Daily WHUFC News - 26th January 2014

Borriello signs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce the loan signing of Marco Borriello from AS Roma
25.01.2014

West Ham United are delighted to announce their second signing of the day - Italy international Marco Borriello has joined on loan until the end of the 2013/14 season. Capped seven times, Borriello joins the Hammers from Serie A club AS Roma and will add strength, presence and goals to Sam Allardyce's squad.
The 31-year-old has spent the past decade in the Italian top-flight, appearing in the UEFA Champions League scoring nearly 100 career goals - many of them spectacular - for Roma, AC Milan, Juventus and Genoa, among others. Born in Naples in June 1982, Borriello joined AC Milan as a schoolboy before making his senior debut during a loan spell at Serie C2 side Triestina in 2001. Ten goals in 27 Serie C1 appearances for loan club Treviso led to Borriello making his Serie A debut for AC Milan against Perugia on 21 September 2002. After further loan spells with Serie A clubs Empoli, Reggina, Sampdoria and Treviso, Borriello enjoyed a breakthrough season with Genoa - who had acquired co-ownership of the striker - in 2007/08. That season, the forward scored his first career hat-trick against Udinese in September 2007. A treble in the reverse fixture in February 2008 helped Borriello to 19 goals in 35 Serie A appearances. The Neapolitan spent the next two seasons with AC Milan, with 2009/10 being particularly successful - Borriello netted 14 goals in 26 league games and his maiden UEFA Champions League strike against French side Marseille. Borriello moved to Roma in summer 2010, despite reported interest from Barclays Premier League side Manchester City, and continued to find the net regularly, netting 17 in all competitions. A change of manager saw the forward fall out of favour at the Stadio Olimpico and Borriello moved to Juventus on loan in January 2012, helping the Old Lady to win the Serie A title and reach the Italian Cup final.
After spending the 2012/13 season with Genoa, he returned to Roma for a second spell last summer, making eleven Serie A appearances this season. At international level, Borriello made his Italy debut as a substitute for Luca Toni in a 3-1 friendly win over Belgium in Florence in May 2008. He has since featured in five further friendlies and a Euro 2012 qualifier with Northern Ireland in October 2010.

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Hammers net Nocerino
WHUFC.com
Antonio Nocerino has joined West Ham United on loan from AC Milan until the end of the season
25.01.2014

West Ham United are delighted to announce the arrival of AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino on loan until the end of the season. The 28-year-old has been capped by his country on 15 occasions, going to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Euro 2012, where he scored one of the penalties that knocked out England at the quarter-final stage. Born in Naples, Nocerino's career began at Juventus, where he played 32 league games, as well as gaining experience with loan spells at the likes of Genoa, Messina and Piacenza. He moved on to Palermo in 2008 and went on to establish himself at the Sicilian club in a three-year spell which yielded 106 league outings and six goals. After helping the Rosanero qualify for the UEFA Europa League, Nocerino left for AC Milan in the summer of 2011, making his UEFA Champions League debut shortly afterwards when Milan drew 2-2 with Barcelona. His first goal for Milan came against his former club Palermo, and a successful first season at the San Siro also included a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory over Parma. The Neapolitan notched eleven goals in all in the 2011/12 campaign and backed that up with a further 31 appearances last term. With eleven Serie A games and two appearances in the Champions League under his belt in 2013/14, Nocerino will now be bringing his talents to the Barclays Premier League with the Hammers.

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Guy gearing up for return
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel is working hard to prove his fitness ahead of Wednesday's capital clash with Chelsea
26.01.2014

Guy Demel expects to be back at the peak of his powers sooner rather than later, after stepping up his recovery from the nasty concussion he suffered at Cardiff City. The powerful full-back played an hour in Thursday's friendly at home to Tottenham Hotspur and happily reported feeling better for the outing.
Demel now plans to put in the hard yards over the coming days, as he looks forward to a prospective Barclays Premier League return at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. He told whufc.com: "It's good to be on the pitch now, I'm happy to feel that I'm getting back to normal. I still have a couple of days of hard work to be sure that I'll be ready for the next game. "I'm working hard with the physios and with fitness coaches and I'm sure the extra couple of days before Chelsea will be useful. I'll be alright. "I'm obviously a little bit tired because the shock lowered my energy levels as well, as if I've been out for a month or something. "It's an hour and it's always good to have game practice, better sometimes than training sessions, especially when you play a team like that. They came here with a lot of international players, so it was a really good test."

