor.
85 mins: Three on two for West Ham but Moncur decides to shoot when the
best option would have been to slide Lee in. It remains 0-1 with five
minutes left to play.
84 mins: Evans finds himself in space and decides to have a dig, his shot
though is more trouble to the steward midway up the Sir Trevor Brooking
Stand.
81 mins: The home team are leaving gaps at the back as they search for an
equaliser. Meanwhile Maguire comes on for the tireless Sadlier.
79 mins: The away side, clearly bouyed by their bit of fortune go close
again, Hiwula this time making Spiegel work, before he's replaced by Hutton.
77 mins: Goal! The visitors take the lead with a very fortuitous goal. A
Drury cross is turned into his own net by the unfortunate Chambers.
75 mins: Turgott is introduced replacing the hard-working Tombides.
73 mins: Still the visitors probe for an opening with their short passing
game but are having no joy against a solid looking home side.
71 mins: The away team bring Drury into the action replacing Denayer.
69 mins: Driver delivers a searching ball to the back post looking for
Sadlier, the ball is just out of reach for the sliding winger who can only
knock it harmlessly wide of the goal.
66 mins: Nick Haycock makes his first change of the night bringing on Fanimo
to replace Miles. Fanimo is immediately into the action as the home side win
another corner, which is easily dealt with in the end.
64 mins: The home side are on the defensive now as Leigh sees a shot fly
wide after a dangerous looking corner from Bytyqi.
63 mins: Another good delivery by Moncur from a free-kick falls at the feet
of Lee who is unable to gather as the keeper slides in at his feet, West Ham
are starting to apply real pressure now.
62 mins: The influential Moncur again strikes the frame of the goal but
this time courtesy of an excellent save from his piledriver.
60 mins: Good play on the wing again by Sadlier frees him of the attention
of two defenders but his cross is slightly over hit.
59 mins: Nice play on the edge of the box by the visitors who eventually
work it to Fofana who's well closed down as he releases the trigger.
57 mins: Lee nearly gets onto the end of Sadlier's cross but it's just too
high for the in-form striker.
56 mins: Another good cross, this time from Miles, is allowed to bounce
through to the keeper without any attackers in the vicinity.
55 mins: Chambers takes a risk with a back pass which forces a hurried
clearance from Spiegel. Fortunately for the Hammers Bytyqi's touch is poor
and allows Ruddock to clear.
52 mins: A vicious drive by Whitehead forces a smart save from Lawlor as the
Hammers enjoy a bright start to the second period.
50 mins: Sadlier is set free by Tombides down the left and unleashes a shot
which is blocked by Denayer. City then break and have a penalty shout waved
away as Cole tumbles in the box under a challenge from Ruddock.
48 mins: Driver nicks the ball inside his own half and races to the edge of
the City penalty are but his cross is wayward this time.
46 mins: West Ham kick us off looking to improve on a flat first half in
which both sides lacked any cutting edge.
Half-time: A half of few chances comes to an end as we remain goalless.
George Moncur has come closest to opening the scoring with a free-kick which
struck the bar but apart from that there have been no other chances of real
note as both teams look for the first real opening of the game.
44 mins: The corner is easily dealt with as we near half-time.
43 mins: Corner to the home side as Moncur powers into the box giving the
ball to Sadlier who's shot deflects out of play.
41 mins: Tombides takes the ball down in the penalty area but loses
possession as Man City launch a counter-attack with Cole eventually
conceding a free-kick.
39 mins: The game is drifting along with both sides searching for some
penetration to go with their pretty football.
36 mins: Lopes takes himself but the ball in is a poor one and easily
cleared by Moncur.
35 mins: Whitehead brings Lopes down on the edge of the box, threatening
position here.
34 mins: Corner for City. Bytyqi takes short as City again try and pass
their way through the Hammers and again it comes to nothing, easy pickings
for Ruddock and co here.
32 mins: Moncur surges through the middle with Lee to his left, he chooses
