Daily WHUFC News - 10th January 2014

George gutted at City loss
WHUFC.com
George McCartney admitted the Hammers' performance at Man City wasn't good
enough
09.01.2014

West Ham United defender George McCartney said the manner of defeat to
Manchester City in the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final on
Wednesday was hard to take. The Londoners were beaten 6-0 at the Etihad
Stadium to all but dash their cup dreams as City's rampant forwards cashed
in. Alvaro Negredo bagged a hat-trick while Edin Dzeko got in on the act
with two goals of his own to add to Yaya Toure's solo effort. McCartney, who
was deployed as an emergency centre half once more with James Tomkins, James
Collins and Winston Reid all injured, admitted that City's forward players
had too much for the visitors on a bitterly disappointing evening. He said:
"I think there wasn't much in it for the first ten minutes but once they got
the first goal it sent them on their way and we found it difficult to get
close to them really. "They pass it really well, the forward players have
really good movement and we just weren't able to deal with it on Wednesday
night. "It's just a disappointment all around. It's the semi-final of the
cup and as much we tried to put the effort in, we just weren't good enough.
"Throughout the first part of the season, when you look at their home
results, they've scored a lot of goals against Manchester United, Tottenham,
Arsenal and Norwich. It's not as if it's the first time they've scored six
goals at home. They're a very good team with great players and we found it
very difficult on Wednesday. "We certainly didn't play anywhere near as well
as we can, but take nothing away from Man City, they were really good. Their
finishing was exceptional."

The Hammers will have to put this disappointment behind them quickly with a
vital Barclays Premier League clash at Cardiff City coming up on Saturday.
McCartney was grateful for the support received from the stands on a trying
evening, and says the players are determined to turn it around for them as
quickly as possible. He added: "The players and the staff all appreciate the
support the fans give us. They haven't had much to cheer about for the last
few weeks but the lads are trying to turn that around. "We're going through
a difficult time at the minute and trying to come through the other end. The
Premier League is very important and we've got a massive game on Saturday.
"It's not going to be easy [to forget about this] as defeats like that are
hard to take. We need to move on to the Cardiff game on Saturday and we need
three points."

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Gordon settling in nicely
WHUFC.com
Jaanai Gordon is fitting in well to life at West Ham United after a January
move from Peterborough United
09.01.2014

Jaanai Gordon is settling in well to life at West Ham United after
completing his switch from Peterborough United on New Year's Day. The
18-year-old has only been at the Club for just over a week but has already
been included in the first-team squad for the FA Cup with Budweiser third
round defeat at Nottingham Forest, where he was named among the substitutes.
While he was not called upon in the game against Forest, the striker
revealed to West Ham TV that he enjoyed the experience and has adapted
quickly to life with the Hammers. He said: "I've settled in great and the
lads have been great with me and helped me settle in really quickly. "It was
a great experience (being on the substitutes' bench), very good. The
first-team environment is somewhere that I want to be all the time."

Gordon was already familiar with his new surroundings after he spent some
time on trial with the Hammers earlier this season. During his spell at the
Club he made a big impression, scoring twice for the Under-18s against Aston
Villa, netting a brace in the first-team's 9-0 friendly win over Gillingham
and bagging a goal against Millwall in another behind-closed-doors
encounter. Now a West Ham player on a full-time basis, Gordon is looking
forward to forging a good career for himself in east London and showing the
fans exactly what he is about. "The first-team lads are great, I've spoken
to a few of them already and I've only just got into the building so
hopefully they can help me build my career at the Club. "My trial period
made it easier for me to be accepted to come here and play. I thought I did
quite well while on trial here, scoring five goals in three games so I did
well."

And for fans who don't know the sort of player he is, Gordon said: "I'd say
I'm an all-round type of player. I can get in behind, hold it up and score
goals."
The forward is likely to appear for the Development Squad this Friday night
when they take on West Bromwich Albion at Rush Green in the Barclays U21
Premier League. Nick Haycock's team are currently second in the table and
Gordon revealed the Club's strong youth section was another factor in his
decision to sign for West Ham. "I just want to start scoring goals. I saw
when I came here on trial that the Under-21s were top of their league so it
helped me to think that coming here was the right choice so hopefully I can
help them sustain it. "That was one of the main reasons why I came here,
seeing the progress of the young players through into the first team."

Gordon is hopeful that if he scores regularly for the U21s then bigger
things will follow. "I just want to keep doing what I'm doing, keep scoring
goals for the Under-21s and hopefully I can break into the first team."

Supporters can watch the Development Squad play West Bromwich Albion on
Friday night. 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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Sam Allardyce: West Ham boss wants anger to motivate players
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce wants his players to use their "anger" as
motivation to help halt their decline. Allardyce, 59, retains the backing of
the club's owners after the 6-0 Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg defeat
at Manchester City, which followed a 5-0 FA Cup loss at Nottingham Forest.
In an email to supporters, Allardyce promised a reaction from his players.
"We've got to get out there, face the music and use it to anger us, make us
mad, and win matches," he said. "The players can't feel sorry for
themselves. We are professionals and we've got to take the criticism thrown
at us because that's what happens in the game at this level. "We've got to
be man enough to take it on the chin and be determined enough to show people
that what they think at this particular moment in time is wrong. "You either
come out fighting or you sink and die. I come out fighting as a manager and
my staff and players are the same."

Joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold stood by the manager after
Sunday's defeat at Forest and have not changed their opinion despite losing
at Etihad Stadium. Allardyce now faces a crucial Premier League relegation
game at Cardiff on Saturday. Second-bottom West Ham are three points behind
17th-place Cardiff in the table and have won just once in their past 10
games - the League Cup quarter-final victory over Tottenham on 18 December.
Large sections of the travelling fans appeared to turn on Allardyce during
Wednesday's game, but BBC Sport has learned Gold and Sullivan were not
swayed in their support of the manager.

Former West Ham defender Julian Dicks said he did not see how Allardyce
could continue. The 45-year-old former left-back told BBC Radio 5 live: "The
football isn't good, the lack of passion and pride is awful. I understand
where fans are coming from." He said Hammers supporters would have paid "an
absolute fortune" to travel to Manchester and said both the manager and
players had to take responsibility for a poor run of form. "You just can't
blame the manager, you just can't blame the players," said Dicks, who made
326 appearances for West Ham over two five-year spells at the end of the
late 1980s and 1990s. "We all have bad games, we all make mistakes, but what
you expect every single game from your team-mates is 100%. "To watch some of
them play is embarrassing. The work-rate for the last half-dozen games has
been disgraceful."

Southend manager Phil Brown feels Allardyce, whom he worked under at Bolton,
needs time to turn things around. "He should be given the chance to put his
best team out on the field of play," said Brown. "If he has his best team, I
think West Ham are a top-10 team. If you lost your main striker and
three-centre halves, I think any Premier League team would struggle."