Chelsea's team, too, will be awash with seasoned internationals, but Demel is approaching Wednesday's clash like any other, insistent that anything is possible. The 32-year-old Ivorian cares not for reputations, concentrating all his efforts on improving the Hammers' modest points tally. "Every game is winnable," he added. "It depends how prepared you are and how focused you are. I think that even Chelsea is a winnable game. Of course they're a big team but it's a football game and when I step onto the pitch each weekend I'm not expecting to lose - no matter which team is in front of me. That's not the way I grew up and it's not the way I see things. "Of course there will be some opponents that might be slightly easier, so to speak, but we just have to get the points. It doesn't matter where we get them, we just need points, points, points. It's not like [it's extra special] because we beat Chelsea, no, I just want points!"

While the Hammers will, no doubt, have to defend well at Stamford Bridge, Demel insists it will take a collective effort to keep the Blues at bay. But the the right-back is, of course, pleased to see defensive numbers swell, with James Collins and James Tomkins both back in the reckoning, and Winston Reid not too far behind either. "When you talk about defending, you defend with ten players on the pitch plus the goalkeeper, not only the defenders," he continued. "As a team we have to perform well. If you want the defence to be solid we have to play well and the defence can then make the difference. "We're now going to have some players back on board, but it's really hard when you come back from injury for a long time to go straight back into that type of environment. Winston Reid will be really important, James Collins is getting better and Tomkins is back, I hope Joey will be back soon too."

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U18s beat the Blues
WHUFC.com
First-half goals from Kieran Bywater and Jordan Brown fire the U18s to a 2-0 home win over Chelsea
25.01.2014

West Ham United U18s continued their charge toward the summit of the Barclays U18 Premier League with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Little Heath on Saturday.
Captain Kieran Bywater added yet another to his season's goal tally early in the piece, before Jordan Brown doubled the Hammers' lead with only 24 minutes gone.

Victory sees West Ham stay second in the South Group, two points behind leaders Fulham who came from behind to win 2-1 at Reading. Steve Potts' men were again without defenders Reece Burke and Jamie Harney, so schoolboy Josh Pask partnered Emmanuel Onariase at centre-half, just as he did in last weekend's 1-0 success at Norwich City. It was the Hammers who made the early running and were rewarded with the opening goal after just five minutes. As the ball was worked into the Chelsea penalty area, Brown held it up before playing in Bywater, who finished into the bottom right-hand corner. Skipper Bywater's 15th league goal of the campaign saw the hosts firmly on the front foot and Josh Cullen might have added a second, but fired well wide having been teed up Amos Nasha. Chelsea, however, then had three chances in a matter of minutes, all from Charly Musonda free-kicks. While the first failed to trouble 'keeper Sam Howes, the second was narrowly headed over the top by Tammy Abraham, before Howes tipped a third over the crossbar. But having escaped unscathed at one end, West Ham were soon celebrating a second at the other. Brown profited from a mix-up in the Chelsea ranks to get a low shot away, one that proved too strong for Bradley Collins to keep out. The Hammers continued to control proceedings after the break, with both Pask and Onariase spurning headed chances from corner kicks. Chelsea, for their part, went close to halving the deficit when Chike Kandi collected a long through ball, clattering past Howes, before hurriedly hitting the bar with the goal at his mercy. The high-flying U18s return to action next Saturday, when they entertain West Bromwich Albion in a midday kick-off at Little Heath.

West Ham United U18s: Howes, Pike, Pask, Onariase, Page, Cullen, Makasi, Nasha, Mavila, Brown, Bywater (Parfitt-Williams)
Subs not used: Guzman, Martins, Amoo, Oxford

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Rocket backs Hammers to lift-off
WHUFC.com
Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan has given his support to West Ham United's survival bid
25.01.2014

Snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan knows a thing or two about comebacks. O'Sullivan took a break from the game a year ago before returning to win his fifth world title in April 2013. Last weekend, 'The Rocket' blasted to his fifth Masters victory at London's Alexandra Palace. By way of celebration, the 38-year-old brought his son to watch West Ham United take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at the Boleyn Ground. While the Hammers may have lost on Tuesday evening, Chigwell-based O'Sullivan has backed the east London Club to pull themselves clear of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone, while also revealing that he has close links with West Ham. A keen runner, O'Sullivan trains alongside Club chaplain and keen sprinter Rev Alan Bolding, 73, at Woodford Green Athletic Club. "I have known Alan for years and I know he has close links with West Ham and he's always telling me how it is going over here and he's a good lad," the snooker legend told West Ham TV. "[Some people have put my good snooker form down to my running] but I think people read so much into stuff these days. I just think that I'm blessed with a talent and when it comes together I find it easy and that's it, really. "I just run to keep trim and keep fit and so I don't implode as I get older."