to go it alone and his low shot is parried by the keeper, Lee goes for the
rebound but the flag is up.
30 mins: Ruddock rejoins the action as West Ham attack. Tombides is fouled
on the edge of the box with Moncur once again standing over the ball. The
free-kick is played short to Lee and his powerful effort is well beaten away
by Lawlor.
29 mins: He's back on his feet to hobble off the pitch, but looks like he
will be able to continue.
28 mins: Ruddock is down on the edge of the area with no one quite sure what
happened.
27 mins: City have their first real attempt as Bytyqi shoots wide of
Spiegel's post. All very comfortable for the Hammers backline at the moment.
24 mins: The Hammers are on top with Moncur a prominent presence in the
game.
22 mins: Shaw is impeded and West Ham have a free-kick in an attacking
position. Moncur swings a beauty to the back post and strikes the crossbar
with the keeper beaten. Tombides puts the rebound high and wide.
20 mins: Again Lee holds the ball up superbly before releasing Driver down
the right who again provides a decent cross, it's too close to the keeper
however and falls straight into his arms.
18 mins: A Moncur corner looks dangerous but is cut out at the back post
allowing City to release the pressure.
17 mins: There are certainly some vocal home fans to be heard here at the
Boleyn Ground whose spirits don't seem to be dampnened by the weather.
16 mins: Both sides are enjoying some possession with neither side yet to
take a firm grip on the match.
15 mins: Whitehead loses possession allowing City to counter but the move
breaks down as Bytyqi misplaces a pass.
12 mins: Lee is one on one with the last defender but loses control as the
danger is cleared.
11 mins: Sadlier heads just wide after finding himself in space to meet an
excellent Driver cross.
9 mins: Lee is doing well to hold the ball up as the lone frontman but finds
himself devoid of options.
7 mins: Shaw's low cross skids across the face of goal but is untouched as
it slides through for a throw in.
5 mins: The visitors are looking to use the wings but so far having no joy
as Driver and then Shaw produce powerful defensive headers
3 mins: Sadlier surges meaningfully down the left but his cross is cut-out
and the danger cleared.
2 mins: The away side have started confidently, keeping possession and
looking to find Devante Cole up front.
1 min: We're underway at the Boleyn Ground with the visitors kicking us off.
The teams emerge from the tunnel ready to kick-off this Barclays Under-21
Premier League encounter.
Just 15 minutes left until kick-off as the Development Squad look to extend
their good start to the season and make it four wins from five games.
Both sides are out warming up on the Boleyn Ground turf as heavy rain
continues to fall with half an hour to go until kick-off.
The Development Squad resume their Barclays Under-21 Premier League campaign
tonight as they welcome Manchester City to the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers
have started the season well, winning three of their first four matches
including an eye-catching comeback to win 5-4 against Newcastle last time
out. Elliot Lee bagged a hat-trick in the win over the Magpies and will be
keen to add to the five goals he's already bagged so far this season.
Nick Haycock's team feature several players who travelled with the first
team squad for their recent friendly with Espanyol. Pelly Ruddock played 90
minutes whilst Lee, George Moncur, Sebastian Lletget, Callum Driver and
Matthias Fanimo all featured from the bench.
Tonight's visitors are under the guidance of Patrick Veira and have one win
from their opening three matches of the campaign. A 3-0 victory against
Everton at the Ethihad is their only three points so far, with defeats to
Tottenham and Fulham kicking off their season.
West Ham United U21s: Spiegel, Driver, Shaw, Chambers, Ruddock, Miles,
Moncur, Whitehead, Tombides, Sadlier, Lee.
Subs: Nemrava, Turgott, Maguire, Fanimo, Harney.
Manchester City U21s: Lawlor, Facey, Leigh, Denayer, Plummer, Evans, Bytyqi,
Fofana, Hiwula, Lopes, Cole.
Subs: Drury, Gunn, Hutton, Glendon, Kennedy.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Southampton v West Ham
KO 16:00
13 September 2013
Last updated at 15:04
By Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: St Mary's Date: Sunday, 15 September

