Daily WHUFC News - 28th December 2013

West Brom match preview
WHUFC.com
All the essential information ahead of Saturday's home match against West Bromwich Albion
27.12.2013

WEST HAM UNITED v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 28 DECEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 12.45PM
REFEREE: MIKE DEAN
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST I INSTAGRAM I YOUTUBE

Introduction
• West Ham United face their second home game in the space of three days when they welcome West Bromwich Albion to the Boleyn Ground for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off..
• The Hammers had Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal on the back foot when they led 1-0 on Boxing Day thanks to Carlton Cole's goal, but Arsenal came fighting back in the final 22 minutes to secure the points with a Theo Walcott double and a Lukas Podolski strike.
• That made it back-to-back 3-1 league defeats for Sam Allardyce's men, following the loss by that scoreline at Manchester United on 21 December.
• West Ham slipped into the Premier League's bottom three on Boxing Day, but will move level on points with 15th-spot West Brom should they triumph on Saturday.
• The Baggies are currently managerless after dispensing with the services of Steve Clarke earlier this month.
• They are without a win since November 2 and have headed down the table to 15th place, although an improvement in the last two games has yielded 1-1 draws against Hull City and Tottenham Hotspur.
• West Brom's visit to the Boleyn Ground is one of six Barclays Premier League matches taking place on Saturday. Aston Villa host Swansea City, Hull City take on Fulham, Crystal Palace travel to Manchester City and Norwich City play Manchester United in the 3pm kick-offs. Cardiff City will welcome Sunderland for the 5.30pm game.

Team news

West Ham United
• James Collins is a doubt for the Hammers after limping out of the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal with a calf injury.
• Ravel Morrison (groin) is also likely to be missing and Andy Carroll (foot), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder), Stewart Downing (ankle) and Winston Reid (ankle) are all out.

West Bromwich Albion
• Baggies striker Shane Long faces a fitness test on the calf injury that forced him out of the Boxing Day draw at Tottenham.
• Fellow frontman Victor Anichebe is also doubtful with a groin problem.

Background
• Today's fixture marks the 94th competitive meeting between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion. The Hammers have won 36, the Baggies have tasted victory on 37 occasions and there have been 20 draws. It will also be the eleventh time the two clubs have met in the Premier League.
• West Ham's 3-1 victory at the Boleyn Ground ended a run of four draws between the sides, two of which ended goalless, while the other stalemates saw a total of ten goals.
• The Hammers recorded their biggest-ever win over the Baggies on 16 April 1965. Striker Brian Dear had a day to remember as he netted five goals within the space of 20 minutes either side of half-time in a 6-1 home Division One victory. Martin Peters had earlier opened the scoring.
• West Brom recorded their biggest win over West Ham back on 24 October 1925, romping to a 7-1 Division One victory at The Hawthorns. Jimmy Ruffell netted West Ham's consolation goal.
• West Ham and West Brom met in the 1966 Football League Cup final. The sixth and last League Cup final to be played over two legs, the Hammers won the first game 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground, with Geoff Hurst and Johnny Byrne cancelling out Jeff Astle's opener. The second leg was a different story, however, as the Baggies clinched a 4-1 win to secure a 5-3 aggregate success.

Last time out
West Ham United
Thursday 26 December 2013
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 1-3 Arsenal
West Ham United: Adrian; O'Brien (Demel 64), Collins (Rat 37), Tomkins, McCartney; Noble, Diame; J Cole, Nolan (Taylor 75), Jarvis; C Cole
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Collison, Maiga, Diarra
Goal: C Cole 46

West Bromwich Albion
Thursday 26 December 2013
Barclays Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, Ridgewell, Olsson, Reid, Lugano, Gera (Sessegnon 77), Yacob, Vydra (Berahino 85), Morrison, Amalfitano (Mulumbu 71)
Subs: Sinclair, Brunt, Myhill, McAuley

