Fulham match preview
WHUFC.com
A look ahead to Saturday's Barclays Premier League match against Fulham at
the Boleyn Ground
29.11.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v FULHAM
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: MARTIN ATKINSON
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Introduction
• Fulham are the visitors to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday as West Ham
United go in search of their first Barclays Premier League win in five
games.
• The Hammers are also hoping to end a run of five home league matches
without victory, a run which includes four defeats.
• Goals have also been hard to come by for Sam Allardyce's side recently
with just two being scored in their last five league outings.
• Last time out against Chelsea the team also failed to find the net as they
slipped to a 3-0 defeat.
• West Ham currently sit just outside the relegation zone in 17th place,
ahead of Saturday's opponents Fulham on goal difference.
• Fulham occupy the last relegation place presently after losing their last
four league fixtures.
• Last time out a late Jonjo Shelvey goal consigned them to a 2-1 defeat to
Swansea City at Craven Cottage.
• Two of the Cottagers' three league wins so far have come away from home
but they have lost the other four away fixtures.
• On their last away outing Martin Jol's team were soundly beaten 4-0 by
Liverpool at Anfield.
Team news
West Ham United
• Winston Reid (ankle), Andy Carroll (foot) and Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder)
are the Hammers long-term injury absentees.
• Mladen Petric will also miss out through injury while it's unlikely Razvan
Rat will recover in time to face the Cottagers.
Fulham
• Sascha Riether will miss out as he serves the last game of his suspension
whilst Damien Duff will also miss out with a groin injury.
• Hugo Rodallega and Matthew Briggs (both groin) are also out whilst Brede
Hangeland is doubtful with a sciatic nerve problem.
Background
• West Ham United's first game against Fulham took place in 1898, in the
Southern League Second Division. The Hammers came away with a 2-1 win and
won the reverse fixture 1-0.
• The Hammers' record win over the Cottagers was a 7-2 home Division One
victory on 3 February 1968. West Ham United have also beaten their London
rivals 6-1 and 5-1, with Fulham's record win being a 5-0 home victory on 7
November 1936.
• Carlton Cole has scored six goals in his last eight Premier League
appearances against Fulham and netted an own-goal in one of those games too.
• West Ham and Fulham have met 18 times in the Premier League era with the
Hammers winning ten, drawing five and losing three.
• The Club's overall record reads 63 wins, 28 draws and 38 losses in 129
meetings against the Cottagers.
Last time out
Saturday 23 November 2013
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 0-3 Chelsea
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, O'Brien, Noble,
Nolan (Jarvis 76), Morrison, Collison (Diame 40), J Cole (Maiga 40), Downing
Subs not used: Adrian, Taylor, McCartney, C Cole
Saturday 23 November 2013
Barclays Premier League
Fulham 1-2 Swansea City
Fulham: Stekelenburg, Zverotic, Hughes, Amorebieta, Richardson, Parker
(Taarabt 86), Boateng (Sidwell 60), Kasami, Ruiz (Kacaniklic 77), Berbatov,
Bent
Subs not used: Stockdale, Senderos, Dejagah, Dembele
Goal: Parker 64
Previous meeting
West Ham were sent to defeat at Craven Cottage by goals from Dimitar
Berbatov, Hugo Rodallega and a Joey O'Brien own goal. Kevin Nolan cancelled
out Berbatov's 10th minute opener when he finished off Mark Noble's low
free-kick three minutes after half-time. Just a minute later however Fulham
were back in front when Rodallega met a Damien Duff cross. A late deflection
off O'Brien compounded the Hammers' woes.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Riether, Hangeland, Senderos, Riise, Duff, Karagounis
(Baird 66), Sidwell, Rodallega, Ruiz (Dejagah 66), Berbatov (Petric 75)
Subs not used: Etheridge, Frimpong, Hughes, Davies
Goals: Berbatov 10, Rodallega 49, O'Brien og 90+1
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (Taylor 67), Reid, Tomkins, O'Brien,
Diame, Noble, Nolan, Jarvis, J Cole (Carroll 76), Chamakh (C Cole 56)
Subs not used: Henderson, Vaz Te, Pogatetz, O'Neil
Goal: Nolan 48
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
30 January 2013 Fulham 3-1 West Ham United
1 September 2012 West Ham United 3-0 Fulham
26 December 2010 Fulham 1-3 West Ham United
2 October 2010 West Ham United 1-1 Fulham
2 May 2010 Fulham 3-2 West Ham United
4 October 2009 West Ham United 2-2 Fulham
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
Fulham
2012/13 Premier League 12th (43 points)
2011/12 Premier League 9th (52 points)
2010/11 Premier League 8th (49 points)
2009/10 Premier League 12th (46 points)
2008/09 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2007/08 Premier League 17th (36 points)
2006/07 Premier League 16th (39 points)
2005/06 Premier League 12th (48 points)
2004/05 Premier League 13th (44 points)
2003/04 Premier League 9th (52 points)
Referee
• Saturday's match referee will be Martin Atkinson.
• A referee since the age of 16, Atkinson was promoted to the Football
League list of assistant referees in 1998. In 2000, Atkinson was promoted to
the Select Group of assistant referees, allowing him to run the line in
Premier League matches.