TEAM NEWS

Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has no new injury concerns to worry
about. He is likely to continue with record signing Dani Osvaldo alongside
Rickie Lambert in attack.

West Ham were hit by the news this week that their record purchase Andy
Carroll is likely to be out until the new year. New signing Mladen Petric is
not yet match fit, and Joe Cole, Stuart Downing and George McCartney are all
missing through injury.

MATCH PREVIEW

In his 200th appearance for Southampton, Ricky Lambert searches for his
200th career league goal to cap a wonderful start to the season for the man
who used to supplement his part-time football earnings with work in a
beetroot bottling plant. The Saints will hope he hasn't returned from the
Ukraine too jaded. They need him at his best, having scored just four goals
in their last eight Premier League matches. West Ham have been struggling to
find the net too - just 12 goals in their last 11 games - and with their
whole attacking style focused on Andy Carroll, they will badly miss the
injured centre-forward. They're not a side that likes to play pretty passing
football through midfield. The Hammers have attempted fewer passes than any
other side in the Premier League this season and have the worst passing
accuracy. They look to get it forward or wide early with Carroll the target
for the final ball in.

LAWRO'S PREDICTION
"This time last year Southampton approached this sort of game hoping for a
draw, whereas now they expect to win. My reservation with West Ham is that
I'm not too sure where the goals will come from." New signing Mladen Petric,
who looked to be in the autumn of his career at Fulham, and Modigo Maiga,
who's been hit and miss so far - or even young Elliott Lee - don't seem to
carry much threat for the Saints to worry about. Southampton will provide a
contrasting style. They will try and get the ball down and play. They've
only failed to dominate possession in one league game under Mauricco
Pochettino, who has added a bit of aggression to the squad with the arrival
of Pablo Osvaldo. The £15m striker could be the difference between the
sides. West Ham haven't won away in six months. They failed to register a
shot on target against Stoke in their last game and, although the Saints
nearly always seem to concede at home (and I fancy Kevin Nolan to get one),
I can't see the Irons getting enough in this one. Southampton, who deserve
rich praise for their development of home-grown English talent, should take
this and consolidate a decent start to the campaign.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Their two matches last season ended 1-1 at St Mary's while West Ham thrashed
the Saints 4-1 at Upton Park in October.
That defeat meant Southampton had conceded an incredible 24 goals in their
first eight matches of last season.
This is the 98th meeting between the sides, Southampton have won 32, West
Ham 37 and there have been 28 draws.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is unbeaten in nine Premier League meetings with
Southampton (W3 D6).

Southampton
The Saints have lost just two of their last 10 league matches at home.
Before this weekend's fixtures, Southampton had committed more fouls per
game on average (17) than any other top-flight side this season.
In their last match against Norwich, only record signing Dani Osvaldo
managed to register a shot on target for the Saints.
Midfielder James Ward-Prowse has averaged more crosses per game (4.7) than
any other player in the Premier League so far this campaign.

West Ham
Before the start of the weekend's matches, the Hammers have attempted fewer
passes (938) than any other top-flight side - and had the lowest pass
completion rate so far (72.4%).
They have had just five shots on target in total in their three matches so
far, and managed zero against Stoke in their last game.
The Hammers have won only one of their last 15 Premier League away games (D4
L10).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce wants more from Maiga
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th September 2013
By: Staff Writer