Allardyce was appointed as West Ham boss in June 2011 and renewed his
contract, for another two years, in May 2013. He led the Hammers to
promotion from the Championship in the 2011-12 season and secured a
10th-place finish in the Premier League last season.

West Ham's past six matches
21 Dec 2013: Manchester United 3 West Ham 1 (Premier League)
26 Dec 2013: West Ham 1 Arsenal 3 (Premier League)
28 Dec 2013: West Ham 3 West Brom 3 (Premier League)
1 Jan: Fulham 2 West Ham 1 (Premier League)
5 Jan: Nottingham Forest 5 West Ham 0 (FA Cup)
8 Jan: Manchester City 6 West Ham 0 (Capital One Cup)

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Sam Allardyce: West Ham manager retains support of owners
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

West Ham's owners continue to support manager Sam Allardyce despite their
6-0 League Cup semi-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City. The loss
followed a 5-0 FA Cup humbling at Championship side Nottingham Forest. Joint
chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold stood by their manager after the
Forest defeat and have not changed their opinion despite losing at City.
Allardyce, 59, has said he will fight on and faces a crucial Premier League
relegation game at Cardiff on Saturday. Second-bottom West Ham are three
points behind 17th-place Cardiff in the table and have won just once in
their last 10 games - the Capital One Cup quarter-final victory over
Tottenham on 18 December.

Large sections of the travelling fans appeared to turn on Allardyce at
Etihad Stadium, but BBC Sport has learned that Gold and Sullivan were not
swayed in their support of the manager. Former West Ham defender Julian
Dicks said he did not see how Allardyce could continue. The 45-year-old
former left-back told BBC Radio 5 live: "The football isn't good, the lack
of passion and pride is awful. I understand where fans are coming from." He
said Hammers fans would have paid "an absolute fortune" to travel to
Manchester for Wednesday's game with City and said both the manager and
players had to take responsibility for a poor run of form. "You just can't
blame the manager, you just can't blame the players," said Dicks, who made
326 appearances for West Ham over two five-year spells at the end of the
late 1980s and 1990s, "We all have bad games, we all make mistakes, but what
you expect from every single game from your team-mates is 100%. "We all have
bad games as a part of football but to watch some of them play is
embarrassing. "The work-rate for the last half dozen games has been
disgraceful."

Southend manager Phil Brown, who was Allardyce's assistant at Bolton, felt
Allardyce needed time to turn things around. "He should be given the chance
to put his best team out on the field of play," said Brown. "He hasn't had
that opportunity this season, that's what the West Ham fans have got to
understand. "If he has his best team, I think West Ham are a top 10 team. If
you lost your main striker and three centre halves, I think any Premier
League team would struggle."

Jason Roberts, who played under Allardyce at Blackburn, felt criticism of
the Hammers boss was "understandable" but, like Brown, felt he was the right
man for the job. "I cannot shake the feeling that in this situation you call
for... Big Sam," tweeted the Reading striker. Allardyce was appointed as
West Ham boss in June 2011 and renewed his contract, for another two years,
in May 2013. He led the Hammers to promotion from the Championship in the
2011-12 season and secured a 10th place finish in last season's Premier
League.

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Tomkins in the dock
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 9th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

James Tomkins has appeared in court to answer charges of assault. The
24-year-old West Ham defender was arrested in Brentwood shortly after
midnight on December 22 following a scuffle outside the Sugar Hut nightspot
and was subsequently ordered to appear at Basildon Magistrates Court this
morning. Tomkins, who is currently sidelined through injury denied a charge
of assaulting a police officer. He has been ordered to reappear at the same
court for trial on April 17.
The Basildon-born centre half is just the latest in a long line of West Ham
players to appear in court to face charges unrelated to their profession....



You're nicked: Hammers in the dock

October 2010: Manuel Da Costa is arrested before being accused of sexual
assault.

August 2009: Calum Davenport is stabeed and later accused of assaulting his
sister following a family row at their home in Bedford.

January 2009: Diego Tristan is arrested after being caught drunk at the
wheel, having crashed his Porsche into the back of a taxi. Fined £3,500 and
banned from driving for three years.

November 2008: James Collins insists he is a victim of mistaken identity
after getting nicked outside Funky Buddah following an altercation.

September 2008: Carlton Cole spends the night in a cell after being pulled
for drink driving on the embankment - at 4:30am on a Tuesday morning.

October 2006: Anton Ferdinand is charged with asssault and violent conduct
following a fracas outside Faces.

May 2004: Czech hardman Tomas Repka is arrested following a dispute with a
neighbour. Charges are later dropped.

September 2003: Gary Charles (accompanied by an empty vodka bottle) is found
lying semi-conscious in his Merc after causing a trail of destruction in
Long Eaton, Derbyshire..

October 1997: An inebriated John Hartson is nicked at the Swallow Hotel in
Waltham Abbey after becoming abusive towards hotel staff.

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Sam Allardyce has urged his West Ham team to rediscover pride
Last Updated: 09/01/14 5:52pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has urged his team to rediscover their
battling spirit in Saturday's crucial Premier League trip to Cardiff City.
The Hammers have endured a terrible recent run, being knocked out of the FA
Cup 5-0 at Nottingham Forest before going down to a 6-0 Capital One Cup
semi-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City in the past week. Allardyce's
men are only a point above bottom club Sunderland in the table before
travelling to the Welsh capital - and the United boss wrote on the club's
official website in a weekly address to fans: "Many teams have gone to
Manchester City and, like us, have suffered a painful time. "It's hard to
take and difficult to accept but the facts are that Manchester City are the
best team in the league at home and have been the best team in the league
since the start of the season. "We all knew they were very, very good and
we've seen it live because our players tried as hard as they could, but
couldn't get near these Manchester City players. Their quality is top-drawer
and they are great finishers, never mind top footballers."

The former Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle boss reserved special praise for
Adrian, despite the Spanish goalkeeper shipping 11 goals in the past two
games.
Allardyce added: "Despite the scoreline, Adrian was brilliant and he's
growing stronger. He's gaining great experience, even if he is bitterly
disappointed about Sunday and Wednesday. He played well on Sunday but he
played even better on Wednesday. "What we have to do now is get our
defenders back in the team defending like we know we can, as a team, better.
We have got to improve our clean-sheet ratio as quickly as possible and once
we start doing that, we'll start winning more points and hopefully more
games."

Allardyce now wants his players to use their recent humiliations as a
springboard for better performances and has called on them to prove their
critics wrong.
"They can't feel sorry for themselves," he added on West Ham TV. "We are
professionals and we've got to take the criticism thrown at us because
that's what happens in the game at this level. "We've got to be man enough
to take it on the chin and be determined enough to show people what they
think at this particular moment in time is wrong. "You either come out
fighting or you sink and die - I come out fighting as a manager and my staff
and players are the same. "We've got to get out there, face the music and
use it to anger us, if you like, make us mad, prove them wrong and win
football matches."