• Atkinson joined the National List of referees for the Football League at
the start of the 2003/04 season before taking charge of his first Premier
League fixture on 20 April 2005 when Manchester City entertained Birmingham
City.
• Atkinson was the man in the middle at the 2006 FA Community Shield between
Chelsea and Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. He also took
charge of the 2008 FA Trophy final between Ebbsfleet United and Torquay
United at Wembley Stadium.
• Atkinson is refereeing West Ham for the first time this season but did
referee three of the team's matches last season, against Swansea City and
Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League and against Manchester United in the
FA Cup.
• Atkinson will be assisted by Peter Kirkup and Harry Lennard whilst the
fourth official will be Michael Oliver.
General information
• A limited amount of tickets still remain for Saturday's match. For more
information click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is light cloud with highs of 7C (44F).
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Big Sam on: Fulham
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce confirmed Andy Carroll will return to the UK next week as he
spoke to the assembled media pre-Fulham
29.11.2013
Ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash against Fulham at the
Boleyn Ground, West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has addressed the media
at his pre-match press conference. Big Sam spoke about the latest team news,
the weekend's opponents and the latest on frontman Andy Carroll.
Morning Sam, what's the latest team news ahead of Saturday?
SA: "We have no further injuries, gladly, from last week. Everybody else is
okay and we're just getting ready for these next two big games but certainly
this first one against Fulham. Neither me nor Martin Jol would have expected
to be where we are at this stage of the season but like I said the league
table tells a story. Performances are okay for a while but it's always about
results and at the moment, in general our performances have been excellent
but our results haven't matched that. We've got to try and get a massive
victory here on Saturday."
It's always said that the league table doesn't lie but is it telling a few
porkies at the moment?
SA: "Well I think it's all about us not capitalising on our good play and
not scoring the goals that we've needed to secure three points in the
Barclays Premier League. Three points are precious, it's what you're always
searching for and it's what always makes the difference. You can run for a
little while with a certain amount of draws because you're always picking a
point up but in the end you must start winning some games.
"My surprise is that after our victory against Tottenham I thought it would
have kicked us on to a very good run of results with the performance we
showed in that game but it hasn't happened. We've got to continue to believe
that we will turn our chances into goals and we've got to start that on
Saturday. We've got to start performing in front of goal and putting the
ball in the back of the net when we get the opportunity. We didn't get so
many against Chelsea but that would be expected against a higher quality
team. "Against Fulham both teams are having a struggle at the minute. We
hope that we continue our defensive solidarity and then try and score a few
goals against Fulham who've conceded quite a few goals in the last four
games, I think they've conceded 11 in the last four, so I have to say I
think there's a weakness there and hopefully we can try and exploit it."
From within the clubs, both at Fulham and here at West Ham, you don't get a
sense that either you or Martin Jol are under any great degree of pressure,
is that how it feels?
SA: "The game revolves around speculation and whenever someone's not doing
what they're expected to do then the pressure falls upon you. You have to
handle that pressure but you have to deliver what you know works and
continue to stay focussed in that area. The outside influences are always
there but as a team and behind the scenes with the players you have to stay
focussed and know what you have to do to win a football match. You have to
try not to let it affect your confidence that we've not got the results we
wanted to. Keep playing as well as you can play and eventually it comes
right."
Have you heard anything at all detrimental from David Gold or Sullivan?
SA: "No, no, not at all. I think they're more focussed on what we might be
able to achieve in January as well as the focus on Andy Carroll who will
hopefully be back with us next week to start some training. That's been the
main focus with both David's which I'm obviously pleased that we're looking
in the market and we're very active. Everybody knows that David (Sullivan),
particularly, is a man who moves extremely quickly when we've made a
decision.
"That particular area is obviously very difficult, finding a target and
securing that target which is what we found before the last window shut but
failed to clinch the deal. Perhaps we're paying the penalty for that now
which is not through lack of effort from ourselves and shows you how
difficult it is to get somebody on the frontline. Of course we didn't expect
Andy to be out still now, we expected him to be playing two or three games
into the season, that hasn't happened and of course the rest of our strikers
have failed to do what we need and that's score a few goals to help us get
more victories instead of draws."
Is that, at last, significant news about Andy Carroll?
SA: "We hope so. It's tentative in terms of your approach to it and we have
to be very careful. We can't be over anxious and push Andy, we can't do
anything over than what the specialists say we do, no matter how desperate
our situation may become. We have to get Andy fit so that he stays fit, not
fit to a point where he may pick up another injury and that's what we've got
to be careful of."
Are you hopeful of seeing him in action before the end of 2013?
SA: "I think that depends on our assessment when he does actually and
eventually come back with us. When he does that then we can monitor the
situation on a day-to-day basis and push forward his training on a level to
how he feels. I think that having not played a game since last May it will
take some time to get him into a match fitness situation. He's done an awful
lot of work not only on his injury but his whole body. That's not included
any football training in that so when he does eventually get to that he'll
be pretty stiff for the first few days in that situation. Our backroom staff
will go all out to alleviate that as quickly as possible."
We've talked about the pressure on you and Martin Jol, do you feel a
different kind of pressure with the new Premier League deal and the billions
of pounds floating around?