It's time for Modibo Maiga to step up to the plate and start scoring goals,
according to Sam Allardyce. The Hammers boss takes his side to Southampton
this weekend having seen them score just twice in their opening three
Premier League matches against Cardiff City, Newcastle United and Stoke
City. That, according to Big Sam simply isn't good enough - and he expects
to see more from front-man by default Modibo Maiga, who hasn't found the net
since scoring in the 3-1 win over Chelsea in December 2012. "One
disappointment is that Modibo Maiga has done a good job but hasn't found the
net in the Premier League, which is a bit of a concern," Allardyce told
Talksport. "Although we're playing quite well, ultimately we need a front
man to get on the end of things and put the ball in the back of the net. "We
produced an excellent performance at Newcastle but the downside was the next
performance that we never expected. We were so under par against Stoke at
home which left us very disappointed going into the international break.
"We've got to get our act together at Southampton and give ourselves a
performance that we all know we're capable of."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll 'frustrated' by latest injury
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th September 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has told Talksport that West Ham's Andy Carroll has been left
feeling "very frustrated" by the injury that has ruled him out of this
weekend's visit to Southampton. The 24-year-old striker broke down in
training earlier this week and now faces another extended spell on the
sidelines - although according to Allardyce, the injury isn't quit as bad as
first feared. "Unfortunately we went through 16 weeks of intensive
rehabilitation and consulatation specifically to make sure we had everything
right. We got to training and within the space of 30 minutes he felt a pain
in the foot and came off," explained Allardyce. "He had to have a scan and
the heel has torn, but slightly further down. The specialist told us there's
only a four to five per cent chance of it happening. It puts Andy back for a
few weeks rather than months, hopefully; the injury's not as bad as before.
We'll be looking at more treatment and some one-to-one rehabilitation to
focus on him. "He's 24-years-old and has a big season ahead of him. After
the disappointment of overcoming the Liverpool situation, finding his feet
with us at the back end of last season and getting the call-up to go away
with England, not having played football since last May has left him very
frustrated. "I can't wait until he's fit and firing on all cylinders. He has
a lot of room for improvement at 24 and I can tell you now that there's
nobody like Andy Carroll in the Premier League, with his ability and aerial
prowess. He's outstanding when he plays for us and not only scores goals but
causes mayhem in opposition defences. "We've got the supply with Joe Cole,
Stewart Downing and Ricardo Vaz Te. We just need to get him back fit, give
him the supply and hopefully he'll flourish in his goal tally this season.
"But these things are sent to test us. We've got to move on with the squad
that has started the season reasonably well. We've also got a couple of
injuries to Joe Cole and Stewart Downing but the rest of the squad have to
stand up and do the business."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll - no operation required
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th September 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has revealed that Andy Carroll will not require surgery on the
foot he injured in training earlier this week. The Hammers striker was due
to make his first appearance of the season at St Mary's against Southampton
this weekend. However those plans were shattered when Carroll broke down in
training on Monday. The good news - albeit bittersweet - is that Carroll
will not need to go under the doctors knife, according to his manager.
"It's the same type of injury but in a different area," explained Allardyce.
"It is not an Achilles injury, as has been suggested but instead it involves
the band of tissue which runs under the foot. "According to the specialist
the chance of a recurrence of that type of injury is about four per cent.
Unfortunately for Andy, he was one of the unlucky ones."

Allardyce also refuted allegations that the Club has rushed Carroll back to
fitness. "We had been very cautious, very patient with him along the way and
it's sad this has happened for him as well as us," he told whufc.com. "Andy
doesn't need an operation but we need to give the foot time to re-heal,
continue the rehab and get him back in training again."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Southampton host West Ham on Super Sunday
Last Updated: September 13, 2013 4:49pm
SSN

Southampton and West Ham will both be looking to bounce back from 1-0
defeats when they meet on Super Sunday. The Sky Sports cameras will be
present for the clash at St Mary's as the Hammers look to give their
travelling supporters something to shout about.
Southampton v West Ham
September 15, 2013 3:30pm
Sky Sports 1 HD

They have won only one of their last 15 Premier League away games, while in
their narrow defeat by Stoke at Upton Park before the international break,
Sam Allardyce's side failed to register a single shot on target. With Andy
Carroll suffering another injury setback, West Ham are without the man whose
equaliser earned a 1-1 draw in the last meeting between the two clubs back
in mid-April. And with new signing Mladen Petric also unavailable after
joining the club on a free transfer in midweek - the Croatian is not yet
match fit - Modibo Maiga is expected to lead the line once again. The Saints
faithful will roar on returning hero Rickie Lambert after his exploits with
England in World Cup qualifying, although manager Mauricio Pochettino could
prefer Dani Osvaldo in attack. It's a tough decision for the Argentinian as
no English player has netted more goals in the Premier League since the
beginning of last season than Lambert (16), and scoring chances are likely
to be limited in this fixture.

Paul Merson's prediction

West Ham will go to Southampton and try to stifle them because they're very
short of options going forward. I watched their game against Stoke and they
never looked like scoring. Sam Allardyce will turn up at St Mary's looking
for a draw, but I don't see how Southampton will fail to make a chance and I
expect them to win. As it's a Super Sunday game, Rickie Lambert will have an
extra day to recover after playing two games for England and I expect him to
start up front because he's one of their best players. I have been a bit
disappointed in Southampton so far because I expected good things from them
after spending a bit of money over the summer. They bought three big
players, which is the way to do it rather than buying bits and pieces, and I
think they'll be comfortable this season - and in this game.