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Sam Allardyce must bounce back and repay West Ham owners' faith, says Niall
Quinn
By Niall Quinn | Last Updated: 09/01/14 11:15am
SSN

Sam Allardyce must show he can still influence his West Ham team and bounce
back from their thrashing to Manchester City, says Niall Quinn

The Hammers slummped to a 6-0 defeat in their Capital One Cup semi-final
first leg thanks to a stylish hat-trick from City stiker Alvaro Negredo, two
strikes from Edin Dezko and a Yaya Toure goal. The result means West Ham
look set to miss out on a Wembley final and after a shock 5-0 defeat to
Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup last weekend the pressure continues to pile
on their under-fire manager. Former Manchester City striker and
ex-Sunderland chairman Quinn told Sky Sports that Allardyce needs to prove
to the club's co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan that he can turn
things around despite their backing in a letter to the fans earlier this
week. "But Sam has to show he is still totally in charge of that team in
such a way that he is influencing it in the correct ways to bounce back."

Quinn told Sky Sports: "I don't think the chairman can write any more
letters. I think they've got to sit back now, they've made the call the way
they have and they were emphatic about letting every supporter know exactly
how they felt. "They've got to rest with that through the month of January
and support him as they said they would in that letter. "They've got to get
players in, which is difficult because who wants to go to a club who are on
the slide? That is all they can do for now or, they can go away, have a very
bad night's sleep, wake up and make life very difficult for Sam. "It's the
option that they said they wouldn't take but we were here beside the fans
and you just wonder whether they'll listen to them. It will take a strong
chairman to make that decision. "But Sam has to show he is still totally in
charge of that team in such a way that he is influencing it in the correct
ways to bounce back and if they believe that they've got to stay with him -
I think they will, they said they would - then they've got to try and get
some help in the January transfer window."

Experience

The Hammers, who sit 19th in the Barclays Premier League, face a trip to
Cardiff on Saturday and Quinn believes Allardyce has to use his experience
to turn things around. "The best thing about the game for West Ham was that
is finished and they can just get on the bus and start thinking about
Cardiff now because they've got to get out of here and get it out of their
system," added Quinn. "I think he [Allardyce] is experienced enough not to
rant and rave and lose his head over this performance. We must remember the
side they were playing against are in absolutely top, top form and coming
off a shock result the other day the pressure is right on. "I think he'll
take a deep breath and may even give them a day off after a long journey and
say, 'let's come in with fresh minds for the weekend and let's try and get
the defensive side of things a little bit better than it has been because
for me that's where it went wrong for them tonight. We were expecting this
eight, or nine men behind the ball - making life difficult - but it wasn't
difficult at all. "His players didn't respond tonight now they've got to get
it out of their system and they've got to do it better against Cardiff."

Superb

Manchester City put in another terrific home performance to make it 59 goals
scored at the Etihad this season in just 15 games, that's an average of just
under four goals a match. Alvaro Negredo showed no signs of missing usual
strike partner Sergio Aguero as he netted a hat-trick and Quinn was suitably
impressed with his partnership with Edin Dzeko. "Negredo has played for the
manager [Pellegrini] before, he knows how the manager wants to play and the
other players have slotted into his way of thinking as well. "The first half
he was absolutely superb and his relationship with Dzeko just went from
strength to strength."

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hopeful over deals
Last Updated: 09/01/14 6:02pm
Ssn

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce is hopeful of concluding a couple of
deals by this weekend, and Sky Sports understands one of those is for Inter
Milan striker Ishak Belfodil. The Hammers have a long-standing interest in
the Algerian striker and have been talking to Inter since December. The
player, who is co-owned by Parma, is now due to arrive in England to undergo
a medical ahead of a loan move, with a view to a permanent deal in the
summer. The fact West Ham had to negotiate with both Inter and Parma was the
main reason they have taken longer than they had hoped to push through a
move. Now Belfodil is expected to sign ahead of this weekend's clash with
Cardiff City, and Allardyce admitted after a heavy defeat to Manchester City
in the League Cup on Wednesday night that he is closing on the addition of
fresh faces. "We are trying very, very hard and we are trying to clinch a
couple of deals," he told Sky Sports. Belfodil only joined Inter from Parma
in the summer but has found first-team football hard to come by and, with
the World Cup in mind, he is anxious to see more playing time. Giant Monaco
striker Lacina Traore could also be on his way to help bolster Allardyce's
squad but faces a work permit hearing on Monday before he is able to seal
any loan move. Portugal striker Hugo Almeida - currently with Besiktas - is
another centre forward understood to be on the club's radar.

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OLYMPIC STADIUM REFIT COSTS SOAR TO OVER £221 MILLION AND COUNTING
By Sean Whetstone 9 Jan 2014 at 16:38
West Ham till I Die

The final contact has finally been awarded to re-build the Olympic Stadium
with Balfour Beatty winning the £154m contact to carry out the main Stadium
redesign and refit.

A company called Careys previously won a £1.5m contract for preparatory
work. Imtech G&H won the £25m contract for electrical and plumbing work in
the redesigned stadium and Balfour Beatty previously won the £41m contract
to fit a new Olympic Stadium roof..

This means the re-design is costing at least £221.5m on top of the
£537million to build the Olympic Stadium in the first place.

It is understood that this new main contract has been awarded under the
Design and Build concept.

Design and Build procurement works on the basis that the main contractor is
responsible for undertaking both the design and construction work on a
project, for an agreed lump-sum price.Nevertheless, the level of design
responsibility and input from the contractor is much greater on design and
build projects than a traditional contract with a contractor's designed
portion.The client has control over any design elements of the project that
are included in their requirements, but once the contract is awarded
responsibility over design passes to the contractor, so the client has no
direct control over the contractor's detailed design.
The contractor can carry out the design in a number of ways.

This all ready happened with the redesign of the roof with Balfour Beatty
simplifying the design. This may give an opportunity to redesign some of
flaws like the gaps behind the retractable seating behind the goals.

Andrew Boff, the Greater London Authority Conservatives Olympics spokesman
who lives in Barking, reacted angrily to news that Balfour Beatty had won
the £154 million contract. Boff said to the Telegraph: "Where is the cash
coming from? Who's paying for it? We still don't really know, but chances
are we're all contributing. Taxpayers shouldn't be paying for Premiership
football clubs. The £154 million has to come from an already stretched LLDC
budget and the knock-on effect is that the rest of the transformation of the
park – the really important stuff such as housing – will suffer as a
result."