Even by his own unrivalled standards, O'Sullivan was in outstanding form at Alexandra Palace, brushing aside the Robert Milkins, Ricky Walden, Stephen Maguire and Mark Selby, winning 28 frames and losing just seven in the process. "Any victory is good but as you get a bit older you start to appreciate them a little bit more, I think. When you're young, you think it's never going to end, but as you get a little bit older you see the players you grew up with fade away, and think it's only a matter of time before that happens to me. "You get a bit more wily as you get older, so I enjoy it more now. I've been around the block a few times and now I enjoy pitting myself against the younger players coming through."

A football fan in general rather than a supporter of a particular club, O'Sullivan enjoys watching the sport played at a high level. "My son is mad into football. He loves Arsenal and Man City and I brought him here because Man City are playing West Ham. My best mate and manager is friends with the owners of West Ham, so I'm here supporting West Ham. "They are all top-quality players at Man City and just that little bit better than the rest and that's how it is in sport in general."

While City are enjoying an all-conquering season, O'Sullivan says West Ham need to 'dig in' if they are to turn things around at the other end of the Barclays Premier League table. "You've got to dig in. There are times in your career when not everything goes well for you but in bad games you've still got to find a a way of winning and that's what separates the best from the rest. "I'm sure West Ham will come through it. They've got great fans and great support so I hope they come through this and stay in the Premier League and have a better season next season."

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West Ham sign Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino
BBC.co.uk

West Ham United have signed Roma striker Marco Borriello and AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino on loan until the end of the season. Both players are Italy internationals, with Borriello having won seven caps and Nocerino playing 15 times. Borriello, 31, has made 11 Serie A appearances this season for title-chasing Roma, scoring once. Nocerino, 28, has played 16 times this season, including in the Champions League. He began his career with Juventus and joined Palermo in 2008 before moving to the San Siro in 2011. The Naples-born player was part of the Italy team which knocked England out of Euro 2012 in the quarter-finals. Borriello started his senior career at Milan, having several spells away on loan before joining Roma in 2010. He had a loan spell with Juventus in 2012 and spent last season with Genoa. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is looking to strengthen his struggling squad and failed in a bid, reportedly worth £3.5m, to sign Leeds United striker Ross McCormack on Friday.

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What did the Romans ever do for us?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have completed their second signing of the day - Roma striker Marco Borriello, who joins on loan. The 31-year-old former Italian international completed his move to Upton Park a matter of hours after fellow countryman Antonio Nocerino - who also joins on loan for the remainder of the 2013/14 campaign - was confirmed as a Hammer. Roma confirmed the deal has been struck earlier this afternoon in a brief press release. "AS Roma announces that it has signed to West Ham United the contract for the temporary transfer of the rights to the player Borriello, until 30 June 2014, for a consideration of € 0.7 million," it read. Borriello has played for a number of top flight clubs including Juventus, Milan and Sampdoria prior to arriving at Roma for £10million in 2010. Yet despite the large fee, the 6'1" forward has made just 18 appearances for i Giallorossi, having spent more time out on loan since.
Last season he spent the entire campaign with Genoa, for whom he scored 12 times in 28 Serie A appearances. His 11 games for his parent club this term have yielded just one goal so far, that coming in the 1-0 win over Chievo at the end of October.

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Forza West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have completed the signing of Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino - with Roma striker Marco Borriello set to follow. The Club confirmed this afternoon (Saturday) that Nocerino had completed his move to West Ham, where he will remain for the rest of the season. It is expected that 31-year-old Borriello will be announced as a second arrival from Serie A soon. Nocerino has been with Milan since 2011, since when he has made 87 appearances for the Rossoneri. Capped 15 times for Italy since making his international debut in 2007, the midfielder last appeared for his country in the 2012 European Championships and the 0-0 draw with England. Boriello has played for a number of top flight clubs including Juventus, Milan and Sampdoria prior to arriving at Roma for £10million in 2010. Yet despite the large fee, the 6'1" forward has made just 18 appearances for i Giallorossi, having spent more time out on loan since. Last season he spent the entire campaign with Genoa, for whom he scored 12 times in 28 Serie A appearances. His 11 games for his parent club this term have yielded just one goal so far, that coming in the 1-0 win over Chievo at the end of October.