SA: "I wouldn't say a different pressure. It probably comes a bit sooner
than with the last deal because the millions have gone up by £20 million or
so. I think that every budget or financial situation that you talk about
revolves around the massive amount of money that comes into the Club from
the Barclays Premier League. You look at the revenue streams that come your
way in the Championship and that's where the pressure comes from. The
pressure comes from the fact that's it's everything for a club to stay in
the Barclays Premier League first and foremost, irrespective of me as a
manager and performances.
"The way that the money has evolved in the Barclays Premier League means
that the most important thing for any club is to first and foremost stay
there and then develop from there. When I say develop I mean strengthen your
squad on a year-in-year-out basis. You won't have millions of pounds and if
you do then it's very difficult to find players. If you do sign too many
players too quickly then you can still fall foul of that. Paolo Di Canio
found that out having signed 12 or 13 players in one season. My old mate,
Steve Bruce, suffered the same situation when he was manager before Martin
O'Neil, he failed to get the cohesion together of a team which had so many
changes and found it's very difficult. It has to be a steady progress but
you've got to stay in the Barclays Premier League to do that."
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
George McCartney talks on his comeback from injury and the importance of
Saturday's game
29.11.2013
Hello everybody.
I've been back on the bench for the last couple of league games following my
injury problems and it's great to be back. When a player has been out for as
long as I've been, sometimes the only way to get back into the squad is
through players being injured unfortunately. At the minute we're very light
on defenders and I have been out a long time but hopefully I'll get a chance
in the next couple of weeks. It has been a long time to miss for any player
and it's tough to come back from, but I've stayed positive. It was hard when
I did the same injury again three months down the line, but I'm fit now and
ready if the manager needs me. Nowadays you have to be able to play in more
than one position - I have played centre half a few times over the last
season or two and I think at minute the manager needs lads to fill in
wherever needs be because of the injuries. We have Fulham on Saturday and
we're taking each game as it comes. Fulham are in the same situation we're
in and Palace are below us so they're two six pointers for sure. They will
be two tough games, but we're at home on Saturday, we have to look to set
our stall out and turn the good performances into results. We were great
against Spurs not so long ago and although the performances have been good
recently, we haven't been getting results so now it's more important to get
results than putting in decent performances because you look at the league
table and it doesn't look too good at the minute. No matter now we play we
have to make sure we come off that pitch with three points on Saturday
We're all determined to make sure that happens so hopefully we'll make sure
everyone has a smile on their face come 5pm on Saturday.
Come on you Irons!
George
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U21s prepared for Foxes visit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will host Leicester City in the Barclays U21 Premier League
on Friday evening
29.11.2013
West Ham United's table-topping Development Squad will return to action when
they host Leicester City in the Barclays U21 Premier League on Friday
evening. The Hammers welcome eleventh-place Leicester to Rush Green Stadium
for a 7pm kick-off - their first competitive fixture in four weeks. U21s
manager Nick Haycock said his players are looking forward to resuming their
quest to win the title with the visit of the Foxes. "There has been a gap in
the fixture programme with the international break and the Barclays U21
Premier League Cup taking place, so there have not been many league matches
played in November," said Haycock. "We are top of the league and we have
collectively set ourselves the challenge of still being there at Christmas.
"We face Leicester on Friday and have prepared for this game as we have
prepared for all the others we have played this season - training hard and
looking at how the opposition play and their strengths and weaknesses using
a DVD of one of their recent matches."
"I will pick my squad, as usual, around the players who are available. Some
are out on loan, some are injured, some will be training with the first-team
squad and some others have gone out on loan before the deadline. "This has
been my approach throughout the season and I am not going to change it. We
have a big squad to pick from and I am sure, whatever team I put out will
pose a real threat to Leicester."
One player West Ham will definitely be without is winger Kieran Sadlier and
Blair Turgott, who is injured. Kick-off at Rush Green Stadium is at 7pm,
with FREE entry for Season Ticket Holders. Other supporters can gain
admission for just £3 Adults and £1 Concessions.
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Dev Squad 2-2 Leicester City - FT
WHUFC.com
Minute-by-minute updates from the Development Squad's match against
Leicester City
29.11.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v LEICESTER CITY
BARCLAYS U21 PREMIER LEAGUE
RUSH GREEN STADIUM
FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7PM
REFEREE: ALAN YOUNG
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Full-time: The Development Squad have to settle for a draw after second half
fight back from Leicester earns them a point. McCallum had given the Hammers
the lead after just two minutes and Lee had later doubled the advantage with
a penalty on the stroke of half-time but they were unable to hold on. Goals
from Dawson and Pearson levelled things up. McCallum went close to winning
it late on but the Hammers were forced to settle for a point which on
balance was proabaly the right result.
90+2 mins: Miles is on for Moncur with just moments left.
90 mins: We're into added on time now as both sides still search for a
winner.
88 mins: The fans are drifting away in anticipation of a draw now but
there's still a chance or two left in this!
86 mins: Agony! McCallum looks to have snatched a winner as he beats the
keeper to a high ball but his effort bounces inches wide!