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DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND!
By S J Chandos 9 Jan 2014 at 10:00
West Ham Till I Die

When was the last time a West Ham team conceded 11 goals in a week? That is
a question for the statisticians, but there is no under-estimating the sheer
scale of the battering we have recently endured at the hands of Notts Forest
and Man City. Personally, I do not attach one iota of blame to those
youngsters who were publicly hung out to dry against Forest. The club can
justify the selection policy all they want in pragmatic terms, but the fact
is you just do not introduce youngsters to the first team in that manner.
For me, the whole distasteful business was capped by the decision to
substitute an experience international like Alou Diarra and replace him with
an U-18s prospect like Reece Burke! What was that young man doing anywhere
near the first team at this very early stage of his career? Whereas you
could argue that established U-21 players like Potts, Moncur and Driver were
due a first team opportunity. Burke was quite clearly put in to a position
that he should never have had to contend with. Lets just hope that the
negative experience does not not unduly undermine this promising young
defender's development.

Anyway, enough of the ritual 'lambs to the slaughter' spectacle in
Nottingham. We were told that resting the senior players in the 3rd Round of
the FA Cup would improve our chances of securing a result against Man City
in the Capital One Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg, on Tuesday evening, and the PL
match against Cardiff City, the following Saturday. Well, the team really
covered themselves in glory in Manchester, did they not! I have been
watching West Ham matches for over 45 years and have witnessed some very
poor displays, but I do not think that I have ever suffered a more abject
and gutless performance. We all know about the quality of Man City's squad,
the inequity of comparable resources and its probable consequences. The
thing is that I can accept us getting beat by a better team, with superior
players. However, what I cannot accept is a West Ham team not applying
themselves and fighting for the cause. I do not care if our players are
'free transfers,' they should still have professional pride and the
determination to acquit themselves as well as possible.

Also questions must be asked of the manager, his ability to
motivate/organise the team and get 100% out of the players at his disposal.
You can make as many excuses as you like, but the fact is the buck always
stops with the manager. The Hammers fans, at the match, had every right to
be critical of the manager and the performance of the team that he selected
and prepared. Yes, Man City do have outstanding quality at their disposal.
Yes, we were ravaged defensively. Yes, the approach play and finishing of
Man City was exceptional and, yes, we are not the first team to be knocked
for five or six by them this season. It is, indeed, asking a lot for an
auxillary centre back like George McCartney to be expected to deal with
their superb strike force. However, why play McCartney at centre-back in the
first place? Why not partner Johnson with Diarra, which I would opine is a
better and more natural centre-back partnership. Why place a right sided
player, like O'Brien, at left back? Why not start with McCartney or Rat?
Perhaps Diarra and Rat were not sufficiently match fit to start? However,
arguably they are are pertinent questions that need to be posed.

So, now we roll on to Cardiff this coming Saturday. And we can only hope
that either, or both, of Collins and Tomkins are available to return to
central defence. Sam Allardyce is quoted, in an article on the offical club
website, assuring us that the team will come out fighting on Saturday. Lets
hope that is the case, because we desperately need a result against Cardiff
City. And fighting qualities are going to be necessary to overcome an
opposition that will approach the match with a renewed vigour and
determination to take all three points. We need to face that challenge,
match their work rate and then proceed to outplay them. Because we do have a
better squad than Cardiff City, evidenced by the fact that we have already
beaten them twice this season. And there is no reason why we cannot go on to
grab a third straight victory. However, our mental approach and practical
application has to be right. This, of course, begs the question, can Sam
Allardyce still get his squad prepared and 'in the zone' mentally?
Regardless of the public messages of support by his senior players, does Sam
Allardyce actually still have the dressing room? I feel that Saturday's
match may tell us much in that respect.

Entering the New Year in the bottom three is always difficult. The drop zone
is a bit like quick sand, the longer you are in it, the harder it is to get
out. So, the sooner we can get out of the relegation mire, the better. And I
would suggest that the Cardiff City match needs to become 'a line drawn in
the sand' for salvaging our season. A line, demarcating past poor form from
an impending upturn in results. The positive thing is that we are not cut
adrift in the PL, it is still all to play for, but the longer a revival
takes to manifest, the more difficult the task is going to be. If we end up
in a 2006-07 scenerio, needing to win 7 out our final 9 matches, that is
likely to be beyond us. The truth is that back-to-back wins against Cardiff
City and Newcastle Utd are likely to be enough to blast us out of the bottom
three. But, as always, the question is, can this team cobble together
back-to-back wins?

Hopefully, in addition to Collins and Tomkins, both Reid, Carroll and Vaz Te
will return in the coming weeks. Much as been written about Carroll's
injury, but Reid's absence has also been a crucial negative factor. I also
hope that the recent conjecture around Morrison's future is baseless and
that he still has a major role to play in our PL salvation. The club also
need to secure the 'new blood,' in the January window, necessary to
re-energise the squad for the challenging task that lies ahead. In
particular, a couple of good quality strikers could make a world of
difference to our chances of PL survival.

No one knows what is going on behind the scenes at board room level. Maybe a
defeat to Cardiff City will be the final straw for Sullivan and Gold?
Although the probability, as things stand, is that they will stick with Sam
Allardyce's management for the remainder of this season. Even if they do,
and Sam Allardyce is successful in turning things around, the board will
still have to ask themselves some searching questions come May 2014. Amongst
these will be: how do we avoid a repeat of this absolute shambles of a
season; does the present manager still possess the drive and authority to
take the club forward; or is a totally new direction called for in 2014/15?

SJ. Chandos

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HAMMERS STILL HUNTING QUALITY DEFENDER SO GIVE PEACE A CHANCE
By Hugh Southon 9 Jan 2014 at 08:41
West Ham Till I Die

The outrage from certain areas of the Twitter Army following he arrival of
emergency central defender Roger Johnson to West Ham may just have been a
little premature and ill-informed!

No I'm not talking about the lad's 'abilities' or the fact that he's
arriving from League One Wolves, which of course doesn't on the face of it
inspire great confidence.

Indeed a pal of mine – a national newspaperman and diehard Wolves fan – told
me in a conversation earlier today that he really isn't a very good player
and that the Molineux faithful have by and large greeted his move to Upton
Park as "another nail in your relegation coffin unless you are also looking
elsewhere as well."

All the information I've been able to glean from inside the club is that we
are and that another central defender could arrive before the end of the
window as well as a quality striker.

Johnson is here to do an immediate job in circumstances rarely experienced
at any club given our injury crisis and was readily available for tonight's
game against City and the more critical one at Cardiff City at the weekend.

The Hammers are in fact still talking to Manchester City over the
possibility of getting Joleon Lescott into the Boleyn for the remainder of
the season but sadly it's unlikely to happen until near the end of the
window.

David Sullivan and David Gold will have to fork out around £90,000 in wages
– more than they are paying Andy Carroll – to make it happen whilst City
need to find a replacement for the England international.