Previous meeting
The Hammers recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Baggies on 30 March 2013. Andy Carroll notches a brace which showcased the range of his abilities - the first goal a towering header, the second a stunning volley, while Gary O'Neil also found the net. It all meant that Graham Dorrans' 88th minute penalty counted for little, while Youssouf Mulumbu was sent-off late on after bizarrely choosing to pick the ball up while in play and smash it at the bemused O'Neil.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel (McCartney 79), Collins, Reid, O'Brien; Nolan (Taylor 69), O'Neil, Diame (Collison 82); Vaz Te, Carroll, Jarvis
Subs: Henderson (GK), Tomkins, C.Cole, Chamakh
Goals: Carroll 16, O'Neil 28, Carroll 80
West Bromwich Albion: Foster; Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Dorrans (Fortune 88), Mulumbu, Yacob (Odemwingie 71), Brunt; Lukaku, Long (Rosenberg 71)
Subs: Myhill (GK), Popov, Thomas, Tamas
Goal: Dorrans pen 88

Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)

30 March 2013 West Ham United 3-1 West Bromwich Albion
16 December 2012 West Bromwich Albion 0-0 West Ham United
12 February 2011 West Bromwich Albion 3-3 West Ham United
10 November 2010 West Ham 2-2 West Bromwich Albion
16 March 2009 West Ham United 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

13 September 2008 West Bromwich Albion 3-2 West Ham United

Overall record v West Bromwich Albion
P93 W 36 D 20 L 37

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 - relegated to Championship)
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)
West Bromwich Albion
2012/13 Premier League 8th (49 points)
2011/12 Premier League 10th (47 points)
2010/11 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2009/10 Championship 2nd (91 points, promoted to Premier League)

2008/09 Premier League 20th (32 points, relegated to Championship)

2007/08 Championship 1st (81 points, promoted to Premier League)

2006/07 Championship 4th (76 points)

2005/06 Premier League 19th (30 points, relegated to Championship)

2004/05 Premier League17th (34 points)

2003/04 Championship 2nd (86 points, promoted to Premier League)


Referee
• The man in the middle for Saturday's fixture is Mike Dean.
• Dean last refereed the Hammers on the final day of last season, when Big Sam's men triumphed 4-2 over Reading..
• In all, he has refereed West Ham 34 times, with the Hammers winning 12, and losing and drawing eleven of those matches each.
• The 45-year-old began refereeing in 1985, starting out his career in senior football in the Northern Premier League.
• In 2004, Dean took charge of his first international match, a friendly between the Netherlands and Republic of Ireland at Amsterdam ArenA. That same year, he took control of the FA Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester United.
• In May 2006, he refereed the Championship play-off final between Leeds United and Watford at the Millennium Stadium. In 2008, he was the man-in-the-middle for the FA Cup final between Portsmouth and Cardiff City at Wembley Stadium.
• This season, Dean has taken charge of 16 games, issuing 51 yellow and three red cards.
• Dean will be assisted by Jake Collin and John Brooks, while the fourth official will be Kevin Friend.
General information
• There will be tickets available on the day of the game for this Kids for a Quid game. Click here for full details.
• The forecast for Saturday is for a cloudy but dry day, with temperatures creeping up to 7C (45F) by kick-off.
• No engineering works are planned on the eastern sections of the District and Hammersmith & City Lines. Click here for information on c2c rail services, and here for information on Greater Anglia services.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We'll have a right go!'
WHUFC.com
Joe Cole is eyeing the visit of West Bromwich Albion as the perfect time to return to winning ways
28.12.2013

Joe Cole is urging West Ham United players and staff to stick together ahead of Saturday's crucial Barclays Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion.
Following Thursday's 3-1 reverse at home to Arsenal, the visit of managerless West Brom has taken on even greater significance, with Cole admitting it is a game the Hammers simply have to win. But Cole saw plenty in defeat to the Gunners to suggest the Hammers are right up for the fight, confident that he and his colleagues can find it within themselves to produce a winning display on Saturday. He told West Ham TV: "We're out there giving it our all, trying our best and obviously results breed confidence. So when we're not getting the right results, we've got to dig deep as players and as people. "We're working on the confidence. When you're winning. it's easy. Everyone goes out there, plays and everyone's happy. But when the results aren't going your way, you've got to dig in and do the ugly things. "Something will happen, we'll nick a 1-0 win and then we'll build from there. I think it's important that we're all together and have a real go, that's the only way."We know what points tally we have to get to and West Brom at home is a game we have to win. We need to get the rub of the green, a scrappy win, if need be."