85 mins: Barrington wants the ball more than the surrounding defenders and
fires his close-range shot narrowly wide. That was a let-off.
83 mins: Howes throws himself in front of a shot to keep the Hammers level.
Bywater comes on for Whitehead.
82 mins: Another corner to add to Leicester's collection. Whitehead gets up
well to head clear.
80 mins: Into the final ten minutes now as both sides look for a winning
goal.
78 mins: Frustration is creeping into the Hammers play and they nearly go
behind as Panayiotou heads just over the crossbar.
76 mins: Dawson hits one just over the bar as the away side are rampant at
the minute.
75 mins: Interesting to see how Haycock's side respond to being on level
terms considering they'd been in front since the second minute.
73 mins GOAL: Pearson strikes a beautiful right-footed effort into the
bottom left-hand corner. Great goal that.
73 mins: Pearson goes right through the back of Lee by the halfway line and
the Hammers have a free-kick. From the resulting ball Whitehead pokes
goalwards but the keeper is down to save.
71 mins: Leicester's corner count must be in double figures by now. This
time Whitehead is there to clear.
69 mins: A ferocious shot is unleashed by Barrington and it has Howes
worried before flying just over.
67 mins: After McCallum concedes a free-kick the ball is blasted at him but
the ref decides no punishment is necessary.
65 mins: Fanimo switches right to McCallum who wins a corner. Fanimo takes
but it's cleared at the near post.
63 mins: The visitors are enjoying their best spell now as they pour forward
at every opportunity with Barrington the latest to try his luck, testing
Howes from distance.
61 mins GOAL: Leicester have one back. Dawson latches onto a loose ball to
lash home as it breaks to him in the box.
59 mins: The West Ham midfield are working harder to get on the ball in this
half with Moncur and Lletget starting to click.
57 mins: Chambers looks to have handled the ball on his way to the turf but
the defender has himself a free-kick after recieving a hearty shove.
55 mins: After about six or seven corners in a row the Hammers are finally
able to breath easy as a Foxes defender fires a shot well wide.
54 mins: Yet another corner as Harney this time is there to clear! When will
this end!
53 mins: It's swung in towards goal this time and has Howes beaten but Shaw
is back on the line to flick clear for a corner.
52 mins: A series of corners for the away team now, the latest of which is
cleared by Driver for gues what...another corner.
50 mins: The visitors apply some early pressure and win themselves a corner.
It's met well by Barrington and Howes does brilliantly to acrobatically turn
it over.
48 mins: Driver concedes a free-kick as the left-back goes beyond him. The
ball is low and hard but Howes takes it on the bounce.
47 mins: Leicester immediately go on the attack down their left but over
play it and Howes has a goal-kick.
46 mins: The Hammers kick-off the second half holding a two-goal lead and
looking good to maintain top spot in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.
Half-time: What a mad end to the half! Lee stepped up to bury a penalty on
the stroke of half-time to send the Hammers in two up at the break after a
Leicester player appeared to handle in the box. Earlier McCallum had given
the Hammers the lead after just two minutes when he bundled the ball home
from a free-kick. Overall it's been a fairly even game with the visitors yet
to create a chance of note. More of the same from West Ham after the
interval please!
45 mins GOAL: Lee steps up and sends a low penalty to the bottom right-hand
corner, sending the keeper the wrong way.
44 mins: Corner to West Ham. Fanimo takes and there's controversy as the
linesman gives handball but the referee is not convinced and after
consultation and a lot of confusion a penalty is given!
42 mins: A late lunge on Whitehead gives the Hammers a free-kick just
outside the box. Fanimo takes and his powerful effort hits the wall.
40 mins: Fanimo thinks he's in down the right as he races clear but the
keeper is out quickly to force the ball out for a throw-in.
38 mins: The Foxes centre-back looks to switch play but grossly over-hits
his ball and it sails out of play. Sums up the visitors efforts so far.
36 mins: Howes punches the ball behind him as Dawson crosses, luckily it
misses the goal and goes out for a corner. The set-piece is over-hit and out
for a throw.
35 mins: Fanimo hits a shot into the ground after good play down the left by
Lee. Easy pickings.
34 mins: After a boiling hot start this game has simmered down to luke warm
with both sides engaged in a midfield battle.
32 mins: Leicester are building pressure here and have themselves a corner
after Lletget deflects a shot wide. It's taken short before Howes dives in
bravely at the feet of two Leicester players.
30 mins: Lletget gives away a free-kick towards the right-hand corner flag.
The ball is delivered but after a clearance allows Whitehead to break but he
can't capitalise as he looks for McCallum.
28 mins: Lee looks to slide one through for Moncur but the keeper is out
sharply to collect on the slide.
26 mins: McCallum wins a free-kick in a dangerous area on the left after his
legs are clipped. Moncur takes but goes for goal and it sails harmlessly
over the bar.
24 mins: A cross is swung over by Elder but he has no one to hit and it
sails out for a throw.
22 mins: Just as I say that Fanimo is picked out by McCallum's through ball
and he races clear but fires a half-volley wide of the target.
21 mins: The Hammers have so far struggled to get their wide men involved
with both Fanimo and Lee short of service up to this point.