At the same time City boss Manuel Pellegrini is determined to bring in a top
class replacement for the former Everton player and so long as both clubs
objectives can be fulfilled a deal may be on.

This really isn't the right time to pass judgements on the situation. We are
a mere eight days into the window and when I last looked no transfer had
been done by any club.

Should we find on the 16th of this month that Carlton Cole has been offered
a new deal that will suggest our attempts to attract a top striker are
faltering and should a new central defender not arrive then the shouting can
start.

Until then let's all give peace and the Hammers negotiators a chance!

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West Ham consider move for Chelsea midfielder
Sportsdirectnews.com
Exclusive
by Mark Brus
9th January 2014 5:50pm GMT

West Ham United may look to sign Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien if
Mohamed Diame leaves the club, it has emerged. SportsDirect News learned
yesterday that Diame is considering his future at Upton Park after a
difficult season so far for Sam Allardyce's side, with the likes of
Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur ready to pounce. The departure of the
Senegalese international would leave the Hammers desperately short in
midfield, and it is now believed that Allardyce could look to bring in
Essien, possibly on loan, to help fill that role. Essien has not been a
regular for the Blues this season, and spent the previous campaign on loan
with Real Madrid after an injury-hit few years. Once considered one of the
finest defensive midfield players in Europe, the Ghana international could
still prove a useful signing for West Ham as they look to fight relegation.
The east London club still hope to keep Diame for the rest of the season,
and are as such prioritising moves for attacking players for the moment.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic open to Hammers job
Date: 9th January 2014 at 6:26 pm
Written by: Irons Maiden | Forever West Ham

Current Besiktas manager Slaven Bilic is interested in taking over at West
Ham United should the position become vacant, Sports Direct News
understands.
Following two embarrassing cup performances in the space of two days, the
calls from the West Ham faithful for the board to sack Sam Allardyce has
increased tenfold. The Irons have not won a Premier League game since the
30th November and are well and truly in a relegation dogfight. Big Sam
insists he still has the support of joint-chairmen David Gold and David
Sullivan but failure to get any sort of result against Cardiff City on
Saturday may change that. Bilic played for West Ham in the mid-90s and has
been strongly linked with the West Ham job in the past.

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Di Marzio: Belfodil wants to join West Ham but Parma stops everything1
Siavoush Fallahi Thursday January 9th, 2014
http://www.sempreinter.com/

Gianluca di Marzio reports on his blog that Ishak Belfodil is ready to leave
Inter and that the player wants to join West Ham. Parma who own 50% of the
player are stopping the deal since they want to sell their half to Sassuolo
who are ready to pay 3.5 million euro's for their 50%. The player himself
doesn't want to join Sassuolo and is angry with Parma who don't seem to
change their mind. Parma expert Cihan Dalaba claims that Parma are irritated
over how Inter has acted in the situation and that Parma prefers to sell to
Sassuolo because the Italian club will pay the cash straight away. West Ham
could pay in the summer if they choose to use the option in the contract
which is to late for Parma.

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Disgruntled West Ham fan offers to swap match ticket 'for belly button
fluff'
Thursday 9 Jan 2014 5:04 pm
Metro.co.uk

After back-to-back Cup hammerings and with the club facing a relegation
battle in the Premier League, it's not much fun being a West Ham fan at the
moment.
So it's more than understandable that one disgruntled supporter has offered
to give away his ticket to the club's next match. Hammers fan Dave Quinn
took to Facebook following the Hammers' 6-0 loss to Manchester City this
week to offer his ticket up for their forthcoming clash with Cardiff City.
The game is crucial with both teams needing to win, but with West Ham
playing so badly, Dave doesn't fancy attending the fixture. So he's offering
to trade his ticket for just about anything. No really. He'll accept
anything from a single polo mint to a portion of belly button fluff. He
really does want to get rid of his ticket. You can't blame him…

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West Ham to cut ticket prices for Capital One Cup semi-final second leg
after Man City mauling
By NEIL ASHTON
PUBLISHED: 15:17, 9 January 2014 | UPDATED: 17:28, 9 January 2014
Daily Mail

West Ham are slashing ticket prices for the Capital One Cup semi-final
second leg after their shambolic performance at Manchester City. The club
are expected to announce plans to reduce admission fees following the 6-0
defeat in the first leg on Wednesday at the Etihad Stadium. Adult tickets
for non-season ticket holders were priced from £42 for adults. Season ticket
holders had been asked to pay £32 and upwards for the second leg. But West
Ham were hastily revising their pricing policy on Thursday afternoon amid
fears that fans will turns their back on Sam Allardyce's team. They have no
chance of getting to Wembley in the Capital One Cup and it's a tough sell
after two massive defeats inside four days. The club also plan to take into
account supporters who had already purchased tickets for the second leg.
West Ham were beaten 5-0 at Championship side Nottingham Forest on Sunday
and have conceded 22 goals in their last six games. They travel to Cardiff
in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday and Allardyce is expected to name
Andy Carroll in his squad. The Hammers striker has not played since May 19,
when he started the final game of the season against relegated Reading at
Upton Park. Allardyce also issued a statement to supporters after they
turned on him during Wednesday night's 6-0 thrashing. The manager
challenged fans to turn their anger into a positive against Cardiff.
He wrote: 'You either come out fighting or you sink and die - I come out
fighting as a manager and my staff and players are the same. 'We've got to
get out there, face the music and use it to anger us, if you like, make us
mad, prove them wrong and win football matches. '(The players) can't feel
sorry for themselves. We are professionals and we've got to take the
criticism thrown at us because that's what happens in the game at this
level. We've got to be man enough to take it on the chin and be determined
enough to show people what they think at this particular moment in time is
wrong.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's James Tomkins denies police officer assault
Thursday, January 9, 2014
3:05 PM
London24.com

West Ham defender James Tomkins has denied assaulting a police officer
outside Sugar Hut in Brentwood last month. Tomkins, 24, of Brentwood,
appeared at Basildon Magistrates' Court this morning, where he was also
charged with being drunk and disorderly in a public place and obstructing a
police officer. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges. The footballer
was arrested shortly after midnight on December 22 outside Sugar Hut Village
club in Brentwood High Street. Police were alerted by security staff at the
venue, which has regularly featured on the ITV2 series The Only Way Is
Essex. Tomkins, a former England Under-21 international who appeared for
Team GB at the Olympics last year, had played for West Ham hours before the
incident in their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. He will
be tried at Basildon Magistrates' Court on April 17.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce's gamble has backfired and West Ham will pay the consequences
Posted on January 9, 2014 Guest Blogger
Footballrascal.com

"You can't keep losing football matches as a manager, that's for sure. We
know the reasons why, but even those reasons will not save you in the end."