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0

Southampton
Last 6
Norwich (a)1-0
Barnsley (a)1-5
Sunderland (h)1-1
West Brom (a)0-1
Sociedad (h)4-3

Southampton left-back Danny Fox is the only doubt for Sunday's Barclays
Premier League clash with West Ham. The 27-year-old twisted his ankle during
training on Wednesday and will be assessed ahead of the match at St Mary's.
Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino said international players - including
Rickie Lambert, Dani Osvaldo and Gaston Ramirez - returned in "perfect
condition".

West Ham
Last 6
0-1
2-1
Newcastle (a)0-0
Cardiff (h)2-0
Pacos Ferreira (h)2-1
Braga (a)1-0

West Ham will be without Andy Carroll at Southampton after the England
forward suffered a foot injury on his comeback from an Achilles problem. New
signing Mladen Petric is not yet match fit, so Mali frontman Modibo Maiga is
set to continue to lead the attack. Joe Cole (hamstring), Stewart Downing
(leg) and George McCartney (knee) remain sidelined, while Alou Diarra (knee)
is a long-term absentee.

Opta Facts

Southampton have scored just four goals in their last eight Barclays Premier
League matches.
West Ham have attempted fewer passes (938) than any other side in the
Premier League this season and have the worst passing accuracy (72.3%).
Saints have committed the most fouls in the Premier League so far this
season; but only been shown two yellow cards.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce 'devastated' by Andy Caroll setback but West Ham striker will
not miss season
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo | Last Updated: September 13,
2013 11:06am
SSN

Andy Carroll's Achilles injury is not as serious as first feared but Sam
Allardyce says it is still a "devastating" blow to West Ham. Carroll
initially sustained the Achilles injury on the final day of last season and
spent the summer recovering only to pick up a new injury in training earlier
this week. It was feared the latest setback could rule out the striker for
the rest of the season and, although that is not the case, Allardyce still
felt the need to enter the market this week for free agent Mladen Petric.
West Ham are not putting a timescale on his recovery, and Allardyce told Sky
Sports News: "It's devastating for Andy and ourselves. "It's not
frustrating, it is devastating, because we have gone through the process of
16 weeks to go along with specialist reports on how we deal with the rehab
when Andy is recovered from this injury. "Unfortunately for us, the
specialist said there was a five per cent chance it may break down again and
Andy is one of those five per cent unfortunately. "What we have to do is
make sure we treat him in the right manner as quickly as we possibly can
again and get it right as quickly as we can. "It is certainly not as serious
as last time, that is the one encouraging thing but hugely, hugely
disappointing for him and for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is Andy Carroll the new Billy Elliot after his BALLET injury?
13 Sep 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has revealed that a bizarre 'ballerina' injury has ­threatened
to derail Andy Carroll's England World Cup dream. Striker Carroll is yet to
appear this season but this week returned to full training following a
16-week lay-off with a heel problem. But he broke down on his first day back
with the squad after picking up a freak new foot injury – which Big Sam has
discovered is more common in ballet and basketball. The West Ham manager
said: "From my research, this is an unusual injury for footballers. It
probably revolves around people like ballerinas and basketball players
because of the bounding side of it. "What caused Andy's injury in the first
place is his leap – he leapt up high for a ball against Reading on the last
day of the season and landed. "All of a sudden, 'crash'. He's felt something
in his foot again and that will make him feel pretty low for a while. But he
has to battle through that and we will look after the psychological side as
well as the physical side."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham team news: Modibo Maiga will continue to fill in for the crocked
Andy Carroll
13 Sep 2013 13:56
The Mirror

West Ham will be without Andy Carroll for Sunday's Premier League match at
Southampton after the England forward suffered a foot injury on his comeback
from an Achilles problem. The Hammers' New signing Mladen Petric is not yet
match fit, so Mali frontman Modibo Maiga is set to continue to lead the
attack.
Midfielder Joe Cole (hamstring), Stuart Downing (leg) and George McCartney
(knee) remain sidelined. Meanwhile, Alou Diarra (knee) is a long-term
absentee.

Provisional squad: Jaaskelainen, Demel, O'Brien, Reid, Collins, Morrison,
Noble, Collison, Jarvis, Diame, Lee, Nolan, Maiga, Tomkins, Rat, Adrian,
Taylor, Vaz Te.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com