19 mins: Chambers takes up the role of the missing Pelly Ruddock as he
maruds 60 yeards down the pitch and finds McCallum but his cross is too
close to the keeper.
17 mins: Whitehead strikes the post! After the ball is given away in
midfield Whitehead breaks with purpose arriving at the edge of the box and
unleashing a fierce shot which pings against the post.
15 mins: The away side are yet to click into gear yet but have shown some
fairly nice pieces of play so far.
13 mins: Corner to Leicester. Harney is there to header well clear of
danger.
12 mins: The Hammers have lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Lee to the left
and Fanimo to the right of frontman McCallum.
10 mins: After the visitors force a couple of corners the Hammers are
finally relieved as the offside flag is raised.
9 mins: Leicester have a chance as Barrington is played in. He shoots but
Harney is there to deflect it out for a corner.
7 mins: Driver gets down the right touchline and swings a cross over looking
for McCallum. The ball goes out for a corner but is easily cleared.
6 mins: The Hammers are showing the greater desire early on with Shaw the
latest to make a strong tackle.
4 mins: McCallum didn't have to wait too long into his return to make his
mark as that goal is timed at just under two minutes!
2 mins GOAL: McCallum bundles the ball home after Moncur's in-swinging
free-kick caused all kinds of problems in the Leicester defence. What a
start!
2 mins: George Moncur is bought down after a heavy tackle. Free-kick which
he will take.
1 min: It's the away side to kick us off! And no he's not happy with the
first one as a Leicester player encroached into the West Ham half but we're
away at the second attempt.
6.55pm: The irrepressible smell of the burger van is making its way into the
stands as the teams emerge from the tunnel. We're almost ready to go!
6.45pm: The Hammers have retreated to the dressing room for their pre-match
team talk as we are now just 15 minutes away from kick-off.
6.35pm: With regular goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel not featuring tonight, Sam
Howes has the chance to stake a claim for regular inclusion in Nick
Haycock's side. The 16-year-old stopper is the Under-18s regular No1 and
recently featured in the Club's behind-closed-doors friendly against
Millwall and has clearly done enough to impress.
6.20pm: The players are out warming up on the Rush Green pitch ahead of
kick-off here. Assistant manager Neil McDonald has already taken his place
in the stands to cast his eye over the Club's Under-21s.
6pm: It's finally here! The return of Barclays Under-21 Premier League
Development Squad action! 'About time' I hear you cry as Nick Haycock's
Under-21s resume their league campaign exactly four weeks to the day that
Chelsea snatched a last-minute equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw that denied
the Hammers from extending their lead at the top of the table. Despite not
playing for the best part of a month, the Development Squad have retained
top-spot with Fulham still a point off the pace. Tonight 12th place
Leicester City are the visitors to Rush Green as they bid to inflict only a
second defeat of the season on the young Hammers.
Haycock has had to juggle his squad around for this tie with the manager now
able to select returned duo of Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum who are
available following loan spells at Colchester United and Torquay United
respectively. He will however be without three of his regulars with Dan
Potts enjoying a spell on the south coast with Portsmouth whilst Pelly
Ruddock (Luton Town) and Blair Turgott (Colchester United) both secured loan
moves yesterday. Kieran Sadlier is also unavailable after scans revealed he
has medial tibia stress syndrome which will rule the winger out until the
New Year.
Leicester City: Smith, Pearson, Elder, Watson, Sesay, Kennedy, Dawson, Cain,
Panayiotou, Dodoo, Barrington
Subs: Frempah, Smith, Anton, Paratore
West Ham United: Howes, Driver, Chambers, Harney, Shaw, Lletget, Moncur,
Fanimo, Whitehead, McCallum, Lee
Subs: Maguire, Baxter, Miles, Bywater, Burke
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West Ham v Fulham
KO 15:00
29 November 2013
Last updated at 12:16
By Steve Wilson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 30 November
West Ham remain without injured striker Andy Carroll, but he is expected to
return to training next week. Modibo Maiga and Mohamed Diame were introduced
as first-half substitutes against Chelsea last weekend and could earn
recalls to the starting line-up.
Fulham striker Dimitar Berbatov is doubtful for Saturday's game because of
illness. However, manager Martin Jol is hopeful that defender Brede
Hangeland will return from a nerve problem.
MATCH PREVIEW
"Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." It
might sound like the private motto of a rail company, but it's actually the
first line of Rudyard Kipling's 19th century poem, The Ballad of East and
West. "It is games like this that will ultimately decide Fulham manager
Martin Jol's fate because, if his side get turned over easily by a West Ham
side who are well known for not being able to score goals, then the pressure
on him will get even more intense."
Sadly, this footballing meeting of East and West London is more likely to
move spectators to tears than poetry. West Ham and Fulham are error-strewn
impotence personified at the moment, each in a dreadful tailspin towards the
murky nether reaches of the Premier League. Whether Martin Jol can survive
another defeat is debatable - it would be a sixth consecutive loss in league
and cup. Is Rene Meulensteen in place to provide encouragement and support
to his countryman, or is he there to replace him? New Fulham owner Shahid
Khan has been known for his patience with the coaches of his NFL franchise,
the often hapless Jacksonville Jaguars - and his patience there has recently
been rewarded with two wins in three games after eight consecutive losses.