Sam Allardyce can be accused of many things, but a lack of pragmatism
certainly wasn't one of them, as the West Ham manager showed in the
post-match interview after last night's 6-0 mauling at the hands of
Manchester City. Unfortunately for him, his side and the fans who traveled
to Nottingham and Manchester over the last five days only to see their club
conceding 11 goals to nil – and will now be charged £42 for a ticket in the
return leg – yesterday's press conference was just about the first time Big
Sam showed an ounce of common sense this week.

Without a league win in seven games, during which his side had only picked
up two points, Allardyce opted to field an extremely weakened side away at
Nottingham Forest on Saturday and suffered a humbling 5-0 defeat as West Ham
waved goodbye to the FA Cup. Forget about the Hammers disrespecting the FA
Cup and, even though it's a lot harder, about the fact that the West Ham
manager virtually hung his youngsters out to dry on Saturday, as they were
humiliated on national television. The reason why Allardyce opted to rest
the majority of his senior players at the City Ground was that his side had
a Capital One Cup semifinal coming up and the former Bolton manager thought
his side had a better chance of reaching Wembley in the League Cup and opted
to sacrifice the FA Cup. A rather logical assumption, one might say, except
that after last night's shellacking at the Etihad, Allardyce claimed that
his side were simply not good enough to compete against City and that a
defeat was almost inevitable. "What do you expect when you've got lads on
free transfers playing against players that have cost hundreds and hundreds
of millions of pounds? You can do better than we did, but we'd need a fully
fit squad," said Allardyce.
"I had a left-back playing centre-half that we got on a free transfer
[George McCartney] and that's not fair on him really, having to play against
[Alvaro] Negredo and Dzeko. "We got [on-loan Wolves defender] Roger Johnson
in and I thought he did OK, even though we lost 6-0. "It's not a good time
for us to lose 6-0 but it's not like they haven't done it to anyone else.
They've done Manchester United [4-1], done Tottenham [6-0], Arsenal [6-3],
and we have to face the fact that they're miles better than us."

While City have indeed been mightily impressive at home, if the West Ham
manager hoped to use some reverse psychology to spark his players into life
ahead of the weekend his strategy failed miserably. Either Allardyce was
convinced West Ham had a chance to keep their hopes of reaching Wembley
alive until the second leg, in which case his post-game comments are simply
ludicrous, or he knew that knocking City was mission impossible and
shouldn't have forfeited the FA Cup.

On Saturday, West Ham travel to Cardiff on the back of two traumatising
defeats, of which at least one could have been if not avoidable at least not
as chastening as it proved to be, while now the confidence of Big Sam's men
is as shattered as the bodies of some of them.

The mood in South Wales has improved after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer replaced
Malky Mackay in the Bluebirds' dugout and while any manager working under
Vincent Tan will never be able to relax, few would bet on West Ham clinching
the three points they desperately need to drag themselves out of the
relegation zone.

Safety is only three points adrift but with fellow strugglers Crystal Palace
finding some momentum under Tony Pulis and Sunderland riding high on the
wave of excitement generated by edging a step closer to a cup final, West
Ham could soon find themselves rock bottom.

That, coupled with an absolutely horrendous run-in that sees them hosting
Liverpool and Spurs, before traveling to Arsenal and Manchester City in the
last six weeks of the campaign paints a doomsday scenario for the East
Londoners.

West Ham, admittedly, have had rotten luck with injuries this season and
Allardyce's decision – backed by the board – to place almost all his eggs
into an Andy Carroll-shaped basket has catastrophically backfired, while
other members of the squad are simply not good to play at this level.

In that, Big Sam was right, West Ham can't compete with the likes of
Manchester City and other bigger clubs and survival must be their priority
but it's hard to see how conceding 11 goals over two games could help their
confidence.

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West Ham and Werder Bremen are both keen on Juventus defender Marco Motta.
Insidefutbol.com

The 27-year-old full-back has spent the last two seasons out on loan away
from Turin, taking in spells with Catania and Bologna. Back at Juventus this
season, Motta has found earning first team football to be a difficult task,
being restricted to just two appearances in Serie A, with both of those
coming from the bench.
According to Italian daily Tuttosport, Motta could be set to be handed an
escape route this month, with Premier League side West Ham and Bundesliga
outfit Werder Bremen both keen. Any deal would be likely to be on an initial
loan, taking Motta until the end of the campaign, with an option to make
that permanent should he impress. A product of Atalanta's youth system,
Motta has enjoyed a well-travelled career within Italy. In addition to
Juventus, Catania and Bologna, the defender, who has one single senior Italy
cap to his name, has also turned out for Udinese, Torino and Roma.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former West Ham Defender Julian Dicks Calls for Sam Allardyce Sacking
Insidefutbol.com
Thursday, 9th January, 2013

Former West Ham defender Julian Dicks believes that Sam Allardyce should be
sacked as the club's manager. West Ham are struggling near the foot of the
Premier League and have been on the end of two heavy defeats in their last
two games. Championship side Nottingham Forest tore the Hammers apart at the
weekend, knocking them out of the FA Cup 5-0. Manchester City went one
better than that last night, when they recorded a score of 6-0 against
Allardyce's men in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final. And for
Dicks, it is time for Allardyce to be shown the door. "I can't [see how
Allardyce can continue]. How can you?", he told the BBC. "The football isn't
good, the lack of passion and pride is awful. I understand where fans are
coming from. "You just can't blame the manager, you just can't blame the
players. Sam picks the players, if they don't perform they have to look at
themselves. "We all have bad games, we all make mistakes but what you expect
from every single game from your mates, your team-mates, is 100%. "We all
have bad games as a part of football but to watch some of them play is
embarrassing to be honest with you." West Ham are next in action at the
weekend in what is shaping up to be a relegation "six-pointer" away at
Cardiff City.

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3 signings that could save 'Big Sam's' job at West Ham
HITC.com
Josh McLoughlin
5 hours ago

Sam Allardyce is under extreme pressure at West Ham United and needs to turn
things around. Manchester City, Monaco and Ghana national feature. As if a
5-0 defeat to Championship side Nottingham Forest on Sunday wasn't bad
enough, West Ham followed it up with another huge loss to Manchester City.
Manuel Pellegrini's rampant side managed to put six goals past The Hammers
with no reply to all but secure their place in the Capital One Cup Final.
Sam Allardyce's side are currently in 19th place in the Premier League with
just 15 points from 20 games. They have not won any of their last six
matches, losing five of them and conceding 22 goals in the process. They
have also only managed to score five in that time. It is clear Allardyce
needs reinforcements to strengthen both defence and the the attack. Big Sam
has said he will fight on and many have said that there aren't many better
managers out there to get a club out of a situation like this. Andy Carroll
has returned to training but they still need to bring in a few players.
David Gold and David Sullivan have again lent their support and have backed
the manager. It seems as if they will give him the chance to pull them out
of danger.

Here are three players Allardyce should sign who can give West Ham the boost
they need.