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Di Canio plots West Ham return
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 25th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham legend Paolo Di Canio has insisted that he will return to West Ham as manager - one day. The former Hammers striker was speaking in an interview with the BBC's Football Focus this lunchtime, in the wake of his recent sacking from Sunderland. When asked what the future held for him, Di Canio replied: "To be a manager in England. It's obvious." And when asked about a potential return to east London, he added: "They [the fans] chant my name all the time, even years ago before I was a manager. Because of my experiences there, they were always my family. "Everybody know it'd be special for me to return. But I don't want to say now, it's not fair [on the current manager]. All I can say is one day, before the end, before I go up [to heaven] or down [to Hell] or whatever place they're going to send me, it has to happen. It's obvious. "That is my destiny."

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West Ham complete deals for Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello
Last Updated: 25/01/14 5:37pm
SSN

West Ham have completed the loan signings of Italy internationals Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello. Milan midfielder Nocerino and Roma striker Marco Borriello both join on deals until the end of the season. Nocerino has been capped 15 times by Italy and played at Euro 2012, but he has made just 11 appearances in this season's Serie A. Borriello won the last of his seven caps in 2011 and has been a bit-part player for Roma this term, starting only six games. But Sam Allardyce has identified the 31-year-old as a potential solution to his side's goalscoring problems: they have managed just 22 in as many Premier League games. West Ham have also made a failed bid for Leeds captain Ross McCormack in recent days.

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TRANSFER NEWS - FOUR ON THE RADAR
By Tony Hanna 25 Jan 2014 at 12:35
West Ham Till I Die

Whilst the first few weeks of the January transfer window have been disappointing, the last 24 hours has seen West Ham strongly linked with no less than four players. It is reported that Marco Borriello, a 31yo Italian striker from Roma, has signed a temporary deal that will keep him at Upton Park until the end of this season. Reports suggest he will have a medical over the weekend. Borriello made his debut for Milan in 2002 and played 54 matches for them over the next 9 seasons. The reason for so few appearances with Milan was that he spent the majority of the time out on loan to no less than seven other clubs! He signed a permanent deal with Roma in 2010 and since then has been loaned out to Juventus and Genoa. Nuff said – we will almost certainly get him with that track record.

The second player we are being strongly linked with is Italian midfield player Antonio Nocerino. The 28yo midfielder has flown in to London today and is expected to accept a similar deal as Borriello. Nocerino made his debut in 2003 for Juventus and played 32 times for the club in five years. Again, like Borriello, he spent most of his time out on loan to six different clubs. He enjoyed a good spell at Palermo before becoming a Milan player in 2011. He was used as a holding midfielder in his time at Palermo but his move to Milan saw him play a more attacking role from midfield. Nocerino has not been in good form of late and Squawka stats show that when he dribbles he has a 90% chance of losing the ball, his tackle success is 48% and he loses 75% of aerial duels. On the positive side, both Borriello (pictured) and Nocerino have represented Italy at National level.

The third player we have made a move for us Leeds striker and captain, Ross McCormack. It is believed we have made a 3 million pound offer for the Scottish player but Leeds are holding out for a bigger offer. Leeds director David Haigh has confirmed West Ham made the bid and it is likely we will sign the player if we up the ante. Over the past five seasons McCormack has averaged a goal every three games for Cardiff and his current club Leeds United. He has represented Scotland on ten occasions scoring two goals.

Finally, sources claim that Cameroon midfielder Raoul Loe has flown to London to undergo a medical before a possible 2 million pound move from Spanish club Osasuna. Loe is a defensive midfielder who has one cap for the Cameroon National side. He is 24yo and stands at 6'4". With two midfielders and two strikers on the radar it would seem that Maiga and Diarra would be two players we are hoping to offload prior to the deadline.

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10 POINT PLEDGE REPORT CARD
By Sean Whetstone 25 Jan 2014 at 08:35
West Ham Till I Die

In 2010 the then new West Ham board made a 10 point pledge. The 4 year anniversary of their take over passed a few weeks ago and I thought it would be ideal time to review how their 10 point pledge is progressing and give my personal verdict.