But patience is an easier virtue when your team plays in a league with no
relegation. This is the Cottagers' 13th consecutive season in the Premier
League and they haven't finished below 12th since 2008 - if they can get
anywhere near mid-table from here they'll have done very well indeed. So
far, the scrutiny on West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has been less intense, but
their results are hardly any better. Since the shock win at Tottenham, West
Ham have taken two points from five games, scoring only twice. That might be
an inevitable consequence of playing without a recognised striker, a tactic
which took Spurs by surprise but has not worked since. Injuries and a lack
of match fitness have forced Allardyce's hand. He has had to do without Andy
Carroll, Mladen Petric, Ricardo Vaz Te and Carlton Cole, leaving him with
the option of either the no-striker route or using Modibo Maiga, which is a
frightening prospect - just not for the opposition.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Ham are unbeaten in their last eight home league games against Fulham
(W4, D4).
In the last four Premier League seasons, this fixture has produced a total
of 29 goals.
West Ham United
The Hammers have taken one point from their last five league matches at
Upton Park.
Their tally of four points at home is the joint lowest in the top flight
along with Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Their only shot on target against Chelsea on Saturday came in the third
minute of injury time.
The Hammers have been on target with just 32.4% of their shots this season,
the lowest percentage in the top flight.
Kevin Nolan is set to make his 350th Premier League appearance.
Fulham
Fulham have lost 14 of their last 20 league matches, including their last
four in a row (W4, D2).
The Whites have attempted the fewest shots in total in the Premier League so
far this season (96, including blocked efforts).
They have conceded 12 first-half goals this season - the joint worst record
in the top flight, along with Norwich.
Dimitar Berbatov has scored once in 11 Premier League appearances this
season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce welcomes Carroll return
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has revealed that Andy Carroll will return to training at
Chadwell Heath next week. In a week during which rumours regarding the
extended spell Carroll has spent on the sidelines have been spreading like
wildfire, the welcome news at the end of it is that the England
international expects to begin tentative training following this weekend.
"We have to be careful - we can't get over-anxious and push Andy too hard,"
said Sam Allardyce, who revealed the news this morning. "We can't do
anything other than what the specialists are saying, no matter how desperate
our situation may become. "When Andy's fit, we've got to get him to stay
fit. We'll monitor it on a day-to-day basis and push forward his training on
a level based on how he feels. Having not played a game since last May, it
will take him some time to get him into a match fitness situation. "He's
done an awful lot of work not only on his injury but his whole body. That's
not included any football training in that so when he does eventually get to
that he'll be pretty stiff for the first few days in that situation. Our
backroom staff will go all out to alleviate that as quickly as possible."
Carroll - who cost West Ham £15million in the summer, in addition to the
loan fee paid the previous summer - has not kicked a ball for West Ham since
the final day of last season, a 4-2 win over relegated Reading. Last season
he made a total of 24 appearances for the Hammers, scoring seven goals
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: owners ready to move
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has revealed that David Sullivan and David Gold are ready to
spend in January in order to preserve West Ham's Premier League position.
For several months now Gold in particular has waxed lyrical about the
effects of Financial Fair Play and how West Ham must adhere to the
regulations in order to avoid a potential points penalty, or fine. However
that strict adherence is likely to be tested - if not ignored entirely - in
January with West Ham needing to boost their attacking options, having
managed to score just nine league goals so far this season. "They [the
Chairman] are focussed on what we might be able to achieve in January," Sam
Allardyce said this morning. "That's been the main focus with both Davids
and I'm obviously pleased that we're looking in the market and we're very
active. "Everybody knows that David [Sullivan], particularly, is a man who
moves extremely quickly when we've made a decision. But finding and securing
that target is very difficult, as we found before the last window shut but
failed to clinch the deal. Perhaps we're paying the penalty for that now.
It shows you how difficult it is to get somebody on the front line. Of
course we didn't expect Andy [Carroll] to be out still now, we expected him
to be playing two or three games into the season. "That hasn't happened and
the rest of our strikers have failed to score a few goals to help us get
more victories instead of draws."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll to return to training as he continues recovery from long-term
injury
Last Updated: November 29, 2013 2:21pm
SSN
West Ham striker Andy Carroll will finally return to training next week as
he continues his lengthy recovery from a foot problem. The England player
has not played for the Hammers since May and suffered a fresh fitness
setback this month after being struck down by a stomach infection. Manager
Sam Allardyce has revealed that Carroll is making progress in his
rehabilitation, but is not expected to make a playing return before January.
Allardyce remains reluctant to rush back the 24-year-old, despite his team's
lack of goals this season. "Andy hopefully will be back with us next week to
start some training," he said. "We expected him to be back two or three
games into the season, and that hasn't happened. "We have to be tentative in
our approach to it. "When Andy's fit we've got to get him fit to stay fit.
"When he will return, I think that depends on our assessment when he does
eventually come back with us. "On a day-to-day basis he can then start to
push forward. "Having not played a game since last May, it will take some
time to get him into a match-fitness situation. "He's done an awful lot of
work, but that doesn't include match fitness, so it will take a while for
him to get back up to speed."