Joleon Lescott

Lescott is currently out of favour at Manchester City and has been for some
time. He hasn't been able to hold down a first team place at the club for a
couple of seasons now. He is still one of the best English centre backs
around and will be looking to move on to give himself a good chance of
making England's World Cup squad. Let's not forget how important he was in
City's title triumph in the 2011-2012 season, he was part of a formidable
partnership with Vincent Kompany. Pellegrini has said he doesn't want him to
leave, but Lescott will want first-team football. The leader that West Ham
need.

Lacina Traore

Lacina Traore recently joined Monaco from Anzhi Makhachkala so it seems
strange to see him linked with a move to West Ham. Monaco however are
willing to lend him out on loan until the end of the season and The Hammers
are in pole position to sign him temporarily. The London Evening Standard
have reported that a deal is already in place and they are just waiting on a
work permit. Traore is a tall striker who can be used as a target man which
will favour Allardyce's style of play. However he is not just a one
trick-pony as he is also a pacey striker who is good with his feet. He can
help ease the burden on Carroll when he comes back and will certainly bring
goals to the side.

Asamoah Gyan

Gyan was superb in the Premier League during his time at Sunderland.
Unfortunately it was only a short spell, but he could be keen on returning
in a loan deal. In the 2010-2011 season, Gyan wowed us with his exploits in
the Premier League scoring some cracking goals so it was a surprise to see
him leave on loan the next season when he joined Al-Ain in the United Arab
Emirates and then joined permanently with a reported salary of £140,000 a
week after taxes. His record there is phenomenal with 64 goals in 49 games.
He must want to play in a better standard league however, and West Ham
should go all out to give him this opportunity.

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West Ham United fans 'throw Roger Johnson's shirt back to him'
By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter
Filed: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 13:28 UK
Last Updated: Thursday, January 9, 2014 at 13:29 UK

A collection of West Ham United fans have reportedly rejected Roger Johnson,
just a matter of days after he signed for the club on loan from
Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 30-year-old defender, who made the move to
Upton Park on Monday, made his debut in West Ham's heavy 6-0 defeat to
Manchester City last night. After the first leg of the Capital One Cup
semi-final, Johnson threw his shirt into the Hammers crowd at the Etihad
Stadium, only to have it thrown back at him, according to the Express &
Star. Johnson will remain at West Ham on loan until the close of the season.

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Morrison wants to quit West Ham this month as Fulham boss Meulensteen eyes
£5m bid for former United star
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 13:02, 9 January 2014 | UPDATED: 13:41, 9 January 2014
Daily Mail

Ravel Morrison does not see a long-term future for himself at West Ham and
is keen to leave this month. The England Under-21 international has been a
rare bright spot during the Upton Park club's dismal season. Sam Allardyce
has denied Morrison will be made available for transfer ahead of the
transfer deadline.
But Morrison has told close pals he is ready to quit the club, leaving
Allardyce with another major problem to deal with. The former Manchester
United youngster's existing deal expires at the end of the next season. West
Ham are keen to extend his £15,000-per-week deal, but Morrison is reluctant
to do so.
It means the Hammers will have to sell Morrison in this transfer window, or
in the summer, to avoid the prospect of losing the talented 20-year-old on a
free transfer. Fulham have shown a firm interest in Morrison ahead of the
transfer deadline at the end of the month. Cottagers boss Rene Meulensteen
wants to use his relationship with Morrison to tempt him across London.
Meulensteen worked with Morrison at Manchester United, and the West Ham
forward is known to have enjoyed working with the Dutchman.

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Sam Allardyce's troubled time at West Ham could emulate his Newcastle nadir
Two heavy cup defeats have fuelled the fans' discontent, more of the same
could spell the end for West Ham's manager
The Guardian

Six years ago on Friday Sam Allardyce woke up an unemployed man, the scars
of his sacking by Newcastle United still hurting. If that remains the most
regrettable period of his career – he was only in charge for eight months –
Allardyce's current predicament at West Ham United does not lag far behind.

At Newcastle his appointment was met with severe scepticism, to put it
mildly. Despite previous success with Bolton and an interview for the
England job, the purists on Tyneside outweighed the pragmatists. Change the
accents and the Barking Road in June 2011 could have been the Gallowgate in
2007.

Supporters who meet an appointment with muted, if any, enthusiasm will
always be more eager to call for an execution, and the numbers keen to see
Allardyce remain in the post are certainly dwindling.

His reception at Eastlands during the 6-0 debacle at Manchester City said it
all. Angry chants emanated from the away support as Allardyce watched his
side give up without a semblance of a fight, yet there remain those who
believe alternative options are limited. Ten years ago if a side was
languishing in the bottom three as West Ham are, supporters would have
welcomed Allardyce with open arms.

Injuries have hampered the Hammers hugely this year, but some argue that
such reliance on Andy Carroll was a mistake in itself. The striker is
expected to be on the bench for Saturday's game at Cardiff, while the club
are still waiting on a work permit before any deal for Lacina Traoré can be
completed.

Allardyce described promotion from the Championship as one of his finest
achievements, yet despite a 10th place finish in the Premier League last
season, this campaign has been an undoubted catastrophe. George McCartney's
assertion that against City "there wasn't much in it for the first 10
minutes", said it all.

Despite the injuries, six players who started in Manchester, a defeat that
followed arguably greater embarrassment at Nottingham Forest, were also
named in Allardyce's starting XI on the opening day of the season. That
number would have been increased by two had Kevin Nolan not been suspended
and Adrián not preferred to Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Before the losses at City and Forest, a poll of the West Ham online fanzine
Knees Up Mother Brown showed that a small majority still wanted Allardyce in
the job. However, their editor, Graeme Howlett, believes that number may
have shifted.

"The last two results are almost unprecedented in recent history," he said.
"Allardyce's insistence that he had no option but to throw the kids in en
masse at Nottingham Forest last weekend bore some semblance of rationality
given our extensive injury list, but his position was weakened somewhat
having served up a second helping of tripe in the space of just three days
by meekly surrendering to the ridiculously talented – yet far from
invincible – Manchester City with his strongest available team.

"Sam's appointment was never fully welcomed nor accepted by the fan base as
a whole and some of his detractors have used the current crisis as a
convenient vehicle upon which to vent their anger and frustration. However
there are also large numbers of fans who initially welcomed his arrival and
are now calling for his immediate replacement.

"There is a certain amount of sympathy for Allardyce given the chronic
injury crisis, however it remains the case that we failed to gain sufficient
points when all bar Andy Carroll were fit at the start of the season. It's
certainly a convenient excuse for our current position."

Ali Worth, a member of the West Ham Supporter Advisory Board, believes the
club's performance against City compared unfavourably with the fight put up
by Crystal Palace in the Premier League in December. She said: "There was a
big difference in quality, but Palace went and held them for most of the
game. We didn't even bother turning up. Would we be better off without a
manager?