As Cole sees it, that unity extends far beyond the first-team squad and well into the stands, with the midfielder keen to stress the value of the supporters' backing. "They're going to play a big role for us," he continued. "I think the punters can get right behind us, like they always do, and we can have a right go [against West Brom]. We need to give them a lift and they need to give us one too. "I hope they realise how important they can be, we're all part of it and we're all in it together. From the owners, to the players, we win together and we lose together."

Reflecting, meanwhile, on a disappointing Boxing Day, Cole refused to be disheartened, adamant that Arsenal had simply proved too good on the day. But with plenty a positive to take, the 32-year-old is looking forward to making amends against the Baggies at the weekend. "We knew we were playing against a top side and we're not expected to get anything out of it. But we battled hard and in the end it just wasn't enough. We've got to take the positives out of the performance, move on and try to get something on Saturday. "I think the lads worked hard and it was a lot better than last week up at Manchester United. We had a right go, but I just think we ran into a good side there. West Brom's massive for us and we need to win. "You have to take what you can out of the game and move on. We're going to need to stick together, the punters are going to be massive for us at the weekend. We're working hard, we're trying to do the right things, we're trying to do the basics well. We'll prepare right and we'll go from there."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'I just want to win games'
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole was in no mood to celebrate his Boxing Day goal after defeat to Arsenal
27.12.2013

Carlton Cole was in no mood to celebrate his Boxing Day goal after West Ham United lost out to Arsenal 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground. The big striker scored less than a minute after the teams emerged for the second half, pouncing on the rebound from Kevin Nolan's shot, to put the Hammers in front. The visitors upped their game after falling behind and scored three times in a devastating eleven minute spell to sink the home side. Cole, whose goal was his fourth in his last four Boxing Day games, told West Ham TV he would rather put personal gain aside for the good of the team. "All I care about is winning," he said. "I don't look at those sort of stats I just want to win games. "Whether I score or not it doesn't matter, I just want to win games. Today wasn't the day but the next time we go out on that field if I'm starting, I just want to win that game. "Whether I'm starting or not I just want to contribute to us winning the game."

After a goalless first half, Cole's strike lifted the Hammers and they had chances to extend their lead before Arsene Wenger's team came roaring back. Matt Jarvis, Joey O'Brien and Cole himself all went close to doubling the advantage and the forward believes the failure to score a second was their undoing against the Gunners. "At this level you need to put away the chances you get, even if it's a half chance. If you get the rub of the green and get that second goal that puts them to bed. "It would have been game over if we'd got that vital second goal and made it 2-0. We didn't get it but all in all I thought the boys performed really well and there's a lot of positives we can take out of it. "If we play like that against West Brom on Saturday then I think we've got a chance of coming away with a better result than that."

Results elsewhere in the Barclays Premier League meant the Hammers slid into the relegation zone ahead of Saturday's home match against West Bromwich Albion. That game against the Baggies is a huge one for both teams with West Brom themselves only one point clear of the drop zone. The team's performance against Arsenal did however offer hope ahead of Saturday's match and Cole believes there were plenty of positives to take from their display. "We did the best we could with our resources but we just have to take the positives out of the game. "Arsenal are top of the league and are flying but we need to get the points on the table and like I said if we play like that against West Brom then we should be alright. "We're playing good football, we split their defence open a couple of times and we're playing well. The players are going to take a lot of positives out of the game, obviously we lost but there's a lot of positives we can look at."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam on: West Bromwich Albion
WHUFC.com
Hammers manager Sam Allardyce hails the importance of Saturday's clash with the Baggies
27.12.2013

Sam Allardyce knows full well how important Saturday's visit of West Bromwich Albion is to the Hammers. West Ham United slipped into the Barclays Premier League relegation zone following the Boxing Day defeat to Arsenal and will hope to draw level on points with the managerless Baggies by getting the better of them at the Boleyn Ground. Big Sam told West Ham TV: "Every game is important to us, and it will be the same for West Brom. We have played 18 games and taken 14 points, so we have to get out of the position we are in and not let that gap between games played and points get any bigger. "To try and get in the changing room at full-time on Saturday with 17 points after 19 games still won't be good enough but it will be a start because we need to get more points than games as quickly as we can."