Allardyce is preparing his side for Saturday's Premier League match with
Fulham, who sit next to West Ham in the table on just 10 points. He has
urged his side to take advantage of Fulham's defensive problems this season.
"My surprise is that I thought our win against Tottenham would kick us on to
a good run of wins. It hasn't happened but we've got to believe we'll start
putting away our chances," said Allardyce. "We've got to start converting
our opportunities.
"Against Fulham, both teams are having a struggle at the minute. "We hope we
can regain our defensive solidity and maybe exploit a defensive weakness in
them, after they have leaked 12 goals in their last four games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United host Fulham in London derby
Last Updated: November 29, 2013 11:49am
SSN
West Ham United and Fulham will go head-to-head in a Premier League
relegation six-pointer at Upton Park on Saturday. Both the London clubs are
struggling at the wrong end of the table and will be desperate to win the
derby not just for the three points but also to kick-start their respective
campaigns. Hosts West Ham find themselves just a place above the relegation
zone with 10 points from 12 matches, while the Cottagers are 18th but only
on goal difference. Fulham manager Martin Jol has come under pressure
because of his side's dismal performances this season, the latest of which
saw them go down 2-1 at home to Swansea City last Saturday. That defeat
extended the club's run of defeats to five matches in all competitions,
while the Hammers themselves have not emerged victorious in their past five
Premier League fixtures. However, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will take
encouragement from the fact that his team are unbeaten in their last eight
league matches against Fulham at Upton Park.
Paul Merson's prediction
This is a massive game for both teams, but I do think West Ham will be okay
this season, I say that because they've got Sam Allardyce in charge. He has
been in this situation too many times and I have no worries about them going
down In fact, I expect them to beat Fulham because Fulham are bordering on
shocking away from home. Every time they kick off on the road it feels like
the other team will have the points. I have to go for a home win.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0
West Ham
Last 6
Chelsea (h)0-3
Norwich (a)3-1
A Villa (h)0-0
Burnley (a)0-2
Swansea (a)0-0
1-3
West Ham are still without the attacking trio of Ricardo Vaz Te, Andy
Carroll and Mladen Petric with shoulder, ankle and calf injuries
respectively. That could leave Sam Allardyce again going with the 4-6-0
formation which he has deployed in recent weeks. Defender Razvan Rat is also
on the sidelines with a hamstring problem, while Winston Reid is still
recovering from an ankle operation.
Fulham
Last 6
Swansea (h)1-2
Liverpool (a)4-0
Man Utd (h)1-3
Leicester (a)4-3
Southampton (a)2-0
C Palace (a)1-4
Sascha Riether will miss the clash for Fulham because of suspension. This
will be his final match of his three-game ban for stamping on Manchester
United winger Adnan Januzaj. Winger Damien Duff will sit out the London
derby for the Cottagers with a groin injury, while Hugo Rodallega and
Matthew Briggs are sidelined with groin problems. Brede Hangeland is
doubtful for the match as he is struggling with a sciatic nerve problem.
Opta Stats
Fulham have conceded 99 goals away from home in Premier League London
derbies.
Kevin Nolan has scored five goals in his Premier League career against
Fulham.
West Ham have won just one of their last 11 league fixtures and none of the
last five at Upton Park.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE BARRY HEARN INTERVIEW PART 3
By Sean Whetstone 29 Nov 2013 at 17:01
West Ham Till I Die
For my third topic following my Interview with Barry Hearn I wanted to talk
about Barry's apparent love of Spurs!
I asked Barry Hearn why he supported the Spurs bid for the Olympic Stadium
by sending a letter to the Premier League?
BH "The bidding process comes up, Daniel Levy says would you support us?, I
said, Daniel, this is the gospel truth, Daniel, you don't have a f****ing
prayer of getting this stadium but I will support you because 1) you don't
have a prayer 2) you have a bigger support base than West ham and you won't
be discounting tickets 3) If you do get in I will do my best to stop you. So
as far you and West ham I prefer Tottenham. Basically what I am saying is I
don't either of you"
BH "When we supported Spurs, there was no way possible Spurs ever had a
prayer of getting in, the premier league rules alone would of resulted in
court cases coming out for 20 years, Even Daniel Levy knew, he was being
used but Daniel's a smart kid, he didn't mind being used because he knew if
he was used that he was going to get a benefit somewhere else"
You do seem to have a cosy relationship with Spurs as you have loaned a
number of players from them.
BH "Only because they want to loan them, Harry has been great and given us
players, West Ham gave us one player years ago but we have never had a
relationship with West Ham on our door step, never had a phone call for a
player, never!"
I asked Barry whether he used to be a Spurs fan?
BH " I went for 2 years, I went to Leyton Orient when I was 11 years old, my
parents wouldn't let me at 11 go to a big club, you go to a small club, so I
went to Leyton Orient, after 2 years I was 13 and I was ready to go to a big
club. I went to Tottenham for two years and I saw two great years of
football by the way, 61/62 and 62/63 the double team but the truth of it is
I'm not much of a football fan at all I am a Leyton Orient fan"
I also asked Barry whether he turned up at Leyton Orient on his first day as
chairman with a Spurs sticker in his car as told to me by a Leyton Orient
fan.