1. Appoint the right manager

Our efforts are focused on recruiting a high-calibre manager with the necessary experience to deliver good football and, most importantly, results. A shortlist of candidates has been identified and the appointment will be made with enough time to prepare for pre-season.

VERDICT: FAIL Maybe he was the right manager for the championship and he did well getting 10th place last season but most fans would agree he is not the right manager for this season. 68% of fans think he is not the right manager in the recent WHTID poll.

2. Sign new players

For too long, the focus has been on players leaving rather than arriving. We will strengthen in the right areas to ensure an exciting and balanced squad that is well placed to cope with the rigours of a Premier League season. Our main aim will be to bring in players hungry to do well who share our ambitions and aspirations.

VERDICT: UNDECIDED It could be argued our squad are neither exciting or balanced and they are struggling to cope with the rigours of a Premier League this season.

3. More investment in the Academy

Tony Carr remains at the heart of the club and his work in developing future first-team players remains essential for the long-term success of this club. We will make sure homegrown talent nurtured in the 'West Ham way' will always be given the chance to complement established players brought in from elsewhere.

VERDICT: FAIL Disappointing that few home grown talent have progressed to play in the first team with the brief exception of Danny Potts.

4. Continue to clear the debt

We have a responsibility to ensure this club is never again placed in a perilous position. Great strides have been taken to get us on a sound financial footing but there is still a way to go. Difficult decisions have had to be made – and that will continue to be the case – but our bottom line on the bottom line is to ensure the club survives.

VERDICT: UNDECIDED After a good start debts has risen again last season and the relegation season added more debt.

5. Freeze season ticket prices for renewals

We are delighted we have been able to freeze season ticket prices, save for the VAT increase, but we will not stop there. We are looking at more ways of rewarding those fans who make such a long-term commitment and have excellent offers for younger supporters, who are the lifeblood of this club. Member benefits will also improve.

VERDICT: UNDECIDED Although the season ticket freeze happened and the 5 year discount was honoured the price increase for disabled fans has left a sour taste in the mouth,

6. Build the status and image of the club

Our standing at home and abroad is rightly built on our proud history and our commitment to young talent. The values of the Academy of Football developed since the days of Bobby Moore define what we are all about. With the world's spotlight set to shine on this part of London, the time is right to spread the word further.

VERDICT: UNDECIDED Marketing own goals and the desperate sales tactics of selling tickets on groupon, the Metro and Talksport have weakened our brand and image.

7. Make it enjoyable to come and watch

We want to bring the fun back. It is a serious business but we know you work hard all week and want to kick back at the weekend and enjoy yourselves. We want you to be excited on a matchday, and not just about the style of football. We are looking at ways to improve our pre-match and half-time entertainment and will welcome suggestions.

VERDICT: EPIC FAIL Do I really need to say any-more here? I can't remember the last time I had fun at a West Ham match!

8. Get closer to the community

This club does excellent work in the local area already but we want to move even closer to schools and businesses on our doorstep. We can extend our commitment to multi-sports, education and healthy living and show there is more to this club than just first-team football. We take our social responsibility very seriously.

VERDICT: SUCCESS The Community Sports trust do a good job with the community. I know the community ticket offer for Man City was a PR disaster but I believe the club works well with the community in general.

9. Go for the Olympic Stadium

Leaving the Boleyn Ground will be a wrench but the Olympic Stadium is an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in a financial and football sense. Our potential partnership with Newham Council promises to take this club to a new level, while protecting our history and traditions. To move forward, we have to move – but always with an eye on the past.

VERDICT: SUCCESS Some may not agree with moving to the Olympic Stadium but few could argue they delivered this pledge.

10. Listen to supporters

Arguably the most important of all is our commitment to listen to what you have to say. We know we are just the custodians of this club. You who follow us every week, whether near or far, are the true owners. Whether talking to you online or in print, or face to face at fan forums, we will be open, transparent and available.

VERDICT: UNDECIDED The success of Supporter Advisory Board success which I it on is very debatable, the recent Season Ticket Fans Forum was stage managed.
I would agree the chairman are available but question whether the club is transparent at all times.

My score report card is 2/10 Please try harder!

I would interested to know other people's verdicts on the 10 pledges of 2010 as these verdicts are just my personal opinion.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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