"It's not just about these two games, it's about our league position
overall. We've stupidly bought just one player and wasted all our money on a
guy who is injured. If they sack him there is a big compensation package. It
might not do us any good to get rid of him now, although it pains me to say
it."

Neville Nixon, editor of westhamfans.org, said: "Most people who need
someone to rescue them in this situation would call Sam Allardyce. It's
better the devil you know, but it will be a miracle if we stay up."

David Sullivan and David Gold's open letter in support of their manager
earlier in the week was perceived by some as a fatal vote of confidence,
ahead of a three-week period that includes matches against Chelsea and
Newcastle. The club continues to back Allardyce and insists it will do so
for the foreseeable future. More of the same, though, would surely spell
another desperate dismissal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: West Ham boss in 'serious peril after pathetic loss'
Phil McNulty CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER, BBC SPORT
9 January 2014
Last updated at 06:46

Sam Allardyce sat motionless in his seat for 39 painful minutes at The
Etihad, shrouded in a black hood as protection from the rain but without any
defence in every other aspect. Manchester City were two goals ahead without
breaking sweat and this Capital One Cup semi-final was already over the
hills and far away from West Ham United when Allardyce finally rose to his
feet and moved into his technical area. The impact was instant - Yaya Toure
moved at no great pace at a West Ham defence retreating so quickly they were
threatening to join their supporters behind the goal before scoring City's
third goal in almost apologetic fashion.

As moments of managerial inspiration go, Allardyce had delivered the reverse
of The Midas Touch. The Minus Touch if you like. It summed up Allardyce's
current plight and was a moment that encapsulated a performance that can
take its place with some ease among the worst in this fine club's recent
history.
Manchester City went on to win 6-0. They are at Wembley, the second leg at
Upton Park is an exercise in futility and West Ham and Allardyce produced a
night that was an utter embarrassment for manager and club.

Allardyce rested players for Sunday's FA Cup third round tie at Nottingham
Forest. West Ham lost 5-0 and this revamped, supposedly refreshed side
actually managed to produce something even worse. So not exactly a cunning
plan. Indeed this was so poor, so devoid of any redeeming features, that it
carried all the hallmarks of a manager in serious peril.

West Ham's co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold penned an open letter of
public understanding for Allardyce and a show of concern for their
supporters after Sunday. Sympathy for the manager was in short supply here.
Sullivan and Gold's letter must be taken in good faith. They have a track
record of loyalty to managers and when they backed Allardyce be sure they
meant it. The big problem for Allardyce was that once Edin Dzeko made it 5-0
on the hour after Alvaro Negredo completed his hat-trick and Toure had
scored, the atmosphere among West Ham's fans turned toxic. Good humour and
great patience finally snapped among fans who had every right to feel
insulted by what they had been offered in exchange for a 400-mile round trip
and an expensive night out in a Manchester downpour. On the grounds of good
taste, let's just say Allardyce was invited in the most colourful and
abusive terms to leave West Ham United. Often.

"We Want Our West Ham Back" was another more printable chant, perhaps aimed
more in the direction of a grim-faced Sullivan underneath his trademark
Russian hat in The Etihad directors' box. Some recalled the so-called
"Valentine's Day Massacre" not so far away at Oldham Athletic in 1990, when
West Ham were also thrashed 6-0 in a League Cup semi-final. That was bad -
but it would have had to be very bad to be worse than this.

Sullivan and Gold may have given their support to Allardyce but mutiny was
in the air among the supporters. When they turn against a manager to the
extent that was seen and heard at The Etihad, it is fiendishly difficult to
win them back - and the noises off were all very ominous for Allardyce's
long-term prospects.
It is not stretching the point to record that 6-0 was ultimately a hugely
flattering scoreline for West Ham. It was cruelly suggested by one observer
that City could have removed all their players during the half-time interval
and still won with something to spare.

The only serious moment of concern for City manager Manuel Pellegrini and
his players came when West Ham appealed in vain for a corner in the second
half.
If it was not for the fine performance of goalkeeper Adrian, whose efforts
were rightly acknowledged by West Ham fans when he went to them at the final
whistle, double figures would have easily achieved by a magnificent
Manchester City side.

As Allardyce rightly pointed out, they are not the first team to be beaten
out of sight at Manchester City this season and will not be the last. City's
incredible record of 59 goals in 15 homes games tells you that. Their
overall record of 92 goals in 31 matches adds emphasis. He also had every
right to be heard when he pointed out the loss of important defenders James
Collins, James Tomkins and Winston Reid, although pleas on behalf of the
absent Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll should fall on deaf ears. One has
developed a nasty habit of being sent off and the other is more of a rumour
than an actual Premier League performer these days.

Allardyce made the expensive mistake of seemingly formulating his whole
season's tactical approach around a £15m striker with a track record of
injuries - who promptly picked up a serious injury. The eggs have fallen
through this one, broken basket. This is some of the case for Allardyce's
defence and must be made. The prosecution, however has much weightier prime
exhibits after these harrowing last four days and those thousands of fans
whose spirit was finally broken returned their own very unflattering
verdict.

Danny Mills Former Manchester City defender on BBC Radio 5 live. "I don't
think being out-classed is the problem. For me, it was the sheer lack of
effort. After they were battered by Nottingham Forest, you would expect West
Ham's senior players to put a shift in and show the younger players how
difficult it is to get in to the first team. But they didn't show anything."

West Ham, and this word is chosen carefully, were pathetic. Yes, there were
some mitigating circumstances but nothing can cover up what was a shameful
display. It is quite an accusation to blame professional players for a lack
of effort but it was clear pretty much every member of West Ham's team did
not have the stomach for a fight here. And it was clear very early on.

Seasoned England internationals such as Joe Cole and Stewart Downing were
here, 90 caps between them, but you would not have noticed. They barely
touched the ball. This was almost a non-contact night. No fight (barely a
tackle was made) and no organisation, which is usually base camp for any
Allardyce team. This did not look like a side determined to keep their
manager in his job. The only flash of aggression came when Mark Noble was
replaced by Alou Diarra after 57 minutes and, disgruntled, decided to bandy
words with City's fans who taunted him as he left the pitch.

Allardyce talked defiantly of fighting the good fight, getting up in the
morning to get his players "heads up, shoulders back and chests out" ahead
of a vital game at Cardiff City this weekend. This will be of no consolation
to the West Ham fans making their way back to east London as the rain still
poured down.
Sullivan and Gold may still back their man but reality dictates that any
more results like this will only ramp up the open discontent among
supporters and increase the pressure on Allardyce. He may, as per their open
letter, be able to count on the support of his immediate superiors but the
voices of a passionate support will also carry weight at West Ham - and
Allardyce would have struggled to find any backing after his second complete
embarrassment inside a week.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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