The Hammers lost James Collins to a calf injury on Thursday and Allardyce described that as a blow with an already-stretched squad. He added: "Our biggest efforts are on recruiting new players in January and on getting our injured players fit as quickly as possible. "James Collins came off against Arsenal with a calf injury, which will make him unlikely to be fit for Saturday and Ravel Morrison reported injured to our physio on Christmas Eve with a groin injury. I don't think that will be too bad but we will have to wait and see. "Joey O'Brien was taken off because I feared him being sent-off after a booking early on and then committing two or three more fouls. He will be okay for Saturday "We haven't got the capability to make lots of changes to the team, because of how few players we have available at the moment and the injury list that we have. We will play the players who played really well against Arsenal again on Saturday.
"I felt that they played as well as they possibly could on Thursday and the only one thing that let them down was missing the chance to score that second goal. Matt Jarvis will be disappointed that he didn't score, Carlton will be disappointed because he scored a good goal and should have hit the target again, and Joey will be too with his header. "That's life, that's why we are where we are, but we have to continue to make those chances and sooner or later they'll go in."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
On this day - 28 December
WHUFC.com
A late goal gave West Ham more reason to celebrate over the festive period five years ago today
28.12.2013

Classic match
West Ham United 2-1 Stoke City
Premier League
28 December 2008
Fresh from a 4-1 win over Portsmouth on Boxing Day, the Hammers struck late to see off Stoke City at the Boleyn Ground. Despite trailing at the interval after Abdoulaye Faye's free header put the visitors ahead, the home side hit back in the second half and were level on 55 minutes when Carlton Cole scored for the second game running. Ricardo Fuller then saw red for an extraordinary slap to the face of his own captain, Andy Griffin. After the striker's moment of madness the Hammers pushed home their numerical advantage with just two minutes left. Spaniard Diego Tristan got the final touch to Cole's goalbound shot, sending Thomas Sorenson the wrong way in the process as the ball rolled in for the winner.

Complete record - 28 December
1926 Derby County 3-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1929 West Ham United 2-3 Blackburn Rovers (Division One)
1935 West Ham United 3-2 Norwich City (Division Two)
1936 West Ham United 1-0 Bradford Park Avenue (Division Two)
1937 West Ham United 3-3 Norwich City (Division Two)
1946 West Ham United 4-1 Plymouth Argyle (Division Two)
1957 West Ham United 6-1 Bristol Rovers (Division Two)
1959 West Ham United 3-1 Birmingham City (Division One)
1963 Blackburn Rovers 1-3 West Ham United (Division One)
1964 West Ham United 2-1 Birmingham City (Division One)
1974 Stoke City 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1987 Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1991 Notts County 3-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1992 West Ham United 2-2 Luton Town (Division One)
1993 West Ham United 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
1994 Wimbledon 1-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
1996 West Ham United 2-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
1997 Wimbledon 1-2 West Ham United (Premier League)
1998 West Ham United 2-0 Coventry City (Premier League)
1999 West Ham United 1-1 Derby County (Premier League)
2002 Blackburn Rovers 2-2 West Ham United (Premier League)
2003 Nottingham Forest 0-2 West Ham United (Championship)
2004 Rotherham United 2-2 West Ham United (Championship)
2005 West Ham United 0-2 Wigan Athletic (Premier League)
2008 West Ham United 2-1 Stoke City (Premier League)
2009 Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
2010 West Ham United 1-1 Everton (Premier League)
Played 27, Won 12, Drawn 6, Lost 9, Scored 48, Conceded 41

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v WBA
KO 12:45
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce
27 December 2013
By Nigel Adderley
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 28 December

TEAM NEWS

West Ham defender James Collins is unlikely to feature after being forced off with a calf injury in the Boxing Day defeat by Arsenal. Ravel Morrison is also set to miss out again with a groin injury, while manager Sam Allardyce may recall goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

West Brom's Shane Long faces a fitness test on the calf injury that caused him to miss the match with Tottenham. Fellow striker Victor Anichebe is also a doubt with a groin problem.