BH "Absolutely correct and do you know why? Because in 1987 I did Bruno v
Bugner at White Hart Lane, 1992 I did Eubank v Watson at White Hart Lane,
part of the rental deal was I had to buy some hospitality seats at Tottenham
as part of the deal for renting the ground. They wanted to boost their
hospitality sales, my son went and he put a sticker in my car. I never
personally went myself once"
I asked do Leyton Orient fans know that?
BH "No, F** off What's it got to do with them?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton Cole keen for first-team chance at West Ham after coming in from the
cold
29 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce may have been hoping for a Christmas Carroll, but the West Ham
boss ended up with a lump of Cole. Big Sam has been unable to use £15million
man Andy Carroll, who still has not played this season, and moved to re-sign
Carlton Cole – less than four months after the striker left Upton Park ..
But the 30-year-old has managed less than 70 minutes of Premier League
action since returning on October 14, with Big Sam preferring a 4-6-0
'strikerless' formation instead. And a baffled Cole admitted: "It's very
weird! I've never had to deal with that but I have had a lot of weird stuff
thrown at me by other managers, so it is just another one. "It worked
against Tottenham and we have been playing well with the system but we
haven't been putting our chances away. "I get frustrated because I want to
be playing week in, week out. But the manager sees fit to do something
different, so until he sees he needs to play his striker I'll just have to
wait."
The 17th-placed Hammers are without a win in five League games since a shock
3-0 victory at White Hart Lane and have scored just twice in that time.
Saturday's visit by fellow strugglers Fulham kicks off a hectic run of nine
fixtures in 33 days. And Cole, who signed a three-month contract back at
Upton Park, is determined to persuade Allardyce to ditch the 4-6-0 and
secure himself a longer deal. He added: "Once I get a chance, I am going to
make my presence really felt on the field and make Sam know that he needs a
striker. "I think I can prove to the manager I can do the job, I think he
should know that I can be a presence up front. "And if I can get a few goals
with that as well, that is all I need and that will change our run."
That a player of Cole's calibre spent three-and-a-half months without a club
prompts questions, but he revealed there was no lack of interest in him. He
said: "I nearly signed for Saint-Etienne. But there were a few things we
needed to wrap up and it didn't materialise in the end. "I was close to
going to QPR, so I was getting ready for that. "I had Nottingham Forest and
a few other teams in the Championship interested. Hull City in the Premier
League too, so I did have a few teams. Crystal Palace was a big one as
well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United face striker dilemma ahead of clash with Fulham
29 Nov 2013 17:51
The Mirror
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce faces a striker dilemma ahead of their
visit of Fulham on Saturday. Allardyce's side have netted just nine goals
this season, with the former Bolton Wanderers boss continuing to line his
side up with a 'false nine' formation of 4-6-0. However, Carlton Cole may be
recalled for the goal-shy Hammers, in place of captain Kevin Nolan, after
the tactical experiment failed in their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea last week.
Despite the lack of goals, help is at hand for Allardyce after he revealed
that Andy Carroll is set to return to training next week. The Hammers' £15m
record signing has been missing all season with a heel injury, but Allardyce
told a press conference: "We hope Andy will be back with us to start some
training next week. It's tentative in our approach to it. We can't get
over-anxious and push him too hard. We need to get him fit to stay fit."
Alou Diarra and George McCartney are out with knee injuries, while Ricardo
Vaz Te (shoulder) and Razvan Rat (hamstring) are also absent.
Provisional squad: Jasskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, O'Brien, Collison,
Noble, J Cole, Morrison, Downing, K Nolan, Jarvis, Maiga, Adrian, Taylor,
Diame, C Cole, Chambers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce 'to make fresh bid for Demba Ba in January'
30 Nov 2013 05:04
The Mirror
West Ham are reportedly preparing a fresh bid for Chelsea's Demba Ba in
January. The club's co-owner David Sullivan has made a personal appeal to
the former Hammers forward to return to Upton Park, according to The Sun.
Sullivan is said to have spent an hour on the phone with Ba on the last day
of the summer transfer window to try to persude him to return to East
London. However, Ba, 28, is understood to have only wanted to play for a
club in the Champions League such as Arsenal. He is now third-choice striker
under Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce calls for unity ahead of a 'season-defining' week for West Ham
29 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has told his players to stick together ahead of West Ham's
"season-defining" week . The Hammers have won just two games out of 12 this
season and sit three points off the bottom of the Premier League. On
Saturday they face Fulham, who are also on 10 points, at Upton Park, before
a midweek trip to second-bottom Crystal Palace. Big Sam said: "I think this
is a season-defining week with the games and who we're playing. "By the time
we come round to a week tomorrow, we will either be sat in the upper reaches
of the bottom end of the table or we'll still be around where we are now.
"The most important thing is to win your games against your near rivals.
Yes, it's a difficult period, but players show their true team spirit in
situations like this. "They show their true togetherness and that's what
they've got to do. They've got to stick together. "They can't fragment and
think it's all about them. It's not just about them, it's about the whole
team and everything that goes with it to achieve the right results."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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