MATCH PREVIEW

Claiming that the injury to Andy Carroll has blighted West Ham's season is nothing new but the significance of his absence becomes greater with every defeat.
"If they were not on such a poor run of results - they have managed just one win in 11 league games - you would look at that performance and say the Hammers do not have too much to worry about, but their current predicament means the pressure is on their manager Sam Allardyce." The year 2013 was supposed to be when the Hammers established themselves back at the highest level as they look forward to becoming tenants at the Olympic Stadium. However, the grim reality is that they kick-off their final match of the year the wrong side of the relegation line and hoping a financial splurge in January might help them out of trouble. But, as recent history has shown, such a tactic doesn't always work. Arsenal were there for the taking after West Ham took the lead on Boxing Day and for a fleeting 15 minutes or so Sam Allardyce's men seemed to have regained the flair and passion backed by a raucous crowd which has caused the big clubs so many problems in recent years. But the moment passed and they appe ar to be in big trouble. In fairness, any club in the bottom half of the table may be nervously looking over their shoulders at the moment. West Brom have won at Manchester United and drawn with Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham but didn't do well enough against the rest to keep Steve Clarke in a job. Former Real Betis coach Pepe Mel is one of the names being linked with a post which has seen a high turnover of decent managers in recent years. Tony Mowbray and Gary Megson are the only men to have completed two full seasons at The Hawthorns since Ron Atkinson made his name there in the 1970s. Both of these clubs might consider their squads to be too good to go down but that's a dangerous assumption to make this season.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
West Brom have only won one of the last nine Premier League meetings (W1, D4, L4).
West Ham and West Brom have had a different manager in charge for each of their five previous Premier League meetings at Upton Park. Sam Allardyce will be the first manager to break that run.
Four of the last five matches in the league have been drawn.

West Ham
West Ham have won just one of their last 11 league matches.
They have scored nine goals in nine home matches this season and just 15 in 18 league games.
Carlton Cole has scored three league goals, one more than in 27 games last season.
They kept six clean sheets in their opening 10 league matches of the season but have conceded three or more goals in five of their last eight games.

West Brom
West Brom are without a win in eight matches.
They have now gone eight Premier League games without a clean sheet, the longest current such run in the division, along with Tottenham.
The Baggies have won only one of their last 11 Premier League away games (D5, L5).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More injury woes for Allardyce
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th December 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham could be without several key players when manager-less West Brom visit the Boleyn for this lunchtime's early kick-off.

The two struggling clubs are first out of the traps tomorrow when they contest the 12:45pm slot. And whilst the Baggies are still looking for a replacement for Steve Clarke - who has now been fired by both clubs - the Hammers are struggling with one or two fresh injury concerns, according to Sam Allardyce.

"James Collins came off against Arsenal with a calf injury which makes him unlikely for Saturday," he revealed at Friday morning's press call. "Ravel Morrison reported injured to our physio on Christmas Eve with a groin injury so we will have to wait and see. Joey O'Brien was taken off [against Arsenal] because I feared him being sent-off, he will be okay for Saturday.

"We haven't got the capability to make lots of changes to the team because of how few players we have available at the moment. We'll play the players who played really well against Arsenal again on Saturday."

Andy Carroll's pre-New Year comeback that was been hinted at previously seems unlikely to happen whilst Winston Reid is out for some weeks yet. On the bright side, Stewart Downing's recovery is going well and he should be back in contention soon.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce sets sights on West Brom
Last Updated: 27/12/13 2:57pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes the next two fixtures may prove pivotal to the club's chances of staving off relegation. The Hammers slipped to a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day despite taking the lead, and Allardyce has urged his men to move on quickly ahead of clashes with fellow strugglers West Brom and Fulham. "Our big games are the West Broms and Fulhams in the next two games," Allardyce said. "It is about performing like that against those clubs, which give you a better chance to win the game. "We have to believe, at the end of the day, that we will convert the chances as we did, certainly the home game a few weeks ago against Fulham. "West Brom is becoming a must-win, so we have to go all out without being over anxious or over adventurous because if we start leaving back doors open and start conceding too many goals. "The chance to catch up is getting a little wider and wider each game when you don't pick up points. "But we have to take a lot of positives out of the way we played against Arsenal and make sure we played like that, like we did at Tottenham in the cup against West Brom. "When we've had that opportunity recently, we haven't done that. We haven't played as well as that, apart from when we beat Fulham 3-0 here. "We played Sunderland here and never got to this level so ended with a draw. We played against Aston Villa at a high level but didn't score. We played at Crystal Palace and lost and lost after going 1-0 up against Norwich. "They are key let-downs. You can always lose to Arsenal even if you play your best. It is disappointing for the lads when they have put such a big effort in and made so many chances against this team and not finished the game off."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and West Brom look to improve recent form
Last Updated: 27/12/13 3:05pm
SSN

West Ham welcome managerless West Brom to Upton Park on Saturday (kick-off 12.45pm), with both sides looking to get back to winning ways. The Hammers have tasted victory just once in their previous 11 league games, with the pressure mounting on boss Sam Allardyce to turn things around.
However despite only finding the net three times in their last five games, a vastly improved performance, especially in attack, against Arsenal on Boxing Day has lightened the mood on the Upton Park terraces ahead of the visit of the Baggies. Despite impressing at White Hart Lane against Tottenham on Boxing Day, the Baggies haven't tasted victory in the last eight league clashes - the longest run in the Premier League. However, a very respectable draw against Spurs has steadied the ship somewhat, but their record against the Hammers will hardly inspire much confidence. The Baggies have won only one of the previous nine Premier League clashes with the Hammers, and could be dragged further into a relegation battle should that run continue.

Paul Merson's prediction

This is a big game for West Ham. They were always going to struggle this season because of the injury to Andy Carroll. It's very difficult if you lose your key man and it would be hard for Liverpool if they lost Luis Suarez or Man United if they lost Wayne Rooney. But West Ham, in their position, can't afford for that to happen. They've slipped into the relegation zone after losing at home to Arsenal on Boxing Day and with Fulham away after this one, followed by a trip to Man City, before they know it, they could be stuck in the bottom three. You need to get out of there as soon as possible - even if it's just up to fourth from bottom - and they need a win here to do that. However, managerless West Brom got a good result against Tottenham and I think they'll pick up another point in this one.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1

West Ham
Last 6
Arsenal (h)1-3
Man Utd (a)3-1
Tottenham (a)1-2
Sunderland (h)0-0
Liverpool (a)4-1
1-0

James Collins will have a calf complaint assessed on Friday and looks unlikely to feature in West Ham's clash with West Brom. The injury resulted in the Welsh centre-back being forced off in the first half of the Hammers' 3-1 Boxing Day defeat to Arsenal - a match Ravel Morrison missed through a groin issue. Andy Carroll, Ricardo Vaz Te, Stewart Downing and Winston Reid remain sidelined, while Adrian will hope to remain in goal despite an unconvincing display against the Gunners.

West Brom
Last 6
1-1
Hull City (h)1-1
Cardiff (a)1-0
Norwich (h)0-2
Man City (h)2-3
Newcastle (a)2-1

West Brom will give a fitness test to striker Shane Long, who is doubtful for Saturday's game at West Ham because of a calf injury. Fellow striker Victor Anichebe (groin) is also a doubt for the match at Upton Park. Caretaker manager Keith Downing will make changes to his line-up as the lunchtime kick-off comes less than 48 hours after the Baggies drew 1-1 at Tottenham.

Opta facts

These two sides have won the fewest points in the Premier League in December 2013 - West Brom (1), West Ham (2).
West Ham have scored just 20% (3 of 15) of their goals in the first half of matches this season; a league-low.
West Ham have met West Brom five times at Upton Park in the Barclays Premier League, and 10 different managers have taken charge.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Carlton Cole not concerned with personal gain
Last Updated: 27/12/13 10:21am
SSN

West Ham striker Carlton Cole insists scoring goals means nothing unless his side gets back to winning ways. Cole gave the Hammers the lead against high-flying Arsenal early in the second half on Boxing Day, only for the Gunners to turn things around, and earn the three points they needed to return to the Premier League summit. Cole, who had a glorious chance to double his side's lead soon after breaking the deadlock, is not concerned with personal gain however, highlighting the importance of getting the victories the team need. "All I care about is winning," he told the club's official website. "I don't look at those sort of stats I just want to win games. "Next time we go out on that field if I'm starting, I just want to win that game." The defeat at Upton Park meant the Hammers slipped into the relegation zone, and after a return of just one point in their last league five outings, the pressure is mounting on boss Sam Allardyce. However, after a vastly improved attacking performance against Arsene Wenger's men, Cole believes there are positives to take into their clash with West Brom on Saturday. "If we play like that against West Brom then I think we've got a chance of coming away with a better result than that," he added.
"We did the best we could with our resources but we just have to take the positives out of the game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admits relegation would be a disaster for the club
Dec 28, 2013 00:51 By John Cross
The Mirror

Big Sam said: "From a financial point of view, we all know what a disaster it is not to be in the Premier League. It means we've got to stay in this league."

Sam Allardyce has banned the "R-word" after ­admitting going down would be a disaster for West Ham. Hammers boss Allardyce confesses he is feeling the ­pressure more than ever because of the club's upcoming move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016. Struggling Hammers have slipped into the relegation zone and face West Brom at Upton Park today, knowing defeat would be a hammer blow. The heat is on, after just one win from 11 games, and Allardyce says the stakes have never been higher. Allardyce said: "I think the outside world delivers that pressure about relegation threat, relegation zones, relegation teams, relegation this, relegation that. "The R-word never stops when you're in the bottom three. "You have to ignore it and keep focused on your own game, your own beliefs and keep doing the right thing by getting the basics right and giving everything you've got. "We think about the new stadium as a business plan and as a basis of taking the club forward. "I said that when we got back here, it is about trying to establish West Ham as a team that sustains its position in the Premier League when it gets to that stadium. "From a financial point of view, we all know what a disaster it is not to be in the Premier League and it is a bigger disaster than ever before because the money has gone through the roof again, so that makes the pressure even greater. "It means we've got to stay in this league."

West Ham are struggling for goals and their clash with West Brom is a "six- pointer", which Allardyce sees as a must-win game. He added: "We've had a few six pointers already, so we have to make sure we get a result. "It is critical for us to secure three points because, even with three points, that would be 17 points after 19 games, which is still not enough, but at least it is a start."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham release Croatian striker Mladen Petric after just three months
Dec 28, 2013 03:36 By Chris Richards
The Mirror

The ex-Fulham striker, 32, made only three substitute appearances for the club after arriving on a free transfer in the summer

West Ham have released striker Mladen Petric. The Croatian international, 32, made just three substitute appearances for the Hammers after signing on a free transfer in September. The former Fulham player had agreed a one year deal at Upton Park but found it difficult to break into Sam Allardyce's starting XI. In October, Petric had said: "I'm a striker. "I want to play and I'm sure I'll get my time on the pitch."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham unlikely to have James Collins fit for West Brom clash as calf problem lingers
Dec 27, 2013 12:45 By Paul Gorst 0 Comments
The Mirror

The Wales defender has a calf complaint and is not expected to feature for the visit of the Baggies on Sunday

James Collins is expected to miss West Ham United's visit of West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. The Wales defender picked up a calf injury in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Boxing Day, and is unlikely to feature against the Baggies at Upton Park. Stewart Downing, Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid are all still sidelined for the Hammers, while Ravel Morrison is struggling with a groin issue. Andy Carroll is nearing fitness as he continues his recovery from a heel injury but the England striker won't play against Keith Downing's side.

Provisional squad: Adrian, Jaaskelainen, McCartney, O'Brien, Chambers, Rat, Tomkins, Demel, Collison, Diarra, Taylor, Nolan, Noble, Diame, Jarvis, J Cole, C Cole, Maiga

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com